madameblogalot

High Fidelity: I watched this movie because my sister named one of her blogs after it. I watched the whole thing until about ten minutes before it was over. Then my daughter wanted to come in and tell me something, so I never found out the resolution of the show. The show was neither a HIT nor a MISS for me.

Ghost Whisperer: I’ve not seen the TV series before, but my daughter has watched with my husband. She wanted to watch it this week and I’ve had nothing else to do but sit and watch TV. It was a bit eerie/”scary” for me but the episode turned out to be ok. I did like the ending. I would give this episode a HIT but as of yet can not speak to the series. *After viewing the show for a couple of weeks, I would say that some of the episodes are hits,others near misses. It is definitely for older teens/adults. There has been some intense scenes showing drugs and lots of death including suicide/attempted suicide. I am not too keen though on some of the most recent episodes where the hero’s husband’s spirit is now in another man’s body. A little too out there for me*

Pioneer Woman: Again, laying around all day, I found an old TV movie (1973) starring William Shatner and introducing Helen Hunt. My daughter wanted to watch since it was reminiscent of Little House on the Prairie. It was not that great of a show. And it was funny to see some of the “special effects”-basically a rubber snake dropped onto the table! This was a near MISS but I guess I’d say overall that it was neither.

Phantom of the Opera: My daughter, mother and I watched the film version and some of the special features as well. As usual, this one remains a HIT with me. I am hoping to read the book soon.

The Hound of the Baskervilles: I had never read nor seen this Sherlock Holmes mystery. So while I was laid up I caught it on TV. Again, I missed the very end of the show! However, I have to admit it was a MISS with me. Though I still don’t know what the real Hound was!

Field of Dreams: I was happy to see this old HIT come on television. I watched and enjoyed the show again. It has been a while since I’ve seen it. I still got teary eyed when Ray and Terrence pick up a young Archie. And cried when Archie stepped off the field to his destiny as Doc Graham. The show was again a HIT with me.

The Fugitive: Immediately following Field of Dreams, another old favorite of mine came on. I love Harrison Ford and this show is a pretty good one. I enjoyed watching two HITs in one day!

The Phantom of the Opera: I also read the book that started it all! I think the book explained some of the background and some of the details a bit better. Of course, it’s a bit of a different take than the stage play and film. I did enjoy it though and I think I like the epilogue and afterward as much as the main story! I would call the book a HIT, though I can’t decide if it’s better to read it before you see the film or read it after…

The House of the Scorpion: this book by Nancy Farmer is on the ninth grade required reading list. At first I thought a book about a clone in an opium empire was not going to be good reading. I am glad I gave it a chance. Though it is a young adult book, it had a good story line and was really pretty clean. I found it to be thought provoking too. I found myself thinking that a lot of the humans in the book were less human, or at least humane, than the clone. It brings up interesting thoughts about the “rightness” of cloning. And I like how it concludes with the ideas of power, greed, and eternal youth being shown as not being “right” or good for society. I would say this book is a HIT.

Beverly Hills Chihuahua: My oldest nephew asked me to read this short novel based on the movie. I tried to decline but when he described it as “an adventure about teamwork and friendship” I told him that I would read it. Plus, I like reading things with others in my life; it gives us something to share. I must say that I don’t really like the book but I am glad that he did and that he saw the teamwork and friendship in it. For me it was a MISS while for him it is a HIT.

Another way many folks are saving money is to get their hair cuts at home. My husband gets his hair cut at least once a month. That adds up quick! If you are unlike my son who has banned haircuts all together, then this could be an easy way to save money. Of course, you will have to invest in good haircutting shears. These can be picked up fairly affordably and will likely pay for themselves pretty quickly.

If you want to test your skills or already have some decent hair cutting and styling skills, adding stylist shears  and even a CHI curling iron can save trips to the beauty salon, all adding up to a little savings over the course of a year. It might be a simple way to save money this year.