Girls just wanna have fun!

Well, it's hot again. But I can stand it -- for a few more days. According to the weather people, relief is in sight.

I heard someone saying today, "We didn't have summer last year. This year, summer's here -- and I don't want it to end! My kids don't want it to end!"

I said nothing, since the person wasn't talking to me, but privately I thought, "Are you CRAZY??? This can't end soon enough!!"

All right, enough about that. My sister and her family are visiting from Iowa! We rarely see them these days, so this is a real treat. I hung out with my niece Lyssa all weekend...first, on Friday, I went over to pick up Lyssa and Hattie about noon (my sisters and their families are staying together right now).

We went to lunch at a pizza place, then got ice cream afterward. I took Hattie back to her house, then Lyssa and I got back in the car and I drove home to drop Lyssa's stuff at my house.

Then we drove to the mall, loud country music cranked up on the radio all the way there, and we shopped! Normally I hate shopping, but that was fun.

We ate dinner there; Lyss had Chinese, and I had tacos. Then we meandered back to our fave store of the night and shopped a little more, picking up some cute clothes, after which we headed home. We put on a movie and then Lyssa stayed the night. She took the couch in the living room and I took the floor. It actually was not uncomfortable.

The next day, my brother-in-law came to pick up Lyss; after a few hours, she was back with me and my oldies again, riding with us as we headed off to the rodeo -- it was Qualifying Night! Woohoo!!! We watched some awesome team penning! Yeah, we're hicks. Ya gotta problem with that?

Then Lyss stayed the night again, and that was cool. She rode with us to church, and we met up with everybody there. After the service, we all ate lunch at my sister's house and sat around enjoying each other's company for a while.

My mum and sisters decided to drive down about an hour away to visit my grandmum, who's not well physically right now. Lyss rode home with me and we watched The Terminal together. Though I'm not a huge Tom Hanks fan, I adore Catherine Zeta-Jones, and I really like The Terminal.

Anyway, my mum and sisters came back later and my sisters took Lyssa back with them. I've had to work these past few days, so I haven't seen any of them lately, but it's been great having them around.

Yesterday I stopped at the library and borrowed their copy of LA Confidential. I know, I know, not the kind of stuff I normally watch, but...it's a Russell Crowe movie, for crying out loud! There are so many of his movies I haven't seen (and some I never will see!). And we have a fixture on our telly that mutes any nasty words (of which, apparently, there are a lot in LA Confidential). Long story short, I just absolutely fell in love with Bud White. What a guy!

Yeah, yeah, I know, big surprise there, right? Are there any of his characters I really don't like? Well, OK, Hando and SID are both scary. But I haven't even seen their movies, so I don't truly know what they're like. I'm just basing my opinion of them on whatever I've read about the movies.

But as I'm sure you know, I adore Jack Aubrey beyond all reason. (There are times -- honestly, I'm not lying -- when I turn on M&C while I'm eating breakfast in the mornings, just to get my "Jack" fix, and...I forget to chew whatever I'm eating. I'm serious! It's pitiful, I know, but there it is.)

And of course I like Jim Braddock and Cort and John Biebe and Maximus and "The Man" (Egan?) from Silver Brumby. John Nash is a little wacky, but that's not his fault -- and he's still really cute. And I could, perhaps, warm up to Terry Thorne too. He's a little intense, but hey...

Anyway, where was I? Oh yes, Bud White. Mmmm. I found myself growing more and more attached to him throughout the little bits and pieces of the movie I saw. I fast-forwarded and rewound and skipped scenes, but I still saw enough to know that I really, really like that man. He's so tough and strong , but he has the capability to be sweet too. Unusual.

Near the end when Bud gets shot, I was a complete basket case. I saw that bit just this morning, and it almost ruined my whole day (I made sure to go back and watch some clips from before the shooting, just so I wouldn't be depressed). When Bud pushed that weaselly little rodent Exley out of the way and took the bad guy's bullets himself, I gasped "No! Oh, no, no, no..." Then I covered my face with my hands, and cried.

I don't usually do that. Hmmm.

Well, anyway! On that cheery note, I will end here! It is time to go home from work (no matter what that timestamp on the bottom of my blog tells you, it's five o'clock here. Yay!).

So that's what I've been up to lately! I know, I know, I still have to give a report on Mumford. I will, I promise -- it's just that my DSL is down AGAIN and I'm writing this from work. When I have more time and my computer is repaired, then you will get the full-fledged unabridged Mumford Report!! Whee!!!

Bye for now!