Valentine's Day almost didn't happen in the Pollard house this year. Poor Taylor came down with a nasty bug that left her with a high fever for 4 days, and left mommy extremely tired.
But luckily her fever broke on Valentine's Day, and we headed out of our germ-infested house to The Lazy Dog Cafe and Menchies with our little family.
Wes and I celebrated our first Valentine's Day together 12 years ago. I sent him on a small scavenger hunt around Simi Valley that led him to my mom's house. I made him Egg Plant Parmesan, after having my neighbor teach me how to cook it the previous day. (I had only heated up mac and cheese at that point in my life.) I put a lot of effort into that Valentine's Day and figured if it didn't scare him away, then he was probably "the one." And I was right. He brought over a beautiful statue of a ballerina that we had seen together at the mall. I mentioned that I liked it, and he listened. I was smitten.
It was nice to look around the table this year at my happy family as we ate dinner and laughed at dog jokes. I love them to pieces and I'm glad we don't need a holiday to show our love. We're pretty good at doing that all year round.
Poor Tay, was miserable all week. I can't wait until winter is over!!
The girls loved getting little Valentine's Day treats and packages from family. They're spoiled.
Happy Birthday, Gramps!! You have more lives than a cat, and we are thankful!
Corinne is my little chef. She loves to help in the kitchen, and she made egg plant pamesean with me last week as a pre-Valentine's Day throwback dinner.
This might be my favorite video, ever. Taylor begged me to sign her up for basketball, and she loves every second of it. They had a little 3 on 3 game, and Taylor made the final (and only) basket. It was SO exciting. Sure, it's not a real game and she totally travelled, but she was so excited to make that shot. The high fives she got from her team mates after were the icing on the cake.
Wes is recovering pretty well from ACL surgery. He's tired of watching TV and feeling a bit cooped up, but he starts physical therapy next week. Hopefully he'll be up and around soon.
Taylor lost yet another tooth. I'm not sure how she's eating solids at this point.
I'm not quite sure how to write this post. I've been going back and forth about what to say and what to keep mum about. Even though this is MY blog and MY forum for sounding off on anything I want, I'm still mindful that I have readers. It would be great if I could write whatever I wanted without an audience in mind, but that's nearly impossible and not very considerate. And despite how open I may seem, I'm actually an insanely private person and wouldn't want to spill my guts for the world (or my 20 loyal readers) to see.
Which segues awkwardly into what I wanted to write about...
I wrote another article for KSL.com with a very good friend of mine, Travis Poppleton. We've both had a pretty successful stint writing for KSL and took the opportunity to team up for this piece.The article was a fluff piece on our favorite Valentine's Day movies. A he said/she said take on romantic films. It was edited and given high marks. We assumed it would be published next week.
Sadly, it won't be published. KSL is undergoing a change in their entertainment department and R rated movies, or PG-13 films with sex and violence, won't be reviewed or promoted. A few of our favorite picks were rated R and PG-13, and we were told yesterday that KSL won't run the article. Those films deemed inappropriate by...someone on the top of the food chain over there, no matter how important some may be, will no longer be reviewed.
It used to be, from what I understand living in California, that KSL was owned by the LDS church but continued to be a very credible news site for all of Utah. The equivalent of KTLA in Los Angeles and never really called a "church ran site." I've done different articles on movies before, and never had to leave out anything R rated. From what I was told, not everyone agrees with these new changes. LDS church members who work for KSL are upset as well. It makes a site that was rather credible at one point, look obviously biased. Censoring news and information is wrong, no matter what your intentions.
So whether or not I decide to write anything else for KSL is up in the air. The teenage rebellion in me thinks if I'm not part of the solution, I'm part of the problem...and if I'm not angry, I'm just not smart enough to care....and hell no, we won't go!...or write. And then there's a part of me that just enjoys writing for a large audience and wants to continue doing so, even if KSL isn't playing by the rules of journalism.
Wow. That was a lot more than I intended to write on the subject. So without further ado, below is the article that was far too edgy to publish by KSL's new standards. (Insert mental image of Travis and Nikki with a pouty face and folded arms.) I sure hope the movies I recommended with kissing and insinuated love scenes don't offend you.*snicker*
Nicole and Travis debate the best movies to watch this Valentine’s Day
Chick flicks are to women what pinup girls are to men. Both paint a completely unrealistic picture of the opposite sex, and significant others are always wondering why their better halves can’t see through the ridiculousness of either product.
But while the romance genre is saturated with two-dimensional characters and cut-and-paste plot devices, there are a few quality films that transcend the Matthew McConaughey one-liners and Patrick Swayze tight pants.
Nicole’s picks
When Harry Met Sally
Nicole:
“When Harry Met Sally” is the blueprint for almost every romantic comedy that came after it. It poses the question, “Can men and women really be friends, or does physical attraction always get in the way?”
There’s nothing rushed about the R-rated “When Harry Met Sally,” even though the story spans 12 years of friendship. The dialogue is smart and the humor is subtle, but it’s the chemistry between Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan that carries the film. Everything about this movie is understated, right down to the soundtrack crooned by Harry Connick Jr. That same subtlety allows for the audience to really enjoy the story of a true-to-life romance that stems from friendship.
Travis:
Perhaps the only openly chick-flick film I’ll seek out on a regular basis.
I believe it was on the DVD commentary where I first heard Rob Reiner state he didn’t want the main characters to get together in the end, and I think that served the finished product wonderfully.
Because the film wasn’t designed to rush into a forced, over-the-top love confession, it works first as a film about friendship. Love stories that take their time building a genuine friendship, like another R-rated 80’s classic, “Some Kind of Wonderful,” generally have more to offer than just the inevitable “You complete me” line in the final two minutes.
Chocolat
Nicole:
Johnny Depp oozes charisma. With that said, you still couldn’t pay me to sit through the next installment of “Pirates.”
Before he sold his soul to Disney, Johnny Depp was in the lesser-known romantic film, “Chocolat.” The story is set in a small French village, where Vianne and her daughter are brought by the wind to a devoutly Catholic town where they open a confectionery during lent. With a whimsical and mysterious air about her, Vianne uses her uncanny knowledge of chocolate to help the townspeople and to land herself a love interest, played by Depp.
I don’t like to play into stereotypes, but any movie starring Depp and co-starring chocolate is a film that I’d bet most women would enjoy. I suggest shoveling spoonfuls of Nutella into your mouth while watching this film, which is rated PG-13, as you’ll be craving chocolate midway through. As for craving Johnny Depp, chocolate won’t help you there.
Travis:
“Chocolat” is a slow-roasted film that moves because of its characters’ distinct and oftentimes unrelated motivations — a style of storytelling I find completely fascinating and far-removed from a movie like, say, “The Wedding Planner.”
But before renting “Chocolat” this Valentine’s Day, make sure you know what you’re getting into. This is not the movie you want if you’re doing a quick dinner and a show. The two-hour running time is a leisurely one, and if you’re too tired to invest in the experience, you may want to look elsewhere.
That warning aside, “Chocolat” is a beautiful film that I would recommend to anyone.
The Notebook
Nicole:
Travis is going to rip me to shreds on this one.
This story was geared toward women — like myself. The writer sat back and thought, “What do women want? I’ve got it! They want to be pined over, fought over, gently stalked just enough to be flattered but without any violence, and they want it all from Ryan Goseling! By George, I have my story!” And hence, “The Notebook,” rated PG-13, was written and adapted into a movie that women everywhere swoon over.
The story centers around Allie and Noah, a young couple in love and torn apart by Allie’s wealthy and controlling parents. They find their way back to each other and rekindle their romance, when the story fast-forwards to their life together in a convalescent home.
I’m a sucker for over-the-top romance. “The Notebook” is as cheesy as it gets, with mushy one-liners and a story that makes men roll their eyes with the impossibility of it. But like Patrick Swayze in tight pants, it does the job and it’s a perfect guilty pleasure.
Travis:
Nikki already wrote way more about this movie than I considered possible. If you’re willing to read a spoiler, let me tell you everything you need to know about this film. (SPOILER) The two characters die at the end, at the same time, of like … love … disease, or maybe hope-atitis. I don’t know, but it was painful.
As Good As It Gets
Nicole:
“As Good As It Gets” is like the anti-“Notebook.” It isn’t an obvious romance. The male love interest isn’t very lovable but somehow — maybe because he was played by Jack Nicholson — comes across as endearing despite being a abhorrent racist homophobe who throws small dogs.
Nicholson plays the part of Melvin Udall, a sardonic writer who lets out a stream of invective to anyone within earshot. The only person in New York who can stomach the man is a single waitress, Carol, played by Helen Hunt. Eventually, and this is why it falls into the romance category, he professes that she, “makes him want to be a better man.” That’s a compliment most women wouldn’t mind hearing on Valentine’s Day — or any other day of the year.
Travis:
I didn’t love “As Good as it Gets,” but it may work for your night out. It definitely has some funny moments, and if nothing else, the performances were sincere.
Travis’ picks
Groundhog Day
Travis:
I can’t think of anything more romantic than the entire universe skipping like a broken record until one guy wins the heart of the girl he’s meant to be with.
Bill Murray was definitely an interesting choice for a romantic comedy lead, but I think “Groundhog Day” was the first time audiences realized there was more to the actor than just a crazy groundskeeper or witty paranormal entrepreneur. His transformation from complete egotist to someone worthy of girl-next-door Andie MacDowell was, and still is, one of my favorite Murray showings. I don’t know how this could miss on Valentine’s Day.
Nikki:
It’s odd. By most standards, Andie MacDowell is a physically attractive person. Bill Murray, not so much. But he’s far more appealing to me in this movie than she, which makes it hard to believe he’d suffer through the same day repeatedly to win over such a dull female lead. But that’s my only beef with this film.
Actually, I have one more beef with it. If you have to kill yourself trying to convince someone to fall in love with you, than it probably wasn’t meant to be in the first place. This fact alone kicks the movie out of the running for me.
Am I reading too much into this?
Safety Not Guaranteed
Travis:
“Safety Not Guaranteed” is a great way to sneak some sci-fi into your romantic comedy.
Following intern reporter Darius (Aubrey Plaza) while she investigates probably-crazy time traveler Kenneth (Mark Duplass), made for an adventure that hit several critics’ top-10 lists in 2012.
For me, the “Safety” was just a refreshingly geeky change of pace to an otherwise airbrushed genre. Sure, Plaza is beautiful, and I imagine Duplass has his days, but this film is for the outcasts. For those of us who will never achieve heartthrob status, and maybe held onto our Star Wars action figures a few years longer than we should have, this film gives us a high-five and tells us there’s happiness for us somewhere in this crazy world as well.
Nikki:
Think “K-Pax” meets “Juno,” without the teenage pregnancy and with a corky romance thrown in.
“Safety not Guaranteed” was a pleasant surprise, since sci-fi and romance don’t typically jive. If falling in love is really about welcoming someone else into your weird little world and vice versa, than it was right on the money.
Paperman
Travis:
If you’re on the go this year and don’t have time for an entire film, but still want to share an enchanted moment with someone you care about, “Paperman” is brilliant.
In what might be the coolest thing Disney has done on its own since before it deferred to Pixar for everything creative, Disney introduced a captivating hybrid of 2-D and 3-D animation in a six-minute short before 2012’s “Wreck-it Ralph.”
As someone who loves traditional animation, I gave my heart to this piece for other reasons. However, the story is a great little fantasy for all of those what-if moments we never get to see through to conclusion.
Nikki:
I loved “Paperman.” It’s a throwback to traditional animation, like Travis mentioned, and a sweet boy-meets-girl story. Disney took a step back from 3-D and fart jokes, and came up with something lovely.
That ends the article, but if you’re still reading and are interested in where to find Paperman, here is a YouTube version:
Taylor brings home all of her work from the week on Friday in her "Friday Folder." Last week she brought home a slew of spelling and math tests, eleven of them, and all of them had 100% on the top. She's one smart cookie and we are so proud of her.
I've always struggled a bit with her. We've been saying for a while that she's a bright girl. I walk a fine line sometimes between pushing her to focus and show what she knows at school, and just backing off and letting her do her own thing. Whatever I'm doing this year seems to be working, and I'll admit I've been pretty lax lately. Maybe that's what she needs to excel. This whole parenting a school-age child is new to me, so I feel like she's my guinea pig. I still don't know when to bring up concerns to the teacher, and when to keep things to myself. And I'm constantly trying to remind her to work hard, but still encouraging her to just have fun so she doesn't burn out. I know With Taylor we've found that bribery does wonders. She's convinced she'll get new Skechers and a cell phone if she keeps this up.
This one wasn't a test, but notice the last part. She had to write a sentence with the word "I," and she said, "I have a good family." *tear*
They strip you of all pride before you go into surgery and make you wear a giant condom on your head, and then your wife takes a picture of it.
I vaguely recall my wedding day. There are bits and pieces I remember vividly, but for the most part it's a ll a blur. I do remember some of our vows and the whole "in sickness and health" bit. We're relatively healthy people, but there have been a few times when we've had to nurse each other back to health. I think Wes did more for me than I ever dreamed he'd do when I had Taylor and was stuck in the hospital. He had to help me pull up my underwear. It was mortifying. I won't get into any more detail than that, but the man was a saint about it. But now it's my turn to nurse the Hubs for the next few weeks as he recovers from ACL and MCL surgery (again).
He received an ACL from a cadaver. He was sort of hoping it was the cadaver of a 7 ft tall, deceased NBA player. He can dream. But for the next 6 weeks, he's pretty much house bound and it's driving him crazy. So he had a few friends over for the Super Bowl. He's had cabin fever from being stuck on the couch, so having some guys over really cheered him up.
The kids ended up on my bed with Grandma. That's where the real party was!
Crashing on the bed
The men-folk.
Corinne got sick the same day as his surgery. Doesn't it always happen like that?
