Thursday-10am

Beautiful, cool night--windows open--about 48 degrees last night. Predicting 74 degrees today--my perfect, preferred weather!

Been busy with the secret project and watching Netflix DVDs. Been watching Elizabeth R, 1971 Masterpiece Theater production. Done in the old way--looks more like a play (like I, Claudius--one of my favorites).

Based on six plays, this Emmy Award-winning miniseries from the BBC depicts -- with deft attention to historical detail and style -- the extraordinary life of Queen Elizabeth I (Glenda Jackson). Also known as the Virgin Queen, she challenged the status quo (most notably in her refusal to marry), and survived plots to overthrow her, local politics and family turmoil to build the British Empire into the most powerful military force in the 1600s.

I have to say that I really liked a newer version I watched recently--Elizabeth: The Golden Age, 2007, with Cate Blanchett. I watched the 1998 Elizabeth she made first.

Reprising her Oscar-nominated role from 1998's Elizabeth, Cate Blanchett is once again at the head of the cast as the Virgin Queen (earning her another Oscar nod) in this Shekhar Kapur-directed sequel to that film. Focusing on the queen's tempestuous relationship with the adventurer Sir Walter Raleigh, the film also stars Clive Owen (as Raleigh), Geoffrey Rush (as Sir Francis Walsingham) and Samantha Morton (as Mary, Queen of Scots).

I was surprised at how many movies have been made about the Virgin Queen Elizabeth! She was quite the character! Always interesting, I guess, because she didn't do what was expected of her and yet the people loved her.

Well, I have CashWise coming this afternoon--food! hehe! And Dagan is coming by after work to bring me over to Best Buy to buy a converter box for my television set. I have a government coupon to help with the cost. I wonder what the picture is going to look like after the transistion next February?

For those of you in the U.S.--have a nice. long 4th of July weekend! :)