Ben and I decided that our Easter weekend tradition will be an annual watching of the Original Trilogy. Yes, I capitalized that for a reason. While watching, I was once again blown away by two points:
1) What an exceptional character Leia is, particularly for the genre (Sci-Fi, and yes, that is a blanket statement, but for the non-sci-fi obsessed like me, there seems to be an abundance of sexist male and sexualized female characters that surface in the mainstream)
2) How is it there are still people out there that do not like Star Wars? They do not wish to see it, shrug, say 'Meh' when it's brought up. What is wrong with these people?
Showing posts with label life. Show all posts
Showing posts with label life. Show all posts
Monday, April 5, 2010
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
The Progress of My Newest Start
Good Morning!
It's been a couple months, time that I've given myself to see if I'm going to be true to my word. So far I've done very well with my resolution, always keeping the future in mind. That is my update (because I don't want to get into numbers and things).
I spent some time reading old blog entries and I really do miss school. It kept my brain active. So I am going to try to do more scholastic reading and writing, as well as the normal everyday update stuff.
Normal, Everyday Update Stuff -
Ben and I are doing very well. We have found a home for most of our amazing and wonderful wedding gifts, and we have almost all of our pictures from the photographer and our friends! I should have blogged more throughout the wedding process, explaining in detail things that I would've appreciated knowing. For example, women are still each other's number one enemy. For whatever reason, bringing up a wedding means women will tell you their divorce horror stories. They will glare at you as you register for the same dishes they registered for, and yes, if their cute nametag says BRIDE at the Expo, watch out. PS. If anyone is wearing a tiara and veil prior to the actual day of the wedding, move out the way. That's all I'm saying.
Reading -
I am currently reading Libba Bray's A Great and Terrible Beauty. I recognize that should I ever get my writing going, it will no doubt be for Young Adults, so I am reading more recognized YA stuff these days. That category offers me the most irritation, while at the same time the most possibility. It's one of those things - if you don't like what's out there, why just sit around and complain about it? A critic should at least attempt to correct what she finds so odious out in the world.
Anyway, the book is actually quite interesting, even if I feel it is a Supernatural Victorian Female version of Dead Poets' Society. I see on IMDB that it is already going to be a movie. No cast announced. God save us from Emma Watson, PLEASE.
I went to see The Ghostwriter with Ben and we ended the night deciding that we will join Netflix again, and we will begin a routine of renting films we can discuss on a deeper level. He was struck by my excitement about one of the scenes in Ghostwriter (it very clearly mirrored another Polanski film, Chinatown), and we decided to start film analysis. We tried with books but our tastes are so different... I'm still trying to read his recommendation.
It's been a couple months, time that I've given myself to see if I'm going to be true to my word. So far I've done very well with my resolution, always keeping the future in mind. That is my update (because I don't want to get into numbers and things).
I spent some time reading old blog entries and I really do miss school. It kept my brain active. So I am going to try to do more scholastic reading and writing, as well as the normal everyday update stuff.
Normal, Everyday Update Stuff -
Ben and I are doing very well. We have found a home for most of our amazing and wonderful wedding gifts, and we have almost all of our pictures from the photographer and our friends! I should have blogged more throughout the wedding process, explaining in detail things that I would've appreciated knowing. For example, women are still each other's number one enemy. For whatever reason, bringing up a wedding means women will tell you their divorce horror stories. They will glare at you as you register for the same dishes they registered for, and yes, if their cute nametag says BRIDE at the Expo, watch out. PS. If anyone is wearing a tiara and veil prior to the actual day of the wedding, move out the way. That's all I'm saying.
Reading -
I am currently reading Libba Bray's A Great and Terrible Beauty. I recognize that should I ever get my writing going, it will no doubt be for Young Adults, so I am reading more recognized YA stuff these days. That category offers me the most irritation, while at the same time the most possibility. It's one of those things - if you don't like what's out there, why just sit around and complain about it? A critic should at least attempt to correct what she finds so odious out in the world.
Anyway, the book is actually quite interesting, even if I feel it is a Supernatural Victorian Female version of Dead Poets' Society. I see on IMDB that it is already going to be a movie. No cast announced. God save us from Emma Watson, PLEASE.
I went to see The Ghostwriter with Ben and we ended the night deciding that we will join Netflix again, and we will begin a routine of renting films we can discuss on a deeper level. He was struck by my excitement about one of the scenes in Ghostwriter (it very clearly mirrored another Polanski film, Chinatown), and we decided to start film analysis. We tried with books but our tastes are so different... I'm still trying to read his recommendation.
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
I hate new year's resolutions...
The other night Ben and I were getting ready to have dinner and drinks with some of his high school friends. Unfortunately, this occurred on one of what I call my difficult closet days.
There are times in my life, fairly often in fact, where every piece of clothing in my closet is my enemy. There is nothing that fits well, looks good, is effective when I want to look somewhere between breath-taking and bargain-shopping. It's times like these when I am possessed with the idea that everything in my closet which is not appropriate would look better. I find myself thinking the only attractive shirt I have is a tank top and on a December evening, that's hardly going to happen.
Frustrated, I asked Ben what I should wear. He pointed out a few things, I argued, he gave up. This is not uncommon. What was different that night was something he said to me. As he left the closet, confused with the way my mind works, I told him to help.
"Here's the problem," he said. "In the three years I've known you, I've never heard you say you look fantastic. You never think you look amazing."
I have to admit to pouting, but more to realizing he was right. Aside from the very rare occasion, I usually do not feel that I look 'fantastic'. I had to wonder why.
Fantastic is a big word. It means based on fantasy, beyond reality, so extreme as to challenge possibility and belief. Fantasy is magic. It's the makeover moment at the end of the tedious TLC show, isn't it? So am I putting too much emphasis on the definition of the word? I shifted the thought - do I ever even think I look good? Or, downshifting even more, do I ever look good enough?
Ben followed up his statement with, "Hey - why are you worried? I'm just going to wear a hoodie."
"That's fine for you," I replied, and I meant it, which shut me up again. Why was it so much more important for me to look good instead of him? More than that, I had to wonder why I didn't think he was going to look bad at all. In my mind, hoodie and jeans was a completely acceptable outfit for him - in fact, it made me wish I had a flattering hoodie (is there any such thing?).
Fixing the problem with what I wore that night was really not the issue. Neither was what Ben wore. The reality is I have a different set of standards for myself than I have for other people. Even more surprising, I realized my set of standards is impossible to reach. My idea of fantastic is fantasy. How am I ever going to live up to my own ideals? Easy. I'm not. My standards need a makeover. It's no wonder that I never achieve my goals - no one could.
So in the spirit of New Year's, and doing something I truly hate (but promising myself that I will write about it as a sort of reward), I make a resolution. I am going to change the way I look ... at the world.
Will I keep this resolution? I don't know. I know that as of last year, cheating on my resolution was like lighting the fuse on the bomb - it would end it all. I would think one mistake would ruin it all - one out of 365 days and I gave up on the entire year! That seems a little unfair, when looking from an outside point of view, and mistakes need to be expected. So I hope that one way for me to keep this resolution is to expect some mistakes. Let's call it the first big step.
I'm starting my life with my husband - an awesome, amazing man who loves me even with all my imperfections. I owe him enough to start listening when he says I'm fantastic. Now is the perfect time for me to start a life that actually sounds a bit easier than the life I've been trying to lead. I know this is going to be very hard, but isn't that was New Year's Resolutions are for?
There are times in my life, fairly often in fact, where every piece of clothing in my closet is my enemy. There is nothing that fits well, looks good, is effective when I want to look somewhere between breath-taking and bargain-shopping. It's times like these when I am possessed with the idea that everything in my closet which is not appropriate would look better. I find myself thinking the only attractive shirt I have is a tank top and on a December evening, that's hardly going to happen.
Frustrated, I asked Ben what I should wear. He pointed out a few things, I argued, he gave up. This is not uncommon. What was different that night was something he said to me. As he left the closet, confused with the way my mind works, I told him to help.
"Here's the problem," he said. "In the three years I've known you, I've never heard you say you look fantastic. You never think you look amazing."
I have to admit to pouting, but more to realizing he was right. Aside from the very rare occasion, I usually do not feel that I look 'fantastic'. I had to wonder why.
Fantastic is a big word. It means based on fantasy, beyond reality, so extreme as to challenge possibility and belief. Fantasy is magic. It's the makeover moment at the end of the tedious TLC show, isn't it? So am I putting too much emphasis on the definition of the word? I shifted the thought - do I ever even think I look good? Or, downshifting even more, do I ever look good enough?
Ben followed up his statement with, "Hey - why are you worried? I'm just going to wear a hoodie."
"That's fine for you," I replied, and I meant it, which shut me up again. Why was it so much more important for me to look good instead of him? More than that, I had to wonder why I didn't think he was going to look bad at all. In my mind, hoodie and jeans was a completely acceptable outfit for him - in fact, it made me wish I had a flattering hoodie (is there any such thing?).
Fixing the problem with what I wore that night was really not the issue. Neither was what Ben wore. The reality is I have a different set of standards for myself than I have for other people. Even more surprising, I realized my set of standards is impossible to reach. My idea of fantastic is fantasy. How am I ever going to live up to my own ideals? Easy. I'm not. My standards need a makeover. It's no wonder that I never achieve my goals - no one could.
So in the spirit of New Year's, and doing something I truly hate (but promising myself that I will write about it as a sort of reward), I make a resolution. I am going to change the way I look ... at the world.
Will I keep this resolution? I don't know. I know that as of last year, cheating on my resolution was like lighting the fuse on the bomb - it would end it all. I would think one mistake would ruin it all - one out of 365 days and I gave up on the entire year! That seems a little unfair, when looking from an outside point of view, and mistakes need to be expected. So I hope that one way for me to keep this resolution is to expect some mistakes. Let's call it the first big step.
I'm starting my life with my husband - an awesome, amazing man who loves me even with all my imperfections. I owe him enough to start listening when he says I'm fantastic. Now is the perfect time for me to start a life that actually sounds a bit easier than the life I've been trying to lead. I know this is going to be very hard, but isn't that was New Year's Resolutions are for?
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Just Keep Plugging
I actually hate that phrase - plugging is kind of a gross word, and the more you say it in your head, the worse it sounds. Far too many glottals for my taste.
However, it is what I am doing. I graduate in two weeks with my Master's in English, and, of course, the job market is a desert. I knew it would be anyway - the old joke people continue to tell in front of me, no matter how little I smile, is "Masters in English? Try Master's in Starbuck's!" Yuk Yuk. Today's economy has not helped this at all, though my experience writing in SEO style has been a little effective in getting some calls back.
On the plus side, I was considering doing ACP and teaching in the fall. I still think I'm going to get my certification here, but might as well do it now, for free, and hang out for a bit. That way when I have it, I can teach where I want instead of at a school that requires bullet-proof professional wear. I've been there and I've done that. I'm over it. The good news is that if I do the ACP here, the wedding plans stay on target (STAY ON TARGET), I don't have to worry about requesting time off because I know my boss will let us have it, and mostly, it's free.
Don't get me wrong: my resume is still out there floating around. I am still pursuing interesting looking opportunities. I am still willing and able to move anywhere (Colorado, California, Connecticut - please call me). However in the meantime, this is what the plan looks like.
Today I was approached to tutor someone, something I will really enjoy. I have time to write again, as evidenced here. I get up daily and go to the gym, something I seem to think I dislike until I'm done, then I feel amazing. I have a beautiful wedding dress in my upstairs closet! Life is good, pretty much, overall.
Last night I looked at Ben and said, "I love our life." I mean it, too. I got home from work, we talked, we watched a weird, artsy movie together, we ate dinner, played Rockband, and then got ready for bed. I said this as we were lying down, side by side, reading our sci-fi novels.
"Yeah," Ben said, "I love us."
However, it is what I am doing. I graduate in two weeks with my Master's in English, and, of course, the job market is a desert. I knew it would be anyway - the old joke people continue to tell in front of me, no matter how little I smile, is "Masters in English? Try Master's in Starbuck's!" Yuk Yuk. Today's economy has not helped this at all, though my experience writing in SEO style has been a little effective in getting some calls back.
On the plus side, I was considering doing ACP and teaching in the fall. I still think I'm going to get my certification here, but might as well do it now, for free, and hang out for a bit. That way when I have it, I can teach where I want instead of at a school that requires bullet-proof professional wear. I've been there and I've done that. I'm over it. The good news is that if I do the ACP here, the wedding plans stay on target (STAY ON TARGET), I don't have to worry about requesting time off because I know my boss will let us have it, and mostly, it's free.
Don't get me wrong: my resume is still out there floating around. I am still pursuing interesting looking opportunities. I am still willing and able to move anywhere (Colorado, California, Connecticut - please call me). However in the meantime, this is what the plan looks like.
Today I was approached to tutor someone, something I will really enjoy. I have time to write again, as evidenced here. I get up daily and go to the gym, something I seem to think I dislike until I'm done, then I feel amazing. I have a beautiful wedding dress in my upstairs closet! Life is good, pretty much, overall.
Last night I looked at Ben and said, "I love our life." I mean it, too. I got home from work, we talked, we watched a weird, artsy movie together, we ate dinner, played Rockband, and then got ready for bed. I said this as we were lying down, side by side, reading our sci-fi novels.
"Yeah," Ben said, "I love us."
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
I am a sucker for...
Mexican food
Ice Cream
Piano
Boys with black hair and blue eyes
Shoes
Gossip
Sephora
Awards Shows
Puppies
Paper
Books
String Quartets
Expression
Ice Cream
Piano
Boys with black hair and blue eyes
Shoes
Gossip
Sephora
Awards Shows
Puppies
Paper
Books
String Quartets
Expression
Monday, July 21, 2008
Into the world of blog
So I finally joined the world of blogs. I'm pretty excited, even though most of the time I'm not sure what to write about. I guess I'll just go with what's on my mind at the time.
Currently in life, I'm just trying to settle down. I just recently moved, and while I love my townhouse, I really don't like unpacking. I figured out why I love packing so much more - and I always have. I really like the consolidation and organization of packing, whether it's for a trip or for a new house. I'm much happier when an item has a determined home (i.e. a box) and I can put it there, and in putting it there I reduce mess. I am less happy when I open a box, and there is so much in it that never had a home to begin with, and each thing expects to have a home even though you don't even know where the basics go yet!
Ben is the opposite. He likes opening boxes and stocking shelves with things and rediscovering old items. I'm lucky he's there to do that for me with a smile on his face.
Elise came over Friday and helped me put the guest bedroom together, and Courtney came over Saturday and I let her OCD take over. She was tearing boxes apart, arranging PS2 games, and helping me make the living room feel like home. I was able to take yesterday for the closet and armoire, and it's very exciting to have an armoire. I like it. Ben gave me the use of that in the closet and I gave him the bedroom dresser. Of course there are my two dressers in the guest room which will be used for winter clothes and scrapbook/card-making stuff.
Chanel is getting used to her new place, happy that food bowls are in two different rooms. She has actually become lazy enough to want to eat under the stairs when I am in the kitchen because it's closer than the foyer! Of course I encourage this because we want under the stairs to become her home when we're gone, giving her space to sleep and a door she can't destroy.
The little house is starting to feel like home, and it's really nice to not have to do all the mental shuffling that I was doing when I had to choose between dinner with friends or dinner with Ben, and trying to find time to see him for an hour every other day was really hard. It's so wonderful that he's here in Houston, and with me, and I can see him any time I want! We even see my friends and go on dates!
Speaking of, we hit a midnight screening of Dark Knight (a gift for my birthday), and it really is everything the critics say it is. I was impressed. I do believe it's the best comic book movie ever made. Of course, I'm drawn to comic book movies that make the stories believable and realistic, leaving no questions in mind as to how certain things are possible. This is where the Tim Burton movies failed me, even though they set up precedent and we would not be where we are now without them. Heath Ledger was terrifying, and I wish there were more scenes where he and Bale could face off. Both such amazing method actors. And I can say it's the best even though Watchmen hasn't come out yet. The trailer is attached to Dark Knight (as is the new Terminator movie - how glorious is it that Bale is John Connor???!). It impressed me.
I should begin school work now, though, because I have let it go and I very much need to kick into gear.
Currently in life, I'm just trying to settle down. I just recently moved, and while I love my townhouse, I really don't like unpacking. I figured out why I love packing so much more - and I always have. I really like the consolidation and organization of packing, whether it's for a trip or for a new house. I'm much happier when an item has a determined home (i.e. a box) and I can put it there, and in putting it there I reduce mess. I am less happy when I open a box, and there is so much in it that never had a home to begin with, and each thing expects to have a home even though you don't even know where the basics go yet!
Ben is the opposite. He likes opening boxes and stocking shelves with things and rediscovering old items. I'm lucky he's there to do that for me with a smile on his face.
Elise came over Friday and helped me put the guest bedroom together, and Courtney came over Saturday and I let her OCD take over. She was tearing boxes apart, arranging PS2 games, and helping me make the living room feel like home. I was able to take yesterday for the closet and armoire, and it's very exciting to have an armoire. I like it. Ben gave me the use of that in the closet and I gave him the bedroom dresser. Of course there are my two dressers in the guest room which will be used for winter clothes and scrapbook/card-making stuff.
Chanel is getting used to her new place, happy that food bowls are in two different rooms. She has actually become lazy enough to want to eat under the stairs when I am in the kitchen because it's closer than the foyer! Of course I encourage this because we want under the stairs to become her home when we're gone, giving her space to sleep and a door she can't destroy.
The little house is starting to feel like home, and it's really nice to not have to do all the mental shuffling that I was doing when I had to choose between dinner with friends or dinner with Ben, and trying to find time to see him for an hour every other day was really hard. It's so wonderful that he's here in Houston, and with me, and I can see him any time I want! We even see my friends and go on dates!
Speaking of, we hit a midnight screening of Dark Knight (a gift for my birthday), and it really is everything the critics say it is. I was impressed. I do believe it's the best comic book movie ever made. Of course, I'm drawn to comic book movies that make the stories believable and realistic, leaving no questions in mind as to how certain things are possible. This is where the Tim Burton movies failed me, even though they set up precedent and we would not be where we are now without them. Heath Ledger was terrifying, and I wish there were more scenes where he and Bale could face off. Both such amazing method actors. And I can say it's the best even though Watchmen hasn't come out yet. The trailer is attached to Dark Knight (as is the new Terminator movie - how glorious is it that Bale is John Connor???!). It impressed me.
I should begin school work now, though, because I have let it go and I very much need to kick into gear.
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