This year Susan, Belle, D and I went to Anaheim to see an Angels and Blue Jays game. D surprised me because right in the middle of the park is a huge waterlandscape. Is waterlandscape even a word? It's a fountain, and I wish we were closer to it. It kind of gave me a water hazard feeling from putt putt. We had pretty nice seats, well in my opinion. We were on the field and up the firstbase line. Maybe if I watched any of the game I would have something else to say about things. It was a pretty okay place to sit for the fireworks and that was what really was important to me.
I, of course, have no idea what the score was... I read during the game. I wasn't the only one, because Belle, who was appalled by the lack of skill the Blue Jays were showing, read Fragile Things. She assures me it isn't any better than I thought, but she has pulled through and read much further than I did. I do know that the Angels won by a lot and they didn't play all of the last inning because of it. Baseball is not like hockey and I just don't really care to know the intricacies of it. I do wish Canada had a better showing. They probably let us win because of it being a holiday and all.
The fireworks were really nice. I am going to go down nostalgia lane and talk a bit about what kind of magical wonderness fireworks mean to me. When I was a child my mom and I would go to Lake Ariel, that is in PA, and we would set up in the church yard by this big rock and we would get a pizza, from Kay's Pizza and we would 'ooo' and 'ahh' as the fireworks went off over the lake. A few times after I was married we went other places, one time was Lake Wallenpaupack and there was pizza there too. It was tradition in a world where there just wasn't any sort of traditions. This became really important to me. So now, as an adult, I have to re-enact this tradition to overcome this feeling of disconnection with that old life, that old me. Every year I have to go see the fireworks and remind myself that no matter how abnormal and warped my childhood was, I had this one normal thing. I had this one time when family was something. So fast forward 30 odd years and we come to this year. I was a little disappointed in my inability to capture the shots I wanted to with the camera, but as I got twenty some pictures, I need to get a grip and not cry too much.
You Can Dance for the performance show and results show this week and she wanted to know if I wanted to go. I sure as by golly did! I even channeled some Mary there. So I had to email Dr. Moore when I got home tonight about canceling therapy so that I can go on Monday. I am a little nervous about how I will go and deal with the crowd but I am really excited. Of course it is the week AFTER Matt and Kourtni were voted off though. Booo! I was disappointed because I still think Comfort and Jessica should have gone before Kourtni and Thayne should have gone rather than Matt. But it didn't go that way and I will have to watch Thayne and Jessica *ahem* entertain me on Monday. I wish it weren't so. The one thing I was happy and then disappointed by was seeing Lacey and Benji. Benji did a WCS for Joshua and Katee and it was really not impressive. Sad.
And lastly, Blood and Chocolate. After we got home from the game tonight I talked D into watching the movie with me. I had read enough criticism about the movie to know that it was vastly different from the book and that became apparent in the first minute of the film. I was mostly confused as I tried to figure out who was who and what was what. The adaptation was so horrible that it was a clusterfuck of lore and bits and pieces of the book with pure fabrication. I felt terrible for Hugh Dancy and fans of the book. Neither deserved the tripe this movie served up. It was no longer a coming of age story which was what made the book so interesting. They villanized one of the [heroes??] of the book. I didn't like him in the book but I really didn't like him in the movie. And then they defied one of the principle storylines of the book with Rafe and killed him off midway through. Hey sorry if I just spoiled you, but you didn't want to see this movie anyway. I want my memories of the mediocre book back... now I have this bad taste in my mouth and these horrible images in the back of my eyes. No wonder it only made 6million in the box office. Yes, six million. Everyone else was smarter than me and held off seeing it.
First thing first, Susan turned my eye to a James McAvoy interview with Ann Curry on Today that totally made me feel ashamed and dirty all at once. I can't get the embed button to work right but go here and watch it. The thing is as creepy as Curry is... I kind of see her point. It make me realize things about myself, as a woman and a predator, that I clearly need pointed out so that I can work on it. James McAvoy, I promise never to jump you, no matter how appealing the idea may seem when we cross paths. I'll take up bird watching or some other stalking based hobby that will work these kinks out in no time. ***SIGH***
Tonight D and I went to see Hancock at the Grove. I wasn't sure what to expect but I knew it would be entertaining and I wasn't disappointed. I give the film some high marks, I laughed quite a bit. Will Smith can act the panties off a part and he was perfect as Hancock. I almost think that after his steamy hot performance in Bad Boys, this may be "my favorite Will Smith movie". He's clearly not riding the hot and sexy train in this that he was in the Bad Boys franchise. On to other points on this film... I LOVED JASON BATEMAN. I don't know if I just never stopped loving him from Family Ties or if he just reiterates that every time I see him in something new. I thought he was perfect in this though. Charlize Theron kind of confuses me. I never know who she is supposed to be doing the warm cuddly scenes with because I kind of get that vibe from every scene she is with another actor. Maybe in this movie that was a good thing. I think I still liked her in Aeon Flux more than this movie though. I'm not saying she wasn't servicable and good... I'm just sayin'. I think the ending of the film is a bit to hollywood happily ever after. I would have liked them to do the sacrificing bit. I am happy to say that the overall story wasn't hurt or hindered by the lore and the history. I didn't care enough to point fingers and bitch. I say it again, I liked the movie. They could even do sequels with the set-up in the end. ??millions will see to that I'm sure.
I have been on a Harlequin Blaze kick the last few days and in the last two days alone I have read No Stopping Now by Dawn Atkins, One for the Road by Crystal Green, Swept Away, also by Dawn Atkins and now I'm reading French Kissing by Nancy Warren. I don't know how to describe the act of reading them but they are popcorn books. They are really small and straight forward, no real hooks, no calories. They are easy to devour. I only have maybe 3 or 4 left on the shelf though because I've read the little stockpile I had, so tonight I went on BookMooch and ordered 10 more. I will probably go through another period where I don't read them at all and that is fine. It really isn't like they take up any space if they sit on the shelf and await another lull. I just know that it would be hell if I did hit a low point and then didn't have any there to fill in the blues.
I was looking for another Sarah Dessen novel while I was at the bookstore and I was disappointed in their selection. I think I will probably give in and make an Amazon order sometime in the near future. I would love Someone Like You and Dreamland and they aren't usually stocked at the B&N at the Grove. I could also get Little Grrl Lost then as well, and no one can ever bitch about Amazon's prices. I will see how the week turns out.
Oh and books that I've started and then lost my interest in... Not that I had that as a topic at all, but it needed to be a subject of it's own. I started Victoria Alexander's The Perfect Wife and I read chapter 1 and then put it down and got something else. I really hate being like this. I loved her Effington books and her Last Man Standing trilogy, although the most interesting man was the last one who didn't get his story told. *harumpf* I am hoping that it is just a touch of my common first-thirty-page-irritation. I really hate introductions. I like books that are action from the get go and little character building in the typical refrain is done. I find the repeating of information annoying. It's my biggest pet peeve with Dark-Hunter books. I know the tale of the Apollite history like I know my own. We need a new way to tell it. //rant
As I mentioned earlier, Susan, Heather, D and I are going to see the Angels and the Blue Jays in Anaheim tomorrow. I like the fireworks so the last few years D and Belle and I have been going to see Dodgers games for the 4th. This year they aren't playing a home game so we all are going afield. I'm very happy to see Belle and Susan. The day should be good. I plan to take pictures, of course. Lots of pictures so I can spam this Vox with every color of the rainbow fireworks.
Shit.
The time has gotten away with me with the help of the new anti-psychotic that Dr. Scott prescribed for me. It makes me sleep 10-16 hours a day and when I am up I am curled up in bed wanting to sleep. It's not been kind to me. I have taken up with reading romance novels again. Self medicating with happily-ever-afters. So today I met with Dr. Scott again and he was disappointing but agreed that I am overly sedated and that I need to go back to the Lithium and Geodon. I am hoping that I shake the feeling of dysphoria and over-eating, soon. I definitely felt better before this change. But that is the reason why I have been shit with emails and writing in here. I have no get up and go other than to blow through books.
Speaking of which.... I have read too many in the last two weeks. I got a bit overly enthused with Lock and Key by Sarah Dessen and typically bleed almost tears at the great reveal because it was only an ever after and far from happy. I really liked Nate Cross though and Ruby Cooper didn't make me want to bite tacks either. I also read the second in the duology of Ephemera, Belladonna. I liked the second book much more than I liked the first, but having said that I thought that Sebastian was a better character in the second book than Michael was. I liked Belladonna and Lee... I really wished that Lee or Teaser would get their own books.
I read the graphic novel for Wanted last weekend. It is so vastly different from the screenplay adaptation... I don't think I could be so bold as to compare them. I will say that the graphic novel is very controversial. I don't like the comic book rendering or characterization of anyone. It is an antihero story where Wesley is pretty much a base character who does what he pleases, murder rape and anything in between. In the movie he is more of a victim of circumstances, very much untrue in the comic. The novel also is rather racist and misogynistic. It's a lot to swallow. I really didn't like it. I think I actually like the movie more, having read it.
Another CD that I have got my hands on is the new Alkaline Trio CD. I have had it on my desktop for a week now and haven't even listened to it. I am trying to push myself into the commitment to do so tomorrow. I have been a little on the fence about their last two releases. But to be honest, I think I am just a neophobe and everything new falls short of the old tried and true. I mean to play it a few times and see if I can't give it a bit more of a fair trial. To be really honest I am too unmotivated by new music these days. I keep playing my old favorites and shutting myself down to new stuff. It's a real ugly thing to do.
Now with being on the Lithium and Geodon again, I am hoping that I will have some sort of a drive again. I have felt really crumby about not collecting myself and putting thought down. I mustn't forget that I promised to do no fewer than three entries a week.
Oh and before I forget to mention it, Borders has released a date when they will market a Twilight 16-month calendar for 2009. This is a hint of the marketing blitz for the movie. It makes me a bit weary and it's still early. There is a 13 year old in me that wants the calendar and then a 34 year old that rolls her eyes. Why don't they market theme park rides? The Kellan Lutz amusement park ride and the Rob Pattinson adventure ride? I would pay good money for that kind of experience.
Speaking of experiences, no connection other than another afterthought, Evgeni Malkin! The man, the myth, the other white meat signed to a multi-year contract with the Pens. I was over the moon to hear it. I was worried with them letting Malone and Roberts go. I am a bit of purest and I hate change but I was singing my prayers when the news came across that my boy would be going no where. It almost makes it painful to have all these weeks before training camp and pre-season games start. I think that the Pens will be playing the Kings this year in LA too. It is definitely something to inspire one to have hockey thoughts.
Thursday I went to see the midnight showing of Wanted with D, Belle, Susie, Alex, Jenneca, Amanda and Paul at the Arclight. It was so good that I went to see it again last night. The movie is just awesome. James McAvoy is fantastic in it. He is perfect and his delivery and intonation is just incredible. Angelina Jolie plays the part of Fox and she is pretty solid through out the movie. Common played the Gunsmith and I thought he did a great job. I loved the Repairman and the Butcher too. Oh and Cross is excellent in my opinion too. There were a few parts in the trailer that I was looking for in the movie that must not have made the final cut.
I have been reading like a fiend. Maybe 5 books since Wednesday. I am reading Jillian Hunter's new title, Wicked as Sin at the moment. It's Gabriel's story. It feels a bit different then the other books. I think it is because this one isn't sticking with the naming convention she set up for her Boscastle books. I'm about half way through and it's nothing great but it isn't so different that it sucks either. I think I will read Wanted, the graphic novel, after this and then Lock and Key by Sarah Dessen. It all depends on the mood I'm in after this. I would like to read the new Julia Quinn novel, The Lost Duke of Wyndham soon too. I think I'm reaching critical capacity with books I'd like to read soon. I will have a pile bigger than reality will allow to read. It will make me feel slow and that always sucks. I need to pace things out more.
Stephenie Meyer's concert/book tour with Justin Furstenfeld is all sold out. There is a sweepstakes to win a trip to the New York one. I am thinking of entering it. It would let me take Belle with me if I won. If of course. If is the magical word. The rumors about the TwiMoms Mafia buying out the venue appears to be true. It seems a bit sad to me that they are so singular and selfish. I don't know if I'm jealous or if I think they are just wrong. It makes me feel like it's the world against them. They tarnish everything. But the book signing should prove fun. It will be different and I can always bring a book with me so I can read if it is boring. ...or to hit TwiMoms with.
I don't know what this weekend will hold. I am hoping for a trip to Pinkberry. I hope to read a lot. A quiet weekend might be nice. We shall see.
Today is an inspired entry, 20 things that are good, just to remind myself that not everything sucks. So here I go in no special order.
1. Kitties. They are always good. I think mine are better than yours but kittycat people around the world should gather for the biggest cuddlefest in the known universe.
2. Angel: After the Fall. I like it much better than Season 4 Angel and almost as much as Season 5. It maintains the characterization from the TV show while pushing the limits of the Buffy/Angel-verses. I have to say that it's much better than the Buffy comics which just went places because they no longer had to deal with the limitations of the known budget and believability. 50 ft. Dawn and Lesbian Buffy, my ass.
3. BOOKS. Where do I start. I feel like my time on earth screws with my ability to read as much as I possibly could. There are too many good books. So hard to imagine a world without them. I think they are so much better than food and air. Books are true necessities.
4. Awake is the New Sleep by Ben Lee. I love this CD. I could listen to it on repeat for hours or not listen to it for a month and it always gives me the same warm and tinglies no matter what. I just don't get how Ben Lee can be so amazing and still be a mere mortal.
5. Lentil Loaf or Rice Loaf. The one thing I really miss about not eating meat is meatloaf. Lentil/rice loaf is a pretty good substitute. I wish I had it more often.
6. Diet Snapple. I'm a big fan of the Peach, Lemon and Raspberry and haven't tried the Plumagranite. Is that what it's called. Now I embarrassed myself not knowing the name of it.
7. The Gap. I am a Gap girl. I love it. I wish that the workers weren't such nazis but I can handle my own, sort of. Fall. Into. The. Gap.
8. Tide pools/Sea stars. I could spend all day at the ocean looking for sea life at the tide pools. There are days when I count how many sea stars we can find... the most was 14. I wish I could find the picture Aaron took with me and the giant sea star in Carpinteria.
9. 300. I don't know exactly what I love about this movie but I do, sincerely, love something about it. I know the humor is a bit stick to your ribs but it makes me giggle everytime. Gerard Butler is fantastic and it has Michael Fassbender in it and I think there is something about him. I loved him in Hex too.
11. Raspberries. I like to eat them out of the container, with little to no ceremony. An entire 6 oz plastic tray is barely enough for me. I also get raspberry iced teas from Iso: Fusion Cafe and it is made from syrup of raspberries. Mmmmmm.
13. Spoons. No one could have too many. Spoons are glorious. The only things that compete with them are straws. Spoons rock.
15. Barnes and Noble/Borders/Amazon. This sort of leads us back into number 3, but these are places not things. These three places are akin to Mecca. I just wish that they were more giving with their pricing of things. I guess they try with all the coupons and discounts, but books shouldn't be so expensive. Don't anyone bring up libraries... it's like prostitution for books. I like them being mine and mine alone.
18. Fountains and waterfalls. Maybe it's just water or could be the facade of happy waters. I do like rivers and oceans too. I am constantly taking pictures of water. Just today I took a pair of photos for my assignment from Dr. Moore, of a fountain.< Worst construction of a sentence commited in a long, long, long time.
19. Root beer. I know it is points damning but I love knee high bottles of Route 66, Sioux City, Boylan's, etc... I love Galco and I could spend hundreds of dollars there in no time.
20. Volvo commercial with the terribly adorable chatterbox little girl. I love her to death. If I were guaranteed to to have one just like her, I might explore other options.
Speaking about movies David and I are watching Can't Hardly Wait and it is such a six degrees of separation film. Lauren Ambrose gets licked by Eric Balfour who plays her boyfriend in Six Feet Under. Seth Green hits on Paige Moss who plays Veruca in Buffy. Also Amber Benson is in one of the kitchen scene intrigued by a banana. Of course those two are connected via Willow in Buffy. One of the guys that hits on Amanda after her big confrontation with Mike is Owen from Never Kill a Boy on the First Date from Buffy Season 1. And then there is Ethan Embry, I can't connect him with anyone else but he is in Empire Records which I love. And while I'm mentioning connections and nonconnections, I must mention Mike Dexter, aka Peter Facinelli, the man who plays Carlisle Cullen. This movie is awesome. Oh! and I just noticed Jason Segel too.
Speaking of celebrities, I had a badger moment at Mann Chinese 6 in Hollywood. David saw Robert LaSardo a little over a week ago in Santa Monica and today he was in Hollywood. He's smaller than he looks on TV. His tattoos are really dark and he is just covered all over his torso and arms. He's a bit menacing but so small that it takes away the edge. I was very happy to see someone. I rarely do. Woohoo for a Nip/Tuck spotting though.
Today has been a good day. I plan to read more in Sebastian after the movie. I might try to get some emails done. Just try to keep today mellow.
You know those days that just leave you feeling like you are on the chopping block? Today was one of them. I didn't know the international language for small talk, I laughed inappropriately at things that weren't funny and just generally felt out of place. Today felt very out of sorts. As I write this I am in bed and feel like it's the first correct situation of the day. Thank the gods for bed.
Today I saw two movies, Jumper, from Netflix, and Get Smart in the theater. I didn't hate Jumper and to it's credit it seemed to fly right by. I think Jamie Bell played my favorite character. I'm not a Hayden Christensen fan. I generally like his movies more when his character dies at the end. I know, my bad. Rachel Bilson didn't do much for me either way. She just didn't move me. I didn't feel it, like it was a soulless performance. Just there to collect the check. All in all, I am happy I didn't pay $14.00 to see it in the theater.
As for Get Smart... it was rather predictable. Wind up Steve Carell and let him do his schtick. Personally, I am bored with his character. I'd like for him to branch out to something else. Leave Michael on The Office set. But looking passed that Anne Hathaway was pretty good with her brand of physical comedy and Dwayne Johnson stole a lot of the scenes he was in. I would like to mention Masi Oka was adorable. I am still holding over from Heroes. I hope he gets more recognition and lands even bigger roles in blockbuster movies. I am a Masi Oka fan.
After we watched the movie, we went to Pinkberry. Neither Connie nor myself had ever tried it before. I know we are woefully behind the times. I thoroughly enjoyed mine which I had with kiwi and raspberries. I wanted seconds and that was not a good idea. I had already blown my WW points for the day in the theater when I ate a box of Junior Mints. I have been really bad with my points the last few days. Bad, bad me.
It's supposed to be rather warm the next few days. Today was in the nineties and tomorrow should reach well into the hundreds. We haven't made any plans of yet... knowing that I sleep the day away leaves it to be even harder to plan for things. I am sure we won't want to spend the entire day in the apartment. We will have to see where the day takes us.
Cat Deely must feel like the executioner. Yay, Chelsea is safe! I like Chelsea, I'm happy she will be here next week. I knew it would be Susie. I'm glad that the judges agree with me. Oh wow, the second week in a row they picked a couple. Marquis isn't a bad choice to eliminate. I can't wait for next week now.
I was feeling nostalgic earlier today and I went on a scavenger hunt for pictures of Lacey and Kameron. I wish they did flashbacks of previous seasons. Or maybe I just should have kept all the episodes on my Tivo. I know they are on You Tube but there is no comparison between seeing them on the TV and watching the routine all pixelated and distorted. It would be nice if I could just whimsically order life to my terms.
The new meds that I am taking are kicking my ass big time. Dr. Scott thinks it's the Geodon reacting with the Clopazine so his idea is to just quit cold turkey, but that gives me sincere anxiety because it was doing the same thing last summer with the Geodon that put me in a tailspin. So I took less of the Geodon tonight and I'll titrate down over the next few days. I'm not one for sudden change but I did stop the Lithium. I'm flying without a net now. If Clopazine is this miracle drug that Dr. Scott thinks it is, then I should notice right away. This is the time that I should screw my courage to the sticking point. Optimism should come my way. I think I'll just sit here and wait for it. Considering I'm sleeping 12-16 hours a day, I have nothing better to do.
Today was nice. D stayed home from work to take me to see Dr. Scott and we started listening to a new book in the car, it's Robert Jordan's The Eye of the World. The reader has a bit of a goofy voice. His inflection is a bit silly but I'm trying to keep my head on straight and listen to the story. David listened to my stories, it's the least I can do for him in return. I found myself a couple of four packs of Diet Peach, Diet Lemon and Diet Raspberry Iced Tea Snapple. I can drin