Thoroughly Ticked in Texas

Help, I'm stuck in Texas!  All the flights to Hartford and New York have been canceled due to the f@#$ing snow storm.  I swear this better not be another false Noreaster.  When I do finally make it home, I want to see at least two feet of snow.  While I am thankful for the time I've had with my family this past week, I am sooooo ready to go home.  For real, I'm getting cabin fever.  My parents' house is like a sauna; the thermostat reads 79 degrees!!  The town we're in doesn't even have a Barnes and Nobel (un-American if you ask me but I better not say thought too loud here in Texas).  It's Sunday so nothing is going on and my parent's are under the illusion that since my flight has been canceled I will be joining them at church.  Oh, I sooo hate Texas right now.  The Lone Star State has forsaken me and I will not forget this.

Get thee to a Cinema!

It’s the holiday season and some of you might find yourself with a bit of free time.  Perhaps you’ve taken a few extra days off from work or are in need of an excuse to escape the family gatherings.  Whatever the reason I would like to suggest you take the opportunity to venture to the cinema.  There are so many good films showing right now and I thought I might share a few of my reviews with you.  Don't worry, they're brief.  

Black Swan – All I can say is WTF?!  Psychological thriller fo’ sho’.  Even though I expected some craziness and plot twists, I was not prepared for all the chaos constructed in this film.  Fair warning to all you hemophobes or those who get squeamish over a simple paper cut: proceed with caution when viewing this film.

The Fighter – I have never liked Christain Bale more.  For a while I’d forgotten that he could do something other than fight bad guys and talk in a deep, mysterious voice (American Psycho seems so long ago).

True Grit – Perhaps not “true” Cohen brother’s style (for one the movie has an ending) but I really liked it.  I’d even go as far to say it’s one of my favorites from the whacked-out duo.

HP7 – Uh, yeah, it’s Harry Potter – not much else needs to be said about that.  However, if you are not an HP fan (tsk, tsk) you might not enjoy the film as much as the previous films.  You might also get lost in all the happenings going on with very little explanation from script.  The plot moves quickly but the action scenes are a bit lacking...in what I can't exactly figure out.  The scenes are very dark, a lot of action is heard and not seen and it's so fast, too fast in my opinion.  Okay, so this is not my favorite HP movie despite it being my favorite book.  Still, it was an adventure that I am glad I was able to witness…twice.

This is all I’ve seen thus far but will be posting my review of 127 Hours, Green Hornet, The Tourist, and Burlesque soon.

Happy Holliday Viewing!

    

Phew!

In case you were wondering, yes, I made it through another jam-packed semester of nursing school.  So long Pathology Pharmacology, hello, Maternity and Pediatric nursing (YIKES!).  I can't believe I'm already halfway through this program; it has been insane.   I have to brag about maintaining a 4.0 GPA because I may not be able to say that after the next semester.  There's so much to learn and the more I learn the more I realize there's so much I don't know and can't possibly remember in a short 15 months.  I try to keep telling myself that tons of people take the NCLEX and pass it all the time so it's not that impossible.  Still, I can't help but freak out a bit each time I see a multiple choice question, especially the new SATA (select all that apply) style questions.  I will try my best not to stress out about it during my winter break.  I have the next 4 weeks off (yeah, that's right, 4!) and plan to make the most of my time engaging in non-school-related activities.  So, to my good friends out there: If we haven't hung out in a while, watch out because I will be blowing up your cellphone soon.

Here's a SATA for you:
If you were me and had the next four weeks off from school, what would you do next?
a) Make plans with friends
b) Open a bottle of pinot noir, curl up on the coach (with a snuggie) and watch movies
c) Buy a purse that's neither practical nor necessary but ultra cute and artsy and because you deserve it
d) Boogie woogie woogie 'til you just can't boogie no more
e) All of the above

I think you all can guess the answer.
Much Love Folks  

Gate C34 cont.

I make my way down the center aisle darting around the random wanderer and jumping over abandoned luggage.  I also snatch the pashmina from around my neck and toss it on the ground.  I don’t even bother to look to see who might be chasing me.  Perhaps it’s best that I don’t know.  So I keep running at what feels like lightening speed.  Everything around me kind of blurs into a rainbow of lights and colors.  Gate after gate zips in and out of my periphery: A15, A20, A32.  I probably should be questioning my deft speed right at this point, but I don’t.   Instead I slow down just enough to let my eyes focus on the upcoming sign for terminal B.  The image beyond the sign is even more mysterious than the scene I currently find myself in; everything’s shiny, shimmering even.  I can sort of make out some other travelers, there’s a lot of them but everything seems to be in order.  It can’t be any worse than here, right?  I soar ahead planning to intermingle with the crowd and hopefully lose whoever’s following me.  Is anyone following me?  I haven’t heard any sounds of a pursuit, no growling voices or shuffling behind me.  I dare to look back over my right shoulder.  Nothing’s changed and no one is coming after me.  Did I imagine it all?  Maybe someone else was wearing a red scarf has already been captured and awaits an ill-fated end.  Just as I’m starting to doubt having heard the voices at all I step across the threshold into terminal B and hear the echo of someone shouting “No!” somewhere behind me.  Before I get the chance to turn towards the voice everything goes white. 

The blinding brightness stops me dead in my tracks.  I cover my eyes with my arm knocking my glasses off my face in the process.  What the hell is happening now?  I try to listen to my surroundings.  Everything sounds normal.  Well no, not exactly, if I concentrate hard enough the mysterious super hearing returns, which isn’t even alarming at this point.  I’m more concerned with why everything is so bright.  I decide to peek over my sleeve and am relieved to see that the shimmer and gloss have faded and everything looks normal again.  I look around to see if anyone’s watching or chasing me but no one seems to have noticed me at all.  I quickly pick up my glasses, rest them on the top of my head and walk towards the side café nearby.  I need to sit down; I’m feeling a bit lightheaded and am starting to think that I might be losing my grip on things.  I make my way, more like stumble, to the nearest table and rest my head in my hands.  I try to review the day’s events but can’t seem to make any sense of it.  I’m a bit too exhausted to figure it all out though and resort to resting my head on the table instead.  I inadvertently tap the side of my glasses in the process and the brightness returns.  I try not to panic.  As I slowly lift my head, I slide my glasses down to my nose, out of habit I guess, and brace myself for what I’m about to face.  Only the brightness is gone just as suddenly as it first arrived.  Stunned and a bit suspicious, I cautiously tap the side of my glasses again: brightness returns.  Another tap and the brightness is gone.  I sit there for the next few minutes tapping my glasses in every point along the frames while the world shifts from bright to not bright and then back again.  Whoa.  Yet another thing to add to the list of mysterious turn of events.

I decide that my current resting spot is safe enough to test my new found talents, at least the super-hearing.  I start by surveying the café then shift focus to a few hundred yards ahead at a newspaper stand.  A twenty-something year old female chats away (in between smacking on her chewing gum) on an obnoxiously pink cell phone, “Oh my God I cannot wait for this weekend to be over.  When I get back home I’m totally calling him out on his drama. Smack, smack.   Yeah, ah-ha, I know.”  Smack, smack. 

A second voice appears, “It’s like he’s so completely oblivious to the fact that people have feelings.  Sometimes I wanna be like, uh-hullo, did you really just say that?” 

The girl with the pink phone interjects: “For real. Smack, smack.  Anyway, he’s an idiot and that is not how you get a woman’s attention.” 

The other voice adds, “mmm, it sure isn’t.  I still can’t believe what he said.”  I’m another few seconds into this banal conversation before I realize that the second voice I’m hearing is coming from the other end of the pink phone.  I start wondering how far out I can hear and decide to test the possibilities.  At least that’s what I had planned to do before I felt a tap on my shoulder.

Up until this moment my presence in terminal B has seemed to go by unnoticed.  In fact no one has even acknowledged that I have taken up space at this table.  I tried making eye contact with a few other café patrons but they seemed to be looking right past me.  Come to think of it, the chatty, gum-smacker looked my way a couple of times and never once appeared bothered by my unfaltering gaze in her direction.  Honestly, with all that has been happening, I am willing to accept that I have taken on some invisibility shield as well.  But the recent tap on my shoulder seems to have squelched that idea.  How do I play this?  I don’t want to reveal too much.  Wait, why am I hiding, I’ve already forgotten?  Oh, yes, blackout, super powers, someone’s probably chasing me…  Okay then, calm, reserved, disinterested and perhaps a little annoyed.  Action.

I ignore the tap.  But as I expected it is followed by another tap, which is also accompanied with an “Excuse me.”  I give in and turn to face what just might be my next adventure.  However, to my disappointment I find a crumpled, elderly man hunched over a cane starring back at me.  Not quite the adventure I had hoped for.  I decide to continue playing it safe and simply raise my eyebrows as if to ask “Can I help you?”

“I believe you can.” the old man replies with an annoying grin on his face.  He cocks his head to the side and adds “But first there’s something I’d like to show you.”  I try to size him up in the following few seconds looking for any sign that might betray the seemingly innocent and goofy image he is portraying. 

“Goofy?”  He asks and then chuckles, which is even more annoying than the grin.  “I suppose I could play this game with you.  But I must warn you, there is little time to waste.”  Oh great, I think to myself, a mind-reader, just what I need.  

“Perhaps more so than you think,”  he says and chuckles again.

With everything else that’s been going a mind-reader thrown into the mix doesn’t seem too out of place.  I grab my things and rise from the table.  “Where are we going?”

“Not too far from here” he replies.  Okay, now his bright eyes and goofy grin are starting to look a bit creepy.  He shoots a brief frown my way and for a moment I feel guilty that I might have hurt his feelings.  I start to apologize when he says, “No need to apologize, my feelings are safe.  I will, however, ask for your full cooperation as we make our way to the terminal C.  It’s a matter of time, as I mentioned previously.” 

“Cooperation?  It seems to me that with a mind-reader as my guide I have no choice but to cooperate.”

“You are quite right,” he laughs.  “Then let’s proceed and do try to keep pace, I needn’t remind you…”

“Yes, yes, yes, it’s a matter of time.”  I roll my eyes as I finish his sentence.  He must not know that I can – I stop myself before completing the thought for fear that I will reveal too much.  He responds with more laughter.

“My dear, there is nothing hidden between us.”

“Easy for you to say, you can read my thoughts.”

“Yes, this is true but you can do the same as well.”

“Are you kidding me?”

“I would have no reason to do so”

“Well, can you show me how?”

“That is precisely my intention but we must make our way now.  Are you ready?”

I nod knowing that there is no use in trying to prepare myself for what lies ahead.  This day’s events have been completely odd and unexpected, each one more so than the previous.

The old man returns my nod, no grin or laugh this time when he says, “Hold onto your glasses.”

I know this was a long post but thanks for reading.  

To all you snuggie™ haters

What’s so bad about a piece of material that is both comforting and functional?  One of my favorite things to do is to curl up on the couch with a good book and a cup of tea.  I try to wrap myself up in a regular fleece throw, which is cozy enough until I need to flip a page in my book or reach for my steaming, aromatic cup of Earl Grey.  Now what?  Break the seal of warmth to free my upper extremities thereby letting in a rush of cold air?  Come on, there’s got to be a better solution.  Oh, wait, there is: a Snuggie™, aka “America’s favorite blanket with sleeves!”™ Any old standard square blanket just won’t do.  I’d also like to mention that Snuggie™ has stepped up its game and now also offers an assortment of designs such as clouds for the airy, dreamy folks; peace symbols and psychedelic swirls for the hippies and trippies; skull and cross-bones for the hard core; and even monkeys (a personal fave)!  Let’s not overlook the fact that the Snuggie™ has now incorporated diversity into its infomercials with a multiracial cast, take that Bedazzler™.