Hercule Poirot, Can You Help Me Now?

I had such great plans for a really good blog post today. Then I spent all day celebrating Christmas and now it is Lame Post Friday. Maybe I can share a few more Christmas pictures and be reasonably entertaining.

Obviously on the Naughty List

OK, this not a Christmas movie, but we are watching Murder on the Orient Express because there is a lot of snow. It stars Albert Finney, who is one of our favorite Scrooges. I’ll allow it.

Love the car.

Earlier we watched Hercule Poirot’s Christmas starring David Suchet, another worthy portrayal of the great detective. Steve gave me the DVD some Christmases ago. I spend the whole time critiquing the adaptation, but I enjoy watching it every year.

We watched other videos and DVDs today as well as a movie DVR’d from TCM just this afternoon. However, if I go chasing around the internet for pictures, I will miss the movie, which in fact we are watching at my suggestion.

Well, what does anybody want from me on Christmas and Lame Post Friday. I think I will look for one more photo from my Media Library and hit Publish. Merry Christmas, everybody!

Mom’s Christmas tree from last year.

I hope all my readers managed to be reasonably merry while staying healthy and safe, whether they celebrate the same holiday as me or not.

A Cinematic Pause in Christmas Preparations

I had hoped to do a Sunday Running Commentary, even went for a run this morning, but then I spent some time with Christmas mixing and fixing, then some time having a couple of drinks and relaxing, watching Christmas movies, so now I’m here ready to do a Sunday Cinema as usual (was that a run-on sentence?  I don’t care if it is and I am too lazy to check in any case).  At least we watched some seasonal movies, so there’s that.

Isn’t it romantic?

My main thing was, I did not feel like crying, so no It’s a Wonderful Life, no Homecoming, and not just any Christmas Carol.  When Steven suggested Christmas in Connecticut, I thought that sounded perfect.  Just a sweet love story involving people pretending to be something they’re not (that’s not giving away any important plot points, it’s part of the set-up).

After that I suggested the fun version of A Christmas Carol with Reginald Owen as Ebenezer Scrooge.

Jacob Marley reminded me a little bit of the butler in And Then There Were None, but Steven told it was Leo G. Carroll, who used to be in The Man From Uncle.

After that one, I was wishing we had a Christmas murder mystery, when I remembered, just before Steven suggested, Hercule Poiroit’s Christmas, an episode of the Poirot television series starting David Suchet.  I had read the book this was based on many times before seeing the movie.  I have a number of problems with the adaptation, but it’s a fun watch, and, David Suchet, there could be no possible objection.

Yet another excellent Poirot.

Poirot is an fun character for an actor to portray (or so I would think, having never had the opportunity to play him), and Suchet does an excellent job.  I have also enjoyed Albert Finney’s and Peter Ustinov’s interpretation of the part.  I need to check out Kenneth Branaugh’s Poirot, but that’s a whole other blog post.

In the meantime, it’s Christmas Eve Eve.  I need to get back to my tv-watching, crocheting portion of the evening.  For one thing, I need to recruit my energies for tomorrow.  Happy Sunday, everyone.

 

It’s Monday Running Commentary!

So I ambitiously went running, thinking I could do a Monday Running Commentary for a change.  Then as I started cooking dinner, I thought maybe a cooking post.  Of course, a part of me always wants a Monstrous Monday, even when it isn’t Monday.  Then again, I have not been running in a while.  I think I’ll comment on it.

I have really fallen off the exercise wagon lately, much to my own detriment.  At my age, I need to stay active or I may stop moving entirely!  I did go for a nice walk on Saturday, so I have not been completely sedentary.  I took comfort in that and made my plans.  It was such  beautiful day, I preferred to do something outside than go to the YMCA.  I told myself, walk or run, but do SOMETHING!

As I got ready to go running, I realized I need to invest in some more sports bras (PLEASE do not tell me TMI!).  My supply is getting kind of old.  I found a couple to wear, though, as well as bicycle shorts, running socks and a loose-fitting t-shirt.  I remembered where my running shoes ended up.  This was going to be great!  I got together a load of laundry to throw in while I ran, just to be extra ambitious, especially for a Monday.

It was with a little frisson of virtue, therefore, that I started out.  Unfortunately, it was not long before my legs said, “Oh, crap.”  This was not going to be fun.  However, as I have often noted, if I have learned one thing, it is how to persevere.  After all, one must get through the crappy runs in order to get to the good ones.  I could at least enjoy the sunshine.

I could not enjoy the sunshine.  But I sternly warned myself against dwelling on my misery and kept going.  Seeing flowers and looking for shade distracted me somewhat. Some people were sitting out enjoying the day.  I even saw a sunbather, stretched out on a lounge chair, face down.  I was reminded of Hercule Poirot’s observation in Evil Under the Sun, about sunbathers looking remarkably alike.  Oh dear, he put it much better than that.   I don’t know where I put my copy of that book, and I really don’t want to take the time to look for it now.  Read the book yourself, if you like murder mysteries.

Anyways, I managed to run for 22 minutes (my favorite number!).  As is often the case, my cool-down walk was my favorite part.  I think my least favorite part is this blog post about it.  I’m sorry, folks, it’s Monday, and I have to finish cooking dinner.  I hope to see you all tomorrow, on Tired Tuesday.