Ok, I've seen it again and can talk about it better. When I first saw it...I really didn't like it at all. I thought it was disjointed and put together as a series of videos, not as a smoothly told story...but I was looking at it thru the eyes of someone who knows the book well. At the second showing, I just sat back and watched...and thoroughly enjoyed!

Here there be spoilers:

I tried to log in last night to post a picture I took up in Portsmouth NH earlier in the day, and all I got was a big, blank nothing! My hosting company solved the problem, and I'm BACK! Well...I wasn't really gone, but I did have slight withdrawal symptoms :-)

Firstly, here's the pic:

teeheehee

Secondly, Megan's cousin won tickets this morning to the sneak preview of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix at the local IMAX theater tomorrow night...and she VERY nicely gave me one! WOOHOO! I am JUST a bit excited *understatement*

Thirdly, I had the BEST time up at my cousin's house these last few days! She invited me up for the 4th, and to stay a few days after that, which I happily did! She and her husband graciously let me laze about, rereading OOTP and feeding me from time to time. We hiked one day, had a HOUSEFUL of dackels another and generally just had a wonderful time. Thanks, MB!!! Love ya!

PS! If you're having a hard time commenting, don't give up after one try...we're working the bugs out! If you CAN'T comment at all, please email me at fondofsnape AT gmail DOT com and let me know exactly what happens. Thanks!

ahhhh, the weekend! A glorious, nice long weekend filled with just the right amount of things to do! Truth be told...maybe TOO much, but I'm not complaining!

Friday I went over to Megan's; we headed up to Nashua to do some shopping and have dinner. Got some free POTC temporary tattoos, which made my night!

Saturday, I did some shopping, made dinner for Dad and headed over to Megan's for a cook out. She had the BEST black bean and mango salad; I'll post the recipe soon! She and Jim, her fiance, invited some folks over and we sat around outside, eating and drinking and talking. Fun! They grilled, in addition to other things, some eggplant, which is my new favorite thing to eat!

Mango-y goodness!

Sunday, I took Wolf for a walk in the woods and ran into Megan & her friend, Kristin there; took Dad out for breakfast at the Owl; then Michelle came over and we went back to the woods with Max in tow.

We saw two turtles on our walk, isn't this little guy adorable?

That evening, I took my friend Diane out for dinner (Melting Pot...eh...except for the chocolate fondue, THAT was awesome) and a movie (POTC 3; she had a hard time following it, then gave up and just delighted in the piratey hotness that is Captain Jack Sparrow). She savored getting out without the kids and being surprised; I enjoyed surprising her AND our impromptu stop at the Container Store, which I'd always wanted to go to!

Monday, up early to get ready to go to MB's for the day! Michelle came along with Dad, the dogs and me and we had a relaxing, delicious, puppy filled day that even included a bit of shopping at the oh so awesome annual Memorial Day craft fair.

Puppylove!

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend!

Yes, it's THAT cold today!

Had dinner at The Burren last night with Pat (shepherd's pie and guinness, YUM!); then we headed over to see the movie, Venus, at the Capitol in Arlington. A fantastic movie, go see it if you have the chance. At first it made me laugh, but by the end, oh how sad. Beautiful, tho!

I don't know whether this theater has recently changed hands or what, but the last two movies I've seen there, the sound has sucked bullocks. And last night there were people walking in and out, in and out...very distracting. Think I'll stick to the Somerville Theater from now on.

Are you KIDDING me???! Heroes is back tonight...but on at the SAME TIME as 24! That's just not fair, man, not fair at all.

Grrrrr...

Michelle, I'll be watching 24, and tivoing Heroes, so feel free to IM me when you get excited!

Who said IT guys aren't observant? I got new glasses yesterday and wore them to a Pampered Chef party at a friend's house. No one mentioned the new glasses...and yes, I'm aware that it might be because they didn't like them...but I don't see them every day like I do the guys in IT...still...we KNOW guys aren't all that observant...

I get to work this morning, one of the IT guys pokes his head in my office to ask about moving my computer to the new office.

Him: new glasses?
me: yup
him: nice, I like 'em. So when do you want your computer moved?

LOL!

Boneheaded thing I did this weekend: Well, I did a few, but this one takes the cake. I'm walking around the mall after dropping my car off for a LONG overdue oil change (MB tell Jack to stop laughing). A friend calls on my cell phone...but I can't hear her. So I try to hang up...can't...and end up powering off the phone. Turn it back on, call her back...can't hear her. So I'm freaking out, thinking my phone is broken. I text her and tell her sorry I can't hear her and take my phone to the Verizon store in the mall.

Anyone want to guess what happened? Hmmm...I think I'll LET you guess, and whoever guesses correctly...or with the funniest answer, will win a BPAL Imp when they finally arrive!

Have at it!

What else...Friday I looked at getting a new phone; I BADLY want the Blackberry Pearl. My contract with Verizon is up in September...so I guess I'll wait...if I can manage it.

Saturday Megan & Lauren helped me move into my new office...and move all the rest of the crap I had accumulated over the 10 years here into my storage facility. Thanks, girls! That night my friend Diane & I saw the movie Notes On A Scandal; it made me sad, but it was a damn good movie. Judi Dench & Cate Blanchett (and Bill Nighy, for that matter) were awesome! We saw the movie in Framingham, and it was so crowded we had to park across the street...it was also DAMN cold, and my lungs were frozen and aching when we finally made it inside. Finally gave Diane her Christmas gift!

Sunday I exchanged Christmas gifts with my friend Mo, and we had breakfast at the Owl Diner...yummy! Was wandering around Target later that day and saw some pretty gift cards. I thought...hmmm...those are SO cute, who can I buy one...for...OMG! Zoot had given me the gift of extending my Pro account at Flickr for Christmas. I was going to purchase a frame from Target for her, but we talked about it and I was going to send her a Target gift card instead of mailing the frame...IN December ... for Christmas ... Zoot, expect some mail REAL soon! I am SO sorry, my brain just isn't functioning!!!

I HATE when someone in this office effing crunches lifesavers...STOPIT! Like fingernails on a chalkboard, it is.

Finally...a pic from last Friday morning...

I love looking at pawprints in freshly fallen snow! These were going across my driveway into the neighbor's yard...it's fun to see what's out there, you know?

One of my favorite scenes in Lord of the Rings: Return of the King was this exchange between Gandalf and Pippin:

Pippin: I didn't think it would end this way.
Gandalf: End? No, the journey doesn't end here. Death is just another path... One that we all must take. The grey rain-curtain of this world rolls back, and all turns to silver glass... And then you see it.
Pippin: What? Gandalf?... See what?
Gandalf: White shores... and beyond, a far green country under a swift sunrise.
Pippin: [smiling] Well, that isn't so bad.
Gandalf: [softly] No... No it isn't.

Friday night I went to my work Christmas party. That's all I got to say about that, as Forrest Gump would say. Afterward, went to see The Pursuit of Happyness; go see this movie! Will Smith was just amazing, as was his son!

Saturday, I took Dad and the dogs to Salisbury; Dad stayed in the van and the dogs and I had a quick romp. Max jumped up on some lady and I was reminded of Deb's reaction to the slobbering lab that jumped on her at Plum Island...let's just say she was none too happy. Watched bits and pieces LOTR and caught up on my Tivo'd Supernatural shows.

Sunday I took Dad out for breakfast, placed some flowers on Mom's grave (I want to thank each and every one of you who commented on Sunday's post and sent well wishes to me, I VERY much appreciated your thoughtfulness, thank you!), finished watching Supernatural, and caught more bits and pieces of LOTR. A friend from FL called me today, too, just to let me know he was thinking of me and missing Mom, as he'd been close to her. His wife sent me pictures of the puppies their dogs just had:

Aren't they so cute!

Today I called in sick to work; I'm on some new medication that quite frankly is making me a bit dizzy and a bit nauseous. The latter I welcome, I've not eaten much at all. The former? Well, not so much. Took it easy most of the day, finished up the last bunch of Christmas cards, finally. No silver embossed snowflakes this year, not even any pictures of the dogs. Sorry! At the last minute, went to the movies with Megan; we saw Casino Royale and...O.M.G.! That is one HOT Bond!!! My favorite used to be Sean Connery...oh my, sorry but that Daniel Craig is yummy! I don't want to ruin anything for those of you that might not have seen it...but my favorite scene is when he's sitting in the chair with no seat. HOLY MOG!

Jo just sent me the following link, saying: Breathe deeply and then read. My reply to her?

O.M.G.
OMG
OMEFFINGG!!!
HOLY SHITE!
I have chills!
OMG!

I think I've recovered enough to say thank you now...

WOW!!!

I must've been really really good in a previous life!

***UPDATED***

Saw this today on Borders' website:

Are you people trying to kill me?

I went to see the movie World Trade Center tonight. I really don't even know what to say. The movie was amazing, the actors were fantastic, especially Nicolas Cage and Michael Pena as the two Port Authority officers trapped in the rubble. Today, after another terrorist plot involving planes was foiled in the UK, it seemed like a good time to see it. I mean...if people could suffer and die, I can sit through a movie and cry and be reminded of a horrible day in history...it's not like it's that far from my mind anyway.

Every time I walk outside and see a bright blue sky, I think of that day. Remember what a beautiful day it started out to be? I think of that day when I see fire engines, planes, skyscrapers, even large flakes of snow slowly falling from the sky.

I remember...because it's the least I can do.

In my car after the movie, I put my trusty ElfiPod on shuffle; these are the three songs that played in the time it took me to get home:

With A Little Help From My Friends by Joe Cocker: My friend, Pat, and I saw Joe Cocker out at Great Woods (Tweeter Center to all those who didn't grow up around here) just 4 days after 9/11. We had tickets, Cocker didn't cancel, and so we went. It was stormy that day, but when we got there, the rain had ended and there was a gorgeous perfectly clear and distinct double rainbow in the sky (and me without a camera!). Before the show started, everyone had been handed a white candle, was asked to light it at a specific time and have a moment of silence, which we did.

911 [is a joke] by Flava Flav: Flava is all over tv nowadays. But back in the mid-80s when he did that song (it refers to the emergency call number and NOT September 11th), he was still with Chuck D & Public Enemy, who did some serious, militant raps. Flava Flav was and still is the comic relief.

Stairway to Heaven by Led Zeppelin: I mean, come on.

Out of the 300+ songs I have on my iPod and these are the three I heard on the way home? Weird.

We saw a preview for this movie last night; here's a synopsis:

Ben Stiller plays a night watchman at a museum of natural history; Dick Van Dyke gives him a warning about what may happen during the night. The movie also features Mickey Rooney, Owen Wilson, and Robin Williams at Theodore Roosevelt. There's an awesome scene with a t-rex skeleton getting a drink of water...from the bubbler!

Looks like a pretty funny movie, I know I loved the preview and most of the people were silent through it (i.e., paying attention). Can't wait for this one!

"And to what do I owe the pleasure of your carbuncle? "

OMG this movie just cracked me UP the second time!!! Pat is now madly in love with Johnny Depp, I told her back OFF!

Go see it...don't listen to the critics!

and the previews for Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby:

"I can't control my heart rate, I got a cougar on me!" (say it in a southern accent).

Pee my pants alaughin'!

Oh and a friend of mine told me she went to her eye doctor today...there were two wicked goth guys there. She mentioned them to the doctor, and he said...guess what the their names are? She was like...um...no idea. He told her the son's name...no lie...was Draco Malfoy and the father's name was Remus Lupin; the mother's name is Harry, and she's not sure if she's a man or a woman...I kid you not!!!

And I thought I was strange!!!

***UPDATED***

--->Make sure you stay til the credits are done...there's a nice little surprise for you at the end!<---

Went to see Dead Man's Chest today, and loved it! My friend, Diane, liked it more than the first one LOL! Stay til after the credits...email me afterwards and let me know if you guessed what it would be while you were waiting!

Elizabeth Swann: "There will come a moment when you have a chance to do the right thing."

Captain Jack Sparrow: "I love those moments; I like to wave at them as they pass by."

This is a movie that should be seen. Of course, some people will pooh-pooh the movie, but you should see it anyway. Like you should see Thank You For Smoking; but that's a whole other can of worms.

And you can see it for free; a little birdie told me. If you can afford to see it, but would like to donate some of your money to help others see it, you can do that, too!

Don't be put off by the narrator; it's not a political movie, nor is Mr. Gore on a political soapbox. It's simply a movie about our world and what can be done to fix serious environmental problems...while they're still fixable.

I thought it would be cut and dried, lots of charts and rhetoric...but it wasn't. Yes, there were a few charts, but they were extremely interesting, and I wasn't bored a second.

The glaciers some of you so love are melting. Notice an overabundance of ticks & mosquitos lately? Warmer weather is at fault. What causes the warmer weather? Go see this movie.

He even touches on smoking, a particularly sore subject with me as it's what ruined my mother's quality of life and hastened her death...and her mother's before her.

Go see An Inconvenient Truth. It'll start you thinking (and not just about global warming) if nothing else.

"In 39 years, I have never written these words in a movie review, but here they are: You owe it to yourself to see this film. If you do not, and you have grandchildren, you should explain to them why you decided not to."
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

How is it I didn't know Professor Lupin and Professor Dumbledore were in this movie??? Poor Professor Lupin REALLY had a hard day!

If you can't tell by the title, I went to see The Omen tonight with Krista. Before the movie, tho, we had dinner at Chili's where some elderly lady who was acting up turned to Krista and said...are you looking at me? Krista was like...um...yeah...OMG we had the giggles so bad. Oh and get this, the meal came to $55.57...can you tell me what I tipped? Continue the theme...

After dinner and two very delicious martini's we strolled over to the theater. Krista had bought tickets beforehand, so no waiting in line, just breezed right in. Sat down, relaxed, no one kicked my seat (at least, not continually, just accidently a time or two...that I can deal with). I'd read a review from the Boston Globe giving the movie one star...but once I saw Lupin's and then Dumbledore's real names, I was set! Lupin had a rather prominant part (get your minds out of the gutter) in the movie and ... AND he was a photographer! Ok, so he was using a Nikon, he was probably forced to ;-)

Anyway, the movie was so-so, not horrible, but as Krista said, the story could've been told better.

And what did YOU do on the devil's night?

RIP Billy Preston; 59 is much too young.

My favorite character in X-Men 2 was Nightcrawler:

My favorite character in X-Men 3 is Beast:

Possibly I just really like the color blue...

Spoilers ahead, don't read if you haven't seen the movie and want to!

From Potter's Realm:

The many moods of Severus Snape:

Snape, excited:

Snape, crossdressing:

The Facts of Snape:

I saw the movie King Kong tonight and was inspired by Carl Denham's final words, "Oh, no, it wasn't the airplanes; it was beauty killed the beast." to write this personal ad:

You, there! On top of the Empire State Building! You don't have to die for beauty, you know. There's lots of us plain folk, good cooks, fun-loving, not into drama or being dramatic but loving, giving & caring, good in bed...so what if we're not pretty? Give us a try, won't you?

Happy New Year! Dad and I ushered in the new year with my cousin, Maribeth, her "hubby" and of course, Shubi, Fritz & Greta! MB made a delicious dinner of boiled lobster, carrot casserole & asparagas with apple crisp for dessert; of course, prior to and afterward we noshed on all sorts of yummy things: artichoke dip, clam dip, and lunch when we first arrived (a platter of liverwurst, tilseter cheese, salami, mozzerella & panchetta, with german bread called bauernbrot, fleishsalat, french onion soup & a platter of devilled eggs--yum!).

Of course, we had to drink a bit with this as well...a bit of sherry, a bit of rum & coke, a bit of mead & finally a bit of rosa regale. It also snowed a bit last night, not alot, just enough to look pretty and cover things. The town put on a fireworks show about 930 or so; It was a bit strange to watch fireworks thru the snow, but a nice experience overall!

MB and I sat on the couch for a bit (it was hard to get her to sit down, but I did it) and as she was flipping thru the channels, she came across Prisoner of Azkaban on tv, so of course we had to watch that...my last view of Snape in 2005, and what a good view it was!

I think I finally felt a bit old when I saw Dick Clark on the countdown; the "man who never grows old" recovering from a stroke did it. He did a great job, and it was very brave of him...someone who made/makes a living from talking, to have his speech taken from him, it was quite touching to see him there (yeah, I know it was prerecorded...still!).

Communication Breakdown - first song I heard in 2006...on tv, during the Patriots pre-game talk!!!

Hope you all had an entertaining New Year's Eve...have you broken any resolutions yet? ;-)

OH! And I forgot to say, I had my first ever Lush bath last night! Bollywood bath bomb, in the jacuzzi, with a People magazine and a nice drink...sigh...

I was reading an interview with the screenplay writer for Goblet of Fire, Steve Kloves, in The Los Angeles Times today. During the interview, he talks about Snape (and praises Alan Rickman):

"... he has no idea whether Professor Severus Snape is guilty .... He is happy that Snape plays such a large role in the sixth book, mainly because he loves writing for Alan Rickman, who plays the professor.

"It's hard because if you look at the books, Snape really just sort of hovers, as a threat, more than actually does something," Kloves says. "And Alan is just a wonderful actor. He always says the lines exactly as I write them, including the ellipses*. I have never met an actor who could act out ellipses, but Alan can."

He also said two other things I found very interesting:

"They want to film the two [Order of the Phoenix & Half-Blood Prince] as close to back-to-back as they can," Kloves says. "Because the kids are really starting to grow up."

"Jo [JK Rowling] has been very generous and helpful," he says. "She won't give anything away but occasionally she'll give me a wink, or let me know if I'm picking up on something that is going to become important later."

If you'd like to read the entire interview, click here.

***SPOILERS BELOW***

If you haven't seen HP/GOF, don't read any further!