2009 Movies

Haven't blogged in almost a year, but I do this every year, so here goes. Here's my list of 2009 movies I saw in 2009.

Full list of movies released in 2009 here.

(bold, in movie theater/drive in)
Bride Wars
Hotel for Dogs
Paul Blart: Mall Cop
He's just not that into you
FanBoys
Confessions of a Shopaholic
Push
Fired Up
I Love You, Man
Monsters vs. Aliens
Adventureland
Fast and Furious
17 Again
Ghosts of Girlfriends Past
X-Men Origins: Wolverine
Terminator Salvation
Dance Flick
Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian
Up
The Hangover
Land of the Lost
The Proposal
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince
The Ugly Truth
Aliens in the Attic
Funny People
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
Couples Retreat
The Box
The Twilight Saga: New Moon
Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel

20 movies in theater or drive-in/ 32 overall

That's down 5 overall from last year and 4 from the theaters. I saw that's because this years movies weren't that great overall especially in the summer, but that's my opinion. It might be easier to pick my top 5 least favorite movies this year, but I'll give my 5 five favorites a try.

Top 5 for 2009:
1. The Hangover
2. Funny People
3. The Proposal
4. Couple Retreat
5. Hotel For Dogs

Looks like it was a year for the comedy for me.

Just for fun my top 5 LEAST favorite movies of 2009:
1. Adventureland (just pure terrible)
2. Push (I fell asleep)
3. The Box (it was bad)
4. Dance Flick (only funny as a trailer)
5. He's Just Not that Into you (not what I was expecting from such a great cast)

Christmas Gifts

I know its March and a little late to be talking about Christmas gifts, but I never got around to sharing the gifts that I made for Riley's teachers. This year I decided to make cookies and cocoa. With Debbie's expert baking help, I was able to produce some decent tasting cookies, and with Doug's shrink wrap and bow tying skills, I was able to make the presentation look nice. Actually, Doug had no idea how to tie a bow, he watched a 5 minute You Tube video and was able to make these very cool bows all while I was still going.. "HUH????" He's good like that. I bought a big jar of Ghiradelli cocoa mix and separated it into smaller baggies which I placed into the mugs along with a candy cane to stir with. I hand wrote directions on how to make the hot chocolate on a tag which I tied to the hot chocolate baggie. I made up a quick tag that said "Cookies and Cocoa", listed out the types of cookies in the tin and put a few stickers on it. On the back side of the tag, I put the 4 photos of Riley that I used on my Christmas cards.

I waited until the last minute to make these, so I got the tins and mugs at 60% off at Joann's and I got the ornaments at 75% off at Kohls. I tried the best I could to match up the ornaments with something each teacher liked to do. Unfortunately, I don't know much about Julie, so I just gave her a standard bell. She was a student teacher at the time, but Riley absolutely loves her and insisted we give her a gift also.

I got a lot of compliments on the gifts, so I think the teachers liked them. By far the best cookies in there were the Oatmeal Butterscotch ones. I had never had them before, Debbie showed me how to make them in a bar shape and they came out super yummie. Just thinking about them makes me want to make some more!

Neglected Blog

Well, I haven't started the year out very well on the blogging front. The whole point in doing this blog was to use it to help remember all the little things that happen in our lives. I'm going to try and do better with the blog from now on. I have a list of things that I should write about to catch up on, but since hockey has really been in the fore front of my mind lately, I think I'll focus this entry on how my hockey photography has improved over the course of this years RIT season. Hockey is a very new sport for me, I've always been a basketball girl, but after seeing a few RIT games last season, I am now hooked. I can't believe its taken me this long to realize how much fun hockey is, especially RIT hockey. Our whole family has gotten into it which makes it even more fun. It's something we can all do together. Photography is a hobby of mine as I'm sure you know, so putting them together seems logical. I love sports photography, but don't get a lot of opportunities to shoot it. Basketball really is the only sport I've photographed. Well, I guess also I could count the high school football games of my brothers I photographed with my 35mm camera, but that was Sooo long ago. Learning the game of hockey over the course of the year (Thanks Deb!), I can really see an improvement in my hockey photography. I can now somewhat predict where the good action will be. I still have a long ways to go, but here's a little look at how my hockey photography has improved over the course of this RIT hockey season.

First game:



Faceoffs, learning how to stop the action, so you can see the puck. Other than that not much good about this photo



Alittle improvement, I captured the celebration after a goal. Photos still alittle dark.



An okay in action shot:



Action shot, but way blurry:



A better angle on the faceoff


Good facial expressions



Getting better, goal shot



Better:


Nice angle:


Latest photos I've processed, very happy with these:











I know I still have alot to learn about the game of hockey and a lot to learn about photographing hockey, but I must say I am truly truly enjoying both! I'm so glad hockey is a part of my life now.. I can't believe I went so long without it.

GO TIGERS!

My InaguralPhoto.com Photo!

This was fun. Couldn't go to the inauguration, Just go to MyInauguralPhoto.com, powered by online photo editing software provider FotoFlexer, and pretend you were there, right behind the new president of the United States as he was sworn in.

Can you see me?

Haven't done one in a while

Friday Fill-in

1. Enough with the iPhones.

2. iPhone causes me to be conflicted.

3. I've been craving iPhone.

4. iPhone makes me laugh.

5. I wish I could go to the store and buy an iPhone next week.

6. iPhone has been on my mind lately.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to poker where everyone has an iPhone but me, tomorrow my plans include RIT hockey where everyone has an iPhone but me and Sunday, I want to go ice skating where everyone has an iPhone but me!

Ice Skating

Riley finished her first Ice Skating lessons today. She's starting again in a few weeks. Debbie skated with us today. We didn't know she was coming, so we were surprised. Riley was excited to show off her new skates and what she's learned in skating so far.







Rest of the set here.

In other weekend news, we had poker and everyone had fun trying to solve the puzzles I got Doug for Christmas and Riley and I had fun playing the new game she got from the Gotobeds!

Happy New Year

We had a very relaxing New Years Day. We watched the Redwings defeat the Blackhawks 6-3 in the NHL Winter Classic and Riley played hockey in our living room during and after the game. She warmed up to Let it Rock by Kevin Rudolf just like the RIT Tigers do and then she rocked back and forth during the Star Spangled Banner, and then she made 3 goals in 3 pretend periods. In between each period, I drove the Zamboni. After the game, I interviewed her and every answer was "good", then she took a pretend shower because she smelled like hockey stink, then a crazy fan (me) asked her for an autograph and a had my photo taken with her. Then we started all over again. Good times!

These photos didn't come out that great though, apparently there was a huge fingerprint smudge on the camera lens. Oh well, they are cute anyway.