The Hamptons

Well hello peoples. It's been a bit too long since I've written, so shame on me for not keeping my New Year's resolution. But that doesn't mean I'm throwing the towel in! I'm back on the wagon. And to start things off, I thought I'd inform you of my current situation. I am a nanny for two French children in Bridgehampton, Long Island, New York. The oldest is a girl, Marguerite who is 10 and a bit ridiculous but very bright. The boy, Achille, is 5 and also a bit difficult but cracks me up to no end. Mimi (Marguerite) has very good English and Aki (Achille) is coming along. His favorite thing to say is, "Hey baby."

Photo by M. Worthen (Aki at Uncle Oliver's Pool)

So here I am. In the Hamptons. At the pool everyday, playing with children, learning French, teaching them English... I miss Washington, but I am definitely NOT complaining. À toute à l'heure!

Chart Notes: Geriatrically Punked

Every once in a while, I have the opportunity to help the patients in the back. And every once in a while, the patients play tricks on me. "But aren't most of them old?" you may ask. Yes. Yes they are. Especially on Mondays and Tuesdays. Today was extra special, however. I took a patient in the back and got him situated in his chair. We'll call him... Bud. Normally I'll remove their socks and shoes (stay with me - don't get grossed out) and talk with them for a bit. Well Bud took off his right shoe before I had a chance. Spry, that one. However, he left his left shoe on. So I asked him if we were just looking at the right foot or if we were taking care of both today. He says, "Actually yes. I could use a trim on that one, too." So as I start untying his shoe he pulls up his pant leg slowly. Getting fresh? No. Pranking me? Absolutely. He didn't have a leg! I was blushing and he was laughing. Heartily. J Oh Bud. Thank you. I needed that. Good times...

Behind Schedule...

Hola. In case you haven't noticed, I am EXTREMELY behind schedule. I have about 4 posts that are hiding because they aren't quite done. In the meantime, enjoy this story my sissy shared with me. Of course it was a forward via email so you've probably read it, heard it, or told it before. Ah well. Enjoy it anyhow. Or else!

Two little boys, ages 8 and 10, were excessively mischievous. They were always getting into trouble and theirparents knew all about it. If any mischief occurred in their town, the two boys were probably involved.

The boys' mother heard that a preacher in town had been successful in disciplining children, so she asked if he would speak with her boys. The preacher agreed, but he asked to see them individually. So the mother sent the 8 year old first, in the morning, with the older boy to see the preacher in the afternoon.

The preacher, a huge man with a booming voice, sat the younger boy down and asked him sternly, 'Do you know where God is, son?'

The boy's mouth dropped open, but he made no response, sitting there wide-eyed with his mouth hanging open. So the preacher repeated the question in an even sterner tone, 'Where is God?'

Again, the boy made no attempt to answer. The preacher raised his voice even more and shook his finger in the boy's face and bellowed, 'Where is God?!'

The boy screamed and bolted from the room, ran directly home and dove into his closet, slamming the door behind him. When his older brother found him in the closet, he asked, 'What happened?'

The younger brother, gasping for breath, replied, 'We are in BIG trouble this time,'

'GOD is missing, and they think we did it!'

The end.

Love,

Megan.

Prince of Persia

This may be one of the shortest blogs I've ever done... I got to see this in yet another prescreening in Seattle. I went by myself and I loved it. :) It was a lovely date. Just me and Mr. Gyllenhaal. (And all of the other people there, too.)

One of my current mentors who has no idea...

Sorry if any of my readers thinks I am referring to them. I am not. I am, however, referring to Ingrid Michaelson. She is an amazing singer song-writer and I adore her and her work. Every time I think I come up with something good she releases an album ten times better. :) Which I am completely okay with considering she is so ridiculously talented. Click on the link ("Locked Up" below) and you'll see exactly what I mean. (It's only 4 minutes 26 seconds.)

Anyhow, I thought it was about time I shared with you what I hope to do someday. Maybe even in Germany...

My current favorite song - Locked Up by Ingrid Michaelson.

Have I mentioned that I love her?

Chart Notes: My Milkshake

It has been said that my milkshake brings all the boys to the yard, but today a patient brought me my milkshake. Literally. I don't know if any of you are familiar with Don's Drive-In in Puyallup near the fairgrounds, but one of my patients today was late and we weren't able to see her for another hour. So she said she was going to Don's and asked if we wanted anything. Naturally we said no and then I mentioned that when I was little they used to make these awesome butterscotch milkshakes. Well when my patient came back she had gotten me my milkshake! Thank you lovely woman! Sadly it was not as brilliant as I remembered it, but in this case it was definitely the thought that counted more than anything else. Hooray for strangers loving strangers. Cheers.

Robin Hood

First of all, I love Robin Hood. I love shooting a bow and arrow. I love reciting lines from most Robin Hood movies or tv shows. I am a fan. So when I saw there was a prescreening for the new Robin Hood, I had to try and see it. Even if I had no tickets.

Danny, Jordan, and I knew full well that the chances of us getting in were slim. So we left earlier than we ever have. So early in fact, that when we arrived the line that normally forms out front made up of the general public was relatively short. I went in and saw no moderators, no press sign-in chicas, no prescreening nazis anywhere. So I simply went up to one of the theatre workers and said, "Hi. I'm here for the 7pm screening of Robin Hood. Where are we?" She kindly obliged and told me which theatre I would be in. I summoned Danny and Jordan and just like that we ascended the escalator within the AMC. We arrived at the theatre only to find that the credits for Nightmare on Elm Street were still rolling. So we waited outside with a couple of random people who turned out to be junior olympic archers and the people from 106.1 FM waiting to set up inside. And when they went in, so did we. Our seats were prime.

It was no Gladiator, but Ridley Scott did a pretty fantastic job with this film. Be forewarned, though. This is not a retelling of the legend most of us know from either Errol Flynn, Disney, Costner/Rickman, or BBC-America. This is before all of that. In a nutshell, how he became who he is. NOT him as Robin of the Hood. There are major discrepancies between this telling and all others that I'm remotely familiar with. For example, King Richard is a bit of a tard. Not endearing in the least. And Marion... well, I can't really go into that without revealing rather pertinent things in the plot. However, Cate and Russell did amazing. Loved them both. I also approve of the guy who played Prince John. He was over the top and ridiculous but it worked. "This is my first time in war... I'll lead!!" And there will be times where you will feel like the legend is being completely rewritten: people you're used to hating you will worry you are about to like and vice versa. Just remember that this is before the robbing-from-the-rich-to-feed-the-poor out-law came to be exactly that. On a side note, something that caught me off guard was Matthew Macfadyen. He played the all entirely too grodie Sheriff of Nottingham. Seriously, my skin felt like it was crawling every time I saw him. I completely fell in love with him as Mr. Darcy in the recent Pride & Prejudice with Keira Knightley (ooo, Knightley is the guy from Emma! But I digress...); and so to see him as this yokel - well. Well done to him and the makeup department. It took me a minute or two to even recognize him.

All in all I really liked the movie. Loved it, in fact. And the shot where Robin releases his arrow and you see the blood pouring over his eye through the bow and the string... mm! SO good. Seriously. There are just some priceless moments. Interestingly enough, Robin does not have many lines. But I appreciate the honesty that Russell Crowe brings to this role and any other I've seen him in for that matter. And Cate Blanchett? Fierce as Marion. She amazes me as an actress and what girl can't help but look up to Marion? I love you, Marion. (That phrase means so much more now...) I cannot, however, give the movie full marks and here is why. Like I said about Iron Man 2, it could have been tighter, could have flowed a little better. By the end you are sucked in, but it took a little bit to get there. Also, the underlying "information" seemed rather skeletal. It felt like there were a lot of deleted scenes. But I guess I'll just have to wait to buy it when it comes out with all its features to discover if I'm right, won't I? So I give Robin Hood 4 out of 5 fancy feathered arrows. And no, Whitney. There are no snakes. Just awesomeness.

Release Date: 14 May 2010

Seen: 11 May 2010