I'm back! Happy happy joy joy!

[sarea]

Well, not really, but the ordeal of traveling is such that it does actually make me glad to be back, once I am.

Plane fare: $250
Fuel cost to Jade's house: $2.39/gallon
Comfortable flip flops to sprint in: $16.50
Concealing black hat: $0 (borrowed from Jade)
Cell phone to communicate with mid-plan: $40/month
Robbie's face as I pulled up in her stolen car: priceless

Happy birthday to all the lovely people whose birthdays I missed, namely: lissinthecity (hope your trip is/was fabulous!!), msscribe, and mynuet. *HUGS* and belated birthday wishes!!



Sadly, I have gained about 5 lbs on this trip. Fun and happiness does that, I guess. I have promised my family that I will lose weight between now and when I see them again at Christmas. But if it doesn't happen, then screw 'em. <g> Plus, they saw me on the fatter end of my trip. I wasn't too bad when I first arrived. It was all the eating Jade, Ropo, and I did. Damn them. The most we ever splurged was this fancy French restaurant we went to, which ended up costing about $60/person. It was good, but not $60 good.

Anyway, so yeah. Surprising Robbie for her 40th was so much fun. Jade and I had planned it for weeks, if not months. Staying quiet about it was difficult from time to time, especially as we led up to the event, but easier than you might expect. Everything went off w/o a hitch. Well, there was a slight hitch, as I got lost on a street I shouldn't have been driving down as I was supposed to pass Jade and Ropo on their walk, but it wasn't a big enough hitch to ruin the surprise, so yay!! I felt so sneaky, going into her house (that'll teach you to lock your door when you go on walks, Robbie) and stealing her keys, but the end result was worth it. OH, HER FACE!!! Hahahahhaa.

The weather was lovely when I was down there, if a trifle warm. But since I usually live w/ cold weather and rain, it made for a nice change. Taking dips in Jade's pool was especially lovely, since it was interspersed w/ eating good food, reading fun books, and watching TV.

Okay, so first, books. It was all about Marian Keyes.

Rachel's Holiday by Marian Keyes -- This is possibly Keyes' best book (that I've read so far). Not the most enjoyable, but as far as writing and plot development goes, very well done. I found the back-and-forth timeline kind of tiresome, but that's because I wasn't as taken as Luke as I was supposed to be. I thought he was kind of a loser, and didn't find him attractive. However, I loved the ending, felt it was earned and deserved. Rachel, however, I found to be even more annoying than Lucy. <g> Loved the rest of the Walsh family.

Last Chance Saloon by Marian Keyes -- Arguably my favorite Keyes novel as of yet. I loved all the characters, and I was always interested to see what happened next, and I was surprised a number of times, which is nice. Predictability can be boring; I think the key is to be predictable and unpredictable at the same time, if that makes any sense. Anyway, despite the many storylines, she did a great job of fleshing everyone out, and even if I didn't root for anyone the way I did for Daniel/Lucy, I genuinely liked all the characters (even the ones I hated).

Watermelon by Marian Keyes -- This was pretty good. I had read a lot more of it earlier than I had thought, and I'm not quite sure what made me put it down and not go back to it. I think in general the premise didn't really appeal to me -- a woman whose husband ditches her on the day she gives birth to their child is not exactly fun fare ... and to make light of it by making it fun fare isn't exactly cool, either. However, Keyes pulls it off, and I even ended up liking Adam/Claire (Adam as a hero in Keyes novels is second only to Daniel), though I thought that Adam's little secret was a bit too convenient for the situation. But I dug that he was a younger man and Claire was an older woman. :D

Angels by Marian Keyes -- I really liked this one, even though as far as heroines go, I wasn't too enamored of Maggie. I didn't think I could get past Paul cheating on her, but in the end, considering everything, I was okay -- even happy -- with their reconciliation. Maybe because I didn't love or hate Maggie, I didn't have to feel like she deserved better, or didn't deserve better, or whatever. And even though Lucy Sullivan was 10,000 times more annoying, I did want the best for Lucy -- I cared about her in a way that I couldn't dredge up for Maggie.

Guilty Pleasures by Laurell K. Hamilton -- This was pretty good. It's not the most thrilling book I've ever read, but I assume the series gets more captivating as it goes on, kind of like S&tC. The writing is okay, although I find Anita a bit tiresome from time to time w/ her put-upon tough-girl routine. It's also kind of weird to read about vampire lore outside the Whedonverse. The differences actually don't bother me as much as the similarities, which is a bit odd. I'm okay with differences, because Joss is just making shit up like anyone else, but sometimes there are things that make more "sense" from his verse. Of course, it's a catch-22, because like I said, if it's too similar it weirds me out and I wonder if there's stealing going on.

Also, as with any fantasy tale, there are just some things too fantastical for me to truly buy into, and for this one it's the fact that vampires are accepted members of society, and there are actually laws protecting them. And yet they are still bloodsuckers! WTF. Anyway, I kinda dig the UST going on between Anita and Jean-Claude at the moment, though really, she was having UST with everyone. <g>

Anyway, despite all that reading, I did also manage to watch five movies in the theater (six if you count the fact that we saw Troy twice), two rentals, and the first half of Sex and the City S6. I'm so productive when I'm not at work! :D

HP:PoA: Alfonso Cuaron is a genius. I adore him. I love what he did w/ this film, even if it wasn't perfect. He did what Chris Columbus wasn't able to do: make a film adaptation worthy of the books. Don't get me wrong, I had some issues, and in general SS and CoS were fine -- but I'm one of those people who have misgivings about them being too much like the books. The problem is that the letter is the same, but not the spirit. Film is a different medium from the written word; they're separate crafts, and what works for one does not always work for the other. The trick is in being able to tell the story in the 2-3 hours that's allotted. Another good example of this is Bridget Jones' Diary, one of the very few film adaptations of a book that I've truly enjoyed. And did it follow the book to the letter? Absolutely not. But it's BJD in every way.

I've noticed that people who aren't in the HP fandom generally enjoy the movie more than those who are in it. I think, being in the fandom, we start to grow expectations that aren't v. reasonable because we care so freakin' much about every little thing. And I'm a little glad for the distance when it comes to the movies, frankly. I'm already too obsessive about other things. <g>

As for the other nuances of PoA, I pretty much agreed w/ everything seldon said, so go here for a great breakdown of hits/misses/interesting notes.

Troy: I liked it. I don't care that it's being denigrated. I don't care that they changed the story (this is significant, given The Iliad is one of my fave books ... though admittedly it's been awhile since I last read it, so the details aren't fresh in my mind), because for the movie they were making/story they were telling, it 'fit' and was fine (please, I hope no one really thought it was going to be a faithful adaptation of Homer). I went into it hoping to see some pretty boys, and the fact that the movie was even entertaining beyond that made me happy. Most surprisingly, I didn't give a hoot about Paris and Helen, which I usually care about. I was t00bily squeeful about Achilles/Briseis (even though Hector was so my guy), which I didn't see coming nor had I heard anything about it before. If I had, I probably wouldn't have enjoyed it half so much.

What I did like, however, was the fact that they showed the whole thing w/ Helen to be less about love than it was about power/pride, which I think gets overlooked whenever people think about Helen and her face that launched a thousand ships. It wasn't Helen or her beauty; she was a friggin' excuse.

Anyway -- Eric Bana has rocked my world since Black Hawk Down, and I was also super amused by/impressed with Brian Cox.

Surviving Christmas: Possibly the worst movie ever. If not, it's a contender at least. It was a free screening, but it starred Ben Affleck, and I really, really should have insisted that we not go. But I like Christina Applegate and Catherine O'Hara, and hoped that they would be able to lift the movie ... but no. Ben's ability to choose the WORST scripts ever is strong and unceasing. Never, EVER will I see a movie w/ him in it w/ out at least THREE trusted thumbs up, and even then, meh. I will not budge from this vow and YOU CAN'T MAKE ME.

Supersize Me: Stay away from McDonald's? This is news? But there's no denying their food is tasty, though at least w/ this around it'll be a heck of a lot easier to resist. V. interesting throughout.

The Day After Tomorrow: The usual summer disaster film usually doesn't appeal to me, and this one was no different. However, it was better than I'd expected, and was entertained at least for the time that I was in the theater.

The Notebook: OH WAIT, I DIDN'T GET TO SEE THIS ONE. Because the screening passes didn't come until after I had already left California, those fuckers. It would have been so perfect if we'd been able to go while I was there. Instead I had to see Surviving Christmas. Damn their eyes. :-l

Training Day: I've seen this before, but I really like it. I'm so over the Denzel thing, but this was a departure for him, and I even liked Ethan Hawke! (It's weird, I don't really like EH, and yet I like him in pretty much all the roles I've seen him in, most especially Dead Poets Society.)

The Blue Lagoon: Oh, I should feel guilty for making Jade and Ropo watch this (Jade for the first time), but it's one of my favorite GP movies evah. <g>

Sex and the City, S6, Part One: I h8 the bastards who are releasing this in two parts. And I wouldn't even get the first part (you KNOW they'll probably sell them in a nice set one day), except that I have become totally in lurve w/ Samantha/Smith. I'm making a S/S tape for myself, which will be the easiest thing ever because there's so little of it.

Here are my predictions for the end of the season, judging from the way things are going so far: They've paired everyone off, so I'm going to assume that they're going to end it happily (or the complete opposite, in which everyone is all alone yet again), with everyone with their exact right person: Carrie with Big, Miranda with Steve, Charlotte with Harry, and the big question mark, Samantha with Smith? Maybe this is why I like them, because of the four couples, they're the ones I'm least certain of. Samantha is an independent woman, even more so than the others, and it would kind of take something away if she were to end up w/ a man in a monogamous relationship after all this time. And yet, if she's going to end up in a monogamous relationship w/ a man, Smith is so the right choice. They're adorable. :D

My flight home arrived last night at 9pm, but I didn't get home until 11pm, because taking the shuttle always delays things. Especially if you have a family of four making a stop before yours. The little girl, all along the way while traveling on her street, was all, "That's not my house. That's not my house. That's not my house." On and on and on, impervious to her mother's shushing and my silent wrath. All I could think was, "Shut up shut up shut uuuuuuuuuuuuuuup!!!" And the most appalling thing is that kids under 12 ride free. Um, excuse me, but little kids should fucking cost MORE, everywhere they go, for the disturbance/headache they create to THE OTHER PAYING CUSTOMERS.

I am a strong believer in little kid segregation. I'm sorry if this offends you, but your kid is yours, not mine. As a childless person attempting to enjoy her life the same way any other person does, I don't feel that I should have to put up/live with other people's choices, or be made to feel like a second-class citizen without as many rights as people with children.

IMHO young children are like pets -- if parents are allowed to take them anywhere, I ought to be able to bring a dog to those same places. Dogs are just as noisy/dirty/uncontrollable -- and in most cases, far less so.

I think little kids/babies are cute -- in pictures and when they're being quiet (or as appropriate to the situation). But I DO NOT believe they belong in:

1) movie theaters for films over a G rating (and even then, I'd really prefer to watch films without a soundtrack of Screaming Child)
2) airplanes (there ought to be regular flights and family flights, so all the little kids can bother each other and the other families)
3) restaurants that don't feature clowns/pizza/video games

In this way, I am totally like Samantha from Sex and the City, and I don't feel the least sorry about it.

Okay, wait. This has all sounded extremely harsh. I don't actually think that kids should be banned from the above activities/places. It's more that, as a childless person, I would like more options in order to be able to do things AWAY from little kids if I want. Adult nights, adult flights, etc. I mean, don't I have the right to do that?? Sigh. I mean, I'm not like this ALL the time (except maybe in movie theaters; then I'll be irate every time). It's just that most of the places that I don't think are appropriate for children are places that the KIDS don't even want to be. And the adults ought to know better! Take some damn responsibility for your child. Often times, the kid hates it and is miserable, making everyone in the vicinity just as miserable, including the parents. I mean, WHY DO YOU DO THAT? WHAT THE HELL IS THE MATTER WITH YOU?

And sometimes, there are little kids who are great! Who can sit in a theater and enjoy it and not be obnoxious! I don't want to punish those kids to not be able to see a movie or whatever. What I really, REALLY wish is that I could just trust parents to have good judgment. And that they know when the kid acts up, it's time to leave.

Doesn't really sound like I should ever have kids, does it? This is why I have decided that instead of kids, I will care for and nurture handbags. <g>

Went to Nordstrom's today and bought three -- yes, THREE -- new Kate Spades. I am so high on the crack, but instead of feeling guilty the way I normally do after exorbitant purchases, I only feel giddy. I got:

- a nylon Carol (cranberry)
- a cotton canvas Vertical Bucket (Clayton Stripe)
- a cotton canvas Jadyn (Chelsea Fleur)
- also got this beauty on eBay (a Carolina in KS's signature rose print from her 2000 spring collection)

Now, in less frivolous tones...

Reagan's passing: So sue me, I liked him. And it's touching to see everyone gather together in remembrance, and being positive for a change. Everything is usually so fucking negative it depresses the hell out of me. (OMG apparently online you can get the actual film of that guy who got his head cut off, and my brother and parents watched it but I couldn't. But did you know that it wasn't a clean hack, it was SAWED OFF??? OMG I couldn't stop thinking about the horror of it.)

Am freaking out again, so here's another subject change: Have gotten Avril Lavigne's new CD. Is it wrong that I really like her music? Really really. Anyway, there was only one song on it in which she collaborated w/ Ben Moody (of Evanescence fame), and I like it, but could it be any more about Amy what's her name? <g> It's so blatant he should be embarrassed. As should Avril for going along w/ it. Anyway, I really dig the CD, but so far I like her first album better. She shouldn't have collaborated so much w/ Chantal Kreviazuk (or however you spell her name); her fresh sound/lyrics was what made her first album so awesome! Of course, I could be singing a different tune once I've listened to it some more. <g>

For akscully: Ginny/Zacharias, condoms, circle of cheer, beige face. Go nuts! :D:D:D

Comments

[akscully.livejournal.com]

OMG, you whore. I skimmed your entry. Let's learn about the wonders of editing sometime, shall we?


So, Ginny always calls Zach a wanker, and really, who can blame her? What else do you call a guy who so gleefully explained what condoms were to a group of young pureblood witches?

Except, here's the problem.

Sure, Ginny gets this funny look on her face whenever Zach is around--her mouth turns down at one end and most of the color goes out of her face; she gets a sort of beige face, it's really weird--and she yells a lot, but you know, wanker.

The problem is when you discover them in a broom closet together, after hearing something about a "circle of cheer". I mean, who do you call a wanker then? Especially when you saw what she was doing. Because, technically, she was--

Er, never mind.


You know you love it.

[sarea-okelani.livejournal.com]

This was a test of true friendship. Now I know who my true friends are, by those who read the entry. Clearly, you did not pass muster.

BITCH, I WARNED YOU IT WAS LONG. AT LEAST I LJ-CUT IT. AND YOU'RE ONE TO TALK, MS. FLIGHT-STORY-OVER-TWO-DAYS. I WAS MAKING UP FOR TWO WEEKS! Anyway, it was mostly reviews of things that are easily categorized and passed by if necessary. :p:p:p

You're lucky your drabble was so amusing. Best Ginny/Zacharias evah!! (And the only one I've read, but you know.)

Ginny might be a wanker, but at least she isn't a ballnamer.

[akscully.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I should have known when I saw how LONG THE FUCKING CUT WAS. CHRIST. Brevity is the soul of wit or something, bitch.

I have a feeling she's a ballkicker.

Galahad?