I didn't know I was so fat but pictures don't lie

<div style="text-align: center;">Before Pictures (from the Big Climb March 20, 2011)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf0EDLGS0MGLI6fECK_nwWYTK-313a55PGjvibeoukXnbdqW2vdD4Z4fzv43NuQNLx3pj536shjLax5YXRYUkC5iow6FCIxlOKh4T0pS_afDZSV8zNvxFYZ5jinOuW9GfcPaNFEeJDnrf3/s1600/P1020652.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf0EDLGS0MGLI6fECK_nwWYTK-313a55PGjvibeoukXnbdqW2vdD4Z4fzv43NuQNLx3pj536shjLax5YXRYUkC5iow6FCIxlOKh4T0pS_afDZSV8zNvxFYZ5jinOuW9GfcPaNFEeJDnrf3/s400/P1020652.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />Rear view (ugh!)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9oCO7GBnA5tH42elvGuhc-kbyapUm_UoZ1q5uSiNH2kfnF3uw1pX7xBUDXP1IfOIJfcqObFcLehN5Cmxf9_N7sDUgkjLOWPHUU0l6nggGXnz0F2GiZvoujmXN0gZTq-32XQRcUL5oGuqv/s1600/P1020653.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9oCO7GBnA5tH42elvGuhc-kbyapUm_UoZ1q5uSiNH2kfnF3uw1pX7xBUDXP1IfOIJfcqObFcLehN5Cmxf9_N7sDUgkjLOWPHUU0l6nggGXnz0F2GiZvoujmXN0gZTq-32XQRcUL5oGuqv/s320/P1020653.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">It's weird how I often don't see my body as it really looks. When I weighed 152 two summers ago, and 166 last summer, I thought I was a fat pig. That's the picture on the lower right, me in the black size 10 skirt and pink top. 152 pounds and I thought I was fat. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Now that I'm fat again I don't see it when I look in the mirror. Even though the size ten's hanging in my closet don't even begin to fit, I still think of myself as the same person that weighed 152. It's like my head hasn't caught to the fact that I'm fat again. It's the opposite of what an anorexia thinks. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The pictures really hit me hard. Really? I'm really THAT fat?! Yes, Diana, you are really that fat. How fat am I? Read below.<br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><b>My second weekly Weight Watchers meeting</b><br />Today was my first Weight Watchers At Work meeting. There were 28 employees at the meeting, each with their $130.20 check in hand for a 17-week series of meetings and e-Tools.<br /><br />My company is picking up the additional 30% that Weight Watchers would normally charge. I work for an awesome company! Of course, it's in their best interest that we all get to a healthy weight to keep our insurance costs down, as well as take fewer sick days. Smart move on their part, and I get to benefit from it.<br /><br />I'm very excited about this meeting. I'm not new to Weight Watchers. I've been going to meetings for three years non-stop. It annoys me that I haven't reached goal yet, but I also know that without the meetings I'd definitely be back up to my high weight of 240 pounds, plus a few extra for good measure. Going to two meetings a week is sort of like AA, where the alcoholic goes every day if possible. Like an alcoholic, I have a serious problem.<br /><br />I weighed in at home this morning and was appalled I saw184 pounds. I decided to eat breakfast, have my cup of coffee and drink water all morning like normal. I'm not going to starve myself or go without water because I have a noon weighin.<br /><br />The official weighin (are you sitting down because this is rather shocking):<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">187.4 </span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Now I could make all sorts of excuses, I was wearing "heavy" clothes or I'd had food and water during the morning, or there was something wrong with the scales the leader brought to the meeting. That can't be my real weight! Seriously folks, it's my real weight. As real as it gets. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">My plan isn't to dwell on how horrible this is or how mad I am at myself for letting this happen. My plan is to get down to business and lose the weight!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I have my regular Weight Watcher meeting on Saturday, which I pay for online so I'll have two official weighins a week. I know that sounds kind of crazy, but I'm kind of crazy. My eating has become totally out of control with no accountability. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Now that I know how fat I am, I need to fix it.</div>

I didn't know I was so fat but pictures don't lie

Before Pictures (from the Big Climb March 20, 2011) Rear view (ugh!) It's weird how I often don't see my body as it really looks. Wh...

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27 weeks

<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7w7ih_8x51pG0K6FN2wUoPHSRaRMk47vv5vCq3xCMBJzT3hF8nsokoeYzHShrfXvMPNG9h0amMg1EkVr3PqBaMMg-oaWxdqwvL3HCkCn0pd7WaTSdin-NeEuy5yDfk8xseaHL3-CYH-e0/s1600-h/27%20weeks%20-%203.23.11%5B1%5D.jpg"><img alt="27 weeks - 3.23.11" border="0" height="473" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFoT6F0W_PkAf6btCoxt1IKYNzXYJpFji8e7Xmwrk-T_TrrG14bZSlfZ5KR8HFrnfwEAJNVsOtTQOGSdsTjBFEp9URrydHtTNRaQfUzIz2FkvaGT9xlpEdopAEMiWyOCBioFhRWKaSnIwg/?imgmax=800" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" title="27 weeks - 3.23.11" width="354"></a></p> <p><strong>How Far Along:</strong> 27 Weeks <p><strong>Size of baby:</strong> Baby Bangert is the size of an eggplant! <p><strong>Maternity Clothes:</strong> I wear maternity jeans and pants but everything else is regular.  Things are getting tighter though! <p><strong>Gender:</strong> It’s a girl!!! <p><strong>Movement: </strong>My Doctor told me I should feel her at least 10 times before 1pm…I don’t think that is a problem!! BIG NEWS: Kyle finally got to feel her kick on Saturday!! It was such a sweet moment, we were watching a movie and after he felt her kick he left his hand there the rest of the movie just waiting to feel her again! <p><strong></strong><strong>Sleep:</strong> Not too bad, I get up a few times throughout the night to go to the bathroom. I guess it’s preparing me for a newborn! <p><strong>What I miss:</strong> Sleeping on my stomach, a bigger selection of clothes, and being able to go up & down stairs without getting winded! <p><strong>Cravings:</strong> I don't have specific cravings. I just like to eat! ;) I don’t think ice cream counts, I love that anytime! <p><strong>Symptoms:</strong> Really can’t complain! Feeling well for the most part, just stiff/achy by the end of the the day. <p><strong>Best Moment this week:</strong> Kyle feeling her kick and making progress on the nursery! <p>I had my glucose test yesterday and they said no news is good news. So my fingers are crossed, I haven’t heard from the Dr. yet, so I’m hoping that’s a good sign! <p>In case you missed it click <a href="http://weightloss-stories.blogspot.com/2011/03/nursery-progress.html">here</a> to check out the progress in the nursery!</p>

27 weeks

How Far Along: 27 Weeks Size of baby: Baby Bangert is the size of an eggplant! Maternity Clothes: I wear maternity jeans and pants but...

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Hitchcock's Silent Version of Blackmail on the Big Screen

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPQ6LnwQDZt-B7cOe40ByA8JZrn5yoWYJL46OtzC5Yas0By6_YF961sikfoaFpscJtWA48kAhgJR31X5VBik0wr-NznD2ZGoMWye54HsuoZnHmzLCflwAfwgwVLVmKwvdpUqPMKwM9FXGx/s1600/blackmail1929%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPQ6LnwQDZt-B7cOe40ByA8JZrn5yoWYJL46OtzC5Yas0By6_YF961sikfoaFpscJtWA48kAhgJR31X5VBik0wr-NznD2ZGoMWye54HsuoZnHmzLCflwAfwgwVLVmKwvdpUqPMKwM9FXGx/s320/blackmail1929%255B1%255D.jpg" width="228" /></a></div><div style="line-height: 14pt; mso-line-height-rule: exactly;"><br /></div><div style="line-height: 14pt; mso-line-height-rule: exactly;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The era of talking pictures arrived while Alfred Hitchcock was working on his crime thriller, <b>Blackmail</b>, in 1929. The film had already been shot as a silent feature but during post-production the studio asked the director to convert it to partial sound so it could be marketed as a talking picture. Hitchcock, as was his way, had his own ideas. He began to tinker; scenes were reshot with dialogue, additional scenes with dialogue were added. In the end, Hitchcock had two films - his and Britain's much touted "first full length all talkie film" - and the original silent version. In 1929, most theaters in Britain were not equipped for sound, so it was the silent <b>Blackmail</b> that was for a long time the most widely seen and popular of the two films.</span><br /><a name='more'></a></div><div style="line-height: 14pt; mso-line-height-rule: exactly;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">One night last summer, the California Film Institute presented a special screening of a 35 mm British Film Institute archive print of the silent version of <b>Blackmail </b>at a theater near me. Accompanying the film with an original score was the Alloy Orchestra, one of the world's foremost silent film orchestras. In attendance was an enthusiastic sold-out crowd.</span></div><div style="line-height: 14pt; mso-line-height-rule: exactly;"><br /></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji90T2Wa96183YGsps0shGdKwRIvtfELs0_pl1K1k1U9wyYbss0Lg1BhxrpPyXTZlwVYj5g1tgGaZsdm_8Mlnl8ozJ2n1OynSkxdAfVXKVQ10Dd8lsI4NCnmeztBtPmViYBQlAbFlMzIN2/s1600/blackmail+hitch+and+anny+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="140" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji90T2Wa96183YGsps0shGdKwRIvtfELs0_pl1K1k1U9wyYbss0Lg1BhxrpPyXTZlwVYj5g1tgGaZsdm_8Mlnl8ozJ2n1OynSkxdAfVXKVQ10Dd8lsI4NCnmeztBtPmViYBQlAbFlMzIN2/s200/blackmail+hitch+and+anny+2.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alfred Hitchcock and Anny Ondra</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="line-height: 14pt; mso-line-height-rule: exactly;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Blackmail</b> was Hitchcock's second film of the thriller genre; the first was<b>The Lodger</b> (1927), the picture that first brought him widespread acclaim. <b>Blackmail, </b>a film that critic and Hitchcock author/scholar David Sterritt declared "has a strong claim to being his first masterpiece," foreshadows Hitchcock's later work in many ways. Visually sophisticated and gimlet-eyed in its observation of human nature and motives, it includes a delicately lovely woman in grave danger (who spends much of the film as if in a daze) and a grisly murder; the climactic chase scene at a landmark, the British Museum, is the first of such Hitchcock signature set-pieces...and there is no shortage of moral ambiguity.</span></div><div style="line-height: 14pt; mso-line-height-rule: exactly;"><br /></div><div style="line-height: 14pt; mso-line-height-rule: exactly;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The story, which Hitchcock conceived as a conflict between love and duty, centers on a middle-class young Londoner, Alice White. Alice lives with her parents, helps out at their tobacconist's shop and is dating a straight-arrow Scotland Yard detective. After the pair has a spat over dinner, she recklessly goes off with an artist/Casanova and ends up involved in a killing (see clip below); as a result her beau is drawn into the investigation - and a blackmail plot. </span></div><div style="line-height: 14pt; mso-line-height-rule: exactly;"><br /></div><div style="line-height: 14pt; mso-line-height-rule: exactly;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Blackmail </b>stars Anny Ondra as Alice, John Longden as her detective boyfriend, Cyril Ritchard as the artist and Donald Calthrop as Tracy, the not-so-innocent innocent man. The plot is well constructed, the action is tight and Hitchcock's mastery of suspense is evident throughout.</span></div><div style="line-height: 14pt; mso-line-height-rule: exactly;"><br /></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO3wUTDAW_a5RHzNTNFZBHTzlBAKZ29zCwS-p8YerN7kMCnK5bDeSOcQHUMzmPg8g4voKCGB4anjN3y_eHKsnWDytNE161qufHDZ3NkvnEUwD-ngWXUxpnQ9yo3MtopHz63VL3oFeDP3ou/s1600/blackmail+ending+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="171" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO3wUTDAW_a5RHzNTNFZBHTzlBAKZ29zCwS-p8YerN7kMCnK5bDeSOcQHUMzmPg8g4voKCGB4anjN3y_eHKsnWDytNE161qufHDZ3NkvnEUwD-ngWXUxpnQ9yo3MtopHz63VL3oFeDP3ou/s200/blackmail+ending+2.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>finis</i></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="line-height: 14pt; mso-line-height-rule: exactly;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Though clever and fast-paced, <b>Blackmail</b> is a film of some depth and darkness. Ultimately, the integrity of both central characters is permanently compromised. Though a messy situation is conveniently resolved, the truth comes out between the girl and her man and the film's ending implies an uncertain and possibly bleak future for the two who now share a terrible knowledge and guilt.</span></div><div style="line-height: 14pt; mso-line-height-rule: exactly;"><br /></div><div style="line-height: 14pt; mso-line-height-rule: exactly;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Alloy Orchestra artfully accented this screening of <b>Blackmail</b>, adding dimension and a sense of immediacy to the experience. However...the group is not exactly an "orchestra" but three musicians whose instruments include keyboards, accordion, clarinet, musical saw and a famous "rack of junk." A combination of percussion and electronics allows them to create an array of sounds and effects. The Alloy Orchestra has performed worldwide - for major film festivals, AMPAS and even at the Louvre.</span></div><div style="line-height: 14pt; mso-line-height-rule: exactly;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyvuXy4a88PNXUFqR3C0NtePaPt0I3jBY2BxQ6FCEzYyLVC06HcUwEOnkB8gjSih58CPC8OXSkekj0ifxe1HKQ5GvWecEh3q8YxW-rs5IqU2AY0rSZC1QogFt8PcFSq4NrC0KHMi7V_Ljm/s1600/AlloyOrchestra1%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="116" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyvuXy4a88PNXUFqR3C0NtePaPt0I3jBY2BxQ6FCEzYyLVC06HcUwEOnkB8gjSih58CPC8OXSkekj0ifxe1HKQ5GvWecEh3q8YxW-rs5IqU2AY0rSZC1QogFt8PcFSq4NrC0KHMi7V_Ljm/s200/AlloyOrchestra1%255B1%255D.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Alloy Orchestra</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="line-height: 14pt; mso-line-height-rule: exactly;"><i><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Postscript:</span></i></div><div style="line-height: 14pt; mso-line-height-rule: exactly;"><i><span style="font-family: Verdana;">I had not seen the sound version of <b>Blackmail</b> when I viewed the silent, but have since. I was a little surprised to discover that I much preferred the silent version. There are, perhaps, some technical reasons for this (rudimentary sound, the awkwardness of English actress Joan Barry voicing Czech-born star Anny Ondra's lines as Ondra performed). What struck me, though, was that the plot was rendered less ambiguous by the addition of spoken dialogue that was more explicit than the intertitles had been. </span></i></div><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/E3sOL_30nbw" title="YouTube video player" width="480"></iframe><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>

Alfred Hitchcock Anny Ondra Blackmail Cyril Ritchard Donald Calthrop Joan Barry John Longden The Lady Eve (author) Hitchcock's Silent Version of Blackmail on the Big Screen

The era of talking pictures arrived while Alfred Hitchcock was working on his crime thriller, Blackmail , in 1929. The film had already been...

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Thanks, Dawn, for the Stylish Blogger Award

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-fErtgIjVRjQEy8cPO-H6rdybAQgFnw8h2TFu8YeI7IlDxQ5L5YFeDdKOW2zUU-WYI1IjZXEQQjOAAuDQeYdj03bMIZz63eSHzpYWkVPcdWLYP3d1NL_Nw5t5yUOY5aj36UVmk2V7HPcw/s1600/stylish%252Bblogger%252Baward%252B1%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-fErtgIjVRjQEy8cPO-H6rdybAQgFnw8h2TFu8YeI7IlDxQ5L5YFeDdKOW2zUU-WYI1IjZXEQQjOAAuDQeYdj03bMIZz63eSHzpYWkVPcdWLYP3d1NL_Nw5t5yUOY5aj36UVmk2V7HPcw/s1600/stylish%252Bblogger%252Baward%252B1%255B1%255D.jpg" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Dawn at “Noir & Chick Flicks” has kindly honored Eve’s Reel Life with a “Stylish Blogger Award.” Many thanks to Dawn, a real fan of Golden Age classics!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>Here’s her URL – http://dawnschickflicks.blogspot.com/</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Those honored with the “Stylish Blogger Award” must reveal seven facts about themselves… here are seven things about me that may or may not be interesting:</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in;"><br /></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmxtcYHRNvbC6a-7dZVuoNnHykUw79A9XtN_I2uScEY9E4zeikI3olA92D7rYtZFpF0mNE1Gh1NYv77tMZXkCA3qZchwWggz3YZDsdC3SQ-Ys2Zk-kGXNKQjq64VWUOw-pkqqPkk5aYJDL/s1600/bette.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="167" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmxtcYHRNvbC6a-7dZVuoNnHykUw79A9XtN_I2uScEY9E4zeikI3olA92D7rYtZFpF0mNE1Gh1NYv77tMZXkCA3qZchwWggz3YZDsdC3SQ-Ys2Zk-kGXNKQjq64VWUOw-pkqqPkk5aYJDL/s200/bette.jpg" width="200" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Bette in <em>Now, Voyager</em></span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">   </span></span></span>I’ve loved Golden Age classics since childhood. I believe I inherited this addiction from my mother – along with “Bette Davis love”…her favorite of BD: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Now, Voyager</i></span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">  </span></span></span>TCM is the default channel at my place, though I’m delving into Comcast’s On Demand Premium Channels/Preferred Selections (thanks to Rick of the Classic/Cafe)</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">  </span></span></span>I own very few DVDs…I used to own lots of video tapes and then realized that technology will only change again and again…now I watch movies any and every way I can</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">  </span></span></span>I work in TV and have worked in the entertainment biz most of my life</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">5.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">  </span></span></span>Because of my line of work I’ve met or come into contact with a few of the famous…the most memorable was Loretta Young</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">6.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">  </span></span></span>My love of film extends from silent era to present day classics, including foreign cinema</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx_n2ICPRp8142Km68tSPw1FXSIrhe6QoTgCK-RLPjZKx_YT_I1RG50t9aJ-UFBBVhicK3j_P50MoZlfJ-LtOB1o-aEcdTEcvld2t38_wnwFVXmbvdwK7e0skTCcDvmbWXq0hDiakxLmVx/s1600/mmwomen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="147" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx_n2ICPRp8142Km68tSPw1FXSIrhe6QoTgCK-RLPjZKx_YT_I1RG50t9aJ-UFBBVhicK3j_P50MoZlfJ-LtOB1o-aEcdTEcvld2t38_wnwFVXmbvdwK7e0skTCcDvmbWXq0hDiakxLmVx/s200/mmwomen.jpg" width="200" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">"Mad Men"</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">7.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">  </span></span></span>I am a “Mad Men” fanatic and just found out today that there may be no 2011 season and no new episodes till 2012…NOOOO!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Those chosen as “Stylish Bloggers” are asked to name seven more stylish bloggers – here are my picks:</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Distant Voices & Flickering Shadows - http://distant-voicesandflickering-shadows.blogspot.com/</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Bit Part Actors - http://bitactors.blogspot.com/</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Twenty Four Frames - http://twentyfourframes.wordpress.com/</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Kevin’s Movie Corner - http://kevinsmoviecorner.blogspot.com/</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Bette’s Classic Movie Blog - http://bettesmovieblog.blogspot.com/</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Amateur Film Studies - http://amateurfilmstudies.blogspot.com/</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Tales of the Easily Distracted - http://doriantb.blogspot.com/</span></div>

Bette Davis Mad Men Noir and Chick Flicks Now Voyager Thanks, Dawn, for the Stylish Blogger Award

Dawn at “Noir & Chick Flicks” has kindly honored Eve’s Reel Life with a “Stylish Blogger Award.” Many thanks to Dawn, a real fan of Gold...

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The Seven Last Words

It is a 500-year-old tradition of the Church to reflect in Holy Week on the Seven Last Words of Jesus, the poignantly short utterances of Our Lord from the Cross. They were short utterances because they had to be gasped by a man dying of asphyxiation. It is difficult to consider these verses together because each of the four Gospel accounts of the Passion has its own special perspective. None of the accounts includes all seven utterances, so to pulling them together risks a certain blurring and incoherence. Still, considering the statements together is a spiritually important exercise since all of them are part of our tradition. My friend, Jocelyn, in the Episcopal Diocese of Santiago has asked me to write a brief reflection on the Seven Last Words, so this is my attempt.<br /><br />1. Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.<br /><br />This statement of forgiveness is found in Luke. In this Gospel, Jesus is a healer and a reconciler. In him, God becomes the archetypal victim of all human cruelty and sin for a special reason. Sin is committed against victims and only the victim has the moral right to forgive the wrong. God sitting serenely in heaven cannot morally forgive sins which God has not suffered. But without forgiveness, there is no way forward into new life. Without forgiveness, sinner and victim alike are ensnared forever, the sinner in guilt, the victim in grievance. In Jesus, God became the victim so that he could forgive. Injury gives rise to a claim, a right, to vengeance. But acts of vengeance are a new violence creating new victims and so the cycle of retribution continues. It can end only when a victim says “It stops here. I will forgive rather than perpetuate this.” Anwar Sadat going to Jerusalem after the death of his brother is a modern example. Antigone is an ancient one. Jesus is the archetype. God in Jesus took the wound of sin upon himself so he could forgive all sin and set us free from our guilt and our grievance alike, both prisons of the soul. But we can claim our freedom, live into our freedom, only when we follow the example of our way shower, our Savior and Liberator, Jesus who in his agony showed mercy to the merciless.<br /><br />2. Truly, I say to you, this day you will be with me in Paradise.<br /><br />These words are also in Luke, the Gospel of healing and reconciliation. The dying thief acknowledged his guilt and, offering no excuse or defense, asked for a small mercy. “Remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Simply to be remembered by a just person was all the immortality he hoped for. What has that to do with us? To live a human life is to incur guilt. To be human is to be fallible at every level, physical, moral, and spiritual. Moreover, to live a human life is to live in a network of relationships that constitute personal, moral obligation. Those obligations often conflict, so that to do what is right by one person is to hurt another. The moral philosopher Martha Nusbaum called such situations “tragic choices” in her book, The Fragility of Goodness. No one lives this life without guilt. It is hard to acknowledge our own sin. Our egos compel us to justify ourselves. But our desperate efforts to preserve our self-image as good people are at odds with what we know to be true. It is an agony to admit to ourselves and to others that we are guilty. The dying thief admitted his guilt. That is all he did. He had no opportunity to turn from his evil path and live a pure life. He had no chance to “go and sin no more.” He had no opportunity to earn his salvation with good works or piety. “Could my zeal no languor know, could my tears forever flow, these for sin would not atone. Thou must save and thou alone.” The dying thief simply asked for a crumb of mercy and Jesus promised him paradise. Salvation cannot be earned by fallible people such as ourselves. Salvation depends on grace alone, the infinite mercy of God revealed in Jesus. Many great spiritual teachers have said wise and helpful things that have helped me in my life challenges. But as the years have passed, as the weight of guilt has inevitably grown heavier and my efforts to justify myself have proven increasingly futile, I find nothing sufficient but this promise of Jesus to redeem me – not for the sake of any good thing I might ever do, but simply for the sake of his mercy.<br /><br />3. Woman behold your son; behold your mother.<br /><br />John’s Gospel alone relates that Mary and John stood at the foot of the cross. His mother and his best friend were there for him. They were drawn to this place of pain by their devotion to him. It is unlikely that they would have been close to each other before Good Friday. But Jesus redirected their mutual grief into a relationship. Tradition tells us that they remained close for the rest of their lives, that Mary spent her final years in Ephesus where John led the Church and wrote this Gospel. I have visited the house outside of Ephesus (Kusadasi) where tradition says that Mary lived. Who knows if that is historically true, but thousands of Christians, including Pope John Paul II, have visited that small shrine to remember the lasting bond John and Mary formed at Calvary and honored to the end. Whether it is vestiges of Mary’s presence or vestiges of the pilgrims’ presence, that spot is palpably sanctified by reflection on the tenderness of wounded healers, the bereaved living on with and for each other. But what does this say to us? Many Christians are devoted to Jesus. Their spirituality is a heart-felt longing for him. But in this moment Jesus actually redirected the attention of John and Mary away from himself and toward each other. Life is laced with grief and escape into otherworldly spirituality is a denial of life, a refusal to live the life we have been given because sometimes it hurts. Jesus did not invite Mary and John to escape. He did not say, “Don’t worry. This is really ok.” It was not ok. But he gave meaning to their grief by teaching them to console each other, to support and sustain each other. The spirituality Jesus taught from the cross was one of compassion, commitment, and personal engagement with each other. If we have grief, the way through it is to turn our grief into compassion for one another.<br /><br />4. My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?<br /><br />Mark and Matthew give the darkest versions of the Passion. For them, the Cross is a disaster. Redemption comes with the Resurrection, but the Cross itself is a horror. In their dark account, Jesus does not speak with confidence of being that day in Paradise. He feels abandoned and betrayed even by God. He cries out his complaint, but he does not curse God or abandon God, even though he believes he himself has been abandoned. This is the most profound expression in Scripture of obdurate, invincible love of God for God’s own sake. In Job there is a verse which is sometimes translated (perhaps not an accurate translation of the Hebrew but a spiritually profound one nonetheless) “Even though he slay me, I will trust in him.” Most of us love God for our blessings. We love God for what God has done for us or for what we hope God will do for us. In truth, this is loving ourselves and using God as a means to the higher end of our own well-being. But to love God without hope of our own gain would be another matter altogether. It would be to lose ourselves in the sublime light of a value supremely higher than ourselves. And that would be the ultimate liberation – the liberation from compulsive self-absorption. I am not capable of that kind of love for God, but I can aspire to it because Jesus revealed it. There is a second point in this utterance. Jesus was up against the experience of meaningless suffering. After the Resurrection, we see Jesus’ ordeal as the most meaningful suffering in history. But at the moment when Jesus felt forsaken, his suffering seemed altogether futile. Religious people are all to quick to tell the afflictedis that their suffering is actually ok because God doing something good in it. But suffering is often just suffering. Evil really is evil, not part of God’s plan. Jesus did not hang from the cross expounding platitudes about providence. He experienced disaster as disaster. It is only after we face that kind of despair head on as he did that we are able to rise from it as he did. The Cross alone is a catastrophe. God made meaning of it in the Resurrection. Instead of pretending that the horrors of life are not really horrors, we can call them what they are, and then make meaning out of them by rising from the grave of despair to live for others.<br /><br />5. I thirst.<br /><br />It is no surprise that Jesus said these words. Anyone who has sat at the bed of a dying person and put ice chips to their lips knows of the thirst of the dying. During crucifixion, Jesus would have been seriously dehydrated. It is no surprise that he said, “I thirst.” But it is surprising to me that John included this utterance. Johns is the spiritually lofty Gospel. Someone said that “In John, Jesus’ feet never seem to touch the ground.” In Mark’s earthy Gospel, these words would be natural; in John, they seem out of place. But there they are. I don’t know what possessed the spiritually minded John to include them. But this is what I make of it. When our mortal life does not satisfy, then we turn our eyes to the transcendent. The medieval theologian Boethius said that tragedy is where we find God. In the Jesus experience on the Cross, there is a spiritual thirst that John would have found worthy of his Gospel. “As the deer longs for the flowing steam, so longs my soul for you O God.” Psalm 22. But John knew that spiritual longing, like spiritual truth, were not free-floating in the clouds. Spiritual longing is enfleshed. “The Word became flesh . . . .” So there is a spiritual and a physical aspect to every longing. All desire, as St. Augustine taught us, is a partial expression of our ultimate desire – which whether we know it or not, is for the true end of all desires: God. When we hunger, thirst, or long for any earthly thing, it is an incarnate form of our longing for our Source and our Destiny, our Highest Good, the Ultimate Beauty. “O God you have made us for yourself,” Augustine wrote – but that is a misleading translation. It does not mean God made us for his own amusement or use. The word “for” means something more like “toward.” It means God has made us so that our longing is toward God. The “repining restlessness” (George Herbert) in our hearts, the perpetual dissatisfaction that keeps us uneasy, is the magnet and iron attraction drawing us toward God. That makes sense of the rest of the sentence. “O God you have made us for yourself and our hearts are restless until they rest in thee.” Jesus’ all too physical thirst and his longing for peace and consolation in the heart of God were one. It is the same for us in all our desires.<br /><br />6. It is finished.<br /><br />In John, these are Jesus’ last words. When I was a parish priest, my congregation observed Holy Week devoutly. The stripping of the altar was the most solemn ritual of the year. We then sat in one hour shifts with the reserved sacrament in a Gethsemane Garden though the night. At 9 in the morning, the hour of the crucifixion, a small group gathered around the altar in silence and slowly, reverently consumed the reserved sacrament. All year long, the sanctuary light burned beside the reserved sacrament, representing Christ’s presence. But now his sacramental presence was gone – the light extinguished. I placed the chalice on its side and said “It is finished.” We left in silence. Ending is tragic. But there is a beauty hidden in the tragedy. There is another meaning in these words. Sometimes they are translated, “It is accomplished.” You might say, “It is complete.” “It is perfect.” “It is made whole.” In his death, Jesus set something right. He brought a broken world together. The word “salvation” is often confused with pardon. It is actually much more than that. It is to be made whole, to have the fragments of our lives drawn together. It is to have the random joys and sorrow, the triumphs and the tragedies, the incidents and accidents which are like the scattered pieces of a puzzle assembled into a picture we can understand. When the final chapter in our meta-narrative has been written, everything that came before makes sense. Everything falls into place. In this moment of supreme sacrifice, meaning was restored to life. The chaos became a cosmos once more as God intended. The evil, the violence, the pettiness and greed -- all that makes a mess of life was swallowed up in that sacrifice. At the cost of the life of humanity and God, the fragmented universe was made whole.<br /><br />7. Into your hands I commend my spirit.<br /><br />These are Jesus’ last words in Luke, a final expression of faith. Jesus has completed his mission of healing and reconciliation. His purpose has been fulfilled. That is “a consummation devoutly to be wished” -- to have accomplished all one has been given to do. But it is a terrible moment too because one no longer has a purpose. One no longer has a claim of right to exist. One no longer has anything with which to bargain with reality, nothing left to offer. Jesus was at that moment empty, as it says in Philippians. Having nothing left in himself, he entrusted himself to God. Most of my life, I have thought I had something to offer the world, even something to offer God. But there came a time when I felt I had nothing left to give, that my continued presence on the earth would probably do no good. Like the dying thief, I had no justification. That’s when I prayed the words of Jesus, “Into your hands I commend my spirit.” It seems God had a few more things for me to do and I am doing them as I am able, “with God’s help.” But from that time, I have known that it’s all grace. Every day is God’s gift. My spirit is in God’s hands, dependent on his mercy and his will. Each of us comes to the end of our rope from time to time – sometimes in big ways, other times in small ways. That is when we can pray these words of Jesus; these “Turn it over. Turn it all over” words – a prayer that is not so much spoken as exhaled into God. There is a peace in that surrender like no other. It is a letting go and floating in God. Dying to self is the only way to live in the Spirit. That is the message Jesus taught us with his last breath.

The Seven Last Words

It is a 500-year-old tradition of the Church to reflect in Holy Week on the Seven Last Words of Jesus, the poignantly short utterances of Ou...

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Back to square one

Now that the glow of the Big Climb has worn off, and I can't use the stress of the event as an excuse to eat, it's time to get back to basics.<br /><br />Tomorrow is my first Weight Watchers at work meeting, which means I'll have my first official weigh-in in weeks. Even though I've been faithfully going to my Saturday meetings I haven't been weighing in. I weigh at home, but it's just not the same. I need the accountability of the Weight Watcher weigh-ins. <br /><br />I also haven't been to the gym for five days! A new record for me of being absent from something I was doing almost every day without even thinking about it. <br /><br />I didn't mention this but last Tuesday I hurt my bad knee going down the 37 flights at the Sheraton (I used the elevator the second time). Going up the stairs doesn't hurt my knees at all. In fact, I've read that stair climbing is one of the lowest impact exercises possible, even lower impact than walking. Going down stairs is really hard on the body, especially the knees and hips. For stair climbing they always recommend using the elevator for going down. Except when I hurt my knee going down the stairs, it really starting hurting going up the stairs too. Not good.<br /><br />After my workout last Wednesday where my knee was hurting pretty bad, I took off Thursday, Friday, and Saturday and Sunday (Big Climb day) from the gym. I only had an hour long walk on Thursday, but it was down and up a very steep hill, one mile each way, walking super fast with a coworker. It killed my knee. Luckily it was healed by the Big Climb on Sunday. Yesterday I was just lazy and skipped the gym. <br /><br />It's 5:04 a.m. right now, and I'll be out the door in about 15 minutes heading to the gym. Back to my regular workouts. <br /><br />Tracking my food and following the plan<br />I also haven't been tracking my food the last few days, and I even went out to lunch yesterday. Thai food, Cashew Chicken with white rice! I ate the entire thing. There must have been a lot of sodium in it because I was dying of thirst all afternoon and could barely get my ring off last night. <br /><br />I haven't done anything like that in years. I'm always really careful when I eat out, ordering the lowest calorie item and only eating half. It was like the old me was back, and I don't really like the old me. The one that ate whatever and whenever she felt like it. <br /><br />I'm nipping that in the bud. Back to healthy food, and tracking every bite. <br /><br />Killing the nighttime eating monster<br />Anyone that's read my blog for a while knows I have a terrible time with eating late at night. Last night I decided that has to stop. It's been out of control lately. I decided that once I go to bed, that's it, I am done for the day. The restaurant is closed! No more getting up in the middle of the night and eating. I didn't use to do this, and I'm not even sure how it got started, but for the last year or so it's been my demon.<br /><br />Even if it's healthy food, it has to stop. Last night was night number one of my new "rule". I thought about getting up a few times when I woke up at midnight and again at 1 a.m., but I didn't. I stayed in bed and eventually fell back to sleep. A little self-discipline is good for the soul (and the waistline!). It wasn't really that hard last night, but of course, I'd eaten much more than normal during the day. I know it'll be a lot harder now that I'll be back on plan.<br /><br />Back to square one, what's always worked in the past will work again in the future.<br /><br />Now for the gym!

Back to square one

Now that the glow of the Big Climb has worn off, and I can't use the stress of the event as an excuse to eat, it's time to get back ...

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Nursery Progress

<p>Over spring break Kyle hung a few shelves in the nursery. I had a picture in my head of what I wanted to do with them, but needed to actually bring it to reality.</p> <p>This is the view from the doorway: the crib is straight on & the shelves on the left. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip0nZ8i1bNpuCUpqWKBvwQAaVoaEe-lV5x8R8-G0kVdtzvAbSDveMpxBHxBpmw70le-Q4DRZJIrtue2XEH1tgXLJpCXQihdDRVcN7QpR-LRuKQgEKCJklpB4xZHXIPu6OGgPkAqPktxXV5/s1600-h/DSC09868%5B3%5D.jpg"><img alt="DSC09868" border="0" height="471" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA2UHjSEjZp5p1V4rSH1jS6Cus195i0jhiMrRSPNZhiFn84BC8otZREc8mfE26d1NcDFXHUq-8wJknygY4JEIvrfOEoRv2AX6PRxa9HPMQmb3nVkKHSLUj1ZFRD0MsB1uKdpiJouBp7D5t/?imgmax=800" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: block; border-left-width: 0px; float: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border-right-width: 0px" title="DSC09868" width="354"></a></p> <p>Here is another view. I used white gallery frames on the shelf we picked up at Ikea. Here are the details:</p> <ul> <li>The frame on the far left has a pink scrapbook paper with a white swirly design, once we pick out her name I’m going to be a big initial of her first name. <li>The 2nd frame is something I designed & framed. (see next picture) <li>Then we have her ultrasound. <li>Lastly, I finished it off with some coordinating scrapbook paper I picked up at Hobby Lobby. <li>The 2 pink iron flowers below are hooks I also got at Hobby Lobby for $3/each.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWhDq9o9l-B4H3AcZRheMup5VtJXJ5SlqJgpW0Pm3C6tTYzbj6FBYDcDu1JEfvOjBNgnp7TjQoxunnhxrLa_F-P1HTd3J4B9ga2vIaExFsxpx7fKjW22n6T3L4kStgWCucD836zJqJVNxW/s1600-h/DSC09860%5B3%5D.jpg"><img alt="DSC09860" border="0" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3olVlX9YFSskbmrVh9S2qGUSGhyT1d8MSDDwkwL767Px4xLiVCmoGcwK40tKMT9iW0LjWRwWRbPmmLknJba3Ysg_0icOJO5RE8bqgQieOXE9hZ4llsmveLE_bW0Pp9tXaOjxtsFcwEPJ_/?imgmax=800" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: block; border-left-width: 0px; float: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border-right-width: 0px" title="DSC09860" width="404"></a></li></ul> <p>Here is a close up of what I made! I used the colors in her nursery (pink, blue, green, & brown), difference sizes, and jumbled the alphabet for something fun! I was so happy with how it turned out!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEY0Vs9MDTTHVU7hakXwKQ8sIrWaGL43rQsZBGl4Q7Rpdq5EqVzoHFtEe2ZyKkt1c-yIPyA__IvSrEdO5D_YllOpcVXGPG0frbn0dKlRVog9AlxlnnWUDvpYBlT61SlUQTqr8fX_N7LX4r/s1600-h/DSC09861%5B3%5D.jpg"><img alt="DSC09861" border="0" height="471" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiowCU6X8Ohvs2BeFviA4NSQCcTNqaKbEgT49ikO9LVR3GVN2P9GXirzR4k7FZfuaMsjgvF1usNMPW-TvVLGMqEs0GHW3DMh5j79vQYp0kJP8tDgzHJPsXgnD0SioWNC6m0OZmGef1rP25D/?imgmax=800" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: block; border-left-width: 0px; float: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border-right-width: 0px" title="DSC09861" width="354"></a></p> <p>Kyle also hung something I “stumbled” upon in our storage area in the basement. This is a scrapbook display frame my sister Mindi gave me years ago! It’s magnetic and also has some mini clothes pins. I thought this will be a great place to display pictures, her birth announcement, etc!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilFuG5g_G09MSxgcWu4EsrCz6I-xGwHd339QZHvN0vKCFgiu76Mx9oM950CZe13LxqKH7tlyk50jKpjBlAUyXvTy6mchOO7Ywp9OtjxbGUbEHe-vnArUfLUac7jE0ZmPLVjvtizbYm9dX0/s1600-h/DSC09865%5B3%5D.jpg"><img alt="DSC09865" border="0" height="471" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuEbb7vYALJmoDWPMS7gmbZa-J3JZw5ecS6LYThTyA81B8rRCd9jC5jiI0SmV_FZfHvQLDrqy7L4SvxFv9FFZ2Jfj8_Fsr2OnWw_vNAcCPC6qL9lhfkD_-oEmuDmmwDMRGaHMqaZG0bymu/?imgmax=800" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: block; border-left-width: 0px; float: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border-right-width: 0px" title="DSC09865" width="354"></a></p> <p>After we got these things done, I just sat in the glider and enjoyed the room! *sigh* Just love it so far! I can’t wait for her to get here, the most important piece of this whole puzzle! I have another plan for the remaining 2 walls. One is dependent on what we pick for her name & the other is dependent on finding a friendly seamstress! ;) So we’ll save those for another day!</p>

Nursery Progress

Over spring break Kyle hung a few shelves in the nursery. I had a picture in my head of what I wanted to do with them, but needed to actuall...

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The Big Climb was totally AWESOME!!!

The Big Climb Seattle 2011<br /><br />After all my worrying and fretting about being a Big Climb team captain, after kicking myself in the butt a zillion times because I didn't lose twenty or even ten pounds for the event, I would say today was one of the best days of my life!<br /><br />My husband took a ton of pictures today (and many of them not at all flattering to me), but the one below is my absolute favorite. <br /><br />The guy on the left is Steve, and our team was Alaska Airlines Climbing for Steve. Steve was diagnosed with <span class="goog_qs-tidbit goog_qs-tidbit-0">myelodysplastic syndromes</span><span class="goog_qs-tidbit goog_qs-tidbit-0"> (</span>preleukemia) last August and had a stem cell transplant last fall. The guy on the right is one of our pilots, Paul. He was in the exact spot last year that Steve is now, recovering from a stem cell transplant after being diagnosed with MDS. This year Paul did the climb, and next year, both Paul and Steve will do the climb. I really love this picture. That's me in the back, on the right (with the bleached blond hair hiding behind people).<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_gcxjLK4CURHA2vcWfkS8ghDtlxhH__4UR9PCQESm9iCpGxT1GoBBVxm7jkfhRmzzfw-ZL43tWdBJEHaysK1htI2RWPVpPUSt7evw4cmdvTF7G6XfOTrbrDIZaJbVQweqKIzrxr_IHg8_/s1600/P1020712.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_gcxjLK4CURHA2vcWfkS8ghDtlxhH__4UR9PCQESm9iCpGxT1GoBBVxm7jkfhRmzzfw-ZL43tWdBJEHaysK1htI2RWPVpPUSt7evw4cmdvTF7G6XfOTrbrDIZaJbVQweqKIzrxr_IHg8_/s640/P1020712.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />The anticipation and excitement was in the air when my husband and I entered the lobby of Columbia Center at 8:30am Sunday (my team's start time was 10:30am). It's a huge space, and it was packed with people, many wearing their team t-shirts. Most people were very fit and healthy looking. You could feel the adrenalin, as well as the fear that some of us first timers were feeling.<br /><br />We arrived extra early because I wanted to make sure we had a space next to Starbucks on the main floor. It turned out not to be a problem because the Starbucks was located in an out of the way corner. I was a little worried no one would find us, but they all showed up. <br /><br />Our company had two teams, my team, Climbing for Steve (since most of us knew him we wanted to honor him with a team just for him). The other team wasn't climbing for anyone specific. All together we had 60 people. Between the two teams we raised $8,500 dollars, which I thought was pretty good for a first time effort.<br /><br />I was very surprised to see Steve show up to thank us in person. He had told me he would try to come, but if he wasn't feeling well, he might not make it. He's had a rough few weeks lately so I wasn't sure if he'd make it or not. Steve is one of the kindest, most gentle human beings I've ever met. He made a little speech of gratitude to our team before we took off on our climb. It was very touching and made me cry.<br /><br />As we were going up the escalators for our 10:30am start time I heard someone shout my name, "Diana!". I turned around and there was Alan from <a href="http://www.poundsoffplayoff.com/">Pounds Off Playoff</a>, with his wife and two kids. I recognized him from his blog picture. I yelled back a "Hi Alan, and Alan's wife and two kids!". I wish I could have spoken to him and his family. It's so cool to meet people that write blogs. It's like you know the person before you even meet them. But we were on our march to the start of the climb and there was no going back at that point.<br /><br />I'm not going to kid you and say the climb of 69 floors or 1,311 steps was easy for me. It was not easy. It was hard. I slowed down a few times to let younger, more fit people pass me, but I never stopped and rested. My heart rate got up to 161 and stayed there for the last ten minutes. When I work out on the StairMaster at the gym (which is NOTHING like the real thing) my heart rate is usually in the 135-140 range, occasionally going up to 151. <br /><br />A heart rate of 161 for ten minutes is extremely high for me, especially because of my age (55) my target heart rate (85% of maximum) is 140. I really felt like I was pushing myself hard, and I kept repeating over and over in my head, mind over matter, mind over matter...I can and will do this.<br /><br />The hardest part was the first ten floors, because I knew how far I had to go and it seemed like a really long way to the 69th floor, the last ten floors were killer because I was exhausted! They number the last ten floors, each floor with a big sign, only ten more floors, only nine more floors, etc. Plus as you get close to the top there was a person at each landing cheering us on, saying things like "good job!" or "you're almost there!" The floors left numbers and the cheering really helped.<br /><br />One thing that was so emotional for me was the big 8 1/2" x 11" photos on each floor. Several said "In memory of" and a name and date. Some said "In honor of" and a name. This gave me momentum to keep going. I couldn't help but think what each of these people and many others have gone through with cancer. If I could honor them by making this small sacrifice, then it was worth it. <br /><br />The team t-shirt that really touched my heart the most was a team called Project Trevor. On the back of a bright orange t-shirt it had a picture of a young boy. Below the picture, it said "Dad, I have a question. Is Leukemia life threatening?" ~Trevor 2002. I saw some people wearing the t-shirt in the elevator and said to a woman, your t-shirt made me cry, but what a wonderful way to honor Trevor. She pointed to a man standing beside her and said that Trevor was his best friend's son. Then we all started to tear up a bit and someone said, "No tears here today! Only happy thoughts!" and we all laughed.<br /><br />I looked up Team Trevor's web page and this is what their greeting said:<br /><br />Project Trevor is the Big Climb Team Honoring Trevor Price, a young man, lost to Leukemia at 12 years of age. We have been a a key team in the recent growth of this fantastic event. We are encouraged by a young man that will forever be 12 years of age; a young man that was always older than his years. <br /><br />Here's a <a href="http://www.pnwlocalnews.com/east_king/iss/community/42433532.html">link</a> to more about Trevor. What's even sadder is that he lost his life five months after he was diagnosed with leukemia, at 12 years of age. Team Trevor raised $15,808.59 for today's event. Wow. <br /><br />Sorry, I digress. Back to the actual climb. First of all, I didn't run it, but I was in the "racer" group so I could be timed. When I got to the sign that said "Five floors left!" I could hear the Rocky theme music (Gonna Fly Now). That really helped. It got louder and louder as I neared the top. You know the music, where Rocky is running up the steps in the movie. <br /><br />So, are you wondering about my results?<br /><br />Time:  19 minutes and 38 seconds<br />Place overall:  2635 out of 3242  <---these were the timed climbers, there was another 3,000 untimed<br />Pace by sex:  1100 out of 1499<br />Place in my age group:  91/131<br /><br />Now those numbers aren't super fantastic, but dang, I'm kind of proud of it for my first time. Especially considering that I'm 55 years old and at least 30 pounds overweight (but not next year!). <br /><br />Are you wondering how the 80-year old woman placed? Actually, this year she's 81.<br /><br />Shirley Lansing, 81, 36 minutes and 36 seconds. <br /><br />I hope I do that well when I'm 81!<br /><br />My goal for next year, 15 minutes! I saw several people in their fifties did it in 15 minutes or less this year. Imagine how easy it would be if I was thirty or even fifty pounds lighter?<br /><br />Overall, I really enjoyed this event. I talked to the other team captain and we're already scheming how to have one big team next year of over 100 people. If we raised $8,500 with 60 people, we can raise at least $10,000 (or more) with 100 people. <br /><br /><strong>Speaking of weight</strong><br />I weighed this morning when I got up.<br /><br />186.4<br /><br />Holy Crap Batman!<br /><br />I've been stressed out a little over the Big Climb. It had some sort of negative effect on my eating. I realize that doesn't make any sense but it's almost like I had this overwhelming pressure to lose weight. I mean seriously, the fat girl is going to climb 69 floors and not have a heart attack? The more I thought about it, the more I wanted to eat. It was really odd how it made me feel.<br /><br />Looking through all the pictures my husband took of me today, I'm looking very fat. There's just no other way to say it, but I can really see the weight on my body and face and I don't like it one little bit. Not to mention hauling this body up 69 flights was a lot harder than it should have been for me.<br /><br />We have a Weight Watchers at work group that just started, and I'm joining it. It's on Wednesdays at noon for 17 weeks. We have over 20 people signed up so we get an extra discount with Weight Watchers for having over 20 people, and our company is paying for 30% of the fee. Plus I'm staying in my Saturday meetings and paying my online fee. So I'll have two meetings and two weighins a week for the next 17 weeks. I feel really excited that I'm going to finally make some headway on losing weight again. <br /><br /><strong>Battle: Los Angeles</strong><br />This post is already too long, but I have to tell you about the movie we saw this afternoon. Battle: Los Angeles. I loved it! It kept me on the edge of my seat the entire movie. I laughed, I cried, and was thoroughly entertained for almost two hours (but it seemed like twenty minutes). <br /><br />It's a sci-fi with aliens-war-suspense-scary movie. All the stuff I love rolled into one movie. I'm sort of a weird female because I love war movies. I'm sure it's from being married to a big history buff for the last 23 years. I've seen more than my share of war movies (but I kind of like them now).<br /><br />Anyway, I loved it. I know the ratings aren't the greatest, but it's one of the best movies I've seen in a long time. Definitely worth seeing on the big screen. <br /><br />I must still be high from my climb. I'm a real chatterbox tonight!

The Big Climb was totally AWESOME!!!

The Big Climb Seattle 2011 After all my worrying and fretting about being a Big Climb team captain, after kicking myself in the butt a zilli...

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Waiting Till the End to Say My Piece

January 27. I was on my computer when I spotted that the Michigan-Michigan State basketball game was going to be on ESPN3.com. Yes, the game was at East Lansing; yes, the Wolverines hadn't won there in 15 years; yes, they had just lost six straight and were 1-6 in the Big Ten, but I was still excited. It would be the first time I'd really seen them in action since late December - which would make my grand total M basketball viewings for the year go up to 2.<br /><br />But when I got to the website, I was dismayed to see that there was only two minutes left in the game. My sadness quickly turned to elation when I found out <i>we were winning!</i> I nervously watched the final seconds click down, and just like that, the tide had turned. After hearing for a month on Detroit sports radio that Michigan head coach John Beilein would likely be fired after this season, and that this team was too young and there were no leaders, it was a shock to my system. Sometimes, a good dose of positive energy can really renew a person!<br /><br />So I kept paying attention, with my ear to the ground. I didn't make any proclamations that Michigan was the best - because they weren't, but also because I didn't want to take this "upset" and make it a big deal. (Even though I really really wanted to.)<br /><br />That became my mindset for the rest of the season. After close calls (Wisconsin) and more fun games (MSU again, Minnesota), I still wasn't going to announce this team was turning a corner. And even after they came back against Illinois in the second round of the Big Ten Tournament (since they'd earned a bye), I wasn't going to announce to the world that Michigan was back.<br /><br />Nope, not even after Michigan pounded Tennessee 75-45 in the "second" round of the NCAA Tourney was I going to proclaim that this had been a good season.<br /><br />Only now, after a narrow loss to Duke and the end of the season, will I make my remarks:<br /><br />That was a good season!<br /><br />After starting well (beating Harvard) and having an awful middle (you lost to Indiana?!), the Michigan Wolverines' players came together as a team to share responsibilities. Even though players like Darius Morris and Tim Hardaway Jr. got their names out into the public, there were other players like Stu Douglass shooting threes and Zack Novak trying to guard the big men and snatching rebounds away from them. Even though only two players had gone to the Big Dance before (Douglass and Novak), they showed poise and patience in their two games at that level.<br /><br />But there's one problem to this season: haven't we seen this before?<br /><br />Two years ago, in the 2008-09 season, Michigan had built a respectable record and had also gone to the NCAA Tournament's second round, losing to Blake Griffin and number 2 Oklahoma. They had almost everyone returning for the next year, including Manny Harris and DeShawn Sims. But they had a down year and didn't even make the tournament. The fact that they made it back this year with no Senior leadership was huge!<br /><br />But will history repeat itself? After all, we are having almost all our players from this year returning for the next year. Are we going to have all our offseason expectations dashed by Christmas? <br /><br />I hope that the Wolverines take recent history into account and are able to build on this season. Then hopefully I can proclaim this amazing season from Day One!

Waiting Till the End to Say My Piece

January 27. I was on my computer when I spotted that the Michigan-Michigan State basketball game was going to be on ESPN3.com. Yes, the game...

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Zero days until the Big Climb

In about eight hours I'll be getting up and getting dressed for the big climb. In about twelve hours I'll be lined up to start the climb of 1,311 steps.<br /><br />I've picked out what I'm wearing, black cropped workout pants, a black sleeveless, v-neck workout top, the kind that stays dry (you can't see or feel the sweat, it wicks away, whatever that means), my favorite workout socks, and my favorite workout shoes. I have my heart rate monitor ready next to my socks so I don't forget it. Plus my gloves to wear so I won't be touching the bannister with my bare hands (I have a slight germ phobia about public stair bannisters--they're gross!).<br /><br />I picked up the racing packets for my team in Seattle this morning and they're in the trunk of my car. <br /><br />I had my hair cut and highlighted today so I'm ready for pictures. I had about an inch cut off, and it's really blond again (almost need sunglasses to look at it). No reverse highlights this time, just two tones of blond. I'm thinking it's a little bit too blond.<br /><br />And I'm nervous as heck. I don't really know why but I feel anxious about this event. I know I can do the 69 floors, but I know it's going to be hard. My bad left knee has been bothering me a little since I did the Sheraton stairs on Tuesday (37 flights twice). <br /><br />Maybe it's because I'm team captain, and I know I'm going to have to be all smiles and friendly. Basically, I'll have to be "on" as I meet and greet people tomorrow morning. I keep telling myself not to worry, it's no big deal, and it'll be over before I know it. <br /><br />It's for a good cause, raising money for a good reason, to help the people that have leukemiaia, lymphoma or one of the other blood diseases. I keep telling myself that this is nothing in comparison to going through cancer. If you've ever known anyone that's gone through chemo, you know a little about the agony of having cancer.<br /><br />This is basically about 35 minutes of my life where I'll have some discomfort climbing stairs. Imagine months of chemo, daily doctor visits, hospital stays, losing my hair, feeling sick and weak all the time. Nauseousness from the drugs, throwing up. Those are the people that are the heroes in this story. <br /><br />Funny, I suddenly feel better about this whole thing. I'll report back tomorrow how it went. Hopefully I can beat that 80-year old woman's time from last year, 35 minutes.

Zero days until the Big Climb

In about eight hours I'll be getting up and getting dressed for the big climb. In about twelve hours I'll be lined up to start the c...

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26 weeks

<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6DzW4YQlfgB5J8G6XzK6RtBvlW1jeoHzMaXr_gQqo4P9-lK_vYVFfmsJxwF-A70ZSCX9yf9rmgqJg-_543bAVg8bwrz2fUEk1jVkckrGH5xR-ZraDhkJsZKgafCdvtnO83hxrmpzy3C-Q/s1600-h/26%20weeks%20-%203.16.11%5B4%5D.jpg"><img alt="26 weeks - 3.16.11" border="0" height="473" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkfFWkeui5FH94ipHy07_29Zg6hFL0tekbAzHLXNa505q0WRW4QpHioGoGOjjX_x2HbrskRU_vGrDUWjpNxeAmR_JjA4H3Nzs9HgoQ7pM3tNUU_qIK-rRdC_qQfHE1iNU3Wr0GMTMbLEdu/?imgmax=800" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" title="26 weeks - 3.16.11" width="354"></a> </p> <p><strong>How Far Along:</strong> 26 Weeks <p><strong>Size of baby:</strong> Baby Bangert is the length of an English cucumber! <p><strong>Maternity Clothes:</strong> I wear maternity jeans and pants but everything else is regular.  Things are getting tighter though! <p><strong>Gender:</strong> It’s a girl!!! <p><strong>Movement: </strong>I've been starting to feel her more & more throughout the day! Kyle is anxiously awaiting his turn to be able to feel her, still no luck on this yet! :( <p><strong></strong><strong>Sleep:</strong> Not too bad, I get up a few times throughout the night to go to the bathroom. I guess it’s preparing me for a newborn! <p><strong>What I miss:</strong> Sleeping on my stomach, a bigger selection of clothes, and being able to go up & down stairs without getting winded! <p><strong>Cravings:</strong> I don't have specific cravings. I just like to eat! ;) I don’t think ice cream counts, I love that anytime! <p><strong>Symptoms:</strong> Really can’t complain! Feeling pretty well! <p><strong>Best Moment this week:</strong> Spending a few extra days off with the hubs for spring break! And we locked in our daycare! Feels good to have that checked off the list! <p>So this week you get the real thing, comfy clothes! :) This most likely what I look like once I get home from work!! But hey, who doesn’t love to be comfy?!?! <p>Wednesday was the last day of week 26 for me. Today (Saturday) I’m 27 weeks, 2 days…less than 100 days to go! I’m getting so anxious to meet my little girl!!</p>

26 weeks

How Far Along: 26 Weeks Size of baby: Baby Bangert is the length of an English cucumber! Maternity Clothes: I wear maternity jeans an...

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For Japan...

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgStMj8ZEOj4FcIn6y8b0D1rl6dAUKEJajmFiJrkrWh80xpAXswNIv0FFejYv2TMKOJ0J_02VJ4awcgRoJbDEVY1Xzsaw3t498M8EP1N4e2xTmRVWz2eGq2evDTkr24kfRmZnJ-sT4ajngN/s1600/japan+blogathon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="196" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgStMj8ZEOj4FcIn6y8b0D1rl6dAUKEJajmFiJrkrWh80xpAXswNIv0FFejYv2TMKOJ0J_02VJ4awcgRoJbDEVY1Xzsaw3t498M8EP1N4e2xTmRVWz2eGq2evDTkr24kfRmZnJ-sT4ajngN/s320/japan+blogathon.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><i>This is my entry in CinemaFanatic/JapanCinema's blogathon to benefit victims of the earthquake/tsunami disaster in Japan...I hope those of you visiting my reel life will donate generously by <a href="https://www.paypal-donations.com/pp-charity/web.us/campaign.jsp?cid=-12"><span style="color: red;">clicking here</span></a>...</i></span><br /><a name='more'></a><br /> <br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0DuI5fZovoqQtm93X85KZkq7O43GcszSqjJVmwFxr1j5jriFR5ZNOXwaPUBm6mKUqsJXQ4fyaK_JaqCokdl4n2mgs30CwTFlchg1FW3NvVMCP7-eX9-PgShPWxLhJZ2EKYyiO_T5DGIgy/s1600/WomanInTheDunes2%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="140" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0DuI5fZovoqQtm93X85KZkq7O43GcszSqjJVmwFxr1j5jriFR5ZNOXwaPUBm6mKUqsJXQ4fyaK_JaqCokdl4n2mgs30CwTFlchg1FW3NvVMCP7-eX9-PgShPWxLhJZ2EKYyiO_T5DGIgy/s200/WomanInTheDunes2%255B1%255D.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Woman in the Dunes</b></td></tr></tbody></table> <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I wish I were more knowledgeable about the cinema of Japan, but I am not. That's not to say that I am completely ignorant of Japanese films ...I have seen my share of Kurosawa, most recently, <b>Red Beard </b>(1965) and - amazingly - the first Japanese film I can ever recall seeing is <b>Woman in the Dunes</b> (1964). I was fortunate to have been young during an era when an art house/revival house culture thrived - and it was in a theater dedicated to such cinema that I </span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">saw Hiroshi Teshigahara's great film. On the surface it is about an entomologist who becomes trapped in a sand pit with a woman whose life is devoted to the daily shoveling of sand. But more than that it's a consuming existential meditation, beautifully photographed, filled with striking imagery and accompanied by a jarring, expressive soundtrack. I couldn't get it out of my mind then - and I really never have since.</span> <br /><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The Japanese film I viewed most recently is a completely different kind of film...</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Not long ago I posted a blog about food and film - films in which food "played a lead or supporting role." At the end of it I invited others to comment on their favorites of this "genre."  Among the films mentioned was one I hadn't seen, Juzo Itami’s comedy, <b>Tampopo </b>(1985). I was curious and eventually tracked it down…</span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"></div> <br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj-T3eHtJhoKiM1EH9_FjMa0rH9wM4Fbm67am9sVNveZhJ42sb7iLi1GyuECwNbywZQYcvXCFsBg747p6Y_GWRhUcJwwlJYsOWbWRun0XKzujBpnbf7OOruNRuFU-7hz8Opj-NLWQIzefd/s1600/Tampopo+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj-T3eHtJhoKiM1EH9_FjMa0rH9wM4Fbm67am9sVNveZhJ42sb7iLi1GyuECwNbywZQYcvXCFsBg747p6Y_GWRhUcJwwlJYsOWbWRun0XKzujBpnbf7OOruNRuFU-7hz8Opj-NLWQIzefd/s320/Tampopo+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nobuko Miyamoto in <b>Tampopo </b></td></tr></tbody></table> <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Goro (Tsutomu Yamazaki) is a truck driver on a long haul with his younger partner, Gun (Ken Watanabe). One night they stop at a roadside noodle shop run by a widow, Tampopo (Nobuko Miyamoto), struggling to keep her restaurant going while raising a young son. When she asks Goro how he likes her ramen he tells the truth: not very good! He then embarks on a mission to help Tampopo master the art of the noodle bowl…</span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">A variety of colorful folk join in and weigh in on concocting the correct recipe and developing the proper method of preparing perfect ramen...broth, noodles, style, attitude...</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL4Ugcx_980t8l96K7kFKVWCOIzBsl5EO9dZJAdxQpLRjMmaxuXfeVwxSbc8vk3KPxnpcKM5veZxkdrqWVb-ela1yUQSB9HEksGh0Z39OYKOqweavpqmBYSca_JKBXyYMAD9JAQIECxi3B/s1600/tampopo_3%255B1%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL4Ugcx_980t8l96K7kFKVWCOIzBsl5EO9dZJAdxQpLRjMmaxuXfeVwxSbc8vk3KPxnpcKM5veZxkdrqWVb-ela1yUQSB9HEksGh0Z39OYKOqweavpqmBYSca_JKBXyYMAD9JAQIECxi3B/s320/tampopo_3%255B1%255D.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Tampopo</b>...sharing food</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">But <b>Tampopo</b> is not a start-to-finish narrative. Several vignettes are woven in - all are related to food but not all directly related to the ramen odyssey. Highlights among these side stories include the amusing predicament of a group of corporate types grappling with the menu in a French restaurant, several friends who get together with the intention of eating spaghetti in the western style and…most famous of all…a gangster and his girl sharing a raw but ultimately sensuous egg.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The mastery of ramen is achieved and the film ends on a high note. Goro, a wandering cowboy of sorts, seems almost to ride into the sunset once he accomplishes his purpose. A final scene puts an exclamation point on the link between food and connection/intimacy/love.</span></div>

Japanese Cinema Blogathon Tampopo The Lady Eve (author) Woman in the Dunes For Japan...

This is my entry in CinemaFanatic/JapanCinema's blogathon to benefit victims of the earthquake/tsunami disaster in Japan...I hope those ...

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Three days until the Big Climb!

<div style="text-align: center;"> Grace, Me, and Roxie at Palomino's in Seattle</div><div style="text-align: center;">Not my best picture but Grace and Roxie look gorgeous.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQbtwhO8A_idmpTWi3jUNSI44ixaSa504h8T6PumtoFn09ZaT6TRSlIv8gBiLRY-fRCqFo532JqwPfGlfd6iBGnHmbWKxNXid_ZDI91X0TE9gBEPbRVST1rgxw6h5qjSe9g-WCXxpGeBQ3/s1600/Gracie+Roxie.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQbtwhO8A_idmpTWi3jUNSI44ixaSa504h8T6PumtoFn09ZaT6TRSlIv8gBiLRY-fRCqFo532JqwPfGlfd6iBGnHmbWKxNXid_ZDI91X0TE9gBEPbRVST1rgxw6h5qjSe9g-WCXxpGeBQ3/s640/Gracie+Roxie.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />Tuesday I had a wonderful lunch with <a href="http://gravelandrust.blogspot.com/">Roxie</a> and <a href="http://notes-by-grace.blogspot.com/">Grace</a> in downtown Seattle. It was the first time I'd met Roxie. She's exactly like she is on her blog, sweet, really funny, charming, beautiful and skinny too! I absolutely love her. Seeing Grace again was very fun. She and Roxie are very much alike, and I adore them both.<br /><br />After our fun lunch I climbed the stairs at the Sheraton, twice. 1,154 steps up total. It was 37 floors to the roof, but their floors are weird. Some are 30 or 40 steps, but most are only 15 steps. On my way home I stopped at the gym for thirty minutes on the bike and a half hour of lifting weights. This morning it was back at the gym for 30 minutes on the StairMaster. I'm planning a regular workout tomorrow, a light workout on Friday, probably the elliptical and some upper body weights, then nothing on Saturday. A day of rest before the big day, the <a href="http://www.llswa.org/site/PageNavigator/BC_homepage">Seattle Big Climb</a>.<br /><br />I'm a bit nervous about the climb. I'm sure I can do it, but I know it's going to be difficult. Going up 37 floors at the Sheraton in eight minutes yesterday was difficult, but thinking about 69 floors without a break is a little intimidating.<br /><br />My eating has been pretty good, but not perfect. No junk food, but a little too much chicken and fruit. I've been tracking my food, tracking both calories and PointsPlus. Yesterday was 1900 calories but only 17 Points (I'm suppose to have 29). The new Weight Watchers plan is a struggle for me, I can't seem to figure it out. I think it's best if I stick with calories. <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>I missed breakfast this morning because I was running really late for work. I rarely miss breakfast. I had lunch out today at Anthony's Seafood at the airport (my favorite Sea-Tac airport restaurant). I had Cioppino - Wild Alaska salmon, Manila clams, Puget Sound mussels and lingcod simmered in a savory tomato herb broth. I love this stuff. The last time I had it though it was super salty. I asked the waiter to tell the chef to go really light on the salt. It was perfect!<br /><br />Well, it's past my bedtime (midnight!). I'm going through a really bad spell lately of not being able to sleep through the night. I can fall asleep in a flash, but I wake up several times during the night, finally getting up exhausted in the morning. I have my annual physical coming up in a few weeks. I'm going to ask my doctor if I need a sleep study or something because something is wrong with me and it's making me crazy!

Three days until the Big Climb!

 Grace, Me, and Roxie at Palomino's in Seattle Not my best picture but Grace and Roxie look gorgeous. Tuesday I had a wonderful lunch wi...

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You know what they say about weight loss bloggers that don't post

When a weight loss blogger stops posting it's almost always a bad sign. Boy, is that ever true for me!<br /><br />Tonight I looked back at my draft posts from the past week. These were posts I wrote, but could never actually make myself hit the publish post button. They had titles like "Disappointed", "Depressed", "Struggling". Each time I'd write about my life and re-read it, I'd think to myself, who would want to read this depressing stuff? If you weren't depressed when you started reading it, you'd certainly be depressed by the time you were done reading it. <br /><br />I've had a bad few weeks. Actually it's been more like a bad few months. Okay, several bad months. About a week ago I seriously was considering the following:  divorcing my husband, quitting my job, and completely giving up on ever trying to get to a healthy weight. I wanted to run away from everything, including myself. Definitely bad times. <br /><br />I'm not getting a divorce, and I'm liking my husband a lot more this past week. I'm not quitting my job. Even though it sucks the  life out of me at times, it's not a bad job. I love the company I work for and the people I work with. I like the work I do for the most part, I just need to figure out the life-work balance thing.<br /><br /><strong>Weight loss or lack thereof</strong><strong><br /></strong>About getting to a healthy weight and how I've failed. Where do I start?<br /><br />The last six months of trying to lose weight has not been successful. Almost every day was perfect from the time I woke up, all day until about 9 or 10 p.m. Then I just throw away an entire day's hard work and binge. Maybe it wasn't always an actual binge, but it was always too much food.<br /><br />Usually I'd overeat healthy food, but a few times I bought candy or some other junk food and ate it late at night, alone. I probably did that four or five times in the last three or four months. Mostly I'd eat too much fruit or too much chicken, or some other healthy food but in a large quantity. <br /><br />The last two weeks my exercise, the one thing I was good at doing, went south too. I was going to the gym at least five times a week, but most of my workouts were a struggle. I knew it was my 180+ weight that was making everything so difficult. A few weeks ago I was up to 187. I still went to the gym, but my eating wasn't good.<br /><br />I've been going to my Weight Watchers meetings but not weighing in, and I stopped getting on my own scales at home. Not weighing every day is really a dangerous path for me.<br /><br />Fortunately, whatever had been going on with me seems to have passed. Like my mom use to always say when I was having a difficult time in my life, this too shall pass...and it always does. <br /><br />On Saturday I started tracking my food again and counting calories. I'm still struggling with the new Weight Watchers plan, the zero Points for fruit and most vegetables doesn't seem to work for me. I'm doing a hybrid of Weight Watchers, where I'm trying to follow their healthy eating guidelines, but also counting calories. When it comes down to the bottom line, it's really about the calories. <br /><br />This morning I stepped on my scales at home. 182.2. Not much I can say about it. True, it's just a number, but it's also an indication of how poorly I've been doing with my goal of getting healthy.<br /><br /><strong>Fun news</strong><br />Tomorrow I get to meet <a href="http://gravelandrust.blogspot.com/">Roxie</a> in person. She's here in Seattle for a workshop. <a href="http://notes-by-grace.blogspot.com/">Grace</a>, another blogger, and I are meeting Roxie in downtown Seattle for lunch. I consider both of them great bloggers. I met Grace last fall at a Geneen Roth workshop and loved her. I just know I'm going to love Roxie too. I've been following both their blogs for a long time. I want to be them when I grow up (make that if I grow up). <br /><br /><strong>Big Climb update</strong><br />Five days until the <a href="http://www.llswa.org/site/PageNavigator/BC_homepage">Seattle Big Climb</a> on Sunday. Obviously I'm not going to lose the twenty pounds or even the ten pounds I wanted to lose before the event. I've stopped beating myself up about it. I can't change my past behavior so there's no purpose served by crying about it. I screwed up. Plain and simple.<br /><br />In preparation for the Big Climb, I've been climbing the stairs at the Sea-Tac DoubleTree on my lunch hours. Last week on Tuesday and Thursday, and again today. Fourteen floors, climbed six times, or 1,350 steps. I don't take the elevator down, but walk down the stairs. It takes me thirty minutes for up and down fourteen times, and burns 230 calories according to my Polar heart rate monitor. Plus I've been doing the StairMaster at the gym almost every day. I keep thinking it's going to get easier, but it's still a killer every time.<br /><br />Tomorrow after lunch with Grace and Roxie, my plan is to climb the stairs in the downtown Sheraton, 34 floors. If I climb it twice it'll be 68 floors, comparable to the 69 floors in the Columbia Tower for the Big Climb on Sunday. I'm sure it's going to be a challenge but I want to see if I can do it without passing out. :)<br /><br />Thankfully my workouts are back to normal. I feel stronger and have more energy. I'm starting to feel like my old self. <br /><br /><strong>My plan </strong><br />My plan for the next week is to keep exercising, keep tracking my food and get back to daily posts. Even if my life isn't going perfectly, it helps to write about it. I'm back.

You know what they say about weight loss bloggers that don't post

When a weight loss blogger stops posting it's almost always a bad sign. Boy, is that ever true for me! Tonight I looked back at my draft...

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25 weeks

<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7-EGjoq3WpfJiTpJBYR9a_EdEFDPaY50EEbgYjeGela47daIgS6UB8agAcdgkXcnT1W1AFoFovg7uNdSpCwlowW2cuq111kIJcycNJOucPQ7MSivmkpcRkV2YcZYQVysZHDOzcoNiLmZT/s1600-h/25%20weeks%20-%203.9.11%5B3%5D.jpg"><img alt="25 weeks - 3.9.11" border="0" height="568" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTSoxD8jZXTd_eyWcqoQqnUZsI9F0U_sekfa3ZMVnNSWcIaFfcRHSqlmchrmvsa7Mfu3md4u-xn3WuSRYfw8QiAlaJgEwSR38GIWkPI4_y4xBrVaBO1__xdDlk5qWaTfb3PmqK5dL39qRp/?imgmax=800" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" title="25 weeks - 3.9.11" width="354"></a> </p> <p><strong>How Far Along:</strong> 25 Weeks <p><strong>Size of baby:</strong> Baby Bangert is the size of an eggplant! <p><strong>Maternity Clothes:</strong> I wear maternity jeans and pants but everything else is regular.  Things are getting tighter though! <p><strong>Gender:</strong> It’s a girl!!! <p><strong>Movement: </strong>I've been starting to feel her more & more throughout the day! Kyle is anxiously awaiting his turn to be able to feel her! <p><strong></strong><strong>Sleep:</strong> Not too bad, I get up a few times throughout the night to go to the bathroom. I guess it’s preparing me for a newborn! <p><strong>What I miss:</strong> Sleeping on my stomach and a bigger selection of clothes! Being able to go up & down stairs without getting winded! <p><strong>Cravings:</strong> I don't have specific cravings. I just like to eat! ;) I don’t think ice cream counts, I love that anytime! <p><strong>Symptoms:</strong> Really can’t complain! Feeling pretty well! <p><strong>Best Moment this week:</strong> Spending the weekend in Chicago with family! <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7wG6aK3iCQLXrThHE492cuWlmFrpiSfK9-DdW3faQ_3SWZn93l1nyzhwJnh8G1G1AyOqV2oIZrWqPBrM6yVVskCgxWaOcV24KmIUp72RtVLxnKI4BnwLX_64Lsl1ht7fCp28L3QaSdpvm/s1600-h/DSC09850%5B3%5D.jpg"><img alt="DSC09850" border="0" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkAk0kjHFPrNCw5iJWIPVSyXAZl82ySHJBifgzZ3PwDZhz9AvBzOtdDjCgwltvi-dsYBlN8K7dEZQ46qyIkaATAPOq-1qaqQpTb-oEx1MOA_3bZNND8iNwpBVHEf1X_cMHRWVPbqKon2YP/?imgmax=800" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" title="DSC09850" width="404"></a> <p>Big surprise friends, I’m behind! Today I am actually 26 weeks, 3 days. But I wanted to get this post up, for my reference! Kyle and I are on spring break the first half of this week. We have lots on our agenda…visiting daycares and a few meetings to make sure we have all our ducks in a row before baby gets here (aka insurance, lawyer, investments, etc!). Have a great week everyone!</p>

25 weeks

How Far Along: 25 Weeks Size of baby: Baby Bangert is the size of an eggplant! Maternity Clothes: I wear maternity jeans and pants but...

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A Résumé Checklist: 13 Things to Do Before You Apply for the Job

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://emj.icbdr.com/artieimages/5w/ar5f5n55ws53hmb2v25w.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://emj.icbdr.com/artieimages/5w/ar5f5n55ws53hmb2v25w.gif" /></a></div>By Selena Dehne, JIST Publishing. Featuring an excerpt from "Step-by-Step Résumés" by Evelyn Salvador. <br /><br />When writing the first draft of your résumé, you probably know it could be -- and should be -- stronger than it is. If you're like many job seekers, though, you might feel pretty mystified as to which specific steps will lead you to more powerful content and a more attractive design.<br /><br /><br />Fortunately, boosting a bland résumé or simply polishing it before applying for a job isn't as cumbersome as you might expect. According to Evelyn Salvador, author of "Step-by-Step Résumés," there are many simple, yet effective, tricks that can significantly strengthen your résumé's readability, call to action, marketability and overall appearance.<br /><br /><br />In her book, Salvador recommends you take the following steps to improve a résumé before using it to apply for jobs:<br /><br />1. <b>Remove personal pronouns</b>. The subject (I, me or my) is understood in your résumé and you should leave it out of each sentence. If your résumé contains any of these words, delete them and restructure your sentences if necessary.<br /><br />2. Check for action verbs. Be sure each bullet in your "professional experience" section starts with an action verb or adverb preceding the action verb.<br /><br />3. Delete redundant or superfluous words. Review each sentence or bullet and delete any words that your sentence reads fine without, such as "the" and "that," as well as unnecessary "fluff" words. Edit down to the most concise sentence possible without omitting any important content, such as achievements.<br /><br />4. Include personal attributes. Double-check that your primary attributes are included in your "professional summary" section and that you didn't leave out any important ones.<br /><br />5. Ensure that all pertinent, targeted qualifications are included. Compare your résumé to the description of the job you're targeting. Is there any information you didn't already mention that would address a function or need listed in the description? If so, revise your résumé to include that information.<br /><br />6. Prioritize your bullets. Review your responsibilities and achievements in each position and move the more important, targeted ones closer to the top under each position.<br /><br />7. Remove irrelevant information. Check to ensure that anything irrelevant or not directly related to your targeted goal is minimized, put toward the end or omitted altogether so that your résumé includes more relevant information.<br /><br />8. Subdivide and categorize bullets. If you have many responsibility and achievement bullets under each position (say, more than 10), you can divide them into two categories ("responsibilities" and "achievements") and subtitle them as such under each position for easier reading.<br /><br />9. Check for quantifying information. When reviewing your sentences, ask yourself, "Did I include how many, how much, how often, how big, how fast, how well and so on?" If not, go edit your sentences to include more specific, concrete information.<br /><br />10. Verify that "CAR" and benefit info is included. Do your achievements include the Challenge you faced, the Action you took and the Result? Be sure you show how well you performed these functions and always include the benefit(s) to the company.<br /><br />11. Vary bullet line length. Try for a good mix of line lengths. Bullets are effective when they are a combination of one, two and three typed lines. Because it is important to show not only what you did, but also how well you did it and what the benefits were to the company, information should be concise without sacrificing content or meaning. In this way, you will have an action-packed, achievement-oriented résumé that is tightly and concisely written.<br /><br />12. Check grammar, punctuation and spelling. Spell-check your document in your word-processing program. Proofread several times. Be consistent in your use of capitalization and hyphenation. Be sure you have used correct grammar and punctuation. If this is not one of your fortes (and it isn't for many people), give your completed résumé to someone you trust to proofread it for you.<br /><br />13. Add more descriptive adjectives or adverbs where applicable. Check to see whether you can infuse any additional descriptors that show how well you performed your job functions.<br /><br />Selena Dehne is a career writer for JIST Publishing who shares the latest occupational, career and job search information available with job seekers and career changers. She is also the author of JIST's Job Search and Career Blog (http://jistjobsearchandcareer.blogspot.com/). Follow her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/SelenaDehne.

A Résumé Checklist: 13 Things to Do Before You Apply for the Job

By Selena Dehne, JIST Publishing. Featuring an excerpt from "Step-by-Step Résumés" by Evelyn Salvador. When writing the first draf...

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From Saint to Sinner: Jean Seberg

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi9_HFFULxvQdH48SzNa_FHjy7dG3TIJKOCmUZ8ioZ_9Ujm-9DQT9ZRbmsq85YsPEvH5M3f-rMiP6TYvhrB6K5rC9ys-hwZnM5ZgJktlhtu4qFtCvThrCiqceN5Z24E-5zlDPWN-SDWfi-/s1600/JeanSeberg%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi9_HFFULxvQdH48SzNa_FHjy7dG3TIJKOCmUZ8ioZ_9Ujm-9DQT9ZRbmsq85YsPEvH5M3f-rMiP6TYvhrB6K5rC9ys-hwZnM5ZgJktlhtu4qFtCvThrCiqceN5Z24E-5zlDPWN-SDWfi-/s320/JeanSeberg%255B1%255D.jpg" width="238" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This Sunday, March 13, the first Sunday of Lent, Turner Classic Movies will feature films about one of the Catholic Church’s most popular saints, Joan of Arc. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">On Wednesday the 16^th, TCM will honor the Museum of Modern Art’s film archive by screening 14 films representing its collection. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Each of these tributes will include a film starring Jean Seberg and directed by Otto Preminger.</span><br /><a name='more'></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">While <b>Saint Joan</b> (1957) and <b>Bonjour Tristesse</b> (1958) rank somewhere in the mid-range of Preminger's body of work (which includes <b>Laura</b>, <b>The Man With the Golden Arm</b> and <b>Anatomy of a Murder</b>), they were Seberg’s first two films and significant for their influence on the evolution of her unconventional career.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Preminger was riding high in 1956 when he announced that, a la David O. Selznick’s <b>Gone with the Wind</b> campaign, he was going to audition unknowns for the title role in his upcoming opus, an adaptation of the 1923 George Bernard Shaw play <b>Saint Joan</b>. Enormous publicity accompanied his worldwide search and he auditioned thousands of candidates. In the end he made only three screen tests and selected an inexperienced American teenager over actresses Kelli Blaine of New York and Doreen Denning of Stockholm.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Jean Seberg was a 17-year old amateur from Marshalltown, Iowa, when she was chosen to star as Saint Joan. Though she had aspired to be an actress from an early age, her stage experience consisted of one season with a local stock company. But Preminger was impressed with the unusual combination of piquancy and pliability he detected in her - plus Seberg was an innocent, “younger than springtime,” fine-featured blonde.</span></div><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix7cGIoKKZWZZyY6R4Ntz-tn569lRGS9gGTcmSlvU071XYFolNLaqr-AACtfzHEjfmSTwCKgIKxK8gJLx_NzJT4Ig5dBoWksFCN1iD3qr4MaKUXo4xG_8_ExVdZ3rfQXUnOm-eaWQa18in/s1600/saint+joan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix7cGIoKKZWZZyY6R4Ntz-tn569lRGS9gGTcmSlvU071XYFolNLaqr-AACtfzHEjfmSTwCKgIKxK8gJLx_NzJT4Ig5dBoWksFCN1iD3qr4MaKUXo4xG_8_ExVdZ3rfQXUnOm-eaWQa18in/s200/saint+joan.jpg" width="173" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jean Seberg as Saint Joan</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">For Seberg, the high point of her experience on <b>Saint Joan</b> may have been her fairytale discovery. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Once</span> filming began she found herself in the intimidating company of veteran actors such as Richard Widmark, John Gielgud, Anton Walbrook, Richard Todd and Finlay Currie. Gielgud, who was fond of her, noted that she barely knew the rudiments of acting but struggled mightily to find her way. Preminger did little to help. Notorious for mercilessly bullying actors (though not stars), he made no exception for his protégé. In the view of observers including Gielgud, the director endlessly berated her, crushing the very freshness and spontaneity that had attracted him in the first place. As if Preminger's behavior and the pressures of making her first film weren't enough, an accident on the set may have summed up Seberg's dilemma. The scene in which Joan of Arc was to be burned to death required that the actress be chained to a stake. During filming, as smoke and flames began to engulf her, Jean started to scream that she was actually burning. She was quickly rescued and not badly hurt but Preminger, who realized the mishap had been caught on film, was so pleased with "crowd rea</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">ction" that he told a reporter he might actually use the footage.</span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Saint Joan </b>was not well received, though Preminger's promotional fanfare had stirred up great interest and anticipation. Saul Bass's evocative title sequence (shown below) hints at the film's appeal. Perhaps its true potential was the moderate success of a well-intentioned presitige piece, but it failed with the mass audience to which it was promoted. The press criticized Preminger's direction and Grahame Greene's screenplay, but it was Jean Seberg who received scathing reviews and was widely blamed for the flop.</span></div><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="269" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/SXqeCnTr9MY" title="YouTube video player" width="425"></iframe><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Preminger's next project was already in the works by the time <b>Saint Joan </b>wrapped. And he planned, once again, to feature Jean Seberg in a starring role.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In 1954, 19-year-old French writer Francioise Sagan created an international sensation with her racy first novel, <u>Bonjour Tristesse</u>. Preminger and Seberg's next film would be an adaptation of Sagan's bestseller. Seberg was to co-star with Deborah Kerr and David Niven as Niven's daughter, a spoiled caf<span style="font-family: "Calibri", "sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">é</span></span> society brat. The melodramatic tale of dissipation and cruelty was primarily set and filmed on the French Riviera during the high season. And Preminger provided his company with the finest in accommodations and luxury extras. Nevertheless, Seberg was once more subjected to his volatile temperament. This time, though, one of her co-stars stood up to the director. Deborah Kerr challenged Preminger, telling him she could not tolerate his abusive treatment of the young actress.</span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKwMLc1VDOZaE96UEDer1CHyQaUa8KPfvCHxNkhGLktg_tD8T51BhqaV5qaHW-0kYUtUPlUZ1pJ66aQd1o14SsCwzD5_CA_VgQeFrk55ugOscv-xHeHHyfVOWLoAfjcEWpyFYfmxYhdLUn/s1600/jean+seberg+tristesse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="141" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKwMLc1VDOZaE96UEDer1CHyQaUa8KPfvCHxNkhGLktg_tD8T51BhqaV5qaHW-0kYUtUPlUZ1pJ66aQd1o14SsCwzD5_CA_VgQeFrk55ugOscv-xHeHHyfVOWLoAfjcEWpyFYfmxYhdLUn/s200/jean+seberg+tristesse.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Verdana;">By the time filming was completed, Seberg was engaged to Francois Moreuil a French lawyer, and her collaboration with Preminger was about to come to an end. <b>Bonjour Tristesse</b> was set for release in January 1958 and, following the demise of <b>Saint Joan</b>,<b> </b>Seberg's career seemed to rest on the success or failure of her second film. In an interview at the time of <b>Bonjour Tristesse</b>'s<b> </b>release, she was aggressively grilled on the subject... <a href="http://www.hrc.utexas.edu/multimedia/video/2008/wallace/seberg_jean.html"><span style="color: #990000;">click here</span></a> to view Jean Seberg's January 1958 interview with Mike Wallace.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Bonjour Tristesse</b> failed miserably when it was released, and both Preminger and Seberg were subjected to a drubbing in the press. Perhaps by this time the director had given up his dream of making her a star for he had no future plans to work with her and when Francoise Moreuil, by now Seberg's husband, approached him about selling her contract to Columbia, Preminger agreed. Within a year the studio cast her in<b> The Mouse That</b> <b>Roared</b> (1959), a popular Peter Sellers vehicle and, though a "small" film, it was Seberg's first success.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Very soon Jean Seberg's career would undergo another unexpected twist.</span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj91vPLis5INBRyQW-GBhR5D6WmkQB_JkM2V159NLZiL8OQj-sgHN_g8qXwj813W3P7uUeDv8CTW1vWdC94wDVywvSHd3-8yKtbSvK50i7iapUJUgXOZk7D97S0YvinOFAoOay6XxZyCR7K/s1600/jean+and+jean+paul.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="169" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj91vPLis5INBRyQW-GBhR5D6WmkQB_JkM2V159NLZiL8OQj-sgHN_g8qXwj813W3P7uUeDv8CTW1vWdC94wDVywvSHd3-8yKtbSvK50i7iapUJUgXOZk7D97S0YvinOFAoOay6XxZyCR7K/s200/jean+and+jean+paul.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">...with Belmondo in <b>Breathless</b></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">T</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">o begin with, and importantly, <b>Bonjour Tristesse </b>had been a critical success in France and Seberg had become a critics' darling there. Meanwhile, her French husband, Francoise Moreuil, happened to be connected to filmmakers/writers associated with the fabled French publication, </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Cahiers du Cinema</i> - where both <b>Saint Joan </b>and <b>Bonjour Tristesse </b>were highly regarded and Seberg was revered. Soon the young actress was being pursued by about-to-become-legendary filmmaker Jean-Luc Godard to co-star in his first major feature, <b>A Bout de Souffle</b>...or <b>Breathless </b>(1960).</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Seberg was introduced to Godard by her husband. After much discussion between the actress and the auteur, a 12-page telegram from Godard to Moreuil and an affordable arrangement for all concerned, a deal was struck. Godard saw Seberg as an international name who could help his film succeed outside France, and Seberg was anxious to prove herself. To her good fortune, Godard was no bully and worked well with actresses, filming them to advantage. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Another surprise for Seberg in working with Godard was his approach to the script. She might be given her lines on pieces of paper in the morning before a shoot or Godard might shout lines to her during a scene. Godard was experienced at writing dialogue and he was able to shout while shooting because the film was shot mute with sound and dialogue added later. But all of this was new to Seberg whose previous performances had been entirely controlled by the autocratic Preminger.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;">No one on the project at the time realized <b>Breathless</b> would receive the level of acclaim or have the influence on cinema that it achieved. Hailed for its bold visual style and approach to editing, it became a pivotal film of the French New Wave.<br /><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Jean Seberg became a legend along with the film and her co-star, Jean-Paul Belmondo. Her casual boyish chic and pixie haircut (predating Mia Farrow's famous 'do by many years) remain iconic today. She went on to make films in both Europe and the U.S., though her later American films were generally lackluster.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><b>Saint Joan</b> is now appreciated as a sincere if uneven attempt to translate weighty Shaw to film and is generally viewed as an honorable effort. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><b>Bonjour Tristesse</b>'s <b></b>popularity has improved dramatically since 1958. Frequently cited are visually striking scenes of grainy black and white that dissolve into stunning color as the story moves from present to past and back again. The film's themes, estrangement and excess among the rich and languid, are noted for anticipating those Fellini famously visited with <b>La Dolce Vita</b> a few years later. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Jean Seberg's earliest performances have been assessed more fairly in recent years and many critics view her work far differently than her detractors of the 1950s. David Thomson has called her Saint Joan "a shrewd and touching fusion of provincial America, rural France, and Shaw's notion of a fustian saint picking logic with kings and bishops." He has deemed her portrayal in <b>Bonjour Tristesse</b> "marvelous" and praised her self-possession and maturity.</span><br /><br /><u><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;"><b>Turner Classic Movies Schedule</b></span></u><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Saint Joan </b>airs Sunday, March 13, at 10:30pm Eastern/7:30pm Pacific</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Bonjour Tristesse </b>airs Wednesday, March 16, at 9:30pm Eastern/6:30pm Pacific </span></span><br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="269" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/kjNkrlLiJQg" title="YouTube video player" width="425"></iframe></span>

Bonjour Tristesse Breathless Jean Seberg Jean-Luc Godard Jean-Paul Belmondo Otto Preminger Saint Joan TCM The Lady Eve (author) From Saint to Sinner: Jean Seberg

This Sunday, March 13, the first Sunday of Lent, Turner Classic Movies will feature films about one of the Catholic Church’s most popular sa...

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