Believe it or not, I'm doing a FAIRLY serious Thursday Thirteen list... so all you fans of my comedic stylings, I apologise in advance... but there's been a dirth of bad news lately... luckily for my family, our bad news has been a not-so-long lasting flu bug hitting the kid, Sue's health being unsteady, and loads of the usual stressors of life... but we are blessed that things are reasonably okay for us... and although I personally remain optimistic about things in general, I thought I'd like to do a list of...

#1: My Girls

Number one is my family... my wife Sue... and my three steplings. All four of 'em have caused me stress, headaches, and often complain, kvetch, and can genuinely be pains in the bottom... but I can be all those to them too. I love Sue and I love all the girls... and thanks to Sue, I can share them a bit... with her blog. They are my reason for being in so many ways...

#2: The New(ish) Doctor Who

Kinda odd to go here next... but I had to make sure that #1 was the girls.

Now, I know that I go on and on about this program... as do many others... and MANY of you either already watch it OR can't seem to find it... and the occasional person has NO interest in it what so ever... but since we're winding down one part of this "modern era" of the program... and looking forward to a new one... I want to recommend it again to EVERYONE. It's family viewing... but it's not for kids completely. Our "hero" is non-violent by nature and wins battles with his intellect rather than a gun... but that's not the whole focus.

Current showrunner/writer/rebooter Russell T. Davies has done an AMAZING job in making the program relevant and wonderful and it's captured the imagination of all my kids and my wife... I was a "Who" fan from long ago, so Davies had me at the word, "Hello". I can also tell you that ALL my girls are madly in love with David Tennant... and the eldest holds a wee candle to Christopher Eccleston too! How to share? Well, you COULD watch your TV listings... perhaps rent a box set from your local DVD store (or borrow one from a friend)... and of course, I'd NEVER suggest torrents or file sharing... that's wrong... and bad... and pirating... and bad... so don't even think about it.

Want an idea of what it's like? The middle stepling was eighteen and had not too much interest in giving it a shot... and sat through episode one of season one from 2005 - the title of the episode was "Rose"... and said, "Well, it's ALMOST as good as Grey's Anatomy" (her favourite program at the time... then she sat through episodes two and three... and it was "...as good as Grey's anatomy." By episode four and five, she was hooked. She sat down and POWER WATCHED all our box sets... from a Friday night until Sunday evening... non-stop. She now bugs me every time a new episode is released to get her and her beau a copy... "NOW!"

#3: Maple Leaf Fudge

Sugary-buttery heaven. The BEST fudge I've ever had... and although it's from Niagara-on-the-Lake in Ontario... I can still share... because, indeed, they are ONLINE!

#4: The Furrier Side of my Family

Lessee... two dogs, three cats, and one dwarf bunny. Yup, there's much poop to be cleaned, often accidents, and more fur in various places at the homestead than you can shake a stick at... but I wouldn't trade them for the world! There is nothing as satisfying as the unconditional love of my furry family... and although not everyone can share them, everyone can have SOME sort of pet... some sort of living companion that doesn't judge, doesn't complain (too much) and just is there... and coming home after work to both my dogs is always a big treat!

#5: Non-Guilty Power Loafing

Every so often, I *try* to take a half day of legitimate "power loafing"... a time to do absolutely NOTHING and basically turn the brain off and simply "be". Sometimes, a book is involved... sometimes television... sometimes the 'net... but after working, working, working, and more working, it's not just MONEY one should award themselves with... but a chance to NOT work and NOT do anything... and everyone can and should do this every so often... just tell anyone around you it's "Power Loafing Time" and let them know you're on a wee break from anything except resting and relaxing... although I would more strongly recommend doing this at home, not at any workplace.

#6: Futurama's Coming Back!

Yay! I love this offering from The Simpson's Matt Groening about life in the future... complete with Groening's somewhat cynical, always odd viewpoint of our society! It was indeed happy news to hear that Fox has ordered twenty-six NEW episodes for broadcast after cancelling it in 2003! If you have a TV, live in North America, you probably have access to a "Fox" station or at least an affiliate thereof... and for the rest of the world, the internet is a wonderful thing!

#7: Historical Sites/Historical Re-Enactments

It's absolutely (and sadly) astounding how many people don't know their own part of the world... don't take the time to read historic plaques... don't know the historical relevance of their own town or city. Just a quick visit online to your local historical board and some well placed trips... or even walks... to find out places and things about your locale that you may not have ever known of. Even better, if you live reasonably close to one of these sites or museums, they often have historical re-enactments... where enthusiasts become living historians! There is NOTHING more fun than watching history come alive and especially if you have kids, letting them enjoy history on a more personal "in the flesh" level. Again, a simple websearch will reveal these things close to you... and they are GREAT!

#8: Sam Raimi Horror Films

I love a GOOD horror films... and in this age of "torture porn" (films intent only on finding new ways to make people shed blood and be in horrible pain,) and rip-offs of Asian horror movies (exception made for The Ring and The Grudge which were worthy!) it was SO nice(?) to see Sam Raimi make a NEW Horror Movie and it was with great glee we sat through "Drag Me To Hell" which delivered the usual Raimi mix of comic moments and genuinely nasty scenes mixed with really good scares!

It's low on body count and MAJOR amounts of blood and agony to appeal to the "torture porn" fans... and not "cerebrally creepy" and didn't take itself too seriously making it not a good one for the Asian-clone horror fans... and it's most DEFINITELY not for people who don't like horror movies... but if you do, and enjoy a good "roller coaster" ride and silly fun, it's SO worth while. I made this entry about ALL Raimi's films because if you're a fan of silly and fun horror... or think '78 Oldsmobiles are great cars... or love Bruce "The Chin" Campbell, you will love this film... and all Raimi's horror offerings... and many are a little on the "older" side and readily available in the discount bins and whatnot at your favourite movie stores.

#9: Long, Long, Long Walks

I'm a walker... a hiker... I love a good long stroll. Not too many years ago, it wasn't uncommon for Sue and myself to walk literally dozens of miles on a Saturday "just because"... We'd pick a direction and OFF WE'D GO... just to see what's out there. With Sue being not too well over the last couple of Summers, these dwindled to precious few strolls... but with her improving, I'm hoping to find our "Land Legs" again and re-take the miles and miles of exercise and neighbourhood observing of our past... through parks and to various places... it's all very good... and simple to share! Just find comfy shoes, pick a direction, don't set a goal... and walk until you see things you've never seen before.

#10: Markets/Yard Sales/Garage Sales/Car Boot Sales

Did I mention I hate malls? No, really... I *LOATH* malls... dislike them with a passion... despise them... really, Really, REALLY DO NOT LIKE malls. So, what's a guy to do for a little "retail therapy"? Markets! Yard Sales! Garage Sales! Anything that's outdoors, away from clone shopping, and offers unique stuff! I love bargains and I love to wander about different stuff at different places. Gimme a flea market, a "swap meet", an old country market... and I'm in heaven!

Simple to share... and most readers here already do it... simply look for these options. Watch for signs... look for places online... don't be afraid to travel to find 'em! So much better to support a small business, enterpeneur, or even a family household and find truly unique items than be a slave to the artificial atmosphere and cookie-cutter crappola that's dished out by "Major National Brands" which is USUALLY found at malls. I hate malls.

#11: Danny Kaye Films

An oft sung hero of the screen, he is one of the originally "gawky" funny men of Hollywood... capable of song and dance routines that only a man of the old Borscht Belt and Catskill nightclubs would be truly capable of! There is something SO amazing about watching this man... and I was SO pleased that our kids, in watching old DVD movies featuring him STILL was interested and found him funny, charming, and charismatic to the nth degree!

One of THE most popular blog posts here featured him already and I'm glad so many people visit... and remember... and re-enjoy his fantastic films! How to share? Well, try the discount "old film" bin at your local DVD store (which is our outlet for his films,) or even see if perhaps, in a moment of ACTUAL broadcasting smartness for family viewing, someone puts one of his movies on regular TV... I'd STRONGLY recommend The Court Jester and The Inspector General!

Walter Mitty is also a GREAT film... soon to be probably ruined in a remake though... so you've been warned. Best to give Danny a chance first before seeing the new one.

#12: Star Trek

My name is Matthew... and I've been a "Trekkie" back when "Trekkies" preferred to be called "Trekkers". Since my youth when my mother would mortify me by referring to Captain James Tiberius Kirk as "Captain Cutey" (I'm not certain that William Shatner would actually be offended or upset by that,) I've been watching the shows, reading the books, and generally enjoying the program all the more... through "The Next Generation" through to "Enterprise", I've loved 'em all... and for an "Old School Trekkie", I still LOVED the new movie! Now, episodic science fiction is NOT for everyone... and you do have to have a will or wont to try... it's (in my eyes) worth the effort. Turn on your TV at some point, and settle in... or, in lieu of that, try the new movie if you haven't seen it already.

#13: Double-Decker Buses

To hit the trifecta this week (see the posts below... I've managed to be "busly" three times in a ROW!) I still have a deep seated love of the old half-cab buses and look forward to the day WHEN I'll be working on my own... I'm in a much better place fiscally than when I started this blog... and with any luck, that will only improve... and then... (Remember: That WAS the point of this blog originally... and I haven't given up the hope!)

Now, I've tried to share my love and enthusiasm for these things here... and I do believe I've done a decent job... but how to share in a more "tangible" way... I KNOW! Next vacation you have to almost ANY major city, look through the bus tours of that place... Ten'll get you twenty there's a "Double-Decker Bus Tour" available... and if you can, PLEASE take it... weather permitting, sit on the top deck and enjoy the ride.