Carol's Notebook – Page 549

Movie – Red (2010)

February 7, 2011 by Carol6 Comments

Red (2010) Retired, Extremely Dangerous David and I watched Red over the weekend. I'm not sure how I totally missed it when it was in the theaters, but it just never hit my radar. I have to say I loved it. Bruce Willis plays Frank Moses, a retried CIA agent living a quiet life in Cleveland until a hit squad shows up at his house to kill him. From then on, he's on the run. He reassembles his old team, played by the talented Morgan Freeman, John Malkovich, and Helen Mirren, to figure out what's going on and keep themselves from getting killed. He also has to bring along his love-interest, because her life is obviously in danger too. Great movie. Lots of action, explosions, shootings, kidnappings, but really, really hilarious, just truly enjoyable to watch. And a happy ending for all the characters you like. What more could you ask for? One of the funniest parts: (Helen Mirren's character is Victoria) Victoria (about Frank): ...

Socks

February 6, 2011February 4, 2011 by Carol5 Comments

I'm sure I've mentioned before how much I love socks, particularly knee-highs, so I had to share a couple of things. Ode to My Socks Mara Mori brought me a pair of socks which she knitted herself with her sheepherder's hands, two socks as soft as rabbits. I slipped my feet into them as if they were two cases knitted with threads of twilight and goatskin, Violent socks, my feet were two fish made of wool, two long sharks sea blue, shot through by one golden thread, two immense blackbirds, two cannons, my feet were honored in this way by these heavenly socks. They were so handsome for the first time my feet seemed to me unacceptable like two decrepit firemen, firemen unworthy of that woven fire, of those glowing socks. Nevertheless, I resisted the sharp temptation to save them somewhere as schoolboys keep fireflies, as learned men collect sacred texts, I resisted the mad impulse to put them in a golden cage...

Game Night – Race for the Galaxy: The Brink of War

February 5, 2011February 4, 2011 by CarolNo Comments

Last weekend, the guys played Axis and Allies, so instead of playing I sat on the couch and read. I don't play A & A. I don't enjoy the game and they never seem to play all the way to the end which would just annoy me. And it takes forever. We had been talking about playing Race for the Galaxy with takeovers, but then Amber ended up going to Texas for the weekend, which meant it was perfect for a looong game instead. We play Race for the Galaxy a lot, with all the expansions including the latest, The Brink Of War. I enjoy the game. It's a card-based game where you basically build a galactic civilization using game cards that are worlds or social advances or technological developments. The third expansion started takeovers. You could conquer other players military planets with your military. We tried it like twice, and that's it. It was confusing and kind of boring for...

Friday’s Tale: The Story of the Three Little Pigs by Joseph Jacobs

February 4, 2011March 4, 2011 by Carol6 Comments

"The Story of the Three Little Pigs" by Joseph Jacobs I thought I knew the story of the Three Little Pigs. They each build a house, the wolf blows down the first two and those pigs run and join the third in his brick house that the wolf can't destroy. Not exactly. It's true, the three little pigs leave home to make their ways in the world. Three is a common number in fairy tales by the way, with the "Three Billy Goats Gruff" coming to mind quickly. Anyway, the first pig meets a man who gives him straw to build a house. After he builds it along comes the wolf. Politely the wolf first knocks. "Little pig, little pig, let me come in." To which the pig answered: "No, ...

Deadly Heat and Deadly Lies by Cynthia Eden

February 3, 2011February 23, 2011 by Carol Comment Closed

Deadly Heat and Deadly Lies by Cynthia Eden Intense and hot! Both of these focus on a member of the FBI's Serial Services Division. In Deadly Heat, firefighter Lora Spade calls in the SSD to track an arsonist who traps and kills people with his fires. When Special Agent Kenton Lake shows up, Lora realizes that the fire's flames are the only thing she has to worry about. Her attraction to Kenton can't be resisted and it's obvious he feels the same way. In Deadly Lies, a kidnapper is abducting, torturing and sometimes killing the twenty-something year old sons of rich men. One of those young men is the brother of Max, a man Samantha knows well, a man she spent a passionate night with. She is the best hope the FBI has of finding the kidnapper, and the attraction between her and Max is irresistible. Romantic suspense needs to have a couple of things for me. First of all is the suspense...

“Lie Like a Rug” by Margaret Maron

February 2, 2011 by Carol3 Comments

"Lie Like a Rug" by Margaret Maron I've already mentioned my new toy, but the other day I subscribed to Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine. A new magazine full of fabulous storis delivered straight to me every month. I don't know why I never subscribed to the print version; it just never crossed my mind. Back to the story. I have read one novel by Margarat Maron, Bootlegger's Daughter, but it was years ago, before I kept any notes or records of what I read. I remember enjoying it, though, which is this was the first selection I read in the magazine. Mack Parker is on trial for killing his wife, Felicia. From the testimonies, we learn it is a well-known fact around town that Mack beat her up on a regular basis, and all the facts point to his guilt, including that a rug is missing from the house. The body is never found. The story then picks up years after the trial. I...