Movie Kauai Sis

Wow, I've really been neglecting my blog and its three readers! So sorry! I don't know WHERE the time goes, honestly! And what's worse, I don't seem to have a lot to show for it. After I returned to Kauai from Honolulu 10 days ago I took forever to unpack and start straightening up. Notice I said "start" straightening up. I didn't finish yet. And it's not like I had a big Christmas to clean up from. Our Christmas is low-keyed with a very short gift list, and no decorations. Don't think badly of me or bad FOR me...it's quite wonderful to have a simple, low-stress Christmas. I guess I was so mellowed out I let neatness slip away too! Ok, ok, how can I say "slip away" when I never had that trait to begin with!?

Changing the subject, have you seen "Benjamin Button"? I want my money back! I feel cheated. Just for once I wanted to see a young child with the brain of a wise old man. SPOILER ALERT!!! Skip the rest of this paragraph if you don't want to know what happened.........*waiting while you look away* So ok, they made Benjamin senile from the time he was around 12 or so. Great, just great...just when things were about to get INTERESTING, IMHO. Lazy writers! I wonder if this was simply another case of "give the people what they want"? In other words, it's again all about sex and certainly it'd be creepy to show a little kid coming on (or more) to a 70 year old lady. It never occurred to the writer that uh, it doesn't always have to be about sex because hey, sex sells!

You know, what's good? Dried longan. I'm eating it right now and it occurred to me that dried longan is a lot like Benjamin Button. All wrinkly and old looking, but you soon find out that hey, it's actually amazingly "young" and sweet....I can't bring myself to finish this sentence.

Two websites I love: TheMovieSpoiler.com and RottenTomatoes.com Essential for movie lovers. There are many movies I hear about that sound intriguing, but for one reason or another, I don't care to see, or I want to know the details before I go to the movie. When this is the case, I go to TheMovieSpoiler.com to read exactly goes on in the movie and how it ends. It's incredible to me that there are people out there who are willing to come home after watching a movie and write down what they saw. The site depends on viewers contributing the "spoilers" and they seem pretty accurate. [I have seen many of the movies I've read about on the site.]

I read the spoiler for "Slumdog Millionaire" and my first reaction was to tell my husband I didn't want to see it. It begins with the main character being tortured and there is nothing worse to a person as empathetic as I am!! Then I went to my other favorite website, RottenTomatoes.com. "Slumdog Millionaire" is one of those rare movies that got a 94% rating. After reading all the rave reviews and loving Bollywood movies so much, heck I had to bite the bullet and drag Leonard to see it. He actually enjoyed it...few people wouldn't!! 6% I guess?

I'm so glad I saw it because I was surprised to see Anil Kapoor starring as the Indian counterpart to Regis Philbin (of "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire"). Mr. Kapoor stars in one of the Bollywood movies I bought for Jordan and he is forever a part of our lives because we thought it was so funny that (in the movie "No Entry"), he'd be rattling away in Hindi (or perhaps another Indian language) and suddenly he'd say "be positive!" or "no problem!"

Having seen "Slumdog" made watching the Golden Globe Awards even more enjoyable. Wow, it was an unexpected treat to also see Shah Rukh Khan on an American stage. (He's one of the most popular Bollywood actors and he presented "Slumdog Millionaire" as a Best Picture nominee.) I never thought I'd see Anil Kapoor or Shah Rukh Khan, much less both of them on stage at an American awards show. An appearance by Salman Khan would've made it truly perfect, but that's pushing it.

Bollywood movies are fun to watch. They'd seem a bit like old-fashioned Hollywood movies when compared to American movies today, but at my age, it's perfectly acceptable to be nostalgic.

Kauai Sis in Honolulu

I'm blogging from Palolo Valley tonight. It's been a hectic 5 days here so far as usual. We try to cram several months worth of Honolulu appreciation into a few days and hey, it's hard work!

It reminds me of that commercial on TV. I can't recall who was advertising (some clothing company) but a girl recounts her day while her clothes are changing on her. This is my version:

Picked up Hamura noodles, got on the plane, missing one box, rented a car, picked up a rib roast, got some tshirt blanks, drove up to Palolo, back down to WalMart and Sam's Club, back up to Palolo, ate a lot, watched illegal fireworks all over Palolo Valley.

Drove to Kailua, found Obama's vacation street, saw his neighbors camping in their driveways, picked up Mom-in-law, went to care home, had lunch from KJ's, visited Sis-in-law folks, back to Palolo, back down to town for Benjamin Button movie.

Donated at Blood Bank, bought TV at Costco, Jordan almost fainted...ate dim sum at Happy Days, drove to Kailua, back to Palolo, back down again to eat dinner at Spaghetti Factory...yum Mizithra Cheese! Drove to Kahala Mall, browsed in Whole Foods, coffee at Starbucks.

Shopped for fridge at Sears, exchanged stuff at Costco, drove to Pearlridge--no nice fabric, no Patti's wedding cake...back to Palolo, then down again to Kahala, saw "Slumdog Millionaire", ate at Chili's.

Helped mom empty old fridge/fill new fridge, drove to Kaneohe Fabric Mart (success!), care home again, shopped at Long's, dropped off Mom-in-law, zoomed to airport, dropped off Hubby, back to Palolo, watched three TV shows in one hour (Superstars of Dance, Desperate Housewives, and Cold Case).

So THAT was my five days so far in Honolulu! Stay tuned for more details!