1) You have 2200 friends. In one sitting you added 28 people. You're not famous. Stop adding people. You don't know them.
2) ROTFL @ my sister's recent status: so...i'm on facebook on my laptop and i almost picked up my phone to check facebook. shame...lol.
3) Rashan and I fall asleep on the phone together. You know I'm pissed at him when I refuse to do that.
4) I used to love cold pizza when I was younger. Hot, too. Now? Mostly pass on the cold pizza. Bummer.
5) Sometimes I use the photobooth app on my computer to check my hair if I don't feel like getting up to look in the mirror.
6) Someone remind me again next time I start thinking about having dairy and beer in close proximity, don't. Like a milkshake followed by a beer within an hour or 2. Not okay. I mentioned vomit out loud and my stomach was all over it. I told it, out loud again, we're not havin it and it semi-calmed down. Aren't you glad we talked about this?
7) It works my nerves when people say 'there's no way he could've known...' about events which are in some ways harbingers of future events. Of course there's not. He can't read minds or into the future.
8) Rashan and I have had a spate of spectacularly disappointing restaurant experiences in Gainesville recently. So not awesome that Rashan is now threatening me with *ominous music* chain restaurants. GASP!!! Oh let's not do it. This after we talked about how much we love been in a relationship with a fellow adventurous eater (though he's much more meat shy than I am).
9) I'm willing to try Chinese food again. I have been for about 6 months. But it needs to be good or I might not want to eat it ever again. I've always loved egg rolls and spring rolls and egg drop soup. Fortune cookies are gross. I have a new appreciation for pot stickers if done properly.
10) Can I say again that I don't like scallops? Yuck. They taste so disgusting to me. No matter how properly cooked. On the other hand, I had some awesomely prepared shrimp the other day and couldn't stop eating them! Yum!! I'm very shrimp picky. Maybe even more shrimp picky than tomato picky... Probably. It's very easy to overcook shrimp which means they become rubbery and unpleasant. And I can't. But perfect shrimp? C'est magnifique!
11) Can y'all do A LITTLE bit of research before you start killing people off? Ridiculousness.
3.29.2010
3.28.2010
Movies 2010, Week 12
March 21- March 27, 2010
Can someone tell me how on earth this year has already flown by so quickly??? Almost April already?? Didn't March just start?? Still ahead on the movie-watching. Yay!
82) Ball of Fire. Barbara Stanwyck (love her) & Gary Cooper star in this film co-written by Billy Wilder about a cabaret dancer and gangster's girlfriend who hides out with a house full of professors who fall in love. SO FUN!! I enjoyed this immensely! And laughed out loud several times! There was some silliness I will attribute to the times but still definitely worth a watch! 4.7 stars
83) The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie. British film starring Maggie Smith about an unorthodox teacher of dedicated pupils who is also hated by other adults. Riveting then horrifying. Great climax! I wanted a part 2. 4.5 stars
84) The Fantastic Mr. Fox. George Clooney is an animated fox driving farmers insane when he goes on his hungry binges in this Academy Award nominee based on the book of the same name by the magnificent Roald Dahl. Meryl Streep, Jason Schwartzman, Bill Murray and several other names you've heard. Hmm... meh. There were some interesting things but still 3.3 stars
85) Vivacious Lady. Ginger Rogers & Jimmy Stewart star in this 1938 film about a professor who marries a show girl to the chagrin of his family.... well it would be their chagrin if they knew about it! Oh great. A dumb black maid. The only thing that helps is that there is also a dumb white maid. So fun and cute in general despite that! 4.5 stars
86) Bachelor Mother. Ginger Rogers is a single woman mistaken for the mother of a newborn. Kind of funny and silly but also kind of ridiculous. 3.5 stars
87) Having Wonderful Time. Ginger Rogers stars (with an appearance from Lucille Ball) in an incredibly boring film about a working girl who goes to the country for a good time but has a bad attitude. Not enjoyable. 2.5 stars The half is for Ginger alone.
Can someone tell me how on earth this year has already flown by so quickly??? Almost April already?? Didn't March just start?? Still ahead on the movie-watching. Yay!
82) Ball of Fire. Barbara Stanwyck (love her) & Gary Cooper star in this film co-written by Billy Wilder about a cabaret dancer and gangster's girlfriend who hides out with a house full of professors who fall in love. SO FUN!! I enjoyed this immensely! And laughed out loud several times! There was some silliness I will attribute to the times but still definitely worth a watch! 4.7 stars
83) The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie. British film starring Maggie Smith about an unorthodox teacher of dedicated pupils who is also hated by other adults. Riveting then horrifying. Great climax! I wanted a part 2. 4.5 stars
84) The Fantastic Mr. Fox. George Clooney is an animated fox driving farmers insane when he goes on his hungry binges in this Academy Award nominee based on the book of the same name by the magnificent Roald Dahl. Meryl Streep, Jason Schwartzman, Bill Murray and several other names you've heard. Hmm... meh. There were some interesting things but still 3.3 stars
85) Vivacious Lady. Ginger Rogers & Jimmy Stewart star in this 1938 film about a professor who marries a show girl to the chagrin of his family.... well it would be their chagrin if they knew about it! Oh great. A dumb black maid. The only thing that helps is that there is also a dumb white maid. So fun and cute in general despite that! 4.5 stars
86) Bachelor Mother. Ginger Rogers is a single woman mistaken for the mother of a newborn. Kind of funny and silly but also kind of ridiculous. 3.5 stars
87) Having Wonderful Time. Ginger Rogers stars (with an appearance from Lucille Ball) in an incredibly boring film about a working girl who goes to the country for a good time but has a bad attitude. Not enjoyable. 2.5 stars The half is for Ginger alone.
3.25.2010
The Haps
How about right now I'm going so much my house looks like a tornado hit it and I get excited when I have a 17-hour break between events. Pitiful! I still haven't really increased the amount I eat at home... or if I have it's only by eating frozen pizzas. Horrid, I know! I'm checking in so you know I'm here but if you don't hear from me, this is why. I managed to twist my hair while watching a Ginger Rogers marathon on tv last night so thank God for small miracles! We're working on our film 5-6 days a week. Some days we get a lot done, some days the progress is less easily measurable because a photo move took 30 minutes instead of 10.
This weekend a feature film editor is coming to give us feedback/critiques. I'm excited but he's seen our second rough cut so I want him to be able to see a difference. Tonight we're having dinner with him at our professor's house. Tomorrow we have our critiques and lunch. I also just found out there are FBI files for the period we're covering in the library on campus so I went to take a look at those after lunch yesterday. DENSE. Drowning in paper.
Best news of all, though? Rashan's coming for a visit tonight! YAY!! It will definitely help to be able to hang with him at the end of a long day. :)
This weekend a feature film editor is coming to give us feedback/critiques. I'm excited but he's seen our second rough cut so I want him to be able to see a difference. Tonight we're having dinner with him at our professor's house. Tomorrow we have our critiques and lunch. I also just found out there are FBI files for the period we're covering in the library on campus so I went to take a look at those after lunch yesterday. DENSE. Drowning in paper.
Best news of all, though? Rashan's coming for a visit tonight! YAY!! It will definitely help to be able to hang with him at the end of a long day. :)
3.22.2010
Monday Mindspacing Vol. 41
1) Why in the sam hill did you go to Vegas to eat at McDonald's and Sbarro's? You could've stayed at home for all that!
2) I read this article on 'Appreciating a Difficult Mother,' and after thanking God I don't have one of those, I froze and prayed that I wouldn't be one either. You may not know this, but I can be a difficult person sometimes. When I'm getting on her nerves, my mom says, "I don't know how Rashan puts up with you." My reply? "He can't help himself and neither can you." See what I mean? Incorrigible. I promise I'm trying though!! PROMISE!!
3) One of my classmates said, "The humidity's not that bad in NC, is it?" I was so stunned I paused. Then I started cracking up!! Hahahahaha!!! Girl, you have to use an ax to chop up that summer humidity!
4) I'm turning into a different person! I actually watch HGTV now that I have an apt. and want to decorate it. I don't actually really want to buy stuff seeing as I'm just going to have to move it all again when I leave in 3 months (or less).
5) ROTFL @ this facebook status: "MAYBE THAT 4TH HAMBURGER WAS NOT A GOOD IDEA. CAN U SAY FOOD BABY?" Probably not. Bwahahahaha!!
6) Dear spell check, it makes me feel weird when I have to add the words blog and Facebook... especially considering how much of my time they consume.
7) I'm tired of watching and liking shows with 0 black lead characters. So tired I tried to watch the Game again... didn't really work. I don't find the writing that engaging.
8) Worst thing about etsy? The outrageous shipping prices some people propose. Why would it cost you $10 to ship a 6 oz. hat from Canada? The hat only costs $18. Get your life together. You can keep that!!
9) I don't like the idea of fondue. In theory, it's yummy. Dipping stuff in cheese??? SIGN ME UP!! I'll pass on the dessert one. You know I don't like chocolate like that. Especially not to be dipping stuff in it. Yuck. That does not sound awesome to me. But back to the cheese. I love cheese! But the fact that when you go to TheMeltingPot you have to COOK YOUR OWN meat is insane to me. I'm not paying you for ME to work. Like those places where you can cook your own steak. Yeah comma right.
10) There's some animal I decided I really like but I can't for the life of me remember what it is!!! It might be octopus... eating and wearing (jewelery).
11) I wore glasses for about 2 years when I was younger (around 12) to correct a slight astigmatism. It corrected and I didn't need glasses anymore. I think it's time for another visit to the optometrist, though.
12) I have access to 4 Facebook pages including my own. It's really good I limit my nosiness. That's why I have access to so many. I'm trustworthy. I was SO nosy yesterday looking at pictures of friends of friends. Lololol.
13) My mom still has the original password Facebook gave her because she memorized it. It's something like FC420872B3HZT. When she gave it to me once to look something up for her I was ROTFL!! HAHAHAHAHA. Don't ever wonder about my weirdness!! YOU ALREADY KNOW!!
2) I read this article on 'Appreciating a Difficult Mother,' and after thanking God I don't have one of those, I froze and prayed that I wouldn't be one either. You may not know this, but I can be a difficult person sometimes. When I'm getting on her nerves, my mom says, "I don't know how Rashan puts up with you." My reply? "He can't help himself and neither can you." See what I mean? Incorrigible. I promise I'm trying though!! PROMISE!!
3) One of my classmates said, "The humidity's not that bad in NC, is it?" I was so stunned I paused. Then I started cracking up!! Hahahahaha!!! Girl, you have to use an ax to chop up that summer humidity!
4) I'm turning into a different person! I actually watch HGTV now that I have an apt. and want to decorate it. I don't actually really want to buy stuff seeing as I'm just going to have to move it all again when I leave in 3 months (or less).
5) ROTFL @ this facebook status: "MAYBE THAT 4TH HAMBURGER WAS NOT A GOOD IDEA. CAN U SAY FOOD BABY?" Probably not. Bwahahahaha!!
6) Dear spell check, it makes me feel weird when I have to add the words blog and Facebook... especially considering how much of my time they consume.
7) I'm tired of watching and liking shows with 0 black lead characters. So tired I tried to watch the Game again... didn't really work. I don't find the writing that engaging.
8) Worst thing about etsy? The outrageous shipping prices some people propose. Why would it cost you $10 to ship a 6 oz. hat from Canada? The hat only costs $18. Get your life together. You can keep that!!
9) I don't like the idea of fondue. In theory, it's yummy. Dipping stuff in cheese??? SIGN ME UP!! I'll pass on the dessert one. You know I don't like chocolate like that. Especially not to be dipping stuff in it. Yuck. That does not sound awesome to me. But back to the cheese. I love cheese! But the fact that when you go to TheMeltingPot you have to COOK YOUR OWN meat is insane to me. I'm not paying you for ME to work. Like those places where you can cook your own steak. Yeah comma right.
10) There's some animal I decided I really like but I can't for the life of me remember what it is!!! It might be octopus... eating and wearing (jewelery).
11) I wore glasses for about 2 years when I was younger (around 12) to correct a slight astigmatism. It corrected and I didn't need glasses anymore. I think it's time for another visit to the optometrist, though.
12) I have access to 4 Facebook pages including my own. It's really good I limit my nosiness. That's why I have access to so many. I'm trustworthy. I was SO nosy yesterday looking at pictures of friends of friends. Lololol.
13) My mom still has the original password Facebook gave her because she memorized it. It's something like FC420872B3HZT. When she gave it to me once to look something up for her I was ROTFL!! HAHAHAHAHA. Don't ever wonder about my weirdness!! YOU ALREADY KNOW!!
3.21.2010
Movies 2010, Week 11
March 14-20, 2009
This was mostly the week of the mediocre movies. Thank God I'm only watching an average of a movie a day. I can watch 2 or 3 one day and make up for the rest of the days. Still 2 movies ahead.
76) Blue. French film by a Polish director, starring Juliette Binoche, about a woman who searches for her husband's secret life after he dies. Dark, quiet and very intense. But slower than I would prefer. Especially since it just sort of ends. No real pay-off. Disappointing. 3.3 stars
77) Breakfast with Scot. Indie movie about a gay couple who ends up taking custody of a nephew. ROTFL @ the giant boom mic in the shot!!!! I should stop watching this but I can't. The script isn't that bad until it starts to take some predictable turns and stretches where there's no room. The production quality could use some work. The end was pretty lame. 3.3 stars
78) Touching the Void. I don't even know how to categorize this film. It's about two climbers who tell their stories over a reenactment of their experience climbing . It was really interesting but the drama and sense of doom was extremely high within the first 10 minutes which made it kind of difficult to watch. Still pretty awesome of you can take being on edge for 90+ minutes. My biggest problem/gripe is that because of the lack of title cards and not seeing faces enough, half an hour or more into the movie I still had no clue who anyone was. It's a lot harder to feel a connection. Still a pretty great movie. Very well done. The editing was pretty amazing. 4.1 stars
79) Broken Embraces. Pedro Almodovar film starring Penelope Cruz about a film director . The script began to take some crazy turns which made me feel like there was no good way out of it or if there was it would be outrageously difficult. I didn't completely lose interest but I began to feel a little annoyed. And the result? Ehh... I guess. 3.4 stars
80) The Usual Suspects. 5 criminals (including Kevin Spacey & Benicio Del Toro (who talks like Terrence Howard)) get together for one of the biggest jobs of their lives on an accident. Very intriguing movie. Spacey was over the top in one of the interrogation scenes but the ending? AWESOME. 4.6 stars
81) Houseboat. Cary Grant & Sophia Loren star as a widow who hires a nanny who happens to have no expertise... seeing as she's the somewhat spoiled daughter of an Italian conductor. My husband Cary is awesome. Cute, harmless film. 3.4 stars
This was mostly the week of the mediocre movies. Thank God I'm only watching an average of a movie a day. I can watch 2 or 3 one day and make up for the rest of the days. Still 2 movies ahead.
76) Blue. French film by a Polish director, starring Juliette Binoche, about a woman who searches for her husband's secret life after he dies. Dark, quiet and very intense. But slower than I would prefer. Especially since it just sort of ends. No real pay-off. Disappointing. 3.3 stars
77) Breakfast with Scot. Indie movie about a gay couple who ends up taking custody of a nephew. ROTFL @ the giant boom mic in the shot!!!! I should stop watching this but I can't. The script isn't that bad until it starts to take some predictable turns and stretches where there's no room. The production quality could use some work. The end was pretty lame. 3.3 stars
78) Touching the Void. I don't even know how to categorize this film. It's about two climbers who tell their stories over a reenactment of their experience climbing . It was really interesting but the drama and sense of doom was extremely high within the first 10 minutes which made it kind of difficult to watch. Still pretty awesome of you can take being on edge for 90+ minutes. My biggest problem/gripe is that because of the lack of title cards and not seeing faces enough, half an hour or more into the movie I still had no clue who anyone was. It's a lot harder to feel a connection. Still a pretty great movie. Very well done. The editing was pretty amazing. 4.1 stars
79) Broken Embraces. Pedro Almodovar film starring Penelope Cruz about a film director . The script began to take some crazy turns which made me feel like there was no good way out of it or if there was it would be outrageously difficult. I didn't completely lose interest but I began to feel a little annoyed. And the result? Ehh... I guess. 3.4 stars
80) The Usual Suspects. 5 criminals (including Kevin Spacey & Benicio Del Toro (who talks like Terrence Howard)) get together for one of the biggest jobs of their lives on an accident. Very intriguing movie. Spacey was over the top in one of the interrogation scenes but the ending? AWESOME. 4.6 stars
81) Houseboat. Cary Grant & Sophia Loren star as a widow who hires a nanny who happens to have no expertise... seeing as she's the somewhat spoiled daughter of an Italian conductor. My husband Cary is awesome. Cute, harmless film. 3.4 stars
3.20.2010
Week 10, Recipe 1: Jerk Chicken Burgers with Mango Salsa
I've been so busy in the lab I honestly don't know whether I made this this week or last week... I think last week but we'll just go with this week. Recipe courtesy of Rachael Ray.
Yields: 4 servings
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground allspice
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 1/2 teaspoons light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO), plus some for drizzling
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 ripe mango, peeled and diced
- 1 small red bell pepper, seeded and diced
- 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely chopped
- 1/4 seedless cucumber, peeled and chopped
- 1 lime, juiced
- Spicy potato chips, any brand you like
Preparation
Heat a large nonstick skillet with EVOO over medium-high heat.
In a medium mixing bowl, combine chicken with spices and sugar. Drizzle in EVOO and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Mix to combine. Score the meat into 4 equal parts and then form 4 patties, each about 1 1/2-inch thick. Add the burgers to the skillet and cook about 5 minutes on both sides or until cooked all the way through, there shouldn'’t be any pink in the middle.
While the burgers cook, make the mango salsa. In a small bowl, combine the mango, red pepper, jalapeño, cucumber and lime juice.
When the burgers are done, transfer them to a serving platter with the mango salsa and spicy chips alongside.
Results: I needed to mix the spices better because I got a mouthful of allspice when I bit into this. Not cool. I don't know why I made this burger. I was not in the mood for it and therefore didn't really enjoy it. Ah well.
Results: I needed to mix the spices better because I got a mouthful of allspice when I bit into this. Not cool. I don't know why I made this burger. I was not in the mood for it and therefore didn't really enjoy it. Ah well.
3.17.2010
Spring Broke
I have done a ridiculous amount of work in the last two weeks. So much that it spilled into my Spring Break last week. I would wake up with work on my mind and go to sleep with work on my mind. Both the grading I did for my assistantship (27 5-page papers) and the work on my film. I liked having that kind of drive but it was still crazy. While Rashan was here we decided to go down to Micanopy for some antiquing. We also on a walk where we saw a gator on campus way south of Lake Alice where they usually are. And one of my favorite parts? The butterfly rainforest! So cool!!
My new vintage earring and bracelet set. The bracelets look like the earrings laid on a gold strand. Super cute! I also bought two cast iron skillets!
At the Butterfly Rainforest (at a museum on campus), butterflies decided to land on us! I took more than 200 pics but here are some of my faves. Blogger hated on me so hard with this album but WHATEVER!!! Spring break ended Monday officially but Wednesday for me. On the grind. I kind of like it though! :)
3.15.2010
Monday Mindspacing Vol. 40
1) I'm so used to watching movies on my laptop or in a format where I can start and stop or carry it around while watching at will that I get a little frustrated when I find movies that won't let me do that i.e. watching them on tv sans commercial breaks. I KNOW. So picky.
2) It makes me irate when people say "teacher" disdainfully. Oh really? And how did you get to be so smart? Osmosis??? From what??? Or who??? I used to want to be a successful working wife supporting her teacher husband. Teaching is hot. We'll see what God has in store for me.
3) I'm obsessed with NYT. We know this. We won't even talk about how I feel that Pserendipity made it in there before me!!! *SWOON!!!* But I've become increasingly enamored with the articles in the Education section. Heart.
4) Is everybody really gonna act like Gabby, sweet as she is, isn't morbidly obese? No, you don't have to be mean about it, but let's not act like some of the things being said aren't true. I <3 her! She has an awesome personality! But let's be real.
5) When you walk around on a bluetooth talking loudly and you're not wearing a business suit, you look like you have diminished mental capacity.
6) Can I teach Florida builders about insulation, please? For windows (when it's brick outside, it's freezer inside and anywhere near a window) and ceilings/floors (I shouldn't be able to hear my upstairs neighbor's microwave).
7) I gasped on the phone with my mom when I realized she was going to be 55 this year. She said, "I know." ROTFL!! I said tentatively, "Does that sound really old to you?" "Yes!" she said. HAHAHAHAHA. I could not stop cracking up. My mom doesn't at all seem that old. Very cool and very fun. AND she said she's not about to start lying about her age now. She's thankful for every year God's given her. To 55 more, M! (The birthday's still a few months off but still!)
8) Please stop selling vintage lingerie.
9) Grey. Grey, grey, grey! I don't care that I use Americanized English. I like GREY! No reason for telling you this. I just felt like saying it again. I like the color (especially light grey! swooon!) And I like the 'e' spelling. I'm not 1/15 the Anglophile Rashan is but GREY!
10) My lips were trembling while drinking yesterday and I was so confused. Then I realized I was trying to hold up my water bottle with my lips. What in the sam hill??
2) It makes me irate when people say "teacher" disdainfully. Oh really? And how did you get to be so smart? Osmosis??? From what??? Or who??? I used to want to be a successful working wife supporting her teacher husband. Teaching is hot. We'll see what God has in store for me.
3) I'm obsessed with NYT. We know this. We won't even talk about how I feel that Pserendipity made it in there before me!!! *SWOON!!!* But I've become increasingly enamored with the articles in the Education section. Heart.
4) Is everybody really gonna act like Gabby, sweet as she is, isn't morbidly obese? No, you don't have to be mean about it, but let's not act like some of the things being said aren't true. I <3 her! She has an awesome personality! But let's be real.
5) When you walk around on a bluetooth talking loudly and you're not wearing a business suit, you look like you have diminished mental capacity.
6) Can I teach Florida builders about insulation, please? For windows (when it's brick outside, it's freezer inside and anywhere near a window) and ceilings/floors (I shouldn't be able to hear my upstairs neighbor's microwave).
7) I gasped on the phone with my mom when I realized she was going to be 55 this year. She said, "I know." ROTFL!! I said tentatively, "Does that sound really old to you?" "Yes!" she said. HAHAHAHAHA. I could not stop cracking up. My mom doesn't at all seem that old. Very cool and very fun. AND she said she's not about to start lying about her age now. She's thankful for every year God's given her. To 55 more, M! (The birthday's still a few months off but still!)
8) Please stop selling vintage lingerie.
9) Grey. Grey, grey, grey! I don't care that I use Americanized English. I like GREY! No reason for telling you this. I just felt like saying it again. I like the color (especially light grey! swooon!) And I like the 'e' spelling. I'm not 1/15 the Anglophile Rashan is but GREY!
10) My lips were trembling while drinking yesterday and I was so confused. Then I realized I was trying to hold up my water bottle with my lips. What in the sam hill??
3.14.2010
Movies 2010, Week 10
March 7-13, 2010
Since the Oscars were this week I have included a slate of Oscar winners and nominees.
71) Father Goose. Cary Grant comedy (1965 Oscar winner for Best Original Screenplay) co-starring Leslie Caron about a drunk who gets forced into serving as a watchman for a remote island during WWII. He ends up with a woman and a gaggle of children. Amusing. 4.2 stars
72) Glengarry, Glen Ross. Al Pacino (nominated for an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor), Jack Lemmon, Ed Harris, Alan Arkin are a group of real estate salesmen trying to get the best leads on future sales. Difficult movie to watch. Reminded me of a doc I hated called Salesman. I don't want to watch people hustling. Alec Baldwin & Kevin Spacey also make appearances. 3.4 stars
73) Gosford Park. British comedy (2002 Oscar winner for Best Original Screenplay) starring an obscene amount of famous people (Kristin Scott Thomas, Helen Mirren, Clive Owen, Ryan Philippe) about a bunch of people jockeying for the best position with each other-- among the servants and the gentry. Interesting I think mostly because there was so much going on with the millions of characters. Though after an hour I wanted something more interesting to happen. It finally did but the film still wandered for a while. Clever ending. 3.7 stars
74) Up in the Air. Oscar-nominated film starring George Clooney :) about a man who fires people for a living and has to show a newbie the ropes. He's cynical and Clooney-ish. I can see why he didn't win. You never really felt like he wasn't being himself. His character was beguiling so you wanted to watch him and enjoyed watching him but he was still Clooney. I enjoyed this film. I wish GQ hadn't spoiled that movie within an inch of its life. Ugh. I really think I would've liked it even more without knowing so much of what was coming. It was like watching a movie for the 2nd time but without the enjoyment of actually knowing what was coming and how you got there. 4.1 stars
75) My Sister Eileen. Two sisters move to NYC with high hopes and find their dreams turned upside down when one of them marries and the other is asked to write about her famous relatives. Janet Leigh & Jack Lemmon star. Silly but fun. 3.5 stars (This is the only non-nominated film this week.)
Since the Oscars were this week I have included a slate of Oscar winners and nominees.
71) Father Goose. Cary Grant comedy (1965 Oscar winner for Best Original Screenplay) co-starring Leslie Caron about a drunk who gets forced into serving as a watchman for a remote island during WWII. He ends up with a woman and a gaggle of children. Amusing. 4.2 stars
72) Glengarry, Glen Ross. Al Pacino (nominated for an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor), Jack Lemmon, Ed Harris, Alan Arkin are a group of real estate salesmen trying to get the best leads on future sales. Difficult movie to watch. Reminded me of a doc I hated called Salesman. I don't want to watch people hustling. Alec Baldwin & Kevin Spacey also make appearances. 3.4 stars
73) Gosford Park. British comedy (2002 Oscar winner for Best Original Screenplay) starring an obscene amount of famous people (Kristin Scott Thomas, Helen Mirren, Clive Owen, Ryan Philippe) about a bunch of people jockeying for the best position with each other-- among the servants and the gentry. Interesting I think mostly because there was so much going on with the millions of characters. Though after an hour I wanted something more interesting to happen. It finally did but the film still wandered for a while. Clever ending. 3.7 stars
74) Up in the Air. Oscar-nominated film starring George Clooney :) about a man who fires people for a living and has to show a newbie the ropes. He's cynical and Clooney-ish. I can see why he didn't win. You never really felt like he wasn't being himself. His character was beguiling so you wanted to watch him and enjoyed watching him but he was still Clooney. I enjoyed this film. I wish GQ hadn't spoiled that movie within an inch of its life. Ugh. I really think I would've liked it even more without knowing so much of what was coming. It was like watching a movie for the 2nd time but without the enjoyment of actually knowing what was coming and how you got there. 4.1 stars
75) My Sister Eileen. Two sisters move to NYC with high hopes and find their dreams turned upside down when one of them marries and the other is asked to write about her famous relatives. Janet Leigh & Jack Lemmon star. Silly but fun. 3.5 stars (This is the only non-nominated film this week.)
3.11.2010
March Goals
How do you do your March goals halfway through the month? PROBLEM! Anyway these are updates on what happened in February and what I have done and am aiming to do for the rest of March.
1) Work on my relationship with God. This is still a struggle. I didn't get my daily Bible Study in but I am now praying regularly.
2) Finish my film. I made great progress on the film in February and am en route to even more! This month is already shaping up as more productive!! YIPPEE!!
3) Take the next step in my career. I did not arrange an internship for the summer. Tsk tsk. Let's renew this goal this month.
4) Try new restaurants. Got it! Already in March I've hit up at least 3 new restaurants. My goal is two more and I think both will come in the next week.
5) Cook at least 3xs a week, 2 of those new recipes. I did pretty great with this AGAIN! This is definitely the goal I keep up with the most. The recipes are on my food blog, The Record Dish. My faves were Catfish & Grits with Sauteed Spinach and Chardonnay Cream AWESOME!!, greens gumbo, chipotle corn, spinach balls (HUGE success at the Super Bowl party), and creamy polenta with sausage & rapini. The ingredients I'd never cooked with before were catfish (I KNOW!!), kale, collards, herb stuffing (my momma makes dressing & doesn't believe in boxes! lol), polenta, cream cheese, white pepper and rapini. Cool!
6) Watch more movies. I'm still ahead on my goal to watch a movie a day, even skipping a few days, because I couldn't stop watching multiple movies a day for a while. We're still in good shape. We'll see what this looks like at the end of the month!
7) Workout more. I was shooting for 4xs a week. Nothing even close to that happened after the first week. This month if I can manage 3xs a week we can celebrate!
8) Statecations. I was SUPPOSED to go to Tampa over Spring Break but SOMEBODY didn't want to go. We went south to Micanopy to do some antiquing and that was pretty fun but yeah...
9) Contact my grandma once a month. I sent her a card around Valentine's Day. There's nothing specific going on this month so I guess I'll call her.
1) Work on my relationship with God. This is still a struggle. I didn't get my daily Bible Study in but I am now praying regularly.
2) Finish my film. I made great progress on the film in February and am en route to even more! This month is already shaping up as more productive!! YIPPEE!!
3) Take the next step in my career. I did not arrange an internship for the summer. Tsk tsk. Let's renew this goal this month.
4) Try new restaurants. Got it! Already in March I've hit up at least 3 new restaurants. My goal is two more and I think both will come in the next week.
5) Cook at least 3xs a week, 2 of those new recipes. I did pretty great with this AGAIN! This is definitely the goal I keep up with the most. The recipes are on my food blog, The Record Dish. My faves were Catfish & Grits with Sauteed Spinach and Chardonnay Cream AWESOME!!, greens gumbo, chipotle corn, spinach balls (HUGE success at the Super Bowl party), and creamy polenta with sausage & rapini. The ingredients I'd never cooked with before were catfish (I KNOW!!), kale, collards, herb stuffing (my momma makes dressing & doesn't believe in boxes! lol), polenta, cream cheese, white pepper and rapini. Cool!
6) Watch more movies. I'm still ahead on my goal to watch a movie a day, even skipping a few days, because I couldn't stop watching multiple movies a day for a while. We're still in good shape. We'll see what this looks like at the end of the month!
7) Workout more. I was shooting for 4xs a week. Nothing even close to that happened after the first week. This month if I can manage 3xs a week we can celebrate!
8) Statecations. I was SUPPOSED to go to Tampa over Spring Break but SOMEBODY didn't want to go. We went south to Micanopy to do some antiquing and that was pretty fun but yeah...
9) Contact my grandma once a month. I sent her a card around Valentine's Day. There's nothing specific going on this month so I guess I'll call her.
3.10.2010
I'm Not Engaged
Y'all kill me.
Not bloggers... today... No, today it's my family and friends. I called a friend while driving to Atlanta the other day and she says, "Hey! What's up?!" I say, "Not much, what's up with you?" It had been quite a while. She's married, pregnant and a mommy. I don't call her much because I figure she's busy. She doesn't call me... I guess because she is. Anyway, she goes, "Oh. I thought you were engaged." Uhhh...
Then the other day I'm talking to my mom. I say something that's a trigger and she says breathlessly, "Are you engaged?" Really mom? I say, "Are you serious with that? I promise I'll lead with that. 38 minutes into the conversation and I'll casually hint to the fact that my life is about to change forever? Not gonna happen. Wrong child." NUT.
Less than 48 hours after that, fave roomie calls and says, "I have to be in your wedding. I don't care if I'm holding your train. I have to be in your wedding." Can I get engaged before you make demands, please? This is only slightly better than the woman who knew me 20 years ago telling me to give her plenty of time to buy a dress for my wedding... How about all of you stop making demands on an event that is still a figment of everyone's imagination? GRACIAS!!! XOXOXO!!!
Not bloggers... today... No, today it's my family and friends. I called a friend while driving to Atlanta the other day and she says, "Hey! What's up?!" I say, "Not much, what's up with you?" It had been quite a while. She's married, pregnant and a mommy. I don't call her much because I figure she's busy. She doesn't call me... I guess because she is. Anyway, she goes, "Oh. I thought you were engaged." Uhhh...
Then the other day I'm talking to my mom. I say something that's a trigger and she says breathlessly, "Are you engaged?" Really mom? I say, "Are you serious with that? I promise I'll lead with that. 38 minutes into the conversation and I'll casually hint to the fact that my life is about to change forever? Not gonna happen. Wrong child." NUT.
Less than 48 hours after that, fave roomie calls and says, "I have to be in your wedding. I don't care if I'm holding your train. I have to be in your wedding." Can I get engaged before you make demands, please? This is only slightly better than the woman who knew me 20 years ago telling me to give her plenty of time to buy a dress for my wedding... How about all of you stop making demands on an event that is still a figment of everyone's imagination? GRACIAS!!! XOXOXO!!!
3.08.2010
Monday Mindspacing Vol. 39
1) The only time I watched part of a segment of that horrid T.MZ show, some reporter told ParisHilton someone said she was like 'a fart trapped in a mitten' and she looked very sad. Why would you tell someone that? Dummy. But years later that is still one of the most HILARIOUS phrases to me! Hahahahahahahaha.
2) Do you even know the bus drove right past me last Monday? I had run, then was waving frantically and that heffa slow rolled right along. I wanted to throw BOULDERS at that bus.
3) If you say "countless of times," you shouldn't. Countless times is sufficient.
4) When Rashan and I are getting on each other's nerves on my daytime minutes, I get off the phone. I'd rather not pay to argue with you.
5) I know I've said it before, but I'm going to keep saying it until y'all stop. Clip art is over! It's so 1999 and looks it! Your presentation looks instantly dated my dog. INSTANTLY.
6) I love it when Rashan and I are together and that Old Spice commercial comes on. "Look at your man, now back to me, now look at your man, now back to me." I totally do it. Hahahaha. And sometimes Rashan will wake up from a nap momentarily, say, "I'm on a horse" and go back to sleep. HAHAHAHA!! He had me cracking up at like 2 Friday morning.
7) I know it'll take me a while to get out of the habit but I miss daily blogging. I like the daily interaction. Guess I'll have to start posting 5xs a week. No Saturdays, though. None of you ever read. You barely read on Friday.
8) Please don't invite people to your wedding via facebook. If you want to do evites, please use a classier service.
9) You can't go to a pre-Mardi Gras party 2 weeks into Lent. I mean you CAN but all of you sound silly. Do you know what Mardi Gras means? *head tilt*
10) And now a mini-Oscars mindspacing.
a) JLo's dress? LOVED!! SO FAB!! You should see it moving!
b) SandraBullock? DITTO!!!
c) Can you PLEASE ask all those pale women to stop wearing that dusty rose color? You look even more washed out.
d) Zoe? No.
e) Did you see the black section for Precious? Represent for segregation. Face.
f) Brittany Murphy was one of my first favorite actresses. I got really sad seeing her in the remembering screen.
g) That said, most of my fave actors and actresses are long dead! Lol.
h) I'm going to ask this again, can we please stop having the "Why I love Best Actor/tress" moments before the award? I'm sure Hollywood loves them but for me they just make a 4 hour show, 5 hours. WRAP THAT UP, B!!!
2) Do you even know the bus drove right past me last Monday? I had run, then was waving frantically and that heffa slow rolled right along. I wanted to throw BOULDERS at that bus.
3) If you say "countless of times," you shouldn't. Countless times is sufficient.
4) When Rashan and I are getting on each other's nerves on my daytime minutes, I get off the phone. I'd rather not pay to argue with you.
5) I know I've said it before, but I'm going to keep saying it until y'all stop. Clip art is over! It's so 1999 and looks it! Your presentation looks instantly dated my dog. INSTANTLY.
6) I love it when Rashan and I are together and that Old Spice commercial comes on. "Look at your man, now back to me, now look at your man, now back to me." I totally do it. Hahahaha. And sometimes Rashan will wake up from a nap momentarily, say, "I'm on a horse" and go back to sleep. HAHAHAHA!! He had me cracking up at like 2 Friday morning.
7) I know it'll take me a while to get out of the habit but I miss daily blogging. I like the daily interaction. Guess I'll have to start posting 5xs a week. No Saturdays, though. None of you ever read. You barely read on Friday.
8) Please don't invite people to your wedding via facebook. If you want to do evites, please use a classier service.
9) You can't go to a pre-Mardi Gras party 2 weeks into Lent. I mean you CAN but all of you sound silly. Do you know what Mardi Gras means? *head tilt*
10) And now a mini-Oscars mindspacing.
a) JLo's dress? LOVED!! SO FAB!! You should see it moving!
b) SandraBullock? DITTO!!!
c) Can you PLEASE ask all those pale women to stop wearing that dusty rose color? You look even more washed out.
d) Zoe? No.
e) Did you see the black section for Precious? Represent for segregation. Face.
f) Brittany Murphy was one of my first favorite actresses. I got really sad seeing her in the remembering screen.
g) That said, most of my fave actors and actresses are long dead! Lol.
h) I'm going to ask this again, can we please stop having the "Why I love Best Actor/tress" moments before the award? I'm sure Hollywood loves them but for me they just make a 4 hour show, 5 hours. WRAP THAT UP, B!!!
3.07.2010
Movies 2010, Week 9
February 28- March 6, 2010
It's crunch time. Watching movies is much less important than making them. Holla.
68) The Stepfather. The 2009 remake horror movie about a soon-to-be stepfather who isn't quite right and the people who die around him when they start to ask questions. Some good suspense and parts where I jumped. I wanted more from this, but it was still decent. 3.4 stars
69) Designing Woman. Lauren Bacall and Gregory Peck. The broken fourth wall at the beginning of the film was ridiculous and unnecessary. But the rest of this film about a sportswriter and his designer wife was definitely engaging. Peck's pretty, pretty face helped. It got ridiculous at the kick fight scene which made the end just so-so. Awesome costumes. 3.4 stars
70) We Live in Public. Documentary about an internet innovator and conspiracy theorist (JoshHarris) who's been taping himself for a long time. Strange organization from the beginning. Why would you set us up to dislike your character from the outset? Then it showed the booming of his businesses, then after 20 minutes went back to his childhood. It also told the story mostly from the eyes and perspectives of those around him rather than through Harris himself. Odd. No focus to this film in great part because the director was too close to her subject after spending more than 15 years on and off following him. The film tried to cover too much ground and ended up losing any interestingness that may have existed. 2.4 stars
It's crunch time. Watching movies is much less important than making them. Holla.
68) The Stepfather. The 2009 remake horror movie about a soon-to-be stepfather who isn't quite right and the people who die around him when they start to ask questions. Some good suspense and parts where I jumped. I wanted more from this, but it was still decent. 3.4 stars
69) Designing Woman. Lauren Bacall and Gregory Peck. The broken fourth wall at the beginning of the film was ridiculous and unnecessary. But the rest of this film about a sportswriter and his designer wife was definitely engaging. Peck's pretty, pretty face helped. It got ridiculous at the kick fight scene which made the end just so-so. Awesome costumes. 3.4 stars
70) We Live in Public. Documentary about an internet innovator and conspiracy theorist (JoshHarris) who's been taping himself for a long time. Strange organization from the beginning. Why would you set us up to dislike your character from the outset? Then it showed the booming of his businesses, then after 20 minutes went back to his childhood. It also told the story mostly from the eyes and perspectives of those around him rather than through Harris himself. Odd. No focus to this film in great part because the director was too close to her subject after spending more than 15 years on and off following him. The film tried to cover too much ground and ended up losing any interestingness that may have existed. 2.4 stars
3.05.2010
Miss Jameil Goes Back to Kindergarten
Anyway, next up was SNACK TIME!! Yessss! One child offered me some of his JALAPENO PORK RINDS. No your mama didn't. But since she did, don't mind if I do! Thanks! I also got the benefit of a RitzCracker. One little cutie offered me a piece of honey bun. Now I said no not only because I think those are disgusting, but also because he offered me the smallest kindergarten portion, less than the size of a dime, which means his little grubby 5-year-old fingers were touching every portion of it. Nah bruh. You can keep that. I was also offered a nutter butter which I passed on.
Then the worst part of the day: TheDiaryOfAFly. One of these district mandates. OMGGGGGGGGG!! This thing was like 15 minutes long, boring and overly detailed. And it included the word regurgitated!!! And they knew what it meant because it had been in some other video. Stop it. That is not even right. There was CONSTANT activity in that room! LAWD!! Have I told y'all lately that I was around NO little cousins growing up? On my dad's side, my sister and I are 2 of the 3 youngest in our generation of cousins. We even have second cousins older than us. Yeah... it's like that. My dad had us late, some of theirs had them early. So I like children in theory, but they're fascinating/weird in person.... especially in large doses. Lolol.
3.03.2010
An Auspicious Day
Rashan let me clean out his closet this weekend!!!!!! Did you hear me???
HE LET ME CLEAN OUT HIS CLOSET!!!!!
I got rid of ALLLLLLL of his horrid ugly 'house clothes.' You know, things he shouldn't even wear in the house but claims that's the only place he wears them? Yeah... those. I am SO happy!!!! Would you like photographic evidence?
Exhibit A (l to r): RocawearShirt, OutkastShirt, PhatFarmShirt... ALL polyester. ALL. HOT. MESSES!!! I've been trying to get him to get rid of these since the first day I saw them in his closet!!!
Exhibit B (l to r): Periwinkle leadership conference sweatshirt plain but for a multi-colored patch on the left sleeve. Hideous. And a FuBu "baseball" jersey. More polyester. SMH. I just gave myself shaken baby syndrome.
Then...
the unholy grail... (no. 7)
THE DREADED FUBU SWEATSHIRT!!!!!!!!!
We've been talking about it for literally YEARS!!!
Back in 2008, he said of the shirt, "I have not and will not burn the electric yellow hoodie. You don't understand how comfortable that thing is. And besides, I have another FUBU shirt for you guys to hate on for the spring/summer. This one is a blue and black baseball type jersey that I got back in 1998. That joint has been with me through the thick and thin, and the colors are still vibrant."
IN 2007, he said it was time for him to get rid of those old clothes!! Enter Jameil.
This thing looks way worse in person... It has vitiligo. It's darkly discolored, particularly around the hood. He would only get rid of it if I agreed to wear it in a picture on my blog. We have been going round and round about this for so long that I would gladly do that! I gave him the biggest hug when he gave up this sweatshirt!! This is a big step in the right direction. Let's all give ME a huge round of applause!!!!!!!
HE LET ME CLEAN OUT HIS CLOSET!!!!!
I got rid of ALLLLLLL of his horrid ugly 'house clothes.' You know, things he shouldn't even wear in the house but claims that's the only place he wears them? Yeah... those. I am SO happy!!!! Would you like photographic evidence?
Exhibit A (l to r): RocawearShirt, OutkastShirt, PhatFarmShirt... ALL polyester. ALL. HOT. MESSES!!! I've been trying to get him to get rid of these since the first day I saw them in his closet!!!Exhibit B (l to r): Periwinkle leadership conference sweatshirt plain but for a multi-colored patch on the left sleeve. Hideous. And a FuBu "baseball" jersey. More polyester. SMH. I just gave myself shaken baby syndrome.
Then...
the unholy grail... (no. 7)
THE DREADED FUBU SWEATSHIRT!!!!!!!!!
We've been talking about it for literally YEARS!!!
Back in 2008, he said of the shirt, "I have not and will not burn the electric yellow hoodie. You don't understand how comfortable that thing is. And besides, I have another FUBU shirt for you guys to hate on for the spring/summer. This one is a blue and black baseball type jersey that I got back in 1998. That joint has been with me through the thick and thin, and the colors are still vibrant."
IN 2007, he said it was time for him to get rid of those old clothes!! Enter Jameil.
This thing looks way worse in person... It has vitiligo. It's darkly discolored, particularly around the hood. He would only get rid of it if I agreed to wear it in a picture on my blog. We have been going round and round about this for so long that I would gladly do that! I gave him the biggest hug when he gave up this sweatshirt!! This is a big step in the right direction. Let's all give ME a huge round of applause!!!!!!!
3.01.2010
Monday Mindspacing Vol. 38
1) Can you please make people stop reviewing movies on Netflix that they have not seen yet????? SO IRRITATING!!!
2) A girl who was one of my good friends in middle school posts videos of her daughter online... I LOVE THEM!! She's so cute! I love to watch her play and laugh and learn! AND I never have to hear her cry. Lol. Best of baby world.
3) I had to unsubscribe from DesignSponge on my Google reader b/c reading the posts became oppressive. Why do you have 5+ posts every weekday? It's too much. I'll maybe go there once in a while at my leisure. I unsubbed from AptTherapy for the same reason. Their site may have had even more daily posts. Pass.
4) NYT has a 'recommend' button on its articles. But when I find one particularly unsatisfying, I want to UNrecommend. 'Don't read this article. You will feel impotent and unfulfilled at the end. You're welcome. Love, Jameil'
5) I actually really like it when Netflix warns me movies are going offline soon. It forces me to make decisions. Do I really want to see that or can I go ahead and delete it from my queue? This was less fun Jan. 1 when about 15 movies on my queue went offline. UHHHHHHHH.... I'm already in a time crunch trying to watch 750 movies and you're going to add MORE pressure??? THANKS FOR NOTHING, NETFLIX!!
6) Have I ever told you about my feelings for the German language? One of the ugliest in the world. Yuck.
7) I hate to break it to you... but there's really no point in you having a blog if you never ever post on it. By never ever I mean less than 4 times a month. And if you don't post for months at a time, why bother? Breaker of blog laws concurs.
8) "Lessons on Icebreaking"
Candy is dandy but liquor is quicker.
A Poem by Ogden Nash.
---Indeed dear sir. I intend to break some ice this week. SPRINNNNG BREEEAAAAK!!!
9) I am actually more tired of hearing people complain about the word swag and its derivatives than I am of the word swag and its derivatives. I think the word is actually very funny. Esp. because the people who talk about having it... really shouldn't. Lololol.
10) Why are there 5 grocery stores within 3 miles of my house and 4 of them are Publix? Stace thinks that's awesome. Me? I think it's stupid. No one needs that many grocery stores esp. since 3 of them are exactly the same.
11) I have a small cooler that when I walk quickly and carry makes me feel like a transplant nurse rushing with a crucial body part. STAT!
12) Rashan and I had Mexican food twice in 3 days... and still want more... oh Mexico. I love thee. I'm going ASAP!!
13) Rashan keeps telling me he doesn't trust me. That is a bad sign. Granted he's talking about the competition to stop blogging but STILL!! Just kidding guys. He does tell me he doesn't trust me not to post (lol) but I'm not worried about that negro!
2) A girl who was one of my good friends in middle school posts videos of her daughter online... I LOVE THEM!! She's so cute! I love to watch her play and laugh and learn! AND I never have to hear her cry. Lol. Best of baby world.
3) I had to unsubscribe from DesignSponge on my Google reader b/c reading the posts became oppressive. Why do you have 5+ posts every weekday? It's too much. I'll maybe go there once in a while at my leisure. I unsubbed from AptTherapy for the same reason. Their site may have had even more daily posts. Pass.
4) NYT has a 'recommend' button on its articles. But when I find one particularly unsatisfying, I want to UNrecommend. 'Don't read this article. You will feel impotent and unfulfilled at the end. You're welcome. Love, Jameil'
5) I actually really like it when Netflix warns me movies are going offline soon. It forces me to make decisions. Do I really want to see that or can I go ahead and delete it from my queue? This was less fun Jan. 1 when about 15 movies on my queue went offline. UHHHHHHHH.... I'm already in a time crunch trying to watch 750 movies and you're going to add MORE pressure??? THANKS FOR NOTHING, NETFLIX!!
6) Have I ever told you about my feelings for the German language? One of the ugliest in the world. Yuck.
7) I hate to break it to you... but there's really no point in you having a blog if you never ever post on it. By never ever I mean less than 4 times a month. And if you don't post for months at a time, why bother? Breaker of blog laws concurs.
8) "Lessons on Icebreaking"
Candy is dandy but liquor is quicker.
A Poem by Ogden Nash.
---Indeed dear sir. I intend to break some ice this week. SPRINNNNG BREEEAAAAK!!!
9) I am actually more tired of hearing people complain about the word swag and its derivatives than I am of the word swag and its derivatives. I think the word is actually very funny. Esp. because the people who talk about having it... really shouldn't. Lololol.
10) Why are there 5 grocery stores within 3 miles of my house and 4 of them are Publix? Stace thinks that's awesome. Me? I think it's stupid. No one needs that many grocery stores esp. since 3 of them are exactly the same.
11) I have a small cooler that when I walk quickly and carry makes me feel like a transplant nurse rushing with a crucial body part. STAT!
12) Rashan and I had Mexican food twice in 3 days... and still want more... oh Mexico. I love thee. I'm going ASAP!!
13) Rashan keeps telling me he doesn't trust me. That is a bad sign. Granted he's talking about the competition to stop blogging but STILL!! Just kidding guys. He does tell me he doesn't trust me not to post (lol) but I'm not worried about that negro!
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