This one's for Sam.
Music Man
Back in April I was introduced to "Take Off Your Sunglasses" by Ezra Furman and the Harpoons on TBTL only to find out that was released way back in 2008. But I didn't care, playing it on repeat constantly, and it quickly landed a place on my Top 25 Most Played playlist (to be fair, my iPod is only a couple of years old). It's a Dylan-esque jam—or maybe that's just the harmonica. And despite it's age and winter scene (ski resort in Colorado), it might just my end up on my playlist this summer.
Then in early April, Glen Weldon on PCHH introduced me to "Hugs Not Drugs (Or Both)" by Brendan Maclean. This one quickly went straight to the top of my Top 25 playlist, and will definitely be a summer banger this year. (For me at least. I imagine one day soon it will be played during a club scene on a zeitgeist-y show and get more than 26,000 views.) Also, this party!
On the last day of April, I bought my first ever Weezer record, their new "White Album." I have been playing it in my car and already having a great time. I'm enjoying the sunny SoCal, guitar-driven 90s rock vibes—and it might just become my go-to summer album. "Jacked Up" is currently my favorite track.
Everything is Beautiful at the Ballet
In which our book club continues to be better than your book club. On that first warm, sunny Sunday of April, we got Baskin-Robbins ice cream and went to the park to discuss how problematic The Monkey Wrench Gang by Edward Albee is. Forgetting my parasol, I also got sunburned. And then we went to Desert Edge for refreshment. Later that month we met for an extracurricular night at the ballet, because I had never been. Ballet West's The Nijinsky Revolution featured three modern interpretations of short ballets originally choreographed by Nijinsky: "Afternoon of a Faun" (L'après-midi d'un faune), "Games" (Jeux), and "The Rite of Spring" (Le Sacre du printemps). "Faun" was lovely as was "Games" (whose ménage à trois earned the production a viewer discretion advisory. Ballet, so scandalous!), but "Rite of Spring" was breathtaking! I can almost understand why it caused a riot upon it's premiere. Forgetting my hand fan, I was so warm and dehydrated that by the time we had repaired to Gourmandise I was willing to murder a server for a carafe of water. We returned the next night as volunteers at the VIP room (which is how we scored free tickets in the first place), and afterward were paid in leftover food and, more importantly, wine. Our current book selection is Gulliver's Travels which I keep avoiding as it bores me to tears.
Denver
This year the PLA conference was held in Denver, and since I live nearby, I thought I'd go. I did not realize that Denver is actually kind of fa-a-ar. (A 500+ mile road-trip is also the best time to discover that your cruise control does not work.) By the time I got to Denver, I was having a full-on allergy attack, so naturally I overdosed on ALL the allergy medicines, which in addition to all the extra caffeine I had consumed on the drive resulted in a lot of head pain. Lillian and I shared a hotel room, and since we're not particularly adventurous, we mostly hung out at the convention center and our hotel room. But we did visit the Denver public library and the indie bookstore, Tattered Cover, and really what else is there? I attended such conference sessions as Booklist's Book Buzz, Nonfiction: Top 5 of the Top 5, Shhhh! Don't Tell My Mom, From Reading to Learning, and Out at the Library among others. But I was mostly there for the swag, from Tyrion tote bags to free books (I picked up about 18 ARCs). The opening speaker was Anderson Cooper and the closing speaker was Tig Notaro (both having new books published by Harper Collins), so that was pretty cool too.
Superheroes
I don't have a lot of nerd cred, but as someone who enjoys various aspects of certain pop culture endeavors, and as geek culture has largely been subsumed within pop culture... I think I lost the thread of that sentence. Anyway, I've spent a lot of time with superheroes lately. It started with Glen Weldon's excellent biography of Batman, The Caped Crusade: Batman and the Rise of Nerd Culture. It's a largely breezy, yet comprehensive history of 70+ years of Batman's various incarnations, and though I'm not sure it totally succeeds as a treatise on nerd culture, it's quite good. As I'm in luvst with Chris Evans' Captain America (as Mindy says, "Obviously you would marry Captain America. You don't need an app to tell you that."), I rewatched both Captain America and both Avengers films in preparation for Civil War. I also read Mark Millar's 7-issue crossover series Civil War, wherein I learned how many Marvel superheroes I don't know. Told you I'm not a nerd (besides I'm more a DC kind of guy anyway). Speaking of DC, us graphic novel librarians at Davis County are trying to figure out which Wonder Woman book(s) to obtain. So I checked out a couple from the U's library (I highly recommend having access to multiple libraries). Grant Morrison's new Wonder Woman: Earth One has problems with both cohesive storytelling and the male gaze. The one-shot Wonder Woman: The Hiketeia (in which she fights Batman!) is a far superior comic, but it's also a somewhat limited snapshot of Wonder Woman (side note: The Kindly Ones are always terrifying).
"You Didn't Notice My Awesome Flirting Techniques of Never Speaking to You?"
I may or may not have a flirtation happening with a certain latte boy, and so Mallory Ortberg has very helpfully compiled a list of flirtatious responses. I highly relate.
A Game of Spoilers
In April I finished the fifth (and so far final) book in the Song of Ice and Fire saga which I started back in March. This makes it both the longest entry in the series and the shortest amount of time it's taken me to finish one of these monsters (with the possible exception of the first book). Also, I have been enjoying the current sixth season courtesy of my aunt's HBO Go account (Thanks, Sharee!). The first episode was excellent with the exception of the Sand Snakes. The second episode was slower, setting up various arcs, but the two big moments were Ramsay (at his most dastardly) and Jon Snow (at his only mostly dead)!
Well that's all for now, folks!
Monday, May 2, 2016
Monday, February 29, 2016
February: 10ish Things
Galentine's Weekend
- I spent the long holiday weekend with three of my best gal pals. ("Best friend isn't a person, it's a tier.") On Friday, Elise and I got our Will & Grace party on complete with a baguette and brie from Trader Joe's. Delightful.
- On Saturday (Galentine's Day proper), Sam and I had a full day. First we had an amazing afternoon Italian dinner at Siragusa's. Everything was so tasty and the garlic cheese bread... *nomnomnom*Then we attempted to make French macarons. (But first, we had to run to Bed, Bath & Beyond, because even though Sam told me she had pans *lol*, she did not, in fact, have cookie sheets.) It did not go well. I blame part of it on the recipe we used (though I should definitely not have mixed in that egg white in the food processor). Also, the pastry bag we were using fell apart mid-piping. So they ended up looking like this. The ones on the left are ours; the ones on the right are from Trader Jacques. Pinterest fail! They were, however, quite delicious. Then we watched Bridge of Spies (finally caught up on all the Best Picture nominees) and Far from the Madding Crowd (which we originally planned to see back in May). Carey Mulligan and Matthias Schoenaerts: so very attractive.
- On Monday, I had lunch with Ellen at our favorite Thai restaurant. She's a teacher, so we basically only see each other on school holidays, and most of the time it's at Thai Mano. It's our thing—and they have the best curry puffs! This is us now; after all, we are turning 30 this year! and we'll have to think of something awesome to do to celebrate.
- It didn't happen over the holiday weekend, as Kristen was then busy in Seattle (without me!), but we finally hung out last weekend at our favorite spot, The Bayou. We also just happened to be there during Firkin Friday, which was delightful. We caught up, cheated on our diets, and got a good buzz going.
I got into drinking kombucha tea last year, and while it is delicious (and probiotic!), it is also expensive and comes in glass bottles—and we don't have recycling. =( So I decided to follow The Kitchn's guide and brew my own! It did require a certain outlay from obtaining a SCOBY to buying a set of swing-top bottles, but the process is fairly easy and the first batch was quite tasty (and I didn't die!). It was, however, not very fizzy. The Kitchn promised it would be carbonated within 3 days of bottling (which is what I followed), but another website said it could take 1-2 weeks. So we'll see how the next batch goes. And I think I might add hibiscus next time. Ooh.
This Month in Hamilton
The highlight of this month's Grammy Awards was the performance of the opening number "Alexander Hamilton" live from Broadway's Richard Rodgers Theatre. I almost passed out from excitement! (Another high point: Lin-Manuel Miranda's acceptance speech. Adorbs.) The most depressing news from the Grammys was that "Who is Alexander Hamilton?" search spiked on Google ("America forgot him"). In other Hamilton/book news, I checked out a new book that dropped that same time as the soundtrack (fortuitous timing), War of Two: Alexander Hamilton, Aaron Burr, and the Duel that Stunned the Nation by John Sedgwick. There is also a book that came out a couple of years ago, Jefferson and Hamilton: The Rivalry that Forged a Nation. And, yes, I also plan on reading Ron Chernow's biography sooner or later. Information I've gleaned from Hamilton is also illuminating my reading of Lafayette in the Somewhat United States. Also, this story about Miranda saving The Drama Book Shop just might bring tears to your eyes. I can't wait for the Tonys! Also, Sam now wants us to go see Hamilton—good luck!
Fun Home
Last year's big Tony winner was the new musical Fun Home (which was nominated alongside Hamilton at the Grammys). It is based on one of my favorite all-time books, Alison Bechdel's graphic memoir of the same name. And while it took me two years, we finally got the book in the collection at the county library this month! Anyway, I listened to the Original Cast Recording last summer, and fell in love. This month I decided to buy the new Broadway Cast Recording. (I actually prefer the original for a few reasons: Alexandra Socha as Medium Alison left the show and was replaced, "Al for Short" was replaced with "Party Dress," and more non-essential dialogue was included. Sadly the original recording is no longer available.) Nevertheless, it's a great coming-of-age musical based on a great book. Check it out!
Game of Thrones
I finally started the fifth book in the A Song of Ice and Fire series after buying the book last March (its thickness intimidated me). I plan on finishing it before the series returns to HBO in April (even if most of what happens in A Dance With Dragons was already included in the last season). I am also re-watching the entire series before the premiere. Another series that also returns in April, but is otherwise complete different: Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt! which I am also re-watching.
Hey Marseilles
This a great local band; that location being Seattle. I saw them a couple of times when I lived up there and greatly enjoyed their first album To Travels and Trunks. Their sound is indie folk/chamber pop (sometimes employing an accordion and mandolin!). I missed their second record, but their third, self-titled album came out earlier this month, and I have been enjoying it. While the first album is loose, folk-y (by way of French polka), and full of surprising turns-of-phrase, Hey Marseilles is a tighter, poppier effort. It starts off with a strong driving beat in "Eyes On You." "West Coast" is giving me some Death Cab vibes while "Perfect OK" is throwing me some Paul Simon. And there's a dreamy/trance-y cover of "Heroes." They're coming to SLC in March, and I think I might go out to see them. Anyone want to join me?
High Tea
Our book club met this month at the lobby of The Grand America Hotel for afternoon tea and literary discussion. Unlike most book clubs, our group skews male, and we may have been the only four guys at tea that day. Anyway, we ate delicious sandwiches and pastries whilst contemplating The Myth of Sisyphus and the Absurd. Meanwhile, Elyse and Hadley were quite entranced by the flowering tea. We now have an expedition to the ballet planned. Our book club is classy AF.
No Dames
Elise and I went to see Hail, Caesar!, and while it was not the Coen Bros romp like the trailer suggested, it was an interesting film. (The folks over at PCHH liked it a lot.) The best parts are the classic, genre movie vignettes that are hung on the rather strange, shaggy plot of the main film. Our favorite bit was the Channing Tatum sailor dance number, "No Dames" which riffs on those Gene Kelly/Fred Astaire sailor films like On the Town and Anchors Aweigh as well as the South Pacific song "There's Nothing Like a Dame." Worth the price of admission.
Oscah Fevah
So the Oscars were Sunday, and they were so much better (and more political) than last month's Globes. Chris Rock made funny yet pointed (and sometimes problematic) observations about #OscarsSoWhite and sold a lot of Girl Scout cookies. Joe Biden introduced Lady Gaga who performed "Til It Happens to You" with sexual assault victims. The Big Short said no to Wall Street candidates. And winners Jenny Beaver and Leonardo DiCaprio brought up climate change in their speeches. I was happy that Leo and Brie won, that Spotlight beat out The Revenant for Best Picture, and that Mad Max: Fury Road cleaned up the technical categories. We ate brie and pecan quesadillas, individual cherry chocolate pies, and drank Brooklyns (made with Irish whiskey) in honor of my favorite film of the bunch. Delicious.
How many things was that? I lost count. See you next month!
Monday, February 1, 2016
January
Boys for Pele
I took a break from repeated Hamilton listening to revisit Tori Amos's album Boys for Pele on its 20th anniversary. The record (which while it was her highest charting, probably based on the goodwill/popularity generated by her first two albums) received mixed reviews and largely ended her mainstream/radio career. But this challenging concept album, which is a journey to Hell and back with a detour to the South (following the wake of her breakup with boyfriend and producer Eric Rosse), has emerged as arguably her most impressive achievement and a fan favorite. Here are three fans' takes:
Chris Gerard in the Metro Weekly ranks it as her best album:
"It’s not an album of easily digestible pop songs and it requires repeated listens to “get.” ... Give it time, let it unfold, and you’ll be ready to jump into the fire by the end of the journey. Pele is always hungry."
Reluctant Tori fan Charlotte Richardson Andrews in The Guardian:
"While Alanis Morrisette and Liz Phair were trying to hitch a ride out of Guyville, Amos was razing the patriarchy to the ground, serving up vampiric ex-boyfriends to Pele, the Hawaiian fire goddess rumoured to enjoy man flesh. ... What I found were taboo-smashing gospels, potent with passion, trauma, pleasure, destruction and female power manifested in a thousand different ways."
Michael Tedder (the rare straight male fan) writing for Stereogum:
"Boys For Pele is an album only a rock star would make. It’s way too long, often wildly self-indulgent, and designed to dazzle you with its virtuosity. This, of course, is also what makes it great."
And Chris Gerard again for PopMatters:
"Some of it makes no sense in a literal fashion, but is meant to evoke feelings and thoughts through a word, or a sound, or a flash of imagery. Boys for Pele is a journey, one fraught with elemental human impulses. It’s a catharsis that’s harsh and beautiful and strange and bedeviling and contradictory, but never for a moment less than authentic."
Joyful Salad
On NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour podcast, Glen Weldon shared his four secrets to weight loss (80 lbs in a year!): 1) Grueling Exercise, 2) Joyless Salads, 3) Self-Loathing, and 4) Denying yourself everything that makes life worth living. Sound advice. I find most salads to be joyless, and I avoid them as often as Lorelai Gilmore does. However, I wanted to share this delicious kale salad from The Pioneer Woman. It involves a fair amount of cooking for a salad. What makes it joyful? 1) lardons, 2) caramelized red onions, 3) sauteed mushrooms in a red wine reduction, and 4) goat cheese (the grocery store was out of chevre when I went, so I picked up some feta instead—which I prefer anyway). The kale itself is not cooked, but instead stripped from the stalks. Ree Drumond did not instruct me to massage the kale which apparently is de rigueur, but whatever. The dressing is a basic balsamic vinaigrette. I am not as in love with kale as the rest of America supposedly is, but this is one tasty salad! (Weight-loss not guaranteed.)
Fosse Fists
Speaking of which, Elise, Andrea, Alissa, and I are each pursuing some weight-loss goals for the first three months of 2016. (Down 3.5 lbs since last week!) Our weekly weigh-ins aren't always successful, like that time we went to Sizzler instead of doing yoga. Last Friday we did a Pilates-based weight-loss workout followed by matwork sans mat on a hardwood floor (I bruised my coccyx). And then we drank red wine--for our health! Elise and I are now really into Cline's Ancient Vines Carignane. So good.
The Reading Life
I finished several books in January including A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara (shortlisted for the National Book Award) which is both very long as well as a generous and devastating portrayal of friendship and love. I knocked out a couple of graphic novels starting with The Sandman: Overture (which I got for Christmas) which is an illuminating look at the events that happened before the first issue. It really makes me want to reread the entire series, and ain't nobody got time for that! I also finished the second trade volume of the new Ms. Marvel series which continues to be an enjoyable YA comics series. And I started a few books including Ruth Reichl's food memoir My Kitchen Year, Lafayette in the Somewhat United States ("Ev’ryone give it up for America’s favorite fighting Frenchman!") by Sarah Vowell and The River of Doubt, which a patron recommended to me.
Whisting to the Fullest
I also finished last month's book club selection, The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami. (Confession, I did not finish the book until after our meeting. Shame!) The book, universally adored by the SLFS staff, was my first Murakami. I was not expecting the novel's elastic realism, but it was still enjoyable. We had a lively discussion whilst eating brunch at the Oasis Cafe. (For next month's selection, we chose The Myth of Sisyphus, and reading it reminds me why I was not a philosophy major.) We then headed to the SLC Library where we attempted to play a hand of whist, though we did not get very far before I had to leave...
Golden Globes
...because I had a Golden Globes party to attend! Sam hosted, and we all dressed up very snazzy. [There would be a picture of us except Sam totally dropped the ball here.] The show itself was fairly mediocre this year, but the party was fun. We (or at least Sam and I) booed when The Revenant won Best Picture. Ugh. And then some us drank too much bubbly. And in Sam's words, "The best part about the golden globes was Leonardo's reaction to Lady Gaga bumping into him, Lady Gaga winning for AHS, and Brie Larson winning for Room. That is all."
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
Perhaps the most emotional part the awards show (which happened in the first five minutes), was Rachel Bloom's win for Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. And so I went and watched the show, and it is wonderful. Rebecca (Bloom) gets most of her life advice from butter ads and occasionally breaks out into song. What' not to love? The Daily Beast writes, "There is near universal consensus that Crazy Ex-Girlfriend has a terrible title. There is also near universal consensus that it’s an excellent show. Only one of those things is true."
Cineasts
Sam and I (and sometimes others) continued our quest of watching Golden Globe and Oscar nominated films. We saw Spotlight, which would probably be my pick for Best Picture (even though Brooklyn is still my favorite), but it may not be flashy enough to win. Carol is a gorgeous film that I didn't quite love, but I would like to see it again. (I often want to love Todd Haynes films more than I do.) I sweated my way through The Revenant (the theater was SO hot), and no one in the group except Quinci liked it. And finally we saw The Big Short which is a fairly oddball movie. Overall, the crop of Oscar films this year isn't my favorite.
Will & Grace
Since Kristen and I ended our Buffy Night Fridays, there has been a hole in my heart. That hole has recently been filled by Will & Grace Nights with Elise (well, we've only had one night so far). We have started with Season One (not necessarily my favorite) and some of the late 90s references are dated, but it's still fun.
Car, Travel, and Money
I got my car fixed (and I still don't know how much it cost. eek.) and now it runs much better. Yay! I added another $500 to my Paris fund. Yay! And Lillian and I finally booked a hotel for PLA in Denver in April. Yay! Now we just need to hope that my car can make the trip to Denver and back. *fingers crossed*
Chris Gerard in the Metro Weekly ranks it as her best album:
"It’s not an album of easily digestible pop songs and it requires repeated listens to “get.” ... Give it time, let it unfold, and you’ll be ready to jump into the fire by the end of the journey. Pele is always hungry."
Reluctant Tori fan Charlotte Richardson Andrews in The Guardian:
"While Alanis Morrisette and Liz Phair were trying to hitch a ride out of Guyville, Amos was razing the patriarchy to the ground, serving up vampiric ex-boyfriends to Pele, the Hawaiian fire goddess rumoured to enjoy man flesh. ... What I found were taboo-smashing gospels, potent with passion, trauma, pleasure, destruction and female power manifested in a thousand different ways."
Michael Tedder (the rare straight male fan) writing for Stereogum:
"Boys For Pele is an album only a rock star would make. It’s way too long, often wildly self-indulgent, and designed to dazzle you with its virtuosity. This, of course, is also what makes it great."
And Chris Gerard again for PopMatters:
"Some of it makes no sense in a literal fashion, but is meant to evoke feelings and thoughts through a word, or a sound, or a flash of imagery. Boys for Pele is a journey, one fraught with elemental human impulses. It’s a catharsis that’s harsh and beautiful and strange and bedeviling and contradictory, but never for a moment less than authentic."
Joyful Salad
On NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour podcast, Glen Weldon shared his four secrets to weight loss (80 lbs in a year!): 1) Grueling Exercise, 2) Joyless Salads, 3) Self-Loathing, and 4) Denying yourself everything that makes life worth living. Sound advice. I find most salads to be joyless, and I avoid them as often as Lorelai Gilmore does. However, I wanted to share this delicious kale salad from The Pioneer Woman. It involves a fair amount of cooking for a salad. What makes it joyful? 1) lardons, 2) caramelized red onions, 3) sauteed mushrooms in a red wine reduction, and 4) goat cheese (the grocery store was out of chevre when I went, so I picked up some feta instead—which I prefer anyway). The kale itself is not cooked, but instead stripped from the stalks. Ree Drumond did not instruct me to massage the kale which apparently is de rigueur, but whatever. The dressing is a basic balsamic vinaigrette. I am not as in love with kale as the rest of America supposedly is, but this is one tasty salad! (Weight-loss not guaranteed.)
Fosse Fists
Speaking of which, Elise, Andrea, Alissa, and I are each pursuing some weight-loss goals for the first three months of 2016. (Down 3.5 lbs since last week!) Our weekly weigh-ins aren't always successful, like that time we went to Sizzler instead of doing yoga. Last Friday we did a Pilates-based weight-loss workout followed by matwork sans mat on a hardwood floor (I bruised my coccyx). And then we drank red wine--for our health! Elise and I are now really into Cline's Ancient Vines Carignane. So good.
The Reading Life
I finished several books in January including A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara (shortlisted for the National Book Award) which is both very long as well as a generous and devastating portrayal of friendship and love. I knocked out a couple of graphic novels starting with The Sandman: Overture (which I got for Christmas) which is an illuminating look at the events that happened before the first issue. It really makes me want to reread the entire series, and ain't nobody got time for that! I also finished the second trade volume of the new Ms. Marvel series which continues to be an enjoyable YA comics series. And I started a few books including Ruth Reichl's food memoir My Kitchen Year, Lafayette in the Somewhat United States ("Ev’ryone give it up for America’s favorite fighting Frenchman!") by Sarah Vowell and The River of Doubt, which a patron recommended to me.
Whisting to the Fullest
I also finished last month's book club selection, The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami. (Confession, I did not finish the book until after our meeting. Shame!) The book, universally adored by the SLFS staff, was my first Murakami. I was not expecting the novel's elastic realism, but it was still enjoyable. We had a lively discussion whilst eating brunch at the Oasis Cafe. (For next month's selection, we chose The Myth of Sisyphus, and reading it reminds me why I was not a philosophy major.) We then headed to the SLC Library where we attempted to play a hand of whist, though we did not get very far before I had to leave...
Golden Globes
...because I had a Golden Globes party to attend! Sam hosted, and we all dressed up very snazzy. [There would be a picture of us except Sam totally dropped the ball here.] The show itself was fairly mediocre this year, but the party was fun. We (or at least Sam and I) booed when The Revenant won Best Picture. Ugh. And then some us drank too much bubbly. And in Sam's words, "The best part about the golden globes was Leonardo's reaction to Lady Gaga bumping into him, Lady Gaga winning for AHS, and Brie Larson winning for Room. That is all."
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
Perhaps the most emotional part the awards show (which happened in the first five minutes), was Rachel Bloom's win for Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. And so I went and watched the show, and it is wonderful. Rebecca (Bloom) gets most of her life advice from butter ads and occasionally breaks out into song. What' not to love? The Daily Beast writes, "There is near universal consensus that Crazy Ex-Girlfriend has a terrible title. There is also near universal consensus that it’s an excellent show. Only one of those things is true."
Cineasts
Sam and I (and sometimes others) continued our quest of watching Golden Globe and Oscar nominated films. We saw Spotlight, which would probably be my pick for Best Picture (even though Brooklyn is still my favorite), but it may not be flashy enough to win. Carol is a gorgeous film that I didn't quite love, but I would like to see it again. (I often want to love Todd Haynes films more than I do.) I sweated my way through The Revenant (the theater was SO hot), and no one in the group except Quinci liked it. And finally we saw The Big Short which is a fairly oddball movie. Overall, the crop of Oscar films this year isn't my favorite.
Will & Grace
Since Kristen and I ended our Buffy Night Fridays, there has been a hole in my heart. That hole has recently been filled by Will & Grace Nights with Elise (well, we've only had one night so far). We have started with Season One (not necessarily my favorite) and some of the late 90s references are dated, but it's still fun.
Car, Travel, and Money
I got my car fixed (and I still don't know how much it cost. eek.) and now it runs much better. Yay! I added another $500 to my Paris fund. Yay! And Lillian and I finally booked a hotel for PLA in Denver in April. Yay! Now we just need to hope that my car can make the trip to Denver and back. *fingers crossed*
Friday, January 1, 2016
December
Book Clubbing
My book club meet in early December to discuss Ready Player One by Ernest Cline, a futuristic, sci-fi, action/adventure novel centered around 80s pop culture and gaming. It was fun read, but none of us thought there was a lot of "there" there. Perhaps because the back-jacket claimed it would be important for the protagonist to confront the real-world to survive/win, but either that was not the author's intention or that idea was not successfully carried through. Book aside, our club added a new member (yay!), and we decided to become the Brunch & Tea book club and hold high revel and play whist. I am currently working through our next selection, The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami which is highly strange and engaging. In other book news, I read Helene Wecker's wonderful historical-fantasy The Golem and the Jinni, and I have spent the last two weeks reading my way through Hanya Yanagihara 720-page, heartbreaking novel A Little Life before it's Monday due date. Less than a hundred pages left!
Weight
I passed my second weight check-point this month! (And then I went back over it, and then crossed it again.) Anyway, I have lost 50 lbs (or so, depending on the day) since January 2013 and over 30 lbs just this year. But I would still like to go down another size, so... I'm thinking of joining a gym, but I can't decide if January is the best or worst time to do so.
Fashionista
This means that I was able to fit into my topcoat that I bought way back as an undergrad. (Vintage! Not!) And yet this very old coat, which is missing a handful of buttons, has gotten me more compliments this month than probably any other item of clothing I've ever worn. Except for socks—as Elise said, my sock game is "on fleek" and has won a library award.
Cinema
Sam and I went and saw Krampus in early December, and it was scary, funny, and ridiculous. with an upsetting, non-fairy tale ending. *spoiler* Later in the month, after the Globes nominations, we went and saw Room. The situation is obviously horrible, but the film is very good and Brie Larson and Jacob Tremblay's performances are exceptional. Then I went and saw Brooklyn (without Sam, sorry!), and it's so far my favorite film of the year. Saoirse Ronan gives a quietly beautiful performance of an Irish girl who learns to make her way in 50s Brooklyn only to have a chance to return to Ireland. I was crushing pretty hard on Emory Cohen, so I was of course #teamtony. Okay, maybe that's not a real thing, but I need everyone to see this film and tell me who they would choose: Tony or Jim and why.
Happy Holidays from Billy Wilder et al.
Sam was very sweet and watched two of my favorite Christmas movies with me while we drank Jack Roses and ate Kouign-amanns (or the Breton plural: kouignoù-amann). We started with the terrible, wonderful Love Actually (which used to be my tradition with Ellen before she had her son). "Eight is a lot of legs, David." Then we watched The Apartment, Billy Wilder's fabulous dark romantic comedy about loners who fall in love between the office Christmas party and New Year's Eve. Before heading out for a NYE party myself, I watched Wilder's fabulous Hollywood noir Sunset Boulevard where William Holden attends two very different New Year's Eve parties in a beautiful tailcoat: "Wonderful shoulders. I love that line." Nobody wears tails to NYE parties anymore. I did not get a lot of other holiday movie viewing done (including my other favorite The Thin Man!), but I did catch Netflix's holiday special A Very Murray Christmas, which I found delightful and it totally got me in the holiday spirit. And finally, Elise, Justin, and I watched Meet Me in St. Louis (which is Justin's tradition) mostly for Judy singing the finest and most melancholy of all Christmas songs (Tori Amos's cover is also near and dear to my heart):
Art Angels
This is the first Grimes album I've bought, and I've found its electronic pop to be both very strange (including the cover art) as well as catchy and likable. iTunes writes that "Art Angels is a Catherine wheel of ferocious pop invention" and that seems to me the perfect description. While we're talking music here, I just want to say that my two favorite albums of the year were Florence + the Machine's How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful and Lana Del Rey's Honeymoon.
Snow Day
On Monday, Dec. 14th we had a massive winter storm which left Bountiful with 23" of snow! It was insane, and even though the U did not close (until late afternoon), I decided to take a personal snow day anyway, and I read my book and drank hot chocolate and napped and made macaroni and cheese casserole for dinner (comfort food!), and it was a mostly good time except that I did pull a back muscle attempting to shovel some snow.
T.V.
I finished two series in December: Fox's Scream Queens and Netflix's Jessica Jones (which turned out to be three episodes longer than I expected). Scream Queens was hilarious and macabre with cast members dying in every episode. But the best line of the whole season was Dean Munsch (original scream queen Jamie Lee Curtis) in the finale: "Especially since the new Kappa seems to be aligned so clearly with mine and the rest of the student body's almost militant commitment to political correctness and acceptance of different and unusual points of view. As long as they're always left-leaning. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go disinvite Jerry Seinfeld from speaking at commencement. He told a joke about a woman once. Allegedly." Jessica Jones is a decidedly gritty superhero show—or perhaps anti-heroine show. The season's arc was concerned with defeating Kilgrave (David Tennant) who is no ordinary costumed supervillain twirling his mustache, but a real monster who is misogyny personified, "a one-man system of oppression, sexual violence, and domestic abuse." I'm not sure if I'll ever be able to re-watch Tennant's Doctor Who episodes again—what if his companions are really hostages?
Party Central
I started the holiday parties with my college friend set, who are all married except for Ashley and me, and of the four married couples, three have one or more children. So it was all a little crazy, but we had a lovely dinner, and the gingerbread men cookies that I made seemed to be a big hit, if I may say so myself. Then there was a martini cocktail party which was expected to be a raging hootenanny but turned out to be a fairly small gathering. I dressed up in my suit (which fits again!) and had six or seven martinis (small ones). And we all danced to jazz music and had a mahvelous time. There were family parties in which I most certainly did not hide from my family members in the closet of my childhood bedroom with half a bottle of wine! And I ended the year at Quinci's NYE party which was low-key and fun and in which Quentin Tarantino movies played in the background.
Hamilton
Let me be the latest person to fanboy over this musical sensation by Lin-Manuel Miranda. I checked out the Broadway cast recording from the library, and it is most excellent. It's Alexander Hamilton's life story, the cast is mostly people of color, and many of the songs are rap/hip-hop (though there are some traditional Broadway melodies as well). You can read this Atlantic piece about the music, and this Telegraph piece which concludes: "Like most good ideas," Kail says, dryly, "it doesn’t make sense until somebody puts in front of you and you say, 'Oh, of course.'" So go find it and listen to it. It makes me cry and want to read more U.S. history and be a better American. How corny am I?
Bonus: Christmas
Another Christmas has come and gone and I got three pairs of socks! and also many much books. So my Christmas was merry and hope yours was too.
My book club meet in early December to discuss Ready Player One by Ernest Cline, a futuristic, sci-fi, action/adventure novel centered around 80s pop culture and gaming. It was fun read, but none of us thought there was a lot of "there" there. Perhaps because the back-jacket claimed it would be important for the protagonist to confront the real-world to survive/win, but either that was not the author's intention or that idea was not successfully carried through. Book aside, our club added a new member (yay!), and we decided to become the Brunch & Tea book club and hold high revel and play whist. I am currently working through our next selection, The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami which is highly strange and engaging. In other book news, I read Helene Wecker's wonderful historical-fantasy The Golem and the Jinni, and I have spent the last two weeks reading my way through Hanya Yanagihara 720-page, heartbreaking novel A Little Life before it's Monday due date. Less than a hundred pages left!
Weight
I passed my second weight check-point this month! (And then I went back over it, and then crossed it again.) Anyway, I have lost 50 lbs (or so, depending on the day) since January 2013 and over 30 lbs just this year. But I would still like to go down another size, so... I'm thinking of joining a gym, but I can't decide if January is the best or worst time to do so.
Fashionista
This means that I was able to fit into my topcoat that I bought way back as an undergrad. (Vintage! Not!) And yet this very old coat, which is missing a handful of buttons, has gotten me more compliments this month than probably any other item of clothing I've ever worn. Except for socks—as Elise said, my sock game is "on fleek" and has won a library award.
Cinema
Sam and I went and saw Krampus in early December, and it was scary, funny, and ridiculous. with an upsetting, non-fairy tale ending. *spoiler* Later in the month, after the Globes nominations, we went and saw Room. The situation is obviously horrible, but the film is very good and Brie Larson and Jacob Tremblay's performances are exceptional. Then I went and saw Brooklyn (without Sam, sorry!), and it's so far my favorite film of the year. Saoirse Ronan gives a quietly beautiful performance of an Irish girl who learns to make her way in 50s Brooklyn only to have a chance to return to Ireland. I was crushing pretty hard on Emory Cohen, so I was of course #teamtony. Okay, maybe that's not a real thing, but I need everyone to see this film and tell me who they would choose: Tony or Jim and why.
So dreamy. ©20th Century Fox
In other cinema news, I have so far been subjected to the Anomalisa trailer thrice, and I can't even (the horror!). I also can't even wait for Carol, whose SLC opening keeps getting delayed (the agony!). I still have a lot of catching up to do with the nominees before the Golden Globe Awards ceremony next Sunday.Happy Holidays from Billy Wilder et al.
Sam was very sweet and watched two of my favorite Christmas movies with me while we drank Jack Roses and ate Kouign-amanns (or the Breton plural: kouignoù-amann). We started with the terrible, wonderful Love Actually (which used to be my tradition with Ellen before she had her son). "Eight is a lot of legs, David." Then we watched The Apartment, Billy Wilder's fabulous dark romantic comedy about loners who fall in love between the office Christmas party and New Year's Eve. Before heading out for a NYE party myself, I watched Wilder's fabulous Hollywood noir Sunset Boulevard where William Holden attends two very different New Year's Eve parties in a beautiful tailcoat: "Wonderful shoulders. I love that line." Nobody wears tails to NYE parties anymore. I did not get a lot of other holiday movie viewing done (including my other favorite The Thin Man!), but I did catch Netflix's holiday special A Very Murray Christmas, which I found delightful and it totally got me in the holiday spirit. And finally, Elise, Justin, and I watched Meet Me in St. Louis (which is Justin's tradition) mostly for Judy singing the finest and most melancholy of all Christmas songs (Tori Amos's cover is also near and dear to my heart):
Art Angels
This is the first Grimes album I've bought, and I've found its electronic pop to be both very strange (including the cover art) as well as catchy and likable. iTunes writes that "Art Angels is a Catherine wheel of ferocious pop invention" and that seems to me the perfect description. While we're talking music here, I just want to say that my two favorite albums of the year were Florence + the Machine's How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful and Lana Del Rey's Honeymoon.
Snow Day
On Monday, Dec. 14th we had a massive winter storm which left Bountiful with 23" of snow! It was insane, and even though the U did not close (until late afternoon), I decided to take a personal snow day anyway, and I read my book and drank hot chocolate and napped and made macaroni and cheese casserole for dinner (comfort food!), and it was a mostly good time except that I did pull a back muscle attempting to shovel some snow.
T.V.
I finished two series in December: Fox's Scream Queens and Netflix's Jessica Jones (which turned out to be three episodes longer than I expected). Scream Queens was hilarious and macabre with cast members dying in every episode. But the best line of the whole season was Dean Munsch (original scream queen Jamie Lee Curtis) in the finale: "Especially since the new Kappa seems to be aligned so clearly with mine and the rest of the student body's almost militant commitment to political correctness and acceptance of different and unusual points of view. As long as they're always left-leaning. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go disinvite Jerry Seinfeld from speaking at commencement. He told a joke about a woman once. Allegedly." Jessica Jones is a decidedly gritty superhero show—or perhaps anti-heroine show. The season's arc was concerned with defeating Kilgrave (David Tennant) who is no ordinary costumed supervillain twirling his mustache, but a real monster who is misogyny personified, "a one-man system of oppression, sexual violence, and domestic abuse." I'm not sure if I'll ever be able to re-watch Tennant's Doctor Who episodes again—what if his companions are really hostages?
Party Central
I started the holiday parties with my college friend set, who are all married except for Ashley and me, and of the four married couples, three have one or more children. So it was all a little crazy, but we had a lovely dinner, and the gingerbread men cookies that I made seemed to be a big hit, if I may say so myself. Then there was a martini cocktail party which was expected to be a raging hootenanny but turned out to be a fairly small gathering. I dressed up in my suit (which fits again!) and had six or seven martinis (small ones). And we all danced to jazz music and had a mahvelous time. There were family parties in which I most certainly did not hide from my family members in the closet of my childhood bedroom with half a bottle of wine! And I ended the year at Quinci's NYE party which was low-key and fun and in which Quentin Tarantino movies played in the background.Hamilton
Let me be the latest person to fanboy over this musical sensation by Lin-Manuel Miranda. I checked out the Broadway cast recording from the library, and it is most excellent. It's Alexander Hamilton's life story, the cast is mostly people of color, and many of the songs are rap/hip-hop (though there are some traditional Broadway melodies as well). You can read this Atlantic piece about the music, and this Telegraph piece which concludes: "Like most good ideas," Kail says, dryly, "it doesn’t make sense until somebody puts in front of you and you say, 'Oh, of course.'" So go find it and listen to it. It makes me cry and want to read more U.S. history and be a better American. How corny am I?
Bonus: Christmas
Another Christmas has come and gone and I got three pairs of socks! and also many much books. So my Christmas was merry and hope yours was too.
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