Chick Flick Of My Choice

So I up and mowed the lawn.

 That is normally a job for Monte. 

But he has been so busy lately at work

 and the grass was getting so tall that the dog was starting to pee on the driveway. 

 Nigel can be so dramatic sometimes.

Nigel blending in with the white fur pillow behind him. I have
actually pet that pillow before thinking it was him. 

So I woke up yesterday and decided that I would surprise Monte and mow the lawn.

I started early so I could beat the heat

it was expected to be close to 90 yesterday.

Then I found that my iPod was dead.

What is this? The 17th century?

I can't mow the lawn without music.

So I plugged it in for a quick charge while I downloaded the new Amy Grant album.

Her concert was the first concert I ever went to.

She sings a song with James Taylor.

I like it!

When all that was over

I had to pick up all the twigs that our enormous Sycamore sheds on any given day.

We could never have a pool

it would be filled with sticks and leaves the size of my face.

Then I had to pick up all of Nigel's 

well, you know.

My grandmother always told us to watch out for the cow "toy toy" when walking in the pasture with her.

Yeah, she called cow patties "toy toy". 

In honor of my grandmother (wait, would this honor her?)

I am bringing "toy toy" back.

I had to pick up 2 BAGS of Nigel's "toy toy".

You guys, the dog weighs 13 pounds!

How can he have that much "toy toy"

 inside his little white furry self?

Anyway,

then I had to move the hammock

the glider

the chaise lounge.

All weighing in at a half-ton each.

THEN…

I started mowing.

It was so over 80 degrees by this time.

I sweat so much that I had to take off my sunglasses 
and wipe them off.

Then I felt bad for "thought judging" the guy down the street that I always see wearing a sweat band when he mows.

Brilliant move, mister. Brilliant.

Then I had to move back the hammock, the glider and the chaise lounge.

I amazingly lived through the experience.

I texted my husband of my surprising deed.

He was so thrilled that he said I could pick 

ANY MOVIE OF MY CHOICE

for the evening--no vetoes.

(He vetoes often.)

This was big.

This was HUGE.

This was rare.

And I was drawing a big. fat. blank.

I am always looking at movie titles and thinking to myself

"The next time Monte is out of town, I am SO watching this."

Except I couldn't think of a single one of those movies.

So I sent out a group text to some friends for idea help.

Here are some of their suggestions:

•The Intouchables.

The trailer looked awesome and I am putting it on my list (in my head) of movies I want to see when Monte isn't around (that I will hopefully not promptly forget that I want to see). I decided against this movie since it is French and there are subtitles and I thought that might be a wee bit taking advantage of Monte's sweet offer.

•French Kiss.

I can not believe I have never seen this! Great suggestion and that goes on the list but I really think I might be able to get Monte to see this even when his veto power has been restored (Kevin Kline is in it) so therefore I didn't want to waste it.

•While You Were Sleeping

I have seen that and liked it but wanted to try something new.

•Safe Haven

Now I do love me some Nicholas Sparks. But for some reason I had the impression this was going to be about domestic abuse and I did not want that emotional roller coaster. I was assured it was not but filed it away for another time. I do want to see it. The Notebook is on my list of all time favorite romantic films ever.

•Beaches

I have never seen this movie all the way through. Does that make me not a woman? I don't hate Monte, so I did not even seriously consider it.

•Yentl

Okay. Maybe my friends hate Monte.  A musical? A woman trying to pass as a man? Not Monte's cup of tea. Plus, isn't it like 4 hours? I couldn't torture him.

Through all the texting fun, we did decide that we needed a girls movie night.

You know, to watch the movies the guys always veto.

I decided that I wanted a period piece.

Something Jane Austenish.

So I picked Becoming Jane with Anne Hathaway.

It is about Jane Austen before she has written any of her famous books.

It is about how you pretty much HAVE to marry for money.

And how she wanted to marry the one she loved but ultimately couldn't because he needed to marry for money and she had none.
(Ironically, because her mother had married for love instead of money.)

It was good and a bit sad.

I felt the need to tell my girls this morning at breakfast to be very thankful they were born when they were 

because we have options now.

Like opting to mow my own lawn and that not breaking some sort of unladylike etiquette law (if there ever was such a thing. Although, I might vote to bring that one back.)