What are U doing today? (Ongoing thread) Showing 751-800 of 8,509

[Nina]

Joy H. (of Glens Falls) wrote: "Nina wrote: "A quote for Joy, "When you sell a man a book you don't sell him just 12 ounces of paper and ink and glue-you sell him a whole new life." Christopher Morley. Sleep tight. nina"Isn't it fun when these coincedences happen. nina
Nina! T..."

[Joy H., Group Founder]

Nina wrote [re Message #733:]: "Isn't it fun when these coincedences happen. nina"

Yes, Nina, it's fun and sometimes it's spooky at the same time. I'm not one to believe in mental telepathy or other magical happenings, but sometimes it's hard not too. My son tells me that coincidences can be expected because of the odds. He says it's just a matter of probability. I suppose so.

Sometimes when I'm typing a word, I'll hear that same word said on the TV at the very same time that I'm typing it. At first I was spooked by that. But then my son explained that there are just so many words in the English language and they are bound to occur simultaneously at one time or another. I suppose so. But sometimes logic like that can ruin all our fun. LOL

[Jackie]

I remember Kurt Russell when he did Disney movies, like the one where he gets shocked by electricity and becomes a genius. Can't remember the name. I always liked him. I must have seen Escape from NY about 50 times,my dad would tease me and my sister and say everytime he walked in the living room we were watch it. Overboard was another one I can watch over and over.

[Jim]

"The Computer Who Wore Tennis Shoes"

I loved "Escape from New York" & "Overboard" too.

How about "Soldier"? That's another good one.

[Jackie]

I didn't see that one, at least I don't think I did.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120157/

[Nina]

Two more quotes for Joy, in case you don't have them: "Every child comes with the message that God in not yet discouraged of man." Tagore

"What really knocks me out is a book that, when you're all done reading it, you wish the author...was a terrific friend of yours and you could call him up on the phone whenever you felt like it."
J.D.Salinger

[Joy H., Group Founder]

Jim wrote: ""The Computer Who Wore Tennis Shoes"
I loved "Escape from New York" & "Overboard" too.
How about "Soldier"? That's another good one."

Just got home from our town park's "Oktoberfest". A beautiful sunny day at our lovely lakeside park. Best part was the German Oom-Pah-Pah band. It was like being at a neighborhood party. Nice to chat with old friends and also fun to make new ones.

Below are Netflix links to the old Kurt Russell movies you mentioned... all new to me. :)

The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes (1969):
http://www.netflix.com/Movie/The_Comp...

Escape from New York (1981):
http://www.netflix.com/Movie/Escape_f...

Overboard (1987):
http://www.netflix.com/Movie/Overboar...

Soldier (1998):
http://www.netflix.com/Movie/Soldier/...

[Jackie]

Kurt was total eye candy in Escape from NY, LOL

[Nina]

Nina wrote: "Joy H. (of Glens Falls) wrote: "Nina wrote: "A quote for Joy, "When you sell a man a book you don't sell him just 12 ounces of paper and ink and glue-you sell him a whole new life." Christopher Mor..."This is in answer of what I am doing today: I am recuperating from last week end and a few days before that: First I had a luncheon for friends at my house and later that evening my husband was rushed to the emergency room with bleeding profusely from the prostate that wouldn't stop but finally did after blood clots came through. He was week but recuperated enough for us to have the party two days later at our home for old sailing buddies. I couldn't cancel as some couple came as far as TX(six hundred miles) and then the next morning we had a brunch to attend. Fortunately me daughter went with me to that and in the afternoon we had to be at an OPEN HOUSE to celebrate a new homeowner's home and then two days later I had a brulnch for my cousins and their mother's. So this weekend I am home with a tired but OK husband. I almost forgot; during that stressful week my son in law with the cancer had another blood test after hearing the cancer had spread so we were waiting on that result which didn't come until yesterday and so far this test proved negative but he does have to see a radiologist. So we are grateful for that much good news. See why I too am tired? Both of us went to the cardiologist yesterday and we are doing Well..lots to be grateful for this week. nina

[Joy H., Group Founder]

Nina wrote: ""This is in answer of what I am doing today: I am recuperating from last week end and a few days before that: ..."

Nina, that was quite a week! Hope your husband and SIL will be OK.
I can tell that you are the hostess with the mostess! That's something I always wanted to be but it always seemed too overwhelming for me. So I've resigned myself to accepting who I am.

"Everyone must row with the oars he has." -English Proverb

[Joy H., Group Founder]

Jackie wrote: "Kurt was total eye candy in Escape from NY, LOL"

It's on my Netflix queue. LOL
I hope I live long enough to see the 218 movies on my queue. LOL Did you say "eye candy"? Perhaps I'll give Kurt a little nudge up to the top of the queue.

[Joy H., Group Founder]

Nina wrote: "... 'What really knocks me out is a book that, when you're all done reading it, you wish the author...was a terrific friend of yours and you could call him up on the phone whenever you felt like it.' J.D.Salinger "

Nina, the Salinger quote started me thinking. Which author would I call? Right off the top of my head, the name of screenwriter William Goldman comes up. I read his memoir _Adventures in the Screen Trade_ (pub. 1983). Seems to me he would be a good conversationalist, with plenty of good anecdotes about show business.

Then again, there's Steven Pinker who wrote _The Stuff of Thought Language as a Window Into Human Nature_. I'd have plenty of questions to ask him!

It's so hard to choose. There are so many fascinating authors. Maybe I'll just have a party and invite a few at a time. :) (Of course it would have to be catered.)

[Jackie]

Oh yeah, he must have been working out! The character is cool too, a bit corny, but who cares, I love Kurt, he can be as corny as he wants, LOL

[Jim]

I had a good day today. It was supposed to rain across the state, but seemed to just be cloudy. I got up about 5am - earlier than I planned, but there I was awake at normal time - & drove 4.5 hours down to Murray to visit my daughter at her college. There was no traffic on the way down. I gained an hour as it is in Central time zone, so I wound up down there by 9am.

I didn't get any pictures since I forgot & left the memory card plugged in to my computer here. I remembered an extra lens & battery. Still, I had a good time & got to meet Erin's roommate & her parents. I took the girls out to breakfast before they showed up.

I wound up getting home by 6:30pm tonight. Not bad & less of an ordeal than I thought the 9 hour drive would be. I did get through most of the All Creatures Great and Small audio book. That helped pass the time nicely.

I was craving bacon cheeseburgers, so I made them for dinner tonight & watched 'Fast Forward'. It was pretty well done.

[Joy H., Group Founder]

Jim wrote: "I had a good day today. It was supposed to rain across the state, but seemed to just be cloudy. I got up about 5am - earlier than I planned, but there I was awake at normal time - & drove 4.5 hou..."

Nine hours of driving. Wow! Bet you appreciated that audio book. I checked the map of your part of the country. I noticed that you're not too far from St. Louis, Indianapolis, Memphis, and Nashville. Do you ever go there?

What nights does "Fast Forward air" on ABC-TV?

[Jackie]

Fast Forward is on ABC at 8PM our time, Thursdays.

Jim, I can't handle a 45 minute ride much less 4.5 hour ride! Nice day, so I bet it was worth the drive. I don't drive anymore, but I don't know if I'd pay attention to the road if I were listening to an audio book.

[Joy H., Group Founder]

Jackie wrote: "Fast Forward is on ABC at 8PM our time, Thursdays.

Thanks, Jackie.
What's on Wednesdays? I remember a TV show we talked about being on a Wednesday. Am I wrong?

[Jackie]

What hasn't been on Wednesdays? LOL
Lost was on Weds. but that won't be back til the winter.
Criminal Minds and CSI NY are Weds.
Eastwick is Weds.
This is a pretty lean lean year for Weds. Usually everything I want to watch was on Wednesdays. Maybe the scheduling execs finally figured out it's better to avoid conflicts, people are not going to give up their favorite shows.

[Jim]

I'm picky about what audio books I can listen too. Often I listen to something I've read before & really liked, but haven't read in a while. I have to have a real interest or my mind wanders, but it can't take up too much of my attention, for obvious reasons.

I can rarely listen to Libervox recordings. The untrained voices tend to irritate me. I can't listen to Ayn Rand's philosophy - she uses too many big words & expresses thoughts that require me to think too much or want to replay them.

[Joy H., Group Founder]

Jackie wrote: "What hasn't been on Wednesdays? LOL
Lost was on Weds. but that won't be back til the winter. Criminal Minds and CSI NY are Weds. Eastwick is Weds."

Ah! It was the TV show, "Eastwick", which I was trying to remember. Thanks, Jackie. I wonder if it will turn out to be a long-lasting show.

About TV scheduling, I could never understand why the TV execs would close down a good show simply because it couldn't beat out another good show. Why not just move it to another time slot?

It's a wonder that creative people keep trying new shows when they know that after all their effort, a show can be closed down within a short time after opening.

Back in 1988, I saw Peter Allen on Broadway in the musical "Legs Diamond". I loved it. It closed down after about two months. I'll never understand it. I liked it more than I had liked some other shows which were long-running hits. The critics panned it and that killed it. Doesn't seem right.

I hated the musical "Cats". It ran forever, everywhere! Go figure.

What am I doing today? I'm trying to figure these things out. LOL

[Joy H., Group Founder]

Jim wrote: "I'm picky about what audio books I can listen too. Often I listen to something I've read before & really liked, but haven't read in a while. I have to have a real interest or my mind wanders, but..."

Sometimes my mind wanders while listening to audio books. As Jim says, it has to be very interesting to keep one's attention. Ironically, I use audios to put me to sleep. While listening to an audio, my mind can't spend time worrying about life's little problems (which keeps me awake). So as the audio drones on, I drift off to sleepy-by land. Works for me!

[Jackie]

Joy,
What really annoys me about scheduling is this: they'll have a show become a hit in it's original slot, like Men in Trees, Fridays, not up against anything high-powered but had a nice following, the following year, they put it on a primo-Primetime slot on Thursday. Many people didn't make the switch, Men in Trees gets cancelled.
They did the same to Bones, changed it's slot constantly, it's been on Tues, Weds, Thurs, and Fri. Luckily it survived but it could have easily died.

[Joy H., Group Founder]

Jackie wrote: "Joy, What really annoys me about scheduling is this: they'll have a show become a hit in it's original slot, like Men in Trees, Fridays, not up against anything high-powered but had a nice follow..."

I see what you mean, Jackie. Perhaps they decide to move the show rather than having to cancel it. When they move a show, they should put up TV ads notifying audiences about the change.

[Jackie]

Unfortuantely, they do it backwards, I guess they figure it's a hit on this night so let's see how it does on that night.
They run ads for the change, but people are not going to drop a favorite, or they're forced to do it and aren't happy either way.
I should be a TV Scheduling exec, I'd keep us all happy. They're starting to catch to the fact that Tuesday IS a day of the week, though I've been saying THAT for years, LOL

[Jim]

They killed "Firefly" with the initial scheduling. Who knows or cares what is on during a weekend afternoon? Now that we have DVR's, timing isn't as important, though.

[Jackie]

Not everyone has DVR. And before I got mine, TV was a nightmare with constant scheduling conflicts. VCRs only have 8 slots so even if there wasn't a conflict, there was limited space. We have 3 people in this house, 5 TV, 4 of which were strictly for recording on the 4 VCRs. Remembering to change tapes and all that, wow, how I love my DVR. With the DVR and virtually unlimited space (as long as you erase as you go), we only have to use 1 VCR on Monday for Dancing with the Stars, the DVR has Lie to Me, which is fabulous and one of my favorites and some new show Trauma. Thursday is busy too, Bones amd Flash Forward on the DVD and Vampire Diaries on the VCR.

DVRs weren't counted in the ratings, I think they changed that, or are going to change that, I'm not sure. And ratings mean everything to the TV Execs.

[Jim]

We have 2 TV's in the house & rarely double up. We used to do the same with the VCR. You're right, that was a pain.

[[deleted user]]

We have two TV's, both attached to a satellite service, one of them in a sick room is basically running all the time. The one downstairs only occasionally runs, I rarely sit through an entire show. With all the stations, you'd think there would always be something on that I'd like, but more often than not, I find myself flipping through the stations and finding nothing. I have a VCR but don't use it anymore, my VCR has both tape and DVD players. I wouldn't even begin to know how to use a DVR. I actually think I've forgotten how to tape something. lol

I'm not saying that there is nothing on TV, there are some series that I enjoy, I'm just not near the TV when they happen to be on lots of times.

[Joy H., Group Founder]

NOTE: See PS below in this message.

There are still a good number of people who don't want to bother with VCRs and DVRs (or computers for that matter). They're called the "massive-passives". LOL (Heard that on VPR radio yesterday.) They're content to just keep surfing the channels on their TV.

As for myself, I don't like fiddling with devices. That's why I love Netflix. It's easy to put a disc in a DVD player.

On VPR radio yesterday, they said that Netflix may revolutionize the way people watch movies and TV, especially with the idea of streaming. The cable companies might soon feel the effects of all of this, if they haven't already. I got the impression that there may come a day when film producers do their own streaming and bypass all the middle men.

Has anyone heard about this?
***************************************************
PS-I'm going to post this message at the general movie thread too. (See Message #677 at:
http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/9...

Maybe we should take this conversation over there. But please feel free to post wherever you please. I never want to hinder a good conversation, no matter how off-topic it is. Sometimes tangents lead to great things. :)

[Jackie]

The DVR is ridiculously simple to operate. I was surprised, and very pleased about that. I don't have much patience for electronics, LOL

[[deleted user]]

Jackie wrote: "The DVR is ridiculously simple to operate. I was surprised, and very pleased about that. I don't have much patience for electronics, LOL"


There's hope for me yet! :)

[Linda]

Gloomy out today. Can't believe how quickly the temps dropped from mid-60's to the 40's. Still had hope for a few warmer 70's days. Maybe next week?

Glad its Friday. Been very busy with book clubs, volunteering, going back to school....going to relax a bit today. Get the bills paid and perhaps some light housework. Very light! :)

[Joy H., Group Founder]

Linda wrote: "Gloomy out today. ...Glad its Friday. Been very busy ... going to relax a bit today."

Me too, Linda. Went for an MRI of my lower back yesterday but couldn't bear the claustrophia inside the machine. So they scheduled me for an "open" MRI machine. They should have given me that option in the first place! A word to the wise...

[Jim]

Yesterday started off gloomy & we got 3/4" of rain in the morning. It got nice by evening, though. Erin came home from college with a friend & we all took a short ride around the farm. They asked me to take pictures, so I hopped on the extra steed - Speedy, my daughter's old Games pony. Marg got a picture of me on him. Kind of funny looking.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid...

[Linda]

The picture of you on Speedy is great! Seems like a nice evening out with the family, horses and dogs.

[Joy H., Group Founder]

Jim wrote: "... Erin came home from college with a friend & we all took a short ride around the farm. They asked me to take pictures, so I hopped on the extra steed - Speedy, my daughter's old Games pony. Marg got a picture of me on him. Kind of funny looking.
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid...

Jim, I LOVED the pics! I LOVE the horses! (and the dogs too of course) (g)

Interesting captions. Your horses have some impressive backgrounds. I enjoyed Erin's comments.

Exactly how many horses do you have? I can't believe how long they've lived.

Topaz may be a grump, but I love his facial markings.

Cutter is so-o-o handsome! So is Blue.

[Joy H., Group Founder]

Linda wrote: "The picture of you on Speedy is great! Seems like a nice evening out with the family, horses and dogs."

Aren't they lucky to have that kind of life? Yes, Jim looks good (and happy) on Speedy... no saddle either... ooops "bareback". Have to learn the right vocabulary. :)

[Nina]

Joy H. (of Glens Falls) wrote: "Jim wrote: "... Erin came home from college with a friend & we all took a short ride around the farm. They asked me to take pictures, so I hopped on the extra steed - Speedy, my daughter's old Game..."Jim,
Loved the horse pics and the Jack Russel and what a darling daughter and fun to see you on horseback. What a lovely evening tide. nina

[Jim]

Thank you all for the kind comments. It is a nice way to spend the evening. You got to see all our equines in those pictures. We have 4. All the dogs are there except Munchkin, the old man (18) who is out of sorts right now.

I was off on several points, unfortunately. Speedy, the white pony, is 28 or 29 now, not 26 or 27, if I wrote that. That is old for a pony, but some have lived into their 40's. After I gave the camera to Marg, Speedy started dancing around & I had the sun in my eyes, so I didn't look as happy as I really was.

Horses don't live as long. Early thirties is very old for a horse.

Cutter is 8, not 6. He just seems like such a young fool that I forget. He was raised in a stall in Florida, so being turned out in the wilds of Kentucky blows that little mind of his.

Our animals do have a wonderful life, there is no doubt about it. We don't ask much of them & treat them all like family. We had a time with the boys, who really wanted their ponies to live in the house with us, just like the dogs. Their ponies weren't much larger than my mother's dogs, so the difference was tough to explain. Family is family, right?

When Erin was about 3, she disappeared at a horse show. Marg & the other mothers looked for her frantically. When they found her, it was in the horse trailer, fast asleep on the back of her pony, Spice, a Shetland pony.

[Nina]

JIm, Isn't there a children's horse story somewhere in you? You have the qualifications and start with your small daughter getting lost at the show. nina

[Jim]

Oh, I have lots of horse stories, Nina. Nothing worthy of writing down, I think. Some of my fondest memories & worst feature horses, though. I enjoyed reading a lot of them years ago.

A lot of them are pretty unbelievable or very hard to describe. For instance, Marg's horse, Blue, has always been a character. He used to steal cookies from the kids. Once snatched half a banana from one of them & then spit it back out at them after he decided he didn't like it. He threatened a man once who had a beer in his hand & stole the beer. He REALLY likes beer.

Yet when we used to ride when Erin was little, her pony got to be too much for her on the way home, so Marg put her on Blue & walked her pony. Erin was so small that her feet wouldn't reach even the stirrup leathers & she started to slide off. Blue stopped & very carefully reached around with his head & between them, she righted herself. He was nudging & she was pushing on his head with a foot on his nose & a hand on his eye. Wish I'd had a video camera for that one.

Mom showed up on my doorstep one day after a wreck & a trip to the Emergency Room. She's all banged up, busted ribs & maybe a broken collar bone or something. I drove her home & she's all mad because when they were taking off her coat they found the pistol she carried. "You'd think they never saw a gun before." She said disgustedly. On a 60 year old, 5'2" lady? Probably not what they expected, at least. Luckily, one of the doctors there was a good friend of hers & managed to keep things from spinning too far out of control.

[Joy H., Group Founder]

I love hearing your anecdotes, Jim. So different from anything in my experience, especially about the horses.

The only similar story I remember is when a little girl in our former neighborhood was missing. After a long search, she was found asleep in another neighbor's livingroom. She had just wandered in the front door and made herself at home.

[Joy H., Group Founder]

Today I uploaded a few photos of our town's library. You can see them at the "photo" section of this group: ====>
http://www.goodreads.com/photo/group/...
Click on the thumbnails.

[Jim]

Kids!!!

[Nina]

Today in our Sunday Book Section is a full page description of a book coming out next week. The author will be speaking at one of our libraries this month. The title, "Robert Altman,An Oral Biography," by Mitchell Zuckoff. I guess all of you, even the younger goodreaders have heard of "M*A*S*H and among some of his other movies was, "Kansas City," and I had such fun being part of that movie. Only an extra but due to too many circumstances to go into I was lucky enough to have my own trailer/an Italian hair dresser/French wardrobe assistant. Years before this when I was visiting a daughter in France I was in Cannes and walked past the building where the Cannes Film Festival was held. If anyone had told me someday I'in a movie that was at one of the festivals I would have laughed/really laughed. After being in that film they called me to be in Ang Lee's "Ride With the Devil." But I was out of town so missed that opportunity.But fora grandmother at age sixty nine when I got to be in "Kansas City," was an extraordinary event of my life and my husband's too, as he was also in it. Strangely, my real husband had red hair as did my movie husband. One great actor in the movie was Harry Bellafonte. Oh, also I had a part of my writing about an incident in my young life included in the movie script.nina

[Jim]

My daughter & her friend went back to college & my wife went off shopping, so it was just me & the dogs this afternoon. I probably should have done some chores, but instead I finished To Ride Hell's Chasm by Janny Wurts.

Wow! I actually sat for 3 hours straight to finish the last 200 pages. I can rarely sit still through a 1 hour TV show, yet was glued to the chair & still felt like I got a cardiovascular workout. Incredibly exciting.

It's fantasy/sword & sorcery, but the author KNOWS horses, which is something that most don't & a pet peeve of mine. Janny does & it shows. If you want a good story with horses, this is for you.

[Jim]

Neat, Nina!

[Nina]

Joy H. (of Glens Falls) wrote: "Linda wrote: "Gloomy out today. ...Glad its Friday. Been very busy ... going to relax a bit today."

Me too, Linda. Went for an MRI of my lower back yesterday but couldn't bear the claustrophia in..."I too am claustophobic and would hate hate the MRI. I would also opt for OPEN. Good luck your second time around. nina

[Nina]

A little bit more of movie trivia. When Robert Altman asked Harry Bellafonte to play the part of a one time gangster in KC during the Pendergast era his answer was, "I can't take the part, I am no actor, remember I am a singer." Altman answered, "Who says you can sing." Bellafonte took the part and actually wrote his own script. nina

[Joy H., Group Founder]

Thanks for your interesting posts, Nina. Thanks too for wishing me luck on the MRI. MRIs are painless. I should have no trouble with the open MRI. I had an MRI on my knee a short time ago. The hardest part was trying to keep perfectly still. When you know you're not supposed to move, the urge to move is tremendous!