Bachelorette Finale

Why yes! I'd love to comment on The Bachelorette finale!

Josh is way cute, just not my type. Of course, as Cathy says, I can see why YOU like him. I thought he would be great fun to date, but a player, thus a terrible choice for a husband. He turned out to be okay and definitely a much better choice for Andi than Nick. (Nick would be so much emotional "work," wouldn't he? Yikes.)

At the After the Final Rose show, Nick said he didn't understand why Andi had sex with him if she didn't love him. The only thing that shocked me at all was that he said it out loud. There is plenty of sex happening, but in like 30 seasons of the Bachelor/Bachelorette, people just don't say it. I didn't have a problem with him confronting her about it. I just think he should have used more vague language if he was going to do it on in front of millions of people.

Andi knew Nick was in love with her. She didn't feel the same way, but she slept with him anyway. When you close the door to the fantasy suite, just tell the person that you don't want things to get intimate that night. Simple. Leading someone on is a coldhearted move.

About sleeping with Nick, she said, "I'm a woman and I can do what I want." I'm with her! Sleep with 100 guys you don't have feelings for if you want to. If you get intimate with someone you know is in love with you and is going to be drawn closer to you while you're just "having fun," that's pretty crappy. The person has every right to call you out on it.

Maybe not on national TV in such specific terms, but it's Nick, so there you go.

Anyhoo... Andi and Josh are a very cute couple! Glad everything is working out for them. On to Bachelor Pad on the Beach, a.k.a. Bachelor in Paradise!

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Edge of Tomorrow Ending- Oy

We finally saw Edge of Tomorrow yesterday. It was a great movie! Well, except for the last two minutes' wonky ending. We were at the Hill Country Galleria and went to dinner afterwards at All-Star Burgers, where other people around us were dissecting the ending as well. Warning- major spoilers ahead!

There are many reviews and blog posts written about this already, so I just toss my own opinion in with their thoughtful contributions. We had to look at others' comments to see how people are either explaining away the inconsistencies or simply shaking their heads and giving the film credit for being great up until the ending.

Let's assign days to simplify things for purposes of discussion. Assume Monday is the day that Cage flies in to see the general, gets arrested, knocked out and sent to participate in the invasion. Tuesday is the day of the invasion.

There are 2 inconsistencies:

1) Every time he dies on Tuesday, Cage resets time to Monday at the moment he wakes up post-arrest.  The last time he dies (after killing the omega on Tuesday), time is reset to EARLIER Monday morning, prior to Cage meeting the general.

2) Cage kills the omega in the early hours of Tuesday morning, but on the last reset, the general says there was an electrical event in Paris in the early hours of MONDAY morning and there will be no invasion on Tuesday.

The best explanation of Inconsistency #1 we saw is that the day is always reset to the last time he woke up on Monday. Since he is never arrested in the final scenario, he last wakes after a nap in the helicopter on the way to meet the general. Did he wake up in the helicopter in the opening scene? I can't remember. If so, that makes perfect sense. Otherwise, it's sort of random to assume that, but I can go with this theory.

Inconsistency #2 has no reasonable explanation. I'll go with the general feeling of other moviegoers that because the mimics are controlling time, the death of the omega is absolute, so while the humans who died on Tuesday are alive at reset on Monday, the omega and mimics are still dead. (Although, when Cage is controlling time, HE is always alive at reset. Gah.)

There is then a critical issue though- if it's Monday and the omega died on Tuesday, outside the time continuum, WHEN did the omega die? I don't know how they could explain this, but having it die on MONDAY is not correct. Since it died on TUESDAY, it either is still alive on Monday or it just magically disappeared without a trace on Monday. The general can't say that there was an electrical event at the Louvre on Monday. There simply wasn't. That happened on Tuesday.

I like the reviewer who said that it would have made more sense to have Cage and all the others die in the battle at the Louvre along with the omega and the other mimics. It felt right, even though it was sad. Cage made the long and incredible journey from frightened media officer to hero soldier who saves the world. Time should have continued. The invasion should have happened, this time with absolutely no mimics and no casualties. The armed forces would have found the dead heroes in Paris and they could have received posthumous accolades galore. And they would have been amazed at Cage's ability to have defeated the omega, since he had no combat training at all. (Or... had he? HA.)

It felt really cheesy to have everything tied up with a happy ending bow and that Tom Cruise Hollywood smile. Meh.

We recommend just leaving the theater after the mimics die. Yep. Just stand up and walk out. You'll be very happy with that! :)

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Summer Saturday

Another Texas football fan hit me with a totally random, nasty earful about the Ags yesterday. I wouldn't even have a clue if their team was having a good or bad season if not for an occasional comment from one of my Longhorn friends or accidentally catching the local sports news. This person seems to know every player and new recruit on our team.

Obsess on, girlfriend.

Speaking of football...

...FOOOOOTBAAAALLLLL!! Counting down to the SEC Network's inaugural football telecast- A&M/South Carolina on August 28!

Well, it's finally happened. Scott is going to a movie. He hasn't seen a movie at the theater since something like 1977, but he wants to see Lucy. He even organized a group outing! Hats off to the people who produced the Lucy trailer (or perhaps hats off to Scarlet Johansson's boobs) for inspiring even non-movie-goers to get out and see the film!

Saturday 9: Summerfling
If you're not familiar with today's song, you can hear it here.

1) This song refers to the summer breezes and winds of mid-July. Now that July is almost over, how would you describe this month's weather where you are?
Surprisingly cool for the norm. Today it will be 100 though.

2) The lyrics mention the "perfect plans." Do you have plans for today? Or will you just let this summer Saturday unfold?
We were going to drive out to Fredericksburg to eat at the famous Alamo Springs Cafe for lunch, but it's way too hot for that. This summer Saturday will just have to unfold.

3) This week's artist, k. d. lang, attended Red Deer Community College in Alberta. Red Deer's school colors are green, black and silver. What were your school colors?
A&M's colors are maroon and white

4) She had a bit part in the 2006 murder mystery The Black Dahlia. Do you enjoy murder mysteries?
I hadn't thought about it before, but yes! Lauren and I really enjoy watching Dateline and those other real life murder mystery shows. Also, my musical will be a comedy murder mystery. (Crystal's boyfriend's brother is a music producer and said he would back us. We've also decided it would be smart and fun to seek out hot movie actors with a desire to return to Broadway for the lead roles. Hugh Jackman anyone?)

5) Ms. lang is a vegetarian. What's the last beef, chicken, pork or fish you ate?
I had Slovacek sausage for lunch yesterday.

6) In 2000, when this song was released, California suffered a series of blackouts. Has your power gone out this summer?
I don't think so.

7) Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire also came out in 2000. Did you read it?
I did not.

8) Which would you rather have on your hot dog: sauerkraut, ketchup/mustard/relish or chili?
Mmm, sauerkraut. But I normally have ketchup and mustard.

9) If you had your choice, which would you prefer: new shoes or a new wallet?
New shoes!

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Shrinkage

There is a simple solution to shrinkage. Not the kind men fear... the kind women fear--

Clothing shrinkage.

The solution is pre-shrunk fabrics. Yeesh. Is that so difficult? Wash and dry (if appropriate) your fabrics before you create a piece of clothing. Then we can follow YOUR care instructions on the garment without wondering if we'll have to toss the darn thing in the trash.

Not to mention the pain and suffering of putting on a pair of slacks that you forgot you had accidentally dried in the dryer the last time they were washed, when they barely zip and you think you've gained ten pounds overnight. I've very carefully drip dried those pants for months, because I knew that despite the care instructions, they would shrink if dried in the dryer.

Gah.

Sexy lyrics on the way home in the car this afternoon. I've always thought these were way cool, but I don't think I've included them here yet. Better late than never:

Lyrics of the Day

...I threw my hands in the air, said, "Show me somethin'"
He said, "If you dare, come a little closer."
...Not really sure how to feel about it
Something in the way you move
Makes me feel like I can't live without you
It takes me all the way...

"Stay" Rihanna (feat. Mikky Ekko)

In entertaining news, Jennifer told us a story about a "slutty girl" she used to know, a friend of her husband's, whose apartment they visited on occasion back in the day. She described the girl's ho-bag apartment with photo collages of her with various guys, etc., and said the worst thing about it was that she kept her "Nasty Snatch" cream on top of her toilet. Everyone started laughing. (I can't even type it without giggling. And gagging a little.)

Me: Wow. I don't think I've heard of that.
Jen: Like itch/irritation cream.... you know...
Kyra: When we go to Vegas, the first dare is going to be that one of us has to ask a store clerk if they carry Nasty Snatch cream.

(Yeah, we talk a lot about this Vegas trip. It HAS to happen.)

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I've Been High and I've Been Low...

...I've been yes and I've been OH HELL NO
I've been rock 'n roll and disco
Won't you save me San Francisco...

Train "Save Me, San Francisco"

In a few weeks, I'm heading to San Francisco with a few of my coworkers for a bid defense. My first business trip since I returned to work! Super awesome!

In other news... Boyhood (the Linklater movie that's been filming at my neighbor's house and on our street over the past 12 years) is finally in theaters and we cannot get in to see it. It's sold out every day! Crazy. Critics and viewers love it, so that's fantastic. Such a unique idea for a film. I can't wait to see it! Look for it in your area.


Saturday 9: Ring of Fire
If you're not familiar with today's song, you can hear it here.

1) Recorded by Johnny Cash, "Ring of Fire" was written by his wife, June Carter. Johnny's daughter Roseanne says it's about "the transformative power of their love." What's your favorite love song?
"Come What May" from Moulin Rouge. No question. I still love it after years and years of hearing it.



2) Though more than 50 years old, this song is still popular today. Country Music Television named it one of the best and most requested of all time. Are you a country music fan?
Ummm... not really. I like some country, but it's one of my least favorite types of music.

3) This recording features mariachi horns, inspired by Mexican folk music. Have you ever been to Mexico? 
Yep! We went to Cancun for our honeymoon and have been to Cozumel 3 or 4 times. We spent a day in Tijuana with my in-laws during one of our San Diego trips. We've also been to Costa Maya.

4) Cash's birth certificate said, "J. R. Cash," and "J.R." is what his parents always called him. When he enlisted in the Air Force, Uncle Sam refused to let him simply go by initials, so he chose the name "John." If you could choose a different name for yourself, what would it be?
Gretchen :)

5) Cash and his first wife, Vivian, had their first date at a roller skating rink. Tell us about one of your first dates.
My first date with Jeff was a Baylor/A&M basketball game. We had dinner by ourselves and then met another couple (friends of his) at the game.

6) Cash died in September, 2003, four months after he lost his second wife, and love of his life, June. The cause of death given was complications from diabetes, but his children believe he died of a broken heart. Do you think that's possible? 
I think if you've lived a long life and the love of your life dies, you may lose your desire to live on without them. It happens too often to deny!

7) Cash was known as "The Man in Black." What color do you wear most often?
Blue

8) There's a Johnny Cash Museum in Nashville. What's the last museum you visited? 
the LBJ Library

9) A stretch of Tennessee Highway 31E is known as "Johnny Cash Parkway." What street in your town is named for a famous person? 
Willie Nelson Blvd. downtown

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The Move is Complete

Lauren's move is done! She still has some unpacking to do, but she's pretty much set up. Her apartment is really nice and in a great location. She's done a fantastic job decorating. This is particularly nice...

So excited for her!  (And... IS IT FOOTBALL SEASON YET???!!)

Not to confuse anyone, but I'm doing the Saturday 9 today.

Saturday 9: Already Gone
If you're not familiar with today's song, you can hear it here.

1) Eagles lead singer Glenn Frey proclaims that he's "feeling strong." How would you describe yourself this fine Saturday?
(Or Sunday.) I'm feeling completely exhausted from the move, but feeling good! Go Germany!

2) The song begins with a rumor: "I heard some people talking just the other other day ..." Have you heard anything juicy/interesting lately? Please share!
Cathy has a new boyfriend! She stirred everyone up on Facebook this week with a very racy post about him, too.

3) When "Already Gone" was popular, the news was dominated by Richard Nixon and the Watergate scandal. What do you consider today's top news story?
The influx of Central American women and children across the border. My favorite news snippet so far: A Dallas resident whose parents immigrated from Mexico and whose local school is about to be (over)filled with unaccompanied minor immigrants, gave a long, heartfelt plea for everyone to have sympathy for them and to let them stay, etc., followed immediately by, "...BUT, I just don't think my neighborhood's school is a good place to house them."

Of course. The typical "not in my backyard."

If tens of thousands of folks absolutely must flee their countries for their personal safety, we need to deal with their individual cases immediately, deport the ones who do not qualify to stay, and disperse those who are staying amongst many countries and into many geographical areas of each country, rather than letting them wither (and completely deplete local resources) in overcrowded Texas gymnasiums.

Fly a couple of thousand to Canada. Fly a thousand to the UK. How about Spain, Turkey, Russia? Bus 200 people to Des Moines. Bring another 200 to Cincinnati. The next 400 to Atlanta. Let each of those communities come together to get these people on their feet. I think people want to help, if there is a need and the numbers are workable.

If other states/countries don't want to share the load, then we have to stop bringing people in. It's really not that complicated.

4) In the 1970s, Eagles Glenn Frey and Don Henley were at the center of a social circle of very creative people, including singer Linda Ronstadt, singer-songwriter Jackson Browne and actor-comedian Steve Martin. How do you express your creativity?
Home decorating. Creative writing and song writing.

5) Even though they broke up in 1980, the Eagles are currently on a reunion tour, and after knowing each other more than 40 years, Frey and Henley still consider each other friends. What quality to do you value most in a friendship? 
Honesty.

6) Are there any mirrors in the room you're in right now?
Nope.

7) What's the last beverage you drank with ice? 
Diet Dr. Pepper

8) Whole, skim, 2%, half-and-half, almond or soy ... what kind of milk is in your refrigerator right now?
2%

9) Sam likes to mix sliced almonds into her salad. What do you think makes a good salad?
I prefer a salad with lettuce, fruit (pear or apple or dried cranberries), nuts (almonds or pecans) and a vinaigrette dressing of some sort (like lemon or red wine). Blue cheese is always a plus.

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The Who's Tommy

Tommy was awesome last night! Holy wow. The costumes are phenomenal. I had never seen it, so I had no idea what to expect. I heard this is a modern version, but I'm not sure what's changed from the original. It's busting with symbolism and has a dreamlike feel to it, but it's not trying to be pretentious or "over your head."

Several of the cast members are standouts, but Michael Valentine absolutely rocks in the lead role. And Gabriel Jaochico is an amazing dancer.

The Topfer Theater has pinball games set up in the lobby. (I love pinball!) We played a bit. Talk about feeling nostalgic. Plus, at our high school talent show one year, JohnF's band brought down the house with "Pinball Wizard," so I always think of them when I hear that song. The audience gets to stand up and sing along twice during Tommy. Fun!

Jeff's review at intermission: "I don't think I've done enough drugs to enjoy this show."

Ahahaha! Not his cup of tea, but I LOVED it.

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Moving Day

I learned two things this week that everyone should know:

1) Why you can't recycle pizza boxes.
Pizza boxes are notoriously greasy. Grease disrupts the recycling process by preventing the pulp from sticking together to form new paper.

2) Why cats sometimes breathe through their mouths when smelling something really gross, like smelly feet.
Cats have what is called a vomeronasal organ in the roof of their mouth. The opening of the mouth and squinching up of the nose ("flehmen response") sucks air into it, so they can smell moisture-borne scents more deeply. Horses and some other animals do it, too.

Still hilarious.



Last night, there was a woman on the news in the US House chamber in an unfortunate outfit. Her jacket was purple and her skirt was beige, with a wide, horizontal black stripe across her hips. At first glance, I thought the news had put a black bar across her, because she wasn't wearing any pants.

Amidst the randomness.... It's moving day for the kiddo! We've all been in packing hell for a few days, but it's finally over. Well, almost. There's still the packing into the cars. We did hire movers this time (Yahoo!!), but we're still moving a crap-ton of things ourselves that are just more easily carried and wouldn't go into boxes without a tad more bubble wrap and a winch.

Leaving in an hour. Happy Friday, all!

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Sunday Stealing: Patriotic Meme

Sunday Stealing: Patriotic Meme

1. Are you "proud to be an American"?
Very much so!

2. Favorite Founding Father?
Ben Franklin

3. Favorite president?
Ronald Reagan

4. Biggest "Patriotic Moment"?
The "Miracle on Ice" US hockey win over Russia in the 1980 Winter Olympics (in Lake Placid- I've been there!). We were freaking the freak out. SO great.

I should have chosen something that furthered the loftier goals of humankind, but there you go. :)

5. Favorite patriotic song?
"Star Spangled Banner" all the way, baby. I almost always tear up.

6. Favorite American cuisine?
fried chicken

7. Happiest political moment of your life?
When Reagan won re-election in '84. Kimberly and I worked phones at the area Reagan headquarters that day, encouraging people to vote for him. Whee!

8. Best fireworks display you've ever seen?
Disney World puts on a pretty good fireworks show. I really enjoyed the one we went to in Manor a few years ago, too.

9. America's gift to the world?
George Clooney.

Come on, you knew that was coming.

Okay- the internet. Didn't Al Gore create it? ;)

10. Favorite Bill of Rights right?
First Amendment. I like the Third Amendment a lot, too. It is usually neglected, so I just wanted to mention it.

11. Favorite American Holiday?
Independence Day!

12. Favorite D.C. monument?
I haven't been to Washington DC yet, but my favorite in pictures is the Washington Monument. Very simple and beautiful.

13. Your dream for America's future?
I wish for America to remain a place where people are wonderfully different, from an exceptional number of cultural backgrounds and countless individual life circumstances, but unified as Americans. I wish for us to do a better job at looking out for each other and putting ourselves in each others' shoes when it seems difficult to see the other side of an issue, to facilitate understanding and compromise.

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Chef

We were perusing the movies at the theater yesterday and Jeff noticed one called Chef. Neither of us had heard of it at all, but it has an all-star cast and an interesting story. So we sort of shrugged and said we'd check it out.

We were very pleased we did!! It's SO good!



It's funny and charming and just a great story. And I loved Scarlett Johansson's bangs. (Just saying.) A chef feels he's had to compromise his creativity in his job at a restaurant, so he ends up getting a food truck. They cross the country in the truck, stopping in New Orleans and Austin (YEAH) along the way. He's had a strained relationship with his 10-year-old son, who ends up coming with him for the adventure.

It's John Favreau, John Leguizamo, Bobby Cannavale, Scarlett Johansson, Sofia Vergara, Dustin Hoffman and Robert Downey, Jr.  And Emjay Anthony, who plays the chef's social-media-savvy son, is fantastic.

Stay until the very end of the credits. There's a little behind-the-scenes scene. 

Go see it! You'll laugh, you'll cry. It's simply a great summer movie.

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Holiday Weekend!

Hope everyone had a great Independence Day!

Cathy was here last weekend. She, Jeff and I went to Gruene that Saturday, which was fun. We mostly hung out around here and chatted all weekend. So great to see her!

Laura and I had dinner and did a bit of shopping this week, which was also super fun! It's been a while since we've been able to see each other in person, too.

I've been catching some great World Cup games. It was sad to see Brazil's Neymar go out with a broken vertebra yesterday. I've been watching them scoop players up, toss them into a basket and run them off the field like they're plucking soldiers from an active battle scene, and thought, Holy cow. They should be a bit more careful. Especially if someone has a broken back. Youch! It's a good thing he didn't sustain further injuries, since he wasn't immobilized on a backboard.

We were having a big company anniversary party the day of the last USA-Germany game and huddled in a conference room with Michael's computer to watch the streaming feed. The later US loss to Belgium was a real heart breaker in extra time. Gah.

Now that we're out- Go GERMANY!!


Saturday 9: I'm a Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942)

1) This week's song was performed by James Cagney in the famous movie of the same name. Do you plan on going to the movies this holiday weekend?
Yep. How to Train Your Dragon 2.

2) Though known for his larger-than-life screen presence, Cagney was only 5'5". How tall are you?
5'4

3) During the Revolutionary War, General Washington celebrated the 4th of July by giving his troops a double ration of rum. Will you imbibe any spirits this holiday weekend?
I'm working on a bottle of Gewürztraminer this weekend.

4) American history was one of Crazy Sam's best subjects in school. In which class did you earn your best grades?
I got good grades in just about everything, but my easiest classes were math and science.

5) The Fourth of July means we're in the middle of summer. Are you careful about applying sunscreen?
Yes.

6) Mosquito bites can be a major summer annoyance. Are you scratching any itches right now?
I don't have any mosquito bites at the moment, thank goodness.

7) Emergency rooms report an increase in wrist injuries in summer, with people falling off bikes and skateboards and jamming their wrists catching hard-hit softballs. Have you ever had a sports-related injury?
I jammed my finger when I was playing on the middle school basketball team and had to wear a splint one game. Hey! It hurt. My more dramatic injuries have been the result of plain old klutziness.

8) New York is home to Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest every year on the 4th. Will hot dogs be consumed in your household this weekend?
Yep. We had hot dogs at Scott-n-Julie's yesterday and we'll have them today or tomorrow here. That's probably as many hot dogs as I've had in the past two years.

9) Atlanta hosts a 10K Peachtree Road Race every 4th of July. Are you a runner?
Only if something is chasing me. I would rather take a sharp stick in the eye than run.

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Boy Behaving Badly

Adam Richman's behavior on Instagram truly shocked me. He has always seemed like a fun-loving, friendly guy on his shows and I was impressed by his recent weight loss. He looks healthy and a lot younger now.

If he inadvertently used a hashtag associated with dangerous behavior (I had never heard of it before either), he should just have apologized. Why the extreme defensiveness? And why so incredibly personal?

Now he thinks he deserves forgiveness for his reaction. Forgiveness for an incident of rage and nastiness- sure. But no one can be forgiven for telling another human being to kill herself. That is just shameful and so beyond the line. I don't think people will forget that.

Seriously, step away from the internet if you feel that sort of crazy coming on.

Bravo to Travel Channel for indefinitely postponing today's premiere of his new show. 

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