Movie Review: Tomorrowland

What is it about Disney movies always making me cry? Am I just getting weepy in my old age?

In Tomorrowland it was the hopeful message that got to me. I had read a review that said the movie was too preachy. What does that even mean? When I hear the word preachy I think of something negative, like someone is trying to hit me over the head with a Bible or something. Tomorowland was merely telling me not to give up on our world, to keep dreaming.

The story follows Casey, a teenage girl who gets slipped a mysterious pin that when touched shows a vision of another dimension. The pin turns out to be a recruitment device that had once been intended to attract future scientists, people needed to fuel Tomorrowland.

Although Tomorrowland had been dormant for over 30 years, one of the recruiters was still searching for someone to save the dying world.

I loved this movie. It was fun, exciting and the special effects were incredible! I think that everybody should see it, especially if they have a negative view of the world. It's all about hope. And feeding the right wolf...

"There are two wolves who are always fighting. One is darkness and despair. The other is light and hope. The question is: which wolf wins?"

"The one you feed."

Get it?

Alone in the Woods, part 12

I heard a muffled voice. It sounded like somebody was calling my name. 

"Annie? Annie, wake up!"

My eyes fluttered open and light filtered in. A blurry image began to form. It was my friends, Janice and Carmen! I gasped and sat up quickly, clutching my head as I felt the world spin. "Oh, jeez, my head."

"Where the heck have you been?" Janice, the future wilderness explorer, demanded. "We lost you a while ago and have been shouting your name like crazy!"

"You have?"

"Yeah, did you fall and hit your head?" Carmen, such a Florence Nightingale, started searching my scalp for signs of trauma. "Hm, I don't feel anything."

"I guess I must have passed out." I looked around and noticed we were outside. I could see the top of our tents from here. "Hey, our stuff is back!"

"It never left, dear." Carmen looked at me with concern. "Are you feeling all right?" She held up her hand. "How many fingers?"

"Five," I said. "I'm fine, but I had the craziest dream!" I started to laugh in such relief. "I went forward 60 years into the future and everything had changed! It was so crazy! People had to wear these colored uniforms, I suppose to distinguish social status or something."

"Oh, no! That would be the worst for you, Annie! What would you do if you couldn't wear pink plaid anymore?" Janice laughed.

I laughed with her. Then Carmen asked, "What's this?" And I stopped laughing. It was the fancy water bottle the red family had given me.

"Annie, you look a little pale. What's the mattert?"

I took the bottle from her. It hadn't been a dream. I glanced back at the cave. I couldn't tell my friends what had really happened. They would never believe me.

"That cave really scared me. Let's not ever come back here again, okay?"

"You have my vote on that," Carmen agreed.

"Okay, sweetie. It was pretty creepy, wasn't it?" Sarah said. "I'm all for exploration, but something tells me that cave isn't safe.

I nodded, unable to say another word.

The End.

The X-Files Has Reopened

Last month I mentioned how my daughter was trying to binge watch all nine seasons of the original X-Files series in order to get ready for the new miniseries. Well, she made it to season 5. Not too shabby.

Because my husband is a bigger X-Files fan than me he had to see the new show immediately, therefore not allowing our daughter to finish the old series. In order to get up to speed we all watched the two X-Files feature films back to back. Fight the Future (1998) was good and it continued the alien conspiracy story. We actually had never seen the second one, I Want to Believe (2008), so we were excited.

Then we were depressed.

That second X-Files film was like a slap in the face to the fans. It was pointless and downright rude. It had nothing to do with the series, went off in rambling directions and implied some Scully/Mulder love affair that we had never been made aware of. Apparently it started and stopped offscreen, then rekindled for five seconds in some random awkward bedroom scene. I couldn't tell if there had been hanky panky going on or if they were just sharing a bed because there was only one. I mean, Mulder had always been famous for his inappropriate sexual comments.

But on to the new show. "Woohoo!!!" was the collective cheer from our living room as we caught up with last night's premiere episode. It has the feel of the original series, while including some of the storyline of the last film. The new show started off with alien and government conspiracy and had me on the edge of my seat the entire time.

If you are an X-Files fan I think you will really enjoy the new episode. Of course, I don't know how good the other five installments will be. I could be jumping the gun.

Alone in the Woods, part 11

"Sixty years. Sixty years," I kept mumbling to myself as I wandered blindly down the walkway I had used to enter this surreal shopping mall. Taking one last look at the colorful people and cars, I turned back to the woods and ran as fast as I could across the highway and into the coverage of trees.

I ran and ran until I couldn't breathe. I stopped for a few minutes. Luckily I was still clutching the water bottle. I must have had a death grip on the thing to not drop it in all the confusion. I took a few swigs then continued on my way up the road. After a few more rest stops I passed the family in red, ignoring them when they greeted me. All I could think about was getting back to that cave. That had to be what had brought me here.

Finally I was back at my abandoned campsite. I finished off my water and headed straight for the gaping hole in the mountain. I didn't think about how tired I was. I didn't stop to consider how freaked out I was. I just walked into the dark and kept moving until I collapsed from exhaustion and shock.

Alone in the Woods, part 10

I was surrounded by tall clothing racks full of solid color jumpsuits in red and yellow. These were what everybody had been wearing outside. They all looked the same. Although another rack had pants and shirts. Okay so there was a little bit of variation.

"Welcome to your one stop uniform shop!" I jumped at the perky voice next to me. I looked over to see a young woman with short dark hair wearing a yellow suit. "What is that crazy getup?" She stared at my clothes.

"It's a costume," I lied.

"You better not let any Blues see you in that."

"I already have and I explained the situation to him. I'm filming a movie with some friends. They have permits."

"Oh, yeah? Which web is it on? Will I get to see it this week?"

"Web?"

"You know, dark web, mainstream web, military web, whatever."

Before I gave myself away I blurted out, "It's for the dark web. It's a horror movie!"

"Nice! You gotta punch in your yerly for me."

"Yerly?"

"Your U-R-L."

"Oh, right." I didn't have a clue what she was talking about.

She touched a spot on her wrist and it glowed! Words appeared on a tiny screen. It was like something out of James Bond...or Secret Squirrel. I could feel my breath coming in quick pants. In a few more minutes I was bound to pass out. But I had to know what the hell had happened to me and where I was.

"I actually don't know the URL, but I can get it to you later. I'm sorry, but I'm feeling a little dizzy, like I might have blacked out and lost time." I had heard about that in a science fiction movie once. "Can you tell me what day it is? Do you have a calendar?"

"Sure I do. Don't you? Where's your display?" She grabbed my hand and I pulled it back quickly.

"It's malfunctioning. Can I see your calendar?"

She swiped her wrist again and a mini calendar appeared. June 2036.

I grabbed hold of the clothing rack and nearly fell over. It was still June, but I had somehow jumped ahead sixty years!

"Hey, you a'right? You don't look well."

"I need some air," I whispered before stumbling out the door.

Alone in the Woods, part 9

I whirled back to face a man dressed in a blue uniform and my heart nearly stopped. I swallowed hard and put on a fake smile.
"Hi!" I put out my hand, but he just glanced at it briefly before staring into my wide eyes. "I'm from the local talent agency. I was told to come here for an advertising campaign. I'm just waiting for the crew. Hopefully this is the right walkway. Is there another walkway that's more central? Have you seen a camera crew? Have you seen others dressed like me? We were told what to wear. I know my clothes are totally trippy, but that's all it is. A costume." I took a deep breath and the blue stared at me like I was crazy. I was getting used to it.

"A commercial, huh? That's pretty retro. Nobody does that anymore, well not since the twenties."

"The twenties?" The twenties?!?

"I know it's hard to believe it's been ten years already since the end of network television." He looked at my outfit for a few moments and nodded. "You do look vintage. Is it for that Remembrance store?"

"Yes, I think it is! The agency didn't tell me that much. It think it's a secret campaign."

"Okay, I won't tell a soul."

"Hey, thanks! If you see the crew would you let me know? I'll just wait here so I don't accidentally walk off and miss them."

"Sure. And if I run into them I will bring them over."

"Wonderful! I really appreciate it!" My fake smile was still frozen in place as he walked away. What the hell had he been saying? The end of network television? The twenties? He couldn't have been referring to the 1920s. There was no TV then. I had to take a chance and find out more. Apparently my story was believable enough in case anybody looked at me weird or asked questions. I ducked into the first open door I came to.

Alone in the Woods, part 8

The shopping center was massive. When I stepped through the walkway I could see another row of shops on the other side of a parking lot. The cars looked like a rainbow sea, with designated areas for each color. I hung back in the shadows observing the people who seemed to be dressed as colorfully as their vehicles. Bright red, yellow and pink (for the children) matching outfits passed by each other without acknowledgement of any kind. There were a few people dressed in blue positioned every few feet.

These must be what that strange family had warned me about. They looked like military of some kind.

My head was spinning. This had to be a dream. A very vivid dream. I could smell food cooking and could feel the heat of the sun. I was too scared to walk among them. I would stick out like a sore thumb in my orange pants and lime green gingham shirt.

I was about to slip away quietly, when a voice behind me asked, "Who are you? How did you get here?"

Alone in the Woods, part 7

I ran along the newly paved path, clutching my fancy bottle of water, and didn't stop until I had to catch my breath. I listened for a minute, but heard nothing but the whisper of trees. I hadn't noticed before, but I didn't hear any birds or planes. We lived in a flight path and usually there were planes overhead at least every few hours or so.

Finally I made it to the main highway, but what I saw made my blood run cold.

There were buildings everywhere!

When I had arrived yesterday this was nothing but a lonely road full of farms. Strange cars passed by in bright colors, but they hardly made any sound at all. People across the road were milling about among what I determined to be stores. It was a shopping center. A really big shopping center. How could this have appeared overnight?

I had to investigate.

Sad Day

Last night we found out about the death of an icon. David Bowie died. We were stunned. Our first thought was it must be a hoax! Sadly, it was not.

My husband is one of David Bowie's biggest fans and had been giving tributes on Facebook just two days earlier, for Bowie's birthday. He was overjoyed to have received Bowie's new album Blackstar in the mail on that very day! On Friday he shared the title song with his "History of Popular Music" class at our daughter's high school (it's called a club, but Mick does all the talking.). This morning he broke the news to our daughter, who shares a birthday with the rock icon, and she was devastated as well. My heart is aching, too. I loved David Bowie, as a songwriter, musician, performer and trailblazer.

As I write this, my husband is playing "Life on Mars" on the turntable and I am in tears.

RIP David Bowie.

Yoga with Adriene

I have mentioned this YouTuber before, but I think I am going to mention Yoga With Adriene more often, mainly because she is my favorite online Yoga teacher. That's saying a lot because I work at a Yoga center and have taken many classes there from many different teachers. While they are all lovely instructors--and it is nice to have someone there with you to answer questions or to position you properly if you need help--it is so fabulous to be able to work out in the privacy of your home and not care if you fall over onto your butt.

Adriene Mishler teaches yoga for everybody or every body. She is sweet, funny and bold. She laughs at herself and gives you permission to do the same. She has a soft voice, but it sounds like your best friend chatting with you rather than some overly spiritual "Yogi" (I have seen some videos that have creeped me out, like these instructors were under mind control or trying to use it on others.). Adriene is your buddy giving you a gentle nudge to "do what you know you should do" and get your body and mind in their best shape possible.

Visit Yoga with Adriene on YouTube or her website. She has videos for all levels and for pretty much any symptom you might have: headache, pms, cold, depression, back pain, etc.

Maybe it's the fact that Adriene has a theatre background like me and she treats Yoga like any other body movement or dance class. They are all important for different reasons. Yoga moves your inner light and brings it out into the world.

Why don't I do it more often??? I always feel better when I do it Always.

Today's workout was "Freedom Flow!"

Alone in the Woods, part 6

"What is it?" I asked.

"You're weird," the little boy replied.

I swallowed. "Thank you for the compliment," I said with a smile. "I pride myself on being different." I looked up at the couple. "Thank you for the water."

"You're welcome," the dad said warily. "What are you doing out here in the woods all alone, if you don't mind my asking."

"My friends ditched me. My friends who are no longer my friends, that is."

"They ditched you?" The mom asked. "You mean they just drove away and left you all alone? Are they insane? You could've been killed out here. You should never be alone. Ever."

I was getting a little spooked. These were the strangest people I had ever met. They were all dressed in matching red outfits, like they were going to pose for a family portrait or something. Their little car looked like a spaceship and had these official little stickers on it giving it access to some special lane. Even their tent was strange. It was round! I had never seen such a thing. Obviously they weren't from around here. Maybe they were from Canada?

"Well, I'll be going now." I backed away slowly, each of us staring at the other. I broke into a run.

"Stay on the road! Don't talk to the blues!" The dad shouted behind me. What the hell? What was a blue? Hopefully I wouldn't find out.

Alone in the Woods, part 5

I curled in trying to keep warm. The cold wind I had felt when I first walked in kept blowing intermittently throughout the night. Then I thought I heard voices. I would wake up and could've sworn I heard my friends calling to me. At one point I even called back. That was silly. They had left me here.

Finally the sun came up. the warmth piercing through the coldness of the cave. I sat up and stretched. Ow. I felt more tired than I did when I went to sleep. My whole body ached. How was I going to hike anywhere, let alone miles back to town? I had to try. I pulled myself up and walked slowly into the morning light. At least it was warmer. I unzipped my windbreaker and tied it around my waist.

Thankfully there was a clear road leading the way out. I stared at the ground. How odd. I could've sworn it was just a dirt road when we arrived, but it was paved smooth, like a city street. Well, at least it was cleaner. I sure didn't want to walk through the dirt getting my keds all grody.

As I walked down the road I listened carefully to the sounds of the forest. I heard children laughing. People! I was so thirsty; hopefully they would share their supplied with me. I rounded a curve and saw a family. The parents were putting up a tent, while their kids played tag. After a few seconds the kids seemed to get bored and sat down at the picnic table. They each pulled a flat little box out of their pockets and proceeded to stare at them, completely ignoring each other. What could be so fascinating that they would give up a fun game of tag? I loved tag and I wasn't even a kid!

"Hello!" I called out, waving my hand.

The kids looked up in fear and ran behind their parents. Gee, I didn't think I looked that intimidating.

The dad held out his hands as if trying to placate me. "We ddidn't bring any money with us. Please, just leave us in peace."

"Sorry?" I was getting a little freaked out by these people. "I was just going to ask for a cup of water."

They looked relieved. The mom said, "Oh, water! Sure! We have some water." She ran to a fancy cooler and took out a clear bottle. It was so beautiful, almost like glass art. She handed it to me. "Here ya go."

"You're giving that to me? It looks so expensive."

They all laughed at me. "It's just bottled water! Haven't you ever seen a bottle of water before?" The little boy asked.

I shook my head as I tried to open the top. The little girl took it from my hands. "Like this." She pulled the small cap upward and it produced a drinking hole. She turned it upside down and squeezed, making the water squirt out in a stream.

"Where did you get this? It's incredible!" I took the bottle back and squirted a stream into my mouth and then laughed.

They all stood there staring at me like I was a lunatic.

Alone in the Woods, part 4

A cold wind blew through me as I approached the mouth of the cave. It was almost as if the darkness was calling me. I held my breath, but went inside anyway. Immediately I felt warmer. Yes, this would definitely be better than trying to sleep out among the trees, where anything could fall on my head. Leaves. Bugs. Bird poop. No thanks.

Afraid I might get lost again, I decided against walking in any farther. Besides, if Yogi or Boo Boo was lurking inside I would easily be able to run out and climb a tree. 

Wait. Couldn't bears climb trees, too? Dangit!

I found a smooth piece of ground and curled up. A good night's sleep was all I needed. Then I would be able to hike back down the road to town and find a pay phone. Boy, were my friends gonna get it!

I Lost a Day!

I thought I had written something yesterday, but when I cam here there was nothing posted! Oh, no!

I think I am confusing myself. I have two new pen names, new blogs, a new Goodreads account and social media pages. It's hard to keep it all straight.

I will keep writing here, but if I forget to post, just know that I am still writing every day, even if it's not on this blog.