Crikey! Look at all those Alligators!

Last week while we were in St. Augustine, Florida, Mr. Tennis and I took a few hours one afternoon and visited :

It has been awhile since I've been around so many different alligators and crocodiles.  And I was particularily glad they were behind glass or some other barrier.

Although it's always more thrilling to see these creatures in the wild, you never get quite the up-close experience you get at one of these farms.

Take a look at some of the different kinds of gators and crocs we saw during our visit:

This Albino Alligator is quite spectacular, isn't he (or she)?

This gator had captured a turtle for lunch.

The main distinguishing feature between and alligator and a crocodile is the snout. The gators' are more broad and the crocs' are longer and skinny.

Sometimes really skinny!

I got some footage of that gator trying to keep his "turtle catch" away from his mates.  Not too graphic, but not for the feight of heart either.  Those are not our voices on the tape, but they provided pretty good color commentary.

Linking to the week's  Tuesday's Show and Tail  over at Angela's blog!

The Boscars!

Finally, it's that time of year again when everyone can let out their breath collectively and find out what exactly The Boston Lady thought of all of those movies she and Mr. Tennis saw in 2010.  Some have been nominated for that "other" award show that they put on in Hollywood, but here we don't stick with the stuffy categories and predictable winners and losers. 

In fact here at The Boscars, there are no winners or losers, just lots of personal opinions and whining.

So, here we go.

The First Annual Boscars!

I'm going to start out with the obvious first category -

Movies I'm Glad I Did Not See:

Furry Vengence

(altho I was tempted because I used to really love Brendan Frasier)

The Expendables

MacGruber

She's Outta My League

Grownups

Little Fockers

 (my neighbor across the street, whispered that name when she told me she saw it)

Movies I WISH I Had Not Seen:

Sex in the City 2

(Sorry girls, it just didn't work for me this time)

Cop Out

Hot Tub Time Machine

The Other Guys

Killers

Dinner for Schmucks

Red

Knight and Day

Death at a Funeral

(the remake, not the original, which was brilliant)

Movies I Missed that are Now on my Netflix Wishlist:

Somewhere

Kick A**

Solitary Man

Catfish

Animal Kingdom

Exit Through the Gift Shop

Chick Flicks Gone Bad:

Again, Sex and the City 2

The Bounty Hunter

The Switch

Chick Flicks Gone Right:

Life as We Know It

(Kathrine Heigel and Josh Duhamel = good chemistry. Funny supporting cast)

Morning Glory

(except for Harrison Ford's wooden performance and too little of Diane Keaton's ditzy comedy. And I can't resist Rachel McAdams.)

Great Cast, Bad Movie:

Valentine's Day

(But gets kudos for best twist by having the two hunkiest guys being a couple)

Two Chick Flicks That Were Actually "Chuck Flicks" (see below) in Disguise:

Love and Other Drugs

(too much of two attractive actors, but not so nice characters)

Easy A
(Is this what we want our teenagers watching?)

Best "Chuck" Flick since "The Hangover":

(these are the male equivalent of a Chick Flick also referred to as "Bromance Films")

Due Date

Best Grit Your Teeth and Close Your Eyes as Attractive Actor Suffers Movie:

127 Hours

Buried

Best Cry I've Had in a Long Time:

Toy Story 3

(No!  Andy can't be grown up and going to college!)

Best Depressing, But Worth the Agony Movies:

Biutiful

Rabbit Hole

All Good Things

Strange, But Good, Indie Films:

Cyrus

Get Low

Best Movie that Hardly Anyone Saw:

Mother and Child

(I think Annette Benning's performance in this one was better than uber-publicized "The Kids Are Alright")

Movies I Liked, But The Critics Didn't:

The Town

Book of Eli

Wall Street 2

Date Night

Best Fun, Indulgent Action Flicks:

The A-Team

(yes, I liked it...Hey Bradley Cooper AND Liam Neesom, need I say more?)

Unstoppable

Green Zone

The Next Three Days

Iron Man 2

Salt

(Even if Angelina is in it)

Most Disappointing After All the Hype:

Girl With The Dragon Tatto Trilogy

(Swedish Version)

Robin Hood

The Tourist

(Beautiful people, clothes and locale, story, not so great)

The American

(George Clooney boring, say it ain't so. It is)

Inception

(This movie made me feel dumb)

Blue Valentine

(Love Ryan Gosling, just not in this movie)

Best Foreign Film:

The Secret In Their Eyes

(Argentian thriller with an ending you won't believe)

Best Documentaries:

Waiting for Superman

Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work

My Favorite Films and Performances This Year:

The King's Speech

(Colin Firth! Loved Geoffrey Rush as his speech therapist and thought that Helena Bonham Carter was spot on as the Queen Mum)

The Fighter

(Christian Bale as a strung-out drug addict, no one does method acting like he does. Melissa Leo as "Mama" and Amy Adams kicking some butt. The sisters!!! They deserve a collective award - loved them)

True Grit

(This movie would not have been the success it was without the sensational performance of a new young actress, Hailee Steinfeld , she deserved a nomination for Lead Actress, not supporting.  She was the heart of the film.)

The Social Network

(I thought this was a fascinating account of the beginnings of an internet sensation that I still do not understand fully - accurate or not, it was a pleasure to watch and enjoy.)

Toy Story 3

(When your kids have grown up and you and your husband go to see an animated film on your own and end up sniffling with nostalgia - it's a good/bad feeling.  It's a great feeling to see such a wonderful series get the classy closure it deserved.)

Of course I can't leave out the non-human actors that I enjoyed at the movies this year. There were lots of kiddie movies with animals, but none that made me want to see them.  So I will mention the three animal "actors" that standout just because of their beauty or cuteness, in my opinion.

Best Animal Appearance in a Film:

Secretariat

(We enjoyed this movie very much, triumph and spirit in the horse racing world)

Due Date

(Who didn't think that French Bulldog wasn't the cutest?)

and of course...

The Back Up Plan

(Not so good movie, but cutest appearance of a Boston Terrier on screen)

A special thanks to my brother, known as Mr. Connor, in blogland.  He has generously given us movie passes as gifts and this helps fund our treks into movieland.

Looking forward to seeing these upcoming films:

Girl With The Dragon Tattoo

(Please don't blow it Hollywood!)

Water for Elephants

(Again, Hollywood, make it good)

Lincoln Lawyer

(Please let Matthew McConaughey finally have a decent performance.  Great book)

I know movies are not everyone's "thing" but if they are, what have been your favorites this year and what are you looking forward to seeing?

Now, I've got to go get ready for that "other" show.

Sadie at the Beach

Happy Dog Face for Friay's photo challenge: "Faces".

Nine minutes remaining on my battery!  Enough to post this picture of Sadie smiling at the beach.  Going to try to link to Chania's Friday Photo Challenge at Razamataz!

She doesn't have her lnking thingy up yet, could someone link me please if you are able to?  Thanks!

We're at the Beach this Week!

And I forgot to bring my power cord for my computer. Due to this oversight on my part (hits forehead with heel of hand) I am forced to suspend my blogging until I return on Saturday. (furious clapping and cheers from the crowd!)

Then I will furiously work on what is sure to be this year's most prestigious awards event:

The Boscars!

Which movie was the worst?

The Best?

Best Appearance by an animal in a film?

And much more!!

In the meantime....

....we will be relaxing and taking in the sights in St. Augustine, Florida.

Cheers!

They're Engaged!

Much to our family's delight our son, The Writer, proposed to his beautiful girlfriend, Sammy today - and she said yes!!!  Happy and excited does not begin to describe how we all feel.

Sammy, you have already been an important part of our family for several years now and we couldn't be more thrilled!

And to our son, we are so happy for you, you are a lucky man, but she is a lucky woman too!

We love you both!

Awards Season is in Full Swing - even here!

I have been making some great friends via the blogosphere, visiting places (virtually) that I never would have been able to go, seeing things (some shocking!) I never would have seen otherwise.  Unless you blog, it's hard to understand the camaraderie that can develop between bloggers and the friendships that form.

The "Boscars"

I was going to start my lead up to my very own salute to the Academy Awards with my own take via The Boscars - Boston Lady style (see top of sidebar), but that will have to wait because a much more prestigious award event has taken place here just in the last week.

I have been the fortunate recipient of

from two, yes, two! Fellow bloggers who I have just met in the last couple of months!  

Thank you so much to my new friend, Debbie at Simply Debbie. Please stop by and see her funny stories and inspirational messages.

And thank you also to another new blogging friend who isn't even human, but rather a cat!  Check out Blair, the tortie-colored cat's take on life, but be warned, they don't call her Bad Blair, for nothing!  She has even tried to encourage Miss Darcy and some of her naughty behavior!

So the rules to accepting this award is to mention who I received this award from - done!

Then tell my readers 7 things about myself - here we go:

1.  I've been married almost 30 years! Yikes!

2.  I've ridden a camel in the desert in Morocco.

3.  I've been through every lock in the Panama Canal while on board a Japanese freighter.

4.  I've owned six cats and I'm allergic to cats.  I don't care!

5.  I'm afraid of heights and froze in place several yards from the edge of the Grand Canyon. And cried. Like a baby.

6.  I hate hot weather, yet I live in Florida.

7.  My childhood wish was to be a dolphin trainer or work at a zoo (well, I live in a zoo, so that kind of worked out).

Last rule is to pass this award on to other bloggers I enjoy visiting.  I know there are mixed feelings about receiving these awards so I would like to just mention some of my favorite blogs so you may visit them and enjoy their content and the talent of their authors.

Besides Bad Blair and Simply Debbie mentioned above, I encourage any interested parties to stop by and take a look at these fun and amazing bloggers:

Sue at Practicing Random Acts of Kindness

Sue owns a terrific store in Olde Town Orange, CA called Country Road Antiques.  She posts pictures from her store (and her life outside the store sometimes) almost everyday.  The booths are fantastic, I know because I stopped by when I was out there last year.  Plus she's got the cutest grandchildren on the planet!

Janie Fox Talks 

 This lady is funny, funny, smart and has an amazing take on life.  Not to mention the most fascinating and unique home. Oh, and she too has the cutest grandchildren on the planet!

The House That Jade Built 

You will love Annie and her family, including newborn, Ollie.  Annie is Janie's daughter and the apple doesn't fall far from the tree when it comes to style, humor and honesty.

Bite Me 

This is Sammy's blog.  She is my son's GF and he is a lucky guy because he gets to eat all the wonderful food she features on her blog.  She likes to highlight a wide variety of recipes and takes great pictures with a related story to each one she tries. Yum!

Miss Darcy vs. The World 

Miss Darcy is my "Grandkitty" and she is a new blogger who is "living the life" in an off-campus apartment with my daughter, The Maven, the college student.  Gotta put a plug in for her!

SueBees

 I couldn't leave out my good RL friend who introduced me to this crazy/fun blogging world.  She's got an eye for style especially when it comes to the thrift and/or vintage stores.  She is my junking-guru!

 Itsy Bits and Pieces

Linda is a well-known blogger and has fantastic style and talent.  She always takes the time to respond when you leave her a comment and is a faithful follower of mine, I''m proud to say.  She also has the cutest Pugs, Sophie and Bailey.

Mango's Great Adventures

 Mango's blog is the one I always stop by and look at because this funny, "Relentlessly Huge" Mastiff (helped by his Momma and Dexter, his brother the Labradude)  has the most hilarious adventures and I can always count on laughing when I read him. Caution - he is a DOG afterall and dog-humor ensues.

My list could go on and on and my sidebar tells the story on my blog roll.  I like a good variety of different topics and that is certainly reflected there.

Whew, I've said a lot today. 

Thanks again Debbie and Blair!

Boston Lady out!

Darcy Comes For The Weekend

With her mom, The Maven.

My Grandkitty, Darcy stopped by for a weekend visit.  She's grown so much!

Some of us were still suspicious of her....

Even to the point of hiding out in the Boston's room...

She's still up to her table cruising tricks, but now knows "Get Down!"...

Everything was interesting to her...

And after Bumby came out of the Boston's room, she and Darcy came to "an understanding"...

Such as, Aunt Bumby is the boss... better not tick her off.

 Sadie was still wary....

And even came into the kitchen to try to get some sympathy from me....

Help!

But eventually she relaxed too and along with Panda, allowed Darcy some sunny space on the couch...

Oh yes, I so have this house under my spell...

Is she gone?  She's gone, right?

Linking to Angela's  Tuesday Show and Tails , go check out some of the other fun animal/pet posts!

Happy Valentine's Day and Thanks to Linda!

I have been so fortunate to meet a really nice friend over the blogosphere - Linda, from  Itsy Bits & Pieces, please stop by and take a look at her blog.

 She and her daughter have a very diverse collection of items for sale in their shop.

Linda has been stopping by and leaving me encouraging comments for a while now.  She is a dog lover, like me (although, I know, I am a Cat Lover by birth) and has two sweet Pugs who share her busy life up in chilly Minnesota.  Linda is a master at finding vintage treasures and memorabilia -  well, just great stuff in general.

A couple of weeks ago Linda told me she had sent me a special package of things that reminded her of me. She has been a great supporter of my posts highlighting the various animal characters who enrich my life.  I was so excited when her package arrived in the mail.  I couldn't imagine what it would contain!

Linda has paid great attention to my various posts about pets in our past and present.

She remembered that our first dog was a German Shepherd named Ziggy and included these cards in the packet.

She knows that the Boston's room has a sign above it "Chien Lunatique" and included a french playing card - did she know I was born in Montreal??  She probably did!

She knows that our California Canine, Stanley, is a Greyhound and sent this fantastic old Bingo card!

Not to mention, Linda remembered the cats in our life!  Including little Darcy, The Maven's Kitten.

Of course the highlight are the vintage Boston Terrier playing cards and the sweet, vintage Valentine featuring a Boston that you see at the top of the blog.

I did my best to put together a collage with the wonderful things she sent me, including old game peices (dogs, of course) and various dog breed playing cards.

Linda this is such a special gift and I can't tell you how happy I was to receive all the items and then find a way to display them appropriately!

You are a treasure as is my new piece that I have added to my Boston shelf which I look at everyday as I sit at my computer and work and blog.

Happy Valentine's Day to all my friends in the Real World and the Blogosphere!