Best Movies of the Past Year (or so)

Over Christmas break, I had a chance to do some sleeping in, played some board games with the family, took plenty of walks with the dogs and my sister and caught up on some good movies. My parents and I also went to see "It's Complicated" on my birthday. Although they all might not be technically 2009 movies, here are some of the flicks I've seen over the recent past that are worthwhile to watch:

- The Hangover (good clean drunken debauchery)
- It's Complicated (love Alec Baldwin in 30 Rock, loved him in this movie)
- Inglorious Basterds (gotta love Brad Pitt's Tennessee accent)
- Sex and the City (the movie lived up to the hype from the great hit series)

And the "don't waste your time list":

- Made of Honor (McDreamy tricked me into watching this)
- I Love You Man (bro-mances don't make great movies)
- Pineapple Express (I was expecting more from this film)

The 29th Birthday

Yes, it's official...only one more year until I'm 30. I enjoyed a lovely birthday celebration this year with my family and our neighbors the Ullmers. My sister Alicia made this fantastic cake for me. She's currently working for a CRO in the Cleveland area, but I think she might be better suited for a fancy cake-making business. Any cake designers out there looking for a young prodigy?

Travel Boggle

Over Christmas, my sister, my mother, and I played some board games. We indulged in Boggle, Scrabble, and Yahtzee. Of the three, we played Boggle the most frequently. Since I am a naturally competitive person, the board games were competitive (but fun as well).

My sister likes to give me a hard time for being so competitive. In fact, she takes such pleasure in watching me get all worked up and then lose, she was conspiring with my mom to beat me. Questionable ethics on Christmas vacation? Perhaps, but it's all in the game.

The first day we played Boggle, my sister kicked both of our butts pretty handily. However, by the last day, I gave her a run for her money and actually eeked out a victory. It was great.

In the airport on the way home, I saw this travel edition of Boggle. I plan on practicing during the year so next Christmas break I'll be able to whoop up on Ali.