Movie Review: The Twilight Saga Breaking Dawn Part 1

Who hasn't seen this movie yet?  Although I did not hang out in two to three day lines to see this movie on opening day, I did see it opening weekend.  My daughter and I have a standing "date" whenever the Twilight movies come out.  I thought it crazy that someone would camp-out in line just to be one of the first to see a movie.  The movie WILL be the same whether you are the first or the last to see it.  I was hoping that by going to a 10:45 PM showing the second night out it would not be as busy, but the theater was packed!

This fourth installment of the Twilight series is actually a two-parter.  First there was Twilight, then New Moon, and then Eclipse.  Breaking Dawn is part one of two.  The second part will hopefully come out next year at this time.  Breaking Dawn is the last book about the "Twilight" crew written by Stephenie Meyer.  Interesting fact: Stephenie wrote a draft story, which was illegally leaked to the public, called Midnight Sun.  This story is from Edward's perspective.  Who knows, maybe the Twilight series will take a whole new turn when all is said and done.  I know that readers and viewers would be excited to see more about the characters that they have grown to love (and hate).

The movie was good.  It was very serious in many parts and seemed a bit slow.  The movie experience always varies based on the audience you are seeing it with.  Ours seemed to be a bunch of younger people (go figure) and the giggling teens seemed to be talking and laughing in some parts that just did not seem necessary.  It made my viewing somewhat of a negative experience.  However, I know that should not effect my opinion of the movie, but because of this, it made the movie seem slow and drawn out.   


Here is a spoiler of the movie (don't read if you don't want to know): Bella and Edward have their "worries" prior to their wedding.  Jacob gets an invitation to their wedding and storms off into hiding.  Edward and Bella have a beautiful ceremony (outdoors - weeping willow trees are strategically placed to keep the sunlight from being too strong).   Jacob misses the wedding but he does, however, make an appearance at the reception.  The closeness that he and Bella have during their dance allows the viewer to see the love that they both share, even though she just married Edward.

It is decided that they will consummate their wedding before Bella is turned.  This seems to be a big topic of discussion among the Quileute tribe.  They are not happy about this and Jacob lets everyone know.  Personally, I would be embarrassed if everyone knew I was getting ready to finally have sex with my boyfriend for the first time.  But, it was all anyone talked about in this part of the movie.


The honeymoon is taken on a beautiful, secluded island.  Bella and Edward are nervous for their night of passion and the next morning it appears they had a rough previous night.  But, everyone survived and the couple seemed more in love than ever.  They spent time frolicking and enjoying one another's company as they played Chess, swam, made love, etc.  


It appears that several days pass when Bella realizes she has missed her period.  She immediately feels like she is pregnant and begins the appearance of being pregnant.  They fear that the baby will be a demon and this is confirmed by an Indian woman on the island.  Bella and Edward rush home to be with the Cullens.  As Bella's pregnancy continues at a fast pace, she begins to love the baby as it is quickly ruining her health.  Her appearance starts to wither and her cheeks become hollow.  She really looks horrible.  The family feels that they should terminate the baby, but Bella insists on delivering.  In the meantime, the Quileute tribe finds out she is having a demon baby and they decide they must kill it and possibly Bella.  Jacob turns against the tribe (with some help from two of his tribe mates) and attempts to save the unborn baby.


Bella goes into labor and as the baby is born, they realize it is a healthy, baby girl.  Unfortunately, Bella seems to be slipping away and as she is going, Edward begins trying to "change" her by biting her all over.  It appears that Bella is gone.  


Jacob realizes that the baby will soon be killed, because he cannot save her from his tribe.  He goes into the house and sees the baby, who they named, Renesmee, all cleaned up and in the arms of Rosalie. Renesmee and Jacob's eyes lock and at that moment he "imprints" on her.  Visions of Renesmee growing up to be a beautiful woman play and at that moment Jacob knows that he will spend his life protecting her and he knows the feeling of "imprinting" someone.  Because of this action, his tribe can not ever harm Renesmee.  


There are some fight scenes that I have left out between the tribe and the Cullens, you will have to watch them, they are pretty good.


Finally, the movie ends with Bella on the table, obviously dead.  After moments pass, she suddenly opens her eyes and they are blood red!  (end movie)


Okay, now you know how I felt about the movie.  What did you think of The Twighlight Saga Breaking Dawn Part 1?

Movie Review: Paranormal Activity 3

No folks, this movie is NOT real!!!! I know, it seems like it might be, but it's not.  My 14-year old daughter begs to differ though.  I had to assure her it wasn't and explained that I have even seen some of the actors in other things, i.e. Lauren Bittner (Julie) was in Bride Wars and Law & Order.  Chloe Csengery (Young Katie) is in the series Up All Night.  The cast is full of un-famous actors and actresses.  But, they do play their parts well and that's what makes this movie believable to many.

This third installment of the series was definitely the best yet.  I remember seeing the first one at the theater and walking out half way through.  It was terrible and not scary at all.  I later saw the second one and thought it was a little better and that maybe I should watch the first one again.  

Unlike most sequels/prequels in Hollywood, the third Paranormal Activity was the best.  It had lots of "jump out and get ya" moments that we all expect and love from a scary movie.  The fact that it appears to be reality makes it even more scary.

I did find it hard to keep track of what was going on at the beginning of the movie. This was one of those "prequels" that shows you the beginning of a series after you have already watched the ending.  My mind is just too analytical to allow them to completely make sense.  I am always second guessing things and questioning events.


Overall, this movie was worth the $10 I paid (actually, I paid $30 because I took my daughter and her friend).  *Wow, movies are expensive - sigh!* Because we saw it in a theater, we got to experience the crowd reaction at all the right moments.  I imagine you could have an eventful viewing at home and perhaps be prepared for those scary moments by really scaring someone who hasn't seen it yet - lol.


What did you think?

Are you Happy?

I thought I would share.  I do not have permission to use this photo, and I can't tell who I would get it from.  However, I thought that it was straight, and to the point. 

Make sense to you?

  Happy 11/11/11 &

Veteran's Day. 

The Search for Daddy's Kidney

This is my cousin, Matthew Zehm. Matthew Zehm is a 36 year old father of two, Sebastian-8 and Ethan-5. Matthew is dying from a kidney disease and needs your help. Please donate!!!!!




 UPDATE #2:  On October 14, 2011, Matthew Zehm went to Heaven to be with the angels.  His body rejected the new kidney and he spent months and months on dialysis and being in and out of the hospital. He decided that in his final time here on earth, he would go through hospice and spend his time with the ones that he loved.  A celebration of life party was attended by many, as well as by Matthew.  It was evident that Matt was very well loved by so many friends and family.  Less than a week later, Matthew passed away with his family at his side.

UPDATE: Hooray, Matthew has had a kidney transplant and is now recovering.

Happiness: What If Something Bad Happens?

I recently read a great article over at Soulseeds that was very inspiring.  It was an article written about 6 happiness tips by Dr. Tal Ben Shaha. One of his thoughts is: Rejecting our emotions, positive or negative, leads to frustration and unhappiness.  It got me thinking.

I grew up with a lot of negativity that carried into my adult life.  As I get older and wiser, I am trying to learn to be happy and do “things” for myself.

It’s funny, the other day, I awoke to the greatest mood.  I sprung out of bed, I was so happy and full of energy.  But I had this nagging thought that kept popping into my head, “What if something bad happens?  What if it happens because you are so happy?  Don’t get used to this feeling, because soon you will go back to the way you were.”  I realized that I stand in my own way of happiness.  I have had so much “drama” in my life that I don’t know how to just be happy.  I have some work to do!!!

Friends

I have been doing a lot of thinking about friends and the art of having a successful friendship.  I have found that as we grow older, friendships are harder to keep and new friends are hard to come by.  

When we were younger, our relationships were somewhat "forced" because we were stuck in the institution of school and we either got along with people or we were loners during recess, lunch, sporting events, weekends, etc.  As adults, we are in a similar situation with our jobs and our co-workers.  However, now we must all get along, whether we like it or not.  Outside the doors of work, there is a whole world that can be kept completely separate.

Some of us have friends that we have carried from childhood into adulthood and they are our sounding boards, our social buddies and our friends for life.  Many people, like my self, have gained friends and lost friends through re-locations, marriages, relationships, divorces, starting a family, etc.  Everything that life throws at us is a potential deal-breaker for a friendship.  

For many of us, as adults, we are so busy with our lives, being parents and spouses, that we simply don't have time for friends.  Of course, there are different situations and many people find a very happy balance between all of their responsibilities to everyone.


My husband and I were talking about friendships just the other night.  I explained to him that it is hard to find that "perfect" friend who will fulfill all of our friendship needs.  I told him that I have many acquaintances that I have different things in common with.  When we speak, it is always about our common interests and experiences.  Sometimes our conversations are light and friendly and other times, they can be deep and emotional.  It just depends on the common ground that you share with one another.  Are these people that I would hang out with or spend time together?  Probably not.  But that's okay.  We are both getting from each other what we need.  If the occasion arose for us to do something together, at least we have that history we can build on.

In all of our lives, there comes a time when either our kids have gone off to college, we may have switched jobs or we may have suffered a loss in our marriage, that we feel all alone and we need someone to turn to.  This is when I believe in the phrase, "Everything Happens For A Reason".  People are brought into our lives at the most unique and unexpected times and they serve a purpose.  I truly believe this.


Occasionally, I meet a really interesting person and we hit it off.  This may be my new hairstylist, the teller at the bank, the nurse at my doctor's office or my children's teacher.  When I meet them, I think about how nice it is to talk to them and since we seem to get along, I wonder if they could be a potential friend.  But as an adult, I don't know how to expand on our casual conversations without sounding like a stalker.  It reminds me of the funny comedy, "I Love You Man!".  What if the person you are trying to friend thinks you are hitting on them?  What if they reject your offers to get together?  I can think of all sorts of "what if's" that make me timid to pursue anything.  


Why can't it be as easy as jumping in the sandbox and saying, "Will you be my friend?".

Movie Review - Horrible Bosses

My fourteen-year old daughter and I decided to go see "Horrible Bosses" this weekend.  Since viewing the movie trailers for the last couple of months, I was really excited to see this movie.  The cast, the previews and the story line all appealed to me.  But, leave it to Hollywood to ruin yet another movie by showing too many good parts in their trailer.  I guess I should not use the word "ruin".  This is harsh.  The movie was still funny, entertaining and I am glad I went.  However, I found that all the really funny parts were shown in the previews.


I was a little worried that my daughter may see and hear too much adult "stuff" but I did not find it to be any more embarrassing than watching some television shows with her.  Other than Jennifer Aniston showing some cleavage and wearing lingerie, there was no nudity.

The cast was great!  Justin Bateman, as always, does a great job at playing the "uptight" friend.  Charlie Day stole the show as the "sex offender" who got his title because he urinated, at night, in a playground, next to a bar.  Through the movie, there are several references to this and I feel he was surprisingly funny, for an actor that I had not seen before.   Jason Sudeikis was funny, but I had a hard time believing that he was such the "ladies man" they made him out to be.  Jennifer Aniston, Kevin Spacey and Colin Ferrel were the "Horrible Bosses" and were so believable, I wanted to kill them!  It was awesome seeing hunky Colin Ferrel in such a nerdy role.  Jennifer was such a man-eater and Mr. Spacey always does a good job in whatever he does.  I must also mention Jamie Foxx as Mr. Motherf..... .  He was so funny as the original hitman they hired to wack the bosses.


Overall, this movie is funny and worth seeing.  What did you think?

Today's Meditation - Control

This meditation is perfect for me.  I am forever trying to control everyone and everything - it's just my nature.  I need to work on this.

The essence of surrender is a recognition that you can't control everything.  In fact, there is very little you can control.  Give up trying to control everything and you will feel a giant weight fall off your shoulders.  Give up some of your worries to your higher power, your inner sense of wholeness, the deeper self that has intuitive wisdom and perfect peace.

Say to yourself: I am part of a whole that is larger than me and also present in me.

~Afternoon Affirmations

The Dukan Diet - Day Four

The Dukan Diet  - Day Four - Phase One - Attack


I woke up this morning eager to see how much weight I lost because I really felt that yesterday was a day of weight shedding.  To my disappointment, I had not lost any weight :(  Maybe it skips a day?


I was really depressed because my kids left to go to their dad's and I did not have plans.  Usually, I would plan my day around eating out and enjoying myself.  However, since I felt like I could not eat anything, I figured I would just go back to bed and sleep the day away.  A few hours later, I realized this was a waste of a perfectly good day off of work.


I got up and opened the refrigerator.  Seeing all that food from yesterday's shopping trip was irritating me.  By now, I usually would have sampled at least one of everything in the fridge.  Instead, I decided to consolidate some of the food into smaller containers and I began cooking sauces, dressings and other yummy looking recipes from my Duakan Diet book.  This made me happy as I discovered some tasty stuff that would help me get through my diet.  I am excited to try them with different meals and they were really easy to make.

The rest of the day pretty much went down hill :(  I was hungry all day.  While I lounged around I ate a lot of food.  I believe my two worst decisions was eating Sherbert and having more lemon juice with salt.  I felt that because the Sherbert was fat free that it would be okay, but the problem was the sugar that was in it.  Also, I guess because I knew I could not have salt, I wanted it even more.

So, today, being the fifth day of the diet will be my last for now.  I actually gained a few pounds back and throughout all of this, I have only lost one pound.  The first three days I was gun-hoe but found by day four, it was tough, especially being home for the weekend.  


Do I feel like a failure?  Yeah, kind of!  But, I did good for 3 days at least and I saw where I made my mistakes, and they are easy to fix.  Perhaps next time I try this, I will start on a Monday and I will also make sure to plan it around my female cycle.  Until next time.....

Hey, are you missing something?

 

I often wonder about the "one shoe" I see laying off to the side of the road or in the middle of the street.  

Why is there just one?

Hey, is someone missing this?

Where was the shoe before it became abandoned?  

Did it's owner just not like that shoe? 

Is someone out there walking around with only one shoe?

It's one of those things that make me go, mmmm........

The Dukan Diet - Day Three

The Dukan Diet - Day Three - Phase One - Attack

I lost three pounds since yesterday, now I am at 168.  Now that's the kind of results that I want to see!  I was not hungry this am but knew that I needed to eat before I went about my errands for the day.  I had some cooked ground turkey and put some spices in it along with my day's requirement of oat bran.  I immediately felt rumbling in my stomach.  I guess that's what the fiber is supposed to do!


Later, my stomach hurt but also felt full.  I took the kids to Culver's and boy, did everything look good, especially their ice creams.  I was good and although I was not hungry, I ordered a bowl of roast beef.  Normally, it comes on a bun and the cashier asked if I would rather have it in some lettuce (when I said I could not have the bun).  I excitedly said, "Yes".  Then I realized that I am not allowed to have lettuce until Tuesday.  So, I sadly changed my mind and just ordered a bowl of meat :(  It really was not tasty and I only ate a few bites.  So much for going out to eat.

I went into a yogurt shop next to the grocery store in hopes that I could find something nonfat since I was dreading eating any more dry meat.  To my surprise, the lady in the yogurt shop told me that all of the yogurts were nonfat!!!! I enjoyed my small bowl as I shopped.


Shopping was difficult because I was trying not to only concentrate on what I needed, but also on all of the yummy stuff my family eats.  Two hours later, I was on my way home.


Dinner time came and I chose to have a turkey drumstick and some nonfat cottage cheese.  The cottage cheese was so good, I had thirds!  The turkey was not as satisfying, but I appreciate that my hunny took the time to grill it for me :)


While watching tv, I began to crave something that I actually really enjoy and have a hard time fighting.  I know you will think it's completely weird, but I like to have a small glass of lemon juice with lemon.  Although I need to stay away from both of those, the temptation was too strong. :(  Oh, well, I am not Superwoman!!!

The Dukan Diet - Day Two

The Dukan Diet -Day Two - Phase One - Attack 

I woke up this morning feeling pretty good.  I did not feel tired or hungry.  I checked my blood sugar and was surprised that it was in the healthy range (usually my morning blood sugar is elevated).  I also checked my blood pressure - all good!

My weigh in was 171 (only lost a pound).  With only eating lean proteins and non-fat dairy yesterday (and walking for 24 minutes), I felt that maybe it would be more.  But, I am keeping a positive attitude and expecting a bigger loss within the next few days.

I pre-packed/cooked my food last night so that I had a smorgasbord of food available to me today.  I really was not hungry and ate minimal but felt fine with plenty of energy.  The challenge was at dinner time when my family decided to have McDonald's.  The smell of the fries and the look of the food was tempting, but I did well.  I also re-read some portions of my diet book and found out that I can have non-fat cream cheese and lean lunch meat.  I am excited to expand the realm of what I can eat.  I am especially excited that in a few days, I can introduce some vegetables that I like.

The Dukan Diet - Day One

The Dukan Diet - Day One - Phase One - Attack

Payday is not until tomorrow, so I had to make due with the lean proteins that I currently have in the house.  I will need to go get some oat bran before the day is over, since I am supposed to eat that every day.

I rushed to get ready this morning for work, not allowing any extra time to get my day's food prepared.  Thankfully, I was able to juggle my morning routine and grill some chicken, boil some eggs and fry some egg whites.  And surprisingly, I was not late to work.


I stuffed myself the night before at Olive Garden, so my weigh in was a little high this morning.  I am starting the diet at 172 pounds.  My goal with this diet is to get to 141 pounds by September.  This is my healthy weight.  By the way, I am 5'4 and 39 years old and I have pre-type 2 diabetes and am on some medications for high blood pressure and depression.

I have been feeling a little under the weather the last few days, so perhaps this is not the best time to start this diet.  However, I am determined and full of will, so I am going through with it.  


I started the day off with a headache and kept it all day.  I was not hungry but made myself some egg whites, Canadian bacon and drank 20 ounces of water.  At lunchtime, I still was not hungry but I had a hard-boiled egg and some non-fat yogurt.  I am allowed to have sugar-free soda, so I had a sugar-free Red Bull.  I am not sure if it's the same, but I gotta have my RB :)  Later, I had some non-dairy yogurt and 3/4 of a chicken breast.  I was feeling full so I stopped myself from eating the whole thing.  I also drank 16 oz. of sugar free tea.


I continued to have my headache into the night but applied some peppermint oil to my temple and it went away (thank goodness).  Once I got home and was in the kitchen thinking about dinner, I had another yogurt with 1 1/2 tbspn. of oat bran. I ate some rotisserie chicken and about 8 pieces of shrimp.  My family had tacos and boy, did they look good!

The funny thing about diets is that EVERYTHING you can't eat looks good.  Every commercial that came on had some appealing item and as my husband pointed out, some of them I never even eat when I can!  I am missing my lemons though.  There was a commercial with a talking lemon (for McDonald's) and my mouth began to water.  How funny.

Here We Go Again!

(IF YOU ARE READING MY BLOG THROUGH FACEBOOK, PLEASE CLICK ON THE LINK TO GO DIRECTLY TO MY BLOG (view original source), THERE YOU WILL BE ABLE TO SEE PICTURES, FORMATTING, ETC.)

Here we go again!  Yes, I am starting to diet and I know that I have made attempts in the past.  But I am going to move past that thought and focus on the diet at hand.

The Dukan Diet involves four phases.

• Phase One: Attack (A 2 to 7 day period during which dramatic weight loss is achieved.)
• Phase Two: Cruise (Eat as much as you want of 100 foods.  Alternating days of pure protein with days of protein plus healthful vegetables allows you to reach your weight loss goal.)
• Phase Three: Consolidation (Stay on this phase for 5 days for every pound lost, adding fruits, bread, cheese, and other vegetables.)
• Phase Four: Permanent Stabilization (Eat whatever you like without regaining weight, provided that you follow three unbreakable rules, including eating only unlimited lean protein one set day per week.)

So, I have begun day one of the Attack Phase and will be "attacking" for the next five days.  I will be recording my thoughts, feelings and results on a daily basis, so please stay tuned.

My Little Girl Is Growing Up

This is my beautiful, fourteen year-old daughter, Sedona.  She was promoted to high school yesterday.  It was a much anticipated event and surprisingly, I did not cry.  My little girl is growing up and I can't do anything about it other than continue to love her and support her in whatever life will throw at her over these next four years of high school.  Oh, to be young again knowing what I know now (oh, and to have the body I used to have!) lol.....

Spiders Going For a Ride

YIKES!  Have you hear about the Yellow Sac Spider scare that recently caused the Mazda car company to recall their cars?

The recall came after there were spider webs found in the vents of the Mazda6 cars.  Some 50,000 cars have been recalled due to the safety concern.  The spiders could weave a web in a vent, which is connected to the fuel tank system and clog the tank's ventilation.  The pressure on the fuel tank could  lead to a crack and fuel leakage.  There have been at least 20 cases in which spider webs have been found in the vents.  The recall involves vehicles with 2.5 liter engines built from April 2008 to February 2010.


Some interesting facts about Yellow Sac Spiders:

• They have two rows of four eyes each (this is creepy!).
• Yellow color on the bottom of the abdomen.
• They like to enter homes and hide behind pictures, along baseboards and ceiling corners.
• Are one of the most common sources of spider bites.
• The bite of the spider affects cellular tissue and is usually restricted to the area of the bite.  The initial bite is painless, but symptoms usually develop between 2-8 hours.  The area then becomes painful and swollen.

Are You Ready For A "Hall Pass"?

Went and saw the movie Hall Pass this past weekend with my husband.  I had not laughed that much since seeing "Get Him To The Greek".  This movie was really funny, predictable, but funny!  I liked that there were a lot of parts that relate to real life and that they could make fun of some real serious situations (stalking, infidelity, drug abuse, etc.).

The cast was great, I like Owen Wilson and Christina Applegate - they were funny.  The supporting cast was equally entertaining introducing some unfamiliar actors and actresses.

As I entered the theater, I heard a man, who was seeing the show with a female guest, ask the ticket taker what the movie was about.  I thought, "Really?"  Well, in case you are not aware, it goes something like this:

Middle-aged men are getting bored in their marriages and want to spice things up.  The wives are tired of catching their husband's gawking at other women and feel that they need to let their husbands get it out of their system.  So, the wives give the men a one-week "hall pass" from their marriage.  They can go do whatever (and whomever) they want.  It is not said that the women can do the same thing, but of course, I say, "Hey, if they can play, so can the wives!" and that they do.  The men start to realize that they don't necessarily have the same attraction and stamina they might have had when they were younger.  So, as the week goes by, they are tested and eventually have a few opportunities that don't end up being what they really want after all.  (Go figure, you have something good at home and it takes going out and testing the water to realize this!)  

I think this movie is worth seeing and I will probably view it again when it comes out on DVD.  If you liked "The Hangover" or "Grown-Ups", you will like this.

Tell me what YOU thought...

Starting Up Again

So, it's been awhile and I thought that I would spend some more time blogging.  I apologize to my readers for not being more diligent about writing.  Sometimes life throws us curves and it's tough to handle everything on your plate, let alone find motivation to participate in hobbies.

Here goes....