Why I Liked Sex and the City 2 (even though it wasn't that good)

What you've read is true. Sex and the City 2 is NOT a brilliant piece of film.  The story is lackluster.  Many of the one liner/"wisecracks" came across forced and far from funny.  The big karaoke scene is contrived, absurd and embarrassing.  And most importantly, I was disappointed that the girls left the 5th lady (NYC) behind to go on another madcap adventure.  Abu Dhabi?  Really?

But, even after all that I didn't leave the theatre totally disappointed. The film does manage to deliver the important stuff, friendship & fashion. 

The parts of the sequel that really work reminded me just why I've loved Sex and the City for so many years.  What writer and director Michael Patrick King manages to do successfully, as usual, are the quiet conversations between the girls.  (The motherhood conversation between Miranda and Charlotte is undoubtedly the best few minutes of the film.) It's the love story between these ladies that drives this franchise, and the film doesn't completely forget that.  The girls continue to love one another well by refusing to blindly support each other's missteps like a bunch of spineless "yes" women.  Yet even when they disagree, there's not catty back biting among the four.  They listen patiently to one another, challenge one another, ask for forgiveness and wipe away tears.  There's safety to be vulnerable and real in a friendship like that.  And that friendship is what makes silly plot lines, like trips to Abu Dhabi, tolerable to fans of Sex and the City.

Well, that and the drool worthy fashion.

Thankful Thursday/ Episode 51

Recently we went home to St. Louis for a family reunion.

This is part of my family.

When we get together we like to dance.

We tend to spend a bunch of time laughing.

And SOME of us tell stories.  Stories which may or may not be mostly exaggerated.

We tend to sing along to every song.

(sometimes awkwardly spiritedly using blow pops as microphones)

And we love getting our pictures taken.

So, I guess it's really terrific that we have a resident photographer as part of our brood.

Episode 51: "Today I am thankful for ... family memories captured on film."

This is my uncle.  I believe he is responsible for all the pictures that you see on this page.  (Well, except for this one obviously.)

He's the master of catching quiet, candid moments.

And he humors us when we ask for endless "posed" pictures.

Please forgive the weird feathering thing happening with my bangs. 

I'm blaming the rain. 

(Now see, if I was with my family several of us would be singing a Milli Vanilli song right now.)

Family pictures are very, very, very important to me.  Especially since we're gorgeous & photogenic far away from one another.

So today, I am thankful.

(Almost) Wordless Wednesday

Remember when I mentioned how I thought my herb garden was going to turn out to be a complete failure?  (If you don't I wrote it here.)  Well, it turns out I wasn't completely right.  While the cilantro, dill, oregano & parsley have all bit the dust... the basil is still growing!  Wooooo Hooey!

There lots more Wordless Wednesday fun over at A Daily Dose of Toni & Misadventures with Andi.

Tremendously Transparent #1

Remember last week when I mentioned how incredibly excited I was to win my first blog award? To a people pleaser like me, that kind of stuff is epic. A compliment, especially from someone I like and admire, can provide a spring in my step that lasts for days. So, while I'm still feeling all warm and fuzzy, I want to pay the positivity forward. However, rather than pass on the award I was given, I decided to create my OWN blogger recognition.

The longer I read blogs the more I realize that the most compelling posts are the ones where the author is truly transparent. Don’t get me wrong… I love to laugh, I love to learn something new and I love to connect with other bloggers through contests and round ups. Those posts are always fun because they brighten my day and undoubtedly keep me coming back for more. But I cannot get enough of posts where the writer bares all. I think I respect and enjoy them so much because I know how tough it is to be honest and unguarded without coming across as whiny, critical or like you’re totally consumed with self. It takes guts to expose yourself to your readers. Sometimes I fear that the best stuff I write gets edited out to satiate my fear of being judged or misunderstood. Let’s be honest, bravely sharing the naked truth about yourself and your life is difficult to do – especially when you leave the comment section open! There are a ton of bloggers out there that boldly exhibit tremendous transparency without getting all mushy gushy or self-indulgent. And to a reader like me, a post like that is a thing of beauty.

That’s why today I'm presenting the first ev-ah Tremendously Transparent Award to Cara over at still. pictures. Cara writes about all kinds of stuff going on in her life, (and right now there seems to be a LOT of stuff) but I'm always most drawn in by her more confessional posts. You should really take a minute to stop by and check out her blog. You’ll be inspired and encouraged by her writing because she truly is tremendously transparent.

Moderation (or lack thereof)

One of the reasons I left my job was my struggle to leave work at work. My priorities were miserably out of whack. I lost sleep (and hair) over the various stressors of my position and my work was on my mind constantly. It became pitifully unhealthy. Not one to admit defeat, I tried all kinds of coping strategies prior to resigning. I started to draw very distinct boundaries between my real life and work life but nothing worked in my quest for separation. No matter what I did my work worries plagued me even when I was off the clock. I couldn’t shut it off. My relationships suffered, my health suffered and bitterness set in quickly. Resigning seemed to be the only answer to finding a separation between work and rest.

Cut to earlier this week when I found myself with a “to do” list full of house work that was more than a mile long. I was up to my earlobes in Donna Reed-like tasks that included making homemade chicken stock, cleaning windows, changing linen and chatting with the bug man as I offered him a cupcake made from scratch. (Side note, I'm not quite sure how women do all this stuff and raise kids too.) As I crossed items off the list one by one, I cringed when I realized that there was no “quitting time”. Five o’clock wouldn’t mean it was time to shut down for the day. This is where you, dear reader, are probably thinking, "DUH!" Ummm, so it turns out that there are no set in stone work hours for a housewife. My list needed to get done if it was 2 o’clock in the afternoon or 8 o’clock at night. OH NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! Suddenly it was crystal clear that the boundaries of my new job could become even MORE fuzzy than my last if something didn’t change with a quickness.

I think I’ve realized there’s a lesson in this whole thing. (Isn’t there always?) It wasn’t the job alone that was making me lose sleep. It wasn’t the job alone that butted into my relationships. It wasn’t the job alone that kept me thinking about it when I should have been focused on more important things. Sure the stressful nature of the line of work I was in certainly played a part in all that, but so did I. I was responsible for carrying my work home with me. I was guilty of being on the clock twenty four hours a day.
It’s no secret I’ve got moderation issues. I’ve mentioned some of them here before. You know like the exercise, and then there’s that whole sobriety thing, etc. etc. (If you’ve been reading this blog for awhile or better yet if you KNOW me, you could probably name a few moderation issues I have that I'm not even aware of yet!!) I guess, now I know that “work” can be added to my list. The compulsion I felt to finish every item on the list before I rested – a list, by the way, that I ARBITRARILY created - was borderline psychotic. It was really, really tough to let it go and just relax without crossing EVERYTHING off. My instinct was telling me to go and go until I finished or collapsed.  Which kind of sounds like the exact opposite of moderation, right? But, guys, that is preeeety much exactly how I live my life. I go until I crash and am forced into a pseudo-rest by emotional or physical exhaustion. I know.  Sounds fun, right?

Here’s what I'm thinking. What if my newest position as housewife extraordinaire is part of a divine scheme to get me to learn some moderation? With limitless free time, a flexible schedule and infinite possibilities of projects and things “to do” around the house this is the perfect opportunity for me to practice some appropriate restraint. I'm smack dab in the middle of a unique opportunity to navigate the boundaries between work and genuine rest. I get to learn moderation!

You guys!! What if I figure out how to be productive well and also how to be restful well? Imagine the possibilities…

The Home Stretch

With just two days until the finale, I still have 23 episodes of Lost left to watch. I really don’t think I'm going to finish. Though, I’ll probably give it a valiant effort.

Sitting with the girls at coffee yesterday the topic predictably turned to Lost. We discussed Tuesday’s episode and started theorizing about Sunday’s show. Here are a few things we think might happen.  (note: the pic above is not taken during our coffee discussion.  I borrowed that screen shot from LostMedia.  Though, I'm quite certain we did appear THAT deep in thought.)

* It seems as though all the castaways are going to end up in the same room, the “concert,” in the alternate universe triggering a collective memory of their Island experience.
* Judging by the first shot of this season showing the Island under water, we’re thinking that the man in black, probably with the help of Desmond, is able to destroy it (or more accurately sink it and protect the “light” forever). Do we really want Jack stuck there for eternity?
* All of our questions are not going to be answered, but we’re banking on a “happy” ending. Doesn’t it seem like that’s how the cards are stacked in the parallel reality? Everybody seems to be better off, right?
* I think Juliet is going to be revealed as the mother of Jack’s son. There’s got to be a reason why they’re keeping “mom’s” identity a secret, right? That’s my one out-of-the-box prediction.

So, obviously nothing too ground breaking there… Clearly I'm not ready to be a contributor on Lostpedia  or anything. Though, I just discovered that my Juliet theory has been discussed over there!!!

Anyway, I'm curious, what do you think is in store for us on Sunday night?

Weekend Getaway

Today's (nearly) Wordless Wednesday entry:

Tybee Island +

Great Friends =

Fantastic Trip

Oops... almost forgot to mention that I'm linking up to A Daily Does of Toni 's Wordless Wednesday Fun.

No Case of the Mondays Around Here

I had pretty much written today off. The letdown after last night’s return from St. Louis + no cardio dance due to a sore ankle + Monday = a bummer of a day. And then boom. And boom. And another boom (read “booms” to be happy things happening). Before I knew it, this day was shaping up to be top notch.

First, I opened up the lap top to catch up on my blog stalking reading and discovered lots of happy things went down while I was away over the weekend. I was given my first award by a fellow blogger! Is that awesome or what? Check out the button over to the right to read the lovely things Miss Olivia over at Of Such is the Kingdom wrote. Is she right generous and kind or what? She’s been a real inspiration to me in the short time I’ve known her. She has offered sage advice pertaining to both the world of blogs and real life. I feel totally blessed to call her friend. The fact that she is complementing me is a HUMONGOUS honor! I absolutely intend to pay her award forward in the near future.

Next I discovered that I won a fun giveaway! But, I’ll wait to tell you more about that when I get my loot in the mail.

Then it was time for lunch with some former co-workers. There’s nothing like laughing with friends over the BEST TURKEY SANDWICH IN THE WORLD to brighten your day. Plus, one of my girls is a nurse and she insisted (seriously, honey, she really INSISTED) that the best thing I could do for my sore ankle is to stay off it and avoid ALL housework this afternoon. So really, all the lounging I've been doing has nothing to do with general laziness. I'm simply trying to comply with a medical directive.

And as if that’s not enough, I just got a call from Mr. Lisa C. It turns out that since his wifey is out of town he won’t be able to prepare and eat all the goodies that he picked up in their weekly CSA share. That means he’s bringing us over some fresh veggies!!!! I thought the best news coming out of that house lately was that Lisa’s updating her blog again. Boy was I wrong. Sorry, Lisa, fresh veg trumps your blogtastic silliness.  Bring on the Bok Choi.

To top it all off, the sunshine is out. Isn't it such a relief to see after a weekend of dreary, rainy, chilly weather? I totally agree.

Monday, you minx. I thought you were going to be a drag. But, you’ve surprised me with your generosity and general spirit of merriment. What a way to kick off (though I swear I'm not using my bad ankle) the week.

Thankful Thursday/ Episode 50

A couple of weeks ago, the temperature started rising and so we cranked up the air conditioner for the first time this year. It churned for about 4 hours and we continued to sweat like pigs perspire and glisten. The handsome hubby noticed that after all that time the temperature had only dropped 2 degrees.

Wamp. Wamp.

Thankfully, we were expecting an HVAC guy to come out the next day for the seasonal check up. It was an appointment that my husband had probably made a week earlier.

Episode 50: “Today I am thankful for … PERFECT timing.”

The story gets better. We’ve been in our house for just over two years now. We knew when we moved in that the heating/ac unit had another three or so years in it before it had to be replaced. So, wisely, my husband continued to purchase the home warranty last year and then again a month ago when it came up for renewal. A. Month. Ago. It seemed like a bit of an expenditure considering we don’t know how long we’ll be in this house. But, the hubby is a REAL insurance guy. And now, I'm so glad he is!

When the HVAC guy came showed up he let us know the unit was leaking Freon all over the place and rather than refill it, he was suggesting we replace it. Replacing a unit he explained (this isn’t including labor) would cost $4000+ IF WE DIDN’T HAVE A HOME WARRANTY. Thankfully we do!

So, we called the warranty company and they informed us that they would have to order the unit and would let us know when it could be replaced. Now, I don’t know if you remember, but the last couple weeks (except for a day when we were in Tybee Island – sorry, Howell) the weather has been extremely mild. It’s just been yesterday and today that the temperature has started to creep up into the land of sticky and almost uncomfortable. AND GUESS WHAT? Our new unit came in YESTERDAY and was installed TODAY! Thankfully since our house holds on to cool temps beautifully it really wasn’t until just this afternoon that the thermostat read above 72ish.

As I write this the new unit is installed, cool air is blowing and our thermostat is right back in the comfortable zone!

Perfect timing.

So today, I'm thankful.

Just to be Posting Something

It’s never been my plan to post nothing just for the sake of posting something. But, today Imma blow that plan all to hell.

My week, thus far has been jam packed with Cardio Dance classes, housework, Unaccustomed Earth, Season 3 of Lost, and Oreos.

I guess we’ll start with my newest hobby. It’s Wednesday and I’ve taken 4 dance classes already this week; 3 Cardio Dance + 1 Zumba. Why, yes I'm obsessed.  Thanks for pointing that out.  Not to mention it's clear that I'm totally unfamiliar with the concept of moderation (as evidenced by, um, my life). What can I say? The classes are the perfect combination of hip-hop music, shaking my thang and natural endorphins. If I could take multiple classes a day I would (and do). I'm prone to exaggeration, it’s true… But I don’t think I'm exaggerating when I say that these classes have changed my outlook on exercise.  I now love it.

Meanwhile, have I mentioned how much I despise housework? Odd considering my recent career change, eh? Seriously though, I endure embrace the daily chores – dishes, making the bed, dealing with the pets, watering plants. It’s the once a month week chores that drive me nuts. Things like mopping the kitchen floor or scrubbing the toilet and tub. Can we all just collectively agree that these tasks really suck? They’re pointless. As soon as I finish scrubbing the tub, for instance, it’s right back to collecting dirt. I can’t even be enticed by a sense of accomplishment because the clean doesn’t last! So this is where the Oreos have come into play. I’ve resorted to outright bribery. If I complete a task, I get an Oreo or 3. If it’s a particularly gross or time consuming task I get to watch an episode of Lost or read one of the short stories in Unaccustomed Earth – while I eat an Oreo or 3. (See previous paragraph detailing exercise regimen before judging, please.)

By the way, Unaccustomed Earth was a totally fantastic book. I'm definitely a Jhumpa Lahiri fan, but I guess not a mega fan because I’d never heard of this book until my friend recently loaned it to me. Truth be told she basically gave me a great reason to take breaks from doing do some housework. There’s nothing like a great book to get you to hurry up and mop the damn kitchen floor so you can get back to reading. Lahiri is an Indian American writer whose storytelling is magnificent. Anything I write tonight will simply fail to do her work justice. So, please, just go get one of her books and thank me later.

In other news, I'm up to Season 3 in my Lost marathon. With just four hours of new show left, I'm savoring every Netflixy minute of the series. So far, I'm the only one I know of that absolutely loved and appreciated last night’s episode.  If nothing else, it kept us from looking at the God-awful hair styling going on this season!  Seriously!  What is up with Sawyer's feathered and highlighted hair?!?!  And Claire's crazy jungle mop needs to be shaved off like they do with Spike when he gets all matted.  It really would be for her own good.  But, I digress.  I think last night's episode answered a bunch of big picture questions. I'm sure you disagree.  It doesn't surprise me.  You're always so contrary.  Anyway, I'm off to watch another old episode on Netflix and eat an Oreo or 3.

Free! Free! Free! For You!

That’s right, this Thursday, you’re going to have something to be THANKFUL for too!

Thanks to some generous friends and family, I’ve got some coupons in my hot little hands that make Doritos, Folgers Coffee, Dannon Yogurt & select* Pepsi products TOTALLY FREE. Have you seen these? They’re good until the end of the year (except the Folgers one which is good until the end of September) and they can be printed in unlimited quantities.  PLUS the only restriction is that you can only use one of each coupon at a time. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY! It’s a crazy amazing deal. As a relatively new couponer, deals like this blow. me. away. Who doesn’t want FREE STUFF?  Am I right?

Episode 49: “Today I am Thankful for… free stuff for you and for me!”

Now, I have a little confession to make. When I first got these coupons, I didn’t want to share them with anybody. I was afraid that if lots of people had them, the manufacturers or grocery stores would put a stop to us using them. Yep... selfish, I know. Then I thought about making you guys become followers of A Foreign Land to earn the coupons. But, recently, the handsome hubby set the most incredible example of selfless giving. Thinking about his monumental generosity, I was inspired to just share, share, and share. (BTW, I’ll have to tell you that handsome hubby story sometime. It really is a WHOLE other reason to be Thankful. But, I won't share that story here today. That’s not the direction this post is headed. But, I promise, someday I’ll tell you. It’ll be great. We’ll get a cup of coffee and catch up and I’ll tell you the whole thing.)

Anyway, here’s the deal. I have all four coupons (Doritos, Folgers Coffee, Dannon Yogurt & select* Pepsi products) and I want to share them with YOU! If you just leave me a comment below, I'm happy to send them right to your inbox. Make sure you leave your name and email address ~ if I don’t already have it.  When I'm back in town on Monday – did I mention we’re headed to the beach this weekend? Yep, ANOTHER reason to be Thankful – I’ll get to emailing you guys the coupons. If you haven’t seen them by Tuesday morning, come on back over here and leave another comment and we’ll figure out what’s up.

Seriously guys, it doesn’t get much better than FREE!

So today, I am thankful.

*Pepsi, Pepsi One, Diet Pepsi, Diet Pepsi MAX, Wild Cherry Pepsi, Mountain Dew, Diet Mountain Dew, Mountain Dew Live Wire, Mountain Dew Code Red, Mug, Sierra Mist, Sierra Mist Free, Lipton Brisk, Tropicana Twister Soda

Is it Time for an Intervention?

Look what I found when I was vacuuming yesterday. 
It appears as though I'm DRAWN to polka dot wrapping paper...

For LOTS more Wordless Wednesday fun check out Wordless Wednesday and A Daily Dose of Toni...

A "Balleter"

I applied for a job last week.

The whole thing got me thinking AGAIN about what I want to be when I grow up. At 34 29 shouldn’t I have this figured out? Truth is I'm just getting comfortable with WHO I want to be, but WHAT I want to be… I mean that’s a whole other question. It’s something I’ve been wrestling with for years. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve found LOTS of answers. But not one of them has really stuck long term.

So, I’ve decided to enlist a little bit of help.

I believe it was George Carlin who explained why adults are always asking little kids what they want to be when they grow up. Carlin suggested, “It’s because they’re looking for IDEAS!” And you know that is totally brilliant. Who better then little ones to go to for advice? They aren’t tainted by the practical aspects of “making a living”. They can still dream BIG. They don’t let past failures or set-backs determine what their future holds. And most importantly, they haven't learned to settle.

With that in mind, I found some old video footage (I was playing with my new toy at Christmas which explains the tree in the background of the shot) and decided to put a little something together. My hope is that this will be the FIRST in a series. (Friends with children, can I borrow them for a minute???) I'm hoping this might help me answer the question I’ve been trying to answer for-ev-ah. Or at the very least it might give me some fresh ideas. If it doesn’t (because, quite frankly, I'm starting to wonder if there really is ONE answer to this question for me…) at least I’ll have some fun doing the research.

May I introduce Claire:



Take away Lessons:

Start Early. Claire is four and she’s already got her eye on the prize. Turn your Weaknesses into your Strengths. Claire noted at the beginning of the video that pointing and kicking was something she wasn’t “good at.” However, when asked what her favorite thing to do in class is, she said it was "pointing." She’s obviously not letting her weakness stop her; in fact it’s her “favorite” part of class. Push Past Obstacles. Did you notice how Claire reacted when her a-dorable little bro tried to steal the spotlight? She was having none of it. She pushed him right out of the way, knowing the only way to make it in show biz is to be FRONT and CENTER.

Cheers to Claire and her bright future as a “Balleter”.