THIRTEEN GREAT CINEMA KISSES
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Okay, so I'm still stuck on kissing. I can't help it. I got a surprise kiss at my work yesterday morning (thanks, G!) and I'm sorta gaga right now.

I've seen a lot of kissing onscreen--some great, some...not so great. I've posted a few of my faves; enjoy!
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1. Scarlett O'Hara and Rhett Butler by the carriage. He's leaving, she's pissed off, he kisses her like there's no tomorrow--and she slaps his face and says she hopes a cannonball lands right on him! Classic!
2. From Here To Eternity. Okay, Deb and Burt probably got a lot of sand in their nether parts, but baby, that was one romantic kiss!
3. George Bailey and Mary Hatch on the phone. Poor chump Sam Wainright is yapping away about the "chance of a lifetime!" then George loses his cool and "Oh, Mary!" and Mary's all "George, George, George!" Corny, but wonderful.
4. Ronnie and Loretta from Moonstruck. When he flips the table out of the way so he can grab his girl my heart flips. Every time.
5. Humphrey Bogart. He's never been my idea of a sex symbol, but whether he was paired with Ingrid or Lauren or who, he made those kisses memorable.
6. Lady and the Tramp. Come on, who wouldn't want to be kissed over spaghetti?
7. John Wayne. He's such an alpha guy, so take-charge manhandle type that any kiss he ever does is forceful and hard and... ooh, be still my heart.
8. Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves in The Lake House. The movie itself wasn't amazing or anything, but then they finally met at the house and he didn't even give her a chance to speak, just grabbed her and dove right in--wow!
9. Bugs Bunny and the Tasmanian Devil. The one where Bugs, dressed up like a lady devil with a giant bear trap in his mouth for "teeth" kisses Tazzie and SNAP!!!
10. To Catch A Thief. Grace and Cary are watching fireworks from her hotel suite. Clever photography inserts firework clips in between them getting closer, closer...
11. Westley and Buttercup. "Is this a kissing book? I hate kissing books." But by the end the kid lets Grampa read one kissing scene.
12. Adrian and Rocky's first kiss. Sweet, hesitant, then whoosh! Passion on the floor!
13. A Room With A View. Lucy Honeychurch was so innocent until George Emerson came along... Nothing like a field of flowers in Italy to get your blood hot. It would work for me--if I ever went to Italy that is...

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Your turn to share! And may you feel "fireworks" every time you kiss. Happy 4th!

PARENTS

Anyone besides me ever worry about turning into their parents?

I went for a visit last weekend. Overall it was nice; got to see relatives, eat alot, etc. etc. But inevitably, things were said:

Mom: I liked your hair short better.

and

Dad: You're getting stoop shouldered!

Understand that mom has always been a short-hair kind of person and she has hounded me for 20 years that I need to "get a haircut that befits your age, dear." This comment was totally expected and I simply told her I like longer better.

Now, dad is known for the zingers. He tells things like they are and doesn't care if he hurts your feelings or not. Most times this is beneficial. It's also paranoia-inducing. Despite my sisters and brother telling me I look just fine, I've been checking my posture fanatically ever since.

And telling myself, over and over, that I won't turn out just like them. I won't I won't I won't.

A KISS IS JUST A KISS... or is it?

Ah, the all-important kiss. Where would a romance novel be without it? That tender, fierce, loving, passionate, happy, angry, long-awaited, she-didn't-know-she-loved-him-till-that-kiss moment. I've read a kajillion of them; some good, some lousy... but they all serve that so-important purpose of bonding the hero and heroine, on paper, in the movies and in real life.

I've been thinking about kissing rather than snarking because a) I couldn't make up my mind about covers this morning and Klimt was just calling me, and b) because my blogfriend Missie commented on last Thursday's TT she wanted to know more about the "good kisser" I mentioned.

Well, (blush) I have a friend. I've known him for quite some time. It's a long story, but despite the attraction factor (he was cute, I'll admit it) he came on too strong at the wrong time and all I ever saw in him was a player--he'd hit on me every time he came into my work and I always felt like he just wanted to score and I so wasn't there (but when he wasn't hitting on me, he was actually a nice guy). Then there was 6 years of me with the FS, I stopped working at that job for a period of time and we fell out of touch. Then, of course, December happened, my house happened, I went back to work part time at the old job for extra money... and I wondered about him. We got back in touch, went out to lunch, and things just sort of... happened. We're not dating, we're not getting serious. We just agreed we both deserve to have some fun. Including kissing. And more kissing. And more stuff.

And man, can he kiss. I haven't been kissed like this in over 10 years. He's one of those long, slow kissers that lock on and don't stop until you're breathless. Ooh. Oh dear. I'm getting breathless just thinking about it. I'd better take a cold shower.

Happy Monday!

THIRTEEN "IF ONLIES"

Thanks to Rhonda, I got an idea for this morning's TT. She's got a post over on her Fictionistas site that talks about "If I only knew then...". Ahh, hindsight is always 20-20, and even if we did know, would we really have done differently? It's a muddle folks, but it's fun to wonder(not worrying, just wondering...).

1. If I'd known at 18 that at 41 I would not only not be a published author but not writing at all I would have told all my naysayers to f*** off and pushed myself to that goal. (Don't fret; I haven't completely given up yet.)
2. If I'd known at 31 that I would want another child at 38, I would not have gotten my tubes tied.
3. If I'd known at 22 how much I loved working in a library, I would have gone on for my MLS right there instead of waiting almost 20 years.
4. If I'd known in my teens that I would know myself more fabulous in my forties, I would not have been so worried about the stupid stuff.
5. If I'd known that damned walnut tree was going to permanently scar me, I would have listened to my dad and not climbed it!
6. If I'd known how many opportunities I would miss, I would have started being braver sooner.
7. If I'd known that skin gets more sensitive as one gets older I would avoid situations in which I might wind up with a hickey about the size and shape of Illinois. Yes, right there in front where it's almost impossible to hide. (Don't get me wrong, I totally enjoyed myself--I'm just sayin', lesson learned!)
8. If I'd known how quickly Son would grow up, I'd have invented a time machine or something so I could go back to about age 3 and rock him, hold his hand, and just snuggle up with him every once in a while.
9. If I'd known that trying to "get along" and please everybody all the time would get me exactly nowhere... I think I would have tried to put myself first more often.
10. If I'd known at 33 that a certain alpha guy who wouldn't stop hitting on me was a fabulous kisser (among other things) I don't think I would have waited until 41 to get to know him better.
11. If I'd known what a nightmare my first real boyfriend would turn out to be, I would have avoided him like the plague.
12. If I'd known how much I'd forget over the years, I'd have tried harder to remember--journals, scrapbooks, etc...
13. If I'd known how much fun midlife could be, I'd have been 41 first!!

Time to share--give me an "if only" or two!