Wonktastic Weekend
So Charley and the Chocolate Factory was everything I hoped it would be and more! Depp delivers a hilarious and outstanding performance as a chocolatier with exceptionally cavity-free teeth (will wonders never cease?) and I need to see it again. I didn't quite catch the Nightmare Before Christmas (TNBC) reference that I'm sure has to be in there somewhere...good excuse to go see it again! The movie was, however, very Burtonesqe, esp. the puppets.
Other excellent movie news, Burton is coming out with his second stop-motion animated picture: The Corpse Bride. I'm very excited and this promises to be another TNBC, which is my all-time fav. I love Burton's twisted mind and his artistic style is right up my alley.
There were a few other trailers that looked like really good movies, but I was so excite by the Corpse Bride that I can't remember what they were.
After our trip to the movies Friday night, Josh and I attended the local Potter Party at the mall. We didn't have any kids, but it was fun to see all the kids running around in their witch/wizard costumes and we then watched the worst magician I've ever seen. There was an entertaining man who was giving the magician the whole MST3K treatment, so that was rather entertaining. He left about halfway through, though, as his 6 mo. old was getting cranky.
Other than that guy, the highlight of the show was when his flowers fell out of his sleeve. I think this guy got into magic rather late in his life, so I admire the effort. He was kind of funny in a Mr. Magoo sort of way.
Saturday Josh and I got to spend the whole day together, and took a little jaunt down Main Street to check out a liquidation sale at a jewelry store (my idea, of course) and I did end up getting a very pretty pair of earrings. Josh was talking to the security guard on duty, who happened to be the MST3K guy from the night before. It turns out he owns a little cafe on Main Street (with fabulous Italian Sodas, I might add) and just lets his flunkies run it while he's hired muscle/repo man. He just decided that he was board and that job sounded fun. Within a short time he was promoted to head repo man, and so when he's not guarding jewelry stores, he's (legally) stealing cars. He tried to recruit Josh because, well, Josh is just a big guy. I was looking at jewelry during this part of the conversation, but apparently MST3K/Security guard/Repo Man would rather shoot Josh than fight him if it came down to violence. I was rather disturbed by this...
Anyhow, the rest of the weekend was just relaxing and full of lots of nap time, and reading a little Harry Potter to boot (went to Costco and bought it first thing in the AM on Saturday. No crowds, no line, it was amazing, and 50% off list price!) I waited to start it until Sunday night, though. I'm also currently reading The Two Income Trap, as recommended by the Lanes, and finding some very insightful things that are surprising, but make total sense once you think about it. I'm just glad that I don't live in California or New York or one of those other places with exorbitant prices on crummy houses. So, I'm following in Madeline L'Engle's footsteps by reading one book for fun and one book for education.
In upcoming excitement, for enrichment our R.S. is going to one sister's cabin on Bitterroot Lake tomorrow for fun on the water and just plain ol' get-to-know-you time. I think I may just enjoy this! I'll keep you updated!
Loitnin' 'as just struck me brain!
I just had an epiphany--I'm perfectly happy with the way I look. My husband tells me all the time how beautiful I am and I know that he means it. Most days I even think I'm not half bad. I'm worried that since I've graduated my brain is atrophying. I think that's why I'm writing this blog. People can't judge me on my looks here, it's solely based on my brain and my wit and my spelling. My brain needs to feel good about itself. Who knew?
P.S. Kudos to you if you can name the movie from which I took the title.
Movie Review
My Favorite Things #5Movies. I love movies. I'm especially excited because tonight I get to see the combined efforts of my favorite director, one of my favorite actors, and one of my favorite authors combine to re-create a classic: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
The reviews have been good, as I expect anything directed by Tim Burton to be, and I can't wait to see how Depp interprets the rather insane Willie Wonka. Word to the wise: look for The Nightmare Before Christmas element in the movie. Jack Skellington has made appearances in Planet of the Apes and Sleepy Hollow, and the ringmaster in Big Fish was rather reminiscent of the Mayor of Halloween Town--especially with that tremendous top hat!
I think I like movies, especially Tim Burton's, because they are an escape into a fantasy world. The forest here in Montana will never house hidden doorways into Christmas Town or Halloween Town and the local Avon Lady will never find a man with scissors instead of hands, but I can see my wildest dreams in vivid reality, and trust me, I have some wild dreams. So, your assignment: Your favorite movie and (here's the important part) why? No two or three word answers people, put some thought into it!
Self Image
So Julie asked me awhile ago what I look like inside my head--like what I think I look like without looking in a mirror. I've been mulling this over lately and I'm not quite sure what I look like. My hair's a little redder, I'm a little fatter than I really am(die you self-hating beauty-magazine-loving media-people!) and my nose is a little more bumpy/bulbous than it really is. This is kind of disconcerting. I know I'm prettier than the image in my head, but I really do think that the U.S.'s definition of beauty has infiltrated the lower echelons of my psyche and lodged there to stay.
This is rather disturbing to me. I know my nose isn't that big, but the "Montgomery bump" has always irritated me, so much so that I rub it when I'm not thinking trying to wear the bone down. Self inflicted rhinoplasty by way of wear-and-tear doesn't work.
And I'm not that fat. I have gained weight over the last three years which was kind of a surprise, as I made it a point to avoid stepping on a scale for about two and a half of those years because I thought it would make me rather obsessive and self-conscious if I owned a bathroom scale. I was right.
However, my hair, my eyes, and my feet are perfect in my head, just like they are in real life!
So I got to thinking about it in a Shallow Hal kind of way. What if we could see everybody as they saw themselves? Those who have self-confidence would be beautiful, sparkly people, but I think the majority of people would be rather blah. Having your real insides exposed would be a shock and a treat, though. We'd be able to tell who was a jerkoff and who was a genuinely nice person just with one glance.
When I can create my own worlds, I'll see what I can do about that. And I'll banish mosquitoes forever.
My Favorite X-(Wo)Man
I wish I could fly. I wish I could punch through brick walls. I wish I could suck the life force out of you. Most of all, I wish I was a natural redhead.
R-O-L-A-I-D-S spells Relief
So that last post, mostly fixed. My boss complimented me and the deep-seated fear of authority figures is put to rest for the time being.
My conductor (whom I've finally figured out to address as Maestro. Yes, he really calls himself Maestro!) also complimented me after our first concert. I think he may have had a glass or two of wine, though.
And I worked out things with you-kno-who, also for the time being. I know it's not the end of the line, but perhaps my skin is a little thicker now.
So, down to the boring details of my life. Friday was a bit hectic. I left work and went to meet my ride to Bigfork for our first concert. I waited. and waited. and waited. She didn't show, so I ran back to work, called to check my messages (nothing) and got my boss to draw me a map to where I was supposed to go. So I drive off to Bigfork, find it just fine, and there's my ride. She'd hit traffic on the way and we probably missed eachother while I was checking my messages, but all turned out well nontheless. The concert was a success and they even fed us yummy food!
Saturday Josh and I didn't have to go work on the Bigfork house because it was pouring, so I spent the morning talking to Sasa, J cleaned my car, and then we went to the craft fair that was in town. Josh found a guy that would trade Damascus Steel-Bladed knives for antlers, so Josh traded him for a very nice knife and I found a bracelt made out of antique silverware. It's very purdy! I made it to my second concert and it was much colder than the first, but it still went well enough. There were even two couples from the ward there and I felt very pleased with myself. I didn't play my best (hard when the wind's blowing the music off the stand and your fingers are froze!) but I think I did well nonetheless.
Sunday Josh and I just lazed about the house and took a nice drive to some of the surrounding cities. Allergy season is here, so I missed part of the drive due to a Benadryl-induced nap, but Josh saw a fawn! I've seen a bear this year, but I still haven't seen a fawn. Plenty of grown up deer, but no fawns.
Then, excitement this morning, I was listening to the radio while I was getting ready for work and called in and answered a pop-culture trivia question, so now I'm qualified to win a $5,000 shopping spree at a local furniture store! I'm amazed and I really hope I win! Then I can be furniture-store-chic instead of salvation-army-chic! So everyone, keep your fingers crossed for me!
My Ego is Suffering from a Bout of Schizophrenia
So I'm being mentally battered from three sides and I'm not quite sure how to handle it. This is going to be a ranting/complaining blog, so anyone who doesn't want to be effected by the forthcoming negativity, please discontinue reading now. And no, I don't
always complain, one of my friends just told me I was too happy to be very interesting. I'm still interesting, just not
very interesting. So here goes.
Work: I'm mildly perturbed by my boss' brusque manner and can't quite tell if he thinks that I'm doing a good job, therefore I assume that I'm performing poorly, therefore I do perform poorly because that's what I expect of myself. I did hear, however, through the grapevine, that after I left on my first day one of my three bosses said that I was smarter than any of them...but there have been a lot of days since then and I'm on temp-to-hire basis right now so I'm continually thinking that I'm going to monumentally screw things up, get fired, and go back to the abhorrent job hunt in no time at all.
Relationship with Anonymous Person: Here's the part that I don't want to complain about, but must for sanity's sake. No, I'm not talking about my husband, and I'm not talking about any of you, and yes, I realize the hypocrisy of what I'm going to say before I say it. There is someone whose good opinion of me is utterly important to my state of mental wellness, therefore I need his/her respect. However, this person, whenever he/she is around me, speaks very ill of others behind their backs. Thus, I am constantly aware that as soon as he/she leaves my presence, a comment issues forth from his/her mouth deriding my cooking, haircut, choice of outfit, virtually unnoticable blemish hidden behind my ear, but at which I have unconciously picked. Do you see where I'm going with this? Normally I would just avoid a person like this who constantly undermines me with sniping little comments to my face (in a cutesy-teasing tone of voice so you know he/she is only kidding (not)), puts me on guilt trips over stupid things, and complains about everybody who doesn't meet his/her extremely high standards of perfection while constantly turning a blind eye to his/her own imperfections?
This person has virtually alienated every other important person in his/her life, and I am refusing to be one of those. I've had some success in conflict resolution with this person in the past, but you can't ever tell this person that he/she need to apologize/clean up his/her act/treat people better and they might like him/her more and he/she might have more friends. Most of all, you can never tell this person that he/she was wrong. This is perhaps the most frustrating. At times, I would really love to tear into this person and tell him/her to quit his/her people-alienating ways before he/she drives away everyone and becomes a bitter old codger/hag.
I'm running out of cheeks to turn and this mental battery persists with me throughout my day. Sometimes I wish I was like the kid I went to University with who got in a bike accident and the think-before-you-speak part of his brain didn't work. Granted, he grated on everyone's nerves, but at least he had an excuse.
So here's my dilemma. How do you deal with people who are saccherine sweet on the surface but filled with bubbling vitriol instead of blood? Ok ok, maybe that's a little harsh, but I had to say it just for poetic reasons.
Glacier Symphony: I know, this is supposed to be a relaxing diversion from the cares of my everyday life, but I forgot the reason why I quit the last Symphony Orchestra I was in. Enter the giant Ego. I admit, I have one too. I tried to convince myself that I wouldn't make it, then I was ecstatic when I did make it. Then I got the music and was crushed. I'm only a second violin, and this music is harder than anything I ever played as a first violin, and even as a soloist! So last night at our first rehearsal (one of only two before our fundraiser concert for the stinking rich) I screwed it up royally. The majority of the other violins were not that friendly, and I was terrible! Even worse than the lady who's missing the end of her third finger on her fingering hand! As a parting shot, the conductor (big egomaniac, what a shock) said there would be changes in the 2nd violins, which I'm assuming means that I will be place in the very back so that my caterwauling can be drowned out by the percussion section. I guess I'll find out tonight what will happen there.
Sometimes I wish I was like the Unsinkable Molly Brown (which I watched in order to cheer myself up after the harrowing orchestra experience last night). I wish I was a scrapper sometimes, that I wouldn't take bull-sugar from anyone. But then I think of what kind of person I would be then, and I dont' think I'd like that person either. I have this image in my head of the woman I want to become, and she's not quite congealed. There are many traits I wish I had, but they conflict with one another. What's a poor girl to do? Perhaps I should feign a case of Multiple Personality Disorder and be whomever I want to be whenever I want to be that person. That way I can be everyone I admire and have an excuse for the radical changes in character...
Pics
Ok everyone, here are just a few random pics. None of my own so far, just ripped off from other people, but I like them anyway and they help express me! Enjoy!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/linzdawn/
Pop Star Vanity
My Favorite Things #4Pop culture. I'm addicted to it! I love the fairy tale life that movie stars lead and all the pretty jewelry and clothes they wear. I love seeing new movies and old TV shows. I love Andy Warhol and that comic-book-style art that's all dots (Julie, you can help me out with the technical terms on that one).
I also love very much when these stars with all their money and stylists and publicists and people-hired-to-make-them-look-good fall flat on their face and make fools of themselves in public a la Tom Cruise. I must admit that I love reading about the train-wreck that is TomKat. At the same time, even though she turned me off greatly in her wierd stage, I admire Angelina Jolie for her humanitarian work. There are some people who spread their riches around trying to do good works.
And then there's fashion. I love seeing what celebrities wear on and off the red carpet, and I love seeing some of the aweful mistakes they make. Just go to show that money does not a fashionista make. I.e. this interesting little photo I happened upon earlier today. This photo was taken last weekend at the Live8 concert. Notice anything funny? Mariah's stunning sixpack is painted on! I know it's a rather small image, so you can see a bigger one at 6pack.notlong.com. I don't know about you, but I think it looks like she slept on an ice cube tray. Bad decision, Mariah. Oh yeah, crash and burn baby! Just goes to show--pop stars are human too. (insert wicked laughter here...)
Qwestions
1. How do I put links to others' blogs on my site?
2. What should I get my hubby for his b-day at the end of the month, he says tools but I don't know which ones. He refuses to be more specific than that.
