So, I'm talking a literal dream here, so it doesn't make sense. (I fell asleep right after watching the Ides of March with Ryan Gosling and George Clooney.)
I'm sitting in the audience of an outdoor theater. It's a semi-thrust stage surrounded by stadium seating that would be more aptly described as high end diner seating than theater seating. Booths and tables are set at different heights of platforms; there was some neon pink, but mostly classy metals. The play (which was some new alternate ending of the Ides of March that I don't really remember but am relatively certain added some more Shakespearean tone) ends. Right after which, the outdoor theater clears out except for me, a 23 (or so) year old blonde woman, and Ryan Gosling, all sitting at different tables. The blonde quickly starts a conversation with RG and the two start flirting. I notice a jacket and overcoat that were a part of the play on the next stool over (I was sitting at a two person high top table) and give RG his jacket and overcoat saying, "I believe these are yours", which echoes how the other woman started talking to him. And then walk away.
I walk from my seat down the many platforms to the right side of the stage to get out of the theater, which takes me to the opposite side of where the parking is, but this is where the exit is, so I have a little ways to walk outside. I know the ocean is nearby. To get back to my car, I must go up to the level of the parking lot. I see a set of stairs that I think will make the journey shorter, but which are folded up. They are white stairs with blue railings (they seem to be attached to a Culver's.) I start up the stairs and they expand, taking me closer to my car as I walk up. I get up about four flights, and then the expansion accelerates and suddenly they are going so fast that I have no choice but to just hold on wait until I get to my car. But they keep expanding to a size much bigger than they initially seemed and then I'm over the ocean and a giant wave comes and drenches me. Luckily, I'm up high enough that only the top of the wave hits me. I can see the next wave coming and wonder how far up and back toward land I can get before the next wave, when my alarm goes off.
I rarely remember dreams, but this one was really vivid. Ah, crazy dreams are fun.
As for the actual movie...I enjoyed watching it for the behind the scene atmosphere, but it left a bad aftertaste. Well acted and pretty well put together.
Showing posts with label movies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label movies. Show all posts
Sunday, April 29, 2012
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Catching Up: Movies
Last 7 movies:
No Strings Attached
Salt
New York, I Love You
Love and Other Drugs
True Grit
Bright Star
A Star Is Born
Looking back on these movies, the main thing I wonder about is why the recent with sex-first relationships in movies? Seriously, it's disgusting. Second thing is I watched a little bit of the extras on Salt and the people interviewed kept talking about making Salt a vicious fighter and making her as tough as any man. But I kept wondering while watching the movie if any of it was at all realistic. I'm not a fighter, but I have hard time believing someone of Angelina Jolie's size and strength could beat up three (or more) people who are at least decently trained--no matter how awesome she is. But maybe I'm just ignorant.
word association:
No Strings Attached--seriously?
Salt--sequel-ready
New York, I Love You--next?
Love and Other Drugs--support
True Grit--revenge
Bright Star--nap
A Star Is Born--drugs
No Strings Attached
Salt
New York, I Love You
Love and Other Drugs
True Grit
Bright Star
A Star Is Born
Looking back on these movies, the main thing I wonder about is why the recent with sex-first relationships in movies? Seriously, it's disgusting. Second thing is I watched a little bit of the extras on Salt and the people interviewed kept talking about making Salt a vicious fighter and making her as tough as any man. But I kept wondering while watching the movie if any of it was at all realistic. I'm not a fighter, but I have hard time believing someone of Angelina Jolie's size and strength could beat up three (or more) people who are at least decently trained--no matter how awesome she is. But maybe I'm just ignorant.
word association:
No Strings Attached--seriously?
Salt--sequel-ready
New York, I Love You--next?
Love and Other Drugs--support
True Grit--revenge
Bright Star--nap
A Star Is Born--drugs
Saturday, June 4, 2011
Cinderella
I was in a fairy tale mood this week, so I reread a book from a kid lit class I took in college: Ella Enchanted. Very satisfying retelling of the Cinderella tale. Smart girl; realistic growing of a relationship, and some fairy godmothers who aren't perfect.
And now I'm watching the classic: Walt Disney's Cinderella. It's funny the things you notice when you rewatch a movie from your childhood. Here's the line in Cinderella that stood out to me: "Leave the sewing to the women." I'm pretty sure the outcry at such a line would stop it from being included now, no matter how well it fits the song. Of course, the entire outline of this movie follows along those same lines. But you know what? I still like it. Whether it is the nostalgia or the happily ever after, I'm a fan.
And now I'm watching the classic: Walt Disney's Cinderella. It's funny the things you notice when you rewatch a movie from your childhood. Here's the line in Cinderella that stood out to me: "Leave the sewing to the women." I'm pretty sure the outcry at such a line would stop it from being included now, no matter how well it fits the song. Of course, the entire outline of this movie follows along those same lines. But you know what? I still like it. Whether it is the nostalgia or the happily ever after, I'm a fan.
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Hello 2011
I'm starting off 2011 right. I think. With The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. So far, so fantastic. I spent most of December reading the Morganville Vampire series. Really good for what it was; the main characters were engaging and flawed but likable. And the action was unending and still managed to be believable and not get old. I also read The Freak Observer. Although it too is YA, it was a bit of a head spinner after reading the Morganville books. There was a lot of depth and psychology in it. Dense I would say; I will need to read it again to make a final judgment.
I'm also in the midst of both season 3 of Friday Night Lights and season 2 of Fringe. Great TV (on DVD)! And I'm excited for new TV to start airing this week.
I also watched The Town and Letters to Juliet this past week, which is more of an ending to 2010, but a worthwhile run up for 2011. The Town was well done, gritty. I enjoyed the accents. And Jeremy Renner's character...yikes. Letters to Juliet had a lot going for it...but the producers should have gone for a less cheesy ending. I still liked it, but a balcony scene wasn't actually necessary even though the name Juliet was in the title. (And I listened/watched to The Untouchables on TV this weekend. Chicago was scary.)
I also recently bought some tunes (Christmas shopping is dangerous!) and now can listen to some classic Nirvana, old Hawk Nelson, and new NeedtoBreath. And I thoroughly enjoyed a Christmas CD that I got as a gift last Christmas of Straight No Chaser. A Capella = awesome.
Also, as a final word on 2010, I just have to say that having an extended family all in one place is a truly awesome thing. My grandmother remarried this fall and decided to gather her family and reaffirm her vows over Christmas--and everyone made it. All of her children and their spouses, grandchildren and their spouses, and greatgrandchildren made it from all over the country. It was a special event to be a part of.
I'm also in the midst of both season 3 of Friday Night Lights and season 2 of Fringe. Great TV (on DVD)! And I'm excited for new TV to start airing this week.
I also watched The Town and Letters to Juliet this past week, which is more of an ending to 2010, but a worthwhile run up for 2011. The Town was well done, gritty. I enjoyed the accents. And Jeremy Renner's character...yikes. Letters to Juliet had a lot going for it...but the producers should have gone for a less cheesy ending. I still liked it, but a balcony scene wasn't actually necessary even though the name Juliet was in the title. (And I listened/watched to The Untouchables on TV this weekend. Chicago was scary.)
I also recently bought some tunes (Christmas shopping is dangerous!) and now can listen to some classic Nirvana, old Hawk Nelson, and new NeedtoBreath. And I thoroughly enjoyed a Christmas CD that I got as a gift last Christmas of Straight No Chaser. A Capella = awesome.
Also, as a final word on 2010, I just have to say that having an extended family all in one place is a truly awesome thing. My grandmother remarried this fall and decided to gather her family and reaffirm her vows over Christmas--and everyone made it. All of her children and their spouses, grandchildren and their spouses, and greatgrandchildren made it from all over the country. It was a special event to be a part of.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
News of the Lonely
My house feels a little lonely tonight, as much as a I love it. I think it is the darkness so early and the fact that I'm too cheap to turn on heat yet...but also maybe I could just use some company.
Just wanted to say that I am now working on house project 3 with 4 in the coming quickly better plan stages. I will post photos...eventually. Let's just say the floors in 1/2 the house look MUCH better--thanks to my bro! Also, for the record, I have officially fixed a toilet for the first time. And ripping up carpet can be tricky.
Sports: Now that the Twins are out :(, go RANGERS!
TV: All the good shows have started again. I'm doing my best to keep up...and sometimes failing. Okay, often failing. But I've managed to keep up with The Good Wife, which has been excellent.
Movie: I watched Lilies of the Field this week (in two parts.) It was a very interesting movie. I didn't know anything about it other than that Sidney Poitier was in it. All I could think was "this movie never would be made today." Also, it has one of my favorite songs in it. Pops into my head all the time whenever I hear or say "Amen." :)
New thing: I'm going to a conference this weekend. I've never been. And I'm sure it will be interesting even though not completely applicable to my daily life. I'm excited to hear some new things. I will have to see how my introverted personality makes it through the experience...I always intend to push outside of the box a little...but I'm never quite as successful in practice as I am in my imagination.
New thing 2: I doing it. Next month. National novel writing month. I'm not sure when I will fit it in, but I'm determined. I have the idea (partially started even); I'm going to try to outline further one of these days and then write, write, write in November.
Just wanted to say that I am now working on house project 3 with 4 in the coming quickly better plan stages. I will post photos...eventually. Let's just say the floors in 1/2 the house look MUCH better--thanks to my bro! Also, for the record, I have officially fixed a toilet for the first time. And ripping up carpet can be tricky.
Sports: Now that the Twins are out :(, go RANGERS!
TV: All the good shows have started again. I'm doing my best to keep up...and sometimes failing. Okay, often failing. But I've managed to keep up with The Good Wife, which has been excellent.
Movie: I watched Lilies of the Field this week (in two parts.) It was a very interesting movie. I didn't know anything about it other than that Sidney Poitier was in it. All I could think was "this movie never would be made today." Also, it has one of my favorite songs in it. Pops into my head all the time whenever I hear or say "Amen." :)
New thing: I'm going to a conference this weekend. I've never been. And I'm sure it will be interesting even though not completely applicable to my daily life. I'm excited to hear some new things. I will have to see how my introverted personality makes it through the experience...I always intend to push outside of the box a little...but I'm never quite as successful in practice as I am in my imagination.
New thing 2: I doing it. Next month. National novel writing month. I'm not sure when I will fit it in, but I'm determined. I have the idea (partially started even); I'm going to try to outline further one of these days and then write, write, write in November.
Sunday, August 29, 2010
not recommended
Sometimes I like not knowing. If I pick up a movie I haven't heard of (which doesn't happen all that often), I quickly scan and decide if I'm in the mood for it. This plan, which I usually like because it doesn't give away the movie and keeps me surprised, backfired this weekend. Now I admit picking a movie called The Killer Inside Me should have set off alarm bells. It was well acted (except maybe one person...) but DISTURBING. Watching a few of the special features actually helped me appreciate it a little more since I found out it was based on a 1950s novel; not sure why that made it better, but it did. (Jen, if you read this, Casey would probably love it.)
The other movie, Dare, had some interesting psychological things to say too, but once again, DISTURBING, but in a different way. I'm just a little sick of everyone thinking that every teenager is twisted or has to become twisted or experience twisted to grow up. It reminds me (in the opposite way) of a great Stellar Kart song. (Not sure how this video connects to the song really, but it's funny in a bizarre way.)
Oh, and sometimes being disturbed is okay...but for me, only if the lesson that comes out of it is worth it. In these cases, not so much...
Oh, and I had an "aha" moment today: the main character in any teenage movie never has fun at a kegger. A lesson for us all :) Care to dispute? Let me know what movie and who it was...
The other movie, Dare, had some interesting psychological things to say too, but once again, DISTURBING, but in a different way. I'm just a little sick of everyone thinking that every teenager is twisted or has to become twisted or experience twisted to grow up. It reminds me (in the opposite way) of a great Stellar Kart song. (Not sure how this video connects to the song really, but it's funny in a bizarre way.)
Oh, and sometimes being disturbed is okay...but for me, only if the lesson that comes out of it is worth it. In these cases, not so much...
Oh, and I had an "aha" moment today: the main character in any teenage movie never has fun at a kegger. A lesson for us all :) Care to dispute? Let me know what movie and who it was...
Sunday, June 13, 2010
effects
I've been in a bit of a funk* recently--a multi-faceted funk (which is my way of saying it is too complicated to explain.) But, for me, funks often spur a greater desire than usual to escape in a good book, movie, TV show, concert, or game...(I don't actually recommend this plan, however, because it rarely clears up the reason for the funk. Avoidance is not really helpful, but it can be entertaining :)
books
Vampire Academy series by Richelle Mead
The House of Night series by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast
The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett
movies
Daybreakers
Valentine's Day
Sweet Land
Leap Year
The Private Lives of Pippa Lee
It's Complicated
The Other Man
Post Grad
Public Enemies
The Hangover
TV shows
Lost (see previous post)
Glee
The Good Wife
random channel flipping :)
TV on DVD
Battlestar Gallactica (I have one disc and one movie left--if only blockbuster had sent them in the right order!)
concert
Glee Live!
games
I'm currently really obsessed with soduku (which goes hand-in-hand with listening to baseball...)
videos
I watch random videos that people post on FB or tweet about all the time, but this one is definitely worth sharing: http://tiny.cc/77gtw (courtesy of NPH) and it kinda connects to the next subject...
sports
baseball (go Twins! Oh, and I got a surprise trip to the game today; even though they lost, it was still fun!)
soccer: I'm a World Cup fan, I admit it...there is something really beautiful about an event that brings together people from all over the world; I love feeling like I'm part of it.
*When I first wrote this I just used this word because it was appropriate. But when I went and reread it, I realized it could be construed as a very clever homage to a much debated (or much maligned?) Glee episode. Just wanted to clear up that I'm not actually that witty, but I wish I were. :)
books
Vampire Academy series by Richelle Mead
The House of Night series by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast
The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett
movies
Daybreakers
Valentine's Day
Sweet Land
Leap Year
The Private Lives of Pippa Lee
It's Complicated
The Other Man
Post Grad
Public Enemies
The Hangover
TV shows
Lost (see previous post)
Glee
The Good Wife
random channel flipping :)
TV on DVD
Battlestar Gallactica (I have one disc and one movie left--if only blockbuster had sent them in the right order!)
concert
Glee Live!
games
I'm currently really obsessed with soduku (which goes hand-in-hand with listening to baseball...)
videos
I watch random videos that people post on FB or tweet about all the time, but this one is definitely worth sharing: http://tiny.cc/77gtw (courtesy of NPH) and it kinda connects to the next subject...
sports
baseball (go Twins! Oh, and I got a surprise trip to the game today; even though they lost, it was still fun!)
soccer: I'm a World Cup fan, I admit it...there is something really beautiful about an event that brings together people from all over the world; I love feeling like I'm part of it.
*When I first wrote this I just used this word because it was appropriate. But when I went and reread it, I realized it could be construed as a very clever homage to a much debated (or much maligned?) Glee episode. Just wanted to clear up that I'm not actually that witty, but I wish I were. :)
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Easter Greetings!
Busy weeks are flying by right now...
Easter weekend was dazzling though, so I will fill you in on that and leave out the rest:
Maunday Thursday was church and choir.
Good Friday was church, in which we (the choir) sang a wonderfully fitting song, "He Suffered and Died" by Jay Althouse. Then, I watched a movie. It was, unfittingly, The Hangover. It was better than I thought it would be (and it was only from rave reviews by people I trust that I watched it in the first place.)
Saturday, after some light cleaning, I took my first trip to Target Field with my friend Heidi and her in-laws. I smiled a lot. And looked around a lot. Pretty much I was ecstatic the entire time. Heidi even snapped a picture of her favorite player hitting his first home run in Target Field. (And they won!) My drive home was uneventful (thankfully) and then my brother Jason fixed the latch on my trunk (yay brothers!) This was followed by an evening of food, cards, and The Hurt Locker. First of all, Jason makes an excellent steak. And I'm honored to tell you that he included many fruits and vegetables with the meal. Secondly, I love Little Caesar's crazy bread. I think it is a weird connection to my childhood. Finally, Tony and I won both games of Pfeffer. And, I had a great discussion with Tony about the movie afterward, which was great because it is that type of movie...and Tony is in the military, so he had a great viewpoint to offer.
Sunday included a wonderful Easter service and chats with friends followed by Mom's excellent cooking, last week's episode of Lost, a walk at the local nature preserve, a drive back to my place (while talking on a headset with my aunt for 90 minutes), more cleaning, my side job, and an interesting journey on this website leadme.org. Oh, and this post!
Easter weekend was dazzling though, so I will fill you in on that and leave out the rest:
Maunday Thursday was church and choir.
Good Friday was church, in which we (the choir) sang a wonderfully fitting song, "He Suffered and Died" by Jay Althouse. Then, I watched a movie. It was, unfittingly, The Hangover. It was better than I thought it would be (and it was only from rave reviews by people I trust that I watched it in the first place.)
Saturday, after some light cleaning, I took my first trip to Target Field with my friend Heidi and her in-laws. I smiled a lot. And looked around a lot. Pretty much I was ecstatic the entire time. Heidi even snapped a picture of her favorite player hitting his first home run in Target Field. (And they won!) My drive home was uneventful (thankfully) and then my brother Jason fixed the latch on my trunk (yay brothers!) This was followed by an evening of food, cards, and The Hurt Locker. First of all, Jason makes an excellent steak. And I'm honored to tell you that he included many fruits and vegetables with the meal. Secondly, I love Little Caesar's crazy bread. I think it is a weird connection to my childhood. Finally, Tony and I won both games of Pfeffer. And, I had a great discussion with Tony about the movie afterward, which was great because it is that type of movie...and Tony is in the military, so he had a great viewpoint to offer.
Sunday included a wonderful Easter service and chats with friends followed by Mom's excellent cooking, last week's episode of Lost, a walk at the local nature preserve, a drive back to my place (while talking on a headset with my aunt for 90 minutes), more cleaning, my side job, and an interesting journey on this website leadme.org. Oh, and this post!
Thursday, March 11, 2010
the quick list
What I'm inputting right now...
TV
Fringe, season 1 (on DVD)
Battlestar Galactica, season 3 (on DVD)
Angel, season 5 (on DVD)
Lost (you should hear the way I say this in my head...)
The Good Wife (sometimes)
Castle (most weeks)
movies
Avatar
Precious
The Blind Side
Best in Show
Coraline
books
The Late Bloomer's Revolution (Amy Cohen)
Blue Bloods series (Melissa de la Cruz)
Unveiled (Francine Rivers)
Size 10 Is Not Fat/Size 12 Is Not Fat Either/Big Boned (Meg Cabot)
Vampire Academy (Richelle Mead)
The Picture of Dorian Gray (Oscar Wilde)
Great Than (Mark Tabb)
In the Woods (starting soon)
music
cds:
Mute Math
Paramore
Parachute
Casting Crowns
concerts:
VOTA
Stellar Kart
Barlow Girl
Remedy Drive
Run Kid Run
Family Force Five
Blogs/sites/social networking
Living the Swell Life
Rinse Repeat
Food for My Family
FB
Twitter
Lerner/Carolrhoda
Shelftalker
Publishers Weekly
Axe Cop
TV
Fringe, season 1 (on DVD)
Battlestar Galactica, season 3 (on DVD)
Angel, season 5 (on DVD)
Lost (you should hear the way I say this in my head...)
The Good Wife (sometimes)
Castle (most weeks)
movies
Avatar
Precious
The Blind Side
Best in Show
Coraline
books
The Late Bloomer's Revolution (Amy Cohen)
Blue Bloods series (Melissa de la Cruz)
Unveiled (Francine Rivers)
Size 10 Is Not Fat/Size 12 Is Not Fat Either/Big Boned (Meg Cabot)
Vampire Academy (Richelle Mead)
The Picture of Dorian Gray (Oscar Wilde)
Great Than (Mark Tabb)
In the Woods (starting soon)
music
cds:
Mute Math
Paramore
Parachute
Casting Crowns
concerts:
VOTA
Stellar Kart
Barlow Girl
Remedy Drive
Run Kid Run
Family Force Five
Blogs/sites/social networking
Living the Swell Life
Rinse Repeat
Food for My Family
FB
Lerner/Carolrhoda
Shelftalker
Publishers Weekly
Axe Cop
Saturday, January 2, 2010
Late Nights
I'm a night person living in a daytime world. Or at least working a daytime job. Which means I have this pesky problem of staying up too late during vacations, which is why I'm typing this in the wee hours of the morning.
Anyway...
Keeping me busy these days is the television show Angel, which I'm thoroughly enjoying even though they can't ever let anything go well for more than 1/4 of an episode.
I'm also making my way through Battlestar Galactica. Great show; I hope I remember which disc to get when I go to the video store in the morning.
I also watched The Apartment today, which I thought was a pretty surprising premise for when the movie was made. And it came through my online subscription so I have no idea what possessed me to add it to my cue. It was very watchable though. Jack Lemmon in his younger years--still makes me think of Grumpy Old Men.
Also on the screen today was Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. These later books are definitely helped in my mind by greater distance from the books. When I watched movie 5 (I think it was that one...) I couldn't help but compare everything, but this time, since I barely remembered what was happening, I couldn't pick it apart. Good thing! (This also helped New Moon, which I saw a little while ago.)
Also, I discovered an author I like recently: Tamara Leigh writes some great Christian chic lit. And Jen introduced me to Maisie Dobbs awhile ago, and I started up the series again. The series feels very realistic to me, which most of the time is great and sometimes frustrates me because it doesn't have as many happy endings :)
And the project of the moment is Christmas cards...more on that next time.
Anyway...
Keeping me busy these days is the television show Angel, which I'm thoroughly enjoying even though they can't ever let anything go well for more than 1/4 of an episode.
I'm also making my way through Battlestar Galactica. Great show; I hope I remember which disc to get when I go to the video store in the morning.
I also watched The Apartment today, which I thought was a pretty surprising premise for when the movie was made. And it came through my online subscription so I have no idea what possessed me to add it to my cue. It was very watchable though. Jack Lemmon in his younger years--still makes me think of Grumpy Old Men.
Also on the screen today was Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. These later books are definitely helped in my mind by greater distance from the books. When I watched movie 5 (I think it was that one...) I couldn't help but compare everything, but this time, since I barely remembered what was happening, I couldn't pick it apart. Good thing! (This also helped New Moon, which I saw a little while ago.)
Also, I discovered an author I like recently: Tamara Leigh writes some great Christian chic lit. And Jen introduced me to Maisie Dobbs awhile ago, and I started up the series again. The series feels very realistic to me, which most of the time is great and sometimes frustrates me because it doesn't have as many happy endings :)
And the project of the moment is Christmas cards...more on that next time.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Watch and Read
Had the chance to watch a few movies in the last few weeks.
Two weekends ago I watched The Secret Life of Bees. Pretty good. I started reading the book shortly afterward and it seems the movie followed the book closely.
Then a group of us had a girls' night and watched My Life in Ruins. Nothing new here, but entertaining enough and chock full of beautiful scenery...I think I need to start planning a trip to Greece.
This past weekend I watched Away We Go. Definitely one of the best movies I've seen recently. It felt really fresh. It was a perspective you don't often see in movies--two people actually in love figuring out life together.
And since I mentioned what I'm reading, I will mention that I'm also reading unChristian, which has been illuminating in a way. I don't agree with everything the book puts forth, but the authors make some excellent points. Finding the actions to go along with the new ways my mind views things will be the challenge.
Two weekends ago I watched The Secret Life of Bees. Pretty good. I started reading the book shortly afterward and it seems the movie followed the book closely.
Then a group of us had a girls' night and watched My Life in Ruins. Nothing new here, but entertaining enough and chock full of beautiful scenery...I think I need to start planning a trip to Greece.
This past weekend I watched Away We Go. Definitely one of the best movies I've seen recently. It felt really fresh. It was a perspective you don't often see in movies--two people actually in love figuring out life together.
And since I mentioned what I'm reading, I will mention that I'm also reading unChristian, which has been illuminating in a way. I don't agree with everything the book puts forth, but the authors make some excellent points. Finding the actions to go along with the new ways my mind views things will be the challenge.
Sunday, October 4, 2009
October 4, 2009
What I did today
sleep in
eat
bake muffins
paint
listen to the Twins win (while painting)
listen to Veronica Mars season 2 (while painting)
catch up with friends via email and social networking sites
watch The Secret Lives of Bees
put an offer on a condo
proofread
Great day.
sleep in
eat
bake muffins
paint
listen to the Twins win (while painting)
listen to Veronica Mars season 2 (while painting)
catch up with friends via email and social networking sites
watch The Secret Lives of Bees
put an offer on a condo
proofread
Great day.
Monday, August 3, 2009
Summer 09
(I'm going to start off pretending like I have been posting all along, cause catching up is mighty daunting seeing as the reason I haven't been posting is that I've been kinda busy...)
Watched 2 movies this last weekend that I had never seen before, but that I had either read the book or watched another version of the story five years ago or so. And with both, I found that my expectations didn't match what was there, but not in positive or negative way, just a different way...that ever happened to you? What I'm trying to say is The Tale of Despereaux and Gypsy were pretty good movies, but the book (by Kate DiCamillo) and the Bette Midler versions (from what I can remember) were way different.
I also did some painting this weekend. I finished a series that I started awhile ago--I finally got around to adding the black outlines to make them look like stained glass. Not perfect, but I'm pretty happy with the result. (Having low expectations of myself helps:)
I also started a set for former roommate Becky (who just moved into her first house; congrats!) I'm trying to put together, with my own unique twist, the art she picked out at a store, the colors she wants to use, and the style she likes. I find this always to be an enjoyable stretching exercise for me. They aren't done yet (just the first step) but I promise to show them once they are.
Update to my summer: I've taken trips to Indiana, Colorado, and Wisconsin already, and will soon be headed to Missouri and later in the summer South Dakota. All of these are planned activities: Indiana was to counsel at a youth conference (great kids, great staff, great program.) Colorado was for a mother/daughter weekend with my mom, aunts, cousin, and some mutual friends--it could also be referred to as Colorado arts weekend as we managed to fit in a play, an arts festival, and a Symphony at Red Rocks in the course of three days. Wisconsin was helping with a youth camp--always fun times. And lets just say "The Next Generation" rocked. Updates on the other trips as they come!
I'm also reading a few books: started the Sookie Stackhouse novels (seriously addictive, I had to make my friend hold onto the next two until I have time to read them), reading another Lauren Willig novel, which so far has been a great addition to the series, and am leisurely making my way through UnChristian. It is a little hard to get into because it brings up a lot of statistics and I'm not used to reading this type of nonfiction, but the information so far has been, let's say needed.
Oh, and I started Battlestar Gallactica a few weeks ago, then had to wait for another disc, and haven't had time to continue. So far, so good.
I've been filling in with Newsweek and Time articles as well as Facebook, Twitter, and the ever-expanding email. Lots of reading, lots of entertainment.
Oh, and when I mentioned trips, I forgot to mention my short travels for two weddings in June. Congratulations to Ross and Jacqueline and Tamar and Nathan. And now, I leave you with this cause I found it entertaining enough to clip out last week.
Watched 2 movies this last weekend that I had never seen before, but that I had either read the book or watched another version of the story five years ago or so. And with both, I found that my expectations didn't match what was there, but not in positive or negative way, just a different way...that ever happened to you? What I'm trying to say is The Tale of Despereaux and Gypsy were pretty good movies, but the book (by Kate DiCamillo) and the Bette Midler versions (from what I can remember) were way different.
I also did some painting this weekend. I finished a series that I started awhile ago--I finally got around to adding the black outlines to make them look like stained glass. Not perfect, but I'm pretty happy with the result. (Having low expectations of myself helps:)
I also started a set for former roommate Becky (who just moved into her first house; congrats!) I'm trying to put together, with my own unique twist, the art she picked out at a store, the colors she wants to use, and the style she likes. I find this always to be an enjoyable stretching exercise for me. They aren't done yet (just the first step) but I promise to show them once they are.
Update to my summer: I've taken trips to Indiana, Colorado, and Wisconsin already, and will soon be headed to Missouri and later in the summer South Dakota. All of these are planned activities: Indiana was to counsel at a youth conference (great kids, great staff, great program.) Colorado was for a mother/daughter weekend with my mom, aunts, cousin, and some mutual friends--it could also be referred to as Colorado arts weekend as we managed to fit in a play, an arts festival, and a Symphony at Red Rocks in the course of three days. Wisconsin was helping with a youth camp--always fun times. And lets just say "The Next Generation" rocked. Updates on the other trips as they come!
I'm also reading a few books: started the Sookie Stackhouse novels (seriously addictive, I had to make my friend hold onto the next two until I have time to read them), reading another Lauren Willig novel, which so far has been a great addition to the series, and am leisurely making my way through UnChristian. It is a little hard to get into because it brings up a lot of statistics and I'm not used to reading this type of nonfiction, but the information so far has been, let's say needed.
Oh, and I started Battlestar Gallactica a few weeks ago, then had to wait for another disc, and haven't had time to continue. So far, so good.
I've been filling in with Newsweek and Time articles as well as Facebook, Twitter, and the ever-expanding email. Lots of reading, lots of entertainment.
Oh, and when I mentioned trips, I forgot to mention my short travels for two weddings in June. Congratulations to Ross and Jacqueline and Tamar and Nathan. And now, I leave you with this cause I found it entertaining enough to clip out last week.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Negligence pt 2
The negligence continues...life has been busy. And yet, it is one of those things that when people ask me "with what?" I struggle to answer. Bizarre. I guess the short answer is I have a lot of little things to do which fill all the time without being interesting to anyone other than me. Plus I am looking for a condo; although that has been more mental effort than physical effort recently. It sure is stressful. Oh, and work has been busy...
Anyway, new stuff...
I watched Thirteen, Whale Rider, and Spiderman 3 in the last few weeks. Unfortunately, I had to piecemeal the first two. They were both really good movies, albeit Thirteen was hard to watch, especially for someone who wasn't tempted by those vices in junior high, high school, college...or ever. But it was definitely worthwhile to open my eyes to what others go through. Whale Rider was culturally interesting and made me think about gender roles. Spiderman 3 was about what I expected...which wasn't much...and, yes, I did fall asleep and have to rewind.
TV
Lost. Loved the finale. Others were disappointed by the white light and wanted another scene. I thought it was perfect. My favorite part: Rose and Bernard. The writers look at what people want and then give it to them in their own special way. Fabulous.
The rest of my TV watching is pretty much on hold now for the summer. I don't really watch reality TV on a regular basis...
Music
I've been on a crazy music binge recently. (This means I need to stop letting myself go shopping; see above mention of my spending tens of thousands of dollars in the near future...) Top two: Eric Hutchinson and Mat Kearney. I'm very much a mood listener though, so some of the others may pop up to the top in the near future.
Paintings
I painted this for my friends Kate and Rob for their wedding (I hope they like it!) Kate, and now Rob, like to swing dance...
New Things
Trying new things is one of my favorite ways to be entertained (even if I never do it again.) This past weekend, I had the opportunity to play paintball with some friends of mine (and a few people I barely know.) It was very, very fun. And exhausting. And a little painful. Jon or Joel mentioned that the really direct hits aren't quite as painful as getting punched, but pretty close...well, I've never been punched, but now I think I have a good idea of what it feels like. :) I don't think I will feel the need to play very often, but I hope to play again someday. Related note: Nathan, one of the guys I played with, sent this link today:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/8067908.stm
Read it. It's funny and thought provoking...and the comments that I read were pretty high caliber, which is not always the case...
So, while I haven't been posting much, I have been busy finding entertaining things to share. Doesn't that make it all better?
Anyway, new stuff...
I watched Thirteen, Whale Rider, and Spiderman 3 in the last few weeks. Unfortunately, I had to piecemeal the first two. They were both really good movies, albeit Thirteen was hard to watch, especially for someone who wasn't tempted by those vices in junior high, high school, college...or ever. But it was definitely worthwhile to open my eyes to what others go through. Whale Rider was culturally interesting and made me think about gender roles. Spiderman 3 was about what I expected...which wasn't much...and, yes, I did fall asleep and have to rewind.
TV
Lost. Loved the finale. Others were disappointed by the white light and wanted another scene. I thought it was perfect. My favorite part: Rose and Bernard. The writers look at what people want and then give it to them in their own special way. Fabulous.
The rest of my TV watching is pretty much on hold now for the summer. I don't really watch reality TV on a regular basis...
Music
I've been on a crazy music binge recently. (This means I need to stop letting myself go shopping; see above mention of my spending tens of thousands of dollars in the near future...) Top two: Eric Hutchinson and Mat Kearney. I'm very much a mood listener though, so some of the others may pop up to the top in the near future.
Paintings
I painted this for my friends Kate and Rob for their wedding (I hope they like it!) Kate, and now Rob, like to swing dance...
New Things
Trying new things is one of my favorite ways to be entertained (even if I never do it again.) This past weekend, I had the opportunity to play paintball with some friends of mine (and a few people I barely know.) It was very, very fun. And exhausting. And a little painful. Jon or Joel mentioned that the really direct hits aren't quite as painful as getting punched, but pretty close...well, I've never been punched, but now I think I have a good idea of what it feels like. :) I don't think I will feel the need to play very often, but I hope to play again someday. Related note: Nathan, one of the guys I played with, sent this link today:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi
Read it. It's funny and thought provoking...and the comments that I read were pretty high caliber, which is not always the case...
So, while I haven't been posting much, I have been busy finding entertaining things to share. Doesn't that make it all better?
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Negligence
I've been very negligent. And now I will have to catch up, which will be even more time consuming than usual because my memory isn't that great (hence starting this blog) so I will have to retrace a few steps to figure out what has been entertaining me recently. Let's go for the current highlights and I will work my way back:
Music: Mat Kearney has a new album coming out in May. The single is awesome and I'm looking forward to the new record. Listen here.
TV: After watching very little TV for the last eight months or so, I have suddenly become much more engrossed again. Top picks are Lost (still) and Castle and The Unusuals (more on those at a later date.)
Books: I went on a self-imposed fiction fast for Lent, reading only news magazines, specifically Newsweek and Time. Some great articles and a lot of not so happy news. Sometimes you just have to say "ugh." I decided to reenter the world of fiction on Easter Monday with Wuthering Heights, a classic that I had not read. This doesn't really up the good news factor, but I'm almost done and the ending promises to have a glimmer. Next up is a book my uncle wrote about growing up in South Dakota in the 1930s and 1940s, It Takes Cow Chips to Make Dinner. Should be interesting.
Internet: I joined Twitter and am finding it fascinating. I haven't figured out all of the ins and outs yet, but let's just say the entertainment factor is make or break based on who you are following. JM is random and funny, which I find wildly entertaining. I also watched a video of a Charlie Rose interview with The Dave Matthews Band tonight. Charlie Rose is special. It's just him and a guest talking and yet his fascination and adept questioning just draw me in every time. Still, I don't manage to figure out when he is on normally...Finally, I discovered, when looking for info on new albums, that John Mayer is chronicling the writing of his forthcoming album on a newly-revamped sight. I love this kind of insider stuff. Creative people and the creative industries fascinate and entertain me, and I like to get inside their creative sphere...if you feel the same, check it out.
Movies: There has been more than this, but the most recent is Traitor. Don Cheadle and Guy Pearce are great actors and this movie was wonderfully layered and honest. Worth a second watch when I have more time to devote more attention. I also recently watched HSM3 with my roommates--another example of cheesy entertainment at its best. I preferred the first one I think, but this one had its moments too.
Output: I inherited (in a manor of speaking) a guitar. And now I want to learn how to play it. It is a goal for the coming year.
As a last gift, I bring you a link to hilarity that my roommate shared with me.
Music: Mat Kearney has a new album coming out in May. The single is awesome and I'm looking forward to the new record. Listen here.
TV: After watching very little TV for the last eight months or so, I have suddenly become much more engrossed again. Top picks are Lost (still) and Castle and The Unusuals (more on those at a later date.)
Books: I went on a self-imposed fiction fast for Lent, reading only news magazines, specifically Newsweek and Time. Some great articles and a lot of not so happy news. Sometimes you just have to say "ugh." I decided to reenter the world of fiction on Easter Monday with Wuthering Heights, a classic that I had not read. This doesn't really up the good news factor, but I'm almost done and the ending promises to have a glimmer. Next up is a book my uncle wrote about growing up in South Dakota in the 1930s and 1940s, It Takes Cow Chips to Make Dinner. Should be interesting.
Internet: I joined Twitter and am finding it fascinating. I haven't figured out all of the ins and outs yet, but let's just say the entertainment factor is make or break based on who you are following. JM is random and funny, which I find wildly entertaining. I also watched a video of a Charlie Rose interview with The Dave Matthews Band tonight. Charlie Rose is special. It's just him and a guest talking and yet his fascination and adept questioning just draw me in every time. Still, I don't manage to figure out when he is on normally...Finally, I discovered, when looking for info on new albums, that John Mayer is chronicling the writing of his forthcoming album on a newly-revamped sight. I love this kind of insider stuff. Creative people and the creative industries fascinate and entertain me, and I like to get inside their creative sphere...if you feel the same, check it out.
Movies: There has been more than this, but the most recent is Traitor. Don Cheadle and Guy Pearce are great actors and this movie was wonderfully layered and honest. Worth a second watch when I have more time to devote more attention. I also recently watched HSM3 with my roommates--another example of cheesy entertainment at its best. I preferred the first one I think, but this one had its moments too.
Output: I inherited (in a manor of speaking) a guitar. And now I want to learn how to play it. It is a goal for the coming year.
As a last gift, I bring you a link to hilarity that my roommate shared with me.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
A couple good and a blah
Let's see...what have I watched recently?
Last weekend I experienced The Good Shepherd. Very intriguing. I might have to watch it again to see if I understood it. Matt Damon did a great job--I could never understand what his covert ops character was thinking when I wasn't supposed to. I also came to the realization that I would make a horrible spy. I can't handle never being able to trust anyone.
The second movie of the weekend Guess Who's Coming to Dinner. I thought I knew what to expect, but it was much better than that. I thoroughly enjoyed it and would watch it again, although I'm pretty sure I won't any time soon. Afterall, there are so many out there...
Last night my roommate and I watched Nights in Rodanthe, which was exactly what I expected. It wasn't surprising and it wasn't enthralling (my roommate found it very slow but it also isn't her type of movie). I didn't get drawn into the story at all really...so this goes in the "not gonna watch it again" pile.
Last weekend I experienced The Good Shepherd. Very intriguing. I might have to watch it again to see if I understood it. Matt Damon did a great job--I could never understand what his covert ops character was thinking when I wasn't supposed to. I also came to the realization that I would make a horrible spy. I can't handle never being able to trust anyone.
The second movie of the weekend Guess Who's Coming to Dinner. I thought I knew what to expect, but it was much better than that. I thoroughly enjoyed it and would watch it again, although I'm pretty sure I won't any time soon. Afterall, there are so many out there...
Last night my roommate and I watched Nights in Rodanthe, which was exactly what I expected. It wasn't surprising and it wasn't enthralling (my roommate found it very slow but it also isn't her type of movie). I didn't get drawn into the story at all really...so this goes in the "not gonna watch it again" pile.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
finishing up
So, Sunday...
First movie: Tyler Perry's Daddy's Little Girls. I gotta admit I liked it and would even consider watching it again. The "bad guy" of the movie was a little over the top, but the two main characters were interesting and dynamic.
Second movie: Wanted. I wasn't really sure what to expect since I hadn't heard a lot about it, but I enjoyed it. There was enough to figure out and fast enough action to engage the audience. It did start out a little slow, but was worth it in the end. My roommate liked it enough that she has already declared she will be buying it.
Intermission entertainment: a few episodes of How I Met Your Mother, Season 1. Funny show I always enjoy. It was a little strange to go back to the beginning though...
Third movie (yes, three in one day :) Underworld. I've seen this movie before, so obviously I enjoyed it enough to watch it again. It always makes me wish I could jump out of third-floor window and land perfectly on my feet. Yeah, I see bones breaking instead too...
First movie: Tyler Perry's Daddy's Little Girls. I gotta admit I liked it and would even consider watching it again. The "bad guy" of the movie was a little over the top, but the two main characters were interesting and dynamic.
Second movie: Wanted. I wasn't really sure what to expect since I hadn't heard a lot about it, but I enjoyed it. There was enough to figure out and fast enough action to engage the audience. It did start out a little slow, but was worth it in the end. My roommate liked it enough that she has already declared she will be buying it.
Intermission entertainment: a few episodes of How I Met Your Mother, Season 1. Funny show I always enjoy. It was a little strange to go back to the beginning though...
Third movie (yes, three in one day :) Underworld. I've seen this movie before, so obviously I enjoyed it enough to watch it again. It always makes me wish I could jump out of third-floor window and land perfectly on my feet. Yeah, I see bones breaking instead too...
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Movies galore
It was a busy weekend on the movie front (thanks to my roommate :)
I started out with The Duchess. Kiera Knightly isn't my favorite actress, but she does to a good job. The movie was well-acted--I liked who I was supposed to and hated who I was supposed to. The layers were there for the characters. The costumes and sets were fabulous. But, the movie was depressing. I got to the end and I was just sad. End result: won't be viewing this one again soon.
Saturday had a return engagement of Down Periscope. This is one of the movies I own. When it came out oh-so-many-years ago, I thought it looked stupid, but my brother got me to watch it, and it is indeed a very funny movie. Purchase-worthy indeed.
Second movie of the double Saturday feature was Blood and Chocolate. I didn't know much about this movie going in--just watch the Blockbuster envelope said. I found it pretty entertaining and wouldn't count out watching it again at some point. Interesting point: the main actor, Hugh Dancy, got engaged to Claire Danes this week.
more weekend movies next post...
I started out with The Duchess. Kiera Knightly isn't my favorite actress, but she does to a good job. The movie was well-acted--I liked who I was supposed to and hated who I was supposed to. The layers were there for the characters. The costumes and sets were fabulous. But, the movie was depressing. I got to the end and I was just sad. End result: won't be viewing this one again soon.
Saturday had a return engagement of Down Periscope. This is one of the movies I own. When it came out oh-so-many-years ago, I thought it looked stupid, but my brother got me to watch it, and it is indeed a very funny movie. Purchase-worthy indeed.
Second movie of the double Saturday feature was Blood and Chocolate. I didn't know much about this movie going in--just watch the Blockbuster envelope said. I found it pretty entertaining and wouldn't count out watching it again at some point. Interesting point: the main actor, Hugh Dancy, got engaged to Claire Danes this week.
more weekend movies next post...
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Camp Rock!
Remember my love of cheesy movies? Yeah, this is in that delightful category too. You groan at least 5 times, and you can't quite handle some of the line delivers...but I still love it. This wasn't a well-acted movie, but much of the music was catchy (the finale was a little disappointing) and the singers had very nice voices. No repeat viewing necessary.
Weekend Viewing
It is always strange to watch a classic movie--you hear enough about it, but no details. So when I watched Psycho, the Bates motel was kinda familiar, and I knew Norman was crazy (the title kind of clues you in) but I still couldn't quite go with my gut. I thought maybe his mom really was dead, but I kept second guessing myself. I guess that's the brilliance of Hitchcock. No repeat viewing scheduled.
Pride was your typical triumphant sports movie--figure out who you are, bind together to overcome, and challenge the assumptions of others. Decent movie, nothing exceptional. Don't feel the need to ever watch it again.
And finally, as a bonus, I watched Another Cinderella Story. First of all, I love cheesy movies. But they need to have a twist--too predictable and I feel like I wasted my time. So some of the plot details must be different. I was pleasantly surprised that this one moved forward pretty quickly. "Prince Charming" was more together than he often is--it drives me nuts when he runs into the girl 8 times before tying it all together. This movie was pretty much what I expected and managed to pleasantly surprise me. Probably won't be watching it again, but won't shut the door on it.
Pride was your typical triumphant sports movie--figure out who you are, bind together to overcome, and challenge the assumptions of others. Decent movie, nothing exceptional. Don't feel the need to ever watch it again.
And finally, as a bonus, I watched Another Cinderella Story. First of all, I love cheesy movies. But they need to have a twist--too predictable and I feel like I wasted my time. So some of the plot details must be different. I was pleasantly surprised that this one moved forward pretty quickly. "Prince Charming" was more together than he often is--it drives me nuts when he runs into the girl 8 times before tying it all together. This movie was pretty much what I expected and managed to pleasantly surprise me. Probably won't be watching it again, but won't shut the door on it.
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