Wednesday Hodgepodge

 
1. Did you watch The Oscars? How many of the Best Picture nominees have you seen? (American Sniper, Birdman, Boyhood, Selma, The Grand Budapest Hotel, The Imitation Game, The Theory of Everything, and Whiplash)
We rented The Grand Budapest Hotel, but we just couldn’t get into it – at all.  I thought it was just us, but our neighbors tried to watch it and gave up after a while, too.  Hmmmmm  I do want to see several of those movies, but we’ll be waiting until they’re out on DVD.  We’d rather pay $1.50 and pop our own corn than to pay the outrageous prices movie theaters charge for tickets and refreshments.  Plus we can turn on the subtitles so DH can better follow along (we can turn the volume up for him, but even then sometimes the soundtrack overpowers the conversations).
 
Do you think actors should use their acceptance speeches as an opportunity to promote their political and/or social agenda? Does that sort of speech make you more or less inclined to change the channel?
Oh. My. Word – that’s EXACTLY why I refuse to watch award shows, the Oscars in particular!  And when I read that so many did that this year, I knew we’d made the right choice to watch a movie instead.  I guess I’m showing my age when I say that I can remember when the Oscars were glamorous and entertaining … and while awards shows aren’t my favorite TV programming, I rather enjoyed the Oscars back in the day.  Not any more.   Besides, I am not a fan of having someone's political views shoved into my face (even if I agree with their POV), which is why I spent a couple of hours "unfollowing" a few Facebook friends ... I hated having my newsfeed cluttered with their political posts.
 
2. Speaking of the movies... are you comfortable going to a movie alone? How about dinner in a restaurant (not fast food, but an actual restaurant)? The second half of this question was posed by Carrie who blogs over at It's Not Easy Being Queen. Thanks Carrie! 
I wouldn’t be opposed to going to a movie or dining out alone (I’ve done the dining out alone when I’ve traveled on business back before DH and I married, while still working, etc.), but I would prefer not to … while I’m not uncomfortable with my own company, some things are just more enjoyable when done with others … so if I had the choice/opportunity to invite someone to join me, I would.   
 
3. What's the last home repair or home improvement project you had to pay someone to complete? In hindsight was this a project you could have done yourself? 
We had a leaky faucet in our bathroom.  My DH is not handy, and thankfully he knows it … so when we’ve had to pay to have a repair made, we’ve not had to pay to have DH’s work undone before the repair can be made.  So whenever we’ve paid someone to take on a project or make a repair, there’s never been any regrets or second thoughts here.
 
4. Have you ever had Indian food? Like it or no? If you're a fan, what's your favorite dish? Have you ever prepared this yourself at home? Is there an Indian restaurant in your current hometown? 
I’ve never had Indian food … I wouldn’t mind trying it (especially if I had a clue what to order), but I doubt if DH would be as interested … he’s not very adventurous when it comes to food.    There are no Indian restaurants in our little town nor any of the other nearby cities (at least not that I know of ... I'll admit that I've not looked).  I’m sure there is at least one over in St. Louis.
 
5. A song that reminds you of your parents? 
Just about anything by any of the “old school” country artists would remind me of them … Marty Robbins, Kitty Wells, Hank Williams, Roy Acuff, Gene Watson, Patsy Cline.
 
6. The 26th of February is National Tell A Fairy Tale Day. What's your favorite, or one of your favorite fairy tales? Do you have any childhood memories associated with a particular fairy tale? 
I confess that I prefer the Disney animated versions of the fairy tales, thanks in no small part to my two granddaughters, especially T#4 who lives all things Disney princess.
 
7. What's a problem you solved yesterday? 
Ummm … what to fix for dinner??   
 
8. Insert your own random thought here.
This week has been a quiet, uneventful week … the calm before the storm, so to speak, since the next 2-3 weeks are going to be busy.  I’m taking advantage of this lull to spend plenty of time with my needle and thread.  I took this when I getting ready to move the hoop to the next block.  I’m ready to start quilting the outer blocks on the opposite side of the quilt … I’m 2/3 done with the blocks. 
 
We’ve got more wintery weather coming … a small storm moving through tomorrow morning, a bigger system moving coming Sunday, and freezing rain/ice predicted for next Tuesday.  I won’t mind the snow, but the freezing rain/ice?  No thank you. 
 
I hope that whatever you have planned for today includes a little something that brings you joy! Have a great day!
Kathy