Fandango.com

If you've gone to a movie, you might have seen the Fandango ads. They offer an alternate way to get movie tickets and they charge an additional $1 per ticket to do it. Frankly, I think they ought to offer this for free because it saves the theater time and trouble and reduces ticket lines as well as giving them your money in advance.

To use this, someone goes to their web page and orders movie tickets for the theater and time they want. Then, when they get to the theater, they can bypass the ticket lines, step inside the theater, whip out their credit card, stick it into an ATM-like machine and voila! Out pop the tickets.

If there's a line at the machine, it will move much more quickly than at the outside ticket booth. I am doing this for the upcoming Star Wars Episode III movie since I *do* expect a long line at the time we are going so I wanted to get tickets before it sold out.

Usually, I don't have a long wait in line, so I don't see the point of paying an extra dollar a ticket. What I'd really like is a faster way to get through the refreshment line.

Holidays.net

Our local print newspaper features holidays from this site which offers, as they state it, "fun and wacky" actual holidays. For example, today is the 200th anniversary of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. I remember reading more about this in the museum under the St. Louis Arch.

Tomorrow is Armed Forces Day, an important day around here since we have a large military installation here (Redstone Arsenal), which did not get cut, thank goodness.

Friday the 13th

During my walk this morning, I was asked if I was superstitious. I replied, "If I was, I would not have gotten out of bed today!"

Some folks are superstitious about the number 13 in the reverse. They claim that it is a lucky number.

I feel nothing for this number either way, but I remember a black cat I used to own in college. He was stolen on Halloween night (before I knew better than to leave a cat out on that night).

Here's a link about why Friday the 13th is considered an unlucky day.

New Computer Aggravations

The move to a another computer has not been smooth. Some of my USB devices refuse to work with the new system.

Granted, the new computer has USB 2 ports while I am using several older USB connections -- but that shouldn't make a difference, should it?

I guess it does, though. I feel like the guy in this sand sculpture. (Click on picture to see more. These are very good.)

Star Wars III - Amazingly High Reviews

My husband gave me tickets to Star Wars for my upcoming birthday! I checked out the reviews for it at RottenTomatoes.com and it has gotten a 93% fresh as of right now. (That will change as more reviews come in, but they had 30 reviews so far.)

I am pleasantly surprised. Those are the best reviews I have seen for a movie in a long time. Now, I am getting excited. Last weekend, folks were dressed up in Star Wars costumes in front of the theater (which is selling advanced tickets). We honked and waved.

We are not rabid Star Wars fans, but we did enjoy it. I consider the first original Star Wars as my favorite all-time movie. (My husband claims "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly" as his favorite.)

Roses

Our neighbor's roses are blooming. I enjoy them and appreciate their being planted near our side of the house even though my neighbor does not have a window on this side and rarely sees them. I've taken several photos and posted them on my daily photo blog.

Much to my horror, their large malamute was chewing on the bottom rose. I hope he does not decide to eat the rest.

I was so inspired by their flowers that we bought a couple of rose bushes ourselves, a blue one and an orange/red combination. I had roses a long time ago, but they eventually succumbed to diseases. I think the blue bush is dead already, but the orange/red one seems to be surviving.

Windows Now Activated

I am not exactly sure how it happened. I called a help number and, after a lot of voice mail directions and a few confusions, I finally got someone with a heavy accent who barely spoke English, but she was able to help. She gave me some numbers to use. They were strange and the program kept telling me that the numbers were not legitimate, but I forged ahead and somehow got reactivated.

Now I am asking myself why I wanted a new computer. I have a kazillion tweaks to make over again, half a kazillion programs to reinstall, passwords to find .... bleck! I know it will be worth it in the long run, but all of this is overwhelming right now. (P.S. It was very helpful to use the XP Files and Settings Transfer Wizard, though I wish it had done more like reinstated my passwords for mail, etc.)

Not only that, but I already had a memory crash. One crash I can allow -- but maybe I need other memory (again). Building a new computer is just not easy -- harder than it used to be, I think.

Happy Mother's Day 2005

Here's my corsage to wear to church today. I wish a happy Mother's Day to all women -- since we usually end up "mothering" in one way or another, especially to my own mother who had 7 children (of which I am the oldest).

I would also like to thank my husband and daughter for their companionship and the gift of themselves. It will be a good day today.