A few little thoughts about movies

This column was inspired by my TKE co-worker Aaron Cance.  We were talking about movies that haven't aged well, and the subject of Ladyhawke  came up.  I had a little crush there in the 70s and 80s on Rutger Hauer, but every time I've since seen one of his movies, I've been all why?
Nighthawks was another fondly remembered movie that later disappointed.  In retrospect, the tight turtleneck didn't do RH any favors, although it must be said they don't do me any favors either.

TRQ

I'm stealing this idea from Louise over at The Chattering Crow.  Read her list about her mother, because it's great.  And that's not a cheap American compliment either.

I write a lot about my mother, but it's a pretty one-dimensional portrait I create here, because I tend to talk about her when she's being her gloriously eccentric self.  But she's so, so much more than that.  So here's the rest of her.  Or if not the rest of her, at least more of her.

--She was an only child and an only grandchild on her father's side.

--When she was little, she used to sneak over to the neighbor's house where the neighbor fed her tiny spoonfuls of coffee--in spite of my grandmother's insistence that was "against our religion."

--She was named after her grandmother (Patti) and her mother (Louise).  Except her grandmother wasn't really named Patti originally.  My great-grandmother re-named herself when she left the Midwest and kicked over the traces of her old life.

--She survived a fire as a child that burned the family home to the ground.

--She broke her back as a child and has suffered from back trouble more or less for the rest of her life.  Doesn't stop her.  Put her in a city (preferably NewYork) and she can out-walk any of her companions.

--Every spring she decides to take up gardening, which means she buys plants.  Icelandic poppies usually.  And then she waits for my dad to plant them.

--She loves, loves, loves animals.  The pet population at our home was always fluid, because she never said no when we brought something home.

--She once threw a party at our house and wore a turban and rings on her toes (literally) just for the hell of it.  She was--you know--like freaking Elizabeth Taylor that way.

--She has raised thousands and thousands of dollars for the Provo Boys and Girls Club.

--If you're an underdog, my mother is so in your corner.

--Speaking of which, she once challenged the town bully to a fight after school.  He never showed up.

--Her parents sent her to live with her Aunt Blanche in Utah when she was fourteen because my grandmother thought the schools were better her.  My mother missed Wyoming every single moment she was away.

--My mother has always had a taste for jewels.

--I frequently had nightmares as a child.  My mother was always a constant and soothing presence when they happened.

--She used to wear sunglasses in church.  Like Jackie O.

--She still decorates for Christmas, even though she's in her eighties.

--She knows how to swear better than my father does.

--She can never say no to a card game.

--She reads more than practically anybody else I know, excluding Betsy Burton.

--She sleeps with an electric blanket.  In July.

--She is superstitious.  Truly.

--She loves me.  In spite of my hair.

Shopping carts and the crazy

Early this morning I went to Smiths with the intention of stocking up on pet food (for the pets) and snacks (for the humans) in preparation for some upcoming travels.  So yeah.  I had bags of cat food, dog food, pistachios, Twix bars, licorice and M and Ms in my cart.  Also I had a STAR magazine to find out if Kris Kardashian really did sleep with her son-in-law because WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME?

Also, there was a gnome in my cart.  Because it was on sale.

As the clerk checked me out, I started looking at myself through her eyes, so I said, "Do you ever wonder what the hell is going on with people?"

She said no.  She was the very soul of discretion.

But, the people, she was lying.

Random walking

This afternoon I felt the distinct need to go on a long walk to clear my head.  So I did.  I walked to a bank downtown via First South and what I noticed is that there are a LOT of assisted living establishments on First South.

(I'm probably noticing these because I took an online quiz the other day that told me my mental age is 69.  So there's that.  The good news, however, is that I'm not color blind!  I took another online quiz that told me that.  So I may not remember where I'm going, but I won't accidentally confuse red lights for green.  WHICH IS AWESOME.)

Anyway.  The point is this.  I drive down First South all the time but have failed to see most of what resides there.  If you want to see a city, you have to do it on foot.

Here's to feet.

Another sighting in the Aves

I've mentioned before that over the years my walking pals and I have seen and heard things at 5:30 a.m. that . . . startle.  Like guys with no pants on.  And cops asking about guys with no pants on.  And guys with pants on randomly asking us if we are dancers.  Stuff like that.

Well, this morning, a guy asked us in passing how we were doing, which is always a little weird, because the Rule of the Streets is that you pretend not to see each other.  But anyway.  This guy didn't get the Street Rules Memo.  So we answered him.

And that's when things got weirder.

US:  We're fine.

HIM:  Are you doing your Walk of Shame?

US:  (pause) (because we didn't see that one coming)

SALLY:  Yes.  We all just left the Sig House.

ME:  It was Grab-a-Grandma Night up there.

I hope he found that image disturbing.  Truly.

Some graphic novels and also a little lying for your Monday perusal

Here are a couple of Trib pieces.  I had a little help from some friends re the graphic novel story.  Thanks for that, friends!

And then I also have some thoughts about lying.  Right here!

Phew.  That was hard work, all that clicking and copying and clicking and pasting.  I think I'll go eat that slice of peanut butter cheesecake I bought at the Dodo earlier to restore my strength.

M-m-m-m-m-m-m.  Peanut butter cheesecake.

On Rotten Tomatoes and WOMAN IN GOLD

So Ken Cannon and I saw WOMAN IN GOLD last week and I liked it.  I thought the story was interesting and the flashbacks were affecting.  Also, who doesn't love some Dame Helen and well.  Hello, Ryan Reynolds.  You are a tall, tall drink, Ryan Reynolds.

Also, I think he's a pretty good actor and has nice abs to go along with the chops.

Okay.  I make it a point to never read reviews before I see something, so as soon as we got home, I pulled up Rotten Tomatoes and was a little surprised to see that only 50% of the critics liked the movie.  They thought it was dull.  And cheesy. Hallmark-y, even, because you know nothing says Hallmark-y like Nazis.  And a few of the reviews were actively hateful.

A lot of you see more movies than I do.  I'm looking at YOU, Lisa B and James.  While it wasn't the best film I've ever seen, I didn't think it was as terrible as some people obviously did.  What am I missing?

I'd like your honest opinions here.  I'm totally okay if you hated the movie.  I just feel like I've had a major lapse in taste or something, and now I'm not allowed to sit at the popular kids' table anymore.