Happy Mother’s Day to all you Moms and women out there who have made a difference in a child’s life.

Here is a picture of my Mom with my brother and me on my second birthday:

My mom had four children over the course of seventeen years and this year my youngest sister is graduating from high school and my mom *finally* won’t have any more kids at home.  Mom is an incredibly caring, giving, smart, fun, and loving woman.  Now that I am a mom myself, I look to her as an example and just hope to be as good of a mom to RollerBoy as she was (and still is!) to me .

Love you, Mom!  And thanks for the Raggedy Ann doll (which I believe you made yourself)!

Many happy returns to Iggy Pop, who turned 62 on April 21.  I have to admit that Lust for Life is still one of my all-time favorite songs (despite its embarrassingly prolific use in T.V. cruise ship advertisements).

April 21 also happens to be the birthday of my son, who turned 13 yesterday.  Happy Birthday RollerBoy!

On a recent blustery night, we gathered in the family room for an evening of horror and mayhem.  On the agenda were two creature features: Snowbeast (1977) and The Thing (1982).

Snowbeast is an obscure made-for-TV-movie that takes place in a Colorado ski resort.  I put the movie on our Netflix queue after stumbling across reviews that rate it as one of the cheesiest horror movies from the seventies.  And the movie didn’t disappoint.  In a plot that was clearly inspired by Jaws, skiers begin disappearing from the resort shortly before the annual winter festival.  Naturally the resort decides to go on ahead and hold the festival, and mayhem ensues.

One memorable scene takes place after a member of the ski patrol meets a gruesome fate at the hands of our adorable abominable snowman.  The ski resort holds a small funeral for him up on the ski slopes, complete with a six-gun salute (a six-gun salute for the ski patrol?).

One of the Snowbeast’s trademarks is that the viewer never gets to see a clear view of the monster.  The movie makes extensive use of the “Beast Cam,” in which the viewer supposedly watches scenes unfold from the beast’s perspective, but shots of the actual beast are few and far between.   At the end of the movie after the beast is taken down by a ski pole, the camera pans towards the beast and then abruptly ends before the viewer gets a chance to finally see a clear view of the beast.  Denied!

Unlike Snowbeast, The Thing does not skimp on beast footage.  Also set in a snowy climate, The Thing takes place at a research facility in Antarctica.  The researchers have the misfortune to encounter an insidious alien force that has the power to transform into human form.  Paranoia sets in as the researchers must determine who is still human and who is not.

The Thing includes a number of scenes portraying the alien as it transforms from animal to alien to human form.  Renowned for its special effects, the movie still holds up today in its unnerving depiction of creepy half-human monsters.  The special effects were so good, in fact, that I actually had a hard time watching the movie - I found the movie to be just too gorey for my tastes (and this coming from a woman who is obsessed with Night of the Living Dead and Dawn of the Dead.  I know, go figure).

Although it’s difficult to choose between the two movies, I think if I had to pick one I would go with Snowbeast just because I happen to really like badly acted B grade horror movies.

Which movie would you choose?

Merry Christmas RollerBlog readers!

Talk about a winter wonderland.  I’ve been snowed in at our Seattle home and have been spending my days shoveling the sidewalk, purchasing thermal underwear, and walking to Safeway and back because we can’t get our car out of the driveway.  In fact, we can’t even make it up to my parents’ house for Christmas tomorrow due to the weather.  So, my dad is driving down to Seattle to pick us up so we can all spend Christmas together.  Awww.  (I know, I’m almost 32 years old, I feel a little old for this.  But you’re never too old to be spoiled by your loved ones, right?)

I hope you have a safe and a happy holiday!

Christmas 1972 with me and my big bro

It’s been years since I’ve watched the original Star Wars movies.  At RollerBoy’s insistence, we purchased a boxed set with the entire trilogy and spent the past week watching all three movies - A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back, and The Return of the Jedi.

I was inspired to pull out a few of my old Star Wars trading cards.  Here are a few more of my favorites:

Luke’s Secret Yen for Action!

Princess Leia

And, last but not least, the ever popular
“Member of the Evil Empire”

I recently picked up a new record from Georgetown Records in Seattle.  It is the 1977 Kojak Book and Record Set which includes two exciting stories: “Five Star Final” and “a Question of Honor”.

Front of Record

According to the blurb on the back “This action-packed book and record set includes a full-color illustrated book and a 12″ 33 1/3 L.P. record especially designed so you can read the story and hear the record - follow along word for word!  The action comes alive before your eyes!”

And so, of course, I’m dying to listen to it.  The record is actually still sealed in its original packaging so I’m feeling a little torn - do I open that packaging and listen to it, or hold onto it as a keepsake?  Hmmm….

Back of Record

For today’s Wordless Wednesday post, I have another Star Wars trading card featuring our favorite rogue Han Solo.

Han Solo … Hero or Mercenary?

Hmmm…. that’s a hard one. Going to have to think long and hard about this intriguing deeply philosophical question.

I am a woman who enjoys a fine brew.

I’ve sampled many delectable beers in my day. But one beer that I have yet to try is the infamous Billy Beer.

In all fairness Billy Beer is no longer manufactured so I haven’t exactly had an opportunity to try it. Introduced in 1977, Billy Beer was promoted by Billy Carter who was the brother of then President Jimmy Carter. Billy, known as a good ‘ol Southern boy (his logo was “Redneck Power”), eventually became the focal point of scandal during the 1980 Billygate investigation. Sadly, he passed away in 1988.

But the legacy of his beer lives on. You can find a plethora of Billy Beer cans on eBay should you suddenly find yourself overcome with the desire to own one. Also available are Billy Beer patches and advertisements, like this one:

I leave you with the following inspirational quotations, which were lovingly inscribed on each can:

Brewed expressly for and with the personal approval of one of America’s all-time great beer drinkers - Billy Carter

I had this beer brewed just for me. I think it’s the best I’ve ever tasted. And I’ve tasted a lot. I think you’ll like it, too.

In honor of Lou Gramm’s 57th birthday, I decided to listen to a little Foreigner today.

Ahh, memories.

I never owned a Foreigner album, but I do recall listening to Foreigner at the roller rink in Junior High.

In Junior High I had a HUGE crush on a boy named… well let’s call him Tom. One night, our entire Junior High had an event at the local roller rink. I had been anticipating the night for weeks and hoping that Tom would be there. And sure enough, he was. I was obsessed with somehow getting up the nerve to ask him to skate with me during couple’s skate.

But first things first. I needed to get him to notice me. I may have only been 12 years old, but I was pretty sure I knew the way to a man’s heart: fast skating. Each night at the roller rink, one song would be devoted to “women’s fast skate,” a time for just the ladies to skate as fast they possibly could. I just knew that Tom couldn’t help but be impressed by my daring skill and amazing speed.

Somehow it must have worked. I did get up the nerve to ask Tom to skate with me later on in the evening. I distinctly remember that we held hands as we rollerskated, that my hands were embarrassingly sweaty, and that the Foreigner song I Want To Know What Love Is was playing.

So, there you have it, my embarrassing Foreigner memory.

I know I can’t be the only one with memories of listening to Foreigner. Feel free to share your Foreigner memories by leaving a comment below

To jog your memory, I leave you with an inspirational rendition of the Foreigner song “Cold as Ice” from their 1977 self-titled debut “Foreigner.”

I have a case of the Mondays.

And I can’t think of a better way to kick those Monday blues then to turn my attention to something happy. Something upbeat. Something super duper positive. Something like teenage heartthrobs from the seventies!

Unfortunately I don’t own a copy of this Tiger Beat magazine (this picture of the April 1977 issue is courtesy of Stuckinthe70s.com). No matter. I happen to have a copy of the Bay City Rollers’ 1974 breakout album Rollin’ on loan from my local library.

The music is forgettable, but look at those seventies teenage heartthrobs. Talk about Rollermania! (dreamy sigh)

Tags seventies . 1970s . 70s . 1974 . 1977 . Bay City Rollers . Rollermania . Teen Idol