Ooohhhhh Nooooooo...
I was in line at the grocery store, scanning the magazine racks. I saw this great magazine cover. It had 256 great Christmas ideas. Wow, I must have been having a (very, very rare) Martha Stewart moment, because it sounded awesome. As I reached out to snag the magazine, I realized it's Woman's Day.
Egads.
My
grandmother always got Woman's Day as long as I can remember. My Mom used to read the hand-me-downs. That's always been the magazine that the adults read. I know I'm in my late 30s (ahem, going on 31), but somehow I never realized that I was old enough to read that myself.
I need a drink. I'm off to the liquor store. If I'm lucky, they'll card me.
Singles
For this who are single, or were recently (aka, me), this movie is a cringefest. The movie isn’t that fantastic, but every once in a while something would be said or done that just induces a “been there, done that” reaction. I actually picked this movie out because a friend of mine’s favorite line came from it: “Desperation, the world’s worst cologne”. As perfect as that line is, the rest of the movie is a total throw away. Like some of the other movies on this blog, it qualifies as an ok way to while away an hour and a half, but there are certainly better movies out there.
Labels: Movies
Eragon/Eldest by Christopher Paolini
Eragon and
Eldest are the first two books of Christopher Paolini’s “Inheritance” trilogy. The third book has not yet been released. For fantasy fans, these books have all of the standard characters – elves, dwarves, and men combating a single evil overlord who is threatening to take over their world. In reading this I had a great time playing “find the influence” – with the most obvious leaders being JRR Tolkien’s “The Lord of the Rings” and Anne McCaffrey’s “The Dragonriders of Pern” series. There was even a fight scene that was obviously a child of “The Matrix”. In the fantasy world, these influences are really good ones – well done, and well known for good reason. But it tends to bring a bit of a complaint in that the influences are so strong that there is little new in the book. On the flip side, new and fresh tends to reside in the world of sci-fi, while fantasy tends to be a regular novel with flying horses or elves. It’s hard to be new and fresh when the fantasy world has the same shorthand for various creature types – elves are beautiful, lithe, quick, and tricky, dwarves are stocky, ground-loving stone-workers, humans not quite up to the strength of the dwarves or the magic of the elves, who still manage to earn the respect of their more talented brethren.
Having said that, the novels are very entertaining, and perfect for the target audience – teen fantasy buffs. To give a little background,
Eragon was written when Paolini was 15 (and freshly graduated from HS), and Eldest was completed when he was 20. So there’s definitely a younger tone to these books than you get from something like “Dragonriders”. It doesn’t detract from the story; Paolini is very talented and creative. Just know what you’re getting when you start reading.
I do recommend these books for fantasy buffs – for adults they’ll be a quick read, despite the bulk of the book. And if you liked the “Lord of the Rings” movies, but didn’t like wading through Tolkien’s dense prose, these will fill that gap nicely while still being readable
In the HopperConfessions of an Ugly Step Sister by Gregory McGuire
Confessions by St Augustine
The Last of the Plantagenets by Thomas B. Costain
Labels: Books
And Slim done left town
A friend and I decided we were each going to lose 10lbs by mid December. We decided this in July, which would have left us a leisurely .5lb of weight loss a week. To do the math:
3500 Calorie deficit required for each lb you want to lose
10 lbs to lose
35000 calories deficit required
20 weeks in which to do it
1750 calories per week deficit required,
250 calorie deficit per day.
That’s it. A mere 225 calories per day – which could be made up by exercising a bit more, cutting back a bit…you know the drill. Plus we started during a hot summer when my appetite drops to nothing.
And yet…
Here we are 6 weeks prior to the arrived upon date. I’ve lost 1 lb. Nope, no missing zeros there, just ONE.
Let’s go through the math now, shall we?
3500 Calorie deficit required for each lb you want to lose
9 lbs to lose
31500 calories deficit required
6 weeks in which to do it
5250 calories per week deficit required,
750 calorie deficit per day.
On the plus side, I’ve done better of late of just being aware of what goes into my body, and what nutrients I’m not getting enough of, and things like empty calories. As a matter of fact, I’m toying with the idea of taking a nutrition class at the local community college, that's how interesting I find it.
On the minus side… 750 calories per day DEFICIT? With Thanksgiving in the middle there?
As my dear hubby likes to say: Odds of this happening are slim and none. And Slim done left town.
Labels: Fab-Flab
Wallace & Gromit and the Curse of the WereRabbit
I’d never seen Wallace and Gromit before, but had heard tons about it from my lovable husband. And given we have a tendency to laugh at the same things, when our friend Barb suggested that there was no better way to spend a rainy cold evening, I jumped at the opportunity. Off the three of us went to see Wallace & Gromit and the Curse of the Were-Rabbit.
It was really good! This is the classic “movie that’s good for both kids and adults”. Half of the entertainment is catching the puns buried in the background (a book on monsters by Claude Savagely), then there are the awesome gizmo ideas (“Sweetie, can we use Wallace’s morning wake up and dress system?”) and of course the general silliness of the whole concept fills in the rest nicely. It was the perfect movie for dain bramaged work night.
The only downer to the whole evening was getting my card stuck in the stupid Fandango machine. But a pair of needle nose pliers later, and all was made well. Now to see if (as my hubby says) I’ve suddenly got an $8000 credit card charge from the movie theater.
Labels: Movies
Men In Black II
Yes...I know. Choosing to watch Men In Black II – willingly, and not as part of some terrorist plot – has just ruined any Foreign Film cred I got from watching
“Scent of Green Papaya”. And when I admit that MIIB is more my speed anyway, thousands will turn from me in disgust and despair, rending garments and ripping out hair.
Having said that, I don’t think MIIB is GOOD, I just enjoy a fluffy, no-brains-required action/comedy more than I probably should. Instead of appreciating the beauty of a quite garden with dripping papaya stems, I like jokes about the noisy cricket and blowing off an alien’s head so that he can complain about growing it back again. It’s goofy. It’s unrealistic. It’s perfect for an exhausting Monday night.
Alas, MIIB failed because it lacked the chemistry of the first one. Will Smith has outgrown the ability to just charm his way across the screen (much as it pains me to say it. I liked the old, charming Will). Tommy Lee Jones insouciance in the first movie doesn’t work here where he plays a guy who’s trying to remember the basics of the job. And let’s not even discuss Lara Flynn Boyle. She brings NOTHING to this movie. As a villain, she’s so far out of the ballpark compared to Vincent D’Onofrio that she’s not even ...in the same galaxy. The jokes about where galaxies can be found have already been outed by the first movie, and there’s little fresh about this movie. So it borrows heavily from the first movie to help explain the relationship between J & K, but then ignores the first movie all together in making the “world in a confined space” jokes.
Ultimately – it’s better than The Transporter, but you’d still be better off re-watching MIB1 instead.
Sorry, Will.
Labels: Movies
Joy! Joy! Joy!
How easily pleased am I? I just paid "only" $2.39/gallon for gas. Happiness is mine for the rest of the evening. Considering less than 6 weeks ago we paid over $3, this is a happy time indeed.
I'm still carpooling tomorrow though!
Scent of Green Papaya
This is one of those movies that's really just too good for me.
This is a Vietnamese movie which won all sorts of awards at Cannes a few years back. Foreign. Award winning. Subtitles. I'm already outclassed before I even hit play.
Essentially the final result was that while I completely appreciate the cinematography, and I thought the acting was really good, I really didn't see a lot of plot to this movie. It's a short movie to begin with (under an hour and a half), and the first two thirds was about a ten year old girl who goes to work as a servant for an ultra dysfunctional family and learns the stories behind the roiling dramas going on around her. Then in the last third, she's an adult breaking some conventions in her own quiet way. And somehow I've missed the critical link that tied those two together and made the movie one. Maybe I sneezed during a critical subtitle or something.
Anyway, if good camera work and beautiful scenery creates excitement for you, then this is the movie to get. But if like me, Cannes awards signal your impending out-class-edness, maybe you should pass.
Labels: Movies
Woohoo!
No, that isn't the name of a book or movie. As you can tell from the tenor of the blog up to now, I'm a book-a-holic. Two years ago (has it been that long?) my brother called to tell me of some friends of his who were homeschooling and looking for some books. There are 7 or 8 children in their family, and there are two other families that sort of pool resources, for a total of 21 families in all. So I set up a wish list on Amazon (search wish lists for "Homeschooling Project"), and with the help of some friends, we've managed to send over 200 books in the last two years. (One friend and I were sending books off of the wish list every month) Actually, we've probably sent a lot more books than that. I know a good friend has just sent all of her childhood books as a great way to purge her house, plus help someone out. As one friend put it, we always complain about the direction that the culture is going today, we should help out people who are raising their children to be decent, upstanding citizens.
Have I mentioned recently that I have AWESOME friends?
Anyway the reason for my big woohoo is that the local library is wrapping up their annual used book sale, and today is bag day - as many books as you can shove into a Borders bag for $5. I'm sure it won't surprise anyone if I tell you that the place was PACKED. At first I was really disappointed, all of the kids books were really picked over. The religious books seemed a bit iffy (the families are Catholic, and really like getting books on Catholicism, the Saints, etc). But I did find Christmas in Britain, Christmas in Italy, Christmas in Sweden and Christmas in Colonial America. Cool. Very timely. Then I went in into the next room and (cue angel choirs) there were the literature and history books. There were three books on plays by a Catholic nun (SCORE!) and a Henrik Ibsen 3-play book (I don't know why, but I love him), some books of poetry, some Shakespeare, and Robert Louis Stevenson. The history selection while interesting in general was probably too detailed for this point in the kids education. But I picked up a book called "Shapers of Africa", a book called "A Compact History of Mexico". For me I showed restraint, picking only "The Last Plantagenets" by Thomas Costain and "Christmas Gift!" by Ferrol Sams. I staggered out of there with 35 books. I then cursed myself as I walked home 4 blocks in the rain.
Labels: Charities
Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain
Let's start with a list of people who should not read this book:
- Vegetarians
- People offended by graphic discussions of sex
- People offended by graphic discussions of alcoholism
- People offended by graphic discussions of drugs and drug abuse
- People offended by crude language
- Anyone who eats at a restaurant
If you manage to get past all of that, this book is hysterical, fascinating, and depressing at times. If you have ever wondered what's REALLY going on in the kitchen at your favorite restaurant, this book is the tell all that you've been looking for. But be careful what you wish for, you may very well get it. The reality is that the restaurants that Bourdain's worked in are in part about satisfying the customer, and in part about conning the rubes. The chef is the master administrator, prima donna, creative genius, bean counter accountant, purchasing department, and, from the sounds of it, complete lunatic. While the front of the restaurant may be sophisticated with elegant discourse, the kitchen is the bluest of the blue collar empires.
Interesting book, but not always spell binding. If you press through the slow parts, you're generally rewarded with something more interesting.
In the Hopper
Books
Eldest by Christopher Paolini
Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister by Gregory Maguire
Confessions by St Augustine
Movies
Men In Black II
Singles
The Alamo
Labels: Books
The Transporter
This movie is like a bad blind date - one that's not fun enough to truly enjoy, but not bad enough to just walk out of. For the men in the audience...car chases. For the women in the audience, there is a redeeming aspect to the shirtless scenes, as Jason Statham has a fine (or as we used to like to say "fooiwn") upper body. For the hecklers in the audience, Matt Schulze, the bad guy of the movie, turns in an acting performance that would do credit to the worst high school performer you've seen.
On the netflix queue...two stars. Don't add it to your queue, there are way better action flicks out there.
Labels: Movies
5 in 10 Cookbook by Paula Hamilton
Ok, yes, I know... a cookbook. But as this is one of the favorites on my shelf, you'll just have to bear with me. The concept is that all of the recipes in this little cookbook are 5 ingredients or less in 10 minutes or less. In other words, for those of us who go to work and then have to actually have dinner in the evenings, this is a godsend. One of my husband's favorite dishes is in here - Pork Adobo, along with my favorite snack soup - Almond Squash Soup. This is not the fare that you would serve your elegant company, but at the end of a long day, this is the place to find some gooooood stuff.
Bon Appetit!
Labels: Books
Lance Armstrong’s War by Daniel Coyle
This is one I read this summer...
Background du jour – I’m a cyclist, or was one for years. Of late I’ve discovered the joys of not fighting the traffic in my very bike unfriendly town, and did you know that when you aren’t riding 10 hours of week, you can actually do
other things? But I still love watching the spring racing classics, the TdF, and, of course, my husband’s cyclocross races.
For those not so blessed with cycling experience or even cycling interest, this is still a quick, fun read. Everyone has heard of Lance Armstrong – one of the few to transcend a fringe sport in America. This gives a rare insight into the world of cycling that is actually understandable to anyone who’s not really sure what all of those odd jersey colors really mean in the TdF. Coyle does a fabulous job of explaining just enough to put everything in context, but not so much to confuse the beginner and bore the tifosi. (Italian for "fan") But for those of us who are immersed in cycling, this is like gossip central, and high entertainment to boot. We LOVE finding out that our favorite lieutenant, Floyd Landis, trained in the middle of the night because his parents flogged him with work. They were hoping to shake him out of the silliness of riding his bike for a living. I personally enjoyed reading about the gutsiness of my favorite rider, Tyler Hamilton, no matter how sadly that story ended. And of course, the little stuff about Lance’s day to day training and habits will be having my spandex-sporting brothers and sisters obsessing for years.
Daniel Coyle's writing style is classic "Outside" magazine - an easy read for those not so immersed in the sport, lots of info for those who are. It's a fine line to walk, but he does it well.
If you like sports at all, this is a good read. If you like cycling in particular, this is a fantastic read. It’s not going to change the world, but it’s a quick, fun time.
Labels: Books
The Liar's Club by Mary Karr
Let's start with a brief intro, shall we? I am Captain Wonderbread, middle America, suburban wife with a dog. I like it. I don't need to get painful tattoos, or kick small puppies to impress anyone with my mysterious darkness. As a matter of fact, I sort of make it my life's mission to NOT wallow in squalor, and I tend to be drawn to light books, light movies, and light music. My husband and were talking recently and I told him that even at my most angry, I was only Alanis Morissette "How dare you dump me you rotten &%*(@#&%@" angry and not Ani di Franco "All men should be castrated" angry.
So this is important to know because The Liar's Club is
not a sunshine and light kind of book. This has to be one of the most beautifully written books I've ever read, about some of the darkest subjects. It's the autobiography of a woman who grows up mostly in East Texas (with a stint in Colorado), the daughter of an alcoholic/drug addicted manic-depressive mother with a string of failed marriages, a dark past and a streak of flamboyance that scandalizes the neighborhood. Her father is the solid presence through the turbulent times, a blue-collar refinery worker trying to do the best he can for his family. Most of the book focuses on Mary Karr's life from ages 8-13.
Alas for me, I think this is the kind of book that giving much more detail to would only detract from the actual reading of it. I have no where near the writing skills of Ms Karr. So I'll just go with...Hmmm...I don't yet have a ratings system. How about - just go read it. If even Polly Whitebread likes it (or can recognize the artistry), then surely it's worth a second look.
In the HopperKitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain
Eldest by Christopher Paolini
Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister by Gregory McGuire
Confessions by St Augustine
Labels: Books
