Tensgiving

November in Review

1. Who Needs a Movie?
Prior to November, I had only seen nine films in the theater (not counting Brewvies Film Buff Night), and five of those were late 2014 movies that didn't come to SLC til Jan/Feb. So the four 2015 releases I had seen were Mad Max: Fury Road, Inside Out, Jurassic World, and Crimson Peak. But then I saw three more new films this month: The Martian, Suffragette, and The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 2. The Martian was excellent: compelling, thrilling, humorous, and surprisingly emotional. It was more lucid than Interstellar and less claustrophobic than Gravity. Suffragette was fairly good. Carrie Mulligan was wonderful as always, and I thought it was one of Helena Bonham Carter's better performances of late—not being a Tim Burton or Harry Potter film. Queen Meryl as Emmeline Pankhurst was in the movie for all of two minutes, which was a little disappointing. She's on the poster, but she's not even the one who dies! *spoiler alert* And we were all a little shocked as the credits rolled that women didn't get the vote in Switzerland until 1971! Finally, Mockingjay 2 was better than Part 1, and while J.Law was first-rate as always, I didn't buy her romance with either Gale or Peeta, which reminds me of this parody: "because all my life I was never really into either."

Also, out the now-twelve films I've seen this year, eight of them have been with Sam. Thanks for being my movie buddy!

2. Winter is Coming
Remember, remember the 5th of November, because that is when the snow started flurrying. This November has been pretty cold with a handful of snowstorms throughout the month, though none of the snow has stuck around for long. Still, I hope this means a White Christmas and a healthy snowpack. (Also, I need to read A Dance with Dragons before the next season of Game of Thrones [and the possible spring release of The Winds of Winter... Ha!].)

3. Midwinter Graces
Six years ago, Tori Amos released a holiday album—and reader, I did not buy it. I was disappointed with her previous album, Abnormally Attracted to Sin which was released only months prior; I was not feeling "Snow Angel," the free iTunes download; and while my two favorite Christmas songs have and always will be Tori's versions of "Little Drummer Boy" and "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," this was an album of original compositions. Also, the cover art is terrible (and terrifying). But this year I did buy the album on iTunes, partly because it was on sale, and I have to say that I am rather enjoying it. While these are original songs, snatches of familiar carols wind their ways through the new tunes. "Snow Angel" continues to not be my favorite, but I really enjoy "Star of Wonder," "Holly, Ivy and Rose," and "Winter's Carol" (which was totally repackaged for The Light Princess) among others. Midwinter Graces is an album of holiday mysticism with as many mentions of the Holly King as the baby Jesus; also each track corresponds to one of the four classical elements (though I could not tell you which goes with which without looking it up).

4. Treat Yo Self
There was a Friday that was quite disheartening, and I was not ready to go home after work, and I just thought if only there was a café I could go to—and it came to me in a flash, Gourmandise! which is a French-inspired bakery and café downtown. I had a glass of wine, a slice of mushroom quiche, and macarons while I read my book for an hour. It was restorative and humanizing.

5. i iz sick
I got a cold this month (I get about 1.5 colds per year), and while the symptoms were fairly mild, it lasted much longer than normal. (Perhaps that's what I get for using store-brand Cold-Eeze.) However, coupled with the cold weather, it was an excellent time for drinking hot toddies. I start with a hot honey lemon water base, and then I add a generous "tot" of brandy, which, as Alexandra Fuller's father knows, is totally medicinal. I sometimes add spices, but after once mistaking paprika for cinnamon, I have let well enough alone.

6. 25
Here are a few thoughts about Adele's new album. I do think that "Hello," which we have all heard a million times, is the stand-out song which is why it's the first single and the opening track. "When We Were Young" is also a good second single. My other favorites include "Send My Love (To Your New Lover)," "Water Under the Bridge," and "River Lea" all three of which are pretty up-tempo and catchy. Most of the other songs I could take or leave, and I don't think any of the tracks are as good as "Rolling in the Deep" or "Someone Like You," so over-all I give the album a medium. (Also, how pissed do you think Taylor is that Adele waited until she was on the cover of GQ's November issue "T.S. Rules the World" to be like "Hello, it's me!"?)

7. All the Pies
I attended three Thanksgiving dinners. I went to my aunt & uncle's for Thursday, and then I had two Friendsgivings over the weekend. And I made four pies: pecan, two pumpkin, and an apple. I also entertained the notion of making a tarte Tatin, but sanity carried the day. Pies are not as easy as ... pie, they are hard work, and between jobs, traveling, a holiday concert, and continuous pie-making/dish-washing, it was not exactly a relaxing holiday. But it was good to see family and friends, give thanks, and eat butter.

8. Giving Thanks for TV
Some of my favorite TV episodes are set at Thanksgiving, though—due to busyness and pie-making—I sadly did not get to all of them. "A Deep-Fried Korean Thanksgiving" is essential Gilmore Girls viewing. I love both of The West Wing's offerings: "Shibboleth" and "The Indians in the Lobby." I started watching the Friends' T-Day episodes from the beginning, but I didn't get to my two favorites: "The One with Brad Pitt the Rumor" and "The One Where Ross Got High." I also did not get around to "Pangs" from Buffy or any of HIMYM's "Slapsgivings." What are your favorite Thanksgiving-themed TV episodes?

9. Books
I finished many much more books this month, including my book-club book, Ready Player One, which is an enjoyable futuristic, 80s-themed adventure novel. It also gave me anxiety dreams whenever I read it before bed. I read David Mitchell's short haunted-house novel, Slade House, over the break, which was inventive and disturbing. I've almost finished National Book Award winner Challenger Deep, which was actually quite difficult to get into, but is a fascinating YA novel about mental illness. I finished the graphic adaptation of Swann's Way, which was reasonably easy to read and follow, though I can't say I loved the story. However, I still plan to read the novel (eventually...), and I think this will have been a good introduction. I also finished Shadow of Night, the second novel in what I will continue to call the Twilight series for the adult-set. Set in 1590s Europe, it was an enjoyable historical fantasy.

10.  That Moveable Feast
I have set aside my first $500 for Paris. I'm coming back for you! Though I've really fallen behind practicing my French on my Duolingo... I don't really have anything to say about Paris attacks except that it's heartbreaking and that, in all the reaction, Berry's essay "Thoughts in the Presence of Fear" continues to be relevant fourteen years later.

Now, excuse me while I go eat leftover pie and watch Dan in Real Life. And may everyone have a very merry December.

October: Take Ten

1. Vampire Diaries
In early October season six of Vampire Diaries dropped on Netflix, and I binged it hardcore--watching all 22 episodes over the course of eight days. and it was glorious. It is for sure an over-the-top, CW teen soap, and I love it. I exchanged hundreds of texts with fellow Diaries enthusiast Sam as I watched the season following Bonnie who was trapped in a pocket universe, Elena who lost all her memories, Caroline who switched off her humanity, and the season's Big Bad, Kai, who ruined EVERYTHING! and much more. I can't wait to binge watch the current season next year.

2. Scary Movie Nights
It's decorative gourd season, and what is more festive than watching some terrifying flicks? When I was a child I hated horror films which didn't change until college. But I was somehow present when my roommates watched The Grudge, and it wasn't all that scary. Then Slarue and I watched 28 Days Later and The Shining which were for sure scary, but in a fun way, and now I'm a fan. So this year Sam and I got together every week to get our fright on. Here's a list of what we watched:
The Haunting (the original thank you very much)
The Watcher in the Woods (Disney was very strange in the 80s)
The Others
The Exorcist (this is the one I was most reluctant to see--possession! gah!--but Sam was insistent. in the end it was pretty interesting and not as scary as I thought it would be)
The Orphanage (still super scary the third or fourth time around and it reduced Sam to a quivering puddle)
The Amityville Horror
The Conjuring
Sam and I also went to see Crimson Peak which turned out to be not so scary. though very beautiful but also a bit meh. and Jessica Chastain was giving me some serious Eva Green vibes.

3. Book Club
My book club met in order to discuss Henry James's ghost novella The Turn of the Screw. (We were also supposed to compare and contrast it with James's friend Edith Wharton's ghost story All Souls', but nobody else read it.) The Turn of the Screw seems to be popular (at least in academia) because it is short, lends itself to close reading, has a (potentially) unreliable narrator, and is a useful example of James's second period. Following Edmund Wilson's seminal essay "The Ambiguity of Henry James" we were divided into apparitionists (Devin) and non-apparitionists (Elyse and I). We then watched the excellent film adaptation The Innocents (also very scary), and I started to rethink my non-apparitionist stance while it firmly cemented Elyse's viewpoint.

4. Fall Baking (i.e. Pumpkin Everything)
Two of my favorite things to make in October is this Pumpkin Roll and these Pumpkin Cookies. I served the roll at book club and it was a big success esp. with Alex. The cookies were also a success when I brought them to work where several coworkers demanded the recipe. Because it uses melted butter instead of oil and no egg, the cookies have dense, chewy texture instead of the cakey/muffin-y texture common to pumpkin cookies. 

5. The Light Princess
Tori Amos co-wrote a musical based on George MacDonald's fairy tale, and the original cast recording was released in October. (The musical premiered two years ago at the Royal National Theatre, but no album was produced at that time.) The Light Princess a coming-of-age story of Althea, who, becoming weightless after her mother dies, must learn how to feel to find her gravity. It's an empowering musical about growing up, parents and children, and facing the world. It's my favorite thing she's done since 2007's American Doll Posse (an album that's fallen sharply in my estimation). It's a good, operetta-leaning musical (and while it lacks big, showstopping numbers, several of the tunes have wormed their way into my earholes), but it won't replace Into the Woods as my favorite musical or even Fun Home as my favorite new musical this year. 

6. HBO NOW
The HBO Now monthly service f i n a l l y came to the Roku player in October, and it was the best day ever. However, after catching up on Game of Thrones (so many deaths in the last episode! *spoiler*), I am not sure I love it. It's not quite as user-friendly as I would have hoped, and it has constant buffering problems. So I may not continue my subscription at this time, but I will def return when GoT does.

7. Debt
I finally paid off all my credit card debt this month! All I have left is a residual interest payment of 3 and some odd dollars. With my undergrad loans and credit cards paid off, all I have left is grad school--for the rest of my life. Now I can start saving for Paris! 

8. Adulting
Back in September, I got a flat tire on campus, and as I didn't have a car jack, my dad had to come rescue me. and he bought me a car jack! Well, less than a month later I had to use it as I got another flat. The lug nuts were rusted on pretty well which caused a lot of cursing, but, eventually, I changed my very first spare tire all by myself! and was only 30 minutes late to work. Continuing to adult only slightly more successfully than New Girl's Nick Miller. 

9. Books
All that Vamp Diaries and GoT interrupted my reading time which means that the only book I actually finished in October was the first trade issue of the new Ms. Marvel series--which is pretty good (and short). I got about 70 pages in The House of the Seven Gables before dropping it and only 18 pages in to The Witches of Eastwick before stopping. I am currently about 80 pages in Seven Ages of Paris and halfway through Night of Shadows. I have also made it halfway through Stéphane Heuet's graphic adaptation of Swann's Way which is more accessible than but does not come with the same bragging rights as the original. And in November I finished Nimona, a web-comic-turned-book that has been shortlisted for the National Book Award in the Young People's category. Nimona is a shape-shifter who teams up with moral villain Lord Blackheart in his fight against the nefarious Institute and spurious hero Sir Goldenloin where science mixes with magic and medieval and modern technologies coexist. I hope to finish more books this month.

10. Frightmares, Halloween and Hook
Gramantha had their last Lagoon day of the year during Frightmares where we only went to one haunted house because that enough for Kristen, thank you very much. and I think Sam was more scared of the swings and the Ferris wheel than the haunted attractions. For Halloween the rest of the crew went as Star Wars: Empire Strikes Back characters and I went as Hook from Once Upon a Time. It was a fun night even though I was ready for a nap by the time we got to our first party. 

Bonus: October Babies 
I seriously think that at least half of the people in my life were born in October. Seriously, what is going on in January? Oh, right, nothing. 

10 Things: September

Here are ten things I did this month. I'm hoping to make this a regular monthly post.  

1. Labor Day Party
For the past four or five years now, I've had friends over to my house to swim and barbecue while the rest of my family goes to Lava Hot Springs. It's great because I don't love camping, but I do love having the house to myself. I didn't actually barbecue this year instead making ratatouille, macaroni and cheese, and peach pie, and only a few people swam because it was frickin' cold! I also made my own orgeat syrup so we could make Mai Tais which were delicious. It was great to see a bunch of my friends, including Dain whom I rarely see since he lives in New Mexico now. 

2. Buffy Finale
Three Septembers ago, Kristen and I started watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and we finally watched "Chosen," the final episode! It took us a while to get through the series--mostly because Kristen kept moving (first to WA, then to CA). But I've always enjoyed our (somewhat regular) weekly Buffy nights. I don't what we're going to do now.

3. The Greek Festival
Kristen, Sam, and I went to the annual Greek Festival in SLC and had a good time. I ate way too much food. It was delicious--and heavy. Then we got frappes and toured the Orthodox church. And then we went to the mall to drink Starbucks and buy things at Barnes & Noble.

4. Scandal
I started watching the television show Scandal at the end of August or beginning of September, and I am now halfway through the fourth season. I am addicted! (I probably watched the entire second season during the Labor Day weekend.) Season three took some turns I didn't care for, but I am still watching it compulsively. 
In other TV news, I just watched the premier of Scream Queens which is gruesome and darkly funny. The Serial joke was so good. I will definitely keep watching for now.

5. Wicked
I have loved the musical Wicked since college when all my friends were obsessed with it. I've always been curious to read the Maguire novel, and so Sam lent me her copy (it's one of her favorite books), but I did not care for the book at all. It was a deeply frustrating reading experience from the character of Elphaba to the story itself. The creators of the musical made some excellent choices in their adaptation. 

6. Fall Reading List
I love to throw in some books with thrills and chills during the fall. For book club (meeting next month), we decided to read some ghost stories with The Turn of the Screw by Henry James and "All Souls' " by Edith Wharton. Currently I'm reading Hawthorne's gothic The House and the Seven Gables and the second book in Harkness's All Souls trilogy Shadow of Night. I also want to get to Updike's The Witches of Eastwick next month. Perhaps I shall share my thoughts on what I've read next time. 

7. Books Books Books
This month I went to two library book sales. The first at Davis County where I found nothing that I wanted. Sayud. Then next at the U, where I picked up five nice paperbacks: The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton, The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley, The Yiddish Policeman's Union by Michael Chabon, a Norton Critical Edition of Gulliver's Travels and a Penguin Classics copy of The Custom of the Country (my favorite Wharton novel). I also picked up Janson's The History of Art (sixth ed.) for $2! I am pretty pleased with my selections. A couple weeks later, the U had its Employee Appreciation Day which always includes a FREE books table. The pickings were slim, but I grabbed two hardbacks in good condition: Back to Blood by Tom Wolfe and The Letters of Lytton Strachey. (My favorite book so far this year was Priya Parmar's historical novel Vanessa and Her Sister about the Bloomsbury Group, and Lytton Strachey was one of my favorite characters.) I also just liberated about sixteen books from the boxes in the shed from when I moved back to Utah four years ago, and it feels so good to be reunited. On the other hand, I have no shelf space for all these books.

8. Fall Hike
A couple of Sundays ago, I went hiking with Elise up Mueller Park Canyon which is a very easy, moderate hike. Only a few of the leaves had turned, but it felt properly autumnal nevertheless. After the hike, we enjoyed a bottle of Amontillado with some Manchego cheese, and it was delicious!

9. Honeymoon
I picked up Lana Del Rey's third album Honeymoon upon its release, and I have been enjoying it very much. The NYT writes "She’s been angry, and then bored of being angry, but now she’s just bored, and her boredom is entrancing." Opening with the line "We both know that it's not fashionable to love me" and closing with a cover of "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood," it's a languorous set of retro, cinematic soundscapes for Del Rey's art project persona of a world-weary femme fatale. "Truly there's nobody else for you but me," she sings, and nobody else is making this kind of pop music, and perhaps nobody else even could. It's the Full Lana and won't win any new converts, but it may be her most cohesive work yet (though the Paradise EP is still my favorite). In closing Billboard writes, "Under the cover of midnight, Del Rey has been exploring big ideas about eroticism, drugs, myth, the empty promise of YOLO, what it means to be a woman, and the American soul. But sure, keep writing her off as 'sad.'"
In other music news, I also picked up CHVRCHES new album Every Open Eye which is the kind of shiny, ear candy pop that Lana is NOT making, and it's great, but for some reason the disc won't read in my car's tetchy CD player, so I will keep listening to Honeymoon. 

10. Oktoberfest
Over the weekend, Sam, Kristen, Brandon, Vicki, Quinci, and I made our way to Snowbird for Oktoberfest. It was a day full of drinking beer (Wasatch's Pumpkin Ale may be my favorite pumpkin beer) and eating German food and it was wonderful. 

Bonus
11. Paris
I have decided to travel to Paris next year. I'm hoping Sam will come with me. Right now it's just the fun fantasy of planning a trip, and now I'm reading Alistair Horne's Seven Ages of Paris and brushing up on my French on Duolingo.