Movie Review: Broken Trail

Norm and I watched this wonderful new Western drama, Broken Trail, this week.  It was a great story about an uncle and a nephew who decide to bring 500 horses from Oregon to Wyoming to earn money.  They set off on the trail but their path crosses with a scumbag delivering five Chinese slaves to a life of prostitution in a mining town with no law.  The uncle and the nephew are men of honor and do what's right by these five innocent women.  Now their horse drive has turned into a wagon train, but along the way their trail is broken by "horse thieves and gunslingers, madams and mercenaries, native warriors and runaway whores."  Each encounter is a threat to their ability to accomplish their task, but they react with honor and justice.  A very refreshing story and a side of history that one does not always see in films.  The uncle and the nephew make hard choices but they are rewarded with second chances at life, love and redemption.

It will air again on AMC July 6.  I highly recommend it and know that you will enjoy it for its breathtaking scenery, great acting and storytelling.  My only disappointment with the film was the audio quality and the small type subtitles.  The background sounds were a bit too loud and sometimes it made understanding the dialogue difficult.  All in all it was worth seeing.  Might be a good idea to record it so you can rewind when you don't quite understand the dialogue.

Be sure and check out the web site for Broken Trail.

Post Respite Blues

I am back now from my visit to family in San Diego.  It was a great time, but all too short, and I feel as though I just didn't get to see my family as much as I wanted to.  Usually I only need a day to bounce back from a six-hour road trip, but I still feel exhausted and unmotivated for much of anything.

We had a family reunion of sorts with extended family members -- uncles, aunts, cousins, etc. It was nice to see people I hadn't seen in quite a while.  It seems as though there were too many people to see in such a short time and I don't like visiting in crowds.  I'm much more of a one-on-one or small group person.

My brother and his family had the good fortune of finding a new place to live, but they had to move during my visit so I got to see very little of them.  I think that's why I feel so depressed.  I probably won't get to see them until Christmas.  I'm going to go cry now.

Break Time

No, I'm not giving up on blogging. Just having a respite...be back soon. :-)

Father's Day

My Dad is the best dad in the world. Because of that I am going to spend some time with him and the rest of my family. Blogging will be on hold for a few days. See you on the net sometime!

Power Wheelchairs... So Many Options

If you read my blog on a regular basis you know that I'm looking to get a new power wheelchair since mine is about 12 years old. The other day I paid a visit to Matt Brumble at Southwest Medical and Rehab in Phoenix. Matt is the "go to guy" for information on power wheelchairs. If you're curious as to what's out there in the high-tech world of wheelchair design, check out the following web sites: Quickie, Permobile, and Invacare. These are the three different manufacturers I am considering. I'm curious to know what you all think of the power wheelchairs from these manufacturers. Of course, I realize that most of you probably have never considered the purchase of, let alone the use of, a power wheelchair. But it would be interesting to know your opinions just for fun. So, after you look at those wheelchair manufacturers, leave a comment and let me know your favorite. I make no guarantee that I will choose the one you like!

Political Ads Don't Have To Be Boring or Stupid

I don't know about you, but I get tired of watching those political ads over and over again on TV. Today I found the best political ad I've ever seen. If I lived in North Carolina I'd be voting for Vernon Robinson. Whoever created this TV ad should win one of those awards that nobody ever cares about.

Is It Still Spring?

It's not officially summer yet but we're sweltering in triple digits around here. 111° today! It's after 10 p.m. now and it's still 95° outside. Can't wait for summer! (Yeah right.) Not Only Is It Hot... At 7% relative humidity it's bone dry too. Here is the evidence I found in my backyard. This poor lizard probably fell victim to one of my felines. He is now being munched on by a milkweed bug. Here's a better view with a contrasting background. Quite an interesting skeleton -- it's the first time I've ever seen one intact. Usually the cats devour the whole thing. I'm not sure how they managed to skin this one. What a mystery! Norm and I are ready to audition for CSI: Phoenix. Gil Grissom would be proud!

It's a Small World

I remember that ride at Disneyland when I was just a little girl.  The song still plays in my head over and over again if I think about it.  LOL

Anyhow, while checking my visitor stats from the last week, I found visitors from the following worldwide locations: Pakistan, Iceland, Australia, Republic of Korea, Japan, Ireland, and Hungary.

I seem to be really popular in Korea, because somebody from there keeps coming back to my site.  Welcome!  It's so cool to think that people all over the world are reading my blog.

Dan Gransinger, candidate for Arizona Legislature District 17

Dan Gransinger is the first candidate from District 17 to be endorsed by Arizona Right to Life. Just another reason to cast your vote for Dan.

Political Hijinks

Last night the Scottsdale City Council decided to cut property tax rates to its lowest level since the 1970s.  This is great news because housing values go up astronomically around here and the city will make more than enough money because of that.  Then they decided to trim the city budget.  They debated whether or not to cut subsidies to the Scottsdale Cultural Council and to eliminate a subsidy to the Scottsdale Motor Mile group's annual marketing campaign.  We have plenty of culture in Scottsdale that is supported by the very wealthy who live here, and a mile of car dealerships do not need financial help for their marketing campaigns.  Instead of cutting either of these unnecessary expenditures the Council decided the only item that needed to be cut from the budget was a police helicopter program that had been approved by voters in 2000 as part of a bond election.  What were they thinking?

In other news, Governor Janet Napolitano continues to veto legislation right and left.  She rejected an eminent domain reform bill passed by our legislature and a measure to crack down on illegal immigration and the hiring of illegal immigrants by businesses in Arizona.  She talks tough but she shows by her actions that she really doesn't care about the rights of property owners or the seriousness of our illegal immigration problem in Arizona.

What does a PG rating mean?

Obviously it means there's too much pro God talk!  The Motion Picture Association of America, the group that issues movie ratings, thinks that a family-friendly low-budget film called "Facing the Giants" deserves a PG rating.  They feel the movie contains strong "thematic elements" that might disturb some parents.

Which "thematic elements" earned this squeaky-clean movie its PG?

"Facing the Giants" is too evangelistic.

The MPAA, noted Fuhr, tends to offer cryptic explanations for its ratings. In this case, she was told that it "decided that the movie was heavily laden with messages from one religion and that this might offend people from other religions. It's important that they used the word 'proselytizing' when they talked about giving this movie a PG. ...

"It is kind of interesting that faith has joined that list of deadly sins that the MPAA board wants to warn parents to worry about."

Read the rest for yourself. 

X-Men: The Last Stand

A couple of weeks ago Norm and I saw this movie and we both enjoyed it. It was hilarious to see Kelsey Grammer, a.k.a. Frasier Crane, as a gigantic blue Smurf! If you go see the movie make sure you stay through all the credits. I won't give away any of the secrets, but I want to expound upon some ideas that have come to mind from this movie's story. If you're not familiar with the story line, the X-Men are people who have some sort of genetic mutation that makes them superhuman in many cases. Sometimes their mutation is invisible to others such as the ability to read minds or have super strength. For others the mutation is quite visible, such as blue skin and hair or wings. Those people with the mutation that creates a special ability such as invisibility or the ability to supersede the laws of gravity and time and space as we know it become a "danger" to society, at least to the minds of many in society who fear them. Some of the mutants band together and create a special school and society in which they use their abilities for good so that they are able to assure society and the government in particular that they are not a danger. Others use their abilities for evil and for their own gain and wreak havoc wherever they go. Still other mutants decide that they want nothing to do with either group and hide out or blend in with society and keep their special abilities a secret. Unfortunately with some of the mutants their genetic mutation causes them to hurt others, although not intentionally, and thus they withdraw from society. The first two X-Men movies dealt with their coming together as a group and then defending themselves as people who wanted to just be part of society and not feared by others. This newest movie brings into the story a cure that will get rid of the genetic mutation and make the mutants normal again. For me what is intriguing about this story is the idea that those who are different somehow are shunned or feared by those who are "normal." As a person with a lifelong physical disability I can somewhat relate to this experience. I am blessed that I live in a society who accepts me and creates opportunities for me to live as normal a life as possible. However, there are times when being different creates barriers for me to fully participate or to be fully accepted. Now I don't want you to think that I consider myself a genetic mutant. It is true that my disability is caused by a genetic defect, but I am not a mutant, at least not in the sense of the X-Men because I don't have any special abilities or superhuman strength. Oh, but wouldn't it be nice if I did! There are those who think a genetic defect is a mutation that must be gotten rid of. Our great scientific technology has allowed the origin of many genetic defects to be discovered. Unfortunately, this has not led to a cure but rather it has led to the destruction of babies in the womb because they carry a genetic defect. It sickens me to know that the scientific advancements that enable doctors to know exactly what gene defect in the human DNA causes spinal muscular atrophy, the condition I have, enables the destruction of babies in the womb who are determined to have that defect. Down's syndrome is another one of those genetic defects that can be determined in the womb and many babies in the womb are destroyed because they have this mutation. Instead of finding a cure for a genetic defect, scientific advancement is an excuse to extinguish precious lives. Am I someone who is in need of a cure? Certainly I have physical problems that I would love to see disappear from my life. Those who know and love me except me as I am, and for that I am eternally grateful. I have character flaws that need to be cured and I have a spiritual need for healing, as we all do. God offers a cure to my spiritual needs and I accept his cure. His cure is one that is instantaneous in the moment I receive it and also one that will be a lifelong journey. How about you? Are you someone who needs a cure? X-Men abortion disability

Republican Candidate Gransinger - District 17

via e-mail press release:

(Scottsdale, AZ)-Dan Gransinger Rph., Republican candidate for State Representative filed 491 qualifying signatures with the Secretary of State on 5/22/2006. This number easily surpasses the needed 280 by 43%. He also filed for Clean Elections funding on 5/22/2006 and qualified for funding on 5/30/2006. This makes Dan Gransinger the first Republican candidate from District 17 to qualify for the ballot and Clean Elections funding. "The people of District 17 haven spoken loud and clear on who they want to represent their values," said Gransinger, who added, "This has been a total grassroots effort that has been gaining momentum since day 1!" "I look forward to both September 12th and November 7th."

Baked Pine Needles

I just went outside a few minutes ago for a little outdoor break.  We have a gigantic pine tree in our front yard and its shade is rather nice.  I took in a deep breath of the outdoor fresh air and I was suddenly reminded of many things.  The smell in the air was of baked pine needles.  That smell reminds me of summer camp in the pine forests of South Louisiana.  It also reminds me of a campground near Lake Arrowhead, California I used to visit in college.  Funny how a certain scent will bring back so many memories.

BTW, I live in South Scottsdale where we have lots of trees.  You won't find any trees in swanky North Scottsdale.  I guess they're too good for trees up there!  LOL if you live in Scottsdale you'll understand the division between the north and south.  Not quite a civil war, at least not yet.

Boysenberry Jam Poster Child

Yesterday while we were at the Wal-Mart supercenter buying groceries I found a seedless boysenberry jam made by Knott's Berry Farm. I haven't had boysenberry jam for years because I don't like the seeds although I love the flavor. I just finished a delicious peanut butter and jelly sandwich made with this seedless boysenberry jam. Oh my goodness it was so good! Eating this wonderful jam brought back memories of childhood visits to Knott's Berry Farm in Buena Park, California. It was America's first theme park. In those days back in the late 1960s and very early 1970s there was a Ghost Town with a Calico Mine Ride and a Timber Mountain Log Ride in which you rode inside of a log canoe type thing through a water trough. I thought it was a lot of fun back when I was five or six years old. They had a chicken dinner restaurant that served fried chicken dinners and boysenberry pie. Yummy! I was privileged to meet Walter Knott, founder of Knott's Berry Farm. I don't exactly remember the circumstances of the meeting except that I was a poster child for MDA that year, and I along with a boy whom I don't remember had our photos taken with Mr. Knott. He was a nice old man.

123°F

It's true! Right now it's about 112°F, but when I looked at our neighborhood weather station online report for the past 24 hours it showed the maximum temperature was 123°F. It probably only reached that temperature for a few minutes when the sun was at its highest point of the day. It's also possible that it was yesterday when it reached 123°F. Thankfully it was not sustained! (if you look at the report on any day but today you will not see the same numbers that I saw) Norm and I went grocery shopping earlier at the Wal-Mart supercenter. We were probably in there for an hour and I was freezing from the air conditioning so I went outside to thaw out while Norm waited through the checkout line. (Note to self: don't go shopping on Saturdays -- everybody does.) Anyhow, I found a shady spot right outside the door. Dozens of people were coming and going during the 15 minutes that I sat there, but two different women decided that I might need help. One of them asked if I was roasting and the other one asked if I might need help getting into the store. It's good to know there are still kind people in the world who take notice of others. I was just fine and I let them know it and I also thank them for their concern for my well-being.

The Engagement

It occurred to me today while looking at the calendar that it was eight years ago June 1st that my wonderful husband Norm proposed to me. He said, "so you wanna get married?" She said, "yes!" We were married seven months later. Oh the memories...

Life in Scottsdale

It's hot! It reached 113°F today with about 4% humidity. The good news is I have not shriveled up yet. 113° is not that unusual for the Sonoran desert, but it is unusual to be this hot so early in the summer. If you have never experienced this kind of heat I will give you an idea of what it's like. Imagine you have walked into a pizza oven -- that's what it feels like. Funny thing is that we really don't sweat because it's so dry. That's where the danger is because you don't know you're dehydrating. We drink lots of water around here and we keep our home air-conditioned so we survive.

Question

Do I need to blog more often?