Some thoughts while watching Yanks/BoSox

• Rain on the fourth of July? I don't feel like I ever remember that happening. Fourth of July sort of needs to be a sunny occasion, or it doesn't really feel like a holiday. Jeff and I were planning on going to the Pawtucket Red Sox game, but decided against it because of the rain, and because I was heading to RI the next day for Justin's b-b-q, and lord knows I can't afford the gas to drive to RI twice in two days. (side rant: So sad what this economy has become. $4 for gas. Just think of that. I remember when I thought $2.55, just a few years ago, was ridiculous. Thank god I work from home.)

So instead, Jeff and I went to a local fireworks display occurring during a county fair here in Small Town, Massachusetts. The fireworks were nice, but the fog sort of dampened the "spectacle" of fireworks. That and the screaming children on the yo-yo ride. Call me a wet blanket if you like, but there is NO WAY I am letting my child on a carnival ride. I was terrified for these children and this ride creaked and cranked. (Side note #2: while looking for a pic of a similar looking ride, I came across this one -- ironically (?) linked up to a story about 24 people being injured on this ride. Photo credit: Jeff White, Frogtown.org) Overall Fourth of July 2008 rating: 5 out of 10. Yes, I'm ranking my holidays now.

• Now the fifth of July was better. After much pleading and convincing, my boy Hefe (aka Justin) held a b-b-q at his lovely Cranston abode. Of course, it was still gray and raining, but that didn't stop me from enjoying Pat's chili cheese dip, Justin's grilled honey b-b-q wings and an entire bottle of wine. Er, small tip. If you don't drink alot anymore -- me -- don't drink a whole bottle of wine if you want to have a fun day with your friends. I literally had to take two naps in the 12 hours I was there. Yeah, I'm a fun party girl.

But I had a good time, nonetheless. I got to talk to Justin, Pat and Ryan about my wedding and they all seemed genuinely excited.I got to ask Justin what I've been wanting to ask him for more than a month now: to make a speech at the wedding. I knew I wanted him to do this as soon as I got engaged. I knew I wasn't doing the male bridesmaid thing, but I knew I wanted him (and Andrew) to have a special part in my wedding day as two of my closest and longest friends. Justin doing the speech was just obvious. He knows me best, has a great sense of humor and will probably make me cry. Before I left for San Diego, Justin wrote me a beautiful letter telling me,"I am very excited for you and know if anything in life is guaranteed, it's that you will succeed beyond anyone I know. I want you to know that there is always someone who supports you and believes in you." Come on, isn't this the guy who you want to toast you at your wedding?

Anywhoo, I'm really excited he accepted the challenge (?) and I know he'll do a great job. He's seemed genuinely excited about our wedding. (See above for my fav pic of me and Justin. Yes, I was rocking the LiLo peace sign. Deal.)

The b-b-q was a blast, meeting Justin's friends, watching Pat resurrect "The Flying Tostido" (don't ask) and playing "not for alcoholic use" Beer Pong. Too bad I was exhausted at 6 p.m.

• It's a )@($* travesty of Major League Baseball and Boston fans that Jason Veritek is on the All-Star team. He is so garbage. Everyone who knows me knows I have disliked 'Tek since '03 and I've taken a whole lot of flak for it over the years. Look, I've never denied that he is probably fantastic with the pitching staff, but he has choked in big situations at the plate over and over and over, and he's become such a liability. Stick a fork in him. It makes Boston fans look bad that he made the team.

• I've seen a few movies lately, and I'll give you a quick opinion before I wrap this up.

Get Smart: I was worried this wouldn't be funny, that it would exhaust the punch lines in the commercials, and it would just be stupid. Fortunately, it wasn't. Unfortunately, it still wasn't that good. I pretty much think Steve Carell is funny all the time, and the Rock was surprisingly good. A few more well-crafted jokes and a slightly more believeable plot and this would have been more than just average for me. (That part where he throws the phone at the Borat guy will crack me up for the rest of time, though)

Wall-E: OK, I'm not going to lie. I went into the theater wanting to like this movie. I couldn't believe Jeff agreed to see a "kids" movie with me. Of course, I loved it. I love that Disney/Pixar is back to making the movies with the hidden (well, not really hidden) message aimed at children, even if the majority of the kids in the theater couldn't pay attention through the whole thing, reminding me why I shouldn't go see kids movies at 1 p.m. on a Sunday. 

I'm such a sucker for a thoughtful, heartfelt, cute movie like this. And, as Jeff has learned, the fun of imitating Wall-E's voice never ends ;)

The Great Debaters: OK, so this was a rental. Yeesh, it was a little over the top. I'm all for feel-gooders (see above), but the whole movie just seemed a little too convenient for something set in the 1930s. If you ever see it you'll know what I mean. The whole country sitting around a radio listening to a college debate? Er, doubtful. It just didn't feel right for something set so long ago -- if it had been the 1960s, it would have felt more realistic. But our country -- Texas in particular -- was way too backwards in the 30s than this movie depicted. Oh well. Forrest and Denzel delivered as usual which brought me to this thought: Would you rather see a movie with Denzel Washington and Forrest Whitaker than a movie with Robert DeNiro and Al Pacino? Not making this a race thing, just a "great actor" thing. I would rather, based on the last decade and a half of work, see the latter Oscar winners than the former. Thoughts?

What Dreams May Come: Jeff wanted to rent this. I'm always game for a religious movie. Love to think about things in a different way. (The best religious movie of all time: The Last Temptation of Christ. You will either love it or hate it, but you'll certainly feel changed after watching it.) WDMC was ... interesting. Man dies, wife kills herself and he tries to get her out of hell. Interesting concept. I won't spoil the ending for people who might want to see it, but it disappoints. I can recommend it though, it might get you thinking.