Movie Mond..uh Tuesday

The Princess and the Frog. Well, I slept through most of it, but woke up in time to realize that my shock that the "princess" had two living parents was for naught. Dad dies, natch. The music is really, really good especially if you consider that the overused and monotonous (and white, btw) Randy Newman wrote it. At the risk of fueling the current political "we're not racist" fires, I would like to add that the movie had some odd elements: a "magical" black guy, black maids, white plantation owner (benevolent though they may be), and maybe even a white prince? He's sort of pale.

The animation, however, is lovely. And who doesn't want to listen to Anika Noni Rose wail it out? My children liked it a lot. The days when I can get them to even watch an animated feature may be waning so I'll sit through it again.

However, this brings us to
Ponyo.
Before I tell you about Ponyo the movie, let's discuss Ponyo the Theme Song's awesome lyrics:

Ponyo, Ponyo, Ponyo... tiny little fish; she's a little fish from the deep blue sea
Ponyo, Ponyo, Ponyo... she's a little girl; she's a little girl with a round tummy.

AGH! The cuteness! I love that. We sing it all the time around here.

Ponyo the fish is very seriously non-fishlike but that made me like her all the more. Again, excellent animation and disturbing too - the bigger fish, the strange gelatinous wave creatures, and a massive storm with a mad water Daddy leading the charge are all pretty terrifying. Ponyo and her little siblings are cute and have the aforementioned round tummies. The voices are GREAT - with the exception of Cate Blanchett who simply reprises her role in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. I'm not going to lie: the filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki has freaked me the hell out in the past, but Ponyo was weird in the best of ways.

Adult movies have been seen also, believe it or not...like Green Zone. I saw this with my best friend, who flew into town unannounced for my birthday weekend...so emotions were running high and we both have it bad for Matt Damon. The movie was fine; Matt Damon's lack of shirtlessness took away from my enjoyment, but I secretly loved all the military power and gun fights.

And I finally got to see Pédro Almodóvar's latest, Broken Embraces (Los Abrazos Rotos) after months of waiting. I am a huge fan of Almodóvar's, but I can't really seem to express why. The words that come to mind are: color, pain, humor, spirit, indulgence....but nothing gels into coherent thought. I GET him. I GET the very complex layers of feeling and art he puts on the screen. I didn't read a review of Broken Embraces yet (still processing, thank you for reading along as I process here) but I did read a quote from A.O. Scott in the Times around the time the film came out that said that the film "... leaves the viewer in a contradictory state, a mixture of devastation and euphoria, amusement and dismay that deserves its own clinical designation. Call it Almodóvaria, a syndrome from which some of us are more than happy to suffer." I suffer.






If I were a sharper student of film (or of anything) I would get more of the references that are clearly abundant in this noir-ish mystery. I do get that Penelope Cruz is, for her director, an amalgam of his screen goddesses and idols. She evokes so many of our great actresses physically and with her first-rate acting in this piece, one loses count. Towards the end of the film (when many, many plot lines have unraveled and unspooled) there is even a time when she brings to life a character from a very early Almodóvar film. A nod, perhaps, to earlier, better times for the filmmaker? I don't know, but if you need to have a good looking, entertaining, funny look at how painful life and loss can be, just check this flick out. Or, for that matter, any of Pedro's work. It's that deep, and that good.

To Do

Dye eggs.

Eat pastel M&Ms.

Buy long socks for my son's birthday.

Stuff the baskets with more chocolate and Starburst jelly beans.

Make a Mexican egg casserole.

6 eggs, beaten
1 can creamed corn
1 4 oz can chiles, drained and chopped
1 cup extra sharp cheddar
1 cup Monterey Jack shredded cheese
1 tsp instant grits
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 dash pepper (Ha. I'm sure this will end up a tbsp)

Preheat oven to 325. Combine all ingredients and pour into a deep dish pie pan. Bake for 1 hour, let stand for ten minutes, serve. I plan to put some salsa and a dollop of sour cream on top. And I'll serve it with a kiwi/raspberry/strawberry/tangerine fruit salad.

Love the make-ahead plan - always helpful when one has to spend the morning sopping up spittle from the brass players and making extra copies of the timpani part for Beethoven's Hallelujah from Christ Upon the Mt. of Olives.

Wow! My hope that folks would chill out a bit was a bit misguided don't ya think! Gracious!

For the record, I would like to say that I have accepted that my position was the losing one in the school board debate here in town, and I plan to move forward, make the best of what I have, disagree in civil ways, and fight really hard come next election time. Hey! What a concept! WOULDN'T THAT BE COOL IF ALL LOSING SIDES COULD FOLLOW MY LEAD? HUH???

Enough politics!

Easter, aka The Big Show, rolls into town next week and as a result, the church job has exploded into a many-tentacled, messy thing with lots of paper and scores and instrumentalists and words like "tenebrae" and "maundy" being tossed around. I am exhausted.

Spring Break, aka Five Days of Break plus a Snow Make-Up Day, arrives next week too. Sadly, we had to pass on Masters (or should I say Mistresses? heh) tickets.

My husband is now a Rotarian. He gets to say little chants and wear a little pin and learns all about the good work of Rotarians across the planet.

My children have various triumphs and trials but may I say that 6th grade seems a hell of a lot easier than 4th grade? Not academically; socially & emotionally.

My brother-in-law completed a marathon (limping for miles and still!) so he gets to cross that one off the life list. He said Everest was next.

I'll have some movie reviews next time!

To my husband, who stayed up past 1 a.m. watching punditry: "I'm reading about how reform affects the consumer and I guess I just don't get it."

Husband: "Ask me! I know ALL about it, I understand it 100%. I would LOVE to explain it to you!"

To my husband, who is jumping up and down a little bit and has wide-open eyes: "It is 6:15 a.m. and I have to teach preschoolers and go on a field trip today, not to mention the grocery store. How about some other time"?

I'll tell you what my hope is - that folk will chill out a bit. The state of political discourse is terrifying, especially in these parts. Governance is messy but I've never seen such negativity...what,really, are people scared of? What is causing leaders to yell BABY KILLER and YOU LIE and whatever else? Why can I not go to a cocktail party and hear people talking about ideas or the weather, even? There is a fear out there, and though some have tried to name it, I'll not. I'm just trying to stay positive.

Lady Gaga is an Artist

Over the past few months, I've tried to convince people that I think Lady Gaga is a performance artist and not "weird" or "stupid" or "badly dressed". She's making huge commentary on big themes, and guess what? She can SING. And write songs, and play piano. And dance! Her songs didn't make a huge impact on me until "Bad Romance" but, much like Madonna's did in the 80s/90s, Gaga's image has resonated with me.

So now we have the epic "Telephone" video - it's shocking, it's NSFW, it's too long, and even after viewing it a couple of times I'm not sure I can tell you how the song goes. But: it's art, and there's no denying it. Other videos of hers have more emoting, but this is just a wild ride that bears noting. (Unintended rhyme).



For more commentary, may I direct you to the hilarious but at times illuminating blow-by-blow dissection of the video over at The Atlantic.

The month of my birthday has begun in earnest.

First, with SHINGLES!

SHINGLES! from dooce on Vimeo.

Secondly, with wildly imaginative birthday planning on the part of my husband and many, many meals out and glasses shared. Raleigh, by the way, is hot. Exciting. Interesting. I always thought so, but now it seems that everyone else does too.

I just told my husband, just the other night, that the first four measures of "Fake Empire" affect me as deeply as just about anything can.

New National - I'll not tell you my opinion until you hear it for yourself. Who am I kidding. LOVE.

One Eighth

So my children are 1/8th Hispanic. Their great-grandmother was a Chilean born to Spanish parents. Her brother taught his four children Spanish and took them to live in Chile for half of each year. These cousins have Spanish surnames, are fluent, and hold positions in universities and governments that are Latin American or Hispanic in nature. Great-Grandmother's four children raised THEIR children in the South, gave them their father's very banal surname, and did not teach them Spanish.

My children, blonde like their Swedish great-grandmother and her descendents (they are 1/16th Swedish too, I guess?), do not look Hispanic, nor are their names latino/a, though my daughter is named after the Chilean great-grandmother - just an American pronunciation of the name. They reluctantly take Spanish as a special in school, and grumble at my attempts to teach them conversational Spanish.

I am about to fill out a public school form asking us if our child is of Latin American descent. I am about to fill out a Census form that asks if my husband is Hispanic. He's actually 1/4th!

¡Ay!

So I've written a long blog post and started editing it, and you know what? That's not fun!

Random thoughts:

My daughter wants a bunny and has written a wonderful tome entitled "Bunny Costs, Facts, and Other Information" in order to sway her dad (I am fully on board with said bunny). This little piece is by far the most entertaining thing I've ever read. For one thing, the word "rabbit" is never used. "Bunny litter box: around $9" is the type of line item described. Also good: "Cord covers: $10", since Mazda's visit in November of ought-seven resulted in all of our phone cords destroyed by bunny chewing.

The Wake School Board situation has deteriorated into a debacle worthy of, say, a New York Times article! Yay, us!

My rash is worthy of an entire post but suffice to say I've now been biopsied, sent to world-class university hospitals, and poked, prodded and medicated (and drained of countless $50 co-pays) and: NADA. Another bad breakout yesterday. It's not bedbugs, and it's not lupus - so that's good. I'm calling it Middle Aged Woman's Hysteria Rash.

We saw Avatar! In 3D. I loved it. I was completely spell-bound for 3 hours (and I did not have to get up to pee one time). Any film that can do that for me gets high marks. I understand every single criticism I've read, and I still thought - WHOA. Great looking military crap, painful destruction, believable heroes (with classically bad dialogue), and a happy ending. What's not to like?

But I still hope Kathryn Bigelow and The Hurt Locker take the prizes come Sunday. Go, lady, go!

Nothing like a sick day at home to catch up on what's out there in blogland.

The mommy bloggers have taken a real hit, and there are in fact some real duds out there. But two of the most popular had really great entries recently.

Dooce's tale of the 20-something on the ski lift is one with which we can all identify.

Did you really just say that to the crazy old lady snowboarder? The woman who is twice your age and has seen twice as much of life and just last year pushed an eight-pound baby out of her wee waw without an epidural? YOU WANNA TALK ABOUT RISKS? At least, that's what I was thinking when Jon reached over and squeezed my knee in an effort to say DO NOT DO IT. WOMAN. HE DOES NOT NEED TO HEAR ABOUT YOUR WEE WAW.

So instead I just nodded and said GOOD POINT

Then there is Mighty Girl Maggie, who seems delighted with her quirky life but occasionally gives little tasty tidbits like new vocabulary from Martin Amis.

voluptuary
a person whose life is devoted to the pursuit and enjoyment of luxury and sensual pleasure.

argot
a specialized idiomatic vocabulary peculiar to a particular class or group of people, esp. that of an underworld group, devised for private communication and identification: a Restoration play rich in thieves’ argot.

My friends have new blogs. High school friend Nansch is cooking up a storm on Remlerville. Form + Function in Raleigh will help you repurpose what you already own to make your home more wonderful (trust me on this - I know!). And Church Chick is posting her writings from her girls' school days on Life's Little Bits.

Also, I am loathe to post it because I know it will be taken down, but La Ga Ga was on the Brit Awards last night and she was radical. Google it.

I have to say, I believe in love.

More Movies

The Blind Side
I like Sandy Bullock - a lot. And she's so likable as a done-up, tough-talking Texas woman that I am not sure I cared about the poor homeless kid. The "white woman saves black boy" theme annoyed me before I saw the film, but as a friend said, the character's courage was the quality we all want to emulate. The story was built for tears, the character for an Oscar nod, the men were pretty much set decor.

The Brothers Bloom
I'm not sure I understood the plot at all, but Rachel Weisz, you are gorgeous along the lines of Audrey or Grace, and what acting you seem capable of! Adrien Brody is surely a jackass in real life but I can't look away when he's onscreen. My darling Mark Ruffalo was maybe the weaker of the two, alas. The film had style and panache and all that, and was sweet and sentimental. Sometimes I confess I get a little tired of the precious ways of bad boy directors like Rian, but I like looking at their handiwork. A scene that stands out for me is in Mexico, the camera cuts away from a cabana as the main character walks toward us, the lights on the ground lining his path quietly pop on and then glow, slightly out of focus.

Up in the Air
If anyone doubts Clooney's weight as an actor, consider: he is a megawatt SUPERSTAR the likes of which we've not seen (in a man) for decades. His personal life is tabloid-documented. And he here chose a small, unassuming film about, say, AIR TRAVEL, with a well-connected but untested new director, unknown co-stars, and a plot that makes his character falter and trip. These women who share the screen with him gave me a lot to enjoy. I was more on the side of the confident lover when the perky co-worker (SPOILER) gets dumped and BAM - she's amazing! I really liked this film and know that if George hadn't been in it, it would have never been seen. So thanks again, Cloons.

I Could Care Less...

...about the Olympics. Between managing my own little athletes, tiring of television and sitting down indoors, and a newfound fear of snow and cold (and now wind! Good Lord the sky is falling!), I really have no desire to watch any of it. Anyone want to change my mind?

Seeking out some newish music to share with you today, I tried and failed to love singles by Joanna Newsom, Beach House, Dan Deacon, xx, and even my old standby Spoon (the new album has not wowed me. Wow.). Then I heard this song, and decided that my love of it is directly related to the view outside my window: mud, muddy snow, pouring rain, bits of sleet, and also, mud.
ROCK ON M-Fs!

snOMG

Snow '10 report:

Day 1: Children dressed and ready to go by 7 a.m. (it was a Saturday) Much sledding in the what was actually sleet. I tended to my dentist, who injured her hand, a kid whose parents were at the top of the hill socializing whilst he hit a fire hydrant, and to various wild child confrontations. I welcomed the limoncello being passed around in a glass jar at that point.

We ate well and slept better, and watched" Iron Man". My husband did a lot of sitting around reading Blake, as he is wont to do.

Day 2: Church was NOT canceled. I slept in at least, but then we ventured out. This was more than I could take, apparently, as I then had to nap. Long walk in the slush, more sledding, fire FAIL (so unusual for me! I am such a good fire builder. I am devastated). Forewent the Grammys in order to watch Masterpiece's "Emma".

Day 3: Ventured to friend's house where we had non-instant cocoa (my children will never, ever let me serve instant again), chili for the 3rd time (white bean, a nice change of pace), and some killer-ass sledding that actually was scary and a bit painful. Still. Attempted to build a snowman. Friend found tiramasu in her fridge and pulled it out. My children were instantly transformed. What is this dark magic, they asked. They have talked of little else since.

Day 3 is ending with a question of whether or not schools will open tomorrow. At this point our Spring Break is in jeopardy. I still like my family, but a rigid schedule and actually driving at this point would be welcome.

AT LEAST WE HAVE POWER.

Now to go put a blow dryer to my firewood. I will succeed tonight!

The Only Thing I Saw (But It was Enough)

Reading: The Elegance of the Hedgehog, and Lady Chatterly's Lover. (D.H. Lawrence does not seem to be all that, but apparently this is not his best work)

Watching: 30 Rock - at long last! What a brilliant half-hour. Also, Two Lovers (Joaquin, stick with acting! You are astounding!) and Monsters v. Aliens, which was good old-fashioned non-Pixar fun (i.e., I did not cry).

Listening: Coconut Records, the new Spoon ( you all know I love the Spoon), old Vic Chesnutt, natch, and this, over and over and over again:

Sorry! Sorry, sorry, sorry in advance. I don't want to bum you all out anymore than I know you already are - but the home supported by the church where I work and am a member supports the St. Joseph's Home for Boys as I've said. These pictures were perhaps more elucidating for me than any:

Before.


After.

Our emergency response team leaves in early March to help with the boys, then another team will go in June to help rebuild. My friend's dad leaves Monday to work triage. Go, with peace and blessings.

Richard Morse, musician and hotel owner in Haiti's tweets are astounding and perhaps life-saving at this point.

The Times Twitter list.

Google Earth imagery of the disaster.

Régine from Arcade Fire is Haitian. Their web site has constant updates and ways to help.

Locally:

MERCI center

Stop Hunger Now

Hearts With Haiti (My boss and a team from the church where I work and am a member will be heading to Haiti within 6 weeks to the St. Joseph's boys ((no longer the "home for boys")) so I can update anyone interested in sending SUPPLIES at that time - money is basically useless at this point)

Hearts and Hands for Haiti (my friend and co-worker left with a group from this mission at 2 p.m. Tuesday. TWO P.M. She was very close to...what...I don't know. She's in shock right now.)

I Found Vic Chesnutt's Postcard, So More Whilst For You

(But my scanner is not hooked up to the WiFi or whatever - so it will be posted later)

"Read my lips" -- this commercial basially made my Christmas season.



Hilarious commentary at Don't Do Dumb Things. (dot com). A highlight:

"Seriously? They’re spending Christmas together, they’re blissfully in love and he doesn’t know how to do sign language? What are they going to do for the rest of the day?"

Twenty Ten

Happy Birthday Mr. Stipe!


















Welcome home, Obamas! We think all of your activities in Hawai'i were lovely. Sorry about the mess upon your return.

Congratulations, Tim Tebow! I am totally obsessed with you. My young son does not share my obsession, though he praised my attention span whilst watching your entire game versus Cincinatti...especially since you buried them. Ephesians 4:11 indeed!!! Or whatever verse was on your eye paint for the bowl game...I wasn't looking too closely at your eyes....




Rest in peace, Vic Chesnutt. Oh, this is the saddest loss of 2009 for me. I met him once, in Chapel Hill, following a riveting concert. A concert where, instead of a "thank you and goodnight!" the audience heard upon his exit a "I gotta take a dump". But that was Mr. Chesnutt. I had THE FLU. But I still went to see him - and thank goodness. He was so nice, so excited that a couple of Maconites had ventured out to see him with THE FLU even. He had written me a postcard after I sent him a complimentary letter about one of his songs. I have temporarily misplaced this postcard, and will not post again until I find it. It had a self-portrait of him on it. He was amazing. His death reminds me that quality, affordable health care for all is not a reality. Yet. His life and music remind me of my past, my family, my South, my own mind.

From Boingboing.net

Longest Night

Facts on the Winter Solstice from National Geographic.

Ten Favorite Secular Christmas Songs

1. And So This is Christmas (War is Over) by John Lennon
2. Feed the World (Don't you love it too? It came out my senior year in high school)
3. Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) by U2
4. What Christmas Means to Me by Stevie Wonder
5. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, especially by Judy Garland
6. Carol of the Bells by the Bird and the Bee (a newish song that I adore)
7. The Nutcracker Suite by Duke Ellington
8. Anything Wynton Marsalis Puts Out that is Christmasy
9. I'll Be Home for Christmas by Tony Bennett
10. Santa Please by Ella Fitzgerald *

*I teach, pro bono, for a non-profit preschool for low-income children. This is a cause very near and dear to my heart, and the children head to Kindergarten next year....with a wonderful, intensive preschool experience under their belts, that was FREE. Talk to me privately if you are interested in more information. One of the students is not as engaged and easy to love as the others, but he has become obsessed with Ella's version of this song. The teachers had him call my answering machine and sing it to me this week. I can't really comment except to say if someone knows how to preserve this somehow...FOREVER....I would want to know how to do that.



P.S. Lots of my favorite religious songs are sung by popular musicians - but I didn't list those. Do check out Gladys Night & the Pips RIDUNCULOUS version of "Do You Hear What I Hear?" and of course Sufjan Stevens' Christmas music is pretty much unparalleled. I like Sarah McLachlan's version of "Silent Night" a lot - I guess it was inspired by Sinéad O'Connor, but it somehow transcends The Bald One. "Greensleeves" is perhaps secular, and Vince Guaraldi's version is lovely...but it could be called "What Child Is This?". And my erstwhile favorite band Pedro the Lion has a sweet "I Heard the Bells" out there...they are a closet Christian band, like Sufjan.

Ten Favorite Carols

I really don't have time to do this, but I want to stay seasonally connected to you, the Internet. Maybe tomorrow I'll do my favorite secular tunes....especially if we have a much-touted snow event!!!!

1. Lo, How a Rose Ere Blooming
2. The Coventry Carol
3. Bring a Torch, Jeanette Isabella
4. While Shepherds Watched
5. The Angel Gabriel
6. Away in a Manger (KIRKPATRICK melody)
7. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
8. I Saw Three Ships Come Sailing In
9. Gesu Bambino
10. Angels from the Realms of Glory

Online & On Fire

Mad Men Illustrated Flickr set - c'est magnifique!

An anti-mommy blogger web site - quel damage!

A highly recommended gardening web site - c'est géniale!

Belle du Jour is no longer anonymous! I hope to find time to read the details after the holidays - mystérieux!


I got invited to Google Wave! Who else? C'est bon!

Via Lots of Folks, Including My Friend From College, Jerry

Gone Away Is the Bluebird

Things I love right now are:

Our Advent calendars - three of them - one a magnet on the fridge, one a Westminster Abbey cutout from our London peeps, and one of the classic chocolate calendars with a coloring page on back. The children are sharing nicely.

Method holiday soaps. Just the right colors and festive smells.

Also, Mrs. Meyers Clean Day holiday scent - on sale at you-know-where this week.

Wynton Marsalis' new Christmas album. His first one has been a household staple here for lo these many moons. We met him on our first anniversary, you know.


White fudge-covered Oreos. I was able to withstand temptation for the last three or four years but with the war and the economy and Tiger Woods and everything, a girl's got to have some treats. Also on sale at my home away from home.

The sitter I secured when family couldn't sit for us for our anniversary was available today after 3. So I groomed and preened starting at 2:45 and sat waiting for an hour. I called her to ask where she was - and then checked email - and then realized I never confirmed her.

God love her, she is coming tomorrow so we can go to dinner.

But I somehow screwed up our anniversary night - one we'd been looking forward to for weeks.

Honey, remember all the talk of flaws when we got engaged over 17 years ago? Love me despite of mine.

Happy Anniversary.

January Jones and Elisabeth Moss from "Mad Men" iTunes Playlists

Mrs. Draper:

Pearl's Dream by Bat for Lashes
Into the Ocean by Blue October
Quelqu'un m'a dit by Carla Bruni (because Jackie didn't record)
Lullaby by The Cure
Cumulus by Imogen Heap
Crabbuckit by K-OS (!!!!!! Love K-OS)
This Woman's Work by Maxwell Now
Quiet Dog by Mos Def (John Slattery also had a Mos Def song)
Father and Daughter by Paul Simon (shout-out for the character?)
Roads by Portishead
Climbing Up the Walls by Radiohead
Break It Down Again by Tears for Fears (WHY NOT?)
Ramalama (Bang Bang) by Róisín Murphy
Wildflowers by Tom Petty (Damn Betty! Love you right back)




Peggy:

Come Fly With Me by Frank Sinatra
The Golden Age by Beck
Hoppípolla by Sigur Rós
Cybele's Reverie by Stereolab
Heavy Metal Drummer by Wilco (my children's favorite Wilco song)
When You Wish Upon a Star (From "Pinocchio") by Cliff Edwards & Disney Studio Chorus
Inside the Golden Egg by El Perro del Mar
Story Board by The Album Leaf
Sing, Sing, Sing (1987 Remastered) by Benny Goodman
On and On and On by Wilco (She seems like so much more than just a Wilco Girl)
All Alright by Sigur Rós (She says they are her favorite band.)
Black Flowers by Yo La Tengo (Good Lord! I need to have these women for dinner!)

There's no way that Joan/Christina Hendricks can top these unless she goes in some very base, punk direction. I'm envisioning X with Dead Kennedys and The Clash.

I'm still sick.

But back at work, etc. and hopeful that I will get better.

To try and combat the sick, we went to see "Where the Wild Things Are" with the family. My son, who hates matinees (and why not? Why waste daylight? Who cares about the financial aspect? They are kind of depressing, matinees), didn't want to go. Nor did I: I thought I would be a sobbing mess over this thing that was all Spike Jonz and Arcade Fire and Max running away from home.

Not so much. I was completely unmoved. Now, my husband, Child of Divorce, was affected. I can certainly see why this is a film that might appeal to someone who, in the 70s, was dealing with a family breakup. For me, however, there was nothing affecting at all! I did love the crazy fauna-sculpture that the beasts create for Max, and I thought Max, the actor (his name is Max) was terrific. Not since Sally Draper's breakdown over Grandpa Gene have I been so impressed with a child actor.

No Arcade Fire, however! Only Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, who are a perfectly respectable but not kid-friendly band. The colors were "not like the book" according to my 11 year-old, and none of us cried. Sorry, Spike - at least two of us cry at movies. My husband may or may not have cried at "The Game Plan" with The Rock. And I was dubbed "Cries at Movies" during an early-90s screening of "Dances With Wolves". WHERE WAS MY CRY?

I think it was a matter of 1. figuring out the too-cool-for-school Dave Eggers plot conceits too early on (the beasts are Max's people in his world, his mom is trying and he finds out how hard her job is, she can protect him so much but he's out in the world now) (oh and PLEASE on the birth imagery - I actually laughed out loud at the blatant rebirth scene) and 2. the fact that the beasts were totally whiney and unappealing. They had fun for about a minute. The wild rumpus was promising and then....stopped. No joy, nothing. I was not awed. And I was really, really wanting to be.

We're holding out hope for "Fantastic Mr. Fox". Come on, Wes....move me!

Well THAT Sucked

Sick. Broken arm. Minor procedure. Sick kid.

Co-pays:

$350 for the arm
$60 for the procedure
$150 for my sick
$25 for kid sick

Missed a major middle school field trip, big meeting, Sunday services (and thus, some paycheck fluff), school, and being a helpful wife/mom.

It was probably H1N1 but NO ONE WILL TELL US FOR SURE.

On the mend, trying not to be too crabby.

Now to address the rash. And to hope the other two don't fall ill.

Quick pop-culture check-in:

MUSIC: NEW ARCADE FIRE???? Also, Spike Jonze was inpsired fully by their album "Funeral" when he made "Where the Wild Things Are". Somehow, just by watching the trailer, I could feel the influence of the music.

LIVE MUSIC: A free sitter coincided with a local band, Lost in the Trees (I featured them on my sidebar not too long ago), collaborating with Daniel Bernard Romain who is a...jazz/funk/fusion violinist? Anyway - great locale, tasty drinks, and pretty, soaring stuff.

WORK MUSIC: Ah, Mozart's Requiem. Fire, confounding the righteous, eternal, perpetual light...it's got it all, mostly in minor keys! What's not to love?

FILM: We finally rented, on many people's recommendation, "Happy-Go-Lucky" (thanks Lynn). And...I loved it. I kept waiting for something bad to happen. One of my friends admitted that she even googled the plot mid-movie to make sure there was not going to be a horrible death. But no, the movie is about someone who tries to stay happy. Who is positive. Who keeps her chin up. Who is maybe in serious back pain, in danger from a stalker, is unlucky in love, is witness to child abuse...and it looks like she'll be ok. She may even find more happiness...there might be newer, happier things coming down the pike! Everything and nothing happens and there is fine acting and beautiful shots of dear London (especially Camden Lock). Thank you Mike Leigh.

BOOKS: I need glasses real bad. Still, I'm reading "Girl With a Dragon Tattoo" and getting into it! Sweden! Who knew???

CABLE: We saw the new BBC version of "A Room With a View." Um, no. No, Andrew Davies, you may not f*ck around with E.M. Forster that way and make him all Ian McEwany!!

MORE CABLE: We've made our children "Top Chef" addicts. Not. good. Still, if Robin doesn't go home this week, I'll...I'll...oh, I'll keep watching.

AND...MORE CABLE: Ok people, I tried. I tried to watch "The Tudors". Jonathan Rhys-Meyers has nice lips, there's a lot of boobage, JEREMY NORTHAM for God's sake....but yeah no. If anything, the opening sequence would do me in every night we put in the DVD. It reminded me far too much of a far better period piece, and not in a good way.


Satans Alley Trailer - Watch more Funny Videos

Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream

Ingredients
2 cups whipping cream (I used light cream)
1 cup whole milk
1/2 cup sugar (I might add a bit more - maybe 3/4 c.)
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon (I would cut this to 1 1/4 tsp or even less)
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 cup pumpkin puree
Instructions
Gently heat the cream, milk, sugar, spices and salt over medium heat until the sugar has dissolved and bubbles form around the edge of the pan.
Stir warm cream into the pumpkin along with the vanilla.
Chill the mixture in the refrigerator until cold.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!
Freeze in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions.

MY GOD I LOVE THE INTERNET

Because I'm trapped in the house with a sick child, and I already cleaned for 10 minutes and made dinner, I surfed around the Facebook and laughed at how I had something like 75 invitations to various causes and fan groups, etc. I joined 1/3 of those, and then did some Twittering, because guess what, I got chosen to test a new Twitter tool and I am feeling very Twitter-snobby about it. Then, natch, I went on YouTube. And I found something that I had no idea the rest of the world treasured, besides my husband and me. It was a great Internet day.

There was once a television show called "Just Shoot Me" - it wasn't even very good, and I don't know why we used to watch it! In one episode, they had a bizarre story line involving a special needs friend or relative of the star (who, now that I think of it, was in "Sex, Lies and Videotape", a movie I really loved, and now I know why I watched "Just Shoot Me".) and the story was maybe somewhat humorous? However, the guest actor, David Cross, was very humorous. And he uttered a line that, to this day, is uttered in my home maybe twice a week MINIMUM. And apparently in homes across this great world of ours:



I had the pitch wrong. I am still glad to see this again. The children won't believe it.

She Wolf Appraisal

My son in particular loves this song:

Shakira - New Music - More Music Videos

My husband in particular loves Shakira. For obvious reasons (her ass).

I love the video for her amazing isolation skillz, and I love the song for its excellent potential to be on this year's version of our "Spooky Toones Halloween Mix" cd.

BUT.

(not BUTT).

But she is IN A CAGE. And her "wooooo" wolf howl is weak and kittenish. Shakira! You have a lasting relationship with a powerful, important man! You danced with Beyonce and held your own! You continue to put out hits and have been at it for a while! YOU USED THE WORD LYCANTHROPY IN A SINGLE. So don't demean all these accomplishments by dancing in a cage and humping.

I won't be showing the children this video. There's a feminist in the closet...let her out so she can breathe.

Oh hai! Where have I been? Oh, just around here, tending to various life events. Daughter's in a cast, son is upset about it and getting stressed from the pressure of his football position and the boredom that is 4th grade after a wonderful 3rd grade year, and husband and I are too tired to hang out.

Plus, our little date nights* are officially over now that daughter can't play soccer.

*We had little date nights - literally an hour - for a few weekends there. One drink, one app. It was blissful, reasonably priced, and really maintained the marriage. Daughter went with us on the last one and it was....not the same. I mean, she's interesting company, but...

On the good times front, we had a visit from our baby niecelet this weekend and enjoyed her very unique view of the world. That kid is something else - funny, smart, and her own girl. PLUS THE CHEEKS.

As Wife of the Year, I dropped my husband and son off at the Alma Mater's homecoming football game en route to the ER when daughter's arm needed attention.

BAW birthed a baby!!! On a dime!!!

And this weather, oh, this weather. A cloudy, windy day yesterday...cold, and with tinges of color and with a scent of sap and smoke.

Fall, you challenge me, but I am not blind to your charms.

Brand Loyal: Detergent

I have a rash. It is very bad. It will not go away. And it might mean the end of my brand loyalty with The Finest Laundry Detergent, Gain.

Just finished a round of antibiotics - nada. Applying steroid cream daily - no effect. Thinking about giving up Gain - can't do it.

It smells right. No, I don't buy the "Island Tropical Breeze" scent, just the basic happy laundry goodness. Our old house is kind of stinky, but the laundry smells good. And when you are doing as much laundry (football) as I (soccer) do (hand-me-downs out the butt), you want to have some kind of heightened sensual experience.

Also? Powder, not liquid.

I can tell that this is a moment in time that I may always remember...I know I must switch to some eco-freako hypo-allergenic unscented brand.

Dammit.

A Little Flat, but a Big Moment for the Avett Brothers

Brand Loyal: Halloween Treats

Mellowcreme Pumpkins. Brach's ONLY. I laugh that there is a Wikipedia entry, and better yet, a picture there with the caption, "a candy pumpkin". Check it out. Better yet: a mellowcreme pumpkins blog. I understand, I do! They are so creamy (cremey) and tasty. I tried to wait until October 1st to buy them but the fracking Harris Teeter put them on sale.

Boy, I've really shot my wad with this brand loyal meme by doing Halloween this early.

Brand Loyal: Face Cream

I am brand-loyal.

I try to buy organic and paba-free and high fiber, etc. but sometimes I just stick with the brand, no matter what.

In the case of Yes to Carrots, however, I get something I like + something that doesn't have whatever evils are in facial creams. The product I get, C Through the Night, is more expensive than almost anything else I buy for my skin care regimine. But it smells nice, doesn't make me sneeze, and has a lovely texture. Plus, when my husband gets in bed he can ask me, "Did you say Yes to Carrots?" and I can say, "Why, I sure did!".



Have I noticed a difference in my face? Well, I do get compliments on my skin a lot. Though I still struggle with seborhheicceia dermatoititsiscis, the unspellable disease that I have, there does seem to be a nice even tone most days.

My poor parents and my poor in-laws all experienced flooding in Georgia this week! What a mess. I am hoping for quick clean-ups and no repeats.

We had quite the deluge ourselves the other day, but today is hot and dry and boy did that make me cranky during carpool. I refuse to run the a/c during my somewhat brief carpool wait.

Though I did run the a/c during piano lessons, and that resulted in a dead battery. I did what any self-respecting suburban wife and mother would do and called Triple A. I love Triple A. Thank you, Triple A! I have never waited longer than 30 minutes for AAA to arrive and save me. I could make some analogy to AAA being like the sexy boy toy you always wanted, but my heart isn't in it because I am too hot.

Dr. Horrible Wins Emmy!

It's long. It's kind of sad. It's worth your time. Thanks, Jimmy!

Representative Joe Wilson, Serena Williams, and Kanye West. These folks? Reminding me how NOT to be.

We all know I have mixed feelings about organized religion and faith in general, but if there is one thing that church does each week it is that it reminds me. Reminds me what being a good person is all about, reminds me to take care of my fellow man. I want to be about love, kindness, support, and forgiveness. I fail at it hourly, daily, yearly, but that's what I work towards.

I will close this uppity post with a letter my friend's dad wrote her.

Dear Daughters,

Perhaps the past few days' events will prompt America to re-examine its "me first" behavior, which seems to dominate these times. First, a supposedly well-mannered Eagle Scout from America's most mannered city (Charleston, SC) heckles the American President on the floor of our Capitol. Then Serena Williams threatens to stuff a ball down the throat of a line judge who called a foot fault (which Serena does all the time!) and did so to the tune of 2 F-words and the brandishing of her metal racket (her 2nd; the first had been broken to smithereens by a previous display of temper and foul attitude!).

Both have stimulated condemnation. But both have released an avalanche of supportive commentary, heavily sprinkled with vitriolic anger - racial, religious, stereotypical name calling, etc. Where have we come from? Moreover, where are we going?!!!!!! We seem to have become a society of spoiled brats who speak before we think. Anger is a proud badge. It's always someone else's fault. We all need to bring this home...and think. More is wrong than an questionable line call or an imperfect health plan.

We need help!!!

Dad

Do you grow tired of NY Times links? Um, too bad for you.

For here's one of the Times critics talking about "All About My Mother" which was my favorite film that year, and still ranks in my top five of all time. The video is only a few minutes long but it speaks in large part to what is amazing about the movie.

Crisis

Every day this week has featured a crisis. Some pretty big, most small. At what point do you just call the week a wash and pretend it's over? Cause I'm at theoretically AT that point, and it's just Thursday afternoon.

Today's crisis was not immediately taken care of, as I was in a meeting and didn't listen to my friend's message on my voice mail. But when I did, my meeting partner and I rushed to her aid.

She had seen a rat.

Now, it turns out that the rat was in her yard, dead. Her dogs may or may not have killed it. (Good one, pups!) The rat was smallish. And though the day was hot and thus smell-inducing, we arranged quickly for someone to not only come remove the rodent, but to come and bait traps in case he/she had little friends.

Still. A rat is a rat. And we live in a well-appointed (infested) neighborhood and my friend cleans a lot, and it rocked her world. The house reeked of Clorox when we arrived to save her.

But truly: what is really rocking all of us suburban moms' worlds is the start of school. The start of schedules, logistics, juggling, negotiating, fretting, celebrating, shopping, paying, fundraising, emailing, typing, talking, talking, talking, socializing, meeting, driving, driving, driving, and waking (up early). My friend with the rat happened to have just sent her oldest to college, her middle to high school, and her youngest to middle school. IN ONE WEEK. No rat can compete with that horror.

So my meeting partner and I went over and consoled, and remembered the dead rat whilst simultaneously rejoicing in his/her demise. We all said a mantra over a jar of roses (from a perfect neighbor's yard)....to wish our children well, to help us relax and enjoy this wild life, to have rat-free homes, and to thwart the tropical storm currently brewing off the coast of our state.

And then we all left to drive carpool.

Countdown

My daughter could not be any more excited about middle school, which starts tomorrow.

My son is also excited, and he's got great friends in his class, and his buddy Ytwo K is in there too (I KID YOU NOT), and I was told that we "won the lottery" in terms of teachers.

My poison ivy is even clearing up.


Oh, and OMFGMFJCGDG is Mad Men off to a ridiculously good start or WHAT?






I finished my depressing-as-hell book and am enjoying the mindless pleasures of another one.


A much-anticipated Netflix DVD arrived. HA HA hahaha HA HA! (spoiler alert)


Check with me next week to see how I'm holding up....but for now, I think I can hang with the best of them.

I Haven't Even Seen "Pulp Fiction" (but I knew you would want to see this)

Sorry no posting... the following all decided to go nuts this week: PTA, work, children's sports, and the dust and dirt in my house. But I didn't want to let the monumental event of the summer go unnoticed:

Mad Men premieres season 3 on Sunday night!!! AMC is a great place to visit, and they even have an iPhone app.

Jon Hamm's publicity tour has been a great success, apparently. Perhaps you enjoyed his mad baseball skillz....

Have you Mad-Menned yourself yet? Men'd?




Here's my daughter (notice the doughnut):


Also, which character are you - a quiz. At first try I was Roger Sterling. Then, Betty Draper. But don't we all want to be Joan?



Finally, those of you in the city - why not go watch in Times Square, with a brooch and some kitten heels? (can you believe this marketing campaign??)


I leave you with the Fug Girls, who always say it best:

"Ahhh, yes. That's the stuff. I feel SO MUCH BETTER. I'll take one of each. "

Salad Days

My children always wrote "Salad" as mom's favorite food on those preschool quizzes (they also wrote "jazz" as my favorite music and "wine" as my favorite drink, and "be a mommy" as my favorite thing to do).

Salad is truly one of my favorites, and I'd be a hell of a lot better off if I ate it more exclusively. Not so hard to do this time of year. As I eagerly anticipate the Nora Ephron film "Julie and Julia", based on Julie Powell's blog that I used to read fairly faithfully, and Julia Child's life that I have admired from a distance, I find my thoughts moving towards slower, fresher food. It's easier to prepare and plan for such meals in the summer. Come fall, we'll be scrambling to boil pasta water, but for now, we're debating which salad we'll mix up using the heirloom tomatoes my husband picked up at a local market yesterday.

Nora, by the way, attempted Julia's salade nicoise on Good Morning America. YUM.

Our tomato debate is between the following from The Minimalist at the New York Times and his 101 recipes for summer salads:

2. Mix wedges of tomatoes and peaches, add slivers of red onion, a few red-pepper flakes and cilantro. Dress with olive oil and lime or lemon juice. Astonishing.


19. Mix cooked cannellini or other white beans, chopped cherry or grape tomatoes and arugula or baby spinach. Lightly toast sliced garlic in olive oil with rosemary and red pepper flakes; cool slightly, add lemon zest or juice or both, then pour over beans.


44. Make a crisp grilled cheese sandwich, with good bread and not too much good cheese. Let it cool, then cut into croutons. Put them on anything, but especially tomato and basil salad. This you will do forever.


45. Halve or quarter cooked artichoke hearts (the best are fresh and grilled, but you can use canned or frozen) and combine with cherry tomatoes, bits of feta or Parmesan or both, olive oil and lemon juice.

(If you click through to The Minimalist's article, do not miss the video on salad dressings. He advises adding a tablespoon of honey to a balsamic vinaigrette, and I love it!)

Also, a great salad blog post from Mighty Girl. Maggie Mason loves Oprah and while I don't, really, I liked the O magazine salad chart included in handy pdf form linked in this entry.

I feel like Tipper Gore. Because my son has been watching....SportsCenter. The last three reports have been about murder, gangs, and drugs, and here we are on the cusp of September! Truly, is there nothing else to report?

Mountain Mix

Any other suggestions for our trip soundtrack? My brother told us he'll think of us fondly on our trip, whilst tuning up his banjo and practicing his pig squeal.

Magnolia Mountain by Ryan Adams

If It's the Beaches (again - has mountain reference) by The Avett Brothers

Cry Me a River by Justin Timberlake

Find The River by R.E.M.

The River In Reverse by Elvis Costello (especially appropriate for the New River, which, FYI, flows South to North)

Watching The River Flow by Bob Dylan

The Mountain by The Stills

Wolf Like Me by TV On the Radio

Walk On by U2

Tippecanoe and Tyler Too by They Might Be Giants

The View from the Afternoon by Arctic Monkeys

Hummingbird by Wilco

Picture to Burn by Taylor Swift

Here's That Rainy Day (Koop Remix) by Astrud Gilberto

I Was Zapped By the Lucky Super Rainbow by The Flaming Lips

Just a Ride by Jem

Sweet Baby James by James Taylor

Black Sheep Boy by Okkervil River

Campfire Song Song by Spongebob Squarepants

Beach Music

Lots of kids' songs - you could leave those off and include songs by, say ROGUE WAVE (get it?) or "Upon This Tidal Wave of Young Blood" by Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, or "Island in the Sun" by Weezer. I love that song, but it was ruined for me when used as the theme to the tween movie "Aquamarine". Or any song by Islands. Or, the Decemberists classic "The Island: Come & See/The Landlord's Daughter/You'll Not Feel the Drowning" - though be forewarned of its 12 minutes+ length. And I purposefully left off PJ Harvey's "Down by the Water" because it gives me nightmares, in a good way.

Ok, I'll stop. Here's the list as it stands:

Lime in the Coconut by Sugar Beats

Octopus's Garden by The Beatles

Playa Azul by Los Amigos Invisbles

Oceania by Björk

Wouldn't It Be Nice (Stereo Mix)by The Beach Boys

Cheeseburger In Paradise by Jimmy Buffett

High Tide or Low Tide (Jamaican Version)by Bob Marley & The Wailers

Ocean Of Noise by The Arcade Fire

SpongeBob Squarepants theme by Avril Lavigne

Beachball by R.E.M.


If It's the Beaches by The Avett Brothers

Hawaiian Rollercoaster Ride by Lilo and Stitch

All at Sea by The Libertines

Weird Fishes/Arpeggi by Radiohead

Slippery Fish by Charlotte Diamond

Swimmers by Broken Social Scene

Swallowed In The Sea by Coldplay

Rock Lobster by The B-52's

The Ocean by U2

All at Sea by Jamie Cullum

Seagulls by PJ Harvey

Sassy!

My appreciation of attractive politicos knows no partisanship. But check out the new 'do!

Upbeat

I use this blog as a gratitude journal. Kinda. So if you are ever annoyed about my life and doings, which really are pretty darn good, then just know that I try to stay positive. On here.

Negatively, there has been a lot lately. It's harder than it looks, this staying with your children every waking hour deal. And there's always the real life, and the jobs, and the everyday sadness of existence.

And the fact that, in one week, a. my son broke my daughter's toe with his BARE BOTTOM, b. hit a lovely chip shot that just missed a window, so though he got off easy on that one he was in huge trouble already because he and my daughter had already c. smashed a glass in our front door causing blood and pricey repairs.

OK! Got that out of the way.

We head out on vacation soon...first a date night, because we haven't had one in a month and we are about to have so much quality time with the kids. We'll maybe go to the Boylan Bridge Brewpub, or back to Coquette, or to see a flick. Not sure.

Then off to the beach to reconnect with Georgia family. My children can revel in their baby niece, the obsession with whom has reached epic proportions. The adults will enjoy a lovely retreat, good talk and good times. After that, my little core group will go camping, biking, hiking, and canoeing. Because I am so totally outdoorsy. I actually really am, sort of, but I hope the nice beach house will shore me up for all the nature.

Next entry I'll try to remember to highlight the Beach Music mix I made for our trip to see family - I pulled it together in under five minutes and it may be my favorite themed mix ever.

Like, So Much More Awesome Than Obama Killing That Fly

May I present the estimable Jon Hamm? Mad Men premiere: August 16 on AMC.

In No Particular Order, and With No Reason or Sense

From Pop Hangover, my daughter's favorite image of late:







And from an email I received yesterday from a friend, who is also a writer, who also - well, you be the judge:

Okay so the Obama family has just swept through the continent of Africa, making a poignant visit, awash with irony and turning of tables, to the unendingly impoverished region of sub-Saharan Africa. The Obama daughters, by God, partial descendants to slaves and current Kenya walked right through the Gates of No Return made infamous in the Slave Trade and then.... Returned. This watershed event, this turning of the tides in world history, racial relations, HUMAN HISTORY, may have gone relatively unnoticed due to the debut of the winter gown fashion scene: Perhaps even Michelle has turned a curious eye on the latest creations. What woman wouldn't want to look like she's evolved out of a carpet? Or sprouted very tiny wings on the tips of her shoulder joints? And imagine all the very serious conversations you could have with any number of savvy intellectuals if you were wearing head gear reminiscent of rhea or flightless bird evolution?

That is all.

Finally - lazy in high gear, nightsuit worn more than day clothes, brain is mush. So, what to do this week? OH, WAIT, I KNOW:



Ok, besides that. We have committed to playing every game in our game closet, finishing up various books, running in the sprinkler, making pesto and something else homemade, and learning how to run laundry loads. We also have a surprise for our baby cousin up our sleeves, and we will finalize vacation plans. Working a few hours here and there gives structure to the weeks, and I do try to keep everyone eating things that aren't pure corn syrup or pork fat. Summer is so desperately important for me and our clan. I hope you can find a little summer in your day today.

You Asked For It

Here's how I feel about recent events:

My mom's retirement: Well, she seems to be in a good mood. The fact that she survived falling out of the raft on the Tuckaseegee and no children were injured in the process is probably a good sign and bodes well for a successful transition to not working. Spending five days with my entire family was taxing for me, but it was not about me after all. I survived with maximum complaining (that I did in private). Also, I enjoy my new white noise iPhone app, which made everything that much nicer.

Governor Sarah Palin's retirement: Bottom line - she brought more attention to herself and by trying to bury it during the 4th of July and MJ hoopla, made America more suspicious. I don't believe we women hate her because she's a woman. I don't believe she's capable of being President. Yet. And I certainly don't believe she should step down mid-term.

The South Carolina debacle: My husband paid me a high compliment last week when he told me that "I love you like Mark Sanford loves his Argentinian woman."

Michael Jackson's death: I feel completely neutral. That said, I am digging that all his music is being played everywhere. Since I work at a church, I tend towards the organ tribute:



Summer in general: I got to sleep until 10 a.m. on Monday. I have ridden my bike...a lot. I saw elk. I am keen to try some fruity drinks (and am planning a blog post with some friends' favorites soon). We got a cheap-ass patio set and have been dining al fresco. The children are playing together nicely. Everybody is dirty and tan. A friend had a baby in the midst of some other friends' tragedies and these weighty national events. Another friend is pregnant and we anticipate her daughter's arrival. And I've found that Rimmel nail polish works nicely on me!




Summer reading: Not happening. I am working through "Dubliners" but am eyeing the latest Sophie Kinsella because it is already post-Independence Day.

I Love This

And not just because it reminds me of "Flight of the Conchords".

He Signed My Son's Shoe at Camp Last Night!

Hey BAW! We're loving your school right now.

Camp Week

Both children are at camp. I am hopeful, eager, worried, nervous, anxious, proud, and exhausted. Between working in the mornings and getting in much-needed exercise, I plan to clean their rooms and go out with my husband.

We are planning to try out some new restaurants in town so I'll let you know about those, perhaps via Twitter. And maybe see The Brothers Bloom. If only our childless nights had come later in the summer....

The Most Welcome Comeback Yet, Maybe

Taylor and T-Pain