Recommended Daily Allowance

Roots

{ 08:03, 2008-Jul-24 } { 0 comments } { Link }

Just finished reading my 28th book out of 30 that I plan to read on my 101 Things to Do List. Very interesting read. I watched the series on TV many years ago and never read the book. It's a long one... 899 pages. Took me a while but I finished it. It held my interest with the turning of every page.

Virginia Beach, VA

{ 10:31, 2008-Jul-12 } { 0 comments } { Link }

We are visiting our DStepdaughter, her DH and our 4 DGrandsons who are stationed in Virginia Beach. We arrived on Thursday, late. It took us 12 and a half hours to get here from Georgia. That included stopping for gas, restroom breaks and to eat. We are leaving on Monday and possibly stopping off in the mountains in Tennessee before we head back to Georgia. On my 101 things list, I wanted to visit 4 states I had never been to before. New Mexico was the first and now Virginia is the second. It's been fun making this list and seeing what I can get accomplished. I think I will also be making a 'Bucket List' after seeing the movie. I also plan to read Debbie Macombers 'Twenty Wishes' which I believe is along the same lines.

Number 69 is done!

{ 10:24, 2008-Jul-12 } { 0 comments } { Link }

Tonight's dinner out finished off number 69 on my 101 things to do in 1001 days list. I chose to try 10 new restaurants. Last night, while on vacation in Virginia,we dined at the Macaroni Grill. Italian cuisine. Very tasty. I would enjoy dining here again. And the number 10 restaurant.... DW's Mongolian BBQ. My DGrandson who is 6 kept asking to eat here. It is a buffet where you choose all your veggies and meats and then they cook it in front of you on a very large grill. Different and interesting. The food was very good. I know there are some Macaroni Grills near where we live but not sure about the Mongolian BBQ. Anyways..... I have finished another item on my 'to do' list!!

ZYX...

{ 08:15, 2008-Jul-7 } { 0 comments } { Link }

WVUTSRQPONMLKJIHGFEDCBA...

Number 93 on my 101 Things To Do List was to learn to recite the alphabet backwards. I did it! Go me!

Number 92: Detoxing

{ 04:16, 2008-Jun-27 } { 0 comments } { Link }

Just crossed number 92 off my list of 101 things to do in 1001 days. For the past seven days, DH, DD17 and my DSelf (LOL) did a detox diet. We did the Dinner Diva Detox from Saving Dinner. There were a couple of food items that we didn't particularly care for, but we made some substitutions and all was well. I lost 6 pounds. DD17 lost 7 pounds and DH lost 11 pounds. It is not necessarily meant to lost weight but to rid the body of toxins. Lots of raw fruits and veggies on the menu. I have scanned the internet and found a few more detox programs. I am thinking of doing this every 6 months, or at least once a year.

Purple

{ 08:26, 2008-Jun-14 } { 0 comments } { Link }

The Color Purple, that is, by Alice Walker. I just finished reading it. Very interesting. I noticed it was on the banned books list and so I thought I would read it. I have seen parts of the movie, but never watched it in its entirety. The book was written in the form of letters. Parts of the book kept my interest and other parts went into too much detail for my small mind LOL!

Our Trip to New Mexico: Wow What A Ride!

{ 02:06, 2008-Jun-8 } { 0 comments } { Link }

We're back!! My DFamily and I just went on a trip that was almost 3500 miles!! We live in Georgia and we drove to New Mexico! Many, many stops along the way. We started out on Sunday, June 1st and drove all the way to Shreveport, Louisiana before stopping for the night. The following day we entered the big WIDE state of Texas. (Takes awhile to drive across this state, let me tell ya.) We went to Dallas and went to the Sixth Floor Museum, where Oswald shot JFK. Gave me chills. Then we drove out to South Fork... the Ewing Ranch. My DDs had no idea what this place was all about. I had to tell them about the Ewings and the TV show Dallas. I used to watch it every Friday night. The light bulbs went on when I told them about "Who shot J.R.?" They had heard this when they were very young, but had no idea what it really was all about. We didn't tour the house, just got a good look at it. Finally, day 3 we make it in to New Mexico. Our destination! We visited the Carlsbad Caverns. WOW! Beautiful! My DMother, who is almost 77, walked down into the caverns. I was worried about her, but she was determined. The elevator made for a nice ride back to the top. People used to climb back out, but they no longer allow people to do this. You have to take the elevator out. We rode around the area for a little while and returned for the evening Bat Flight. Thousands of bats exited the cave in search of food and water. We didn't hang around to see them reenter the next morning. We headed to El Paso. While in El Paso, we walked across the border into Juarez, Mexico. I can now say I have been out of the United States. Juarez is a very poor area of Mexico. The border police warned us not to go in, but we still went. They said there had been 350 murders already this year. There were actually very few tourists there. At the market, the sellers told us the police were making things bad for their business, that it wasn't as bad as they made out to everyone. Both DDs got a sombrero! We spent the next night at the Riverwalk in San Antonio. Been here before, liked it so much we wanted to see it again. Beautiful place! So enjoy strolling down the Riverwalk. Next... Houston. We went to a mall in Houston and they had an indoor ice skating rink. We didn't try it, but it was interesting watching all those who did. Our next big stop was New Orleans. We really had not planned to go to New Orleans, but decided to ride through. There is still so much devestation from Hurricane Katrina... very sad. Not the same place we visited before the Hurricane. We decided to leave New Orleans by way of the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway. So glad we did. That bridge is something else. I believe it is the longest bridge in the world. We also drove through Mobile and walked on the pier at the beach. Another fabulous trip and tons of fun had by all.

On my 101 Things To Do In 1001 Days list, number 2 is to visit 4 states in the United States that I have not been to, and New Mexico is the first one. I am enjoying myself accomplishing the items on this list!

Family Picnic

{ 01:54, 2008-Jun-8 } { 0 comments } { Link }

I like being able to cross things off a list. Most especially when it is a fun list. Number 53 on my 101 Things To Do In 1001 Days list: Go on a picnic. I did! Actually, we did. We took a trip to New Mexico and brought along lots of goodies for our picnics. We ate picnic lunches for the first few days. We found some really nice rest/picnic areas. So enjoyable.

26/30

{ 01:48, 2008-Jun-8 } { 0 comments } { Link }

We just returned from our trip to New Mexico and while we were gone, I finished the book I was reading. Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery becomes number 26 of 30 books I planned to read on my 101 things to do list. I've never really kept up with how many books I've read before, but it would seem that I read a good bit. I have already started my next one and I am about halfway through it.

Five To Go

{ 04:17, 2008-May-30 } { 0 comments } { Link }

My goal was to read 30 books and I just finished reading number 25. Five more to go. The last one I read was To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee. I had seen this movie but never read the book. The book was as interesting to me as watching the movie. Glad I took the time to read it.

If I Did It: Confessions of the Killer

{ 08:43, 2008-May-11 } { 0 comments } { Link }

I have finished yet another book. This one by O.J. Simpson. Very chilling! Here is the description from www.amazon.com:

In 1994, Ron Goldman and Nicole Brown Simpson were brutally murdered at her home in Brentwood, California. O. J. Simpson was tried for the crime in a case that captured the attention of the American people, but was ultimately found not guilty of criminal charges. The victims' families brought a civil case against Simpson, and he was found liable for willfully and wrongfully causing the deaths of Ron and Nicole by committing battery with malice and oppression.

In 2006, HarperCollins announced the publication of a book in which O. J. Simpson told how he hypothetically would have committed the murders. In response to public outrage that Simpson stood to profit from these crimes, HarperCollins canceled the book. A Florida bankruptcy court awarded the rights to the Goldmans in August 2007 to partially satisfy the unpaid civil judgment, which has risen to over $38 million with interest.

The Goldman family views this book as his confession, and has worked hard to ensure that the public will read this book and learn the truth. This is the original manuscript approved by O. J. Simpson, with up to 14,000 words of key additional commentary.

Catching Up

{ 10:26, 2008-May-11 } { 0 comments } { Link }

Just catching up on what I've gotten done on my 101 Things List. I have now read 23 out of 30 books that I planned to read. I finished The Innocent Man by John Grisham. Here is a quick description I found at www.amazon.com:

In the major league draft of 1971, the first player chosen from the State of Oklahoma was Ron Williamson. When he signed with the Oakland A’s, he said goodbye to his hometown of Ada and left to pursue his dreams of big league glory.
Six years later he was back, his dreams broken by a bad arm and bad habits—drinking, drugs, and women. He began to show signs of mental illness. Unable to keep a job, he moved in with his mother and slept twenty hours a day on her sofa.
In 1982, a 21-year-old cocktail waitress in Ada named Debra Sue Carter was raped and murdered, and for five years the police could not solve the crime. For reasons that were never clear, they suspected Ron Williamson and his friend Dennis Fritz. The two were finally arrested in 1987 and charged with capital murder.
With no physical evidence, the prosecution’s case was built on junk science and the testimony of jailhouse snitches and convicts. Dennis Fritz was found guilty and given a life sentence. Ron Williamson was sent to death row.
If you believe that in America you are innocent until proven guilty, this book will shock you. If you believe in the death penalty, this book will disturb you. If you believe the criminal justice system is fair, this book will infuriate you.

I also watched The Karate Kid from the list of the American Film Institutes 100 Most Inspiring Movies. Here's a description of this movie, again from www.amazon.com:

A fatherless teenager faces his moment of truth in The Karate Kid. Daniel (Ralph Macchio) arrives in Los Angeles from the east coast and faces the difficult task of making new friends. However, he becomes the object of bullying by the Cobras, a menacing gang of karate students, when he strikes up a relationship with Ali (Elisabeth Shue), the Cobra leader's ex-girlfriend. Eager to fight back and impress his new girlfriend but afraid to confront the dangerous gang, Daniel asks his handyman Miyagi (Noriyuki 'Pat' Morita), whom he learns is a master of the martial arts, to teach him karate. Miyagi teaches Daniel that karate is a mastery over the self, mind, and body and that fighting is always the last answer to a problem. Under Miyagi's guidance, Daniel develops not only physical skills but also the faith and self-confidence to compete despite tremendous odds as he encounters the fight of his life in the exciting finale to this entertaining film.

Hoosiers

{ 10:29, 2008-Apr-27 } { 0 comments } { Link }

I didn't realize that Hoosiers was such an old movie. Well, not REAL old, but it was made in 1986. It's 22 years old. ALMOST as many years as I've been out of high school. I have watched Hoosiers before, but wanted to revisit since I am watching the American Film Institute's 100 most inspiring movies. Hoosiers ranks at number thirteen. Here's a review I found at Amazon that sums up the movie very well:

From the opening scenes of this film--majestic shots of a car traveling the rural midwest on a crisp autumn morning--HOOSIERS serves notice to the viewer that he or she is in for a wonderful movie experience. Set in a tiny Indiana town half a century ago, HOOSIERS captures the look and feel of rural Americana, of a hardworking people with a single commonality: their love for basketball. The pure innocence of this film, innocence long lost over the subsequent decades, is magical.

Gene Hackman portrays Coach Norman Dale, an outsider who comes to basketball-crazy Hickory, Indiana, to coach the high school team. Haunted by mistakes made in his past, Dale is eager for the second chance he has been given. Immediately, his no-nonsense, stress-the-fundamentals coaching philosophy puts him at odds with the town, yet Dale refuses to compromise his principles. He survives--barely--a petition for his ouster, and the rest of the movie warmly portrays the town of Hickory and its high school basketball team coming together, a team that makes a magical run through the Indiana State Tournament.

Barbara Hershey as Myra Fleener, Hickory's assistant principal, and Sheb Wooley as superintendent/principal Cletus--the man who hires Dale--are solid. Yet Dennis Hopper gives the best performance as Wilbur "Shooter" Flatch. Shooter, a former great player himself and father of one of the boys on Coach Dale's team, is the town drunk; despite his alcoholism, his knowledge of the game is immense, and Dale enlists his aid. The reformation of this character--the feeling and depth that Hopper gives this role--is exceptional.

Director David Anspaugh gives us a sensational "feel good" movie, augmented by Jerry Goldsmith's powerful musical score. HOOSIERS tells a beautiful story, so magical in its depiction you'll be cheering from your chair. Highly recommended.

The Accidental Tourist

{ 10:20, 2008-Apr-18 } { 0 comments } { Link }

This book was a little strange for me. In certain parts of the book, I thought I didn't want to finish reading it, but I can't seem to do that with a book. If I start it, I have to finish it. A few parts were page turners, the rest not so much. It is very low key. If you are looking for sex, crime, thrill a minute, it is not for you. It's a book about family and everyday life. The story was about a man named Macon who was a travel writer, but hates to travel. He doesn't like anything out of the ordinary. He is grounded by loneliness and an unwillingness to compromise his creature comforts. Macon's wife, Sarah, leaves him unexpectedly. Well, not as unexpectedly as Macon would like to believe. After the loss of their son, things never come back together for them. Macon is forced to move on with his life in a somewhat unusual manner. He meets Muriel, a deliciously peculiar dog-obedience trainer who up ends Macon's insular world. Muriel throws caution to the wind on a daily basis and eventually sweeps Macon up in her ways and thrusts him headlong into a remarkable engagement with life.

George Burns

{ 04:08, 2008-Apr-6 } { 0 comments } { Link }

George Burns celebrates his 100th birthday with a priceless gift to his fans--a collection of the stories that have made him one of America's national treasures. His final book, 100 Years, 100 Stories, was published in 1996. In many ways, this small and entertaining volume summed up the life and career of George Burns. It consisted of a number of often retold, highly repolished jokes. Its origins, like Burns' own ethnic roots, were obscured but oddly irrelevant-seeming. (Burns himself was in such poor health during the book's production that he clearly played little part in it; nevertheless, the stories were ones he had told for years and years.) Years after her death, it still depended heavily for its meaning on Burns' relationship with Allen, who figured prominently in many of the stories. And coming out as it did in the weeks between its author's 100th birthday in January of 1996 and his death in March, this final volume exhibited the sort of timing for which George Burns was justly renowned.

Duma Key

{ 05:08, 2008-Apr-5 } { 0 comments } { Link }

It's a long one, but a good one. If you are a Stephen King fan, you won't want to miss this one. It kept me up at night and kept me yawning the next day (lack of sleep). It is definitely a page turner. I'm not going to describe the book, in case someone hasn't read it. Just enjoy!

What a Cute Book!

{ 01:18, 2008-Mar-19 } { 0 comments } { Link }

I have read a few of Dean Koontz's books, but none as cute as Santa's Twin. One of my clients was telling me about the book and said she had it had home. She brought it by last week and said I could borrow it. I read the book last night in less than an hour. It's a great Christmas story/poem. It has wonderful illustrations. It's not your average Christmas story, of course, because it is written by Dean Koontz. It's about Santa's twin brother and two little girls named Charoltte and Emily. Charlotte and Emily save Santa from his mischievous twin--Bob Claus. He steals Santa's sleigh and stuffs the toy bag with mud pies, cat poop, broccoli and many other funny little things. It is reccommended to read the book aloud, preferably to someone whose laugh you love to hear.

18 out of 30

{ 06:59, 2008-Mar-18 } { 0 comments } { Link }

Checking in with my 101 Things to Do In 1001 Days list. I just finished reading The Appeal by John Grisham. Number 65 on my list is 'Read 30 books'. I only have 12 more to go.

This book, like all Grisham's books, was hard to put down. Of course the book was based on a trial in the Mississippi courtroom. A chemical company is accused of dumping toxic waste into the town's water supply and causing many of the townspeople to become sick with cancer. Many of the people die. The chemical company is owned by a billionaire. One woman, who has lost her husband and only son to the cancer, files suit against the company. The jury returns a shocking verdict against the chemical company. Of course, as the title tells, there is an appeal. The owner of the chemical company does not believe the court is friendly enough for him. He decides to try and purchase himself a seat on the supreme court. It only costs him a few million. His political organization recruits a young, innocent candidate. They finance, shape, market and mold him in to a potential Supreme Court justice. THEIR Supreme Court justice. The ending may surprise you.

Playing for Pizza

{ 10:21, 2008-Mar-5 } { 0 comments } { Link }

Just finished Playing for Pizza by John Grisham. I would not say this was one of his greatest. I think he could have done a little more with it. The storyline was too predictable. The main character is talked about most and the other characters are not brought out much at all. It was an enjoyable book, just not the arousing thriller that I am used to in John Grisham. I am sure it was a fun book for him and even though it wasn't a favorite of mine, it was still a quick read and held my interest. On to his next book... The Appeal.

In the Heat of the Night

{ 07:48, 2008-Mar-3 } { 0 comments } { Link }

Don't know how many of you have checked out my 101 Things to Do in 1001 Days list, but I am still plugging away at it. Watch the American Film Institute's Top 100 Most Inspiring Movies is number 49 on my list. Saturday night, DH and I watched In the Heat of the Night, a 1967 film starring Sidney Poitier and Rod Steiger. Here is the description from Amazon:

While traveling in the Deep South, Virgil Tibbs, a black Philadelphia homicide detective, becomes unwittingly embroiled in the murder investigationof a prominent businessman when he is first accused of the crime and then asked to solve it! Finding the killer proves to be difficult, however, especially when his efforts are constantly thwarted by the bigoted town sheriff (Steiger). But neither man can solve this case alone. Putting aside their differences and prejudices, they join forces in a desperate race against time to discover the shocking truth.

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