Don't Try This At Home

Mashups

Have I ever told you I have a sick sense of humor? I do. A few of you share this trait and I salute you. For the rest...I still like you very much. I'm sure we can get past this. After all, I still like Shannon and she has a thing for geriatric 70s singers with hip replacements and Vegas gigs.

Anyway, one of the things I have a weakness for is mashups. A mashup is when someone more brilliant than I (I know, it's hard to believe, but better that you know now and it comes from me) takes two or more movies and blends them together into a trailer for a single movie. If done well, the result is freaking hilarious!

I have found a site that actually puts mashups all together so I don't have to search them out willy nilly (you know how I hate to be willy nilly). If you're in the mood for a timesuck and laughter, check out The Trailer Mash. I promise they're shorter than Sunday's timesuck--though some of them are just as tasteless.

Giving Thanks

Happy Thanksgiving, my friends! I hope your day is filled with family, fun, and lots of forbidden foods! I myself will be taking a much-needed hiatus from my doctor-imposed South Beach diet--there may not be enough potatoes in North America to satisfy me today.

As I look at my life I am so thankful that...

• I'm married to an amazing man with an even more amazing sense of humor. He cracks me up on a regular basis.
• We have two fantastically funny kids.
• Those kids are happy and healthy and smart.
• Max is finally shedding his shell this year. He's still shy, but he's definitely finding his place.
• Wild Thing is still performing for us. Man, do I love me some Wild Thing Theater.
• We have a warm, comfortable house.
• We have a kitty now.
• I get to take my family to Iowa for Christmas to show them how I spent some of my own Christmases as a child. That is, running around like a crazy banshee playing with my bajillion cousins at my grandparents' farm.
• I have amazing friends. You know who you are. And in case I haven't said it lately, I really do love you.
• I have been able to meet some amazing ladies this year via my blogging addiction.
• Christine's husband is doing much better now!
• This isn't in my yard:

Reading List Update

I recently finished Jewel by Brett Lott. It was amazing. I read The Memory Keeper's Daughter in August and absolutely hated it. The story was good, but the author did not have the talent to pull it off. Jewel, however, is almost the same story but infinitely better told. The writing is just beautiful, the characters are real. It took me months to finish the book. I blamed it on time constraints, but I think that's only partially true. If I were completely honest with myself, I think I would say that a book like that--so rich--is not something to speed through. I allowed myself to go slowly and see the characters in my mind. I hated for it to end.

I started My Sister's Keeper a few days ago. I can't say whether I would have the same reaction to this book if I had read it before Jewel. You see, when you read something like Jewel or East of Eden whatever you read next just cannot hold up: The writing cannot be as good, the story will seem flat. That is how I feel about My Sister's Keeper. I'm actually interested in the story, but I find the writing is choppy and the chapters told by various characters is distracting. I'm reading this book quickly and I find that's OK because I don't have to invest much in these characters for them to tell their stories.

What do you think? Have you ever read a book that's just so good, then tried to read a book right after it and found it was sort of meh? Do you think you would have had that same opinion had you read the second book first?

Update: I have finished My Sister's Keeper. It's really, really sad. Just so you know.

Full Circle

Last week Wild Thing were fortunate enough to have what she enthusiastically calls "Girl Time!" This usually consists of a trip to the Dollar Store, some dinner at McDonald's, and a movie. When it came time to choose a movie, we decided to go for a classic: The Wizard of Oz.

When I was a child, one of my fondest memories is waiting for The Wizard of Oz every spring. This was back in the days without VCRs or DVDs. You had to wait for a movie to come on television. Every spring The Wizard of Oz was on television. Mom and Dad would make us popcorn and root beer. We had our snacks in the living room in front of the TV. I can still taste the root beer and feel the childish excitement of knowing my favorite movie ever would be on in minutes. Do our kids even know that feeling these days in our society that is incapable of delaying gratification? (Oh. Wait. That's another post. We'll get to that another day. Back to the good ol' nostalgia.)

For weeks after watching the movie on TV I would pretend to be various characters: sometimes Dorothy, sometimes Glinda, many times the Wicked Witch of the West. Once I asked my mother to help me put together a costume so I could pretend on a new level. She helped me find a basket for Toto, put my hair in dog ears, etc. Then I looked at her and asked her to please cut out long fingernails from cardboard so I could be the witch. She did. I taped them onto my fingers and commenced play.

When I was six my Grandma Isiphine bought me the Wizard of Oz castle and dolls by MEGO. I played with them for hours. I loved them. I kept them. And when I had a baby girl, I knew I would give them to her. They are loved and meant to be played with.

Scarecrow's right leg won't stay on, Dorothy's lost her ruby slippers, the wizard only has one shoe, and the lion no longer has his courage. My yellow brick road isn't fully connected any more and the looking glass has lost its base. The magic is still there, though. I know it is because Wild Thing just asked me to come play Wizard of Oz with her. We re-enacted the entire movie tonight with various makeshift houses and props. I taught her the words to "We're Off to See the Wizard". She reminded me of a few lines I mis-quoted. We both had a fantastic time tonight.

Really. Does it get any better than this? Because this is pretty darn good.

White Elephant Bloggy Exchange

Megan over at Half Pint House is hosting a little White Elephant exchange. If you'd like to participate, go over to her site and leave a comment saying you want to play. I can't help myself, I love these things. They just really crack me up. Not sure what I'll be sending yet, but it will be good.

Here are the rules:

• You have to have your own blog so you can post a picture of what you send and what you receive.
• You are to send something horrendous that you already have. It can be something that is ugly or useless or whatever, just keep it clean. Do not go out and buy something.
• Sign up at Half Pint House by this Saturday (November 25) to play.
• Please, if you sign up, follow through with sending the gift to whomever you are assigned. That's the fun of it, right?

Thank You Mr. Linky Guy!

My very lovely SIL, who is just about as smart as they come, unfortunately ran into some trouble with Shannon's Mr. Linky on her WFMW Christmas Edition. Can you believe the horror? Oh, the humanity! Not being able to take advantage of the tens, nay, millions of holiday tips? It was not to be tolerated.

Enter the fabulous ACTUAL Mr. Linky. My SIL was able to e-mail him directly and he walked her through several trouble-shooting steps. In DOS no less. Yes! There are people who know how to do that, Virginia! (I'm not one of them, but I can do other things.)

SIL asked me to publicly thank Mr. Linky and I said, "Getcher own darn blog and do it yourself!" "Sure! I'd love to!"

So Mr. Linky? Thanks. You totally rock. We would give you more cowbell any day of the week.

Timesuck, Vis-A-Vis YouTube

You can do the robot with JT.

Please, call me Larry.

Highway Crossing Frog. I know, it's the lamest thing I've ever heard of.

You just need to chill out. Hmm? Can you do that? 'Preciate that. Thank you.

Watch the sass, Captain Sassy Pants.

NO! You won't let it!

Ergo! Vis-a vis! Concordantly!

I don't usually like to use my big voice.

Uh huh. What up G? You can't handle it.

(Oh, and it will probably help if a) you've seen the last Matrix movie and b) you think Will Ferrel is hilarious.)

The Matrix Reloaded Spoof

My Guys

Two OSU jerseys from a sale 10 years ago: Who can remember?
Two tickets to the OSU/Baylor game: $90
Lunch on the road: $12
A day at the game with Dad: Priceless

Philanthropy (or Not)

One of the most beautiful things about our house is the large Urban Ash tree in our front yard. Now that we are firmly entrenched in Oklahoma's version of autumn, our tree has lost all of its gorgeous yellow leaves. Because of the way the wind blows we do not have many of the leaves in our yard. Our neighbors (who have no trees, mind you) have a yard full of leaves. Makes raking nice for us.

We have all the beauty of the tree and none of the upkeep.

Every morning before the bus comes Max and Wild Thing play out in our yard while I watch and drink my tea. Last week when I came out I saw a new game:

That's not our driveway they're raking, it's our neighbor's. And we didn't have any leaves in our yard, but now you see the big pile by Wild Thing. I was so proud of my kids for seeing that a job needed to be done and doing it. I was proud that they were doing it for our neighbors since it was our tree after all.

Wild Thing: Hey mom! Look at us! We're raking!

Max: Yeah! We're making a big pile so we can jump in it!

Oh.

Not so much philanthropy as jumping necessity. I see.

Help Please

Update: Thank you, everyone!

Y'all, I have a big favor to ask. My very dear friend, Christine, and her family need your prayers. Her husband has had a pulmonary embolism. Please keep them in your thoughts.