Jude's Thursday Dish: Your Weekly Serving of Pop Culture Scoop

We were out of town over the weekend and I've been swamped with getting the August/September Utah Family issue ready. So, now is the time for me to take a real breather, and get back into the POP CULTURE SCOOP!


1. Forget the new Twilight book, what I'm excited about is the next Harry Potter movie. "Half-Blood Prince" is my favorite book in the series. This teaser trailer is AWESOME (and the young Tom Riddle is played by Ralph Fiennes' actual nephew!).

http://harrypotter.warnerbros.com/harrypotterandthehalf-bloodprince/

2. I've been listening to the "Mamma Mia" soundtrack and on second thought, I think my review of it was a little harsh. The songs are making think back on the movie a little more fondly. Even the corny stuff is seeming for campy now, which makes it all the more fun. The movie still had serious problems, but it was probably better than I gave it credit for.

3. So, we don't have cable. We've got Tivo, Clearplay and Netflix, but for some reason, I can't bring myself to pay for cable. This weekend in PC, we watched a LOT of cable. Well, channel surfed is more like it. Really, there's so many channels and nothing good on.


Katie has seen a couple of the tween Disney channel shows, mostly at my mom's, but not much. She convinced me to check out a "Suite Life of Zack and Cody" DVD at the library a couple of weeks ago. After this weekend, she is Disney Channel HOOKED! They were having a "Hannah Montana" marathon before the 3D concert, so that's all that was on. That show bugs. The only good part was hearing Katie try to explain to John that Miley and Hannah are the same person. He was so confused. I finally butt in and said, "It's like Clark Kent and Superman -- Miley is Clark Kent and Hannah Montana is Superman" (or is that vice versa?). Speak Geek and John will totally clue in! Anyway, Katie was allowed to pick out one thing at the KB Toy Outlet when we shopped and I had to talk her out of buying a Hannah Montana poster. So it begins.

As for me, I watched a lot of TLC, HGTV and Style. Man, it gave me a complex -- my house and I need a makeover! And, I watched a lot of E! I even watched some of "The Girls Next Door" with that Playboy bunny and her hideous laugh. The network bigwigs are evil geniuses; those shows are really addicting! I really can't get cable now.

4. In PC, Doug and Becky brought up the "Flight of the Conchords." I've been hearing about this series from a lot of people (Stephanie W. being the number one fan). We finally got to watch an episode and it was hilarious. I'm going to bump it up on our Netflix list.

5. Back to Twilight. Am I really missing out? I'm not really a big reader - I used to be, but I think all that reading in college soured me. Plus, I feel like I'm reading something all the time for work that sitting down with a book just feels like...well, work. I love Entertainment Weekly, but that doesn't count. When I do read, I like to read self help books. I'll re-read Jane Austen books. Sometimes I'll indulge and read an Eloisa James, Julia Quinn or Lisa Kleypas book. Loved the Bridget Jones duo. I like reading kid's classics with Katie. Can't STAND books like "The Work and the Glory." Anyway, I'm kind of feeling like it's highschool and I'm not part of the cool clique because I know nothing about the Twilight series. I think what turned me off was when one of my YW was STROKING the book at an activity. Plus, I'm not sure I want to commit to a whole other series and movie franschise. Some mainstream stuff I'll totally embrace (Harry Potter) and others, I avoid because I think it's too cliche. But, as you can tell, I change my mind easily (hence wanting to see "The Dark Knight" now). I'm taking all persuasive arguments in the comments below!

Much shorter than last week, but that's probably a good thing. There hasn't been really any good celebrity stuff going on and I've been out of the loop. Until next time!

Tagged - Me in 3's

I wonder about tagging. Do people really want to read about you or are they just hoping to get tagged, so they can talk about themselves? Well, either way... I'm it.

List 3 joys, 3 fears, 3 current obsessions/collections, 3 surprising facts, and then tag 3 other people. Leave a comment for the people you tag so they know they have been tagged.

3 Joys:
Other than the obvious (my family, the Gospel, food -- hey, I'm a Mortimer) my joys are:
1. Entering into Disneyland and that first walk down Mainstreet

2. Watching REALLY good live musical theater, & that feeling you get after you've been involved in a production yourself.
3. A really good massage


3 Fears:
1. Mice, rats and R.O.U.S. (Rodents of Unusual Size, thanks for reminding me Jennie!)

2. Tight spaces. "I can't breathe" has been a joke in my family forever, but I have really bad claustrophobia.
3. Hotel comforters (who knows the last time they've been washed!)

3 Current Obsessions/Collections:
I don't really collect anything, so here's some obsessions:
1. Lost -- and since it's not on the air right now, I'm really hurting.

2. Putting the pieces together so we can adopt
3. Where to go for our 10 year anniversary

3 Surprising Facts:
1. I've never broken a bone...knock on wood.
2. I've never run out of gas (not for lack of trying, I'll always drive on empty)
3. I've been to Korea, China, Vietnam, Thailand, Japan, England, Scotland, Holland, Austria and Germany, but I've never been to NYC (hence my obsession on where to go for our 10th anniversary -- trying to see if we can afford a trip there!)

Okay, that's probably more info than you ever wanted to know. I'm tagging... Camille, Arianne and Liz M.

Little Foot

When I get bummed that Katie's growing up too fast, I remember two things I'm very grateful for: she hasn't lost any teeth (going into 2nd grade!) and her feet never grow. Seriously, she's still wearing a size 10 - 11. I bought these crocs for her two summers ago. Sure, they're getting nasty, no matter how many times I wash them -- they don't get clean, and make her feet really dirty, but they still fit! She's got until the end of August and I'm throwing them out (don't think the D.I. will want them).

Park City Weekend

We spent the weekend at John's aunt's condo (thanks, Celeste!) in Park City. It was really relaxing -- just hung out, shopped at the outlets, etc. On Friday, we invited Doug, Beck & the boys and Jen, Brandon & Alex to come up. They stayed over night and on Saturday, we went to the resort. We all rode the Alpine Slide and then, after they left, John, Katie and I went on the Alpine Coaster. The Coaster is much better. At one point, I was going so fast I thought, "Okay, this is how I die." But, it was REALLY fun. We had a great time, but we've been gone SO much this summer that this is our last getaway for a while!

Jude's Thursday's Dish - Your Weekly Serving of Pop Culture Scoop!

Okay, the title is still a work in progress. Still taking suggestions.


1.) So, it beat the 3-day opening weekend record and made $158 million dollars. Everyone loves it. John, Jimmy, Steve, Libby, Leslie and Liz have all told me I've got to go. They say the violence isn't really shown and is more implied (but that's always scarier for me -- the psychological stuff freaks me out). Heath Ledger is getting Oscar buzz. But look at that poster! That's reason enough to keep me away. I've been afraid of clowns ever since I saw Stephen King's "It" and Ledger looks like one scary ass clown in that. I don't know. The truth is I'm totally weak when it comes to peer pressure, so I'm sure I'll cave. Stay tuned...

Oh, and on a side note, what's up with Christian Bale getting arrested for allegedly assaulting his mom and sister the night before the movie opened? Was he just drunk and excited for the opening? Or was he drunk and pissed that Heath Ledger is getting all the good buzz? Maybe he wasn't drunk at all and is just a psycho. You're used to hearing about these kinds of incidents with maybe an ex or at a bar. But really? Assaulting your mom and sister? He was in "Newsies" for crying out loud. I hope it's not true, because he's a looker and a good actor. I like to think he's a nice guy in real life, don't you?



2.) I should've written about this right after I saw it and was on a Colin buzz. The more separation I have from this film, the more I'm disappointed. ***Spoiler Alert: this review is a downer. If you love the movie or are hoping to love it, don't read on!!!



(But first, don't you love this German poster? Cut out the weird Sky in the corner and it would be perfect.)


Libby, Jennie, Brad and his kids, and I went on Saturday night after the reunion. Libby's sister, Tori, met us there. Thank heaven there was a group of us. I think that's what made the experience so fun. Going with a group masked that it really was a mediocre film. Now, I know a lot of this is I had "Hairspray" and "Chicago" like expectations for the movie. I was just setting myself up for letdown. Parts of it were really enjoyable. Amanda Seyfried was a revelation. Most of the supporting cast was great, although Stellan Sarksgard (Bill) was a little too aloof for my taste. The big numbers were a lot of fun, but Libby made a good point -- it was roadshow choreography. And some of the numbers were laughable. The guys dancing on the pier with their flippers? And that weird aborginal looking guy who was after Tanya? That "Take it Easy" number creeped me out. I could definitely have done with different casting for the Sky character. And don't get me started on Pierce Brosnan. Whenever he started to sing, everyone around me started to laugh. That's never a good sign. Jennie said he looked like he was making fun of it, but then we agreed he just looked terrified. His voice wasn't terrible, but he didn't have the charisma to pull it off. I think of Nicole Kidman in "Moulin Rouge". Her voice wasn't great, but she was much more natural and knew how to sell a song. Pierce just look pained. And I hate to say it, but Meryl was hit and miss. I can't deny she's got amazing versatility, but sometimes, she looked like she was trying to hard to have fun. The dramatic songs were just uncomfortable, especially that one on the cliff. Jennie turned to me and asked, "What is she trying to say?" Honestly, I had no idea.



So, my sum up is that I'm sure this is excellent on the stage, but it definitely lost something in translation. Musicals are hard enough to watch on film, because it seems so corny when people burst out into song. But bursting out into ABBA? Really corny. And I love me some ABBA, so that's hard for me to admit. So, if you haven't seen it yet, you still should. It's fun while you're there, just don't think too much about it after.



3.) It's official! Amy Poehler (who I heart a lot) signed on for an NBC sitcom headed by Greg Daniels, the creator of "The Office". It was supposedly going to be an Office spin-off, but I read on E! online that they are going to create something new just around her. But, it will have a similar style as "The Office." She's pregnant with GOB's baby (hubby, Will Arnett), so it won't be on the air until March. It's going to be on Thursday night (curses -- one more show I'll have to juggle) and I'm bummed Amy P. won't be on SNL anymore, but other than those tiny details, I'm VERY excited.


I've read different reports on whether they still are going to do the Office spinoff and having it air after the superbowl. Some say it's still happening. I said this in last week's comments, but I think the spin-off is a bad idea. First, it's weird they announced it without any real premise or cast members on board. Rashida Jones (Karen) has a holding contract with NBC, so she might be back. Karen was a good supporting character, but I wouldn't watch a show based around her as the star. I just don't think they'll keep the original fresh if they do a spin off. Oh well... until then, check out Creed's "blog" -- remember the one Ryan set up for him: http://www.creedthoughts.gov.www/creedthoughts. Here's the real link: http://blog.nbc.com/CreedThoughts/


4.) Can I just say how bugged I am with the CW? I think my bitterness started when they cancelled the ever-so-awesome "Veronica Mars" (that show broke my heart). They replaced it with the Pussycat Dolls show and keep adding and adding more trash. (Two exceptions: "Reaper" is really funny and I'm a sucker for "America's Next Top Model", well -- that's trashy, but I love it!). And, I guess I better give them props, because I do love watching "Everybody Loves Raymond" at 10 p.m. My sister, Jennie, loves "Gossip Girl", but I just haven't gotten into it. Anyway, I digress.



My latest annoyance comes from when I was watching said Raymond and saw that commerical for the new 90210. It's EXACTLY the same as the old opener. With two guys doing the hand slap even! Why are they remaking that show? I watched the old one and at times, even liked it. But can't they think of anything new to do? I hate to say it, but I'll probably tune in, only because Lucille 1 will play the boozy grandmother. Okay, I'm a sellout when it comes to anything having to do with "Arrested Development" alumni. But, it still bugs me -- and makes me feel old.


5.) In honor of my brother, Jimmy, let's take a moment to recognize the passing of Estelle Getty, who died on Tuesday. She was 84 and suffered from advanced dimentia. Here's a classic Sophia quote from "Golden Girls" -- Rose: Sophia, why are you in such a bad mood? Sophia: Excuse me Rose, but I haven't had sex in fifteen years and its starting to get on my nerves.


And I stand corrected. "Golden Girls" was on Saturday nights, not Thursday.

That's it for this week. More next Thursday!

What a good sport

Bailey really is the best dog. He lets Katie do anything to him. Great entertainment for a lazy summer day.

For Jack

Today is the 5th anniversary of delivering my son stillborn. It's hard to believe, but I almost forgot. I was driving home late tonight before I even remembered. At first, I felt guilty, but the more I think about it, I say it's a good thing. Today was just another day -- a good one, at that. I didn't spend it in bed, wallowing in self-pity. I just lived my life. Truthfully, it's a relief. It takes so much energy staying sad. I will never forget, but I am moving on.

Tomorrow, we'll continue our annual tradition and go to the cemetary. We'll release a blue balloon for Jack, a pink one for Anna, a white one for my last miscarriage, and Katie will take home a purple one to remind her how special she is to us. I'm choosing right now; I'm going to make tomorrow a good day, too.

So, sweet Baby Boy. I want you to know that I will always love you...and I'll be just fine.

Mortimer Family Reunion

The Morts

We had our 3rd annual Mortimer Family Reunion this last weekend. Due to my parents' health, we chose to just have activities at their home. We celebrated John and Jeff's birthdays, enjoyed some great potluck meals and did LOTS of swimming. On Saturday night, we played "The Match Game" (based on the old tv show) and thanks to my nephew, Sparky, even Charles Nelson Reilly was in attendance. There was a lot of movie going all weekend with different groups going to "The Dark Night" and "Mamma Mia", so we had plenty of film discussions. We also had a talent show where Katie performed a dance to "Fruit Salad Salsa" and Jennie did a not-so-serious opera rendition of "Old Mother Hubbard". On Sunday, my Uncle Gerry and Aunt Linda came down from Idaho Falls to give us a devotional about their mission in the Phillipines. Amy and her kids came, and we also got a visit from Uncle Bob and Aunt Anne in Tennessee. Here's the family picture we took, but it's totally incomplete -- we're missing like 12 grandkids/their families/in-laws. I added a slide show with some pictures we took -- some our better than others, we're experimenting with all the great new camera equipment Jeff (thanks!!!) gave us.

Bad Dogs of Pirate Island

This last week, Katie attended a summer camp at Bad Dog Rediscovers America in the Art Space building downtown. The theme was pirates and they spent the week doing all kinds of cool art projects: making a flag, treasure map, boat, coins, a book, etc. At the end of the week, they had an exhibit where family and friends could come and see their work. The kids totally beamed with self-confidence. It was awesome! Check out Bad Dog. Their fall registration will be posting soon and if you're child is artistic, they will love it! http://www.baddogkids.org/

Happy Birthday, John!

It all started with this premature baby weighing only 2.4 lbs...

who grew into a boy with unfortunate glasses...

...who became this wonderful man turning the big 36 today!!!

I couldn't possibly document his first 26 years in pictures,
but here are the highlights of John's life during the last 10!

October 28, 1998: The best day ever!

April 98: John graduates from BYU (but we love him anyway!)

98 - 01: Lovin' the D.I.N.K. life. March 00: Trip to Germany & Austria.

00 - 01: Buy the house, have our Bug. It's true what they say: life is never the same...

01 - 03: Lots of work and travel

03 - 04: Lovin' Katie, pregnancy heartaches, but we roll with the punches.

October 04: Trip to London and Scotland

04 - 06: A big blur called the M.B.A. program. Graduates in Summer 06 from the U of U (yeah!)

06: Trip to Holland

06 - Present: Ups and downs, but we're all together...and happy!

We love you, John!!! Hope you have a WONDERFUL day!

Thursday's Pop Culture Ramblings

If you know me at all, you know I love pop culture. And Thursday seems to be the best day for all things entertainment. It's definitely the best night on TV (except in the summer, I haven't watched anything on my Tivo since May). Thursday was the night for Family Ties, Cosby Show, Cheers, Friends, Seinfeld, and even Golden Girls, only Jimmy is the only person I know who likes that show. It even had ER before it started season 90. Now, I'm juggling 30 Rock, The Office, Lost, CSI and Grey's Anatomy. Damn counterprogramming!

Thursday is the night you get excited for what movies are coming out over the weekend. New music and DVDs are released on Tuesday, so by Thursday, you've had time to decide if you like your purchases or not. And by Thursday, the celebrities have usually done something worth gossiping about since the gossip magazines have been out since Monday. So, in honor of my favorite day of the week, I'm now going to post my weekly pop culture rambling. I don't have witty things to say about the parenting, politics or every day life, so here's what I can offer. I can't promise they'll be short, but that's the beauty of the Internet. You get bored and you can just click away. Oh, and if you can think of a clever name for my feature, let me know...

1.) Lost is back on the Emmy ballot! Last season was the BEST TV EVER, even better than most movies I've seen. I'm SO happy they are getting the Emmy love. And Michael Emerson was nominated for Benry! He completely freaks me out, but he is fantastic!

2.) It's official. I am NOT going to see The Dark Night. Sure, it's getting awesome reviews. On Rotten Tomatoes, it's got a 94% fresh rating. People are calling it the "best superhero movie ever" and "The Godfather" of action movies. I'm not seeing it for 2 reasons. A.) I looked at kids-in-mind.com, which details why something is rated that way, and it's got torture scenes. I can't handle torture or women getting hurt, and kids-in-mind said a woman gets punched in the face. I'm out. Maybe I'll watch it Clearplay-ed. B.) I think it's a little morbid since Heath Ledger died after he filmed this movie. He had a lot of problems, but the speculation that he was having emotional trauma due to the role really disturbs me. Plus, I was coming out of anesthesia in the hospital after my D&C when I saw on the news that he had died. While I was recovering, all I did was watch tv and follow that story, so I had this weird mourning my miscarriage/mourning Heath Ledger psycho-drama going on. I know. Very bizarre. Especially since I've only seen 2 movies he was in. Think about it. He's one of those actors you like, but you never see their films. Kind of like Clive Owen. Anyway, John is going tomorrow night with my brother/brother-in-law after our family reunion for his birthday. Maybe I can convince him to write a review!

3.) I AM seeing Mamma Mia! The girls from the reunion are going on Saturday night. I'm not just seeing it because I love the music, of course, but for that cast! I heart Meryl. People either love her (Leslie) or hate her (Becky Hut), but you can't deny she is amazing!!! I used to heart Pierce Brosnan (he was even on my List), but I've been grossed out by him ever since Anne-Katherine and I made the mistake of going to The Matador. We walked out after 20 minutes; he was VERY smarmy. And I read a review that totally made me laugh on MSNBC. Alonso Duralde said: "On the scale of Celebrities Who Can't Sing, [Brosnan]'s a few notches above Lee Marvin in Paint Your Wagon but falls short of the vocal skills of Burt Reynolds in At Long Last Love." And, he was a real boob about not getting to be Bond again. So Pierce is out. But, I heart heart heart heart heart Colin Firth. All these hearts are making me very 14, isn't it? But, I don't care how old he is or whether he's playing straight or not, Colin is always first on my List. Oh....and Lily Kane is in it. If you know that reference, you're a soul mate.

4.) Katie saw Kit Kittredge today with friends. I'm trying to turn into a mini movie critic, but her review was, "It was funny. I loved it." I might actually Redbox that mainly to see Joan Cusack, Stanley Tucci and Jane Krakowski.

5.) I'm obsessed with Coldplay's new album. I heard a new song that's a free download from their website that I like: http://www.coldplay.com/index.php. I've never really been a big fan, but I love Viva la Vida!

6.) I was watching Access Hollywood last night and that dumb Billy Bush was going on about the Baby Boom in Hollywood. There's Brangelina, of course (what's up with naming all 3 boys with names that end in x - triple XXX? I can't complain because I'd love to be either Anglina or Brad in another life. And, I hope they adopt from Korea next so I can live vicariously through them). Matthew McCoganogohee's (another former Lister, I'll share that story another day) girlfriend had her baby, and then there's Sunday Rose Kidman Urban. Hey, I'm happy that Nicole got away from that psycho Tom, but Sunday Rose? Ish. Anyway, I know I'm probably just bitter since I'm pregnancy impaired, but this "having a baby is so glamorous since I'm a celebrity" thing drives me up the wall. And selling your babies pictures to the highest bidder? Jessica Alba sold her baby's pictures to OK magazine for 1.5 million dollars! And she's never been in one good movie! She was in The Love Boat: The Next Wave for crying out loud (yes, I did watch that). At least Brangelina donate their proceeds to charity. Aaah.

Well, that's it for this week! More than you ever cared or wanted to know. Feel free to debate or comment below!

Katie's New Glasses

The doctor says she mostly needs them for school work, reading and tv watching. They look adorable on her. Now, if we can just get her to wear them!

Uncle Gerry & Aunt Linda's Homecoming

Over the weekend, we drove up to Idaho Falls to visit my Uncle Gerry and Aunt Linda. They have been serving the last 3 years as mission presidents in the Phillipines. It was SO good to see them again. They gave great homecoming talks. We hung out with family and Katie had a blast playing with her 2nd cousins. We tried to take a picture of them all, but it was hard to keep them in one place for long.

Back: Katie, Erin, Pyper, Jared, Hatch
Front: Mitchell, Rachel, Maren, Millie, Nate, Jason, Sarah, Abby
(not pictured: Lindy and Hank - Carol & Matt's kids)

Our Heber Trip

Heber Weekend

We just got back from a very fun weekend in Heber. John's stepdad owns a 2nd home there, so they (Kent & G.G.) invited up the kids and grandkids. We spent the 2nd half of the 4th of July and the rest of the weekend there. In attendance was Doug, Becky, Ethan & James; Jen, Brandon & Alex; us, and G.G. & Kent. On Friday, we drove Go-Karts around, roasted hot dogs & marshmallows for dinner, then watched fireworks from Midway in the backyard and did our own in the front. On Saturday, we went boating at Jordanelle (well, kind of...the battery broke down, so only half of us got on the water -- but it was still fun). And today, we took a drive around Midway and up Wasatch State Park. We played games and watched movies, ate great food and enjoyed great company. Thanks G.G. and Kent!

"The Four July" Parade & Breakfast

I have attended the Wasatch 5th Ward's Neighborhood Parade and Breakfast on the 4th of July as long as I can remember. Sure, there was the 4th of July on my mission and a few during my single years I missed, but nonetheless, it's been a big part of my life. Bright and early on the 4th, we walk the parade route from Top of the World circle down to the church. My mom, my sister, and two other ladies always play this fantastic 4 piano version of "Stars and Stripes." And then, we have a pancake breakfast. It's one of my favorite Mortimer family traditions and it's great to see old ward family and friends.

Now, it's a tradition for my family, too. John and I have been going for 9 years now. Katie looks forward to it for months. When talking about it, she used to say, "I can't wait for the parade on The Four July!" Even though John and I still call it that, she usually corrects us. Oh well. She doesn't say "Christmas Steve" or "Valentimes" anymore either. She really is growing up!

Jennie is in the Primary Presidency and got put in charge of the parade. Here she is with the banner she made.

Our patriotic pooch

Mitchell loving the parade

What good dads (and doggie owners) John and Steve are!

Ga Ga and Katie

Happy "The Four July" from the Huts!!!

Our Moab Trip