Day Before...

I feel a bit like "sad cat".

Wondering what the new year has in store.

Feel like it's about to fall on my head.

Getting a haircut today, might go edgy and get rid of the long locks.

In need of a change.

That is all.

Movie Review - Easy A

Yes, I rented this.

B & I were in the mood for something that wouldn't take a lot of brain power.

This movie fits the bill quite nicely.

It could have been good - it could have been great, actually, had the movie focused entirely on the interactions between the main character Olive and her parents, played by the hilarious and engaging Patricia Clarkson and Stanley Tucci.

The dialogue that took place within the family was sharp and funny. Were such wit to exist in the everyday, I would enjoy my life a lot more.

Any of the scenes outside of her family sucked. Lazy dialogue, bad acting, poor plot.

Forgot to add that Thomas Hayden Church was funny in a great dry kinda way. He also upped the likability factor.

Easy A gets a D for likability but a B for achieving what was intended - lazy entertainment for a low-key Tuesday night.

My smack needs some crack

So.

It's that time of year my lips get a little chappy. A bit chafed. A tad cracky. A smidge flaky. I know...not too appealing.

My lips are at war, and are ready to surrender to the most potent form of lip goo on the market.

The front-runner is Cherry Softlips. It's got a nice taste, kind of tingly (ooh la la), and the packaging is slender and appealing. Fits well in my front pocket or purse, and seems to never run out. Plus, I'm told it tastes good....points for that. The only drawback is that it's not the fastest repair...


The next option is Carmex, or "carwax", which is what we called it back in college. And that's really the reason I like it - because it reminds me of college. It really does wonders, but it resembles earwax and you have to dig your finger into this little pot and smudge it on manually, which is unseemly and unsanitary. But again, points for the college memory.


The final contender, not to be outdone or dismissed, is the tried and true Chapstick. Basic, no frills, does the trick quick. The only drawback is that it reminds me of both my grandma's lips and my ex's lips (they are Chapstick fiends), neither of which I want to be thinking about as I lube up.


What's a girl to do??

Movie Review - Black Swan

Well. Well, well, well.

I had no idea the treat that awaited me Saturday night at the Chase Park Plaza.

B and I got there a little early, and there was a line a mile long.

No worries, though, because we had rock-star luck and lucked out with near perfect seats.

We then proceeded to spend the next 108 minutes watching a frail Natalie Portman be psychologically terrorized by....well....herself.

It was a phenomenal movie, in that it was truly unique. It was very unnerving at times, disturbing at others, and overall a pretty wicked ride.

I won't go into details as I'm sure there are folks out there who haven't seen it. But what I will say is this - if you've seen Carrie, Inception, and Jacob's Ladder, there are elements of each of these films (and perhaps a modified scene or two) in Black Swan. Whether this was intentional on Aronofsky's behalf or not, it serves him and the film well.

Oh, and the scene with Winona Ryder in the hospital? Probably one of the freakiest, violent and memorable scenes in history.

This is not a movie I will ever see again, but I'm glad I saw it once.

Grade: A+

Winter Park, CO

We've decided to hit up Winter Park for our Feb. ski trip. Never been, should be fun.

Is it February yet??

Happy Thursday

BJC Christmas Party tonight.

I brought my Big Ass Purse.

The Golden Misses

The Golden Globe nominations are out, and I'm more than a bit confused.

Piper Perabo for Best Actress in a Television Drama? Really, now....let's name some gals that SHOULD have been on that list. Christina Hendricks (Joan) from Mad Men. Or how about Chandra Wilson (Miranda Bailey) from Grey's Anatomy? Or Maggie Q from that Alias ripoff.

And yeah, I saw 127 Hours, and James Franco is lovely eye candy, but his performance wasn't THAT phenom. The kid from Kick Ass did a great job...better than Franco in my opinion.

And then there's Dakota Fanning and Kristen Stewart from The Runaways...fine performances, but I guess because of the subject matter, not artsy enough, they get ousted?

Oh, and Leonardo from Shutter Island - that was a fantastic movie. Very noirish, and he did a better job in that then Inception.

Ooh, and HELLO! Noomi Rapace for The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo.

And let's not forget the powerhouse performances in COMEDY from the OUTSTANDING FILM.......Cyrus. I LOVE THIS MOVIE!!!!!! Love the actors in it, the story, all of it.

SEE CYRUS instead of watching the Golden Globes. Time better spent.

Slope action

Just booked my flight to Denver to visit my cousin for a mini ski vacation. Haven't decided on the resort just yet, many to choose from. We'll be hitting the Nuggets/Celtic game the night before. Good times!!!!!

This week...

...is another week of fun for me - wheeeee!

Every morning at 5 a.m. off to the gym. Yay yay yay!!!!! Why that godawful early? Because I don't have evening classes or internship duties. And because I can.

Tonight - a friend is coming over to help me move some furniture. Not really fun, but the space for my new office/meditation room will be fun to use eventually.

Tuesday - another friend and I will be stirring up some fun, somewhere. TBD.

Wednesday - meeting with my favorite student for one last session, then off to Mangia, followed by either 2720 Cherokee for some reggae or Off Broadway for Tim Kasher and City of Takers. Decisions, decisions.

Thursday - holiday office party, then off to meet yet another friend for some libations. Scotch whiskey for him, single malt or blended Irish for me.

Friday - sushi with Kristen to toast our good fortunes in academia and to future endeavors, and to dish about boys. Could be an all-nighter.

Saturday - Slasher at Hot City Theater. Hoping the play is funny, and not so much scary.

Sunday - ??????????? If anyone's got any ideas, let me know. I'll probably hand with my mom for a good part of the day, Saturday also, but this evening is open.

Yes, I'm trying to squeeze in as much fun as possible. I missed out on so much over the past seven months, I've got some making up to do.

Oh, hell yeah

Just came across this article in my daily listen. Hot.

If men took the time to read/understand/apply the lessons in the article, women wouldn't have to fake it.

Oh yeah, of course fakery happens, depending on the girl. It really doesn't help much, though, because by faking it you are reinforcing what doesn't work.

I think the key things to pay attention to in this story are:

1. Comfortable locale

2. Spicy talk

3. Foreplay (der)

The 90-second window thing cracks me up a bit. 90 seconds? Really? I am only privy to my 30 second window...am I missing out? Maybe I'm too distracted until the last 30 seconds before takeoff. Who timed this?

Movies recut

I discovered that there are tons of "recut" film trailers that make horror movies look like romances, vice versa, and everything in between.

Check out the recut of The Shining:



I know, I'm a bit late to this game, but since film editing is a hobby of mine (passion, really), I COMPLETELY dig this.

Here's Mary Poppins recut as a horror movie - genius.



And one of my faves, Top Gun recut as to what it really should have been - a love story with TC and Val.

Um. Yeah.

Loooong Monday.

Day trip to Pittsburgh PA to drop off/pick up a kidney.

Flew on a prop plane. Nearly barfed. Turbulence sux.

Having a low-key day, not feeling all that great. Hope I'm not getting sick.

Listening to this:



And this...

Paris, anyone?

Holy crap.

US Airways is having a sale.

$270 one way (from Chicago) to Paris. Travel from now through the end of March.

Why, yes, I believe I'll be spending some time in France very, very soon.

Happy Graduation to me - or as they say in french, Heureux graduation à moi!!!!!!!!!!!

Happy Graduation to Me

My friend Cin sent me these flowers today. They are in a margarita glass. I think it's only fitting I have a margarita tonight in honor of her lovely gift, and my unofficial graduation.

As of this evening, once I finish my case notes and putting everything in the binder, I am finished. Done. Finito.

I am a Professional Counselor.

I am taking two more classes next semester, both electives that I wasn't able to take during the last two years as they weren't offered - Trauma, and Intro to Substance Abuse. These two classes will help further prepare me for potential issues my eventual clients will have.

I have also decided to do the PhD track, but not until the fall. The classes don't start until after work, so it's completely feasible.

Life is good.

No.

Life is great.

Oh, and I have the next two days off of work. Sleep. Celebrate. Rinse. Repeat.