.jeri.

nostalgia

My latest nostalgic obsession is watching shows I watched as a young girl.

At first, it was the Cosby Show on Nick at Nite. Now I've graduated to these:

MacGuyver
Yes, Everyone's handyman.... I come home every night to watch him at midnight. All of the episodes are vaguely familiar. There are a few I know by heart, but most of them are like watching a brand new show each and every night! There's nothing like this show! Yesterday's "convenient" items involved a rubber glove, flammable gas, scissors, a lightbulb, and a toilet factory!

And besides all the fun stuff he does, there are the outrageous storylines. For instance, two nights ago, MacGuyver was hunting for Alexander the Great's Egyptian Tomb, located on a mountain site where a meteor once landed, and he was battling against the brother of a former (dead) enemy named Von Leer. Last week, his ex-girlfriend from high school came back into his life with a Russian Olympic hopeful who needed a place to stay... she ended up framing MacGuyver for her abusive 3rd husband's murder (she had a bodyguard kill her husband while wearing a mask that looked like MacGuyver - incidentally, this iman is played by the sheriff dude from CHiPS) because if MacGuyver hadn't dumped her after high school, she wouldn't have had such an evil husband! This stuff is pure gold.

Gidget
What's really weird about watching this show is that I must have seen every episode a billion times, because every time I watch it, it's as if every single movement and sentence is a long lost memory that comes flooding back to me when I watch it. This show is just plain sweet, funny, and completely nostalgic for me. I'm hooked on it almost as much as MacGuyver.

And yes, I watch both of these shows about 5 times a week, minimum. It's scary.

Posted by wendytime at 04:41 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)

Wedding Updates

Well, kids, I have a couple of updates.

We are now registered at Target. You can find our registry easily at target.com. We ended up deleting a little of our Robinsons-May registry and doing mostly Target. Everything under $100! Just to make you all happy. And us too!

Out of town family and out of town wedding party members (ahem, Roland and Becky) will be happy to know that they will be staying at the Hilton in Whittier, courtesy of the great generosity of Ric's parents.

Also, I picked out my cake. I will be ordering through Beverly's Best cake shop in Brea. The top and bottom layers will be white cake with American Buttercream Frosting. The middle layer will be white cake with Raspberry Buttercream filling (with some real fruit in it). The frosting will be American Buttercream. The sheet cake will be chocolate cake with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting, and will also have the American Buttercream Frosting. I like their cakes. Not TOO sweet (like the kind you want to wipe your tongue off after eating the frosting, but not too plain (their French buttercream was like water.. too boring, so we picked the more sweet one). Overall, I'm satisfied!

Posted by wendytime at 03:28 PM | Comments (7) | TrackBack (0)

movies movies movies

Bend It Like Beckham

This movie is a lot of simple fun. It's about a girl from an Indian family, living in London, who has a dream to play soccer. She is recruited to a female soccer league, unbeknownst to her parents, who only want her to live a traditional Indian life and think about being a proper Indian young woman. The movie follows her as she plays soccer, sneaks away from her family, deals with her elder sister's eccentricity and wedding plans, and starts to fall for an Irishman..

Bend it like Beckham is full of music, both pop and Indian, and Indian-pop! It features a lot of scenes with soccer moves, and a lot of scenes with Indian celebrations, yet it also manages to just be a sincere, heartwarming story about a young girl who has to decide whether she wants to live her life for her parents' values or her own. I love how the movie is a balance of showing family values and individual dreams, and not assuming that one has to be more important than another....

If you've got the time, I'd recommend seeing it. It's light, yet not as formulaic as you'd think. I think the British have it right - instead of fairy princess stories like What a Girl Wants or the Lizzie McGuire Movie like the U.S. is always pumping out, here is a story with third-dimensional characters, real problems, a lot of culture, a lot of family, and a lot more of a sincere heart.

Anyway, I enjoyed it, and am glad I took the time to go see "some movie about an Indian girl who wants to play soccer."

A Mighty Wind

A Mighty Wind is another great mockumentary brough to you by Christopher Guest, famed with Spinal Tap, Waiting for Guffman, and Best in Show. This movie focuses on the reunion of folk singers who are playing in a tribute show in New York. The cast is filled with a huge ensemble of people - basically anyone who's ever been in a Christopher Guest movie.

I thought it was enjoyable. I have to say I found the previous mockumentaries a bit more amusing, but that doesn't mean A Mighty Wind wasn't fun. I loved the huge cast of characters, the outfits, the makeup, and the songs. I had a really good time and got a couple of big laughs here and there.

Better Luck Tomorrow

Story: Four friends are bored with their suburbia-lifestyle of boring times at high school extracurricular activities that involve clubs. So they start doing "business", beginning with cheat sheets, and getting way worse. Trust me, if Academic Decathalon would have been like this when I was in high school, I so would have been there! Heh heh. We mainly follow from the perspective of one of the guys, who is also dealing with having a crush on a girl who has a boyfriend... a screwed-up preppy boyfriend.

I was very impressed with the fact that this film was a product from a first-timer. In the very beginning, I felt a little iffy about the dialogue, but as the movie progressed, it started feeling better. The directing was great, the acting was very good for a bunch of no-names, and the story was always moving, always changing, and always getting more in-depth with all of the characters involved.

The movie never got extremely gritty with its reality. I almost felt like it held back a little bit... but then again, this did take place in suburbia, so I really didn't mind.

Overall, I'm glad I went. I'm happy to see that MTV and Paramount picked up on this movie and promoted it. It's worth seeing, and if the group of kids who made it (acting,directing) keep making movies as good as (or better than) Better Luck Tomorrow, I'll be even more impressed.

Posted by wendytime at 02:04 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

while mom's away...

So, yesterday morning my mom said goodbye to me at 3:30 am. By now, she has landed, perhaps slept, and is now experiencing culture shock in the Czech Republic. Good.

My dad and I are on our own for 2 weeks. You know, that's long enough where I have to cook, wash the towels, and clean house. Boooooo!

Posted by wendytime at 12:12 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)

for wendy

Just to let you know, Dr. Phil is going to be on Frasier next week. That's next Tuesday at 9 on NBC.

Posted by wendytime at 12:09 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)

Yeeehaaaa!

I know you’ll all hate me, but I just thought I’d mention that the government sent me my tax refunds! Both state and federal!
state: $151
federal:$799!


As I type, Frank Gifford is teaching me how to use PowerPoint. Blech.

Posted by wendytime at 03:55 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)

honeymoon

Ric and I are each investigating different areas of the world for possible travel for our honeymoon. I am investigating Italy. Surprise, surprise. We were thinking of a city that's touristy, but not as touristy as say Rome or Florence. We'll go back there another time for those. But what about Venice, or somewhere else? Does anyone have any suggestions? Any good ideas for flight deals? Hotels? Has anyone used priceline or hotwire and enjoyed the service?

Posted by wendytime at 04:03 PM | Comments (8) | TrackBack (0)

p.s.

Did anyone else know about THIS!? This theater looks kickass!

Posted by wendytime at 10:27 AM | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)

name my theatre!

Okay, kids. For my theatre idea, I need a name.

Now remember, this theater will feature: classic old movies, independent movies, cult classics, and foreign flicks.

Thus, most of the movies we feature are either of special quality, or of great timelessness, just plain classic, or just plain artsy. In other words, they are different from the norm - of a special quality.

SO... with that in mind.. please, help me come up with some ideas! We'll narrow it down after everyone gives input.

Posted by wendytime at 10:25 AM | Comments (8) | TrackBack (0)

April 21, 2003

Yesterday I forgot to post. Well, Happy Belated Birthday, Robert Smith! In case none of you realized it (not likely), I'm a big fan of The Cure, and their music has been a love of mine for many years. Robert's been writing music for almost 30 years now, and it's still good quality stuff after all these years. The Cure has a great quality of actual musicianship, and their music has evolved a ton over the years while still retaining that great quality.

The dreamy sounds, the creative lyrics, and the unique voice of Robert Smith were all an integral part of my adolescence and helping form who I am today. That may sound stupid, but in high school, music was a massive part of my identity, and thinking about the sounds and lyrics of the bands I loved actually had an impact on who I was as a person.

So happy birthday, whatever you're doing today, Robert Smith! I bet it's a plan for another "last album" and "last tour"...

Posted by wendytime at 09:21 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

April 12, 2003

The Pottymouthed Farmer Girl is Officially Engaged!!

Ralph finally got to propose to Judi last Saturday! The ring they wanted was "out of print" and Ralph had to have it specially made. That took about 4 months. He proposed to Judi in some nice restaurant (I can't remember the name). She gave him a hard time because he didn't get on his knee (embarrassed of PDAs) - although she said yes in the restauraunt - so after dinner, they went to the beach, and he got on his knee.

Next time you see Judi, it won't be hard to miss. It's one full carat for the center diamond, accompanied by a band covered in little diamonds.

Ralph and Judi will be getting hitched October 25, 2003.

Posted by wendytime at 09:14 AM | Comments (7) | TrackBack (0)

happy easter

We're Registering at Robinson's-May tomorrow.
I'm working on Invitations.
We're buying reception supplies.
I'm going to order my dress.

HAPPY EASTER.

Posted by wendytime at 04:34 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)

nickname

BlogFodder tells us today to pick a nickname for a friend.

1. Becky. I call her B. I can't remember if this has anything to do with Becky calling me J-Do, but all I know is that I used to call her at work and say, "Whatup, B!?"

2. Wendy. I think we should call her Mother Neal. Wendy is the epitome of motherhood. She creates baby things, researches baby sites, and even named her blog Wendy's Womb. She just doesn't have a child yet. We have a Father Askew, but no Mother for Chaos. I think Wendy has always been a mother in her heart, and she's the kind of mother Chaos needs - extremely cynical with a good sense of humor.

3. David. I think we should call him Smeagolange. Or Seruyangol. The boy is sitting, right now, in South Dakota, rocking to himself and thinking about tricksy and false hobbits. Do you call your food "tenderful", Smeagolange?

4. Roland already has nicknames, and so does Brendan. Ric and I are a part of Jeric. Jon and Grace are Gron Croizano. Judi's the pottymouthed farmer girl.

5. Josh is the Blogfiend... but we could always call him Joshken to intertwine his name with Tolkien's... and to make it sound endearing, we could call him Joshyken!

6. I can't think of anything else right now.

Posted by wendytime at 11:18 AM | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)

ideas happen?

http://ideashappen.msn.com/indexview.aspx

Basically, at this website, people can submit ideas for what they could do with $25,000. They will be awarding 12 people with $25,000 to go toward making their ideas happen.

I'm intrigued with this idea, and whether any of us would ever have a chance to get one of our great ideas to fruition. I'd love to see what kind of ideas you kids would have...

I think I'm going to pitch the idea that I (and Brendan and Phil) have been toying with for years, to open an independent movie theatre in the area between Los Angeles County and Orange County, where we show indie, classic, and foreign movies. Right now, I have to drive 30 miles to see lesser-released movies, and I know that since our area is so full of college students (Whittier, Biola, Fullerton, and more), there are plenty of people who would be interested in something like this.

I'll probably never win, but at least I can say I did SOMETHING towards my dream. It's the only thing I've ever felt slightly passionate about doing.

Posted by wendytime at 04:32 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)

fodder, help me

I'm ready to go home, and I can't think of anything to entertain you kids. In fact, I just signed up for fodder today, just to help me out on those days.

I guess I'll do a little survey. Today I was thinking of a Goya painting, and thinking that was how I felt today. It's sort of weird, because I don't feel particularly dark or angry (like what most people think of when they think of Goya), but I just started thinking of this painting. It's The Colossus, which is exhibited in the Prado Museum in Madrid (which I happen to have visited in my journeys around Europe).

P.S., If you're ever interested in the movie Goya in Bordeaux because of the idea that it has some of his art in it, don't bother. It's pretty low-budget and not extremely involving. Although toying with the idea of who Goya's mystery woman is is always fun.

If you're wondering who the heck Goya is, you may have seen these paintings from him:

So, if you could be represented by a painting today, what would it be?

Posted by wendytime at 04:27 PM | Comments (10) | TrackBack (1)

dress and personality

Okay, so the bridesmaids dress seems to be a GO. Thank goodness. All the maids look HOT in them.

Also, Becky made me clarify my earlier statements about the Myers-Briggs test. I took it twice in college, and each time I was able to look at exactly how many questions I answered in each category, and the results were manually calculated... So I was able to be a split on almost everything. I was Introverted, Intuitive-Sensing, Thinking-Feeling, Judging-Perceiving. But Becky wouldn't hear of such an undefined diagnosis. So I took an internet test (more decisive) and got INFJ, just like Becky. Of course.

I hate the test and how it boxes you into a personality type, especially since I want to answer so many of those yes/no questions with a yes AND a no, but one of the comments I enjoyed had to do with how complex the perseonality of an INFJ is, and how it's mysterious to a lot of people, even the INFJs themselves. Ha ha. You don't know how on target that is.

Posted by wendytime at 04:18 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)

always a ...

I think we have a dress for the bridesmaids! Today I just need to convince my sister that she looks good in it, and then all 5 bridesmaids will be cool with it.

It's a Bill Levkoff.

The dress looks better on my bridesmaids. This girl is a bit thin for the dress. I think my sister might even look better. And the color is better in person. But the rest of the girls look great in it - it's a good curve kind of dress. So 4/5 are for it. Here goes nothing tonight...

If everyone likes it, I'm thinking of finding a seamstress or someone to make them, so the girls don't need to pay so much. It's ridiculous how much one stinking dress costs.

Posted by wendytime at 03:23 PM | Comments (5) | TrackBack (0)

visionary philosopher?

So I got an email that says, "Jeri, you are a Visionary Philosopher." It also said, "The first thing we can tell you about that is you're equally good at mathematical and verbal tasks, and learn best through experience."

... Also, they said 57% of visionary philosophers like chocolate. Isn't that retarded? I mean, big freaking deal. I bet 57% of the world likes chocolate.

I'd also like to say that it's retarded for saying I'm good at verbal tasks. Obviously, they've never seen how completely awkward I am when answering phones or odd questions.

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great visions

Posted by wendytime at 09:22 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)

Old Classics

Over the weekend I caught up with a couple good movies. Not that I hadn't seen them. In fact, I've seen them quite a few times, but I'm always amazed at how good they are when I watch them.

Swiss Family Robinson
Everyone laughed when I got this for my birthday. I'm really glad I did. I was so happy to see a movie where a family prayed and talked about God, and how there was character development, great family relationships, tons of color, action moments, and humor. This is a package deal, and such a fun movie to watch. I love it now as much as I did when I was little.

The Graduate
My mom always said this was an immoral movie. I remember when the Lemonheads covered "Mrs. Robinson" and my mom got mad that I was listening to a song that went with such an awful movie. So of course, I wasn't allowed to see it for the longest time. I finally caught up with it last year, and was so surprised to see the great directing and artsy shots, as well as good use of a contemporary soundtrack. In fact, I can't get the stinking songs out of my head right now. But the humor, the emotion, and the weirdness of this movie are so intriguing that I can't help but enjoy watching it. I watched part with grace the other day, and then caught up with the rest yesterday. It's awesome.

Posted by wendytime at 03:25 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)

my i.q.

It's 135. Is that good?

Posted by wendytime at 12:56 PM | Comments (20) | TrackBack (0)

stupid i.q.!

i'm taking the emode iq test right now. i'm so frustrated with this one question! all i'm doing is sitting here staring at boxes and trying to understand the connection between them. arrrrgh!

i need to audit some classes. i'm feeling stupid.

Posted by wendytime at 12:40 PM | Comments (5) | TrackBack (0)

l.a. phil

Last night I visited the Dorothy Chandler Pavillion for the next-to-the-last time. I'm getting sadder and sadder that the L.A. Phil will be moving to a new location. I love the feeling of history in the DCP.

So last night's program included:

Debussy's Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun, which is one of those songs that's like a memory coming back to me... the music is beautiful and familiar - like I know it personally - and so soothing. Really a landmark in music history for the changes Debussy brought to music as the century turned.

Mozart's's Violin Concierto No. 4 , which was highly entertaining and very impressive on the part of the violinist, Alexander Treger. I'm warming up to Mozart more.

Rachmaninoff's 2nd Symphony, which was extraordinary. I think I love anything Rachmaninoff does. There's something about his modern yet old sounds and how wonderfully all the harmonies and voices blend together.

Altogether, a great night at the Phil!

Posted by wendytime at 04:34 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)

banana eating ninja monkey!

death rock girl is a Banana-Eating Ninja Monkey ...with a Battle Rating of 8.1 To see if your Food-Eating Battle Monkey can defeat death rock girl, enter your name:

Posted by wendytime at 08:52 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

mmmmmmmm, peeeeeeeeps...... arahrageaegarh

Posted by wendytime at 04:32 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack (1)

Happy Birthday, Becky Morgan!

This one goes out to Becky Morgan.

Becky, to those of you who aren't aware (and that shouldn't be many) is a great friend of mine, and one of my favorite people. Hence, she will be one of my bridesmaids. I first met Becky at one of those Denny's gatherings. She was quiet, so I didn't know what to think of her. I think it was when I joined her and Roland to go to Magic Mountain a few years ago that I first got a glimpse of what a cool person she really is.

Over the years, Roland and Becky became Ric and my Fred and Ethel. Or we became their Fred and Ethel. Either way you look at it, it was a great bond. While the boys did their thing, Becky and I found that we had a lot of similarities. Our personalities are sometimes extremely similar. We can talk over movies, books, music, and especially The Learning Channel! Heh. Becky has been there for me for many years, and has always been a true friend. She is always a great listener, easy to talk to, and myteriously funny. I like that, together, we are a powerful evil duo.

I always thought Becky was going to be here in CA forever. We were going to live near each other, and even do an episode of Trading Spaces together. I couldn't imagine my life without her. Then God led her down a different road, and she and Roland headed out to AZ with someone Ric and I introduced to them. One of the hardest things in the world was walking out of their apartment that one night (the night that was supposed to be the last) in October... I cried on Ric in the parking lot for a long time. Heck, it makes me sad still not to have her physically present any time I want her. But she'll always be my great friend, and I'm deeply grateful God has put her in my life.

And now I'll stop writing so I won't cry... anymore. I LOVE YOU BECKY! p.s., your present awaits you in Whittier.

Posted by wendytime at 11:15 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack (1)

diversity in the school

One of the professors I work for did a great study with a prof in the Sociology department at Biola. They were studying why the percentages of retention for minorities at the school have been decreasing over the past decade. They interviewed several students to ask about what it's like going to the school as a minority. They also interviewed deans, faculty, and staff in an effort to undertsand the opinions held by those persons as well. The results of this research will soon go public, and trust me, it's not a little thing. Some of the comments - on campus, in class, and even in bubbs, are some things you should never hear coming out of a Christian's mouth.

Now, usually you see me joke around about my heritage, and how I feel really white instead of embracing my hispanic culture.... all of that still holds true. What I don't want to joke around about is other people's cultures. Listening to this professor talk, and reading what kind of things came up in the interviews, I was really surprised and saddened to think that people at Biola can be so cruel as to actually believe certain minorities are more stupid than others, and that some people at Biola insult (very directly or less directly) other people who actually do embrace their culture. So if I seem to suddenly care a bit more, now you know why. I'm really glad to be working with someone with a real passion and integrity in studying this subject, and I'm happy that working with him has made me think about my own actions.

I'm looking into it, but one of the places they found problems was on bubbs itself. They said some of the hot topic folders were the key places they saw problems. They mentioned Chaos as well. Now, I know we joke around a lot, and there are many jokes that we, who are comfortable with each other and with who each other are, don't find offensive.

But as Christian witnesses, I think we should think a little more carefully about what we publicly post when it comes to naming stereotypes or joking around about certain issues. I just want to let you kids know that I still have a sense of humor, and that, in the company of friends, I don't mind some jokes because I know it's obvious that none of my friends are racists. I just want to be a little more sensitive on bubbs to the fact that not everyone has everyone else's sense of humor, and that some things we find funny might actually offend someone who doesn't understand our sense of humor, or someone who has had some of the bad experiences I've learned about recently.

On a side note, something else that was mentioned was that bubbs has become a subculture that is dominated by certain personalities, and that, for the most part, the dominating people are alumni. So just to let you know, it is something that they are watching, and I would recommend watching your backs. I know we've been pretty good lately, but I'm just saying - I think they're going to start getting a little more watchful. So there's a heads up for you.

Posted by wendytime at 02:07 PM | Comments (8) | TrackBack (0)