So what did You do all weekend?

What I've learned during this 4, 10-hour day work week experiment at HbI is that having a three-day weekend allows us almost equal time to Work at home! I did manage to squeeze in some Me-time with a pedicure and some shopping on Friday afternoon, and then Friday evening we attended a sold-out showing of The Dark Knight (Batman). And, just a little bit about that... After Heath Ledger died many said the role he had just completed in this Film as the Joker haunted him and that because of it, he was not able to Settle down or sleep - Thus, the need for Prescription medicines, which we all know now contributed to the end of his Young and talented life. But just how talented this young man was I did not know until Last night...

While I was more of an Archie comic book reader, I thumbed through my share of my brother's Batman comics and I have to say that while Jim Carrey played the Riddler, and Jack Nicholson played the Joker, their performances felt like just them giving us their Interpretation of those Characters - However, Heath Ledger was different, he was The Joker. Hands down, the best performance of his Life and one I fully expect will earn him a posthumous Oscar.

The film is violent, Dark and action-packed, and while the story goes as all other Batman movies before it, (Bruce Wayne and the damsel cannot be together because of his night-time Gig fighting back Evil forces alive in Gotham) Mr. Ledger's performance sets this installment apart from all the rest in a Very memorable way. So much so that in the Scene where he's walking away from a Hospital complex he just destroyed I began to cry. I don't know if it was the absurdity of his Look in the Nurse uniform he was wearing or the way that Evil, funny, but somehow sad Joker face paint looked in the shot or the way he Tilted his head and twitched/shrugged his shoulder after the last blast... I can't be sure of anything except my inability to Stop tears from rolling Down my face. Especially Weird for me, given the subject matter and since Hugh Grant and romance couldn't have been further away... But since last night I've thought a lot about that scene, my emotions about it and Heath Ledger, and what I believe happened is that it was at that moment in the Film when I realized I was witnessing something within him Cross over to something that was perhaps a bit beyond his control. I don't know and I cannot be sure but Whatever it was, I can tell you it was a lot more than I expected for my $7.50!

So now it's Saturday and it's all about completing the Bedroom - Yea! Here's a walk down bedroom-memory Lane:

This is the Master bedroom a few days after we arrived at the house. Imagine finding this at the end of your 3,318 mile drive from Monterey! The house appeared clean the day we signed the Full-price offer to the Sellers with our realtor; however, three months had passed since then and once she knew the Cash was in the Bank, the former owner apparently Overlooked cleaning the house the way I apparently overlooked her Wallpaper! We ended up spending three nights in a hotel because I wouldn't bring my Luggage into the house, let alone Sleep in it. And, if I sound bitter, I am! I come from the land of Turn-key so our buyers in California not only got my Perfectly clean house but we also left them several great Wedding gifts to make sure they'd Enjoy their new home on the very first Day - Which is what I expected on this end, especially in the land of Southern Hospitality. So this is the bedroom before... Looking back, all I can say is that we deserve BIG credit for seeing what they refer to in the house-buying process as, Potential!

Five minutes after the wallpaper came down and the walls were painted - Much better!

It took a few years but we Finally found the right bed

And, a few Years more to get over our Fear of

adding Color back into the room - But today was That day!

It's Waverly Home Classics and the color is called Summer Cottage...

But I call it Cool, crisp, clean, calming and yet still Inviting and warm

I've got my eye on something at Pottery Barn for over the chair!

Add a set of new blinds and This will do just Fine!

Now we're off to spend the Evening with Bryan Adams...