Welcome to the Island: Hugh Jackman

He was recently named People Magazine's Sexiest Man Alive and I think we can all see why. Sorry Eric but Hugh is my favorite Aussie. Even if you ignore the accent, smile, and versatility: huge romantic epics (Australia), big budget action flicks (X-Men), and even Broadway (I am ignoring the short lived Viva Laughlin) you still have one hell of a body. Just see exhibit A:



And who wouldn't want to run their finger through this hair:



Welcome to the Island Hugh, you will always have a spot on my sexiest man alive list.

Welcome To The Island: Eric Bana

It's been two weeks since I have posted an island pick so I owe ya'll a good one:

Momma needs her smelling salts after viewing this one!

Hailing from the land down und-ah, Eric Bana was my first pick for fave Aussie (slacker side note: he was supposed to be my choice for the men in uniform edition two weeks ago but a nasty computer virus sidelined my blogging activity). He has a cute smile, great pecs and hair that just begs to have my fingers running through it. Plus, he got his start as a comedian... and what girl doesn't love a man who makes her laugh? I would let him call me his Sheila anyday!

Where to? Who cares? I would follow him anywhere.

Thanksgiving Flicks

Ahhhh... the joys of being a grown-up. This marks the first year that I am hosting Thanksgiving at my house. Granted, 98 % of the cooking is still relegated to my mother... but that is what she gets for being such a damn fine cook! The folks roll in to town around noon tomorrow with Candace coming in later in the evening.



Thanksgiving is all about food, family and reflecting on all the things you are blessed with in your life. It is also the time of your father commandeering the remote to watch football, the pug (aka my little sister) acting like a spaz because she is in a new environment and your mom running the kitchen tighter than your drill sergeant ran a formation. Every family has their quirks. They may drive you a little batty but that is what you love them for.



To help you get in to the holiday spirit and to make you realize that your family isn't the only one who puts that proverbial fun in dysfunctional, here is my list of fave Thanksgiving movies:



5.) The Myth of Fingerprints - a tense family gathering where a dark secret is revealed. You will think your dad is a saint after seeing this one.












4.) The Ice Storm - Moody, dark period piece set in the 70s. Covet the cool clothes and sets while (once again) reveling in the fact that your parents are actually kind of normal in comparison.

3.) Pieces of April - What is up with Katie Holmes and Thanksgiving movies? (she also stars in The Ice Storm) Pre-Mrs. Tom Cruise, Holmes managed to charm as a quirky rebel trying to throw the perfect Thanksgiving for her estranged family. Excellent movie that strikes a good balance between humor and sappy Hallmark moments.

2.) The House of Yes - One of those movies that is so strange, you don't know if you love it or hate it... but you will talk about it for days. Tori Spelling, incest and JFK assassination re-enactments all rolled up in one dark, odd, sick, twisted and hysterical package.

1.) Home for the Holidays - Funny as hell, oddball characters and Robert Downey Jr. Need I say more?

What Are You Thankful For?

I am thankful for much this holiday weekend, including:

A new President!

Technology. I have no idea what I would do without my cell phone, ipods (yes that's plural), and laptop. I am still not sure if that is a good thing or bad thing.

Good TV: Bones, How I Met Your Mother, Supernatural, and Doctor Who are all appointment TV for me. I.E. why I ignore your phone calls during those hours. They keep me entertained, make me think without being gimmicky (I am looking at you Heroes), and have some hot damn men to look at!




Even Better Music: Lately I have rediscovered old favorites (pick up Annie Lennox's new album now!) like Aretha Franklin, The Pretenders, and Patsy Cline, heard some great debuts (Adele, Duffy), and discovered established artists for the first time (Turin Brakes, Powderfinger, Fergie). Outside of the American Idol rejects pale imitations of music, it was a pretty damn good year.



Roadtripper and I's Island Men. Need I really say more?

The slow resurgence of decent fashion that embraces women with curves (and doesn't look like my closet from 1986)!

The slow but steady process to truly learn and love myself I am on.

Family and friends. Thank you to all of the old ones for putting up with me and listening to my endless ramblings and thank you to the new ones (shout out CKD!) who I am just getting to know. You all make life the insane, frustrating, utterly brilliant ride it is.



Remember, no matter how crappy the economy, or dim the current view seems to be, there is always reason to be thankful. Take a deep breath of the cool fall air, look around you and say thanks to whatever it is you believe in.

Welcome to the Island: Sean Bean

Men in Uniform: you know the old saying: no one can resist a man in uniform. And considering the fact that I am in the Navy and the Summer White Uniform looks damn good on E-7 and above, I am not one to protest too much. Especially when the first glimpse of Sean Bean was when he starred in Sharpe's Rifles. It was a little seen series (on the BBC (PBS) that he starred in and where he first got my motor running. Maybe it was the fact that he rose through the enlisted ranks or that he never forgot where he came from. Hell, it was because he looked so damn fine whether he was Sharpe, the enemy in a Bond film, or Odysseus in Troy, he made anything look good. He was my very first crush. He can storm my castle, ranks, or damn well anything he pleases anytime. He is mine, however you call it. Welcome to the Island, Sean. Consider yourself in my personal Infantry for the time being.

My 30 Things

A little (or a lot) on the late side, here is my list of 30 things. I am closing in on 30 as well and there is still much I would like to accomplish. Much I also thought I would have accomplished by now but hey no regrets right? Anyhoo, on to the show, with commentary:

1. Try not to over think everything so much, or be so hard on myself. (it is part of the reason this list is so late)
2. Go see an Indianapolis Colts game at Lucas Oil Stadium (while Manning is still the QB)
3. Go to Arizona to see Amy and Jeff
4. Take ballroom dancing lessons
5. Go back to the UK and go back to my old haunts and discover some new ones
6. Finally get the cajones to get a tattoo
7. Go skydiving again
8. Take a ride in a nice limo
9. Get/find a Euchre group to play regularly
10. Take a photography class and develop my skills more (love taking photos but have never taken the time to get a great camera or put a portfolio together)
11. Get up early, watch the sunrise from a beautiful spot and watch sunset from another great spot.
12. Go go karting
13. Find more places (less excuses) to wear those cute LBDs I have
14. Go to the Kentucky Derby and drink mint julips all day (or the Oaks, its a day before derby and is the cool race/party for all of the "locals")
15. Go ghost hunting! (my parents do this as a hobby and have been to some pretty cool places)
16. See Bruce Springsteen in concert
17. See the Stones in concert (they are bound to start breaking hips eventually!)
18. Show up at a guys place in heels and a trench coat and nothing else (the hard part in this {no pun intended} is finding a guy worthy)
19. Go do some more bad karaoke (of course, if I am singing it will always be bad)
20. Go to ComicCon
21. Learn to say No every once in a while
22. Take a cooking class or two
23. Go to the Beatles Fest for Fans in Chicago (what can I say, can you tell I am a geek yet?)
24. Run a half marathon (I keep telling myself I will do it, and one of these days I will damnit!)
25. Start writing a book out of the whacked out dreams I have
26. Go a Purdue Homecoming and be one of those annoying Alumni with Roadtripper (esp. since I now know why the Purdue Police called me the other day)
27. Go to Alabama to see my Uncle John and family (I see much travel in my future, no?)
28. Buy a damn DVR already!
29. Buy a real Christmas tree one year (cause I have never had a real tree)
30. Visit Andrea's grave again

My Next Boyfriend Part 2 (Electric Boogaloo!)

After hearing the news that President-elect Obama is kind of a picky eater, I decided to update my list of what my next boyfriend will be.

My next boyfriend will NOT be a picky eater!!!!!

I hate men who are picky eaters yet I always seem to end up with them. They are no fun to go out to eat with. And forget about cooking for them!

My ex-husband wouldn't touch seafood. There he sat at some of the finest seafood joints the West Coast had to offer... eating steak. He couldn't even get that one right because he ordered it well done. Ugh! Why not just chew on a leather shoe?

My live-in ex-boyfriend had issues with his food touching. He would order Chinese food but eat the rice separately. I once bought him one of those plates for little kids with the separate compartments. My joke went awry when he actually started using it.

My favorite was a guy that I once went on a date with to a Mexican restaurant. I noticed he barely touched his meal so I asked if everything tasted okay. He said that he was upset about his choice of a chicken and cheese quesadilla. What were all these pesky peppers and onions doing in it? His bright idea was that is should have been advertised as a chicken, cheese, onion and pepper quesadilla. False advertising, dammit!

Did I mention that was our first and only date?

I am not a picky eater (the size of my hips can attest to this) so men who freak out about food perplex me. I am not fond of either carrot cake or mustard. But if I were a guest at some one's house who served mustard braised chicken followed by carrot cake for desert, I could manage. I will try anything once. Bad Wolf and I once went on a culinary binge at a street fair where we sampled everything from Polish food to cow brain burgers. Desert? Chocolate covered grasshoppers.

Well, except for pickles. Those things are just nasty! If one even touches my sandwich, I consider it tainted. Try as I might to get over this, I still retch at the mere smell of a pickle.

*** I have to give a shout-out to CKD for dredging up the memory of Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo from the dark recesses of my mind. Thanks to you, anything second in a series will now be referred to as Electic Boogaloo!

City Mouse In The Country

I adore my new town. There is relatively no traffic (although I do find myself yelling at the slow drivers. Hellloooo... I have to have something to road rage about!) It is a picturesque town with easy access to the ocean and the White Oak River. It has beautiful sunrises and sunsets. I am constantly amazed when people chit-chat in the stores. When I lived in the DC area, I could conduct a purchase of a loaded grocery cart without the cashier even bothering to grunt out a hello. People here talk about everything from the weather to family to what was on TV last night. It is a very relaxed and charming change of pace for me.

Having said that, there are things in this town of just over 900 residents that make me laugh. I once had a Taco Bell craving at about 9:15 PM so I jumped in my car for the quick drive only to discover that it was closed. How the hell can you have the so-called "4th Meal" when it closes at 9 PM!!?!?! The streets definitely roll up early around here.

The best is this conversation I overheard Walgreens:

Little old lady: Do you sell milk here?

Clerk: Yes, ma'am. Lowest price in town.

Heh! Too bad "in town" consists of Walgreens, Lowes Food grocery store and two gas stations! Not a great deal of competition.