Land of Nitsy

They're here!

2011-02-27T21:16:00.001-08:00

My beautiful baby boys are here, and have been for the last 6 weeks. I am officially the worst blogger in the world, but I've been busy adapting to my new role of mom.

Judah James (on the right above at 3 weeks) was born first via c-section weighing 4 lbs 6 oz. Asher West (on the left above also at 3 weeks - duh) was born two minutes later weighing 6 lbs 5 oz. Both boys were born crying with full heads of hair.

We totally lucked out with these awesome kids. They don't give us too much trouble unless they're hungry or uncomfortable. Judah is a bit more of a dramatic little guy (dramatic chipmunk) compared to the ultra laid back Asher. We're excited to start sleep training soon so we can reclaim some of our sanity, though honestly it really hasn't been too terrible on the sleep deprivation front (but ask me again at 3am, and I'll give a different possibly curse-word-filled answer).

A few lessons I've learned in the first few weeks of motherhood:

Leaving preemie babies at the NICU is a blessing and a curse. It was so great to have time to recover from the birth knowing that they were receiving expert care, but so so difficult to leave the hospital day after day without those little darlings.
Huggies leak like crazy on my boys. I can't wait to finish the boxes I have. I want to try out Luvs, Costco and Target store brand diapers to see if they work for us, but if not I am totally sold on Pampers (which we have never had a leak with to date.)
Little boy parts should point DOWN in a diaper, and the ruffles around the legs should be OUT. And no, this wasn't the problem with the Huggies.
Judah is calmed by the vocal stylings of Celine Dion (learned this one tonight while watching the Academy Awards).
Asher loves to eat and smells like toast.
Always accept help/meals/hand-me-downs when offered.
Boppys are my lifesaver. The boys happily sit in them, sleep in them (for daytime naps), and use them as props for tummy time.
Both boys hate baths so far, which is why we delay and delay giving them. Maybe that explains the toast thing.
Swaddling is tops.
I am totally in love with all of my boys. I can't believe how blessed I am. And I can't believe how much I love being a mom to boys.

Festivus Bed-Restivus

2010-12-24T08:53:00.001-08:00

Festivus was yesterday, December 23rd. I was expecting a relatively quiet Festivus holiday, but instead got the following.

This is what my feet look like normally.

This is a dramatic reenactment of what my feet looked like on Wednesday night.
(Sadly I didn't have the wherewithal to take a photo - thanks Google Image "pregnancy cankle" search!)

So, I have had some mild swelling in my feet through the last few months of my pregnancy, but nothing serious at all. That is, until a few nights ago. I noticed that my feet were looking mighty fluffy popping out of the top of my cute flats. I lifted my pant leg and saw the true horror of the situation: my ankle had entirely disappeared and had been replaced by a fleshy tree trunk instead. Also, my shin had developed what appeared to be fat rolls. Really? Although this is a regular thing in most pregnancies, mine came on so suddenly that I decided to give my doctor a quick call, just to be on the safe side. I was told to stay off my feet for the rest of the night and then head in for a blood pressure check in the morning (as the sudden swelling can be a symptom of pre-eclampsia).

When I got to the doctor my blood pressure was slightly elevated (but nothing out of this world). I had gained 4 cm in the last week, and 6 pounds! I am now measuring as large as a 40 week singleton pregnancy (40 weeks is full term, btw) even though I was a day shy of 32 weeks. I also had a little protein in my urine, which is what got me sent to labor & delivery for some labs and a non-stress test. Note, I was by myself and I had no idea that I was being admitted into the hospital. I thought I was just getting a blood test. Silly me.

After waiting in the hall for a while and exchanging confusing calls and texts with Nick, my mom and Malia, I was given a hospital bracelet and one of those sweet hospital gowns that flap open in the back (a first for me). I decided that Nick should probably get down there just in case (and that incredible journey is a whole different story because of our car breaking down the prior day.) Anyway, after being stabbed in the arm 3 times my labs came back and showed no pre-eclampsia. Great news! However, my non-stress test (which monitors the babies heart beats and uterine contractions) showed that I was having a bunch of contractions. I wouldn't have known because they weren't painful at all, but they were regular enough to be of concern to my doctor. Then I got to have my cervix swabbed to check for preterm labor (fetal fibronectin test for those keeping tabs). That one also came back negatory, which means that it's highly unlikely that I'll give birth in the next two weeks. My doc also measured my cervix with ultrasound, and it was still in a normal range, but getting shorter than she would like to see at this point. I'm also not dilated at all, which is good.

After all this fun I got a shot of something to stop my contractions. Also around this point Nick showed up (about 3 hours after I had been admitted). My contractions actually responded to the meds, so my doc decided that I could go home (yay) but on bed rest (boo). I'm popping pills every 6 hours to keep the contractions away, and chilling in my bed. Nick is doing a great job of getting me food, beverages with straws, books, dvds, and everything else my heart desires. He also cleaned up the house so my family can come visit us for Christmas later today (since I am now house-bound except for doctors appointments).

If you need me in the next 2-6 weeks, you'll know where to find me! Happy Festivus!

Bragging

2010-10-24T16:05:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Nick paused college football in order to vacuum the entire house. Without being asked. Because he's great.

Let's talk about sex, baby!

2010-10-06T15:57:00.001-07:00

A big congrats to Tyler, Dean, Alex, Kristine, Rachel, Todd and my subconscious for guessing the correct gender combo for the Nitsy Twins. That's right kids, we found out at our detailed ultrasound today that Twin A is a boy, and Twin B is... another boy! Sorry LC, we're all snips and snails and puppy dog tails over here. It did not come as a huge shock to me as I had a dream very early on in my pregnancy when I first knew about the twins that they were both boys. I was hoping for one girl, but I guess I'll have to try again for my girl.

Both babies are developing well, and still have healthy heartbeats and growth. Twin A weighs 13 oz, and Twin B weighs 14oz. For those keeping tabs, my cervix is still long and strong.

I also took the dreaded gestational diabetes test this last week... and failed. So I have to go in for a more extensive 3 hour test. Yuck!

In other fun news, I joined a podcast called Pregtastic. It's an online radio show where pregnant moms from the area get together to discuss different pregnancy topics. I have recorded 3 episodes so far, and the first came out today! If you're interested, check it out here: http://www.pregtastic.com/category/podcasts/ or just search for "pregtastic" on itunes.

Vital Stats:

How Far Along? 20.5 weeks - over half way there!

Maternity Clothes? I still fit in a few of my larger regular shirts and stretchy pants, but I'm wearing mainly maternity clothes now.

Weight Gain? 12-ish pounds, but I haven't been weighed at the doctor in a few weeks.

Stretch Marks? Oh yes. Though I think they might have been there pre-pregnancy... but I'll just go ahead and blame the twins from here on out.

Feeling Movement? Only a few times each day, but we saw that both twins were quite active during their ultrasound.

Sleep? I am sleeping 9-10 hours per night. I discovered the wonders of the body pillow, and now I'm loving my sleep again.

Belly Button In or Out? Still in. I have a belly button aversion, so we'll see how I feel if/when it pops out.

Cravings? Hotdogs and rootbeer. Weird, right?

Best Moment of the Week? Finally learning the genders of my little guys!

Genders? Boys

What I Miss? Sushi! Also, walking and taking stairs comfortably. I feel mildly disabled.

What I Love? Looking at baby clothes. Deciding on nursery decor. Feeling the babies move.

What I'm Looking Forward To? Reaching 24 weeks (viability).

Milestones? Over half way there!!!

Other Thoughts? Nick and I both feel so blessed to have such a mild and healthy pregnancy so far. Keep growing babies!

Lots of love to you all!

Nitsy

Fun Game!

2010-08-26T15:15:00.000-07:00

We will be finding out the genders of the Nitsy Twins in the next few weeks (so long as they're not modestly hiding the goods). We've started a game to get your Nitsy Twins gender guesses. To enter, simply leave a comment below. Boy/Boy, Girl/Girl or Boy/Girl. The prize for guessing correctly is bragging rights, pride, and big props for being so intuitive.

Happy guessing!

Betsy is Great

2010-07-31T18:37:00.000-07:00

...with child. Well, children really. That's right folks, I'm in the family way, and baking a double batch of awesome. The Nitsy Twins are scheduled to make their appearance some time in January (though my due date is about halfway through February). We are super excited to become parents of two now that the shock has worn off. And for those of you that are wondering (which seems to be most) this little miracle was achieved without any fertility intervention (100% natural). Also there are no twins in my or Nick's immediate families (maybe some distant third cousins or something?) so this was the SHOCK OF MY LIFE!

During my first prenatal appointment my doctor did an ultrasound to measure the baby and see how far along I was so the due date could be set (like a lot of things about me, my cycle is irregular). As soon as the ultrasound began she said "I need to tell you something, and I need you to brace yourself." I thought for sure she was going to tell me that I had lost the baby. Oh no, not at all. She informed me that we had been doubly blessed!! My reaction was to sob uncontrollably for the next 5 minutes. I was really really relieved, and clearly surprised. And here's the kicker - Nick wasn't even with me, so he got to hear the incredible news over the phone. I had to assure him that I was "not even close to kidding."

I'm a little over 11 weeks along now, but I feel pretty confident in sharing the news since I've had 3 solid ultrasounds all showing healthy growth from both babies as well as super boss heartbeats. And I don't mean to brag, but I pretty much rock at being pregnant. No morning sickness, no vomiting, and no real complaints so far. Amazing. We don't know the genders of the Nitsy Twins yet, but we'll likely find out at my next appointment in about a month. Also, there is a 99% chance that they are fraternal (from 2 eggs) because they are in separate sacs with their own placentas.

So, now you can see why our heads exploded back in June. We've almost pieced them back together, and hope to have intact skulls for the next few weeks of craziness: our move to Oceanside, the start of grad school for Nick at SDSU and more gestating for me.

So

2010-06-30T15:44:00.001-07:00

Our heads just exploded. That is all.

Rooster in the Henhouse

2010-05-20T15:49:00.000-07:00

After many tellings and by semi-popular demand, I officially present Rooster in the Hen House. I hope my embarrassment provides joy to those reading this post, and I hope it lives up to the many verbal tellings.

Betsy and I were coming back from Utah last summer and stopped in St George to eat lunch. Since we hadn't gotten Cafe Rio while there, we decided it was a great time to eat Utah's finest pseudo-Mexican food. As every seasoned traveller knows, Mexican food is probably not the best thing to eat while on the road. But Cafe Rio hardly feels like a Mexican joint, for one thing the most popular thing on the menu is a salad.
Ignoring sound travelling wisdom, I endeavored to eat the whole pork barbacoa salad with a tall Coke. Then we were back on the road.
The next big stop was Mesquite, Nevada, about 40 minutes away. We needed to stop for gas, so it seemed a relief for my bowels, which were quaking, and a great 2-for-1 stop. I pulled into the station, set easily in the same parking lot as a McDonalds and told Betsy to pump the gas, I had some business to take care of.
I waddled across the pavement to the cool interior of the McDonalds. I opened the men's bathroom and to my bowel's disappointment there was only one stall, which was occupied and one guy waiting for it. What was I to do? I had to go. Now! So I peaked into the ladies, just out of curiosity. No one appeared to be in there! And there were two stalls. I had three options; 1. Wait in line and potentially crap my pants, 2. Go find another bathroom and potentially crap my pants, or 3. Use the empty women's stall.
Now I've used a women's bathroom before. I have no problem with it. This is America. But every time before it was a onesy room that locked, meaning no other women could be in there. This was a full ladies restroom. I stepped inside, reasoning that it was better than crapping my pants in the middle of McDonalds and I would be relatively safe since there wasn't anyone visible.
So I quickly hopped into the open stall and let loose. The other stall was a large one with a changing station in it. After sitting down, I realized that the person in that stall was changing a diaper besides doing whatever other business there was.
My business didn't take very long, but there soon arose a little problem. Before the person in the other stall exited, a small family of females entered; a mom and two daughters. I couldn't walk out at that point. I didn't want to traumatize the little girls for life. The mom went into the vacant stall and the two girls waited. I would exit as soon as the girls were gone or in the stall.
But by the time that happened, more women arrived. And now with basically only one usable stall (a scared dude was using the other one), the flow of traffic slowed down. More and more women starting coming in and standing around to wait. I was trapped!
This was about 10 minutes into me sitting in there. I had finished everything and was sitting on the edge of the seat ready to jump out of there. About this time I texted Betsy of my predicament. Initially, she thought my texting was going to involve pooped pants. She was relieved to hear it wasn't and amused at my male predicament.
Then to my utter hope, it seemed like a prayer was answered...there was a slight lull in the amount of women in the bathroom. There were only about 2 women waiting now. If the lull could last, I had a chance of escaping. But no, my prayer was not answered...maybe God has a sense of humor or maybe he didn't want to help me out of a mess I so brazenly jumped into. At any rate, the bathroom started filling up again.
And just as every time when there are lots of women having to use the bathroom, a line formed. The line formed straight to the door and then out. In fact, the line became so long towards the end of my time in there that the door was held open.
I continued to text Betsy, getting reports on the outside world. She thought maybe a diversion could help. I don't know what kind of diversion could get 15 bladder filled ladies to leave the bathroom, but I was open to any diversion she could create.
I began getting seriously worried, I wasn't just hearing women's voices now, I could hear a man's in the distance. I feared it was a manager or employee. I think it was just some dude that was pissed that he had to wait for his wife for so long, because he was standing near the doorway according to Betsy, and looking like he wanted to beat someone up.
And by this time I could hear the chatter growing among the ladies, including whispers of "I think there's a man in there." For I have yet to mention that I was wearing sandals and the door didn't extend to the floor. Someone looking closely could see that either I was a woman with very hairy feet or indeed a man.
What could I do now? It would only get worse. The line would either extend off forever or the McDonalds manager would come banging on the door and I would potentially be prosecuted for some weird peeping Tom or sexual offense. So I used the logic I usually have to turn to when faced in similar situations where awkward contact needs to be made with strangers: Why are you worried, you're never going to see these people again.
And with that tried and true logic, I flushed an empty toilet and opened the stall door. To the Mesquite, NV travelling women's mouth-dropping horror, there was a MAN in the women's restroom.
The line stretched down the wall of the bathroom, past the far wall and out the door. I walked down the line proudly trying to hold a little dignity and shred of manhood, making eye contact with almost every woman. Some looked away, some stared back blankly, a few gasped, but all were stunned. My hindsight memory tells me that a woman even covered the eyes of her daughter, but I doubt it really happened. I'll leave that to the lore of my memory.
Betsy was walking back in to check on me when I walked out. She didn't know what to do, so she ran back outside before making contact with me, worried that some angry mob was going to get us. But we butt tailed it out of there so fast there was no time for a mob to form.
I would have loved to hear the conversations in there after I left. I'm also curious about the first person in line, if she walked into the stall without question or was slightly trepidacious at using it. At any rate, I learned a valuable lesson that road trip...never eat Cafe Rio in St. George.

AFI Top 100: 80 - 71

2010-04-12T16:00:00.000-07:00

The next AFI review post can be found over on Nick's movie review blog.

Filler Movie Reviews

2010-03-18T00:35:00.000-07:00

So I'm unemployed. Unemployed people have lots of time on their hands. And lots of time and a Netflix account means I watch a lot of movies. We're slowly making our way through the AFI list, but that only accounts for a few of the movies Nitsy sees, partly because there is only so much Betsy can take of silent and "classic" films, and she actually has a job, meaning less time.
I figured I have a degree in Cinema and opinions, I could spend a little time reviewing some of the movies we've and only I've been seeing. Some old, some new.

Bandslam!!! We originally saw this at the dollar theatre in Provo with Karl and Allie and loved it. In the summer of blockbusters this was majorly overlooked. Betsy put this at the top of the queue, despite already seeing it, and we ended up watching it again tonight. It's interesting, because it is almost a dumb Disney movie, (It's produced by Walden Media, a Disney entity), but it's not. It's better. There's story and character and really good music. So many times the story gets so close to being cliche, but then it pulls back and does its own thing. In fact, I would say at any point it was veering toward Disney Channel, the director turned it back toward indie film. With that route, it runs parallel to a Disney movie, never quite being it, but always in your mind you're expecting the movie to merge with it at some point. What keeps it so far away, I think, is the authenticity of the music. There is a real soundtrack, not watered down kid friendly music. The bands playing the concert are real indie bands, and they visit a real venue. (CBGB) Although, they had to make a mock stage for it, since it isn't there anymore. I'd like to think that this movie stands alone as great on its own merit, and not just a pleasant surprise.
A side note, I don't know who picked the photos for the movie poster, but the guy in the middle looks super weird. He's a little weird in the movie, but that's not a selling point. At least choose a picture where he doesn't look like he secretly has his hands down his pants behind these two girls.

The Omega Man - Charlton Heston, yeah! This was the second of 3 movies based on the book "I am Legend." The most recent starred Will Smith. The first one stars Vincent Price(and it's on the queue). This movie was so bad. But first I'll compare it to the Smith version. The Omega Man was made in the seventies and you can feel it, from the 8 Track Heston pushes into his stereo to the funky threads the black fro mama wears, this was a seventies movie. The most recent one wasn't so overtly hip to the time period it was made in, 2007. Cinematically it fits in. It's like an epic. But it's a thriller. It has Will Smith! Will Smith in an epic thriller! That could describe all of his films. It could even describe every Summer movie if you replace the actor's name. The Omega Man was not epic, nor was it a thriller. It started out that way, when it shows wide shots of Heston walking empty streets and driving crazily on the streets of LA. I didn't think the new one was that good, until I saw The Omega Man. I am Legend is almost genius filmmaking when compared.
Enough about Will Smith and his last man on Earth antics, back to Charlton Heston and his almost the last man on Earth antics, or lack thereof. In fact, there are indeed no Charlton Heston antics, except that he bangs a funky fro-wearing black mama. He's a smoothie, he takes her back to his last man on Earth bachelor pad and shows her what the last man on Earth feels like. And that's it, Heston has no awesome larger than life dialogue like, "Let my people go!" or "It's people. Soylent Green is people!" Nothing. He doesn't ever really tell the...I don't know what to call them, they aren't zombies, or vampires, they can kind of come out in light sometimes, but they wear sunglasses and robes....anyway, he kind of tells their leader off, saying they're barbarians, but he doesn't do it in the awesome Heston way. I think this was the kind of movie Charlton Heston wanted to get behind, imagine the scene where they pitched it to him, which was a perfect Heston vehicle.
"Charlton Heston....as the last man on Earth."
"I love it, when do we start?" he would have said.
"But Mr. Heston, don't you want to read the script?"
"No, I don't need to. But can we film it in LA? I'm sick of shooting on location."
"Sure thing, Mr Heston, we'll change the setting to LA."
Actually the book takes place in LA(so I'm told from Wikipedia), and most movies take place in either LA or NY anyway.
The ending is the same in this one as the new one. He gets the serum and passes it on then dies. But it's curious in this one. He doesn't actually sacrifice himself to save the others, but yet the last shot is of him sprayed out in a savior pose. While the new one, he does sacrifice himself, but there isn't that sacrificial pose. Heston really liked these dark sci-fi movies. He's always playing the broken sacrificial hero that either dies or the world kind of does. Will Smith could learn a thing or two from him about that.
I'll let you know how Vincent Price holds up in his version.

The Hangover - We waited two months for this! It was a "Long Wait," sitting atop our queue. I guess everyone in Orange County wanted to see this. I like to go into movies with a blank slate. I don't want low or high expectations to alter my thought process, I want to see only what's on the screen and not other's opinions or how long a wait must mean. And so with this....it was kinda funny. And these days kinda funny is a good thing in my book. It was better than "it was alright, I guess," but not quite as good as "it was pretty good." I think they took a simple movie with a simple plot and made it as good as they could. Zach what's his name is really funny. He plays a super weirdo, and that beard is awesome. I love Ed Helms, and he even sang a song. I was so happy that he did. Oh and the lady that plays his wife. She is hilarious. I don't really have a solid review for this, though. I think it road a fine line where it could have been just a stupid movie, and yet even though it was kind of a stupid movie, it was good. And the only reason it was good was because it was funny. So bravo, you did your thing. Your genre was comedy and you made a comedy. This wasn't high art, or any kind of art, except the basic meaning of what art is, so good job. A side note, one of the things I loath in this world is when people put sunglasses on babies, and despite them doing that with the movie poster, I still wasn't affected going into the viewing of this. Maybe it's because it isn't parents doing it to be cute, it's Zach what's his name doing it. It's funny if a weirdo puts sunglasses on a baby.
BTW, Betsy hated it.

Doubt!!!!! - I loved it. Betsy was upset that I saw it because she wanted to see it, too, but oh well, what am I supposed to do while she's at work?
I'll say it again, I loved it. For two big reasons; the acting and because it's set up like a stage play, maybe because it's based on a play. I didn't know too much about the premise of the film, except that it took place at a Catholic school and the main characters were Priests and Nuns. There was a lot of drama in the previews and trailers but they never said anything substantial, it was all just dramatic talking. It revolves around a suspected act of molestation, though, that term and the details are never spoken or laid out, they're just aluded to. I think barely getting into it made this film better. It took place in the 1960's decades before the church wide problem became a worldwide problem that seemed like an epidemic. It's like this was telling the first case, or the beginnings of it. So like with any beginning, you don't know what to call it or even how to completely identify it. This film had great layers, though, and because of that I may go back and watch it again(with Betsy). All three main characters are dealing with inner turmoil that barely seeps up, until the end when for just a minute Meryl Streep lets it out. A lot of that turmoil comes from these religious themes that sift through every scene. Questions arise and questions bring up doubts. But what are these doubts of? Even Streep's reveals her turmoil she doesn't go into detail, you're still left wondering what it actually is she's doubting.
I think because of that, you could walk away thinking this was an anti-religion film. I don't know what the writer's or director's motives were, but I don't think it is. Religion is a whole topic by itself, but I will say, doubt does play a role in faith, even in strong faith. Even when faith turns to knowing doubt is still around. This film is really just showing the roots of doubt. It's in turmoil and conflict and as good as it is sometimes, in questioning faith. Faith is meant to be tried, it's like a muscle. Doubt comes along when you're trudging up that mountain and for a second you like down and see how high up you are. It's how you react to doubt that matters. So, if this was an anti-religion movie, so be it, it made me a little wiser.

Kramer vs. Kramer - The best picture winner of 1979! Beating out the legendary Apocalypse Now. I love Netflix's watch instant and it's because they put on there these kinds of films. I would have been a while for me to get around to this otherwise. Probably when Betsy and I are watching all the Best Picture winners. It's interesting to think about movies that win Best Picture versus movies that AFI and other lists put as their top films. This year(1979) is a perfect example of this predicament. Apocalypse Now is pretty high on the AFI list. Kramer vs Kramer is not on the list. Why? Well, I think there are a few reasons. First, the AFI list is based partially on the notion that many of the classic films were landmark films, groundbreaking or influential. (i.e. The Jazz Singer(first talkie) The Birth of a Nation(influential war epic) Snow White (the first animated feature)) Second, many of the AFI films transcend their time period to be "cinematically epic." Citizen Kane is a cinematic epic. It's everything that "How Green Was My Valley" isn't. (How Green was My Valley was the Best Picture in 1941.)
Back to 1979. We live in a world where Kramer vs Kramer can indeed be the best picture for 1979, and still rank lower on the grand scheme of things than Apocalypse Now. I don't think there is anything wrong with this scenario. It's happened so much that it's almost just how it works. It's as if films are like so many other great art forms, they just aren't understood in their own time. Kramer vs Kramer had superb acting. That's it's main strong suit. It also was a great story for the time. It was "timely." The divorce rate was growing every year in this country and the problem of child rights was a big issue. But acting and timeliness don't always play a big part in a film being cinematically epic. Even if film is timely, like "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner," it still has to say something on an epic level. Rascism! Epic rascism!
Visitation rights. Decent child acting. Another great Meryl Streep and Dustin Hoffman performance.
Good things, but they don't deserve an exclamation point after them. Apocalypse Now just screams for an exclamation point.
Apocalypse Now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

List of the films on the AFI Top 100 that did not win Best Picture. (Besides films made before the Academy, or during a year when another AFI film won)
Citizen Kane, The Jazz Singer, City Lights, The Grapes of Wrath, King Kong, The Third Man, Fantasia, The Philadelphia Story, The Maltese Falcon, Bringing Up Baby, Yankee Doodle Dandy(it pains me to put this here), Double Indemnity, The Treasure of Sierra Madre, Rebel Without a Cause, The Searchers, Vertigo, High Noon, Giant, 1967 - In the Heat of the Night won but isn't on the original AFI list, here are the other films that year higher on the AFI list; The Graduate, Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, Bonnie & Clyde, Singin' in the Rain, 2001: A Space Odyssey, American Graffiti, Raging Bull, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Tootsie, ET(it pains me to put this on here, too, but more on that when we get further up the AFI list), Fargo
And from the revised list:
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, The General, Sunrise, Sullivan's Travels, Swing Time, Sophie's Choice, Do The Right Thing, Blade Runner, Toy Story

The Princess and the Frog - Why isn't this called the Frog Princess? Because Disney didn't want to seem rascist. That's right, Disney unveiled their first African-American princess. That's right, a BAP. Have black women ever been associated with frogs? I can't recall, but since companies these days like to be as PC as possible, they didn't want to take any chances. But the thing about this movie, and a lot of Disney cartoons is that they tread that line between stereotype and fact. Anytime a Disney cartoon has a setting or a time period it is going to be stereotypical. Beauty and the Beast was in France, so of course there are lots of French-isms. Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella were in Medieval Europe, but there weren't any peasants or diseases in those movies, just princes in shining armor, dragons and witches....exactly what the middle ages was really like.
This movie takes place in New Orleans, so of course everything is jazz this and gumbo that. The white folk are super polite and friendly and the black folk are super polite and friendly. And then there's voodoo magic. Gotta love Disney, there is always magic around, good and bad, and it is real. No wonder the Southern Baptists boycotted Disney. Every film has some kind of hokus pokus!
They really tried hard on this film. Really hard. They wanted it to be like all the Disney classics, and they actually did a pretty good job. I think the one thing that separates a good Disney film from a bad one is anachronisms. That's when something is chronologically out of place. I would also say culturally out of place. When there are anachronisms the film is bad...i.e. How the Emperor Got His Groove Back. Compared to a good film with no anachronisms...i.e. Bambi. Everything in Bambi fits into the world they created. The animals don't mention things outside of their forest world, they don't know about future cultural references and there is nothing out of place in the world around them. The Emperor's Groove on the other hand is nothing but cultural misplacings. Nothing in the movie fits with ancient Chilean culture. They make references to our day, the characters speak with nuisances not of their culture. "But the Emperor's Groove Thing was funny," you might say. And I would say, "No. No it wasn't." When Disney or any other cartoon maker uses anachronism it is cheating. They are bending the rules for a cheap laugh. Another case in point....Shark Tale. A DreamWorks film. Filled with anachronisms. They created a whole underwater world that errily seems like our world. For instance on the sidewalk of this underwater city there are fire hydrants. Why are there fire hydrants on the sidewalk underwater, let alone sidewalks when fish don't walk, they swim? To make us giggle. "Ha, ha, fire hydrants, what were they thinking?" Cheating! There is no logic in there being fire hydrants or even sidewalks. If, in fact, fish built an underwater city wouldn't it benefit them to build it to their own specifications? Films that can't even build on basic logic don't have the capacity to build a story worth watching. Compare it to another underwater film.....Finding Nemo. There are a few close calls here, but nothing of the magnitude like Shark Tale or another atrocity of animation "Cars." In Finding Nemo there is a whole underwater culture that almost mirrors our culture, but makes it their own. There is a school, but not some schoolhouse that looks like ours. They have families, and surfer turtles, but the turtles are still turtles and they ride currents like they're waves. It fits! So from the basic logic of the world, which they stick to, comes a great story and thus a great movie. They built on the logic and kept true to it. Finding Nemo doesn't need to bend the rules to make a joke, they write good jokes and build them into the story. Like when the bomb explodes underwater and on the surface it appears like a fart. Hilarious! The one exception to the rule is Aladdin. The genie spouts off dozens upon dozens of anachronisms, but we let it pass because he's the genie and he's probably been to the future. And his anachronisms don't effect the world in any way or any other characters.
Now back to The Princess and the Frog. It was alright, I guess.

Up - I've been ranting so much I hardly feel the energy to dive into this movie. But I'm pretty passionate about it, so I'll muster the energy and go for it. The movie was stupid. And whoever was involved in the making of it are thieves and scoundrels. They stole our tears and forced the world to believe this was good. I even kind of cried a little. And I didn't even like it! These bastards, how could they do that? I'll tell you how, by making us(and the critics of America) believe that sentimentality makes a movie good. Can I remind everyone what happened in the first half hour of this film. It's a re-hash of this old man's life with his wife. And it's so sad. So, so, so sad. And then he gets this wild idea to fly away to some made up magical land that he gets to in one night. And how does he get there? Tying a thousand balloons to his house!
Let's dissect the film and see if it's still up to snuff. Let's take away the first weepy half hour and look at the plot all by itself. An elderly man flies his house to a magical land and once there finds a mythical bird that is hunted by dogs who can talk. Then his childhood hero, who controls the dogs chases after him. Basically, the whole movie is the old man and his kid friend running here and there and everywhere avoiding danger. Does that sound like a good movie? The Indiana Jones sequels had better plots and are completely overlooked. In fact, this movie kind of fits into the Indiana Jones story arc. The first half hour Indiana is at home or some random location. He stumbles upon something, then for the rest of the movie he's running around. So the plot itself of "Up" is not complex or even that interesting, try and argue that point at all. Just try. So that leaves us with the other part of the movie to stand on. The sentimentality.
Now, I'm not a complete robot, I can cry at movies. I love "It's a Wonderful Life." The last time I saw it this last Christmas I was bawling like a girl. "Rocky," another good example, I didn't cry, but I was so choked up at the end when all he wants is Adrianne. I even had to hold back tears for "Miracle" the Olympic hockey movie, and I only saw the last half hour. And what is the same with these movies? The sentimentality is built into the movie. I'll repeat the important word in that sentence....into. The American's don't win the gold medal at the beginning! They win it at the end AFTER all the hard work. You want to cry at the END of Rocky because he got his shot and now he's in the spotlight and everybody is all around him, but all he ever wanted was Adrianne, and they love each other. You get that from watching the whole movie!
Up screwed with us. Pixar reached into our little hearts and forced us to cry. That's right, but putting the sentimentality up front, they tricked us into thinking the whole movie was good, when in fact the plot was absent, their imagination took a break and the movie was utter crap.
I will never watch this movie again. I don't like being forced to feel a certain way. Yeah, I am a little bit of a robot. I didn't cry during Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire. Does that make me a monster like Monique? No, it just means I don't cry easily. So when a film makes me teary eyed from the opening credits I open my eyes a little bit and really see what's being presented before me. My eyes were open during "Up." I saw what was going on. Everyone else is just crying sheep and Pixar pulled the wool over your eyes.

Whew! I got through that one. My blood is boiling now. I could almost go ahead and do a review of Cars, the other Pixar film I'll never watch again. But I'll save that for later.

AFI Top 100 (2nd 10)

2010-02-17T15:15:00.001-08:00

This was an exciting set of movies to watch. They spanned a lot of ground from silent, to the first talkie to one of the newest films on the list. Again, there were films Betsy didn't like that I did, and some that I think are majorly overrated.

90. The Jazz Singer - This makes the list because it was the first major film made with sound. If it wasn't for that, I'm sure it would still be a classic silent film, but nothing too extraordinary. It's a pretty bland story about a Jewish singer that wants to play Jazz, rather than use his talents at the local synagogue, like his mammy and pappy want. Al Jolson is a great entertainer and fun to watch, but his relationship with his mom is slightly creepy at times. All in all, it's a little forgettable, but it makes the Looney Toon cartoons more memorable knowing what they are referencing.

89. Patton - Drumroll please. This is a badass movie about a total badass. He slapped a soldier! Yeah! And he beat Rommel by reading his book. This movie is so well made. In my opinion, one of the best bio pics ever made. It doesn't just follow his WWII career, it shows his impact and the politics surrounding him. Coppola's script is so smart. The production is great, and of course George C. Scott is playing the role of his life. Betsy was super bored. I think we had to break this up into two viewings, and through most of the second half she was doing something else and I had to keep bringing her attention back.
"Like crap through a goose!"

88. - Easy Rider - It was this movie that gave Betsy her rating system. "It was good, but I'd rather watch The Little Mermaid," was what she said afterward. And now she rates a movie by whether she'd watch that or The Little Mermaid. I had never seen this one before and was excited to finally peep it. It's a pretty revolutionary film, and one of the best independent films ever made. At times it's a little sketchy and bouncy, but I think that's because it was made by hippies. Despite that fact, I loved it, even though maybe I would rather see The Little Mermaid, but only because the Seagull in that is so hilarious. Easy Rider didn't have any seagulls, just a bunch of judgmental Southerners. I love the metaphors in the film and the protaganists inner search for America. I think the film itself was a symbol for the late 60's and America redefining itself. Change is inevitable and Americans can be slow to accept it. This film epitomizes that tragedy. Plus, Jack Nicholson is in it. He steals every scene he is in.

87. Frankenstein - This was another classic I hadn't seen, and like Easy Rider, was way more familiar with the cultural references than with the film itself. Unlike oft made fun of movies like The Godfather, Frankenstein did not live up to the legend. It was so slow and uninteresting, except for the two most classic scenes; the lab creation scene where Dr. Frankenstein screams "It's alive" and the scene where the Monster kills the girl. The lab scene was actually very impressive. I was surprised by the quality of the production and that they did this in the early thirties. The rest of the film is made as some kind of bland drama, with Dr Frankenstein and his family and fiance. Plus, it was super weird that Frankenstein's friend was so chummy with his fiance.
What was interesting, though, was that the DVD came with the sequel Bride of Frankenstein, which I watched immediately following this. That film is so much better than the original. So much so that I think they should have put that film on the list, rather than this one.

86. Mutiny on the Bounty - This one I had seen before, but only the first 15 minutes when I turned it off because it was so boring. Thankfully, this time around I managed to wade through that first boring 15 minutes to get to the rest of this fantastic film. Betsy and I agreed, this was a great film. We even did some research on Wikipedia to find out what happened in real life. Apparently, the mutinous crew did land on Pitcairn Island and founded a colony. Unfortunately, that colony turned into what is today an incestuous slum. The best part of the movie is Captain Bligh. He is so funny. I'm sure the crew didn't think so, but since I wasn't on the boat I can laugh. I think this is on the list for two reasons. It was really a remarkable production. At the time, this was landmark because they shot a lot of it on water and had a lot of location shooting. The second reason is that this was such a remarkable movie, even without the production value. The script is tight and the acting is great. This is a film that truly deserves a place on this list, not just because of a breakthrough in filmmaking, but because they made a stellar film that was few and far between in those days.

85. Duck Soup - And speaking of few and far between, now we have this film. I think every time I see this I laugh less and less, kind of like Napolean Dynamite. Betsy didn't laugh that much, and I don't really blame her. The Marx Bros deserve a place in film history, like the other great comedians, but any single project has so many faults that it's hard to exemplify it. That's the problem with Duck Soup. You can see what they're doing, and it's really unique, but it also gets tiresome. Especially Groucho, his scenes are so dumb. They build up the scene just so he can say something clever. Comedy should be the other way around; building up the scene for an actual point, and you build the jokes off of that. Groucho stops the scene time and time again to say something off topic, then follow it up with a line that's supposed to be a joke. The lasting comedy in the film is the other brothers physical humor, i.e. the lemonade stand scenes, or the door scene, and of course the mirror scene(that does have Groucho). The mirror scene makes it all worth it. This movie is often cited as being imitated by later comedians, but it's only the physical comedy scenes that are, rather than Groucho's insistent non sequiturs.

84. Fargo - How fitting that this film should be next. This is the film that I laughed the most and hardest the first time ever seeing it. Now when I see it, I smile the whole time. The funniest version, though, is the version they make for TV, when they make up new words to fill in the F bombs. "No fruisin' way, Jerry." Betsy didn't like this movie so much, mainly because I built it up so much and she didn't like that I was saying lines before they occured. Annoying, I know, so I stopped mid-way in. This film doesn't seem like it should be a comedy, but it is, maybe the best black comedy ever made. Comedy is serious, and in this movie everyone takes themselves a little too seriously, which is why it's so funny. Dr Strangelove is another example of this. It's the exact opposite of Duck Soup, where nothing is serious. I could probably write an essay on this film and it's use of comedy, but this will suffice. For those of you who loved this film, see A Serious Man, the Coen's newest film. I smiled the whole time and loved it. "Just a minute."

83. Platoon - Oh Platoon, Platoon, what could have been. Oliver Stone, you could have made the best war film of all time, except you forgot one rule of screenwriting; Narration is a last resort, and for the love of all that's holy, never, ever, ever say in narration what you are seeing or have seen on the screen. The film, actually would have been exceptional, even with narration if Charlie Sheen had not ruined the film with the narration at the end. For those who haven't seen, or can't remember, I'll recap the film and what Charlie says at the end in narration. The whole film follows a dysfunctional infantry platoon in Vietnam. The sergeants fight each other, the officers don't always know what they're doing, and the grunts squabble and cower and sometimes kill and rape innocent villagers. For two hours we watch this platoon fight with itself, while trying to fight the North Vietnamese. For two hours, that was what was shown. A first grader could gather that from watching it. I'll repeat, for two hours that's what we watched, and without narration, we'd probably think to ourselves, "Gosh, those guys fought more with themselves than with the enemy, what a great metaphor for Vietnam. Oliver Stone, good work." But no, as the movie ends, Charlie, the King of Obvious, Sheen tells us through narration, "Duh.....it was like we fought more with ourselves than the enemy."
You think, Charlie Sheen? Are we idiots? Didn't we just watch that for two hours, very clearly and blatantly? Yeah, we did. We did, Charlie Sheen. Thanks so much for TELLING us what to think, even though Olive Stone's heavy handed direction basically already did. Let me ask all the aspiring writers and filmmakers out there what they think. Is it better to show, or to tell? I'll go ahead and answer, since I graduated elementary school and that qualifies me as a human being to answer. Yes, it is better to show than to tell. Maybe Oliver Stone, you should have gone to film school(maybe he did, how should I know, but I'm being sarcastic anyway.) instead of fantasizing in your head how you were going to show(actaully tell) how it really was "over there."
So, in closing, great film. Willem Dafoe is awesome, and Tom Berenger, who would have thought. Charlie Sheen? Not so much. Oliver Stone? Ehh.

82. Giant - After reviewing Platoon, I almost don't feel like talking about this film in any good light, so I'll skip the good things I could say, and stick to the bad. Whose idea was it to make this a film? It's so long. Too long. It's a giant film. This was a mini-series. It should be on TV Guide's list for best mini-series of all time behind Roots. But no, they decided to turn this epic novel into a giant film. And the giant puns don't end there, it's about Texas, this biggest state. And the characters are giant, Rock Hudson, Liz Taylor and James Dean. Again, Liz Taylor is being Liz Taylor and Rock Hudson I guess is being Rock Hudson(the screen version, not the Laguna Beach loving gay man), and then James Dean is....well, I don't know what to think. James Dean isn't the best actor ever. He's not bad, but...He just didn't fit in this movie. I think because he's a "legend" no one ever says that, but it's true. This movie spans like 30 years of his life, and he plays a young guy, then an little bit older, then a older middle aged guy, and the whole time you're just wondering how this futsy shy guy got to be a GIANT millionaire! All in all, it was okay, but in my opinion should not be on this list.
81. Modern Times - I was really excited to see this. I'm not a huge Chaplin fan, but I do think he's the greatest comedian of all time. I was so excited to finally see this because I had seen all the great bits before; Charlie going through the gears and the roller skating scene, but never the whole thing. Chaplin was the best comedian because he could do it all, from physical comedy to social satire, and all of that is in here. This could be the best of his physical comedy because he uses his surroundings so well. And part of his satire involves just that, that in these modern times people are so controlled by forces outside of their power. For example, on the assembly line, he's stuck on the line for better or worse screwing on those bolts. If he falls behind he's got to make up for it, even if that means knocking out the other workers.
A few of his films are higher on the list, and having already seen those and this, I like this one better, and I also think it is a better film and funnier. Incidentally, this was the last major film made as a silent movie, despite a few "sounds" in the film, but there is never any direct talking by a character.

AFI Top 100 (The first 10)

2010-01-29T23:57:00.000-08:00

Betsy and I decided a while back to go through and watch AFI's Top 100 Films. To be more cultural and stuff with our Netflix, rather than just watching old TV shows and silly comedies. I had seen most of the movies on the list, but there's still a few I haven't seen. AFI came out with a new list a few years ago, a 10th Anniversary edition, where they re-voted and most of the movies shifted up or down and a few were added or deleted. I like the older list(from 1998) a lot more, so we're starting with that one. Once we're done, we can go back and catch the newer additions. For now, I'm going to review the first 10, then review the rest as we go along later, in increments.

100. Yankee Doodle Dandy - I never really liked this film. James Cagney comes off as a douche the whole time, from when he was a kid, then even when he was an adult. He's usually a douche in movies, but it's okay because he's usually playing a gangster. And since it's a bio-pic there isn't much in the area of character growth or story development. There's just a bunch of tap dancing and singing. People love it, though, and it made the list. (Barely at #100)

99. Guess Who's Coming To Dinner - I do love this movie. It's so simple, it's written and acted like a stage play. And what it spoke about at the time was tremendous. Today it would be so heavy-handed and cliche, but back then it was landmark. And even today it stands up as a legacy against racism. I also love Spencer Tracy. He's funny without being a clown. He steals scenes with his looks and his wit. One of my favorite films is Father of the Bride, and he is so hilarious in it. Steve Martin took a lesson from him in the remake. Even the horrible sequel, Father's Little Dividend, which I picked up at a gas station somewhere in the $2 bin, is still awesome because Tracy is in it. I look forward to seeing all of his films.

98. Unforgiven - I've never been a real fan of the western genre. Westerns have always been slightly boring. So with Unforgiven, I don't like it because it's a western, but then I do like it because it blows the top off of every other action western film. At least the ending does. Most of the movie moseys along like any other slow western.
It is meaningful and it does say a lot, and has interesting characters and scenes. But still. I don't care for it much. I know you need a better explanation if you're going to do a review, but that's where I'm at.

97. Bringing Up Baby - What a screwball comedy! And that's not a compliment. This film makes no sense whatsoever. If it were made today it would be filed in the ranks of "Dude, where's my car."
Both of the leads are horribly annoying, the plot maneuvers who knows where, and the comedy falls all over itself. Cary Grant is playing this huge dork. And it's so weird, because it's Cary Grant, he's supposed to be a dashing hunk, but he's running around like his no-no areas are in a vice. And they are, because Katherine Hepburn(already her second film on this list), has them and she won't let go. And it's all supposed to be so funny. In the end, you've have some laughs, played along with it's silliness and are just happy it's all over.

96. The Searchers - Remember when I was saying how I didn't like westerns? Well, for this movie I make an exception. I loved it. Maybe it's because of John Wayne. He plays a bad ass in everything, and taught the likes of Harrison Ford how to do it. He is master of his domain and he won't take the likes of no Indian or Mexican or drunkard. This was one I hadn't seen before, but only heard about, and it lived up to the reputation. It's just such a grand movie of the genre, I think it could be John Ford's best. The cinematography is great, the story is interesting, if not a lil bit unrealistic, as well as the scenery, where in west Texas is Monument Valley? Most of all, I wasn't bored while watching it. I don't remember if Betsy was. Maybe.

95. Pulp Fiction - Quite a jump between movies on the list, we go from John Wayne to this. But there is a link; The Searchers is a perfect genre film, that so many others take from and Pulp Fiction, and Tarantino in general, are more about the art of film than film itself, if that makes any sense. He makes films with dynamic shots and unique editing, all while paying homage to the filmmaking art and process. This film is a masterpiece of that art. Every shot is perfect and planned. The dialogue is so crisp and the story, (all the intertwining stories), move so quick, it's hard to keep up. I can't say that I love Tarantino. I enjoy his films, I like what he's doing, but I think he spends too much time paying tribute to the films he grew up on and not enough on making real art. What does a painting of a museum look like? Who cares, it's much more interesting seeing an impressionist painting of a field.

94. Goodfellas - One of my personal favorites, though, not my favorite gangster film, which is my favorite genre. Gangster films are about two things in story telling that is key; action and redemption. Stories without some form of action are dull and inconsequential. You need action. Story is action. And the greatest stories usually have to do with either redemption or tragedy. Gangster films are always either one of those. At their best they are metaphors for life, at their worst they are only means to show guns, girls and guys getting whacked. Goodfellas falls somewhere in between. I don't think it's the best gangster film, and I don't even think it's Scorsese's best gangster film. (I think Casino is better, but that's a different review.) This film is really about failed redemption, and even about failing at failed redemption since Henry Hill fell out of witness protection and is living on the streets now. So I guess it's a real tragedy then. But then if so, the tragedy goes all the way back to his childhood when he was drawn in by the rich lifestyle of the gangsters. And then, it shows the tragedy of American life, that this went on for so long. All of this is shown under the layers of the film, which make it great. Martin is so good with the tenseness of it; Who's going to get whacked, and what's going to happen to Hill? I can't forget Joe Pesci. The whole scene with him asking why Henry thinks he's funny is so perfect. That's the tenseness, right there. What is this firecracker going to do, that was the life, and Marty is so good at drawing it out.

93. The Apartment - And then there's this piece of crap. This movie is so stupid, I hate it. I hate it so much. What gets me is that so many people love it, when it should have been Billy Wilder's bomb. This is like 1960's "Avatar," because everyone loved it, and it was a landmark film, yadda yadda. It was supposed to be landmark because it was a hybrid between comedy and drama. Except what we have for comedy is one of the most overrated comedians of all time; Jack Lemmon. Jack Lemmon only played one good character his whole life, the old man in Grumpy Old Men. In this he plays the likes of Cary Grant in Bringing Up Baby; a total dork. And we have to follow him around for 2 hours! Ugh. And then Shirley Maclaine somehow ends up with him. And you know why, because Fred MacMurray, the douche of the world, screwed her over so much she attempted suicide and Jack Lemmon is so kind and helps her. So I guess if it's between the douche of the world and the dork of the world, she chooses death. Which is what I choose instead of watching this movie again.

92. A Place in the Sun - It's hard for me to remember this because it's so forgettable. At least the lead is, he plays an average guy who somehow gets caught up into high society. It's the women who are actually easier to remember. Elizabeth Taylor is being Elizabeth Taylor, and then we have her opposite Shelley Winters, a freakin' crazy head that the lead guy got pregnant. It's all dramatic from that point, and the poor stiff gets tried for murder even though he was only thinking about murdering Winters, but didn't. That's all there is to say. I don't know why this made AFI's list, I don't know how anyone remembered it was even made.

91. My Fair Lady - I remember what Betsy thought of this one. She hated it. And I have to side with her. It's sooooo long. It clocks in at 171 minutes. I did the math, that's 3 hours and 11 minutes. And most of it is singing. And some dancing. And only a little bit of story. I saw the play version, Pygmalion, and that was at least 2 hours and there were no songs in it at all, so you can imagine how much story is supposed to be there. But this film guts all that out and fills it with useless songs. Audrey Hepburn is adorable and so is Rex Harrison, he's like Indiana Jones, except he doesn't carry a whip or have Asian sidekicks.
I would like it, though, if it was way shorter, because I like the story, which has been remade into so many other versions ("She's All That", ring a bell?).
And then the ending. Betsy was super pissed. 3 plus hours and they don't even kiss? But that's what George Bernard Shaw wanted, he didn't want it to be a love story. So you got to give it to Hollywood for sticking to the writer's ideas.

P.S. - A few additions about how Betsy felt. She likes The Apartment, and didn't hate My Fair Lady, she just didn't like it.
P.P.S. - Betsy did the math and My Fair Lady is actually 2 hours and 51 minutes.

The Food Tasting Extravaganza

2010-01-27T22:28:00.000-08:00

I had an assignment for my Food Preparation in the Home class about comparison shopping. I had to select three items to compare the national brand to the store/generic brand. I chose to taste Macaroni & Cheese, frozen orange juice and wheat crackers. Nick really wanted it to be a blind taste test, so I prepared the food while he did something else like watch Clone Wars. Below is the experiment/our dinner.

Can you tell which one is Kraft and which is the Safeway brand?

I was delighted with exhibit B. It was creamier and Nick posited that it was in fact "The Cheesiest" He was right. Exhibit B was Kraft. And it dominated Safeway's Mac & Cheese. HARD. Now, cost wise, the Safeway brand was $.75 for the box, or $.103/oz, while Kraft was $1.09 for the box, $.150/oz. Two words for Kraft: Worth. It.

Kraft = Winner!

Safeway = Suck it.

Next up was the wheat crackers. We tested Wheat Thins and Safeway's Thin Wheat crackers. The Wheat Thins were kind of pricey at $3.59 for the box ($.399/oz) while the store brand crackers cost much less at $1.99 ($.221/oz).

We also noted the nutritional information. They were close, but not identical.

Here's the Nickster tasting a Thin Wheat. Which he actually preferred, though he believed that it was the Wheat Thin.

Thin Wheat = Winner!

Wheat Thins = What the Heck, Wheat Thins?!

Next we tested the frozen OJ. I didn't get a photo of the juice drinking, but here are the cost stats. We drank Minute Maid for the national brand. It cost $2.50 ($.208/oz). The Safeway brand cost just $2.00 ($.167/oz). Now, the juice was a little difficult to make as we only own one pitcher. I had to make the first juice, pour the test glasses, then pour the rest into a big bowl while I mixed up the other batch. Our test looked like a mad scientist's lab for a while there. Anyway, the store brand OJ tasted like an orange peel, while the Minute Maid was yum-tastic.

Minute Maid = Winner!

Safeway OJ = thanks for playing.

A Christmas Miracle!

2009-12-08T13:22:00.000-08:00

Over the weekend we attended our Ward Christmas party. And let me just say, the Newport Second Ward knows how to party. The spread was amazing, and there were a ton of desserts; including this awesome raspberry jello thing. Amazing! But that wasn't the Christmas miracle.
Scheduled at the end of the party was a traditional White Elephant gift exchange. Those who are unfamiliar, this is how the legend and game goes. It gets it's name from an old Indian story about a prince(or King) who received a huge gift. It was a live white elephant. To look at the thing was extraordinary, but it wasn't suitable for battle or anything else. It was amazing, but basically useless. Now we use the term to mean just that, an amazing gift that has no value, and perhaps takes up a lot of space. For the game, everyone brings a wrapped gift they either paid a little for or found around their house (or a re-gift, as was both of our gifts). Then each person gets to open one random gift. Someone else who doesn't have a gift yet can either open a new gift or steal one that's been opened. A gift can be stolen 3 times.
My eyes burst wide open with excitement when I saw among the wrapped gifts a magnificent unwrapped painting of a white elephant.

Isn't it amazing?!

So our plan started to formulate. I wanted that painting. Numbers were handed out to select order, and we got really high numbers, but luckily the numbers were selected randomly.
About five people in, someone snagged the painting and she bolted back to her seat with it. I was having second thoughts. I didn't want to steal it from a lady who looked so happy getting it. But Betsy said if her number came up she would do it for me. But alas, someone stole it from the first lady. And my mind was open to the thought of taking it. Surely, I could steal from a thief. That wasn't as bad as taking from someone who honestly acquired the painting.
But then people kept getting called and it wasn't Betsy or I and we started to worry. Or I started to worry, Betsy didn't care so much. But then we formulated a new plan. If either of our numbers came up, either of us would steal the painting, then when the next one of us is chosen, we'd steal the painting and it would close it off from being stolen again.
The plan was set, the only catch was that our numbers would have to be called close together. Betsy got called! Without delay she walked over and stole the painting. And it was okay, everyone was all smiles. (Which means they didn't want it that bad, so nuts to them.) She sat down next to me and we waited and hoped that no one else eyed our prize.
And then, as luck would have it, four or five people later my number was called. It was a miracle. A Christmas miracle! I stood up boldly. I reached over my beloved wife and picked up the painting and raised it over my head to show everyone in the large room that I was stealing it from Betsy and that it was over. Then I sat down and admired the painting in front of me.

Since I stole Betsy's gift, she was free to choose something else. We had thought of this as an opportunity to relieve ourselves from some "stuff" so we decided if we would get anything, it would be little. So Betsy walked over and found a tiny little wrapped box. Inside was a fancy pen box entitled Parker Pens. After opening she discovered a note reading "Parker Pens: The Early Years." Inside was a used number 2 pencil and an old Marriot Hotel ballpoint pen. A gag gift. And a decent one at that. Supposedly the guy who gifted it gives gag gifts every year. It was reported that last year he gave a pillow case with his face on it.

We snagged this photo for posterity sake. The gift and the giver.

Merry Christmas!
And God bless us, everyone!

Karl Hite: Brother, Ninja, Actuary

2009-12-01T09:56:00.000-08:00

My brother Karl is a ninja. And an actuary. Yesterday he passed the actuarial exam which has a pass rate of 38% (lower than the Bar and CPA exams). Let the celebrating commence!

Nike+ Human Race at USC

2009-11-09T22:01:00.000-08:00

At midnight on October 21, 2009 my BFFF Mandy and I ran the Nike+ Human Race up at USC. Nick, Mandy and I drove up to LA around 8pm, got some yummy dinner with Ted at Swinger's, then headed off to the starting line. Here are a few shots of us getting ready for the race.
Mandy ran the 10K and I did the 5K. There were 8000 runners there, so the starting line was crowded with tons of the red shirts. In this race you had to wear the race shirt as it had your number printed right on it (no bib). It was a sight! Anyway, because there were so many runners taking off from the starting line at once we got a really slow start. At about 1/4 or 1/2 mile the crowd dispersed a little bit and Mandy took off. I kept a slow and steady pace. I had to stop and walk quite a bit, but even so I finished the race in about 41 minutes. Mandy finished her race in just over an hour. Nick and Ted were waiting at the finish line for us. Yay! It was fun to run in the streets of Los Angeles in the middle of the night. There were also some bands, but the 5K only ran by an a cappella group (really?!?) so I can't really be a judge of the entertainment. Regardless, Mandy and I had fun. Plus we helped raise a little money for A Better LA. Bonus.Mandy decided to pass on the post-race-sweaty-awesomeness photo-op. Sorry, kids.

Mormon Night at Angels Stadium

2009-09-20T17:37:00.000-07:00

Back on August 7th Nick and I went to Mormon Night at Angels Stadium. They played the Texas Rangers, and sadly lost 6 to 11.

Here's Nick enjoying the game.

The Stake had purchased a bunch of seats together so we got to see some of our friends from the South Coast Ward and the Singles Ward including my BFFF Mandy who is a big MLB fan.

And here we are right after the game ended. Don't let this picture deceive you - we were seated literally in the top/back row, we just snuck down to a lower lever to watch the fireworks before heading home.

I would be remiss if I didn't mention the amazing parking that Nick got. We parked in one of the lots across the street and walked over. It cost only $5 instead of $10 and we got out sooner than those that parked in the regular lot because we didn't have to fight the huge crowd leaving at the same time. Yay! Oh, also a big thanks to Goldie for the Angels gift card that she gave me at my bridal shower. We were able to get some yummy stadium food for dinner and a cool Angels magnet to commemorate the occasion.

We ended the evening by heading over to Yogurtland for some yogurty goodness to console ourselves. I don't know about Nick, but I pretty much always feel better at the mere mention of froyo.

Commute

2009-08-27T14:26:00.000-07:00

So I have a wicked awesome commute. I travel from Newport Beach to Burbank every morning and back the other way every evening. It takes about two hours give or take, both ways. So in plain English that's 4 hours a day. I love it. And I hate it. But I do like it.

So here's the rundown. I leave the beautiful city of Newport Beach(and my beautiful wife, who's usually still asleep because she likes sleeping in) at no later than 7am. (7:05 is pushing it, but I can still make it.) I drive up the 405 to Long Beach and get on the Blue Line.

I try to catch the 7:32 or 7:37 which will get me to Burbank on time, but if not, I can catch the 7:42, which if it's running smoothly will get me there. Any train after that, and I'll be late 10 minutes to work.

At 7:30 in the morning most riders are business people and a few student types.
This guy is reading the newspaper. He has glasses.

I travel through the amazing city of Compton. This city is so proud of itself. The train passes right through it's civic center and there are tons of murals and statues, like one of a dog. The picture I took is super blurry, so it didn't make the cut, but if anyone decides to visit Compton on vacation it's a must-see.
Check this mural out, painted on the outside of their city hall; it shows all the wonderful things that Compton has to offer. Look closely at the sign all the way on the left where it shows the symbols of Best Buy, Home Depot and a few other big box stores. Compton has come a long way.

This shows Compton's tall City Hall building, and of course the world famous Tom's Jr Burgers.

From Compton I travel through the infamous Watts. Known for two things: rioting and weird towers that were built by some weird guy. I haven't experienced a riot, so no pics of that, but I was able to snap this shot of the Watts Towers. (They're poking up in the background behind the urban clutter.)

Here are some of the other things I see from the train as it travels north to Downtown LA:

And of course the Staples Center...

And then I get to Downtown LA. The Blue Line ends up underground, where it meets the Red Line, which travels from Union Station to North Hollywood.

Here's the rush of the 7th Street Station where people scramble to catch the next Red Line downstairs.

The Red Line is pretty boring. The only thing interesting is the people on the Subway.
This guy is wearing a hat over his dew rag. What a Silly-Billy.

Once the train arrives in North Hollywood, it's back to surface. I love taking the escalator up to the ground level. It's the Valley, but I'd rather be on the surface of the Valley than stuck somewhere underground.

From North Hollywood, I take a Burbank bus to the Wonderful Disney Lot. Where I see squirrels.

This bus hits up all the sites.

And this is where I work. My building is actually in the background there.

And then in the evening I do it all backwards. Only on the way back there are a lot weirder people and different beggers asking for money. And this lady, selling treats. (And by treats I mean candy.)

I saw this guy while waiting for the Blue Line to leave. He kept grabbing the air in front of him and shaking. Poor guy must have gotten lost from the institution.

This guy started yelling a really loud prayer. I thought that would be the end of it, but then he started lecturing us about Jesus! We all know about him, Buddy, this is America!

This guy was singing in Spanish or some junk like that. I would have tipped him, but me no speaka.

And that's what I do five days a week, except when I sleep in and have to drive, which ironically takes way less time, despite having to sit in traffic.

I love Betsy, everyone!

By Popular Demand

2009-08-09T21:37:00.000-07:00

Here are some wedding pictures finally. Nick and I got married at the Old Santa Ana Courthouse on June 25th, 2009 at 10:45 am after a delectable breakfast at Norm's. We kept the crowd to an absolute minimum with only family and our surrogate siblings in attendance. We hope to celebrate with a much larger crowd when we are sealed (we'll keep you posted on the details as they become available). For now we're happy to be able to share some pictures from the happy day Nitsy became legal. Enjoy!

Before going into the courthouse to be married.

On our way into the courthouse. Brandon is in the foreground taking a picture.

Nick looked so handsome. I guess I was grooming him or something.

The adorable couple.

I loved the exposed heater in the old courthouse. We were waiting in the hall for our appointment to get hitched.

Brandon, Nick and Brian.

Handsome fellows.

Sisters.

Gabi, Malia, me and Caitlin

Signing the marriage license.

Brian and Malia were the witnesses. Here they are signing the documents.

Walking into the little room that the marriage ceremony took place in.

There was a little bench with these SWEET heart shaped pillows. We had to pose for a few shots with these bad-boys.

Total awesomeness.

It was probably at this point that Malia started the timer. We were told that the marriage ceremony would take 8 minutes, and no, we could not forgo the ceremony and just sign papers (who would even suggest such a horror?!?!)

My favorite wedding picture.

Right after we were pronounced man and wife. We didn't get a really good kissing picture because we were hardly able to kiss due to our laughing.

See what I mean? Complete chuckle-heads.

Man and Wife. All in all the ceremony was about 2 minutes and 45 seconds. Give or take a few seconds. Not shabby.

Newlyweds outside the courthouse.

Everyone - Front Row: Gabi, Caitlin, Nick, Betsy, Mom Hite, Malia. Back Row: Grandma Neal, Brian, Aunt Charlotte, Mandy, Dad Hite, Brandon

Everyone again.

Nitsy (and Dad Hite in the background)

Nitsy's official wedding picture.

Leaving the courthouse. You can't tell from the picture, but Nick had a definite spring in his step as we sauntered off to the honeymoon.

This is the surprise that awaited me at the hotel. Nick is so super adorable and I can't help but love him, and I know that he loves me like crazy.

Two Days shy of a month

2009-07-23T17:19:00.001-07:00

So by popular demand, I am posting again. Thanks for the reminder Erin Holt.

Nitsy has been legal for almost one whole month and it has been fabulous. I've gained ten pounds and I'm afraid to mention anything of Betsy's gains. All that she's gained is happiness and joy.
But to be fair, I gained most of those pounds on the honeymoon, mostly at the Rio buffet.
(A little tip to future honeymooners, especially the men, don't gorge yourself at a buffet restaurant, no matter how awesome it is(like the Rio International Buffet), and expect to be in shape enough the rest of the day to have any fun.
Considering all the weight gain, Betsy and I have decided to implement a strict diet. I forget the name of this one, but it's like a cleanse, for 21 days. No dairy or wheat or sugar. And no a bunch of other stuff. It's supposed to clean everything out, and still make it possible for you to eat actual food. (Sunshine, you may want to check it out, except In N Out is still not in the diet, sorry.)

We'll put some pictures up soon. Of the Wedding, I mean Elopement, the honeymoon and everything since.

P.S. Go see Moon. It's awesome. And also Away We Go. (Who knew Maya Rudolph could act so well?)

A Fond Farewell

2009-07-19T22:54:00.000-07:00

I have been disowned

2009-06-15T21:24:00.000-07:00

Since news of Nitsy's impending union broke I have slowly but surely been disowned by the members of my singles ward. The invitations to go out and do things have slowed from a virtual downpour to a light drizzle. I was shocked to learn that I was removed from the Visiting Teaching list for the month of June. I am getting released from my calling as a Family Home Evening group leader on Sunday. Further, I have not been asked out on one single date all month long! Jerks. But I have come to accept my fate. Tonight at FHE Mandy introduced herself to a new girl. That delightful girl asked my name and I said "it's Betsy, but don't bother remembering it. I'm getting married next week." This she accepted without even batting an eye. And that's pretty much the gist of it. I have been disowned. But it's all in the pursuit of something great and wonderful. The consummation of Nitsy and the premier of Fusion House. I was never happier to be excluded.

Betsy

We're getting married

2009-05-20T11:11:00.000-07:00

Yes, it's true. Nitsy will be completely official on June 25 of the splendid year 2009.
We are eloping. Sort of. We've told people and those people have told people and now most people we know, now know, so it's not really a traditional elopement. But we're doing this whole thing Un-traditional, so it's only natural that even our elopement would be un-traditional.
But for realsies, we are eloping because we're just going to the Santa Ana Courthouse and telling the clerk to get the paperwork and sign it, then we're off to the honeymoon. And whoever wants to be there, great. If no one was there, that would be great, too.
But there will be people there. Some of Betsy's family and at least one, if not more, of mine. We had a few discussions about whether we should let it be known that we were in fact getting married and how it would pan out. We contemplated not telling anyone and just stating the fact afterward. But....we didn't want to really hurt anyone's feelings, so we decided that we would tell our families, and as well, tell them what we were planning and that if they wanted to be there, good.

And almost all of the responses have been super duper positive, with two exceptions. One friend is a little hesitant, and....my Mom, as she has always been, was just blah about the whole thing. Whenever any news is brought to her, for the first three days she is complacent. After that three days she jumps on board and becomes a full-fledged supporter. This sort of thing has been happening since I was a kid. She likes waiting. I could tell her I won the lottery and she wouldn't care for three days, then after that she'd be ecstatic and want some of the sweet cash. She's my mom and I love her, but sometimes she's a little too laid back. I don't wonder where I get it from.

On the other hand, Betsy's mom has been asking when we're getting married since the start of the relationship. And when Betsy called to announce the news, she was not surprised at all. At all. Next step for her is when the grandkids are going to be on the way.

More Nitsy news to come as we near the big day. We still gotta figure out where we're going to live and if I am going to keep my futon or not.

Nick