.jeri.

and now, because we haven't had a picture in a long time

This hangs above my piano. I picked up the print at the Orsay in Paris. I have a really hard time separating myself from anything I've bought in Europe.

Cleaning out my room at my parents' house has been difficult because of things like that. I even have the BAGS that held the souvenirs I bought in Europe. I still have the McDonald's toys from my Happy Meals in Madrid and Paris. I have the matchboxes from hotels in Heidelberg and Paris. I've got a "Bauhaus" pen I found in the street in Munich. I have mini Eiffel Towers and Colosseums. I have mini spoons with images of bridges in Lucerne. I just can't get rid of it all!

Posted by wendytime at 01:05 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)

semi-deep thoughts on the return of the semester

Well, the students are back. I think O'brien is the last one left that I know of. The faces are less and less familiar. Sometimes I wish I weren't a secretary, because some of the students seem cool, but it would seem kind of weird to say, "Hey, you're cool, wanna hang out on my lunch break?"

I'm also missing the classroom experience with a good professor. I was talking to one of the English profs, who was very broadly saying something about the vague possibility of grad English classes, and it completely flicked on a switch in my head that wants to be learning in a classroom again. I've been thinking about it ever since he mentioned it. But that would also mean writing papers again. I'm so torn between wanting to do more and not wanting to do what would be required of me if I signed up for a class.

Posted by wendytime at 12:54 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

semi-deep thoughts on the garden of eden

So... do you think poo existed in the garden of eden? Because I think poo is a pretty gross thing, and the garden's existence was perfection. On a related note, do you think Adam and Eve had the possibility of getting fat in the garden? If yes, then is being fat really a bad thing (what about health issues)? If no, do you think perfection is a good metabolism?

Posted by wendytime at 12:49 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)

save the fox theatre!

Phil, or anyone else who might be interested:

There's a forum this Friday the 30th (probably this day) at 7 pm. in the Wilshire auditorium to discuss the old Fox Theatre:

“Community Forum to Save the Fox”

WHEN: Thursday January 29, 2004, 7 pm
WHERE: Wilshire Auditorium (Lemon St., between Chapman and Wilshire in downtown Fullerton)
ADMISSION: Free
SPECIAL FEATURES:
   - Rare vintage photos of the Fox from the Academy of Motion Pictures!
   - Never-before-shown photos from private collections showing unique, hidden details!
   - Artists' renderings of the Fox as an independent, art film center and live stage venue!

Parking is available in the lot behind the Auditorium, or at the structure at Chapman and Lemon, $2

I can't go, because I'm going to go see Travis at the Wiltern tonight, but if anyone makes it, be sure to give me a report! I'm very interested in seeing this theater have a revival.

Posted by wendytime at 08:14 AM | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)

[insert picture of puke]

Well, you know how yesterday I said my stomach was bothering me? I ended up being sent home early from work, and almost right after I got home, I started puking in the kitchen sink. Yay!

I'm staying home today. I don't think I'm going to throw up again, but my stomach muscles are sore. Unfortunately, we missed our night out with Rob. We'll have to catch up next time.

Posted by wendytime at 12:28 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

working late

I'm so tired and so busy. I'm working 2 hours late today for Registration. So tired. And I have a stomachache.

At least later we're meeting up with the Mann at Stubrik's. But it's going to be a long extra 2 hours until I can get my hand on an Irish Rootbeer... and an Irish Mint... and another Irish Mint... and maybe another Irish Mint...

Sorry I don't have anything more interesting than that for today.

Posted by wendytime at 04:38 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)

tellin stories

I can't really think of any good stories to tell you today.

One thing I've been thinking about lately is how I've got so much friendship to give to people, but sometimes either A) I run out of time to be consistent or B) people don't take advantage of what I have to offer.

A) I need to write letters to about three friends right now, and I also need to catch up with quite a few who are in the area. I'm sorry for not doing better, and I miss you all.

B) On the other side of things, one of the saddest things for me is when I'm friends with someone and they suddenly seem not to be interested in hanging out, talking, emailing, or calling. Makes me think of the Violent Femmes song, "Good Friend". So this goes out to all of those people who break my heart (I miss you, but I'll get over it.):

"If only you could know how I'd love you so,
The way good friends do.
The way I would be you and me too,
I'd be your good friend, I'd be your good friend
That's what I would've been.
Oh but every time I turn around,
My heart's on the mend.
These feelings I have I have to suspend,
Because I don't think you want me to be your good friend.
Yesterday is a laugh and the traumas slip past
And I don't think that I'll be doing a lot of crying
But I'll sure do my share of sighing
I would have been your good friend."

Posted by wendytime at 12:17 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack (1)

triplets of belleville

Let me just say, it was a fight against time, my inner compass, and traffic to see The Triplets of Belleville. But I made it.

Went to see this little French Canadian creation on Friday. It was kind of cool to watch a movie with practically zero dialogue, yet still feel interested, and learn to love certain characters.

The story begins with a kid, his grandmother, and their puppy. The kid grows up to be a bicyclist, with the little grandmother blowing her whistle behind him (the whistle is basically her only form of speech), and their dog is extremely fat and every thought of his revolves around obtaining food. When the kid is in a bicycle race, he is kidnapped, and his grandmother and dog go in search of him. Eventually they receive aid from the Triplets of Belleville, three older ladies who were once big entertainers in their younger days.

The animation is real (read: non-computerized, hooray!). Detailed. Creative (the shapes of characters are a lot of fun). The music is unique. The characters are all interesting. The plot isn't that intricate, but it doesn't need to be. It's entertaining in its creativity. I really enjoyed the sights and sounds and ryhthms and laughs... and dog dreams! Very fun.

Posted by wendytime at 11:07 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)

last night i dreamt

Last night Phil made a visit in my dream. Portishead's "Nobody Loves Me" was playing in the background. I don't know why. Haven't heard that song in ages.

Anyway, I was hanging out with Phil before either he or I was going to leave for a significant amount of time. We decided to meet up one last time, and when I met up with him, it didn't look like him at all, but I still knew it was him. I remember feeling really frantic, and something about a room full of protesters, and Phil showed me he was hiding out in a basement somewhere, from something.

I really wanted to see what was happening, but something woke me up. Anyway, good to see you, Phil! Heh heh.

Posted by wendytime at 10:53 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)

Cold Mountain

I FINALLY saw Cold Mountain last night. Did anyone else see it?

In the commerials, it's the "love story" of a preacher's daughter and a carpenter. Actually, it's more like a story about two people who met and were interested in each other before the guy went off to war, and then we follow each character through the years of the Civil War.

Nicole Kidman and Jude Law are great, but the love story isn't very epic, considering how little time they spent with each other. I know they put in the whole "it was like a lifetime of love" sentiment, but that didn't make me FEEL the love story.

It felt to me like Anthony Minghella was reading up on the Civil War and got interested in the times, created a list of things he wanted to stick in the movie, and then wrote a story around it... which resulted in a movie where everything that can happen does, and every episode is highly dramatic, except for the love story. I'd also like to say that the scene involving Giovanni Ribisi seemed completely "out of character" with the rest of the movie.

I did like Cold Mountain overall, however. I enjoyed seeing some accounts of war and what life was like for some people during those times. I enjoyed the beautiful scenery, adequate acting (including a long list of surprise appearances by celebrities), and the different types of music.

I mostly recommend it, but don't understand what all the hype is about. But remember kiddies, it's got plenty of violence and two scenes that show nakedness. For people who get hung up on the nudity, I'd really like to say that the violence highly outweighs it in comparison.

Posted by wendytime at 04:38 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)

grace, does this fulfill your needs?

I don't know what to post about, but grace was bitching about how horrible it is when I don't post on weekends. So what's new?

My new bookcases are coming today! Time to start rearranging, whenever we have free time. Oh ho ho ho. That's quite a laugh. When is there free time? I have to give my car (their car) up to my parents at the end of this month, and I've only driven the Miata (stick) once!!!

Anyway, after countless times to try and go see Cold Mountain, we think we're going to make it tonight. And of course, I find out today that my sister from up north is visiting for only the day today. Oh well.

It's 4:30. I must stop posting.

Posted by wendytime at 04:30 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)

House of Sand and Fog

House of Sand and Fog is about Kathy (Jennifer Connelly), a woman who didn't open her mail and got her house taken away from her for $500 in taxes she didn't really owe. Massoud Amir Behrani (Ben Kingsley) is a former Colonel of the Shaw in Iran, who is seeking a new life in America, but with not a lot of money. Behrani buys the auctioned house, and when Kathy's attorney figures out it was a mistake for her house to be taken, Behrani won't sell it back for the price he bought it because he desperately needs to sell it for a profit in order to provide for his family. Kathy befriends a cop named Lester, who makes everything complicated, and blah blah blah, things elevate.

Ben Kingsley is perfection in this movie. He is a colonel, demanding respect. He's a father who gives advice. He's a husband who loves his wife. He is a former great man who is distinguished even when he works road construction and a job at a convenience store. He's desperate, kind, and dignified all at the same time. His wife, played by Shohreh Aghdashloo, is also perfection, as a wife who is dealing with getting used to a more "common" life, learning English, and understanding what is going on between Kathy and Behrani regarding the house.

I liked the calm pace the movie took, although the ending gets a bit more dramatic than I expected (though, I guess it needs to end somehow, right? and Andre Dubus III seems to write in the style of his dad, Andre Dubus..).

Great performances, great mood, great characters. I sided more with Behrani's family than with Kathy. I don't know if I was supposed to, but I did. Somehow I didn't feel incredibly sorry for her. Anyway, I'd recommend it. Great movie. But remember it's rated R for language, brief sex, and brief violence.

Posted by wendytime at 01:56 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack (1)

The Cooler

I really enjoyed this movie. Beautiful. William H. Macy plays a man of bad luck, who is hired by one of the last "old" casinos of Las Vegas to be a Cooler - he crosses the paths of people on winning streaks in order to break their luck. He becomes friends with a waitress at the Shangri La, and their relationship with each other leads to a series of events that you'll have to see so I don't spoil it all.

Macy is always a great actor, and he doesn't fail in The Cooler. Maria Bello, who plays the waitress, is the perfect compliment for him. She makes you believe that a pretty girl could fall for an awkward, unlucky man. Oh, and I even liked Alec Baldwin's cruel performance... and for me to like a Baldwin in anything means they had to be damn good.

While not every aspect of the plot is really something one would believe could happen in real life, there's a quality about it that made me let go and enjoy. It's not meant to be fully realistic. Everything revovles around love and luck, and a very mafia-esque casino owner.

It's both funny and touching, with great performances by everyone.

For the sensitive, there is language, violence, nudity, drugs, and sex in this movie. One speech from Alec Baldwin sent an old couple running from the theater. So don't say I didn't warn you.

Posted by wendytime at 01:34 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

turning round the house

Well, I said I'd expound on the house project sometime, so now's as good as any time. Over Christmas, Ric and I were struck with a proverbial lightbulb: the house needs change; the SIMS is the way to accomplish it. Ever since my piano was moved in, the living room looks a lot more cluttered/claustrophobic.

So we went onto the Sims, where Ric had created us and our apartment the way it's built, and we changed all of the furniture on the game to match our own. We were playing around with the dining room when I had some inspiration. We never use our dining set - it's a product of the 80s and should have been left behind with them - and we always eat at the cofee table in front of the Simpsons. I started moving the furniture around and adding bookshelves, and voila, we had a library! A haven. A place to relax in a corner. We have since moved in a couple of hand-me-down chairs and a table with a lamp, and we ordered a couple of dark wood bookshelves. Ric also completed his first lone light installation, and so there's a cool new light that will match all our dark furniture.

Okay, you're bored with my rambling. Anyway, we're about to re-arrange the living room furniture as well. Piano replaces tv, tv replaces piano, couches switch places.

It's been fun to go shopping for furniture and to think about how to improve things. We're constantly adding to the place. I like it. I'm starting to feel like it's my home.

Posted by wendytime at 04:26 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)

turning round the house

Well, I said I'd expound on the house project sometime, so now's as good as any time. Over Christmas, Ric and I were struck with a proverbial lightbulb: the house needs change; the SIMS is the way to accomplish it. Ever since my piano was moved in, the living room looks a lot more cluttered/claustrophobic.

So we went onto the Sims, where Ric had created us and our apartment the way it's built, and we changed all of the furniture on the game to match our own. We were playing around with the dining room when I had some inspiration. We never use our dining set - it's a product of the 80s and should have been left behind with them - and we always eat at the cofee table in front of the Simpsons. I started moving the furniture around and adding bookshelves, and voila, we had a library! A haven. A place to relax in a corner. We have since moved in a couple of hand-me-down chairs and a table with a lamp, and we ordered a couple of dark wood bookshelves. Ric also completed his first lone light installation, and so there's a cool new light that will match all our dark furniture.

Okay, you're bored with my rambling. Anyway, we're about to re-arrange the living room furniture as well. Piano replaces tv, tv replaces piano, couches switch places.

It's been fun to go shopping for furniture and to think about how to improve things. We're constantly adding to the place. I like it. I'm starting to feel like it's my home.

Posted by wendytime at 04:26 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

political compass bandwagon

Posted by wendytime at 08:35 AM | Comments (5) | TrackBack (0)

oh my aching...

Today was my first day of Physical Therapy. I'm trying to decide whether or not I think they know what they're doing. The specialist who looked at my xrays in October told me he thought I exercised too much, and that was what was placing strain on my back. I knew that was bullplop because I had a knee injury at the time and hadn't been doing any running for a couple of months.

So I talked to my little friend Hansel at PT, and he says he thinks my back muscles are weak. He says I'll need to make them stronger, and that should help, so now I'm going to go 4 more times to PT, and then I'm supposed to continue the exercises. I'm sorry, but I'm just skeptical that some back exercises are going to clear this whole thing up for me. If I am constantly cracking my back, how does that relate to my muscles??

Anyway, they also did heat stimlulation for me, which was like getting a great massage. I stretched out on a table, on top of a heating pad, with little electo-guys stuck on my back that sent litttle zings to the area where I have pain. It was GREAT.

We'll see how it all goes. I just want to stop hurting. And now I have a ton of strain in my left shoulder. It never ends.

Posted by wendytime at 03:27 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)

THIS is Charlize Theron. (MONSTER)

Believe it or not, it's really her.

The movie is Monster, based on the true story of the "first woman serial killer" Aileen Wuornos, a prostitute who killed many of her clients, and had an unlikely lesbian relationship with a young girl on the side. And All I have to say is WOW. I haven't seen an actress transform herself like Charlize Theron did in this movie in a LONG time. I was reading Roger Ebert's review of the movie - he saw it at a festival, not knowing anything about it, and then realized during the ending credits that Charlize Theron had played the lead role. She was completely lost into the character of Aileen Wuornos. There were only short moments in the movie when I thought I might have seen a glimpse of someone who looked like Theron.

But beyond the makeup transformation she underwent, Theron was incredible as an actress. She didn't behave simply as a vicious killer. She was a woman named Aileen, who had a crappy past, whose past experiences led her from a self-defense killing to taking her rage out on all men by killing her clients (she was a prostitute). She showed us her soft side, moments of being scared or sad, and her stubborn (even sometimes humorous) side as well. Watching her body behavior and her expressive face was amazing.

This film, yes, is about a woman serial killer who has a lesbian relationship with a girl about 10-15 years younger than she was. But it's a little bit more than that. It shows all sides of her, from a lonely and love-craved woman to a bitter and desperate killer.

Monster may not be a pleasant story, but it's one that goes deeper than just showing us a bunch of brutal killing sequences. The story is more about the person than the killings, and the actress who shows us this person did a phenomenal job.

I enjoyed Theron's performance a LOT (Oscar Oscar OS-CAR). However, I'm not sure how many times I'd re-watch the film, just because it's not really a story you'd want to spend your time with often. But now I'm definitely interested in checking out the documentary that came out last week on Aileen Wuornos.

Posted by wendytime at 01:53 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)

Christmas Recap

On Christmas Eve, we hung out with my family. We had our traditional Mexican meal, opened presents (Sound of Music, Mary Poppins, My Man Godfrey, Son of Paleface, The Court Jester, Pirates of the Caribbean, Army of Darkness, Entertainment Book, Best Buy certificates, movie certificates to the dollar theater, a remote-control mini, oven mits, gift certificate to Olive Garden, cash, and more), ate our homemade candy, and hung out for awhile. Erika did her usual drop-by to exchange gifts, and she got me a red sweater. I like it.

Christmas morning, Ric and I opened stockings and our gifts to each other (highlights: The Professional, Best Buy Certificates, Movie Certificates, candy, Parrot Bay Rum, The Cure's The Top, socks, a new shirt, and more!).

Then we went to Ric's parents' home to have the small Price gathering. Jon and Angie announced that Angie's having a baby in August, so I'm going to be an Aunt-in-law. It'll be my fifth time as an aunt. Gift highlights: candles, candy, The Sorrows of Young Werther, Absalom Absalom!, another book I can't remember, an Ann Klein watch, Pottery Barn Certificate, golf clubs, cookbook, and others.

The rest of the Price Family showed up later and we did the family gift exchange. It was fun hanging out with everyone. Man, our little flower girl certainly is bossy! Anyway, I finally got my Willy Wonka DVD and Ric got a Bond movie. A good time was had by all. The Price family is a lot of fun.

The day after Christmas, we packed up and headed to Castro Valley, CA, a 6 hour drive up the 5fwy. The Grapevine was covered in a light layer of snow and was very beautiful. The ride up was good, but LONG, and I get very antsy on long drives. I think I was a bit nutty by the time we got there. Anyway, we hung out with Ric's mom's side of the family up there, and did an elephant gift exchange, coming away with a Scooby Doo chia pet and the Clapper. Then we went to see Big Fish with cousin Aaron.

The next day we drove to Elk Grove to see Ric's old home his father built. I got a glimpse of what it was like for him growing up - houses on acres of land, lots of cows and horses, and good country people (not like the story good country people). We stopped at his house and took pictures, and went to his elementary school, then passed by his childhood best friend's home. Ric happened to remember the phone number, called, and the mom was still living there, so we stopped by. The mom and her friend goo-gooed over our wedding pictures, and then Will, Ric's friend actually came over and they got to catch up a bit. Will's mom made us a full dinner and sent us off with chocolate cake, cookies, and Christmas bread. Nice folk! It was cool to see where he came from and really made some things about him make sense. Very fun.

That's Christmas for us!

Posted by wendytime at 02:58 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)

husband has discovered new concoction

Ric came home so excited from the poker night the other night (I'll explain those later for those who don't know about them) and was all excited because he was carrying a bottle of vanilla rum. He said he had a new drink that he knew I'd love, and if I didn't like it, he didn't know me.

So last night he mixed me a vanilla rum and Pepsi, and I'd have to say I was rather satisfied. It's like drinking the remnants of a Pepsi Float. It goes down smoothly even though it's rum, and doesn't make me grimace when I swallow.

Hoorah for new sweet and easy drinks that have a bit of punch (meaning I don't have to drink 6 of them to get woozy)!

Posted by wendytime at 11:54 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)

i sent this to grace but may as well share my feelings with others

Posted by wendytime at 03:21 PM | Comments (8) | TrackBack (0)

Scary Movie 3

I waited (wisely) to see this at the dollar theater. Surprisingly, it was way more amusing than the previous Scary Movies, because it relied on parody rather than sick humor. Since I hated The Ring, this movie cracked me up in certain parts. Anyway, it's definitely not the pinnacle of Charlie Sheen's career, but it was amusing at times.

Posted by wendytime at 01:23 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)

In America

I really really enjoyed this movie.

The story takes place in the early 1980s and is about an Irish family (two parents and two little girls) who cross the Canadian border to get into America and begin a new life, to get past their most recent tragedy - the loss of a 5-year old child named Frankie. The family has barely any money, and sells their car in order to pay for the rent in the only place they can find to live, which is a run-down apartment complex, filled with questionable characters. The family is simply trying to survive, and all of them are still coping with the loss of Frankie in their own ways.

I'd have to say that the child actors in this movie are the best I've seen. The littlest girl, Ariel, is absolutely astounding. She says things with such seriousness or playfulness, and is always completely believable, with no hint of forced acting. The two girls are a wonderful part of the movie, making what would seem to be a completely sad story surprisingly less serious than one would expect.

The feel of the movie is a perfect balance between hopefulness and sadness, and the music, the girls, their parents, and the story combine to make a really beautiful little movie. You've probably heard it on a few critics' lists as one of the best of the year, and I would have to agree.

Posted by wendytime at 01:20 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack (1)

Big Fish

There was something about the present-day scenes in this movie that didn't work for me. Like Julie said, overall, something seemed to be missing. Also, Billy Crudup wasn't very likeable, and I didn't believe at all that such an active adventurer as Ewan played would end up to be a fat Albert Finney. I didn't mind the present-day conversations toooo much, but sometimes it was irritating to be immersed in the beautiful scenes of the past and suddenly be yanked away to watch a brooding Billy Crudup be repetitious about wanting to know the true history of his father. However, the bathtub scene was absolutely perfect. Maybe my problem is mostly with Crudup.

I don't want to sound like I didn't like the movie, because I did. The values, the colors, the wild stories, and adventures were a lot of fun. There are so many great actors involved in the movie, and Ewan McGregor never ceases to be amazing. Somehow, I enjoyed it, but felt like either the story got too heavy in the present, or something was missing overall.

I'd say it was really good, but definitely not Burton's best. Perhaps it was more mature than his other works, but I'm way more likely to re-watch Edward Scissorhands and Beetlejuice (and even Sleepy Hollow) than this one. That being said, it's still definitely watchable. :)

Sorry for not being able to articulate what I'm feeling.

Posted by wendytime at 01:18 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (1)

Stuck On You

Not that memorable, unfortunately. I thought the first half was better. It really didn't seem like much of a comedy to me, which would have been fine, but it was TRYING to be a comedy. It was interesting to see two people who have learned to do everything side by side. But as the plot thickened, it got worse and worse, and the ending scene was just ridiculous. I give it an "Eh."

Posted by wendytime at 12:22 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Mona Lisa Smile

Well, it's kind of what the previews look like - a female Dead Poet's Society-esque flick. But girls, if you have moms like mine, who would wince at how the girls talk frankly about having sex and how most of them aren't virgins, I wouldn't really suggest having a "girl's day" out at the movies by taking mom to this one. Not that it shows sex or nudity, but I know some moms who would be offended by it.

So anyway, Julia Roberts' character comes to teach art at a women's prep school, where all the girls are pumping themselves full of textbook knowledge, but most don't plan to do anything but get married and become housewives. The teacher tries to get them to think more critically about art and what makes it valuable, and also tries to get them to think about not being resigned to "just" being a housewife. In the meantime, she's sort of having a relationship with the Italian teacher at the school, and we follow a few girls' romance stories, all leading in different directions.

I'm glad the movie didn't end with the conclusion that all women should venture out into the world for careers and never marry. It was a little deeper than I expected it to be, but of course, at the end, I still almost expected the girls to stand up on the desks, shouting "Oh captain, my captain!"... and that wasn't too far off track.

Overall, it was entertaining and smart enough. The girls are all good actors, Julia's vein only pops out twice, and there's even a cameo from Tori Amos.

Posted by wendytime at 12:19 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Lord of the Rings: Return of the King

That I have few complaints about The Return of the King is the greatest praise I think I could give it. It's filmed better, adapted better, acted better, and scored better than the previous two movies, and spends less time meandering with Arwen and Aragorn's goo-goo eyes at each other, and Sam and Frodo's relationship is a lot less, well, homosexual-looking.

The ending(s) didn't seem too many or too long to me so much as the fading to black (or white) or zooming out seemed to play with the audience because we were never quite sure when it was really over.

Anyway, I liked it a lot a lot a lot. I look forward to the extended edition too.

Posted by wendytime at 12:18 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)

21 grams

The storyline is basically how three lives intersect due to an accident. We follow each character in a very non-linear format through the events leading up to the accident and those that occur after.

I was very impressed with the acting in 21 Grams. Naomi Watts surprised me, Benicio was great as always, and Sean Penn seemed a lot better in this movie to me than in Mystic River.

I'm still deciding on my final thoughts of 21 Grams, though. For being 2 hrs. and 15 minutes, it seemed extraordinarily longer to me. While I enjoyed the intersecting plots of Amores Perros, I thought the jumping back and forth in time in this movie was sometimes a bit much, and that's part of what made it seem longer to me.

However, I believe I enjoyed it overall. While there were a few things that bothered me, the acting alone, and the issues each character is dealing with were all enough to get me interested and involved.

Posted by wendytime at 12:15 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)

booo. holiday break is over.

I've been away from blogging for so long! And so many new things to talk about! As a short recap, I'll tell you that I went to see The Return of the King, Mona Lisa Smile, Stuck on You, Big Fish, In America, and Scary Movie 3 over break. For Christmas, we hung out with my family on Christmas Eve, Ric's Price side on Christmas, and Ric's Lee side on the day after Christmas in Castro Valley. We also visited Elk Grove so Ric could show me where he grew up. For New Year, we all went to Gron's house and had pizza and liquor, then roamed the streets of downtown Fullerton until we got to Danine's apartment to ring in the new year On Christmas, we found out Ric's brother's wife is having a baby in August. On the 3rd, the Neals had their kid. I also went with David last Monday to check out the new Disney Concert Hall (new home of the LA Phil's performances). I'm starting to learn stick-shift so I can take over the Miata. I also did a lot of cleaning, sleeping, watching tv, and we're revamping our entire downstairs with designing help from the Sims.

I will expound on each of these later. It's good to be back on blogs, but bad to be back at work!

Posted by wendytime at 04:22 PM | Comments (5) | TrackBack (0)