Saturday, February 14, 2009

Happy (Snowy) Valentine's Day!!

Image courtesy of Vintage Valentine Museum

I'd like to extend my warmest Valentine greetings to all my blogging (and other) friends who stop by here at Urban Oasis ... over the last few years, and despite the distances and lack of truly personal contact, I've become quite fond of many of you folks, so here's my feeble Valentine tribute to you! Though this is a holiday that we once considered much more important and fun (when we were kids and actually got to have parties in grade school!), I have to admit that over the years it has lost a lot of its impact and appeal --a pity, I feel-- but both of us still try to surprise each other with some sort of small gift, and of course some chocolate! Sometimes we will go out for a meal ... or just stay in and watch a movie ... or just do nothing at all! Lordy, do I feel like we are such an old married couple sometimes!

Anyway, no matter what you have planned (or not!) for the day, I hope it is a pleasant and enjoyable one for you! My gift to myself is my steadfast vow NOT TO WORK this weekend, as I have had to do so much in the past few months ... after putting in over 65 hours this week and cranking out yet another tight deadline report, I'm gifting myself with some rest and time away from work. So even if we don't have solid plans other than to run some errands at Target and a few other stores, we just want to take it easy and stay warm this snowy weekend.... Besides, Hanna is still new to the house and we have to make sure we set aside play time and walkies time for her!

Actually if we get the time, I'd like to get out to see Slumdog Millionaire before it wins every other conceivable award on earth ... I've read nothing but good reviews and heard positive comments from people, so I'm really curious about this film. Besides, I haven't seen anything else nominated for an Academy Award (not even the new Woody Allen film with Penelope Cruz and Javier 'hubba hubba' Bardem, shame on me!), but what else is new? I think the last time I actually "had a dog in the contest" was in 2005 when Brokeback Mountain was robbed by that lacrymose and overrated piece of crapola, Crash. Yeah, I'm still bitter about that, and if the Academy had had their brains in gear, they would have given Heath Ledger the award he deserved for that film, rather than doing the usual and waiting for someone to die before giving the posthumous award. (Anyone remember Peter Finch finally getting his Oscar back in 1976 for Network after he died???) Ok, better get out of film rant territory ... but one parting shot: of course my favorite film released in 2008 (though completed in 2006), The Fall didn't even get a mention, but then again I expected that.... I'm used to being in the dark about most commercial films ... you know, the kind that get recognized and make money ... so just let me simmer in my Luddite Filmic juices ... and though we still haven't seen Batman The Dark Knight, sometime we will, because I do have to admit we both loved Batman Begins. Just not a high priority around here, and if I have my way tonight we'll finally be watching No Country For Old Men, which I got for Christmas but still haven't seen ... yep, I'm that behind the times that the Cohen brothers have already made another film that I'd like to see, but until now have missed the previous one.

Just in case anyone might be wondering what a good selection for Valentine's Day would be, I'll recommend the one I used to watch every year (back when I was single), and one I might still pull out tonight just for fun, because it always makes me laugh and cry: the 1977 Best Picture, Director, Actress and Screenplay winner ... none other than Woody Allen's Annie Hall. If by chance (shame on you!) you've never seen it before, now's the time ... and if you've seen it before, it's time to revisit it one more time just for fun ... I mean, who can resist laughing when Woody suggests putting out "a small dish of drawn butter" to try to lure an escaped lobster back into the pot? Sheer brilliance. But then, what do I know? I'm one of those pointy headed elitist liberals who voted for Obama!

Ok, I've ranted and raved enough about films... Please permit me one last whine about the snow storm we got on Friday ... though it was slow to actually move in in the morning, once it got going, it kept up at a pretty steady pace (about 1 inch/hour) until about 8:00 p.m. ... Fernymoss and Hanna (who actually ventured out twice last night) estimate that here at Casa IVG we got about 8 inches before it was all over. Luckily for us, our neighbor two doors down who has the snow blower graciously did our walks and driveway, so we're going to owe him BIG time ... we'll be inquiring this weekend what his favorite beer is, then getting him some, because this is not the first time he's done us such a favor this winter! So we lucked out ....


Anyway, I wish this video I took today was viewable at larger resolution, because it really does show how hard and fast the snow was coming down at around 4:3
0 p.m. ... but at least this should give you an impression of what it was like. Just remember that the angle from which I took this (on the front steps facing north across the boulder bed) was until just yesterday, mostly clear of snow from our recent meltdown. Not anymore! Everything is once again buried ... so here we go paying our penance for that evil groundhog's prediction back on Februrary 2.

Thanks a lot, you jerk of a marmot. I was looking forward to snowdrop
s and crocus, until you had to go and muck it all up! I hope someone throws a toaster into the bathtub next time you decide to take a bath! And that you go out tortured by Sonny and Cher.....

17 comments:

CONEFLOWER said...

Awwwww. Poor little marmot/groundhog/Paux Phil..... It wasn't personal, honest. :-) Still and all, that's a lot of snow in a short time.

What I really enjoyed in your video was the foreground winter grasses and seed heads filling with show. That's absolutely beautiful. I was sitting here watching your video and saying, "Pan down, pan down, show me the flower heads" But I guess you didn't hear... LOL

For sweet happy ending movies, I love "The Lake House" and "Sleepless in Seattle". Yes, I'm behind times too. I find the company behind the times is excellent.

Happy Valentine's day to the three of you and happy movie watching.

Anonymous said...

War of the Roses
:)

Okay...maybe not.

This year we gave our valentine's out in an odd way. We sent our congress critters and other politicos a message this week:

Let Love Prevail.

(((((IVG)))))))

Larry Kollar said...

Happy VD to you and Fernymoss (and Hanna)!!!

Shady Gardener said...

Hi IVG! Thank you for the Valentine greeting. I'm sorry I'm late! Somehow I have continued to harbor a fondness for this holiday (probably because I've not only had my own children but taught 2nd graders for quite awhile!) ;-)

YOU had a lot more snow than we did this past weekend. Ours turned rather trecherous on the road, but it has nearly melted away already!

Iowa Victory Gardener said...

Hi Coneflower,
Did you see where the one in NYC bit Mayor Bloomberg? That'll serve him right for waving an ear of dried corn at him!

Glad you liked the video, and I did get more shots of the coneflower heads in a couple of the others I took.

We had a nice day... stuck around home and putzed, then started watching first season episodes of Pushing Daisies then watched No Country for Old Men after all... that's one intense and gripping film!

Iowa Victory Gardener said...

Hey Janet,
I should get back into bugging some of mine too... I can't stand Blue Dog Boswell, and wish he had lost his primary to the good guy last June. I want him out and wrote in his primary opponent when I voted in Nov.

Hope you had a warm, love filled day at your house!

Iowa Victory Gardener said...

Hey FAR,
Right backatcha and you and yours! Hope Mrs. Fetched didn't keep you too busy this weekend!

Iowa Victory Gardener said...

Hi Shady!
No worries on being late, virtual holidays last forever! :-) Hope you liked the card I dug up ... Fernymoss thought that a bit odd, but I was sucked in by it being a Jack Russell Terrier of course....

Yeah, we did get a load of snow with this storm and looks like more on the way Tues night into Wed too! Yuck... we've had way too much of this stuff!

boran2 said...

Happy belated VD!

Iowa Victory Gardener said...

Hey B2,
Thanks! Hope you and B2 family had a nice, sweet holiday as well!

Annie in Austin said...

Glad you had a good, though snowy, Valentine's Day, IVG & Fernymoss.

On the movies, have to say that although I stuck it out to the end, No Country for Old Men seemed interminable as was There Will Be Blood. The ads make Burn After Reading sound like a zany comedy which can disappoint people expecting witty repartee between Clooney & Pitt.
The Cohens say it's about being middle-aged, stupid, and insiders in bureaucracies. The comedy is very dark.

Once or twice we've caught all five nominees by the time of the awards, but we've only seen a few of what's up for this year.

It was a delight to see Javier Bardem sans helmet-hair in Vicky Cristina Barcelona and Slumdog Millionaire was amazing. Richard Jenkins was wonderful in The Visitor as was Robert Downey Jr in Tropic Thunder. Didn't see Benjamin Button, did see WALL-E, and Philo watched Encounters At the End of the World. I liked the Dark Knight but can't help thinking Heath Ledger was channeling Jack Lemmon in Some Like It Hot!

Do try to get to Slumdog Millionaire while it's on the big screen.

Hope your garden is gathering strength as it dreams under the crystal white blanket.

Annie at the Transplantable Rose

Mr. McGregor's Daughter said...

I hope you're over the snowfall. I'm sure we didn't have nearly that much and most of it was melted when we got back from Florida on Monday. But there's more on the way. That's life around here.
I must make a plug for one film up for an award this year (I can't remember which award), "Ironman." It's a superhero movie for grownups. The hero is middleaged and has commitment problems. Robert Downey, Jr., was perfect in that role. Very fun movie.

Gail said...

Hi IVG, I have no idea where I have been but I wanted to stop by and see how you all are doing? How are you doing?

We get a little warm weather I go outside and then fall asleep at 7PM! Keeping up with everything is getting nearly impossible.

Wow on the Feb 13th past! It has been years since we have seen a snow fall like that and wow on your recent storms! I hope you are keeping safe and warm. We are having the most bizarre weather...it is 65 degrees with winds that have blown the new gate off its hinges and tomorrow will see temps around 18 degrees. Whining again! Sorry;-)

Give Ms Hannah a sweet pat and say hello to Fernymoss....I hope you are going to Spring Fling! I will be there and do want to see you both!

Gail

Iowa Victory Gardener said...

Hi Annie!
Yes, it was a nice day, and since we got the new home theatre system set up Friday night, the movie viewing was even more fun! I guess I kind of like the Coens' languid pacing of the film, because to me it drew out the tension of the whole cat-mouse predator-prey dynamic at play in the story. Haven't seen There Will Be Blood yet, but I recorded it on the DVR. P.T. Anderson is one of those directors I'll give a lot of leeway since he likes to do the whole epic ensembles, but I'll let you know when I've watched it and weighed in.

I like the idea of a black comedy about middle-aged stupid insiders ... we'll get around to it eventually! You've seen a lot more of the films than we have, but with work the way it has been the past several months, I've just not had the time. But I did allow myself a quick mini marathon of Pushing Daisies season 1 on Saturdy too... I love that episode called "Bitches" (about the dog breeders), but it's all brilliant. Thanks again for the tip off way back when...

The "crystal white blanket" has melted and refrozen a bit and is now a lot of patches of nasty ice. Spring can't come soon enough!

Iowa Victory Gardener said...

Hi MMD,
You're lucky you missed this one, but I don't think it had quite the punch by the time it made it over your way.

Thanks for the tip on Ironman ... we've been wanting to see that based on reviews from critics and friends ... that Robert Downey Jr. is a remarkable, if a bit troubled, actor and it did look like a lot of fun. (This from a fan of Transformer!)

Iowa Victory Gardener said...

Hi Gail!
We're doing fine, despite another round of cold, snow and colds here (we both came down with one last week). I've been envious of you being able to get out lately and finding such lovely blooms already in your garden! Soon, I hope, we'll have our own to share and brag about. :-)

That wasn't even that big a snow, relatively speaking, but being so sick of it as we are, it was a bit depressing. It's very windy and cold here tonight too ... no highs in the 60's for us for some time soon. Maybe we'll get up to 32 this weekend!

Hanna sends a wiggly wag and some puppy kisses your way!

oakleyses said...

iphone 6s plus cases, nike trainers uk, mont blanc pens, herve leger, new balance shoes, chi flat iron, nike huaraches, bottega veneta, soccer jerseys, iphone 6 plus cases, p90x workout, oakley, wedding dresses, lululemon, timberland boots, mcm handbags, louboutin, vans outlet, instyler, ralph lauren, north face outlet, hollister clothing, abercrombie and fitch, asics running shoes, iphone 6s cases, iphone cases, mac cosmetics, babyliss, iphone 5s cases, valentino shoes, nfl jerseys, jimmy choo outlet, soccer shoes, north face outlet, longchamp uk, giuseppe zanotti outlet, hermes belt, iphone 6 cases, baseball bats, insanity workout, reebok outlet, s6 case, ipad cases, celine handbags, hollister, beats by dre, ghd hair, nike roshe run, ferragamo shoes, nike air max