Fantastic Beasts

All the Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them promotions say the movie will premier in the US on November 18. But when I went to AMC.com to purchase the tickets, I found there would be several showings the evening of November 17. The early release, however, was missed by many because we enjoyed the newest Harry Potter film in a half-filled theater!

My short review is FB will be most enjoyed by those who have read all the Harry Potter books and/or seen the movies, several times. There were numerous references to the series, which the audience clearly loved. I also feel FB will be better enjoyed in a second viewing. The film is extremely fast-paced and I think it'll help to know what's coming. Of course, as expected, the special effects are amazing. And, with the newest technology, there is more magic in this one film than in all the other HP films combined. I won't spoil the "reveal" toward the end, although the media will do that I'm sure, but something happens that was a complete surprise to me and, apparently, the entire audience. So much fun!

I saw FB with my oldest grandson, Elliott, daughter, SIL, and son. Elliott wore his Halloween costume and was a big hit. A business marketing company was hosting a private showing for their clients and asked Elliott to pose with the full-size image they had of Newt Scamander. They then gave Elliott an official FB journal ($12.99 retail value) and bag of HP gummy slugs. Then the theater manager gave Elliott a FB poster. And one of the theater employees dressed as a Hogwarts student asked to shake Elliott's hand, showing a student's respect for a favorite author.

It was such a fun experience. And I'm so thrilled and pleased that the HP franchise is still alive and thriving. There will be five FB films with the next one due in 2018. Thank you J.K. Rowling!

Time Is Flying!

Yes, I'm still here. Yes, I'm still blogging even though it's not been often lately. I've just been busy enjoying and dealing with life.

I've added two more classes to my weekly gym routine. After my regular 45-minute weight-resistance class on Mondays, I'm now also doing a 20-minute ab class. And I've started a 45-minute Pound class on Wednesday evenings. You wouldn't think adding just 65 minutes to my regular workout routine would impact my schedule too much, but it has. Extra travel and recovery time in addition to the actual classes takes a big bite out of my week.

I've also been watching Reya a few hours each week. I like giving her mom a break, and love spending alone time with my only granddaughter. At four months, it's nice that she's not so fragile now and can be redirected out of a fussy episode with toys, cartoons, and baby apps. It'll be even better when she can sit without props and masters gripping things. She should be at that point by Christmas, which will be nice.

We also took a long-weekend trip recently. Hubby had Veterans Day off, so we drove to Chicago. We enjoyed the China exhibit at The Field Museum; took a food/history tour of Naperville, Illinois; and had dinner with my sister's family. It was a fun getaway.

Of course, I've also been busy with holiday prep. I'm scaling way back, but there's still a lot to do and manage, starting with hosting Thanksgiving. This year, however, I've got my DIL making the potatoes and daughter making the green vegetable, which will be a big help. It's not that I can't still do it all, I just don't want to.

I've also given up the idea of having my house uber clean for the holidays this year. It just hasn't happened for several reasons, but mainly because I've been focusing on activities to pull me out of my turning-65 depression. Besides, no one will notice and the "fall" chores will still be there in January.

So, that's my update. We have a busy weekend ahead, including Reya's Christening. But yesterday I finished the bulk of my Thanksgiving grocery shopping, so I'm feeling slightly less stressed today :)

Halloween 2016

It's been unseasonably warm here, which is draining my energy. I suppose one could call it a mild depression. Of course, turning 65 last Saturday didn't help. It was the toughest birthday I've had to date. I'll analyze why, beyond the obvious, at a later date.

In the meantime, my daughter hosted a nice Halloween and it was Reya's first. She's such an easy baby. . .just goes with the flow. I found her costume at Savers for just $1.50!