Virtual Vacation: Ocracoke

Since this is a virtual vacation, we can make the weather any way we want, and so I say it was absolutely gorgeous out today - a perfect day for a day-trip over to Ocracoke.

We'll just do pics.
Naturally, these pics were all taken on different days, in different years - so the sky will look different shades of blue for every shot.


On the ferry. This is looking back at Hatteras Landing as we left.



Literal proof of us being on the ferry.



I told you - uncrowded beaches abound on the Outer Banks.
This is the beach at Ocracoke.



Lunch at Howard's Pub is not only a tradition, but a necessity.



Then it's a walk through town and to the Ocracoke lighthouse.



Oldest operating lighthouse in North Carolina. (1823)



Bit of history. (Fort Ocracoke)



In the village, we spot a juvenile seagull.



Another lengthy walk on the beach does prove that other life exists.
A lone fisherman.



Ocracoke is one of the best places on the Outer Banks to collect seashells.



On the way back to the ferry, we pull off Route 12, where the Ocracoke ponies greet you. They used to roam wild on the island but too many were getting hurt/killed on the road - hence the fence.


While waiting for the return ferry, you can make a lot of new friends.



Usually you will pass a ferry or two coming to and fro.



The ferry ride back, with vast views of the bluer than blue Atlantic.



And after a day like that, we're beat. So it's probably hot dogs for supper - and a piece of incredibly delicious fudge (I'm thinking German Chocolate, Todd will have peanut butter of course) from 'Sweet & Simple Pleasures' in Avon will do the trick....

So what will the rest of the week bring - will it rain? Or more nice weather? Will we stay around Avon or head up north?
Perhaps a trip north to Kitty Hawk to one of my favorite restaurants on the entire island chain - The Black Pelican...

Virtual Vacation - OBX

Well, I'm off work for a week. Which, in itself, is awesome...
However. Generally, when I'm off in May, I'm really off. As in outta here.

Usually the hubby and I take off for a week of "chillaxin" on Hatteras Island a.k.a. The Outer Banks of North Carolina (which is the little tampon string of a line over there on the map, and where we stay is the furthest point away from the coast of NC).

But the hubby has a new job and no vacation time till next year so I'm home vegging out for a week while he works his tail off. No, not fair - but at the same time, I do believe I worked my tail off for an entire year while he sat home collecting (his much deserved) unemployment pay (for losing his job of 20 years to outsourcing). God Bless America, right? Hmpf.

ANYWAY!
While I would love to be hanging out at the beach, sipping a few Coronas or what have you, I'm stuck here in the anti-weather-friendly western Pennsylvania. Porchville. No, not even - because today it was only 39 frickin' degrees out!!!

So I'm going on a vacation - a virtual one. Like James Taylor said - Goin' to Carolina in my mind.
But I'm taking pictures and bringing them here for all to see.
My imagination is vivid (considering I've taken like a ka-zillion pictures of the Outer Banks in the last decade) so here goes>

Sunday is the long-ass drive down. Eleven hours in a car with stops only to pee and eat. (Quickly on both counts!) We generally arrive around 3pm. (And yes, that does mean we leave before the ass-crack of dawn!)
Once we've finally made it to the literal Outer Banks (we cross over up in Kitty Hawk and make our way 55 miles southward to Avon), we cross from Bodie Island to Hatteras Island by way of the most lovely Bonner Bridge, which is a pretty freaky-deaky bridge - at least the first time you cross it. Once you've been over it a few times, you can enjoy the beauty that surrounds it. But until then, you're basically terrified.

Okay, so we've finally made it the long drive to Avon (after several "are we there yets") and hobble into the realtor office. Eleven hours in a car is not conducive to walking.

We always use the same realtor - Outer Beaches Realty - and this year (because I can afford a really nice virtual house) we're staying here.
This cottage (named "One") is in the very far end of Avon.
It's beautiful, huge, and completely accessible to ocean front beaches, with another cottage on only one side. The hubby & I have stayed across the street on the sound side several times because the area is so quiet, and have admired "One" for years. So this year...we're virtually there.

After unpacking and relaxing for an hour or so, we head off to the Food Lion grocery store. The very best thing about buying groceries in North Carolina?
Wine and beer...sold right in the grocery stores - right off the shelves. Here in western PA it just doesn't happen, so with a huge selection of readily available alcohol, we generally buy enough for several weeks and end up taking some home - not on purpose, our eyes are always bigger than our capacity to put away the booze.


After collecting sundries, it's back to the cottage and down to the beach for a stroll. One of my favorite things about the beaches of the southern Outer Banks is that they are never as crowded or congested as up north. Granted, we always go in the marvelously un-busy off-season. Sometimes, there is literally no one else on the beach, as is evident from the picture at right.

When hunger takes over, we head back to the cottage (after having carefully taken notice of exactly where the roofline of our cottage is before even starting out on a walk- because one can get quite lost looking for one's cottage when they all look the same from down on the beach!)

At this point, we're too beat to actually go out to a restaurant, and always end up getting pizza, usually from the mom & pop pizza joint, Nino's. Just a little cottage but well worth it.
Pizza and italian specialties, but like I said - nothing fancy.
In all reality, on Hatteras Island there are no chain restaurants except a Dairy Queen and a Subway. Most places are all privately owned by families - some of which have lived here for generations, others who have moved here and intend on spending the rest of their time on this special island.
Names like "The Fish House" and "Diamond Shoals" abound, and all have really great, fresh seafood.
But the first night - damn, we're way too tired for anything but pizza.

An hour or so on the deck, under the protective beam from the Cape Hatteras lighthouse just down the road about three miles away in Buxton, we watch the waves lap onto shore until it lulls us into an exhausted stupor and it's off to bed.

Tomorrow.... a check on the weather and decisions to make on what to do first.... Will it be Ocracoke Island if the weather permits, or perhaps a drive up north to Manteo?
Only time, and Mother Nature, will tell.

Hump Day Hottie: Matt Bomer

This week we have all-kinds-of-handsome Matthew Bomer.



Currently, Matt stars as Neal Caffrey on the USA network's White Collar.




I first noticed him, though, in the movie The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning (2006). There was no way to miss those piercing blue eyes.




He is the son of a former Dallas Cowboy football player - but we'll forgive him that. Especially since he graduated (BFA) from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh.




He was also in Flightplan with Jodie Foster, played on All My Children as well as Guiding Light, a brief role on Tru Calling, and a recurring role on Chuck before breaking through on White Collar as a con-artist who works with an FBI agent solving crime.



One of his BFF's is Zachary Quinto, who played Spock in the new Star Trek movie and also graduated from CMU.



God how I love the pic above.



He was the original choice to play Superman in the reboot of the movie franchise (a role that eventually went to Brandon Routh) but the deal fell through after the director dropped out.



There have been a lot of questions raised about his sexual orientation, all of which he refuses to answer, so my thought is: if you don't answer, you are. So be it. Another one taken from the women of the world. Score one for the guys.



But damn....still nice to look at.

Stupid names for music artists

This is a post I'd included on my now defunct Compulsive List Addiction blog.
I feel it's just as appropriate today, actually - because the names are still stupid.

I didn't even touch on country since I'm not really a fan, and I'm sure there are loads of bizarre alternative bands that I don't have here, but here's what I came up with

Stupid names for rock bands/artists

This list should be self-explanatory.

*) Led Zeppelin

*) Biff Naked

*) Ben Folds Five

*) Staind

*) Supertramp

*) Pink Floyd

*) Franz Ferdinand

*) Butthole Surfers (I mean, seriously.)

*) Stone Temple Pilots

*) Smashing Pumpkins

*) Rage Against the Machine

*) Def Leppard

*) Fountains of Wayne

*) Matchbox Twenty (20)

*) Insane Clown Posse

*) Kula Shaker

*) Dead Kennedys

*) Lynyrd Skynyrd

*) Hootie and the Blowfish

*) Oingo Boingo

*) Hoobastank

*) Toad the Wet Sprocket

*) Chumbawamba

*) Thirty Odd Foot of Grunts

*) Death Cab for Cutie

*) Blink-182

*) Goldfrapp

*) Panic! at the disco

*) Dexy's Midnight Runners

*) Echo and the Bunnymen

*) Grand Funk Railroad

*) Blue Oyster Cult

*) The Buggles

*) Right Said Fred

*) Canned Heat

*) Everything but the girl

*) Finger Eleven

*) Frankie Goes to Hollywood

*) The Honeydrippers

*) Mazzy Star

*) Mungo Jerry

*) Queens of the Stone Age

*) Stabbing Westward

*) Wall of Voodoo

*) Glass Tiger

*) The Troggs

*) Steppenwolf

*) Kajagoogoo

*) 30 Seconds to Mars

*) Sponge

*) Squeeze

*) Wham!

*) Achers of Loaf

*) Red Hot Chili Peppers

*) Pearl Jam

*) Talking Heads

*) Fall Out Boy

*) The Dropkick Murphys

*) Goo Goo Dolls

*) Blind Melon

*) Men Without Hats

*) System of a Down

*) Thin Lizzy

*) The Din Pedals

*) Puddle of Mudd

*) Procol Harum

*) Letters to Cleo

*) Marcy Playground

*) Meat Puppets

*) Armor for Sleep

*) Concrete Blonde

*) The Live

*) The Band

*) The The (yep, really)

Did I miss any? I'm sure I did.... Let me know.

Go Baby Go!!

In honor of Derby day today, here's a peek at my MUST SEE movie pick for 2010....

Secretariat!!




I. SIMPLY. CANNOT. WAIT...

Hump Day Hottie : Travis Fimmel

Hottie lovers rejoice, I give you: pretty boy Travis Fimmel



.....who never seems to wear any clothes, and it is exceedingly hard to find pics of him wearing much more than his six pack abs. Whew.



Actually, he does do more than look pretty.



Though he was a model (and yes, a lot of underwear).... he acted in a few movies (One of which, "Restraint", also stars Stephen Moyer of True Blood fame) and was also Patrick Swayze's last co-star when he worked with him in the recent A & E television show "The Beast".



As Randy Jackson would say, Folks, we've got a hot one tonight.

Because I don't have kids....

Since I don't have kids to plaster photos of all over my blog, I give you...
Oliver.

Hump Day Hottie: Timothy Olyphant

Today's Hump Day Hottie is the charismatic and sexy Timothy Olyphant.



Currently starring in the critically acclaimed FX television show, Justified, Olyphant has always had a knack of bringing charm and personality to all his roles. Justified is no different folks, and I think it's his best role to date.




Above, in last year's thriller, A Perfect Getaway.
Dude still looks pretty hot for 41.




Even bald (for his role in 2007's Hitman) he still looks attractive, and not many can say that. I have heard a sequel is in the works.




Again, in A Perfect Getaway.
He also starred in this year's The Crazies - a remake of a George Romero film that comes out on DVD on June 29th, I believe.




Do I really need to say any more?

The resurrection of the Hump Day Hottie.

Following an explosion of fine-looking fellows I've recently noticed here and there on tv, movies, and on the internet...I am breathing new life into the Hump Day Hottie feature here at The Smug Pessimist.
Because we're never too old - or too married! - to enjoy some delectable dishes of delightfully dreamy dudes. Forgive me that, I've been reading my thesaurus too often;)

First up, someone I never would have thought of as anything more than simply cute.
When I first saw Dawn of the Dead back in 2004, Kevin Zegers played an attractive young security guard and looked like this:

He'd have been around oh I don't know, 17 or 18...

Yeah, well flash forward to present day.
The dude is 25 now, and looks a little bit different.
I feel almost "cougar-ish" even mentioning this, but hot damn does he look good now!
I mean... check this out.



Holy wow-ness!

Kevin is a Canadian actor and model (natch!) who has been in several movie projects including many random horror films, such as Wrong Turn, last year's Frozen, and the aforementioned Dawn of the Dead remake.
And this year he plays Clyde Barrow in an upcoming biographical film about Bonnie & Clyde.

So he goes from this:



To this:



And this:



And in my favorite, uber-emo shot:



(Looks like he's auditioning to be the next lead singer in Green Day...)

Next week: Timothy Olyphant....and yes, it's justified.

Random Rambling...

*I'm really beginning to question the integrity of the Pittsburgh Steelers football organization. Well, the players at least. First it was Jeff Reed peeing in public and resisting arrest last fall, then Ben Roethlisberger and his previous motorcycle accident (no helmet? no brains!), his first sexual assault troubles... now yet another "questionable encounter" and investigation, add to that Santonio Holmes' new problems and I'm starting to think we're turning into a certain NFL team in Ohio.
If you really want to continue, I could also mention the former Steelers issues - namely Plaxico Burress and his freakin' self-inflicted gunshot wound, and now Joey Porter arrested for DUI and belligerence.
WTF, people?
Hell, at least Michael Vick and Ray Lewis never played here.

*Ricky Martin is gay! Livin' la vida loca apparently means something else to him than it does to me. But hey, I'm okay with it. So why wasn't he for the last twenty years or so?

And what are he and his buddy doing over here at left...?

*What is up with this Heidi Montag chick? I mean, she is so completely pointless and talentless that it amazes me to no end that she (and her goofy husband) still get press. First of all, they aren't really actors in the true sense of the word. Secondly, she totally morphed into a whole different person with all this plastic surgery (Really, Faith Hill should consider suing her). And now she's writing a movie about 3D boobs? Say it ain't so. That story was filed not under 'Entertainment' on MSN, but under 'Weird News' - which to me, sounds about right.

*Jesse James.
Wow.
What the hell was he thinking?

*Sandra Bullock.
Wow.
What the hell was she thinking?

*My husband hates basketball on tv. I hate basketball on tv.
Hence, no March Madness for us. Yay!
All the television interruptions have only given us more time to get caught up on all the crap we've DVR'd in the last few months!
That being said, I was mortified when Kentucky lost. Boo.

*Speaking of Kentucky. Early KY Derby (5/1/10) predictions?
Eskendereya. Odysseus. Dublin. Rule. Awesome Act. Lookin at Lucky.
Or some other horse!
Ask me again in mid-April...

*I really wish people would stop seeing Jesus and/or other religious images in pieces of toast, oil deposits, clouds, and other random places. I don't believe for one iota that a dental X-ray shows the Pope's face in it or that that Cheeto is shaped like Jesus on the cross. Sorry. Get a grip people.

*California is seriously considering legalizing marijuana. You know what happens when they do?
People start seeing Jesus' face in their morning cinnamon bun.

*Is everyone out there watching "Justified" on Tuesday nights on FX? If not, you better jump on that bandwagon pronto! Not only is it a really good show, but Timothy Olyphant is to die for. Top notch show from a station that keeps putting increasingly good shows on the air. Nip/Tuck, Sons of Anarchy.... and shows I haven't seen but hear good things about -Damages, The Shield, and Rescue Me.

Justified follows a Kentucky-bred US Marshall under scrutiny for questionable use of force (that's putting it mildly - basically he likes to shoot people) in a recent case and has been reassigned from Florida to his hometown of Harlan, KY., and he brings his own gun-slinging kind of justice with him.

It's all kinds of awesome.
{And can I just make mention that a town very close here (Kittanning for you locals) has been a filming location. Hmm... western PA filling in for eastern Kentucky. Yep, seems about right.}

*Recently I saw two very good movies that I reviewed over on my other blog,Fascination with Fear. Neither are not the horrifying, gory films I watch so much of. "Lake Mungo" (reviewed here) is a fantastic mockumentary about a girl who drowned at a family outing, and "Moon" (reviewed here) is one of the best films I've seen in quite some time. An astronaut is reaching the end of a three year stint in space when something rather unusual occurs. It reminds most people of the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey, but it is so much more than that - and soooo not as boring. I highly recommend it, even if you aren't much for sci-fi. (I like science fiction considerably less than full-on horror, so you can trust me.)

Oh, and I made a few creative changes to that blog - a bit of a face lift if you will. It seems a bit more streamlined and neat now. Or maybe that's just me. Either way, it's staying that way, because it was a pain in the ass getting everything the way I wanted it.

*I'm really not impressed with this season of American Idol. Matter of fact, I tend to think it's the worst season I've seen yet. If Crystal Bowersox (who is a cross between Alanis Morrisette and Janis Joplin) doesn't win I'll eat my hat. Besides her and one, maybe two other people - there is very little that stands out.
And while I'm bitching, please make someone END those rot-gut live group performances on Wednesday (results) night. Gah! Soooooo very awful. Thank heavens for the MUTE button.

And why the hell don't any of the contestants pick songs from the last twenty years....like, evah?

If I hear another crappy Motown redeux I will seriously choke on my chocolate Cherrios. And please, kids - no more of the following:

No Mariah Carey.

No Celine Dion.
No Christina Aguilera.

No Michael Jackson.

No Stevie Wonder.

No Queen.

No Whitney Houston.

And stop covering 'Unchained Melody' by The Righteous Brothers, 'Against All Odds' by Phil Collins, 'I Will Always Love You' by Whitney Houston, and 'I Don't Wanna Be' by Gavin DeGraw.

And for the love of God, please stop singing the songs of previous Idol winners. Especially in your less than stellar auditions. Bleck!

*Well that would appear to be all I have for this random post.

Till next time...

Oscar ranting and other tidbits.

And here is where I chatter and bitch about the Oscars, and throw in some other random junk at the end.



Belated congrats go out to Kathryn Bigelow, the Academy Award winning director of this year's winner of Best Picture - The Hurt Locker. Sunday night she became the first female director to win an Oscar. Can I hear a Woot Woot!!

By the way, I did see The Hurt Locker and it was, quite frankly, intensely terrific. It can't not affect you. Pardon the double negative but it's well worth the praise.

Oh, and another special shout out to Bigelow for one-upping her former husband and maker of all things blue and silly, James Cameron. His Avatar was up for Best Picture and he was in the running for director as well. Guess there's a "queen of the world" right about now.
And I have two words for Avatar. Popcorn film.
Two more: Sorry Jim.

Still in the Avatar vein... what the hell was she thinking??? I can't even begin to comment on that. I will say I enjoyed her performance in Star Trek.

And how nice for Sandra Bullock. Much as I like some of her movies I've never thought of her as an Oscar-worthy actress. But I guess she is. And you'd better recognize - or Jesse James will come kick your ever-lovin' ass.

And Jeff Bridges - Dude! He's deserved one of the gold statues for awhile. I haven't seen Crazy Heart yet, but I'm sure it's great. My favorite JB role is, of course, Seabiscuit.

While I'm still ranting about the Oscars (and here comes a big one folks), can I just say that while I appreciated the ode to horror movies I do have a few complaints. First off - the presenters of the clip were Kristen Stewart and Taylor Lautner of Twilight fame!! Okay, here's the thing. One last time. Twilight, New Moon, and all other forthcoming Stephenie Meyer adaptations are not horror. They are teen angst. Among other reasons, there are no fangs on the vamps and there is no blood. And waaaaaay too much brooding. Not horror. And yes, I feel I AM a horror expert, so you can trust me on that.

Second annoying little piss-off? The Academy forgot about Silence of the Lambs sweeping the Oscars back in 1992. The statement was made that it had been over thirty years since horror was recognized - back when The Exorcist had ten nominations and won two Oscars. Excuse me?
The Silence of the Lambs won five - taking the win in all the major categories including Best Picture. Obviously people like Eli Roth and Quentin Tarentino are not Academy members, or this glaring error would have been corrected. Come to mention it - why didn't those two start the horror clip off???

That being said, the clip wasn't bad but it showed way too much of the same thing. Too much Psycho, The Shining, and (for the love of all that is good and sacred) Texas Chainsaw 4!! While The Shining and Psycho are two of the most worthy additions to be sure, I can't see why we could have had one clip of each and moved on to some of the glaring omissions I noticed. For instance - NO VINCENT PRICE! Sacrilege! NO ITALIAN HORROR! No Argento, no Bava, no Fulci. NO ROGER CORMAN - who incidentally picked up an honorary Lifetime Achievement Academy Award AT THAT VERY CEREMONY not an hour beforehand! NO HAMMER HORROR! At least not that I saw. For God's sake, throw me a bone here.

Instead, they gave us one too many clips of the worst chapter in the Texas Chainsaw Massacre film history just because Renee Zellweger and Matthew McConaughey starred in it (which I'm sure they were super-glad to acknowledge!) and a clip of Jennifer Aniston (pre-nose job) in the stellar film, Leprechaun! I know it's nearly St. Patrick's Day and all, but pleeaaase!

Anyway, here's the clip if you missed it, starting out with a cute Paranormal Activity spoof by hosts Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin. And it completely cut out the bad intro by the New Moon stars, so mega-kudos there.



Now...perhaps on to other, less histrionic complaints.

Anyone else slightly disturbed by the influx of natural disasters lately? I'm beginning to think the Mayans may be correct and things are getting geared up. When's the last time you can remember this many killer earthquakes happening so close together? Haiti? Chile? Another one yesterday in Turkey and one hit this morning off the coast of Hawaii. And of course then we have the heinous tsunamis that follow. And all this after the biggie in Sumatra in late 2004. Seems like since that event, things have went downhill. If you factor in all the horrific hurricanes we've had in the last several years (esp. Katrina) you have to wonder if someone is trying to tell us something. So far, this year has been awful. I'm so not looking forward to hurricane season.
As I write this, I notice a massive tornado has hit in Oklahoma. I don't even want to talk twisters. Greensburg, Kansas anyone?

So, Ben Roethlisberger has gotten himself all lawyered up for his most recent legal woes. Who does he hire? None other than the same attorney that defended Ray Lewis back in 2000 for his murder trial. Oh wow, talk about making yourself look guilty, dude. Sounds like it's all "make this go away" to me.
Guess we'll see.

Betty White is going to do Saturday Night Live! Yay! After a viral internet campaign she was apparently asked and has agreed to go on SNL. I'm making a prediction that it will be one of the most-watched-ever episodes! She's hil-arious!





A question has arisen in my mind and I just have to ask. Why do so many women carry such immensely HUGE purses? This has baffled me for some time and I figured I might as well ask.
For example: I have a co-worker that carries a handbag the size of Rhode Island. When I ask her what the hell is in there, she says "stuff". No kidding. But what stuff?
This reminds me of a great segment from The Breakfast Club which I must share.




So, after that - I still ask. What the HELL do you women carry? I mean, as for me, I simply have my wallet, a pen, a pack of gum, some Excedrin, sunglasses, chapstick, and a tampon! And there's still room for my keys. If I had a cell phone, it'd fit as well. Small purse. Not shoulder-crushing heavy or the least bit hernia inducing.

I mean, what the f*** else do you need to have with you? The menu for the House of Hunan? No! Toss it! A bag of 100 calorie mini-oreos? No! Get rid of it. (Well, unless you're diabetic in which case I'll give you a pass.) Mini calendar? Why? Are you really that likely to need to know when Aunt Eunice's birthday is while you're at your kid's soccer practice? If you're that forgetful you mustn't care too much for Auntie in the first place. Speaking of kids - if you've got a diaper (clean or dirty) in there then you are just beyond the scope of my gross-out factor. How about that umbrella you've got shoved in there? How much of you is it going to cover anyway? Wear a hood. Those dog treats in the outside pocket? Unless you're a postal carrier I say ditch 'em. And if your purse is big enough that you're shoving a change of clothes in there? Get a freakin' duffle bag and carry it when you need it. Are you accident prone or something?
I'm just sayin'.

Okay, I'm done ranting.

Just one more thing. Welcome home (well, to their home in Alaska!) to my cousin Jackie's hubby, Aaron - who just got home from another tour in Afghanistan. Thank you, and we're glad you're home safe!!!