Just Like Heaven

I saw Just Like Heaven today at the dollar movie theater in the mall... only, Tuesday is 50 cent movie day! What a bargain! I could have seen it twice!

Well, this is not the best romantic comedy ever made. It's cute, sure, but look at the stars - Reese Witherspoon and Mark Ruffalo are the embodiment of cute. Reese plays a doctor who gets in a car accident, and Mark sublets her apartment, but her spirit is still there... and the hilarity ensues! Okay, not really. There's a typical spirit-possession gag with Reese jumping into Mark's body, causing him to make a fool of himself at a bar, and the rest is pretty cliche, too. Now, I don't want to ruin it for any of you, but since it's a romantic comedy, you know it works out in the end. You'll just have to watch to find out how. It was fine, and a pleasant way to waste a little time on a Tuesday afternoon, but if I were you, I wouldn't pay much more than a dollar to see this movie. Don't rush right out and rent it as soon as it comes out on DVD. Let it hit the non-new release shelf.

One great thing about this movie: Donal Logue. If you don't know who I'm talking about, check him out on IMDb. You know, that guy. I love him in everything he's in.

Just Like Heaven - C+

Best Flower Variety Name EVER

You know how varieties of flowers are given crazy names? For example, we have the Miss All American Beauty rose, the Estella Rijnveldt tulip, the Easter Bonnet daffodil, and the Bayou Scarlet begonia, just to name a few. Well, I think I have the flower with the best variety name EVER. It's an epiphyllum, sometimes called an orchid cactus (it's not really an orchid, though, so don't be fooled!). Just look at its loveliness. Now, what name did some grower think would be perfect for this lovely bloom?

The VIRGINIA STRONG.

Nope, no pictures of my actual mother on the Internet, but when I did a Google search for my mommy, I got a picture of this flower. Awww!

Happy Birthday, Mom!

the Virginia Strong epiphyllum (and Mom's birthday, too) - A+

My Wild Night in Saginaw

As you can see, I am being licked on the face, and as you can also see, I like it.

Last night was the '80s karaoke birthday party of my friends Scott and Lisa. I wore an off-the-shoulder sweatshirt, a little denim skirt, legwarmers, cowboy boots, enormous hoop earrings, and tons of white eye shadow, and I was one of the least dressed-up folks there. I saw some mall bangs and a couple lace gloves with no fingers. It was inspiring. The karaoke was sweet, and the party favors were awesome. I have a new Rubik's Cube keychain now.

Of all the people to run into at the bar, I saw my old camp counselor, Bobbi Fischer. She's married, teaching math at Saginaw High, and looks fabulous. She's also only six years older than I am. I always thought those counselors were so much older. Who knew?

'80s karaoke birthday party - A- (my hair wasn't nearly cool enough to merit an A)

Museum of African American History... and My Secret Phobia

I went on a field trip this morning to the Museum of African American History in Detroit. As you can see from the picture, it's a super-sweet facility. The dome is huge, and has amazing acoustics. There's also a huge mural on the floor, of Africa, the U.S., a woman giving birth, "the Book of Knowledge" and some other stuff. It's really impressive. We went through the core exhibit, a history of slavery, which is called "And Still I Rise." It was incredibly well-crafted, educational, and... huge. Seriously. We went on the top deck of a ship and then through the hold underneath where all the slaves were kept, and there were African villages and 1950s-era Detroit recreations, too. It's probably the coolest museum I've ever been to.

So, I have a fear. Not many people know about it, but it reared its ugly head today. I am afraid of historically dressed mannequins. Yes, you read that correctly. Historically dressed mannequins. I got lost in a museum when I was six years old, and I came around a corner and there were these mannequins in cowboy costumes and I flipped my shit. Now, over twenty years later, I still don't like them. They freak me out. And of course, in an exhibit about slavery, there were all sorts of mannequins in historical costumes. The first creepy ones were royalty from Benin circa 1700. Super scary. There were two that were absolutely horrific: a slave trader with curly hair and a bartender from the '50s... I saw those and had to turn away. I'm not joking. Ask my dad. We went to the National Cowboy Hall of Fame a couple summers ago and some of those vaqueros were evil.

Museum of African American History - A-
historically dressed mannequins - D

Amer's Mediterranean Deli

Amer's is an Ann Arbor institution - I remember getting a Torani steamer at Amer's when I was in high school (before I drank coffee) and I'm sure it was around before that. I had a coupon for five free dollars at Amer's (remember when the Newcomers lady came to my house this summer?), and decided to see what they had to offer me for dinner last night. Everything at Amer's is expensive, so I opted for a bagel with veggie cream cheese. It was delicious. I think a lot of it had to do with the addition of a thinly sliced tomato. I could have gotten bell pepper, onion, cucumber or sprouts, too. Not so much a bagel anymore, is it? It's a delicious meat-free bagel sandwich. It wasn't as hot as I would have liked, but I blame the walk back to work - my bagel was wrapped in foil, but that can't compete with below-freezing temperatures. My bagel with accoutrements was $2.11, which means I have $2.89 left on my little coupon. That won't get me very far, since a typical sandwich at Amer's is over six bucks, but I'll try another bagel again soon.
There's one thing abour Amer's that frustrates me: the pronunciation of the name. I've always said "Ahh-merz." Some people say "Uh-Meerz," and some people say "Uh-Mehrz." I need some clarification here.

Amer's Mediterranean Deli - B+

Shakira "Don't Bother" Video

I think this is my new favorite video. If I were into girls, I would be so in love with Shakira - she is so hot. In this video, she prances around in a little nightie with a leather strap tied around her arm. Yowza. Also, the new Ford Mustang is prominent in this video, and I think it is one of the sexiest cars to come around in a long time. I love that Shakira plays the guitar in a junkyard. It seems like a video cliche, but when you're Shakira, you can do whatever you want. And the song's catchy, too! Don't bother, she'll be fine. This is one smokin' video. If you haven't gotten on the "morning videos instead of morning news" bandwagon, "Don't Bother" is your excuse.

Shakira "Don't Bother" video - A-

A New Look For Fall

I'm trying a new look for my blog. I think I like it. It was a pain in the ass to change, though.

What do you think?

my blog's new style - I for Incomplete... tell me what you think of it

UPDATE: final grade - D - the votes are in and you say "too pink." I'll start shopping for another new template soon!

Old Navy

I decided to have a little non-buying shopping trip today, and went to Old Navy. I hadn't been to Old Navy in a while, and the last time I had been to one, it was in the Traverse City outlet mall. For what it's worth, if you're looking for chain retail clothing, don't go to TC. They have crap.
The Ann Arbor Old Navy was heavenly. Their selection was huge - velvet blazers and sequin shoes and jeans and tank tops and great pajama pants and cute skirts and jackets and vests and purses and scarves, and all reasonably priced... it was awesome! I saw lots of things I wanted to get for myself and for Christmas gifts. Who knew? Plus, they also had wrapping paper, gift bags, bows and such. I guess it really is one-stop shopping. I had decided that Old Navy was lame, but today's trip changed my mind - and I left without spending a penny.

Old Navy - A-

Project Runway Season 2

So today, I was sitting around at home, channel surfing and looking for something to watch to pass some time, and I stopped on Bravo... and behold, I saw a commercial for season 2 of Project Runway! I almost wet my pants with excitement.
The "sophomore season" can be a hard one. I think a lot of shows get better with a little time under their belts. Case in point: American Idol. You know, Kelly really is the best contestant to have been on AI, but the show improved a lot during season 2. But some shows have a hard time living up to the hype they got during their first season. Look at Desperate Housewives. Sure, it's still a great show, and is in the top five every week, but a lot of people feel something is missing this season.
But back to Project Runway - it will be hard to top season 1. It was truly magical. The designers were crazy characters; will there ever be another Jay, Austin, or (God forbid) Wendy? Plus, the design challenges were so interesting, and really showed what the designers were made of, and I hope that Tim and Michael and Heidi and the rest of the gang can come up with new challenges so the viewers don't just get a rehash of the season 1 challenges. I'll be watching with high hopes and high expectations. Don't let me down, PR, or "you're out."

Project Runway season 2 - B+ (I'll reevaluate after December 7!)

Watch Yourself

It's the opening day of firearm deer season in Michigan. I don't think I've ever been in Michigan for the opening day on a Tuesday - it's kind of a letdown for all the hunters who can't turn it into a three- or four-day weekend. Never fear, the fanatics are out there: Newaygo Public Schools have the day off today, for "Deer Day." Go out and bag one, son! I call this post "Watch Yourself" because if you're traipsing around out there, wear your orange!
The worst part of deer season is seeing all the sad little deer strapped to the hoods and roofs of cars flying down the highway. Super gross.

deer season - C (a few points for population control)

Mirrormask

Let me start by saying I only saw about twenty minutes of this movie - Nate came to see it and when I was done working I joined him - so I can't give it a completely accurate review. What I did see was completely wacky. Mirrormask is, I think, the story of a girl who draws a bunch of fantasy worlds and gets sucked into one of those worlds, through the windows she draws, by a princess who is trying to escape her evil queen mother. It was very Labyrinth-esque. The princess in the "real world" destroys the drawn worlds by crumpling the drawings - no more windows, no more ways for the real girl to back to the real world. I probably would have thought it was kind of confusing even if I'd seen the whole thing. One nice thing I discovered while watching this movie is that Gina McKee, who plays the queen (and of course, the real girl's mother - very Wizard of Oz) and was also in Notting Hill as Bella, isn't paralyzed at all. That whole wheelchair thing in Notting Hill? A clever story device.

Mirrormask - B-
Gina McKee being able to walk - A+

Stupid VCR

Remember that episode of Desperate Housewives, season 1, when Lynette flips out and cries at the kitchen table? That's sort of how I feel. I tried to program my VCR and it didn't work. No new epsiode of Desperate Housewives. No new episode of Grey's Anatomy. No nothin'. Thanks for the VCR, old roommates, but three years later I still can't program it.

bad VCR - F

The Squid and the Whale

This movie was really, really great. I'm always a big fan of ensemble pieces, especially if they're family-oriented. Not family-friendly, mind you - In the Bedroom and Junebug are definitely not for the kids. The Squid and the Whale is the story of an incredibly intelligent family going through a divorce in New York in the mid-'80s. One of the things I really liked about this movie was that it was obvious that it was set in the '80s, but not in a ridiculous way, like parts of Romy and Michelle's High School Reunion. It's exciting to me that the '80s can be used as a historical time period now. Anyway, the acting was superb - Jeff Daniels and Laura Linney were fabulous, and the kids were just wonderful, heartbreaking and hilarious all at the same time. In fact, I'd say that pretty much sums up the whole movie - heartbreaking and hilarious. It has a Wes Anderson flair (he was one of the producers and the writer/director of this movie co-wrote The Life Aquatic), the music is superb, and the dialogue is completely believable. Watch for the scene where Jeff Daniels' voice breaks a little - that's going to be his Oscar clip.

I think TSATW is the pinnacle of Billy Baldwin's career, that's for sure.

The Squid and the Whale - A

PetSmart Commercial

Have you seen this commercial? It makes me want a dachshund real bad. Okay, that's not true, doxies are evil little dogs who will turn on you if given the opportunity... but this commercial makes me forget that. Little dog, big toy. So cute. So, so cute. And when she runs the toy through the checkout and the little doggie is holding the new toy in his mouth and so HE gets run through the checkout, too? I love that. Way to go, PetSmart advertisers.

PetSmart commercial - B+

What A Very Good Year

Lots of really important things happened in 1965. Canada adopted the red and white maple leaf flag. Disney launched Epcot Center. Dr. Dre. Bjork and Shania Twain were all born in 1965, and A Charlie Brown Christmas premiered that very same year.

But perhaps the best thing of all happened on November 11, 1965. No, not the independence of Rhodesia, although that happened that day, too. 11/11/65 was the day that Nell McNutt and Monte Strong tied the knot. Those crazy kids!

Happy Anniversary, Mom and Dad - as Dr. Dre would say, Still doing that shit, right?

Mom and Dad's 40th wedding anniversary - A+!

some guy named robb - the pale sessions v. 1 - everything matters

some guy named robb's latest release is his best yet. Robb McCormick, sgnr's front (and often only) man, pushes the envelope with his third album - it's definitely darker than his previous stuff, but more subtle and more raw, too. The album's first track, "Between These Strings," is for me the focal point of the album, a love song with some heartache behind it. Also, Robb includes some spoken word tracks, "Three Cheers" and "The Common Distance," which show he's not just a good musician, but a real poet as well. The final track is a reworking of one of his most-loved tunes, "Express Lane Love." Not just everybody can poke fun at themselves. Way to be, Robb.

You gotta love the success of old friends (especially when that success allows them to send you free CDs). For those of you in the greater Arkansas/Oklahoma area, Robb will be playing a live show near you someday - the man's a touring machine - and you really should see him. some guy named robb's a hell of a live show. Those of you reading in other parts of the country should buy his albums at www.someguynamedrobb.com so he'll make a lot of money, get famous, and then tour the whole country and not just a little corner of the South. It'll be worth it, and if you tell him I sent you, maybe someday he'll finally record the song he wrote for me back in the late '90s.

the pale sessions v. 1 - everything matters - A

The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald

It's Edmund Fitzgerald Day - on November 10, 1975, the Edmund Fitzgerald, loaded with over 26,000 tons of iron ore and 29 crew members, sank in Lake Superior, only seventeen miles from Whitefish Point, Michigan.

You know you love the song. You know you do! Gordon Lightfoot is a genius.

The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald - shipwreck - D-; song - A

Teen Vogue and the Willis Girls

I like to keep up with the goings-on of the Willis girls, and this month, Teen Vogue gave me a little gift - an article and photo shoot on Rumer, Scout, and Talullah! It was just so refreshing to read about how much these girls love their mom and trust her totally when it comes to fashion. Little Lullah even loves to play dress up in her mom's old designer castoffs! Ha ha! Rumer slums it in one picture, wearing a sweater from J. Crew. Hello? That's like the celebrity version of the Salvation Army! Also, I was so happy to hear that Bruce stopped by and Ashton waved hello during the shoot. These girls are just so loved!

Seriously, it was sort of gross. I don't think an eleven-year-old should ever be included in a fashion magazine, especially not one as creepy-looking as Talullah. Look at those eyes... just don't look too close. Scout is beautiful, but both of the older girls came across as really, really pretentious. Oh, little Ru - the woods of northern Michigan could have been so good to you, but you gave it all up for Marc Jacobs and Galliano.

Teen Vogue and the Willis girls - C+ (well, it was good for a laugh!)

Nose to the Grindstone

homework - C-

finishing homework (someday) - A+

Arbor Brewing Company

I got a little gift certificate to Arbor Brewing Company at my last work meeting, so we scoped the place out for lunch on Sunday. The atmosphere is fine - it's right on Washington, one of those downtown Ann Arbor streets - but the food was not so good. For some reason, I decided to order buffalo wings. Don't judge. They were fine at the time, but I sort of felt gross for most of the evening, and I think the wings are to blame. Plus, the sauce aggravated a hangnail. I think that's a bad sign. Nate had a Georgia Reuben, with turkey instead of corned beef, and he said it was cold and sort of nasty and the fries probably came from the bottom of the fryer batch. No good, ABC. If I get another gift certificate from work, I'll eat there, but it wouldn't be my top choice.

Arbor Brewing Company - C