My husband and I have been watching a new series called Homeland, which is great and I will probably write more about it later, and it also stars Claire Danes.  We end up commenting multiple times during each episode about what an unbelievably good actress she is, and then I remembered the movie I had seen and mentioned it to Xander.  I insisted that he watch it because I thought he’d really enjoy it too, and I was right.  He was as amazed as I was by both Claire Danes’ portrayal of Temple as we were by Temple’s incredible story itself.

As you can see from the trailer, Temple Grandin is Autistic.  When she is young her mother is concerned by the fact that she still hasn’t spoken at four years of age, and that she is very distant physically.  The doctor tells her that Temple is Autistic and that they usually recommend that children with Autism are placed in an institution as there is nothing that can be done for them.  What’s worse is, at her insistence, he also gives his opinion on what causes Autism in children… which is that they weren’t given affection by their mother at a crucial moment in time.  This was only after he suggested that maybe she should have her husband to come in so he could explain it to him.  This was one of the most glaring examples in the movie of how drastically times have changed, and thank god for that!

It’s at that time that Temple’s mother decides that she isn’t going to let the fact that Temple is Autistic get in the way.  She keeps working with her until she speaks, when she speaks she is sent to school, she has to work and even goes on to university.  Her mother makes sure that no matter what happens and who she comes across in life, she never forgets that she is DIFFERENT, NOT LESS!

While spending the summer working on her aunt’s farm, she realizes that she is especially in tune with animals, and this is what sets her path to a fantastic career in animal handling. Teaching farmers and ranch hands all over the world how to treat animals more humanely and even redesigning a lot of their butcheries and other facilities.  She is fully aware of the fact that cattle are butchered and has no problem with that but she feels that if cattle are raised for the purpose of nourishment for us, that they should be given some respect.

Another major thing that takes place for her is when she sees her uncle and the other farm hands using a press machine to calm cattle for getting their injections.  She is a bit shocked by how it calms the cattle and begins to wonder if the same would work for her, as being hugged by humans is scary but she still craves that feeling of pressure that comes from a hug.  During one of her emotional breakdowns she runs out to the yard and climbs into the contraption, begging her aunt to close it on her.  Her aunt, frightened and emotional herself, finally gives in and is amazed to see an instant calming effect take place.  Temple then immediately sets out to build her squeeze machine, which she keeps with her from that moment on, making a massive difference for her in day to day life.

The squeeze machine designed by Temple Grandin

There really isn’t enough I can say to stress what a wonderfully heart warming and educational film this is. With the real Temple Grandin working together with the makers of the movie, it gives you the most amazing insight into what it’s like in the Autistic mind, which is something I found utterly fascinating!

When I think of the fact that this woman could have possibly been stuck in an institution, never to be heard or seen from again, it makes me so sad.  Sad not only because we very nearly missed out on this wonderful woman and the difference she has made in the world, but also because it makes me wonder what other amazing minds the world has missed out on because their parents were afraid to go against the grain.

This movie shows us that it’s true what they say about it taking a village to raise a child.  Everyone we come in contact with can play even the smallest role in who we become as people and what we achieve.  If it weren’t for Temple’s mother, aunt, high school science teacher and all the other people who recognized greatness in her and encouraged her, who knows where she would have ended up.

The real Temple Grandin (left) with Claire Danes in character during the filming.

Temple Grandin is now a doctor of animal science and professor at Colorado State University.  She is a bestselling author, a consultant to the livestock industry on animal behavior, and the inventor of the squeeze machine.  She is also very active in he Autism community, trying to raise awareness and urging people to look deeper and try to work with Autistic children, for who knows what they may be capable if the right person comes along and finds what makes them tick.

Check out the video below to see Temple Grandin on Ted Talks discussing how the world needs all types of different minds. It is really worth watching and makes you think about the education system today and how many kids pass through without anyone ever taking the time to really see where they could excel if given the chance.

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1. Movie Review – Saw 3
2. Movie Review – The Holiday
3. Review: We Need to Talk About Kevin

Movies and TV are no exception, I cry for everything.  I cry during romantic comedies, I cry when people achieve greatness, I cry when someone crosses a finish line or fails to do so, I cry when the wind blows…

I don’t know if it’s my emotional state with my recent weight gain or perhaps my anxiety with my upcoming surgery, but MAN, it’s worse than ever!

On Christmas Day Xander and I got up and went to see the 9:30am showing of New Year’s Eve, which we loved… but I was already a mess of tears before the dang movie even started!  I cried through every single one of the trailers. No lie.  I was really starting to question my sanity by the time the movie started.  Watch these and let me know if you tear up at all.

I didn’t even re-watch them because I know if I do I’ll be a blubbering idiot again.

I so want to see these movies, and at the same time I really really don’t, because I know what will happen. I’ll be sitting in the theater trying to inconspicuously wipe my eyes and letting my nose dribble past the point of no return for fear of giving that loud “HEY EVERYONE, I’M CRYING LIKE A NUTCASE!” sniff.

I’m not just trying to be funny here, I really do wonder if I am on Insano Island all on my own here, or if they really are doing something different lately with the trailers in order to trigger a more emotional response.  Do any of you feel this as well?

This is probably one of those times where I’d be happy to just let you amuse me by agreeing with me regardless.

Maybe I’ll just watch them at home, where I’m free to wail and wipe my nose on my sleeve in peace.

P.S. I also cried the entire way through the New Year’s Eve movie…

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1. Bad Movie Night
2. Bad Blogger!!
3. You take the good, you take the bad…

This book sucked hardcore for the first few chapters and I had to force myself through it. It was long winded and the author appears to go out of her way to use run-on sentences and difficult language. I hate giving up on a book though, and I tend to try to push through them in case there is something better to be found.
I’m glad I did with this one, because it got very very good. Once I got used to the writing style and the content got more interesting, it turned out to be an extremely thought provoking novel which makes you question everything you’ve ever heard or thought about being a parent and having children. It makes you wonder especially about the nature vs nurture topic, which I’m still not sure about myself.
It’s almost hard to believe it’s fiction, to be honest. It makes me wonder if these are the things the mothers of the kids from Columbine and other school shootings thought and experienced.

The book is written through a series of letters from Eva, to her seemingly estranged husband, about their son Kevin.  Eva’s relationship with Kevin was strained from birth and as he grew older she was convinced that there was something wrong with him, always suspecting there was an evil side to him.  His behavior with her was drastically different than with her husband, who appears to be blissfully unaware of this side of him, partially because Kevin puts on a much happier face with him but also because he refuses to accept that his family is anything other than the norm.   This leads to Eva feeling quite alone in her efforts to win Kevin’s affection and deal with his abusive and sometimes cruel behavior.

I found it to be quite a difficult read for a number of reasons, both because of how the book was written but also the content.  As someone who has been trying to have children for a very long time, and had far too much time to question if we want to have one and why, this was an absolutely frightening read.  The thought of having a child and not having a connection with him / her and having them react to me in the way Kevin reacts to his mother (or doesn’t react) scared me.  It also made me worry about the decisions I would make as a mother, how they would affect any future child and what the hell I’d ever do if I had a child like this.

When I said the book was thought provoking, that was putting it mildly. It’s a book that you read and then it sticks with you… I have found myself mulling it over in my head while in bed, on the tram, while shopping and a lot of other times.  I’ve gone back and forth in my head about the nature vs nuture topic and how it applies in this movie.  Granted, this is a work of fiction and without speaking to the parents of kids who have done such horrible things, there’s no way to know if this is what it’s really like.  From what I gather, most parents are taken quite by surprise when their child does something so horrific, which wasn’t really the case with Eva in the book.

I’ve questioned again and again whether Kevin was born that way or if there was something in the way Eva acted towards him and if her depression and frustration with a difficult, constantly crying baby caused him to somehow detach from her, thus breaking the mother / child relationship and starting off what turned out to be quite evil behavior.

What has brought this all back up recently was seeing the movie.  It’s been years since I read the book, which is usually a good thing when it comes time to watch a movie that is based on one.  Otherwise I spend the entire time picking the movie apart and complaining about what is and isn’t represented from the book.  I was able to just watch this and enjoy it without remembering or recognizing what was missing, or what was added.

My experience when watching the movie was quite the same as when I read the book. There were parts that were boring but it was intriguing at the same time.  It probably helped that I had already read the book and knew what the outcome would be.   I did feel a heightened sense of anticipation and dread through the movie, which I know was the desired affect.

The children in the film were brilliant and more than once I wondered how they got a child that was so young to give such looks and portray such emotion.  All three of the boys that played Kevin did a remarkable job in creating a massive unease within me, the kind of feeling that makes me understand why some species eat their young.

The entire cast was chosen perfectly really.  I don’t think anyone could play the tortured, anguished Eva the way Tilda Swinton did.  She WAS Eva in this film, and what I liked most was that she managed to create that perfect balance that we found in the book, where you wanted to empathize and sympathize with her but at the same time there was something about her that made you uneasy as well.  I’m not sure a lot of actresses could bring that out in the character the way she did.  It takes a lot of acting skill to make you pity a character at the same time as you sort of hate her.

Her husband (Franklin), played by John C. Reilly, was also done very well.  His stubborn desire to have the perfect little nuclear family causes him to ignore and brush off all of Eva’s attempts to get him to understand what she is going through.   Reilly is the perfect person to play a sort of happy go lucky, father who is happy to ignore what is going on around him.

Both the book and the movie bring about so many questions.  What causes Kevin to be the way he is?  Is it Eva’s inability to deal with him as a difficult baby that severed the bond between mother and son?  Was there ever one there to begin with?  Is Kevin just inherently evil or was that something that was somehow created by his environment?

** Spoilers Ahead **

Another big question I have is in regards to how he feels about his parents.  Through the book and the movie I had the impression that he liked his father more than his mother, that there was more respect for  him.  If that were true, why did he kill Franklin and not Eva?  If all of his anger and hatred appeared to be aimed towards his mother, why did he not kill her?  Was it because he wanted her to live miserable and alone, feeling responsible for all the death and destruction Kevin left in his path?

I wonder if it wasn’t quite the opposite.  If in some strange way Kevin didn’t have more respect for his mother because she saw through him, and she constantly challenged him.  Did he not have less respect for his father and almost see him as an idiot who could be easily fooled by putting on a smile and pretending to be an adoring son?  Did he kill the father and sister because he had no use for them?

So many questions!  That is what makes a good book for me, something that leaves me thinking afterwards.  There are things I didn’t like about the book, and the movie, but none of it took away from the story and the endless questions that it left me with.  Even though I will probably never read it again, or watch the movie, I still think this is an incredible story.

Related posts:

1. The 19th Wife: Book Review
2. Book Review – Brand New Friend
3. Movie Review: Temple Grandin

I honestly have no idea what to say.  I’m still on the fence about so many things.  As you know I’m not really feeling some of these casting decisions.  After seeing the trailer I still feel the same about Heigl as Stephanie Plum and I’m starting to come around to the idea of Debbie Reynolds as Grandma Mazur, even though I still think she’s TOO DAMN BIG AND PRETTY!  Not that she’s fat, don’t get me wrong, but the descriptions in the book always made me think that Grandma Mazur was incredibly thin and small, as well as sort of shriveled up.  A frail old lady with a lot of spunk, ya know?!  Debbie Reynolds can pull off the crazy, but her body type and look just doesn’t match what I imagined her to be.

Strangely, my opinions about Ranger and Morelli have almost switched.  As hot as I think Daniel Sunjata is, I am starting to be a little unsure now.  I loved him in Rescue Me but after seeing him AS Ranger in the trailer, aargggghh, I don’t know!!  I know we only see him for about 0.45 seconds but I sort of hoped that they’d make him INTO Ranger for the film. Where the heck is the ponytail?  Am I imagining things? Didn’t Ranger have long hair?  I may have made that up in my head, I just don’t know anymore.

On the flip side, I had a “Hey, he’s not half bad!” reaction to Jason O’Mara as Morelli.  Not the walking disaster I imagined.  I think he MAY just be able to pull off the sexy and cocky attitude enough to make us forget all the ways that he’s not Morelli physically.  Like, I literally raised my eyebrows and went “HMM!” … I was pleasantly surprised.

My favorite part of the trailer?  As I suspected, it’s seeing Sherri Shepherd as LULA!  I don’t think she’s going to disappoint, just hearing “If you want information from Lula you gotta bring her a snack!” made me almost roar out loud with laughter.  She’s going to be great, the highlight of the entire movie, you wait and see.  She’s gonna rock that shit.

The bottom line is, even if it turns out to be a complete disaster, I’m going to be front and center.  There’s no way I’m going to MISS THIS!

What do you think after finally getting a glimpse of them all in action?! Are you excited or are you dreading it?

Related posts:

1. Vinnie and Lula Cast in One For The Money (Stephanie Plum Movie)
2. Katherine Heigl To Play Stephanie Plum
3. Ranger and Morelli Cast For Stephanie Plum Movie

Oh, sorry no… not that one.  It was this one!  Here’s what happened.

The other day my friend Genevieve asked if I wanted to get together in town today and maybe see a movie.  When we realized that all the theaters in town aren’t showing regular films because of the Rotterdam International Film Festival, she asked if I wanted to do that instead.  I was all for it as I’d gone last year and really enjoyed it.

We both sort of forgot about it and today decided last minute to go have some lunch and check out one of the films.  It was easy to decide which one we were going to because there were only a few options during the time we were available.

We ended up choosing a film called Kongen av Bastøy (King of Devil’s Island) and it was SO good!  Here’s a trailer:

It was quite dark and gloomy and very violent in spots but it had both myself and Genevieve on the edge of our seats the entire time.  I think the fact that it’s a true story made it a bit more difficult to watch as you know that these things actually happened to the children who were sent there.  Stellan Skarsgård played his role of the Governor to perfection, allowing us to see how vile and cowardly he was while still giving us glimpses of his humanity.  There were times when you really think he is a good guy in a difficult position, but then he quickly proves you wrong.

That’s one thing that tells me if I really love a movie, or an actor.  If I hate a character, like truly despise them to the point of still hating the actor a little bit when I look at them afterwards?  I know they’ve done a damn good job.

After the film was over the director, Marius Holst and Stellan Skarsgård came out for a Q&A.  They gave some insight into the film and discussed what actually took place on the island over the years.  It was really interesting to learn some history about the place, what prompted him to do the movie, how he chose the actors to play the children and all the other info he had to share.

I was so excited when I saw him walk in though!  I mean how often do you just happen to end up in the same room with a movie star?  … and he IS a movie star!

You know what I was thinking the whole time?

OMG!!! I can’t believe I’m in the same room with the guy who made Alexander Skarsgård!!!

As we were walking out he was right next to me.  Like, I could have easily reached out and touched him he was so close.  I SO wanted to ask if I could get a photo with him but I didn’t want to be THAT person.  Everyone else was acting all cool and like it was no big deal… they are film festival people, they are above squealing when a movie star is near.  I didn’t want to be the person at the fancy dinner who licks my plate, ya know?

I so wish I had now… damn me and my desire to fit in!  If I had gotten to take my photos with him, we probably would have done that arms around each other thing like people do for photos.  Which means I would have touched him.  He’s probably touched his son at some point in the recent past, so by my calculations… that means I would have touched Eric Northman by proxy!!

What? 

Oh shut up, it’s closer than any of you will ever get!

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2. Katherine Heigl Already More Plum-Like
3. Sometimes I Really Love Rotterdam

I’m really not so sure about this one, not sure at all.

It’s Debbie Reynolds. Debbie Freakin Reynolds. Debbie annoying mom to Grace Adler on Will and Grace Reynolds.  As Grandma Mazur? OUR endearing, old, batshit crazy grandma. Can she do it?

I don’t know.

I suppose I should be more supportive of her, seeing as one of the reasons I got my name was that my mother loved her Tammy Movies, but I can’t.  I can’t help but question her in this role and even our name connection can’t keep me on her side.

Let’s have a look at what Grandma Mazur is meant to be.

From Wikipedia:

Grandma Mazur is Stephanie’s maternal grandmother. In Two For The Dough her real name is Edna. She lives in Stephanie’s parents’ house ever since her husband died of heart failure. In Lean Mean Thirteen Grandma Mazur uses his real name: Harry.

She is a woman unwilling to grow old, ever. Stephanie relates to Grandma Mazur more than any other member of her family. Beginning in Two For the Dough, Grandma Mazur begins to tag along on cases with Stephanie, often pulling a gun out of her purse at inappropriate moments. Grandma Mazur also frequents the local funeral parlors because they are the social center of the neighborhood. She sometimes peeks underneath the casket lid to see the dead body, causing hysteria in the parlor.

Grandma Mazur is also the official owner of Big Blue, a ’53 powder blue Buick that men love and women hate. The car is virtually indestructible, and Grandma Mazur got it from Stephanie’s Uncle Sandor. She moved in with Stephanie for a short periods of time during “Hot Six”. She also occasionally watches pay-per-view porn, on account that “The Weather Channel doesn’t have enough action”.

Ok, if you read that and have never read the books I suppose you’d think that Debbie Reynolds would be just as capable of playing this role as anyone.  If you have read the books though, I’m sure you’ll be with me on this one.  Grandma Mazur is old.  Like OLDER THAN DIRT kind of old.  The mental image you are given of her is that she is small and somewhat frail physically, a tiny little wrinkled crazy woman.

Debbie Reynolds is getting up there, sure,  but she’s not that kind of old yet, and she just doesn’t have it.  I don’t know what IT is but it’s that thing that makes you think OMG, She would be the perfect Grandma Mazur!

Sort of like you’d have with this lady…

Now that is a crazy ol’ grandma!  She was quite possibly the only good thing about that show.

Let’s not forget my first choice…

Rappin’ Granny in the hizzouuuuuse!!  I always thought Ellen Albertini Dow would make a great Grandma Mazur.

I don’t know, maybe I’m wrong.  They can do a lot with makeup nowadays and she is a good actress.  Perhaps with the right clothes, the right script, the right acting and the right director she just might be able to make us believe she is Grandma Mazur.

That’s a lot of things to have to get right though and they do, because I’m not convinced she is right.

The casting is starting to worry me a bit.  I don’t think they made the right choice for Morelli and now this… I’m happy with the rest of the cast but these are important roles that if not done properly could ruin the movies for a lot of people who truly love the books.

What do you think?  When you heard about the movie and imagined who would be cast as Grandma Mazur, how far down your mental list was she?

All I know is, she wasn’t even ON mine.

Related posts:

1. Vinnie and Lula Cast in One For The Money (Stephanie Plum Movie)
2. Ranger and Morelli Cast For Stephanie Plum Movie
3. My Stephanie Plum Movie Castings

We have a Lula!!!  This is what I have been waiting for.  We have Stephanie, Morelli, Ranger, and now Lula.  All we need now is a Grandma Mazur and we are done, the rest don’t REALLY matter.

Oh yeah, we have a Vinnie too.

So, who will be playing everyone’s favorite gun-toting, spandex wearing, ex-hooker?

Oh yeah, and Vinnie…

Lula

Wikipedia description of the character:

Lula was introduced as a minor character working as a hooker in the first book in the series, One For the Money. In Two For the Dough, she becomes Vinnie’s filing clerk and Stephanie’s sometimes partner. Stephanie refers to her as a plus-sized black woman who attempts to shove a size 16 body into size 10 spandex. According to the reader poll on Evanovich’s official site, the favored actress to portray Lula is Mo’Nique. She reappears in later books after she begins to work as a file clerk at the bail bonds office. The other file clerk quit after Vinnie attempted to sexually harass her. Lula is a poor file clerk, and frequently accompanies Stephanie when she is going after bonded clients who haven’t shown up for their court appearance (known colloquially as Failure to Appear, or FTAs). By the 11th book, Lula has worked her way up into being a full time bounty hunter and takes over for Stephanie after she quits working as a bounty hunter. Eventually Stephanie returns to the job, and Lula goes back to being the file clerk and Stephanie’s sometime partner.

It’s Sherri-Sherri Shepherd Y’all!!  Ok, so it’s not Queen Latifah as I had hoped in my movie casting wishes, or the favored Mo’Nique, but hey, I don’t think she’s too bad!  She’s got what it takes to be Lula, don’t you think?  I know like with most of the other characters there will always people who disagree because they had someone set in their minds to play them, but for the most part I think people will be ok with this.

She’s black, she’s got spunk, she definitely can be dressed up to look like an overweight whore and if that doesn’t convince you, look at this:

Dude, she’s totally gonna pop a cap in someone’s ass!  Doesn’t that have ‘Angry Lula Face’ written all over it?

She can do this, people!  I know she can!  It’s going to be hilarious, trust me.

The only concern I have is that I think a lot of people imagined Lula to be less… girly?  Sherri Shepherd may be bigger than the average gal but she’s also somewhat feminine and her voice is higher than I imagine Lula’s to be.  When I think of Lula I don’t think of big just as in overweight, but big in an intimidating way, perhaps a tad butchy with a voice that holds some real deep power.

Will Sherri Shepherd be able to make that side of Lula show through?  If not I may be eating my words about her being able to pull this off.

If you don’t know who Sherri Shepherd is, you may recognize her from being on The View.

Vinnie Plum

Wikipedia description of the character:

Vinnie is the owner of Vincent Plum’s Bail Bonds, where Stephanie is employed. He is also Stephanie’s cousin, and he can barely tolerate his employees. He’s rumored to have had a romantic relationship with a duck and is usually locked away in his office talking with his bookie; taking a snooze or having a conversation with his "Johnson".

Ok, so if I were to ask you if you knew who Patrick Fischler was, would you know?

No?  Me neither.

I’m sure you recognize him when you look at his photo though, the same as I did.  He’s one of those actors that you know from things, you always recognize his photo but if someone ever asked you who he is you’d never know.

Like that other guy, you know the blond one… in that show, with the girl.

Regardless, what I DO know from the shows I’ve seen this guy in is that he can do creepy, and really, what else do you need to do to play Vinnie?  He’s a skeezy guy who pops in now and then, it’s not rocket surgery.  He’ll be good in this role, that’s really all I have to say about it as Vinnie isn’t one of the characters I was really concerned about anyway.

You can stop banging your head now, this is where you recognize him from.

You’re welcome.

So all we have left now out of my main characters is Grandma Mazur.  This one they absolutely MUST get right or the movie may very well be ruined for me forever.

Oh yes, and a small side note.  A lesser known character has also been cast.

John Leguizamo has been cast in the role of Jimmy Alpha.

Who is Jimmy Alpha, you ask?  He’s the manager of Benito Ramirez that decides to take things into his own hands towards the end of the book.

I know this because I googled, not because I actually remembered him off the top of my head.  I read that book years ago, I don’t remember every little detail.  Sue me.

Point is, I’m not sure how big of a role this will be.  I do love me some John Leguizamo though, so I’m hoping that they beef up his character a bit so that we get to see a little more of him.

That’s it for now!  It will only be a matter of time now before we see the full cast.  I’ll keep you posted!

Related posts:

1. Ranger and Morelli Cast For Stephanie Plum Movie
2. Grandma Mazur Cast in Stephanie Plum Movie
3. OMG! It’s Here! One For the Money Stephanie Plum Trailer!

Oh man, I love this shit… it’s so true, we love the stars when they turn badass.  I STILL go to YouTube and watch the Natalie Portman Rap.

Oh Ralph Macchio, it has been 25 years and I still love you… even though I think it’s creepy that you still look exactly the same.

Are you a vampire?

If you are, that’s even hotter.  Just sayin’.

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Today me (middle), Penny (right) and Laila (left) got up bright and early and went into the city center to see the new Sex and The City movie.  We chose to go early on a Saturday so that they could arrange child care and we’d have time for lunch and shopping afterward.  I won’t get into too much about the movie, it was pretty much what you expect from Sex and the City.  Perhaps it was a little more silly and less emotionally driven than the first one but a very good laugh.  It got two out of three thumbs up, Penny and I quite enjoyed it while Laila gave it a  MEH.

We booked our tickets in advance, just on the chance that everyone else had the same idea.  I have a Pathe Unlimited card that allows me to go to any movies I want for €18,50 / month (roughly the cost of two movies).  I chose not to use it this time though as I can only get a ticket within the 30 minutes before the film.  I didn’t want to risk us all not being able to go if we were too late and it was sold out.  This turned out to be pretty unnecessary, as it was not at all as busy as we were expecting.

All was not lost though, I did learn a very valuable lesson while ordering the tickets.

What interesting lesson did I learn, you ask?  Well, I learned that if you go to a film before noon, it’s only €5!!  Now I’m thinking if most movies have early play times (which I’m not sure they do) I could go to roughly 2x as many movies for almost the same price, at €5 a pop.  This will require a bit more investigation but here’s what I know so far…

If you are cheap and you hate people, morning flicks at the Pathe are perfect for you!

Anyway, boy were we surprised when we walked into the theater and were the only ones there other than the girl who took this photo and a few others.  We were a half hour early and a few more did show up a little later on but it was far from full.   Just how I love my movie theaters, at least half empty.  Did I mention I don’t dig crowds?  Pretty sure I did.

Yeah sorry, I should have mentioned.  That cheap and hates people example I gave earlier, that’s me.

After the film we went to Bagels & Beans and sat out on the terrace while having some lunch.  Bagels aren’t really a dime a dozen here like they are back in North America so it was a rare treat for us.  The sun was shining and sat basking and chatting while we ate.

Odd fact… I hate pickles, but for some reason I love the pickles at Bagels & Beans SO much that I always ask for extra.  Go figure.  If only I could find the same kind in jars at the supermarket I’d have a great low fat treat, but no luck.  Many a pickle jar has come into this house, been opened, one pickle bitten into and then promptly trashed.  One day I will track down these pickles… one day they will be mine!

Unfortunately Laila had to leave us after lunch, so Penny and I continued on to do a bit of shopping.  We decided it was Out Of Our Comfort Zone Day, her trying on dresses and me … you’ll never believe it… sleeveless tops.

Sleeveless like, without arms.  Other than MY arms, of which there is plenty.

Bare, naked arms.  MY bare naked arms.

Also, visible Armpits. Oh god help me!  Was that a twitch?  I’m pretty sure that was a twitch… *TWITCH*

I wasn’t so sure about it but Penny urged me to try them on, and I admit it was comfortable and felt nice.  So, I bought them and vowed to never lift my arms  high enough to give people a pit view because it’s only right, I wouldn’t want to see theirs.  There’s no reason I should make a point of showing them mine.  Who knows who else out there suffers Pit Phobia like me.  Surely there is at least one other.

All I can do is hope that I never have to check my hair, reach the top shelf, hail a cab or get someone’s attention… as long as none of those things happen I should make it through the summer with minimal trauma.

Also, these shirts aren’t just sleeveless, they have those spaghetti straps so other than the straps I”m feeling all naked from the chest up.  So those bare naked arms will be hanging off my bare naked exposed shoulders!   Not a familiar feeling as I’m used to wearing what my husband calls Big Triangle Tops. Yes, he actually said ‘big triangle tops’.  If it weren’t true I’d probably have been a little perturbed.  He means tunic style shirts, by the way.

Ok, so yes… over the years I developed a habit of wearing tops that are very baggy. I know it was delusional to think they were actually hiding something but it still made me feel better to be surrounded in all that fabric.

That’s just how a brain works when it’s surrounded by fat, don’t ask me to explain it.

Like most people, one of my biggest hurdles in this weight loss journey is learning to wear things in my size that fit me and trust that it looks ok, rather than buying a size up in an attempt to hide every bump, pucker and roll.  I’m getting there, and I no longer fret if it’s clinging to my bum or my lower belly.  They are there, they are mine and why wear a shirt that looks like I could fit a few more pairs of boobs in it just to have it baggy around the bottom. I’ve always known that it looks worse to go bigger, but nobody has ever accused me of being too rational, have they?

I’m working on changing it though, like my eating habits, my exercise habits and everything else I’ve had to learn to change about myself, I need to learn to change the way I dress too.  It’s not easy when you are after spending years just buying what fits… having options is not something I am used to!

It was a fun day though, I loved being out with my friends, just being girls and doing what girls do.

Oh, and it’s possible that Penny decided to treat us to some Haagen Dazs ice cream too, and I can neither confirm nor deny whether we had one scoop or two.  Yes, I know that doesn’t fit in with the diet, shrinking ass theme of this post but just go with it… I burned off at least a half a scoop trying on all those clothes.  True story, ask your doctor.

Related posts:

1. Early Morning at Zuiderpark
2. Oude Luxor Theater – Backstage Pass!
3. Decorating Early

That doesn’t mean it’s all bad though… let’s have a little look-see at who will be playing these two men that are so near and dear to our hearts.

JOE MORELLI

Wikipedia description of the character:

Joe Morelli is Stephanie’s on-and-off boyfriend, a former bad boy turned vice cop. He is also known as Officer Hottie or the Italian Stallion. Her history with Morelli started with a “choo choo” incident when she was six. At the age of sixteen, Stephanie lost her virginity to Morelli in the Tasty Pastry shop behind the éclair stand, after which he never called (but left quite a few flattering messages in bathroom and stadium walls around town). Three years later she saw Morelli and ran over him with her father’s Buick, breaking his leg. A few years later in One for the Money Morelli was suspected of murder and was her first FTA, and Stephanie chased him around town, much to his annoyance….

At various times, both Stephanie and Morelli have seriously considered marriage, but never at the same time. They both know they’re not ready for commitment, but often comment on the idea together and have lived together more than once. Their relationship runs cold as a result of many arguments – usually over her job (She’s been known to stress Morelli enough that he tends to takes Rolaids & Maalox and tells her that he is quickly deteriorating because of her) and they eventually lead to her relationship with Ranger. Being that both were born & bred in Trenton, whatever happens to/around her usually has a number of others calling Morelli to inform him – cars being blown, bodies being found, etc. He’s said that he doesn’t even need to listen to the radio anymore; he knows she’s always involved (usually by some illegal means) and that he always gets calls about her and the latest situation she’s in.

Afraid I’ll have to cut it there as anything else will just spoil it for those of you who aren’t familiar with the story.

Morelli will be played by Jason O’Mara, who is most well known for his leading role in Life on Mars. I have never watched it as I’m not a big fan of shows that originate from trying to rip off really intelligently written British shows, but well… he looks cute enough.  Not exactly what I had in mind for Morelli, but I can see a faint glimmer of it there.  I somehow imagined him to be the real black haired, dark, Italian type, but my choice was Jeffrey Dean Morgan and he doesn’t exactly fit that description either.

I’m not screaming for joy here but I’m not particularly bothered by it either.  It can still go either way for me and I won’t know until I actually see him in the film.  Although, I may set aside my hatred for watered down American versions of British shows and watch Life on Mars, purely for research purposes.  I will have to get back to you on that.

RANGER

Wikipedia description of the character:

Ranger is Stephanie’s fellow bounty hunter and tutor and sometimes known as Batman because of his mysterious ways. Ranger is Cuban-American, with mocha latte skin that can only be described as yum, always wears black or camo green, and drives a rotation of very expensive black cars (Stephanie has lingering questions about the origin of Ranger’s car-supply, but he will only say ‘Don’t ask’). He is the C.E.O. of RangeMan, Inc., a security company (among other things).

Stephanie’s relationship with Ranger, somewhere between boyfriend/girlfriend and teacher/pupil, provides much of her day-to-day stress, along with the almost constant threat of car bombing. Ranger says he loves Stephanie “in his own way” but isn’t the marrying type. Even if she is on with Morelli, it doesn’t stop Ranger from kissing or flirting with her, nor does she do much to discourage his advances. Regardless of his rivalry with Morelli, he has said that “Morelli is a good man” and is the marrying type Stephanie wants. Ranger does high-dollar or high-risk recovery for Vinnie, and sometimes lends Stephanie a hand with some of the more dangerous or slippery FTAs. He often assigns employees to guard or track her when she is in serious danger. Ranger “bleeds money” every time Stephanie requires protection, which is frequently; she minds, but he doesn’t so much – she actually appears as a line item in his budget (where she’s listed under “entertainment”).

As a result of him often coming to her aid or rescue, she has built up quite a tab with him and he has said that one day, he will collect.

Ranger will be played by Daniel Sunjata, who is most famous for his role as the hottie Franco Rivera on Rescue Me.   As for him playing Ranger? Two words… YES PLEASE!!!!!

I challenge you to watch Rescue Me and not think this man was carved out of a piece of heaven itself.  He is HOT!  He can play it cool and he can definitely play a ladies man, as I’m sure whoever came up with the term ladies man obviously met Franco Rivera!  Given the appropriate wardrobe and a good script, he CAN be Ranger, I’m certain of it.   To be honest, I’m not sure why I hadn’t come up with him myself when I was thinking of possibilities.  I think because I imagined Ranger to be harder, someone with a bit more of a rough look or perhaps having played more ‘fighty’ roles in the past (hence my choosing Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson initially), but I think he can do it.  We’ve just not seen him in that kind of role yet, or I haven’t at least.

As with Heigl, I am 100% behind Sunjata as Ranger.  The jury is still out on the Morelli casting, I will have to look into the actor a bit more before I can say either way.

I’m excited about this, really friggin’ excited!  The more castings that happen and the closer the movie comes to being a reality, the more eager I am to see it.  Especially now after seeing these castings.  That said, it could all go to shit if they don’t choose wisely for Grandma Mazur and Lula, as they are pretty central characters that are loved by all.  Get those two wrong and they may as well not even bother making the film.

I will be keeping my eyes peeled for any casting news in regards to those two, for sure, but in the meantime… what do YOU think of these guys playing our leading men??

Related posts:

1. Vinnie and Lula Cast in One For The Money (Stephanie Plum Movie)
2. Grandma Mazur Cast in Stephanie Plum Movie
3. Katherine Heigl To Play Stephanie Plum