My Favorite July-December 2017 Movies

Here it is ladies and gentlemen, my top 10 films, July through December, 2017. It took me a while because there were a few I wanted to watch before I posted my list. This is going to be short, I promise I won't go into too many details. The format will be Title, Genre, Release Date, Rating.  Here is the link to January - June. January-June 2017

10.  The Big Sick, Comedy, July 14, 2017, R:  Starring Kumail Nanjiani, Holly Hunter, Ray Romano and Zoe Kazan. It's an interracial love story and then some. Go see it. It's just good.  

9.  Spider-Man Homecoming, Action, July 7, 2017, PG-13: Starring Tom Holland, Marisa Tomei, Robert Downey Jr., Michael Keaton. I'm glad that Marvel had a chance to make their movie, I just don't think he's that interesting of a character. Tom Holland is so much better than Andrew Garfield in the role. I'm just not completely sold on Spider-Man. I like his interaction with The Avengers better. 

8. Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, Action, December 15, 2017, PG-13: Starring Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Jack Black and Karen Gillan. I never saw the first one, so I have nothing to compare this one to. I thought this was hilarious. You have Dwayne Johnson (hot) and Jack Black and Kevin Hart (both hilarious). What more could a girl ask for?

7. Girl's Trip, Comedy, July 21, 2017, R: Starring Jada Pinkett Smith, Regina Hall, Queen Latifah, and Tiffany Haddish. Four friends go on a girl's trip and chaos ensues. Tiffany Haddish is one of the funniest ladies on screen. I laughed so hard I was in tears. The comedy is crude, so it's not for the faint of heart. 

6.  Coco, Family Adventure, November 22, 1017, PG: Starring Gael Garcia Bernal, Benjamin Bratt, Alanna Ubach, and Anthony Gonzalez. It's a Disney cartoon so we know it must be good. This was very cute. It had me laughing, crying, and missing my dad.

5.  Molly's Game, Biography, December 25, 2017, R: Starring Jessica Chastain, Idris Elba, Michael Cera, and Kevin Costner. It says that this was released in Jan. 2018, but I watched it in limited release in 2017, while vacationing ironically in Vegas. This is about a girl named Molly Bloom, who hosts poker games for the Hollywood elite. How true to life is this version, with what really happened? I don't know. Speaking about Spider-Man....... Tobey Maguire sucks. It's ALLEGED that Michael Cera's character was based on Tobey Maguire. That pair, Tobey and Leo, I really don't care for. I know many will disagree, including my husband who must watch every Leo movie. Seriously though, name the last movie Tobey Maguire has been in where he doesn't spin a web. 

4.  The Greatest Showman, Musical Biography, December 25, 2017, PG: Starring Hugh Jackman, Michelle Williams, Zac Efron, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson. The visuals were stunning, the music was amazing. I liked this movie better than Les Miserables. I'm don't like the circus or the mistreatment of any animal, including human, but I loved learning about the birth of Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus. I remember going to the circus when I was little. This was a very fun and beautiful movie.   

3.  The Disaster Artist, Biography, December 8, 2017, R: Starring James Franco, Dave Franco and Seth Rogen. This is a film about the making of the cult film, The Room (2004) starring Tommy Wiseau. How much of what went on in the film actually went on in real life? My husband and I are looking into showings of The Room. James Franco is amazing, Dave Franco is amazing. If Tommy Wiseau is anything like the way James Franco portrayed him, he's absolutely insane, not bad insane, just splendidly crazy insane, if that's a thing. I really liked this movie, I'll just leave it at that. 

2.  Ingrid Goes West, Comedy, August 25, 2017, R: Starring Aubrey Plaza, Elizabeth Olsen, O'Shea Jackson Jr. and Wyatt Russell. This was one of my FAVORITE movies of the year. Everyone should see this. Aubrey Plaza is outrageous in this film.  It made me realize how much time I waste on social media, and here I am wanting everyone to read my social media.   I reviewed this film, so I will link that review here. Ingrid Goes West Review

1. Thor: Ragnorak, Action, November 3, 2017, PG-13: Starring Chris Hemsworth, Cate Blanchett, Idris Elba and Tom Hiddleston. I reviewed this movie, so I won't say much and link the review. This is one of my FAVORITE Marvel films to date. Thor: Ragnorak Review

I'm sitting here in the silence of my mom's house, just the ghosts and me, alone, reflecting on my choices and I realize that, while yes a blog like this can be helpful, there are movies that I pass on just because they don't look interesting to me or because I just flatly refuse to watch that particular genre. I hate horror films, so you won't see many on my lists, EVER. I'm not a critic and therefore am not required to sit through every film ever made. 

Here is a list of all the films that I watched, July- December, 2017:

These are in no particular order. The highlighted films are those that are worth seeing, but didn't make my list. I had no more room. 

Victoria and Abdul
Spider-Man Homecoming
War for the Planet of the Apes
The Big Sick
Girl's Trip
Dark Tower
The Glass Castle
An Inconvenient Sequel
The Hitman's Bodyguard
Ingrid Goes West
Home Again
IT: IT Review
Geostorm
Justice League
Star Wars: The Last Jedi: The Last Jedi Review
Thor: Ragnorok
Jumanji
Molly's Game
Coco
The Shape of Water
All the Money in the World
I, Tonya
Lady Bird
The Post
Disaster Artist
The Greatest Showman
Daddy's Home 2
Marshall 
Phantom Thread

Marriage is a Tough, Full Time Job!!

Why is marriage so hard??? I'm not complaining about my marriage. O.K. maybe I am just a little bit. Yes, we've had our struggles, as do most couples. As the years go by, his laid back tendencies that I once thought endearing, are now annoying.  Just like my knack for repetition and sarcasm annoys him. I can't help it, and I guess neither can he.

There are days that I am ready to throw in the towel and vice versa. Every year were go through a period of, 'well this is it, we've lasted this long'. We're coming up on our 10th anniversary. We've had our ups and downs. Bouts of unemployment, financial stress, dogs multiplying like Gremlins and therapy. Why am I discussing my private life,knowing my hubbers doesn't like to? Everyone struggles in relationships. You're not alone. Most people don't want to talk about it, but they have to know they're not alone.

I've been wanting to type this blog for a while, but held off because I wasn't sure how my hubby was going to react. I warned him in advance about it, though. 

I was raised in a family where both my parents and grandparents married the love of their life. My husband said that I'm the love of his life. How can that be? We haven't lived an entire life yet. My husband is a product of divorce. Part of why we don't throw in the towel is because of that reason.

As the years pass, (we're only at 10), I see  significant changes in the both of us. I don't feel the constant need to be out like I used to. We got married a bit older and didn't have children. One thing after another just got in the way. It wasn't that we didn't want them, we did. Life just had a different plan for us.

The older I get, the more I crave "sameness". It's funny, I'm teaching The Giver right now. Everything in the story is about how sameness is good for the world. For example, keeping the temperature constant helps the food production, but the community is left without seasons. I'm reaching a point in my life that the things familiar to me are more comforting. 

I'd rather sit in a coffee shop and write, or go to a bookstore and read, than drive out to L.A. to visit a club. My husband says that he doesn't want to go 'clubbing' either, but at 10:00 p.m. on a Friday or Saturday night, what's left to do? I do work, so does my husband. Another thing my husband gets annoyed by, is what I named my blog, 'Confessions of an Unemployed Real OC Housewife'. When I started my blog I was unemployed. In my bio I say unemployed/underemployed. I'm also an OC housewife. I don't feel my title is deceptive.  Anyway, I digress. I work 5 days a week. 7:15 - 5 most days. My hubby works four, 10 hour shifts a week and is off on Friday. While he's resting all day Friday, I'm working. When I come home, I cook dinner, do laundry and other things around the house. When he comes home, he turns on the TV. I'm on my feet all day long and my hubby is working behind a desk. I would like to come home and relax. He spends many Friday nights out at the movies or arcade by himself. I'd like to rest when I get home on Friday. When I get home, he's ready to leave. I sometimes wonder if it's to avoid me?

I was once annoyed by the lack of diversity in Orange County, I still am, but after living here for so long, I'm becoming more complacent with being in my bubble. The master-planned communities of Amerige Heights in Fullerton and La Floresta in Brea are becoming more and more appealing to me. My husband tells me that I'm becoming a recluse, that I don't want to try new things. The thing is I do, but the older I get, the more selective I become. 

A few weeks ago we went to San Diego and stayed at a hotel I love, The Hacienda in Old Town. My husband was annoyed that I didn't want to stay somewhere new. If I know I like the place, why go somewhere else?

I love to travel and explore. In the last few years, we've been to Florida and Texas and soon we'll be heading to Chicago (I don't count Las Vegas, San Diego or Santa Barbara. They're too close to home). If I love to travel, how then am I a recluse? Does my hubby find me boring? I want to go and do the things I enjoy. I want to go places where I don't have to hassle with crowds and lines (unless it's to Disneyland, I love Disney). My patience with stupid is waning.

Another part of The Giver mentions the dangers of picking a mate. If you aren't familiar with the story, a boy named Jonas becomes the Receiver of Memories in a community where your partner, children and jobs are chosen for you. No one has memories because they're too painful to keep. There is one Receiver of Memory who advises the community. While in training Jonas mentions how absurd it would be if they were allowed to choose a mate. "What if they choose wrong", he asks the Giver. Many of us do. I don't think that I chose the wrong mate. At the time we were dating, we liked many of the same things, or so I thought. My hubby always says that when people date they generally put their best face forward. I didn't think I was 'putting on airs'. Now it seems that if say the grass is green, he'll tell me it's blue. I'm a  wine girl, he's a beer guy. 

Before my husband and I got married, we took a compatibility test. It said our personalities weren't compatible. I felt I shouldn't let a test dictate who I was going to marry and that we could make it work. Last night I told my husband that I thought we were heading in two very different directions, this was the first time he agreed with me.

I do miss the nights out with my friends in Hollywood. I miss going to the clubs, but I'm fine not doing that anymore. I don't want to stay at home and watch TV either.  What happens when the biggest thrill you get, is being able to get tickets to the newest blockbuster, on your Fandango app? I'll admit, we put ourselves back into a rut. Now it's time we take ourselves out of it.

We do have a fun time together. When we travel we have a blast. When we're out together we have a good time. Lately, I find myself doing more of my own thing, than spending time with my husband.   

Do I think the is the end? No, I don't. Do we need to be better at communication? Yes, we do. Why did I write a blog so personal? Many people are in the same situation and no one wants to talk about it. People are embarrassed to ask for help or they pretend to be happy and they're not.  Life isn't perfect. There are always hills and valleys. I'm not bashing my hubby, our marriage or our life together. I love him and know that things will work out fine. We're not in a valley, but we're not on the hill either.  If I was unhappy, I'd get out. I'm not the kind of girl who goes back and forth in a bad marriage. I know a woman like that, and that's not who I am or who I want to be. 

Is IT Worth IT?

Last weekend I had the opportunity to see IT with the hubby and I didn't take him up on his offer. While he was watching IT, I wanted to give some love to the other movie released as IT's competition, Home Again. That movie I loved and thought was absolutely adorable. We all know that Home Again wasn't going to hold a candle to IT. 

After hearing how my hubby and my friends loved the movie, I decided to check IT out for myself. I hate gory films but I love horror/thriller. Give me a great Scream or scary Halloween and life is good. On a side note, I'm over the moon with excitement that Jamie Lee Curtis will be in the new Halloween film, coming out next Fall. I loved her return for Halloween H20. Maybe she'll rectify her Halloween Resurrection mistake. Anyway, I digress.

I watched the original IT miniseries in 1990 (27 years later IT returns, interesting ploy there Warner Bros.) I feel that the 1990 miniseries was scarier than the movie version. I jumped once and IT wasn't even a full jump, IT was more of a twitch. I think what was so terrifying about the 1990 version of IT was that I watched as a little girl CHILD. What is IT after? Children's fears. Knowing the ending and knowing that IT is a giant alien spider, doesn't make IT all that terrifying. I cried in this movie, can you believe IT!  I laughed a few times too. I pains me to say IT, but IT was't all that scary. The Conjuring, now that was a scary movie (the original, not the sequel). 

Like Buffy the Vampire Slayer is an allegory for the demons we face in high school, IT is an allegory for the fears we face in real life. I was more afraid of crazy mama, the bullies and the disgusting dad, than of the circus clown. I loved how the outcasts joined together to fight against their fears. 

I don't think I can read the book. The insinuations already make me feel sick to my stomach. I don't need to read IT in print, where everything is described in detail.  Anyway, I'm reading Joe Hill's (Stephen King's son) NOS4A2. IT's taking me a long time to get though because IT makes me nervous to read (so I read a little bit, then stop, then start again and repeat the process)

Bill Skarsgard was good as Pennywise, but he's attractive in real life, so he's not that scary. His voice was the scariest thing about him. Tim Curry was good in the role, but IT's been forever since I watched the 1990 version, and I can't remember how much he was in the movie.  Don't get me wrong, I don't like clowns, but to me, they're more laughable than they are scary. When I think of clowns, I think of Circus Circus in Vegas, and I always had fun there when I was little. The whole "killer clown" craze  from last year was just one long Halloween prank to get everyone ready for the movie (I loved watching those videos online). 

My hubby didn't make me go alone, that was nice. He watched some YouTube videos explaining the Easter Eggs throughout the film, and wanted to watch IT again. 

Overall the director, Andy Muschiette, did a good job with the film. I enjoyed IT a lot. Would I see IT again, no. Would I buy IT on DVD, no. I'm glad I saw IT and I'm glad IT wasn't gory. Even though IT wasn't super gory, this is definitely not a children's movie. IT is rated R for a reason. I hope parents are smart enough not to take their kids.  

Because IT is almost Fall (and Fall is the time for scary things), and I'm feeling some nostalgia for 1990, IT gets 4 out of 5 Pink Gerber Daisies. I hope IT enjoys them!! I tried to capitalize and bold, and use a lot of ITs. I hope I got them all.  Yes, I wrote this way on purpose tonight, even using the redundant "little girl CHILD." 

Week 1 My Life Limiting Social Media

I'm sitting once again in my favorite locale, the coffee shop, sipping on the "new" Fall flavors. Not a Pumpkin Spice Latte, in my case an Iced Toasted Vanilla Brown Sugar Latte, I added some cinnamon too, yum yum. Anyway, I digress. Last week I decided to limit my social media usage. I have completely "gone off" Facebook, very rarely Tweet, Snap once in a while and barely go on Instagram. I've decided that I feel fine being "antisocial". Here's why.....

1. I've gotten further in the book I was reading, Voyager, by Diana Gabaldon. The new season of Outlander starts tomorrow and I haven't finished the third book. I started reading it in July. Then I got sick and stopped reading completely. 

2. I spend more time talking to my hubby and playing with my puppies.

3. I do more things around the house.

4. I stay latter at work, to finish my grading, so that I don't have to take things home over the weekend. This may not really be the result of staying off social media. This year I've decided to stay at work until 5, every night, so I can spend that time grading on weekdays. I'd rather reserve my weekends to doing the things I love, like sitting in a coffee shop, sipping my favorite fall drink. It's peaceful in my classroom, I'm not tempted to pickup my phone and see what everyone is doing.

5. I've been going to be earlier. I get up every morning at 5. By not spending time on social media, I get a much better night's rest.

So far, I'm really liking the "antisocial" thing. I completely understand the irony of blogging about how antisocial I'm being.  Anyway, see you next week! 

I'm a Social Media Zombie, so I'm Momentarily Saying "Goodbye"

Since watching Ingrid Goes West, I've decided to take a minute and get off of social media platforms. I was talking to my mom last night and told her that it's easier for me to text someone, than have to talk to them on the phone. I'd rather just read their text, and respond quickly, rather than having to speak to them. Having to talk to someone takes so much more time and is so much more work. That's why I like being on social media. 

I'm not leaving all social media platforms, I'm still going to text. I have some makeup coming next week, so I'm going to post pictures of it on my Instagram page. I'm going to watch the videos I usually watch on YouTube and Snap Chat, but for this experiment, my time on those platforms will be very limited and I'm not posting on Facebook. I've already logged out of my accounts on both my phone and tablet.  I'm not going to log out of my account on my laptop. I don't spend as much time on my laptop, as I do my tablet and phone. I will still check out Yelp and post to Twitter, so I won't be completely silent or cut off. 

I'm going to journal my experience daily, post the journal midway through, on my blog Facebook page, and then post again at the end of the "experiment",  hoping I make it an entire month. I will be accessing my email. There is something that I applied for as a brand ambassador, if I get approved I will log back into Facebook before the end of the month. I'm excited to test this out and be SOCIAL AGAIN, be PRESENT AGAIN and I want to see how long I can actually last. Ten years ago, I didn't have Facebook, Yelp, Twitter, Instagram, Snap Chat, Goodreads, and YouTube. What did I do with my time then? I wasn't on MySpace like the rest of the people my age. I was so anti-MySpace, I thought it silly, but here I am now, a "Social Media Zombie". 

With that, I wish everyone a great month, may the force be with all of you (and with me).  I wonder how much the world will change in a month??

Just a side note, I'm not against social media. It's a great way to keep up with the family and friends I don't see on a regular basis, because of distance or complex schedules. 

Summer 2017

It's my last official day of MY summer and I'm sitting in MY favorite spot (the coffee shop), reflecting on MY summer. While it wasn't quite the adventure of last year, I have a lot to look back on. The summer started off great. My hubby and I celebrated our nine year wedding anniversary at the fair in Del Mar. Was that an interesting adventure!! The fairgrounds were beautiful. We stayed at the Hilton, right across the street from the fair. What a convenient location to stay. We didn't have to bother with traffic, driving a car or paying for parking. We just walked to the fair. The hotel itself was pretty. Our room was standard. They had a beautiful pool, which we didn't use and an amazing bar in the middle of the grounds, with a fire place, where we could relax on couches. 

I've decided that the Orange County Fair is my favorite. Unfortunately, I didn't make it this year. By the time the OC Fair rolled around, I was very sick and we couldn't go.  I'm very upset that I missed out on Terrie's Berries. I don't like the fried fair food, so Terrie's Berries candy apples are my one splurge. There's always next year. I think we may hit up the LA county fair this year. It's been ages since I've gone and I don't think my husband ever has. 

The summer blockbusters were a bust. I didn't find much to be happy about when it came to the movies this year. Nothing really peaked my interest. There were a few I loved. Wonder Woman was amazing. I loved it! Girls Trip was super funny and The Glass Castle was great too (not funny at all). During the summer I'm usually at the movies at least once a week. Not this year. Every year I make two lists. My 10 favorite movies from January to June and then from July to December. 

I read a few books, but then stopped when I got sick. I only read three. Mini Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella, Pretty in Plain by Jen Lancaster and Blood Brothers by Nora Roberts. I've never read a book by a Nora Roberts or a Danielle Steel or a Janet Evanovich or any other author in this genre. I always felt that they were beneath me. I know that's smug and snobbish, but I have seen the light. The book wasn't bad. It was readable and fun and quick. Since it's a trilogy I have two more to go. I started reading Voyager by Diana Gabaldon. This is the book I stopped when I got sick. I love the Outlander series and have to finish this before season three this fall. 

I spent some time at the gym. I was going a lot at the beginning of the summer but stopped when I got sick. I was out of commission completely for two weeks. I didn't leave the house unless it was to a doctor's appointment. I started to emerge the 3rd week, but really maintained and continue to maintain a low profile. 

I did a no makeup buy for July and shopped my stash all month long. I have a lot of makeup. Every week I change out my eye shadow palette. I hit pan in my Sweet Peach Too Faced palette. I love that one the most. It sat on my nightstand for the weeks I was out of commission. August 31st Too Faced is coming out with their Peaches and Cream line and I'm ready. There are a few things I will be getting from that line. I didn't get much from the original line. I bought two of the lip oils and of course the shadow palette. I realized I never posted a review of the Sweet Peach palette. I'll hold off until I purchase the Peaches and Cream.

August also saw the Grand Opening of the NYX Cosmetics store in the Cerritos Mall. The Ultimate Multi Finish palette in Sugar High is amazing. I also bought the Epic Ink in Hearbreaker. It's a stain and I love it!! They were having an online sale so I bought another palette in Warm Rust and two of their Pin-Up Pout Lipsticks in Bombshell, a hot pink and Darling a light pink. Both of these palettes are great complementary palettes to the Too Faced Sweet Peach. NYX is beginning to be my favorite drug store cruelty free brand.  

When we were in San Diego, I bought a few things from 100% Pure. I've seen the brand at the Del Amo mall, but never tried anything from them. I'm trying to be more organic and pure. 

I also bought some makeup from Kiko. They're cruelty free too and I can't wait to try it out! My mom and I stopped at the mall after one of my doctor's appointments and this was my treat. I had to have a blood test that day. Instead of a sucker, I got makeup. 

My car was in the shop the first few weeks of the summer, so we were down a car. I got up every morning at 6:10 and drove my hubby to work. I would go back home and nap, but it wasn't the same. 

I bought a new laptop! It's what I'm using to write this blog. The same day, we celebrated my hubby's 47th birthday. 

I didn't see many of my friends this summer, with the exception of a few. Again, it's because I got sick. 

I spent a lot of time with these friends. Sammy and Mia playing in a box.

I love spending summer days with my dogs. They're the cutest and the best. My Mia had surgery. The day after her surgery I was in the ER.  I'm glad I had my little buddies to keep me company while I recovered. Mia went to the groomers a week before her surgery and came out with a pink tale.

After the groomers

After surgery. Sweet baby girl.

My mom bought a beautiful new bird. I love animals. 

One final great thing of the summer, my nephew had his major league pitching debut. I won't talk about who he is, but as a family we couldn't be more proud of his accomplishments. The middle of July, he pitched against the Angels. So many family members and friends came out to show their support.  Watching him pitch has been a major highlight of the summer. 

My summer is over and while that's sad, I have so many things to look forward to coming up in the next few months. The hubs and I have a few trips planned. One to Vegas (we go every year) and the other to Chicago!! I've never been and can't wait to explore the city. 

Spring Break in Texas

I have been a California girl my entire life, born and raised, but I love to travel. I love history and I'vealways wanted to visit San Antonio. I remember watching Miss Congeniality and seeing Riverwalk and wanting to be like "Sally Freebush" (what a horrible alias, I know the intended implication). Last year when Tim and I traveled to Florida, we had a layover in Texas. That's when I decided that Spring 2017 we were going to the Alamo!

This trip was very different than the trip we took the year before to Orlando. I felt like we were on the go every day in Orlando. In San Antonio, we moved at our own pace. We could relax and have fun.

First off, my husband wasn't to keen on the idea and when asked whose idea was it to go to Texas, he quickly responded with "It was Jonelle's idea."  Whenever we told people our travel plans, we were met with the following replies, "Oh.....Texas?" "Ugh, why Texas?" "Who goes to Texas?" "What's there to do in Texas?"

I was starting to have some doubts



Day 1: Saturday, April 15th. Our flight from John Wayne to Phoenix was a disaster. I LOVE my husband, but traveling with him is always a disaster. He moved in the X-ray, (extremely dangerous radiation) security machine. Because of his movements, he had to have a cavity search (just kidding, but he was padded down extensively). In the meantime, I had collected his belongings. When I gave everything to him, he was missing his boarding pass. An argument ensued, I left  him to his own devices to grab lunch. Of course we made up by the time we boarded the plane and he was able to get a new boarding pass from the counter.

Our landing in Phoenix was bumpy and I thought I was going to get sick. The Phoenix airport is the worst airport. I really do hate it. It's too crowded and the walk from one gate to another is ridiculous.

Our arrival in San Antonio was 1000 X's better!! We got to San Antonio at a reasonable hour, grabbed our car rental and drove the short distance to the Wyndham La Cascada. We were treated so well by everyone at the hotel!! The view was spectacular. We were right on the Riverwalk. Because it was late and we hadn't eaten, we decided to walk a few blocks to a local "tourist trap" called Mi Tierra Cafe & Bakery.  The decor was similar to Buca di Beppo. It was loud and bright, but completely fun. The food was good, not great, but extremely satisfying. After dinner we walked around the city then went back to our condo for the night.

Mi Tierra Cafe and Bakery

Wyndham La Cascada

Day 2: Sunday, April 16th. We woke up late. Tim went to the cathedral for Easter Sunday mass. When he got back we got our car and explored the city. Stop 1 Whataburger. Definitely not In n' Out. I know this is the big burger chain in Texas, but In n' Out is so much better. We then went to Trader Joe's to pick up some basic groceries for the week. We had a kitchen in our condo, so why not save a few bucks and eat a couple of meals at home. That night we strolled Riverwalk, took a boat tour and again walked around the city. Riverwalk is beautiful, but lacks really good shopping. You have the Riverwalk Center Mall, where we bought Spurs T-Shirts, go Gasol!!, and La Villita Arts Village. I wasn't impressed with the mall or the stores. There was nothing spectacular and this trip, I didn't get to go outlet shopping.

Day 3: Monday, April 17th. Another day of a lot of walking. We walked to the mall, grabbed some ice cream, and some coffee. We went up to the pool on the roof of our building. We didn't go swimming, just looked at the city view. That night, I went to my very first basketball game. Since Gasol is a former Lakers player, I didn't feel bad about rooting for the Spurs in their playoff game. After the game we listened to music at Rock n Brews. We have one right by our house, but it was fun anyway.  We watched a local cover band and got to listen to some rock music.

Day 4: Tuesday, April 18th. The Alamo. We spent this day at The Alamo.  I love history, so this was one of my favorite days. The actual museum is very small. It only takes a few hours to go through the grounds and read all the plaques. We rented the audio guides for $7, not worth it. I loved the Alamo. After The Alamo we ate sandwiches at Potbelly Sandwich Shop. From there, we walked back to the condo and got ready for our fancy martini bar, called SoHo Wine and Martini Bar. It looked like a 1920's speakeasy. I loved it in there. I tried their coconut creme brulee and s'mores martinis. They were yummy and almost too pretty to drink. The bar had late hours, but since it was a Tuesday, things started to die down by around 11.  We Uber(ed) it to the bar, but since it was really close to the condo (something we realized after taking Uber) we just walked back home. We met some really cool people and had a really great night.



SoHo Wine and Martini Bar




Day 5 Wednesday, April 19th. This day was another favorite. We drove a few miles out of the city to the San Antonio Botanical Garden. It was just lovely. I picked up a few souvenirs for family and then we spent the rest of the day enjoying the beautiful gardens. In the middle of this garden there's a little lake with a cabin. It was so peaceful and beautiful, but very hot!! After the garden, we went home to get ready for our "anniversary dinner"  at the Chart House in the Tower of the Americas. Our concierge said that if we told them we were celebrating an anniversary, they would give us a free dessert. Well, they didn't. We did get a custom paper menu wishing us a happy 9th anniversary. Our anniversary isn't until June. I have to say I wasn't impressed with The Chart House. We have one in Orange County, so it really wasn't special. What was special was the rotating restaurant during sunset. The ambiance was so romantic. The drinks were yummy. I loved my lobster mac and cheese. My husband wasn't impressed with his dinner, so we shared the mac and cheese. Again we Uber(ed) that night, but when dinner was over we walked through this beautiful park, back to our condo. We didn't realize how close the Tower was until we got to the restaurant and could see our condo.



San Antonio Botanical Garden

Tower of the Americas




Day 6 Thursday, April 20th. The start of Fiesta. We got to hit up the beginning of Fiesta, San Antonio's annual celebration, which is similar to Mardi Gras, but according the residents bigger than Mardi Gras. This was the day that I tried to purchase something from an aroma wax shop and my ATM card was declined. Someone had cloned my card and spent over $500. My bank was amazing and they took care of things immediately. So back to fiesta, people collect these pins, like Disney pin collectors. You can earn them for free or purchase them. I donated money to an animal rescue, so I got a cute pink dog pin. That night we ate at a really cool hipster restaurant outside of King William Historic District called La Tuna Grill. The food was very good and healthy. My husband got the Country Chicken Fried Steak and I ordered the Garden Bean Veggie Burger. Again, I loved the ambiance. The night was warm, not too hot, but being outside under the stars was nice.

La Tuna Grill

Fiesta San Antonio

Day 7 Friday, April 21st. Our last full day!! At this point in my trip (during any trip) I start getting depressed. Having to leave makes me sad. The day started with a walk up the river to the King William Historic District. I felt like I was back in New Orleans. We walked all around the beautiful houses then had coffee, and soup and sandwiches at the Mad Hatter's Tea House. I loved it there. It obviously is decorated like Alice in Wonderland at the Mad Hatter's Tea Party. From there, we walked to the Menger Hotel to await our very exciting dinner and ghost walking tour!! Our guide was featured on Ghost Adventures, the Myrtle Plantation episode. We went with the Sister's Grimm Dinner Tour, just FYI. They have a few different tours to choose from. What I like about these, and I've been on many,  is that you get a historical tour of the city, with some ghost stories added in. Who doesn't love a great ghost story? This was the day we walked the most and the furthest. I won't go into details about the ghost tour, except that we started with dinner at the Menger hotel and then went from there. This was another one of my favorite days. Our tour ended pretty late. We stopped off for coffee at Starbucks after,  and hit up Whataburger one last time. This was the first weekend of Fiesta, so the city was out of control crowded. Police were everywhere. Yes, it was a Friday night, but the Saturday before was completely dead.


Mad Hatter's Tea

Sister's Grimm Ghost Tour

King William Historical District

Day 8 Saturday, April 22nd.  Our last day. Our flight left San Antonio at six in the evening. That day, we went out for breakfast at a German restaurant called Schilo's. Our waitress was great!! After that we went back to the Riverwalk Mall to watch Gifted (me) and The Fast and the Furious movie (Tim).  Once our movies were done, we drove to the car rental and jumped on the tram to catch our flight. We had a layover in Phoenix once again. This is probably one of the worst airports I've ever flown into.



Things I've learned.....
I didn't need a rental car for the $24 a day we had to pay to park. We only used it twice during our trip.
Don't fly into Phoenix for a layover. That airport is way too crowded. We had a problem the year before, I should have known better.
I love San Antonio and would really like to visit again.
Oh yes, I forgot, we did eat BBQ one day, at a place called Augie's Alamo City BBQ. They drink a special drink, I forgot the name.
Next up Chicago!!!  I can't wait!!!!

My Top 10 Movies January-June 2017

Ok, here it is my list of MY top 10 favorite movies from January-June 2017.  I know everyone is on pins and needles, waiting for me to release MY LIST.  Some of the movies I'll be mentioning actually came out in December of last year, but I didn't see them until January. Narrowing my list takes a lot of time and I will have a few honorable mentions. I won't have films like Alien or the Fast and the Furious on this post, because those aren't movies that I enjoy. Is this list biased? Yes, because there are some films that I just won't watch. Remember this is my top 10. 

Official Top 10---

10. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tells PG-13 May 26, 2017 Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightly, Javier Bardem, Brenton Twaites, Geoffrey Rush

This is so much better than the last Pirates movie. I liked this almost as much as the original. I felt that the last three movies were lacking in originality. I wish there were scenes with Johnny and Orlando. In the original they were amazing together. Maybe there's still a story to tell now that we have the relationship between Will and his son ,Henry. We know from past experiences that Barbossa doesn't stay dead. I feel that Javier Bardem's Captain Salazar was a great adversary for Captain Jack, better than Blackbeard and Davey Jones.  

9.  Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2  PG-13 May 5, 2017 Chris Pratt, Vin Diesel, Dave Bautista, Zoe Saldana, Bradley Cooper

I love comics and this was a fun movie. Dave Bautista is hilarious!! I think his character is my favorite, because he tells it like it is. I will be honest, this wasn't as good as the original, even the hubs said so, but it still kept my interest. 

8.  Gifted PG-13 April 12, 2017 Chris Evans, Mckenna Grace, Jenny Slate, Octavia Spencer

I just love me some Chris Evans, I really do. Remember when he was The Human Torch? This was a really touching film about the love of family. Chris Evans plays a former professor who takes in his gifted niece, after her mother, his sister, commits suicide. So, he takes his niece to Florida and makes her live a normal life, even though she's a genius too. This movie does have me wonder about the minds of geniuses. Is life too much for their brains to take? This is the 2nd movie that Octavia Spencer is in on my list. Mckenna Grace is adorable and is in another movie featured on my list too. Jenny Slate is good. Her voice is interesting.  This movie is very heartwarming and is about love.

7.  How to Be a Latin Lover PG-13 April 28, 2017 Eugenio Derbez, Selma Hayek, Rob Lowe, Raphael Alejandro 

I had seen the previews for this movie and wasn't interested in seeing it. As a matter of fact, one night my husband and I were debating on whether to see this or Snatched. We ended up seeing Snatched, see my comments about that movie below. This movie is about a guy, who doesn't want to work, he wants to marry a rich older widow and be taken care of for the rest of his life. His much older wife, after 25 years of marriage, finds herself a younger model and Maximo gets kicked to the street.  He must reconnect with his estranged sister and nephew. Maximo and his friend, played by Rob Lowe are so over the top. Mckenna Grace from Gifted is also in this movie. This movie made me laugh so hard I had tears in my eyes, but it was also strangely heartwarming (which also put tears in my eyes). 

6. Baby Driver  R June 28, 2017 Ansel Elgort, Lily James, Jon Hamm, Jon Bernthal, Jamie Foxx, Kevin Spacey and the Music

This was such a good movie with an amazing cast. I love Ansel Elgort as Augustus from Number the Stars and Lily James as Rose from Downton Abbey and as Cinderalla. I thought Ansel Elgort was very funny at just the right moments. Jon Hamm and Jamie Foxx were over the top. I usually don't gravitate to these types of films. This one wasn't as violent as I thought it was going to be. Just like how the setting of La La Land is like another character in the film, the music in Baby Driver was another character in this film. 

5.  The Lego Batman Movie PG February 10, 2017 Will Arnett and a whole slew of other famous funny people whose names I won't add.  

This was by far better than Batman V. Superman and Batman Begins. It was campy, it was hilarious and it had a lot of adult humor. Some things were probably not appropriate for little kids. I had a fun time watching it.

4.  Logan R March 3, 2017 Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart

I'm so sad that the Hugh Jackman's Wolverine is coming to an end. He is Wolverine. I can't imagine anyone else in the role. I hope they aren't in a rush to bring back the character. Let Logan be dead, especially for Jackman's fans who grew up loving him as Wolverine. With that being said, I actually hope they start a new series with Logan's daughter, X-23 or Laura, because she has played a prominent role in the comics. I love myself a good comic book movie and this was one of the few times that the film exceeded my expectations.  This film was rated R so it's not for kids. It is extremely violent. I am a little confused about the timeline and everything is a bit muddled, but this was a very well deserved sendoff for Hugh. 

3.  Hidden Figures PG January 6, 2017 Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, Janelle Monae, Kevin Costner, and Kirsten Dunst  

This was such an amazing movie, that I went to see it in the theaters, not once, but twice. With my husband, who loved it, and then again with my mom. It's the true life account of three female African American mathematicians working for NASA and the struggles they faced being both female and African American. This movie made me cry for joy and it made me laugh out loud. I already love Octavia Spencer (she's in another one of my favorites, Gifted) Tarjai P. Henson, who my husband knows as Cookie, and Janelle Monae (we have the same name!) were all fabulous in this film. It's a great family movie and should be seen by everyone!! 

2.  Beauty and the Beast PG March 17, 2017 Emma Watson, Dan Stevens, Ewan McGregor, Sir Ian McKellen. Luke Evans Kevin Klein, Emma Thompson, Stanley Tucci

This movie was so well done. I loved the costumes, I loved the singing. The movie was sweet, sassy and funny all at the same time. I love Matthew from Downton Abbey. He was wonderful as the Beast. If you LOVE Disney like I do, you'll love this movie. I'm lying, you don't have to be a Disney lover to appreciate this movie. Maybe if you're a man, you won't like it. My husband fell asleep. 

And now #1................

1.  Wonder Woman PG-13 June 2, 2017 Gal Gadot and Chris Pine

Would there be any other film at my number 1? I've already seen it twice. I grew up with the reruns of the Lynda Carter version. I wore the Underoos and knee high red socks, I used my jump rope as my "Lasso of Truth", I ran around my grandmother's "jungle" saving mankind (she had a big backyard).  Every girl wanted to be Wonder Woman. I don't have issues with Man of Steel and BvS. I liked those films and I think the critics can sometimes be annoying. But I only liked those films, this one, I loved. I was up in arms when they cast Gal Gadot. I didn't know who she was, she didn't have blue eyes and she wasn't Lynda Carter. I still wasn't sure about the casting choice when she appeared in BvS. By that time, she had won the masses over, but being the cynic that I am, I wasn't convinced. That was until Wonder Woman. I love Chris Pine (I re-watched This Means War and I liked it and I loved People Like Us). I loved their scenes together.  They had AMAZING chemistry. Diana Prince had an innocent side, but could also kick some serious a../butt. I loved this movie and I cannot wait to see what they do next. I'm not going to speculate about Steve Trevor. When they changed the years of the TV series from the 1940's to the 70's they had a Steve Trevor in both decades. I'm sure there will be a creative way to bring back Chris Pine. We all love him, and part of that movie's magic was Chris Pine.  

New Adds to July-December 2016---

Why Him? R December 23, 2016 James Franco, Bryan Cranston, Zoey Deutch, Megan Mullally, Keegan-Michael Key   

This was such a funny movie. Again James Franco is way over the top, but that's what's funny. I love Keegan-Michael Key, yes I did watch Substitute teacher.  

La La Land PG-13 December 25, 2016 Emma Stone, Ryan Gosling and Los Angeles

I loved the music, I love Emma and Ryan together (yes, we're on a first name basis) and I love the setting, which is really a character all on its own. I know that some/a lot of the movie, was filmed in Long Beach and the South Bay, but it's meant to be "Los Angeles". We however know it as greater LA.  If you don't like musicals, than this really isn't the movie for you. 

Honorable Mention 2017----

Kong: Skull Island PG-13 March 10, 2017 Tom Hiddleston, Brie Larson, Samuel L. Jackson 

This was a pretty good movie.  It had a lot of action and kept me interested. I wasn't a huge fan of Tom Hiddleston, (I thought his name was Tom Middleson) but he wasn't bad. Not a top 10 contender but good for an honorable mention. What can I say? It was a fun movie.

A Dog's Purpose PG January 27, 2017 

Yes there was controversy and I know that people will disagree with my choice, especially PETA who doesn't want us to own dogs anyway (my Mia addressed that in a Blog post a few years ago). I justified the controversy as, why wasn't this video shown to the public when it happened, why a few days before the film's release? To me that was sketchy. I read this book and its sequel, A Dog's Journey. Of course the book is always better than the movie. Things were left out and things were changed for creative purposes.  This is a tear jerker, so was the book. Remember it's about a dog that keeps getting reincarnated, so it does die every now and then. Something we dogs lovers hate to have to face.  So, it's about a dog and it has romance, a combo I love!!

Fifty Shades Darker R February 10, 2017 Dakota Johnson, Jamie Dornan 

This was so much better than the first film. The acting still isn't very good, but it was such an improvement over the last film.

Baywatch R May 25, 2017 Dwayne Johnson, Zac Efron 

Dwayne Johnson is hilarious (and nice to look at, as is Zac Efron). Some of his one-liners, like calling Zac's character High School Musical are on point. Jeez he's funny. 

Lion PG-13 January 6, 2017 Sunny Pawar, Nicole Kidman, and the guy from the Lord of the Rings.   
Another real life account.  It's about a little boy from India, who falls asleep on a train waiting for his brother to finish working. The train takes off and the little boy finds himself like 500 miles from his family. I think he ends up in Calcutta. People try to kidnap him and while nothing is shown, you can guess what happens to these poor children who are kidnapped. He eventually gets adopted by a family in Australia and lives a good life. He knows though, that something is missing. So he goes in search of the family he can barely remember. He does find his mom, but he also discovers that the brother he was waiting for, got killed in a freak accident. I know this movie sounds depressing, but it was actually very good. 

Don't Waste Your Time---

Snatched R May 12, 2017 Goldie Hawn, Amy Schumer 

This was just bad... The end

The Mummy PG-13 June 9, 2017 Tom Cruise

Universal, please don't make an expanded universe. I read an article saying that we have too many of these ie. MCU, DCEU, Star Wars etc.... That's not my reason. This movie just wasn't good. Oh and Tom Cruise becomes infected with the evil demon thing. 

Table 19 PG-13 March 3, 2017 Anna Kendrick and other people including Phoebe from Friends

Even Phoebe couldn't save this one. Too many characters to not care about and what was the point of the guy who crashed the wedding??  It made no sense.

Rough Night R June 16, 2017