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mommyjo2's LiveJournal:
| Friday, October 27th, 2006 | | 11:14 pm |
I don't really do livejournal anymore, as evidenced by my last post of over a year ago. Visit my blogs: Mama Says (www.milehimama.blogspot.com) - my everyday life Mama Writes (www.milehimama-writes.blogspot.com) - Less kids, more muse. | | Wednesday, October 26th, 2005 | | 5:57 pm |
Kaiser sucks
Went to the doctor again today. Have to go every week now at 35 weeks pregnant. I have Kaiser. I have had many different insurances during pregnancy, including Medicaid and NO insurance and I hate Kaise the most. I'm just a number in the system. 2 weeks ago the doctor comes in, and INTRODUCES himself- Nice to meet you! Except I was 8 months pregnant! Been seeing him for almost a year! Grr. And they want me to see a neonatalogist because my blood sugar has been on the high end. But can't tell me how or why this would help. I've already seen a dietician and OB/High risk specialist. Why pay another fee for another specialist who is going to tell me the same thing the other ones will? There's no therapeutic benefit, the outcome of pregnancy won't be better, just Kaiser will be $40 richer. And their A** will be a little less covered. It's bad enough they are having me check my blood sugar 3 times a day when my official 3 hour blood glucose test was completely normal, not even one value off. Usually 2 values off diagnoses diabetes, 1 value diagnoses borderling (and check blood sugar 3x a week). Too much CYA and not enough actually caring for the PERSON of the patient. Ok thats my rant. Any Kaiser horror stories (I've had if for a year and I have 3.) | | Saturday, October 1st, 2005 | | 7:01 pm |
nothing new
so as you can see I still really suck at this blog thing. Kids have stomach flu. Called in to work today which REALLY sucks since last week I asked if they had a full time position, and they were going to consider it. I only work there on Saturdays, so I'm sure thinking, well she can't even show up one day a week, and she wants full time? Oh well, can't be helped. DS #2 is driving me crazy- all attitude. His grandpa even got onto him today. His new thing is responding to parental directives by saying, "blah, blah, blah". Just whe Mad Son is getting better #2 starts up. This from a 6 yr old? Please. Can't wait until he's thirteen. | | Monday, August 29th, 2005 | | 10:34 am |
vacation
So today is the first day of my vacation. I'm taking it because school won't start until the day after Labor Day and DH started his new day job today. So far work has called me once, so I showed the office manager how to IM me. (so much easier to ignore than the phone). We'll see how everything goes without me... maybe they'll actually READ the procedures I wrote, instead of the usual method of Ask Lisa (again). So far, so good, although I've basically just done laundry. Mount Fold Me is shrinking, but not fast enough. We rearranged all the kids' rooms and didn't have their dressers set up for 3-4 days, and it just piled up. Mad Son is doing well today. I did have to take an axe away from him though. I hope he doesn't get expelled on the first day! We have to register/interview at the school tomorrow. | | Friday, August 26th, 2005 | | 9:57 pm |
i suck
I just realized, I really suck at this blog thing.... oh, you are supposed to update everyday?!! hmmm... maybe I'll try harder On that note, I just read the most useless article. It was about time management, streamline your day and get more done. One helpful tip: when you run the dishwasher or washing machine, don't just wait for it to be done, but use to time to go do something else! I had no idea anyone actually stood at their washing machine doing nothing else, waiting for it to be done. Amazing. Another helpful tip: Carry scissors in your purse and cut out magazine articles. File away to read while you wait at the doctor's office. Sorry, but if you are organized enough to have a purse-sized pair of scissors, along with a FILE of relevant, interesting and current magazines, and you remembered that you have a doctor's appointment, you are doing great with your time management. In fact, you should probably teach a class. I'll come if it starts around 9-9:30 ish (depending on traffic) and if there's food! I'm lucky to find my magazine to begin with. Someone may have put it away with the spaghetti noodles (our pantry is arranged more by how the cart boy bags the food, rather than any real, common sense system). Someone small may have taken it to find pictures of kitties that they can trace with permanent ink to 'practice drawing'. Someone else may have taken it to use as a base for their ball game. Or to throw at their brother, or the cat. That said, I am in a time management crunch. So, hopefully I will come across some marginally more helpful tips. | | Friday, May 13th, 2005 | | 7:05 pm |
Kicking and Screaming Movie
"Kicking and Screaming", starring Will Ferrell and Robert Duvall, opens in theaters today. For those of you who have missed their average TV commercials, and not so edgy Internet advertising, the movie goes something like this:
Phil Weston (Ferrell) has competed with his father, Buck, for his entire life and tried in vain to gain his approval. His intensely competitive father (Robert Duvall) even remarried when Phil did, and their sons were born on the same day. Buck's little Bucky weighed in a few ounces heavier, of course, because Phil's dad always comes out on top. Now, when Buck Weston trades his own grandson (Phil's son, Sam) to another soccer team in the name of winning, Phil siezes the opportunity to coach his team to victory and finally crush dear old dad- but to do it the right way, in a world where winning isn't everything for once. Okay, maybe not sieze, but at least accept it with not much protest.
I won't bore you with the details- I'm sure you've seen this movie the 800,000 other times that Disney made it. The last place team filled with losers and misfits, (including the requisite "too big for his age" kid, the foreign kid with lots of spunk, and a couple of jokesters); the coach with stars in his eyes but no actual skills, the opposing team coached by a big jerk who doesn't care about anyone's feelings. Time to bring in the helpful sidekick to save the day, played here by Mike Ditka as himself.
Hmm... what are we missing from this tired formula? Oh yes, the supportive, pretty spouse Barbara (Kate Walsh) ever ready to motivate with an inspiring, yet practical word.
In come two super talented kids, itching to join the 'little team that could' and save the day. In this case, they're Italian butcher apprentices, who speak little English, but still communicate through the universal language of sports.
Of course, Phil loses perspective as he loses games, and soon he falls victim to the 'win at all costs' mentality, redeeming himself only during the second half of the championship game when he realizes he's becoming like his father, chooses to take the high road, and still manages to win using oh-so-clever team work and gimmicky plays.
Didn't they make this movie and call it "Little Giants"? (If you haven't seen "Little Giants", starring Rick Moranis and Ed O'Neill of "Married with Children" fame, go rent it instead of watching "Kicking and Screaming". It's a better film in every way.)
Oh wait, this movie has a Bucky, not a Becky, although it's easy to be confused when the main men bet their family business, with one promising to work for the other if their team loses the game.
In this movie, unfortunately, not only has the script seen better days, but so has the acting. Sorry, Mr. Duvall, but you're no Al Bundy. (Never thought you'd see that sentence written, did you!)
Will Ferrell has been lauded as the comic genius of our times, and described by the K&S PR machine as a 'comic force of nature', but there is no sign of that here. If he's not looking wooden and reading his lines off a cue card, he is over the top manic, and instead of being himself, seems to be unsuccessfully channeling Owen Wilson. Kate Walsh is okay in her vanilla housewife role, and Robert Duvall is, frankly, disappoining. Surprisingly, the best scenes are with Mike Ditka and his not-seen-enough wife, who steals her scenes and provides the only real laughs of the movie.
The jokes are stale, and the movie is pretty gross- involving worm eating, ball jokes, and, of course, lots of soccer balls to the crotch. There are lots of not-even-funny-first-time 'balls' jokes, including Buck Weston's sports store slogan, "He's got balls!" Of course, director Jesse Dylan updates his rehash with fresh, new lesbian soccer moms, introduced 20 minutes into this PG film aimed at children and families. The director even manages to make this seem stale, pigeonholing the couple into the blond, delicate pretty mom and super strong, unemotional brunette mom.
The film itself is terrible. There are too sudden transitions, rough cuts, and in one bedroom scene (no, not THAT kind of bedroom scene, thankfully), the actors suddenly shift a few inches to the right. Visually mediocre, the cameraman moves the camera so much in one scene, I expected the director to pan back and reveal him shooting with a shoulder mounted camcorder. Too many of the scenes seem like an ad-libbed home movie. Aside from the acting and writing, I expected a film with these kind of stars to at least have some sort of quality.
I do know how the movie got its name though- the only way they'd drag me back into the theater to see it is Kicking and Screaming.
I give this $0- wait for cable, and watch if there's nothing else on. | | Saturday, May 7th, 2005 | | 8:08 pm |
Kingdom of Heaven Movie
Kingdom of Heaven is Ridley Scott's new 'epic' film. Visually, it's great- stunning vistas, dramatic cuts, and even the sound editing adds so much to the movie. Unfortunately, it was rather poorly written, with characters that just disappear from the action without adequate explanation (which is okay, since we don't really care about them anyway). Several subplots are poorly developed, and would have added richness and dimension to an otherwise flat film if they were adequately executed. Frankly, I expected much more from this so-so film. A fun adventure film, the final siege of Jerusalem is entertaining and the bombardment by flaming stones is well done. If you are looking to be inspired, or for great acting, or a thoughtful movie, look somewhere else. STORY SPOILER! PLOT IS REVEALED! The story revolves around Balian (Orlando Bloom), a French blacksmith. I know he's French based on other movie reviews and the logline, not from the movie- it's not really explained where he's from, just a small medieval village where the people have British accents. Soon after we meet Balian, he meets his father (Liam Neeson) who 1) was not married to his mother, and 2) abandoned her to become a Crusader, dedicated to protecting the helpless (not counting his poor son, who grew up a bastard in a time when that actually mattered). Our hero blithely accepts that this man is indeed dear old Dad, with nary a hard question for him in sight. Balian seems rather rash, losing his temper and killing the local priest, setting his shop on fire, and running off to join his father all within a few minutes. Unfortunately, his father is mortally wounded during a battle to keep his murderous son away from the local coppers, and makes Balian swear on his deathbed to continue to promote peace in Jerusalem and serve the king (who is also dying... tbey're dropping like flies!). Although Balian's wife has recently committed suicide, and his cover story is to go on the Crusade for the good of her soul even though he belives she is in hell (!), he doesn't actually seem too torn up by the loss- in fact, he doesn't even attend her funeral. Of course, Balian does show extraordinary wisdom and does not lose his temper ever again throughout the rest of film. He also shows remarkable fighting ability, agricultural knowledge, and a shrewd tactical mind, especially for a small town blacksmith who has never been out of his village. He negotiates with kings and foreign leaders calmly and always comes out ahead. He also gives some stirring speeches that would probably have had him drawn and quartered had he actually given them to 12th century crusaders, including one with the oh so PC line "Which is more holy, the Mosque, or the sepulcher? Neither is more holy". I mean, these are CRUSADERS! Of course, as is usual, the heroic figures are nominally Catholic, but have lost their faith, while the local chursh leaders are impotent, pampered, and don't care about the common man. It seems that in Hollywood, men of the cloth cannot be noble, good, or self sacrificing, and the martyrs can't have a black and white faith. Pray that this movie is never shown in your child's history class- just about every character acts like it's 2005, with all the politcal correctness and humanist philosophy. The film is violent, with many, many deaths graphically shown. Men are beheaded, their throats are cut, they are shot with arrows and hacked with swords. Sexual content is minimal, although Balian literally falls into bed with a married woman and neither is ashamed to hide their relationship, openly kissing in public- another thing that a 12th century knight supposedly bemoaning the loss of his wife would never do. Morally, it takes a hard line against people who actually have beliefs and hold them. The 'good guys' are all for accepting all creeds and faiths, and living in utopian harmony, while the devout Catholics are bloodthirsty and crude oafs who kill civilians as the 'will of God'. This is a $4 movie- it's not worth $8.50 plus popcorn but I'd rent it and watch it again. | | Friday, February 18th, 2005 | | 7:52 am |
Constantine
I went on Tuesday to see the new movie, Constantine, starring Rachel Weisz and Keanu Reeves. It was fairly entertaining, and didn't seem follow the standard anti-Catholic whine most horror movies have (although the one preist shown was an alcoholic and apparently impotent when it came to exorcisms; he called in Keanu at the first sign of trouble). Story Spoiler Warning!!! Don't read this if you want to let the plot unfold (I won't say, be surprised, because although there were a few good twists and turns, this movie WAS based on formula). Keanu Reeves plays John Constantine, who has always been able to see the supernatural side of life, including angels and demons. It should be noted that this movie has a rather Manicheistic view of life; angels and demons are more or less equal, and they have 'rules' that they must follow or the world will get out of balance... blah blah blah. Demons who possess people are 'breaking the rules' and so Constantine has the right to deport them back to hell. As a teen, John is a little nuts from seeing demons all the time, so he kills himself. Apparently, the world is a Catholic sort of Yin-Yang balance, so of course if you commit suicide you go straight to hell, which is like LA after the riots, or after a particularly nasty Santa Ana season. The paramedics manage to revive him, though, and he spends the rest of his life casting out demons in an attempt to 'buy his way into heaven'; futile, since he's apparently sentenced to Hell with no hope, also, he doesn't actually believe in God too much, he just doesn't want to go to the other place. This gives rise to the one GOOD line in the movie- "Believe me," Constantine says to Angie (Rachel Weisz), "Two minute in Hell is a lifetime". Unfortunately, the plotline is interesting, and has potential; too bad some plot twists seem thrown together at the last minute and the cast is largely wasted. The guy from Holes is here, and does a great job with the little he has to work with. Keanu plays his Neo character again, the cynic, world weary Savior archtype complete with monotone. Rachel Wiesz seems to play the same character. (A complete and sad squandering of her talent, if you happened to like her in Envy). Special effects were great (who doubted they would be), but by the time the ending drags out, and Lucifer shows up, I was a little tired of it all and didn't even want to follow the story anymore. The ending was great- the last 3 seconds, that is, when Constantine chews a stick of gum. Hmmm, that might say something, when the best scene in the movie is chewing gum...) Go see it. The Exorcist it ain't, but way better than it's predecessors, sush as the 7th Sign. | | Tuesday, February 8th, 2005 | | 8:01 am |
A Sad Day
Well, the British are at it again. Check out this article, http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=514&e=6&u=/ap/20050208/ap_on_he_me/britain_therapeutic_cloning. They actually have a licensing agency that regulates human cloning?!!! How sad. Pay particular attention to the 'spin'. "The embryo cloning does not result in a baby"; they make ProLifers, who have the temerity to object look like anti technological Luddites. Question: If the resulting embryo is not human, what's the point, and what good would it do to use non-human cells for research? And if the embryo IS human, a human who would grow into an adult with thoughts, hopes, dreams... well, isn't that the definition of a baby? A young human? Just a thought Current Mood:  distressed | | Thursday, January 20th, 2005 | | 7:57 am |
Wife Swap and more
Well, today is the inauguration of George W. Bush. But I'm not going to be watching- I have a boy scout meeting to go to. I watched 'Wife Swap' last night. It had a rich career woman with one child swapping with a SAHM of 4. The SAHM was, well, weird, 'I think of her as zany rather than crazy', as her teenage son put it. "No, she's crazy", the other 4 insisted. The saddest part was that the career woman spent literally 3 hours a WEEK with her 15 year old daughter- the time spent every morning driving her to school. She has a hired 'house manager' "who is basically my wife", she says. The house manager is the one who helps with homework, fixes snacks and dinner, takes the daughter to her horseback riding lesson. So, so sad. For all those working women out there (of which I am one), don't work 24 hours a day until your kids have left for college. You will never get this time back, and don't you think they'll remember this when their picking out your nursing home? FROM THE DUH FILES http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20050119/ap_on_go_su_co/scotus_abortion_2Hmmm... new evidence suggests that abortion may cause undue harm to the fetus? Really? This is NEW evidence? Although I wish they would revisit this case, as it was actually decided as a pirvacy issue. Don't the children have a right to privacy, to grow up and have private thoughts and do private things in the privacy of their own homes? Current Mood:  grumpy | | Monday, January 17th, 2005 | | 7:53 am |
Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Well, another holiday. I should be a mailman- or a banker, they get all the days off! Of course, I'm at work even as we speak. Does this holiday even mean much any more? Have we forgotten the ones not recognized by law as being real people? Next week is the anniversary of the infamous "Roe v Wade" decision. 47 million children have been killed in the 20+ years since then. I survived, and so did you... Do we who have voices speak for those who don't? Well, some do. Dr. King said, "The Negroes cannot survive if they are willing to sacrifice their children for privilege". Interestingly, his niece, Alveda King, is the spokeswoman for Silent No More, which counsels and helps post-aborted women. I think we should apply Dr. King's message of iron will for change without violence, and define and protect the unborn's right to life, liberty, and happiness. I have a dream, too, that people will not be judged by their viability or their convenience, and will be allowed to develop a character. Current Mood: determined | | Thursday, January 13th, 2005 | | 7:50 am |
A Breath of Fresh Air...movies
On Tuesday I went to an advance screening of In Good Company. It was actually a great movie! Extremely well written, and cast well. The previews led me to believe it was a love story- man's daughter falls for his boss, who is also 25 years younger than man. Love triumphs against all odds! Blah, Blah, Blah. But this movie is actually the juxtaposition of a young man, Carter, who has business success- VP of Advertising at 26, and an older man, Dan,(Dennis Quaid), who USED to be VP of Advertising and got demoted in a merger. Not preachy, but an interesting contrast and it contains ACTUAL FAMILY VALUES! Of families sacrificing for each other! Dan's wife (Marg Helgenberger, who trades in her blacklight and CSI gear for a turn as a loving but not caricatured spouse) finds out she is pregnant at the beginning of the movie, and of course gives birth at the end (I said it was not your traditional Hollywood formula, not that it was devoid of cliches!); however, there are no "powerful holding newborn child for first time" philosophical cheese moments- rather, it's part of the family life that dominates the context and background of the movie. Dan's daughter, Alex (Scarlet Johansson) does a great job of playing the confident college daughter, moving out on her and developing a changing, more adult relationship with her dad. I'd pay $8 bucks to see it in the theater, but take somebody with you- this is a movie to see with someone you care about. (So take a sister, not a first date!) On another note, there were only TWO PREVIEWS and NO COMMERCIALS! One of the movies coming to theaters looks good, Nicole Kidman's "The Interpreter", kind of in the line of "The Bourne Identity". The other, "The Wedding Date" with Debra Messing, looks like a 'Pretty Woman' rip off- I'll wait until it's free on the Lifetime Network to watch it. Current Mood:  chipper | | Saturday, January 8th, 2005 | | 3:13 pm |
In Good Company
http://ingoodcompanymovie.com/If you post this trailer on your blog, and e-mail info@gracehillmedia.com, you can get free tickets to the movie. It looks good- Scarlett Johansson is definitely a Hollywood "up and comer". These are the same people who did 'I Am David'. Current Mood:  curious | | Wednesday, December 22nd, 2004 | | 8:05 pm |
More Invesco Field
I went to Invesco Field Wednesday Dec. 15. The Mile Hi marker is behind the red Budwieser banner (under Jogn Elway on the Ring Of Fame). The orange seats are REMOVABLE. Apparently World Cup Soccer has different rules, and different field requirements than US Soccer. They designed the field with removable seats behind the goal line, so that Invesco would be 'up to code' in case Denver ever hosts World Cup Soccer. | | Thursday, December 16th, 2004 | | 7:57 am |
Invesco Field
Earlier this week I took a tour of Invesco Field @ Mile High, which is still a really dumb, grammatically incorrect name. I thought it would be boring, since I don't even know how football is played, exactly, but it turned out to be more interesting than I thought. In the winter, they cover the grass with a big tarp. It's translucent, though, so light comes through and that's why when the Broncos play in winter, it's a nice expanse of green and not mangy looking yellow. There is also a radiant in-floor heating type system underneath, a network of pipes that pump warm water so the grass will continue to grow, and they can even germinate new turf in the middle of winter. Another network of pipes below the playing field provides direct drainage, so the field is relatively flat. Older fields are higher in the center, with a 'crown' midfield, so water will run off the field to the sidelines. Yes, my friend, our tax dollars are hard at work there! And yet, I am a taxpayer, and can't afford a ticket to actually see a game! We also saw the stall for Thunder, the horse that makes a lap around the field whenever the Broncos score. There's a new Thunder this year, and he's getting a little soft because he hasn't been running too much lately. I know what the orange seats are for in the South stands, now, do you? Post your guesses. | | Wednesday, December 15th, 2004 | | 8:35 pm |
| | 7:44 am |
Inaugural Post
AND, with much fanfare and rejoicing, MOMMYJO enters the blogoshpere! Ok, maybe not so much fanfare as an indifferent shrug from my husband. But, hey, I take what I can get. Now, what to do with my newfound power?! Expose corrupt polititians? Stand up for the little guy, righting wrongs as I go? Attract the attention of Hollywood agents far and wide, becoming the next blockbuster star (they need more not quite middle age mommies with bad hair, don't they?). Or maybe I'll just use my blog to tell the world (if you can consider a few paltry relatives reading this blog out of guilt and duty a 'world'), things that are important to me. A few words of introduction are in order. I am everywoman. I have children. I was a SAHM for years, and now I work as an administrative assistant during the week, and as a customer service rep for an auto glass company on weekends. I homeschool my children. I have babies, toddlers, preschoolers, and school age kids. And 2 cats as of this week, and 2 turtles, as of 2002. Stay tuned for more excitement, entertainment, and sometimes just plain apathy from MommyJo World. Current Mood: amused |
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