haven't i seen you somewhere before?

a wise group of women sat & watched a movie. one saw a common theme that i had apparently missed entirely. as stories get recycled with new spins and settings, they're just begging to be compared and i don't want to disappoint.

note to reader - the opinions in this blog are based solely on my personal taste, the decision of the judges is final

the official SOUND OF MUSIC vs. THE KING AND I competition begins:

King vs. Captain: point for K&I based on rank
Yul vs. Christopher: i was going to call a tie, but Yul's king is just too adorable so point for K&I
Scared woman in a new world: petrified Maria has it over brave Anna, point for SOM
Lots of children: K&I wins for most and cutest
Singing governess/teacher: SOM has it, Julie did her own vocals
Asserting dominance: King tells Anna how to behave - When I sit, you sit. When I kneel, you kneel. Et cetera, et cetera - degrading alright. Captain blows his whitle - When I want you, this is what you will hear - i'd have booted him out the door. hands down SOM
Heroine wardrobe: hello? curtain fabric? point for K&I
Scenery: no brainer, SOM's alps & old world charm over K&I's obvious painted backdrops
Slave-owners vs. Natzis: point for K&I because, well, cultural vs. maniacal
Sympathetic sidekick: Lady Thiang over Frau Schmidt based on looks alone
Villain: the Baroness is just plain snarky so vote for the King's cranky advisor
Escape plan, part 1: SOM. more tension when the VonTrapps dont come back to the stage than when Toptim doesn't
Escape plan, part 2: Toptim was caught and her boyfriend killed. point for SOMs alp-climbers
Sing-a-long energy: SOM, i just can't stay in my seat and more songs to sing along to
Defining production number: so many in SOM so point there. honorable mention for K&I's unique interpretation of an american classic with Asian style/beauty
Party grandness: K&I's ambassador dinner wins over Liesl's first ball
Star-crossed lovers theme song: sixteen going on seventeen has dancing, we kiss in the shadows doesn't so point for SOM
Boyfriend exit: Lun Tha was killed but Rolf just followed Hitler, goes to SOM
Governess/Teacher's advice for scared child(ren): my favorite things wins over whistle a happy tune for production value and singalongability
Happy ending: Captain and Maria marry, King dies. SOM
Personal connection: Grampa's hand-painted titles, main title in his OWN recognizabla hand-writing - HUGE point for SOM (and HUGE grin on my face)

Tally? King and I: 8 Sound of Music: 13

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stories

last night i drank funky drinks and made sausage & peppers. love being around my niece and nephew. they're having their teenhood like i did long ago. the cycle of life. want to go to the huntington libabry but when i get there, unless i'm taking pics or reading a book i can't think of what to do. sitting here in my backyard with the flowers & dogs running around - more peaceful. no drive home, no hot car, no one place to another. time is my enemy and my friend. tanner is chewing on a stick and crunching it - holding it with his paw so it won't get away. there's always a schedule. last weekend i had one of those i don't need to be anywhere by any time type of days. like at the beachhouse. those are my favorites. telling a story on the screen reading a book that tells a story to me. stories. where would our lives be without them. how many things can tell a story. a musician tells a story with his song, composer with his note placement, tree with it's roots and branches. every grey hair tells what we've survived. i'd like to tell a story too. about finding treasure. the night before with good friends, laughing at movies and funny times, creating more funny times out of nothing. someone says something and i just lose it like when i was a teenager and my stomach would hurt from laughing. that doesn't happen very often to me, but with these folks it's easy and i feel like i can do anything at all. up at the crack of dawn and the hunt begins. nothing more amazing than being at the beach when the sun is just coming up. it's a whole different light and space. before the mobs, before the heat. i could do with a few less sandcrabs but otherwise the perfect setting. need to re-charge soon, have to call the girls & see when the next adventure will be.

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