(Sometimes I hate Blogger--your rich text editor is kinda terrible.)
1. I HATE frosting/icing, don't you? It's so sickly sweet. Gag. I also hate confectioners' sugar--I'm not sure if I hate it because I hate icing, or if I hate icing because I hate confectioners' sugar. (Also, I don't like powdered donuts.) One time I did make a French buttercream frosting--it was pretty good though also very labor-intensive. I made it for a birthday cake for a combined birthday party for Ellen and me. in the summer. in the park. where it melted. because it's mostly butter. It was still pretty decent.
2. I am rereading Great Expectations which is my favorite Dickens novel. I'm reading it with my good friend Lillian from UW who is a lover of nineteenth century literature. It's her first time with GE. Naturally, I am also listening to Tori Amos's song "Siren" which she wrote for the modern adaptation starring Ethan Hawke and Gwyneth Paltrow. By the way Charles Dickens's bicentennial is next year.
Currently I'm still reading Frankenstein, The Catcher in the Rye, and rereading The Golden Compass.
3. Ben Wyatt (Adam Scott) as Batman on Parks and Recreation. It was the greatest thing in the world; I about died. I think Adam Scott is sexy adorable, I love the character of Ben, and I love Batman. Super hawt! The whole episode "Pawnee Rangers" was excellent. Treat yo self to it! 4. Socks. That's what Ben Wyatt treats himself to, and you know what, socks are awesome! I ran around the whole summer in bare feet and flip-flops and that's one of the things I love about summer. But now that autumn's here and the days are colder, I get to treat my feet to warm, soft, comfortable socks. I hate the standard white crew sock, and for a while I was into the whole no sock fashion look, but now I just love a colorful (solid, stripped, patterned, argyle) dress or boot sock.
5. Zachary Quinto. He just officially came out even though it really wasn't a secret. I've had a crush on him way before he played Sylar or Spock. It was when he was Tori Spelling's gay best friend on the pretty terrible TV show So NoTORIous. 6. Mizithra cheese. If it were physically possible to make love to a cheese product, this would be the one. I haven't had mizithra in years, but it has returned to my life, and we are so, so happy together.
7. In other food news, how good are French dip sandwiches? Amahzing. The best one I ever had was at Hell's Kitchen in Minneapolis. The Robin's Nest in SLC also makes a good one. I like to top mine with Swiss cheese and pickles, yes pickles. It's delicious!
8. I recently made a Tarte Tatin, an upside-down French apple tart. I wish I had taken a picture because it turned out so brilliantly. I was nervous because it looked so intimidating, but like so much French food the impressive results belie how easy and simple it actually is. I used the recipe from The New Best Recipe Cookbook which I adore. Try making one sometime. I'll send you the recipe if you want.
9. My fingertips are currently peeling. I'm not sure why, but I think I've ruled out leprosy. But I'm just a librarian, not a doctor. According to some web forums I've looked at, it may be a bacterial or fungal infection. If it doesn't get better soon, I guess I'll have to see the doctor. It's weird, and kind of gross.
10. Horror films. 'Tis the season. I just saw Carrie--who knew the scariest parts were after she killed everyone at the prom (*spoiler alert*)? Man, oh, man. Currently, I have Manhunter at home. I'm also trying to decide whether to Exorcist or not to Exorcist. On the one hand I love Ellen Burstyn and "Tubular Bells" (as played by Tori Amos, anyway). On the other hand, demonic possession terrifies me (which I guess is kind of the point). I'm not even sure why really since in my personal experience the Mormon church doesn't really focus on possession (though they do believe it can occur), so it wasn't a huge childhood concern. But I would much rather watch a ghost story and/or a psychological thriller.
Anyway, I thought I would list my top five scary movies. Stanley Kubrick's The Shining is a masterpiece. The (original) Haunting is the scariest film I have ever seen. El Orfanato is a wonderful ghost story. The Innocents is a ghostly thriller story based on James's story "The Turn of the Screw." Those children are terrifying! Finally, the gloomy and turgid Interview with the Vampire for its homoeroticism between Cruise and Pitt, Dunst's uncanny performance, and that ending scene which scared me for the longest time.
I thought you might enjoy this macabre animated short of Poe's "The Tell-Tale Heart" which was nominated for an Oscar (1953) and narrated by James Mason.
Did you watch any television yesterday? No. Gosh, what was yesterday like? --Calvin & Hobbes
As you all know, I love television. Probably too much, but, hell, what's too much? Just because I no longer read books, watch movies, apply for jobs, or talk to real-life people...
Anyway, I love fall for many reasons, and one of them is the fall lineup of new and returning television shows. So here's what I'm watching.
On Mondays, we have the fifth season of Gossip Girl on the CW. Sadly, none of our television sets receive the CW for unknown, tragic reasons. So I have to watch Gossip Girl on the Internet. Still plenty of gossip, secrets, and drama.
Since I can't watch Gossip Girl when it airs, that means I can watch How I Met Your Mother and 2 Broke Girls on CBS. However, I haven't seen HIMYM for a few seasons. 2 Broke Girls is kinda funny. We'll see.
On Tuesdays we have New Girl and Raising Hope on FOX. (Following Glee which I stopped watching halfway through last season.) I thought the pilot of New Girl was adorbs (yay Zooey Deschanel!), but I didn't love the second episode. I missed the third episode last week, and now you can't watch online until eight days later, unless you have Dish Network or Hulu Plus. Ridiculous. Last year, I stopped watching Modern Family when one of the episodes was Hulu Plus only. If I can't watch New Girl until weeks later, I might forget about it. People (the media) told me I needed to watch Raising Hope, so I did. I don't really get it. I'll give it a few more episodes, but if I'm not loving it, I'll stop.
Wednesdays is a banner night of television on ABC! First there is Modern Family (I'm watching again) which swept the Emmys, and is always reliable for a laugh. Then there is Happy Endings which may be my new favorite show. Ellen showed me half of the first season last week, and I laughed out loud. a lot. Anyway, it's amahzing. Then we have Revenge which is a dishy, soapy drama starring Emily VanCamp and Madeleine Stowe--and when they face off it's spectacular. You need to watch it from the beginning, but Emily has moved to the Hamptons to exact revenge against the powerful and wealthy who framed her father who died in prison. Some have compared it to The Count of Monte Cristo (which I have read, unabridged, twice), and there are some similarities.
Also on Wednesday nights is American Horror Story the latest offering from Ryan Murphy (Nip/Tuck, Glee) on FX. Sadly, we do not have cable, but happily they are showing episodes (at least the pilot) on the FX website and Hulu. Here are the creepy opening credits:
In this hot mess of a show, Connie Britton left her happy marriage to Kyle Chandler on Friday Night Lights for a troubled one with Dylan McDermott (who is frequently naked in the pilot). After suffering a miscarriage and catching her husband having an affair, the family has moved to LA for a fresh start in a very old, haunted house. I can't wait to see what happens next.
On NBC Thursdays there is Parks and Recreation the very funny show created by Amy Poehler. And later there is Prime Suspect the American remake of the British Helen Mirren vehicle. It stars Maria Bello--the entire reason to watch--as a tough homicide detective who has recently transferred to a new, good ol' boys squad. If you're interested in this procedural drama, I would recommend the pilot just to orient oneself. And should I be watching Community?
I'm looking forward to the midseason premiers of 30 Rock and Mad Men (though again with the cable). I still actually need to see the last few MM episodes from season four.
Oktoberfest may just be ending in Germany, but pumpkin month is just beginning! I heart October. Megan made her own October list, so I decided to make one as well.
I don't know if I'll be able to find any good pumpkin beer this year, Utah being what it is and me living with my family. But I'll try.
I'm excited to make some pumpkin treats. Last year, Heidi really went overboard with the pumpkin, but I loved it. And Megan is cooking up a culinary storm. I think I'll be good with just some pumpkin chocolate cookies and some apple cider.
I am going to keep Netflix for another month so I have stuff to watch. I am in season seven of Buffy and season four of Angel. Maybe I will also watch Twin Peaks which is sure to be disturbingly Lynchian.
I have several movies in my queue right now. This includes Manhunter based on the novel Red Dragon. Michael Mann's movie came out five years before Silence of the Lambs and is supposed to be a lot scarier. Also, I've never seen Carrie so I thought this year would be good for that. Elise lent me Young Frankenstein so that will be good for some laughs. I was trying to decide between the cult classics Halloween (Michael Myers), A Nightmare on Elm Street (Freddy Krueger), and Friday the 13th (Jason Voorhees), because I don't think I could all three in one year--I'm not a big slasher fan. Currently, I'm planning on Nightmare. Both Let the Right One In and Let Me In are streaming on Netflix. I'm also thinking about Paranormal Activity, Night of the Living Dead, and The Shining which is my favorite horror/thriller movie.
Elise is performing in a couple of plays this month including Baby with the Bathwater this week, and Sweeney Todd closer to Halloween. And I think we'll all go to a screening of The Rocky Horror Picture Show.
In honor of Banned Books Week which ended last week, I picked up The Perks of Being a Wallflower and Catcher in the Rye from my library. I never did read Catcher in the Rye when I was in high school or college, so maybe I'll be too old for such an angsty book. For Halloween, I think I'll read Frankenstein which I've never read either. I think it will be more haunting that scary.
4. Socks. That's what Ben Wyatt treats himself to, and you know what, socks are awesome! I ran around the whole summer in bare feet and flip-flops and that's one of the things I love about summer. But now that autumn's here and the days are colder, I get to treat my feet to warm, soft, comfortable socks. I hate the standard white crew sock, and for a while I was into the whole no sock fashion look, but now I just love a colorful (solid, stripped, patterned, argyle) dress or boot sock.
6. Mizithra cheese. If it were physically possible to make love to a cheese product, this would be the one. I haven't had mizithra in years, but it has returned to my life, and we are so, so happy together.