Topic: OUTSANE (Read 36799 times)

JoseSPiano · « **Reply #150 on:** December 23, 2007, 03:28:26 PM »

Quote from: elmore3003 on December 23, 2007, 06:46:41 AM

Or Bernard Herrmann because some days my life seems to verge on psycho! Ask my friends.

Alas, I can not disagree with this statement.

elmore3003 · « **Reply #151 on:** December 23, 2007, 03:28:39 PM »

Quote from: bk on December 23, 2007, 02:15:44 PM

Hoping elmore got a little package.

He did, actually, but since you never mentioned mine, I figured . . .

And you didn't sign it!

JoseSPiano · « **Reply #152 on:** December 23, 2007, 03:28:46 PM »

Quote from: JMK on December 23, 2007, 08:06:45 AM

That's what sledgehammers are for.

And matches.

Ginny · « **Reply #153 on:** December 23, 2007, 03:29:23 PM »

Back from the grocery, which was remarkably festive. I did hear a lot of "Clean up in Aisle 3"-type announcements. Seemed a lot of jars of spaghetti sauce were being dropped.

It is very windy here.

elmore3003 · « **Reply #154 on:** December 23, 2007, 03:32:57 PM »

Quote from: TCB on December 23, 2007, 03:19:41 PM

http://www.jibjab.com/sendables/view/R1qM3iJ4exrQHMtDPi3DltxT

And a cute-as-a-button Clarence you are! Thanks. I laughed a lot.

elmore3003 · « **Reply #155 on:** December 23, 2007, 03:34:04 PM »

Quote from: JoseSPiano on December 23, 2007, 03:28:26 PM

Alas, I can not disagree with this statement.

[size=8]
Bitch![/size]

elmore3003 · « **Reply #156 on:** December 23, 2007, 03:35:33 PM »

DR MBarnum, if you will turn your vacant gaze to your left, over there, you may see some Japanese actors saying their lines in English. Oy!

Ginny · « **Reply #157 on:** December 23, 2007, 03:36:02 PM »

Since I've known him for over half of it, I'd want DR Elmore to write the score to my life story.

elmore3003 · « **Reply #158 on:** December 23, 2007, 03:36:30 PM »

Sometimes I forget he really was born yesterday.

JoseSPiano · « **Reply #159 on:** December 23, 2007, 03:44:03 PM »

So, after hurriedly readying myself to get out the door this morning, I attended Mass with my parents. When I used to live here, and would go to Mass, I would usually go to the Cathedral since it was basically a part of the campus of my college, and they would have a very formal service - which is what I basically grew up on. Well, today's service was quite interesting. It seemed very Methodist and Baptist influenced. It was a very touchy-feely service - which started with the greeters at the front of the church shaking everyone's hands as they entered. And I have to admit I was sort of surprised to see "altar girls" along with the "altar boys". I know the Church did approve altar girls a couple of years ago, but I had just never seen one, let alone three. The small choir (six people), was lead by a very exuberant leader/singer, and they were accompanied by a small instrumental ensemble. They had an organist, a pianist, a guitarist, a flutist, and, a mandolin. At least I think there was a mandolin, I never saw it, but I thought I kept hearing mandolin strumming and plucking, but that could have just been the way the guitar was mic'd. With that instrumentation, some of the hymns ended up sounding a bit more contemporary than their 18th and 19th Century roots. But I did get a kick out the almost jazz-waltz treatment of one the 3/4 hymns - love the hemiola! It was also the first time in a long time that I had seen wine offered to everyone during the Eucharist. Even the children took their sips - and it really was wine (port), and not grape juice.

After the Mass was over, they had asked for volunteers to help decorate the church for Christmas. -They only put up their trees and greenery and such for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day through Epiphany. Well, my Mom and Dad have become quite active in this parish, so my Mom decided to pitch in for a bit. My Dad and I just headed out to the car to wait for her. -I hadn't slept well last night, and just wasn't feeling all that well this morning, and I'm dealing with a slight cold and/or allergies. In any case...

JoseSPiano · « **Reply #160 on:** December 23, 2007, 03:44:57 PM »

Quote from: elmore3003 on December 23, 2007, 03:34:04 PM

[size=8]
Bitch![/size]

You called?

elmore3003 · « **Reply #161 on:** December 23, 2007, 03:47:32 PM »

Quote from: JoseSPiano on December 23, 2007, 03:44:57 PM

You called?

I ordered from La Cucina tonight. I wish you'd been here for a margarita!

TCB · « **Reply #162 on:** December 23, 2007, 03:55:27 PM »

Quote from: singdaw on December 23, 2007, 11:38:40 AM

This is why it drives me crazy to see Christmas trees on the curb to be disposed of on December 26th. The commercialism has turned everything topsy-turvy. And people don't get it.

Ah, well.

My mother, and her mother and father; as well as previous generations of her family, were all devout Methodists. In fact, I was, for a time, a divinity student myself in the Methodist church. But the one area my mother broke with the church was in leaving the Christmas tree up until Twelfth Night. She always tried to put the blame on my dad's side of the family, saying that the Norwegians thought that it was bad luck to keep the tree up past New Year's Day.

Strangely, no other members of my dad's family had ever heard of that superstition. Personally, I think that she just got sick of vacuuming up pine needles.

td · « **Reply #163 on:** December 23, 2007, 03:59:46 PM »

Aside from the Texas Hold 'Em poker game, I truly enjoyed CASINO ROYALE; it's as over-the-top as any of the late 60s early 70s Bonds, but with a more 'human' James Bond than we've had since ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE.
I'm aware that the franchise needed a jump-start, and CASINO ROYALE really did the trick for me, co-mingling scenes from the novel with eye-popping stunts and set pieces popping up all over the place.
I don't want to spoil anything for anyone who hasn't seen it, but, once Bond is in Le Chevre's hands (so to speak) all of the Ian Fleming comes to the fore, or to the bottomless cane chair, so to speak.
Also, isn't this the first time we've had a totally naked Bond? (Essential to the plot, if one has read CASINO ROYALE, so it's not gratuitous nudity).

td · « **Reply #164 on:** December 23, 2007, 04:00:07 PM »

I could use a margarita. . . .

td · « **Reply #165 on:** December 23, 2007, 04:00:52 PM »

Tomorrow is the morning that I have to be at Borders for opening: I must walk through the doors before 6:45am and be on the register promptly at 7am.

td · « **Reply #166 on:** December 23, 2007, 04:01:38 PM »

Well, at least I get off at 2. At that point I'll buy my dvd of EASTERN PROMISES and the latest Steve Berry novel. . .

td · « **Reply #167 on:** December 23, 2007, 04:02:02 PM »

Later tomorrow evening, I shall attend the tale of SWEENEY TODD at the nearest cinema.

JoseSPiano · « **Reply #168 on:** December 23, 2007, 04:09:40 PM »

While we were waiting in the car, my Dad and I were chit-chatting... I for some unknown reason finally took the opportunity to ask him a couple of questions I've never really known the answers too: When did you come to the States? When and where did you meet mom? When did you get married? Where were you first stationed with the Coast Guard?...

I don't think I've ever heard my Dad talk quite so much in my life. And with such expression. He answered all my questions and more. And some of his answers surprised me. I had always been under the assumption that my Mom and Dad had met and were married in the Philippines before they came to the States. Boy, was I wrong! My Dad came over in 1962 after passing the exam to join the Coast Guard. He went through 12 weeks(!) of "forming the company" (a.k.a. basic training) in Alameda, and then his first duty station was Boston. -And he only ended up there since he was not in "class" the day they started the billet selection process. Luckily, three of his fellow classmates went to Boston with him. By bus. Via Chicago and New York City. -Which was the first time he was at Radio City! And he stayed at the YMCA in NYC for $2.00!

He met my Mom in Boston. A friend's wife's had fixed them up! That was in 1965, and they were married the following year. In the summer of 1968, my Dad was transferred up to Portsmouth, NH. My Mom stayed in Boston since she was finishing her schooling - she had come over in 1965 as part of an exchange program with the nursing school - and, more importantly, because she was pregnant with me. Alas, when she went into labor, since my Dad was up in Portsmouth at the time, my mom drove herself to the hospital! Thankfully, my Dad was able to get some emergency leave approved, and he was able to make it back down to Boston for my birth.

Then he told me about the move down to DC (the first time), and that brought up a whole lot of wonderful memories for me: our first baby-sitter (Mrs. Fischer, who is still alive and who plan to visit in January), my one and only trip to the Philippines when I was six (we went for three weeks), our first house in Arlington, our second house in Arlington, some crazy neighbors, some even crazier relatives, etc., etc., etc.

It truly was quite a wonderful, unexpected and joyous(!) way to pass the time while waiting for my mother. -Who did not finish up until about 45 minutes later - and that was only after my Dad went in after her, and ended up helping out for a couple of minutes himself.

TCB · « **Reply #169 on:** December 23, 2007, 04:11:41 PM »

Quote from: JoseSPiano on December 23, 2007, 03:44:03 PM

It was a very touchy-feely service - which started with the greeters at the front of the church shaking everyone's hands as they entered. And I have to admit I was sort of surprised to see "altar girls" along with the "altar boys".

Think how much that must have upset the priests!

JoseSPiano · « **Reply #170 on:** December 23, 2007, 04:15:33 PM »

After leaving church parking lot, we headed to lunch, and I decided that they should try some place new and non-chain, so we headed to Kitchen 64. I had never been to Kitchen 64, but it's owned and run by the same family as my beloved Stella's, Sidewalk Cafe and Three Monkeys, and all the reviews of the place have been glowing.

We had a great meal - some very over-stuffed sandwiches (the leftovers are in the fridge) - and I also took the time to ask my Mom a couple of questions about when she came over to the States, as well as to fill in some of the holes in my Dad's memories.... Another wonderful conversation.

JoseSPiano · « **Reply #171 on:** December 23, 2007, 04:16:19 PM »

Quote from: TCB on December 23, 2007, 04:11:41 PM

Think how much that must have upset the priests!

Is that thunder I hear in the distance?

JoseSPiano · « **Reply #172 on:** December 23, 2007, 04:20:55 PM »

One very cool thing I learned this afternoon is that my Dad really wants to take a good chunk of time next year to drive around the country - well, at least up and down the Eastern Seaboard - to visit some of his old haunts and to see a his old friends and fellow "Coasties". -Which, as it turns out, is the reason he sold the car yesterday. The money he got for that car will be put toward the down payment for a new car - the one they're going to be trekking around in. (Whew! -No RV!

)

He also said that he wants to go back to the Philippines sometime next year for a true visit (instead of heading back for a wedding, sick relative, funeral, etc.). And he wants to take (and pay for) me and my brothers to take the trip with them. Now that's definitely something worth clearing my calendar for!

TCB · « **Reply #173 on:** December 23, 2007, 04:21:15 PM »

Quote from: MBarnum on December 23, 2007, 02:33:47 PM

I started to watch the new CASINO ROYALE....Daniel Craig is just not James Bondian to me...and his ears are huge! I only watched about a half hour of it...my brother in law requested that I bring it over tomorrow for viewing at their house, so I will.

I take it you didn't get to the scene where Mr. Craig emerges from the sea? Or the nude torture scene? Are you not aware that Clark Gable proved long ago the proof of the axiom about big ears.

td · « **Reply #174 on:** December 23, 2007, 04:23:40 PM »

DR TCB - how're you feeling, my friend?

I take it that you also liked CASINO ROYALE. . .I know you liked Daniel Craig's impersonation of Ursula Andress. . .

FJL · « **Reply #175 on:** December 23, 2007, 04:28:11 PM »

I take it we've already done the Arsula Undress pun here on HHW.

JoseSPiano · « **Reply #176 on:** December 23, 2007, 04:29:26 PM »

After lunch, my Dad wanted to go to Costco to pick up some food for the Christmas meal - New York Strip Steaks! However, since my Mom had been inquiring where a particular Chinese restaurant was, I ended up giving them a brief car tour of Richmond's West End.

Full Kee was/is one of their favorite restaurants in DC, and I had told them that there was a branch of Full Kee in Richmond too, but they could never find it. Well, now they now where it is. Full Kee is in Richmond's "Little Saigon" - a cluster of Asian markets, beauty salons and bakeries (most of which are housed in small houses that got rezoned as businesses). We even stopped into the Vietnamese bakery, where my Mom scouted out some items for future visits - and I picked up a Vietnamese Iced Coffee.

Then we made our way to Costco which was packed, but the lines were managed well at the check out registers. In fact, while we were heading out with our purchases, my Dad remembered he wanted to get something else, so he went back in. And he was back out of there just a few minutes later.

Ron Pulliam · « **Reply #177 on:** December 23, 2007, 04:30:07 PM »

[shadow=color,glow width,#characters wide][size=8]
Happy Birthday

WILLIAM F. ORR[/shadow][/size][/font][/glow]

TCB · « **Reply #178 on:** December 23, 2007, 04:30:30 PM »

Quote from: td on December 23, 2007, 04:23:40 PM

DR TCB - how're you feeling, my friend?

I take it that you also liked CASINO ROYALE. . .I know you liked Daniel Craig's impersonation of Ursula Andress. . .

I thought it was a terrific movie, and probaby the best Bond film since Connery left.

JoseSPiano · « **Reply #179 on:** December 23, 2007, 04:30:45 PM »

DR MBarnum - If you're looking at Daniel Craig's ears, well... That explains a lot.

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Author Topic: OUTSANE (Read 36799 times)

FJL