Tagged: Movie

Dancing in the Dark

     So on Tuesday night I thought about packing for the trip. Of course if I actually had packed, the world would have ended or hell would have frozen over while pigs flew around my dazed head. You see I make it a point to never pack until the night before at the earliest, day of being much better suited to my procrastinatory self.

     While I thought about packing I realized I had yet to plan my outfit for the rehearsal dinner. As an immediate family member I have the unique privilege of hanging with the bridal party the night before the big day. We’ll eat good food, drink good wine, and try not to break the wine glasses while smashing our cutlery into them demanding an over-use of PDA.

     Alarmed at the thought of airriving in my skivies I decided the best course of action would be to drink half a bottle of my Merritage blend and try on ever dress in my closet. This quickly spiraled into slapping on some hasty smokey eye shadow, smearing on a bit too much cream blush, and twisting my hair up into a bobby pinned version of “Rufio on the cat walk”, you know, just for the total package effect. [For those of you scratching your heads trying to figure out who Rufio is, think Hook... and shake your heads in shame.] Bangarang! Anyways. So then I proceeded to prance around my house in various arrangements of dress + shoes, skirt + flats + clutch, dress + boots – tights etc. And finally I whittled the list down to two possible choices and skyped TBF. After waltzing in front of the computer in the two very different, equally brand new to the public viewing, and uber tight I-wish-my-boyfriend-was-here to zip/unzip glory. We picked this lovely outfit:

     Of course it nearly goes without mentioning that this is all from www.pinupgirlclothing.com, almost. Love that site. So now I just have to go buy the miracle bra from Victoria Secrets and badabing badabang badaboom! Done.

     Take care peeps, I’m most likely somewhere between Hope and Calgary in a too hot van prattling on about moth mating habits and driving TBF batty.

Moi xoxo

Challenge Accepted!

     Last night I watched two movies from the Book to Movie challenge hosted over at Two Biblomaniacs. I am reading a set NYR list and therefore the films I can watch are limited to those books, but oh what fun! Yesterday while cleaning the kitchen I watched Brave New World, and The Count Of Monte Cristo.

Brave New World: 1998 – Peter Gallagher, Leonard Nimoy.
    The book was intense, sad, and then some what a jarring rip off at the end. It had a balanced feel of innocence in a time of debauchery, freedom in the midst of oppression, and a quasi happiness floating like a soap-bubble through hell. The movie seemed to have taken the set, props, and character names from the novel and hosted a totally different play. While I understand editing and screen cuts are needed, this simply wasn’t the same story. The actors did a fine job, they committed to the strange and odd people and managed to have an ok movie… if I hadn’t read the haunting beauty of the book, I wouldn’t have known the soul had been taken out of the story.

 The Count of Monte Cristo: 2002 – James Caviezel, Guy Pearce, Richard Harris.
     Ah – again. Okay so the movie was fun, fast paced, and visually stunning. I loved Jim Caviezel and Richard Harris in their roles, and seeing Luigi Vampa on-screen was excellent – however. Okay wait before I go all “they changed the story line, they messed with characters, they left two-thirds of the novel out”, I want you to understand that yes, I am more than aware the book to movie version that I would approve of would be roughly 24 hours long. Honestly I belive if I had been saddled with the task of placing that tome of Dumas’ onto film I couldn’t have done a better job….(with the exception of the ‘best friends’ who never really were even acquaintances in the book part). I think they boiled things down and took the parts they wanted and it worked. I should leave it there. I will.

     Two more down and guess what I’m watching tonight? The Woman in White! I am actually kind of scared that Fosco isn’t going to be as compelling as I want him to be, that I won’t love this version of Marian Halcombe. Also I have A Tale of Two Cities, guess who plays Darnay/Carton?! Prince Humperdink :) ha! 

Ciao

Moi xoxo

Girls Night In

     Last Saturday night N and I watched The Color Purple. We drank red wine, ate Chile, Lime, and Cumin popcorn with butter, and cried. This movie was well worth the wait, totally worth buying, and a beautiful use of imagery, dialogue, and music. It was a trifecta.
     I can’t belive it took me this long to watch the movie. I had never seen Danny Glover in such a mean roll before; he did a good job. Oprah was the perfect Sofia, and I can’t tell you how often I laughed out loud when I watched Harpo fall off another roof. 

     This film is probably my new, all-time favorite, best book to film adaptation. Oh, and the only thing I have to say in the negative is this: Whoopi Goldberg is gorgeous. Wasn’t Celie supposed to be ugly? I belive Whoopie Goldberg was the perfect Celie, she was absolutely amazing. I love this film.

 

Fun Friday Facts

There’s some fun and interesting stuff happening.

  • I bottled my wine yesterday.
  • I had to try a white to see if I would consider making it as a kit, I will not.
  • GermanG is home so I drank more wine last night. Oh well.
  • GermanG and I have started P90X today therefore I think my drinking alcohol again is totally fine. Bring it!
  • Ben has decided that when he gets into trouble the appropriate thing to do is run away. Therefore this morning when he was caught eating the cat’s food while standing on my table he jumped down, ran out the front door, down the street, and kept running. Bad dog.
  • I rode my bike to work today, TBF and I are going to go to Telegraph Cove for lunch, I’m excited. I’m also hungry now, and it’s only 11.

“Non-book-related this week!! Do you have pets?”

     Well, as you just read I do indeed have a bad dog. (I love him.) Ben is a 11 year old Australian Shepherd. Brewdis is my 10 year old fat, fluffy, grey and white cat who never lives with me as he prefers old men. He used to stay with Herman and after Herman moved into assisted living Brew moved next door to Joe. I’m sure he loves me – it’s the others he can’t stand. Peach is my 2 year old, 4 lives left, cat; I will do a whole cat related post one day, but not today. And finally, Dexter. He’s TBF’s 3 year old Lab. He will always be a puppy.

     Well, N and I are going to try to watch The Color Purple tomorrow night. Wish us luck! T-dog’s away on a male bonding, beer and canoe adventure. We will be on a couch, in blankets, drinking wine and watching T.V. adventure.

Peace!

Because We Can Can Can!

Everybody Can-Can!
Well, If ya can, can, can!
If ya can, can, can!
If ya can, can, can!
Well, If ya can, can, can!
If ya we can, can, can!
If ya can, can, can, can, can, can, can, can, can!
Everybody can-can!
Outside it may be rainy
But in here it’s entertaining!
-Moulin Rouge
     So. I canned. Seriously it’s been on the ‘list of things I want to do some day’ for like, ever. And I did it! Three little cans of spicy pickled green beans. Why green beans you ask? Simple – Caesars! Heck yes motivation found me. I wanted a Caesar and was horrified to see that spicy pickled green beans were going to cost me $12 for an 8oz jar! Sheesh. SO I made my own. Take that economy.
     I also made cranberry jalapeno jelly. The recipes were in a Canadian Living magazine, I love those guys. Seriously, usually just $2 for an issue. This one was $12, which surprised me when I got home, but maybe it was a mess up by the IGA teller? Who cares, I can!
     I made a list of things I’m going to do with my week, and I am so far so awesome. I’ve already killed weeds, mowed a lawn, sung in the shower, and finished a book! So working with my hands and making some good old pantry supplies made my whole weekend. As I type, there’s bread in my oven rising, waiting to be punched and rolled out to rise again. Check out Jewel’s blog for the severely cool recipe. She was on Firefly, no big deal. (!!!)
     I am all inspired now, TBF and I are heading down Island to look at a bike and visit Herman in his new home. I’m going to suggest we do a little shopping at a Farmer’s Market. I am now addicted and all excited. I feel like the ants not the grasshopper, for the first time ever! {I do not know the origin of this child’s storey. My mother used to tell me about it when I was young. The moral was: “If you are a grasshopper you will die because you are lazy and like music; if you are an ant you will have food for the winter and therefore not starve, but you are too busy for fun.”}
    
One day I want a real pantry, and I want it to look like this -
Taken from Lindapiequeen’s blog here.
Right now my pantry holds two jars of beans, four jars of jelly, a bag of dog food, a bag of cat food, some tools I have never used, a flash light, my garbage cans, my Zombie Apocalypse survival food (a flat of Mr. noodles), and a trickle charger for the bike. There’s room for improvement anyway.
    
How’s your week going? Are you being productive? I’m heading this one as under the “Progress” banner.
Enjoy ~
Moi xoxo

Cookies and Communication

     Fern could use some communication skills. Sure it’s a kid’s storey, (Charlotte’s Web), but really crying and screaming doesn’t get you a baby pig in real life. Believe me, I’ve tried, all it ever got me was – “Jessica, we can do this the fun way, or the not so fun way.” I once took a communication course, I had to, it was part of a larger academic thing I was once shooting for. I tried to incorporate the lessons I learned into every day conversations…. Sort of like
When you do/act (like a total moron)
This causes me to feel (like you are a total moron)
It is my intention to (not hang around a moron)

Therefore I intend to do/act (walk away and tell myself, you are a moron)
Oh whatever. No one cool talks like that.
    
     I just watched Suck last night. Best B movie I’ve seen in ages. Thanks T-dog for the b-day geek stick! (I dare anyone to translate that!)Also last night and this morning were spent in a cooking/baking frenzy trying to get ready for the may-long camp trip. [Not really frenzy, actually it was more zen, but frenzy made it sound more important.] This here is my super awesome recipe for what were formerly known as “camp cookies”, “mookies”, or “cuffins”. I have now re-named them “North Island Breakfast Cookies” They rock and roll. just like Henry Rollins. Huh, maybe I’ll call them Henry Rollins Cookies… Oh Henries? We’ll see. Any way they make perfect breakfast munchies while sitting around a camp fire in the cold morning while cradling a cup of coffee and Baileys.
North Island Breakfast Cookie
  • 1 1/2 C Flour
  • 3/4 C Sugar
  • 1 tsp Baking Soda
  • 1 tsp Cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp Salt
  • 1 Egg, slightly beaten.
  • 1/2 C Oil
  • 1/4 C Milk
  • 1 Tbsp Lemon Juice
  • 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
  • 1 C Shredded Zucchini
  • 1/4 C Chocolate Chips
  • 1/4 C Raisins
  • 1/8 C Sunflower Seeds
  • 1/8 C Pumpkin Seeds
  1. Combine dry ingredients in a bowl except the Chocolate Chips, Seeds, or Raisins.
  2. Combine the wet ingredients in a separate bowl except the zucchini.
  3. Mix the wet into the dry until well Incorporated. Add the Chocolate Chips, Seeds, Raisins, and Zucchini. Do not mix more than necessary. The mixture should be fairly skookum, like a thick muffin recipe..[It sort of is a muffin recipe rebooted.]
  4. Pre-heat your oven to 350°
  5. Scoop mixture with an ice cream scoop, spacing them far apart on a cookie sheet. (On a standard sized cookie sheet I place four mounds well apart from each other or the sides of the sheet.)
  6. Bake for 15-25 min, watch carefully, turn your cookie sheet once in the baking cycle to ensure even baking. When a tester comes out clean they are done.
If you make 12 Cookies they will be 7 Weight watchers points each.

Some days are worth waking up for.

So this morning started out like most mornings in my life, bad. I can’t explain why I hate waking up, but I do. Usually it’s because I fall asleep counting all the things I forgot to do, all the people I owe money to, and all the things I’m worried about (read: weight). In the morning it’s all still there! It hasn’t magically disappeared in the sweet dream world and it’s all too realistic and unsolved. I’m sure I could try “counting my blessings” a la Bing Crosby circa Holiday Inn, but really… OK maybe I should start trying that.
I’m struggling to get through Tess of D’Uberfields by Tom Hardy right now. I feel a bit frustrated due to the fact that it is boring me to tears, and it is apparently such a great book. I mean, it’s hard not to feel like your the dumb kid in class when you just hate what everyone else is saying is so fantastic. I’m also reading The Woman in White by Wilikie Collins on my iPhone right now, it’s fabulous. Very funny and so far quite a light and easy read. If you haven’t already, check out the iBook app on itunes. I haven’t paid a single penny for a book yet and I have classics on there! I have War and Peace, A Tale of Two Cities, The Odyssey, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, Uncle Tom’s Cabin, Bleak House, Oliver Twist, David Copperfield, The Woman in White, and Winnie the Pooh.
Free is always fantastic, so fantastic in fact that I don’t mind using the word fantastic just a couple more times than absolutely necessary! And while on the subject of fanstaticle-ness, let me explain the blog title today. So back to the beginning, this morning I felt tragic. I combated that with a super fun bright pink lipstick by Rimmel. 010 Dizzy, it’s a super fuchsia fun time. I used techniques by my favorite blog out there over at www.bycelinea.com and thus put my best face forward to the day. In my rush around the block today I forgot about a meeting I had at the bank. So I was motoring out there and boom, I get pulled up by the RCMP for speeding. I can not stress enough about how much I hate money, simply due to the fact that I don’t have any. For some reason, my prayers get answered, and I only get a warning, no $196.00 ticket, which the female officer stresses I could have gotten but she was feeling kind. THANK HEAVEN.
On my way back to work after shuffling funds back and forth from different accounts with the bank people. (I keep thinking if I keep moving stuff around some how I’ll find some money hiding under other money.) I remembered today was April 1st! Celina’s blog contest winners would be announced today. Guess what? I won! I won an amazing product which I never would have been able to afford, (or find for that matter), in normal life. Christmas in April! Oh for the love of kittens today has turned out all right after all. Now – all I have to do is finish that damn book…

Moi xoxo

Book V Movie

Okay so we all know the fact that the book is always better than the movie. Right? Cause if you don’t please read The Black Stallion by Walter Farley and then watch the god-awful translation to film.
Anyway so the book is usually better than the movie, (in my opinion Fight Club is a much better movie than book), and The Golden Compass was no exception.
The book the Golden Compass by Phillip Pullman is an extremely entertaining read, although preachy and tackily obviously aimed at attacking the views of the Christian Church. The character development and the relationships between people and their daemons and people and each other are almost hypnotic in its growth. The way the main character burrows under your skin while you read is enjoyable to say the least and you cheer for her through all her adventures and trials. I am half way through the third book, The Amber Spyglass, and I can say with certainty that this whole series has been a great time.
I had some alone time this week when the boyfriend was away so I looked forward to renting the Golden Compass on DVD. It was a very confusing circumstance I found myself in. There were minor changes here and there but all in all it stayed true to book and very true to the dialogue. The real problem was the heart had been cut out, the daemon had been separated from the child, dust was no where near the film. I’m not talking literally here, anyone who’s read the series will understand. There was no soul in this movie at all. The pace was lightning quick, you almost feel as if someone were reading you the book in a high speed chipmunk voice while dragging you to the different scenes by force. The characters were all there and briefly introduced and then kicked out to make way for the new ones. This movie was there and not there, a zombie of the story.