The Lucky One

When U.S. Marine Logan Thibault finds a photograph of a smiling young woman half-buried in the dirt during his third tour of duty in Iraq, his first instinct is to toss is aside. Instead he brings it back to the base for someone to claim, but when no one does, he finds himself always carrying the photo in his pocket. Soon Thibault experiences a sudden streak of luck, winning poker games and even surviving deadly combat that kills two of his closest buddies. Only his best friend, Victor, seems to have an explanation for his good fortune; the photograph- his lucky charm.
Back home in Colorado, Thibault can't seem to get the photo-and the woman in it-out of his mind. Believing that she somehow holds the key to his destiny, he sets out on a journey across the country to find her, never expecting the strong but vulnerable woman he encounters in Hampton, North Carolina-Elizabeth a divorced mother with a young son-to the girl he's been waiting his whole life to meet.
This was a page turner. Elizabeth has an ex-husband who is a conniving creep and I held my breath through the last pages!

This is so adorable

Since I didn't do anything this weekend, i have no new pictures to post. Brooke went off to Newfield's for the weekend to her friend's house. Gary worked Saturday and Sunday. It rained here all day yesterday so I thought it would be a perfect day to watch the Nora Robert's movie I had recorded. As I pressed Play, the TV screen turned a bright lime green and I could see no picture, although I could hear the voices. !$%&#?
I couldn't fix it so I had to wait for Gary to get home. After fiddling with it for an hour he unplugged the cable box and plugged it back in and lo and behold the picture came back on. Too late for me to watch my movie though, cause it's not something Gary or Brooke want to watch.

My Best Friend's Girl

This movie was absolutely hilarious. Dane Cook is really funny and crude as usual. And Kate Hudson and Jason Biggs are great. Lucky Brooke gets to go see Dane Cook at the Verizon Center in May.

High Tension

Students Marie and Alex have no idea of the horrors that await when they head off to a remote country home to study for their upcoming exams. When night fall, a psychopathic stranger attacks, tying up Alex and taking her away. It's up to Marie to save her friend- but first, she must figure out what is really going on.

Okay, so this was just plain pathetic. This did have a twist at the end but I think it was poorly done. This movie was an outrage to low budget slasher films. :) I am only going to give it one star, Gary would likely give it two stars because he got to see boobs for about 30 seconds.

Calling Mr. Lonely Hearts

Growing up, Roxanne, Del and Alice tested the limits of their friendship with cruel, and often dangerous, games- but they always knew they would be bound together forever. Now, Alice's marriage is over, and her husband is having a baby with another woman. Roxanne, and artist is consumed by her work, and is losing touch with her friends and perhaps reality. And Del is desperate to be a perfect wife and adoring stepmother, but her friends see that her careful facade is crumbling.
The instrument of their destruction is a single enigmatic man- Varick. He seems to be a lonely woman's dream come true, but where has he come from? And what does he want? As he seduces the women in turn, their lives become unrecognizable to them. Varick's secret lies buried in their shared past. One simple childish act has brought them, all these years later, to a place where not only their lives, but their souls are at risk. For once upon a time, the three of them agreed to tell a lie- one that ruined the life of a young priest. Defrocked, destitute, and ruined, he hoped with the whole of his shattered heart that he would get revenge. And in that hope he shook hands with the one who promised it. The devil himself. Now they all must live with the consequences.
I have to say, this was a creepy book. Not creepy as in it scared me, but creepy so I sometimes felt like I needed to take a shower after reading it. But, I am a nosy person and I had to finish it, and truthfully, near the end I couldn't put it down.

Twilight

Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) doesn't expect much when she moves to the small town of Forks, Washington, until she meets the mysterious and handsome Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson)- a boy who's hiding a dark secret: he's a vampire. As their worlds and hearts collide, Edward must battle the blood lust raging inside him as well as a coterie of undead that would make Bella their prey.

I read all the these books, and the movie certainly doesn't live up to the book, but it is really good nonetheless, a nice love story.

Star Bright

Faking her own death is the only way Rainie Hall can hope to escape her brutal, murderous husband. Now, with a new identity, she finds refuge in the rural community of Crystal Falls, Oregon, where she starts work on a horse ranch run by rugged, dangerously good-looking Parker Harrigan.
Parker's word is his honor, and he can't tolerate liars. When he realizes that Rainie hasn't been truthful with him, he's furious, then concerned. Clearly, she's a woman in trouble, and if she'll trust him, he'll do right by her. Parker swears to protect Rainie no matter what, but even he can't help wondering whether all his strength and ingenuity can save the love of his life from a determined psychopath...
I like me a good love story, and this was a good one. With all the mushy stuff and some action thrown in too. Reminded me of that movie with Julia Roberts....can't remember the name of it!

Sunday in Maine

Me and Brooke

Brooke

Waiting for Gary

Gary

Trying to stay warm in the sun

We went to Maine yesterday, there was no snow at the camp so we walked back to our camper to check on it. Gary found something that needed fixing so while he got his tools out Brooke and I played with the camera. It was supposed to be warm yesterday but the damn wind was COLD. That nixed walking on the beach so we went to Newick's and stuffed our faces with seafood instead. Gary's 47th birthday was Friday and since he worked until 8PM this was his birthday celebration. He had the baked seafood platter, Brooke had baked stuffed shrimp and I had coconut shrimp. Brooke and I also shared a clam chowder, and since we were seeing snow flurries at that point, it hit the spot. today is even colder here, I don't think it has gone over 22 degrees all day, and the wind is gusting making it feel colder. ugh.

Lakeview Terrace

This dramatic thriller follows Chris and Lisa Mattson as they settle into their Los Angeles dream home---- only to be harassed by their off-kilter cop neighbor, officer Abel Turner (Samuel L. Jackson) Turner disapproves of the couple's interracial relationship and is determined to drive them away, but as the harassment turns violent, the newlyweds have no choice but to fight back.

This was a good movie, pretty riveting as you don't know what the cop is going to do next.

The House

A workaholic attorney living in a tiny apartment and holding onto a relationship that's going nowhere, Sarah Anderson has always lived life by the book. But now she's about to so something completely out of character. An elderly client has died and leaves her a generous inheritance, with the stipulation that she must use the money for something wonderful. In compliance with her client's wish, she buys a neglected but magnificent old San Francisco mansion and enlists the help of architect Jeff Parker who shares her desire to bring the house back to life.

this was a great book, typical Danielle Steel. I liked it so much because I would love to do what she did and buy a decrepit house and bring it back to life with no real worry about the money.

Babylon A.D.

Hard-boiled mercenary Toorop (Vin Diesel) accepts a risky mission to escort a virus-carrying woman (Melanie Thierry) and her guardian nun (Michelle Yeoh) from Russia to China. But Toorop gets far more than he bargained for when a mysterious religious cult stops at nothing to kidnap the woman.

This movie was okay. There was plenty of action, sometimes it was hard to follow though. Vin Diesel is cool so it was worth watching just to see him shirtless! :)

Happy St. Patrick's Day

I am not Irish, nor did I remember to wear green today, but we like to cook a corned beef dinner and celebrate the day anyway. I also made a beer bread, and these delicious, festive looking pistachio parfaits for dessert. Just call me Lisa Crocker.

Nicole~ 3 Months

She thinks she is showing. I think I look more pregnant than her at this point!

Speed Racer

I can't believe the weekend is over already. Saturday morning I met my sister at Applebee's. Brooke's class was serving a pancake breakfast to raise money for their chem free trip to New York. I didn't eat that ^ many pancakes though!

After that I went to run some errands, when I stopped at the Belknap Mall to go into CVS, the Red Cross bus was right next to where I parked. I have never given blood before, but I have always wanted to. My life was saved once by someone who gave their blood. So I signed up and went in.

I was so brave! I actually don't mind getting shots or having blood drawn. It was over pretty quickly, the longest is filling out the paper work and answering questions. Have you had sex with a man who had sex with another man in the last 3 months? I CERTAINLY HOPE NOT! Saturday night we went out for a big night on the town. No, not really, we went to Reynold's Auction in Bristol. Gary likes to buy junk to sell on e-bay. But, he did make one good purchase this ring that promptly went on my finger

and it was a perfect fit. On the way home, we were jabbering about something, and yes, not paying attention to where we were and the speed limit signs. We flew past a cruiser that was going in the opposite direction, Gary said, oh shit. I said, oh crap ( I never swear) you are in the 40MPH zone here. Sure enough the cruiser swung around and flicked on his blue lights.

Since there was no chance of outrunning him with our Ford Edge we pulled over at the New Hampton bridge. The cop, who looked like he hasn't even started shaving yet asked where we were going. Gary says, home. He asked where we were coming from, Gary says an auction in Bristol. (party animals that we are) Gary also adds in that we are unfamiliar with the area. Well that was a bold-faced lie, Half my family lives up there, and I grew up vacationing there at the lake my whole life. :) I think the cop felt sorry for me with all that junk in the back from the auction so he gave Gary a warning. THANK YOU for not adding a $100 speeding ticket on to the $200 in junk we just bought! and by the way, Gary was going 58 MPH in a 40 MPH zone. tsk-tsk.

The Haunting of Molly Hartley

Troubled by her mother's recent psychotic break, Molly (Haley Benett) hopes to start fresh at a new school. She befriends fellow senior Joseph ( Chace Crawford) and is happy to be a regular kid again. But the horrifying truth about her mother is destined to catch up with her. When Molly turns 18, she'll be held accountable for a supernatural bargain made long ago, one that she cannot escape.

This was a short movie, 1 hr. 25 min. It was not scary at all, but it was suspenseful.

Beach Road

Tom Dunleavy has a one-man (and one-dog) law firm in the richest resort town in America- legendary East Hampton, summer home to billionaires and megacelebrities. But his job barely keeps him in paperclips. His clients come from the year-rounders he grew up with.

Then an old friend of Tom's, a local star athlete, is arrested for a triple murder on the beach near a movie star's mansion. Tom knows in his gut that Dante Halleyville is innocent. Dante asks Tom to represent him, and for the first time, Tom is on the spot and in the public eye.

Tom recruits Manhattan superlawyer Kate Costello to help fight this case. Kate is his ex-girlfriend, and she has seen him at his worst- but she comes back.

Tom orchestrates a series of revelations to lure the real killer out of hiding- and what emerges is staggering. No one could imagine a killer this ruthless.

The final scenes of Beach Road unveil a truth so unexpected that it will leave readers gasping in shock.

I have to say, I could not put this book down. I started it Friday night and finished it this morning. And yes, the end shocked me, I did not see it coming at all.

The Guardian

Julie Barenson's young husband left her two unexpected gifts before he died-a Great Dane puppy named Singer and the promise that he would always be watching over her. Now four years have passed. Still living in the small town of Swansboro, North Carolina, twenty-nine year old Julie is emotionally ready to make a commitment to someone again. But who? Richard Franklin, the handsome , sophisticated engineer who treats her like a queen? Or Mike Harris, the down to earth nice guy who was her husband's best friend? Choosing one of them should bring her more happiness than she's had in years. Instead, Julie is soon fighting for her life in a nightmare spawned by a chilling deception and jealousy so poisonous that it has become murderous desire....
This was a great book, very suspenseful. The only thing is, if you don't like to read books where the story does not end happily for the animal, this may not be for you. Brooke gave me this book to read, and I asked her a few times if something happens to the dog, she wouldn't tell me and I soon was hooked into the story. Luckily I was home in my own bed when I read the end and could go bawl in the bathroom. Good thing I was not reading it in a public place!!

Tiffany's Baby Shower

Tiffany and Josh

Our Table

Nice Stroller

I apologize for the crappy pictures. This baby shower was for my nephew's wife, my sister's oldest boy. As far as baby showers go this was a good one. My sister and Tiffany's mother did a really nice job. But, I did not win any prizes!! I ate too much while there. But i was starving by the time we ate, I hate when I do that. She got a lot of nice stuff, it didn't look like there was anything else she was going to have to get. I got them a monitor and a neutral outfit (they did not want to know the sex of the baby) and some sort of thing that you put under the baby's head to keep it from sliding in the car seat.

Grandma??

Yes, I am going to be a grandma! Nicole is 12 weeks pregnant and we went for the ultrasound yesterday. It was so cool! Her due date is Sept. 23rd. So, that means the wedding for Oct. 3 has been postponed. I'd rather have a baby than a wedding anyway!

Casting Spells

Sugar Maple looks like any bucolic Vermont town, but when the tourists go home, it's a different story- inhabited as it is with warlocks, sprites, vampires, witches and an ancient secret. Chloe Hobbs, owner of Sticks & Strings a popular knitting shop, is a sorcerer's daughter- a single sorcerer's daughter with Sugar Maple's future in her hands.

This was a surprisingly good book. And a quick easy read.

What else?

So, my desktop computer is on the fritz. We brought it to the computer doctor yesterday. They are going to look at it, if it needs a new hard drive they said we were better off to just buy a new computer. And they said that ANY computer out today is going to be better than the one we have. Jeez, I thought we had a good computer.
Brooke's desktop is also acting up. We haven't even looked at hers yet, I think we are pretending that all is well with it. So for now, we are all using our little laptop and the poor thing gets so overworked it will be the next one sent to the computer doctor.
Brooke's cell was also acting up. So the closest AT&T is in Concord. We schlepped all the way down there and come to find out she had too many old text messages on it and it was bogging it down. She only had 9000 incoming and outgoing texts last month, why in the world would that bother it!!?? So they cleaned everything out and it is working fine.
The snow blower is also on the fritz. There is some part that has to be replaced because it no longer can move on its own, the last storm Gary had to manually push it every time up the driveway. I can't even push the thing 2 feet in the garage so I don't know how he did that! The part for that came in and Gary will fix it Sunday, because God knows, this snow is not done torturing us yet.
Brooke spent vacation week in Farmington Maine checking out UMaine. She loved the college and everything about the place, except that it does not have a "nursing program". They told her that she would have to take 4 years of Biology and then 2 more years at the tech or UNH in the nursing program. And the Biology classes, there are probably 2 that pertain to nursing. I do not want to spend 20-something thousand a year for classes that are not doing anything toward her goals. nuh-uh. As we haven't heard from UNH yet, and Brooke is not thrilled about going there we are leaning toward the tech in Concord where they have a really good nursing program. We had suggested this to begin with, but she was sure that we were wrong. Now we are right. I love to be right. So we will need to get the application going soon, probably today. And she has to take the NLN test prior.
Did I mention the motorcycle? no, I didn't. That got a new set of exhaust pipes, stock ones yesterday. It is much quieter, and we sold the old ones on e-bay for a nice profit. In the course of putting that on yesterday Gary discovered something else that needs to be fixed on it, another $100. I hope my washing machine is not going to be the next casualty in this house!!

The Rocker

When a washed up drummer from a 1980's supergroup reluctantly accepts a gig on the skins in his nephew's high school band, he discovers that his dreams of rock n' roll stardom haven't completely died. Can he take his new band all the way to the top? Starring: Rainn Wilson and Christina Applegate.
This movie was funnier than I expected it to be.