sentences + illustrations

Frustrated by the lack of consistent posts recently? 

Here's a cute dog picture to cheer you up.

Plus, I thought my post on The Avengers was mighty substantive. 

Not quite enough to satiate your need for some Chrissy-perspective?

Well, in my defense, I've been hanging with these guys:

We've been celebrating various things.

Family gatherings always involve some wild happenings.

Pictures of the craziness shall follow soon. 

I couldn't give you everything at once, could I? 

to start the week, a laugh.

Here's a little photo essay I call, The Evolution of the Self-Portrait.

Step 1: "Let me get a picture of you guys standing awkwardly at the airport waiting for me to leave!"

Step 2: "Wait, I should be in the picture too since we're a family!"

"That was too dark, let's try again."

Step 3: "Still too dark, plus my arm is really white. Bro, you take the picture!"

Step 4: Position everyone correctly.

"Wait, Bro, your hefty hunky shoulders are blocking mom..."

Step 5: Ta-da! A successful family self-portrait.

Step 7: Remember why you should always hire a professional photographer for actual family portraits.

In space no one can hear you scream...but in the Wild West, they probably can.

Today marks the opening of Cowboys & Aliens.

Now, I'm not usually an alien-movie type of person. As a teenager, I chose to sit in another room and do schoolwork (Latin, I think) instead of joining my family for the original Alien movie (1979). I'm pretty sure I had nightmares just from hearing the screams, and the poster still gives me shivers.

My dislike (perhaps dread would be a better word?) of alien movies is deep-seated and historically-proven. When Dad and the Bro were stoked about Predator v. Alien, Mom and I gladly stayed home to watch Phantom of the Opera. The boys have long since learned not even to ask: the gals in our family just don't do alien movies. I actually don't even enjoy ET, though obviously for reasons other than the scare factor.


Yet somehow, Cowboys & Aliens is different. Perhaps it's the prevalent sunshine (which, being a Western, you can't really do without). Perhaps it's the cowboys. Perhaps it's that I was reunited with the Bro (which happens rarely and generally puts me in a really good mood about anything) when I saw the preview.

In fact, I didn't even realize what movie was being showcased until about halfway through the preview. You could have stolen my Pina Colada Orbit gum right out of my wide-open mouth, I was so shocked at the first mention of aliens.

My thoughts were something along the lines of this:

A western? Huh. Daniel Craig in a Western?? Hot! Harrison Ford in a Western WITH Daniel Craig??? [insert pause while jaw drops to the floor]

Holy Toledo, I have to see this movie!

(seriously, don't they just look so normal and Western and heroic? though perhaps a bit scared...)

And then the thought shot through my mind, much like lasers were shooting from Daniel Craig's arm: Aliens?

[attempts to reconcile Harrison Ford with aliens outside of Star Wars...fails]

Aliens? As in...Cowboys and Aliens??

The Bro nodded vigorously and grinned broadly. "We have to see that!!" he croaked into my ear in the dark theater. "It's gonna be awesome!!"

Suddenly, I was a convert. I moved from the girls's side to the guys' side in my family, from the alien-avoiders to the alien-must-seers, all because of Harrison Ford.

Some movie execs really do know what they're doing.