humina

Humina humina...

Thursday evening I went to see a preview of a movie coming out this summer. The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. It's definitely not aimed towards the younger set... But it's really well done. Lots of good stories and good acting. Judi Dench is amazing always. The one problem I had with it is that the story is too easily understood. That's a horrible way of saying it. Um, I guess I didn't get lost in the story, get lost with the characters. I could step back and analyze as it went along, and knew certain elements were going to come. So predictable I guess. But, still it was good.

I went with a woman I have gotten to know since meeting at a networking event. She lives a very different life than me, but we get along really well in terms of what we find funny and some of the approaches to life. We passed a friend milestone since she told me about a date she had gone on. Woo hoo!

M has offered to cosign on the place here if I rent here. Thing is, I only have that option really. Who else would trust that setup than a landlord who knows us and him? It would mean I would have to live with someone - not my ideal. But hey, moving out of California is not my ideal either, and living with someone is better than moving away, I think.

Speaking of which, I heard on the radio a guy co-signed on a car loan for a new car with his girlfriend of 2 months. They broke up 3 months later, and now she's not paying the payments. So, he's screwed. The radio personality asked if he had told anyone, and he had told one friend. The friend literally slapped him. I didn't wait until the end and resolution, because the radio guy was going to call the woman up and get her on the air, for on=air drama, which I wasn't interested in.

I just made a 'sauce' with leeks, orange juice, and rosemary. It was interesting! I think I would do it again... Had it with chicken.

I finished my taxes and it pretty much evened out - I owe the Feds, and get money back from California. Whew. I spent $6772 on health insurance alone last year. Yeha!

I just remembered Antiques Roadshow is on - and I'm using M's computer, so I can sit on the couch and type and watch it. Woo hoo!

Bullitt

I got to see part of the 1968 movie with Steve McQueen - Bullitt. M said that it's famous for the car chase scene. I had to go to bed early but I got to see the scene through the streets of San Francisco. My god... really well done. Shot in part from the back seat of the cars, so it was like riding a roller coaster over the hills. Very cool. It was interesting to watch the scene because there was no dramatic music; in fact, no music at all during the scene. And the two people in the car being chased did not talk at all. So dramatically different than today.

It was funny to recognize some of the locations. I googled where he lived, and Clay/Taylor still has a shop on that corner, though not the same one.

I'll have to watch the whole movie.

Movies and Books

Books
- Wonder - R.J. Palacio (young adult, facial deformity)
- The Table Comes First - Adam Gopnik - nonfictionfoodie culture
- The Scorpio Races - Maggie Stiefvater (young adult, horeses kill)
- Immortal Bird - A Family Memoir (Doron Weber) - son death at 16
- Diary of a Mad Fat Girl - Stephanie McAfee
=- All there Is - Dave Isay Nonfiction - stories of love recorded.
- behind the beautiful forevers - Katherine Boo (mumbai slum - nonfiction - LIfe death and hope in a mumbai undercity)
- Pulitzer finalists

Film
- Take Shelter
- In Darknes (?) - Jewish, Nazi, sewer
- Chronicle - telekinetic powers
- Chico and Rita (?) Animated
- Drive (?)
- Hugo
- On the Bowery (1957 - skid row NY)
- the Descendants
- Extremely Loud and INcredibly Close
- Warrior ?
- Hello I must be goin (?) - 19 yo and 35 yo
- the Beginners

Time wasting

M is working a lot so when he stops, he wants to watch crap.

Crap #1: House of Dead. Given one star by Rotten Tomatoes I believe. But it really sucked. Based on a video game, and throughout the movie it has video game images of killing zombies. The best part of the movie for me was the opening sequence because it was artsy video game images - kind of distored. The best part for M was in the first 20-30 minutes there were two lengthy shots of boobs and a woman with a very nice beeehind..

Crap #2: OK, I can't blame this on M. I have heard a lot about The Voice, so I decided to try it. And it sucked me in for a half hour. Very good premise - a few times I was literally holding my breath to see if someone would turn around. But, I must say the CeeLo really really creeps me out. The really really white teeth. The way he leers at the women. The latter hopefully is part of his schtick, because again, it really creeps me out.

And then there's clothes shopping time wasting. I went to two real stores this weekend in search of a simple white cheap top, because you can't get white at a thrift store. But, cheap=really see through usually. But I keep trying. I finally found one but had to pay $15 for a simple short sleeved shirt. HFA. I spend so much more time at real stores because paying real money makes me think even more than I usually do, especially when I shouldn't be spending money.

So, that's my time wasting this weekend that I can remember.

Movies and Books

There may be repeats... but oh well!

Movies
- The Interrupters (Hoope dreams filmmaker - violence in inner cities)
- The Future (couple in LA - everyday)
- Charade (Cary Grant, Audrey Hepburn)
- Dogtooth (Greek film, bizarre, creepy, keep kids from outside world)
- The Double Hour (Italian, psychological thriller)

Books
- Bond Girl: Erin Duffy - Wall street
- The Flame Alphabet: Ben Marcus (speech of children lethal to parents)
- The Orphan Master's Son: Adam Johnson (Korea)
- Emily, Alone: Stwart O'Nan (80 yo widowed matriarch)
- House of Prayer No. 2: Mark Richard ('special child' - hip defects - memoir)
- The Evolution of Bruno Littlemore: Benjamin Hale (first chimpanzee to learn human language)
- The surrendered: Chang-rae Lee (set during Korean war)
- Out of the Vinyl Deeps: Ellen Willis (criticism - rock critic)
- What There is to Say We Have Said: Eudora Welty and William Maxwell (correspondence

Oh boy - long time!

I can't believe it's been over a week since I wrote. I was feeling sad for a while about the wonderful women who died. But it was also working - a whole 17 hours last week! ;-) But I'm so grateful that it's part time, and that it's an excellent networking job and looks great on my linkedin profile - I did put in the description that it's part time and temporary, but perhaps I should put it in the header? I've gotten some congratulations on my new job. Oh well, I'm keeping it as is.

I've gotten to the point that I'm struggling to allocate my time wisely. Work for money, searching for jobs, attending informational sessions/networking events, revising resume, keeping up with existing contacts, radio, reading...

Speaking about reading:
Unbroken - Lauren Hillenbrand. My o my. I was not aware at all what the Japanese did during the war - horrible horrible atrocities. At one point reading the book I could not believe all that that man went through. It was a bad bad movie. But it was real.

So, after that I read
The Last Time I was Me: Cathy Lamb. Such a good change from Unbroken - I needed it. A woman who goes through a breakdown and turns her life around. Sounds depressing, but it's pretty funny because the character/the writing is wry/snarky funny, which I love. It was bad though, becasue I liked it so much that I read it outside of exercising. Too much time!

Movies
Contagion - great to watch when the person you are watching with is hacking a lung out. Pretty well done, though I thought they pulled the ending out of a hat. It felt like they were done before they were done.
Cray Stupid Love - really a lot of fun. The culmination towards the end made me roll my eyes, but was still funny. The speech at graduation an unbelievable venue, but just closed my mind to that.

OK, there's more, but I've been listening remotely to presentations during Social Media Week, and I did a 4 hour radio show last night (so much better than the first time! but kind of intimidating at the beginning when the previous DJ's friends were watching me - ack!), so I gotta go be horizontal for a minute or two.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Light as a feather

My head is not floating away from my body, but it does have all the weight of the hair gone. Short short short (rather than below shoulder length). It was time, and when it's time, you gotta have it done. I had my hair cut end December and I really didn't like it and all that crap on my neck was just too annoying... so got it done.

This time, however, I didn't just read the yelp review and go with the person. She had a consultation available so I went in. And she said the right things and was very calm and comforting, so I went back. At the time I met her I thought she looked familiar, but that can happen with almost anyone.. then it turns out she was in What Not To Wear about 4 years ago! And I think I saw that episode.

I loved it when she took off the first 5-6 inches in one snip before I even got my hair washed. The women next to me just gasped. Unfortunately it was not quite long enough to donate, but I just didn't want to wait for it to grow.

So the new old me has emerged! I had this cut about 20 years ago (!!! so long ago!). And it still looks decent. But now I have to think about earrings... gotta show off the ones I have.

I went to a store later in the day and an Asian woman thought that she knew me. Really, I didn't but we had a little conversation - do you know xxx? Finally I said that I had just gotten my hair cut a few hours before, so likely it wasn't the same person. 'Oh, yes, it must be the hair cut.' So, I said that we all look alike, which was a little bit of an off-color joke, but she just agreed.

OH! Also saw two free movies last night: The 1988 remake of The Blob, and Swamp Volcano. Although I must admit I only fully watched the Blob, because the Swamp Volcano was so not interesting at all. The Blob was scary both in that it had the shoulder pads, high hair, and big huge eye glasses, but it was just plain scary! And a little gross. A good bad movie. As opposed to a bad bad movie.

Time for tea and a crumpet. (boy I wish I had a crumpet)

This is kinda like it. I'm not as cute as her though. And my 'combover' is longer.

The other thing you do

Is watch movies.

Saw for 'free': Taxi Driver. I had never seen it before, and boy is it trippy watching it now! And interesting to see the classic 'you talkin' to me?'.

Into the Wild: really amazing actually. As long as you don't think too much that he really did it all to himself and was an idiot overall. Very well done and some amazing actors too.

I'm feeling much better, but at this point I'm trying to figure out how to get over the hump of being ok to do all, yet not hurt myself. So I feel I should be 'exercising' but don't want to do too much. I haven't driven since last Wednesday (manual transmission) and I had to give up doing my first 4 hour radio shift. I guess it's a good thing I have no job...

We'll see!

What to do when you should do nothing

Go through your magazines. Problem is, if I don't do all this at once, I may have repeats. Oh well...

Movies
- Another Year [middle age to...]
- Exit through the Gift shop
- Poetry [Korean, poetry, Alzheimer's]

Books
- The Tiger's Wife - Tea Obreht [Yugoslavia]
- The Information - James Gleick [digital world -nonfiction]
- C Tom McCarthy [morse code, connections]
- Bossypants - Tina Fey
- The Preacher - Camilla Lackerg [swedish, mystery]

Recent movies and books

Just finished watching Friends with Benefits. Realllly liked it. Funny - the NY/NJ vibe I can relate to. The usual romance thing that you always love to watch. It's well done. I think Mila Kunis had a body double though.

Driving up to Seattle, after a long day of driving stayed in a motel. I bascially flopped on the bed and happened upon Hangover. It was free so I watched it. Not sure if it was because I was brain dead, but I really liked it. Likely a good percentage was due to brain-deaded-ness, but I still think it was well done. No reason for a sequel though.

Ghost Protocol in a semi-real imax theater. Very cool. Great to see in such a theater. One explosion I felt in my legs. One scene on the skyscraper my palms started sweating. It was well done.

Book: Shaghai Girls. Fine. Maybe I was just not in the mood. I thought it was going to be more mellow than it was, when in fact it was chaos after chaos (revolution, chaos, violence, immigration, etc.). Like it was kind of trying to hard to create drama.

Alice Hoffman - Probable Future. I really liked this - family of women each of whom has a special power they receive on their 13th birthday, the interpretation of the power, and results. Read it in a day which was WAY too fast. I wanted to leave it for my sister in law. Stupid me. I don't like re-reading books so I've blown it. I'll try another of her books.

Movies and Books

I get Entertainment Weekly and I've saved so many because I want to write down the books and movies that seem interesting. My big problem is writing them down. So thought typing would be better. Will post periodically. It's all for me... but maybe you'll like the list too. They are different orders of important, but not marking that here.

Movies
- The Artist
- The Kids are All Right
- The Other guys. Will Ferrell Mark Wahlberg
- Crumb - documentary
- The Help
- The Circumstance (Sundance, Tehran, girls)
- Pee Wee's Big Adventure
- Benda Bilili! (music, Congo)
- Last Train Home (Chinese migrant workers once a year home)
- The Town

Books
- You Lost Me There, Rosecrans Baldwin
- The Tower, The Zoo, and The Tortoise Julia Stuart
- Packing for Mars Mary Roach (science, space program)
- The Dovekeepers Alice Hoffman (strong women, Bible based)
- The Warmth of Other Suns Isabel Wilkerson (Great Migration - blacks leaving south)
- Must you Go? My Life with Harold Pinter Antonia Fraser
- Half a LIfe Darin Strauss Memoir (struck girl on bike)

A Town Called Panic

Watched a movie last night which was unexpectedly great. I highly recommend it! It's telling that it's distributed by Aardman Animation - which did Wallace and Gromit. French with subtitles.

Here's a site which is not the trailer, which I think showed way too much. This is a fun site with a game, CV's of the characters, and short piece.

SEE IT!

Blue

Am I blue like the pollen? Not really, though a tad down in the dumps from job searching (I will spare you the photo of one of my dumps). I'll get over it I'm sure, but it just sucks up sooo much time, I can't even enjoy the free time I have from not working full time! :-) Yeah, there are worse things in life.

So, Friday was my birthday. I had an idea about what I wanted to do, but instead M and I met up with some friends of his from NY who were in Sausalito for a few days. It was such a close second as to not almost even be a second. They treated me like a birthday girl - drinks on the water watching the fog and the sailboats and dinner on the water also with great great food. M got lucky that they were in town.

Saturday he spent with them and I did what I had wanted to do. Less time than I wanted because I was doing job stuff, but I did go shopping for nice smelly lotions. And didn't buy anything because they are having a sale as of today so I can get more for my money. Alas... I did buy a top that I'm not sure I'll keep. But anyway, later I went out and bought myself dinner at a grocery store (sushi and watermelon slices) and went to see the last Harry Potter.

At the movie, I was #2 in the theater. I had brought my book and planned on reading it. I was of course in the best seat. Two more people showed up, remarked that I had the best seat and sat behind me. One was a male teen, and promptly put his foot up against my seat. It is one of the things that realllly bugs me in a movie. Alas, instead of just moving, I said 'really??" and got up and moved. He apologized, but I figured being in the seat over would save my sanity.

Then more people showed up and of course many wanted the best seats (in the first row it the balcony so you can put your feet on the railing). One guy was a little obnoxious and so when he asked me if I was saving the seat to my right, I said yes (I felt entitled because of my birthday, but twinge of guilt). Later as it was more and more crowded, single people kept asking me if I was saving it. Twinges of guilt each time. Finally, a guy in a wheelchair came to sit in the seats in front of me. His wife was there, and a younger person. Since there are only two seats there (and he sat in one) the younger woman went to a single seat down the row from me. So, finally, I got up and told her the person I was waiting for likely wasn't coming, so she could have the seat. She at first said no thanks but then a minute or two later she came over. She was really nice and we both enjoyed the movie. Such a geek though - her comment at the end was how one phrase was slightly different than it was in the book. :-)

OK, I spent several hours today applying for a job and now must work. I will visit first though...

more more more

One book (I've been slacking since I'm doing a circuit training class - less time to read. Though there are excellent articles in Rolling Stone, which when I think of it, is almost like saying there are excellent articles in Playboy, though not quite).

Martha Mason - Breath. Martha spent most of her live in an iron lung. Of course an interesting story but not exceptionally written. Part of it she wrote and it's such flowery language...like she's in the 18th century. But again, interesting.

Social Network. Honestly, I didn't know what to expect and wasn't too excited about watching it. But it was really good! M didn't want to watch it so I did when he was away. I'm glad I did.

That's it. For now...

Movie

Finally over the course of several different days of viewing I finished watching Forgetting Sarah Marshall. Actually, I've never seen the beginning. But anyway, it's actually a really good movie. Ok, maybe I had low expectations, but I was happy when there were these quirky interesting things that happened or were said. I can't really say much more since I hate to give movie plots away, but it was nice. OK, so I've said nothing. How's that for a great movie reviewer?

Weekend

M worked hard this weekend. And can sleep apparently anywhere. Well, at least when there's sun involved.

'We' got a lot done. Meaning I feel like he did everything while I provided moral support. Or at least support. I now have electric outlets on the wall by the stove. And now there's no live wire running out of the wall which we used to support the dryer venting tube (!). Those are two big things. Oh, also a front door that doesn't slam open in the wind. I worked on the ceiling in the living room. What else did I do??? jeez.

We did watch Dead Snow - a Norwegian zombie movie. Way to gory for me, but tongue in cheek so everyone else was laughing most of the time. I saw only about half. And I think I was very tired, so didn't get into it as much. But most say it was highly recommended for a gory zombie B movie. Next on the list is Bubba Hotep (Hutep?) - something based on Egyptian times. Gotta google it for the full description. I just heard it was funny/good.

Here's a photo of the kitchen I'm using for renting the place:

Happy New Year!

2010. Amazing.

I resolve to get back to blogging every day, and to get back into the Saturday Scavenger Hunt (I was sad to realized I had done so many in a row, and then missed 3 or 4 or so).

Odd odd exercise seen this morning. A man in a backwards arch doing pushups in that position. Ouch.

Movie seen this weekend.

Definitely a 'B' movie format.
Definitely bordering on soft porn (who am I kidding, it was).
Interesting. Not sure if I recommend it, but it was fun to see with a crowd. What is most hilarious from that night is my friend who is a reserved-ish woman in a well respected profession did the gesture of the fingers made into a V and the tongue going in and out. It will now be our greeting to each other. Damn, I died when I saw that.

Where the Wild Things Are

I saw this Saturday night. I wasn't quite sure what to expect. I can see how it would be really scary for anyone under 7 or so, unless their parents regularly take them to R rated movies (Oh how I hate those people.) I wasn't all that excited when watching it, but was fascinated. But afterwards it's stuck with me. I keep thinking how well done it was, and the subtle lessons in there. Definitely worth seeing.

quickie

Sorry, I'm rushing around - had family in town this weekend, and off to Chicago today for 3 days. Couple things though:

- Go see Up if you haven't. I think they marketed it way different than it really is. I had little interest in seeing it, but went yesterday with the family and really liked it.

- Knee hurts more and more each day (up to 500 mg of ibuprofin at night, and will likely go up), so going to the doctor on Friday. Earliest I could go. I am wondering if it's a pinched nerve. Don't know though.

- Talked to my ex this morning. Someone died at the place we climb regularly - and on a climb my ex had done and likes. He fell and his rope was cut. Damn.

- As I was talking to him my sister was doing something and I told her to stop. My ex asks where I was. I said at home. He said, who's that. It's my sister. She's still here. So, I wrote him an email and told him I had planned on letting him know if I'm ever dating/getting to the point where someone is sleeping over. yeah, I don't have to. But it would be polite.

OK, too much already. Gotta go get stuff done. Hope you all have wonderful 3 days. I'll try and check in.

Star Trek

So, went to see it last night in Imax with my friend P from Philly. We had a great time! And it was really a great movie. Except for towards the end I swear I almost had a seizure with all the flashing lights. And the Imax'ed fast moving scenes made my stomach queasy, but it was all worth it.

AND, I discovered a great thing I can do if I go out on a movie date with anyone I'm attracted to and haven't yet done anything with. P bought popcorn and asked me to hold it for her. And I love to eat popcorn by sticking my face into the bag and picking up the kernels with my tongue, yeah, like a horse or something. BUT, this time I kinda twisted my head a little so I could look her in the eye, said 'see how I like to eat popcorn' in an unintentional flirty way, and stuck my tongue out to get popcorn. Needless to say we were dying laughing for a few minutes.

P is now awake and alive, and must go play hostess, with the mostess of course.