Winter @ MindSay

almost had a party but wimped out at the last minute and made margaritas and fajitas and bought a big bougainvillea for the upper deck. and I finished reading the Thinking Reed... very tiresome and now can switch to another Elmore Leonard. Last week my brother shot a 76. go Bob !!!! Everyone should have a nice brother.

Yesterday was March 31. We got a damn blizzard. It is possibly the most annoying thing about MN weather. First, we experience over a week of 40+ temperatures, almost everything was melted. I was headed home late Sunday night (see here for that story) and it was nearly 45 degrees and raining. It even smelled like spring outside. Life seemed grand; spring was finally here.

 

But, the weather goddesses were not kind to us; for we woke up Monday morning (only about 6 hours later) and it was snowing. Not just snowing, but blizzard snowing. Cold temps, blustery winds, and somewhere around 10 inches of new snow. It snowed all damn day. Seriously, all day. The driving sucked (and of course, this was the longest day of my work week and when I have to drive all over town to get to both jobs....grrr.) the weather sucked, and my attitude sucked.

 

So, I decided to do something. I couldn't fix the weather, I couldn't fix the roads, but I could fix my attitude. Therefore, I went outdoors between jobs and built a snowman.

 

 

Actually, snowgirl, and isn't she cute. Yes, she's small. I was trying to lighten my mood, but I am not that in love with playing in the snow...get over it. I brought Josie the wonderdog outside to play with me and it was going pretty well. Except that once I had the base finished on snowgirl, I turned away to start the second section and Josie destroyed it! Bully. Big bully. I yelled at her to leave my snowman alone. But then, it made me laugh. Just like kids on a playground, who knew she was such a troublemaker? Okay, we all did, but my mood was considerably lighter.

 

Then, after my long day, I headed home, the roads were better (at least the interstate was better) and I was feeling pretty good. Then I got stuck in the damn driveway. Sigh. Sometimes, the day is just gonna suck-no matter what you do.

 

Now, today, it is 42 degrees and sunny, all of that nasty snow is melting. What on earth was the point of that blizzard? Just to piss off all of us who believed that spring was here?  The funny thing is, we still believe. I am looking outside right now and thinking this is it, winter's over. And who knows, it could snow again tomorrow. Oh well, if it does, maybe I will just get snowgirl a boyfriend.

     Here is a synopsis of one of my favorite movies written by Kathy Murillo of The Arizona Republic. She hits it on the nose! (No pun intended!)                                                                 

 

 

                                                                       Eight Below

 Kathy Cano Murillo

The Arizona Republic

Feb. 17, 2006 12:00 AM

" Inspired by a true story, this film about a team of sled dogs abandoned in the Antarctic for six months is a must-see. It has classic Disney animal-adventure charm that will linger long after you leave the theater. Think Where the Red Fern Grows meets The Bear. There are no cutesy voiceovers, no fancy special effects. Just old-school storytelling that is so noble, you'll tear up multiple times throughout the film. More if you're a dog lover. Paul Walker plays Gerry Shepherd, an artic guide who reluctantly takes his team of beloved huskies out for the proverbial "last" excursion. His assignment is to aid an ambitious, clumsy geologist (Bruce Greenwood) searching for a rare rock. But their plan falters when a huge storm hits. They are injured and forced to flee - without the dogs. What's supposed to be a day's delay turns into six months of a grueling survival game for the pooches as Shepherd struggles to find funding to retrieve them. advertisement Walker, who's stiffer than a chew toy here, lends little emotion to his character's plight. He doesn't make our bottom lips tremble, the dogs do. Director Frank Marshall does a superb job of distinguishing each canine with a story line that is equal parts tragic and triumphant. At the top of the food chain is Maya, leader of the pack, and so loyal that she sacrifices her needs for those of her companions. The other dogs' acting skills are impressive as well, surpassing even Lassie and Old Yeller. Through facial expressions and body language, they're able to relay feelings of anguish, dread and delight. Eight Below is a film for the entire family to enjoy, although there are several sorrowful images that may be too much for younger children. The setting is subzero weather, but these dogs do their part to warm our hearts.

Reach the reporter at kathy.murillo@arizonarepublic.com or (602) 444-8618. "

This is a busy, stressful week, but we had some unseasonably warm weather earlier in the week, and I have Girl Scout cookies now, so it's ok.  I've also got some incredible new music that I've been listening to.  I've had these for nearly two weeks now, so I feel confident in my view.

Let me get one thing straight right up front: I'm not a big Switchfoot fan.  At least not anymore.  I really liked (and still do like) their old stuff, but they've gotten way too "mainstream" for my tastes... their sound has changed considerably on the last couple of albums, and it just doesn't do it for me anymore, so when I found out that their lead singer, Jon Foreman, was going to be releasing some solo stuff, I wasn't immediately excited.  Until I heard it.  Jon is doing four 6 track EPs titled "Fall", "Winter", "Spring" and "Summer".  "Fall" and "Winter" have already been released, the other two seasons come later this year.  My roommate lent it to me, and I was pretty much blown away.  Purchased my own copies before I had even finished listening to all of it.  This is NOT Switchfoot.  This music is acoustic, pensive, spiritual, searching, haunting... all of the things that draw me to a new artist.  I feel like I should write more about it, but I think the easiest thing would be to let you hear it yourself (I know that a couple of you are going to love this), so I put together my favorite "musical moments" from each EP:



I can't wait for "Spring" and "Summer"!