If you’re anything like me, you run full tilt from October through December. More food to buy and prepare, more people to contact, more company and more stuff in general. The day after Christmas, you can generally find me unwrapped and under the tree. Comatose.
So between Christmas and New Years, I’m slower than a sloth. What I like to do is see movies. The Hobbit was on my list, so I checked that off. I thoroughly enjoyed that movie. It’s so much better than Lord of the Rings. Go see it. Eat popcorn and let Hollywood cinematography wash away the holiday sludge.
I even resort to looking up trivia to give my brain its well deserved rest between the change from one year to the next. Here are a few I thought were interesting.
Did you know that Rudolf Valentino’s real name was Rodolpho d’Antonguolla? What? How do you pronounce that?
And Kirk Douglas? You’ll never guess what his real name was before Hollywood polished it up. Issur Danielovitch Densky. Yep. No lie.
As to the Oreo Cookie: It first appeared in 1912 and the source of the name is a mystery. Most likely it was a pleasing sound to some long forgotten person in a marketing department.
There. I feel better already with nothing but trivia to consider. How about you? How do you refresh yourself after the rush of November and December? See you again on January 8 when the ISWG hits the blogOshpere for the first time in 2014
I dove into movies too. Loved Hobbit 2 - more than the first and I liked the first. One word-Legolas. Sigh. Saving Mr. Banks was wonderful as well. Happy 2014. Now I have to go hunt down an Oreo - maybe Cookies and Creme ice cream. Hello hips.
Hope your post Christmas relaxation was, well, relaxing. 🙂
LEOGLAS! Dang, I have big a crush on that man, er, character.
That was Kirk Douglas' name? Crazy!
I refresh myself by reading. I started with a few titles that have been haunting my bookshelves for far too long, then I followed up with a trip to the library with my Goodreads to-be-read list in hand.
It's January 8th and I'm still comatosed. What's that say?
(Happy New Year, C.Lee!)
Issur Danielovitch Densky-well not what I expected! Happy New Year. I still haven't seen the second Hobbit flick-must do that soon!
Popping in to wish you a happy, peaceful and productive 2014, Lee!
Take care.
(I managed to finish Sliding On The Edge. What a great story. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Now I need to get round to posting a review on GR)
Writer In Transit
And what to do between Christmas, New Year and Christmas again, since here in my country people also celebrate Orthodox Christmas on January 7th and then a week after Orthodox New Year too 🙂
Yes, perfect time for movies! And with the crowds at the theaters, everybody knows it! We saw SAVING MR. BANKS. And I've been marathoning the HP movies. Have a great 2014, Lee.
I do nothing between Christmas and New Years. I even wear my jammies all day long (I do shower and refresh them each day…I do have some standards)
But you're right. The run up to the holidays is exhausting and I just need a few days to recoup…and play my my kiddos who are growing up so fast it makes my head spin!
I spent the time watching movies, and we did go and watch the Hobbit 2… I really really liked it:) Happy new year.
We totally went and saw The Hobbit #2 for Christmas. The kids loved it.
We sleep and I write and most especially READ between Christmas & New Years. I polished off 3 books, started a 4th, and almost finished a 5th.
Happy New Year! We are down in the Dominican Republic, a brand new thing to do for us. Cheers!
Happy New Year! We are down in the Dominican Republic, a brand new thing to do for us. Cheers!
Hi Lee - Happy New Year and much fun in 2014 - once you awake and realise it is here! There's always so much happening around Christmas time .. which is wonderful family time …
Losing oneself is an essential occupation .. fun things you found .. Oreos are rather good .. cheers Hilary
I like to eat chcoolate and dance it off until New Year's Day…and then throughout the year.
Have a safe, healthy, happy New Year's, Lee.
xoRobyn
I'm glad you are getting to relax a bit! Watching movies is a good way to unwind. Over the holidays or should I say after the holidays I like to sleep in a bit and stay home curled up on my couch reading, watching TV, and just enjoying the moment. Glad to hear you liked The Hobbit. I haven't seen it yet.
Wishing you a wonderful 2014!
~Jess
I plan on watching some movies this week.
I knew about the Hollywood names and real names. There are many who changed their names. Oreo is fitting, though.
Happy New Year.
My youngest really wants to see the Hobbit 2 so we will probably do that this week! I have one more week of til school starts again so I told myself I can have one lazy day but have to be productive the others!! 🙂
I have a bit of trivia for you-does the music in that particular trailer strike you as familiar? It's your old pals over at audiomachine, their Land of Shadows track:) Whenever you go to the movies now, chances are, their music is in a trailer! Cheers to the New Year!
Hi Lee!
I hope you had a wonderful holiday. Haven't seen the new Hobbit yet, but will hopefully later in the week. We did go to see Catching Fire though which was great. And yes, this is a catching up time for me too. I wish I could just kick back and relax, but I'm trying to get as much writing and organizing done before I have to go back to work!
I believe the second Hobbit movie was amazing. But there is generally nothing to do in between Christmas and New Years.
http://www.modernworld4.blogspot.com
Hey Lee,
Well I try to catch up signing autographs for all my adoring fans between Christmas and New Year's Day. Have you ever noticed those pesky autograph hunters never seem to have a pen?
I would of thought you would have been the lovely angel, comatose on top of the tree.
And yes, here I go repeating myself. Good old Tolkien got a lot of his inspiration observing the locals in the town I live in. I totally get what inspired him.
Did you know that they try to sell Oreo cookies in Britain? They keep having to reduce the price because nobody seems to like them. Gosh and shock.
Speaking of trivia. Did you know that Trivial Pursuit was created by a couple of Canadian dudes?
And yep, "IWSG" sks "I Was Seeking Gary." Can hardly wait for your posting.
A really neato 2014 to you and your loved ones.
As ever, your starstuckest fan, with a pen, Gary!
I've ended up working… even holidays. No slothing for me. I seem to enjoy doing this to myself…
Hope you're having a wonderful holiday and enjoying the movies.
Between Christmas Day and New Year's Day I have a personal read a thon - while being a slug and watching movies too 🙂 I've read four books, and watched three movies via Netflix so far, walked only because a walking buddy got me outside, and I'm going to see the next Hobbit movie for New Year's Eve - I'm looking forward to it. 🙂
Oh, and I'm writing too, but so far it's been really fun writing and revising. No painful stuff.
I'm glad you've found entertaining things to occupy you. You need the break. I've slowed down, too.
I'd like to vote for you on the Linked-In thing, but went to the end (comment 203) worked my way backwards through 50 and couldn't find you. And then I realized there was no way to vote on the comments anyway. Maybe I have to be a Linked-In member to vote (or "Like"), but as I think they're dreadful spammers, I won't be joining up anytime soon. Sorry. 🙁
Enjoy yourself in 2014 - just relax and appreciate the good things. Wishing you a peaceful 2014.
I love trivia! My brain is filled with useless facts.
Let's see. Today I'm taking my littles to a movie, then tomorrow is a trip to the Painted Mines, some neat colored rocks in the plains. I took the kids rock climbing the other day. So apparently I recharge by doing stuff outdoors mostly. Plus, I like to get some last minute fun in so it can go into the annual Adventure Book we make. 🙂 Happy New Year!
The Warrior Muse
I'm using the time to catch up on "stuff" and reorganize.
I try not to write in December, but ever since I set myself next month's goals, I want to start. :-/
Happy New Year!
I really want to watch The Desolation of Smaug. I'll have to figure out something so I can catch it while it's still in the theaters.
I've been writing, like actually writing and getting in much needed rest and reading. So I'm enjoying this time between Christmas and New Year's.
Now, about those names…how in the world do you say either of them???
I've been vacillating between going to the theater to see The Hobbit or waiting until it comes out on NetFlix. I think you've added a bit of weight to the theater side of the scale… 🙂
I keep meaning to take one day to do nothing but watch movies. It's coming, but probably not before the new year.
And Happy New Year!
The first Hobbit movie was on TV and I taped it and watched it again.
I've been enjoying a quiet time off work doing fun things with my daughter, writing, and reading.
The week between Christmas and New Year's is the perfect time for movies. And being a slug. (Although I've actually been writing.)
Ready for some trivia games now?
See you January 8 for the 2014 IWSG kick off post!