Why I will never be a movie star! My only regret of 2008!

Before I regale you with my story.....


HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!


I am so happy to have met all you wonderful people!!!

And now....


WHY I WILL NEVER BE MOVIE STAR!


I proved to myself today that I do not have what it takes to be a movie star. I have always wanted to be up there on the big screen. I have the attitude for it, so I have been told. In fact, here is something that you probobly do not know about me...

When I was 17, I tried out for a movie called "The Guest Director". Auditions for the roles were held in ElmGrove, Wisconsin. I was excited to try out, and very scared. You had to come all dressed up, and sing a song for the director in this large auditorium. I went with one of the girls from drama class. I got up there, sang a song, and the director liked it. Then he asked me to tell a joke. I giggled a bit, and told him a joke that I THOUGHT was funny. He laughed, and then the casting agent said "Haven't you got a dirty joke?"

Well OF COURSE I did, but I wasn't going to say it. I thought it might ruin my chances, but after some smiles from the director, I gave it a go. It's a bit too dirty to share on the web, but needless to say it went down well. After I left the stage, one of the crew guys told me that I sang very well, and the joke was hillarious. We waited in the lobby of the theatre to see if we got a second call back. My friend didnt, bit I did!!

I was over the moon. The next step was to dance this musical number, and we split into a few groups, and learned the routine. I am NOT a good dancer, but I gave it a go. To my surprise, I got a call a few weeks later saying that I had landed a part in the movie. Nothing big, just a small scene. Not a speaking part, but never the less, I was thrilled!!

So I spent the day at the airport filming a scene, and by midnight I was done. I was really tired, and really young. So I did what you are NOT supposed to do, and asked when I could go home. Dumb on my part, but I didn't know ANYTHING about being in the movies. It wasn't the first time that I had done something like this. back in England I tried out for a kids movie, and a tv show, in Birmingham. I did pretty good, but nothing ever came of it. I also tried out for an extra part in Public Enemies this year. You can read about that here...http://pickvick.blogspot.com/2008/05/public-enemies-film.html

So after that, I decided that I wanted to be an actress. However, events in my life prevented that chance from happening. So I went on to my next passion, writing. I have written several books, none of which are published, and that's okay. My current passion is writing about the life of John Dillinger. It has nothing to do with Johnny Depp's recent visit to Wisconsin, but it was a bonus! Hee hee!

So back to the reason I will never be a movie star....

Today I was shopping at the mall, when I was approached by a Channel 6 news man. He asked if I would let him interview me. I felt my cheeks begin to flame up and turn bright red. Then something happened that I never expected. I clammed up. My body was tighter than my Husband's wallet!

"It will only take a few minutes." The reporter guy said, "And if you want, I wont even tell you when I am filming."

Well I pleaded with him to let me go. I was totally scared, and shaking.

"You'll only be on air for like three seconds. Come on. I just want to know about what things you are looking forward to in 2009, and some positive things about 2008."

I shook my head no, and backed away. WHAT WAS I DOING????? I knew I could talk, but the words would not leave my mouth. I ran away like a little kid, and ducked into JC Penney's.

I guess I just don't have what it takes. After I left him I came up with some great things about 2008. Public Enemies filming topped the list. I almost...ALMOST went back, but I opted for the food court instead LOL

Now I regret that choice.

Doing it Christmas Style!

I hope everyone had a great Christmas this year! My family, and I, had a terrific time! On Christmas Eve I threw a small little get together at my house, and I was worried that no one would come seeings as though it was snowing. To my surprise, almost everyone showed up, and even brought additional guests with them!! I was thrilled! Even more so when our good friend, Shakes, walked through my front door carrying a bowl full of delicious Raspberry Vodka Trifle!

Even Captain Little Jack had a great time!! (as you can see)...He has more pictures to share with you on his site http://captainlittlejack.blogspot.com/

We had a few games to play including: Air Hockey, Pool, Wii Bowling Tournament, Trivia, Christmas Crackers, and Pass the Parcel (it's a British thing hee hee). Trouble was, we only played a few of the games since we were all chatting.

Everyone opened their Christmas Crackers, and were excited to wear the paper crowns yet again this year!! Okay, maybe some people were not as happy. By the end of the night, I was forced to become the hat police on some of them!! Christmas Crackers are little paper tubes that you pull open, and they make a loud cracking noise. As they open, bits of jokes, toys, and a paper hat falls out of them. Whoever gets the bigger half gets what's inside. Again...it's a British thing, but I think I may have some American friends now wanting to do this tradition! YAY!

So the Wii bowling tournament begins. We had 8 players, in two teams of four. We would have had more, but they were busy off playing Air Hockey. Every year my Dad, and Sean's Uncle, face off in this endless battle to see who comes out the victor! It was Sean's Uncle this year....taking the title of "Ultimate Champion" for the first time in four years!! Good going!

My Dad (in red) and Sean's Uncle

(Side note: These two play this game so rough, that they have broken the table 3 times. They get so into it, that they start sweating profusely! Last year, my Dad forgot to take his red

hat off, so at the end of the night, he had a big pink stain on his forehead!!! I have never seen someone scrub so hard to get it off. It was still there in the morning! LMAO!)

Waiting to play the Wii Bowling, Matt, Sean, my sister, and Matt's sister play pool

Back to Bowling... Shakes played a great game, and came in third. I came in first, but forfeited the title to my sister's fianace's Mom, Laurie. Then in the second group, Matt (my sister's fiance) won. We ran out of time to play the two against each other, so they each got a prize.

My Dad decides to warm up on playing Wii golf first...

Shakes takes her turn on the Wii Bowling

Shakes's trifle was so yummy! My parents really enjoyed it. Sorry guys...it's all gone now! There were lots of British things to eat including, Jam tarts (my favorite), and Minice Meat Pies (NOT my favorite)!! Only one person, besides my parents, liked the mince meat pies. Sorry Mum. They are an acquired taste. They have no meat in them, despite the name. They actually have fruit in them....currants. Now, I warned people to stay away from them...but they just wouldn't listen. Sean's Dad was in for a rude awakening after biting into the forbidden pie! I warned him!!!

Sean's Uncle actually liked them

I warned Sean's sister not to eat that...she didn't listen....

And here's the result....before she spat it out! LOL

CHRISTMAS DAY:

The house was filled with the smell of pine needles, and stale wine. I was tired. Woke up in the morning, let Captain Little Jack, the pets, and Sean root through their stockings, as I made some bacon and eggs.

Tink wastes NO time ripping open her present..

Meg....she's 17...take's a bit longer....

Almost got it.....

BINGO!!! Sucsess!!

Sean did a nice job picking out a gift for me, A game for the Wii!! I ran downstairs to play it. I was like a little kid in a candy store! I was playing so long, that I forgot we were supposed to be at my mum's house around 11am. I raced into the shower, packed up the car, and we were off.

Had a wonderful day with my family, and got some very nice gifts. Once again, the hats came out for dinner. This time, instead of a fortune telling fish toy, I got a ring toss game in my Christmas Cracker. I was the envy of the dinner table!! The table was once again donned in the Royal Doulton China my mum insists on using for every special occasion. She only does that because the plates, cups, bowls, and serving trays have to be washed by hand....and guess who does the washing up? That's right...ME!

The table is ready....

The crowns come out....

My cheesy little ring toss game...

Sean and me

My Dad looks at his airplane toy...

Jenny and Matt

After our 2pm "dinner", Sean and I headed to his family's house for another round of food. I was forced to wear a santa hat after dinner as a punishment for the British Crowns the night before. They always have a proper Italian dinner for Christmas. Ravioli, meatballs, sausages, pasta, and a few other things I can't spell....let alone pronounce. After we were all done, 9pm, we headed home. I was stuffed, as I rolled myself through the back door. But we weren't done yet!

Half hour after we got home....Sean opens the fridge, and I hear him say.... "These meatballs still okay to eat?"

"WHAT??? You're hungry?" I say, in utter disbelief.

"How long should I heat them up for?" He asks, ignoring me.

"About a minute." I replied, watching them spin in the microwave. "I can't believe after all that...you're still hungry."

"I'm a guy. Guys are always hungry." He says, pulling them out of the microwave.

"Hey, give me one of those." I say, as I take a meatball off the plate, and tottle off to bed.

Merry Christmas!!

Merry Christmas to all!

I hope each of you has a wonderful Christmas, and a joyous holiday season! Thank you all for such wonderful memories this year, and a special thank you to Rod from http://publicenemiescolumbus.blogspot.com/ for bringing alot of us together!! You guys have really made my year! It is such a blessing to have all of you in my life!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!

Christmas Party Vegas Style!

Last night I went to a Vegas themed Christmas Party for work! Man did we have a good time. Lots of food, way too many drinks, and some "pretend" gambling! No real money was exchanged, BUT we had poker chips to play with! We all dressed up like proper "high rollers" !!! There were 3 games to play : BlackJack, Roulette, and Poker! I stuck to Blackjack....but I kept losing....so I switched to Roulette. I'm not a good poker player, so I stayed out of that one!

There was even a cocktail waitress walking around!

I endulged (a bit too much I might add) in some Pyrat Rum!!! I have never seen this type of rum before, so of course....I had to try it. And try it. And try it some more.

There were prizes for the top three amounts won for the night. I came in second after winning a "fake" $3900 on the roulette table! It was great! 35 to 1 odds, and I won all my chips back plus some! What was even more amazing is that the same number hit 5 times in a row!!! And guess who was the winner??? That's right...me! However, thinking something was fishy...the dealer fiddled with the machine, and I never won again LOL



Here are some pics for you guys!

My Christmas Tree!

So it took 3 days to thaw out this tree. WELL beyond what I thought. Was worth it though. I had to cut about 10 inches from the top of the tree, and straighten it about 27 times before I was happy. At least it is no longer hitting the ceiling!! So without further ado....here's my tree!


BEFORE:






AFTER (And no it is not a fiber optic or white tree. It just kinda looks that way with the lights off):




Next, I have to complete the little tree that I make for the dogs every year. Hopefully I will add some pics of that one on Friday! Merry Christmas!

Griswold's have come to town!

What started off as a normal day has turned into something more comical than I could ever describe on a blog.

So we travel to the tree lot down the street. We wanted a 6 foot tall tree. Nothing too big. It's cold. I mean COLD! Even the workers are talking about how freezing it is outside

"Anything you need. Just ask" This guy says. I just nod, and go about the search for the perfect tree.

Sean and I are looking up and down the rows of trees in complete shock! They were all so big. 8-10 foot tall. Then we come across this little row of trees. "Balsam Fir 6-8 foot"! Great, I thought. No problem. Perfect.

They still looked a tad bit too big, so I ask the guy "Where are all your small trees?"

He smiles. "We can trim it down for you."

Ok, no problem. "We'll take this one, if you can cut it down a bit." I say, pointing to the first one in the row. "Can you slap it on top of the car?"

He smiles again. "Sure"

So he starts hacking away at this massive tree. A tree that was marked as only being 8 foot tall. A little bit more hacking, and trimming commenses, and then...walla! Our tree appears!

So this guy starts tying it to the roof of our truck. (Sorry Jenny, we decided against taking the Mini Cooper tree shopping...it's had enough of trees on the roof LOL)

I am watching in both horror, and excitment as he flings this thin little twine over the roof of the car, and hoists up the tree.

"It's not going to fall off is it?" I ask him, in complete and utter terror. I had this image in my mind of this poor tree sliding right off the roof, and through someones windshield. It did not get any better when he says, "Well how far are you going?"

OMG. *nervous giggle* Does it matter how far I am going? Is this tree gonna fall off my car if I go more than 5 miles from the lot? Why is he asking this question? Does he need thicker twine? Should I be worried? Do I need to hold on to it through the sun roof? Should I ride on top of the car?

"I've been doing this for ten years, so don't worry." He says, spotting the concerned look upon my face.

Sean rolls his eyes at me, and climbs into the driver's seat. I take one final look at the "tie down" job, before sliding into the car. Sean pulls back the sun roof cover, and I spend the next 10 minutes staring up through the window at the tree.

"Stop looking at it!" Sean shouts. "You'll jinx it!"

"Oh...it moved!" I screamed! "We'd better pull over and check it!"

"Calm down woman!" He laughs. " It's fine. Just leave it alone!"

"I think I should open the sun roof and hold on to it....just in case" I say, as I reach for the button.

Sean rolls his eyes again, and giggles. I decide against sticking my hands out into the arctic air!

We finally get home, and drag what I thought was about a 6 foot tree into the living room. We hoist the tree into its stand, and then the fun REALLY began! I am a perfectionist. I simply CANNOT have a tilted tree. It must be perfectly aligned! So Sean holds it up, as I begin to screw in the base.

"Push it up more. It's not centered in the dish!" I shout.

"Look, I can't hold it any higher. It's hitting the ceiling!" He yells back.

You know how it is. You always have to bicker a little bit when trying to help each other. That's why I refuse to help Sean with anything. Arguments can sometimes break out!

"Well you're gonna have to lift it up, or I won't be able to put it straight!" I shout again.

"Listen. It's as high as it's gonna get." He grumbles.

"Well is it at least straight?" I say, as I hunker down under a nice fresh scent of pine needles.

"Yes. Are you done now?"

After a few minor corrections, I get up off the floor. It's not straight! Not at all! Must I do everything myself? Hee hee. So back down I go to fix it.

"Just leave it! Once it drops it will be fine!" He says, rolling his eyes once more, and retreating into the basement.

For the moment I am satisfied with the placement of the tree. The only problem now is that there is no room for the angel! The tree is hitting the flipping ceiling! Darn it! I feel like this tree is right out the Griswold's living room!!! I'm going to have to cut the top off of it just to put the angel on!! The picture does not do the tree justice at all! Yes there is a small spot near the top, but it's leaning against the ceiling LOL!!

"Little full....lots of sap!"

There is NO WAY this tree is 6 foot tall! Hee hee. That's okay...I like me a big tree!

Happy Birthday Bella!

Today is my little Rat Terrier's Birthday! Hooray! Her name is Bella, and she is 9 years old today! We are going to have a big party later on!

Bella is a cantankerous little dog:

-She always makes funny noises when you talk to her.

-She hates other dogs.

-She has a fond love of stuffed toys

-She eats everyone's food if I am not looking

-And she is a Daddy's girl

Happy Birthday Bella!!!