only in canada

why didn't i

This has been added to my long list of, "Why didn't I think of that" cool ideas. Many thanks to Disco Mom for bringing this to my attention. I guess writing on yourself could be considered a bad habit. I figure, why waste paper when I have a perfectly good writing tablet connected to my arm?!

canadian dictionary

My new favorite Canadian word is SMORG. It is short for SMORGASBORD which means: a luncheon or supper buffet offering a variety of foods and dishes (as hors d'oeuvres, hot and cold meats, smoked and pickled fish, cheeses, salads, and relishes).

A chinese buffet is always on the menu when we cross the border. So when the waitress asked if we wanted the smorg or order from the menu, it sounded like she was speaking a different language altogether. I thought she had asked if I wanted to snog. I do like to snog or kiss. Not with her, of course. I was taken aback and wondered why she would want to snog me. I mean...I am cute. I'm sure lots of people would want to snog me. But I'm not like that and I am absolutely positively not about to sing a different tune (i.e. Katy Perry). I had to go over what she said a couple of times in my mind. Then, finally, I had to ask Dan what she was saying.

Oh. And they really do say "eh".

things i love

Being in a foreign country can truly be hard since everything is...foreign. When I was 16 and lived in Russia, it was hard at first. I was very homesick and missed being with my friends and having whatever I wanted at my fingertips. HobNobs became a staple while we were there. We had never heard of them before and to fall in love with them in Russia, of all places, is funny to think about. I would put them to shame trying to describe their oaty texture and dizzying taste. So whenever anyone in the family ventures outside the U.S., there is an unspoken agreement that you return with loads of these to handout. More like, it has become a don't-bother-coming-back-if-you-don't-have-a-suitcase-full of the McVities tasty treat. We had to stock up on these when in Canada. What are you loving right now?

fact or fiction

We just returned tonight from vacationing in Canada. Although it was so much fun, we are absolutely pooped and have much unpacking to do. But who wants to unpack when blogs need to be written!??! ;) I am very behind in my Dark Knight review. Of course, Christian Bale was awesome. It seems that with the unexpected death of Heath Ledger and also his amazing performance as the Joker, Christian's take on Bruce Wayne is being overlooked. If you have ever seen The Machinist or Rescue Dawn or any of his movies, you will know that Christian Bale takes his roles very seriously. It is no different with Batman. He is a perfect match in his acting ability as the Batman, when up against Heath Ledger as the Joker. Morgan Freeman and Michael Caine are perfectly cast and mix well with the rest of the bunch. Definitely need to see this movie if you haven't already.

What I really want to touch on are the recent reports regarding the above mentioned actor and his family. My sister T is the best at keeping me updated. She receives the latest celebrity gossip by Perez Hilton via Google Reader. Of course, I have been on Bale's side all along. But here is the latest on the situation. Will be posting pictures from our holiday soon.

Every day hour we're learning a bit more about the "incident" between Christian Bale and his mother and sister.
As we mentioned yesterday, there might be some bitterness between Bale and his mother, a former clown.
When Bale's parent's divorced years ago, his mom forced him to choose which parent he wanted to live with.
Christian moved to L.A. and chose his dad, who later became his manager.
And as for the police charges, Bale's camp believes it is most likely motivated by money.
Apparently his mother was "extremely jealous of both his and his dad's success."
As for the "assault" that took place last Sunday at his hotel room, it's been reported there was some physical contact, but nothing violent. It's being described as either a push or a brush, though no one was hurt or even fell.
However, his people still believe the main reason behind filing the charges is purely financial reasons.
As of today, some magazines have already been offering large amounts of money for the mom and sister's story.
We say, forget the mom! If she wants to offer the story for free, then let her. But if not, don't pay her a nickel.
If she really wants to tell her story and isn't motivated by money, she'll do it for free.

homage to bale

This movie is proof of how diverse an actor Christian Bale truly is. He sings, he dances, he gets the girl. I was 12 when this movie was first released and is what started it all. I was hooked and watched this movie over and over.

Another movie I have watched again and again is Little Women. Not only is Christian Bale the best Laurie but the rest of the cast is truly amazing. It is one of those where they definitely got it right.

homage to bale

This morning Christian Bale was featured on the Today show. You can watch the interview here.

It truly is a shame he doesn't use his regular accent in more movies.

memories

Dayna had this fun idea on her blog. Let's play!

1. As a comment on my blog, leave one memory that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you knew me a little or a lot, anything you remember!

2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. It's actually pretty funny to see the responses. If you leave a memory about me, I'll assume you're playing the game and I'll come to your blog and leave one about you. If you don't want to play on your blog, or if you don't have a blog, I'll leave my memory of you in my comments.

twilighters

Just in case you haven't seen this yet. Enjoy!! ;)

iPod

I am loving my new iPod Nano in hot pink. What are you loving??

black and white

I commissioned my sister to take some pictures of the kids and I before she left. She took these with her professional non-digital camera and good old black and white film. I think they turned out amazing. What do you think?

the bear's toothache

I had not thought about this book in ages until I saw it at the library this week. It was one of my favorites as a child and I am excited to read it to my kids. It is a cute story about a boy who discovers a bear with a toothache outside his windown. He tries to think of ways to remove the aching tooth. Very cute and definitely worth owning.

homage to bale

In continuing with honoring my favorite actor (The Dark Knight opens July 18 in the USA), this excellent movie was made back in 1993. When Nazi Germany declared war on freedom and demanded conformity from its youth, a group which called themselves Swing Kids, rebel with their American swing music and dancing. They are persecuted by Hitler's men and forced to join the German youth army. Robert Sean Leonard (DEAD POETS SOCIETY) and Christian Bale deliver gripping performances as two friends who must choose between their individual freedom or loyalty to the murderous Third Reich. Kenneth Branagh makes a particularly effective, wolf-in-sheep's-clothing Nazi official. Has anyone else seen this?

holiday

Every 4th of July we spend in a small town just north of here, doing the good old small town celebration events. It all starts out with a pancake breakfast, followed by a parade (candy included) and then the different vendor booths, that are set up all around the park, open for business. There are all different types of food for sale, a bake sale, crafts, purses, clothes, jewlery, etc. There are also different activities for the kids: face painting, train rides, fish pond, jumperoo's and the fire hose. I think this is the best part of the whole day and am glad they have kept it going. The local firefighters hook up one of the large hoses and spray all the kids. Actually, they point it up so all the water comes showering down on the kids. They would all blow away if they actually sprayed the kids. ;) Here are some pictures from that day.

Here is baby no. 1 with his cousins waiting for the parade to start, candy bags in hand.

Distracted by an airplane flying overhead.

Catching some sweets.

Hubby with baby no. 2. She's got the Elvis lip going there.

snl weekly

I am really behind on my posts! In honor of Guitar Hero Aerosmith edition being released this last week, I have to do this clip of Wayne's World with Aerosmith as their special guest. And it is one of the best Wayne's World skits ever. Love that Tom Hanks plays their roadie too. Enjoy.

homage to bale

Fact: Christian Bale is my favorite actor. With The Dark Knight being released in the USA July 18, I decided I have to give respect where it is due. First, a little eye-candy to start us off:

Sigh. Okay. I will admit that I haven't seen everything he has appeared in. I think he is the best but I am not going overboard to prove that. I will just use a few posts to list the movies I have seen and why I'm convinced he is the best. Did I mention he is Welsh?

We will start with one of the first movies I saw that absolutely blew me away. Not only is the acting phenomonal but the soundtrack was amazing. And since I am terrible at writing a review, I have copied the following from Amazon:

Roundly dismissed as one of Steven Spielberg's least successful efforts, this very underrated film poignantly follows the World War II adventures of young Jim (a brilliant Christian Bale), caught in the throes of the fall of China. What if you once had everything and lost it all in an afternoon? What if you were only 12? Bale's transformation, from pampered British ruling-class child to an imprisoned, desperate, nearly feral boy, is nothing short of stunning. Also stunning are exceptional sets, cinematography, and music (the last courtesy of John Williams) that enhance author J.G. Ballard's and screenwriter Tom Stoppard's depiction of another, less familiar casualty of war.
In a time when competitors were releasing "comedic," derivative coming-of-age films, Empire of the Sun stands out as an epic in the classic David Lean sense--despite confusion or perceived competition with the equally excellent The Last Emperor (also released in 1987, and also a coming-of-age in a similar setting). It is also a remarkable testament to, yes, the human spirit. And despite its disappointing box-office returns, Empire of the Sun helped to further establish Spielberg as more than a commercial director and set the standard, tone, and look for future efforts Schindler's List and Saving Private Ryan. --N.F. Mendoza

If you have not yet seen this movie, it is a must-see.

snl weekly

There are too many great lines from this clip to be quoted. So all I will say is, "Da bears."