Free at Last!

Thank god, almighty, I’m free at last! Okay, that’s too dramatic, but I did get all that homework done that I keep putting off. I thought I was late, but it was all due today. I love taking an online course, because today is until midnight. I got it all done with two hours to spare.

You know this means a fun weekend with family, don’t you? Whoo hoo! Swimming, partying (okay, it’s partying at a birthday for a three-year old, but it’s a party, isn’t it?), and putting off next week’s homework.

This is the life.

A Letter to Three Wives

The trick to getting homework done is to not put in a movie that you really want to watch. I thought I was safe watching “A Letter to Three Wives,” as I’ve seen it several times. The tale of three women reviewing their marriages still offers too much fun, attitude, and good storytelling to not watch. That darn Linda Darnell. Man, is she great as the tough gal who marries the wealthy Paul Douglas. With Kirk Douglas, Ann Sothern, and Jeanne Crain rounding out the cast, this movie earned Joseph Mankiewicz two Academy Awards for his direction and screenplay. It was also nominated for Best Movie of 1949.

So, I’ve delayed finishing homework, but got to watch a good movie again. Now I’m watching the bonus features. Homework will happen…sometime.

Superman Returns

My movie to review this weekend is “Superman Returns,” a movie I have been looking forward to. Instead of waiting until this weeknd I decided to see it earlier tonight. There’s so much good in this movie, but why don’t I feel like it was a good movie?

The story is good, the special effects are wonderful, and the direction is fine. I think it’s the actors who disappoint me. Brandon Routh, as Superman, looked great. I just didn’t think he did anything more than just look like Superman. Of course, he was acting with Kate Bosworth, who played Lois Lane. How did Lois Lane end up as a cute piece of fluff? The dialogue fit Lois Lane, but Bosworth didn’t fit the dialogue. I don’t know. Maybe there’s something about the character of Lois Lane that’s hard to cast. While Christopher Reeves made a magnificent Superman in the 1978 film, Margot Kidder was, eh, okay. I didn’t quite like her portrayal of Lois either.

The older folks in the cast have my approval. Frank Langella as Perry White gives the character more gravitas. Eva Marie Saint brought me to tears in one scene. She doesn’t even speak and she got to me. Kevin Spacey makes a great Lex Luthor.

I’ll write up a review and put it in my reviews’ pages in a few weeks (must delay until a week or so after publishing).

Colbert Report’s takes on Class Warfare

God, Stephen Colbert is funny…and smart…and good looking…and…more funny. Anyway, he knows how to look at a subject and give it his “faux conservative” spin. In this video, found at Crooks and Liars, he looks at class warfare.

Blessed Rain

Rain fell on Flagstaff today. Whoo hoo! We have needed this. It feels cooler and smells divine. There’s just something so nice about wet pine trees that smells so good.

We  might get more rain tomorrow. I don’t know if our monsoon season is hitting early or if this is just a foretaste , but I’m liking it!

Persuasion vs homework

Must. Do. Homework.

Later.

In the meantime, I’ve put in my newly purchased DVD of “Persuasion.” Jane Austen always makes me happy and this movie version of her novel is just a perfect adaptation. It captures the class and gender issues of Regency England. Poor Anne Elliot. Taken advantage of by selfish family members, with little chance of happiness, she must deal with the return of her ex-fiancee to the neighborhood. It’s all very romantic – or as romantic as Jane Austen wrote it.

To me, the story of rekindling a lost love is incredibly romantic.

Can’t they all be like this?

Sorry that I haven’t posted the last few days. This whole doing homework thingie really messes up my evenings. We’ll blame Dawn.

Do you ever have the feeling that all is right with the world? It’s been like that for me. A great weekend just puts me in a frame of mind that doesn’t happen every day. A couple of good movies, hanging out with friends, and doing some good cleaning around the place means much more fun than doing nasty old homework. Though I do need to finish up a movie review.

Friday night Dawn and I went to see “Prairie Home Companion” and loved it. I’ll post my review here in a few weeks (need to delay until after it’s published). Saturday was another great day. It was baby shower time for a co-worker. Now, hanging out at a baby shower with a bunch of people that you work with may sound boring as hell, but I am lucky. I work with some great people. I enjoy their company and our conversation ranged farther afield than just birth talk.
There was one of those proverbial flies in the ointment though. It was suggested that we bring a dish of something. Now, why is this so hard for me? Geraldine at veggies, yarns, and tails probably never gets her anxiety levels raised when thinking of what to bring to a potluck. For me, it’s hell.

The chips and salsa option was already chosen by someone else (though I never did see chips and salsa at the party). Thus, I tried to figure out what to fix. The thing is, I can’t count on wanting to fix something. It’s guaranteed that the day of an event, I’ll stay in bed or get delayed doing something else and never get around to whipping something up. Sure enough, the Games magazine kept me in bed yesterday. I took too long getting ready and though I did feel like whipping something up, I still didn’t know what.  I was thinking in terms of a bread bowl with dip, but couldn’t find anything at the grocery store. On the good side, I did run into somebody there that I hadn’t seen in years and got to catch up with her.

So, I grabbed a big package of strawberries and some whipping cream. I’ve been craving strawberries, so I could feed my cravings and bring something to a summer party. I wish I could say that the whipped cream part worked beautifully, but that would be…well…a big, fat lie. My immersion blender did some funky stuff, whipping cream went everywhere, and I only brought strawberries to the party. Of course, our hostess also had a bowl of strawberries at the table. Okay, that’s why I get fritzed out when having to bring food.

Today was another good day. Got lots done around the place, took some bags of stuff to Goodwill, and bought new curtains for the front window. Had to – I saved a bird from my cat, but not before it pooped all over the curtains. Still, I did save it and it got to fly away, unhurt.

I also had time to catch another movie. “Click” was a surprise. Bring your hankies to this one. Wow.

So, a good weekend with good people and good movies puts me in a great frame of mind. Plus, there’ve been no fires around here lately.

Now, if only I could do something about that pesky homework – ah, then my frame of mind would be at a whole ‘nother level.

Swingers review

I dread thinking of online searches leading people to this post. I once did a search on the word swingers looking for the soundtrack to the movie, "Swingers," and let's just say I had a little bit too much of an education. My, my. 

Anyway, I'm putting up my review of "Swingers" that I wrote for our weekly entertainment paper. What a fun movie.

In the next few days I'll try to write something about my newest, favoritest movie. A little kiss, kiss, bang, bang anyone?

We’re Fire Obsessed

Are you tired of hearing all about the local fires? Well, not as tired as I am worrying about them. You should have seen us at work today.  The Brins Fire continues to burn, giving us a smoky horizon. This afternoon I started smelling smoke – more than normal. Instant panic sets in. Where is it? What’s on fire? Which direction is it going?

A group of us gathered in the hallway to talk about it. One co-worker saw smoke rising from new fire on the east side of town. I worriedly ask southeast.  Another co-worker nervously asks northeast.  We’re ready to jump in our cars and rush off to save our dogs. It’s on the northeast side of town, but when another co-worker gets in the act and calls her sister who lives out in that area, there’s nothing to worry about. Meanwhile, we’re still smelling smoke. That’s when somebody walks by and informs us that someone is grilling some food out on the barbecue by the picnic tables.

Oh.

Yes, it was just a grill…except, it wasn’t. Read Dawn’s take of the story (with pictures!) to see what happened.

Nobody, and I mean nobody, should be playing with matches around Flagstaff.

Living with Extreme Fire Danger

The status of the Brins fire in Oak Creek Canyon stays the same. It's nearing highway 89A and the firefighters are making a stand at the highway. It looks like a good plan.

As for me, I'm planning ahead. Living right next to forest, I get very nervous. Closing the forest (sounds silly, doesn't it?) will help, but lightning can start a fire. I need to have some good options. One of our co-workers, Big Dave, discovered the dangers of an unplanned evacuation. He was at work when the Woody Fire led to the evacuation of neighborhoods in west Flagstaff. He couldn't get home to get anything, including his dog. He was lucky that his roommate was home and took care of everything. Roommateless, I need to be ready.

Thus, I'm bringing stuff to work. Yesterday it was a suitcase; today it's my milk crate of financial and important papers. Tomorrow I'll bring some photo albums. Now, I'll just have to hope that my office building doesn't have a fire!

Oak Creek Canyon in trouble?

Well, there's nothing like smelling smoke in the morning to wake you up. The fire near Sedona stayed above Oak Creek Canyon yesterday, but this afternoon the siren wailed warning folks still in the canyon to head out.

Emergency sirens were set off Tuesday afternoon in Oak Creek Canyon as a growing 1,500-acre wildfire moved downhill and increased the threat to homes in the bottom of the scenic northern Arizona canyon.

The flames were nearing Arizona 89A at the canyon bottom, and the power line that feeds the homes and businesses was being shut down at mid-afternoon, said Katherine Sanchez Meador, a fire information officer with Coconino National Forest.

“There are folks who have stayed behind even though there is a mandatory evacuation so they’re letting them know it’s time to get out of there,” Meador said of the sirens.

The fire is about to hit the canyon floor. What happens next? It could get nasty.

Oak Creek Canyon's steep cliffs and dense vegetation make it ripe for catastrophic fire, say experts.

Oak Creek Canyon's unique geology, paired with its drought-ravaged native vegetation, makes it a prime "fire laboratory," says one geology expert.

Oak Creek Canyon image from Cactuslands

As an Arizonan who slid down Slide Rock, hiked the nearby trails, and just enjoyed driving 89A through Oak Creek Canyon breathing in the smell of the creek with all the oaks and other trees, it hurts to think it may burn. The fire crews have done an amazing job so far – maybe they can hold it at the road.

If the fire overpowers the crews then there's a chance that areas south of Flagstaff will face trouble. The canyon is like a chimney that's aimed at Kachina Village, where I used to live.

Let's hope and pray that those wonderful hot shot crews find a way to stop this thing.

Sedona Fire heading north?

Oh dear. The Brins fire is looking a little more nasty. The Coconino County Sheriff's Office sent out a Smoke & Ash Emergency Preparedness Advisory. My co-worker's wife works for the water company in Kachina Village and they've been told to fill their tanks to capacity.

Here's the advisory:

Flagstaff, Az. – Due to smoke and ash issues resulting from the Brins Mesa fire currently burning in the Sedona area, an emergency preparedness advisory is being issued for residents of Kachina Village, Mountainaire, Munds Park/Pinewood, Forest Highlands, Mountain Dell, Pine Del and surrounding areas. There are no plans to evacuate these areas at this time; this is an Emergency Preparedness Advisory only.

Citizens located in these areas may experience symptoms resulting from smoke and ash, and should be prepared in the event of an evacuation. They should review their emergency family evacuation procedures and routes, make arrangements for pets, collect needed medical supplies, insurance and financial information. The following information is provided courtesy of the American Red Cross.

Update: deleted the Evacuation Plan info. Will try to put it in its own post later. 

Another Fire – Sedona and Oak Creek

Sedona is getting hit hard with a fire that has burned over 3,000 acres. If it gets into Oak Creek Canyon this could get real ugly. Not only is the canyon one of the beautiful scenic spots in Arizona, but if the fire spreads into the canyon it will want to go UP the other side. This could mean hitting south of Flagstaff in the Forest Highlands (wealthy neighborhood) and Kachina Village (regular folks – I used to live there) area. I do hope they can contain the fire.

This is scary. When leaving the movie theatre yesterday I saw the smoke plumes in the distance. My first thought is my home. Was it close? Putting off getting groceries I rushed home. It looked like it was my area and my mind was racing. Could I get home and get the dogs and cat? What did I need to grab? What if I couldn’t get home? Luckily, it was 30 miles away, but it sure didn’t look that way.

My neighbors and I kept walking outside to watch the smoke. The wind was blowing in our direction and as it was hard to figure out the location of the fire – was it five miles or fifty miles away – we exchanged phone numbers as they went off to finish up a project. I was to call on their cell if anything happened. Meanwhile, I packed a suitcase, loaded my dirty clothes into my truck, put some photo albums in a box, grabbed the cat carrier, and had everything ready by the door, just in case. Knowing that the fire is far away makes no difference. That stuff is staying by the door.

This is going to be an ugly summer.

Rats as Role Models

My sister is thrilled due to the health of some rats.

Now, I love my sister dearly, but she's obviously dealing with too much stress in her life. I mean, rats are now her heroes. What can a loving, nurturing, supportive sister like me do, but just shake her head sadly and opt for a quiet "tsk, tsk."

According to sis, this report shows that rats growing up in a dirty environment are healthier than rats kept in a more clinical environment. In other words, to hell with the housecleaning.

I do want to believe this also as sis and I were brought up in less than cleanly circumstances (why clean – it would all just get dirty again anyway). The problem is that I catch every cold that comes along and my sister has asthma. It blows the theory all to hell. In fact, for the first time since I can remember I didn't catch a major cold going around this spring and you know what had changed in my life? Yep, I was keeping my house clean. Sure, it might have been all those Emer'gen Cs I was downing every day, but I did NOT get sick. Maybe I'm also too brainwashed by FlyLady to believe the mess I used to live in was healthy for me. Ugh.
And by the way, sis. Your lament about those perfect women:

I see these commercials (ok – always a danger to compare my life to those I see in commercials…but I digress) – and I see these so-with-it moms who have a beautiful home, a sparkling clean house, happy children who don't mouth back at them, who wear size 6 clothes, and hasn't seen a bad hair day in about 5 years – and I am in awe. I know people who are like that in real life too (well…except for the kids talking back to them part) and I just sometimes feel pretty inept as a member of the female species.

Um…I don't know if you wear size 6 clothes, but that's how your life looks to me. Happy, great family, and your place always seems clean (sure, there's some toy clutter, but nothing serious). Of course this just might be a case of raging sibling rivalry rearing its ugly head and you are unhappy, sloppily dressed with trashy hair, you have snotty little kids mouthing back at you, and you're living in a disgusting hovel – I just can't see it due to sisterly jealousy!

So, does anyone else have an opinion on this? What's best for our health? Living the rat lifestyle or the never-ending fight against evil bacteria?

Flagstaff Fire and Evacuees

Yesterday at work I began to smell smoke. Anxiety was the instant effect. Living next to a forest I always worry about fire. This time it was on the west side of town. I could see the smoke billowing from my office window (and breath the smoke billowing in through the window).

Chunks of west Flagstaff are near the fire and folks were evacuated last night. Some folks I work with live in the Railroad Springs area. Kevin has a two year old and a pregnant wife; I hope they’re not camping out somewhere besides their comfortable home.

I hope they can contain this thing. After work last night you could watch the air tankers flying above the town as the circled back towards the fire. Today’s weather forecast is more wind and a chance of thunderstorms and that won’t help matters. It does look like they were able to get a handle on it:

By nightfall, winds had lessened and the fire settled down. Firefighters planned to hit the fire hard overnight. By 8:30 p.m., plans to bring in a top-level firefighting crew were tabled, and a lower-level crew was taking over control of the fire early this morning.

This is good. Lowell Observatory is in the path of the fire:

Flagstaff firefighters, with two engines, nervously paced the nearby area of Lowell Observatory.

“It all depends on the wind, because that thing was spotting out embers a long way very early on,” said Todd Dobbs, a spokesman for Flagstaff Fire Department.

Visitors to the observatory, atop Mars Hills in southwestern Flagstaff, were sent home early. The observatory, more than a century old, had done its own preparations by thinning the woods around the property.

So, off to work, where I can view Mars Hill, and to breath in all that smoke, a situation becoming all to common here in Flagstaff.

Update: Dawn has some good pictures of what it looked like yesterday. You can see more here.