Tuesday Tunes: Wild Thing

I remember listening to this song on the radio when I was in grade school. My cousins and I used to sing it on the playground. We'd sometimes sing it with an Oklahoma accent: "Wawld thang, you make my hart sang, you make everythang groovy." Good times.

Friday Flicks: Back to the Future

Back to the Future (1985) ROCKS! Literally.

Michael J. Fox is perfectly cast as Marty McFly, the time traveling teen. And was there ever a more colorful character in film history than Doc Brown, brought to life by Christopher Lloyd?

If you know the history of this movie, you know that it wasn't originally meant to be a trilogy. But Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale did a great job with continuity of the sequels.

My only logistics problem is with Back to the Future Part II (1989) -- the scene in 2015 where "old" Biff steals the DeLorean and gives the sports almanac to himself in 1955. How does he know how to operate the time machine? And how could he bring it back to the right time for Doc and Marty in 2015? Wouldn't the future have already been changed because of the book? I'll give a vanilla shake to anyone who can answer that question.

But it doesn't really matter. It's a fun roller coaster ride and one of the best films of the 1980s. Every American should see this movie.

Tuesday Tunes: King of the Road

Huge Roger Miller fan here. I grew up hearing this song. It was one of my mom's favorites.

My Fishing Video

We all went up to Granite last Saturday and had a blast!

Sunday Sermon: Near to God

Remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenant of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.

Ephesians 2:12-13

Friday Flicks: Heartbreak Hotel

Years ago when there were such things as video rental stores, I was browsing the aisles looking for a movie and I struck gold with Heartbreak Hotel (1988): a 17 year old boy borrows a pink Cadillac and kidnaps Elvis Presley. Why? So Elvis can go on a date with his mother.

The movie is set in the 1970s and Elvis (David Keith) is on tour. He just happens to be performing near the town where Johnny (Charlie Schlatter) lives with his widowed mother (Tuesday Weld) who is a huge Elvis fan. Unfortunately, Mom has an abusive boyfriend and she is depressed and miserable.

One night the boyfriend beats her up so badly she ends up in the hospital. Johnny wants more than anything to make his mom happy, so when he finds out that Elvis is performing in a nearby city, he decides to kidnap the King and bring him home to Mom.

Meanwhile, Johnny and his friends are in a rock band and the high school is having a talent show. The school officials don't like rock and roll won't allow the band to perform. Johnny is also having girl trouble. Elvis to the rescue.

The cool thing about this movie is that the story is such a bizarre fantasy but played so realistically. You empathize with Johnny and his situation. And you're happy for Elvis as he's enjoying hanging out with this family in this small town being an average guy and living a normal life for a while.

This clip is from the high school talent show where Johnny and his band are performing with a surprise guest vocalist.

Melanie and Marko

Last night on So You Think You Can Dance, Melanie and Marko were amazing!

Tuesday Tunes: Heartbreak Hotel

Before the silly romantic comedies of the 60s and the Vegas jumpsuits of the 70s, Elvis in the 1950s was the real deal. Here he is in all his rock and roll glory. Long live the King!

Fishing Day



Me with granddaughter Lily


Summer in Wyoming is fabulous. We've been having fun fishing at Granite Lake at Curt Gowdy State Park. We usually fish in the mountain lakes, but the snow is still deep and the roads are closed. So we drove to Granite which is about a 25-minute drive out of town. The fishing was great even though the water level was high because of snow-melt and spring rain.

The fish were biting on garlic marshmallows (the yellow sparkly ones) but we got a few nibbles on power bait and night crawlers. And even though there were campers and tents all around the lake, we managed to find a great hot spot!




Me with a stringer of rainbow trout

 


Hubby makes sure the Big One doesn't get away




Daughter Jen prepares for battle




Canada geese sail by the shore




Granite Lake in all its majestic glory



Sunday Sermon: God's Wisdom

Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.

He chose the lowly things of this world and despised things -- and the things that are not -- to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him.

It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God -- that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord."

When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.

I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom but on God's power.

I Corinthians 1:26 - 2:5

Friday Flicks: The Stepford Wives

The Stepford Wives (1975) starring Katharine Ross and Paula Prentiss made its debut when the feminist movement was in full swing. The movie touched on such important women's issues as marriage, children, career, consciousness-raising, going bra-less and bell bottom hip huggers.

I will say here and now that the remake was awful. I don't understand why Hollywood can't leave the classics (even the cult classics like this one) alone. It's a disgrace. Come up with original ideas already!

Based on the novel by Ira Levine, who also wrote Rosemary's Baby, The Stepford Wives is terrifying. And while we're not dealing with a woman who had Satan's baby, it's almost as bad: a group of sexist husbands "transform" their wives into subservient, sexy robots. Now that's just plain evil. At least from a woman's perspective.

Your Ultimate Lemon Car

Bad Car

So what was your lemon car? For me it was a 1978 Ford Pinto Station Wagon. Hubby and I bought it brand new and had nothing but trouble. Fortunately, my dad was a mechanic and was able to keep it running until I learned to drive a stick. I'm pretty sure this was the car that inspired The Car Guys radio show.

In 1983 we traded it in for a new 1983 Nissan Sentra, which was the best car EVER! The only thing I didn't like about it was the color (hubby called it chicken poop yellow, but he didn't say "poop.") 

Our 1983 Sentra looked exactly like this:

Good Car

Star Wars Mistake: Jar Jar Binks

Beware! Funny stuff ahead, courtesy of Ben Simpson's blog:

Tuesday Tunes: Taxi

My hubby introduced me to Harry Chapin when we were dating back in the 70s. This song was one of our favorites. We'd spend hours together listening to records. Good times.

As for this song, it's a beautiful story of lost love. The lovers' paths cross years later in a taxi on a rainy night in "'Frisco." Chapin is an amazing story teller.

Planet of the Apes and Midnight Cowboy

Check out the trailer to Rise of the Planet of the Apes. It looks amazing! Will be released in August. Hubby and I will see it on our anniversary!

In other news, I'm watching "Midnight Cowboy" again. Haven't seen it in years. Great casting for Joe Buck (Jon Voight), but Dustin Hoffman as Ratso? He did a good job with the part but I would have chosen another actor. Not sure who...

I'm watching it now with a filmmaker's eye. Cinematography, scenes, script, visual motifs, sound, editing, music, etc.

Best Picture: 1969.

Sunday Sermon: Lord My Strength

The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song.

The Lord is the strength of his people, a fortress of salvation for his anointed one.

Save your people and bless your inheritance; be their shepherd and carry them forever.

Psalm 28:7-9

Lemon Bars and Albert Brooks

I was in the baking mood this weekend and made the best lemon bars in the Universe! The whole family loved them and daughter Jen said they were the best she ever ate!

Coming attractions:

Chocolate espresso cupcakes with peanut butter cream cheese frosting and mini-Reeses peanut butter cup garnish.

On another note, Albert Brooks' new novel just came out: 2030: The Real Story of What Happens to America. It's next on my reading list.

I'm a huge fan of Brooks and follow him on Twitter. His tweets are a hoot!

Friday Flicks: The 'burbs

Before Tom Hanks was a big star he played in a variety of silly comedies and The 'burbs (1989) was one of my favorites. Awesome cast (Bruce Dern, Henry Gibson, Carrie Fisher) and hilarious script.

The story: A strange family, the Klopeks, move into a nice suburban neighborhood. They keep to themselves but the neighbors are concerned because of the Klopek's weird behavior. The neigbhors become even more suspicious when Walter, who lives next door to the Klopeks, goes missing.

This comedy is over the top, but I like it.