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.