It's Complicated--Movie and Otherwise

I forgot to mention that I lost my ATM card. More accurately, I left it in the ATM and forgot it and cancelled it at 6am out of panic. While I probably COULD have gone back to the bank and asked for it, according to my mother, I had to get a new one. I THOUGHT it wasn't going to come until after I left for L.A. (Monday), but miraculously it came today. Excellent.

ALSO, I forgot to mention my most important Christmas gift: a GPS.

I've named it Grandpa, after my grandpa who previously used to give me all of my point-by-point directions in the car. I can already tell that it's going to be my best friend. I went to the DMV with NO PROBLEM all by myself. Miracle.

Most people complain that the GPS doesn't give you the most efficient route. I assume it picks the shortest route without regard to the speed of the streets or something like that. I don't know. Regardless, I've already had an elaborate fantasy in which I use the GPS for the first two weeks of my internship in L.A. I spend the next two months using this now memorized route. One day, I mention how I get to work to someone and they are flabbergasted by my driving decision, redirecting me to a much shorter route. My travel time is cut in half. However, I only have two more weeks of the internship. Optimistically I will think to myself, "At least I'll be able to sleep longer for these last, lovely two weeks." If I continue the fantasy positively, I get a job close by and I regale the tale to people that I don't know too well as an icebreaker. Some people love stories in which they can relate to actual street names (although I don't happen to be one of them). This may or may not spur an entire conversation of "funny" I-got-lost-on-____-street stories, during which I will give practice to my fake smile accompanied by fake enthusiasm. BUUUUT if I recognize someone else displaying similarly faux happiness, I may try to befriend them.

I'm so glad I have a GPS.

In other news, I now have a license in PA. I have to wear glasses to drive now because the eye test was less lenient.

My grandmother is here, which is nice because I'm finally getting some information about the trip. Although it's awkward because I keep having one-on-one conversations with all of the adults in the house about how a different adult is the enemy. Meanwhile, my brother, sister, and I hoard upstairs and whine to each other about how everyone is angry and scary and we have no where to go. Soon I'll be alone again in sunny sunny California.

Grandma and I saw It's Complicated today. LOTS of elderlies in the audience. They were very appreciative and at some points, the laughter was so hard that I missed large parts of dialogue, which doesn't really happen that often. That being said, there was one big scene in which all the characters were at a party that was a laugh riot! Funnier than I would think any scene could be in such a movie. Plus, if you're going to watch a blockbuster comedy about the post-menopausal and male-equivalent, you couldn't do better than Meryl Streep, Steve Martin, and Alec Baldwin-- that's an objective fact. Plus, I read that John Krasinski was great in it, which I took with a grain of salt (I am constantly skeptical when I hear he did well, which is strange given the depth of my love for him-- we apparently have a rocky actor-viewer relationship). However, he really was one of the best parts of the movie. He's really got charming and kind of awkward DOWN. And I find no fault in playing those characters. I mean, that's all John Cusack does and I'd have it no other way.

Today when I was bored, I decided that I would like to watch some movie commentary. If I was to say that out loud (which I didn't) I think it would be funny. What a lucky world we live in where we can just HAVE commentary. Plus, I think that is my new found advantage to owning so many movies. Maybe everyone has access to the actual film, but the commentary is for me.

Anyway, I picked The Royal Tenenbaums (my first picks were About a Boy and Stardust, but neither had the option). While I often find myself in a very distinct mood from watching Wes Anderson films, I can't say that they usually REALLY move me. I think it's because they seem pretentious and I can't get past that. However, the commentary was ONLY Wes, and... he really doesn't seem pretentious at ALL. He really came off as more about collaboration and appreciating what everyone brings to the film. I really feel bad and am DEFINITELY going to check out Rushmore now. And probably The Life Aquatic. This does NOT make me rethink my presumption of David Lynch's pretension, however. That douche won't even cut Mulholland Drive into chapters for the DVD. Not that the movie was awful... but still... I wasn't THRILLED.

Tomorrow. 3:30PM. Avatar.

YYYYYEEEESSSSS!!!

I'm going to shoot someone in the face if it's over-hyped.