Sunday, February 29, 2004

Return of the Freaking King

Give me a break, already! Lord of the Rings: Part Tois has won every Oscar it's been nominated for so far! Even best original song. I love Annie Lennox and everything, but Mitch & Mickey's song from A Mighty Wind was just so awesome and perfect for the movie. It's just ridiculous, and the people accepting for them go on and on and on, reading these ridiculous laundry lists of thank yous. I loved the movie, but this is totally unfair, and getting quite boring.

Also, as I watch this show, I realize that there are only four actor categories, yet the whole Oscar buzz revolves around actors. Nobody there cares about documentaries or animated shorts or film editing. Hell, I don't care about those things. I don't work in the film industry, so I can't make a judgement on who did a better job of sound mixing. I feel like I could vote on costume and makeup, and I think LOR was just handed those two awards. Pirates of the Carribean had much better makeup, IMHO. A pair of pointy ears, some fuzzy feet, and a white beard don't match Johnny Depp's dreamy Jack Sparrow vs. Geoffrey Rush's creepy Barbarosa, John Rhys-Davies' amazing dwarf transformation notwithstanding.

Anyhow, they should get do all the boring tech awards and short subject awards two weeks prior to a tight, two-hour, all Hollywood actors show featuring the following awards: Best Supporting Actor and Best Actor (men and women don't have to be separated. Just pick the best one, for goodness' sake); Best Picture; Best Director; Best Costumes and Makeup; Best Song; Best Score; and Best Overall Effects. Dumb it down and get it over with.

(PS, Julia Roberts looks good, for once. She should wear her hair down and strawberry blonde to more awards shows. The year she won, she looked like an idiot. Much like Marcia Gay Harden tonight. What's with that crazed helmet hair?)

Thursday, February 26, 2004

Very Important Entertainment News

I know all two of you are waiting with bated breath to find out what I think of this whole Passion mess. Well, sit tight, because I have plenty to say about it. First of all, I'm glad they finally got Sheridan out of that pit, but if I have to hear her screaming for her baby one more time, I don't know if I can take it. And what's with Alistair Crane playing Providence in this backwards morality play? He's there at every turn, sabotaging any opportunity for the good people of Harmony to be happy or, at the least, aware of the truth. Why is everyone in Harmony so stupid, anyway? Why doesn't Eve just tell Whitney the truth about her relationship with Julian? Why doesn't Liz just tell TC she's Eve's sister? Why can't Charity just tell Miguel that she made a deal with Death to save Baby Maria? It's so frustrating. Finally, why does every day in Harmony last ten of our Earth days? Other than that, I enjoy the show, and I can't figure out why some lady had a heart attack while watching it.

Tuesday, February 24, 2004

...Sometimes Just Pretzels and Beer

Hello, children. Isn't it great when everything is just coming together? When you feel productive and energized? When things are going your way? Sure, these times are fleeting and infrequent, but they can really do a lot to offset those days of pain and misery. One day of sunshine, one day of stamped and mailed envelopes, one day of phone calls that yield positive results, one little perfect day can make all the difference. One day leads into two, then three, and suddenly, you know what it means to be successful. Right now, I just feel successful in keeping myself on top of things, successful in taking care of myself in a difficult situation, but it's enough.

Small successes lead to heightened expectations, meeting small goals makes it easier to create bigger goals. Every day that I move forward makes it seem more and more impossible -- unacceptable -- to fall back.

When I was in high school and college, I was a borderline Type A student. Perfection was the goal, nothing else would do. My first semester in college I got a 3.88 GPA and flew into a tizzy. I had to get my shit together! For the next 6 semesters, I came out with a 4.0. The impending end of college, the end of the ability to gauge perfection and validate my behavior, threw a monkeywrench into the system. It has taken me years to get back on that track. I had to learn a new way to validate myself. I had to start "grading" myself. It is very difficult for me to function in an environment where I'm not given some kind of gold star (usually metaphorical) for my efforts. Making the leap to a life where I have to accept my own judgements of myself -- rather than relying on the judgements of others -- has been tough! Of course, very few people don't have people coaching and advising them, and I am not one of them. But now I use advice and criticism and lessons as guidance rather than as a seal of approval (or sometimes, disapproval!).

I guess it's true, life doesn't end at 30! Although the wrinkles do come fast and furious...

Wednesday, February 18, 2004

Plush Velvet Sometimes...

Although I'm not starting to feel broke yet, I know I should be soon, so I'm prepping for that. Thankfully, I've always been frugal. No, not a cheapskate, FRUGAL. Just ignore what I said about Victoria's Secret the other day, and think about how I can make a meatloaf that lasts for four meals for under $4. I buy store brand canned vegetables and Angel Soft toilet paper (cheap and non-linty!). I pay my bills online and I negotiated my checking account fees down. My only credit cards are American Express, and after my shopping spree last week, I won't allow myself any clothes shopping until at least summer.

It really is amazing how I can live on $250 a week, in New York, even. Plus, I take cabs and only drink top shelf. How can this be? I need to start analyzing my every expenditure. Still, I'm looking at quitting smoking as the most lucrative endeavor ever.

Speaking of, how great do my lungs feel this winter? This is the first winter in years that I didn't get bronchitis. Last year I had it for five weeks. I was miserable. Just wait until I decide to exercise. I'm sure I'll notice a difference there, too.

Friday, February 13, 2004

I Am Still Alive

I was toying with the idea of just retiring the blog, but I know how all three of you love to read it. Just don't expect the frequency I gave you back when I rode a desk. Right now, I'm coloring my hair, so I thought I would take this down time to throw you a bone.

Check it out: I went to Victoria's Secret the other day and dropped $177 on fancy underwear. You would to, if some angel approached you with a measuring tape and handed you a 34D bra. It's like a dream, a fantasy! I owe everything to the birth control patch, because puberty didn't do anything for me. Now all I have to do is whittle down the old tummy, and I'll finally be excited about swimsuit shopping.

Speaking of swimsuits (oh, yeah, I know how to segue), I'm going somewhere I never thought I would go. Somewhere I've hoped to never have to go. California. I know, it's horrible. But, I'm doing it out of love, so it shouldn't be that bad. Still, if sometime in the week following March 20, the Big One hits, you'll know why. Pray for me.

So, what's stuck in my craw lately? The Bloomberg administration was bandying about the the idea of a new nightlife license which would effectively close some bars at 1 am, but due to pressure from the New York Nightlife Association, Mike says they probably won't get to that this year. So, that's good. People still don't know how to walk down the street in the most efficient way, but I'm going to have to accept that this is an issue about which only I am concerned.

Oh, there's more, but it's time to rinse.