"Using" My Film Degree

So, we had Kimber’s farewell party and the 2011 "Framily" movie premiere. Enjoy!

What I did all day long b/t Christmas and NYE.
Speaking of movies (cuz that totes counts as a movie, right?) I’ve been really busy lately running lots and sitting on the couch eating fro’yo lots.

A quick review of my last two weekends...

We tried, we tried so hard to watch The Hangover Part II, but we had to turn it off. It was So. So. So. Bad.

Chris had heard lots of good things about this Ewan McGregor movie where his father comes out to him (as in, “hey son, I’m gay”) and then dies of cancer. Meh... Beginners didn’t really do much for either of us.

In typical Soderbergh fashion, Contagion has a lot of A-list stars in an interconnected, high-paced thriller. I really liked it, even though it's increased my daily Purel usage by about 200%. Wash your hands. Stop touching your face.

The one with Seth Rogen and Joseph Gordon-Levitt (but his friends call him Joey, um OK!). Joey’s character gets cancer and his odds of living are... 50/50. It was sad (duh), funny, and overall, very well done. Plus I’m always a fan of Anna Kendrick.

The good movie streak kept on going with Woody Allen’s latest, Midnight in Paris. I finally saw it, after hearing the positive reviews of practically every person I’ve met. My tagline: Man walks the streets of Paris and every night at midnight he’s picked up by the writers and artists of the 1920s. We’re talking T.S. Elliott, the Fitzgeralds, Salvador Dali (played by the oh so beautiful Adrien Brody), and beautifully written, Hemmingway. I looooved it.

Can you read that? It was nominated in 2009. Sooo... I finally saw An Education. It is probably more of a girl movie, but still, very delightful, especially the 1960’s UK fashion trends. Love.

I stayed British and I stayed in the 1960s with another one that’d been on my “To Watch” list for a long time. Pirate Radio is about DJs who played on the pirate radio stations during the 1960s in the UK. The soundtrack was great, but I couldn’t finish the movie. It was just, weird.

And to conclude this month of movies (we're on break in between seasons of The Wire), Sunday night Chris and I watched the Ridley/Tony Scott and YouTube movie from 2011, Life in a Day. A pretty interesting concept, the Scotts edited together the footage that thousands of people across the world shot in the same day (July 24, 2010) and created a fairly seamless narrative. The girl at the end annoyed Chris, but overall, I enjoyed this one too.

30 Days of Thankful - Part 3

Thanksgiving has come and gone, but before November ends, let's finish up a few more things I'm thankful for.

November 17th – I should have saved the new babies post for this date because on the 17th I faced my fears and helped Dasha babysit Ellie. I will proudly admit, it was way less terrifying than I’d imagined. Still, when I got home that night I realized how thankful I am to not have a child just yet. Ellie wore me out! Someday I know it’ll be great, but... not today.

Sometimes you just have to feed the kid from the kitchen floor.
November 18th – I am thankful for Fridays! Knowing you get the next day off always makes working so much easier. Especially when you have a long weekend coming up.

November 19th – My mom’s birthday was the 19th. I already said how thankful I am for her; I am also thankful for the things that make her happy. Some of those things are the same as mine (sunshine, bros, Kansas) but they also include things like Survivor, Kayaking, and Yogurt. I am thankful for those things, and that she gets to visit Chris and I for Christmas this year.

November 20th – I am thankful for my home. The Bastrop fires this fall really put this one into perspective for me. I'm really glad I have a kitchen, couch, laundry room, TWO bathrooms, and nice comfy bed to come home to every day.

November 21st – I am thankful for paid-time-off. PTO may be the best perk from a salaried position. I took half of Tuesday and all of Wednesday off for Thanksgiving and BOY do I thank my boss and my company for our extremely lax vacation policy. Unlimited days?! Thank you very much.

November 22nd - I am thankful for potlucks! Our work Thanksgiving feast was epic. We had so many potatoes, beans, stuffings, and my orange-chipotle spiced pecans. Potlucks are so much fun because you only have to cook a small amount, but together you create such a big meal with such a fun variety of flavors. Delicious.

November 23rd – Hanging out with high school friends in Kansas is always so interesting to me. Some aspects of our personalities have changed so much from what we were like back at North, but other parts are exactly the same. I am really thankful I got to spend a little time with Katie and Jonas this past weekend. If only we all lived in the same city all the time.

UT football game feast, thanks Davidows.
November 24th – Happy Thanksgiving! I am thankful for food. I love food and I’m very thankful it's readily available to me.

Thanksgiving dinner at my dad's.
November 25th – On “Black Friday” my mom took my brothers and me to the KC Zoo. I hadn’t been to the zoo in years and it was pretty amusing to return. We all felt it was a much more positive experience to explore in the brisk 45 degrees than it is in the sweltering 95 degree KC summers. Even though I don’t like animals, I am thankful that they can provide joy to others. Some people really like animals, so I guess I'm glad they’re around.

Can you spot the Roo?
November 26th – I am thankful for the newspaper. Another one of my favorite parts about Kansas is reading my mom’s Kansas City Star. I don’t get the paper here, so I love reading it when it’s available. And, I am also thankful for crossword puzzles.

November 27th – I am thankful for my salary. That twice a month paycheck keeps me afloat and without it I know I’d be stressing like crazy.

November 28th – I am thankful for Christmas time! I brought back all my favorite ornaments for Chris' and my first tree together, and I even made a wreath.

You can make it too.
November 29th – Like last year, my friends and I have chosen two charities for the holidays. We’re adopting a local family through Any Baby Can, and we’re buying some ducks through the Heifer organization. I am really thankful everybody was excited to participate in these organizations again. I am also thankful I've gotten a little less scrooge-like with my money over the years.

Nate's pillow friend, from last year.
November 30th – Thirty whole things! Did I forget anything? I have so many things to be thankful for; it’s hard to pick and choose the “best ones.” I guess one final thing I am really thankful for is the inspiration and support to start blogging again (aka, you). Blogging has been very therapeutic for me. I’m thankful I got my act together on that one.

Ok two final pics from Thanksgiving break.

Crackers the cat.

A tree in my dad's lawn. This picture was taken on Wednesday morning. By Sunday, that tree was almost totally leaf-less.