Super 8? Nah...I'd give it a 10

WARNING: This is not a spoiler alert. You do not have to proceed with caution.

Everything is better in NYC - you don’t even have to wait for a midnight showing to watch a major flick! It’s only Thursday, June 9 1:15 pm as I write this, but I’ve already seen one of the most anticipated summer movies even though the release date is Friday, June 10.

I’m not sure what I expected from the movie, but it wasn’t what I expected. It was, however, well done. I mean, J.J. Abrams and Steven Spielberg collaborated on this movie. Did you expect anything less?

Philip and I went to a 10:45 am IMAX showing of Super 8 at the AMC Loews Theatre by Lincoln Center. The screen was twice the size of the average movie theater - In fact, I tried capturing the screen on my camera, but I could only get half the screen in the shot. And the theatre itself was massive...but empty.

One of Philip’s favorite things about anticipated films is that they are packed with excited movie goers who are just as excited as he is to watch the newly released movie - particularly at midnight showings. But in an effort to be one of the first to watch the movie (and save $15), we went to the first showing we found, a pre-release of sorts, that not many people seemed to know about.

We did, however, get free (small) posters for Super 8 and free small popcorns.

Was it worth it to wake up early in case a line would form for the movie? To show up so early we were locked out of the theatre and ate breakfast at a local diner while we waited? To find the best seats in the house and snag ‘em?

Yeah, it was worth it.

Oh, and for those who are going to watch the movie...don't get up as soon as the credits start rolling. You might be in for a surprise!

Married Couples Only

Waiting to release the kite at the perfect time

What does a kite, frisbee, and football have in common? They’re all things that can get stuck in a tree.

As we enter into the heart of summer, our married couples home fellowship is choosing a different activity for our Wednesday night time slot. This week, we packed up our dinners, blankets, and picnic toys and headed to Central Park.

One of the most prominent things I’ve noticed about get-togethers in NYC is that people don’t really potluck. It’s every man for himself. If we had been in Arizona, we probably would have been responsible for bringing drinks or a side dish. Here, we were responsible for bringing our own dinner. It’s interesting how much a culture can change after only a 6-hour flight.

Frisbee stuck in the tree

Anyhow, it was a beautiful evening spent in the park with some new friends. Our husbands aren’t particularly skilled at keeping their toys out of the trees. With little to wind tonight, it was hard to get a kite up in the air, but as soon as it started flying, it was tangled up in some tree branches. The frisbee fared better, although it also got stuck in a tree a couple of times...only to get knocked down by a football the guys kept throwing into the tree.

The wives did what they do best: chit chat. We just enjoyed each other, laughed, and had fun.

Wives laughing at husbands trying to
get their frisbee out of the tree

Every town and every city should have its own Central Park, a beautiful grassy park with trees for shade and open areas for such games as bochee ball (the guys spent half the evening playing). And every church should have a married couples home fellowship. I’ve never known so many married couples my age who I could relate to and fellowship with. It’s fun having married friends.

Memorial Day Photos

The Art of Negotiation

It used to be the place to go if you wanted a cheap Gucci purse. Or Prada wallet. Or Oakley sunglasses.

The streets of Chinatown used to be littered with luxury knock-offs on every corner, but in the past few years, they’ve come down hard on the vendors selling luxury imitation goods. 

Anyone who wants cheap jewelry, scarves, purses, sunglasses, and more can get them from tiny little shops about 50 sq. ft. big (although there are only about 20 sq. ft. of walking space). There are plenty of good-looking products that are cheaply made...about the quality of goods you would find in Forever 21 or H&M.

Shopping in Chinatown

Although high quality luxury knock-offs are not sold openly on the streets anymore, a person need not work further than a few feet before being accosted by an African American or Chinese, “Chanel? Louis? What you looking for? Handbag? Oakleys? Coach? What you looking for? Handbag? Sunglasses? Watches? Got Rolex. What you want?” or “Got purses in bags. Got purses in bags. Louis? Gucci?”

African Americans sit around on steps with giant black trash bags big enough to hold a big kid or small teen, and these bags are filled with luxury knock-offs. The Chinese, on the other hand, take you to a small room in the back of an alley - a small room with false walls - to show you their luxury goods.

One thing to remember about Chinatown: Never pay full price for anything. They give you one price. Then they immediately give you a lower one.

“How much is this purse?”

“$25. $20.”

“Okay. Thank you.”

“$20. Yeah? Okay. How much you want? You name price.”

“No thank you.”

“Name price. You name price.”

Sometimes, negotiation is as easy as not countering.

Philip was disappointed that I didn’t get a knock-off, but I did leave with a black metal double-headband with a jeweled flower and a small orange crossbody purse. My mom is the best haggler I know, and today was a testament to just how much I learned from her.

Starting price: $37

Ending price: $26

I’m looking forward to my next trip. Perhaps I’ll come home with a luxury imitation purse next time...and an even better deal!

Do Whatever You Want To Do

(Blogger was out of service for a couple of days, but I had this blog ready to go. This is my 5.12.11 blog.)

I finally got to go to Central Park today, and it was just as breathtaking today as it was last summer. 

Contrary to what I once believed, Central Park is not like the small parks people are accustomed to in Phoenix. It is 2.5 miles long and .5 miles wide. For you cowboys, that’s 843 acres.  And it’s just like the movies.

There are trees, bike paths, walk/run paths, small bodies of water, short waterfalls, rocks you can climb, rocks you can sit on, benches, dogs, frisbees, picnics, little children with their nannies, baseball games...and they are everywhere in the park. It is truly picturesque...exactly how you would imagine a park to look.

A group of young adults were playing frisbee a couple trees away. 

After playing with her little brother and parents by the pond/lake about 100 feet in front us, a little girl, with a big innocent smile on her face, joyfully reached up for her daddy to hold her. 

An old man was walking his small dog, perhaps a yorkie, when the dog’s butt became itchy and he stopped to drag it on the sidewalk before strutting off with dirt and leaves hanging from his rear.

Everything you could think of was happening all around us, but we just wanted to relax and enjoy a nice book. We snagged a spot in a grassy area surrounded by tall, luscious trees, and Philip read Water for Elephants while I read To the Lighthouse.

It was a beautiful day.

On Beauty

What is beauty? 

Artist in Times Square

Is it the girl every guy chases or the guy every girl wants? The perfectly blossomed rose in the midst of flowers still blooming? The toddler in a pink dress twirling for her daddy? I don’t have an answer for you.

What makes something beautiful?

Is it the brilliant color that emanates from something? The interesting pattern and unique texture? The perfect harmony of musical notes? I don’t have an answer for you.

Who decides what beauty is?

Is it the popular crowd at work or school? The magazine editor of a beauty magazine? The fashion designer with a new clothing line? This I have an answer for: YOU.

Phantom Pit

The cliche “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder” may be overused, but it’s pure truth. You define what beauty is. You decide what makes something beautiful. You. No one can deny you the right to your definition of beauty.

I used to want so badly to find beauty in the sky, the cactus, the Grand Canyon because everyone else seemed to. These were God’s creations, but I couldn’t see the beauty. 

I’ve realized, though, that I find beauty in other creations: the green trees and forests, flowers with just the right mix of colors, the contrast of something beautiful against something harsh, a city skyline...

Panorama of Times Square

I find beauty in certain songs and in certain lyrics, in musicals or ballet performances, in the Resurrection Dance, in books and movies with strong story lines...

Theatre where Phantom is performed

Today, I found beauty on the stage of Phantom of the Opera at the Majestic Theatre. Philip and I bought tickets at TKTS in Times Square, and the tickets turned out to be on the front row, off to the side. The pit was just below us, and the actors were just a few feet in front of us. The story, acting, and singing were beautiful, and they moved me to tears.

That’s how I know something is beautiful. It moves me. Somehow or another (often through tears), it moves me.  Seeing beauty in the world around us is so important, but we have to know how to recognize it. 

Can you recognize your brand of beauty?

No Cancer For Me

My beautiful new toaster oven

Health nuts say microwaves cause cancer, and we shouldn’t use them anymore. People on the run say microwaves are lifesavers, and they use them all the time. I say microwaves don’t come with my apartment, so I can’t use them anymore.

Do microwaves really cause cancer? I don’t know. All I know is that my tiny little kitchen in my tiny little apartment doesn’t have one, and because I do live in a tiny little place, I needed to buy a multi-purpose appliance in its place. Like any woman who needs to buy one thing for the kitchen, I bought two: a toaster oven and George Foreman grill with removable plates. In making these two purchases, what I really bought were the following: toaster, oven, grill, waffle maker, baking dish, and microwave.

Look familiar?

The combination of a toaster oven and George Foreman grill really is better than a microwave. 


Today, Philip and I reheated left overs for the first time since we moved to New York. Using our toaster oven, we reheated (without drying out, overcooking, or burning) macaroni and cheese, a burger, carne asada meat, rice, black beans, pizza, and a pasta dish. Using our George Foreman, we reheated corn tortillas.

They were all oh-so-delicious...nothing was soggy, limp, or chewy like food normally is when it comes out of the microwave. And best of all...I don’t have to worry about cancer anymore.