Daddy, I Miss You (Thursday 13)

On Saturday, I'll mark the five year anniversary of my dad's passing, an unexpected and sudden death which I am still grieving over. My Thursday 13 is a list of things I would like to do with my dad, and only with my dad, if only I could.

1. Share some peanut butter and maple syrup on crackers.
2. Watch the Andy Griffith Show and whistle the theme song.
3. Listen to Talk Radio together and discuss the issues.
4. Type documents for him. I loved to help him because he was usually the one helping me!
5. Make chicken a' la King on toast.
6. Share the Reader's Digest and talk about the funny jokes.
7. Help him check the oil and tires on my car.
8. Mow the grass while the does the weed-eating.
9. Ride into town together to check the mail at the post office.
10. Listen to him talk about stories from his youth. This time, I would write them all down.
11. Go sit in his garage and pet the outdoor kitties together.
12. Get some much-needed advice from him.
13. Watch Andy Rooney on 60 Minutes together while we eat dinner.

I miss you daddy. You will always be my hero! I love you!

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It's Just My Opinion

This has been bugging me for a few months, and I've finally found time to write it all down. This summer I read the book My Sister's Keeper knowing that the movie was coming out. I always want to read the book first. The book was okay, but the movie was a total disappointment.


First of all - casting...

Alec Baldwin as the attorney Campbell Alexander is the only part that was cast appropriately. Arrogant and competent. Baldwin nailed that.

I guess the casting on the father was okay, too. Jason Patric played Brian Fitzgerald, but the dad had a more substantial role in the book, and showed up very little, comparatively speaking, in the movie.

Cameron Diaz as the mom,Sara Fitzgerald? Yes, if she'd been a supermodel. Seriously? Don't get me wrong. I like Diaz okay, in comedic roles mostly. She didn't pack the punch this character needed. I find it difficult to believe she won an ALMA Award for this role.

Abigail Breslin as the daughter Anna Fitzgerald who takes her parents to court? Uh uh. Too young. Not the right personality. Totally unconvincing.

The sick daughter KateFitgerald played by Sofia Vassilieva? No. She wasn't sympathetic and never really looked ill, even when she was "bald."

Bad boy brother Jesse? No. Played by cutie Evan Ellingson, he was Mr. Clean-cut All-American Kid-next-door type in the movie. In the book, he was a pot-smoking headbanger who purposely set fires (and his dad was a fireman). He didn't even live in the family home in the book, but in an apartment over the garage.

More about the movie: Too many montages. Music with no dialogue. Storyline changes. The child characters were all two years younger - which didn't work with the storyline. And there were extra sexual innuendos between Kate and her first love interest in the movie that were not part of the book, and they didn't add anything.

The Guardian ad Litem wasn't even a character in the movie, and there was a huge story about her shared past with the attorney representing the girl in the book. They had a history. None of that was explored because she wasn't even in the movie. And, in reality, the attorney cannot be appointed Guardian ad Litem. So that made no sense.

The characters in the movie were static. They didn't grow and change, and they were not developed enough to make the viewer care about them or develop any type of emotional attachment to them.

Then, there is the ending. The movie ends totally different, opposite of the book. I don't want to give away too much, though.

If you haven't read the book or seen the movie, I suggest you read the book. It is worth it. The movie is a superficial skimming of the book. If you're going to do both, read the book before you see the movie. Again, my suggestion is to skip the movie altogether. Lots of songs where the audience is just watching the characters or looking at Kate's pictures with no action, no diaglogue, and no character development. So good to finally get this off my chest!

I'd Love to Build My Dream House

The topic over at Heads or Tails this week is BUILD.

I mentioned in my Give Me 5 Monday post that if money were no object, one thing I would love to do is BUILD my dream house!

Everyone in the family would have their own bedroom, closet, and bathroom designed to fit their personality and needs, and no one would have to share.

We'd have a play room, a game room, and a TV room.

Of course, I'd BUILD a scrapbook room and a library! We'd have a living room, family room, entertaining room, kitchen (maybe 2), several dining rooms, and an outdoor grilling area near the pool and hot tub.

Wouldn't it be so much fun to BUILD your dream house!?

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Give Me Five Monday

This week, Becca asks us to give her 5 things we would do if money were no object. This could be fun! Check out more Give Me 5 over at Becca's Buzz.

If money were no object...

1. I'd quit my job!

2. I'd buy my dream house - a big house with a room for everyone, a bathroom for everyone, a play room, a game room, a TV room, a dining room, a study, a library, a celebration room, well, you get the picture!

3. I would make sure my mom would have a nice place and company and nurses or whatever she needs to live out the rest of her life, which I hope will be a long time.

4. No one would every go to bed hungry again.

5. I would sponsor missions as I could, missions like the one my church sponsors in Malawi, Africa. They do such wonderful things there with education, medicine, as well as spreading God's love.

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Ziploc Review and Giveaway

Here are your random numbers:13
Timestamp: 2009-10-16 02:10:42 UTC
Dwalline is the winner!
When the Family Review Network posted the opportunity to review Ziploc brand products, I was so excited! I love the Ziploc brand of baggies and containers. They sent me 1 package of Ziploc Fresh Shield Twist ‘n Loc Containers and 1 box of Ziploc Sandwich Bags.

I make at least 3 lunches for school every day, sometimes four. I've tried pretty much every baggie and container available, and I always come back to Ziploc. The baggies are sturdy, and they are easy to zip. I use them for sandwiches, fruit, chips, and crackers.
The Twist 'n Loc containers are a new product for me, and I'm loving them! They really keep the food inside fresh by locking out air. I'm using these for soups and salads to take for lunches, especially soups for when we have sore teeth due to braces. They're also great for leftovers! And these Twist 'n Loc containers not only have a leak resistant seal, they are sturdy!

Of course, Ziploc containers aren't limited to use with food! They're also great for storing travel size products, small parts to toys, office supplies, and so much more!

Ziploc has offered to give one of my readers a prize! One lucky reader will win 1 package of Ziploc Fresh Shield Twist ‘n Loc Containers and 1 box of Ziploc Sandwich Bags.

How to enter:
Leave a comment on this post telling me your favorite use for Ziploc bags or containers.

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Giveaway will end at 11:59 PM CST on October 14, 2009.
Giveaway open to US residents only.
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This post was written as part of a program for Family Review Network and SC Johnson, who provided the item for review.

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