I see sunshine!!!!

Ok, the title of the blog really has nothing to do with the entry. I just couldn't contain my excitement.

In truth, I am a bit sad today. I live near a town called Pendleton which has a little downtown village of antique shops and stores selling country style decor. There are also a couple of salons and a coffee place. And a store that sells used books called Word for Word.

Word for Word is closing. I drove by this morning and there was a sign in the window. I didn't shop there on a regular basis but I really liked it the few times I visited. I loved the smell of old books, the creak of the floor, the abstract art they sold. I'll miss hearing the music played on the record player, seeing the store cat hanging out, the glass case with the really cool antique books inside.

A lot of stores in Pendleton don't make it. They close within a few years of opening. I don't know if the rent is too high or if the problem is a lack of foot traffic or what. I had hoped this store would make it. Word for Word really added character to that little downtown.

I'm sorry I didn't shop there more than I did. I will miss you, Word for Word.

fanboys

The movie Fanboys rocks out loud, seriously. Here is a brief list of reasons why.

Geek culture! The geekier you are, the greater the possibility that you will get the jokes and references.

Epic confrontations between Star Wars fans and Trekkies.

Big time star cast, most of these are cameos - Kristin Bell (not a cameo), Seth Rogen plays not one but TWO parts!, Billy Dee Williams, Jay and Silent Bob, William Shatner, Carrie Fisher, Will Forte (SNL), Craig Robinson (The Office), Danny Trejo (Devil’s Rejects).

Favorite line - "I'm William Shatner. I can score anything."

Lots of music by the band Rush.

A bar named the Mantina, as in Cantina, but with men. Heyyyyy!

Also present is a touching story line of friendly togetherness. A group of childhood friends embarks on one last journey together because one of them is dying of cancer. This may sound like a comedy killer but that part isn't all too bad. Everything fits together nicely.

Very good movie.

Carriers

Have you been feeling a little too happy lately? Do you need something to bring you down from the ever-fluffy cloud nine? If you answered yes to the preceding questions, please allow me to recommend a movie to you.

Carriers stars Chris Pine of Captain Kirk/Star Trek movie fame and a few other people I didn't recognize and that guy from law and order svu. The movie is about a journey to a beach where the two brothers (Chris Pine and another guy) spent parts of their childhood. The world has been wrecked by a nasty virus. Most people are dead or contagious. Think Zombieland minus the humor and, for the most part, the action.

The story is pretty much a downward spiral of crap, bad situations getting worse and worse. I won't get into specifics but this is not a feel good flick.

And I'm not sure the title actually fits. When I think disease and the word 'carrier', I think of someone that carries a disease but doesn't show any symptoms. At least that's what I remember from health class. Whoever came up with the title didn't mean it in that way. I guess the characters were being carried around in a vehicle. Does that count?

Carriers really goes out of its way to show how cold and heartless human beings can be. By the end of the movie, I was like yes I get it, please stop beating me over the head with your played out theme.

We were really torn when deciding whether to save the movie for saturday night or watch it Wednesday, send it back and risk the next movie not coming in time for saturday. I am glad we decided to take the risk because that would have been one downer of a party night.

miscellaneous friday updates

My daughter got braces this week. Aaack! I feel old. She looks cute. The gap in her front two teeth is gone already which is crazy. I swear it disappeared the day she got the braces.

Check out my totally awesome fingernails! I don't usually paint my nails but I was feeling fancy. I shall call this the urban goth mani.










That is flat grey (not silver) polish with black butterfly decals, hearts on the thumbs. Oh yea, I am stylin'.

We picked up young Sneaker the newly declawed feline from the vet today. No more trying to dig a hole to China through our carpet! Max has missed his baby. He's been crying all week, even more than usual. Sneaker seems to be doing reasonably well so far.

This weekend will involve lots of reading, lots and lots of reading. My sponsor has informed me that she is ordering isbn numbers this weekend. If all goes as planned, the book should be out in April or possibly May. I am both excited and terrified.

chortles delightedly

Ok, this truly caused me to laugh out loud. I have been following the olympics in a somewhat half-assed manner. I watch a few minutes here and there, I read the stories with interesting headlines.

This dude, Evgeni Plushenko from Russia, takes the crazy cake, nuts and all. Apparently he wasn't satisfied with winning a freaking SILVER MEDAL AT THE OLYMPICS and decided to make up and award himself a platinum medal. He has his web graphics person photoshop the imaginary medal and slap it up on his website! Oh, truly this brings the LOLs.

I love a good eccentric. They bring color to the world, don't they?

Hey, maybe I can make up a writing award for myself and photoshop/post it on my forthcoming website. And then maybe you can make up an award for reading my blog and I'll mention you. But don't stop there. We can be winners, winners I tell you, one and all! Muahahahaha!

















Here is the link for the olympics story for your reading enjoyment.

http://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/vancouver/blog/fourth_place_medal/post/In-Plushenko-s-mind-and-website-he-s-the-plat?urn=oly,221408

growl

I had a somewhat irritating day today. It wasn't really triggered by any event or person. I was just a super grouch. Things that I know I should be thankful for, my daily routines and so on just hit a nerve. I tried to read some of my writing and parts that I previously loved and accepted magically became crap. This is a mood in which no one should edit.

I choose to blame the February Indiana weather. My inner goth girl loves the dreariness, but, unfortunately, also sees it as an invitation to emerge.

Hoping for a more positive tomorrow...

The Wolfman

I saw The Wolfman over the weekend. It was very gothic, very Poe/House of Usher. I love that time period - the late 1800's. Stories set during that time are romantic, cold, and dreary and have this sort of shabby formality.

The Wolfman is old school but not only because it's set in Victorian Era Great Britain.

Movie werewolves have evolved over the years into something more beast than man. If you watch movies like An American Werewolf in Paris or even that New Moon movie, the beast form is truly a beast form. Very little, if any, of the person shows through after the transformation from man (or woman) into wolf. I blame overzealous special effects artists.

The Wolfman returns to the old days, the original wolfmen who looked more like 50% man and 50% wolf. It had classic horror movie ideals (this wolfman is a remake of the one that came out in 1941) mixed with current special effects technology. The transformation scenes were still bone crunchingly gruesome and pretty realistic but the end result was a wolfman reminiscent of black and white films.

Overall the movie was okay. The plot moved along at a good clip and the movie was well done. It was definitely worth seeing in the theater but I will not be purchasing the blu-ray.

One funny thing my husband pointed out that I should have noticed was a sign next to the road that said Blackmore was 5 miles away. That sign probably should have read kilometers instead of miles, Mr. Director.