No More Boys

They are gone. They left. Only three of them stayed the night at our house last night. They were quiet when they got here and went to bed. That was better. Also, they cleaned up after themselves. We actually believe there was vacuuming and maybe some swiffer wet jet.

I know, right? Now you vacuum. Strange boys only clean your house when they know they are in deep, deep shit. Oh well, I have my house back and it is cleaner then when the boys left. Although, tomorrow, I am washing all of the blankets that hang out on our couches. Hopefully this will make them smell like nice clean, cleanness instead of stinky boy.

Still Boys

So, it is a little after noon on my day off, and I have barely left my room because there are many hungover and passed out boys in the common areas of my house. There is even a girl. I have no idea who she is and what the hell she is doing here, so that is weird. Definitely going to tell Janna about that (she is the liaison to the band of boys). I was going to get some food, but there are people still asleep in the kitchen, and I didn't know how to get stuff out of the fridge with them in front of it. I also am not sure why I am being so polite and sneaking around them. It is my apartment. I pay rent. But there are a lot more of them, and they are mostly strangers or people I barely know. The nice ones are all still asleep or in the shower. I want the nice ones to wake up and make the others let me have my own food.

I have been watching tv on dvd in my room all morning, which is what I would've been doing even if the band wasn't here, so I can't really bug them about that. I actually may have run errands, but I don't know when they are leaving, and I am not sure which one of them has my key (since I didn't work today, we sent my key out with them last night--but with two nice ones who are responsible, not just anyone). I don't want to leave and take too long and be locked out of my own house. Although I could probably run down the street to the mailbox and the mexican food joint and bring back food in a short time and mail my netflix. Hmmmm. . .

This is weird. I want my house back.

Boys everywhere

Normally you would think that was a good thing, but really it means there are many smelly, drunk punk rockers taking over my house. They get points for letting us watch our shows, but they are still boys--seven of them!!!

Right now they are at the bar around the corner celebrating one of their birthdays. They will probably close it down, unless they get kicked out for being too drunk (which is totally possible). Tomorrow night they have a show, and I will probably maybe go. Who knows. I am going to hide in my room for a while tomorrow (watching some of The Wire) before I head out to go glasses shopping.

So many boys. Not that I dislike boys (these in specific or in general), but this is a little ridiculous.

Also, I cannot begin to express how much I love Mythbusters. It is possibly one of the best shows on tv, and definitely the best science show on tv (and Bill Nye can just suck it).

Oscars Part XVI

That is correct. There have been fifteen commercial breaks since the top of the official pre-show on ABC. Holy dear Jesus! I feel like this is taking longer then yesterday's movie marathon event.

Ryan Gosling is funny! I kind of adore him. Yes, she is getting Penelope's dress! Awesome!

Reese is on in a nice dress that is perhaps a little too severe for her, especially with those bangs. I really need to see the Ryan Gosling flick, and the Peter O'Toole flick. It is nice to see some people really in love like Will and Jada. Forest Whitaker is the biggest badass teddy bear in that audience. Best Actor is of course Forest Whitaker. High fives to Leo and Ryan for being really, really classy and giving him a standing 'o.' I love Forest for really having his moment of Oscar. Beautiful speech by Forest. I really like that actor.

Here are three big guys in film! Lucas, Spielberg, and Coppola are giving best director to Marty! That makes me happy. I thoroughly enjoy his movies, especially "The Departed" although I may like "The Age of Innocence" more (it is a much more me movie. I have to give a shout out to Paul Greengrass though because he is awesome. Marty gives quite a decent speech.

"The Queen" is so good. I really think everyone should see it.

Diane Keaton and Jack Nicholson get the honors for best picture, and shockingly she doesn't look terribly weird in her formal gear. She is however way, way too excited at this point in the evening. Yea! They liked my favorite. I really love this movie, so I am very glad that it won. I am also really glad that the show is all but over. Although someone will bore us with their producer speech--although yea that dude for giving a shout out to all sorts of people.

And we are done! Thank God. But there was confetti, and a second ago, one of my roommates came out of her room and said, "It's still on!" But now it isn't. There are only credits. Just shy of four hours folks.

Thank you for all who read along at home before or after. It was fun for me, even if Robyn and Sara are the only ones who read any of this.

Oscars Part XV

Now that was a funny joke. Or not because there is still a shit ton of show. And now Ellen is in blue.

Phillip Seymour Hoffman is here, so we are doing best actress now. He seems really tired. My question about Penelope's clip is whether or not she is actually singing for herself. Conversely Miss Mirren is good at the grand and the small performance. WTF is Meryl wearing as jewelry ?!!! Kate Winslet is so freaking cute!!!! And the winner is Helen Mirren, general babe and fantastic actress, plus she gives a good triumphant speech.

Anyway you slice it, that gun is freaking cool!!!!

Oh, now it gets interesting? What were the first three and a half hours for?! Okay, this show keeps getting longer and longer and it is losing all of my goodwill. I did hear that itunes is going to have the short films up for purchase tomorrow which will be cool. I really want to see the musical.

Oscars Part XIV

Will Smith is here, and can I say the man has a distinguished air with his gray hair. Obviously this telecast is starting to go on way to long as I start to rhyme shit.

No we are not watching another random film montage. We are not. I disbelieve it. Although I do love me some dear little baby Jesus funny! I would probably like this montage if it weren't a time sucking hole right now. This is going until well after midnight Eastern time. It might hit 1 AM for those guys. Dude, that sucks.

Kate Winslet quickly jumps to the chase for film editing which goes to "The Departed." Is each win a mark towards or against winning I ask you. Yea for cute older ladies winning things, apparently repeat winning things.

Wow, Jodie Foster looks great, even if her shoes are perhaps a shade to dark. Great hair! And now for the parade of dead people. It seems shorter then usual, and way more depressing music, or maybe I misremember all other times I have seen it. Usually I watch it from the West Coast when it is only a little before 9pm right now.

Oscars Part XIII

Jenny from the block shows up in a blingtastic frock that is kind of way ugly. And here comes some singing! Jennifer Hudson looks good in a bright red dress! And oh can she sing! Although I just saw some bra as she leaned over. Beyonce's dress is very fun too, and not as trashy as it could've been--this is Beyonce remember? I really should get around to seeing "Dreamgirls" while it is still in theaters. More Jennifer Hudson bra peepage, and I think you can see the seams from Beyonce's wig when she screws up her face all crazy. Oooh, the other dreamgirls dress is delightful! The bling on top manages not to be overpowering. Now they look like Destiny's classy child. Who is the guy singing? I don't recognize him? And they end in silhouette. That was some good singing. Gee, I wonder if one of those songs are going to win?

Travolta and Queen Latifa. Her dress is kind of boring and not all that flattering, and I can't wait to see them in "Hairspray" the movie. Best Original Song goes to Melissa Etheridge!!! Awesome! That totally rules! Not that I wouldn't have been totally happy for "Dreamgirls" to win, but I really like this song, and I like me an underdog. Can I say, poor Randy Newman? He probably thought he didn't have a shot in hell to win because he wasn't writing a song for "Dreamgirls," and he didn't win, but he did manage to lose to the only other non-dream song nominated. Poor dude. I don't care, I still like me "Short People Got No Reason to Live" and I always will, and the Jesse the cowgirl song. I liked that one too.

Oscars Part XII

I have been sitting on may ass for way, way too long this weekend. This show needs to wrap it up and get to the good stuff.

Best Score is being given out by Wolverine and Penelope Cruz. Their names sound really pretty in her voice. Also, has anyone noticed how this has become random fun non-Oscar related fact night? Babel wins its first award of the night, and Ellen mocks Jack. Oooh, speed explanations could be fun! Dude, I love that they sped it up!!!!! Funny!

Here is Spidey and Mary Jane giving out best original screenplay. Big moment for a CGI buck here. I am not so much a fan of Kirsten Dunst's look in this one. Best Original Screenplay is "Little Miss Sunshine" does this narrow best picture down to it and "The Departed," or does it dump them out of the running entirely. If anyone was still reading I would ask them to discuss in the commentary.

A devil dances into something that I am assuming is from "Pan's Labyrinth." No, Mr. ex-MTV did not just say that there was so much more to watch!

Oscars Part XI

This is beginning to be ridiculous lengthwise and postwise.

The prettiest man in the world is giving out documentary awards with the crazy newest Bond girl. She looks weird, and her dress looks like a craft project with cheesecloth gone terribly, terribly amok. Best Documentary Short is "The Blood of the Yingzhou District" and my spelling may not be quite right there. And another totally awesome 80's prom dress graces the stage.

Seinfeld makes his triumphant return to the Oscars? Or something. I guess. He is presenting documentaries and making bad jokes. Okay, the garbage bit is kind of funny. The Best Documentary Feature is "An Inconvenient Truth" (but boy were a lot of the others about Iraq?) which was probably the worst documentary up there. Technically and form-wise it was not that good, but its message was hugely important, so it wins for importance. It is hands down the most important film in the Oscars this year. It is probably the most important film of the century so far.

Here's Clint. Talking about the score, and Morricone and giving him a special Oscar. Also f-ing up his lines and the title of the tribute film. And now Cline is singing, but I am not entirely sure why. The song is very pretty though, and he jewels are fantastic even if her dress is not. What is she doing with the hand on her ears? Her makeup artist needs to be replaced because her lipstick shade was not okay and the close-ups showed a very bad lip line job. He is not speaking English, and no one is translating which is very weird and kind of uncomfortable, but then Clint steps up with a translation. His LL may be twice as long, and perhaps it wouldn't be lame if we had any idea what he was saying until after Clint does a bumbling job of translating. This translation job screwed up all sorts of things. No one knew when to clap.

Oscars Part X

It past the halfway mark (give or take), and I feel liveblogging (or kind of blogging live) helps keep me more interested and focused. It also limits the amount of crying, yelling, and cursing, most years there's a lot more of that, but I don't want to break the new laptop.

And we're back with Naomi Watts and Robert Downey Jr.. I kind of totally have the hots for him, and I like it when he pokes fun at his own druggy past. Naomi Watts dress would look better if she just ripped her damn sleeves off and threw them in the trash along with the hideous sash. Apparently she is going to the awesome 80's prom oscar party with Lisa Ling later. Visual F/X goes to some pirates. Let's all give a big round of, "AAAaaaarrrrrggghhh's!" I love it when they talk to small children at home.

Katherine Denueve, and Ken Watanabe (yes I had to IMDB them, but I was actually right before I checked) come on out to show us a film about films in other languages. Cate Blanchett and Clive Owen come out to gibe the award. Best Foreign Film goes to "The Lives of Others" which I really, really want to see, and the Germans go wild over something other then David Hasselhoff. Plus the director or the producer or whoever accepts hugs Guillermo del Toro which I find really sweet. This explains the whole slam of awards for "Pan's Labyrinth" earlier--it wasn't going to give it best foreign film.

Ellen does shadow puppets on the really big screen and gets attacked by the dancers who turn into something creepy that eats her and becomse the logo for "Snakes on a Plane." "They're naked," comedy gold.

Clooney in a tux, reasons why the Oscars are always worth watching (can I get a hell yeah Jenny?". Supporting Actress goes to ummm, Jennifer Hudson. No, I am shocked I tell you shocked! Who would have seen this coming? Really who? Holy Jesus are the tears coming. She can't even talk. (Although again with all the hair on one side! Why is this a look?). Now that she has pulled herself together her speech is veering toward LL. Also, I would've made George help me all the way off stage. He would be taking my arm.

Oscars Part IX

Ellen is wearing an Oscar in a cozy. "The Devil Wears Prada" girls come out for costumes. Anne Hathaway's dress is weird. Emily Blunt's dress is a better color, but why didn't she reapply her lipstick before coming on stage to present? Funny interplay with the Streep though. I feel it necessary at this moment to profess my love for dresses made of sequins and fringe!!! I also love the real actors in tableaux for the costumes, and the winner is "Marie Antoinette." Pat Field is just too crazy for Oscar, but this woman may be crazier then we thought--she's wearing a tux with a tie that she may have stolen from the lead singer of The Killers, and she gives yet another LL (but she did do some wicked costumes for "Titus" and some other stuff.

Now the craziest man in America is talking about a woman that I am inclined to dislike because he seems to like her. All right, she has done some good shit, but still, if Tom Cruise likes her, I am not sure that I can. Are they making out? What is he doing? Why is she letting him that near her face? Her dress is very nice though. Her speech was long but not quite lame. She got a longer speech and managed not to be too dumb.

Clint Eastwood is funny, and really damn old. I really love Ellen. She can be the host for a long time. Gwyneth's dress is really bad, and what is up already with putting all your long, straight hair on one side?! It does not look that good, it looks kind of weird and a little lazy. Cinematography goes to "Pan's Labyrinth" again. Viva la Mexico!

More dancing, this time in the shape of a bus.

Oscars Part VIII

"Holy Baldness" as my roommate Renee notices that Jack has no hair. And Cameron Diaz comes back out looking fabulous! Great earrings. Animated feature goes to the penguins instead of the cars (and boy do the monster house kids look pissed), so we of course cut to Abigail Breslin (because she's a kid get it? animation, kids, get it?). The director/producer sweetly talked about his kids, and seemed to dress as a penguin even more then just a normal tuxedo would've done.

Brett Affleck-Aring's cousin Ben comes in and seems like he is really way too bored to be doing this. A mildly watchable little film on writing. Tom Hanks and Helen Mirren come out and make a lame joke. Best Screenplay goes to "The Departed," but does this bode well or ill for a best picture win later in the evening? Is it just me or does this guy totally look just like you would expect a screenwriter to look? And the poor dude delivers an LL, seeming really, really uncomfortable.

Oscars Part VII

And Callie presents a novice commercial in a creepy soap opera time of day commercial.

I love "The Departed," and I flat out hope it wins best picture. I have already said it is my choice.

Now it is time for some singing. James Taylor, a guitar, and Randy Newman--Newman who can't win an Oscar for nothing. He and some sound mixer are the losingest guys in all of Oscar which means that they have always been not quite good enough, and I am pretty sure that this song is going to be the one for him, unless they give him one out of pity, but that hasn't been the case yet. Melissa Etheridge sings her song from a documentary (the scariest movie I saw in a long time, maybe ever). I like this song. It is kind of way good.

Leo and Al Gore show up to talk about climate crisis? That is kind of weird. Also, why are we not giving out awards? Did Leo just try to get Gore to announce a run, or is this the best joke ever, and it might be the best joke ever. They gave Gore the hook, the musical one.

Oscars Part VI

Ellen corrected herself about Penelope Cruz. And she mocks Judi Dench. Awesome. I bet the Dame is sitting at home and laughing.

This sound f/x choir thing is really quite cool. Even Beyonce likes it, they cut to her (because she is a singer, so she must have been in a choir).

I love Steve Carell. Nice turn the mic off sound joke. Sound Editing goes to "Letters From Iwo Jima" because obviously that was were they put the real work in. They were just slacking on "Flags of Our Fathers" (which they were also nominated for), and so it is a good thing their bullet and plane sounds for that one weren't the bullet and plane sounds that one. Although this proves my point that you don't fuck with the war movies when it comes to sound editing.

Jessica Biel and Tumnus are presenting. Her dress is vibrant and tastefully beautiful. Sound Mixing goes to "Dreamgirls" because that is the only thing that beats war movies, purty singing (and sometimes aliens or fantastical creatures, but only sometimes--singing always has a better shot). The second cut short speech of the night, and another LL.

Rachel Weiss looks really nice in her dress. I like it, very pretty. Arkin's clip is weird because it is the only one where he isn't cursing. Eddie doesn't sing in his clip. Marky Mark's clip is also weird in order to be without cursing. The Oscar goes to Arkin which is great because he is freaking hilarious. I wish that he would've just spoken instead of reading a very polished note, but I do love that he just set to Oscar on the floor. That is funny. Aww, he tears up in talking about his family.

Ellen goes into the audience to harass a just this second loser Marky Mark, and she gives a screenplay to Scorsese, but I don't think there were any words on the pages.

More dancing, or really just standing on stage? Oh, no they are dancing in silhouette. They made penguins.

Oscars Part V

Right now I am wondering how much coverage I will watch before a speech gets too boring? I predict that a lame and long speech (heretofore referred to as an LL) will happen in about forty-five minutes.

Will Ferrell singing a song that sounds kind of like "Somewhere That's Green." And now Jack Black! This is getting good! Please fight the nominees!!! Yes, John C. Reilly!!!! This is the funniest the Oscars has ever been. This song rules, and when this gets posted on You Tube tomorrow, you should find it and watch it.

Makeup goes to "Pan's Labyrinth" again, but "Click" did not win an Oscar, so I am totally cool. The tiny Mexican woman is adorable, and looks very funny next to the very tall comedy guys!! They cut them off. First team to get cut off of the night.

Awww, cute kids presenting awards. Abigail Breslin is much funnier then little Smith, although now that I see the hoop skirt bottom of her dress, it is a lot less cute. And the little Smith gets the first flub of the night. Someone I don't know wins an award I do not care about. And the first LL shows up. It becomes an LL without going over time. Damn, she's boring. I do not want to see her movie now. And I was thirty-five minutes over optimistic. Ooooh, "West Bank Story" looks actually good, and it wins!! Plus the director is quite good-looking (and he made a comic musical about Israelis and Palestinians in the West Bank). Yeah, I bet he's going to get him a feature deal real soon. OMG, Jack Nicholson has no hair!!!! Back to the really sweet, earnest director dude! He's cute. I have a little crush, no lie.

Did I mention that I think Clint Eastwood is really, really boring. He's boring, and I think his movies are boring. Sorry, but that is generally true for me. Although Letters From Iwo Jima is up there near the top of my Clint movie list (with "Mystic River," "Space Cowboys," and "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil"--that's right I said "Space Cowboys"

Oscars Part IV

I love, love, love the nominees clips!!!!!!! Awesome! I would watch that over and over again. Eddie Murphy getting in trouble for being funny. People just being people. Many of them backstage types, getting a moment. That is fabulous. I love having them all stand. They deserve it. I am going to stop typing to clap.

No dress on Ellen, but a snazzy reddish velvet tux (and cut to her mom and Portia in the audience), but she is wearing more makeup then I have ever, ever seen her in. It looks good, just strange.

Can I point out that Penelope Cruz is from Spain, and she seemed to notice the slip of her being named right before the shout out to Mexico. Whoops. Is that an MLP (misidentified latino person) rather then a MBP (substitute black)?

Abigail Breslin is adorable, just cute as a button. Peter O'Toole may however just kick it during the ceremony (and did we see his companion whispering in his ear what is actually being said).

Wow, Gore is getting some applause there!!! And how cute is Leo when Ellen makes him blush.

Dancing and singing, and some people in the audience standing up. Lots of other sitting down. Oh well.

James Bond is hot, and he came in costume. How nice of him. Nicole is still wearing a giant Christmas bow. Art Direction goes to "Pan's Labyrinth" which seems totally fair. It looks pretty fancy, and I always like it when the non-celebs dress well (the set decorator looks great in basic black). Viva La Mexico.

Weird boob squishing is happening in Maggie Gyllenhall's dress. More dancing, into the Oscar. That was kind of cool.

Oscars Part III

Go Marky Mark! I really want him to beat Eddie Murphy. I don't care that I haven't seen "Dreamgirls" but I feel that the previews for "Norbitt" alone should keep him from ever getting one. Plus Marky Mark is so, so good in that flick.

What the FUCK is up with Lisa Ling's skirt?! This is not the awesome 80's prom goes to the Oscars. And a ponytail? Seriously? I have no more to say about that.

Kate Winslet looks good, and so does Helen Mirren. She has got this total bombshell vibe going while still looking age-appropriate. Go her. She was amazing in the queen. I do not have any idea how someone goes about inhabiting a character that complex so very completely and simply. She deserves all the awards she gets.

The real show is about to start, but I make no predictions in advance. I am however pissed that they moved the supporting acting awards from the top of the show to some where near the end. That is bullshit!

Oscars Part II

Apparently Cameron Diaz has been in the ice cream since the Timberlake kicked her to the curb, but she looks better for it. She could have always used the curves, and they are nice to see.

Eddie Murphy's ho of the moment is wearing a hideous, hideous dress. It is tight in all the wrong places. But Cate Blanchett look fantastic!!! Her dress is stunning!

Why didn't Ryan Gosling bring my favorite McAdams? This upsets me--they better not be broken up, but he is a funny, funny guy, even funny in pre-show, reflecting on having his mom and sister on his arm, he said, "I thought I'd do it like Snoop."

Oscars Part I

What the fuck is Nicole Kidman wearing? Did she steal some mall Christmas decorations and wrap the big wreath's ribbon around her? Why would she think that was a good idea?!!!

Also, no one should wear a dress with pockets, especially not if you are already known as the 'fat' dreamgirl, and by the way, I am ten minutes into the freaking pre-show half hour and all right already with the "Dreamgils" songs!! I don't care, even if those chiquitas can sing.

Plus opening penguin sequence=so far so good, actual laughing. I will keep it coming right here all night long!

Blogging the Oscars

I am going to post here often during the ceremony with my instant responses (probably at the commercial breaks). This will be my first experiment with live blogging, and I am doing it all from Jim's comment the other day.

5 Best Pictures; 1 Best Day

So we did it, and there was no sleeping or anything. I will definitely go next year, and I will bring as many people as I can with me because it was fun. Seeing best picture nominees in a sold out audience full of people who really enjoy movies was probably the best possible way to see them. We laughed and we cried and we gasped and we communed, and by the end of the very long day, we had formed a community of sorts.

The facts: 12 and a half hours from start to finish of films, but we arrived early in order to get good seats, so we were in the theater (sitting) for 13 hours and maybe fifteen minutes. Three large bags of popcorn between the two of us (though we did dump the crumbs on all bags), and five large sodas (but there was some dumping of them too). There were two fifteen minute breaks, one forty-five minute break, and one twenty-five minute break, and we stayed in the realm of the movie theatre the entire time (other people did not). Too many trips to the restroom to count (thank goodness I had already seen two of the films and that Sara had seen one, I didn't miss anything). We got a totally nerdy backstage/VIP pass on a lanyard that we were instructed to wear all day, but Sara and I had already decided to wear it all day no matter what.

After several trips in and out I finally figured out why the theater seemed so strange, every single cup holder held a movie soda cup. It was very odd in its uniformity (we were all provided with a cup and a bag as we entered), cool though.

The movies themselves were as follows:

Babel: Could also be titled "People Are Stupid in Every Language" or "Stupid People are Boring in Every Language." The movie was fine--definitely the "Crash" of this year except since it is almost an exact copy, it much less exciting and interesting. There are come very nice performances and moments, but, in general, it is messy with lots of slow bits. After watching the whole, I thought it was kind of interesting, but I don't know if I would have gotten through it had I not been in a theater. I would've gotten distracted and changed the channel or turned it off.

The Queen: This movie is really funny, and I never would have thought that it would be from all the reviews/press/previews I had seen. It was quick and interesting, and Helen Mirren is exquisite in it. James Cromwell and the woman who plays the Queen Mum are awesome too. I would say that you shouldn't miss this film; it is well worth the watching.

The Departed: I flat out love this movie, and I have seen it three times in theaters now, and I still love it. It is my favorite for Best Picture.

Letters From Iwo Jima: Touching movie, but it suffers from the Clint Eastwood storytelling factor. It takes a very long time to get anywhere, and after you are there you wonder what the hell they were doing for half the movie. However, the fact that I knew very little about the Japanese side of WWII kept it from being as painfully slow as "Million Dollar Baby." I liked it, and I will probably see "Flags of Their Fathers" someday soon.

Little Miss Sunshine: A way, way, way better film when seeing it with and audience and for a second time. The anticipation of the ending is hilarious the second time around. I still hate the father character with a passion, so that makes me crazy, and the ending stops being funny and starts being weird (for me) precisely when Toni Colette gets on stage. Her energy really changes it and kills all the funny that is there before. Steve and Alan are brilliant though!

AMC hosted this party (for a fee), so you KC types should see if there is one in your neck of the woods next year.

In Preparation

I am going to get new glass next week, in advance on losing my pier one insurance. I may also go to the dentist.

I will also spend today psyching up for my best picture movie theater marathon tomorrow. Five movies, one theater, one day. There will be packed lunches smuggled in, as well as candy, and maybe a water bottle. But I will get all the pop and popcorn I can eat and drink at the theater.

The big question will be, after a week of terrible sleeping, can I stay awake through all of the films? Since I have already seen the last show of the evening, will I wuss out and go home early? Stay tuned. Will Sara Jo stay awake for all the movies remains to be seen as well, but there is strong suspicion that the subtitles of Letters From Iwo Jima will be her undoing.

I have a job

That's right. I have a brand new job, and I start in a week and a half to two weeks. It is my roommate's old job (she actually has it right now, but is about to be promoted). I will be a receptionist and office helper at a screenprinting company. They seem fun and informal (I will get to wear jeans and a t-shirt to work, yes!). It is a little bit of a raise which is good, and I will qualify for my new benefits in thirty days.

BTW, this makes Renee my hero of several weeks.

I have a job interview

It is tomorrow for my roommate Renee's current job. It will mean a pay increase, and regular hours if I get it. It will also be actual office job credentials, so in a year (more or less) I could parlay this into a real office job downtown with much better pay. We shall see. Wish me luck.

I am that kid

At work. I am that kid. I am the one that does all the crazy stuff. Like this morning when I climbed a ladder while carrying a barstool. I have a nifty science down for it. What I do is turn the chair upside down and put the seat on my head with the back down my back, and then I use one hand to climb the ladder and the other to steady the chair on my head. Some days, this is the only way you can get things done quickly, so I do it. I was trying to figure out how to climb a fixed ladder (on a wall) with a box of cushions , but someone came in so I just had them hand them up to me.

Everyone else thinks this is strange or funny, and they sometime worry about my safety. I think this is a result of my MFA. Well, I have been fairly phisically fearless for a while (not stupid, but I evaluate the risk), but animal class and Paul's class sort of pushed that to the extreme, so did McB. All that ladder climbing in capes makes me do silly things at work.

Happy Chinese New Year

So my wonderful friends Angie and Sara Jo braved the cold way down in Chinatown to watch the Chicago Chinese New Year's Parade. Like all Chicago parades, it would've been better if there were less people running for office in it.

It was fun. I liked the marching bands and the dragons (although there could've been more), but it was very cold. I lost my toes somewhere during the afternoon, and it would've been better warmer, so I don't think that I will go back unless it is like 75 degrees next February.

Sore

My thighs are sore in a weird way, and I am convinced it is from walking in the deep snow. There are crazy drifts and shifty piles I must cross to get to work, and to cross them you grip the ground with your leg muscles in a different way then they usually are used when you walk. They hurt and ache in that way that muscles do when they are being newly used.

I had some big philosophical question to ponder that I was tossing about at work, but now I cannot remember. Now I am being distracted by Ken Burns' "The West" just watched Sitting Bull get killed and the Battle of Wounded Knee.

I was actually naseous

During Grey's Anatomy, the drilling in the head business was kind of making me sick. I had to look away and let my roommate tell me when to look back. And (spoiler alert) I for sure do not believe Meredith is going to die no matter how much they want me to think it. She's not dying. Shonda, for real, you do not have me fooled. I am not even worried (though Derek and and McSteamy all being mcCuddly was seriously tugging at my heart strings). And ohs no Izzy did not just say that!!!!

Not much else happening here in my life. I am going to clean some room and do some laundry tomorrow. We shall see.

She made it

My aforementioned friend did in fact make it into Midway last night at around 9:30pm, which was only five and a half hours late with a detour to Tennessee. Not bad, I guess considering all of the crazy weather delays of yesterday and today.

Happy Valentine's day all!

Excercise in Futility

I did not go to the museum today because of the blizzard conditions, not to mention the small snow drift outside my door. This made me a little whiny and cranky, but I still had stuff to do. I agreed to go and meet my friend Angie at Midway today. There had been some delays and stuff at the airport, but by mid afternoon some flights were still getting in, and when I checked the Southwest website, her flight was in the air and early. It seemed crazy, but who knows?

I get all bundled up, and I go out. Walking in tall powdery drifting snow takes a lot of effort, and it is best to go at it fast and furious to keep your momentum built up. So I sort of power through three and a half blocks to get to the train, and I arrive soaked. I take the brown line all the way into downtown, and then switch to the orange line which I take to its endpoint at Midway. The whole trip is an hour and fifteen minutes, and I should be hitting baggage claim at the same time as Angie. However, the level above baggage claim, I check the monitors for information about her flight, and somehow in the last 85 minutes her flight went from being twenty minutes early to an hour and twenty-five minutes late. Great.

Down I go to baggage claim--which is crowded with all sorts of people--and I pull up a seat (because I thank goodness find one) and read my book. Her arrival times pass, and I am still curled up with Scandalmonger by William Saffire which is cool because I really need to finish it before it goes back to the library, and it is super long for how little I read now that I no longer ride the train to work. Then Angie calls me--from Nashville. She is stranded there with no idea what she is supposed to do since she no longer has a boarding pass (they took it when she boarded). They got rerouted there when they couldn't land at Midway. So, I turn around and take the long two train trip back to my apartment as well as the hard working hopping it takes to get home since more snow had accumulated in the two hours that my airport adventure consumed. I can't wait to walk to work tomorrow since no one here bothers to scrape their sidewalks (however the walking and the horrendous driving conditions did make me very happy that I didn't try to go to the stupid museum).

Angie did call me just a few minutes ago saying that she got on a plane in Nashville that should, maybe, get here tonight. She was waiting to take off.

A Couple of Things

Stupid cheating museum. Tomorrow is free day at the Museum of Science and Industry, and I was going to go for a couple of reasons. One of them was that the last time I went there was a small child in our party who wanted to run down the long sloping hallway to the U-boat instead of walk slowly and watch every second of History Channel-esque footage and read every word of all of the supporting material (in his defense he was in Kindergarten and maybe couldn't really read) about it. It kind of killed me to be forced to do that. Also, Bodyworks is showing there, and I thought wouldn't it be great just to pay the part of the admission for Bodyworks instead of general admission plus Bodyworks. However, stupid museum heads charge $18 to go see Bodyworks on free days instead of $9.50 which only saves $1.50 from seeing it on a regular price day. Stupid. Anyway, so instead I am going to see if I can get a museum pass from the library, so I can go see it some day that costs money (like this Saturday with my roommate and her cousin Rick) and get general admission free and then pay $9.50. Stupid museum. Can I say that again?

Had a wonderful time this weekend meeting Jeff Davis. Well, really meeting him. We have met very briefly a few other times, but this time we all hung out with Azar. He is hosting a double feature of "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas" and "Newsies" at his house this weekend (which is in a high rise and has a very nice view).

Also, why is it we only have 'don't leave your house or travel unless you absolutely must' days on my days off when I want to do stuff? Seriously, weather? But, no matter what I will venture out to pick Angie up at the airport. I love that city life is the only place where 'picking someone up' from the airport has nothing to do with automobiles since what I am doing is taking the train to the train to the airport and back helping to pull rolly suitcases. Although with the weather being how it is, we'll see if they let Angie land.

Brilliance and not really

Final episode of season one of "The Wire" is pure brilliance. A complete and fantastic episode on its own while eloquently mirroring the original of the series bringing a degree of closure while leaving many, many doors wide open. I cannot wait for season two. (Also, Det. McNulty joins the parade of bad boys I have a hankering for of late because Dominic West is a fine man and a fine actor).

Saw a show at Steppenwolf tonight, Pinter's Betrayal. Two outstanding actors, one okay actor, and a show that was just fine. Nothing special, just fine. Too bad. Also, I am not sure that I would like an actual production of the play in its entirety, possibly ever. It is far too choppy and disjointed. Not bad, just abrupt in person, in a way that it isn't when I power through it reading it by myself. Anyone seen a good live version of it?

Oh, belated hero of the week, Herbert because I will miss him when he leaves Pier One.

Clearing things up

I am not quite as sad or pathetic as the boyfriend/potential husband gathering entry of the other day. It spiraled out of control with the Jenny and the Lauren not just mocking me as expected. Really mostly Jenny with the being serious when I was almost 100% sure she would be the most mocking (c'mon girl are you falling down on the job, did you retire?)because well that used to be what she does.

Tomorrow I get to spend all day with my favorite crazy Persian, and tonight I get to spend with the final episode of season one of "The Wire" which I have come to quietly love. As Lauren says, "They are all so brilliantly fucked up." They are. The ensemble is full of brilliant generous actors who revel in their characters humanity, and it is an unusual brand of humanity for television because everyone has flaws and everyone has beauties, and the writers don't allow any one side to be favored over the other. Neither the cops nor the drug dealers are heroic, but neither are they villains. They are people who struggle to do what is best, sometimes for themselves and sometimes for the greater good. Sometimes they just struggle.

All five Oscar nominated best pictures in one day, in one theatre

Yeah, so I really think this is a brilliant idea and I really want to go. It is $30 and it is all of them, plus free large popcorn and free large drink, refillable all day long. It is kind of my idea of heaven. Although I don't think anyone would go with me (well anyone who lives here, my friend Bryce would so go with me but he is in Olympia), and this seems just too nerdy to do alone. But really, all five in one day. Heaven, total and utter heaven!

So much stuff, so little time

I really don't understand how most of the rest of the world gets things done. I never seem to have enough time to really do things. Actually, I probably do, but I love tv and sleep and the internet too much to have a ton of extra free time. I was going to go to two museums today, but now I will only go to one. Plus I will hang out with my friends Sara and Kristy, so I guess that ain't nothin' but it is less then I had planned. Perhaps my plans are unrealistic? Or maybe I am tainted by my younger days when I did a ridiculous amount of crap--although that was before I had the internet and I almost never watched tv then.

In defense of the internet, I love the blogs I read daily. They make me feel like a part of a community--sometimes of strangers but more often of friends, the very friends who read this blog--and they are my daily news and entertainment. The movies I watch from netflix and blockbuster are important to me as well. I started watching copious amounts of movies in high school when I got my license. I rented every classic movie "Crazy Mike's Video Store" had (granted that was like 65 movies), and I watch lots of award nominess and critical favorites. My netflix queue is over 200, and that is only probably only half of the movies I want to watch. It has been a goal of mine to see and know as many movies as possible--focusing on critical favorites and classics and even cult classics. That may be a weird goal, but it gives me a great deal of pleasure, so spending my days off watching 6 hours (on average) of movies isn't a waste of my time. It is working towards a goal. Now watching 5 hours of City Confidential on A&E, that's probably a waste of time, but the voice over is so lulling I cannot change the channel.

Umm, so that above was probably for myself as much as for any of you. Shout out to Jim and Donad for giving me credit for my Nathan prescience. Also, I am very sad this week because Herbert and Kristy are both leaving me at Pier One. In the next week. Two of my favorite coworkers gone. It won't be the same without them. It should motivate me to find a more financially rewarding job, so that I can start actually paying off my student loans and be able to live my life at the same time. Actually if I had posted yesterday, it would've been a long post about how just when you start to get your life in order it gets all fucked up again. Or if not fucked up, it just runs right off the track you had laid for it. I just want it to be easier. I just want someone else to take care of everything for me, so that I can spend my days watching movies. This is perhaps too much to ask. Some days I wonder if I wouldn't be happier living back in the tri-cities, married to some good Catholic boy watching movies and Oprah, and occasionally teaching and directing for ACT and maybe CBC and Hanford High School? I am of course missing the good Catholic boy, but I hear David Bruce is still single. I don't actually think I want that, but maybe I should go on a date with one of the eligibles my mom and her friends think would be good for me when I go home this summer? After the date, it should pretty well clear thing up right? Most likely, I will hate the very idea of being tied to him all the time, or I will be head over heels and all problems solved. Or none of the above because quite frankly we all know life is much more complicated then that.

I wonder who (other then the Bruce) my mom and her friends would hook me up with? Lauren and Jenny feel free to post potentials in the comments that would make me laugh or be serious or both.

In a commercial

Not me, of course. But Brian Smith was in a Bud Light commercial during the freaking super bowl. For those who missed it or are unfamiliar with my fellow CMS Mule, Brian was the tall groomsmen in the Bud Light commercial who hired the auctioneer for the wedding. I went to school with him, he was my Benedick to my Beatrice in advanced acting in undergrad. He's a good guy and now he was on during the super bowl.

On a much angrier note, stupid Chicago CBS did not play the extra special good episode of Criminal Minds after the game. They played post-game shit because apparently they missed the part of the game where the Bears lost. Infuriating. I am writing my local CBS affiliate a nasty letter. Stupid, stupids.

Fuck it is cold!

That is really all I have got. It is cold inside our fucking house. It is cold outside, and there are major warnings to cover all skin if you MUST leave your house and limit time outside to less then thirty minutes at a time. Fuck me. I don't want to go to work ever again if possible.

What is the difference between nine degrees and nineteen?

One means your snot still stays liquid as it drips down your nose, and the other means it freezes or congeals onto the inside of your nose and there is stays on your walk to work. It is bitterly cold here, and it will only get worse this weekend (which means the frozen thermometer is the weather icon for Sun. forecast on my forecastfox). My plan is to not leave the house tomorrow. I will do my taxes, do some apartment cleaning, watch some movies, and basically wrap myself into a blanket for the whole weekend--my roommates have the same plan.

See you later, decorator? Seriously?

I cannot believe that that is their tag line for Top Design. It is so awful it hurts me a little in my heart, but I am so using it on crap-headed designers who come into our store and are meany-faces. Anyway, I hope that show gets better.

And Marcel (or whom I like to call Teenwolf--thanks to ALOTT5MA, my favorite blog) has lost Top Chef mostly because he cannot play well with others. That goes out to you Jenny, fan of the dreaded teenwolf (although Ilan is kind of a brat too, he just has enough social skills to not be a brat to people's faces, Marcel has almost no social skills).