KING OF POP DEAD AT 50

Michael Jackson 1958-2009

He always had a way of shocking the world.
His death was no different.

The Proposal

Can I just tell you how much I loved this movie? I LOVED this movie. For once, a film completely lives up to its trailer, and then some.

It's not exactly a new concept for the big screen: Boy and girl agree to get married because one of them is about to get deported. Boy and girl pretend to be in love and try to convince everyone around them (especially the immigration guy) that their relationship is legit, and in the meantime, end up falling for each other. (Don't gasp at the fact that I just gave the ending away. It's not rocket science, people.) It brings to mind 1990's Green Card and even a bit of How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days.

However, it more than makes up for its less-than-original premise by actually being romantic and comical, something that can't be said about most romantic comedies.

Sandra Bullock (always a sure bet) plays Margaret, a cold-hearted, career driven editor-in-chief at a publishing company who learns she is being deported to her native Canada due to an expired visa. Ryan Reynolds (aka Mr. Scarlett Johansson) is Andrew, Margaret's assistant who despises his job but hangs in there with dreams of becoming an editor himself one day. When Margaret hears the shocking news that she is about to be shipped north, she bribes Andrew into marrying her by threatening that if he doesn't, his dreams of becoming an editor are over. His hands tied, Andrew agrees.

Next thing she knows, Margaret is on a plane to Sitka, Alaska to meet Andrew's family and announce the engagement. Of course, the obligatory characters are all there: The kooky, energetic grandma; the disapproving father angry at his son's life choices; the beautiful bombshell of an ex-girlfriend who inexplicably spends all her time with the family. But what sets The Proposal apart is the actual laughs it brings, between Margaret's culture shock and "Gammy's" antics, and other characters and situations that had me gracing the theater-goers with my boisterous guffaw.

But what made me fall in love with the movie was Andrew. Not Ryan Reynolds, although of course I have to credit him somewhat, but the character he played. Until now I only knew of Ryan Reynolds in obnoxious, cringe-worthy roles. But he pulled out the acting guns for this role, and actually had me sighing girlishly at parts. He was sweet, funny, real, and ripped. (Just FYI.) I actually found myself bitter at the end, thinking he could do better than Margaret.

Other pros: The Alaskan scenery was to die for, Andrew's family was thoroughly enjoyable, and a favorite from The Office pops up throughout the movie in a hilarious role.

Cons: Although there was no actual love scene, there was some surprising nudity (no visible parts per se, but lots and lots of skin). There. You've been sufficiently warned by me.

Movie Queen Rating: G

Movie Queen Rating System:
G - Great
PG - Pretty good
PG13 - Eh
R - Rubbish

Boo! Boo!
Boo for the flu!!
Do you hate it too?
I know that you do.
I'd rather chew poo
than get sick with the flu
I hope I'm soon through
feeling so blue (green?)
Boo hoo.
Boo hoo.
Boo for the flu.

Schooooool's Out....For.....Summah

Tomorrow marks the first day of summer vacation. I am both excited and dreading it at the same time. By ten o'clock tomorrow morning the excitement will be long gone and dread will be the only remaining emotion. But for now, the excitement remains.

What will we do all summer long? The possibilities are endless. Swimming, that's a given. We spend almost every day at Grandma's pool. Swimming lessons, for sure. It gets us up and out the door every day and my kids think it's something I do fun for them, which earns me bonus points. They haven't caught on that it's school...for swimming. Please don't tell them.

Summer vacations are out...we did our big trip around Spring Break. (Remember Disneyland? Pretty much ate up the vacation funds...and then some.) But I still have high hopes of making this a rockin' summer vacation. Picnics, parks, play dates, library, sprinkler parks, softball games, water parks, BBQ's, boating, birthday parties, family reunions, slip and slides, family dinners, etc. I have the schedule all mapped out in my head, interspersed with things like piano practice and reading and all that stuff. It plays out something like a family sitcom from the 80's.

And then I remember how summer vacation at our house actually goes. My kids, standing next to my bed at 10:00 asking when I'll get up and make them breakfast, because after five cartoons they're really hungry. Me yelling that I'm going to put a stop to their incessant fighting right this very second before they think they're going to spend all summer talking to each other that way. Me dragging them to the pool threatening the whole way that if they continue to act that way we'll turn around and go home. Me sitting by the pool nursing a headache telling my kids every five minutes for an hour that it's time to go. Me coming home and ignoring my disaster of a house because my head is throbbing and the heat has drained me so I'm going to take a nap. Cartoons, back on. Me telling myself that tomorrow I'll make sure they sit down and read some books.

Well, it's the thought that counts, right?

Feliz Cumpleanos A Ti

Here's to all the memories
All the nights sitting in our driveways pouring out our souls
Planning and carrying out GNO after GNO
sPooning in Forks
You and me eating licorice and popcorn watching 27 Dresses

Boating, BBQ's and Beating you, Bill and Jeff at Phase 10
I'll never look at a pillow the same way again
Rabid dogs...NOT a vampire baseball field
Taking the kids to the park
Helping McDonalds maintain their #1 status
Dinner groups
Avoiding paying the toll...ha ha, we sure showed them.
Your goal to say more than just "thanks" to Stephenie

Killing each other's fish (I swear it wasn't revenge)
Impromptu late-night trips to Walmart
Mall walking

Happy Birthday Kim!!! Hope you have a wonderful day of roller coasters, water slides and LOTS of sunblock so you don't burn like you always do.

cRaZy hAiR dAy

I LOVE Crazy Hair Day.

I'm not exaggerating when I say that I think about it all year long,
dreaming up outrageous ways to fix Macy's hair.

Last year we did this:

I knew I had to up my game this year.
How would I top last year?
Finally, a few months ago, I had the answer.

I am sooooo happy I have a fun little girl
with a crazy sense of humor who thought
it. was. the. bomb.
(I wouldn't have been caught dead going to school like this when I was a kid.
I would have cried and cried until my mom took it out.)

Which is a good thing, since her brother
-the one with the buzzed hair-
has one option for next year: Spray-on color
And since he got his mom's paralyzing fear of looking weird or different,
I'm predicting that Crazy Hair Day for him will be a Big Fat No-go.

I only have 364 more days to think up next year's style.

Alive and Kicking

Has it really been a week since I posted last? Time flies when you're having emotional breakdowns due to exhaustion.

I just wanted to let everyone know that I'm still here and hanging in there. Just counting down the days till this week is over and summer is here. My inbox is full of people I need to reply to and I promise to do it very, very soon. Don't give up on me yet!

That turquoise water is calling my name.....Alicia.....Alicia.....Alicia

Teaser Tuesday

Once upon a time there was a girl who was so ridiculously busy that she didn't have time to clean her house or help her desperate sister or go grocery shopping, let alone sit down and write her beloved novel. The girl suffered from fatigue, headaches, and the overwhelming discomfort that one gets when their head collides repeatedly with a wall made of brick. The girl dreamed of sandy beaches, turquoise water, and mango-scented breezes, but alas, she was stuck in a desolate inferno covered in tumbleweeds, driving to and fro, to and fro, not even the compensation of frequent flier miles for her travels. The girl dreamed of a day that life would slow down, when she would be able to once again pursue her aspirations of becoming a world-renown novelist, take her kids swimming, and--gasp--take a nap! In the meantime, she hoped her blog followers would not be too disappointed if Tuesdays remained teaser-free for a while, and wouldn't try to poison her with soap in her sleep. The end.

New Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Trailer

I discovered two AMAZING trailers yesterday, one for each of the two movies I am most anticipating. (The other one is on my other blog.) Cannot WAIT for next month!! (The quality is not great, this was the only one I could find to embed. If you want to watch one with MUCH better quality, go here.)