3 posts tagged “anaheim”
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.
*sigh*
Anaheim Ducks at the Kings. It was a good game. It was a good good time. Okay... I admit, I am totally in love with hockey, have been for years and years... but yesterday was special. I took a ton and a half of pictures we sat only 13 rows from the ice on the hometeam blue line which means I saw close up--Anaheim spanking the Kings. It was wonderful. Euphoric! Euphoricerful.
So yes... MANY PICTURES.
You ready for >obsession< the pictures? Of course you are excited. Me too... I could pee.
Pregame warm-up:
YAY!!! And my Ducks are still 1st in the League in points.
So after the game D and I went down to Long Beach and hung out with Mario. Mario is good people 110%. We took some time before we met with him to get me new balls for my nose ring. We then stopped by and took some pictures of the sunset over the marina and the Christmas lights.
Yesterday was quite quite awesome, indeed.
