We're basically mainlining movies now

We finished the last of the Harry Potter movies yesterday, and again, they are so good. I mean, the movies are good, but the story itself is so amazingly well written, and outlined and planned to perfection. How the characters are brought together, and then return again and again with significance and purpose, is fantastic. And I can tell Sydney, until I'm blue in the face, that the books are that much better, but she'll still probably never read them.

So for the next series of movies based on books that she'll probably never read: "The Hunger Games." With this group at least, the movies are just about as good as the books, so I'm less irritated to sit and watch these with her as her first exposure to Katniss. And also, Jennifer Lawrence is frickin' stellar in these films. 

I'm not sure what we'll watch after "The Hunger Games," but really, this next month is about the holiday movies that both I have not seen, and that Sydney needs to see. So I'm preparing that list for us, too.

Bring back Sirius and Dumbledore ... spoiler alert

We've been rewatching the Harry Potter movies over this week. Tonight, we watched my least favorite of them, "Order of the Phoenix," and "Half-Blood Prince."

As I told Sydney, "I read the end of 'Order of the Phoenix' like five times right after each other because I was in such denial about Sirius dying." I honestly couldn't believe that what I read was indeed what I had read. I still reject the idea of this particular character dying. Also, there's really not a single good thing that happens in that entire movie.

"Half-Blood Prince" is almost as bad when it comes to disturbing deaths, of course, as well as where the entire story begins down the darkest of dark turns, and begins our descent into "Deathly Hallows."

Anyway, I have a feeling that we'll log hours watching both "Deathly Hallows" films tomorrow, and finish our Harry Potter Appreciation Week with a flourish.

Rose petals optional, of course

I hate shaving my legs. It is a tedious and ridiculous task, and one that I tend to only a few times a year. (Relax any judginess; of course, I shower regularly, I just don't shave my legs that often.) I don't like doing it, is all. And my husband knows better than to comment or complain.

A few months ago, I came upon a fairly obvious solution to my particular problem: waxing. Waxing my legs is my new regular body maintenance. I was getting my legs waxed every eight weeks, as my eyebrows get done every four weeks. I've had the legs done maybe six times by now, and now I've decided that I'm going to wax them more often so as to accelerate the cool result of regular and constant waxing, the hair stops growing. So now every four weeks I get my eyebrows and my legs waxed, and I'm hoping that in a year I'll be able to not have leg hair growing anymore.

So, yes, new body maintenance item in the monthly budget, but it's all good stuff. Especially if after the year or so it makes the whole shaving thing utterly unnecessary. And then this entire thing won't even be a line item or peripheral concern anymore.

Sign me up for the movies on Dec. 25

So the word came out today that "Wonder Woman 1984" will be opening in theaters, and released on HBO Max, on December 25. I won't lie, we are totally going to see it in the theater. Because it totally needs to be seen on the big screen. We've been waiting a couple years, and certainly a number of months, to see this film, and it's finally going to happen! I'm so excited!

This year has been a trip in regards to movies. Every year, early in the year, I make a list of the movies I want to see, and this year's list is WOEFULLY un-crossed-off. Like maybe five were seen, and the rest are on my list for 2021, tentatively, and I guess that makes next year a remarkable one for films? I'll admit that not spending money on the movies two to three times a month was interesting in the pocketbook and savings account, but I've certainly missed the entertainment! I'm intrigued to see how the schedule works out in 2021, especially if the vaccine gets out and about relatively early in the year.

The winner and undisputed champion...

I tried the Toasted White Chocolate Mocha this afternoon, and I write to you having now PROVEN that the peppermint mocha is the best holiday drink at Starbucks. I will not be argued away from this conclusion; I will not have my mind changed. Now it's just a fact.

And the best thing about having realized and proven this to myself is that now I can order and enjoy my peppermint mocha with no guilt and secure in the knowledge that I'm drinking the best drink available to me.

Not sure when I'll pull the trigger and get my peppermint mocha to cleanse my palate of the other drinks, but I suspect it will be soon. Drink security until they come up with something else next year.

This uncharacteristic heat is intolerable

I am horrified ... HORRIFIED ... to tell you that my air conditioner has been flipping on this afternoon and tonight. My thermostat was set at 78 degrees, and I just lowered it to 76 just a few minutes ago. So it is actively blowing cold air on my shoulders right now, and that is very, very wrong for the middle of November. My windows are open for the cooler weather tonight, but the temperature may climb back up to 88 degrees in my backyard tomorrow. I am so over the summer, you guys, and November should really be a safe space.

This is exactly the body wash

So here's a story for you.

Sydney ran out of lotion so she took mine. We visited Target to get her a new bottle of her own. Instead, I ended up getting my own bottle of a new lotion by Dove, rather than my normal lotion by Vaseline, and let her keep mine. I brought home the Dove cucumber and green tea lotion. Today, I used it for the first time. While applying the lotion to my legs though, it didn't really soak in properly. It was weird. Anyway, I read the bottle again and realized that it was, instead, a body wash. A Body Wash.

Body washes do not soak in like lotion. So I ended up getting back into the shower to wash all the dried body wash off. Then I used the lotion that I let Sydney have, and I've put lotion on my list again.

All kinds of Christmas going on over here

Sydney and I did some preliminary Christmas reconnaissance this afternoon, and while we did do just a little bit of actual shopping, it was mostly an exercise in getting ideas Mainly though, our conclusion was that we prefer not shopping on the weekend, and will head back after school one day soon. With the social distancing, most of the stores had occupation limits and therefore lines to get in, and we just didn't want to take the time to do that. Still, I managed to get some good ideas.

So I tried the Carmel Brulle Latte at Starbucks. It was ... not great? A little too sweet? I should know better; I don't generally like the caramel drinks. I'm most definitely a chocolate drink person, so the next taste test will be the Toasted White Chocolate Mocha. I've had a white chocolate mocha before and it was tasty, so I'm looking forward to this one.

Tonight, I finished the main Christmas decor in the house. I've got a pile of extra stuff to find places for, or not, and I should be able to get all the bins into the garage Monday morning. Then I'll head to AJ's and see if the store has anything that I must have. :). I love AJ's for Christmas stuff.

Once I'm done here though, I'm going to make my Master List for Christmas. Currently, it's a growing note in the phone, which is very frustrating to me because the note won't allow me to cross stuff off while still being able to see it. Or make notes within the note. Or all that good stuff that one can do with a written list on paper.

Also, I have a most excellent idea for the Christmas cards.

So much to do, but the movie calls

ITEM!: UPDATE to the car commercials featuring bad dog parents post from earlier this month. Add BMW to the list of offenders. Currently, the car company's ad shows a young man finding a dog, reading its tag, and then driving his BMW seemingly miles away to bring this dog home. What the hell dog parents? And BMW? These commercials are beginning to give me nightmares.

ITEM!: Tomorrow is the last day I'll have Leslie back in my workplace. She's starting a new job next Monday, so is done hanging out with me for a few hours every day while we both work. I think this time may be worse that when she left the job last year. I've been spoiled by having her back in the office with me, and sitting close to me, too, so this new loneliness will be acute. Of course I'm happy for her getting out and finding something new, but to you all, I will whine and pout a bit.

ITEM!: The movie "Howard the Duck" is on one of my Showtime channels right now and I'm watching the end of it. That's all. That's just what I'm doing right now.

ITEM!: I did get all my downstairs Christmas decor out, and it was no small task for the day. Both the upstairs bins are upstairs, though I haven't cracked them yet. I have a decent-sized pile of randoms and stuff to put different places, and more futzing to do, for sure. It's nice having it out though; I'm feeling festive!

Don't tell me what to do, but okay

You guys, I ended up taking a short nap this afternoon instead of watching my ESPN shows. The shows were on, but I slept through them. I remind you that I do not enjoy taking unplanned naps in the afternoons. So because of that, it took more time than normal for me to close my Move Goal for the day. Because I got up later because of Sydney's day off, it also took longer to close my Stand Goal. But both rings did get closed today.

I feel like I have to tell you now how much of a taskmaster my watch has become. I've worn it all day, every day since June, with only one day since then that I missed my Move Goal. It's a record I'm super pleased with, and I strive to meet those two Goals every day. So when the watch says, "Stand," I stand up and walk around for a few minutes. When the watch says that my movement ring is usually farther along by that time of day, I get up and take a lap around the office or the house. (Duly noted that I ignore the "Exercise" Goal entirely, and I will not have a conversation about that.)

But the watch is king, and I've been feeling the benefits of that. I believe it's helped me emotionally and physically, and psychologically, too. The activity I'm sure to put in every day, and the breaks in my sitting time, have helped my peace of mind, and that makes the bossiness of the watch tolerable.

Obviously, they were tasty

Unpopular opinion: I don't mind that Baby Yoda ate the frog lady's eggs.

Honestly, Disney+ has been a lifesaver since this pandemic and the quarantine began. We've watched and rewatched so many of the Marvel movies. We've watched the old-timey Disney movies like "Robin Hood" and "Cinderella," as well as some of the newer old movies like "Hercules" and "Pocahontas." And then we've even watched something called, "The Secret Society of Second-Born Royals," which was not great.

Quite obviously, based on my first statement up there, we've also been watching "The Mandalorian." That show is fun, exciting, sometimes stressful as good shows should be, and well produced. Besides Baby Yoda, I'm pretty fascinated by a show that has shown the main character's face only once in the first season, and so far in the second season, not at all. It's just so weird how a mask and a head tilt can convey emotion or depth of character. And shit on the show is crazy, too. Like a big worm/dragon last week and giant penis spiders this week? Super weird. I'm here for it.

Also I'm watching "The Right Stuff." The show is way better than the movie, and I like how it's diving deeper into the men themselves, and all the peripheral stuff, too. I haven't yet watched the most recent episode, but I think I'll get to watch it tomorrow. It's really well done, with plenty of suspense, emotion, and sadly, disappointment, in a story that we all could Google to find out how it ends at any moment. No one else in my house is interested in watching it with me, so that makes it a Kimmie Show.

What I love so much about Disney+ is that there's still so much for us to watch!

A November ITEM! list for a Sunday night

ITEM!: I bought a new Christmas decoration today, and it's totally awesome, and now I'm even more excited to get all my Christmas stuff out this week. Really; I think I may pull out all the bins on Wednesday. I've accounted for the five days I'll be in California for Thanksgiving, and decided that the Santas and trees and elves need to be out just a bit sooner than I originally thought.

ITEM!: Brian cooked bacon this morning and I was able to save some for making my favorite sandwich for dinner, a BLT. I love that as a woman in her 40s, I still have a favorite sandwich that I will always choose on the menu. I had one from Potbelly Saturday night, but their bacon is a bit too pepper-y for me, so I did not enjoy that sandwich as much as I wanted. I'll stick to the chicken salad from now on.

ITEM!: As a family, we went to the movies yesterday to watch a classic, "Toy Story." It was, honestly, just as cute as it's always been, and a delight to see on the big screen. Still all the bits that made me giggle and still all the clever stuff that's just brilliant. It was a joy to sit and see it in its proper format again.

ITEM!: Ah! The weather! It's been cool here in the desert the last couple days! It should stay as cool for the next several days, and maybe even be cold a day or two, but any day that rolls through without an air conditioner flipping on is a good one!

ITEM!: Also, I thoroughly enjoyed my peppermint mocha this morning!

She's too awesome, and I'm glad to have seen it

Today was a day of days. I literally sat and ate popcorn while I watched the election coverage on CNN. It was mostly everything I had wished it could be (c'mon, Arizona! Get the count done!), and the result was ideal. Pretty amazing the weight lifted among the hearts of the people, right? I was at breakfast when the news was announced, and for reals, there were people cheering and whooping outside the restaurant in Scottsdale, Arizona. In Scottsdale, you guys! People were cheering and whooping! It was pretty awesome!

I didn't get my peppermint mocha, either. But that's okay. That celebration will come tomorrow.

But let's talk about Kamala. The first woman vice president just gave her victory address, and it was perfect. First and foremost, she came out wearing white. The white of the suffragettes, and a reminder of the history that she herself had just made. It was perfect. She paid homage to the women who came before her; her mother; the marginalized women of color; the marginalized women of the suffragette movement; and the marginalized women of today's continuing patriarchy and its relentless, soul-crushing weight on our shoulders. And it was perfect.

She remarked on Biden's "audacity" in calling on her to run with him on this ticket. She remarked on the voters and supporters that continue to need representation in the White House, and support in their communities. She reminded us of her promise and determination to help this country heal, but also that she will keep her eye on the prize in regards to climate change, COVID and health care. And it was perfect.

I watched her speech with my daughter by my side, and it was perfect.

Take your PSL, I want my peppermint mocha

It's red cup time at Starbucks, my friends, and I'm eager to get my peppermint mocha on. I didn't make it by to get one today because I actually feel like my first peppermint mocha of the season should be somewhat celebratory, of more than the holidays if you know what I mean. So it may be a day or two before I have reason to pick one up.

I acknowledge that peppermint mochas are available all year long. In fact, Brian typically brings me one for my birthday, Mother's Day, maybe our anniversary, this year for Sydney's birthday too, and at some point for Christmas or New Year's. But I only buy them for myself in red-cup season, when they taste the best.

So some day soon, I'll have reason to get my red cup. And it will be delicious!

Car commercials need to feature better dog parents

I feel like we need to talk about something major here. What is with all the car commercials lately in which humans are bad parents to dogs? There are three right now that I can cite as examples. One is a Toyota commercial, another is a Hyundai, and the third is... well, I can't remember the car, which makes it an effective commercial, too.

Regarding Toyota, this advertising angle tells me that someone in the company's marketing department thinks its adorable when parents let their dogs run away so egregiously that the parents have to DRIVE to catch them. Currently, it's a Toyota Venza and the parents having to drive around a city while their dog runs through the rain, across streets and bridges, and through traffic, before they finally stop him at what I can only imagine is a train yard. BAD PARENTING.

The second one with the car I can't remember is an SUV, in the desert apparently, and driving around all these desert corners, and near rock cliffs and over deep chasms full of desert flora. At the end of the ad, a boy gets out of the truck and runs to hug his dog, who is sitting in the dirt with a leash on. The boy asks the dog why he ran away, but I have to wonder, what was happening that the dog obviously felt it had to run so far? And who let go of the leash? And why, again, did you have to drive so far to catch your dog? BAD PARENTING.

Third is the Hyundai ad. Where the small dog exits the house via doggy door, digs holes in the grass and then buries things in these holes. The commercial really begins with the dog stealing car keys and burying them. The parents come out of the house to realize that the keys could be hidden in any of the holes in the yard. THE FRONT YARD. The parents use the digital car key on their phone to start the car and then DRIVE AWAY. These people have a doggy door out to the their front yard and then just drive away with the dog in the front yard. UNFENCED, of course. Who even are these people? Like, what the hell is going on here? Again, BAD PARENTING.

The ad with the SUV was the first that I noticed in this trend right now. Then the Venza and the Hyundai at the same time. Hey ad agencies, bad dog parents doing bad parenting is not a sound marketing strategy. Stop this now.

I'm glad to have made Massachusetts proud

So today was a very weird day. I have a Marco Polo thread that's a group of friends of varying political affiliations. It was a very quiet thread today, with only three of us posting anything, and we only talked about random stuff that wasn't at the forefront of our minds. Clearly, we're all preoccupied by the election process right now, but none of us wanted to declare victory or even talk about it because no one knows how it'll go, and no one wants to upset anyone else. So we asked about parents, and discussed workouts, and commented on the weather. It'll be weird for just a few days here, but we'll get our shit back together soon, and then we'll be back in the frivolity of our friendship. But until then, still, it's weird.

I find myself feeling super bad for the couples and marrieds that are together but of different politics. I mean, it's stressful enough in my house right now, but at least Brian and I are looking for the same outcome. To be hoping for something that your significant other is dreading seems super, super uncomfortable as a relationship situation. I'm sorry to you all out there; I feel for you.

One of my friends from Massachusetts messaged me tonight asking me if I was in Maricopa County, and then thanked me and the rest of my Arizona brethren for our blue votes yesterday. I told her it was my pleasure, and that I honestly never thought I'd see Arizona go blue, but that I am beyond proud that I was here and participated when it did.

It's been a very weird day. I'm going to go make myself a cup of tea.

Avoiding the talk, watching a movie

I'm avoiding the pundits and their stress-inducing suppositions and predictions, and am currently in my room watching "The Gentlemen" off my DVR.

Among the realizations I've come to over the last couple hours is that Wolf Blitzer's voice gives me anxiety. Just in general, it sounds very much like a screaming, old dude in a grocery store, like he's on the very edge of a panic attack and about to jump the cliff. And he wants to take us with him. I can't handle it.

I voted. I hope you did, too. The rest is just waiting for the numbers to add up.

I feel bad for the teenagers though, because they're old enough to understand the gravity of this election, and to feel the stress of the decisions made, but they can't make any choices themselves. Sydney is stressing out and I'm trying to calm her, but she knows too much and worries too much about what the future brings. I can't say that I blame her for that concern, in fact, I'm right there with her, but at 14, she just shouldn't be worrying about all that stuff at the level she does.

At any rate, I may just go to bed early and see what the morning brings, if you know what I mean. But what will probably happen is that I'll certainly go to bed early, but Brian will wake me in the middle of the night to whisper in my ear.

Big day tomorrow, kids. Get some sleep.

Happy Election Eve, y'all! Tomorrow and the following days are going to be a trip, so let's try to remember to be kind and thoughtful to everyone around us. Except the yahoos walking around with guns trying to be tough and scary and intimidating. They can go crawl back under their rocks. No one needs to be nice to them.

All my Halloween decorations are put away, and I'll get the bins into the garage after Brian leaves for work tomorrow morning. I'm feeling very satisfied with my motivation and getting all that done, I have to say. I started out this morning expecting that I'd take a couple days to put it all away, but it seems I was a woman on a mission. My house looks all kinds of normal right now, and that's good, but it'll get Christmas-ified in a week or two.

But also, I think I'm ready to start squirreling away money for Christmas shopping. I've got one gift already, another was shipped today, and my list is growing. Not that I have any amazing ideas or anything, but it's coming along okay.

That's it for today, I think.

You guys, 2020 is almost over

Well, friends, happy November!

It's going to be a very exciting, stressful, scary, hopeful few days at the beginning of the month, for sure. I've already done my voting, and I think the most unnerving thing is that now I can do nothing but sit back and wait and see what happens next. Brian suggested that we get super drunk Tuesday night, and while at its core that is a good idea, I just won't want to go to work hungover on Wednesday.

Also this month, we are going out to California for the Thanksgiving holiday. We already have a few days all kinds of planned out, so I'm not lacking ideas, and I'm excited to see everyone and hang out and get into some trouble.

Also, as I mentioned a couple days ago, I'll be putting up the Christmas decorations in a week or so.

As they say in my football circles, but a bit altered for my purposes, "On to November!"