Tooth Extraction

The appointment was for 11 AM.
I was out of the office by 11:15.
Hubby was more concerned about it than me.
On the way home we stopped for additional supplies.
Picke up some juice and coffee ice cream and applesauce.
With a tooth extraction its soft foods and liquids only.
I had already prepared Blissful Macaroni Cheese Bake.
We also stopped by B&G for some rental videos.

Sci Fi Movie Day

I am having a tooth extracted tomorrow.
Decided to enjoy some sci fi flicks today.
Sphere (1998) - so many great actors
Dustin Hoffman, Sharon Stone, Samuel L Jackson,
Peter Coyote, Liev Schreiber and Queen Latifah
Crossworlds (1996) - very interesting
Philadelphia Experiment II (1993) - sequel

Thrillers

We watched some thrillers the last few days.
Many of them were also action and horror.
Resident Evil (2002)
Resident Evil: Apocalypse (2004)
Resident Evil: Extinction (2007)
The Invasion (2007)
Thr3e (2006)

Maine Business Trends

Focusing on Maine trends since we are looking to move.
Trends 2008: A look ahead at Maine's economic future and key business sectors
These articles are from Feb 24th, 2008 but should still be valid.
FWIW - I am only posting links for some of the articles.
* Home prices may bottom out this year
* Retail, distribution sectors taking off
* Retail growth generating hundreds of jobs
* Projects help offset Navy base's closure

Blissful Banana Cream Dessert

For crust:
Use about 3 dozen fig bars
Crumble up with pastry blender
Press back into 9x9 baking pan

Make pudding layer:
1 package vanilla instant pudding
1 3/4 cups of milk
add this layer over the crust

Banana layer:
Over pudding layer slice 2 med bananas

Cream layer:
Add layer of Cool Whip to your liking
Top it with coconut and/or chocolate sprinkles

Put in refrigerator to chill for at least one hour.
Because of bananas may want to use within 24 hours.

AFI Movie Date Night #14

Mutiny on the Bounty was the selection today, the best picture winner of 1935 and #86 on the AFI list. This is the only film to boast having 3 of it's stars nominated for best actor (none won though). It's a great film from the period. Though I must admit I might remeber it differently because I thought Bligh got more punishment.

Back to Classics

After watching a number of sci-fi movies/series lately ...
decided to watch a few classics the last couple of days.

The Fountainhead (1949) - thought provoking
It's about intellectual property - an architect's work.
He dared to design his own way and demanded ownership.
His unique designs reminds me of Frank Lloyd Wright.

Three Coins in the Fountain (1954) - romance abroad
Three American girls working in Rome find love.

Mutiny on the Bounty (1935) - AFI pick of the week

The Ghost and Mrs. Muir (1947) - fantasy romance

Video Database

We have been using imdb's My Movies database.

We have 4 accounts over there for different purposes.
The first and primary account is for our whole video collection.
Randy had been entering them all himself until today's push.
I joined in to finish it up - until we purchase new videos.

VHS movies excluding foreign: 4022
DVD movies excluding foreign: 2033
VHS tv series titles: 125
DVD tv series titles: 245

Account #2 is a list of viewed movies since getting together.
Account #3 is for videos we have tagged to watch shortly.
We try to coordinate by genre or theme when possible.
Account #4 is for those that are available for purchase.

American Goulash

In New England this is called American Chop Suey

1 pound ground beef - cooked and drained
2 cups elbow macaroni - cooked and drained
1 lb spaghetti sauce - mix with beef and macaroni

Pour into 13 x 9 casserole dish.
Add cheese to your liking if you want to.

Bake at 300 for 15 minutes.
Or for 30 minutes if refrigerated first.

Engineer's Guide to Cats

French Toast Casserole

Into 9 x 13 pan:
1 loaf of Pepperidge Farm® Cinnamon Swirl Bread, cubed
3/4 cup raisins

Mix up in bowl:
6 well beaten eggs
3 cups of milk
2 tsp vanilla

Pour eggs-milk mix over bread mix.
Chill in refrigerator at least 1 hour.
Could be kept in overnight.

Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.
Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.
Serve with butter and syrup.

Notes/observations:
I did not add cinnamon sugar
It is great. And plenty sweet enough.
Would be good for company brunch.
It serves 8 persons - easily.
We'll be eating it for a few days yet.
In the future will half recipe for just the two of us.

Original recipe: Baked French Swirl Toast

Space by Numbers

As we are looking for a new home I thought I would post numbers of some previous residences of mine including our current space. I did own a house for nearly ten years which was ranch style. Then I rented a single-wide for nearly six months. And we are currently renting a spacious basement apartment in a house that is on the market. It's all about the numbers!!! Wanted to have these numbers to compare to the properties we visit.

House: ranch style - 26 x 42 - 1,092 sq feet - .24 acres
master bedroom: 11 x 12, br2: 11 x 12, br3: 10 x 12
living room: 16 x 12, dr: 7 X 12, kitchen: 9 x 12

Single wide rental: similar to Pine Grove G-525
14' x 76' -- Approx. 1,038 sq. ft. -- 3 bedrooms, 2 baths
The bedroom closest to livingroom was used as den.

Current basement apartment rental space:
It is only part of ranch basement: approx 789 sq ft
master bedroom (den): 21 x 13
livingroom/dining room/kitchen: 28 x 13
bathroom: 9 x 8 and walkin closet: 10 x 8

Saturday Feature

I am thinking of renaming Saturday Humore.
When I started it I did expect to post more humor.
But it has become more about sharing our interests.
The regular blogging is mostly a journal of our life ...
Sometimes it can be very mundane aka boring.
The Saturday posts help you know us better,
where we live, what we surf on the net,
what tickles our funny bone.

Some possible renames include:
Saturday Feature, Saturday Special,
Saturday Express, Saturday ???.
I will post more when I think of them.

Renamed it Saturday - nice and simple!

Skipped AFI Date Night

We skipped our regular AFI Friday date night ...
It was going to be Mutiny on the Bounty.
We were busy finishing up The 4400: Season Three.
We may decide to watch the AFI pick tomorrow night.

This afternoon we contacted a real estate agent.
She will be showing us four properties:
a double wide manufactured home on Saturday,
and three different ranches on Monday.

Home Search

We were out again looking at properties.
We are not actually entering them ...
just looking from afar for the time being.
We are considering everything at this time.
Starting a new blog label for this research.

Some links of interest for
modular and manufactured homes follow:
Apex Modular Homes
Pine Grove Manufactured Homes
HomeSight: Comprehensive Guide to Housing Resources

Early Birthday Gifts

Alien Nation - Ultimate Movie Collection came in the mail.
This was the first of DVDs I ordered for Randy's birthday.
Decided to wait on watching it for a few days to a week.

Since we were enjoying the tv series "The 4400" ...
I ordered season 3 and it should be here tomorrow!
Randy thought it would be best to continue with that first.

I admit it - I have a hard time withholding gifts from Randy.
Shhhh - there is still one or more he does not know about - YET!
For the record - I also have a few non-DVD gifts up my sleeve.

Side note: We also have been watching on DVD
the tv series "Dead Like Me" (2003) - comedy fantasy.
I will it admit it is a bit bizarre but interesting at times.

Cosmotopia

Randy and I are certainly Sci Fi fans.
I just stumbled upon a very dangerous site:
Cosmotopia: A Sci Fi Destination at Amazon.

From that site: "It's Science Fiction Month at Amazon.com,
and we're offering hundreds of DVDs on sale at up to 50% off,
and great deals on a lot of other stuff. That's a lot to look at,
so we've divided the sale in two different ways: by category and by genre."

Randy is sleeping so I think I will browse it first.
The question is whether to tell him about it or not!!!!
Actually we have been looking to expand our sci fi collection.

Update: Randy did know about the site and didn't tell me!!!!
We looked at it together and found nothing new to purchase.

Midweek Update

This week is about new recipes - four of them.
I made two yesterday and there are two more coming.
Traditional Maine Apple Cake - never heard of it before.
I found it because I had a bunch of baking apples to use.
I really enjoy it - reminds me of a coffee cake texture.
For lunch/dinner I made an Impossible Chicken Pie.
We are really liking the "Impossible pies from Bisquick.
What can be easier in one pan to bake - meat and cheese.
Mix up Bisquick, milk and egg and pour over meat/cheese.
The other two recipes I plan on trying are for the weekend.
For Saturday is Cowboy Casserole - BBQ beans and beef.
And for Sunday Brunch is French Toast Casserole.

This week we have not been watching as many movies.
Instead we are watching a tv series on DVD.
We are both enjoying "The 4400" seasons 1 & 2.
We do hope to see season 3 & 4 eventually.
We are also anxiously awaiting (any day now)
Alien Nation - Ultimate Movie Collection.
We already saw the series - these movies are followup.
I've not seen as many tv series as Randy over the years.
I would like to see the pilots or first show(s) of
"Andromeda", "Earth: Final Conflict" and "Babylon 5".
And Star Trek spinoffs: "The Next Generation",
"Deep Space Nine", "Voyager" and prequel "Enterprise".

Impossible Chicken Pie

Into pie plate:
1 1/2 cups of cut up chicken
1 cup shredded cheese

Separately mix up:
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 c Bisquick

Pour into pie plate.
Bake at 400 for 30-35 minutes

Modification:
I used about 2 cups of chicken.
Probably should have kept it 1 1/2 cups
but I was using up leftover chicken.
Cheese-wise only added a little extra.

Modified from Impossible Easy Turkey Club Pie
Other (leftover) chicken recipe options from Bisquick:
Italian Chicken Pie and Chicken Taco Pie and Chicken Pot Pie

Maine Apple Cake

Mix together:
4 1/2 cups of diced apples
2 cups of sugar

Add to mixture:
2 eggs
1/2 c oil
3/4 c walnuts
2 t vanilla

Mix dry ingredients separately:
2 cups of flour
2 t baking soda
2 t cinnamon

Combine the two mixtures and pour into 13X9 pan.
Bake at 350 for 60 minutes.

Modifications:
I never use nuts so simply omitted them.

Original: Traditional Maine Recipes: Apple Cake

Tax Day

Don't forget to get your taxes in!
Since we just got married in December
we ended up filing "married filing single".
We owed 3 of the 4 so just filed yesterday.

Frankenstein Legacy

Over the weekend we watched these movies.
Frankenstein was written by Mary Shelley in 1818.

Frankenstein Legacy set:

Frankenstein (1931)
Bride of Frankenstein (1935)
Son of Frankenstein (1939)
The Ghost of Frankenstein (1942)
House of Frankenstein (1944)

The first two were directed by James Whale.
The middle one was directed by Rowland V. Lee.
The latter two were directed by Erle C. Kenton.

To follow it up:

Gothic (1986) - the story of the night Mary Shelley
gave birth to the horror classic Frankenstein.

Frankenstein (1994) - updated version

I have never read the novel but this is said to stick closer to the original. I enjoyed this one more than the 1931 version. Maybe partially because it is distinctively different than other version.

Joshua

Joshua (2002/I) - definately a movie worth recommending to others.
It's about how people would react if Jesus walked among us today.
In actuality it is probably not much different than 2000 years ago.
What stood out was how skeptical people can be about others helping.
Yes, people can be that interested in others even mere strangers.

Joshua appeared to be a wanderer just appearing in the town.
He saw there was work that needed doing and went about doing it.
A church building had been destroyed by a storm so
he started fixing it and in turn other townsfolk joined in.
People of all faiths and backgrounds joined in the effort.

Nubble Lighthouse

During our Belated Honeymoon Getaway we visited Nubble.

This lighthhouse is located off Cape Neddick in York Harbor.

Read The History of Nubble on their official website.

That site also has a page listing Maine Lighthouses.

For lighthouse enthusiasts: New England Lighthouses.

Even more links to Maine Lighthouse at about.com.

Considered M, R and E of HUMORE

AFI Movie Date Night #13

Frankenstein, the 1931 classic monster movie with Boris Karloff as the Monster was our movie this day. This one deserves its ranking on the AFI list (#87) because of its influence on the rest of the genre. It is a great movie for its time and I don't think any remake version has surpassed it.

We decided to watch all 5 of the Frankenstein movies on The Legacy Collection. We've already watched the second one - Bride of Frankenstein - and still have Son of Frankenstein, Ghost of Frankenstein and House of Frankenstein to go.

Belated Honeymoon Getaway

We got married in December after Randy moved here.
At that time we decided on an "at home" honeymoon.
Now that spring is here we decided to get away!!!
We headed out Tuesday morning around 10 AM
and got back Thursday afternoon about 2 PM.
We put 210 miles on the car during the trip.

We decided to coordinate it with a shopping trip.
Randy loves shopping (more than me) and bargains.
We headed to the Kittery Maine outlet strip which
is home to over 120 brand name outlet stores.
I had been very eager to replace my old corelle dishes
with a new pattern but wanted to check it out in person.
The Corningware Corelle outlet store was the perfect stop.

I will be blogging on different elements of the trip.
Expected blog titles coming soon: (will add links later)

Getaway Food Finds - from food outlets and Yummies!
Getaway at Coachman Inn - review of hotel we stayed at
Getaway Kitchen Finds - kitchen gadgets and great finds
Getaway Corelle and Pyrex - new dishes purchased

Getaway DVD set find - Randy's classic movies find!
Getaway Day 1 - trip there and initial shopping
Getaway Day 2 - shopping in Maine and NH
Getaway Day 3 - mostly scenic trip home

Getaway Day 1

• We headed to Kittery at 10 AM.
• First stop when we got there was the Corningware Corelle Revere factory outlet. We bought most of the items we wanted at that time. We used my bench so I could spend more time in the store checking out everything. (12:33/101.97)
• We got a quick lunch at McDonalds.
• Checked into the Coachman Inn around 1 AM.
• I stayed at the hotel the rest of the day recuperating from the trip and Corelle shopping.
• Mid to late afternoon Randy went on foot store hopping scouting in the other stores for items we were looking for. The stores included mostly kitchen, houseware and shoe stores: Pfaltzgraff (Farberware), Reebok/Rockport, Big Dog Sports, Super Shoes, Le Gourmet Chef, Russell Stover Candy, CuddleDown, Crate and Barrel, and Kitchen Collection.
• We had brought homemade Tangy Meatloaf for supper but needed something to go with it. Randy went to Hannaford down the road for supplies. He also picked up Cheese Bread Sticks at Wildcat Pizza in York.

Getaway Day 2

• After eating a continental breakfast in the hotel lobby we started the day's journey around 11 AM.
• Stopped by Pfaltzgraff/Farberware (10:47/1.35)
• Returned to Corningware Corelle Revere (11:29/33.75)
• At this point decided to head to New Hampshire's Fox Run Mall in Newington. Randy went in alone to see what was there. He stopped by FYE, two Game Stops, Go! The Game Store and a bookstore.
• Down the road was our main NH objective, Kitchen & Company. (1:05/17.97)
• On the way back to Kittery we saw the downtown of Portsmouth even crossing the smaller bridge back into Maine.
• Had lunch at Burger King before taking a leg break back at the hotel.
• We hit the road again around 2:30 PM.
• Stopped at Pepperidge Farm (3:07/11.46)
• At Kitchen Collection we found numerous items. (3:51/33.31)
• Decided to do some sightseeing at Kittery Point. From Route 1 we took Route 103 between Yummies and Mrs and Me. Randy took some pictures with a couple of lighthouses in the distance.
• Then decided to just ride around - Gerrish Island and Cotts Island. Accidently found a gate to Fort Foster.
• Returned to the hotel for dinner which was the last of the meatloaf.
• In the evening Randy headed out alone to check out the Kittery Trading Post and the Reader's Digest outlet.

Getaway Day 3

• Packed up and left hotel around 10 AM
• Stopped at Yummies which was next door to the hotel.
• Down the road Randy took a picture of "When Pigs Fly" sign.
• We took the scenic route home
including Route 1 and Route 1a and Shore Road(s):
Kittery -> York -> Ogunquit (stopped at main beach)
Wells -> Kennebunk -> Arundel -> Biddeford -> Saco
Scarborough -> South Portland -> Portland -> etc
• We arrived home around 2 PM and took a nap
*** Also checked out Nubble Lighthouse

Getaway Corelle and Pyrex

==> picture will go here <==

The reason we headed to the Kittery outlets was
to replace Corelle Dish Set from Spice of Life design
to the newer Livingware design of Country Cottage.
I did a lot of research comparing Corelle old set
to Corelle new sets and Corningware.

We got a lot of the items at reduced prices.
Awhile back I had signed up to get emails
from either Corelle or World Kitchen site.
We had received notice of the sales going on.
Also before leaving we found a 25% off coupon
over at CorningWareStores.com (World Kitchen).

We originally wanted the 42 piece dish set but
they did not have them at the factory outlet store.
We saved money buying the two 16 piece sets
with the extras ONLY because we used
the two 25% off coupons (one for each of us).

16 piece set (cathy with coupon) orig 26.99 less 6.75 = 20.24
16 piece set (randy with coupon) orig 26.99 less 6.75 = 20.24
lunch plates (had gotten 3 at Walmart) 2.59 x 5 = 12.95
1 qt serving bowl (one "extra" from set) 7.99 x 2 = 15.98
12.25 serving platter ("extra" from set) 7.99 x 1 = 7.98
18 oz bowl covers ("extra" from set) 0.99 x 8 = 7.92
1 qt bowl covers ("extra" from set) 1.99 x 2 = 3.98
5 piece pasta set - orig 19.99 less 10.00 = 9.99
(includes 2 qt serving bowl and 4 20 ounce bowl - in winter frost white)

Except for the pasta set everything else
is in the Livingware Country Cottage design.
We did not pick up any Corningware/Corelle bakeware
because they are all too heavy for daily use (in my book).
The clerk said they were going to be coming out with
a lighter weight line that should be like the older version.

Pyrex purchases - these are see thru glass items
Warning: do NOT use on stove top or under broiler
Picked up two matching Pyrex 13 x 9 oblong baking pans.
Also a new pie/souffle plate for the "Impossible" pie recipes.

Getaway Great Finds

These are items of note



From Kitchen Collection:

Progressive Ceramic Tool Crock
Kamenstein 3 piece Chrome Value Set
which included trivet, napkin holder
and upright paper towel holder

All Natural Spices - 3 for five dollars

Sesame seed caught my eye
then italian herbs
and chicken rub seasoning

Hamilton Beach 14 pizza pan
its considered "professional"

From Kitchen & Company:

Newbridge Vinyl Tablecloth
it was in rose, 52x52 square

Weber Flame Resistant grille mitts -
I like their length for regular oven use.

Getaway Kitchen Finds

==> picture will go here <==

Kitchen stuff was the prime focus of our shopping.
These are kitchen gadgets and other great finds:

From Corningware Corelle Revere outlet:
• OXO "Good Grips" Dough Blender
• OXO "Good Grips" Stainless Steel Serving Spoon
• OXO "Good Grips" Nylon Flexible Pie Server
• EKCO vegetable brush - amazing find!

From Kitchen Collection outlet:
• set of 3 chrome plated whisks
• Progressive Jumbo Ceramic Tool Crock (GF)
• Kamenstein 3 piece Chrome Value Set(GF)
trivet, napkin holder and upright paper towel holder
• All Natural Spices - 3 for five dollars
Sesame seed, italian herbs and chicken rub seasoning
• Hamilton Beach Professional 14" pizza pan

From Kitchen & Company (NH):
• Sonoma Rose 52x52 vinyl tablecloth (GF)
• Long oven mitts (actually Weber grilling mitts) (GF)

From Pfaltzgraff outlet:
• Farberware measuring cup scoops

* GF stands for Great Find!!!

Getaway at Coachman Inn

For our belated honeymoon getaway we stayed at Coachman Inn. It's not part of a chain just a single discount hotel which easily competes with national chains. I had read a lot of great reviews about this hotel touting its spacious rooms and bathrooms and spectacular continental breakfast. I was concerned as to whether the bed and toilet would be high enough for me (and my arthritic knees). We were given one of the two handicap rooms because the toilet was higher and it had a king sized bed. The bed was 20 inches high and the toilet was 18 inches high. Both ended up working for me just fine.

The room truly was spacious. The bathroom had hand rails around the toilet. However, even though this was suppose to have been for someone in a wheelchair (which I am not) it still only had a tub/shower enclosure which would have been too difficult for me to bend my legs to get into. They had remodeled recently even replacing the carpets and all the bedding. I actually wrote down the specifics on the bedspread and king size blanket to see about purchasing from the same company.

Across from the front checkin desk was a sit down area with small tables and chairs ideal for comfortably partaking of your continental breakfast. They did also provide a complimentary USA Today on weekdays. Coffee and hot water for tea and cocoa was available 24 hours a day. For breakfast there was bagels and pastries, fresh fruit and cereal. It was decent enough - comparable to other hotels. I took the opportunity to eat bagels and cream cheese.

Getaway Food Finds

Pepperidge Farm outlet
I'd been wanting to try some of their crackers
so took this opportuinty to pick up a couple:
Wheat Crisps (baked naturals) and Golden Butter
And who can pass up their creme filled Pirouettes?
NOT us!!! So we each picked a flavor we liked
Cathy's French Vanilla and Randy's Mint Chocolate
Almost forgot - originally went in for cinnamon swirl bread

Russell Stover Candies outlet (going out of business)
Randy was browsing and found left over eggs.
For himself mint creme and coconut and to share
chocolate creme and brownie center (YUMMMY)

Yummies: Candy and Nuts of Maine
We had two coupons - one for each of us.
If we spent ten dollars we saved one dollar.
Cathy's picks: sanded horehound drops,
australian licorice and licorice twists
Randy's picks: white peanut butter cups,
dark chocolate mint wafers and cherry slices

When Pigs Fly: Sourdough Breads
Picked up Multi-Grain Anadama Bread
The crust was too hard - we cut it off

Getaway DVD set find

I found a 20 movie DVD set called Hollywood Classics for only $20 at The Reader's Digest outlet store. Titles were At War with the Army (Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis), The Little Shop of Horrors (1960 with Jack Nicholson), Private Buckaroo, The Flying Deuces (with Laurel & Hardy), And Then There Were None (with Barry Fitzgerald - disappointed me because it didn't do the correct ending as Agatha Christie wrote it), The Outlaw (Jane Russell), The Man from Utah (John Wayne), The Front Page (Adolphe Menjou), Of Human Bondage (Leslie Howard & Bette Davis), Made For Each Other (Carole Lombard & Jimmy Stewart), Indiscreet (Gloria Swanson), The Inspector General (Danny Kaye), A Star is Born (Janet Gaynor & Fredric March), Road to Bali (Bob Hope, Bing Crosby & Dorothy Lamour), The Little Princess (Shirley Temple), My Favorite Brunette (Bob Hope & Dorothy Lamour), Royal Wedding (Fred Astaire & Jane Powell), A Farewell to Arms (Helen Hayes & Gary Cooper), Father's Little Dividend (Spencer Tracy, Joan Bennet & Elizabeth Taylor) and Anna Karenina (Vivien Leigh).

I had seven of these already on DVD, mostly used ones that I picked up cheap. I felt the set was worth picking up for the others plus to have newer copies of the used ones. Though I must admit that trying to watch The Front Page wasn't all that good with its poor audio quality. (We didn't finish watching that one.) But the two discs I've watched so far both had interesting special features with newsreels of the era and bloopers from many different movies. That might really make it a worthwhile find!

Kittery Outlets

We are headed to The Kittery Outlets today.
There are over 100 brand name outlet stores.
The store directory lists them by category.
Our main goal is Corningware Corelle Revere.
Probably Cuddledown and Kitchen Collection.
Maybe Crate and Barrel and Le Gourmet Chef.
Besides kitchen and home furnishing stores ...
Pepperidge Farm and some of the shoe stores
Of note: Special Discounts and Sales and Events

Corelle Dish Set

Headed to Corelle Corningware Outlet store tomorrow.
The plan is to purchase the Country Cottage design set.

Livingware Country Cottage 42-Pc. Set - Reg 69.99
Includes 8 each: 10-1/4" Dinner Plates,
6-7/8" Bread Butter Plates,
18 oz. Soup-Cereal Bowl with plastic covers,
11 oz. Stoneware Mugs;
1 each: 1 qt. Serving Bowl, 12.25" Platter

Country Cottage 8-1/2" Luncheon Plate - Each 2.59
Have purchased a few already at Walmart for 2.56

Other possibilities at outlet store:
Winter Frost White 1 qt Serving Bowl - reg 7.99 (1 with set)
Winter Frost White 2 qt Serving Bowl - reg 8.99 (1 with pasta)
Winter Frost White 9" Deep Dish Pie Plate - reg 3.99

Other possibilities seen at Amazon:
Country Cottage 1 qt Serving Bowl - 10.64 (design - not white)
Winter Frost White 5-Piece Pasta Set - 14.99
Includes 2-quart serving bowl and four 20-ounce bowls
Not necessary but might be nice to have - not sure yet

Also looking to get the Corningware bakeware (prev blog entry)

Weekend Movies

Saturday was crime drama movies.
We wanted something more intelligent.
They all had to do with computers/hackers.

Swordfish (2001) starring John Travolta
Convicted hacker played by Hugh Jackman
is recruited by Halle Berry to work for Travolta.
He has to do it because his daughter is being held.
In the end the federal authorities recognize that.
So he and his daughter are allowed to reunite.

Firewall (2006) starring Harrison Ford
Bank's security expert is forced to hack for crocks.
His family was held in their home while he was to continue
to go to work and find a way for them to hack into system.
His wife was played by Virginia Madsen
and his assistant was Mary Lynn Rajskub.

Johnny Mnemonic (1995) starring Keanu Reeves
This one had a sci fi element.
He was hired to carry in his brain data.
The problem is they overload him causing problems.
The challenge is to get the information out
preferably without him losing his life.

Sunday night Randy watched the Detroits Tigers.
So I decided to watch a few movies on my own.

Flirting with Disaster (1996)
A comedy starring so many good people.
The cast aside this was a pretty odd story.

Casanova's Big Night (1954)
A classic comedy starring Bob Hope.
I had seen this before; wanted to see it again.

Earthsea

We just watched this miniseries from the Sci-Fi channel.
We both really enjoy science fiction and sometimes fantasy.
Science fiction and fantasy are oftne lumped in together.
I am not so much into fantasy but can handle some of it.

This morning I found some YouTube movie clips.
Because I did enjoy it so much wanted to share these.
Also of note is Official Sci Fi Legend of Earthsea site.
And from wikipedia: Earthsea, Characters, Islands

The actors may be familiar from other sci fi endeavours.
The main character, Ged, is Shawn Ashmore aka Iceman
Best friend, Vetch, is Chris Gauthier, Eureka's Vincent.
Lady Elfarren is Amanda Tapping, Stargate's Samantha.

Scene 1 - 6:51 minutes


Scene 2a (2:27) and Scene 2b (4:23)

Scene 3 - 6:07 minutes


Scene 4 (0:51) and Scene 5 (3:30)

Considered E of HUMORE for entertainment value.

AFI Movie Date Night #12

It was Easy Rider tonight (#88), which is probably the best known motorcycle road movie of all time. This 1969 movie starred Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper (who also directed it) as the two friends who take the motorcycle trip. It also had supporting roles from Jack Nicholson, Karen Black and Toni Basil.

It's a good movie for its time and probably helped the young people of the culture identify with the movie. And the soundtrack was very memorable.

Adventure Movies

The AFI movie tonight was Easy Rider (1969).
I guess it depicted the hippie-stoner life style.
Rather than find other movies like that ...
I decided to take the "adventure" element
to find other movies to watch with it.

Earthsea (2004)
Listed genres as fantasy, drama, adventure
Admittedly I have never read the books it is based on.
I really liked this - it kept my interest thru out
moreso than Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings.
It does seem to be a cross between the two -
it has a magic school for wizards like Harry Potter
and there is the adventure/quest like the Lord of the Rings.

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (2005)
Listed genres as adventure, comedy, sci-fi
All I can really say is this is very odd.

Banana Custard Pie

Mix together and set aside:
1 c mashed ripe bananas (2 medium)
2 t lemon juice

Stir together the following:
1/2 c Bisquick® mix
1/4 c sugar
1 T butter or margarine, softened
1/2 t vanilla
2 eggs
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk

Finally add the two mixtures together ...
pour into pie/souffle plate.

Bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes.
Cool completely for about an hour.
Cover and refrigerate for another two hours.

Suggested top layer when ready to serve:
3/4 cup frozen (thawed) whipped topping
sprinlked with 1/4 c coarsely chopped walnuts
and Caramel topping, warmed, if desired

Variation: we simply did not add top layer(s).
I also simply just poured mix in casserole dish.

Original recipe called Impossibly Easy Banana Custard Pie

Dentist

I had tooth pain for a couple of weeks now.
Monday I that the tooth was actually wiggling.
I also had trouble with it just a year ago.
The tooth has a cap over a root canal.

I was scheduled to see doc Friday (today).
But there was a cancellation Thursday.
The doc removed the loose cap to find the tooth
beneath it was cracked and rubbing the gumline.

Weird thing is the post was still upright.
The dentist filed it down so not to be irritating.
At this point there is not enough left to save.
I am scheduled to have the rest surgically removed.

That is not scheduled until the end of the month.
The pain has subsided since the cap and tooth removed.
The original root canal keeps there from having pain.
Will have to get use to gap in teeth - bottom back left.

Flint not Clint

Thursday movies in review -

I am not big into action movies.
I probably have not see much with Clint Eastwood ...
but I do like Derek Flint and found out so did Randy.
Derek Flint is played by James Coburn in
Our Man Flint (1966) and In Like Flint (1967).
These movies are a spoof of James Bond "007" movies.
The Flint character is very intelliegent on many subjects ...
"Flint is the worlds greatest secret agent, ...
an expert on electronics and Dolphin speech
and goes to Moscow for Ballet (To Teach!)"

We only had one of the Flint movies so had to rent the other.
At the rental place Randy also picked up a horror flick ...

Bug (2006) - suppose to be a dramatic horror thriller
I saw quite a bit before falling asleep and saw NO horror.
Randy said he also never saw bugs. (scratch head now)
Randy said it was moreso a physchological thriller.
It stars Ashley Judd which is usually pretty good.

Toni Collette movies

These were actually watched on Wednesday.
Randy was out and about all afternoon.
So the first two movies I watched alone.
Randy was not interested in seeing them (again).

Clockwatchers (1997) - imdb trailer
Its about the life of office temps. If you have ever worked in an office environment you will see that it is pretty true to life. The new girl gets embraced by three other temps. They socialize both at the office and after hours. They believe everyone is out to get them and keep them as temps especially when a new permanent is hired from outside their group. The movie reminded me of Working Girl and there was even a referrence to Tess. The "clockwatchers" aka temps are played by Toni Collette, Parker Posey, Lisa Kudrow and Alana Ubach.

I thought I was going to watch "gal pal" movies ...
but after watching this movie I was interested
to see what else Toni Collette had acted in.

About a Boy (2002) - imdb trailer
This is a romantic comedy based on a Nick Hornby's best-selling novel. Hugh Grant plays a young-ish man who decides to pick up single mothers by pretending to be a single parent himself when in reality he does not even work but lives off an inheritance of sorts. He ends up being involved in the life of the son of one of the ladies he dates friend. The boy who has a depressed mother in turns helps Hugh's character grow up and find purpose in his life. After starting to watch it realized I had seen it before. Toni Collette played the boy's mother.

Evening (2007) - imdb trailer
This is a romantic drama in which a dying mother, Anne, remembers her past and the "big mistake" and proclaims the love of her life is Harris - a name the two daughters, Nina and Constance, have never heard of before. The story goes back in forth between current day and fifty years past when Anne was maid of honor at her best friends high-society Newport wedding. Her best friend, Lila, has a brother that is interested in Anne while she is taken with wedding guest Harris. This back and forth element is reminiscent of Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood and the old love element is even more like The Notebook.

SO impressive is the cast of amazing woman actresses:
Claire Danes as young Anne and Vanessa Redgrave as dying Anne
Toni Collette as Nina and Natasha Richardson as Constance
Mamie Gummer as young Lila and Meryl Streep as older Lila
Glenn Close as Lila's mother and Eileen Atkins as night nurse

Natalie Portman movies

We decided to watch Natalie Portman movies.
She is a contemporary favorite of Randy's.
I like what I have seen of hers.

Closer (2004) - (independent) romantic drama
Natalie's Alice starts and ends with Jude Law's Dan.
Julia Roberts' Anna starts/ends with Clive Owen's Larry.

Garden State (2004) - romantic comedy
A mother's death brings a troubled young man back home.
While there he falls in love with Natalie's character.

Mars Attacks! (1996) - comedy sci-fi fantasy thriller
It's a Tim Burton movie with Jack Nicholson as President.
Glenn Close is the first lady and Natalie the first daughter.
Other greats: Annette Bening, Pierce Brosnan, Danny DeVito,
Martin Short, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Michael J. Fox.
Following is 1996 Theatrical Trailer for Mars Attack! (2:21)

FOUR MONTHS!

It's our four month anniversary!

Thanks honey for four incredible months!!!

April Fools Day

Pranksters Unite - it's your day!!!
Last year my boyfriend and I told everyone
we got engaged after meeting in person just once.
Four months later in August that actually did happen!!!

There is an obvious prank for newlyweds to play ...
But considering last year's prank came true ...
we are hesitant to tell everyone we are pregnant.

I did google for April Fools Recipes and found many.
I still decided not to do anything this year.
But once I shared these links with my husband ...
he suggested "we" plan to do them on others next year.

April Fool Party Meat Loaf
Chicken Not Pie
Colorful Cupcakes
Rice Cereal Meat Loaf