Movie Review: Take This Waltz

 

Blurb:  Take This Waltz is a 2011 Canadian romantic comedy-drama film.^[3][4] The film centers on Margot (Michelle Williams), a 28 year old freelance writer who lives in a charming house on a leafy street in Toronto's Little Portugal neighbourhood, as she struggles with and examines her feelings for Lou (Seth Rogen), her husband of five years, while exploring a new relationship with Daniel, an artist and rickshaw driver who lives across the street.

 

This movie was one that I picked out. Eric wasn't a huge fan. I LOVED it. I totally understood it, and it brought out a lot of emotion. Something about it is just totally awkward - especially watching the strange, even confusing, interactions between Margot and Lou, as husband and wife. Some that really leave you scratching your head, wondering why the hell these two ever got married. It's a very different role for Rogen, and Sarah Silverman also plays an intriguing role. Overall, I simply loved this movie. It has some funny parts, some awkward parts, some parts I still don't understand.....the characters seem to be underdeveloped, but in a strange way, the entire thing makes sense. Give it a chance!

Book Review: James Rollins {Blood Gospel}

Official synopsis:

 

An earthquake in Masada, Israel, kills hundreds and reveals a tomb buried in the heart of the mountain. A trio of investigators—Sergeant Jordan Stone, a military forensic expert; Father Rhun Korza, a Vatican priest; and Dr. Erin Granger, a brilliant but disillusioned archaeologist—are sent to explore the macabre discovery, a subterranean temple holding the crucified body of a mummified girl.

But a brutal attack at the site sets the three on the run, thrusting them into a race to recover what was once preserved in the tomb’s sarcophagus: a book rumored to have been written by Christ’s own hand, a tome that is said to hold the secrets to His divinity. But the enemy who hounds them is like not other, a force of ancient evil directed by a leader of impossible ambitions and incalculable cunning.

From crumbling tombs to splendorous churches, Erin and her two companions must confront a past that traces back thousands of years, to a time when ungodly beasts hunted the dark spaces of the world, to a moment in history when Christ made a miraculous offer, a pact of salvation for those who were damned for eternity.

Here is a novel that is explosive in its revelation of a secret history. Why do Catholic priests wear pectoral crosses? Why are they sworn to celibacy? Why do the monks hide their countenances under hoods? And why does Catholicism insist that the consecration of wine during Mass results in its transformation to Christ’s own blood? The answers to all go back to a secret sect within the Vatican, one whispered as rumor but whose very existence was painted for all to see by Rembrandt himself, a shadowy order known simply as the Sanguines.

In the end, be warned: some books should never be found, never opened—until now.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

I very impatiently waited for this book. James Rollins is one of my favorite authors of all time. His past books have been incredible adventures, thrilling tales. I expected this one to be the same. It is a new series for him, and this is the first time he has collaborated with another author. I'm not sure if that was the downfall of this book, but it sorely let me down. I expected so many things from this book, simply based on the huge success of all the others. 

 

There are two aspects to this book: the adventure and religion. I can deal with religion in moderation. I don't mind reading about it; in fact, many of Rollins' other books have touched on religion here and there. Honestly, I don't mind it. But this book was so deeply rooted in the subject, I had a hard time pressing forward. I read the book in just a few days - pushing forward through the adventure, thinking that at some point, the book was going to explode as a thrilling page turner as all the others have. It never really reached that point, and I found myself nodding off with all the religious history. Another downpoint was the introduction of supernatural "creatures" so to speak. I know this is a fictional book, and I can deal with that, but sometimes I just can't let my mind "go" enough to get caught up in a story. This book is a classic example. Too far-fetched and too much primary plot centered around something in which I don't believe.

 

I will continue reading Rollins, don't get me wrong. I just won't follow this specific series. I do, however, highly recommend his Sigma series, or any of the other stand-alone novels.

Life Update {01232013}

Chaotic:  adjective; completely confused or disordered:

I feel as though this is what my life has become.  I don't even know where to start this post - holy cow.

One of the things I wanted to do this year was get back into regular blogging. Meaningful blogging - not just updates on any given photography-related shoot. Not just pics of my kids, or recaps of vacations - though there will be plenty of both this year. I wanted to get back to posts about me, what's going on, random/amusing things I found during the week, and the typical controversial stuff I like to throw out there. I'm not one to censor myself - I find that to be a strong personality trait, within reason. Weekly posts seem to be a good way to break up the picture posts, etc. I also might go back to doing movie and book reviews.

Having said all that, here is this week's post.

We have a little break between all the dental stuff. Carter had a failed treatment this week, which means we pushed out the renewed attempt for a few weeks, to give him time to not be so scared, and to give me time to get him talked into this last session. I don't go in for my next ortho appt until mid-February. We are waiting on pre-authorization from Regence for the oral surgery; I'm told this could take 2-6 weeks. As soon as that rolls in, we are proceeding full steam ahead. I had a bad night where I had myself totally talked out of this entire process. However, thinking of the end result has renewed my drive to see this out.

I'm also crazy deep in planning this:

We switched around two of our vacations this year. Originally, Disney was going to take place in August. Then we realized how insane that was, and moved it to the beginning of May, when the majority of kids would still be in school. This meant pushing out the trip to visit my best friend, Meag, until the end of July. I'm okay with that - some of the series we were thinking about seeing were better in July. I'm soooooo ready for baseball to start back up! I'm also blocking off weekends on the photography calendar for camping. Camping is going to happen in a big way this year. I have missed it so much!

I found this link today and it's right up my alley. I think everyone knows how I feel about a woman's right to her own body, and decisions regarding the same, other women's rights, and equality. This sums that up nicely - excuse some of the profanity.

http://samuel-warde.com/2013/01/the-most-powerful-defense-of-a-womans-right-to-her-own-body/

I also saw this, which made me giggle:

The only thing I'm going to say about all this gun talk is this: it seems like most of the people bitching don't even OWN an assault rifle. How credible do you sound complaining about something you don't even have?! It's not like someone is taking away your favorite toy. If you don't have one, don't act all put out about it. And second (see, I couldn't stop), why do people NEED them? Do defend their home? Are they that bad of a shot that they can't take someone out with a handgun or other single shot rifle? Ok - enough about that because I really could go on.

I took Monday off and rewarded myself with a three day weekend. I've been scrapbooking regularly recently - so nice to be back to that! I need to get caught up! I also spent most of Monday morning watching the Inauguration. Very awesome, and I'm so proud!

Obviously not everyone is an Obama supporter like me. However, I am damn proud to be living in a country where we have the right to choose our leader and celebrate accordingly. It was fun to watch the ceremony and the performances and dances.

Updated Pics of the Kiddos

The kids and I had a mini shoot today. For the most part, the cooperated. The only time I had an issue was when I put them together. Not an easy task.

The Braces Adventure - Meeting the Oral Surgeon

Ok guys, I'm getting less and less excited about this ordeal. In fact, I spent quite a bit of last night crying because I'm starting to question if this is even worth it. Sure, everyone wants a beautiful smile. And getting braces really didn't seem like such a big deal UNTIL the treatment plan came in.

So I met with my oral surgeon yesterday. Knowing that this procedure isn't a walk in the park is one thing. SEEING how it's going to happen? Damn. He walked me through the procedure, which is actually done at a hospital. I figured it was an outpatient thing - in and out in a couple hours. Oh no. This is a big deal.

Have you had your breakfast? If so, here's a picture of what they do. If you haven't, or have a weak stomach, this post isn't for you.

(Note: Obviously these aren't pictures of MY mouth)

So first, the orthodontist is going to place the expander in my mouth. This is going to maintain the space and there is a little notch in the very center where the key goes. I will explain the key in a minute.

 After the expander is in place, I will then have the surgery.  They are going to lift my top lip, and cut through my gums. They will then tap the palate (bone), which will crack all the way to the back of my mouth. This will separate my entire palate. Yes, it's going to give me a ridiculous looking gap between my top two teeth. Don't worry, I plan to go into hiding for about two months. You won't even see it.

After that is done, I will spend the day in the hospital, and most likely that entire weekend recovering. After that, we come back to the key. The key is inserted into that center notch three times per day and I have to crank it, spreading the expander. Spreading the broken palate. The ortho and the oral surgeon think I need about 6-8mm of room. You move about 1mm per day. So this will be anywhere from 7-9 days of cranking. My own mouth. As if this procedure couldn't get any more fun. 

Seriously. How much is a great smile worth?

I sat there and cried last night for I don't know how long. This seems so extreme. And painful. And in a vain sort of way, I really don't want to walk around for two months with that gap in place. This could potentially fall right around the Disneyland trip. Making this even more humiliating for me. Yes, there is a vanity factor here, I'm not going to lie. I already dislike my smile, but jacking it up even more seems ridiculous.

However, I am still doing it. I still have people who support me and tell me "the end result will be SO worth it." 

I'm still trying to hop on the positive band wagon. :/

The Braces Adventure

I have wanted braces for a long, long time. I'm not wild about my teeth and would really like a nice, straight smile. A few years back, my regular dentist's son was getting into the field of orthodontics. He was offering free consults, so I sat in there and we talked about a treatment plan. He thought that pulling four teeth was the way to go. I didn't have the money at the time, so the thought went out the window.

 

I finally decided that this is the year for braces. I went to a different orthodontist yesterday - one who came highly recommended. He had a totally different idea for a treatment plan. Only pulling one tooth AND breaking the roof of my mouth (palate) and putting in an expander for six months.

 

Oh.JOY.

 

Let me tell you, doing this procedure on kids is a snap because their bones are still soft and moveable. Adults? Not even remotely close. Which is why the oral surgeon will have to literally break the palate in half.

 

Take a wild guess how excited I am for this.

 

Then they put an expander in, with a little key, which I get to turn periodically to maintain that space while the bone fuses back together.

 

All of this will correct the crossbite on the left side of my mouth. The braces will be placed a few days after the surgery.

 

I would be lying if I said I wasn't totally reconsidering this entire process. It sounds extremely painful...and, is it REALLY worth it? I know a nice smile is great to have, but holy cow.

 

Maybe this will be what finally knocks off those 20 pounds I would like to lose. ;)

 

Silver linings, right?

Let's do an update, shall we?

One of my goals this year is to get back to regular blogging. As in, more than just photography shoots and vacations. I'm backing off on the wedding photography this year (even though that brings in the biggest chunk of photography income) to focus more on newborn photography.......and trips with my family. We didn't camp one time last year - that will definitely be changing this year. We already have trips to Disneyland (for Carter) and San Francisco (for Eric and me, to visit my best friend and take in more baseball) planned for this year. In between those trips, we plan to get back to camping. It's something I really enjoy and I have really missed it.

Anyway, back to blogging.

Speaking of photography, I am in the middle of developing a new website with the help of one of my friends. She understands all that HTML talk that I would just like to ignore. Hopefully within a month, the new site will be up and running and I can share it with you then!

Life has been hectic lately. Does it ever slow down? Do you ever feel "caught up"? Is there such a thing?

We finally took Kendall in to the doctor and since she has been on ammox for her tiny ear infection, she has transformed back to my happy baby. It's sooooo nice to have her back! I can't believe she's going to be TWO in just a few months. :/  We also moved the crib down to a toddler bed for her. 

For the most part, it has gone really well. Today, at nap time, I kept hearing her toy guitar so I went in and kidnapped her. I wanted a nap anyway, so we snuggled in my bed. At first, every time I would open my eyes, this happened:

 Eventually, this happened:

And we both slept for a couple hours......until the 4-wheelers went speeding down the road with people sledding.

Speaking of sledding, we took the kids out today. We didn't want to drive far, so we ended up at Eagle Elementary School, which has a nice hill around the back side of the building. It was a lot of fun, though Kendall got cold and miserable. Need to find that girl some thicker gloves!

 (Yes, he still has the beard going.....though now he has trimmed it and "shaped" it. Don't ask.)

What else is new?

I go in on Tuesday for my braces consult. 2013 and 2014 will be spent in braces. I'm pretty anxious for the first portion of the treatment, where I have to have four teeth extracted (to make room), but overall, I am extremely excited to have a straight smile soon!

Work is B.U.S.Y.  This last week was INSANE getting caught up on the case and prepping for trial. However, the hard work has paid off as I received a nice raise this week. This firm is just fantastic and I'm so, SO glad I made the decision to move there last year. What a great move!

And it seems like the kids have come to some sort of understanding that testing mommy's patience, at least in a group effort, isn't amusing. So my sanity has returned. For a while, it felt like this:

See you at the next posting!

***MISSING***

Have you seen it?

Admittedly, I am not the most patient person in the world. I own that. I would like to say, however, that having kids has expanded my patience. I don't beat them [in public]. My tolerance level is increasing with every passing stage. 

However.

LATELY, it seems like both kids are teaming up against me. Kendall has been sick for what seems like an eternity now. In real time, probably a little over a month. I finally had Eric take her in to the doctor Monday because I just couldn't take it anymore. Her fever of 102 had lasted four days, but that's something I can manage. The GRUMP in her that has taken over? No-can-do. The whining, the attitude (she just discovered "no" - yes, it's that fun in my house), the wanting to be held but wanting to be put down 1.2 seconds later, the not eating............the list really does go on. It has slowly chipped away at this polished exterior [be quiet]. 

And then there's Carter. For the most part, he's in a fun stage right now. He's expressive, yet emotional at times. He understands sarcasm and speaks it quite well. It's just fun. Most of the time. The attitude, shockingly, is another story. The not listening is still something that needs to be worked on and is quite tiresome. 

I have them both coming at me. And I know this is something that isn't going to go away. I like to say I'm pretty good with rolling with the punches, but it seems like I just can't catch a break with these two. 

Maybe regular visits to the liquor store will help?

A Trip to Visit {Easton}

Last weekend, my parents and I took a 4-day weekend up to Billings to visit Dana and Veronica's new baby, Easton. The roads to and from were pretty decent, for the most part. It didn't help the nerves that, on the day before we left, there was a massive wreck by Twin Falls. That definitely set us on edge a little, but we didn't really encounter any nasty road conditions.

 

Overall, I think we had a great trip. We spent each evening battling it out in Trivial Pursuit. In case anyone kept score (of course we did), the girls ended up winning overall, 3-2. Naturally. ;)  It was also frigid in Montana. Single digits all day, with nasty winds. Not very fun if you had to be outside. We also cooked a lot (leaving several meals for Dana and Veronica so they wouldn't have to cook for quite a while), and watched a ton of football. My kind of sports weekend!

 

I also had two little shoots with Easton. The first one, he was such a trooper! The second one, I think he caught on to what we were doing, and the shoot was much shorter and the pacifier played a much bigger role. :)  Can't say that I blame him - we photographers are pretty demanding. ;) 

 

Here are some shots of our visit: