Lady and the Tramp

Aspen is in a puppy movie phase. And not even a dalmatian one. She likes Lady and the Tramp and we watch it endlessly. This morning I decided to search out the actor that did the voice of Tramp because, well, I just really like that voice. I wasn't very successful in securing a picture (I don't have a good attention span) but I found a wikipedia article that made me laugh. Here is a segment:

Naturalism

The movie is cited by many legendary Disney animators, including Walt Disney himself, to be the first Disney movie (and so far only) to have a suggested "sex scene." This is when the title characters wake up in the morning, cuddled together in the park, and leaving a knowledgable viewer fully aware of what they were doing the previous night. Furthermore, since they were not "married," this means the film managed to show sex out of marriage positively (albeit with consequences) which was prohibited in the Hollywood production code. This is further complicated by the fact that Lady apparently comes home pregnant, and the dogs next door are aware of it as well, whispering about the courtesy of proposing marriage to her. This gives further meaning to the junkyard dogs who chase Lady through the alley as well, which suggests she is in heat. These gentle suggestions were possible in the 1950's only because the characters in question are dogs. The next scene has Jock and Trusty proposing marriage to Lady to explain the scene to children.

Hahaha! I must confess I was completely naive about the whole thing. I don't know if it is because I still watch it through the childlike eyes that I first saw the movie, or maybe because I'm not used to such subtlety...but either way, I never put two and two together. I thought Jock and Trusty were proposing because they saw how sad and lonely she was! And the scene with dogs chasing Lady has always confused me -- I mean why where they chasing her? If if was territorial (which is what I assumed) then they wouldn't be working together. And is she was in heat (which occurred to me later) again, they wouldn't be working together.

I am just amazed the Disney would put all that in! And if he did, wouldn't Lady be called something other than "Lady?"

Classics

Classics I Have Never Read and Don't Even Feel Guilty About

1. Little Women (I tired)
   
2. Grapes of Wrath (and anything else by John Steinbeck)
   
3. Moby Dick
4. Around the World in 80 Days (and anything else by Jules Verne)
5. Treasure Island
6. War and Peace
7. Gulliver's Travels
8. The Hunchback of Notre Dame
   

Classic I Have Never Read and Feel a Tad Guilty About

1. anything by Charles Dickens
2. Huckleberry Finn

Classics I Almost Want to Read

1. Frankenstein
2. Dr Jeckyll and Mr Hyde
3. Lord of the Flies
4. Robinson Crusoe
5. Kidnapped
6. Dracula
   

Classics I Want to Read but Haven't Yet

1. To Kill a Mocking Bird
2. The Count of Monte Cristo
3. The Three Musketeers
4. Wuthering Heights
5. Sense and Sensibility
6. Farenheit 451
7. 1984
8. The Scarlet Letter
9. A Brave New World
   

Classics I Have Read (or Mostly Read) and Deeply Regret

1. The Jungle
2. The Invisible Man (not the SciFi one)
3. Heart of Darkness

Any recommendations or reasons a book should be moved to a different list? What are your regrets and your guilt-free neglected list?

The End of a Really Horrible Kyra...I Mean Day

You know what I have been thinking for the last two hours? Just that I would HAPPILY go straight to HELL at this very moment (and probably will considering my behavior) because it would mean a likely 70 years...WITHOUT KYRA!!! But even if it was only 10 minutes...that is still 10 minutes Kyra-free...and that would undermine the very point of Hell. Bring on the eternal burning!

Every minute of today with her has been awful and I had been hanging by a thread since 4:00, but when we brought home dinner, the end was within sight. Oh, if we could only sprint! (Ha! Kyra sprint? when I want her to?) It was just Kyra, Aspen and me, and after the normal amount of cajoling and screaming and tongue bitting and food spilling EVERY-FREAKIN-WHERE, I left the kitchen to distance myself before anymore nasty things popped out of my mouth. I returned to find Kyra had moved her eating spot, again, this time to under Aspen's high chair. Yes, she was lying on her back in a bed of thrown food, dipping her nachos in the liquid cheese positioned above her head. And Aspen, of course, was dropping even more food bombs down on her SPECIAL NEEDS sister.

This is where I literally collapsed on the stairs in one of those fits where you can't tell if you are crying or laughing. Oh Sweet Hell, where is thy comforting, warm embrace!

My life (and hers) was spared because Scott returned at that moment from Xander's school play. I am off duty. I am in search of some serious drugs. Anyone have any they could share?

A First

Now I know what it is like to hold a check made out to me for something I have written. Incredible. I am a published, and paid, author. It might be just one little poem, and a very small check, but...I did it!

This is making it harder to "wait" until a better "season" for me to get serious about writing again. Success is a heady thing. At least I know that sometime in the foreseeable future, there is another poem coming out in another issue...and another pay check.

And now I get to spend the first income I have ever made doing something I like. I'm gonna blow it on completely ridiculous and useless things -- like stamps or dies for my cuttlebug. Yipee!

Shoebox Swap

On Saturday May 3 I went to a shoebox swap in Centerville. For the swap, I had to design a card and bring all the cut pieces and supplies for all the other ladies to make the card too. They would do the same, so when we got together we would all make a bunch of stuff to take home. It was tons of fun, and I got to learn new techniques. We also had a card swap of completed cards, a name tage contest (which I won), and door prizes (if you bring a door prize you get to pick a door prize when your name is drawn). There was a potluck lunch.

It didn't show in the pictures well, but the jack-o-lantern on my name tag lights up thanks to a tiny LED light. The plates are glass etched. I wanted to put them on here because I worked so hard on it all.

I had a great time and am looking forward to the next one that will take place here in Utah county. Since my friend Amy is hosting, I'll even get to help plan!

Review: Magyk (Septimus Heap) by Angie Sage

Magyk
by Angie Sage
Fantasy, MG
564 pages
published: 2002
5 of 5 stars

On a whim, Scott picked up the first two books in the Septimus Heap fantasy series by Angie Sage. What a good whim! I was quite impressed with the plot, characters, and imagination of the story. It is probably best suited to middle grade readers, but like many other recent fantasies, it has appeal to a much older audience. One thing I found fascinating was that Septimus Heap, the title character, was, to all appearances, absent from nearly the entire book. How fun!

As a "younger" book, it wasn't as epic as Eragon, and the magic isn't as defined as some fantasies. It also switches point of view frequently, which isn't a problem for me, but some small people might object. Ghosts are a strong presence, and in the second book there are a lot of big worms. (If it was a movie instead of a book I would have had issues.)

I highly recommend this for anyone looking for fun, escape, and good adventure.

Alphabet Games

Suey made an alphabetical list of favorite authors, and well, how could I resist not doing that? My rules were:

1. No more than 2 authors per letter
2. The letter could be in either the first or last name
3. The author had to be someone I really liked - usually someone who has written several books, all of which I really liked. On a few difficult letters I had to pick authors who have only written one book that I've read -- but the really liked rule had to still apply.
   

A Lloyd Alexander & Douglas Adams
B Brandon Sanderson & Michael Buckley
C Christopher Paolini & Charlotte Bronte
D Emily Dickinson & Deborah Talmadge Bickmore
E David Eddings
F Raymond E Fiest & Conrnelia Funke
G Garth Nix & Gary Paulsen
H Shannon Hale & (Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman)
I Irene Hunt
J Jennifer L Holm & Jane Austen
K Karen Hesse
L Lois Lowry & Laurie Halse Anderson
M Anne McCaffrey & Stephenie Meyer
N Donna Jo Napoli
O Janette Oke
P Michelle Paver & Tamora Pierce
Q
R JK Rowling
S Angie Sage & Sonya Sones
T Terry Brooks & JRR Tolkien
U
V Virginia Euwer Wolff
W Scott Westerfeld & Laura Ingalls Widler
X
Y Jane Yolen
Z Markus Zusak (This one I haven't read, but want to, and who else starts with Z?)

If anyone knows any Q, U, or X people, let me know. This exercise has pointed out that I would fit nicely in the 'I' spot when I have published a hundred totally awesome books. Hehehe!! There is a need for me!

Pet Peeves

This will be an educational journey. I'm not sure what they all are, but I know they exist. So here I go.

1. Christmas books or movies when it is not November or December. I try to hide them away so the kids can't pull them out.
   
2. Drivers who know the lane is ending and still drive all the way to the end in order to get in front of everyone else and thereby causing the traffic to back up. Just let them sit there for eternity!
3. Smokers. Can you be any stupider? And if not, stay in your house and kill yourself in the stinkiest manner possible away from the rest of us!
   
4. Not having appropriate clothing and footwear. It has to do with being prepared. If there is a possibility of breaking down, I don't want to be in dress shoes. Some people dream about going to school naked...my nightmares where being at school without shoes. On the same note...women in movies wearing inappropriate attire. Have you ever noticed the percentage of females thrust into adventures when they happen to be wearing a sexy evening dress? Or worse, some sort of swim wear of negligee? If you were heading out into the jungles of Costa Rica or about to explore ancient caves in search of treasure, would you want to be in stilleto heels and a skirt split up to there? One should always keep a good pair of boots and comfy jeans in the car or bag.
5. The words panties, purse, or blouse. Gross.
6. Hunting. I'm not an animal rights activist, I just don't think killing should be pleasurable. If you're going to do it, at least eat it. And don't put it on your wall. Sick.
7. Environmentalists.
   
8. Professional sports. Get a life.
9. Postmodern teachers. Postmodern novels that said teachers love.
   
10. People who don't buckle their kids up.
11. Breaking a book's spine by not holding it right when you read.
12. Not rinsing your cup so that later I have to soak it to get out the milk or juice residue.
13. Unfinished sentences. Scott specializes in un....

That's all I can think of at the moment. I'll post and addendum if I need to. Now I want to hear about your pets.

Utah Destruction

I am so sick of Orem destruction I could...could....could....puke kittens! And all the destruction is taking place on the roads I use. All of them!

1. 8th N is torn up from nearly I15 to Harmons (past my house)
2. the intersection of 4th N and State destructed (the path I use to go anywhere south)
3. 6th E (the little road right by my house) is clogged thanx to new sidewalks and tree destruction
4. 8th E North of us (the way to Scott's work) is recently reopened (for the third time)
5. 8th E South of us is completely trashed from Center to the Mall (this is the littlish road on the other side of us)
   
6. 7oo N (the alternate path to 8th E now that 8th E is a war zone) was closed last time I tried to use it -- and I don't even know why!!!
7. AND there is crap going on on 4th S, which I don't use, but needed today.

On my way home I was sick of driving through orange cone cattle shoots, so I drove all the way over to 8th E to avoid it all. Note # 5. I forgot. Piss on a rock!

Last time I was driving with Scott I mentioned my fed-up-ness and yelled, "Next time I'm gonna get out and...and...PEE on it!" (I first thought of ramming it, but that would hurt my car!) My dear sweet husband responded, "Why don't you let me do that." Hahaha! I guess that would facilitate a rapid getaway.

Guilty Already

I'm a bit slow on the guilty pleasures, but better later than never! I have many pleasures that probably aren't healthy, but I'm picking 5 that I actually feel guilty about -- either that they exist or the time spent on them or the money wasted.

1. Reading. I love it. I do it all the time. I neglect everything. I love adventure, magic, romance, escape. I collect books and spend way too much money too. Stacks, shelves, book orders, stores, online....I'll never have enough!
2. Stupid little games on my hubby's phone. I love the mindlessness. (Though that is a weird way to think of them since they are strategy games or word puzzles or math...) I love the commitmentlessness. Bubblebreaker. Text Twist. Alchemy. Ahhh, the disconnecting I can do...
3. Eating out. I love most any place, most any kind of food. Mexican, Chinese, American, Italian, Seafood. Bring it on. I think it has a lot to do with me not cooking it or cleaning it up...but that's only part. I even love fast food. French fries, hamburgers, nachos, pizza.
4. Sex. I like it. Sorry all you Delicate and Proper Ladies, but there it is. There is no better way to spend an evening. Or morning. Or afternoon...
5. Wasting Time. Oh I can waste time like nobody's business! (See above 4 items.) But I also waste time sleeping in (or maybe I just dream about...), watching movies, staring at the computer, or just sitting on the couch with my husband (and usually kids on top - like some kinda freaky sundae). We manage to get nothing done in long amounts of time. Sad.

Oh the Guilt! Oh the Pleasure! Too many emotions....must lie down.