My Top 5 All-time Favorite Movies

Well...Hello!  It's been a while since I've added another Top 5 List to this blog.  On this day after Christmas, I find myself on the couch watching one of my all-time favorite movies (something I VERY, VERY rarely get to do) and I thought---blog post!

So here we go...I will stop dead and watch any of these movies if they 

happen to be on TV.

#5  Favorite Romantic Comedy-You've Got Mail.  Tom Hanks, Meg Ryan, Greg Kinnear-what's not to love!  "Oh, she's beautiful; but she's a pill!"  "What's with guys and The Godfather, hello?"  "I wanted it to be you so badly."  

 

#4   Favorite 80's Movie-Real Genius

I have come to realize that I've always been a geek/nerd.  I took computer programing in high school.  My dad had a Commodore 64 and I remember playing one of those text based games "You are lost in forrest and a troll jumps out at you. What do you do?"  I also remember writing computer programs using BASIC-I thought I was so cool when I got the Commodore to run an IF...THEN loop! Wow, I'm so nerdy! This movie just appeals to me.  I'd like to think that I'm like Chris Knight (Val Kilmer's character), nerdy but seriously overflowing with sarcastic cool-ness! (yea, I know...you don't have to say it.)  

Anyway, I love this movie-a goofy group of misfit geniuses are tricked into designing a secret military weapon by their college professor.  They win in the end by hacking the testing of this secret weapon and filling their college professor's house with popcorn!  You have the see the movie.  And I'd really like to know where they found Kent?  He's the guy you love to hate.  He's constantly tattling and getting everyone in trouble.

#3  Favorite John Hughes Movie-Pretty In Pink

Yes...I'm a product of the 80s.  What can I say?  Madonna's "Like A Virgin", neon everything, leg warmers, headbands, ugly shoes and in my opinion the BEST era for movies AND music!  

John Hughes was a genius at capturing that teen-age angst that we all felt!  Oh, the heartaches!  The crush on the beautiful Blane, ("His name is Blane? That's not a name-it's a major appliance!") and the faithful but goofy Duckie.  I love the ending where Andie tells her dad that she's going to the prom alone because she wants the "richies" to know that they didn't break her!  That's right Molly Ringwald, you go girl!!!!

 

#2 Favorite Musical-Grease 2

Now, I don't know if you'd really classify this one as a "true" musical, but I can sing EVERY single song in this movie! "I'm a cooo-ooool rider..." 

How can you not like Michelle Phiffer and her crush on the mysterious motorcycle rider dressed all in black?  Throw in the T-Birds and the Pink Ladies and you got yourself a darn good movie for a Saturday afternoon! Not to mention cuties like, Maxwell Caulfield and Adrian Zmed.

#1  Favorite Movie of All Time, you know the one I've seen a thousand times!  Casablanca.  Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Burgman meet, fall in love, separate and then meet again.  So romantic.  A movie that has it all: a little mystery (who is Rick, really?), romance, the struggle between what is right and what the heart wants (should Ilsa run away with Rick or stay with her husband, Victor Lazlo?)  iconic music and dialogue and triumph over the Nazis.  I love the scene where Lazlo gets the band in Rick's to play the French anthem, much to the disgust of the Nazis who are trying to party it up.  So defiant!  

An interesting fact about the actor (Conrad Veidt) who played top Nazi, Major Strasser; he was  NOT a supporter of the Nazi regime.  In fact, he was once detained by the Nazi's when he refused to turn down a certain movie roll in a British film.  He was trying to return to England when the Nazis declared him "ill and unable to travel".   A British studio had to come to his aid and with the help of the British government, secured his release.  Interesting, huh?

I love that the movie is in black and white.  To this day, I absolutely love black and white photographs.  It just wouldn't be the same if it were in color.  

Well, there you have it...my Top 5 all time favorite movies.

Top 5 Reasons I Love Channel Islands Harbor

#5. Family time. 
This is our favorite spot to go spend time as a family. Ed and I have been coming here to sit on these rocks FOREVER! Long before kids and weddings, we came here to chill, eat lunch and relax. 

#4. Being outside. 
This one speaks for itself.  Whether sitting on a rock or sitting inside a kayak...air, sun & wind. 

#3. Water. 
I love looking at the ocean. The color is slightly different every time we come-which is a lot!
Watching sea lions swim by skimming the surface then slipping under to catch a fish.  It is a rare gift when dolphins come into the harbor to chase mackerel or sardines. So cool. 

#2.  Watching my boys explore the sea life. They have found giant starfish, purple sea urchins, baby crabs, and of course catching all kinds of fish! The way their faces light up when they feel that tug on the fishing line-priceless. 

#1.  RELAX & UNPLUG
Sitting still. Eating. Feeling the sun on my back. Reading. Not being in charge-even if it's just for a few minutes.  Ahhhhhhhh. 

Top 5 Things I Want To Remember About This Summer

So, I am trying to make more of a point to stop and take a mental snapshot of those little moments of my life that I tend to shove into some cobweb infested corner of my brain never to be heard from again.   This post is a list of a few of those moments from the summer that I do not want to forget.

 #5 Benji
This is Benji. When I moved in to my dad's house last summer to help him recover from surgery, Benji started coming for visits. He was a big furry Maine Coon who saw nothing wrong with jumping up on the couch and make himself right at home.   He would come over and cuddle and talk to us, which made us all forget about the scariness of helping my dad recover.  We all fell in love with Benji!  He would be at the back door each morning waiting for breakfast.  He would curl up and take a nap with Jonah while I got ready for work.  In June, Benji was hit by a car.  We all (even my dad) miss him terribly.  Even though he belonged to someone else, we adored him all the same. Thank you Benji for getting us through a tough year.
   

#4 Our Trip to Monterey

I love, love, love Monterey.  I love the smell of the air, the Monterey Bay Aquarium, Cannery Row and seeing otters floating out in the water.  

#3 Motorhome Make-Over

When my In-Laws got a new motorhome several years ago, they handed down their old 1986 model to us.  It has needed a make-over for a LONG time.  It still had the same 80's beige curtains and carpet (ewwwwww).  I ripped out all the carpet and sewed new curtains and cushions and my husband installed Pergo flooring.  I have wanted to do this for years and it feels good that we FINALLY did it!  It looks so nice!   Rincon...here we come!

#2 I said "Good-Bye" to my good friend, Melinda

My partner-in-crime work friend retired in June and is moving back to Kentucky.  She was the first person I met when I was hired at my school 12 years ago.  We became instant friends and got into all kinds of trouble together!  Which means we always volunteered each other to do stuff at work, we cooked waffles and pancakes for our staff, did workshops together, worked on committees together and came up with the bright idea of the now infamous "Gingerbread Week" (inside joke).   She has wanted to move back to Kentucky to be with family for a while now, so I am happy for her; but at the same time, I am going to REALLY miss her. 

#1 I WENT TO GOOGLE!

Oh my goodness...I got to attend a training for teachers at the GooglePlex in Mountain View this summer!  It was awesome!  I loved being on the Google campus.  I was inspired by all the design elements that Google sprinkles inside and out of their facilities.  I'm going to try to use some of those ideas in my own classroom.   Oh yea, and it was great to learn about how to integrate Google Maps and Google Earth into my teaching (which was the whole point of going to Google).

My Summer Top 5

As much as I don't want to admit it...Summer is winding down.  (Nooooooooo!!!!!) 

So, I need to make my Top 5 Summer list before the craziness of the school year starts.

Jonah playing in the water spouts at The Collection

#5   " No Rush Policy"

I try really hard during the summer NOT to rush anywhere!

 I'm not always successful, but during the school year, we always seem to be on the go. 

 There never seems to be any down time.  During the summer, I try to take "mental snapshots" of those simple moments that are all too rare.

Jonah with a bat ray

#4  Trips
We don't go on many trips, but summer is definitely a good time to go somewhere.  Whether it's a camping trip or a trip to Monterey, it's so nice to go in the summer when we don't have to worry about getting back home with enough time to do all that goes on with getting ready for the work/school week.   You know what I mean...laundry, grocery shopping, etc.  Ugh!
I love being able to go somewhere and not have to worry about washing that "vacation" laundry till Wednesday or Thursday (heck...who am I kidding? Vaca laundry doesn't get washed until late August! Am I right? 
You know I am!)

Me and Isaiah in Monterey

Isaiah being 13   :(

#3 Thinking/Planning for school
I know this sounds weird, but I enjoy thinking about school during the summer.  
I like to spent time surfing Twitter, Pinterest and in general looking around for ideas and inspiration.   Without the time crunch of the school year, summer is a  nice time to play and look at stuff for my classroom.

#2 Going out to breakfast
I LOVE eating breakfast in a restaurant.  Anytime is good for me, but again, I think it's the "no rush" thing.  Summer just screams "Go out to breakfast!" to me.  
Breakfast is my favorite meal.  Waffles.  Pancakes.  Fresh fruit. BACON! and yes, you guessed it...Coffee!
Everyone can order what they want and I don't have to clean the mess!

#1  Coffee

I know...I've made 2 Top 5 lists and coffee has made both lists! 

Well, what can I say?

On my Summer list, coffee represents that moment in the morning when my boys are still asleep and 

Good Morning America is on the TV, and I can savor my cup of coffee and really enjoy the "quiet-ness" of the morning.

  

Why Top 5?

So...why did I call this blog "My Top 5", you ask? 

I don't really know, exactly.  I created this blog to have a place to record my thoughts, ideas, memories and whatever else is running amok in my head.  I'm finding that the busier my life becomes, the more I get caught up in those daily details that in the long run, mean very little.  I wanted to have a place to record the Top 5 Things that are of interest to me at any given moment. 

 I will apologize right off the bat--this blog will run the gamut of my professional thoughts and philosophies, my personal favorites as well as my pet peeves!   

So, let's get on with my very first "official" Top 5 list:

#5    Chocolate....(Duh!  I'm a teacher!)

And to be specific, Sees Scotchmallows are my absolute favorite!

#4    Rincon, California.

It's a motorhome campground in between Ventura and Carpinteria.  It is my favorite place to camp.  Summer or Winter, it doesn't matter.  To look outside the motorhome window and see dolphins chasing fish in the waves...there's no place better!

#3    Cats...Ok, I know. But crazy cat-lady jokes aside, I love cats.  They are the best animals.  Sleek, aloof, cuddly (when they want to be), and funny!

#2    This is another "DUH!" favorite...COFFEE!

Oh my gosh!  That first sip in the morning-how you can feel the warmth slowly

 radiate through your entire soul! Sorry, I got carried away.

It was kind of difficult to delegate coffee to the #2 spot, but when you see #1-it was the only choice.  (I can only imagine the amount of flack I would have gotten if I switched and made coffee my #1)

And, a drum roll please.....

my #1 favorite thing--

My family (of course)

My two boys and my husband.  

Simply said, without them life would be meaningless.