Don't Read Unless Super Bored or Nostalgic!!

A day in the life (of past Blythe). Please note the SURPRISINGLY optimistic tone. (Oh the narcissism. Oh the NARCISSISM!)

September 17, 2005

12:25am

beautiful day!!!

so here is my yesterday into today.

after school yesterday

-i had to do my math homework (normal)

-i had to read all of the 20- some page packet and take notes for euro

-i had to write the 3 generalizations and support for the first packet for euro

-i had to read and take notes on 9 textbook pages for euro

-i had to write 2 interviews for 2 different zoo people for sr proj

-i had to put my 11 sources on notecards

-i had to find about 8 more sources

-i had to read all of my sources and make 40 notecards with a fact on each from the sources

-i had to work from 4-9:15

so i got home and started the packet but didn't even come close to finishing. when i got home at 9:30 i read all of the packet with notes, did my math, did the 3 generalizations, read and took notes on the first 3 pages of the euro textbook, and found some publishers for my sources for sr proj. also...we were having a graded discussion on all of the stuff for euro.. and you can't graduate if you don't pass sr proj. so all of that is what i had finished at about 2:30am and despite the 2 LITERS of soda that i drank (4 bottles), i wasn't able to go without sleep any longer. so i set my alarm for 5 and went upstairs to spend the very last of my energy taking notes on euro. while pretending to be asleep when a parent woke up, i actually fell asleep on my books,which is fine. then at like 4 am my sister comes to turn out the light because she can't sleep. i allow her to and now hold her directly responsible for the fact that i didn't wake up ontime so i couldn't take a shower but i also didn't miss my bus (thank heavens!!!!).

so i get to school, have a sip of soda, freak out during math... ya know! then i get to sr proj and realising that im never going to be able to turn in the sr proj stuff on time, i asked her what the penalty for a day late was. she said A NINE OUT OF TEN if i turn it in on monday so i thanked my lucky stars and got to finish euro during that entire block. SERIOUSLY, I FEEL BAD FOR PEOPLE WHO AREN'T AS LOVED BY GOD AS MYSELF!!! so i ended up finishing (took whole block. it was a bloody MIRACLE!!!). went to class and participated fine in the discussion and then i was HOME FREE!!!! so then i was ridiculously happy and dispersed a lot of hugs. i have to say that before the home free moment, i saw milad!! and mr jackson!!! and so that was what kept me going.

anyway, we tried out in AST and i did... well... i know its really annoying to complain about these things... but i made a horrible mistake and tried to just belt this song and ... it went quite tragically.... but THATS OK!!!

so i get home and then hang out at claires house before work which is always GREAT! then i went to work, got paid the big bucks, found out that i only had to work until 12am (because they didn't want to pay me overtime... but whatever.) anyway, nearly fell asleep during work until i got my soda (by the way i finished 4 sodas before school, 2 during school, and 2 after school cumulating to 4+ liters (the pepsi was in a bigger bottle... thats why its a +). so miraculusly there are hardly any tags at all and we leave around 11:15!!!!! INSTEAD OF ONE!!!! its a MIRACLE!!!!

anyway, i get home and go to see the outcome of the tryouts. here is the cast list:

cast:

tulip: jen tanz

eddie: jeremy

king: brian

queen: blythe

viv: baliey

arty: jake

daffodil: janet

tour guide: jenna

nanny: lacey

pomp: brieanne

circumstance: sydney

jester: talia

gingerbread man: josh

beast: bob

snow white: jen w.

evil fairy: liz

cinderella: candice

rapunzel: julia

alice: emmy

YES I TOTALLY GOT THE VERY PART OF THE SONG I MESSED UP!i have 80 lines and 2 songs!!! im thrilled out of my petite mind!!!

if that weren't so overshadowing, i would also throw in that

1. TODAY IS FRIDAY!!! THAT MEANS MORE THAN SIX HOURS OF SLEEP A NIGHT ... for a few days...

2. found out sectionals are on tuesdays so can think about changing my availability for work

3. DEMETRI MARTIN IS MY FRIEND ON MYSPACE!! it makes me feel REALLY awesome...even tho really it is a sign that i am a loser!

i won't even tell you about my schedule for next week because itll ruin the amazingness that was my day today!!! HURRAH!!!!!!

1 Jillion Things

About... 1 jillion-ish things to say. Let me list:

1. Old blog stuff

a. Christmas

So, I can't say I just STARTED re-reading and reformatting my old blogs, but I've been attacking the project with luster recently. On Christmas day, in particular, I got through January through May of my junior year. Which means that I spent most of Christmas day feeling EXTREMELY sorry for myself in the past. I can't say my nostalgia totally glosses over this period--I remember the pain. But reading it in my own words, every day, at all hours of the night. That was some TERRIBLE pain. Past Blythe was WAY fucking stronger than current Blythe is. And also, while throughout the past year, if not longer, I've been really worshipping my mother and trying to be as grateful as I can because I finally see what she gives me, I am pretty miffed at past-mom. I don't BLAME her per se, but some of the shit was pretty lame.

b. My sister.

I also realized that I started writing a blog in December of my sophomore year of high school, which is essentially where my sister is now! I decided to send her my blogs so that perhaps she can read them when she is miserable or happy or whatever and know exactly how I felt that day when I was her age (I really wrote almost every day).

I sent her December 10th through January 30th. I did this strategically for 2 reasons: 1) so she would care about it more. If I sent it to her in a clump, she might get overwhelmed by the length (I wrote 687 pages between 2003 and 2008 (size 9, single spaced. I'm a maniac. A self-obsessed maniac.)) and never read it OR read it all at once and it will go on the shelf with the rest of her books. I mean... this IS pretty neat. I don't care if I'm narcissistic. 2) I don't want to send her junior year yet. I distinctly remember (even before I read it) how much I loved sophomore year. I wasn't insecure about school or my friends and we were starting to hang out with boys (not in a sexy way, but in a regular way. I think that helps to even girls out, even if the boys we hung out with were... nothing like any group of boys I've ever met since then. In a semi-negative, definitely awkward, but okay way). But junior year. Nearly every entry is steeped with misery and panic and desperation. I think I'd rather her read them when she's actually in it... so she knows she's not alone. Or HOPEFULLY so she can be like "whoa, I'm not in THIS much pain. Jesus!"

Unfortunately, she didn't read my instructions and read the two months I sent her on Christmas morning and promptly asked me for more. I forgot that she's a heavy reader. I was also very flattered because I'm pretty aware that the audience for my new obsession (Past Blythe) is EXTREMELY narrow. I didn't give her more, but maybe I'll give her February soon.

Mostly, I really want it to inspire her to write a blog. A) so I can know more about her on a day to day basis. B) So she can nostalgically look back and glean the pleasure that I'm having right now... and the wisdom, weirdly. C) So when my brother is a sophomore on Christmas day, we can BOTH send him our blogs and then he can know how each of us felt. Unfortunately, it's impossible to say whether he would care what his older sisters felt, whether he would actually read them or not (can't determine how much he likes to read because he's 12 now), and whether or not he would really relate at ALL because he's a boy. Still, the dream is there.

(Weirdly, it's likely that my sister will read all of the above.)

c. I know everything already, but I just forgot.

Some of the stuff I find is super weird. On July 10, 2005 I write "i really feel like if can get into boston universtiy that that may be the college i choose. I don't know... I just have a feeling." However, I chose BU through tears in December of 2005.

Also (this was from a cosmo quiz):

e) what's your dream vacation?_________________________________

e. im not sure im actually into the location that much. i know i specifically declined a week in mexico so that i could have more time with my friends. it defiantely isn't lazing about on the beach or something. i would say that i would love to repeat possibly my best trip ever which is LA with my best friend. universal studios and disney world and water world and a knight thing... and id like to go to epcot. yeah... i like theme parks MUCH better than the beach or seeing natural or historical sites. but i have to go with someone awesome. i also REALLY like road trips. id really want to drive there. id want to drive half way and then fly the rest of the way because i love flying too. that would be the best.

2. Christmas with Caroline.

So... Christmas was lovely. Although... well I pretty much knew that I would be reminded of the details closer to the date. What I told other people was happening was that Caroline would arrive at 2pm and would leave at 4am. What was ACTUALLY supposed to happen was that Caroline would arrive at 4pm and leave at 8am. What HAPPENED was Caroline arrived at 7:15pm and I dropped her off at 6am for her flight. The stroke of miracle was that I had, for whatever reason, not slept until 6am on Christmas eve (technically Christmas day-- maybe it was a throwback to excitement of yester-year). Thus I woke up late, thus I was pretty alive until 6am the following day.

To sum up:

I slept until 1pm.

I ate canned soup.

I went to Denny's twice.

It rained.

Caroline and I chatted and she looked through my scrapbooks.

We looked through apartment listings for me.

Caroline gave me the most DELICIOUS treat I've ever had with toffee and peanuts and almonds and chocolate. It was HEAVEN and the BEST part was that it didn't hurt my teeth. I ate them all within days. She also gave me some heavenly sourdough bread.

We played logic puzzles. I always forget that Caroline is super into puzzles-- both logic and the actual kind with pieces. It truly makes me like her even better.

We parted ways as she took her Air Canada (?) flight to Israel.

3. Sarah Silverman

I finished The Time Travelers Wife for the second time, and again desperately needed a new book. I kind of wanted a quick, sure thing so instead of taking suggestions, I decided to get The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. So when I get into the library (a mere 9 hours ago) all of the computers to look up books are out of order. So before I go to the front desk, I decide to look for The Bedwetter: Stories of Courage, Redemption, and Pee by Sarah Silverman. I have looked for that book every time I've been to the library. It ALWAYS says it's available and I never see it in the stacks. Honestly, I'd already given it up for lost, but I'm pretty sure I just wanted to look like I had some direction when I was in the library. I was pretty much just wandering and checking all of the computers... and then unfortunately re-checking them because of my ever-surprising lack of spacial orientation and recognition of inanimate objects and displays. What I'm saying is, after wandering around like a fool, I took off in the only direction I knew: the Sarah Silverman direction. But guys. Today it was THERE!! Miracle miracle miracle!!!

I am a third through it and it's HILARIOUS (obviously). The lady checking it out was a middle aged white woman (of the rare, kind/endearing variety) and giggled at the title and the fact that it was non-fiction. "I'll have to remember this book. Is she some sort of comedian?" In my mind, I told her that it was VERY unlikely that she would like it, but on the outside I told her that if she was around when I returned it, I would let her know how it went.

4. Woody Allen, Bette Davis, and a touch of Judy Garland.

Oh Netflix.

Hannah and Her Sisters: I LOVED it. I loved it so much that it made me reevaluate my entire opinion of Woody Allen. Maybe I wasn't ready for him before, but now I think that what I mistook to be pretension, primarily because of the lengthy dialogue, I now find to be perfect. I love that the camera angles are off... like sometimes, but rarely, someone is talking and they are completely obscured and I feel like it's real. I love how he doesn't flirt around with the beginning of the movie. He simply does VO of what's in his head. But it gets the point across because then you can see the discomfort in every action, and you can see the obliviousness of everyone else and you know EXACTLY how that feels.

So then I watched

Manhattan: Loved it. LOVED it.

And then:

Crimes and Misdemeanors: I really loved that too, although the plot was VERY similar to Match Point.

I would not ever date Woody Allen because he writes about infidelity in nearly ever movie I've seen of his...

It disturbs me that in Manhattan he dates a 17 year old (when he is 42) and then in Crimes he hangs out with his even younger niece all the time. In fact, it doesn't disturb me SO much, as I find is strange that he is willing to do that when there is the obvious connection to his marriage with his step daughter.

Woody Allen is very concerned about God (obviously-- which is part of the reason I loved Hannah and Her Sisters so much. His character perfectly describes the reason why I've been getting middle-of-the-night death panic attacks since I was 8 years old.) and, as part of that I guess, crime that gets off scot-free.

I was also in the mood for some Bette Davis:

I watched Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? It was a LITTLE fun because I know that Bette Davis and Joan Crawford loathed each other and Bette Davis was known for being a huge bitch and Joan Crawford was known for being nice, but then LATER people think of her as being a psycho because of her daughter's memoir and then the movie (Mommie Dearest). But mostly I hated it because they kept doing close-ups of everyone for reactions that were too long and too fake to be tolerated. Plus it was too one-sided. Mostly though, I didn't realize that it was going to be so thriller-y. I thought it was going to be more tragic than scary. It wasn't.

All About Eve. I DID enjoy that one. I just thought it was unique in that Bette was kind of arrogant and suspecting and whatever but she was also endearing and right and she really turned out just fine anyway. Like.. there was resentment, but she really got what she wanted anyway. So... it was neat. Plus, Kevin told me it's similar to Black Swan. Good news.

And then I guess I needed Judy Garland so I watched A Star is Born. I watched half and then I talked to Kevin and I told him how it was silly because I didn't think she died during the making of the film (and I was right) but for 5-ish minutes they have scenes where it is just dialogue and still shots. And those are punctuated by driving shots or exteriors of buildings and stuff. It's very weird and I don't know why they did that. She also sings like... a 12 minute song in which a montage of stuff happens on very VERY cheap sets. It's EXTREMELY bizarre. But actually, the second half (it's like... 3 hours long!!) is really awesome and WAAAAY more tragic than I would have thought.

My favorite part is that Judy is singing with an orchestra and then she goes over to her boyfriend who is a declining star and an alcoholic and they are talking to each other to the side while the orchestra is performing music-only bits of the song. You don't hear what they say but the producer lowers a microphone into their conversation, unbeknownst to them. And then when they do the playback, you hear that he is proposing and she says "no" but all in a flirty way. And she says he drinks too much and asks if he would stop for her and he says she's not worth it, all giggly and they're fine and everything. So they hear it back with everyone. I just like it because... I hate when intimate moments are public. I don't understand why that's a romantic comedy standard because as soon as it's public, it's a show. And that's insincere. I guess it's because you can say anything to someone in privacy but you wouldn't say something so strong in front of witnesses unless you really mean it. But... I don't think it's necessary because I think a good movie should be able to build in some trust. But either way, this kind of crossed both hurdles. And MORE importantly, she agrees to marry him because "that's too public of a proposal to not say yes to" (I guess that's another reason for the public declarations). But... it's just neat that she WAS able to for see problems, but the circumstance caused her change her mind.

Very good movie though. Really liked it by the end.

Lastly, I also I have to mention: Corina and I stopped at Borders the other day because we were awkwardly an hour early to Devon's party. I saw both a Nightmare Before Christmas AND an Office monopoly game!!! It took so much will power, POSSIBLY divine power, to make me not buy it. If I had anyone, ANYONE I knew who would play with me even once every 3 months I would have bought it... and also I would marry them. It might actually have to be 2 other people because monopoly is pretty rough with only 2. A marri'age a trois.

Double lastly, for posterity purposes I just want to note that I keep a diary, mostly for extreme cases of unhappiness and confusion. I obviously keep a blog. I talked to Kevin for two hours every day. Yet I also starting writing a document on my computer which is TO Kevin, but not completely. Like... it's stuff that I don't REALLY know if I want him to read because it gets kind of weird. Well... I started writing a similar one to Natalya. Which is, honestly, even more weird because I don't understand why I can't just write those things to imaginary Kevin if no one is reading it anyway.

And this isn't a too-much-time-on-my-hands situation, because I have ... really not anymore time than I ever have. I know it's politically incorrect, but I just keep waiting for the schizophrenia. I mean, on top of Superfresh Blythe... I just feel like I'm splitting my thoughts into too many pieces...

Quite Busy

Seems like there is so much to say!

1. It's been raining for like... 6 days straight. I was pissed for maybe... 2 of them, before I learned that now is no time for flats. One day was spent getting my feet soaked and then drying them and my suede flats by the space heater. Over and over and over again. But... now that I've mastered the use of my umbrella, carefully chosen pants that don't drag on the ground, and which sweatshirt is allowed to be wet and which isn't, it's not so bad. I'm pretty sure at the end it will be like a cold-- you barely notice it, yet it's such a wonderful surprise when you can breathe through your nose again.

2. Christmas cards was a failure. I bought four and gave away three. The only gifts I got were for my bosses. They were both picture frames. Initially I tried to go to the mall. It was pouring (obviously) and when I got out at my exit, the roads were packed leading me to believe that someone was hit by a car. Nay. It was PACKED because people were trying to get into the mall. Aloud I said "fuck this," and turned right around. I totally forgot that shopping around Christmas is the pinnacle of unpleasant.

3. Actually this week has been great because I got so many presents. I got a pocketbook and 2 movie theater passes!! A BUNCH of makeup (semi-mystery) and some shirts (lucky) and a coupon book and MONEY! I just... forgot about that part. Also, I want to know when the tables will turn and I will give more than receive, because I basically do nothing but receive now.

4. I've been babysitting this 8-year-old kid (there are 2, but the older one kind of chills on his own). I don't want to tell the whole tale, but I'll give the highlights:

a. He has his own nail polish, which he used on my nails, my toenails, and several rocks.

b. He was obsessed with making beaded animals, although not especially geckos.

c. He has his own jewelry box, the prize object being a coral necklace.

Him: This is real coral. It's worth $450 but it was brought down to $97 and we bought it on Black Friday for $42.

Me: Oh, did you buy it for your mom, or is it for you?

Him: It's mine. And this jewelry box is real leather!

5. Also!!! through job perks that I will not elaborate on, I got to see BLUE VALENTINE! The acting was superb, the plot was a little... short.

6. Devon's birthday was yesterday! Aforementioned 8-year-old's pizza party very soon today. Hanging with Liz tomorrow. Caroline on Christmas! Housesitting on the 29th. Breaks are short as hell.

In the Order I Thought It

I want to be able to watch Conan to support... but I guess it really doesn't make a difference because I've never had a monitoring box on my TV. Still... I want him to thrive on TBS.

A guy was cured of AIDS!

Larry King is doing his last show on Thursday after over 25 years of work! I don't know why this isn't a bigger deal?

Scarjo and Reynolds broke up. Very sad.

Yesterday I had a glorious dinner with Saralyn, Liz and Aaron. They make the best dinners! We had albacore, couscous, broccoli and wine with brownies for dessert! I can't WAIT until I have a roommate that's awesome and we can make real food (likely will never happen because I like routine in theory WAAAY more than in practice). Super lovely though. I'm very grateful.

Found out The Office season 6 is on instant watch for Netflix... so you know how my next few evenings will be spent. I started one episode yesterday and, as with what happened with season 5, I enjoyed it FAR more than I did the first time. I hold that waiting a week builds up the pressure and the show can never live up to the expectation. When you watch them at your leisure and you can do three in a row... much more satisfying.

Failed to mention that I watched A Very Potter Musical the other day. HILARIOUS! Also, Darren Criss, the newest Glee sensation, is the star. I'm in love. Damnit.

I don't know if I'm getting anything for Christmas, but if I do, I hope I get clothes. Even though my clothes are nicer now than they have been for the past...8-10 years... I have hit the point again in which if you see me every day for about... 8 days... you will know my entire wardrobe. I'm embarrassed. And I'm ashamed at my embarrassment. It's not SUCH a crisis that I've actually spent my own money on the remedy, but it would be nice for a Christmas miracle.

I need a new book NOW! I've reread way too many of my books. I need to go to the library TODAY and get SOMETHING! The first fiction book catches my fancy, I'm taking it. Today, in desperation, I grabbed The Time Travelers Wife. But I read that... not 3 years ago. I just can't keep rereading everything I own. That's for desperate times... and I have a library card.

Movies I've Seen, Movies I Want to See... The Usual...

Dear Claire,

Watch Wristcutters: A Love Story. Please please! It has all my (our?) favorite things: funny, crazy characters, road trip, existentialism, Patrick Fugit. Plus, the nature of the film and the featuring of Shannyn Sossamon made me think of The Rules of Attraction. And I'll never be over Patrick Fugit.

ANYWAY, when I watched it, I just thought, "God DAMNIT, why can't Claire be here! Why!!?!"

Love love love,

Blythe

I also watched The Messenger last night. Netflix recommended it because I love (500) Days of Summer, Little Children, and Little Miss Sunshine. In retrospect, that does make sense, but I was hoping for a LITTLE more funny. Mostly I just cried every 10 minutes. It started off good though-- Ben Foster and Jena Malone having graphic-enough sex. But... I would really love Ben Foster to stick with comedy. Even black comedy. It's not that he didn't pull it off... but he's just no Jeremy Renner. And that pains me because I love his energy and his voice and his face. And he has a special place in my heart because of Flash Forward (old, Disney Channel version).

In other news, I am almost off for Christmas. I'm going to work a little (/possibly the whole day) on Monday. Then I have the week (I might do some babysitting). Then on Christmas I'm going to spend the day near-ish to LAX airport to hang with Caroline while she's waiting for her flight to Israel. I'm excited, but a LITTLE worried that I might get a surge of grief. I'm not totally sure how important Christmas is to me. Then, at the end of the month, I'm housesitting, which is definitely going to be the best part!

Plans for the break:

1. Christmas cards. I might have to do those this week, actually. Seems so daunting, but I can't wait to pick out the movie to watch while I do it. And the snacks. Yeah... I can make that fun, probs.

2. Finish scrapbook. Originally I stopped because I wanted to savor it, but now it's just sitting on my floor waiting to be done. Last year I watched Groundhog's Day and Ghostbusters during scrapbook time. They were perfect PERFECT films for scrapbooking. High energy. Already seen them a jillion times so I don't need to watch carefully. This year I'd love Casper, if I can get it. Or maybe Mrs. Doubtfire. Harriet the Spy?

3. Paint? We'll see. I'm actually all prepared to finish one that I started... a year ago? But... I secretly love it. It's one of my favorite pictures of Bob Dylan and his girlfriend in 1963-ish.

4. Hang with Julia. She's leaving for Santa Cruz in January, and she is coming back in April at the earliest.

Look, there are great movies to be picked for my entire break. That looks like the gist.

And OBVIOUSLY see Blue Valentine.

Added later: Just saw Annette Benning on the street!

But I Am Hopeful...

I watched the Babies documentary yesterday. It was like... a feature length youtube video of babies doing cute crap. No narration. No words really, except from the moms. But there were no subtitles so I only understood the American mom. But... it wasn't entirely chronological and it there wasn't much theme to each part, except occasionally, like when they showed all the babies interacting with cats. Can't say I didn't enjoy myself, although that could be my uterus talking.

If I get paid more after January, I want to move at the end of February. Not even because of my roommate (well... that's a lie... but not the point at this moment), but because I'm so far away from work! I spend 2 hours a day commuting (1.25 hours in the morning, and .75 hours at night). And I'm only 8 miles away from work!! And that does not count days like today when a road that I travel 3ish miles on had 2/3 lanes closed. And the closed part of the road couldn't have been more than... 30 feet... maybe less. Basically nothing, but merging the already unbearable traffic caused me to be 20 minutes late!! And I always show up 15 minutes early!

More importantly though, it means that I spend 12 hours a day at work or en route. That gives me literally 4 hours of spare time, 2 of which I use to talk to Kevin, which is crucial to my mental health.

I need a hobby!! Where's the a cappella? Need I start painting again, a hobby that I fear will only add to my state of recluse? I need something to live for.

Two from the Bin

This actually happened a couple of weeks ago, but while a manager in my office was interviewing applicants for a job, she mentioned that "if you want to network with your friends, you have to find your own time to do it." The concept of "networking" with my friends is pretty depressing. Chat, hang, share with, cling to for dear life... yes. Network... gross. Opposite.

I started netflix again. I KNOW that I'm poor... but actually I think I can spend $10 for a month of happiness. More importantly, my account was at the limit for being on hold, so I had to restart or risk losing all of my work on it. I've rated 881 movies (that is an over-estimate because certainly many of the pieces I've rated are TV shows) and I don't want to start again.

ANYWAY, yesterday I went straight home and watched two movies that I would never think to watch. I just thought, I'm in the mood to see something that I've never heard of-- support some indies and find some gems like the miracle of Cashback or Love Me If You Dare.

1. Show Me Love- Swedish young lesbian movie. I've never seen a Swedish movie before, actually. I thought it was fantastic. The main girl was so obnoxiously confident and rambunctious and got whatever she wanted, but... she was so cool anyway! And very pretty. She (Alexandra Dahlstrom) looked like a cross between Alyssa Milano and Eliza Dushku from Bring It On... except blonde. I think, POSSIBLY, what contributed to her being so pretty in the movie was that you rarely saw her completely head on. ANYWAY, pieces of the soundtrack were hilarious. It was pretty dark and then there were random 90s pop songs. "Show Me Love" by Robyn was actually the final song in the film, and it was so inappropriate! Not lyrically... but tonally.

2. Mary and Max-

This was the logline: Mary Dinkle, a chubby 8-year-old Australian girl, and Max Horovitz, an obese, middle-aged New Yorker with Asperger's syndrome, are a pair of unlikely pen pals in this quirky clay animation feature from writer-director Adam Elliot. Corresponding for two decades, the friends delve into a variety topics, including sex, kleptomania, psychiatry, taxidermy and more.

Awesome.

I actually only read the first two lines until just now, but I was so interested in an independent claymation because it seemed so expensive and unlikely. It was funny because they used a lot of screen time on stills of the environment with voice over of the correspondence or narrator. Also, there were very few colors. ANYWAY, it was quite dark but uplifting, although it didn't have the most extensive plot. More of a vignette... but a little plot. Plus, turns out Toni Colette and Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Eric Bana did the voices.

Good Weekend

It was a good weekend, filled with all of my favorite things.

Friday I did nothing... save work.

Saturday I started my day late, deposited some checks and went to the grocery store for some soup at about 2pm. While I'm sitting outside eating and reading, a man (MAYBE homeless, but I don't want to be presumptuous) came over to me and gave me a yogurt (and a plastic knife to eat it with... oops) and then started talking to me about the antics he got into with a man he met on the street, a bottle of vodka and some weed. "And I'm from the east coast," he told me, "so I have this." He proceeds to empty out a tiny purse, first taking out what is clearly rolling papers and tobacco, and then placing a little cube of hash on the table. At 2pm in the afternoon. At the table outside of the grocery store. He told me about moving some lady's couch in order to get free things out of the donation bin (location unknown). "And guess what was on the couch! PAISLEY!" I congratulate him and tell him I have to leave, returning his yogurt. He told me it was for me-- he only bought it to shoplift. "I'm not paying $3.99 for pistachios!" His name is John Biscuit, which he uses both as a name and an exclamation. "And I was like 'John Biscuit, give me the vodka!'"

I left and returned to my car, and was shocked to see that he followed me to bestow some sage advice: wear my seatbelt because it's Saturday and there are a lot of drunk people on the road, lock my doors, and never leave my keys in the ignition. Oh, and the lord will provide. I thanked him and closed my door. He knocked on my door shortly after to double-remind me to lock my door. Thanks, John Biscuit.

Later I went to hang out with Cassidy and his girlfriend, Elena. We watched Clerks, which was very entertaining, although the acting was just terrible. But I needed to see that film, and I'm pretty sure Clerks 2 is in my immediate future.

THEN I went to get a little dessert with Liz for 40ish minutes for a quick catch up at like... midnight.

Then on Sunday I hung out with Corina for our regular Skins (UK) mini marathon (only 2 episodes this time). We ate at Big Boy where allegedly Miley Cyrus is a regular. After every bit of slightly poor service ie: giving me ice when I requested none (which I must add, never TRULY bothers me at all... in fact, it's the most forgivable error that I frequently encounter-- how could you POSSIBLY remember no ice if you fill 100 drinks a day and every other one has ice), we exclaimed (/ said quietly to each other) "would Miley Cyrus get this treatment?! Would Miley have ice in her glass right now!?"

More importantly, Corina and I skyped with the Chords ladies which was bittersweet... but mostly sweet. I don't think I know ANY of the songs that they do anymore, which... seems FAR too soon. I want mandatory singing for 6+ hours a week. This is my dream.

All in all I'd say this has been an abnormally social weekend. In fact, yesterday I went to get a late meal with my friend Charlene... although I was SLIGHTLY bitter about the cheapest food being a $7 soup. Although... it was AMAZING soup. Potato leek, smoked trout and chive. Incredible. But I'd rather have regular-good soup for $2.

Side note: Charlene got a new job and started last week. I was sad that she left, but I think if people weren't coming and going in my life so much, I would be FAR more sentimental. As is, I'm sure we'll hang out as evidenced by yesterday.

Plus, next weekend Julia is having a 2-day party (I'm pretty sure/quite confident that you go home in between, but it's awesome saying 2-day party).

In other news:

-I still have not finished the scrapbook.

-I bought my mom a gift for her birthday on Etsy and it came in yesterday and it's sadly not as pretty as I thought it would be.

-I think I need to do Christmas cards. Like... for my career. I guess I'll just have to make a day of it. On my imaginary list, my mechanic is number 1.

IFC

So I guess IFC is my new favorite channel...

IFC is becoming the go-to network for fans of off-kilter comedy: The network announced Wednesday that it will begin airing "The Larry Sanders Show," "The Ben Stiller Show," "Mr. Show with Bob and David" and "Action" beginning in January.

The shows will debut on IFC in 2011, joining "Monty Python’s Flying Circus," "Arrested Development," "Freaks and Geeks" and "Undeclared." The repeats fill out a comedy slate that also includes the new originals "Onion News Network" and "Portlandia," a short-based scripted series from Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein.

The new shows will rotate through a new 90-minute, Monday-Wednesday comedy block beginning Jan. 3, featuring exclusive new interviews with the writers, creators and stars of each show. It will be hosted by comedian Scott Aukerman, who wrote and appeared on "Mr. Show." The first episode will feature Andy Dick ("The Ben Stiller Show") and Sarah Silverman ("Mr. Show").

"Larry Sanders" will debut Jan. 3, "Ben Stiller" Jan. 5, "Mr. Show" Jan. 7, and "Action" in late 2011.

Weather Change

Today a guy came into the office saying "at least the weather is nice today. Finally." I thought it was a bit rich for someone in southern California, but on a much more real level, I completely agreed.

I'm COLD, Y'all

You know what else is weird? I am cold all the live-long day!! Today I was packing on layers until I ran out and I was STILL freezing. Halfway through my commute, I remembered that cars have a heating ability. That was nice, although I had to balance the temperature because I kept thinking I would get too cozy and fall asleep. I know this is a brain thing. I expect to be warm because I'm in LA and then my brain is terribly shocked when I'm cold, whereas in Boston I expected to be cold and my brain braced itself and was stubbornly determined to feel warm.

On a side, irrelevant to anything, note, I was reading about Darren Aronofsky and the author said about Requiem for a Dream, "It's one of the few films I've ever seen that I heartily recommend for any serious film fan, but which I will never watch again." It's funny to me that everyone seems to feel this way about that movie. Someone asked me what other movies are single watch movies and I couldn't name one. Just that one. It's great. Once.

Tidbits

I think life is stranger for me now than it has ever been. I just don't recall feeling so weird in any other moment of my life.

-It's weird that I have older friends.

-It's weird that I feel like I'm living this crazy, unstable life-- ANY disturbance is going to throw me over the edge. If I get into an accident. If my car breaks. If I have to pay anymore money for anything at all. If I get any sort of illness that requires ANY assistance beyond tylenol... I'm fucked. Like... for real.

-It's weird that time is going by at lightning speed. I think to myself, "when was the last time I hung out with Corina?" the person I see the most, and I can't remember if it was a week ago or nearly a month ago. And my plans are in the form of years. In two years I want to start REALLY thinking about my career and not worrying SO much about money. When is Kevin moving here? Years. When is the NEXT time I'm going to see Natalya-- YEARS!

ANYWAY

Having Natalya visit was an absolute gift. We had a fairly successful dumpster-diving experience-- we ate all the food except some questionable bananas and we made garlands out of some flowers. The latter garnered a bevy of compliments. We went on a wee hike and we watched (500) Days of Summer, Away We Go, High Fidelity, When Harry Met Sally, Amelie and 9 episodes of Freaks and Geeks (I was surprised and pleased by the level of addiction Natalya reached with Freaks and Geeks... and all the movies, really). For a more complete recount, check out Natalya's blog. She has pictures!

In other news, I FINALLY started my senior year scrapbook-- I'm just including everything up until now. Honestly, mostly I just want to get it done, so it may turn out to be my worst scrapbook yet... hard to say.

Natalya

I enjoy guests, but Natalya is the BEST guest. This might come off cheap because she'll probably read this, but you should trust my sincerity because I wouldn't just make shit up. I'd omit.

Natalya is the best guest because I have placed numerous restrictions upon myself based on where I live. Well... I've been given numerous restrictions and have self-imposed even more out of fear of restrictions. It's all irrelevant because the point is that Natalya is the most adaptable person I know. "Ummm, we can't go home between 9pm and 11pm. Do you want to... sit in this parking lot and chat for a couple of hours?" "Ummm, we can't use the stove or really any part of the kitchen. Do you want to eat these perogies cold?" "Ummm, we can't flush the toilet between the hours of 11pm and 7am." Exact response "I'll poop on your poop." Most adaptable guest ever.

Yesterday was lovely, but one moment in particular was pretty magical. We spent the day on the Venice Beach boardwalk and then we sat on the beach for a bit. Around sunset we spotted an enormous crowd of people. They were fairly close but we could hear nothing because the wind was so fierce. When we got closer we realized it was an enormous group of people dancing around 10ish drummers in a circle--some dancing well and others strangely, although the people who dance strangely are much more moving because they are clearly so uninhibited. My personal favorite was a short Russian/Jewish old man in a black suit with a black baseball cap dancing amidst the chaos. Part way through, Natalya suggested we go a bit away from the group and dance on our own (we had to put our bags down). It was heaven. And the fierce wind and the sun setting made it so surreal. We took one great picture at the end. Then the police broke it up.

3rd Rock Dreams

400th blog!

My gmail got hacked, which is especially lame because I have some people in my address book that I REALLY don't want to be burdening with spam... but oh well. Several kind people called, texted and emailed me about my problem, but only ONE person gave me a suggestion about how to fix it. I changed my password. Then the next day, I realized that I may have not changed my password, but merely re-recorded my former password. Thus I made, for the second time (ish) an ENTIRELY new password. I know I can't go around being resentful about every little thing, but I really don't like new passwords. Hopefully it works.

I am officially housesitting for December 29 to January 6! Maybe longer! The woman for whom I've housesitting even offered to give me the money in advance so I can go home for Christmas. It was incredibly kind, but I assume that I'm not doing it. I really need that money, but more importantly, I don't think I'd ever actually ask for it ahead of time. I just... can't do that. Impossible to say how sad I will be about not being with my family on Christmas for the first time. I'll probably get chinese food and go to a movie-- a practice I've learned from my many Jewish companions. But at least I can miss them with full intensity, instead of going through my yearly internal struggle about how much I hate/love the holidays.

NATALYA WILL BE HERE SATURDAY OR SUNDAY! I bought a swiffer for the occasion.

Finished 3rd Rock from the Sun. I'm SO distraught. I speed ahead so fast with new shows, and I forget how depressed I get when they end.

DREAM:

During the first part of my dream, I was on the basketball court by my PA house with a bunch of girls, including two of my cousins and my sister. We were sunbathing and I recall that we all needed 6 towels and I spent a deal of time trying to decide how to put each towel to use. It just seemed so excessive.

I went over to my brother, who was younger and with my stepdad and my uncle Joe. My brother started to throw rocks at me--although not hard enough to hurt--at, I assume, my uncle's request. I shot him a shocked and disgusted look and finally my stepdad told Matt to stop.

I was hanging out with some guy (he morphed many times throughout, but one of his incarnations was Todd Kubrak from The Four Faced Liar) who I knew was cheating on his girlfriend. Then he left and his girlfriend (I think it was the girl who played "Precious" in a later episode of Friends) came over and found the other woman's shoes on the mat. She got reallly pissed and then Todd came back. While her back was turned, I tried to give him a thumbs down to warn him about the coming wrath. Then me, Sally, Harry, and Tommy from 3rd Rock from the Sun took off.

Then the three of us were in a speed boat in the dead of night outside of New York City-- it was actually gorgeous in my dream. Tommy was driving really fast. They weren't the characters from the show-- just made up personalities, I guess. I said "can I just say, what a cliche to find the other woman's shoes on the mat!?" and we all laughed and talked about it. Then we look ahead and there are dark rocks. Sally yelled at Tommy to turn the boat, but we were going so fast that it was definitely too late. At that moment I thought "I hope this is a dream!" and woke up.

More Happy!

More and more and more miracles!!

1. Natalya is DEFINITELY coming for Thanksgiving!!!

2. I might get to housesit for Christmas break!!! Which means hanging out with AWESOME huskies!! With the pool. It's questionable whether you can swim in December... but I bet you can HOTTUB in December!! And I KNOW you can use CABLE in December! More importantly, this gives me the hope of allieviating the anxiety I was having about not working for two weeks and whether or not I would survive...Merry Christmas to me!! (potentially).

3. This is my 399th blog. On THIS blog, of course. Can you believe that I have nearly 700 pages of my former blog--single spaced, size 9! Crazy. My first blog entry ever was something like "I hope I actually write in this and don't lose interest in a couple of days." That was a hope-success.

Forms of escape that pique my interest today:

We Bought a Zoo. Directed by Cameron Crowe, this is a family movie about a man who buys a zoo... whatever. Matt Damon, ScarJo, Elle Fanning (girl is genius!) and :::drum roll::: PATRICK FUGIT. Down diggity down! It's still in the casting stage so... we're gonna have to wait a couple of years, but I'm READY!

Also, I'm going to read Songs My Mother Taught Me by Marlon Brando. Yesterday I got fairly involved reading quotes by him, and today Carey Elwes was on my radio program and said how much he loved Marlon and imitated him. All signs point there. I think I'm going to finish No One Here Gets Out Alive (why won't Morrison DIE already! The issue is that I still haven't gotten back to the point in which I stopped reading because I lost my copy. So now every couple of pages I'm like "awww crap, I read all of this." (I calculated that I've read at least (probably exactly) 6 books since the loss, and I can't be expected to remember every page)) Then I'm going to desert Eat, Pray, Love for now. Eeeeh... we'll see.

Added later: Also, Last Night with Keira Knightly and GUILLAUME CANET!!! Don't know what it's about, didn't see the trailer, but I am in LOVE with Guillaume Canet. LOVE. LOOOOOVEEEE!!

Positive Shift

I am feeling MUCH better now. It, I believe, is largely due to a hormonal shift, unfortunately. The following things also contributed:

1. I'm in love with my mechanic.

After the whole registration debacle, I put the rest of my vehicle anxieties on the back burner. I'd been pumping my brakes at every light for a while, an issue was accompanied by a screeching when I braked. Then someone else drove my car and told me that it terrified her and that I needed to get the brakes checked. Then I discussed my brakes with my mom, and... her concern was great and her prediction was a $1000 brake change. I do not have $1000. It feels as though I will never have $1000. And the prospect of taking the bus to work, when it already takes me an hour and fifteen minutes by direct route, seemed extremely ominous. Of course, dying in a fiery collision is also a bit ominous. I stopped letting friends in the car with me.

Then today, I finally got the car checked and...

IT WAS MY BRAKE CYLINDER!! And my mechanic only charged me $150 to replace that AND change my oil. I tried to tip him $20 but he absolutely refused. I can't even express the relief. My head LITERALLY replayed "I'm Walkin' on Sunshine" for the hour after I heard the news.

2. I got to hang with Julia AND Corina this weekend. That's just a blessing.

3. I got to talk to my grandpa. The time between calls was longer this time, but it was glorious because the last he heard, I was on my WAY to getting paid very little for only 2 days a week. So while I'm still making very little, I'm making a ... SURVIVABLE amount of money, with prospects. And I miraculously have a steady odd-job situation to help me out. It was a negative talk, but negative with hope (only on the job-front. The rest of our conversation was pure positive). And also, at least I'm clearly doing the best I can do.

4. I got paid more than I deserved for a babysitting job.

5. I got invited to 2 Thanksgiving dinners, which is divine and I'm so grateful. However, Natalya said that she might come down (!!!) and we can dumpster dive for Thanksgiving, which is my choice. I'm SO excited!!!!!

6. Even though I'm not the high-priestess of good karma, I believe these questionable things helped my case.

A. I hugged a homeless man.

The other day I was going into 7 Eleven and I had some dollar bills so I took one out to give to the homeless man outside. He smiled at me while I was walking in, so I gave the bill to him before I entered. He seemed shocked and pleased and even asked me if I was sure I wanted to give him money BEFORE entering my location. I assured him, went in, bought what I needed, and came out. He wished me a happy Halloween and then told me he could use a hug... aaaand because I have no self-control, I did it. I got into the car afterwards and he asked me to roll down the window. He wished me another happy Halloween and told me he could use another hug, at which point I said "k... goodbye" and drove away.

B. I picked up a hitchhiker. I actually thought this decision would be... no-so well received, but no one, including Kevin, Corina, my co-worker, and my grandpa really scolded me about it. Thus, I feel I can write about it in my blog.

I was sitting in a parking lot waiting for Corina to get home so we could hang out. My window was down and I was talking to Kevin when a kid my age-ish asked me if I was going his way. I said I wasn't, but he seemed really desperate and offered me $10, so despite Kevin's precognitive warning for me to not pick up hitchhikers, I did it anyway with Kevin on the line the whole time (Chiding in my ear about the kid leading me to my death, no less. And asking me to say "blue" if the kid was unattractive, to which I replied a subtle "purple.") The kid told me he was from Hawaii and he was here to be an actor. He said he was trying to catch the train because he had been sleeping in the park for a couple of days and a friend was offering him his or her couch. At the end of the trip he gave me $10. I refused but he insisted (/I took it after the second offering because... I like money right now). Afterwards, while I felt good for helping, I felt crappy for taking $10 from a kid who has been sleeping in the park. C'est la vie. My vehicle situation proves (if I sincerely believed in karma or magic) that my intentions were pure enough for good luck.

Mostly I'm just feeling far more grateful than I was for a bit. Hopefully it lasts, but I have high hopes.

On a side issue, my new obsession with 3rd Rock from the Sun has been contributing to my joy as well.

Also, on the list of movies to re-watch: What's Eating Gilbert Grape?

Needs Improvement

I need to go on a campaign for more appreciation of my life. I was VERY appreciative mere months ago and now I'm becoming whiny. I think I need to make small goals, because I while I'm certainly not miserable at work, I can't fool myself into thinking that perpetuating this existence for work alone is at all satisfactory.

Homeless people. Third world countries. People in the 1930s. Etc. etc.

I need to re-watch the following movies:

The Godfather

Almost Famous

Mysterious Skins

Annie Hall

I'm making a list of my top 100 movies, but I can't put them in because I don't remember them enough. I doubt The Godfather will make the cut, but I need to double check.

I think cellphones are ruining our lives and I'm resentful that no one has campaigned against them yet. I talked to Natalya at length about this, and I really believe it's a blog-worthy subject. Furthermore, I do not believe that I'm being archaic.

The other day, Elana shared some tragic news with me: her company is providing her with a blackberry and paying for the bills, provided that she answer her phone at all times. I find this abusive. Before cell phones, if I wasn't in the house, which was always likely, no one could reach me. But now, I'm being rude or irresponsible. The other day, I got a call from someone important relatively early in the morning. In the 90s, I could let the call go because I could reasonably be out of the house, but I had to answer it because in this world in which our phones are always with us, I had to answer or risk the embarrassment that I was still asleep. It's my prerogative (how is that the correct spelling??) if I work all week and I want to spend my free time sleeping. I don't need the judgement. I know this is a tiny grievance and that it represents laziness, but I don't care. I don't think that people should be able to reach me whenever they want if I haven't committed to a time or I'm not on the clock. I think that in this work-centric world, in which you are cutthroat to get to the top, not giving someone the freedom to NOT be on call 24/7 is going to kill people. I'm imagining therapy over this, interrupted by inane texts--irony that belongs in movies.

Global warming. Wars over water. Rampant cancer. Overpopulation. Etc. etc.

Halloween and Sanity

Halloween: Went to a Jewish candy store with Corina and Bub. I didn't buy anything. Corina and I wore our chords shirts, our respective American Apparel sweatshirts and our samesies shoes (I LOVE these shoes). So... while we weren't particularly be-costumed, we were twinsies. Afterwards, we reminisced vaguely about days of Halloween past-- how you weren't cool unless you brought your pillowcase, for example. I got home by before 10pm, talked to Kevin, and spent the rest of the evening trying watching 3rd Rock From the Sun (on it). I sincerely couldn't be more pleased. Although perhaps next year, when my mind is more free to focus instead of consumed with, I'm sorry to admit, pitying myself, I'll go on Santa Monica Blvd, which is hear is a blast. I'll still be young next year.

Movies I'm thinking about today:

Buried. Paul is a U.S. contractor working in Iraq. After an attack by a group of Iraqis he wakes to find he is buried alive inside a coffin. With only a lighter and a cell phone it's a race against time to escape this claustrophobic death trap.Ryan Reynolds stars.

Morning Glory. I don't care. It looks GREAT to me!

And finally...

RALLY TO RESTORE SANITY:

I'm sorry to say that I didn't watch the Rally to Restore Sanity. Not that it makes up for it, but I did read the live coverage.

Signs mentioned:

"We could do it wrong"

"The founding fathers were east coast liberals"

"Pay taxes. How else do roads get built?"

"Ask. Tell."

"If your idea can fit on a sign, you need a bigger idea."

"War is not free. Teabaggers, pay your taxes."

"Iraqi-American: I'm afraid to get on a plane with myself."

Jon's closing statement:

I can’t control what people think this was. I can only tell you my intentions. This was not a rally to ridicule people of faith or people of activism or to look down our noses at the heartland or at passionate argument or to suggest that times are not difficult and that we have nothing to fear. They are and we do.

But we live now in hard times, not end times. And we can have animus and not be enemies.

But unfortunately one of our main tools in delineating the two broke. The country’s 24-hour political pundit perpetual panic conflictinator did not cause our problems but it’s existence makes solving them that much harder. The press can hold it’s magnifying up to our problems bringing them into focus, illuminating issues heretofore unseen or they can use that magnifying glass to light ants on fire and then perhaps host a week of shows on the sudden, unexpected dangerous flaming ant epidemic.

If we amplify everything we hear nothing.

There are terrorists and racists and Stalinist and theocrats but those are titles that must be earned. You must have the resume. Not being able to distinguish between real racists and Tea Partiers or real bigots and Juan Williams and Rick Sanchez is an insult, not only to those people but to the racists themselves who have put in the exhausting effort it takes to hate. Just as the inability to distinguish terrorists from Muslims makes us less safe not more.

The press is our immune system. If we overreact to everything we actually get sicker and perhaps eczema.

And yet with that being said I feel good—strangely, calmly good. Because the image of Americans that is reflected back to us by our political and media process is false. It is us through a fun house mirror and not the good kind that makes you look slim in the waist and maybe taller, but the kind where you have a giant forehead and an ass shaped like a month-old pumpkin and one eyeball.

So, why would we work together? Why would you reach across the aisle to a pumpkin assed forehead eyball monster?

If the picture of us were true of course our inability to solve problems would actually be quite sane and reasonable. Why would you work with Marxists actively subverting our Constitution or racists and homophobes who see no one’s humanity but their own? We hear every damn day about how fragile our country is—on the brink of catastrophe—torn by polarizing hate and how it’s a shame that we can’t work together to get things done, but the truth is we do. We work together to get things done every damn day!

The only place we don’t is here or on cable TV. But Americans don’t live here or on cable TV. Where we live our values and principles form the foundation that sustains us while we get things done not the barriers that prevent us from getting things done. Most Americans don’t live their lives solely as Democrats, Republicans, Liberals or Conservatives. Americans live their lives more as people that are just a little bit late for something they have to do—often something that they do not want to do—butthey do it. Impossible things every day that are only made possible by the little reasonable compromises that we all make.

Look on the screen this is where we are this is who we are. These cars—that’s a schoolteacher who probably thinks his taxes are too high. He’s going to work. There’s another car-a woman with two small kids who can’t really think about anything else right now. There’s another car swinging I don’t even know if you can see it—the lady’s in the NRA. She loves Oprah. There’s another car—an investment banker, gay, also likes Oprah. Another car’s a Latino carpenter. Another car a fundamentalist vacuum salesman. Atheist obstetrician. Mormon Jay-Z fan.

But this is us. Every one of the cars that you see is filled with individuals of strong belief and principles they hold dear—often principles and beliefs in direct opposition to their fellow travelers.

And yet these millions of cars must somehow find a way to squeeze one by one into a mile long 30 foot wide tunnel carved underneath a might river. Carved, by the way, by people who I’m sure had their differences. And they do it. Concession by conscession. You go. Then I’ll go. You go then I’ll go. You go then I’ll go, "Oh my God, is that an NRA sticker on your car? Is that an Obama sticker on your car?" Well, that’s okay—you go and then I’ll go.

And sure, at some point there will be a selfish jerk who zips up the shoulder and cuts in at the last minute, but that individual is rare and he is scorned -- and not hired as an analyst.

Because we know instinctively as a people that if we are to get through the darkness and back into the light we have to work together and the truth is, there will always be darkness. And sometimes the light at the end of the tunnel isn’t the promised land.

Sometimes it’s just New Jersey. But we do it anyway, together.

If you want to know why I’m here and what I want from you I can only assure you this: you have already given it to me. You’re presence was what I wanted.

Sanity will always be and has always been in the eye of the beholder. To see you here today and the kind of people that you are has restored mine. Thank you.

Blythe Influx

I have to take back the compliment I gave to 500 Days of Summer on the fact that the breakup scene isn't shown. That is false. There IS a breakup scene. I didn't watch the first 10 minutes the last time and I missed it. I love the film no less, but I wanted to clarify that error.

Watched The Hangover last night. Kevin has been telling me for months that it was highly HIGHLY overrated and while I trust his movie opinions thoroughly, it seemed unlikely that it could be so poor given how much EVERYONE else liked it and it won a Golden Globe. Turns out, in my opinion, he was absolutely right. My official stance on the matter is, if you need a great slapstick, pass on The Hangover and check out Pineapple Express. That was HILARIOUS!

Recently, my name has been everywhere. My name NOT referring to me. It's HIGHLY disconcerting.

1. A woman that my manager converses with a lot and refers to a lot. I've just never had an experience in which someone was regular saying my name, but not talking to me.

2. I was reading breakdowns for upcoming movies and a lead character of a new movie is named Blythe.

3. I saw an add for Blythe dolls on TV!

4. Blythe Solar Power Project- learned from Natalya.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/10/25/biggest-solar-project-in-_n_773655.html

Movie I'm interested in today:

127 Hours.

Sounds gripping a la Castaway or Into the Wild. Plus, Danny Boyle is quickly becoming my favorite director with Slumdog Millionaire, (the last film I had to see in the theater twice) Trainspotting (in my top 6), and 28 Days Later (top 5 horror (although I don't really like 5 horror movies... so it's not a HUGE compliment)), and The Beach (I don't even care... I really like that movie even if it wasn't terribly well received). Also, let us not forget the miracle of James Franco.

Hesher.

It already came out, I believe, but here is the Imdb synopsis: Hesher is a loner. He hates the world and everyone in it. He has long greasy hair and homemade tattoos. He is malnourished and smokes a lot of cigarettes. He likes fire and blowing things up. He lives in his van, until he meets TJ.

Joseph Gordon Levitt, Natalie Portman, and Rainn Wilson. I'm down.

Black Swan.

Did we already talk about this? I was skeptical at first because Requiem for a Dream was a one time movie (I've seen it twice... but... I didn't need to. I'll probably only see it... twice more before I die). Didn't see The Wrestler-- too Joni Mitchell. Pi-- couldn't watch it to save my life. I tried twice and lost a battle with unconsciousness both times. The Fountain was pretty but... I couldn't understand it at ALL. HOWEVER, the Black Swan trailer is KILLER and... I don't think I can resist a scary ballet thriller with Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis.

Obama and Stewart (FINALLY, My Tastes Return)

I had one of those days yesterday when the date sticks out in your mind as important, but you have no idea why. It's a little ominous actually. HOWEVER, I was THRILLED when I got home because the day marked President Obama on The Daily Show!! Which I watched because housesitting offers me cable!

First of all, I felt an enormous wave of admiration for Jon, which always happens. I was so impressed because he got right into it, he was respectful and funny and listened more than he spoke, but when he spoke, he didn't dance around the stuff that he's disappointed about. Also, he didn't fawn over Obama, which is what I would have done (obvs).

Obama convinced me that he's doing okay, but that really only bummed me out ultimately, because the entire thing highlighted the fact that I've stopped paying attention.. I didn't even get my absentee ballot, which makes me feel terrible. TERRIBLE. More terrible because I didn't even feel terrible about it until last night when Obama asked ME to vote. Crraap!

I HAVE to start watching The Daily Show and Colbert Report daily again. Not because I should get my news from them (as they always say), but so they can get me excited about current events so I feel inclined to look things up myself. Also, I love them so much. I need to push past the slow internet situation.

Oooo... it was jizz-tastic though.

Dog Lesson

I've learned a lesson while house sitting: I am not going to be ready for dogs of my own for a while. I'm LOVE hanging out with them now, but I think by Halloween I'm going to be totally ready to sleep with a few less butts in my face. Although the dogs do regulate my sleeping. On Friday, I went to bed at midnight because Bonnie, one of the dogs (and roommie of Clyde (!)), started yawning and covering her eyes with her paws. I felt so guilty that she couldn't sleep if I wasn't sleeping. Then I woke up at 9am because after we went out to pee, I didn't really need to go back to sleep. It's crazy that my mom had a 3-year-old child (me) when she was my age. I feel like I might not succeed at keeping MYSELF alive, let alone anyone or thing else. Save my fish, hopefully...

On a side note, I AM ready for cable (I know, I know. I'm not going to spend my money on TV. Pipe dreams....)

I had the following non-subtle dream the other day:

I was in my apartment and my roommate Davida had set up a desk and chair set up in my shower. Then her son came over and told me I was ruining the shower with the desk set-up and asked why would I want to do that in the first place. I don't think I explained. Then I had a pretty large, white pet mouse and it chewed through the lock on it's cage. For a minute, I thought it reproduced because there was an orange and black one a little later, but my dream-self determined that it was a dream that the mouse had reproduced (which I enjoyed in retrospect because it felt like my dream was initially going to take it there and then thought it was stacking on the problems a little too fast).

So I get in the car to go to the hardware store to get a lock. It's night time and as I'm driving, I'm swerving everywhere. I evaluate why I can't drive, thinking that I would know if I was drunk. When I get to the parking lot, I realize that I couldn't drive because my brakes weren't working. I also recalled that my bike brakes weren't working (in real life I don't have a bike).

The hardware store is closed and I start to cry. I go in the store through a window on the second floor. As I come down the stairs, I see a person that I know and love and I start to cry again, looking for some sympathy. I told him about my car and my bike and my mouse and my car registration (which is an actual, real-life problem) and I assume I told him about my office-shower. He kindly listens to my grievances but looks at me a little strangely. Then I look around the room and see that I'm not in a public store. I'm in someone's living room and he obviously is wondering why I just burst into a house I'd never been to. Uninvited. At night. And I just started crying at him.

I don't remember the rest clearly, but I stayed at the place and the guy became interchangeable with my dad.

The point is, I have anxiety. I have anxiety about my roommate and the brakes on my car and my registration. Also, my dream went from point A to point B with surprisingly clarity. I think it was more reasonable because it was nap dream, not a night dream.

MOVIE SECTION:

Jennifer's Body. I can't say I really enjoyed it too much. I CAN say that I LOVED Adam Brody in it. The part in which he was killing Jennifer was HILARIOUS! I think the problem was that until Brody showed up, I wasn't sure if the movie was trying to be scary or fun. After I learned that it was obviously not intended for horrifying, I understood the movie better, but then I just lamented Megan Fox's poor acting and the writing that clearly didn't serve it's purpose. Brody hasn't had his big role yet, as far as I know. I've loved him in a BUNCH of stuff that I've hated. In the Land of Women, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, can we assume I hated The O.C. even though I've never seen it? I guess we won't.... I don't want to be rude.

Watched the first half of The Lovely Bones, but I got bored and didn't finish it, which is VERY unlike me. I think what bored me was all the heaven parts. I was trying to understand what I was supposed to gain from it. In the book, it's really just her observing and not letting go, but in the movie she was much more aggressive. Plus, the movie made her heaven very scary and unpredictable, whereas in the book it NEVER scared her or did anything uncomfortable. Part of it could have been visual magnificent, but the CGI was pretty poor and all I could see was the green screen. I think if it was JUST the earth scenes, I would have at least waited it out.

Also, I thought I was going to be sick over Stanley Tucci being a killer, but it didn't bother me that much. I think I would have been more upset by it if you actually saw him rape the girl (which... MAY have happened in the last 45 minutes... hard to say). Mostly he kind of reminded me of one of my grandpas. Also, I have to say that while it wasn't really his fault at all, I giggled every time Mark Wahlberg cried. He did a fine job, but I couldn't keep it together. Rachel Weisz did a VERY annoying cry, but... I love her and she looked very nice in 70s clothes. Mostly that book should not be a movie.

Rewatched 500 Days of Summer. Miraculous! I will own that movie someday! I love that it can be so stylistic without being off putting. I think it's because the fantasy parts were varied, clarified how he was feeling, and were FUNNY. Also, I love that they didn't show the actual break up because I think the audience could get bogged down in the semantics of the break up and find someone to blame, and that's not what it's about. Whoever said it is the Annie Hall of our generation couldn't be more right... in my opinion.

That's all.

Eggplant Miracle

Job situation is even better. I am regularly employed 4 days a week, but am often working at least partially through the fifth day.

More importantly, my friends at Present Pictures asked me to dog-sit/house-sit!! HURRAH! I can talk on the phone in my house! I can cook without fear! I made eggplant parmesan!! PLUS, I get to hang with dogs all day! AAAAAND it's WAY closer to work. It took me like... 20 minutes to get to work today, rather than the hour and 15 it usually takes. HUGE.

Let's return to the meal. Kevin gave me detailed instructions, although I added pasta on my own accord. The real miracle was that I was certain I was undercooking the eggplant, but the miracle was that I always forget that you barely have to cook vegetables at all. The eggplant was delicious after only 2 minutes in the frying pan. Plus, after it went in the oven, it tasted the way eggplant usually tastes! Miracle. Also, the eggplants were fresh from the garden!! How glorious!

NOTE: don't just go and fry eggplants right now! You have to prepare them first by drying them out-ish. Look it up!

Tonight I'm making guacamole!

The movies I'm excited about today: All Good Things (Ryan Gosling, Kirsten Dunst, Kristen Wiig, Frank Langella). Looks scary. Also, Gosling looks incredibly youthful. He's not aging as fast as everyone else. He's got Elizabeth Harnois syndrome (but obviously not quite since she is a vampire).

Also, MORE excited for Restless with Mia Wasikowska and Henry Hopper (never heard of him, but I'm on board. Mia Wasikowska is in everything now. I'm for it. I didn't see Alice in Wonderland and I thought she was absolutely regular in The Kids Are Alright, but I have so much faith in her future.

Maybe I'll do a regular "movies I'm excited about now" section. I think I shall. The miracle is that sometimes I read my old blogs and I see the jillions of movies I've listed that I wanted to see. Miraculously, I see MOST of these movies at some point. I guess I live in perpetual movie-watching self-doubt, but I'm surprised to know my rate of success is pretty high.

ummmm Movies...

The good news is, I am now officially employed 2 days a week as an OFFICIAL manager's assistant. The bad news is, I absolutely can't even KIND OF live off of that money. But the OTHER good news is that I've been working about 5 days a week anyway, due to weird odd jobs that have been coming my way. So... we're doing okay.

Moving on...

MOVIE SECTION:

I've been pumped about Blue Valentine (Gosling, Williams) for... months and months now. I got EXTRA pumped when I learned it was going to have a wide release. AND NOW, to make me even MORE excited, I just learned of an NC-17 rating. Judge me if you will, but this thrills the crap out of me!

Also, I feel like Love and Other Drugs (Hathaway, Gyllenhaal) is the romantic comedy for which I've been waiting. Cute and great and NO SLAPSTICK! Hurrah!

Got a free screening to Easy A, which I adored! Emma Stone was really really great and I'm very pleased that she's getting a whole bunch of roles now. I think she is filling in the gap that Lohan left when she went crazy (still hoping for a comeback though...). More importantly, Stanley Tucci was BRILLIANT! Bynes was ... well I don't feel great about being mean towards her, but she was pretty poor and I blame a) the makeup job and b) the fact that she just shouldn't be a secondary character. She's the Man was hilarious and The Amanda Show was a wonderful come down when All That got crappy. But Hairspray... weakest link. Easy A... 2nd weakest link, semi-tied with Lisa Kudrow, who I also usually love but was dead in the eyes and played an evil Phoebe, which I think we can agree is not a compliment. Lastly, Penn Badgley was super cute, although despite the numerous moments with him, I still felt I could have used a little more. Probs biased because of aforementioned super-cuteness. Also, I super appreciated the heavily referenced John Hughes films because I just went through a bit of a spree in that department (Pretty in Pink, Breakfast Club, Sixteen Candles, St. Elmo's Fire (not technically Hughes... but in a much more real way, it is).

On a related note, I've always disliked Breakfast Club the most out of the 80s movies and I think it's because while it's well done, I can't relate to that film at ALL. It just has almost NOTHING to do with high school as I ever knew it. I can relate to a distant fairytale crush when I'm 16 and I don't need to relate to Pretty in Pink because it's so damn fun (although now when I watch it, all I can think about is how much better it would have been if they used Robert Downey Jr. as Duckie and made him and Ringwald get together... all of which was considered... oh God how I pine...) and I can REALLY feel for the characters of St. Elmo's Fire. I just can't suspend for Breakfast Club. None of us had trouble being friends with whomever we wanted.

Ok gotta go-- Hereafter free screening!! DAMON!!

Solely Escapism

Very important information (although not about jobs, sadly-- please don't mistake this as a lack of effort on my part, because... I assure you that effort is there). VERY IMPORTANT!

Corina and I just saw the LA premiere of Nowhere Boy (she paid-- I feel inclined to say-- VERY grateful) and... it was VERY good! Much better than the cheese the trailer leads you to believe. It isn't really about the Beatles-- it's about John Lennon's young life and I basically knew... none of it, although I make no claim to be a Beatles scholar. The important part comes here: Aaron Johnson is HOT! REEEALLY hot. But for SUUUUPER real!

You. Are. Welcome!

It was a little disconcerting as I never consider the actual John Lennon to be super jizz-worthy (in looks, of course-- surely he's jizz-worthy in other aspects always). Fortunately, my lack of worldly travels allows me to assign a Liverpool-ian accent to The Beatles alone, so... I never forgot that I was watching a movie about John Lennon for long.

God, I really don't think the pictures even do it justice because he was a very good actor and had some looks that just sent waves of pleasure up and down your body (I say "your" because I know Corina agrees and... well I'm just going to assume everyone will and does).

The movie was good too...

Reminder: DON'T BASE YOUR DECISION ON THE TRAILER. In my opinion, it makes it look too cheesy and also it makes it seem way more about the Beatles and his bands in general.

Need to see Kick-Ass!

Also, I guess the other super important part was that AARON JOHNSON and the director (woman in her 40s, with whom he had a baby... ... and he was born in 1990! Guys!) did a Q&A and then John Lennon's original band did a Q&A and then performed. I wasn't able to watch all of the band's stuff, though, because I had to be out of the parking lot by 11pm. That was lame, but I got the most important part, and I have to assume they aren't GREAT musicians and they definitely weren't GREAT speakers. Although it was a little funny because they weren't kissing John's ass-- they were like "everyone thought he was really funny but that's just how people are in Liverpool."

In other news, procured a library card! I got Peter Pan and Peter Pan in Scarlet. I watched Hook the other night, and then I felt that I NEEDED to watch the Disney Peter Pan. And then... I couldn't stop. Thus beginneth a wonderful new obsession-- could take days, could take weeks. Hopefully I don't dip into Michael Jackson, but I have faith that I won't. I think I'll stop the obsession before I feel the need to watch the broadway version because... that lady who plays Pan scares me, I'm sorry to say in a purely superficial way.

Lastly, The Social Network was compared to Citizen Kane in two different reviews, and The Godfather in another. What? WHAT?! My mind needs broadening, apparently, because my brain cannot understand this.

Also, while not every review loved The Event, I could not find a SINGLE bad review of Jason Ritter. Gold. Well... I want his show to do well, so half-gold.

I am slowly devolving into my escapist nature. Soon I won't remember what IIII actually did in the day. Soon I won't remember that I am an individual and not just a sensory machine with the sole purpose of collecting other people's stories.