Curious Notions

I am Legend
To think I initially had no desire to see this movie. Heard raving reviews from a handful of my guy friends. Bing told me he knew of two places I would for sure jump. So my friends piqued my interest as well as the movie being compared to 28 Days. I loved 28 Days. So Cindy and her younger sister and my younger brother and I went to see it during the holiday and I loved it. Reminds me also of Cast Away. Tom Hanks had a volleyball head; Will Smith had his adorable German Shepherd. Liked that the vampires were vengeful and calculating as opposed to mindlessly blood-thirsty. Awesome movie. Was pleasantly surprised.

Atonement
Keira Knightley is so damn stunning. I have been meaning to read this book for a while now and now the movie has gone and come out. Walked in knowing next to nothing about the plot. A 13 year old Briony has an incurable crush on her older sister’s boyfriend. Slighted by his choosing her older sister over him, she bears false witness to a crime he didn’t commit, thus separating her sister and her sister’s love for a great deal of the movie. I enjoyed the way they filmed out the scenes once through some one’s distanced perspective and then once more to flesh out what REALLY happened. Started out sweet enough with a good dose of comedic reliefs and then it kind of got long starting when 18 year old Briony came out. All in all, I enjoyed the movie.

I once knew a girl named Briony who married a Brian who named her son Bryson and her daughter Bryana. Just saying.

An Inconvenient Truth
Saw this really late last night after catching the 8 o’clock showing of Atonement. It kind of reminded me of How Stuff Works. There’s a lot of stuff we take for granted without actually really knowing how it works. Kind of like the microwave in How Stuff Works. You put food in, push some buttons, some kind of waves zap it, and then you can enjoy your leftovers. Who bothered to actually sit there and find out why your leftovers came out steaming in just a few minutes? Maybe it’ll taste better when you really understand all that went into it. Well what I understood of global warming was a very simplified cautionary tale first introduced to me in an elementary school classroom. I didn’t really expand my knowledge through the years up till last night (minus the 10-20 minutes I fell asleep in the middle). You get a very up close explanation of why it’s happening, what’s happening, and how fast. Before and after photos. Charts galore. I felt like I was taking a class. I had no idea Al Gore was such a funny guy. He introduced himself as “I used to be the Next President of the United States.” Priceless. A few undertones of bitterness but I learned to expect that in a lot of documentaries. Ended on an inspiring and motivational note. In short, I think it’s one of those documentaries you owe it to yourself to watch.

I’m the only one at work today. Going home to Houston after I go home after I get off work after I pack my bags. I’m excited to see some loved ones I only get to see during the holidays and see the family. I’m not excited about driving back up to Austin on Christmas day since our workplace is open on the 26th. I’m not excited about being the only one in my department today and the 26th. Bummer.

My roommate got me a 6 month subscription to Netflix for Christmas and I’ve already had some fun queuing some movies, mainly offbeat documentaries. I’ve never had an online video membership before. I feel like I’m catching up with the times. Aren’t you sad he isn’t your roommate? Suckers.

My TMJ bill is currently at $1450 with 700 still outstanding. They told me I need to also see a chiropractor for at least xrays and I keep putting it off because of the bill especially since work has switched over to a high deductible insurance that does not do copays. When I told my dentist this morning my excuse for not going, he scared me with the prospect of surgery. Bummer.

I originally just logged in to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and leave a note that I won’t have Internet access while I’m in Houston. :)

P.S. I’m actually in excellent spirits. I’m happy.

I’ve been bad about documenting new things of the week both in words and in pictures. But here’s a briefing.

Rock Band
About the only thing I have pictures of. Deesh and Thomas had us over for Rock Band. It was my brother’s, roomie’s and my first time playing. I’ve never even played Guitar Hero. It was surprisingly addicting! I wore my Killers’ tshirt and sang the Killers’ gleefully (more to myself than anything). I learned that my brother is not microphone shy, Roomie is really good with the guitar, good at the drums and I suck pretty much at everything unless it’s guitar on easy mode. Man, I do love the game. If Deesh is reading this, I hope he’ll host another Rock Band shindig ;).

Bombay Bistro
So in Austin I’ve tried a handful of Indian restaurants. Taj Palace is good and the first Austin Indian place I tried. Shalimar used to be my favorite place I shared with my first college roommate. It’s really greasy and made you smell pretty badly afterwards. Sarovar was okay but I didn’t find the price worth it. Then Jon introduced me to Star of India and that was my regular Indian place for the past couple of years. I found my new favorite and it’s literally down the street from me. My supervisor’s monitor from Houston took her and me out to Bombay Bistro. All new, the three of us agreed it was surprisingly good. It matched Star of India for me except for the Chicken Tikka. So tender! The perfect way to win over a girl with a bad case of TMJ. Anyway. I heard great things of Bombay Bistro and I must say it lives up to its hype.

banana nutella crepes
Dave and I had one of our cooking dates last Wednesday. We made omelettes. I had the urge to make crepes. Found an easy recipe from Paula Dean off of the Foodnetwork website. The batch was hefty so I called over some friends who live nearby. Fed Dave, Roomie, Bing, and my brother. Easy and delicious. Am going to make it for my dessert next time I’m hosting dinner with Joy Luck Club.

wild mushroom risotto
Kate and I last night made wild mushroom risotto. Completely vegetarian. First time I’ve made any kind of risotto and it was fun. She learned the recipe at a cooking class at Whole Foods but never made it before either. I also learned that stock does not equal broth. I had no idea? I think I’ve always used them interchangeably. It turned out delicious. I like that I have friends who like to cook.

There’s more but I’ll leave it as it is.

I got pretty sick this past Saturday night. I think it’s because I ignored my escalating symptoms and went to my company holiday party Friday night and also let my roommate talk me into going out that same night. Saturday despite feeling even more under the weather I walked with Brandi and her darling Boxer in the cold. Come Saturday night I was reduced to a snugly wrapped couch potato. Managed to watch 2 movies on my couch Saturday night and then 1 on Sunday.

Notebook
Hee. Ultimate comfort chick flick right? Roommate watched it with me and eventually we got tired of the commercials that we stuck our own copy into the DVD player. I have a lusty crush on Ryan Gosling and especially enjoyed him this year in Lars and the Real Girl (notice another plug?) But you should also check out The Believer (he plays a skinhead) and Half Nelson (a drug addict teacher). So versatile, my boyfriend!

Jackass 2
We saw this right after Notebook. What a stark contrast from the former. I had my eyes covered for maybe 5 percent of the movie. I found it funny Roomie could handle it all except the paper cut bit. And the yellow snow cone? I think 2 girls and 1 cup has that outdone 1000 times over. Anyway, it was amusing to say the least. I’m amazed none of them have died yet.

Sunday, I saw An American in Paris (won 6 Oscars) for the first time. Perfect perfect perfect comfort movie. I love old musicals. Gene Kelly is scrumptious and charming and light on his feet. I added this onto my “to buy” list. About an American artist in Paris who is “stuck” on a girl not knowing that someone else is “stuck” on her and all the while a woman sponsors his work who happens to be to “stuck” on him. The movie is just a delight. I hear it’s second to Gene Kelly’s Singing in the Rain which makes me ashamed to admit I have yet to see Singing in the Rain in its entirety.

I just got home from work still pretty sick and am about to start For One More Day off of our DVR list. I’ve only read one of Mitch Albom’s novels (Five People You Meet in Heaven ) and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

I guess being sick has its perks.

Edit: For One More Day sucks.

I took this from my friend’s popculturekid’s blog.

Ten things you wish you could say to 10 different people right now:
1. Grow some damn balls.
2. Stop taking it so personally.
3. I won’t ever join so you can stop asking.
4. I didn’t mean any of the things I told you in our last conversation.
5. Hearing you complain bores me.
6. What’s your last name now?
7. I’m so sorry I made growing up hard for you.
8. You’re one of the best memories of my childhood and I dream about you about twice a year since 1999. :)
9. Were you ever sorry?
10. You’re obnoxious.

Nine things about yourself:
1. I’m in clinical research.
2. I’m very much a city girl.
3. I’m romantically skittish.
4. I’m hedonistic.
5. I’m an Existentialist.
6. I’m extroverted.
7. I’m around children and infants a lot.
8. I laugh more than the average person.
9. I have a lot of journals.

Eight ways to win your heart:
1. Be honest.
2. Be intelligent.
3. Be romantic.
4. Not be needy/clingy.
5. Not be whiny.
6. Be able to communicate when upset.
7. Be playful/goofy. Laugh with me, damnit.
8. Be confident.

Seven things that cross your mind a lot:
1. bills
2. what new thing to do next
3. how my family is doing
4. how my friends are doing
5. being single
6. ooooooh, what am I going to eat next?
7. how little sleep I’m getting

Six things you wish you could change:
1. a couple of physical modifications
2. have people take a parental certification class before having kids
3. airline ticket pricing
4. hours in a day
5. my affinity towards McDonalds
6. my inability to carry a tune

Five turn offs:
1. whining
2. not owning who you are
3. excessive girly behavior
4. racism
5. lies

Four turn ons:
1. jawlines
2. muscle (not too much)
3. confidence
4. sense of humor

Three smileys that describe your life:
1. :)
2. :)
3. :/

Two things you want to do before you die:
1. go on a trip with both my parents to Viet Nam
2. have an extensive home library

One confession:
None

I have a very big extensive “new things” entry in the works but the photos are taking a while. Stay tuned for that.

Meanwhile, here’s some of my favorites of 2007

Favorite Books I’ve read in 2007: Kite Runner, Picture of Dorian Gray, Freakonomics, Switch Bitch

Favorite Movies I’ve Seen in 2007: Lars and the Real Girl; Oh, Saigon; Death Proof; Superbad; American Gangster, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

New Thing(s) of the Week: ghosting riding, Ren Fest, ACL, making crepes and gumbo, Austin Film Festival, Post Secret Book Signing, Guitar Adventure

Least Favorite “New Thing of the Week”: eating snails and my first car accident

Favorite Places of 2007: Madam Mams (been a favorite since I discovered it in 2001), Barnes and Noble, Coco’s Cafe, Flip Happy Crepes , San Marcos Outlet Center, Barton Creek Mall

I’m trying to try this dating thing and I’m reminded of how quickly from the first conversation you can assess the likelihood of whether the person you’re chatting with is someone you can spend more time with, have a relationship with, or even respect. I’m not jaded enough to think there are no quality (my version of quality now, not yours) men out there. I’m sure I’d run into more duds then winners but man, are there some losers out there. Now no one is perfect but I think we all have to have a list of nonnegotiables. I had my list to guide me… must be intellectually stimulating in some way or another, independent, fairly good looking, fun loving and playful, trustworthy, blah blah blah. Then there’s my “cherry on the sundae” list which consists of nice jawlines, goofy, loves to read, a humanitarian, adventurous, oh.. and it’s also definitely a bonus if he has rhythm.

Well I find myself walking away a lot lately when things never originally on the nonnegotiable list start to glare at me and I find myself unable to NOT runaway.

Racist jokes on the first conversations. Cheesy juvenile “umm.. are you getting me something for Christmas?” is somewhat forgivable and tolerable until the offender pushes and pushes for a Christmas gift. I can only assume he thinks it’s cute. Does this work on anyone? Finally, relentless “negs” might work on the “Pickup Artist”, but I’ve seen girls wanting to just hurl beer bottles at men when they pick on insecurities in hopes of successfully flirting. Negs are tricky. If you don’t know how to playfully tease, don’t do it. Insinuating that the girl is dumb and that she is dripping with desire for you are usually turn-offs. I understand everyone deserves a chance and even racist people want love, but I think people should at least try to take their time before disclosing unflattering aspects of their personality.

Oh! Also try to remember her name. That helps.

Found this sign walking by a kid’s hair salon.

(Teehee.)

Roomie: “Are you replacing something with chocolate?”

Maybe….

One of my coworkers does not park next to her mailbox because her car doesn’t start every time she does so.

Another coworker does not take vitamins because every time she takes them she gets pregnant. I was tickled pink! Her latest pregnancy just turned 6. She’s a trip. Last night she wanted ice cream and asked her momma for some.

“Finish your vegetables and then you can have some.”

“Oh I know that song!!!”

She starts singing “Big things popping… little things stopping.”

:) A ghetto fabulous darling 6 year old (who wants a cheeseburger for Christmas).