The 12 Movies of Christmas

My favorite movie, of all time, is Home Alone.

Not my favorite “Christmas” movie…my favorite movie…of all time.  You know, the one with Macaulay Caulkin, the robbers, and the house full of Mousetrap-like inventions?  Yep.  That one.  It’s held the title of my #1 Film, for many years now, beating out tough competitors like Shawshank Redemption, Hook and Clue.

I don’t place Home Alone at the top of my film queue for cinematic reasons.  No actors merited any Oscar Awards for their performances, and the only Oscar Nomination went to composer John Williams (and very rightly so).  It doesn’t stand amongst films like Braveheart, Memoirs of a Geisha, or Saving Private Ryan, but it does possess an immense amount of nostalgia for me.

Home Alone, for me, became the movie to watch during the Christmas season.  It was amongst the first movies I saw in theatres, and it eventually found a very special place in the life of my family.  Every year, we’d get so excited to pull it out of its VHS case (still have it), and even though the years took their toll on the video cassette, we didn’t seem to mind the faded color or distorted sound.  The lights would dim, the 21st Century Fox anthem would ring out, and the opening title would float into my ears, making me remember Christmases of ages past.

It’s a “quotable movie” for me.  I have a few that I can confidently sit down with and, word for word, re-enact the whole film.  My favorite scenes in the film are the ones which evoke memories of laughter with my family.  No Christmas season is complete without a viewing of Home Alone (and, Home Alone 2, while we’re at it).

And there’s that line…

In the world of blogging, there is always a tricky line which we bloggers must choose a side on….

Pick a side...

Uncle Lewis: Do you mean choosing whether or not you’ll post nudie photos from last year’s Christmas party??  When you drank too much eggnog and lost your Depends?  ‘Cause I definitely know which side of that line I’m on!

Uncle Lewis, put down that 5th can of Yuengling!  You’re cut off for the night!  I will make you sleep on the couch again!

I, of course, was not talking about the nudity line, much to Uncle Lewis’ chagrin.  I was, in fact, referencing the delicate line of anonymity which exists in the blogging world…a line which inevitably forces all bloggers to answer the question:  will I or won’t I keep my blog a secret?

I have been commandeering the Captain’s Chair here at Miracle on 32nd Street for over a month now, and have upheld the decision to keep my blog private from friends and family members, save two people.  No one outside of these two people has any knowledge of my blog, my writing, or my RAC quest.  Trust me, it has been a decision that I’ve continually pondered over and over again.

I can obviously see the beauty of telling everyone  and anyone you know: site stats sky rocket, you have more comments than you know what to do with, and you receive recognition from those closest to you.  There have been many a web-browsing session where my mouse cursor lingered slightly longer over my Facebook status box.  It would be so easy to tell EVERYONE about my blog, I thought.  Just a few swift keystrokes, a mouse click, and boom…instant publicity.  Tempting, ain’t it?

Ohhh, Andy...

Harry Potter and the Box of Kleenex

What a week it’s been!  Thanksgiving-Palooza ran for a successful 5 posts, I elaborately Christmas-ized my apartment, saw a terrific Straight No Chaser concert, had a meet-and-greet with cold December pavement, and…drumroll, please…

I finally saw Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows:  Part 1!

I’ve been a fan of Harry Potter since 10th grade, when I spent an entire summer reading books 1-4 and falling head over heels for the fictional world of Hogwarts and its cast of characters.  I’ve read every book in the series, viewed every film adaption, memorized every film score (thank you, John Williams et al), and I even am the owner of a Platform 9 3/4 sign.  To sum up:  I’m a huge fan.

I could wax for hours on how much ass the movie kicked, but I’ll be succinct with my thoughts.  I found myself holding my breath for the first 15 minutes of the movie.  I was mesmerized for 2 1/2 hours, and never ONCE got bored. There are such deliciously wonderful actors in this movie, and it has been a real treat seeing them bring to life their fictional counterparts.  I was brought to tears several times throughout the movie, and I don’t feel the least bit embarrassed mentioning that fact here!  I loved the movie so much that I would gladly see it again in theatres, a statement I don’t utter often.  Deathly Hallows:  Part 1 really raised the bar for the Potter movie series, and I am ecstatic for the conclusion of the movie in July.

I shan’t tarry any longer on Potter talk.  So, grab my hand, and we’ll disapparate over to RAC Land…

Thursday, you didn’t do right by me…

Thursday, you done did me wrong…

Ohhh, Andy....

To say that my Thursday took a dump on my week would be an understatement.  My Thursday left me on the curb with nothing but my blankie, a luke-warm bottle of milk, and a sign that says “Free to a good home.”  My Thursday betrayed and left me on the battlefield, heartbroken, blue-faced, and in a kilt.

LOUD NOISES!

To sum up:  Thursday Lando Calrissian’ed my ass…

NOT how my Thursday went down...

It just wasn’t a good day, for many, many reasons.  I woke up feeling blue.  I had to deal with snarky girls in school.   I nearly got kicked out of my church choir.  My hysterical crying made my mascara run and transformed me into a raccoon.  I didn’t have time for dinner.  And to top it all off, my dog peed on my pajama bottoms.

You're lucky you're cute, Piss Dog.