Showing posts with label dogs in costumes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label dogs in costumes. Show all posts

Tuesday, August 19, 2014

Stuff That Should NOT Happen

Something happened last night that made me think there are some things that just should not happen.

Last night I was innocently standing in the kitchen surrounded by my loved ones - my husband and three dogs - when all of a sudden I felt this sharp pain in my leg.  I looked down and saw a puncture wound and blood.  I realized I had been in the middle of a skirmish between my beloved little toy poodle and our collie.  The poodle was trying to wrest a plastic carton containing the dregs of potato salad from the collie and in so doing I had unwittingly become part of the argument and my beloved little poodle had sunk his choppers into my leg. 

He looks very innocent here.


I know it was the poodle because the plastic carton was missing and he was now under the dining room chair.  I could see the tuft of his tail peeking out from under it. And it was wagging. 

My leg hurt, but what hurt most was the reality that he was really a dog, not my new little son who would take the pain of the empty nest away.  I realized when push came to shove he would always choose the plastic carton with the remnants of potato salad in it over me, no matter how many times he sits on my lap or acts happy to see me when I come home or how many times I give him a slug of wine, and that if I get in the way, my leg will be toast.

That just shouldn’t happen.

 
So I started to think about other stuff that should not happen like…

  • School buses.  They should not be allowed to operate when I am out doing errands or in a hurry to get somewhere.  I know the little tykes need to get to school but we adults have enough stress to deal with besides sitting  behind a stopped school bus waiting for a mom to wind up her chatty conversation with the bus driver when we are late and we are trying to get to a meeting or happy hour somewhere. Those buses seem to be on the road at all hours of the day and especially when I am out there with them. Why can’t these kids walk to school?  I had to.

  • Gaining weight just because we are getting old. We should not gain weight just because we are a few years older.  We may be eating right and not making any changes to our diet at all, but whether we like it or not, at each additional decade to our lives, another decade of pounds will likely appear because our metabolism slows down in direct ratio to our age going up.  Now, I guess there are those of you out there who saw that coming and made the necessary adjustments to your calorie intake.  Well, good for you.  But how much fun is that?  It's bad enough getting old.  Can't we take our rocky road ice cream on the journey with us? 


  • Bad grammar.  I know it's probably too late to care, but what in hell has happened to our use of the English language?  Don't we speak English and didn't we learn the nuances of its use in practically 10 years of schooling? So why can't we speak it then?  Why don't we know the difference between "less" and "fewer?"  Why do we say "your" when we mean "you're?"  Why don't we use "to" and "too" correctly? Why is it so difficult to tell the difference between "there," "their" and "they're?"  And if you want to be taken seriously, don't say you want to be taken serious. And why the hell can't we spell?  It's a crime.  My mother's parents were Swedish immigrants but my mother is partly responsible for my command of the English language.  She was a stickler on that.  

    • On a more serious note and speaking of my mother - Warehousing old people. That should not happen. My son is a real tease.  He loves to pick out old peoples' homes for me.  Once when we were walking around Lake Merritt in Oakland (CA), he noticed one called The Rose of Sharon and said, "That looks like a nice place, Mom."  Thanks.  It's a bit of a joke now, but it's not going to be funny in a few years.  I am not talking about people who choose assisted living and have the means to be taken care of.  I'm talking about not having the means and ending up in a nursing home, sharing a room with a stranger, being taken care of by people who couldn't care less and ending your days with no dignity.  That happened to my mother. 



           I am privileged now to live in a county that has services to help people
           "age in place" and that is what all of us deserve.  Because of my mother,
           I am motivated to volunteer my time working on issues that affect the
           aged. I am a member of the Council on Aging and think of my mother
           every day and how I can help people live their best lives to the very end.
           No one should have to be put somewhere he or she doesn't want to be
           because no one wants the trouble of caring for them. That would be heresy
           in some countries where being old is revered.  Here, not so much. Here we
           become invisible after 50.  That shouldn't happen.


    My Mother at 86
    • And here is my library plug.  Libraries should not have to cut hours or close branches, ever. Cutting library hours or worse yet, closing libraries not only shouldn’t happen, it is a travesty and a blow to democracy. Equal access to information is a basic right in a democratic society. Not everyone can buy books, newspapers, rent DVDs, subscribe to magazines, go to the movie theatre.  Not everyone has a computer and Internet access.  And every child does not have a quiet environment in which to study. Public libraries level the playing field.  Use of public libraries is free and not limited by race, religion, income, age, disability or education. Libraries should be supported, especially now when libraries are needed more than ever in these tough times.

    • I could go on and on about stuff that should not happen.  Leaving cabinet doors open in the kitchen, putting something down the garbage disposal and then it gets stopped up and you have to call a plumber, thunderstorms when you have a stair walk planned, people picket fencing when driving on the highway (Hubby's term for one car in the left lane, one in the right and they are driving as if they are walking hand in hand and no one can get by them), mornings (I hate getting up). 


    • Oh, and this probably shouldn't happen either.

     
     


       
     I take full responsibility.
     
    You may have noticed that I have given you the blessing of a mercifully short blog post.  Well, a short one for me anyway. 

    Why? 

    Because for the last two weeks I have been enjoying the company of my daughter and her husband who visited us from Virginia and my son, daughter-in-law and two grandsons who we visited in California.
    We shared the joys of Seattle stair walking with our daughter and her husband,




    went bike riding, played games, attended an outdoor Jeff Beck and ZZ Top concert (stay tuned for my concert round-up post at the end of the summer),



    discovered a great new restaurant (Marination Ma Kai in West Seattle), played games and they cooked us a delicious meal.

     
     
    When we visited our son and his family in California, my daughter-in-law treated me to a pedicure and a shopping excursion, they fixed us a lovely dinner, we dined out and we enjoyed playing with our grandsons, especially feeding the ducks. 





    A highlight was playing Apples to Apples and letting the three year old take part.  He can't read yet and probably doesn't understand the sarcasm, metaphors and humor that can make up that game, but he almost beat us!  We now could write the family version for all ages!

     
     
    So instead of writing my blog, I have been basking in the joys that my family can bring.  Talking, hanging out, playing with the grandchildren, sharing our lives.
    And that's the stuff that SHOULD happen.

     
     

    Thanks for Reading!

    See you Friday for
     
    "My Driving Pet Peeves"

    and

    The Week in Reviews



    If you enjoyed this post, feel free to click on the share buttons to share it on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and LinkedIn.
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Tuesday, June 3, 2014

The Best [and Most] of Everything

You know those "best of" lists that appear in magazines and local weekly entertainment newspapers? 

You know the ones.  Those best lists with quirky categories such as "Best Place to Splurge on your Pet," "Best Place to Score a Lunch with a Celebrity," or "Best Place to Buy Chocolate Covered Ants."

Who puts those lists together and where do they get those strange categories?

I figure I am as good a person as any to come up with my own categories and put together such a list, so that's what I am going to do
(I know, but sometimes retirement gets boring, and I have too much time on my hands).

So, my Peeps, here is my list of
The Best [and Most] of Everything.

Feel free to weigh in because I am sure you also have your favorites and some of my picks might prove to be controversial.



Most Handsome Actor
(not married to Angelina Jolie).

Since Brad has won People Magazine's "Sexiest Man Alive" Award more than once, I thought I would take him out of the running.  And I know you think I am going to say Tom Cruise or Ralph Fiennes or Kevin Costner here, because I have waxed poetic over them in my blog before, but no, you may have noticed my affections have been lowered - by age - to

*Chris Hemsworth*

This guy is perfection.  See for yourself in "Thor" or "Rush."





*Channing Tatum*

Sigh.

I likem' young.




Most Beautiful Actress
(not married to Brad Pitt):

Angelina Jolie is indeed beautiful, but even she doesn't compare to

*Elizabeth Taylor*



In her heyday, she was considered the most beautiful woman in the world. She was even beautiful when she was fat.  And her raucous sense of humor and free lifestyle just made her more attractive.

See her at her most beautiful in "A Place in the Sun."



Honorable Mention:

*Hedy Lamarr*



If you don't know who she is, treat yourself to a glimpse into the Golden Age of Hollywood by watching "Algiers (1938)." 

( The famous line "Come with me to the Casbah" came from the trailer for this film, but never actually was uttered in the film itself).




or Comrade X (1940) with Clark Gable. 




She was also a smarty pants who invented some early technology that eventually morphed into the cell phone.






Funniest Musical Film
(that wasn't supposed to be funny)


 
*Moulin Rouge*




C'mon, tell me Ewan McGregor did NOT look like a muppet when he sang.








Best Movie Featuring a Dragon


*Dragonworld*



I just love this movie and can't wait to watch it with my grandsons.  It's only available on VHS and could be hard to find, but it's worth it.  Who can resist a Dragon named Yowler?  And you movie buffs - a young Alastair MacKenzie of "Monarch of the Glen" fame is credited as Sam MacKenzie.






Best Film of all Time

*Citizen Kane*

No argument as far as I am concerned, though I am sure you have your favorites.  But this film was a milestone in cinematography, music and narrative structure, and the montage showing the disintegration of a marriage in less than three minutes is brilliant.






Honorable Mention:


*Paul Blart, Mall Cop*




Just kidding, but it's a surprisingly fun film.





Best Soap Opera

*Eastenders*



I am not one to watch soap operas these days and it doesn't seem like anyone else does either since most of the daytime soaps have gone off the air.  I mean, who gets to stay home and watch TV these days?  Well, some of us do, but that's beside the point.

"Eastenders" is a British soap that started in 1985.  It first aired here on PBS, believe it or not, and was eventually picked up by BBCAmerica.  After BBCAmerica unceremoniously abandoned it and us fans, we have had to find alternatives, one of which these days is You Tube, so check it out.  It is nothing like American soap operas with botoxed leading ladies and lots 'o sex.  This soap follows regular folks living on a Square in London's East End.  I mean, one of the leading ladies is in her 80's!  Fancy that.





Best Athlete Who Didn't Use Steroids or Run Around on His Spouse (though He Did Run Around)


*California Chrome*


He has won The Kentucky Derby and The Preakness.  Can he win the Triple Crown at The Belmont?  See what happens this Saturday.





Best Restaurant When Someone Else is Paying

*Any restaurant where a steak costs over $50*

Here in Seattle, Canlis is arguably the gold standard, not just for its food, but for the service, which is impeccable.  If I am going to pay big prices, I don't just want extraordinary food.  I want an extraordinary experience.  You get it at Canlis

(Speaking of restaurants, see my blog this coming Friday for my restaurant pet peeves).



Best Food to Eat While Watching Lifetime Movies

*Anything that can be eaten while reclining*

Nothing is more relaxing than watching Lifetime Movies

Read all about them in my post "Lifetime Movies:  A Baby Boomer's Appreciation."




Best New Year's Eve Resolution

*Not To Make Any New Year's Resolutions*




Best Day Trip

*Wine Tasting*




Best Day Trip That Doesn't Involve Wine

Mmmmm?






Best Vacation for People Who Like Each Other

*Rent a narrowboat in England*

 
 

Read all about it in my post "My Favorite Summer Vacation: A Narrow Boat Cruising Adventure in England."





Best Way To Get Exercise

*Stair Walking*
(or exploring your town through urban walking)


Read all about it in my post "The Joys of Stair walks."




Best Dog Breed

*Poodles*

No shedding, they are smart and they really want to be with you, unlike some people

And they let you dress them up in cute outfits.




Honorable Mention:

*Collies*

There actually are some good collies out there, unlike some I won't mention.

I grew up with a collie, Echo, who ran all over the neighborhood doing good deeds.

(Dogs could run free in those days and no one ever seemed to pick up dog poop.  Strange to contemplate).



I tried to recreate the good old days of Echo with Mildred.  Oy.  Let's just say, "You can't go home again."


 






Best Name for the Cutest, Most Darlingest Poodle on Earth.

*Tarquin*



I had gotten the name from the name of Sir Laurence Olivier's son, but turns out Tarquin was a popular name in England in the 1950's and that name fits him perfectly, don't you think?


Best Way to Spend a Rainy Day

*Reading a book*

Remember those?

Honorable Mention

*Cook Something that can be eaten While Reclining and Watching Lifetime Movies*

Because the only thing more relaxing while reclining and watching Lifetime Movies is eating while reclining and watching Lifetime Movies (unless it's eating, reclining and watching the Housewives).




Best Book from Childhood Memory

*The "twins" series by Lucy Fitch Perkins*

She wrote "The Dutch Twins," "The Italian Twins," "The Colonial Twins of Virginia..."  It was always a boy and a girl set of twins.  I loved those books and remember my anticipation as I headed to the library to check out yet another in the series.  I read every single one and my young friend Chuckie (not to be confused with Hubby of the same name) and I would act them out.  Early acting bug, I guess.


Best Blog

*Ahem*


The Best of the Best and
the Most of the Most

*My Hubby*

 
 
And
 
 
*My Family*
 
 
 *And the newest member*
 
 




What do you think? 
 
What are your "Bests" and "Mosts"?


 
 
See you Friday for


"My Restaurant Pet Peeves"



 


Thanks for reading!

If you enjoyed this post, feel free to click on the share buttons to share it on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and LinkedIn, 
email it to your friends and
LIKE me on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/rosythereviewer.


Check your local library for DVDs and books mentioned.


Note:  Next time you are wondering whether or not to watch a particular film, check out my reviews on IMDB (The International Movie Database).
If I reviewed a movie, you can now find my reviews there too.
Find the page for the movie, click on "Explore More" on the right side panel and then scroll down to "External Reviews."  Click on that and you will find me alphabetically under "Rosy the Reviewer."



 

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

My Guilty Pleasures: The Confessions of a Retired Baby Boomer Librarian

I am a smart, educated woman who knows her Proust from her Pinter.  I can talk literature, poetry, current affairs, music and foreign films with the best of them.  I'm a librarian, for god's sake.  I'm edicated.
 
But I also have my guilty pleasures.

I think I feel less guilty when I remember one of the smartest guys in my college telling me that his favorite movie was "The Love Bug." 



This was a time in the early 70's when no one would admit to anything but seeing the most sophisticated of foreign films - I mean we were COLLEGE students, for god's sake.  After registering my surprise and disgust at his choice, that HE, a philosophy major for god's sake chose a Disney film, and a silly one at that, as his favorite film, his response was, "Hey, I work hard, I use my brain 24/7 so when I want to relax I don't want to have to think.  I want to laugh, enjoy myself."

So as another smarty pants whose mind works overtime, I took that as a free pass to indulge MY guilty pleasures (I would say pleasures, but I am sort of guilty about them).

Lifetime Movies
I have already confessed to this guilty pleasure in my blog "Lifetime Movies," so I won't bore you again on that one, but, c'mon, who wouldn't want to watch a movie called "Mother, May I Sleep With Danger?"

Gossip Magazines and really juicy celebrity bios
When I fly, nothing relaxes me more than reading about Bruce Jenner's possible sex change or whether Jennifer Anniston will get married or not in the gossip rags. I would never dream of gossiping about my friends but hearing about the travails of the rich and famous?  Well, I find it relaxing.  And I feel I am doing a public service when I hand them off to the flight attendants and see how happy they are.  As for the celebrity biographies, I have to review them for "Library Journal."  That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

A Latte and a scone after going to the gym
I know.  What's the point of going to the gym if I am going to negate it by eating a scone?  At least it's a "skinny" latte and it could be worse.  I could be going to McDonald's after the gym like some people I won't name...(but whose name starts with H and ends in ubby.)

Jackets
It all started when I was 12 and the rich girls had these cute little matching skirts and jackets that I couldn't afford.  So now I have 75 jackets.  So there, you rich girls!

Earrings
Do I really need 100's of them?  No.  But they never turn on you like your tight jeans.  When I weighed considerably more than I do now, I couldn't fit into skinny jeans but my earrings always fit.  That's comforting.  When I'm feeling fat, I buy earrings.

Scarves
See "Earrings" above.  I feel very Parisian when I am sporting a perfectly tied scarf.  And they hide a multitude of sins!

Late Night Talk Shows
Not sure where I got this from, but it could hark back to my childhood. 
My Dad was against late night talk shows. I think he thought they were too risqué (for all of my Dad's stellar qualities, he was a bit of a prude). So I think that was forbidden fruit for me.  Remember Tom Snyder and Joe Pyne?  Ah, those were the days.

When I was in college and living in married housing alone while my young husband was in Vietnam, Johnny Carson helped me feel less lonely. I would go back to my house late, after play practice, and sit up, listening to Johnny while I did my homework.  What I loved about his show was you never knew when something really impromptu and funny would happen, such as when Johnny asked Frank Sinatra what records HE plays when he wants to get someone in a romantic mood and then Don Rickles comes in to surprise and insult him.  Enjoy!



)


Reality TV
It all started with "An American Family" that played on PBS in the early 70's.  That was classic cinema verite.  The camera followed around the Loud family of Santa Barbara and captured one of the sons coming out to his parents and the wife asking her husband for a divorce.


That was followed by my all-time favorite documentary, the Up Series where director Michael Apted followed the lives of 14 British children from the age of 7 to present, with the presumption that social class predicts one's future.  Does it?


Those two series are the epitome of excellent reality TV.  I was hooked.

However, I can't really explain "Ru Paul's Drag Race" or "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" or "The Real Housewives of Atlanta" or "The Bachelor" or "Celebrity Rehab" or "Wife Swap" or..."Cheaters" or "Southern Charm" or..."Real World"...

Dining Out/Happy Hour
Here's how I feel about going out for dinner and/or drinks. It's the best way to get away from the distractions of the home and have real conversations.  You can really talk when you are around a table, no distractions and some drinks don't hurt.


Sleeping in
I have never been a morning person.  Hubby gets up at 6am even on the weekends.  Ugh.  I am amazed I was able to get to work on time all of those ears before I retired.  Now most days I don't have to be anywhere early so I can indulge myself and get up when I please.  Of course, it doesn't help that I am also a night owl.  Ever since I was a little girl, I didn't want to go to bed.  I think I thought I was going to miss something.  Now I think it's just inertia.


Dressing up my dogs
It all started with my first blog where I thought it would be fun to illustrate classic books using my dogs as models.  And it all went downhill from there.  I am now hopelessly addicted.


        "Harvey"                               Red boots, a Beatles tee and a fascinator
What more could a girl want?



                Arrrr!

       
Romeo, Romeo,
wherefore art thou, Romeo?


Fiddle-dee-dee


While I was working it was possible to rein some of these things in. 

Now that I am retired, I worry I will spend my time watching Lifetime movies or late night talk shows, celebrity gossip magazine in hand, eating a scone wearing a new jacket and a big pair of earrings, scarf nattily tied, with a dog dressed up like Honey Boo Boo sitting next to me.

Or not.

Life is short and sometimes pleasures few.  Enjoy yourself without guilt!



What are your guilty pleasures? 

Dare you confess?
See you Friday for the

"The Week in Reviews"
Thanks for reading!
If you enjoyed this post, feel free to share it and/or email it to your friends.