My Bucket List

Everyone should have a bucket list. When I was a little girl I dreamed of being a lawyer. I have no idea why. That dream changed, and I decided I wanted to be an F.B.I. agent. Then I went to college and decided I wanted to be a forensic serologist. Basically I wanted to spend all day at crime scenes looking at, and analyzing blood. I know it sounds like a weird job, but I really thought I could be good at it. After I had to drop out of college, I decided that maybe I should try something different. I still have no idea what to do with my life. The way I look at it is, I will live one day at a time. What if I wake up tomorrow and I am 75? Because, Life does go by that fast. If I wake up tomorrow and I am 75, will I be able to say I actually lived a full life? So I have in my head a list of things I want to do more than anything else. I had to set realistic goals. I can't possibly dream outside of my budget, or my physical abilities. Obviously I will never be a super model, or olympic figure skater or anything like that. There is still time for me to be able to do these things. I am only 29 and I have the 2 things I need the most to achieve my goals. 1. Determination, and 2. Support from my friends and family.
So without further ado, here is my list. These are things that I will accomplish before I am 75!! no doubt in my mind. It is in no particular order after no.1! No.1 is no.1 for a reason!

1. See the fireworks on the 4th of July in our nations capital.
   As many of you know, I have already done this. I only live 2 hours from Washington, DC, however it took me 10 years to be able to go there on the 4th of July. I always made up an excuse to not go. I figured it would be too hot for me (which for the record, it was and I nearly died). I knew there would be a lot of people and I don't do well with large crowds of people. (There were like 500,000 people in a space meant for like 100,000, so you figure out if there were some boundary issues.) In the end I told myself that no person as patriotic as myself, who lives this close to our nation's capital, should miss this opportunity. I am more than glad that I did it, and it was one of the most amazingly patriotic days of my life, hands down.

2. Take a photography class (this is the beginning of a theme you will see)
   It's simple really: I love pictures. I would love to be able to take a picture that takes a person's breath away. I look at Ansel Adams' work and it is amazing. This item will be harder to do since a good camera isn't exactly cheap and neither is a photography class. I will do it some day though.

3. Take a cooking class (told ya there was a theme)
   I know how to cook. I know how to bake. I know how to do these two things because I know how to read a recipe. What I don't know how to do is create a meal. I want to be able to look at a bunch of different ingredients and see a meal, not just a bunch of ingredients. I sometimes make up meals for myself and even though I think they are great, I want other people to try them and think they are great as well.

4. Take a Tap Class (a work in progress, more on this in another upcoming blog)

5. Go Skydiving
    This is a far off item on the list. I figure I should actually, literally live a little before I attempt this. After all, a person with my history of head injuries, may not want to jump out a plane without having done a few other things on their bucket list first.

6. Get a patriotic tattoo somewhere on my body
   I am hoping to have this one done by the end of next year. I have yet to find "the one". I have been looking for awhile now and I know I will know it when I see it. I am thinking about getting the sheet music for the Star Spangled Banner tattooed on the top of my foot.....

This is all I have so far. I will add to the list as I think of things. I have a lot of living to do, so as I cross things off the list, I will add more things to it.  Love you all! Thanks for reading if you made it this far...........

From 15 to 20, YIKES!!!!!!

This is a blog that will probably bore my 11 readers to death. I am going to try and make it as entertaining as possible. I started out wanting to write about my top 10 favorite movies of all time. I couldn't get the list down to 15, let alone 10, so I decided on 20. These movies are not all considered to be "good" movies, and some of them wouldn't make AFI's top 100, if their movie lives depended on it. These movies are MY favorites!!! They are movies that you would never want to watch with me. Why? It's simple really, I know them by heart and can not stop myself from quoting them while watching them. So without further Ado, here is my list, in no particular order.

1. Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961)
Starring: Audrey Hepburn and George Peppard (AKA Hannibal from The A-Team)

My favorite quote: "He's all right! Aren't you, cat? Poor cat! Poor slob! Poor slob without a name! The way I see it I haven't got the right to give him one. We don't belong to each other. We just took up one day by the river. I don't want to own anything until I find a place where me and things go together. I'm not sure where that is but I know what it is like."

I don't know what it is about this movie, but I absolutely adore it. I know most people would consider it to be a classic, but I like it because it was short, sweet, and to the point. Audrey Hepburn is so amazing and innocent, yet not so innocent, in this movie! How could you not like it?? Plus Hannibal is in it and he is so freaking cute, it's almost unbearable.

2. You Can't Take It With You (1938)
Starring: Jean Arthur, Lionel Barrymore, James Stewart, Edward Arnold

Favorite Quote:  Way too many to put in a blog

The reason why I can't pick a favorite quote from this movie is simple; The entire script is my favorite quote! Just watch it, trust me, you'll love it. I know its extremely dated, but the message holds true even in today's greedy society, You Cant Take It With You! Quite honestly if I absolutely, positively, had to pick a number 1 favorite movie of all time, this would probably be it. If you decide to watch it make sure you keep in mind that the movie was made in 1938!

3. Oklahoma (1955)
Starring: Shirley Jones, Gordan MacRae

Favorite Song: I'm just a girl who can't say no

When it comes to musicals, you cant have a favorite quote, it has to be song, right?? Anyway, when I was younger, my mom and I would sit and watch musicals together. She is the reason I can't get enough of them. Even now, when I flip through the channels, I always stop on TCM or AMC just to see if a musical is on. I will always have a special place in my heart for such movies, because they remind me of time well spent with my mom. As I got older, mom took me to see musicals on stage! Oklahoma has been my favorite musical since I was very little, so it makes the list for sure. I do not recommend this movie to everyone who reads this blog. (i.e. my husband, who wouldn't be caught dead watching a musical anyway!)

4. The Breakfast Club (1985)
Starring: Molly Ringwald, Emilio Estevez, Anthony Michael Hall, Judd Nelson

Favorite Quote: "Screws fall out all the time, the world is an imperfect place" -John Bender

I don't really need to explain why this movie is on my list. I am sure that all 11 of my readers love this movie just as much as I do and can probably say every line in it, as I can! This movie is actually special to me for a different reason. This movie is one of the movies that me and my older brother watched together. Over and over and over again. We both know it by heart and we both loved it every time we watched it. This move, like, You Cant Take It With You, is dated, but still relevant. There have even been great debates about a possible remake, and who would play each character. The great thing about these types of movies, is the fact that the message still holds true. We are all different, but only on the outside. On the inside we are all human and all have human feelings and emotions. It's Cheesy! It's Cliche! It's TRUE!!!

5. Say Anything (1989)
Starring: John Cusack, Ione Skye, John Mahoney

Favorite Quote: "I gave her my heart and she gave me a pen."-Lloyd Dobbler

This movie made the song "In your Eyes," by Peter Gabriel famous. Most people know this movie from the scene where Lloyd is standing in the rain with his boom box over his head, blaring the afor mentioned song towards Diane's window. Basically, this movie rocks because John Cusack was born to play Lloyd Dobbler. The innocence, naivety, and vulnerability of Cusack in this movie, make this character on of my favorite heroes of all time. Yes, I said hero! He saves his love interest and at the same time saves himself. if you don't see that, then you need to watch the movie again.
Side Bar: I believe this to be Cameron Crowe's best movie. I know he brought us Almost Famous and Jerry Macguire, but this movie also had The Pivs (aka Jeremy Piven)

6. Some Kind of Wonderful (1987)
Starring: Eric Stoltz, Mary Stuart Masterson, and Leah Thompson

Favorite Quote: "you can't judge a book by it's cover."-Keith  "No, but you can tell how much it's gonna cost."-Watts

Most "chick flicks" focus on the girl who wants the guy, and her journey to get him. Some Kind of Wonderful focus' more on the guy and his journey to realize the girl he wants has been in front of him all along. Leah Thompson although beautiful at the time, was nowhere near as hot as tomboy Mary Stuart Masterson, in my opinion. I loved Masterson in this movie and I still cry when Keith gives Watts the earrings at the end and says, "you look good wearing my future."

7.  A Few Good Men (1992)
Starring: Tom Cruise, Demi Moore, Jack Nicholson, Kevin Bacon, Kevin Pollak, Kiefer Sutherland

Favorite Quote: "Why does a Lieutenant Junior Grade with nine months' experience and a track record for plea bargaining get assigned to a murder case? Would it be so it never sees the inside of a courtroom?"-Kaffee

This movie should have won some Oscars, but unfortunately came out the same year as Clint Eastwood's Unforgiven. This is a movie that can never be remade and will forever be known as the movie where Jack Nicholson says, "you can't handle the truth." I am not in any way a huge Tom Cruise fan, but this movie has so much heart and depth, that you can't help but like him in it. The casting in this movie is unbelievable and in this movie alone, you can link Kevin Bacon to 500 different actors. If you haven't seen this movie, I recommend you watch it. It is on TNT or some other cable network at least once a week, but I wouldn't suggest you watch it on cable the first time you see it. (this is one of maybe 2 movies on the list that my husband will not have a smart comment about BTW)

8. The Rock (1996)
Starring: Nicholas Cage, Sean Connery

Favorite Quote: "We are on an island with a bunch of violence for pleasure seeking psychopathic Marines! Shame on them!!!"

Mmmmmm Sean Connery!! I saw this movie for the first time with one of my best friends, Margot. She and I loved this movie so much that we literally watched it a hundred times together, and that probably isn't a made up number. We literally watched it every time we stayed at each other's house for like 3 years straight. Or so it seems..... I doubt Margot will read this, but I am sure she would agree with me. I remember laughing hysterically through out the whole movie. This is a movie that you really don't want to watch with me. Of all the movies on the list, besides The Breakfast Club, I know this one line for line....... I still need to watch it with my friend Sean Kerin, so he can see how truly awesome it is, even if Nicholas Cage is one of the main stars!!!

9. Dirty Dancing (1987)
Starring: Patrick Swayze (RIP), Jennifer Grey, Jerry Orbach (RIP)

Favorite Quote: "I carried a watermelon."

Oh Johnny Castle, how do I love thee? This movie made a million girls fall in love with Patrick Swayze! I am not ashamed to admit I was one of them. In fact I had such a thing for "The Swayz", that I named my cat "Ditto" after a line in the movie Ghost! This movie definitely puts all those other "dance" movies to shame. I love this movie because not only does it tell a story, but it also lets you believe you are a part of the story. Also highly recommended is the soundtrack!!!

10. Road House (1989)
Starring: Patrick Swayze, Kelly Lynch, Sam Elliot

Favorite quote: "All you have to do is follow three simple rules. One, never underestimate your opponent. Expect the unexpected. Two, take it outside. Never start anything inside the bar unless it's absolutely necessary. And three, be nice."-Dalton

I figured since no.9 was Dirty Dancing, no.10 could be Road House. I am not gonna lie, this movie makes me happy EVERY time I see it. When the beginning credits start, my heart starts racing. I was torn between which movie is the best "b" movie of all time; Road House or Big Trouble in Little China??? For my money, it's Road House! If nothing else, you get a nice shot of Patrick Swayze's butt, you get to see Sam Elliot in all his glory, and you get to see "the Swayz" kick some serious ass. For what it's worth Sam Elliot is one hot older guy, in my opinion and has the sexiest voice EVER!!!! This movie has so many awesome quotes and one liners, it is hard to watch it without memorizing it.
Side bar: Patrick Swayze movies that should be on the list but aren't.
Red Dawn
The Outsiders (I was so torn about putting this one on the main list)
Next of Kin
Ghost
Point Break ("Utah? Bring me 2')
Youngblood
To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar (Patrick Swayze plays a drag queen suprisingly well, as does Wesley Snipes.)

11. A League of Their Own (1992) (I really don't have any movies on here past like 1996.)
Starring: Genna Davis, Tom Hanks, Lori Petty, Madonna, Rosie O'Donnell (annoying lesbian crusader), John Lovitz, Bill Pullman

Favorite Quote: "Hey Cow girls, see the grass? Don't eat it!"-Ernie Capadino

I saw this movie in the theatre with my friend Margot, and her family. It is one of those movies that puts you through an emotional ringer. I cried, I laughed, I was angry, but most of all, I never forgot this movie. There were many Tom Hanks movies that I had to choose from. Forrest Gump and Big very nearly made the list. If you like sports movies, then you will love this movie!

12. What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1993)
Starring: Johnny Depp, Leonardo Dicaprio, Juliette Lewis, Mary Steenburgen

Favorite Moment: "Gilbert: I want Momma to take aerobics classes. I want Ellen to grow up. I want a new brain for Arnie. I want...


Becky: What do you want for you? Just for you?

Gilbert: I want to be a good person.

Before Titanic made him a huge star, What's Eating Gilbert Grape earned Leo an Oscar nom. For my money this is the role for which Leo should have won an Oscar. When I worked at Circuit City (RIP), people would come up to me and ask for "The movie with the little retarded boy and Johnny Depp". Now granted, I live in BFE VA, and most of these people are not that intelligent, but still, Leo was totally believable as a person with special needs. Not to take away from the fact that Johnny Depp plays an awesome role as Gilbert Grape, but Leo obviously steals the show. This movie is slightly depressing to watch and even I have to be in a special mood to watch it, but it is worth the time if you have never seen it.


13. Sleeping Beauty (1959) (Disney)
Voiced by: Mary Costa

Favorite Song: Once upon a Dream


As far as Disney movies go, I am an addict. I have to own them the minute they are out on DVD! Sleeping Beauty is my favorite and I have not found a kids movie that I like more, yet. A close 2nd place goes to The Sword in the Stone, mainly because I love the story of King Arthur!! Sleeping Beauty for some reason, is one of those movies that I never get sick of and the 3 fairies crack me up every time. The scene where they are trying to decide what color to make Aurora's dress, is a scene that always makes me happy. I am sure this makes me a weirdo, but I don't care!!!

14. The Goonies (1985)
Starring: Sean Astin, Josh Brolin, Corey Feldman, Jeff Cohan (aka Chunk and he is hot now ladies), Kerry Green, and Martha Plimpton

Favorite Quote: "Everything. OK! I'll talk! In third grade, I cheated on my history exam. In fourth grade, I stole my uncle Max's toupee and I glued it on my face when I was Moses in my Hebrew School play. In fifth grade, I knocked my sister Edie down the stairs and I blamed it on the dog... When my mom sent me to the summer camp for fat kids and then they served lunch I got nuts and I pigged out and they kicked me out... But the worst thing I ever done - I mixed a pot of fake puke at home and then I went to this movie theater, hid the puke in my jacket, climbed up to the balcony and then, t-t-then, I made a noise like this: hua-hua-hua-huaaaaaaa - and then I dumped it over the side, all over the people in the audience. And then, this was horrible, all the people started getting sick and throwing up all over each other. I never felt so bad in my entire life."-Chunk

I don't really need to say much about this movie. It has become such a classic, that AMC devoted a whole weekend to it on the 25th, yes 25th anniversary of it's release. I saw this movie for the first time at a drive in, and have been addicted ever since. One of these days I will be able to get my husband to watch it all the way through and not on basic cable!

15. Beverly Hills Cop (1984)
Starring: Eddie Murphy, Judge Reinhold, John Ashton
Favorite Quote: "We're not gonna fall for the banana in the tail pipe."

There were many cheesy campy cop movies I could have picked. I love this movie the most because I still laugh hysterically when Axel Foley meets Balcky from perfect strangers, and Axel's one liners never get old.
Side Bar: Cop Movies that almost made the cut
Tango & Cash
48 hours
Another 48 Hours (has my other favorite Eddie Murphy moment. When he is in the bar and Nick Nolte is getting his ass kicked, Eddie Murphy gets a gun from the bartender and says, "All right, knock this shit off! I HAVE BEEN HAVING A VERY BAD DAY! I just got out of jail this morning! Already I've been shot at, I was on a bus that flipped over seventeen times, bitch tried to stab me in the bathroom, and somebody blew up my Porsche! I am in a BAD goddamn mood! Now I usually don't step in on things like this, but this man Jack Cates is gonna help me straighten out the rest of my day! So I suggest you all back up, and let us go about our business!") hahaha makes me LOL big time!!!!!
To Live and Die in L.A.
Demolition Man

16. The Lost Boys (1987)
Starring: Corey Haim (RIP), Corey Feldman, Jason Patric, Kiefer Sutherland, Dianne Wiest, Jami Gertz

Favorite Line: "What about Nanook? What'd you do to my dog, you asshole?"

Before Twilight and True Blood came along and ruined my vampire fantasies, there were the Lost Boys. Two hot brothers fighting the evil vampires that stalk the boardwalk at night? Sign me up!! If one of them just so happens to turn into a vampire, that is fine with me. Add in Kiefer Sutherland's sexy night stalker self, and you have yourself a Niki day dream. This movie has so many great lines and was the first time "the Two Coreys" were seen together, it doesn't get much better than this movie.
Side Bar: "Two Corey" movies that nearly made the cut
License to Drive
Dream a Little Dream

17. Young Guns 1 and 2 (1988, 1990)
Starring: Emilio Estevez, Kiefer Sutherland, Lou Diamond Phillips, Charlie Sheen(part1), Christian Slater(part2), Durmot Mulroney(part1), Casey Siemaszko(part1), Terrence Stamp(part1), Jack Pallance(part1), William Peterson(part2), Balthazar Getty(part2), Jon Bon Jovie(uncredited part2), Viggo Mortensen(part2)

Favorite Quotes: "You can go to hell hell hell!" "Ill make you famous!" "It's your gang Dave."

What? It's my blog, if I want to combine 2 movies, then I will!! I love the story of Billy the Kid, and so I watched both of these movies with my brothers, multiple times growing up. The fact that all of the actors who I had crushes on were in the same movie, only added to my excitement. The second movie has one of the most underrated soundtracks, that people never talk about anymore. If you watch part 2 very closely you even get to see Jon Bon Jovi's cameo! He dies, but still, it's Bon Jovi!!!

18. Any River Phoenix movie

I liked him, A LOT!!! He was super talented and died way to young. His acting credits included: Stand by Me, The Mosquito Coast, Little Nikita, A Night in the life of Jimmy Reardon (of which I had a poster on my door for a very long time), Running on Empty, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (still my favorite Indiana Jones movie to date), My Own Private Idaho, and Sneakers. He was also nominated for an Oscar and a Golden Globe for his performance in Running on Empty. If you get the chance and are bored one day I would recommend any one of these movies. Running on Empty is a great choice any time!

19. Pump Up the Volume (1990)
Starring: Christian Slater, Samantha Mathis

Favorite Quote: "Talk hard, I like that. It's like a dirty thought in a nice clean mind"

This movie is not quite the cult classic as my runner up Christian Slater movie, Heathers, but it should be. Plus it's an Indie film that most Indie nuts havent even heard of, let alone seen. A movie about a bunch of kids rebelling against adults, by listening to the radio, has to be up there right? Wrong! The description sounds boring, but I promise you, this movie is anything but. Slater's radio name is Hard Harry. If that doesn't make you laugh out loud, I dont know what will.

Side Bar: Christian Slater movies that didn't make the cut
Gleaming the Cube (only cool people have heard of this movie)
The Name of the Rose
Heathers
The Wizard (yes Dave, I like this movie)
Mobsters (mmmm Richard Grieco)
Kuffs
True Romance
Untamed Heart
Murder in the First (such a good movie and Kevin Bacon is awesome in it)
Ok, so maybe I really like Christian Slater A LOT!!!!!

20. Seven (1995)
Starring: Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman, Kevin Spacey, Gwyneth Paltrow

Favorite Quote: "C'mon, he's insane. Look. Right now he's probably dancing around in his grandma's panties, yeah, rubbing himself in peanut butter."

You will find that I am not a Brad Pitt fan by any means. He is a little too pretty for my taste and I think he is a mediocre actor who usually lands good roles, in sometimes great movies. I thought he was outstanding in Troy. That movie nearly made my list, but as you can see from the dates of most of these movies, Troy was made too recently for my taste. hahaha! Seven is a movie that leaves you guessing the first time you see it, and rewatching it just to make sure what you just saw, REALLY HAPPENED. If you have never seen it, I wont give anything away, just know that this movie still gives me the creeps.
Side Bar: Other suspense type movies that nearly made the cut
Silence of The Lambs
The Usual Suspects
Pulp Fiction
Sleepers
Murder in the First

Well, that's my list. I am sure I will kick myself later for leaving some movies out. I just remembered how much I love the original Star Wars movies as well....dang it!! Just so you know, Tropic Thunder, Troy, and Iron Man, all almost made the list. Also, I was waivering on whether or not to include Top Gun. I decided against it because EVERYONE likes Top Gun and knows it by heart. or at least everyone cool, does!!