Day 131: The Best Movies You've Never Heard Of: Part 4 - Christmas Edition!

We've all seen the classic Home Alone, as well as The Grinch, but this Christmas I tried to expand my horizons by watching movies that I had never seen, and most of them, had never heard of. I put them in the order I watched them, some of them you might recognize, but I can guarantee there's at least one you've never heard of.

Jack Frost: I'm sure a lot of people have heard of this one, but I had never seen it. I watched it on Thanksgiving, because I wasn't sure if it was a Christmas movie, or just a winter movie. It is your typical 90's dramedy. Kid loses one of his parents, parent comes back as a magical creature, parent gets a second chance to make things right. There's a reason this theme is popular in movies, it usually doesn't fail to touch the heart. Also, it has Michael Keaton and Hanson songs. Welcome to the 90's, speaking of which...

 

All I Want For Christmas: I know there are a lot of movies out there with this title, this is the one that features a very young Thora Birch. Another tried and true movie recipe that would make Mrs. Doubtfire proud. Two kids plot to ask Santa to have their parents get back together, but have to take matters into their own hands, surprise. This is a good family one, not a lot of thought, and everything works out in the end.

I'll Be Home For Christmas: This is the movie that Jonathon Taylor Thomas did shortly after leaving Home Improvement. He has to learn the true meaning of Christmas after being estranged from his family after (surprise) his mom died. His girlfriend, who happens to be Jessica Biel in this movie, is so fed up with him she leaves him in the middle of Wisconsin in the snow. Ouch. Of course we all know how this ends, no spoiler alert needed, that's what makes Christmas movies predictable, they usually work out in the end.

Carried Away: Once you get past the hokey acting, this movie is actually pretty good. A young man comes home for the holidays and finds his grandma has been put away in a nursing home by his dad. So he steals her away to live with him in LA, figuring she will have a better life there. This one basically has the same plot as Rain Man, except that grandma is full of spunk and life that makes you smile.

The Heart of Christmas: This one is based on the true events of Dax Shephard, a young boy who died of leukemia at the age of three. Make sure you have a box of tissues. It is told through a blog site discovered by someone who has lost the true meaning of family, which happens to be Candace Cameron in one of the first roles I've seen her in since Full House. Since the boy probably won't make it to Christmas, they decided to celebrate in October. You will cry the last five minutes, and if you don't, you are a machine.

I plan to watch a couple more nontraditional Christmas movies, but these were the ones I have watched so far, and I think my favorite, as in the one that I will be watching next year would probably be The Heart of Christmas and I'll Be Home For Christmas. I can't decide, but I like comedy as well as drama. What is your favorite nontraditional Christmas movie?

Day 126: The Best and the Worst Christmas Songs You Will Ever Hear

This Christmas was different, because this year for the first time ever I worked all day. I was actually extremely tired from everything that had happened at work, but luckily everyone was in a good mood when I got there. That helped me cheer up a little. Since it's the last day that it's acceptable in America to listen to Christmas music, I decided to give my top ten list for my favorite, as well as least favorite, Christmas songs. I have never liked Christmas music too much, but there are a handful that I like. First, here is the list of songs that I never want to hear again:

10: Jingle Bells - I know this isn't an official Christmas song, think it's actually Thanksgiving, but people always sing it at Christmas. Part of the reason I don't like this one, though, is because I sing it all the time at work, all three verses, and then have to hear it in the stores after work when I'm shopping as well as on the radio on the way home.

9: What Child is This? - This is another one I think I'm just too tired of listening to, it has been overplayed to the point that I just don't care for it. I think it's a very pretty song, but not for me.

8: You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch - I like the jazzy Christmas songs, but for some reason I can't stand this one. I think maybe it's the voice, just can't stand it. It would maybe be a good instrumental.

7: White Christmas - I like The Drifters version, actually, but can't stand the Bing Crosby version. I know it's classic, but so overplayed. It's a great song, but when you have to hear it everywhere it gets old fast.

6: Winter Wonderland - This is yet another Christmas/winter song that is too overplayed. Also, have you ever walked through the snow? It's not a wonderland, it's a pain in the neck. Your toes freeze, your pants get wrecked from the salt on the sidewalks, and you run the risk of falling and breaking something.

5: Little Drummer Boy - I can't stand this song, especially the one version by...actually I don't know who it's by, it's the one they play every year though. The one with several voices in harmony singing. I can't really explain why I hate this song, it's just...annoying.

4: We Wish You a Merry Christmas - This is a good song...if you only sing it through once. Everybody that sings it usually wants to sing it over and over again, adding more verses. What is figgy pudding anyways?

3: Twelve Days of Christmas - This song is so long, and so annoying. I have heard that each gift represents something in the Catholic church, but in today's world it just sounds like a silly song. It's also annoying when people ask when the twelve days of Christmas are.If you don't know, you shouldn't be celebrating.

2: Happy Holiday - Ick. I will break my fingers changing the station when this song comes on. It is a very PC friendly song for today's society, so I will give them points for that. Of course later in the song he makes reference to Santa Claus, but oh well.

1: It's The Most Wonderful Time of the Year - Why is Christmas considered to be the most wonderful time of the year? I think it's the worst. Before you call me a scrooge, hear me out. Everybody complains about being broke, people get mad if you spend more/less money on them than they spent on you, people are expected to use up vacation galore, rent is due, bills are due (it's the end of the month), and it's freezing cold. I could name the good stuff too, which there is plenty, but I can think of other times of the year where the pros outweigh the cons. For me the most wonderful time of the year is early summer, not at a time when the days are only eight hours long.

Ok, that turned into a little rant. I'm not a complete scrooge, I am actually embracing Christmas a little better this year. So here are my favorite Christmas songs. In case you can't tell, I go for the nontraditional usually.

10: Last Christmas - This song has been redone a couple times, can't decide which version I like best, but it is a catchy tune.

9: Mele Kalikimaka - This Hawaiian Christmas song is always just so much fun to sing. It's also the only Bing Crosby song that I can stand to listen to. It's also very short, no unneeded verses, just a fun little novelty song.

8: Hark the Herald Angels Sing - For some reason this Christmas hymn really sticks out in my mind. I love it, the message it has, the melody, everything about it.

7: All I Want for Christmas Is You - I know a lot of people are sick of this one, but I have always liked it. I like most of Mariah Carey's Christmas songs, such as Santa Claus is Coming to Town and Oh Santa. She just has a really good voice.

6: Christmas Lights - This is a newer one, released by Coldplay last year, that is really pretty. It starts out slow with a lite rock feel, then moves into a waltz pattern that sweeps me away every time.

5: Please Come Home for Christmas - I love blues, and this is one of the few Christmas songs that brings that blues rock feel that's just right. I like The Eagles version best, the free form of Don Henley's vocals over a steady blues rhythm.

4: Christmas Without You - This is another newer one, released by OneRepublic last year, it starts out with a simple piano melody, then the drums and bass bring in a steady blues rhythm. Add a little electric guitar, and it makes this modern Christmas song one of the best blues songs for the season. "Only one thing could kill me/Christmas without you."

3: Wizards in Winter - Although there's no words in this one, the title says it all. If you listen closely you can hear a little of the Sugarplum Fairy in there too.

2: What Christmas Means To Me - This song, sung by Stevie Wonder, is one of my favorites. He brings just the right amount of jazz that will get you off your feet dancing around the Christmas tree.

1: Jingle Bell Rock - This is without a doubt my favorite Christmas song. I like Bobby Helms version best, but also like the new version released by Rascal Flatts. And the version in Mean Girls. Who am I kidding, Justin Bieber could probably come out with a version of it and I would love it. It's just about having a good time and rocking out while doing it.

So there's my list of the best and worst. This is just my opinion, what is your favorite Christmas song? What is your least favorite Christmas song?

Day 125: My Favorite Christmas Movies

This the first year that I have had to work Christmas as well as Christmas Eve, which has kind of taken a little bit away from the holiday spirit. It is the only holiday I worked all year, though, so I guess I can be grateful for that. I have been doing all sorts of things to get into the Christmas spirit, because my free time is very limited. Part of that is watching Christmas movies. I decided to make a list of my favorite Christmas movies. I was going to make a Christmas song one too, but realized I don't like that much Christmas music, so I have to think harder for that one. Anyways, here is my top ten list for Christmas movies:

10: Elf - I have a love/hate relationship with this movie every year. I like it, but can't watch it more than once a year, otherwise it loses its appeal.

9: Scrooged - I have actually only seen this movie once, but I loved it! Bill Murray has always been a favorite actor of mine and he does great in this modern adaptation of A Christmas Carol.

8: The Santa Clause - This movie grows on me every time I watch it, the first time I saw it I hated it. Now I love watching it every year.

7: How the Grinch Stole Christmas - I apologize to all the purists, but I really like the live action version. I watch it every year and, like Elf, only once a year.

6: Love Actually - There is a lot going on in this movie, but it really is a feel good movie about love and the Christmas season.

5: A Charlie Brown Christmas - Must watch every year. I own a VHS copy and try to catch it on tv too when it's on. It's also so short that it's easy to sit down and watch during the busy times of the season.

4: Home Alone - I love this movie, and it's one I grew up with so I always watch it. I actually really like the 2nd one too, but there is something about this one that really gives people that holiday spirit.

3: The Family Stone - This movie didn't get nearly as much praise as it's worth. The story basically follows a young woman meeting her boyfriend's family for the first time. They hate her, of course, which makes this dysfunctional family Christmas movie funny as well as heartwarming.

2: It's a Wonderful Life - I know this movie is overrated, but I actually really like it, despite all that. I've only seen it once, about six months ago. Yep, watched it in the middle of summer. This movie made me want to set up my tree and go shopping though by the end. You wouldn't think a movie about a suicidal man would be so heartwarming.

1: National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation - I could watch this movie a million times. If you haven't guessed from my lists I love dark comedy. This isn't exactly a dark comedy, but it displays exactly what Christmas is like, not all that sappy stuff that comes from a lot of the holiday movies out there. This movie is real from start to finish, well maybe a little off the wall, but definitely how most people experience Christmas.

So there it is, my list of favorites. Hope you all have a wonderful Christmas, I have to go to bed soon, to get up early, clean the snow off my car, and go to work. Christmas song list to come...

Day 124: Not a Creature Was Stirring

Wow! It has been way too long since my last post. There has been so much going on, which includes nearly getting hit by a drunk driver, breaking my chair/pants in the same day (I'm not that fat...), and, most recently, seeing a mouse in my apartment. I've always heard that mice are always around, in the walls, maybe in your basement, but there's only a problem if you start to see them. Kind of the same theory I use with spiders. It was just last Saturday night, I had just finished a wine and cheese party, which turned into just me and my friend, who said she would help me host it, sitting around eating ourselves silly and watching hokey 80's tv shows. With all that cheese a mouse was bound to show up I guess.

The "party" ended at 8:00 when my friend said she had to go home, so I ended up doing a bunch of other stuff, such as going out shopping and going to my first synchronized Christmas light show. If you don't know what they are, look it up on youtube, they are really cool. I got home and decided to relax with a healthy dose of Netflix. Around 1:00am I noticed a movement on my dining room floor. I thought maybe it was a spider or centipede, but it was way too big. It was a mouse! I've never really seen a mouse in my apartment so I had no idea what to do. I was barefoot, and couldn't bring myself to smash it with my boot, thinking of the aftermath and how gross it would be. Instead I let him run off behind my freezer, and spent the rest of the night freaking out, putting my feet up and not letting my blankets touch the floor. No sign of the mouse yet, but I have two snap traps and two glue traps. One of those is bound to get him. More on that later..

I have been trying to lose weight ever since I graduated college. I didn't get the freshman fifteen, I got the senior sixty. Yep, I have gained sixty pounds since college, not exactly the easiest thing to admit. I have gained over sixty pounds and at least 8 pants sizes. I have tried many things, joining a gym, buying exercise video games, juicing, and one time eating nothing but vegetables for a whole week. By the way, that last one is not a good idea, my stomach was plotting against me by the end of the week. This was just last Friday, I was going back to my office to relax, sat down on my chair, and then fell forward. The metal washer holding the screws in place had bent! Talk about a hit to the ego. I was so embarrassed I just put some boxes on top of it and rolled it into the corner. Later that same day my zipper went off the track, and so I couldn't zip my pants. This of course, happened at lunch. All day I was self conscious, trying to pull my shirt over it and trying to find a safety pin, with no success. I know I said this last year to myself, but I really need to get back on track, and soon!

This last story is about how all the stuff above doesn't matter. Something that happens in a split second can make you feel humbled and grateful for everything you have. I was heading home after getting myself dinner from a local fast food establishment, which had left me really mad because the lady at the counter handed me everything so quick, didn't wait for me, then proceeded to set my bag on top of my car, mind you it's only about 5 degrees outside. So I was already in a fairly bad mood.

I was waiting to turn left onto a busy street, with a guy next to me turning left too. I've never liked these kind of turn lanes, especially when it's ice out, always afraid the person next to me is going to pull a farmer's turn and run me off the road. The light turned green, and the guy next to me floored it and sped down the street as fast as his car would take him on the ice. I've seen a lot of crazy drivers, so thought nothing of it. He slowed down a bit, and I passed him. This is where I believe my guardian angel intervened. There is no way there wasn't divine intervention. The guy sped past me again, and for a split second I thought about speeding up to get past him, it's what we Minnesotaans do best, mess with other's heads, and I was already in a bad mood so why not cut someone else off to make myself feel better. Instead I thought, wow, well if he wants to be first, whatever...then he made a wide turn, but he was going at least 50, and there was no intersection there. He was going so fast that when he slammed his brakes he spun around twice and then went backwards over the median into the oncoming traffic lane. Luckily no one was coming, so no one got hurt, but if he would have turned twenty feet sooner, or if I would have sped up, I would not have been able to stop on the ice and snow to prevent myself from hitting him.

In that moment I said a prayer, and then called the police to report him. Whether this guy was drinking or not, I don't know, but it definitely got my attention. I may be heavy and my apartment may suck, but I have it better than probably 75% of the population. That is something to be grateful for.

Day 99: Just Like A Dorm Hallway

Lately I've been trying to save money, which means a lot of boring nights at home not doing much of anything. I got the chance to go Frisbee golfing today though, and then afterwards was able to do a little Christmas shopping. I'm actually almost done and it's not even officially December yet! When I got home I ate dinner and then a wave of exhaustion hit me like a dump truck. Next thing I know I'm laying down on my couch watching a movie that eventually lulled me to sleep. I won't say which one, it was a documentary, but the talking in documentaries, tone of voice and everything, helps me relax sometimes.
I woke to the sounds of children playing in the hallway. This isn't abnormal noise for my apartment, but since it was so late I was confused as to what was going on. My neighbor must have moved out, and a new one must have moved in (I didn't recognize either person in the hallway), because there was furniture all throughout the hallway. After a little while, I heard this exchange:

Tenant 1: Hey! You! Do you have keys for the storage room?

Tenant 2: What?

Tenant 1: We need to get into the storage room upstairs...

Tenant 1's kid: Yea, our keys are locked in there

Tenant 2: Well, no, my keys don't get me in there, you should have separate keys for your apartment though.

Tenant 1: Yea, I do, they are on the floor in there, we were putting stuff in there and I accidentally left my keys on the floor of the storage room.

Tenant 2: I don't have a key, you should try calling management, that would probably be best. Or a locksmith

Tenant 1: We did, they want to charge us $60 for a new key. $60!

Tenant 2: Well there probably are others that have a key, but I don't

Tenant 1: There are! Every locker in that storage room had a lock on it. We just can't find anyone with a key.

I was sitting on my couch, fairly far away from my door when this exchange happened. Further proof that the walls in this apartment are made of paper mache. You would think someone with a key would have heard them and wanted to help out. If I would have had a key I probably would have. I decided to go to the grocery store, since I was out of ginger ale and my stomach has been bothering me a lot lately. As I was leaving one of the kids apologized for the noise. I've noticed that the kids in this apartment building have pretty good manners.

When I got back a truck was pulling up with a trailer attached. In the trailer was a man standing up, just standing there while the truck rolled into the parking lot. Just when I thought my night couldn't get any more surreal. I looked towards one of the doors and there was furniture strewn all the way out the door. They started loading up the furniture, which I thought was kind of weird, since if they were moving out they would have had to be out by noon. This means their furniture was sitting outside their door for almost twelve hours.

Disclaimer: I did not have all the facts, but I can only deduce from what I heard and saw that this person was trying to move out, and had to sit with her furniture while waiting for a moving truck/trailer to show up. At first I thought maybe she locked herself out of her apartment too, but that would be pretty hard to do since you need a key to lock the apartment. Plus, I saw the kid going in there shortly before I left. And even if they lost their keys, they could always lock the door from the inside. Oh well, just another crazy Saturday night over here. Nothing special. The only thing that made it different was that there were no cops.

Day 96: Moving Day - Take 2

This post is a little late, mainly because I just got all my furniture back together. As I posted in a previous blog, my neighbors have a "No Entry" sign on their door, saying their apartment is unfit for human occupancy. A week later we all received a notice to move all of our furniture a foot away from the wall and strip our bedsheets. They were going to spray the place for bedbugs, which they tried to say was something that they normally do twice a year. I have never been in a place that had a problem with bedbugs. I can almost guarantee it's the neighbors. So I sent out an SOS to facebook for anyone, anyone at all, that could help me move furniture. I have a lot of furniture! I only received one response for help from none other than my mom.

She came over that night and helped me pull my couch out, and then pull all of my dvds out of the china cabinet so that could be more easily moved. Then I had to unplug the tv and everything else and move that towards the couch. When we were done it looked as if I had just moved in, minus the boxes. My bedroom got the same treatment, although I'm lucky it's hardwood floors because I was able to just slide the bookcase across the floor without emptying the shelves. My computer was pretty much unusable though, hence the late posts. I had to beg for help moving everything back, too, because I got no response back the second time around other than people wondering why I was moving furniture. In my mind if a friend says, "I need help," you help first, ask questions later.

The loneliness still gets to me sometimes, everybody is going into hibernation mode, which I'm sure is no short trip. I've actually been watching a lot of movies. Ever since I started juicing I've been getting sick every once in awhile. The other day I ended up in urgent care with symptoms of the stomach flu. I doubt the juices are entirely to blame, but it is a little inconvenient.

Since I always tell everyone my job is always good for a story (I work with dementia patients), I will tell one. Today I was doing a mini celebration/discussion group on Thanksgivakkuh. Basically, Thanksgiving and Hanukkah land on the same day, which hasn't happened ever and will probably never happen again, or at least another 79,000 years. In the past when I have done a Hanukkah celebration I had a lot of people not wanting to come, claiming that they weren't Jewish so they didn't want to partake in that group, even if it was just a discussion. This year was significantly different. Nobody expressed not wanting to partake for lack of religion, and most were eager to hear about this "jubilee year" festival.

It's amazing how, because they fall on the same day, these holidays can bring people together. It also got me to thinking how someone Jewish must feel when they are forced to watch yet another Christmas movie, or hear a lecture in school about the holiday season. I've always believed in the belief that all religions are different, not the widely accepted belief that all religions are wrong, except mine. There's a lot of talk about religious tolerance these days, how people shove religion down other's throats, which I have never tried to do. If asked about what I believe I will tell you, I'm not going to be afraid of offending anyone, because it's my beliefs, not theirs. It seems like so many people are ashamed to say that they are Christian, for fear of retribution from a society that perceives us as "bible thumpers." Back to my previous statement about Jewish holidays, I think that people should be more tolerant of different festivals going on around them. This is why, even I have just one person of a certain faith, I strive to celebrate or honor all the holidays that are represented. It's the least I can do since I will be singing Christmas carols for the next four weeks for them.

Day 86: It's On!

After living here for almost three months I am ready to move! I was watching tv earlier today, while doing some housework, when I got a knock on my door. I asked who it was, and the person said they were my downstairs neighbor. I have never met this person, so I kept my phone within reach in case I needed to make a call to the police. I opened the door just a crack, wishing that I had one of those chains across the door. As soon as I opened the door he said, "Do you have to walk around so heavy?" I was taken back, since I had hardly been walking around my apartment much today, and I don't consider myself to be a heavy walker. A million responses came to my head, many of them just as rude as his proposed question, but instead I took the high road. I stated that I don't think I walk heavy, and had been sitting on my couch watching tv for the last hour or so. He then proceeded to say, "Well, then there must be a ghost walking around up here, because it's so loud, I can hear every step downstairs. Especially last night, and most nights, after 10:30 at night." I could see I wasn't going to get anywhere by arguing with this guy, nor did I want to start a feud with a  neighbor that had the potential to make my life a living hell. So, instead of telling him off, and that I can walk around my apartment at any time I want, I apologized and told him I would try to be more mindful of my walking.

This is the kind of Mickey Mouse stuff that makes me want to move so bad. I have noisy neighbors, but they aren't noisy on purpose. It's just that apartment walls aren't made very thick or soundproof. It's like living in a big house, you are going to hear what's going on beyond the walls and ceilings. At least once I have my own place I won't have to worry about being heavyfooted or staying up until (God fobid) 10:30! He's gong to have to deal with it tomorrow, because the apartment building has asked everyone to move their furniture a foot away from the wall to spray for bugs. I don't even want people coming in here, but now I have to try to find a way to move all of this furniture. I'm not too worried about most of it, but some of it is very heavy, such as bookshelves and china cabinets, so hopefully I can find someone to help me. If my neighbor comes and complains to me about me moving this stuff, though, I'm going to go to the office myself and file a harassment charge, because I felt very bullied by this person. Rather than trying to work things out, he came roaring up to my door, taking out his frustrations on a situation that isn't my fault. Work with me, not against me.

On the positive side, so this isn't just a rant, I have started a budget for myself, and am trying best I can to follow it. My goal was to put away $1000 every month, so far I've only done this once, and this month isn't looking too good either. It's mainly doctor bills that got me so far in debt. If I can just stay healthy enough to not have to go to the doctor I can move out of here in (hopefully) six months. That is the goal for starting to look, sometime in March/April. If I get out of here by July I will be so happy. I will not be renewing my lease, however, I am not impressed with management or the neighbors I have had to deal with. It makes it feel like I've lived here for a year. I can't even remember what it was like living at my old place anymore.

My favorite holiday is coming up, Thanksgiving, and I'm learning to appreciate the little things. Rather than going out and buying stuff all the time, I'm taking time to enjoy the stuff that I have bought that has sat on my shelf for years unused. I have at least fifty books that I have never read. I have at least ten unopened dvds. I have started playing a game with my cds, where I pick out a couple random ones I haven't listened to in awhile and playing them in my car. If I listen to it, and no longer like it, I try to sell or donate it. I've also tried connecting with my family more. I've tried with my friends, even if I don't get a response it's nice to send a message or just say hi.