Monday, January 28, 2008

100 Movies.......

Take this list of the top 100 movies from the IMDB and bold the movies you have seen.


1. Godfather, The (1972) .....could have done without the horse head scene
2. Shawshank Redemption, The (1994) .....very good movie
3. Godfather: Part II, The (1974) ......more of the same....yawn
4. Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, The (2003)
....dh's favorites

5. Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, The (2002) .....date night with dh
6. Schindler's List (1993)
.....3 words....heart.break.ing!
7. Shichinin no samurai (1954) ......huh?
8. Casablanca (1942)
9. Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, The (2001) .....dh, like a kid in candy store!
10. Star Wars (1977)
.....soooooo coooool
11. Citizen Kane (1941)
12. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975) ......loved it!
13. Dr. Strangelove (1964)
14. Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980) .......again...very cool
15. Rear Window (1954)
16. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) ....loved it! Made me laugh!
17. Pulp Fiction (1994)
...I want the 2 hours of my life back that I wasted on this movie...
18. Usual Suspects, The (1995)
19. Memento (2000)
20. North by Northwest (1959)
21. 12 Angry Men (1957) .....saw the remake and really liked it!
22. Buono, il brutto, il cattivo, Il (1966) ....huh? again
23. Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
24. Psycho (1960)........*shriek*
25. Fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain, Le (2001) ....even more huh?
26. Silence of the Lambs, The (1991) ......scared the tinkle out of me....did ya'll know that the bad guy in this is now Monk's police chief?
27. It's a Wonderful Life (1946) ....comfort food for the soul...
28. Goodfellas (1990)
....left this one very depressed...
29. American Beauty (1999)
30. Sunset Blvd. (1950)
31. Vertigo (1958)
32. Matrix, The (1999) .....way cool concept!
33. Cidade de Deus (2002)
34. To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)
35. C'era una volta il West (1968)
36. Apocalypse Now (1979) .....very disturbing...still have nightmares about this one!
37. Pianist, The (2002)
38. Third Man, The (1949)
39. Paths of Glory (1957)
40. Taxi Driver (1976)
41. Fight Club (1999)
42. Sen to Chihiro no kamikakushi (2001)
43. Some Like It Hot (1959)
44. Double Indemnity (1944)
45. Boot, Das (1981)
46. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
47. Singin' in the Rain (1952)
48. Chinatown (1974)
49. L.A. Confidential (1997)
50. Maltese Falcon, The (1941)
51. Requiem for a Dream (2000)
52. All About Eve (1950)
53. M (1931)
54. Bridge on the River Kwai, The (1957)
55. Se7en (1995) .....another very disturbing one....
56. Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975) ...."this isn't my real nose, tis a false one!" I unashamedly can quote most if not all lines from this movie!
57. Saving Private Ryan (1998)
....VERY well done, VERY VERY sad. (sobbed most of the way through this one)
58. Rashômon (1950)
59. Raging Bull (1980)
60. Wizard of Oz, The (1939)
61. Alien (1979) .....eh. it was ok.
62. American History X (1998) .....another very disturbing one
63. Sting, The (1973)
64. Léon (1994)
65. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)
66. Manchurian Candidate, The (1962)
67. Vita è bella, La (1997)
68. Touch of Evil (1958)
69. Treasure of the Sierra Madre, The (1948)
70. Finding Nemo (2003) .....LOVED it....still do. I am totally not ashamed to say that dh and I went to see this on a date night....alone....without the kids....
71. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
72. Reservoir Dogs (1992)
73. Great Escape, The (1963)
74. Modern Times (1936)
75. Clockwork Orange, A (1971)
76. Amadeus (1984) ....I was pleasantly surprised, I really liked it!
77. On the Waterfront (1954)
78. Ran (1985)
79. Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003)
80. Annie Hall (1977)
81. Wo hu cang long (2000)
82. Jaws (1975) ....saw this in the theater, as a teenager, while living in Hawaii... wasn't real thrilled to go to the beach for a while...
83. Apartment, The (1960)
84. Braveheart (1995) .....great movie....FREEDOM!!! (also another of dh's favs)
85. High Noon (1952)
86. Aliens (1986) ....my friends wanted to go....yawn
87. Fargo (1996)
88. Strangers on a Train (1951)
89. Shining, The (1980)....this one scared the tinkle out of me too....
90. Metropolis (1927)
91. Blade Runner (1982)
92. Sixth Sense, The (1999)....I still, to this day, cannot believe that America kept this ending a secret!!! Great movie!
93. City Lights (1931)
94. Donnie Darko (2001)
95. Duck Soup (1933)
96. Great Dictator, The (1940)
97. General, The (1927)
98. Sjunde inseglet, Det (1957)
99. Princess Bride, The (1987)...."have fun stormin the castle"..yet another one I can quote.....unashamedly....
100. Dogville (2003)


Ok ya'll. Play along with me. As you may have noticed, I "reviewed" all the ones that I have seen. I realize that I am not a professional reviewer and my views may not jibe with yours but hey, it's just my opinion! Come on...don't make me tag you!

Thursday, January 24, 2008

Goals! I Love Goals!!!

I found this thingy while browsing for thingies to add to my blog cause I'm trying to make it a little more exciting for the three of ya! Anyway, at "The Daily Meme" I happened upon "101 things to do in 1001 days". I looked at a couple of lists and decided that this may be something I can do. Then my normal little devil on my shoulder said "YOU! You can't do this" and I said "Yes, I can...I think...maybe....sorta....or....not." sigh. *insert triumphant laughter from little devil here*. Then I got mad. And it got ugly (the fight between me and the little devil) but I WON. I'm gonna try! I decided that even if I didn't get all 101 things done, I will have a least accomplished some of them, hopefully most of them! And SOMETHING is better than NOTHING darn it! (scuse my language)

I find I do better at accomplishing things if they are written down. I also find that I feel better about me if I accomplish things and I feel even better if I see things crossed off my list. I have also found that I can do more if I break things down in categories and small chunks. For instance, I am not going to just list 101 things, they will have sections like, family time, home care, crafts and so on. Within those sections will be my goals such as paint the interior of the house then I will break it down into "things". Paint Noah's room, paint the bathroom, paint the kitchen etc. So, here I go. By the way, I want this list handy so I will also have it in my side bar. I will cross things off as I get them done. Feel free to cheer me on......actually please cheer me on, I'm begging!

My start date is February 18, 2008. I am starting on Noah's birthday. There is some significance in that but I'm not sure what...hmmm. New beginnings maybe. I'll think on that one but anyway, my completion date is November 15, 2010.

The Mission:Complete 101 preset tasks in a period of 1001 days.
The Criteria:Tasks must be specific (ie. no ambiguity in the wording) with a result that is either measurable or clearly defined. Tasks must also be realistic and stretching (ie. represent some amount of work on my part).

The List:

Family Time
1. Start a monthly board game night
2. Have a monthly date night with Gene
3. Have a bi-monthly lunch date with Kevin (this will be like pulling teeth hence the bi-monthly)
4. Plan and take short road trips every 6 months
5. Get to know Noah's new school teacher in the fall
6. Volunteer to help Noah's school teacher
7. Get information on home schooling in case Noah's new teacher quits her job and runs for the hills (or public school is just not Noah's thing!)
8. Plant flowers with Noah this spring
9. Teach Noah how to swim
10. Teach Kevin how to cook (yikes)
11. Do one special family outing per payday (movies, bowling, water park, zoo, museum, area national parks, aquarium etc.)

House Care
Paint the Interior:
12. Noah's room
13. Kevin's room
14. Kitchen/Dining Area
15. Family Room
16. Master bedroom
17. Master bathroom
18. Main bathroom
Maintenance:
19. Repair torn window screens
20. Replace sliding glass door
21. Replace front door
22. Replace family room carpet
23. Repair kitchen floor
24. Refinish Buffet
25. Repair chest drawer handle
26. Replace kitchen faucet
27. Find replacement key for antique sheet music cabinet

Home Organization
28. Organize master bedroom bookshelf
29. Clean out my nightstand
30. Organize my closet
31. Organize laundry room cabinets
32. Organize linen closet
33. Organize master bathroom cabinet
34. Re-arrange Noah's chest of drawers
35. Clean out large cabinet in garage
36. Donate/sell/trash 50 pieces of my clothing!!
37. Donate/trash old videos
38. Sell/donate video cabinet
39. Clean our/reorganize file cabinet
40. Donate/sell 20 of Noah's toys
41. Find a better storage solution for remaining toys
42. Sell/donate/trash 20 knick knacks/pretties
43. Organize music CD's
44. Clean out storage shed
45. Sell/donate/trash/25 items out of the attic
46. Sell/donate/trade 50 books
47. Clean out/organize family room bookcases
48. Clean out chest in family room

New Business
49. Visit Small Business Bureau
50. Register business idea - research the necessity of a patent/copyright
51. Develop business plan
52. Write survey
53. Research how to best conduct the survey
54. Research area development for best location
55. Compile list of needed employees
56. Research insurance needs
57. Research financial backing avenues
58. Research name development
59. Gather information on available educational programs

Financial
60. Pay off Saturn
61. Pay off Ford
62. Pay off BOA
63. Pay off Chase
64. Build savings
65. Build education fund
66. Build travel fund

Crafty Things
67. Organize catering supplies
68. Organize cake decorating tools
69. Organize craft stuff
70. Organize scrap booking supplies
71. Find a permanent home for scrap booking supplies
72. Start a monthly craft club at church
73. Re-do my homemade cookbook
74. Finish organizing my photos
75. Finish Noah's birth story scrapbook
76. Start Noah's pets scrapbook - Noah's Ark
77. Complete 10 more pages for Dad's scrapbook
78. Complete 10 more pages for Mom's scrapbook
79. Complete Rainbow Row cross stitch (again)
80. Complete 3 Charleston themed cross stitch gifts to have on hand for people leaving the area
81. Complete praying hands cross stitch
82. Get sewing machine serviced and in good working condition
83. Sew an item of clothing for myself

Personal Goals
Health:
84. Loose 10 pounds
85. Loose 10 more pounds
86. Loose 10 more pounds
87. Loose 10 more pounds
88. Loose 10 more pounds
89. Get involved in some sort of weekly exercises program
90. Determine the best solution to my back issues
Education:
91. Learn Spanish
92. Learn Sign Language
93. Complete the 888 challenge
94. Learn how to make homemade yeast breads
95. Take a class at Trident Tech in culinary arts
Spiritual:
96. Read the Bible through in 2008
97. Complete at least 3 in depth Bible studies in 2008
98. Complete at least 3 in depth Bible studies in 2009
99. Complete at least 3 in depth Bible studies in 2010
100. Find a place to serve my community
101. Find another way to serve in my church

Well, there you have it. Wish me luck and join me if you like.

Wednesday, January 23, 2008

Tag.....I'm it.....Again!!!

Shawna Lee tagged me for this little game. She tagged me because she knows I like being tagged and she thinks I might give some fun answers.....I will do my best to entertain! Let the games begin!

The game is called scattergories.
Use the first letter of your name and find words with that letter. The number of letters in your name determines how many people you can tag.

What is your name? Robin (boy that answer was entertaining wasn't it?)
4 letter word: ring
Vehicle: Rocket (you didn't say it had to be one I would normally drive...)
City: Ridgeville
Boys name: Ridge
Girls name: Raven
Movie: Rose (the)
Occupation: Ringling Brothers circus performers
Something you wear: Rose colored glasses HA!!
Celebrity: Rachel Ray
Food: Roast beef
Something found in a kitchen: Refrigerator
Something found in a bathroom: Razor
Reason for being late: Run in pantyhose (does anyone really wear those anymore?)
Cartoon character: Roo (as in Pooh's little hoppity friend)
Something you shout: Rah Rah Ree, kick em in the knee..Rah Rah Ras, kick em in the other knee....sorry...I just drifted back to Jr. High School for a min. I'm back now.
Animal: Raccoon
Body part: Ras....just kiddin. Rump!!!
Word to describe you: Rusty!

Ok, now I'm tagging: Anyone that wants to play along. Have Fun!

Tuesday, January 22, 2008

ROTC, Possums, The Dark Side and Pink Medicine

As you may have guessed from the title, this post is going to have multiple subjects. The first being that Kevin, the middle guy, has been accepted into JROTC. This is a BIG DEAL! He has been wanting this since this past summer and has been working towards this goal. He has done all paperwork, errand running and information finding ALL ON HIS OWN! We are very proud of him for being diligent in his desire and for following through on all instruction. Way to go KEVIN!


He also helped with child care for our MOPS group last Friday since he was out of school. He did a great job. He said he has a new found appreciation for moms in general....this statement was made after his experience of taking 10 - four and five year old boys to the bathroom by himself and spending two hours with a total of 22 four and five year olds! (with the teacher and another helper in the room) He even vacuumed the rooms afterwards and helped with the trash. What a great guy we have been blessed with!


While at MOPS, the craft in Noah's class was a shield with a paraphrased verse in the center. They colored the shield and glued a handle on the back. When I picked him up from his class, he read the verse to me. Now, let me explain that when Noah reads, he mostly pronounces things the way they are spelled. I think he does really well for an almost 5 year old! He said: "Lord, You are like a shiewd (shield) vat (that) keeps me safe. Possum free free" (Psalm 3:3). Let me tell ya, there are no longer any Psalms in the Smith household. They are forever more.....Possums.


We now leave the Biblical teachings to go to the "dark side". Last year the older guys got a Lego Star Wars computer game. Noah LOVED it and actually got quite good at it. One day, Gene (dh) said "since he likes the game, I wonder if he would like the movie". Well, Noah did like the movie, kind of hid his eyes during what he considered scary parts and from that point on, a little star wars monster was created. He really REALLY likes Darf A Bader (Darth Vader) cause he uses a red hitter (light saber). He had had had HAD to be Darf A Bader for Halloween. HAD TO I SAY!!

Mighty cute little Darf A Bader if you ask me!

Now for the pink medicine. Noah has an ear infection and just had his first dose of pink medicine - also known to most pharmacies and medical professionals as Amoxicillin. Noah honestly believes in his heart of hearts that if he has even so much as a sniff, he must have pink medicine! Most times he is able to heal of his sniffs without the beloved pink stuff but when fever and infection are present, he gets his miracle drug *insert angels singing here*. We (Noah) are ever so relieved that the pink medicine has been purchased and is safely ensconced in the refrigerator and we (Noah) are POSITIVE that we (Noah) will be good as new very very soon.

I would like to thank the three of you for reading my many musings today. My high school friend Lisa just recently let me know that she is a faithful reader so my audience has increased from it's original two. Holy cow am I getting popular.....I promised her I wouldn't get "the big head" so I will try to remain humble...........

Friday, January 18, 2008

Quirks, habits and unimportant stuff.....

I have been tagged by Wendy....gosh I LOVE being tagged. (makes me feel special don't ya know) Anyway, she tagged me for this one on her blog back on the 9th and well, for some reason I've been runnin around like that proverbial chicken without a head lately. So, here it is. Better late than never.......

Share six unimportant things/habits/quirks about yourself.

Here are the rules.
**Post the rules on your blog.


**Share six trivial things/habits/quirks about yourself.

**Tag six people and the end of your post and link to their blogs.

**Let each person know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

**Learn anecdotal things about your blog friend!


Now for my six things:

I love tomato products such as ketchup, tomato soup, spaghetti sauce and other things with a tomato base BUT I can not stand the texture of a fresh tomato. (same with mushrooms)

I really like talk radio.....Glen Beck especially.

I don't wear lipstick because the scent makes me nauseous. (and it accentuates my menopausal mustache)

I would love to be able to take my entire family on a train trip across the USA. First head north to visit all the New England states. Then across the northern states to Washington State down through Oregon and California then across the southern states. Then after a couple months rest, zigzag back and forth through the middle states till we were able to visit all 48 states. We'll hit Alaska and Hawaii on a cruise after another good rest!! Anybody wanna come with?

A purring cat is a sound that can de-stress me really fast.

I had blond hair till the 2nd grade when it turned brown and I had blue eyes till the 6th grade when they turned green......go figure!

Ok. There you have it. Bet you wouldn't have been able to sleep not knowing any of that stuff...for that matter, you probably fell asleep just reading it..yawn.

Anyway, I am tagging the following peeps:
All That Naz
Modern Day Cavalcade (in hopes she will start blogging again)
Three Kids N 3 Years
Training Up In The Way
stragglingband
and anybody else that would like to join in.

Saturday, January 12, 2008

Only 20 shopping days left......

That's right folks. Only 20 more days to get those cards and gifts ready. Groundhogs Day is just right around the corner.

This post is dedicated to my wonderful cousin/sister/friend Tina.
Love ya!

Friday, January 11, 2008

I DID IT!!!!!

You Scored an A
You got 10/10 questions correct.
It's pretty obvious that you don't make basic grammatical errors.If anything, you're annoyed when people make simple mistakes on their blogs.As far as people with bad grammar go, you know they're only human.And it's humanity and its current condition that truly disturb you sometimes.
The It's Its There Their They're Quiz


I beat Wendy....I beat Wendy..... (to be said in a childlike sing songy manner)

Please believe me folks when I say that this was a fluke! Wendy is WAY smarter than me. She home schools her youngins and has an understanding of literature that I will never in a million years "get"! If you don't believe me, just compare her reading list to mine......go ahead.....I'll wait........SEE! told ya! nuff said.

Wednesday, January 9, 2008

I'm sooooo blue........

So I thought I would give the professionals at the quizzy thingy place another try. I mean, after the bikini fiasco I don't really think they deserve it but as this quizzy thingy points out, I'm all about "showing love"! *insert giggle here*




Your Aura is Blue



Spiritual and calm, you tend to live a quiet but enriching life.

You are very giving of yourself. And it's hard for you to let go of relationships.



The purpose of your life: showing love to other people



Famous blues include: Angelina Jolie, the Dali Lama, Oprah



Careers for you to try: Psychic, Peace Corps Volunteer, Counselor



OK. I think I want to be a Psychic when I grow up....hmmmmm

Saturday, January 5, 2008

They didn't ask the right question.....

The quizzy thingy asked what color bikini I should wear. THEY DID NOT BOTHER TO ASK WHETHER I SHOULD EVEN, IN A MILLION YEARS, CONSIDER WEARING A BIKINI AT ALL!!!!! much less what color.........


You Should Wear a Yellow Bikini

Like the sun, you radiate warmth and brighten up every one's day.
And while a yellow bikini is a bit strange, you have the perky personality to wear one!

Yellow? Really? Yellow? Are you kidding me? Do these people not realize how terribly bad I look in yellow? Honestly folks, I'm beginning to think that these quiz people don't really know what they are talkin about! And I was under the impression that they were professionals! harrumph!

Friday, January 4, 2008

Progress.....

WoooHoooo. I'm on the 13th chapter of John. Finished Salem Falls and on pg 90 something of The Tenth Circle.
Everyone has been fed the appropriate number of meals. The animals fed, watered and exercised. Everyone has clean clothes. So far I have not neglected anyone that I know of and I have fulfilled all obligations and public appearances.

Yippee!

Wednesday, January 2, 2008

He really was excited about Christmas but....

He was just sleeping sooooooo goooooood! Yes folks, for the 3rd year running, we have had to wake the children on Christmas morning!

I know this is a little late for a Christmas post but I thought you two would enjoy this picture!

So Far So Good.......

I am on the last chapter of Salem Falls, my first 2008 book for the 888 challenge. It has been a good one but then I really have liked all of Jodi Picoult's books.

I have also completed the first 5 chapters of John. In the past I have found understanding the Bible kind of hard. I mean, I know that sometimes the words that are written can mean so much more than just face value but I just was never able to get some of it to really sink in. I find it wonderful when my dh (Gene) or our pastors explain scripture. It's like a picture has been painted or a light has brightened. For that reason, I have FINALLY realized (after being told 1,000,063 times) that all I have to do is pray about it BEFORE I start reading and God paints that picture and brightens that light and I GET IT!!!!! I am enjoying the Bible as never before. I am reading a couple chapters at night and a couple in the a.m. during quiet time. See there....you really can teach an old dog new tricks!

I hope both of you have had a wonderful start to 2008!