Top 25 Things to Do on a Date

1. Go to a musical concert (someone you both like)

2. Get dressed up and go to a play or the ballet and have a glass of champagne

3. Go window shopping

4. Go to a romantic movie

5. Visit a spa, have massages side by side

6. Have a quiet dinner by some kind of water (river, lake, ocean) Hawaii is best for this......but any water will do

7. Fix dinner together at your place or his and watch TV (one of my favorites

8. Take a sleigh ride together

9. Go on a Halloween hayride together

10. Go to church together

11. Go for a walk together when the leaves are changing

12. Go for a drive in the mountains in the Fall

13. Sit together with just the Christmas tree lights on, a nice fire and hold hands

14. Go to an exciting athletic event together (you both have to be for the same team and enjoy watching the same sport) High school sports are great for this.

15. Dress for dinner and go somewhere old fashioned where the band just plays slow dances

16. Attend a NASCAR race (if you don't happen to live in a Cup city, this can be hard)

17. Go roller skating

18. Watch fireworks together outside on a blanket

19. This one is if you REALLY like him/her - Kiss during the ENTIRE date

20. Eat at a Mexican restaurant with roaming musicians

21. Go to a comedy show.....laugh alot

22. I've never done this but I'd like to -------go for a motorcyle ride with someone who knows how to ride!

23. Go to a bookstore, pick out some books, read, and sit and look at each other between reads!

24. Go to the beach, have a picnic, grab some rays, take your boombox

25. Go ANYWHERE in a limo!

What do YOU like to do on a date???

Top 25 Timeout

So......I'm like lounging on my bed having watched my 3 movies from Blockbuster. Lazy. Too lazy to drive 2 miles up the street and exchange them for more movies. So I click on my cable provider and see that they have new movies. Yep.....I'm paying $17/month for all the movies I can watch and I spend $3.99 to watch "Scoop." These are the kinds of wastrel things you can do with a windfall. It was a great movie with some very funny moments in it. I ought to be spanked for wasting that money. Hehehehehe.......

Top 25 Places to Spend Money

1. Victoria's Secret (enough said)
2. Nordstrom shoe department
3. Nordstrom ladies department
4. Williams Sonoma
5. The Ritz for tea
6. The Ritz Spa
7. The Ritz for Thanksgiving Brunch/Lunch
8. Neiman Marcus' shoe department
9. Nordstrom's handbag department
10. Neiman Marcus' handbag department
11. Ann Taylor
12. Antique Markets
13. Amazon.com
14. Barnes and Noble
15. Fye Music
16. Whole Foods
17. A local boutique - Veronica's
18. Starbuck's
19. Sephora
20. Office Depot
21. The Bakery
22. Movie Theatres
23. Ticketmaster.com
24. Virtually any shop in Savannah, Georgia - my favorite city of all
25. Church

Where do you LIKE to spend your money? By the way, I am enjoying these lists of 25, I hope you are. All of these 25s were first inspired by my appearance on 25peeps which I am still "hanging" in there sans my head. As one of my blogger friends noted making lists of 25 can be hard. I find it is forcing me to think -- in a good way. In an ironic turn of events, I chose a new nail polish color yesterday. Eerily, I turned the bottle upside down - it's name was "Quarter of a Century."

Top 25 Favorite Things To Do

1. Read a good book
2. Watch a good movie
3. Have lunch with my girls' club
4. Have a massage at The Ritz
5. Watch people open my Christmas presents
6. Cook Christmas dinner
7. Eat Christmas dinner
8. Nap by a fire
9. Nap when it's raining
10. Go on a fun date
11. Attend a concert by an artist I love
12. Soak in a jacuzzi
13. Drink champagne with a special guy
14. Go to a Broadway show
15. Have someone else wash my hair and dry it
16. Kiss
17. Go shoe shopping
18. Be snowed inside, unable to drive anywhere, but have power and plenty of food
19. Laugh
20. Watch trash TV (to include certain reality shows, Lifetime movies, etc.)
21. Take a nap with my kitty on my chest
22. Sleep in fresh, clean sheets after a shower
23. Sit in Barnes and Noble with a stack of books, reading one and sipping Chai Tea
24. Holding hands with someone I love
25. Going to my old church and passing the "peace"

What are your favorite things to do? Are you taking time to do them? I'm not. But I'm going to!

Love and Time

A girlfriend and I watched "The Lake House" yesterday (one of the benefits of my new Blockbuster membership). It began a bit slowly, but the overall feeling I was left with was rather bittersweet. Even despite the ending which I won't spoil if you haven't seen it. By the way, it was definitely worth watching.

It has caused me to ponder. Is love really like the movies? Do people flirt any more? Does romance exist still?

The First of my Top 25

Snake left a comment that has inspired (thank heavens) me to begin a series of Top 25s. (Referring of course to being on 25peeps (yes, I'm still on it) .......which has been referred to as "25creeps"........LOL. Anyhow, since he asked what movies I rented last night, and I DO have this incredible FREE trial (yes, we rich people love pinching pennies).....I thought I would start with my favorite 25 movies (in no particular order). I'm going to make lists of 25 for all sorts of things. So stay tuned.

First, I saw "My Super Ex Girlfriend" last night. It had all the makings of being a "Blockbuster" hit; but it just ran.... Luke (Wilson)warm. Uma Thurman (I like her in movies) was the "Superhero," but it was just too nuts. Also, don't let your kids see it. There are alot of ....sexual references in it. (My Girl Scout troop wanted to see it.) By the way, if you need a Super Hero fix, go read Henry the Adequate - a new friend who dubbed 25peeps 25creeps.

Here they are in random order, WFW's top 25 movies:
1. To Kill A Mockingbird (Gregory Peck good)
2. Duel in the Sun (Gregory Peck bad)
3. The Sound of Music (has it all…great music, great love story, great family)
4. Where the Heart Is (watch it when you’re depressed or need to get “up”)
5. The Birds
6. Home Alone (modern favorite Christmas movie)
7. It’s a Wonderful Life (favorite classic Christmas movie)
8. The English Patient (possibly the most romantic, sexy movie ever made)
9. Elizabeth (favorite historical movie)
10. Bridget Jones’ Diary (Colin Firth is dreamy)
11. Air Force One (Harrison Ford when he was sexy and a REAL kickass President)
12. The Notebook (true love transcends boundaries and the leads fell in love with each other)
13. Lean on Me (Morgan Freeman inspiring)
14. Driving Miss Daisy (Morgan Freeman heartwarming)
15. Legally Blonde (Reese Witherspoon triumphs over the smug ex)
16. Gone With The Wind (Vivien Leigh and Clark Gable are riveting)
17. Mildred Pierce (Joan Crawford – fantastic!)
18. Castaway and Big (Tom Hanks is just great)
19. Any movie with Sir Laurence Olivier - Wuthering Heights is my favorite though
20. The Count of Monte Cristo ( with Jim Cavaziel)
21. The Pursuit of Happyness
22. Any Jack Nicholson movie – A Few Good Men (“You can’t handle the truth); Terms of Endearment; As Good as it Gets
23. Sliding Doors (Gwyneth Paltrow is marvelous in this one!)
24. An Affair to Remember – but ANYTHING with Cary Grant
25. Love With the Proper Stranger (Natalie Wood and Steve McQueen – a twofer)

Any comments? Your favorites?

It's Hot HOT HOT

So.....this year goes on record as the warmest ever. And it was warm today. I didn't even have coffee today. You can see that I'm certainly not wearing a sweater! What a wonderful weekend already! I joined Blockbuster's equivalent of Netflix. I got two movies tonight and queued up my next 25. We'll just see how this delivery thingie works. I am continuing with my clean up efforts. All clothes are aligned in the closet and the dressing room floor is completely CLEAR. A clean house, homemade brownies and three movies today! MMMMMMmmm. That's my idea of heaven on earth. I think I'm just a simple girl.

By the way, I'm hanging in there at 25peeps.com. I really appreciate your votes - which, if you had a mind to, you could click on EVERY hour. LOL. I posted almost all of the posts to whether I should be on that site or not. I've decided that I'm going to stand for wholesomeness on there with some others. Again, I'm a simple girl.

The Pursuit of Happyness

I have just returned - still hanky in hand - from seeing "The Pursuit of Happyness." If you don't see another movie all year, you need to see this one. It's a true story. See it. You'll be glad you did.

Where in the world is.............?

I've been travelling a bit. I've been having some tests done. Doctors and scenic views. Not exactly what I'd call compatible. It WAS relaxing to slip out of town to the mountains. I saw that Windfall show. It did not hold my interest, so I took a shower within five minutes of trying to watch it. Speaking of watching, I was at Blockbuster yesterday looking at movies. My favorite show, "Medium" is out on DVD. I thought about buying it, but I think I've seen every episode. I love watching movies, but I hate movie theaters now. They aren't very clean; people aren't very polite. Movie watching is a ritual with me. I am a blanket/afghan/coverup connoisseur. Depending on the temperature and my mood, I grab the right one. Have to have the RIGHT food too. If it is dinnertime, it's chicken wings, celery, bleu cheese and french fries! Popcorn (hot, fresh, NOT salty) right out of the microwave is excellent as our my own chocolate chip cookies! I can replay my favorite parts or things I miss. All from MY nice clean sofa. Take care.........I'm going to watch a MOVIE. AT HOME.

Girls' Night Out

Spring forward! I hate losing an hour of sleep. Hate it especially when I've been out past midnight (or past 1 a.m. new time). Four of us went out for dinner and a show last night. We had a fabulous time except that one of my friends kept bringing up a "bad" topic. I kept trying to divert the conversation but she kept bringing it up. It was the only thing that marred the evening. My goals for Sunday? Watch movies, do laundry and cook a fantastic dinner!

The Constant Gardener

I've been doing quite a bit of Spring cleaning. Exhausting. Awoke with leg and foot cramps from running up and down my stairs putting things in their proper spot. I had wanted to see some of the films who had won Oscars. In particular, since Rachel W. swept all the awards in her category, I really wanted to see The Constant Gardener. Let me tell you - I'm glad I "pay-per-viewed" it. It was excellent. I typically love Ralph Fiennes, but I didn't fall in love with him in this picture. The story and Rachel were mesmerizing. Their relationship was mesmerizing as well. I highly recommend it. I probably would watch it again. That's how good it was. She deserved the Oscar.

Walk the Line........and Oscars

As tired as I was, I kept my eyes pried open until I could see the Best Actress category. I wanted Reese Witherspoon to win really bad. I wanted Joaquin Phoenix too as well but I knew that was a lost cause. If you haven't seen this movie, you should! If you don't know country music and their artists, you may be in for an awakening when you see June Carter giving her copy of The Prophet to Johnny Cash. I loved what June Carter used to say, "I'm just trying to matter." Maybe that should be WFW's motto......I'm just trying to matter too June.

No rest for the weary - Sunday

Can't you just see how tired I am? I mean I'm exhausted. All that great rest from Saturday gone to heck in a handbasket. Barely four hours of sleep. At 6am I took that stupid Nicholas Cage Weatherman movie back to Blockbuster. I didn't want that movie in my house. It's creepy. I had red beans and rice and chocolate ice cream for lunch. It perked me up for awhile but now I'm back in recline mode. I'm getting ready to be in nap mode. ZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.........

Saturday's Post

I am posting Saturday's post; however, it's 12:01 it's now so technically Sunday. Sigh.......today began well. I stayed in my pajamas all day and watched my new DVD, Walk the Line (a must see), The Birds (I fell asleep during this one), Titanic.......then I slipped out to dinner. A new place.....waited too long for so so service and so so food. I came home ready to watch Nicholas Cage in The Weatherman when my cell went off. Massive disconnect of customer's service. Sigh....on the phone for two hours getting it fixed, emails.....all that good relaxation gone to waste. Do NOT rent The Weatherman. It is a weird movie. Full of lots of symbolism that I was either too dense or too aggravated to watch. I am very aggravated right now frankly. I need to go to sleep and I can't because I'm agitated over work. I am now aggravated because I didn't do squat today. I have nothing to show for my Saturday except I WAS relaxed. Now I'm not. I want to go hide under my bed. Except that my cleaning people don't vacuum under the bed. So I'd be covered with dust bunnies. Yeah, I would do it myself but I'm too aggravated and too tired.

A cold.....

It's official. I have a cold. Sometimes I think it's nature's way of just flatout slowing you down. I've been going at breakneck speed for awhile. I'm just glad I made it through the holidays without it.

When I was a teenager, I read Glamour magazine. I loved it! One of the articles I remember the most was about getting a cold and missing work. The article was titled something like, "Got a Cold? Pamper Yourself Girl." LOL........they actually made being sick with a cold sound cool! The advice was always have some nice hot chicken soup, put on comfy socks and robe, snuggle under an afghan, watch old movies, drink hot tea and sleep! I mean WOW...how does that NOT sound good? The license to call in sick, take a day, not get dressed except in the most comfortable way, eat and drink to your heart's content and watch old movies? Now, of course, this only applies to a cold! Any other sort of illness - especially of the tummy variety is NOT desirable. Part of me smiles today thinking of all the coziness and the way your brain lulls when you have a cold. It's almost like a natural tranquilizer. I'm sure you'll think I'm nuts. But......think about some comfy sweats, no work, beverages of your choice, no work, laying in bed or on the sofa, no work, watching old movies, no work, covered in an afghan, no work, napping off and on, no work and did I mention no work? Maybe YOU have a cold too???

Thank you all.........

Thank you all from the bottom of my heart. I mean it. I am overwhelmed at such beautiful responses. You wonderful friends in the blogosphere so far outweigh the "meanies" that I didn't want to stay away. I swear I wasn't trying to be a drama queen! (Although I do confess a penchant for tiaras!)

It's been a strange several days here ... almost surreal. The evening I posted that I would take a break after reading those comments and emails, I had spent seven hours enroute and/or on my feet volunteering at the ballet. It was my last volunteer day of the eight I've done in six weeks while working at my job frenzily and getting ready for Christmas, throwing my Girl Scout Gingerbread party and having two groups of friends and family to visit. I am and was pretty much exhausted - but in a very satisfied way. The last of my "company" left yesterday so a couple of us decided to go see "King Kong." I have never seen the original with Faye (sp?) Wraye/Raye (sp?) but this movie......well, it is pretty unbelievable! It is action packed and with a love story/triangle on top of it.

Anyhow, I tote around a pretty big handbag. You know, being a woman, I have to have "touch up" powder and lipstick, being a germophobe I have to have my antibacterial hand soap, a brush for fine, flyaway hair, my business cards for business, my wallet for the reason everyone else takes theirs, my cell phone and headpiece since I refuse to drive and hold a phone up to my ear, assorted pens and pencils because I am an office products affianciando, my high clearance security tag to get into my office, and room for snacks, drinks, etc. oh, and my Benadryl for that pesky allergy problem. I sat down at the movies (we were hurried) and placed my bag next to me in an empty chair, but close. I kept getting emails - and I was checking them for work and such so it wasn't as though I wasn't watching my bag. Also, I had my fleece over it.

Funny how you notice things when you are a people watcher! There was not a row directly behind me so I noted with interest as a rather tall, big boned woman with long, curly, wiry and unruly hair pulled back sat down two seats away from my handbag. She had on corduroy pants and a heavy sweater -- last year's or the year before's look. She kept her face turned away from me somehow. At points, I glanced at her during the movie and wondered what brought her to a theater alone (not that that's bad). I actually thanked God that I was there with some folks I really cared about. During the last 20 minutes, (the most exciting part), she got up and left and I marveled briefly at how someone could leave then! When the movie was over, I reached over for my bag and it had been LODGED down - way down in the seat - and my fleece had been moved. I didn't think anything of it at the time, but it took three of us to dislodge it and check to see if anything had dropped out. I had driven so we got to the car, and something just told me to look inside. My wallet was GONE! My friends RAN back inside the theatre -- NOTHING. Then went to the box office and there was my wallet AND my CHECKBOOK (which I hadn't noticed was missing!) Supposedly, one of the ushers turned it in at the box office. I was starting to drive away and thought he should be rewarded! And I looked inside my wallet because I was carrying quite a bit of cash and I was CLEANED OUT. No money. No $100 bill from my dad. All gone. I was dumbfounded. It so happened that there was a police officer in the theatre.

He told me to be glad it was just money (I was glad about that) and that I would need to go to the police station to fill out a report. Which I did. He told me to call all my credit card companies and put a fraud alert on them. Well, a fraud alert does nothing come to find out. I had to cancel EVERY ONE of my cards! ALL. Luckily, I had dropped my debit card down in my bag so she didn't have access to that.

It's just really creepy to think someone with those evil intentions was literally right in my FACE and by my friends. My friends think I'm crazy but after we left the station and went to dinner, I was musing over what kind of woman would do this? How desperate was she? One of my friends was like, "Oh come on WFW, she's evil and probably on drugs." I couldn't help thinking - what if she wasn't? What if her kids were hungry? What if she had a sick child? Was she feeling guilty then after stealing from me? How scared must she have been to be so bold to try something like that? She had to be afraid of getting caught. I couldn't shake the feeling. I also couldn't shake the feeling of wondering what would have happened if I had looked over and caught her red handed with my wallet and checkbook in my hands? Would I have seen evil or fear? At that point, I broke down and cried and cried in my napkin at TGI Friday's. I cried for all the people who are desperate, for all the people who are afraid, and for those people who have no conscience.

The Sound of Music

What does this image bring to your mind? I hear that soundtrack beginning, my heart soars. Without a doubt, it is my favorite movie of all time. As a little girl, I used to stand in my yard and pretend I was Julie Andrews/Maria Von Trapp. I would twirl just as she did at the start and sing and imagine those majestic mountains surrounding me.

I have a secret. I wear a ring Julie Andrews used to own. My mother found it at an estate sale with authentication papers. It is platinum band with seven tiny diamonds in a line. It is one of my most treasured material possessions. A few weeks ago, I lost it; and I was very very depressed. I rarely ever take it off. You probably know that Julie Andrews has lost that unbelievably gorgeous voice due to a surgical mishap to remove nodules on her vocal chords. I think it is one of the greatest personal tragedies -- for such a beautiful voice to be silenced. And yet, she has not been silenced. She continues to act in select movies and sing in a limited range. She has triumphed over her own personal adversity with dignity and grace. And that.....that is the standard I aspire to achieve.

The Interruption of Everything

Oprah's show yesterday was centered around Terry McMillan and Johnathan Plummer. Don't know who they are? She's the author who based her book How Stella Got Her Groove Back in publishing the "intimate details of her own island romance with a man 23 years her junior." Basically, the 43-year-old Terry was on vacation in Jamaica met 20-year-old Jonathan Plummer. They experienced "five passion-filled days, the vacation ended and Terry flew back to California. " Not long thereafter, they were married. She makes millions on her book and movie. Doesn't this sound like a happy ending?

Ummm. Not quite. Johnathan finds out he is gay. They spar on dueling morning shows with the revelation. They divorce. They end up on Oprah talking about it. She's written a new book - The Interruption of Everything.

I have nothing against gay people. Really, as long as someone is not hurting anyone else (especially a child), I'm like "have at it." I could CARE less - paint yourself green if you want, worship trees, WHATEVER.....Don't expect ME to participate but knock yourself out!

BUT....if Windfall Woman ends up like Stella/Terry.......don't expect to see me on Oprah talking about it. I'll be in the fetal position in my bedroom with pints of Haagen Daaz beside me in my jammies.

102 Things About Me

102 Things About Me

1. I have green eyes
2. I have soft fingernails that I hate
3. I talk too much
4. I love people
5. I love dogs
6. I love children
7. I hate cooked vegetables
8. I love bread
9. I love sweets
10. I’m not much of a candy person
11. I’m deathly allergic to nuts and bees
12. I used to play the saxophone
13. I used to play the piano
14. I used to take voice lessons
15. I used to swim competitively
16. I think too much
17. I worry too much
18. I care too much
19. I am too sensitive
20. I wash my hands a lot
21. I avoid gassing up my own car (phobia of gasoline)
22. I get migraine headaches
23. I can’t drink wine without getting a headache the next day
24. I am a great salesperson
25. I have a one big regret in my life that I can’t share
26. I love watching TV
27. I don’t like to eat at really expensive restaurants
28. I love getting massages
29. I love candles
30. I hate strong perfume
31. Christmas is my favorite time of year
32. I would love to ride on the back of a motorcycle
33. I would love to go to Boston for the Fourth of July, see the fireworks and the Boston Pops
34. I love men who smell good
35. I’m happiest after I’ve had a shower
36. I have to sleep or I’m grumpy
37. I have great hair
38. I love having my feet massaged
39. I hate high heels
40. I love NASCAR
41. I’m not a redneck
42. I love football
43. My favorite movie is The English Patient
44. I wish I had the talent to decorate my own house
45. I love BMWs but I don’t have one
46. I don’t get “Will and Grace”
47. I love trees
48. I cuss too much
49. I think it makes me sound tough
50. I used to smoke
51. I smoked mostly when I drank
52. I quit both
53. I am a Daddy’s girl
54. I was my grandmother’s favorite grandchild
55. I loved her a lot
56. I am named after her
57. I will never have cosmetic surgery
58. When my hair goes gray, I won’t fight it
59. I love the beach
60. I want to learn to play golf
61. and be a member of a Country Club
62. and have lunch with my friends after golfing
63. I love to read
64. I like women authors the best
65. I think Bill Clinton’s voice is sexy
66. I used to think Bill Clinton was sexy
67. I want to go to Italy
68. I am still a little afraid to fly
69. I used to be agoraphobic
70. I had lots of therapy
71. I still have anxiety attacks
72. I am fairly recovered (except for a few phobias see #21)
73. I love champagne
74. I love champagne with strawberries in it
75. John Walsh is one of my heroes
76. I love all kinds of music except heavy metal and rap
77. I hate Tom Cruise
78. I don’t think Brad Pitt is sexy
79. I think Ed Burns is sexy
80. I think Kiefer Sutherland is sexy
81. He reminds me of a boyfriend I used to have
82. I have been fortunate to date quite a bit
83. I love men
84. I think my best friend’s dog is one of the ugliest dogs I have ever seen
85. I thought about being a librarian as a child
86. I think Aunt Bee’s food sounds delicious
87. I so much think it that I bought two Mayberry cookbooks
88. I’ve never made a thing out of either of them
89. I collect cookbooks and READ them
90. One of my life’s goals is to make one thing from every cookbook I own
91. I have a bread machine
92. I love making bread in it
93. I was born around Christmas time
94. My mother says Santa brought her a real doll for Christmas that year
95. I have a weak stomach
96. I hate bathroom humor
97. I cry easily
98. I have a loving heart
99. I worry about starving children
100. I used to watch beauty pageants with my grandmother, mother and aunts as a child and rated the contestants
101. I still do this today
102. I miss my grandmother every day of my life


**I wrote 102 things so as not to be "in the crowd" with the oft used 100.

Brittany Murphy and........the Lake House

You may notice that I changed my description of my blog. So many readers have pictures or logos representing themselves. I love the really creative ones.......and the ones of you brave enough to show your true pictures! Because of the windfall, I am still cautious of showing my "true self," but I wanted some representation! It all started when someone close to me said, "oh my gosh, you look like Brittany Murphy!" Well, I hate to say it, but I didn't know who the heck BM was. It turned out she was in a movie at the time......one with Dakota Fanning. Anyhow, if I can figure out how to add her picture, I am going to do it. So look out. I'm getting techno-savvy here.

Regarding the lake house, no I have not bought it yet. Yes, the view IS from the house. I am still thinking about it. Do you know how hard it is to find the most beautiful lakes in the United States? I did a google search and could not find a list anywhere. It's crazy. I'm going to keep trying.......and looking.