Friday, February 4, 2011

Trapped In A Frozen Tundra -- Movie Time!!

Have the poles reversed?  Are we moving away from the sun?  So many places in the country are battling snow and ice, sleet and hail -- Indianapolis had all that this week, and we are now a city of ice.  The streets, walks, alleys, every surface in my neighborhood are skating rinks, perfectly smooth, thick sheets of ice.  There are a few footprints on the yards, but they don't break through the surface.  My sister's neighbor has been working on his driveway with a big sledgehammer.  After 3 hours, he was about 1/3 way done and probably half dead. To get into my house, you have to climb steps up a hill in front, or come up a small hill to the back alley.  In other words, I can't get out.  Oh, I suppose I could get out -- but I couldn't get back in.






**Home Sweet Home**

My sons were able to get to the grocery for me -- I was running out of the essentials.  No, not milk and bread.  Coffee and cigarettes.  They love their mother and would like to see her keep her sanity.  They didn't have too much trouble -- they are young and strong.




Losing power wasn't very inconvenient.  It was a balmy 2 degrees above 0, and I think my living room looks very chic this way.

So what does a lady do in a situation like this?  Watch  movies, of course (well, at least after the power came back on).  I picked out cold movies, Dr. Zhivago, Ice Station Zebra, The Shining -- and a favorite cold classic TV series, Sgt. Preston of the Yukon. Maybe others would pick warm movies to fight the climate, but I'm afraid any Beach Blanket movies would make me cry and pull all four comforters over my head.

There are advantages to being iced in, though.  Dear old Maxine says it best:



Punksitawny Phil did not see his shadow on Groundhog Day -- could the big thaw be in sight?  I hope so!
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13 comments:

  1. DawnFebruary 5, 2011 at 5:42 AM

    Becky, I think your house looks lovely frozen over. Although, the picture of your sons look a little scary. ;)

    Here in Tucson our low temps have been 13 degrees. We are not having rain or snow, but.. have you ever seen a frozen saguaro cactus?
    Well.. It is not a pretty sight.

    Spring can not get here soon enough for me.

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  2. PageFebruary 5, 2011 at 11:28 AM

    Becky,
    I love this post! I have cabin fever myself.

    Thank goodness the blizzard hit when TCM started running it's Oscar nominated films. I'm watching "Separate Tables" for the first time then revisiting "Mr. Deeds Goes To Town" and "Father of the Bride" this weekend.

    I've managed to shovel my elderly neighbors sidewalks but neglected to find the energy to do my own. I was raised in S. California so being surrounded by this much snow plus the freezing temps here in OKC is a struggle. Although that doesn't detract from the beauty of our winter wonderland.
    Stay warm!
    Page

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  3. Rick29February 5, 2011 at 1:25 PM

    Fun post, Becky! When it snows, I always bring out one of my "snow movies": WHERE EAGLES DARE, TEN LITTLE INDIANS (1965), THE FEARLESS VAMPIRE KILLERS, ICE STATION ZEBRA, or THE THING (1982).

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  4. ClassicBeckyFebruary 6, 2011 at 9:50 PM

    Thanks for the comments, you guys. This weather has been so weird - yet, it gives a great excuse to be unable to do much, and get to watch movies guilt-free!

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  5. The Lady EveFebruary 6, 2011 at 9:57 PM

    Well...while you and many of my friends and some relatives are snowed in on the East Coast and in the Midwest...it's been in the 70s here...totally bizarre...we can probably expect an El Nino here next year...

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  6. ClassicBeckyFebruary 6, 2011 at 10:16 PM

    Eve, the 70's sounds just like heaven! And you are probably right about El Nino. Here, if we have as weird a spring as winter, we'll probably be looking at tornadoes!

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  7. Kevin DeanyFebruary 10, 2011 at 11:55 AM

    Becky: This was really funny. I'm the opposite type. After several hours of shoveling my driveway and helping the neighbors shovel driveways and sidewalks, I came in and sat down with a Tarzan movie. I had enough of the snow.

    I like the contrasts. When I went to Hawaii years ago, one of my beach reads was James Michener's "Alaska."

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  8. ClassicfilmboyFebruary 10, 2011 at 7:58 PM

    I totally get it. I have a funny story to tell: Instead of Scent-O-Vision, it was like Freeze-O-Vission. Years ago I was at a screening for an Emma Thompson movie called "The Winter Guest." It was set on the coldest day in Scotland, I believe, and the temperature in the theater seemed to match the setting! I pulled my coat over me and it covered all the way up over my nose, which left me pearing out. And one of the actresses was running around outside without gloves or buttoning up her coat. She apparently was warmer than me!

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  9. ClassicBeckyFebruary 10, 2011 at 8:13 PM

    Kevin, that is funny. I guess you can escape it, but I feel compelled to run with it!

    Classic, that's a great story. Freezo-O-Vision -- I love it. I didn't know you were from Scotland. Do you live there?

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  10. ClassicfilmboyFebruary 11, 2011 at 2:11 PM

    The movie was set in Scotland. I'm in Chicago. :) Although if Scotland is warmer right now, I'll gladly move!

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  11. doctor sabelotodoFebruary 12, 2011 at 2:54 AM

    how about THE DAY THE EARTH FROZE...a fairly awful 50s sci-fi flick!!! how about some literary input????????

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  12. ClassicBeckyFebruary 12, 2011 at 10:43 AM

    Great to hear from you, Doc -- you are always challenging me. I never saw The Day The Earth Froze. I'm sure I'd like it.

    Well, let's see. Literary input -- how about "The Long Winter" in the Little House on the Prairie books? That was always a favorite of mine as a girl. Of course Dr. Zhivago was an award-winning book before it was a movie, that's for sure, and reading that book made me feel cold all over. For many reasons, actually. One of the greatest books I've ever read about our pioneer days is "Spirit Lake" by MacKinlay Kantor. Have you ever read that? It is truly a masterpiece. A great deal of it speaks to what those people went through during the awful winters on the prairies. Kantor is a genius. And then I'm thinking of Ayn Rand's "We the Living". Marvelous book, so much of it set in the horrors of winter after the Russian revolution, with an ending in the snow that is unforgettable.

    That's what comes to mind right away. Any input from you on that note?

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  13. doctor sabelotodoFebruary 13, 2011 at 1:35 AM

    inspired response!!! all I have is C. P. SNOW!!!!

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