Cinema For Christmas

I have heard for a while that going to the movies is a Christmas time tradition for some families.

The idea had never occurred to me before. Suddenly however that is exactly what we did this year.

This week a few students gathered us together to watch some required movies for our church history class.

Luther and then A Man For All Seasons. Both EXCELLENT and moving. A little old worldly but I loved them anyway. Highly recommend.

I have a NetFlix account that I am just not even taking full advantage of. The last dvd I viewed was American History X which was also a great film. What has been in the house for weeks since then is The Book of Eli which I can now watch like a movie with the new projector I bought as a present for myself.

What I needed was a dvd player. All I had was my computer and I am always online. Hahahaha

To top off all this small screen cinema fun while out seeing all the sights and enjoying the shopping season the daughter and I ended up at the movies at Sunrise. 

She wanted to see Puss and Boots but gave it a thumbs down afterwards. Not as humorous as she had hoped was her explanation.

She left on her way with her dad to visit with the other side of the family and after I dropped her off I went back to see the movies she passed up for the cartoon. I had forgotten the trailers and plot of Money Ball but was thinking it had been something I wanted to see. 

Real Steel I knew would be great. What I did not know was a boy, the bot and two women would steal the show and Wolverine was just the stunt bad guy turned good. Hahahahaha 

I think my daughter would have really loved that as the child of a dead beat father who...is still trying to get it right.

I think it captured a decent portrayal and maybe someones very raw and real experience of feeling abandoned, traded, sold and undervalued. 

This movie was fun like Iron Man. I like action with a good story even if the main characters are painfully flawed. The new technology and stories are also exciting.

My extra props I save for last. Maybe now I have an idea of gifts I can get for my mother. I hope she has a dvd player or maybe I need to send her one. I think she would enjoy all these movies. When I sat down to Money Ball I thought of her and my past. 

When they got married my parents settled in Oakland California. I was born an A’s fan.

There are pictures of me with various pieces of paraphernalia from fan days at the ballpark. In the last few years it seems a funny thing happened in baseball that started with the general manager of the Oakland Athletics.

The science of baseball. Now there is an idea.

Eat Well For Life

I have fought and for the time being apparently won the battle of weight.

I will not profess that I am a nutritionist. Never the less these things are as connected as they are separated. The female side of my family is heavy as a set. 

My father and paternal grandmother were rail thin. I am five foot two and my weight hoovers at 120lbs. 

This however got all sideways one year.

As seasons changed and I pulled out appropriate clothing I realized it did not fit. 

I am hour glass shaped and wouldn’t you know I gain weight first right in the tummy. It makes me look preggo.

Now don’t hate ‘cause it might seem like I got the good genes. I have…dimples in my flesh and other markings if you get my drift. 

We are all human beings made of flesh. There are a few different body types and all we can do is accent what we have been given.

So there I was very single looking preggo trying to zip up pants that wouldn’t. I did what any internet junkie would do I hit the web.

My one fear was that I would have to do some miserable diet that left me hungry all the time and noshing on bare sticks of produce like a caged animal.

I just did not think I had it in me to go there. I asked the internet 

“What can I eat to make myself lose weight?” 

The short answer is fiber. From there I came up with these power tips for managing your figure:

Eat Breakfast to rev up and start your metabolism for the day

Drink Water 8oz at a time every 2 hours or more

Opt for high fiber foods

Avoid diet food ie, manufactured low cal or low carb options

No fake sugar it is carcinogenic

Eat, pure,simple and natural fruit, vegetables, nuts

Get moving (I did not and it took YEARS to move the weight)

Find and deal with your triggers or problems with food

Drop one bad food eating habit or food

Drink 100% juice

I found out as I researched diet and nutrition that I was under eating which had my system on shut down and storage. This is more common than people realize. 

If you only eat one or two meals a day your body thinks you are starving for those skipped meals and will hoard the calories when you finally consume them.

Eleven years since I was in my 20’s and dealing with this issue I have made more changes. 

Now I use raw sugar, I have given up hydrogenated oils which meant my beloved favorite candy bar Snickers. 

Next I want to stop ingesting corn syrup as a sweetener in everything but the problem is all the things it is in. Ketchup for instance, things you would never imagine.

Thankfully food manufacturers are getting smarter and listening to those of us who want such things.

The bottom line however is the best foods for us are simple and pure probably not anything that comes from a factory and has to be produced by large machines.

Ice & Sun

OOoooh Finally we got the pictures from our fun day at the opening of the Downtown Ice Rink!!!


I decided there is nothing like enjoying being on the ice in the warmth of the California sun.

I love Sacramento but I have love left for the cold of Oscoda Michigan. My daughter still has not seen snow. The new car should change all that. We have to get some where this winter. Apply hill too. You better call us now I am not sure how much we might be home if I can have my way! HA


Although I look like a dork I allowed myself to be photographed no make up. I am for comfort and color over fashion when it comes down to being cold. We had on layers so after a few times around it was toasty.


Interestingly when I first got on the ice I felt a little fear. I contemplated just getting off and heading home. Thankfully I pressed on and through. I taught myself to inline skate without injury, ice skating shouldn't be too much worse.


When we left the rink we hit Temple Coffee before jumping on the light rail and heading home. I asked my daughter when we were at home getting ready to visit if she wanted to invite some of her friends to join us. With the free admission all they would have needed was public transit fair. She made a face at me.


She is good with faces. This face was the one that said "Hmmm let me think about my dare devil awkward male teenaged friends who hurt themselves walking and clowning around. Now let me think about the slippery ice....COLLISION CRASH BANG..ooohh awful visions...no no no" lol


It did cross my mind that there might be a learning curve. Stands to reason that many if not most of them have probably never been on ice. Still I know a lot of them can roller skate so I figured they might want to brave it.

If you knew me you would know I am a people watcher. I try to survey things and make mental notes. There are little seemingly insignificant things that can fill me with delight. In this instance it was to see the diversity we did find on the ice from ages to culture.


I saw parents and grand parents, tiny tots, kids teens and young adults the full spectrum. A reminder that Sacramento is the most culturally diverse city in the nation. School professionals can probably see that the most clearly. In our every day grown up lives I know sometimes folks get into ruts.


Traveling the same way to and from work or those few favorite stores. Entertainment or charitable activities and family the circle is closed. You have to get out of your every day a little to see what all you could be missing.