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So, I think I may officially be a nerd. Either that, or I'm just sure of myself in my cultural interests. This past Saturday my sister and I went to Dickensfest, a celebration of all things Charles Dickens. We got there early and plotted out our entire day. We browsed the street shops and listened to street musicians, visited Oliver's alley and watched kids learn to play Victorian games, took in a Victorian fashion show, got soup and bread at Mrs. Cratchit's soup hall, picked through a sad used book sale, watched an amateur play with scenes from Nicholas Nickleby, watched a parody of Nicholas Nickelby, laughed at the crowds during a firearms presentation, caught the Celtic dancing show, shopped some more, and attended an Evensong service. I can't believe we spent eight hours there. My cool purchases of the day were a necklace, a cool hair thing, and a two-octave bow psaltery. The psaltery was a complete impulse buy, but since I'm determined to learn Celtic music, I'm excited.

Sunday we hit up church, then went to a Super Bowl party at Rob and Dee's house. I'm not into football, so I enjoyed some food and company until we had to leave at half-time because we had accidentally double-booked ourselves. We drove down to celebrate young Emily's birthday. I love going to their celebrations because we are always so well-fed, usually with something from the barbecue. It was good to see Colin and Liz again since they haven't been able to make it to church for over a month.

Up this week, we have a movie night on Wednesday and a Movies on the Fox on Thursday. Otherwise, I'm trying to keep the house quiet for Ric, who needs some mental/social rest!

Updates:
I realized this week that I never mentioned the big announcement that was made two weeks ago at work. I got called into a pre-announcement meeting with one of the VPs to be told they have decided to close the school of professional studies, which includes an immediate cease in admissions for the program with which I work. About thirty employees work in the programs that are closing, so it's a big deal for the university. People who work in the admissions side of things are expecting to be laid off soon, since we are no longer admitting new students. We all expected an announcement like this, but for some people it's sooner than they expected, and a little more widespread as well. The school is dedicated to its employees and is trying to encourage transfers within the university when possible.

How does this affect me (and D) in my office? Well, first off, the program is going to be taught out for the next couple of years for all of the students who are currently in the program. These students will need to be registered and evaluated all the way through their time here, so our jobs will probably last through 2013. But on top of that, our new boss has told us that he wants to keep us on if he can, and just shift us to other responsibilities. We definitely have a need for more help in our office, and some of us can already imagine what responsibilities we may be given. As we have seen time and time again in this office and the university as a whole, everything usually works out for the best.

Anyway, that's what's new around here. We had an employee meeting last week that was very hopeful, so I think we're headed for better times all around.

The Fountainhead is another book I need to read, but since Atlas Shrugged took me so long, I think I'll hold off on that for a while. In the meantime, I caught the film adaptation (actually adapted by Ayn Rand herself) starring Gary Cooper and Patricia Neal. Perhaps it's because I just came off of reading one of her novels, but I seemed to like this movie a lot more than most other readers. Cooper plays Howard Roark, an architect with a modern eye who's trapped in a world of weak-minded traditionalists. He could be one of the most significant artists of his time, but no one wants to hire him. When columnist Dominique Francon finds out that an article about his latest creation is going to be negative, she quits the paper, even though she's never met Roark.

The two meet when she finds him working as a laborer for her father, although she still doesn't know who he is. Dominique's instantly attracted to him but a bit repressed. She doesn't easily admit what she wants, and so Roark takes charge - she tries to run away, but he forces himself on her, which is exactly what she wants. This scene sounds and may look a little strange, and probably came across badly in its day, but for anyone who's read an Ayn Rand novel, it fits right in with her style of writing. Her protagonists are passionate and are consumed by their emotions. And Rand seemed to have a thing for a little sadism in the bedroom in her stories. Since her main character is supposed to be a man who lives by ideals and takes what he wants, it fits right in. There's a lot of suggestive imagery in the movie as well. Honestly, the dynamics between Neal and Cooper are the most entertaining aspect.

A lot of people claim fault with Cooper's portrayal of Roark. I can't weigh in on how he compares with the character in the novel, but to me, he came across a lot like the character of Hank Reardon in Atlas Shrugged. I liked it. He isn't passionate the verbal delivery of his lines, but he appears physically resolute. He states the facts with confidence and doesn't have time for nonsense.

This works for the majority of the movie, but critics are right when they say that Roark's final speech in the courtroom was a little anticlimactic. Apparently Rand only agreed to write the screenplay if everything she wrote was kept in the movie, and then had a fit when the company wanted to shorten the speech. She likes her characters to rant a lot, which is most evident in the 50-page radio address in Atlas Shrugged that nearly made me quit after having already gotten through a thousand pages. Also, the word on the street is that Cooper didn't even understand all of what he was saying (a little slow, maybe?) so it just didn't end up being the perfect ending for the film. A review I skimmed mentioned something about the fact that Rand's characters aren't real people; they are mouths for philosophical points of view. I can see that, and I can see why people wouldn't like that. I guess coming so closely off the tails of reading one of her novels, it really didn't bother me. After all, this movie is only two hours, which feels like a breeze when compared with how wordy Rand can get.

One thing I really admired about The Fountainhead was the visual style. It's everything I imagined the world of Rand to be. The sets are lavish, the clothes are stylish, and the buildings are sleek. There are cool shadows and angles everywhere. I could probably have enjoyed the movie on that merit alone.

It's always interesting to me how reading affects one's interpretations of movies. In this case, I didn't even read The Fountainhead, but knew enough of its author, and that influenced me greatly. I like the strength of conviction in her characters, no matter how flawed some of their (thus her) philosophies may be. I actually agree with a lot of the themes she emphasizes (about man's integrity and ideals), but unfortunately, her characters' passion go to levels of extremism and leave me feeling disappointed. What she has to say is interesting food for thought, to be sure. As a result, I went with the flow of this movie and enjoyed the ride. I still don't quite understand how people reached such high levels of animosity over architectural styles, but I get what it's going for, and appreciate the effort.

A Holiday Affair is a little love story that, like Christmas in Connecticut, involves a bit of a love triangle. Perhaps this one could even be considered a love square. A brunette Janet Leigh plays Connie, a young widow and mother, who has been dating Carl (Wendell Corey) for a long time. Connie is hesitant to marry Carl because she doesn't want to forget her husband or hurt her son, Timmy. Carl's a relatively nice guy, but Timmy doesn't want him for a father - he likes things the way they are with just him and his mom. Connie is a professional comparison shopper who buys and returns a toy train; a store clerk named Steve figures out what she is doing (Robert Mitchum) but lets her go, which results in his own unemployment. The two get acquainted by a few chance meetings, which Timmy's okay with, but Carl isn't.

On the Christmas front, this one actually does have a bit of the Christmas spirit to it. The plot revolves a lot around Christmas gifts. Timmy wants a train for Christmas, but mom can't afford it, Steve buys the train even though he can't afford it, etc. Most of the climactic action takes place on Christmas too. Between the presents inside the apartments, the decorations in the department store, little Timmy, and the snow outside, this one feels more Christmasy than A Miracle on 34th Street to me.

As a classic, the overall tone is a little subdued, perhaps because it's a simple story. Actually, the relationships all feel surprisingly natural for an older movie, and perhaps that makes it less dramatic. I really liked the dynamics of Connie's relationship with Timmy and the way they talk to each other, especially how it reveals how Connie is dealing with her husband's absence. And of course, what really stands out is the relationship between Connie and Steve. Steve is a straight-shooter. He walks right in to Connie's life and isn't apologetic when he finds out Connie has a boyfriend. He can see that Connie is with Carl more because she should be than because she wants to be. He can see her insecurities, and he tells them to her plainly. This frankness is refreshing, especially some of the things he says at the family Christmas meal.

Only time will tell whether this becomes a classic for me. I'll have to see how it holds up with repeat viewings. One thing is certain - little Timmy is actually really cute and melted my heart a couple of times, although I'll probably deny that in person. I'm glad I finally caught up with this one; it's a solid little Christmas movie.

I think I forgot to mention on this blog how much I love Conan O'Brien. Sometimes last year I started subscribing to his show on Hulu and watching it every day. I got some of my heartiest laughs of the day from that show. Well, not long before he went off the air after being mistreated by NBC, he was having some of his best shows. Jeff Bridges was one of the guests in those final days, and he was on promoting Crazy Heart. I didn't know anything about Jeff Bridges' relationship with country music, but I did know he was starring in this movie. I was so delighted when I found out he was a legitimate musician. He strutted up on the stage and sang a song for Conan, and I instantly decided I needed to see the movie.

He stars as "Bad" Blake, a country singer who was once popular but is now reduced to performing in dive bars and bowling alleys to make a few bucks. His protege is now popular mainstream artist, and Bad's only hope in reviving his career is to be the opening band and write a few songs for him. Bad agrees to do an interview with the niece of a pianist, and they hit it off. Instead of wanting to move on to the next girl he meets, Bad takes interest in her and her little boy. But Bad's addiction to alcohol and destructive ways threatens to get in the way of his own success and happiness.

I know it may not sound exactly like it, but in a way, it felt like I was watching The Wrestler again while watching this movie. There's a former star, he has his vices, and those vices are killing him. There's a woman, and she may be his redemption, etc., etc. Fortunately, a familiar plot is not a bad thing so long as there aren't too many cliches, as I discussed in my Avatar review. The one unfortunate thing is that this movie came out only a year after The Wrestler.

Thankfully, the characters themselves are what make the movie legitimate. The writing, direction, and acting all lend to a very natural feeling. Jeff Bridges' personality is familiar, but authentic. I don't feel like the movie fully establishes what causes the spark between him and Maggie Gyllenhaal's character, but the two work alongside each other in perfect stride.

And of course, the music itself is one of the main characters. At first, the movie almost feels too much like a light telling of Bad traveling down the road playing several gigs. It pauses for entire songs and there are plenty of them. But the songs are actually portrayed by real musicians. Bridges is legit, as is Colin Farrell, who plays his protege Tommy Sweet. I really appreciated that this wasn't another musician movie that cut back and forth between shots of the actor and shots of a musician's hands playing the guitar. One of my major pet peeves in movies is how poorly filmmakers usually handle covering up an actor's lack of music skills. Here, they just let the music ride, and I was able to sit back and enjoy its authenticity.

While Bad's character did draw me in and make me reflect a little bit, this movie does not pack a huge emotional impact. The use of Gyllenhaal's son as a device was a little bit cliched to me, and Bad's connection to her feels friendly but not much more. The final direction of the movie is a little bit lighter than I would have preferred as well - I would perhaps have skipped the very final scene, since it didn't seem necessary for a feeling of closure.

Overall, Crazy Heart was a good movie with a great performance and plenty of fine music. I think it's worth the watch for Bridges as Bad, and hands-down think he should win the Oscar (since Sam Rockwell didn't even get nominated).

This past Christmas season, I made a point of seeing as many new (to me) Christmas movies as I could. My intentionality in this arena really helps me get into the Christmas spirit. There are so many movies out there that are considered Christmas classics, yet I've seen so few of them. Christmas in Connecticut is one of those, which took an extra bit of effort for me to see because it starred Barbara Stanwyck. She may have been a great actress, but something about her has always irked me. I think it's the accent she turns on when she has a sort of know-it-all expression to her tone of voice. Fortunately, that was absent here, where she plays a journalist who writes a popular magazine article about home-making life on a farm in Connecticut.

Stanwyck's persona, Elizabeth Lane, is married, has a child, and is a domestic goddess of her time. In real life, she lives in the city and doesn't know how to cook. A soldier who has just returned from the war (Dennis Morgan) gets invited by Lane's boss to enjoy a Christmas in Connecticut with the Lane family on their farm. Lane has to think quickly about how to make it all happen without revealing that she has no experience. Luckily her would-be fiance owns a farm in Connecticut, and she agrees to marry him even though she doesn't love him, as long as he goes along with her plot. Of course, once she and the soldier meet, some of her plans change.

On a Christmas level, I can't necessarily say that I would watch this movie just to get into the Christmas spirit. It refers to Christmas, and the house is decorated for Christmas, but the focus isn't on Christmas traditions or music at all.

On a classic level, I definitely enjoyed it. Stanywck feels so much more at ease here, and Dennis Morgan is a naturally charming male lead. I liked the comedic moments of the movie and how they are fun without feeling too cheesy. I liked Reginald Gardiner as the unfortunate fiance, the many mishaps involving the family baby, and even the kooky chef.

I think this is likely a movie I would enjoy with repeat viewings, but I don't think it's one I will frantically seek out whenever December hits. If it's on, I'll enjoy it, and if it's not, then no big deal. It's a fun little comedy of errors that happens to take place at Christmastime in Connecticut.

Hi everyone,

How's it going in your parts of the world? Things are steadily busy here at work with our big software conversion in progress. Next month should be thoroughly confusing; I anticipate frequently not knowing which system to use for different tasks. Today I ran through a bunch of conference material to figure out which seminars I want to attend. I'm excited to go to a conference because a) there's one seminar that is my big hope for revolutionizing what I'm currently working on, and b) I'll get to stay in a hotel that costs about $100 more a night than I would usually spend on my own vacation.

So, short Fridays are all over, but I still manage to keep my weekends packed. Friday night my sister and Ric and I all went to see Crazy Heart at the theater. I'll try and post a review this week in case any of you are considering seeing it (it's still in Brea right now).

Saturday I got to sleep in and popped straight out of the house for a couple of miles on the track and one in the park. I ran some errands, grabbed a smoothie, and headed home. Since I rarely go to my mail box, I had to sort through tens and tens of letters. For once, instead of being upset by bills and HOA notices, we actually got a couple of refund checks for overpayments! Sweet! I spent the rest of the afternoon watching a Kings game with Ric and prepping for a night out in LA. My mom and my sister and I went to see Mary Poppins at the Ahmanson. The show was great. I loved how they made "magic" happen on the stage, especially the feat of Mary flying out above the entire audience - even up to the balconies. The audience response was crazy.

Saturday we made it to church, and as soon as I got home I turned around and headed to Disneyland with my sister. We made a point of doing several things we had never done at the parks. We caught the shows inside and outside the Golden Horseshoe (awesome music inside!), climbed through Tarzan's tree house, sat through the Pixar parade, got Sam Andreas Shakers, and learned how to draw Mickey Mouse at the animation studio (mine actually looked pretty good!). I came home with every intention of staying up late to watch Lost with Ric once he was done playing video games, but he played for longer than I thought, so I fell asleep. That means today we've got a mini-marathon to complete. We have about four episodes left to re-watch of season five so we can feel refreshed with the storyline.

Up this week: Like I said, a marathon tonight! I might also make some cupcakes for work to celebrate a happy Lost Day. Tomorrow we're going to Ric's parents' house to watch the show's premiere. Wednesday we've got a movie night. Thursday I'm pretty sure we'll be at home watching the Kings vs. the Ducks, and then it's on to another busy weekend.

Health updates: Since I last wrote about praying for my health, I actually have seen some improvement. Maybe I just needed to feel like I was fully giving up any control of my health. At the very least, I feel really at peace with my current status, despite the aches and pains that still hang around. I have been really blessed to be jogging again.

Hope you all have a good week. If you think about it, pray for my own focus and productivity. :)

Sometimes I still dream about the simpler days. I had a little wine this evening and, as I shook my head from side to side to gauge whether or not I was buzzed, I missed those fun times when I used to come home from a night at Stubrik's and buzz-blog on the brendoman page, several years ago.

I know we all have to grow up, and I know friendships always move into different directions, but I still think of all of my friends from those days fondly, and wish we could all still get together often and just have fun like we used to.

I miss Raggle Taggle Gypsy and Whiskey in the Jar. I miss our server, Dennis, who was the only person who knew how to make a proper Irish Mint; I still haven't figured out the perfect recipe. I miss those days when everyone posted on the Brendo bulletin boards all the time. I miss the Moz Board, where I made the most diverse group of friends I've ever known. I miss trips to Huntington Beach. I miss excursions with Gron. I miss hangouts with Brendan. I miss girls' nights. I miss David's hugs. I miss Crab Days in Fullerton. I miss Lost nights with the Neals. I miss my piano, even though I still have it. I miss shopping, movies, concerts, and just doing nothing with Erika. I miss the days when the word "Chaos" brought up good thoughts instead of sad ones.

I think buzz-blogging is more of a sad idea these days, because usually that means I'm at home alone with a laptop instead of coming home from a fun night out. We all go through different phases in life, but I still miss those days, and I wish I could zap over to different parts of the country to see my friends. Funny how a little buzz always gets me thinking on this.

All of the hype that led up to the release of Avatar really didn't affect me much. I saw the trailers and was underwhelmed. To be honest, the idea that this movie was being released in 3D, which was intended to enhance the realistic look of the film, seemed crazy; after all, the main characters all looked like cartoons, especially their giant eyes. So I decided that even though I had to go see the movie (when there's that much hype, I have to see something just to know what everyone else is talking about), I was probably not going to enjoy it much.

For those of you who don't know the plot: I'm surprised you exist. For posterity's sake, it's about a Marine who has lost use of his legs, who is recruited to be part of a mission on another planet. The planet has valuable natural resources, most of which are located underneath an area with a dense population of inhabitants. Those inhabitants are called the Na'vi, and the soldier, Jake, is hooked up to an avatar Na'vi body. From his stationary position he is able to control the avatar with his own brain. His mission is to infiltrate the Na'vi and learn about them to see if there is a way to get them to move from their location peacefully - otherwise, the military plans to mow them down.

Speaking of which, one of the funny parts of this movie for me was the military situation. It always seems as if movie military personnel have no capabilities for patience. They make decisions that must be acted upon instantaneously. Even when presented with a reasonable plea for more time, they are depicted as having some sort of bloodlust that makes us question the ability of any member of the armed forces to simply be patient. In this case, the Marines are led by Colonel Quaritch, who just wants to get in there and kill. He is quite a caricature. In one sense, I kind of like him, because he is played so vibrantly by Stephen Lang. He may be almost one-dimensional, but he plays that dimension entertainingly. There were definitely a few lame lines of dialog from him, though, especially the most random line, "we must fight terror with terror!" I'm not sure why he thought the natives of a planet were terrorists, but whatever!

Sam Worthington, who plays Jake, is perfect for an action hero role, even one in which most of the action is animated. One interesting casting choice is Michelle Rodriguez - for one thing, who wants to see her in a movie? Thankfully, hers is the most minimal role possible, in fact, so minimal that one wonders if she did someone some special favor and got herself written into a script that didn't really need her. One person I was happy to see in the movie was Giovanni Ribisi. I haven't seen him for a while, and I actually really like him. For such a likable guy, he was able to sell the semi-evil business man personality well.

Of course, what everyone talks about regarding Avatar is how it looks. Yes, it looks good, and that is why people go to see it. I even went to see it in 3D because people were screaming that it was a must. I am usually anti-3D because of its usual imperfections and the strain they causes to my eyes, but I have to admit that this movie was an exception. The movie looked crisp, clear, and I could actually sense the depth of what I was viewing. There were definitely several little shots that existed simply to wow the audience with the view (and yes, the guys behind us had to say, "that looks sooo cooool!" every time they were wowed). But that's what Avatar is - it's a big-budget blockbuster movie that's supposed to impress us with its special effects.

Story-wise, I've heard all sorts of complaints about lack of originality. My favorite joke is the image that went around of the synopsis of Disney's Pocahontas with all of the names crossed out and changed to the names from Avatar. People have been shouting out similarities to Ferngully, Princess Mononoke, and our own country's history. It's true, but that doesn't matter. Call it mythic or archetypal, but this is a story of which we've seen many incarnations over the years. What matters is that it's told creatively enough to be considered non-cliche. I would say that Avatar qualifies, for the most part. It's a basic story told in its own visually creative manner. What isn't creative is some of its dialog and several of the supporting characters.

It's certainly not a perfect movie, and it shouldn't be winning any awards that aren't related to special effects, but Avatar does exactly what it promises to do. It shows us another world, gives us a lot of action and explosions, makes us ooh and ahh at some cool 3D effects, and keeps us well-entertained for a few hours.. and better entertained than some of the 2009 summer releases. Does it deserve some of the criticism it's receiving? Sure - I certainly think a few more discerning eyes could have taken a look at the script. It's not going to be in my top ten of the year, but I thought it was a fun time at the theater, and I even forgot about those ugly Na'vi eyes while I was there!

I actually read Cormac McCarthy's novel earlier this year. It's a Pulitzer-winner, so I broke out of my usual habit of only reading old classics (which really is just a habit rather than a rule, but habits are so comfortable, aren't they?). In this instance, I was glad I broke out because it was a simply told yet compelling novel. I just checked my blog and realized I never reviewed it. Oops. Well, it certainly kept me riveted while I waited inside the Compton jury assembly room. Once I was done reading it I was really looking forward to seeing this movie. After all, it stars Viggo Mortensen, looks amazing, and has a score by Nick Cave - what could possibly go wrong? For me, what went wrong were several little things.

For those unfamiliar with the story, it takes place in the future, after an unknown global calamity has taken place, leaving most of the world burned and damaged. A man and his son are traveling down a road towards the coast in hopes that circumstances will be better for them there, especially during the winter months. As they travel, they have to face all sorts of antagonists, including cannibals, other men will do anything to survive, memories of the past, the weather, and starvation.

Part of the problem of reading a novel too close to watching a movie is that one develops his or her interpretation of that novel's tone and expects the movie to match it. The Road, as a novel, is completely bleak. It's got some heartfelt scenes, but most of them are devastating. In the movie, there are a lot of scenes that I assume are created to be touching but turn out to be slightly contrived. One of the key elements contributing to this is, sadly, the score by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis. When the movie ended, the first thing out of my mouth was how much I hated the score. I had forgotten that it was by Cave at that moment, and laughed pretty hard when I found out later on, since I'm such a big fan of his. As I'm listening to pieces of it off the internet right now, I realize that it's actually good music; but the way it comes across in the scenes is almost like watching a made-for-TV movie. The scenes end up feeling a little too sappy especially with some of the soft piano pieces. So, instead of the more dismal tones I would have expected to accompany what I was seeing on the screen, there was a softer touch to the music that seemed contrary to the nature of both the movie and the novel. It was really disappointing for me.

What I did love was the look of the present-day (or future) in this film, which is directed by John Hillcoat, who also directed The Proposition - another gritty movie. The color-palette is dark and a little bit washed out, but mostly because that's actually how the world would look if it were covered in ash. My husband hated it, but he hadn't read the book, which describes this look in great detail. I felt like it was a very accurate representation of McCarthy's vision and really set the stage for an interesting traveler's tale.

Unfortunately, because this is a traveler's tale, that is actually one of its problems, at least in the eyes of my husband, who felt like there was no real drive to the plot. He felt like the story meandered and that there wasn't enough character development as a result. I can see where he's coming from. I think one of the benefits of reading a novel in advance of watching a movie is that when we watch a movie, we can use the feelings that we felt while reading and apply them to the movie. Or, because we know what's going to happen, we can sometimes feel a heightened sense of anticipation. So, while Ric was bored, I was thinking about what was going to happen next, how it was going to be visualized, and remembering what the man's thoughts were as he went through those moments. It added an extra layer that only the reader can experience, and I think that's why I ultimately enjoyed this movie a lot more than Ric did.

As for acting, Mortensen gives a great performance. He reads more sappily into the character of the man than I would have liked, because I saw the man as a little more matter-of-fact than Mortensen plays him. Really, my only problem with him is with the flashback scenes. I didn't care for the tone of them, how Charlize Theron played the wife, or how Mortensen responded to her. This, again, comes down to expectations. Otherwise, I really appreciated how Mortensen was practically unrecognizable in appearance and his approach to survival in the rest of the movie is exactly what I had envisioned. The boy, played by Kodi Smit-McPhee, was a little bit off in casting. He is older than I expected; somehow it just doesn't ring true when he calls his father "Papa" or when he cries. These small, slightly-off touches with the acting and casting left an unsettled feeling in my mind that took me several days to decipher. The whole time I watched the movie, I knew it was well-made, but I knew that something besides the music didn't feel right.

In the end, The Road ended up leaving me with a slightly disappointed feeling that grew over time as I thought about it more. While I really appreciated how it looked, Mortensen's performance, and the themes about what makes man human/humane, I think it suffered due to the uneven tones of some of the actors and the music. It was worth the watch for me, but unfortunately it won't hit my top ten for the year.

The first time I heard about Band of Outsiders was when the lovely J9 had to show me her favorite scene, which is the famous dancing sequence in the movie. Two young guys and a girl are hanging out a restaurant, start up the jukebox, and do a choreographed sort of line dance together. As they dance, the music cuts out, and the narrator tells us what each of the characters is thinking. That happens a lot in this movie, as director Jean-Luc Godard breaks the audience barrier many times throughout. So, what would otherwise be a somewhat straightforward crime/heist movie turns out to be a surprising breath of fresh air.

The three main characters form a little love triangle, between Odile, Arthur, and Franz. They meet in an English class, and when Arthur and Franz find out that Odile lives in a house that has a secret stash of money, they decide to break in and take the money. Odile protests at times, or perhaps doth protest too much. Her fickle nature is also seen in her reactions to the boys.

This is a fun movie that sometimes turns serious. It seems to follow the basic plot lines of a heist movie, but the content is changed appropriately for the age of the people committing the crime. While the crime is being plotted, the three go about town together having fun. Sometimes their plans seem to be forgotten, especially during the dancing scene and their very fun nine-minute tour of the Louvre.

The character of Odile is what fascinated me more than anything. I liked trying to decipher what she was thinking, even when the narrator was telling me what she was thinking. She is played by Anna Karina, who was Godard's wife at the time. I felt like I could sense his own fascination in the way that Odile was presented.

Surprisingly enough, the movie takes a more tension-filled turn towards the end, and it still works. I loved the way the crime scene played out. I guess what I appreciated about the movie was how briskly it passed by while managing to give me enough character to feel invested in it. I know that description may sound all too much like a comedy heist movie, but this is far from one of those. I know a lot of Godard fans seem to prefer his other movies to this one; it's possible that there are better movies than this one, but I would still venture to say that this will be a favorite for me, even though I still need to see more of his work.

Oh man. I really should have kept up with my blogging, especially on these Kurosawa movies, because they're all running together in my head. All I could remember about this movie at first was its ending, but after a little prompting, it's coming back to me. This one is another period film, and it takes place around the eighteenth century. A ronin played by Toshiro Mifune aids a group of clansmen when the leader's uncle, the Chamberlain, is kidnapped. The ronin, who chooses to go by Sanjuro (which stands for the 30 ryo he is paid for his work), can easily be quick to fight

One of the highlights of this movie is the Chamberlain's wife, who is rescued early in the movie. She has a wonderful way of approaching the situation that is somehow both matter-of-fact and nonchalant. She provides some levity to the story as she goes along for the ride in the rescue mission. One funny scene involves having to climb over a wall, which she only does by using a man as a footstool.

But of course, the shining star is Mifune. His awesome action scenes are emphasized by the amount of restraint he shows leading up to them. If he chooses to, he can fly into action; there's one scene where he takes out a large group of men on his own, which very well could be a precursor to the famous fighting scene in the first Matrix movie. But, in the job he has taken on, he has agreed not to kill unless he has to, and so the movie builds up to the moments when he must unsheathe his sword. The most notable is the movie's final scene, which has to be scene and described for one to grasp. It happens so quickly and so oddly that I didn't understand it without watching the extras on the DVD.

The extras really were worth watching, especially because they were yet another glimpse into the meticulousness of Kurosawa. One of the key elements of the set was a huge tree filled with blooms, and a documentary revealed that those blooms and the leaves on the trees were all brought in specifically to make the film look realistic. In fact, Kurosawa demanded that all of the flowers be painted individually. The more the film crew revealed about their jobs, the more I was able to see what care, or rather, obsessiveness, Kurosawa showed in making his movies. Sometimes I think he overdid it, but I really can't deny that the most praiseworthy aspect of his movies for me is the visual richness they possess.

To be honest, there were some drawn-out scenes here and there and this wasn't the most popular movie the class watched, but some of the visuals and action sequences were notable and entertaining. I think I will probably need to watch it again once I've had more time away from the class, so I can appreciate it on its own rather than jumbling it with others in my memory.

Well, hello there! I'm sitting here with my mom during the intermission at the Cirque du Soleil and just realized I never posted today. Ah, the wonders of Droid. Now I can look like any other crazy phone-obsessed person while waiting for the show to resume.

This past weekend was great because we were able to couple our short Friday with the Monday holiday. I started it off by joining E and J from work on a field trip to Disneyland. It was E's first time to CA Adventure, so we showed her the ropes. They're testing out the water for the World of Color show - looking good! K and his wife and their three kids joined us for s while, and eventually my sister came when everyone else left. I was there for about ten hours, which made for a long day of fun.

Saturday and Sunday were mostly spent visiting with my oldest sister and three of my nephews, who came to town to visit. It was great to see all of them and catch up more than we have been able to on Facebook.

Yesterday I ran errands, shopped, organized around the house, and caught the hilarious 2012 at the cheap theater. Now that the work week is back, I'm still busy having fun every night, so I'm sure to be tired by the weekend!

Okay, well I had better get back to the show! Have a good week, everyone.

Okay, so Kristen shared this recipe with me, and I instantly went to the store to make sure I had the ingredients to try it. Now, the author on the site refers to the final product as homemade Bailey's, but let me tell you up front that it's merely homemade Irish liqueur. It tastes great, but I plan to tweak the recipe each time I try it to see if I can get it closer to actual Bailey's. Luckily, I had some of the lovely Bailey's in my fridge so I could take a comparison swig.

The Ingredients!

- 1 cup of light cream
- 14 ounce can of sweetened condensed milk
- 1 to 1 and 2/3 cups of Irish whiskey
- 1 teaspoon of instant coffee
- 2 tablespoons of chocolate syrup
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla
- 1 teaspoon of almond extract

The Easy Process:
Pour all the ingredients into your blender and blend away for 30 seconds!

I had some heavy whipping cream left over from Christmas and was out of almond extract. As a result of those alterations, as well as probably missing some key ingredient in the recipe, my liqueur came out thick, strong on the whiskey front, and was definitely missing the je ne sais quoi that says "Drink me, I'm Irish!" in Bailey's. I think the next time I try it I will use light cream, a little less chocolate, a little less whiskey, and add in some almond extract. If I ever get the recipe close to the real thing, I'll make sure to post an update.

It was still tasty enough to drink, though! Ric liked it and I did too, until I figured out that it averages about 95 calories per ounce the way I made it. You may want to take that into consideration. It's definitely why I'll be trying out the light cream next time. We liked it enough that I altered my old St. Brendan's bottle to honor the lovely lady that made me aware of the fact that I could concoct my own liqueurs:

(Yes, that says Kristen.)

Update as of 1/20/10: When I opened the fridge to pour some of this sweet stuff the other day, it had congealed enough that it wouldn't leave the bottle. I think the heavy whipping cream may be the culprit. I'll keep trying!

Yet another movie I somehow missed in childhood was Labyrinth. I always meant to watch it once I found out it starred David Bowie but never got around to it. Luckily, Ric asked for it for his birthday this year, so I finally got to see it!

Jennifer Connelly stars as Sarah, a girl who is annoyed with her life and the fact that she's babysitting her crying baby brother. She makes a wish, and her brother is stolen away by the goblin king, Jareth, played by David Bowie. Jareth holds baby Toby in his castle and tells Sarah she must find Toby in 13 hours or he will be turned into a goblin. The only problem is that the castle is at the center of a giant labyrinth - and one that doesn't even play fair at that.

I really liked this movie despite some of the dated music. I mean, I love David Bowie, but his singing scenes were a little bit much at times. Thankfully, the story mostly sticks with Connelly and the labyrinth. I loved the creativity and dynamics of the sets, especially when she would try to mark which way she had already traveled and the tiles would get moved by little creatures. The hole she falls into that's filled with hands is impressive as well. The movie was directed by Jim Henson, and it does feel like it's got his touch. It reminds me, too, of something Terry Gilliam might make. Maybe I just have him on the brain since I went to see his latest movie.

The climactic minutes before time runs out are exciting too, especially the MC Escher-esque stair sequence. And of course, the sort of music video that occurs due to Bowie's glass ball is extravagant and awesome (pictured above).

It's weird, creative, and adventurous, which is what kid movies ought to be. It's so interesting that the 80s had some pretty raggedy-looking adventure stories. Everything is so glossed over these days that it was refreshing to see something a little more... textured. Hooray for Ric's birthday!

Thank goodness for the promptings of IMDb, because I'm so far behind that my memory needed to be jogged! And I can't believe that, since Rififi has been one of the highlights of the last couple months for me. I have hit a block of foreign flicks on my Netflix queue and have noticed a lot of French heist movies showing up as well. Of the French heist movies, I think this may be my favorite. It comes from director Jules Dassin; I haven't seen any of his other movies.

The protagonist is Tony, who comes back into town after a stint in prison. His past leaves him bitter, especially with his old girlfriend, Mado, whom he promptly finds and gives a good beating, especially because she has moved on to a new gangster boyfriend. Tony doesn't look very sinister, but he is certainly resolute about his own moral code.

Tony's old friends approach him about a small job stealing jewelry from a window. He isn't interested in small change and suggests breaking in to the store and robbing its safe. With Mario and Jo and Italian safe specialist Cesar, he works on elaborate heist.

Like Le Cercle Rouge, the heist takes place in tense silence, but this plan is a little more creative, with its use of shaving cream and and umbrella. I loved this entire sequence and how it plays out. The comparison with Le Cercle Rouge end there, though, because in this movie, Tony's enemy isn't the law - it's Mado's boyfriend, who figures out what Tony's up to.

The title of the movie lets the audience know what the men are in for when a nightclub singer who takes Cesar's fancy sings about Rififi and trouble. There's destined to be some unexpected happenings, and I love how they all play out.

As I mentioned, in Rififi, the moral line isn't drawn between criminals and the law. The struggle is less about morals and more about a certain sense of the unwritten rules of criminals, and Mado and her boyfriend have both crossed the line. Another character crosses it significNtly towards the movie's end as well. The themes may not be as deep as those in the solitary Le Samourai or the fateful Bob le Flambeur, but for some reason the character of Tony appeals to me more than either of them. Perhaps it's just because Tony has a sense of integrity within his own criminal world and that he's so dedicated to his job and treats his friends well, or perhaps it's just a straightforward heist movie that delivers well. At any rate, it's memorable and I'm sure I'll be revisiting it one day.

Yet another of the movies from my Kurosawa class, Hidden Fortress is one of the most accessible to a general audience, especially since it served as an influence on George Lucas' for his Star Wars franchise. In this story, two bumbling and greedy peasants accidentally discover some gold, which happens to belong to a princess. She and a general of hers (Mifune) have been hiding out in a hidden fortress in the mountains and plan to sneak around/past enemy lines into allied territory with the gold, and the peasants are tricked into helping.

What I appreciated about this movie was that it didn't take itself so seriously. So many of the movies we watched in the class were dramas, and it was awesome to take a break and see what Kurosawa could do with comedy/adventure. The point of view is that of the peasants, who are the least in the know about what is happening around them. The ways they respond to their situations and to each other are what make the movie work. I think for a lot of Kurosawa's work I tend to feel a bit detached from the protagonists. I'm still trying to reason out exactly why. In this movie, as well as Seven Samurai, there just seems to be more heart, which makes me feel more invested in the characters and what happens to them.

And the peasants aren't the only memorable characters. The princess and the general are impressive on their own. The princess doesn't want to reveal who she is, so she pretends to be deaf and mute. Once she finally does start talking, I was thankful for the many minutes of muteness, because she had a shrew's voice if I ever heard one.

With so many movies floating around in my head that need to be reviewed, I wish I had more details to add about this movie. It really is one of my favorite Kurosawa movies because it combines all of the right elements to make an entertaining, funny, well-constructed movie.

Well, the holidays are definitely over and I'm back to the usual routine. Work promises to be interesting in the next few months. Software-wise, we just had a meeting last week to make a to-do list and prioritize it, and it looks to be very busy. Right now I'm trying to figure out how to speed up the area I'm overseeing. Office-wise, our new boss starts his first day on the job tomorrow, so hopefully the transition will be a smooth one. Program-wise, we're expecting an announcement on the future of the program I work with in the upcoming weeks, which will probably include a massive overhaul (and I expect some job switching and possibly more layoffs - of which we have had our share).

I seem to be back to the weekend routine as well. It almost feels like summer, since I have short Fridays in January. I jetted out of work first opportunity possible and went straight to the theater to see The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus... with two other people in the theater. After the show I went to the mall to spend some Christmas gift cards and then headed home to the track to clock a quick mile, then home to clean and cook for movie night at our house. Ric chose to watch Miracle, a favorite of his. Saturday I got to sleep in just a smidge and then got ready to gosee Up in the Air with Ric and Jenny. After a quick stop at BevMo to spend more gift cards, we went home and I jetted back to the track to get in a couple more miles before we met up with Ric's parents. It was Todd's birthday and we all went to a Kings game together. Unfortunately my sad streak of bad luck continued, and the team lost. They are doing decently this season, but I always manage to go to the losing games.

Sunday we went to church. It was good to see everyone for the first time since before the holidays. Afterwards we went straight home and I was out the door yet again to get in a jog at the park before my sister and I went to see White Ribbon in Irvine. We had a loopy elderly crowd, but thankfully they didn't ruin the experience. When I got home I realized I hadn't really relaxed all weekend, so I settled in with the huz to catch up with tv, including the 20th anniversary of The Simpsons - what an impressive feat!

Hopefully this week won't be too eventful. We were supposed to go to another hockey game tonight but instead we're at urgent care, hopefully diagnosing and relieving some kidney stones for Ric. Fun. Meanwhile, I think I'm fighting off a sinus infection, which is my first one. I'm not impressed with it, by the way.

I hope you're all healthy and comfortable in your new year routines!

Ric and I saw Where the Wild Things Are way back in November when we were on vacation in Monterey. There was a lot of build up for this movie, which had an awesome trailer that was mostly a music video, which makes sense, because director Spike Jonze gained popularity as a music video director. I wasn't too sure about the idea of turning a short children's book into a long movie, but the trailer intrigued me.

The story begins in the real world, where a young boy named Max seems to spend a lot of time feeling lonely. His sister is older and spends time with her friends, and his single mother is dating a guy. As the movie opens, Max is playing in the snow by himself. He builds a sort of igloo fort in a snow drift and attacks his sister's friends for fun. They return the attack, which is fun at first, but soon he's humiliated and devastated when one of the teenagers jumps on top of the fort and smashes it while he's inside. He reacts by making a mess in his sister's room. That, topped with his erratic behavior when his mom has her boyfriend over for dinner, begins a struggle between the two that freaks Max out. He runs away from home, and as he runs, he exits the real world and enters the land where the wild things are. I loved this setup for the film. I actually would have watched an entire movie about Max in the real world, struggling with his loneliness and the uncertainty he felt with how things might change if his mother remarried.

But of course, this movie is about the world Max travels to, which is a land of his own dreaming. In it, Jonze takes the wild things and gives them personalities that reflect the emotions Max is dealing with in the real world. There are characters who are uncertain of their friendships or how to behave appropriately at particular times. I liked this idea, but felt it was almost a little too heavy-handed, because if this was Max's dreamland, it was surprising that it didn't provide a little more escapism for him. His dreams are weird, oddly uncolorful, and a lot of the time, angry and sad. Everything is brown, which seems very different from the famous book illustrations many of us have seen in the children's book that inspired the movie. That's not to say that there aren't plenty of times where one can see the fun kid in Max coming out in his dream world. There are many scenes of him playing with the wild things. They shriek and jump all over the place.

I guess I had difficulties with this movie because it didn't seem to choose a target audience and stick with it. Like I said, it's got a sad/angry streak, which seems like something that the adult audience would understand fairly well. They get what's going on with Max and they understand how the wild things portray his emotions. But then all of the childish scenes of play are a little bit monotonous and seem to appeal to a younger audience; I got a little bored watching those. It must have been hard to decide who the target audience was for this movie, because the children who first knew it are well-grown by now, and they're probably showing the book to a new generation who are still very young. It was definitely a balancing act to try and satisfy the potential audiences for the movie, and unfortunately I don't think Jonze was successful in his attempt to do so.

One place where he does excel, obviously, is the visual aspect of the movie. Despite the mostly monochromatic feel, it's still something to behold. The sets, costumes, creatures, lands, framing, and more were all very rich. Of course, I expected as much. I loved the design of the costume Max wears, especially.

Oddly enough, the Arcade Fire song that was featured so prominently in the trailer is missing from the movie, which I think is a shame. I guess the expectations that the trailer stirred in me were faulty ones. I wonder what I would have thought of the movie if I hadn't seen it? This is exactly why I don't like to watch too many trailers - but since I see so many movies, it's hard to avoid. At any rate, I was able to appreciate enough aspects of the movie to be glad I saw it. I'll have to try watching it again sometime to see if over time my feelings about its core might change.

One of the movies we watched in the Kurosawa course I audited was Throne of Blood, which was an adaptation of Shakespeare's Macbeth set in 16th century Japan. Like some of Kurosawa's other adaptation, this is a loose one that basically follows a little bit of the plot structure and not much else. His version begins with two lords, Washizu (Toshiro Mifune - who else?) and Miki(Minoru Chiaki), who come across a mysterious figure in a forest on their return trip from a victorious battle. The person/spirit predicts their immediate futures, which prove to be true when they return home. Washizu's evil wife urges him to push these predictions, even killing the Emperor.

This is a somewhat slow-paced movie in between all of the battle scenes. There's a lot of heated conversations in unadorned Japanese rooms, and honestly, since the class was right after lunch, I got a bit sleepy. One thing is certain - Kurosawa was good at developing evil female characters. But I don't think it was simply me. In the beginning, when the two characters are riding home in the fog, to emphasize the idea that the fog confuses them, Kurosawa shows multiple shots of them stopping and starting on their horses while they try to get their bearing. The shots aren't particularly creative and don't make the audience feel the confusion - the characters have to announce their confusion - it just looks like watching repetitive takes of the same scene, whereas if a camera had followed them along for a certain amount of time and filmed from behind them so we could see their point of view, we might be able to identify with them. There are different ways to emphasize ideas, and sometimes I feel as if Kurosawa had a set idea in mind and didn't have an editing eye. The length of this movie showed that to me.

That's not to say there aren't plenty of perfect shots in the film, which certainly looks grand. The spirit figure also tells Washizu that his reign will end when the trees attack, which sounds like a vague and harmless remark, but at one point, Washizu looks out on the forest, and it appears as if the forest has come to life and is storming his fortress. It turns out to be men with trees, but Washizu has no idea, and the effect is a memorable one.

The scenes with the mysterious figure are transfixing as well. And of course, at the very end, there's a battle scene with arrows flying all over the place that sticks in my mind. I liked hearing about some of Kurosawa's methods, one of which in this scene was to hire professional archers, who actually did shoot arrows right next to Mifune. It definitely adds to the scene and makes us feel the severity of his danger and imminent demise.

So, while Throne of Blood wasn't my favorite movie in story, it was memorable in other ways, and for that reason I am glad I had a chance to see it and learn about it.

**I just realized that I referenced this post in today's post... then noticed I never actually posted it. Whoops.**

Get ready for a long one!

I have been attending the same church since I was about ten years old. There were some really rough times over the years. I witnessed the failure of four people in leadership, all during the most impressionable years. Between these leaders and several other experiences throughout that time, I just shut myself off from church. It was easy to do during college because I was so busy, and then it became a habit to only attend the main church service without really getting involved. When Ric and I were first married, I remembered thinking I ought to get involved, but I was so nervous about it. I wondered about who would be in the groups - would they remember me from the high school years? I was quiet, wore all black, and didn't like very many people, and I certainly clashed with one youth leader in particular. Would they remember that and hold it against me? Would I be able to get past the scars left behind by leaders who destroyed our trust and disheartened our souls?

A new young marrieds group started up on Sunday mornings at church about a year ago. Ric and I had already been married about five years when it started, but we crashed anyway. I'm not sure I would have been able to ease in as well as I have (and "ease" is a debatable choice of words) without the Andersons, who joined it at the same time. It was so much easier to go in with a crutch, knowing Ric and I had at least two other people we knew in the class.

It's been a good thing for both of us. So far I haven't found a lot in common with a lot of the people there (half of them seem to be in the elementary teaching profession - why does that always follow me around?). At least a lot of them went to the same university as I did so we have something to connect with when we don't know what else to talk about. But regardless, we're all starting to get familiar with each other and actually like each other. It's taken a year, but I think we all finally know almost everyone's names and have a small sense of what everyone is like (it's slow-going when you only meet once a week for an hour). Now we're at the point where we look around in the main service and can actually wave at people we know, whereas before, we just introduced ourselves to new people all the time during the greeting time. We've even found two guys who seem to like hockey as much as Ric does.

I have the luxury of working with lots of girls my age who deal with the same things I do. We swap stories, advice, and just talk things out with each other - we hang out with each other outside of work, work out with each other, and have lunches together all the time. Iron sharpens iron, and all of our time together helps us learn to be better wives to our husbands, plus helps us stay focused on being proactive in our marriages. Ric doesn't have that atmosphere in his workplace, to say the least, so he has really benefited from the class. It gives him a little bit of what I get at the university; he's getting good fellowship with other Christians - ones who care about marriage and actually work at it. And for me, the class is just one more thing to keep me focused, not to mention an exercise in socializing. Slowly but surely, we're starting to feel more comfortable there, even though we're probably the least extroverted people in the room.

But that seems to be what I'm supposed to be doing these days - stepping out in faith. It's easy for me to live in a shell, but I'm trying to go beyond that, for the good of my marriage, and for the good of my relationship with God.

And in that vein, today I did something I never imagined myself doing. I went to church and got anointed with oil while the church elders prayed over me for healing in my body. Wow.

I go through doubts all the time of whether or not my physical problems should be considered worthy enough for other people to be bothered by them. I guess I feel like if it's not something huge, like cancer, I might sound like a whiner; after all, I can get around and live a relatively normal life. But when I really think about it, I just don't think I'm the norm. I have headaches all the time, allergy trouble, pain in my neck and shoulders, a back problem that required surgery at age 29, multiple infections, hip problems, odd digestive issues, and some other little pesky things that I've never quite been able to sort out. Any given day of the week, one of these things is giving me trouble, sometimes at a disheartening level.

A while back, there was a sermon where the pastor mentioned that the elders often pray for people with health needs, and that they even anoint people with oil. I had no idea, because no one had ever mentioned it. Of course, being the chicken that I am, I never contacted anyone about it. But they advertised in the church bulletin a couple of weeks ago that the church leaders were offering intercessory prayer for those who wanted it, and I felt a sudden tug at my heart that I ought to go. I didn't have to seek it out - it was right there in the bulletin for me to see. So Ric and I went, despite how nervous I felt about walking in to a room of strangers to have a prayer session.

We came in and met a couple of elders we were sort of familiar with but never really knew. They took us to a corner and we talked about what was bothering me. Or rather, Ric talked about it and I piped in once in a while, since I'm a crier and couldn't get through it all without some help. I'm so glad we went. It's so good to get other people's perspectives on one's problems, even with a health issue. We talked for a while about just wanting to know what we should pray for. The obvious answer might be healing, but what if there's something else? Maybe I'm supposed to experience pain so that one day when I do get healed, I can shout it out to everybody I know and glorify God. Or maybe I'm supposed to experience it so that people can see my testimony as a person who knows everything is in God's hands and praise him despite my pain.. even praise Him for my pain. Maybe I'm supposed to experience pain because it's something that has forced me closer to God, because I've learned to rely on Him more and talk to Him more during tough times. Or maybe I'm supposed to experience pain because there's a sin in my life that needs to be confessed. I've thought about all of these and more over the years. We prayed for the Holy Spirit to direct us, and for God to communicate a reason to me, or even to communicate His presence and that He's here listening, seeing out His plan. We prayed for patience and endurance, if healing isn't in His will.

And then we took a look at James, which says, "Is anyone among you suffering? Then he must pray. Is anyone cheerful? He is to sing praises. Is anyone among you sick? Then he must call for the elders of the church and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; and the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him. Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much."

After that I was dabbed on the forehead with oil, and we prayed for healing. And right now, God's answer is either "No" or "Wait", because throughout the prayer, I felt my hip and back pain increase. It isn't exactly what I was hoping for, but it's an answer for now. And it's a perfect and just answer, and I'm glad for it despite being sad for it, if that makes sense. All I know is that it was a time of prayer that felt a long time coming. Maybe just the fact that I felt more pain was all I needed for now, because it felt like a response to my prayer, and honestly, I've almost never in my life felt like I could sense God responding directly to one of my prayers. It's good to know He's listening, even if His decision isn't to instantaneously heal me. It may be that what's best for me isn't to be healed anyway.

At any rate, I sat down with strangers and spoke with God tonight, which was a big step for me. I'm constantly grateful for the awesome church I go to, despite my complaints about the music or some of the quirky assistant pastors. It's so good to know that I go to a church that recognizes the commands of the Bible and takes intercessory prayer for its members seriously. It was great to see that it wasn't just the elders there - the pastors were there too, feeling our struggles alongside us, and two strangers who never knew me were able to put into words so many of the thoughts I've had over the years, plus a few I hadn't fully considered. It's just so good to be getting plugged into church, and to take some uncomfortable steps that have benefited us greatly.

So, that's my Tuesday. Just thought I'd share. I know I'm usually about the movies and weekends around here, but I thought it's high time I give an update that's not just about what I'm doing, but what I'm feeling and experiencing as well. Thanks so much to all of you out there who think of me once in a while in your prayers. And thanks to my awesome husband, whose prayers were so perfectly on the nose and beautiful that it made me cry just to hear him say them.

I think I might have forgotten to mention it specifically, but my new phone is a Droid, and it is awesome. One of the coolest things about it is all of the GPS connectivity. If I'm out and about and decide to hunt for something, I simply do a quick search (or even say a quick phrase) and it uses Google to find the nearest locations, then gives me step by step directions to the location - it even shows street views to help me find the location.

I downloaded a free application called Buddy Runner, and it can track my workouts. First off, the GPS tracks where I've walked/run and the application shows a map with a drawing of where I went. But it's also able to track my distance and speed. I just press start when I step out onto the track, and End when I'm finished, and it tracks everything for me. I also use my phone as my mp3 player while I'm out there, and I can leave Buddy Runner going while I listen to music and do other things with my phone. Right now I have it set to give me alerts when I complete miles, but it can be set at various increments.

And then on top of that, I got a personal tracking page, or dashboard. Check it out! My first tracking was a little off because I accidentally started tracking while I was still in my office building, but otherwise the measurements seem pretty accurate. I like that it can track my pace as well, so I can see if I improve over time.

Speaking of improvement, although I know my last post was about the pain I still experience, I jsut want to note that the last four days in a row I've been able to jog a mile. It's not a fast mile, and I only walk my additional miles after it's done, but it's still a mile jogged, which is significant progress from even just a couple of months ago.

This little phone of mine is becoming more of a way of life for me, which is crazy. I know I don't need all these conveniences, but they have certainly made life easier for me. I can check prices while out shopping, buy gifts online while I'm thinking about them instead of trying to remember to check the next day when I'm on a computer, keep up with the weather easily, be more interactive with friends, and track movie times so much more easily than calling the number and trying to get a computer to understand what city I'm trying to search within...

Anyway, here's to enhanced workouts in 2010!

What seems like ages ago, we had a movie night at the Agadoni home and Amy's choice was Crocodile Dundee. Believe it or not, I had never seen this movie. I know, I know. Blame my mother. I know I do.

I know a synopsis sounds pointless to all of you since you've all probably seen the movie, but, quickly, it's about a New York journalist who goes to the Australian outback to meet a man who survived a crocodile attack. Once she meets him and experiences his side of the world, she invites him back to New York, where he encounters a completely different way of life. Hilarity ensues! Heheh.

The movie goes exactly where one expects, but still manages to find an easy sense of charm. I had a good time watching it. I don't think it necessitates a heavy critical analysis, so I'll leave it at that!

Hi everyone! I'm back from my blogging break. I think I needed some time away from computers over the holidays. I checked in once in a while to be up-to-date with friends' blogs and Facebooks, but overall, I dialed it back and it felt good to live in the real world for a while. :) It was a good holiday season, for the most part. I had all sorts of ideas of how much I could get accomplished during the break, and of course I fell short on lots of those ideas, but I was able to get a few things accomplished.

The last few days before Christmas, I worked half days so I could spend the afternoons working on wrapping gifts and baking cookies. I decided to bake a lot of the treats my mom used to bake when I was really young, which she hadn't made in years. I whipped out some butterscotch haystacks (I'd make them without the peanut butter next time), Missouri cookies, cornflake wreaths, brownies with white chocolate chips (in the edge pan), and of course, Scottish Tablet. If I have time later, I'll post a couple of recipes or reviews with photos.

We spent Christmas Eve at my family's house. We had our traditional Mexican dinner, opened gifts together, had too many sugary treats, played games, and then went to the eleven o'clock Christmas Eve Candlelight service at church. On the way to that service, I found out from Ric that his family would expect to be opening gifts first thing in the morning. Since we had never celebrated on the actual Christmas Day with each other, I hadn't anticipated that, so when I got home from the Christmas Eve service, I had to stay up baking a casserole and ironing my clothes for the next day. I went to bed at four in the morning and had to get up again at seven! We had a good time with the family, though, opening gifts, napping, going on walks, and just enjoying each other's company.

The rest of my break was nice. I did get to visit with Erika for an evening, since she was in town to visit family. I went to a few movies, went to a hockey game with Ric, I put together a photo book to celebrate Ric and my tenth anniversary of dating (see photos here), we had a nice little dinner out to celebrate, and towards the end of my vacation, I finally had a couple chances to sleep in and read books. I even managed to make it to the track or park about every other day. For New Year's, Ric and I went out to Fullerton since we didn't have any other plans. We started off at the Olde Ship for a few pints (their Guinness tasted like it was fresh from Ireland!) and then we walked over to the main area to watch the fireworks show.

I hope the holidays were kind to all of you.  It was a much-needed break for me.  Now I'll be facing busyness at work for the next several months, since we go live with our new software in March.  I know that 2009 wasn't exactly a terrible year for me personally, but I certainly felt bogged down by all of the things that happened to my friends during the year.  I'm not sure I know of many people who would say, "2009 was the best year EVER!"  So I am glad to be rid of it, and am looking forward to the promises of 2010.  Here's to you, and to hope for a better year!

There is nothing quite like having a theater to oneself. Who knew they start movies at ten-thirty in the morning in Irvine?

I am here to see Broken Embraces and then I will drive across town for Young Victoria. I love my winter vacation! I hope to start posting again soon!

Merry Christmas, everyone, from Ric and me to you and yours!

Due to unfortunate circumstances, I watched this movie spread out across many small viewings over many days. It certainly wasn't ideal. I think if I had seen it in the theater, it might have ripped out my heart. Director Paul Greengrass helmed this project in an effort to bridge the gap between English and Irish and perhaps let some healing take place between the two. It's basically a recreation of the events that occurred on Bloody Sunday, which was when several Irish protesters in the Northern Ireland town of Derry were killed by British troops.

The style feels much like a documentary. For once, I watched the extras on the DVD, and learned that they used local people in the filming, some of whom were actually there on the original day. They also tried to cast lesser-known actors. One of the most impressive aspects of their filming style was that they would give the people general directions and then film incredibly long takes (I think they said up to 20 minutes for some of them), and let the action happen naturally. As a result, the confusion that they wanted was easily achieved because not everyone always knew what was happening.

The movie is anchored on the performance of James Nesbitt who plays Ivan Cooper, who was a member of North Ireland's parliament. He coordinated a peaceful anti-internment march, which got out of hand when the marchers split into different directions and some of the younger marchers started antagonizing the British troops. The story follows Ivan for most of the time, as he tries to keep everything organized at the beginning, tries to sway the crowd away from the British troops, tries to help people to safety once the shooting begins, tries to help people find out what happened to their loved ones after everything is over, and then gives a press conference. On the other side of the spectrum is the point of view of the British troops. We see the men at HQ as they try to keep all of the units organized, see the frustration of some of the troops who want to see battle, the lack of communication as things get confused, and then the reports of the soldiers as they try to account for the amount of shooting that occurred. One of the younger protesters is focused on as well, showing what happens as his friends rile up the troops.

The two sides of the story help the audience understand both sides of the story as to what happened. The focus isn't so much on who was to blame as it is showing what a mess the day was from the very beginning, as well as the way the events affected the townspeople of Derry. In that crowd, most of the people knew each other, and several of the people who died were not a part of the violent protesters. In Greengrass' hands, we can see how the confusion occurred, but we can also see the mistakes that were made.

I just loved and hated everything about this movie in all the right moments. I loved the way the story was told and hated what happened. One of the interesting aspects of the movie was the closing credits, which were set to a live rendition of U2's famous song about Bloody Sunday. First of all, the song never seemed so real as after watching this movie. Second, the credits finish rolling, and the screen goes to black, but the song keeps going. Bono shouts out some emotional comments and the song goes on for several minutes, all to a black screen. It definitely resonated with me. The fact that I watched the credits on a portable DVD player is impressive in itself, but like I said, I was so interested in the story that I went on to watch the special features. I just wanted to hear more.

Paul Greengrass also directed another recreation of historical events when he made United 93. He has a real talent for this sort of thing - looking at both sides of the story to help us understand what happened, even though everyone can agree that the result was tragedy. I'm so glad I finally got to see this movie.

Hey guys! I'm coming to you straight from my new Droid phone.. just because I can. I have finally moved up in the phone world and finally have web and email hooked up. Do I need any of this extravagance? Not really, but it sure is fun to post this while I'm out walking on the track!

I have been keeping busy as ever during this season, forgetting that even though most of the parties are over, there's still tons to do. I completely forgot that we were celebrating my dad's birthday on Friday and was lucky. his gift came in time. We went to Zi Teresa in Uptown and then had cake at my parents' place to celebrate the big 8-0; yes, you read that right - he's old. :)

Saturday Ric and I wanted to hike in the morning, but it was pouring rain. So it was nice to sleep in while it rained. We had a work day at the condo and I listened to my audio book of A Christmas Carol while painting and cleaning. That night I hung out with Cyndi and played Wii games with the unbeatable woman while our boys went to a Kings game.

Sunday we hit up church, where our awesome pastor combined physics with his message on Isaiah, then we went to Lowe's to order some new closet doors for the office, which still had the terrible floral paneling that was original to the condo. We also got to meet the new baby Anderson at her grandparents' house. Then I set to work on Christmas cards and packages, since those need to get into the mail ASAP. That took up the rest of the day, but at least they're done.

This week I just have a bunch of errands to run, a meal to deliver to a couple from our class at church, a movie night, and a birthday fun night. Here's hoping I get everything done without missing anything!

I tried making beer bread for the first time last night and loved it warm, with Irish butter! I'm sure beer flavors make a difference. I used Ric's stout that had coffee and caramel in it, so this bread is sweet and dense like a molasses bread. Photo taken with my new phone.. not bad, not great, although I didn't tweak the settings, so maybe it could be better with a little practice.

Recipe

3 cups of self-rising flour
2/3 cup of sugar
One 12 oz. beer
Melted butter for glazing

Using a mixer, combine the flour, sugar, and beer. Pour the mixture into a greased and floured loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes, then remove from oven.

Use a knife along the edges of the pan to separate the bread from the pan, then pour melted butter over the top and let it drip down the sides. Return pan to the oven for 15 more minutes.

Hey everyone,

Hope you all had a good weekend. Last week was a crazy one around here. I feel like I was going to a big party every single day of the week. Looking back, it was most of the week, but not every day. Haha. I think they try to get most of the festivities done at the very beginning of the month so people can go on vacation or focus on graduation week.

Between all of the parties, I spent most of my time crafting away on my office cubicle, which has slowly-but-surely turned into a gingerbread house. There are only a few really edible things on it, so hopefully there won't be any nibblers! I worked so hard all week that on Friday I spent the evening relaxing at home with Ric.

Saturday we went to a Kings game with the Hutchinses and as soon as we got back, I turned around and went back to LA with my sister to see The Barber of Seville at the Dorothy Chandler. It was great to see an opera where I was familiar with most of the music. It was also a lot of fun. The only thing I didn't care for was sitting in the cheap section, where lots of people forgot to silence their phones or thought it was okay to text during the performance. Texting at the opera, really?!

Sunday was another chill day. We went to church and came back home. I had plans to go to the candle light procession at Disneyland with a friend, but I wasn't feeling well, so I ended up watching White Christmas at home and sleeping a lot.

This week promises to be easier than last. Shopping tonight, an appointment with my sister to go buy a new phone tomorrow night, a Christmas lunch date with my old library supervisor on Thursday, and hopefully some Christmas tree shopping! I also get to work on Christmas cards all week.

Updates:
I went to the allergist for environmental allergy testing on Wednesday. Apparently, I'm allergic to many things, and I have possibly been attributing some symptoms to other things when allergies were the culprit. I always think of allergies as sniffing and sneezing, but I think my frequent headaches are probably a result of them as well. I'm going log my symptoms for the next few months and then evaluate with the allergist whether or not I would want to start getting weekly shots.

Okay, that's all for now. Back to the movie posts - I'm still a month behind!