I Spy

...a science project.  This afternoon, I had the privilege of serving as a judge for the 7th and 8th grade science symposium at Albany Academy.  As most of you know, Julie is a teacher at the boys' school and she asked me to help out because my undergraduate degree was in science. I was more than willing to help Little Sis out!  After a long, tedious day of researching how the NYS Constitution applies to a case I'm working on, spending a couple of hours in a gymnasium listening to kids talk about their projects sounded fantastic.

Once I arrived, albeit 10 minutes late (stupid traffic and Deitz genes), Julie was kind enough to go over the grading rubric with me before I headed off to review the projects.  A few of the projects and students I talked with really stood out.  One girl learned that modern dancers are more flexible than ballet dancers.  Another duo determined that blueberry stains are virtually impossible to wash out of fabric (as compared to beets and spinach). They thought this could have future applications should a fashion designer ever wish to create an organic fashion line.  Another project struck me, not because of its merit, but because the team members reminded me so much of the "Plastics" in the movie Mean Girls.

Overall, I was really impressed with the quality of the students' presentations and posters.  I never had to develop a project to this scale until freshman year of college. It makes me think that there's something to be said for the education at AA, although it's hard to justify doling out $15,000+/year for middle school when you live in a suburban school district.  I look forward to judging again next year if they'll have me ;)

Friday Flick Guest Post: Jim's Guide to Horror Movies

     As many of you have heard, I am a BIG fan of Halloween!  Since I was a little kid, I’ve loved monsters and, as an adult, my build-up to Halloween includes watching horror movies. Over the years, I've become a horror movie connoisseur.  What makes a great horror movie?  It depends on what you’re in the mood for.  Some movies make you jump, others make you squirm.  Some have you rooting for the antagonist with nefarious intentions. Admittedly, good acting is one attribute absent from the typical horror movie, but if you’re looking for Oscar worthy performances, go watch Glitter! 

     Below is a list of some of my favorite horror movies, in no particular order.  Maybe you could turn out the lights some Saturday night, have some popcorn and check them out… if you dare!

• Night of the Living Dead (1968) – George Romero’s original classic about flesh eating zombies and a handful of people trapped in a house in rural PA.  I first saw this on Halloween night in sixth or seventh grade after trick-or-treating and sleeping over at a friend’s house who also loved monsters.  As an adult, it has become a tradition to watch it on Halloween night. 

• American Werewolf in London (1981) – Great atmosphere in this one, and some good humor mixed in with the gore. It has special effects that were state of the art for its time and still don’t look bad today. 
• Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992) – You can’t go wrong with a Dracula movie from any era, but I picked this one for the Gothic setting and Anthony Hopkins’ performance as Dr. Van Helsing. I’m sorry to burst your bubbles, but the Twilight movies do not qualify as “real” vampire or werewolf movies.
• Halloween (1978) – Considered the original “slasher” film and featuring Michael Myers, there isn’t too much actual “slashing” in it (the same can’t be said for the Rob Zombie remake).  This is just plain scary no matter how many times you’ve seen it.   
• Trick or Treat (2007) – I saw this one last year and it was an instant classic perfect for the holiday!  The movie is made up of four individual short stories taking place on Halloween night that all end up being inter-related.  If you’re a fan of True Blood, you'll notice Anna Paquin, who stars in one of the stories.

• Honorable Mentions: Evil Dead, Friday the 13th series and Sleepy Hollow

Friday Flick: The Town

     I decided to add a new feature to the blog. As most of you know, I could not live without Netflix. We watch at least one DVD every weekend. In this feature, I plan to briefly review a new movie in theaters (or recently released DVD) and give it a thumbs up or down!

     This week, the featured flick is The Town, a fast-paced crime drama based in Boston. It stars actor/director Ben Affleck, Jeremy Renner (remember he allegedly dated Jessica Simpson his performance from the Oscar winning Hurt Locker?), and Blake Lively of Gossip Girl fame.  After seeing numerous previews this summer, I was convinced this was a "must see" theater movie.  Jim and I went to the Crossgates Imax two weekends ago and my heart was pounding almost the entire time. It's sort of a combination of The Departed and Heat, with a little forbidden romance thrown in for good measure! I've never been a big Affleck fan, but this flick truly stands out. I highly recommend it...we may even buy the DVD!

    On that note, do you have a Blu-Ray? Is it worth the hype and extra cost?

Rant: House Update and CRAZY neighbors

     Tonight, I stopped by our new house to check out the progress. As I drove down the cul-de-sac, I observed a woman, child and dog halfway down our driveway. I was a little unnerved, but tried to give them the benefit of the doubt. I thought "maybe they're just taking their dog for a walk and want to incorporate our driveway since it's so long?" However, my cynical lawyer suspicions got the best of me and I decided to play detective for awhile. I drove a little further into another new development behind ours to scope out the situation. I observed them behind our house entering our walk-out basement through an unlocked sliding glass door!!! I was livid, but knew they were our soon-to-be new neighbors and I didn't want to get off on the wrong foot.

     I decided to drive around a bit more to collect my thoughts. By the time I returned, they were at the end of our driveway. In the most polite voice I could muster I asked "Can I help you?" The woman paused for a REALLY long time, so I smiled and said "this is going to be OUR house."  Then, she proceeded to inform me that she lived down the street and just wanted to "check things out" as a vendor had delivered our banisters today. Again, in the nicest tone possible, I said "that's great." She then told me that "everything looks wonderful" as I rolled up my window and replied "thanks for letting me know."

     Once I reached our garage, I  immediately tried to get in touch with Jim to vent, but he was still at a golf lesson. I CANNOT believe the audacity of our future neighbors. Why do they think they have the right to prowl around inside someone else's house? I can't figure it out. Jim is equally, if not more, annoyed and thinks they are just plain nosy and there isn't any other motivation. I keep thinking that maybe they're trying to determine how much we spent in upgrades, but, within weeks, our purchase price will be a matter of public record. I cannot comprehend it?!?!?

One of the best movies of all time...so true!

     I will admit that this shouldn't come as a surprise. I mean who hasn't seen American Beauty? If that movie didn't resonate and demonstrate the drawbacks of the suburbs nothing would. In fact, during one of our site meetings, another neighbor told us that a neighbor at the end of the cul-de-sac, who they affectionately termed "The Mayor," would actually walk to other people's lots with a ladder and inspect the second floor of their new home before stairs were even installed! I can only
assume that the woman, child and dog were
related to him.

     Although the invasiveness is reprehensible, our other concern is that we have custom cabinets, marble and tile, not to mention the hardwood floors that will be laid soon. Are our absurd neighbors and their pet going to destroy our new hardwood floors before Buster has a chance to scratch them up we move in? WTF? I feel like I'm living in the Twilight zone...since when did it become acceptable to traipse around someone else's house and land? Where I grew up, if you  trespassed on another person's property, you risked being mistaken for a white-tailed deer, especially this time of year! How would they like it if Jim, Buster and I traipsed around in their backyard?

Kitchen

     Anyway, after my encounter I was able to take a few shots of the interior (courtesy of my IPhone). I am SO happy with how it looks! 

Butler's pantry and wine rack - ahhh!

View of family room from foyer

Master Bathroom

     We are still waiting for the granite in the kitchen and butler's pantry, but you get the idea! The  tray ceiling, crown moulding and chair rail in the dining room and living room are complete. I know that we I will make great use of our butler's pantry and wine rack (one of the best investments by far, although Jim may disagree :-). It will be well-stocked and I cannot wait to host a girl's night! Plus, as our lovely soon-to-be neighbor advised, one of the overlook banisters was completed today. UGGGGHHH...I'm glad I was wearing sunglasses during our encounter because I swear I was shooting daggers at her and the rotten kid!

    Has someone ever invaded your privacy? How did you handle the situation?