May 26, 2015 |
Back in March, I celebrated my birthday with week’s worth of events. My favorite was the actual weekend of my birthday.
On Friday, some friends took me out to a local hot spot called The Wine Seller. We listened to live music, drank a little, conversed a lot. One of my closest friends, Mary, is a fellow writer. She’s older than I am, a fellow empty-nester. I sometimes call her “Mom” and she sometimes introduces me as her adopted daughter.
She gave me this beautiful Frog Prince pin.
The Frog Prince Pin
We have much more in common than just writing, which makes her an even more invaluable friend. Her son stopped by the Wine Seller to say hey, at which point I reveled in telling him all the food “Mom” has been cooking for me in his absence. “No offense, guy, but you’ve been replaced.” I say that with all love, of course. [Note to quasi-brother: I promise not to eat your dessert. Unless you let me. And I can still kick your bum on Trivia Crack. . . maybe.]
On Saturday, she opened her home to a group of my friends for a “movie party”. I brought The Princess Bride, Scrabble Cheez-Its, and ten people. We of course had a blast reciting along with the movie. You know how it goes. “As you wish. . . ” “My name is Inigo Montoya . . .” “Princess Buttercup. . . ” Yes. We’re a fun bunch.
I also bought a bottle of wine, but it went untouched. No problem, I thought. I’d just learned two days earlier that I was actually going to Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference, and decided I would keep the wine until my return.
Lucky Bamboo and a Bottle of Wine
See that great mini Mardi Gras mask? Mary gave me that, too. It’s a reminder to stay focused on writing NOLA. The bamboo, I bought. How could I not, it’s lined with frogs! That’s a reminder to bring life to my story. Let it grow, flow, expand.
These are all reminders to enjoy life, to be open to new avenues, to take the great adventures and the roads less traveled.
The bottle has sat on my counter for two months. Now that I’ve returned from Blue Ridge, I’m setting a new goal.
I’ve two agents interested in reading NOLA. One wants it when it’s finished, the other wants the first 25,000 words. Since I’ve written, and rewritten, and tightened, and edited, and rewritten, and oh by the way, rewritten, the first few chapters of NOLA, getting those first 25,000 words shouldn’t be a problem.
That’s what I’m saving this wine for. I should be able to pop it open by June 1.
Unless, of course, another deadline comes along. Like, waiting until the whole book is finished. Or entering another contest. Or landing an agent. Or getting published.
Time goes by fast, I’m told. I’m gonna celebrate the little victories, and save up for the big ones.
And Frankly, My Dear . . . that’s all she wrote!
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My Two-Inch Peacock
2105: HOPE
Jun 18, 2012
Dot and I watched one of her favorite movies tonight: Hide & Seek with Robert De Niro and Dakota Fanning. It’s one of those movies that still make us jump or hold our breath or scream. No matter how many times we watch it.
In true MomDot fashion, we opted to bring a little levity to the day by over-analyzing the movie. What follows are some of today’s observations, thrown in with those that are just general knowledge.
1. Creepy movies are always better when you have someone to watch with.
2. Creepy movies are always better in the dark.
3. Creepy movies always have creepy music, which is a dead giveaway to what happens next, except we’re always too engrossed in the movie to pay attention to the music until it blares its horrid signals of what just happened.
4. There will always be a stupid girl who goes down to the basement. Alone.
5. There will always be a stupid guy or cop or other civic-duty minded male who wants to prove his bravery by exploring the surroundings. Alone.
6. At any given time, the stupid girl and the stupid guy will find each other. Typically one will be either dead or near death when the other stumbles upon them, sometimes literally. And then of course the second one will be killed or nearly killed.
7. The good guy is never really the good guy. He is either the bad guy in disguise or the stupid guy who winds up dead.
8. When you’re in the middle of watching a creepy movie, the phone will ring causing you to jump in your seat and be laughed at by other people in the room.
9. When you’re in the middle of watching a creepy movie, if you have a pet, that pet will jump on you or howl or both. Just because they can.
10. During the quiet scenes, try not to scare the other people in the room. It’s not nice. And they will get you for it later.
11. Not all creepy movies are bloody and gory. Some are just great suspense stories.
12. All creepy movies have a stupid girl and a stupid guy.
13. The greatest suspense-movie writers are, in my book, Alfred Hitchcock, the early works of M. Night Shyamalan, Stephen King, and Steven Spielberg.
And since we’re at that lucky Number Thirteen, I’d say now is as good a time as any to call ‘er quits. Errmm… just for the post, you understand.
And Frankly, My Dear… that’s all she wrote!
Jun 17, 2012
It’s a Wonderful Life.
Yes, I know it’s June.
Yes, I know you’re all shaking your heads and wondering if I’m having a nutty.
But I’ve had this movie in my laptop DVD player since Tuesday night.
And I’ve been watching it.
And I love it.
This has become my favorite Christmas movie. The Christmas movie. The one I have to watch each year. Sure, I have my Top Ten. Those movies that I bring out the Day After Thanksgiving and watch at some point within the next 30 days.
But It’s a Wonderful Life is the one that I watch. I mean, really watch. The one where I make phone calls to tell my family “Don’t call me.” The one where the snack food is on the coffee table and the holiday drink of choice is in the chilled glass. There are no interruptions when I’m watching this movie.
Even Dot knows not to distract me in any manner whatsoever.
Have I said, this is my favorite movie? Because it is.
It’s the well-known original story of a down-on-his-luck man whose life didn’t go at all the way he planned. Filled with anger and regrets, an angel greets him in an effort to prevent his suicide. What follows is the other side of the “What If” coin. George Bailey is consumed with the “What If’s” and “Why Not’s” that he thinks would have made his life better. Angel Clarence shows him the “What If’s”, if George had never been born.
George is filled with a renewing sense of purpose, of gratitude and thanksgiving. His life hasn’t changed. But his perspective has.
And he comes to realize what so many of us fail to grasp:
It’s a Wonderful Life.
As one of my friends says, you can stay on the pity pot or you can share your sunshine.
I could never understand how people are so much nicer and more patient and compassionate from November through January, and the rest of the year go back to acting as if others don’t matter.
If we can find that “Christmas Spirit” then, why not now? Why should it be a shock to be filled with hope in June?
I’ve been in a bit of a funk lately and not liking it. I’ve been feeling like I’m at the end of the proverbial rope. Worst of all, I’d been feeling almost like there’s not much hope.
I hate that feeling!
I dug through the Christmas media and found my movie. And I’ve been watching it every night since.
It’s interesting how you can watch the same thing over and over and then suddenly, realize something new about it. I’ve been so entranced with watching the movie, paying attention to it. Every night I’m catching new glimmers that I’d not noticed before: dialogue, camera angles, scenery. Every ounce of this movie is coming to life for me in a way I’d not experienced before. Not only is the message coming across loud and clear, but it’s reigniting my creative passions.
The writer in me constantly evaluates every word, every action. The person in me finds hope in every scene.
Hope.
From a movie script.
Inspiration.
From a story.
Sure. My situation hasn’t changed since yesterday. But in some ways, that’s okay. Because while things aren’t getting better, they also aren’t getting any worse. And there’s something to be said for that kind of stability. The kind where you know you’re home with family and eating together each day. The kind where creativity overcomes the consumer.
The kind of stability that gives you a comfy bed to rest in and a DVD to watch each night.
Things haven’t gotten any better.
But they haven’t gotten any worse.
It’s a Wonderful Life.
I’ve been watching it every night.
And I’ve been waking up every morning. Ready to face whatever the day brings.
And Frankly, My Dear… that’s all she wrote!
May 19, 2012 |
It’s that time of year again: Summer Blockbusters are already starting to play at theaters across the nation, and with some of them comes the Great Adventure known as the Midnight Movie Premiere.
For the seasoned professional, this experience is more than just a two-hour outing. But for the novice, it can be a bit overwhelming. And that’s why I’m offering these useful tips:
MOJO MIDNIGHT MOVIE PREMIERE SURVIVAL GUIDE
- Sleep. At some point, your body will mandate this. It doesn’t matter where or when, but if you don’t plan for it, you may find yourself snoring a snoozefest and adding to the soundtrack. Very young children are more apt to sleep through the movie, although, to be honest, I’ve only seen two at a Midnight Movie Premiere. It’s best to leave the tiny tots at home. Teenagers and young adults find that sleep will come approximately five minutes after arriving home. Adults should catch a nap before the movie, or may find themselves nodding back and forth throughout the flick. This last tip also applies to those who are just hanging out with family and friends but otherwise have no true interest in the movie. If you arrive terribly early, you can stake your claim in line and rest there as long as you don’t do something like kick your neighbor or talk in your sleep.
- Arrive early. Enlist family and friends for a Changing of the Guard so not one person has to stay in the same spot all day. Pay attention to the local chatter for a few days ahead of time. Drive by the theater half a day early to scope it out. Ask the Ushers how many theaters are sold out. These will give you a good indication of the expected crowd. For the Midnight Movie Premiere of Twilight, Dot and I arrived a good ten hours early. For The Hunger Games, it was only four.
- Drink coffee. Then drink a VitaminWater. Then drink a regular water. Do all this at least an hour before the start of the movie so you won’t have to step on people’s feet in your race to the bathroom. Buy a hot coffee half an hour before the movie starts, but don’t drink it until then.
- Don’t buy snacks as soon as you arrive. They’ll go stale and you’ll wish you’d saved your snackage funding for the Main Event. Popcorn is meant to be enjoyed during the drama. Bring healthy snacks from home to munch on while you’re sitting/standing/squashed amongst all the other attendees. Bottled water, sliced fruit, even sushi make a great snack.
- If you have several adults in your group, send one on a food run about three hours before the show for “real” food, which includes anything from the local McDonald’s Dollar Menu to Buffalo Wild Wings. Any earlier and you’ll still be hungry. Any later, and you’ll be ushered into the actual theater and asked to throw your food away or put it in your car.
- Bring blankets. Most theaters will seat you as soon as the last regular crowd has left, so you can hang out in plush purple seating. Even so, for the first few hours at least you’ll be sitting/standing/squashed either outside or on cold, uncomfortable tile flooring. Once you are in your seat, the blanket can act as either extra cushioning or a covering, depending on your mood, age, and fatigue level.
- Know the Show. This is critical. Even if you are just a tag-along seat-filler, it’s important that you at least have a working knowledge of what’s going on. Midnight Movie Premieres are those designed for an Already-Audience. If you admit to a stranger that you’re not sure who Agents J and K are while watching Men in Black III, you run the chance of having popcorn tossed at you… from your own group!
- Speak the Language. This comes on the heels of the above point for obvious reasons. Battleship’s Liam Neeson won’t be talking about quilting. Neither should you. If the movie is based on a book that you haven’t read, there’s no shame is asking your friends for cribnotes. Just do it quietly and away from the general public.
- If you still haven’t fully grasped the above two points, for Pete’s sake do not ask questions during the movie!
- In fact, the Cardinal Rule of Midnight Movie Premiere attendees is never, ever speak during the movie itself. There should be no distractions whatsoever. Turn off your cell phones. Do not bring cellophane packaging and do not crunch your smuggled-in soda cans.
- It is permissible, however, to loudly tell someone else that they are disrupting your experience. Especially if other people are looking annoyed and not doing anything about it. It’s better to be quickly loud and subdue the annoyer, than to let it continue.
- There’s Safety In Numbers… and fun! For some reason, a Midnight Movie Premiere is much more enjoyable if there’s a herd involved. The More, The Merrier! Most theaters pre-sell tickets at least a month in advance. If you can, buy as many as you think your people will want. You can always sell them back to the theater… but not a stranger, especially at a marked up price. That’s called Scalping. It’s illegal, and can get you kicked out of the theater.
- Dress accordingly: a Midnight Movie Premiere in winter calls for scarfs and mittens and a hot thermos. Notsomuch for a summer Premiere.
- Dress the Part: If you’re really into the storyline, dress up as one of the characters. Wear hats. Glasses. Overcoats. Wigs. Whatever it takes to get strangers to point you out of a crowd and say, “Die Hard Fan, right there, folks!”
- Bring a bag of books to read and games to play. This is also more fun if you have a larger group. Small pocket card games like Uno or Apples to Apples are great fun. Even a Sudoku puzzle book can help pass the time faster. You can take it to the car before the movie begins, or bring it into the theater with you and keep playing.
- Pretend to be someone you’re not. Pretend you’re related to someone in the movie, but don’t make it obvious. Be subtle. Trick the people around you into wondering if it’s true or not. When I was in high school, my friend Debby and I had tons of people convinced Martin Sheen was my uncle. And this was during the days when his sons featured prominently with the rest of the Brat Pack. Talk about a fun summer!
- Start a sing-a-long. Speak in fake accents. Draw attention to yourself and your group, but in a good way. Sometimes theater managers will reward you for this by offering free popcorn. Draw attention to yourself and your group in a bad way, and they’ll reward you by kicking you out. Know the limit line before you cross it!
- While you’re sitting there on the cement or tile for hour after hour after hour, it’s quite possible you’ll start to go a little mad. That’s okay. Embrace the culture. Laugh at everything. Point at strangers and whisper to your friends. Eavesdrop on other conversations and then blog about it.
- Most of all, and I can’t believe I’m actually writing this (but I need a good closer): Have Fun. Don’t let the natural irritants get to you. Strangers will talk during the movie. At least one of your friends will fall asleep. Popcorn will be spilled. But even with the knowledge of those events having a 100% occurrence probability rate, I still fully recommend the experience.
Which Midnight Movie Premiere will you see this summer?
And Frankly, My Dear… that’s all she wrote!
Feb 7, 2012
We all have those moments in life that seem so benign at the time, but leave a very lasting impression. This is the story of such a moment.
Remember Berry Sunshine’s Cat Antics from a while ago? Here’s one from many years ago.
We were living in our small apartment and I had hosted dinner for a few friends. Because the dinner table only seated four and there were five of us altogether, I allowed my daughter to eat at her snack table while watching television.
The meal was great: meatloaf and scalloped potatoes. I served up my daughter’s plate then called her back into the kitchen to pray with the rest of us. She resisted; she didn’t want to leave her table. But I insisted. When she went back to table a minute later, I heard her cry out: her meatloaf was missing!
Berry had decided she wanted to be part of the dinner party, and absconded with the entire meatloaf slice from Dot’s plate! I comforted her (her being Dot, not Berry), told her not to worry, we had plenty. And we carried on just fine.
Two days later my slipper had wedged itself under the sofa so I bent down to retrieve it… only to find half the meatloaf. Can you say “ewww!”??
It was a few years later in the same apartment when we decided to have a Mommy-Daughter Movie Night. I don’t remember what we served for dinner, but I do know that my daughter wanted to eat by TV light.
She got her drink. Then she brought in her napkin. Then she brought in her snack plate. We were both ready. But then the cats started to cry for attention. And food. On one side was Berry. On the other side was Fluffy. Wherever Dot turned, there was a dark whiskered face. And since the lights were out, she couldn’t quite see if they were trying to eat her plate, or her toes.
Finally in frustration, she stood up and hollered, “I just want to eat my stinkin’ food!”
The cats scurried. We started the movie.
And everyone lived happily ever after…
yeah, right.
To this day, when we’re really hungry, or when there are tons of distraction from any task at hand, you’ll hear us shouting that line.
Dot tells this story much better than me. I’m pretty sure I got a lot of it wrong. But she’s trying to get some sleep right now so I can’t verify facts. And I just want to write my stinkin’ story.
And Frankly, My Dear… that’s all she wrote!
