Postcards From Oblivion

Is it me, or does Netflix online have a different selection than the onscreen menu you get when you’re selecting a video through your TV? I don’t find all that many movies to watch when I look on the TV, but online I do.

[Ranty Sidebar: Did you ever notice when you search for a song on YouTube on one computer you get completely different results on another? I'll get exactly what I'm looking for on the laptop or main computer, but when I look for just about any song on YouTube from my iTouch, I get everything BUT what I'm seeking. I've read about how Big Brother Google knows what you're searching for on each computer in your house and tailors results to that info, but brothuh, please. I want to be able to locate mah songs on mah iTouch, too!]

Aaaaanyhoo, I found Until September on Netflix today amongst the slim pickings offered via Netflix on the TV. It stars a lovely French man with electric blue eyes and an American woman that looked vaguely familiar. I thought maybe it was Margo Kidder.

Then my good friend IMDB informed me that the spunky woman in this film (named Mo Alexander, btw. Mo? Seriously? Even his accent didn’t make that sound sexy) stranded in Paris was played by Karen Allen.

*crickets*

Ah! I scanned her film career and realized I recognized her from Raiders of the Lost Ark. After giving my forehead a good smacking, I then ogled some pictures of Harrison Ford read some more about the Frenchie in the film, because he was so much fun to watch. And by fun to watch I mean vavavoom! {insert pervy old man French laugh here} So, she got to press flesh with Harrison and the Frenchie.

Clearly, I’ve chosen the wrong career.

It definitely contained some 80′s cheese (hauh hunh, zee Brie cheese!), but at least it didn’t have a super duper cheesy fight scene accompanied by triple decker cheesy music. It also bothered me that this guy was married, but beggars can’t be choosers. And by beggars, I mean hopeless romantics who are suckers for a French accent and piercing blue eyes.

Embedding was disabled on this one, but if you don’t mind some spoilers you can go here to see the trailer. Or you could just gaze into his eyes below:

Mama Kat’s first writing prompt this week is about eating whatever you want for a day. I love food, so I pondered my post over a P B & J.  This was her prompt:

My version is slightly different.

I’m going to pretend I’m not allergic to mushrooms, not lactose intolerant, and don’t have The GERD keeping me from all things chocolate, fried, citrusy, garlicky and onionified (this might very well be a real word. So don’t even bother asking M-W online.).

Following is my day of absolute gluttony good eats:

I’d start my day at the local drive-thru of Micky Dees and get myself an Eggamuffin (and a  good morning to you, my beloved American Cheese) with a double order of hash browns and a large OJ.

If my stomach emptied in the time that most normal tummys do (and calories be damned), by around 10:00 I’d be ready for a raspberry jelly donut. I wouldn’t care if it had powder or white frosting on top. I would wash this delightful treat down with a giant, cold glass of milk.

Lunch would involve a big ol’ burger cooked on a greazy grill with mushrooms, bacon, and cheese tucked not-so-neatly inside the greazy toasted bun. Some kind of fabulously seasoned fries on the side. A vat of Dr. Pepper with a straw, if you please. If someone else happened to be eating garlic parmesan wings at my table, I might be tempted to try a few of those as well.

Oh my gosh, pie.

There would be pie. Fruit pie. Oh! I can do better.

I’m now getting ahead of myself. Maybe I’d have a gooey chocolate chip cookie to tide me over until my mid-afternoon snack of

NACHO CHEESE (oh my gosh, why did I not put loaded nachos in here somewhere?) DORITOS AND CHOCOLATE MALTED MILKSHAKE.

Okay, on to dinner. Who’s hungry here?

I’d like eggplant parm smothered in mozzerella cheese with a side of pasta. A saucy pasta mountain with a Parmesan cheese cap. And garlic bread. With mozzerella on top, all golden and bubbly. And a big glass of chocolate milk. The kind you buy already chocolatey, because it’s so much creamier than the kind you make yourself.

Okay, either that or double decker tacos. It’s a close race.

For dessert? Let there be key lime pie. Better still–a sampler plate of cheesecake.

Oh my gosh–maybe an ice cream sundae with FUDGE, nuts aplenty and real whipped cream.

Somebody go call Wilfred Brimley and get me on that mailing list for the diabeetus meds now. I think I might need it after a day like that.

Whew! Pass the bicarb. What would you eat?

One of Mama Kat’s writing prompts this week was about dog thoughts. I’ve always wondered what was going on in Schmoopy’s mind. This dog has been pouting since the day we brought her home, but has never had good reason to do so. I’ve often joked about hiring a pet psychic.

While her sister’s gaze was always keen and focused, Sophie’s was always a bit more dazed and confuzzled looking. Like she knew she should be looking at us or a specific object, but she wasn’t sure why (Unless, of course, there’s food involved. Her focus sharpens considerably for that). So I present the following:

Seven Things Schmoopy Thought About Today

"I wonder what a dog has to do to get a pork chop around here."

"Sigh... that was a far cry from pork chops. Again."

"What say you make it up to me with a little tummy rub?"

"Outside now, please? I have smells to smell and things to tinkle upon!"

"Seriously, Annie Leibovitz. Put down the camera and let me out. Sheesh! My legs ache!"

"Hmm. I wonder how my nails would look in Purple Passion?"

"Zzzzzz. Mmmm. Chicken with sweet potatoes...."

We spent a few days of our spring break in the nation’s capitol to fill our brains with all things historical while treating our feet to their own little version of hell. Mine were fine, actually, but it seems the rest of the family were not well shod, since they all complained of foot pain. Mister Man’s predicament was slighty more dramatic, as he was certain that at any moment his feet might disengage from his body.

That would have put a damper on the trip. Not only would there have been more blood than one typically cares to see, but one of us would have had to sling him over a shoulder for the duration of the walk BACK to the Metro stop, which, holy bunions, was at least 80 miles. I’m sure of it. Then there’d be the whole issue of where to safely stow the disembodied feet on that journey. Pockets? Backpack? I have no idea.

I think it’s safe to say we were all glad that nasty little nightmare never reared its ugly head.

There were also gale-force winds to contend with both days we were there, but overall, it was a fab visit. Oh, and almost everything was under construction it seemed. Including the dry and dusty reflecting pool:

They should hire Venetian Gondola drivers (paddlers?) for this thing when it's full again. You could spend that last 1/3 of a mile gliding instead of hauling the bloody stumps that remain where your feet used to be.

The kids loved this popular attraction, but we didn’t get to go in:

One of the most exciting aspects of the trip to D.C. was that I got to meet a blog buddy. The lovely Zannah from Inane Chatter hung out with the Wombats for probably far longer than she wanted to a couple hours after she was done with work, and we all greatly enjoyed her company. She was a wonderful tour guide and restaurant selector! I even have pictures to prove it:

Zannah and me in front of a cool lighted doohickey in the Air & Space Museum. Clearly I belong in the "space" portion of the museum by the expression on my face. Derr.

No idea what this building is, but it makes a purty backdrop. I look like Squinty McGinty in this shot. Nice.

In the Air & Space Museum, Mister Man found answers to very important questions like this:

We picked up a little bauble for me:

What do you think--too formal for sightseeing?

At any rate, we had a great time, and there are plenty of things that remain to be discovered on our next adventure in Washington, D.C. The Girly’s only regret was that we didn’t get to swim in the hotel pool due to time constraints. I think we could have just gone a few miles from home, booked a hotel with full cable and a pool, looked at D.C. online, and saved a whole lot of money!

Spring Break is officially over according to the big yellow bus that swallowed up my children and lumbered off down the street this morning. I’m hoping the bulk of their learning takes place in the classroom this week rather than the bus.

More on Spring Break soon (see how I subliminally got you to come back another day?). Since it’s Movie Monday, I have a video tale about an encounter Schmoopy and I had with a scary monster with a curly tail (shocking video re-enactment).