.jeri.

What to be or what not to be...

What should I be for Halloween this year? I never have any good ideas. Things I've done in the past: Alphagirl, slutty Catholic school girl, generic vampire (i.e. I wore a "generic Halloween costume t-shirt and checked the box next to "vampire", and a variation of the Bride of Frankenstein in the past... Now what?

Posted by wendytime at 02:33 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)

Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow

Finally saw this yesterday. It was an interesting idea - executed not so interestingly. For an action movie, it felt quite slow. Gwyneth Paltrow was wrongly cast and also irritating - everyone in our audience cheered when she got knocked out. The dynamic totally changed when Anjelina Jolie stepped onto the screen, but it was too little, too late. The idea of playing out like an old movie started out ambitiously, but as the movie progressed, stupid things like waking up naked or cursing or talking about running around on each other (a TON of bickering) ruined any consistency of the old movie feel.

Overall, it was midly entertaining but if you haven't seen it and still want to, DOLLAR it.

Posted by wendytime at 08:58 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Air at the Hollywood Bowl

Sunday night, Wiz, Danine, Grace, Erika and I drove to the LA Zoo, took the shuttle to the Hollywood Bowl, and enjoyed a nice night out under the sky, accompanied by the sounds of Sondre Lerche, Stereolab, and Air.

We got THE last row in the Hollywood Bowl - tickets were a mere six bucks plus 2 for Tickemaster fees. Add that to the shuttle cost, and everyone had a great night out for only 11 bucks.

Sondre Lerche was nice and soothing, and got us into a mellow mood for the rest of the night. As Stereolab performed, the sky went dark and the Bowl was lit up with all sorts of great colors. Stereolab is a band I've always heard of but never actually heard, and I was happy to find that I like their style.

Air went on with a complete orchestra behind them. The orchestra added a rich fullness to their sound and was a great addition to the show. They sang all the hits and more, and with the lighting and their sounds, it was an entrancing experience. Very fun.

Posted by wendytime at 11:45 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)

siouxsie cont'd

Well, this photo doesn't quite do it justice, but here's an idea of what Siouxsie was looking like last Sunday. And the special drummer was a Japanese taiko drummer.

Anyhoo, a review of Air at the Hollywood Bowl is coming soon, and I'll have a review of Echo & the Bunnymen at the HOB Anaheim, which I'm going to tonight.

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

Haiku Tunnel

I wanted to see this when it came out, but it disappeared from theatres all too quickly. Finally Tivoed it last week. I started it intending to only watch the first half hour and then ended up staying up late until it was done.

Haiku Tunnel is about a guy named Josh who is a temp worker. He's always done well with this, but at one particular law firm, he is asked to go "perm" on his first day. He gives in because they offer to pay for his psychotherapy. On this first day of work, he is given one very important task to do: type up 17 letters and mail them out. He is very productive on his first day, with the exception of finishing hte letters. The rest of the week quickly spins out of control as he gets distracted by writing his novel, finding interest with a girl, and giving in to the temptations of his bed.

This movie cracked me up. First of all, it's got a lot of things I identify with as a secretary, such as always inserting the word "just" into the phrase, "I'm just a secretary." Second of all, it's just funny. Josh has all of these side stories and narrations going on throughout the movie.

Each day, Josh is a little bit later to work, and a little bit crazier than you thought he was at the beginning of the movie. His justifications for his actions are great, including showing a diagram of his brain to point out where his intentions broke off from his actions and made him lie to someone. He starts leaving long and revealing messages on the voicemail of the Head Secretary (who, by the way, is accompanied by a whirling-windy sound any time she walks by Josh's desk), telling the voicemail about his childhood, his fantasies, and anything else he can come up with.

Anyway, the story is pretty creative in how one little task can be procrastinated on for an entire week. And watching Josh go from calm to crazy is also pretty funny. I'd share my favorite moment with you, involving some papers that get printed in the wrong building, but that would ruin the joke for you...

I laughed a lot and even re-watched it with Ric, who laughed even harder. Fun movie.

Posted by wendytime at 08:34 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

latest irk

It's spelled:
D-E-F-I-N-I-T-E-L-Y.

Stop putting an "a" in there!

Posted by wendytime at 08:29 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)

Criminal

Criminal stars John C. Reilly, Diego Luna, and Maggie Gyllenhaal in another con-man-type movie. The entire movie takes place over the period of one day, in which one con-man saves another from getting arrested, they are thrown into each other's business, and end they up landing a huge deal that can make or break each of their lives. TRhe background leading up to the deal involves the young Mexican kid's need to help his in-debt father, as well as the more experienced grifter's need to pay his lawyer bills (since he's currently suing his own family). But as the day goes on, each person they meet wants a cut in the deal... and, (surprise, surprise) everything starts getting more complicated.

The goods: Each of the actors give good performance - nothing extremely remarkable, although it was pleasantly surprising to see a movie in which John C. Reilly plays a bad guy. There are some funny moments in the conversations between Luna and Reilly as well.

The problems: First of all, this movie was based on Nine Queens, which I haven't seen, but from what I've heard, the first is better, and I'm not surprised by that. While this movie played well enough, I couldn't help but feel I'd already seen it. It's like watching Heist. There are a bunch of con-men working together, so it's no surprise when the story starts hinting towards one conning the other. It's just a matter of how it all plays out.

The other probelm I had involves spoiling the end of the movie. Since you probably won't see it anyway, I'll just tell you. Reilly plays a con-man, but is too likeable. In the end, he gets conned and goes to prison, his family wins out, and I ge left sitting in the theatre thinking, "Poor guy!" ...What's wrong with this picture?! The script doesn't make him mean enough, so when he gets what he deserves, the audience feels sorry for him (and rolls their eyes with an "I knew it would end like this!" sentiment).

Anyway, overall, it was a good little flick, but had its own small flaws. Maybe watch it when it gets on Bravo in a year.

Posted by wendytime at 08:18 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)

Chop-Chop!

I'd just like to say that I had about 5 inches of hair cut off and a bunch of layering added on Saturday, and not a single soul has noticed. Not even a girl! I mean, my hair is still long, but I thought at least one person might notice.

Posted by wendytime at 03:03 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)

Good Triumphs Over Evil Yet Again

Yes! I ultimately would have been satisfied as long as Colin and Christie didn't win. The fact that they still love each other at the end of the race is amazing and terrifying, after all the verbal abuse we've seen on the air. I still want a sound clip of Colin breaking down and saying "Oh God, I hate you!" to either Christie or a cow (it was left ambiguous, but I'm assuming it was to Christie). While I'm at it, a sound bite of Nicole freaking out on the bike ride would be great too. Utter hysteria.

But the greatest satisfaction is in seeing Chip and Kim win. They're older, they're nicer, they only resorted to tricks when it got close to the end, they have a funny sense of humor, and they're Christians from Compton! Heheh. I'm so glad they won. You know that flight delay for the others was God's way of saying "Colin and Christie don't deserve this". Wohoo!

Posted by wendytime at 01:56 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Hero

Most of you have probably already seen this film, so forgive me - I just saw it this weekend. Hero begins when a young hero arrives at the emperor's palace, bringing three swords of assassins who were against the emperor. He tells his story, explaining how each of the assassins died.

All I can say is that this movie was astounding to look at. Simply gorgeous. Each segment of story being told features one color, and the scenes are often almost completely monochromatic. The art direction and direction are perfectly suited to tell the story both in physical and visual ways.

The story, too, surprised me by going more deep than I first expected.

Music added to the already beautiful experience. No, it didn't bug me. Heheh.

I don't know what more to say. The story is simple, yet complicated, and it's great to look at. I enjoyed it quite a bit.

Posted by wendytime at 11:46 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

An Evening with Siouxsie

I arrived at the Anaheim House of Blues with Erika around 8pm to see this woman perform. When we got there, the line was huge and was not moving. Jenny and her bf were already in line, so I called them and said I'd find them inside. We went to Sephora, decked ourselves up for the show, went back, saw the even-longer line, went to the bakery for some food, went back, saw the even-LONGER line, and sat on a planter to listen to the blues street musician until the line started moving. They didn't start letting people in until 10pm! We finally made our way in right at 10:30, found my sister, who had staked out a great spot, and stood around until 11, when the show actually started.

But once Siouxsie stepped out onto the stage, I knew it was all worthwhile. Her presence is amazing. She came out with her hair pulled up into a bun, with all of these feathers mounted behind it, and was wearing a draping Asian outfit. I wish I had pictures to show you! She looked awesome. She had backup singers and this incredible drum setup with this Asian guy dressed in some sort of tribal wear who was insane on these huuuuge drums.

Siouxsie puts ALL other female performers to shame. All you have to do is watch her perform to realize that our generation of musicians is seriously lacking in innovation and style. At 40-something, she has more energy and finesse than I've seen in any other female performer. Watching her dance made me tired.

Great shape, great show, plenty of hits, and a lot of fun. It was the most packed I've EVER seen the HOB in Anaheim. Even though my back was breaking by the end of the night and I had to stretch it between every song, it was worth it for two hours of experiencing An Evening with Siouxsie.

Posted by wendytime at 08:40 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)

After one year...

Ric has been "promoted." We still need to find out if this is a good thing. He has been transfered to another company owned by the same people with his other job. More recycling stuff. But this time, he's taking over after a bunch of people were fired for tipping the scales and taking the money. He is supposed to clean the place up and straighten it out, and the job would last for at least a year. The bads: it's in L.A., he won't have such a flexible schedule, he won't get to drive around here and there, he might need to deal with bums outside, he'll have to work more Saturdsays, he'll have to learn a lot more, and it might be difficult to fit in if anyone who's still there is harboring any resentment towards a new boss. The goods: No more business clothes, he is being promoted and after just a year - which shows how much confidence his bosses have in him, and ... he would get a stinking huge raise. I'm talking MINI, here we come!

But I don't want him to sacrifice his happiness just for a larger amount of money. And they told him that if he's miserable, he can let them know. But this really shows what a good impression he has made in such a short time and what a great employee he is. So, let's just pray that all goes well. He had to report to the new office this morning, and I really hope that he will enjoy it.

Posted by wendytime at 08:27 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Something Wicked This Way Comes

I have a lot of things to review from this weekend, but I'll start off with Something Wicked This Way Comes, by Ray Bradbury. This will be my last Bradbury review for a long time, as I have gone through all the books we own by him.

This story begins with two friends, Will and Jim, who are sold a lightning rod from a salesman on the eve before an evil carnival comes creeping into town. Will and Jim, as well as Will's father (a man in his fifties, who looks much older but longs to be young again), are excited by the idea of the carnival. The boys sneak out to watch it set up, and later sneak out to watch the after hours activities... and are soon sorry for it.

It doesn't take long for a tattooed man (that's right the Illustrated Man, whose tattoos' story I've already read in the book named after him) and his circus partner to show up, followed by an insane series of event involving a carousel that can age or "de-age" people, an evil blind lady in a balloon who can hunt people down with her senses, the lightning rod salesman becomes a dwarf, their math teacher gets involved with a young and suspicious nephew, and Will's dad becomes an integral part of the story..

I enjoyed reading this story in a different sense from Bradbury's others. The setting isn't in the future, and doesn't brood quite as heavily on social, technological, and religious issues. Instead, it's a story set in the regular 1960s with a supernatural experience, and it revolves around issues of good vs. evil. What really struck me this time around was Bradbury's use of language. His words seem to swirl in and out around each other, creating an urgency, and painting a complete picture of both the visual and the emotional setting of each scene.

In the end, it's an exciting story, but has a lot more depth than just that. The father-son relationship, the friends' relationship, the talk about "autumn people", and much more make it a complete story, which stayed with mefor a while after I set the book down.

Next up: I'm taking a short break from my alphabetical sequence of authors for two books. The first is Eats, Shoots, and Leaves by Lynn Truss, which takes a zero-tolerance approach to grammatical errors. I've read about 70 pages so far, and it's hilarious. The second is The Phantom of the Opera by Loreaux (sp?), which I am reading in anticipation of the movie coming out in December. No, I haven't seen the musical, but I think it's best to start with the book. I started reading it yesterday when the in-law dropped Truss's book into my lap, and I immediately switched books. A review on the ES&L book will come as fast as my eager little eyes can read it.

Posted by wendytime at 08:35 AM | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)

Hangin' with the Fam

I don't know why, but ever since I saw What About Bob, I always refer to family as "the fam"... I like it.

Anyway, yesterday Ric's family got together because some friends from their old home up north were visiting. This is one of the Richards whom Ric was named after. Apparently he's a biker, does a ministry that aims at getting rid of the sissy stigma of Christianity by goign on tour with bikes. They have one of those big globes of death where the motorcyclists go around in circles while someone stands in the middle, and they do all sorts of stunts. One of his stuntmen did a Terminator movie, and they are also in the works to do a rally for a wrestling film starring Sting, The Undertaker, Hulk, HHH, and a couple of others. This guy has gone up against Hell's Angels and gotten them out of the racket, saved a guy from a "hit" and he has a million stories to tell.

I thought he was pretty cool to meet one of Ric's namesakes, and see what Ric admired about him: a man's man (although at this age, he doesn't look like such a rough guy). Also, it was a lot of fun to witness Harrison "crawling" in action. Seriously, he just hates to sit still. You put him on his stomach and he starts crying, and pulls himself across the carpet with his arms. It's unbelievable. As soon as you pick him up, he stops crying and is fine. Just hates immobility. ha ha.

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

Bill of Health & Babies

I had my physical today. I'm healthy!

Except for the back problem. I gave the new primary care physician a review of my back woes, and as a result, I've basically been told to do a lot of back exercises to strengthen the lower back muscles that are apparently incredibly weak. Either that or the muscles are strong but not strong enough to support my busty build. Heheh.

I also asked about my tendency to have a fast heart rate. I was told to work on cardio more, which is frustrating, since we workout three times a week and already do a decent amount. Usually I'm about 20 more beats a minute than Grace and Ruth when we're on the machines at the fitness center. We've all been doing the same exercises for the last couple of years, but my heart doesn't seem to be getting any more used to the cardio exercises as time goes on. So, I think I'm going to buy one of those heart rate monitors since I tend to get it going over what my maximum heart rate should be.

Oh and by the way! The dark angel of pregnancy has passed me over and has landed at the door of a girl at my work. Say a little prayer for her as you read this. She got married three months after I did and was definitely not planning this.

And speaking of babies, Ric got to visit the nephew today. Apparently this kid is very mobile and will probably have a very strong will. He's been getting car sick and everyone was wondering why... Turns out, he just likes to move a lot and doesn't like being strapped down in the car seat, so he gets sick and fussy. The other day, he was left on the floor to chill for a couple of minutes, and when his mom returned, he wasn't there. He had pulled himself across the floor by grabbing the carpet with his arms and dragging the rest of himself. He has a rugburn on his head! Also, he has an affinity for swimming. Mom holds his head in the bath, and he does the rest. Heheh. Looks like he's going to be a handful!

Posted by wendytime at 11:21 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

I can't believe...

I just filled out three forms to take off of work on three different occasions. The problem? Two of those days are already in the past and were for doctor's appointments. The other is a vacation leave I already verbally requested last week.

Yes, that's right. Two people decided that we need to fill out an office form to request ANY time off, including leave for an appointment. I understand writing up something for a vacation request, but for a doctor's appointment? I mean, honestly, for the past few years, all I've had to do is say, "Hey, I've got an appointment at 11:30 on Monday. Is that okay?" to my supervisor, she would say yes, and we would both write it on our calendars. But now, I have to fill out a sheet of paper writing the requested date, time, and reason for leaving. And considering how often I seem to end up in the doctor's office, I'll be filling out a lot of useless paperwork.

I mean, if human resources doesn't require it, then why does the office need it? It's just more paper.

I 'retorted' with, "So, if I'm accidentally sick for a day, when I get back, do I need to fill out paperwork to request leave for the day I've already taken off?" I ask questions like this to show them how pointless it is, but I don't think they get it.

Or maybe they do.

Maybe that's why I get "Receives suggestions passively" written on my performance evaluations.

Posted by wendytime at 09:17 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)

Mean Creek

Mean Creek is worth a watch if you ever get the chance. The story follows Sam (played by Rory Culkin - yes, another Culkin!), who gets beat up by a bully at school and then schemes with his older brother and his brother's friend to get the bully back. They decide to do something to George (the bully) that is non-violent but embarrassing. And so, a plan develops for Sam, his girlfriend, his brother and two of his friends, and George to take a boat trip on a local creek.

The great dynamics of the movie come when the kids start having doubts about pulling the prank. George turns out to be a bit nicer than they expect, but still manages to be a jerk. Watching the way it plays out is interesting, especially while learning about the backgrounds of each of the characters involved.

The end runs a little bit dramatic, but I like the way they handle it.

Great acting from all the young kids. They were very natural. I like the deserted setting and how everything stems from personal relationships and backgrounds. Good movie!

Posted by wendytime at 12:01 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

It Is Why I Work Here, After All...

I went to chapel this morning. Now that we have a student worker in the office, it's good to know I can always go to chapel on Mondays.

So today, Bruce Wilkinson, author of the famed Jabez book--that created a craze so huge that I own an "I prayed the prayer of Jabez and all I got was this lousy t-shirt" shirt--spoke in an effort to move our university's students towards being leaders in a movement to help people in Africa. He has been working a lot in Swaziland (which is the country with the biggest AIDS problem) to learn about and adopt abstinence as the best way to battle AIDS. Hundreds of people have been committing their lives to God, embracing abstinence, and learning how they can help others learn about abstience. A major problem Wilkinson also discovered after he moved there is a serious lack food. There were people he met whom he asked, "When was the last time you ate?" and they couldn't remember. Girls with no food would have sex to get money for food. His ministry has sent people to build gardens by the thousands. He has met with several kings, members of parliament in various countries, and even Nelson Mandela about these issues, and people are pleading with him to bring help. He believes that Swaziland can turn itself around in 3 years. He is also recruiting for several other countries.

Anyway, he gave a call for people to go on a 1-month mission trip in the summer of 2005, and urged the students to be an example for other Christian colleges, and to lead a life-changing mission trip that can affect the future of a country. He said, "Don't come up if you'll just think about it, or if you think you might try to go. Don't think about the money. God can provide. Just do it."

So, I just watched three hundred students go up to the front of the room and sign up for the trip. This is the first year the school has offered split chapels, one at 9:30, and one at 10:30. If this was just one chapel, I can't wait to hear the report from chapel 2.

It just reminds me why I'm working here - I haven't the guts to go out and impact the world as a missionary, but others do, and I work here to help the school send out such people.

Anyhoo. It was a touching moment. I guess you had to be there.

Posted by wendytime at 10:46 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)

Anchorman

We dollared Anchorman last night. This was the first time I've never had a problem with the audience. Wohoo! When I went to buy tickets I realized I had brought a coupon for snacks instead of my certificate to get into the movie for free, so the guy let us in anyway and said, "I trust you." That was nice of him.

Anchorman was amusing. The funniest parts involved actual parody of news anchors. But THE funniest part involves a conversation between Ron Burgundy's dog, Baxter, and a bear.

I got a few laughs, and was glad I waited for the dollar theatre. It was actually funnier than I expected, though.

Posted by wendytime at 11:44 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)

Vanity Fair

Vanity Fair is full of great actors, extravagant costumes and hair, great sets, and an entertaining story. I have not yet read the novel, but the movie itself is quite good, bringing up several points about ...well, the vanity fair of society in England around the time of Napoleon.

There are several interesting classes of society seen: from the richest events to the debtors prison, and everything in between - even a look at how England was affected by its relationship with India at the time.

Reese Witherspoon surprised me by not being over-the-top in her role. Other great roles were played by Gabriel Byrne, Bob Hoskins, Jim Broadbent, and quite a few more interesting people.

I enjoyed myself overall, yet felt like the end of the movie was a bit abrupt and lacked a sense of resolution or revelation that seemed needed. All in all, it was a really good movie, especially in its visuals and overall cast.

Posted by wendytime at 04:24 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

The Martian Chronicles

This is my third and yet another great Bradbury experience. It's written in the form of short stories, chronicling the history of man landing on, exploring, developing cities on, leaving, and returning to... Mars.

I wish I were creative enough to imagine the kinds of things a mind like Bradbury's did. He creates a very clear picture for his audience, and the progression of his story makes perfect sense.

I'm glad I'm reading all of the books I have from him at the same time, because his stories are all so connected to each other. He makes references in the MC to the burning of all literature that does not contain realism, which goes along with Fahrenheit 451's story. He also tells the story here of the black people all migrating to Mars, and in The Illustrated Man, he has a story of how they react to a white man landing in their civilization there. I like how the books all work together as a whole.

I also enjoyed how he addressed current (1950s) social problems by writing about them as the past in a futuristic story. It gives a certain perspective that makes people actually think about things in a different way: actually thinking about the future impact of their actions. Conjecture of the place of science, reason, faith, and literature in the future is a really strong and interesting part of this book for me. If it were online I'd get some great quotes and post them.

Very interesting and enjoyable read. You know, for a long time, I wouldn't read any authors who wrote past 1950 or so. Buchanan (who doesn't read any author who is dead) knocked that out of my head when he introduced me to Raymond Carver and Andre Dubus. So, believe it or not, reading Bradbury is really branching out for me. My thing is more like Dickens, classic lit, etc. Anyway, it sounds dumb, but this is new lit to me, something not covered in school and something I never read before. I'm excited about it.

Posted by wendytime at 11:14 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)

Stuff

Our renters are a family with two kids. To me, this equals: carpet replacement ewhen they move out. They also have a cat. To me, this equals: extra deposit and monthly rent.

Also, they put a signal at the intersection turning into the university from Imperial. I hate it. They have a left-hand turn signal. You get to sit there and watch a million opportunities pass by while the left signal is still red for you. They should have installed one of those combo lights that enable you to turn on green lights.

BAH.

Posted by wendytime at 09:49 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)

The Vanishing

I'm not sure if I saw the other version or this version back when I was in high school, but I watched The Vanishing again this weekend.

The movie is about a couple who are vacationing and trying to practice their French who stop at a rest stop for some drinks. Unfortunately, the girlfriend is kidnapped by an insane man. Her boyfriend, very upset with her disappearance, gets himself into a situation in which he travels with her kidnapper so that he can discover what happened to her. As he and the kidnapper travel in the car, he learns about the kidnapper's mentality and also about the details of his girlfriend's kidnapping experience.

There are some great flashbacks and conversations in this movie that really get you into the kidnapper. One of the saddest moments is when the kidnapper reveals how the girlfriend was chosen completely by chance.. because of a sneeze.

Anyway, it's not as suspensful when you know the ending already, and it feels a little bit dated now, but it's still interesting and unique, and worth the watch.

Posted by wendytime at 03:45 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)