Weighing in. .

So there are a lot of things happening in the world that I feel like putting my two cents in about. Here are a few:

Top Movies of the Year:
Honestly, I have not seen most of them. Going to the movies is not particularly my favorite thing to do because I get really bent out of shape with people's lack of cell phone etiquette and/or common sense and I am furious that people bring infants and toddlers to rated R movies. Perhaps I will feel different when I can't find a baby sitter, but I doubt it!
The Chronicle lists The Departed as one of the top ten. GET REAL! That movie was completely LAZY at best, relying on a superstar cast. The story was totally lazy. It was just painful to watch cliche after cliche. Totally predictable. And boring. No thank you!
CNN lists Talladega Nights: The Legend of Ricky Bobby among the top ten (albeit number 10), and I almost have to agree. Aside from being the one movie that has made me laugh so much that I got a total ab workout (I never laugh at movies--John says it's because I have no soul), it was clever and enjoyable. And some of the best one-liners EVER. I mean, when you get attacked by a cougar and ruin your Crystal Gale t-shirt in the same day, it must be a really bad day!
Since I refused and still refuse to see Borat, I cannot give my opinion.
Jet Li's Fearless would have to appear on my best list. And Mission Impossible III really was pretty okay. Failure to Launch, Devil Wears Prada, and The X-Men movie (although I really liked the first two better) were also some favorites. And Deja Vu, although I don't know if it counts for 2006 coming out in November, was fantastic!
And considering that most movies I have seen in the last year have been on planes, I don't really know if I have a fair sampling. Sure, Annapolis and Tristan und Isolde were both good eye candy for what's-his-name, but neither one was really good. I'm just glad that King Kong is no longer on the flight menu. . .
Worst movies of 2006: I didn't see enough to weigh in. Except that The Departed really makes this list. Unbelievable.
Pirates of the Caribbean II--umm, that was just awful and a shameless segueway into the Threqual. Please.
Comment as you will. I'm up for some good recommendations.

Next on my list: removing statues from the UT campus that "glorify" the confederacy.
You may not know which way I will go on this, but it makes my blood boil to think that MY university has become so limp-wristedly PC that they cannot even uphold tradition in the fear of offending someone. Is is necessary to erase icons of American history (whether they stood for something you like or not) just to make everyone "feel" all warm and snuggly? Robert E Lee and General Grant are not just figures of the Civil War--they are part of American history. What are they going to do, stop teaching both sides of the war between the states because one side got their hands dirty? Not like the North was all innocent. . . Anyway. . I don't think the statues should be removed. They should represent American history, as other statues on campus in progress represent The Civil Rights Movement, Women in America and Politics, and Indian peace movements. Add some statues representing figures from the Union if you want, but don't erase part of the campus and the nation's history just because they were a part of something that was offensive.
You may not agree with me, but that's why we live in this great country--freedom of speech.

And, finally, defending your home. AKA: guns.
So here in Ireland there have been several court cases lately where people have killed or wounded intruders on their property. One man was sued by the intruder he shot and was charged with attempted murder!!!!!
Here you cannot just own a gun. The majority of people do not. And the attitude toward intruders is that you have to prove that they were intending to harm you--not just rob your house--before you can defend yourself. Texans, can you believe this??? On the radio, John heard one program that instructed people to hide in a closet or bathroom and call the police if a burgler breaks into your house. Can you imagine how well that would go over back home???
You may not believe in owning or using guns, but I do. I enjoy shooting guns at the range--it's a lot of fun to shoot at targets. And I hope to never use a gun when I'm not at the range. But I sure will if someone tries to break into my home. Okay, so having a german shepherd is the first line of defense (Scary Burgler won't know that Tex would more than likely lick him to death before hurting him. . Tex is kind of scary when you stumble upon him in the dark) but I'm not going to wait to have proof that the person breaking into my home is planning to harm me if caught. Not giving him the chance!
Wow! I sound like a real gun-advocate, and I'm not crazy about guns, but I believe in the right to defend my home!!! Sure makes you feel a lot better when your husband is gone a lot of the time!!
So now I'm back off my soapbox. Not sure if any of this makes any sense.
We are doing great and ready for things to get back to normal here after the holidays. Last night we had a really windy, rainy one!! John has authorized me to use the phrase "hurricane force winds" with accuracy. It was so incredibly windy that it pushed water in through the window in our bedroom (double-pane and sealed for high wind, mind you) so that it started leaking on the floor. Pretty shocking!!! We are hoping for milder weather for the rest of the weekend. We have had our warmest days yet--even into the mid-50s! Now that we are most accustomed to the cold, we are really enjoying these warmer climes.
We'll have to start planning out our weekend adventures. We've heard some awesome accounts of county Kerry farther to the west, so we may have to pack up and head out there for the long haul. The locals tell us that is where you see the "real Ireland." Since we like the "fake" stuff so much, I'm sure we'll really like this!

And, by the way, if you thought I was going to announce my weight, I have only gained between 4 and 5 pounds. I guess that's okay for 14 weeks. Many weeks and many pounds to go!