Appearances or otherwise.

Just like last week, I'm back with very little to offer. Lots of memes, all from king_duncan, and far too few movie updates. AFI 100 in February is just not happening, folks. I'm too busy a little bee. It is my cross to bear.

Memes first!

TV meme:
Choose five series (no peeking before you choose them), list them, and then answer the questions behind the cut.

1. Sports Night
2. Veronica Mars
3. Doctor Who
4. Wonderfalls
5. Torchwood

( Questions and answers! )

And similar music meme:
Pick your top 10 bands and answer the questions.

1. The Old 97s
2. Spoon
3. Paul Simon
4. Iggy Pop
5. Neko Case
6. Liz Phair
7. The Pretenders
8. The Rolling Stones
9. The Beatles
10. Elvis Costello

( And away we go! )

23

AFI movie reviews... um... later. I need a cup of tea like wow.

Thanks so much to everyone for sending such sweet messages on Valentinr! Y'all are the best!

Time's running out, and I know you sweet people would want in on this.


Get your own valentinr

Yes, that is a snakeskin stiletto. Or, as close to it as I'm going to get.

I found heaven on earth last night: the Target clearance aisle where size 11 Isaac Mizrahi heels go to die. I'm used to not having a lot of choice, to getting to try on one pair, two if I'm lucky. I can't tell you how happy I am that shops are carrying larger sizes more regularly. There were heels, flats, boots, converse, (JULS! CONS! AND NONVERSE! I got the cutest pair and totally thought of you! Pictures coming!) wedges, sandals, bows, patent leather, satin, croc embossed... an embarrassment of riches. I've never been a shoe girl because well, I just didn't have the oppotunity, but I could definitely get used to this.

New Year's Resolutions never get kept, do they? Oh well. Still making them.

1. An "I will" every month in 2008. I took a couple months off in 2007, but I think I can set a goal every month this year. And hopefully acheive a couple of them.

2. I will go to Ireland to visit Marie in October. This means lots of money saving and sacrificing throughout the year, so I don't think further money goals are necessary. It does mean I will not be getting a new Disneyland pass after this one expires May 13th. I either better get a job that includes a silver pass or deal with it after that. Since the trip includes a day at Disneyland Paris, I think I'll survive.

3. An organized life. And room. Thinking I'll get it done in a month is a bit like trying to build Rome in a day, so I'll take it slow with small goals each month IN ADDITION TO that month's "I will."

4. Gratitude posts every week. I feel like I'm doing really well right now and I'm so looking forward to 2008! I want to keep that feeling and energy in my life and focusing on the good instead of the not-so-good seems like a great way to do that.

5. I want to recognize the goodness of the people in my life more. I have such wonderful friends and family and I don't think I tell them how much they mean and what happiness they bring to my life enough. So I'll try to be better about that, in whatever small ways I can throughout the year.

Doesn't 2008 look good from here? I wonder what the year will bring to all of us.

I saw it! The new Doctor Who Christmas special!

And the 10 & 5 meet scene! Which is awesome! And totally makes me want to watch old Doctor Who! Must see more Peter Davison! That celery thing! It must be explained!

avarill! She is the best!

No! I can't stop using exclamation marks!

Yes! I totally brought the DVD to work with me to watch again when it gets slow this afternoon!
LOOKING FORWARD TO IT!

A little late on posting altogether. Have we really not talked since the 12th? Goodness.

Happy Christmas!
(Or happy irrelevant day off for those who don't celebrate it :))

1. How much money did gift giving cost you this season? Magical movie moment: think of that bit towards the end of "Bridget Jones' Diary" where she's recounting Christmas Day and under cigarettes smoked (or is it calories consumed?) she sighs "Oh, thousands." That keeps going through my head in response to this question. Probably not a good sign.

2. Was getting ready for the holidays more fun, or more stressful this year? More fun and more stressful. Still haven't mailed anything, spent a bit more than I wanted, and never found what I really wanted to get for a couple awesome people who I just haven't given anything to yet cause I couldn't find exactly what I wanted. But my home looks great, there's tons of yummy Christmas goodies in my kitchen, and my holiday party and big dinner went beautifully, so I'm filled with Christmas love, dammit!

3. Were there any gifts that you were particularly proud to have put together this year? Which was your favourite? Disneyland ears I got personalized with a nickname for someone. They don't do that. Really, it's a big thing, they don't. But I have my ways.

4. What's your favourite holiday food? Roast beast! No, peppermint hot cocoa! No, my mom's cookies! No, yorkshire pudding! No, buche de noel! No, Mrs. B.'s mashed potatoes! No, green beans with shallots and bacon! No, Christmas morning casserole! No, Mrs. Houghton's haystacks! Argh. Why must these questions be so difficult?

5. If you were to be magically morphed into Santa's tenth reindeer, what would you want your reindeer name to be? Would you have any notable or quirky reindeer characteristics? If I were a reindeer I'd be called Sparkly and with just a wiggle of my cute fluffy tail every house I flew over would be magically bedecked and bejewelled with Christmas lights and buntings and decorations galore. Why one of the reindeers doesn't already have this power I do not understand.

Man, was I bored last week. Stayed in every night to get over being sick as quickly as possible. And it worked (for the most part.) This week:

Monday-- Impromptu shopping and dinner with jenn_ness. Thanks Borders, for sending me an awesome coupon I had to use to put it all in motion. Unfortunately the Ninth Doctor was not in residence at the Glendale Borders, so I got "My So-Called Life" instead. Watching it again is like a big ball of curly-wurly time stuff curling in on itself and being able to talk to my fifteen year old self: painfully moving, not quite as good as I remembered (imagined?) it would be, and almost impossible.

Tuesday-- Company Christmas party at Disneyland. Great, fun, too short! Got down there a bit late as a school bus clipped our bus while getting on the freeway, resulting in half an hour by the side of the road and accident reports for all. Still, ran all over the park, went on lots of rides, had fun. We were both amazed when midnight came. Could have sworn it was only 10.30 or 11. Of course, once my body knew what time it was, I was exhausted and slept most of the way home.

Wednesday-- As B just pointed out, I need to get some sleep. I'm a wee bit cranky today and my pet peeve (repeating myself) is coming into play A LOT. Christmas tree shopping with the roomie and an early night. Thank goodness.

Thursday-- SWEENEY TODD SNEAK PREVIEW! Which is great, cause I really really want to see it, and I'm really really sure I'm probably going to hate it so I very much didn't want to pay for it. Win-win!

Friday-- Christmas tree lighting and holiday carnival here on the lot. Should be fun, and then an early night to rest up for the weekend o' Disney.

Saturday-- Disneyland with playmayt in the morning, holiday party afterwards.

Sunday-- Disney games and movies with playmayt, including Song of the South! Should be fun.

OR: Spending time in Texas is fun but may be hazardous to your health.

( Cast your mind back, far back into the distant past, two weeks ago today, when turkey was a hope for the future, and it wasn't nearly so cold. )

That's con and Austin (sort of.) The rest of the week perhaps tomorrow?

My schedule this week.

Monday-- Employee screening of "Something Wicked This Way Comes" with Ray Bradbury in attendance. He spoke before the screening and it was enough to make me want to read every word the man ever wrote, since I've only ever read 451 for high school. Then I watched the creepy scary movie. I curled up into a ball at the tarantulas in the bedroom scene and didn't uncurl til the lights came up. Remember, I am the girl who slept with her lights on for three nights after seeing "The Ring." Maybe I don't need to read every word Ray Bradbury wrote.

Tuesday-- Sleeeeep. Grocery shoppiiiiiiing. Maybe even cooooooooking.

Wednesday-- Games.

Thursday-- Dexter! Watching Dexter every other week with liebewanze. Every other week means two hours of Dexter. Which is a good thing.

Friday-- Halloween party.

Saturday-- Evel Knievel: The Rock Opera with playmayt. Then bed early because...

Sunday-- MyPC Disneyland event! Technically starts at 10am but might be there earlier if beatnikside wants to take full adavantage of his day with the Mouse. I believe the park opens at 8. We're game if you are, my good man.

Like many awesome things in this crazy world, this comes from stepliana:

Comment on this post. I'll choose seven userpics from your profile and you'll reply here (or you know, your own journal, whichever), explaining what they mean and why you're using them. Post this along with your answers in your own journal so others can play along.

The 7 icons she asked me about:

1. Mary Blair girl:
I <3 Mary Blair. Despite my overwhelming love for Frank & Ollie, Blaine Gibson, Bob Gurr, Eyvind Earle, and hundreds of other animators, artists, and imagineers who have shaped, colored, influenced, and built the Disney look over the years, her round world and use of color has really stuck with me. I believe this little girl comes from concept art she did for Three Caballeros. She's just darling. She usually comes into play on basic posts for which I have no real theme. She's just sorta me.

2. Fincher:
This is a quote from a movie I absolutely hated. It's on Brad Pitt's Tshirt in the photo on the cover of a magazine in Full Frontal, undeniably the worst movie by Steven Soderbergh. This waste of celluloid was made pretty soon after Joe Mechanic lost his job over the whole David Fincher's Fight Club not making a dime debacle, and this T was apparently Soderbergh's/Pitt's take on the deal. Or something. Maybe? At any rate, I have loved the quote ever since, say it all the time, and it's the only good thing in the movie. Seriously, don't watch it. It will make you question humanity. I use this when talking about movies or being kinda ranty.

3. My OTC:
If you've spent any time in any of the many terrifying TV fandoms, OTP means One True Pair to you, or the couple the show should never screw with. Likewise, OTC means One True Crack, as in the single substance I could never live without. This is a picture of a Chick-Fil-A chicken biscuit. I cannot live without these, even if all I can do all too often is dream about them. This is my One True Crack. I have another icon I use for all posts and comments to food comms, and use this when talking about food in my own lj or other people's personal ljs.

4. Cluedo:
I game, therefore I am. Clue is one of the first boardgames I remember playing when I was little. My wonderful and ever-patient babysitter Katrice used to play Clue with me for hours when I was six. I don't know how she did it. But I love boardgames still, and this usually pops up when I post about them.

5. I will cut you:
This kid is pissy. This kid is in no mood. This kid is not playing around. This kid will cut you. When I feel like that, he comes out to scowl. Think of him as an early warning detection system for when not to screw with me.

6. My Steve w/chopsticks:
My Steve! With chopsticks! One of the coolest men in the world, using the best eating utensils ever devised. Really, they are so useful, I am not even kidding. All the noodle problems presented by pasta, soup, all that? Dangers of being rude in not eating everything on your fork when attempting to enjoy dumplings and such? Solved by chopsticks. Also, he's cute in this and I really liked the colors and the whole look. That green by his arm is great. I use this when talking about food (I have lots of food icons cause I talk about it a lot, duh) or the overall awesomeness of My Steve.

7. Woo Woo for Lloyd:
Another Woot! icon, so we don't all get sick of OMFG YAY or Oh the thrills! Except I don't use this very often. Actually, I forgot I even had it. Thanks for reminding me. I'll have to use this more often.

That's it. Let me know if you want in on this kooky action.

Sorry. It's a thing that we do out here. Pretty much any number of any things someone says ends up in a fountain. You'd be surprised how long this can stay funny.

From mondaysabitch:

Random Joy

1. What are your thoughts on sites like Facebook/Myspace/Friendster etc.? I dig 'em. I'm listed on all three, but haven't been to Friendster in months, and have only stayed on Myspace in the hope that even more random schoolmates from the past find me. I'm pretty active on Facebook though. Very fun.

2. What was the last play you saw? As in stage performance? Avenue Q. But if you consider that a musical instead, you nit-picker you, I think the last straight play I saw was Fat Pig at the Geffen. Excellent, highly recommend it.

3. What's your opinion on the vegan lifestyle? An amazing commitment I could never make. Takes a lot of work to do it properly, which many who attempt to follow it do not do. It's not for me to judge. Also, it means more steak for the rest of us, so it's cool with me.

4. If you were to give your current home a name, what would it be? Hmm. Laverne? If you don't open the blinds deliberately there's no light in there, so I always feel a little like I'm in Laverne & Shirley's basement apartment if I get home and my roomie didn't leave the blinds open.

5. How do you like your eggs? Ugh. NOT AT ALL. I hate eggs.

MEME NUMBER TWO, From stepliana:

Post 10 things that recently made you happy. Then tag 10 people and force them to post this meme on their LJs.

Apparently this is a Texas edition of our regularly scheduled meme. Sorry about that. Deal.
1. Finding out our contact on a show went to UT. Investigated this because his email address involves Earl Campbell. Awesome.

2. Fried chicken wings and a Belgian waffle at the Breakfast Klub in Houston Saturday morning.

3. Running into a friend from high school and college at the nail salon in Sugar Land Saturday afternoon. Some of those people were great.

4. Biggio's last game as an Astro at Minute Maid Park. Every time he came up to bat he got a standing ovation and had to wait a minute before he stepped into the box. After the game he ran around the entire field and high-fived every fan he could reach from the field. The man is made of class.

5. At one point at the reunion I and another unmarried classmate were showing each other pictures of other classmates' babies that we carry around with us. This amused me to no end.

6. My Dad getting me a Chick-Fil-A fried chicken biscuit Saturday morning before we went out for breakfast, even though he knew this meant I would not eat much of what I ordered.

7. Spending lots of time with Eleanor, the most darling girl who lives inside the loop.

8. Going shopping with my mom Saturday afternoon before we got our toes done.

9. Knowing that I have a wing and a biscuit from The Breakfast Klub in the fridge for dinner tonight.

10. Knowing that I'll be back in Texas for over a week at Thanksgiving!

I don't tag. Tag, you're it!

It's been a pretty good summer.

I went to eleven shows at the Hollywood Bowl.

I went to San Francisco a couple times.

I met many new babies.

I got to see friends in from all over the world and spend plenty of time with them.

I finally tried the Krispy Kreme chicken sandwich. AND IT WAS GOOD.

This weekend was my last Hollywood Bowl visit of the season. It also marked the arrival of fall in LA and I had a friend come visit me from Houston. We spent the entire weekend eating, driving, or sleeping, and we didn't sleep that much. From Friday night through Sunday evening we managed to hit Pink's, Knott's fried chicken, Dino's lasagna pizza, Din Tai Fung, Porto's, and Beard Papa. Monday morning I swore to eat nothing but salad the rest of the week. So of course I went straight to Bob's Big Boy for breakfast after depositing my friend at the airport. I had an hour to kill before work.

But Sunday. We saw Rufus Wainwright at the Hollywood Bowl. Doing his Judy Garland show. The last of his Judy Garland shows. Other than the obnoxious over-demonstrative of their fabulousness scenester asshats who moved in front of us just before the end of the first half, the show was a pure delight.



For the first encore Rufus came back out in Judy's tights, blazer, and fedora from Summer Stock. He spent the second in a beautiful black and white print silk bathrobe. No pictures of that, though, just a very blurry Lorna Luft back at my Flickr page. Sorry about the blurriness.

I'm going to Houston in September. Four days after kittenispuppy comes out here to visit me. Does this make sense? Is it the best use of our respective moneys? Is it efficient? No. But who cares. It will be awesome.

Why am I going to Houston in September? 10 year high school reunion. I'm a little scared and fully expect to hate it and bail early, fleeing to the House of Guys for cottage fries and pie. With possible late night movie watching. Which really sounds much more high school anyway than actually attending and enjoying the reunion. But I will take my camera along and I really hope that at least a few of the people I want to see show up.

In related news, troupe 3689, the organization which claimed me body and soul for all four years of high school, is on facebook. Everyone is on facebook. Why aren't you on facebook?

I have done nothing all day but throw bombs (HI RON,) sail the open seas, upgrade my ship and crew, and buy the services of wenches back in town so I can wring every bit of possible energy from my dastardly shipmates.

I kind of love facebook.

Why must they have it in Orange County? These are the questions that nagged my tired mind last night.

Hit the Orange County Fair yesterday with playmayt to see Chris Cornell and enjoy decadent fair food. The structure of that last sentence should in no way be interpreted as representing my priorities, cause the fair food was way more important to me than Cornell's show. Sorry music lovers, I've never been much of a Cornell fan. "Black Hole Sun" makes me want to carve my own eyes out and stuff them in my ears so that I neither have to see the awful nightmare inducing video nor hear the annoying whiny song. But playmayt's beloved Yogi is in Cornell's band (and a fricking amazing rock star of a musician) so we went. We ate. We conquered. ( Disgustingly in depth food reporting back here. )

We really only indulged in one non-food paying fair activity: we visited the petting zoo and ponied up $2 each for pellets and oats so the animals would love us. Boy, did they love us. Goats and deer like to eat skirts. No, I'm not being risque, I'm serious. They will try to eat the skirt off your ass. Make sure you keep a hold of it if you don't care to flash everyone else in the pen. The llamas were a bit standoffish, but I decided that was because they were pissed that they had to mix with the hoi polloi after the Echolls sold the estate. Wouldn't you be? The ducks hid under a net full of alfafa the whole time. The baby roos (or were they wallabees?) tried to stay out of reach, but were eventually petted. The pigs all either slept or ignored us. The chickens didn't care that anyone was there. The sheep were just after food. But the baby goats. The really tiny baby goats. When I knelt down to pet the littlest ones, the tiny white goat jumped right into my lap for snuggles and pets. Such a dear. I had to pick her up and put her back on the ground. Such little loves. If I had space I would keep a goat. And make lots of cheese and cajeta.

Then Cornell. Opening act Puddle of Mudd was meh to ok, mainly because music where the lead singer sounds constipated is not generally my cup of tea. We giggled and snarked through most of their set until the last song, when suddenly lyrics from "Summer Lovin'" were worked in. We loved it. All the girls in the audience sang along, especially at the "Tell me more, tell me more, did you get very far/ Tell me more, tell more, like did he have a car?" bit. The guys just kinda sat there in confused silence. Was a nice table to have turned.

I enjoyed Chris Cornell more than I thought I would. Like I said, I've never been a fan, and pretty much just went along for fair, food, and to see Yogi. I was not disappointed. I had more fun than I thought I would. I knew more songs than I thought I would. And I really liked the newer solo stuff. High points:

The James Bond song. Great song from a great Bond movie. This was probably the thin edge of the wedge in changing my anti-Cornell stance.

"Doesn't Remind Me of Anything." I love this song and totally did not realize it was him. playmayt, I lied. This is Audioslave, not Temple of the Dog. My bad.

Acoustic "Billie Jean." While I have heard it described as 'horrible, like "I dare you to actually listen to the whole thing" terrible.' (and that just this morning,) playmayt and I decided early on that the earnestness was a joke and giggled the whole time. At least, I hope it's a joke. If he's actually serious, then I see the horrible and raise you a burn it burn it get it away from me.

After the show we were hungry again (what? we hadn't eaten in over two hours. that's how it works at county fairs.) so we hit the food stands once again. I gave into my craving for a second Krispy Kreme chicken sandwich, which was also delicious despite the replacement of fried chicken breast with breaded tenders and playmayt had bacon and seasoning salt soaked roasted corn on the cob. Happy times for all. On to sleep. After the hour in the car to get back to civilization, of course. And thus another county fair ended in gluttony, exhaustion, and dazed stumbling to the car. Personal triumph: I managed to not fall asleep in the car on the way home. Yay.

I did pretty well with the whole not buying anything in July thing. There were a couple stumbles, but I stuck to it for the most part. This might be a thing I do every once in a while. A financial detox of sorts.

Now, August. I'm not sure what to do this month. Pages read and CDs listened to and movies seen have all been considered and filed away for later. I will have highly anticipated company in September, so really my room should be my goal. Perhaps a box a day? That might work. Alright.

In August I will go through and either put away or eliminate the contents of one still-packed box or bag everyday. If I do not have time that day, I will do two the next, and so on.

Hmm, I expect Ikea to get lots of money from me for storage solutions and whatnot this month. Congrats, Swedes. Way to make a girl broke. This had better work.

Also, I have decided that I definitely am going home for my 10 year high school reunion in September. Mainly because it's the weekend of Biggio's last game in Houston and Dad got us awesome scalper tickets, but the reunion is part of it. Also, the free ticket from Southwest is a factor. Brendon, I know that neither you nor your lovely wife went to Clements, but perhaps a visit two hours and forty-five minutes south of your home could be arranged for that weekend? That would be nice.

From mondaysabitch:

Walt Disney

1. What is your favorite Disney movie? Mary Poppins. I think. Wait. Sleeping Beauty. Mmm, Peter Pan. But Robin Hood is really good, too. Also Bedknobs & Broomsticks. But no, I think Mary Poppins wins. AT EVERYTHING.

2. Have you ever dressed up or attempted to as a Disney character? I don't think so. I think not even at Halloween when I was little. But I do have grand plans for a Small World Holland kid sitting in a tulip costume that will involve papier mache and a small engine. You should see Halloween here on the lot. It is madness.

3. Which Disney song do you know all the words to? The nanny ad from Mary Poppins. "If you want this choice position, have a cheery disposition..."

4. If any Disney character could be your BFF, which one would it be? Dude. MARY. Have we not already discussed how she wins at everything? If she's taken, Mulan, I guess. Or Jiminy. Mulan gets it done, and Jiminy's handy in a pinch.

5. Name as many dwarves as you can in 20 seconds. Time yourself. Are you kidding me? Sleepy, Sneezy, Doc, Bashful, Dopey, Grumpy, and Happy. I think that was about 10 seconds. Including the "Are you kidding me?" Next.

See? I could not skip that. It was not physically possible. Also this just in, again from stepliana:

Name up to three aspects of my life you want me to photograph. They can be specific (my bedroom), or not so specific (something red).

From stepliana:

PIF meme: I will send a handmade gift to the first 3 people who leave a comment on my blog requesting to join this PIF exchange. I don't know what that gift will be yet, but you will receive it within 365 days. The only thing you have to do in return is "pay it forward" by making a similar agreement on your blog.

The "gift" you send doesn't have to be handmade. It can be fic, icons, whatever. But as I have no fic or icon talent, I will be sending you something grubby and handled and made by me. Look forward to it.

More to come later. Sheesh, I leave the internets for two days and I have a day's worth of stuff to read back through when I get back. Y'all have been some busy little bees.

Very quiet weekend. Hollywood Bowl was fun, post with pics and vid later if I can ever get the media convert site to work again.

Woke up much earlier than I wanted Saturday morning. Tried to roll over and go back to sleep, cause up at 8am on my day to sleep in just not cool, but then I realized hey... I could go to Target... and there wouldn't be a line or crowds... and I need milk, toiletries, and HARRY POTTER... and Target has all three!

So yes. I bought the Harry Potter book. But Liz bought it off me the very next day, so does it really count?

I read the whole thing in one day. I settled into bed with Harry at 10.30 Saturday morning, and despite cooking a big pot of saffron rice with linguica and peas for lunch, chatting with my mom, venturing online, and doing three loads of laundry, I finished the book at half past midnight. It was the only way to stay unspoiled. It was a wonderful send-off to the series. I think now that it's all over I'll start collecting the British editions off ebay or something. I'd like to read those.

Din Tai Fung with playmayt and benhsu Sunday morning, where I ran into my friends Chris and Shannon! LA really is home now, because I also ran into three people I knew at the Hollywood Bowl Friday night: an old regular of mine from the video store in Santa Monica (yes, a man who came into a store where I worked three years ago so often that I recognized him. I became friends with many of my regulars at the big bad evil video store. They kept me as sane as I could be at that time in my life and were probably a big part of how I was able to stay as long as I did,) a friend from MyPC, and a guy who works here in animation who's also an exroommate of a friend of mine. That's it. I'm officially an Angeleno if I'm running into people I know at the Bowl.

Root beer floats party in the park Sunday afternoon seemed to go well and there'll probably be another one soon.

Potter madness continues behind the cut with this week's specially themed mondaysabitch questions and a recipe for butterbeer that I can't wait to try. ( Check it out! )

NO SPOILERS HERE, DESPITE THE PRESENCE OF A CUT. THE CUT IS ONLY FOR LENGTH. NO SPOILERS. NO!