Monday, March 18, 2013

Top 10 Movies and Any Love Is Good Love.

Today is the day of Alex's Top 10 movie list.  Gah. I have had a running list ever since he posted this Challenge over a month ago.  No one would believe me if I told you how long this list ran.  I worked up this list repeatedly trying to whip it into shape by genre.  That was a No Go.  Finally, I decided to pare it down by letter, using the formula that a first word of "The" didn't count.  What letter finally made it as "the letter" that I could fit into 10 slots?

The winner is....B.  Yep.


So, here are my Top Ten Movies that start with the letter "B":

1. The Big Easy
2. The Breakfast Club
3. The Bucket List
4. The Blind Side
5. Bridesmaids
6. Bull Durham
7. Big
8. Boys on the Side
9. The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
10. Back To The Future

Movies are not listed in any particular order.  And I probably will forgot a movie that I absolutely adore, even after the massive list effort.  I know someone will post one in the comments and I will smack my head into the wall.  Not literally.  That would hurt.  But figuratively, I will smack my head into the wall.




In other news, we have been in Augusta the last few days and it has been all Drama since we have been here.  My uncle, who I have adored since I was a kid, has broken my heart.  My aunt died last year of cancer, as many of you might remember.  He is now 80 years old and lonely.  My aunt willed him all of her assets to be divided among all of the children when he passes.  He has gotten involved with a woman younger than I and is totally besotted.

This woman is controlling, bossy, and has a need to be right about everything.  In turn, this makes YOU wrong about everything. She also has an alcohol problem.  The very first night she met me, I could not say even ONE thing without her correcting me very rudely about how wrong I was. Honestly, I was flabbergasted.  I had never met anyone with these kind of stones.  Even my ex-husband, who I thought was the master of verbal abuse has nothing on this woman.  She also let loose on my mother repeatedly.  I watched her lay into her own son.  I even watched her criticize my uncle over trivial crap, but his hearing aids were likely clogged and he couldn't hear her.  He misses a lot.  He didn't seem to get that he was being hammered verbally.

I would like to think that she was just having a bad night, but she was like a bad penny and kept turning up.  The second day we were at my uncle's she launched her next assault.

As an example of the verbal warfare she employs, I offer up this exchange.  Everyone was leaving except for me.  She puts the dog in the laundry room.

Me:  Why are you putting the dog in the laundry room?

Her: Because no one will be here to watch him.  Bye.  ::Pointed Look on the no one::  (Saucy Wave as she leaves.)

After they leave, I just sit at the table stunned.  Brain is spinning.  I think that b*tch just called me no one.  No, I know that b*tch just called me no one.  She is doing her best to bully me and make me feel invisible.  Like a non-person.  I can sit her and let her win or I can let the dog out.  I got up and let the dog out.

It was all worse from there.  She lit into my mother before the night was over.

The next day my mother had a talk with my uncle.  Turns out She and Her Son were coming back over to spend the day.  My mom said that she wasn't up for more abuse and my uncle said that he didn't know what he could do about it.  My mom said it was about priorities.  Clearly she meant more to him than his family.  He didn't deny it.  So, we had to pack up our stuff and find another place to stay.  And that was that.  Since then I have had this song running through my head.  For some people, I guess any love is good loving.  And you'll take what you can get.  But I know that he ain't seen nothing yet.




image found at www.weheartit.com

23 comments:

  1. See, I think BIG would be in my top five. I love that movie. The piano scene? The best. Such a great movie. Bridesmaids is hilarious too (and I have a HUGE crush on Chris O'Dowd from IT Crowd).

    Family. Sigh. I wish I knew what to tell you. We're in a similar situation with my FIL. His wife is cray. She's an alcoholic and a liar. Things have been relatively quiet for the last year or so, so I'm kind of waiting for the shoe to drop. Thankfully they're in Memphis so we only see them every once in a while.

    Lots of hugs though. Totally understand.

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  2. I'm sorry how things turned out with your uncle! Hope he figures things out before it's too late.

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  3. Great picks...especially one of my faves, Back to the Future.

    Sorry to hear about your family troubles....sometimes, there's nothing worse :(

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  4. Robin

    You are more polite than me. I have no time or patience for people like that, and they usually are cowards anyway, backing off when you give it back to them.

    I stay in hotels when I visit people-it's worth the cost to me to have the buffer zone.

    Life is too short...why do people seemed determined to waste the time they have on meaningless crap?

    But the BTO song is a good one! And I liked your list!

    LC

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  5. Hi Robin,

    Family woes and sadly, in my own way, I can relate to parts of it.

    A most interesting movie list. I note a lot of your movie choices have the letter "B" in them. Which brings me to Bachman Turner Overdrive. A great Canadian band! Still takin' care of business...

    Take care, my friend.

    Gary

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  6. Enjoyed your list. Back to the Future, Breakfast Club, and Bridesmaids were all contenders for mine.

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  7. Liked your list, and your approach to it. I just blurted out the first ten I could think of, with the idea that they must then be the best. Who knows. I love movies. Love a lot of the ones you picked, yet they weren't on my list...
    As to the situation with your uncle, that's heartbreaking. I'm so sorry to hear your family is going through that.

    Tina @ Life is Good
    Co-host, April 2013 A-Z Challenge Blog
    @TinaLifeisGood, #atozchallenge

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  8. Gini ~ The piano scene in Big is one of my faves, too. That was pure genius. I also love the scene when he brings his date back to "his place" to play. If I remember right he claimed Top Bunk when they went to bed. Hahahaha. Awesome Movie. Tom Hanks knocked that one out of the park. As for the family situation... I think anyone with a booze problem also has truth problem. Those two things seem to walk hand in hand.

    Alex ~ Thanks for the support. I hope so, too. However, if I have learned anything it is that you cannot "fix" other people's lives. Sometimes all you can do is remove yourself from an abusive situation.

    Mark ~ After visiting your blog I saw that we had Back To The Future in common. Yeah, family drama sucks.

    Larry ~ Yes, that is why we decided to get out of there and stay somewhere more friendly. Life is too short to continue to subject yourself to that sort of abuse. My migraine was off the charts over there. It has been much better today. It just goes to show how much stress affects our health.

    Christine ~ Yes. You are familiar with this sort of animal. Treat indeed.

    Klahanie ~ I am sorry to hear this my friend. It seems that no one goes through life unscathed. We all have some family member or friendship that tests us like this and we have to learn these sorts of lessons.

    Tim ~ It was really hard picking only 10 movies, no? If you were like me your list was REALLY long.

    Tina ~ Well, your list was pretty good. Sometimes the first movies that come to mind are the best choices. So, your system worked well for you. I think everything happens for a reason. We are all here to learn lessons. I just wish that they didn't hurt so much. You know what I mean???

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  9. Love your picks! I've seen all them, too! lol I'm sorry to hear about your uncle. Love and light to all of you!

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  10. Good movies. I've seen all but a couple

    Oh Jeez, what is happening to your uncle makes me ill. Men get a little foolish as they age and any bright bauble attracts them. I happen to know a lot of women like that who are looking for an old man with some money who has one foot in the grave. I'm sure she would provide and banana peel if they married. My husband set my trust up differently and this was strictly with my suggestion......if I marry, my trust goes to the children. Only fair..... I have/had no intention of ever marrying again and I didn't want some old goof-ball to take the kids money in case I lose my marbles.

    I don't imagine talking to him would do any good. That would be like trying to talk a kid out of his ice cream cone. Hope he wakes up.

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  11. Sounds like you all have your hands full on the home front. Maybe you can write a book out of it.

    Another "B" movie? Boxing Helena? No, wait--that one should be on my list.

    Babe? That was a cutie.

    I'm with you on Back to the Future--the entire series.

    Lee
    Wrote By Rote
    An A to Z Co-host blog

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  12. Sorry about the family troubles. It's an oft repeated story.

    And who would have thought there were so many great movies with titles beginning with B. My favorite of your list - The Blind Side.

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  13. Robin: I love two of those movies. Can you guess which ones? Next time your uncle's new flame is in town, invite us over for a visit. I would love to meet her.

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  14. So many good movies on this list. As for your uncle...oh why does this have to happen so often? Just hope that he is happy...if he is, there is nothing more to do.

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  15. Yvonne ~ Thank you. I am just working on releasing it.

    Manzi ~ You are right on the money. The more we tried to tell him what was going on with Her, the more he felt the need to defend Her. Of course, he didn't hear any of it thanks to his poor hearing. And I am not sure anything would have changed even if he had. You make the perfect analogy: it is exactly like trying to talk a kid out of his ice cream cone. Losing me and my mom is no big deal. What I fear is when HIS kids find out about this romance. Will he choose her? Probably. She will end up isolating him from his entire family and that is when he will see The Real Witch. And he will have no one. Because he will have burned all the bridges. It just makes me so sad...

    Arlee ~ I didn't think of either one of those "B" movies. And I am so glad to be back home and leaving that Drama behind. My migraines were out of control there. I just can't stand it.

    LD ~ Thank you for the well wishes. I know... who would have thought there were so many great movies that start with letter "B"? I really like The Blind Side, too. I think it Sandra Bullock's best.

    JJ ~ Your taste is so eclectic that I am never quite sure with you. I know that you enjoy a serious drama, but you also seem to like action, and you recently posted about how Fun that movie was about the 80s music. Gah. My first instinct was The Bucket List and The Blind Side. And then I thought what if it is the 80s movies and he really loves Big and Bull Durham? Or The Big Easy. I adore that movie. So, I give. I don't know. My psychic powers are all messed up due to crushing migraine brought on by Stress Stress Stress. I am so happy to be home and leave The Drama in Augusta. I doubt you will ever get a chance to meet Ms. Thing. My uncle has rewritten the story and is now telling everyone that we have "cut him out of the family." We did no such thing. We just told him we were leaving to escape the abuse Ms. Thing dished out and we still loved him. Funny how you say one thing and people hear another.

    Liza ~ If I thought there was even a remote chance that this would work out well for my uncle it would be one thing. But she is eventually going to verbally abuse him just like she does everyone else... just as soon as she cuts everyone out of his life. However, I am staying out of it. I simply cannot take the stress. And he has children to fight this battle for him. And I am sure they will when they find out about her. Which is inevitable...

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  16. She sounds like a right B***ch and has her hooks firmly into your uncle.
    Two of my favourite B movies are Beetlejuice and Baby Boom.

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    1. I think you're right on both counts about the girl and my uncle. I didn't even think of Beetlejuice or Baby Boom. However, I love both of them. Thank you for reminding me!

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  17. 2. The Breakfast Club
    7. Big
    8. Boys on the Side
    10. Back To The Future

    Those are the only ones I've seen, and I loved 'em all :)

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  18. Breakfast Club and Bucket List were up for consideration on my list. Both really good movies...Surprised that The Big Chill didn't make either of our lists!

    Your story about your uncle is very sad. I would have thrown that bitch and her kid out in thirty seconds...and they would not have know what hit them. They would have stayed gone. I hope that whole ordeal gets better for you.

    Chuck at Apocalypse Now

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  19. Trisha ~ 4 out of 10 isn't bad:)

    Chuck ~ Smacking head into the wall... I didn't even think of The Big Chill until you said it. I also loved the soundtrack for that movie. I wasn't in a position to throw anyone out. I was a guest in HIS home. But, I was just amazed that he allowed her to treat his family that way. Of course, every time we asked he said he didn't hear it. Honestly, it was just terrible. I feel really bad for my uncle, because I know the day will come when she turns that venom on him.

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  20. So sad, so sad. But then, I know all about families that don't function, families that tolerate what they shouldn't and make excuses for it because it's the path of least resistance. But that doesn't mean YOU have to take that path. Your uncle is lonely - we've all been there. But while it's hard to watch him let someone abuse those he should protect, it's also sad to know that he's so desperate that he'll take anything she dishes out - and tolerate losing loved ones - rather than be alone ....

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  21. Just dropping in from the blog hop to say you've got a great list! :3

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