Movie Theater Popcorn

No more Movie theater popcorn for this girl.  I love going to the movie and having popcorn. But, from now on that corn is coming right out of my purse. Good old pop it yourself at home corn that I can control the content.  

There are 1650 calories in the large bucket of butter popcorn.  Sometimes Al and I get a refill. They are free!  I could have eaten 8 Krispy Creme donuts.  By the way, that 1650 figure didn't include the butter we asked them to put in the middle.  At 120 calories a level tablespoon, we are hitting 2000 calories in our first bucket.  To put it another way, we could have had 3 bottles of great wine.  Who do I think I have been fooling when I sashay up to the counter to order that corn?  Not only is it laden with calories but saturated fat and salt.  Rather have the wine.  No fat. No salt. 

Barred Owl

This is a great example of how small things give great pleasure.  A mother Barred Owl surprised my friend, Sister Mary, this morning.  She is nesting in an old Sycamore tree in her back yard. She says they frolic in the day light, fish in the creek and live in couples.  Can't wait for my hummingbirds to arrive this year and the old Redtail Hawk that lives in the trees beyond my home.  (no, Sister Mary is not a nun)

Attack of the Sea Creatures

I have spent a lot of time at the beach and I have never seen so many "Man of War" and "Jelly Fish"  like creatures, the majority appear to be Velella Velella.  They look like millions of  Mussels on the beach but alas there are no Pomme Frites!

"Ivan the Terrible" and Portuguese Man of War

I am visiting the Gulf of Mexico at Gulf Shores Alabama where hurricane Ivan hit in 2004.  Five years has passed and I am awe struck at the damages that are still evident, especially to the grasslands and trees. They look like a fire has devoured them when actually they have died from the salt water exposure more than a mile off  of the beach.  Acres and acres of state park area has been affected.

The good news is that the sugar white beaches are beautiful here.   However, as luck would have it, the weather pattern has the ocean a bit angry and has brought in Portuguese Man of War in great abundance. Did you know toughing them can sting even after they are dead and tentacles sting even when torn from the body?   The good news is they are predicting great weather starting Sunday and I will be home in chilly Cincinnati by then.  

Bill Maher's "Religulous" not for the Religious

I watched Bill Maher's documentary,  Religulous.  I must admit I was disappointed. He has an interesting point of view and he did raise some legitimate questions. However, he got confused between comedy and documentary and did not do either well. I suspect that was the plan since he used the same guy that directed the film Borat to direct this film.  Certainly we could have expected a more meaningful discussion. Obviously,  he had trouble getting legitimate religious scholars to speak to him, which led to the "out there" evolution of the project.  Weird is the only word for the Holy Land Theme Park in Orlando and his discussion with the guy who played Jesus.  So if Bill Maher was trying to be taken seriously, I think he failed. The link below is to an LA times bloggers review of the movie.

www.latimesblogs.latimes.com/the_big_picture/2008/bill-maher-hate