Media Junkie's Daily Fix

Spoiled Rotten for 24 Hours

Sun, 18 May 2008 20:57:53 GMT

What an amazing birthday! Starting with a late dinner on the actual birthday justhuman, my friend Judy, and I had great sushi, saw Prince Caspian, and slept with no snoring. The next morning we ate scones for breakfast and took the ferry into NYC on a picture perfect day. I had a great baked salmon for lunch at an Irish pub and then we went to see Young Frankenstein which rocked. Who knew Megan Mullally could sing so well? Fun fun fun.

We took the ferry back and met our friend Steve for a palatial dinner at P.F. Chang's. Now that I didn't have to worry about getting sick before the show I pulled out all the stops. I had a fancy drink, an appetizer, a main dish and a cute little shot glass dessert (s'more flavor). Certainly the best 24 hours I can remember having in quite a while. Hubby will be home from Dayton soon which is yet another treat - although outside the 24 hour limit. Oh, and also outside the 24 but much appreciated is the new icon justhuman made for me - it is very artsy no?

Books: The Touring Option

Movies: The Importance of Being Earnest/Prince Caspian (see it on the big screen!)

Soundtrack: So kiss me quick, 'cause it's my birthday

Psuedo Birthday Blahs

Wed, 14 May 2008 23:38:57 GMT

I felt ill this morning and called into work sick because I DON'T want to be sick for my real birthday when I drive up to justhuman's for my Broadway weekend. Hubby and I had agreed to make today my psuedo birthday for purposes of dinner and gifts since he leaves for Dayton tomorrow. (Guess which one of us actually knows how to have a good time.) Needless to say, I wasn't going to be up for a fancy dinner with the blahs I'm having today (got out of bed at 11:00 and laid around today).

He came home with a big bouquet of flowers, 2 mylar balloons, a Neil Gaiman hardcover and a corsage. Oh how I love that man. Then we ordered take out sushi and he brought it home for me. Ate to candlelight and the end of Sabrina. I love the soppy movies when I'm ill. Still feel tired and washed out but I hope a good night's sleep will put me right. If not, I'll sacrifice another paid day off to ensure my birthday happiness. Wish me luck.

Books: The Touring Option

Movies: Pride and Prejudice/Sabrina/going to pick another out to watch now

Soundtrack: The P&P piano music from the DVD menu is stuck in there good

Jay tortures us - we return the favor

Sun, 11 May 2008 18:20:05 GMT

We spent HOURS at Jay's yesterday getting our D&D 3.5 characters created. What happened to 5 minutes and a handful of dice? Criminy! I settled on a chaotic good roge half-elf who I named Kai. I wanted to spell it with just the one greek letter (X) but Jay wouldn't let me and I didn't want to spell it correctly because I didn't want people to call her "Chee". Hubby picked out a chaotic good human ranger who he has declined to name at all. I will introduce him to others we meet as "I just call him Fred".

In revenge over the lengthy process I insisted Jay watch one of the movies we had nominated for our movie night. We had given him a pile of 4 movies to pick from. One of these movies he has had in his possession for over 2 years and he has not yet watched it. Knowing he would never EVER show it for movie night I suggested he plug in The First Nudie Musical. After, Jay said "That's 90 minutes of my life I'll never get back" and I thought he got off easy after what he'd put us through. Then again, we had forced him to listen to Hot Buttered Elvis, Me First and the Gimmie Gimmies and some Stan Ridgeway while we were "rolling up" characters so maybe we are even. I miss rolling. I miss dice. Wah!

Movies: The First Nudie Musical

Books: Plan B

Soundtrack: It won't hurt a bit, or maybe it will, perversion is my thrill

Dark and Darker - Spoilers from a movie you DON'T want to see anyway

Sat, 10 May 2008 02:05:15 GMT

I've got to lay off the dark movies. Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker was beyond indeed. Well beyond the psychological darkness of any previous animated Batman that's for sure. Then tonight I watched Venus.

Hey Kyle Smith of the New York Post! "One of this year's wisest, warmest and funniest films" my ass. Two shallow manipulative people who take advantage of each other until one of them goes so far that she finally feels a shred of guilt and then they make up just in time for him to die - oh yes, I feel warm all over. Wise maybe, but I think I must have blinked and missed the funny. This movie was back on the swap before the credit music was over. It's already on wish list hold so it will be out the door soon thank God.

Note to producers: you CAN cast Peter O'Toole in a movie without forcing me to watch him die can't you? That's two in a row and I'm getting mad. I LIKE that old man.

I had a bit of a shock this morning when I read my email and discovered that I had "graciously volunteered" for an assignment at work. Now my boss is entitled to assign me anything he wants - that's why we call him boss - but I would have liked a heads up. The email was sent out to everyone and since I leave at 3:00 pm and get in at 6:00 am I was probably literally the last to know. This put my nose out of joint and I grumped my way through the morning until hubby called and asked me out to lunch. Good hubby. That cheered me up a lot.

Tomorrow we have lunch with my Mom and Dad, then Jay is going to subject us to D&D 3.5. I think it might be 20 years since I've played any D&D at all and 3.5 is supposed to be different so this should be interesting. Sunday I am trying to lure ambug666 into trying out my gym. It reminds me of the old days where 1cmf, my roommate, and I used to goad each other into going to the gym. He would call us (and we each other) flabby thighs and we would call him schnapps belly. Funny, I'd kill now for the "flabby thighed" body I had back then. Perspective. Nothing like watching a sweet old man die for the last hour and a half to give you perspective.

OK, enough of this. The next movie I watch is going to be pure escapist trash. I'm talking Adam Sandler here. Art is going to kill me if I let it.

Books: Plan B

Movies: Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker/Venus

Soundtrack: You're older than you've ever been and now you're even older, and now you're older still

Challenge to the Artistic Folk Out There

Thu, 08 May 2008 00:07:41 GMT

OK, I'm beginning to believe my MP3 player is sentient. Today at the gym the TV was showing Hillary Clinton doing all those middle class things that she thinks show the voters that she's not a multi-millionaire but a regular joe just like them. The player appropriately trotted out the William Shatner cover of Common People. For those not familiar with the song it's about a rich girl trying out all the things common people do. However the common people hate her for "being a tourist" and the chorus has a rant that starts - "You will never understand how it feels to live your life with no meaning or control and with nowhere left to go" - and ends with "watching roaches climb the wall, you could call your dad and he'd stop it all". I think a montage of those Clinton photo ops of bowling and doing shots etc. with Common People in the background needs to be on youtube - I just don't have the skills to do it myself.

Hubby wants to watch a Batman animated movie now - gotta go

Books: Plan B/I am American and So Can You (audio)

Movies: give me a second and I'll see Batman: Return of the Joker

Soundtrack: Smoke some fags and play some pool - pretend you've never been to school

Cinco de MP3-O

Mon, 05 May 2008 23:18:58 GMT

The MP3 player knew what day it was at the gym today so it played Amarillo by The Pouges for me. I love it when Irish bands play music completely inappropriate for them. All those Spanish words sung with a nice thick brogue- baby baby.

I addition to the gym I have started my rowing DVD plan and watched Gray Matters yesterday. I didn't row through the whole movie but I did get a good workout before watching the rest of it from the couch. It's a cute coming out movie about a woman who suddenly realizes not only is she gay, but she's in love with her brother's wife. Fun cameos by Alan Cummings and Sissy Spacek are worth the price of admission alone.

My clients have screwed up their funding somehow so I have to take training to keep myself off of overhead. The good news is I can do CBT from home! No commuting is super green.

Hubby is in the Cinco de Mayo mood and called to say he wants margaritas tonight. However, we don't want to sit in a crowded noisy Mexican restaurant so we're going to Pacific to suck up margaritas at the tiki bar while we eat Asian food. He'll be home soon so I gotta fly!

Books: The Spiderwick Chronicles

Movies: Gray Matters

Soundtrack: We must say Adios until we see Amarillo once again

Live from Maryland Game Day

Sat, 03 May 2008 20:08:24 GMT

Kudos to the Games Club of Maryland for setting up wi-fi at the con! Also they have lots of good free food and helped us unpack. Now if their attendees would just part with some cash...

Went to see Iron Man last night. Wonderful! I will surely get it on DVD when it comes out. Downey rocks! The special effects rock! The script super duper rocked! See it, see it, see it and stay through the credits.

Books: Bonk/The Spiderwick Chronicles

Movies: Iron Man!

Soundtrack: Iron Man lives again!

Watch This Space

Tue, 29 Apr 2008 22:39:36 GMT

Hubby made a huge step this week. He sorted out a big pile of t-shirts and admitted he would not wear them again - then shoved them into my arms. What am I going to do with these? I said. Uh, I don't know, hubby said. So.

Sometime this week I am going to post a detailed description of the orphaned shirts. Some of them are really nifty - as you might imagine. We will be happy to mail anyone any shirts they might want. We'd be glad to know they had a good new home. Anything left by June will go to the UU flea market.

Went to the gym today and the MP3 player had an inspired moment playing "Here Today Gone Tomorrow" followed up by "Three Strange Days". MAN did that WORK! It's humbling to find out a random number generator is a better DJ than you are.

Amazon says my rowing machine will arrive tomorrow. I'm psyched for that. I plan to watch all those box sets of TV shows I've been accumulating while rowing. By the time I get through the backlog I'm going to be soooooo buff!

Finished the audio book Trunk Music today. A hard boiled detective novel that had a few OK twists but was mostly good because Dick Hill was reading it. I think he's the best reader of all time.

Books: The Spiderwick Chronicles/Bonk/Trunk Music (audio)

Movies: nada

Soundtrack: So I pulled up a chair, and started drinking by myself

Ravencon Report

Mon, 28 Apr 2008 20:48:44 GMT

I'm back from Ravencon and boy am I beat. The con was in a new hotel that had some things better than the old hotel (such as the larger game room and dealer room) and some things worse (poor maintenance and hallway traffic flow issues). Mike says it's just for one more year then they'll move to an even larger hotel.

We did some business, but no great shakes. The trip was saved by a fun loving granny who bought 6 hats so she could give them to the whole family at Christmas and then make them wear the hats in the Christmas photos. I liked her! Also one woman had two little nieces and she got one pink kitty hat and one black kitty hat so they could play kitties together. I can't even imagine how cute THAT'S gonna look. Speaking of cute - Yoo Hoos were a big hit. I might need to order up more before Origins rolls around. I certainly need more hats!

The dealer room Czar helped in EVPF playtesting and came up with a great rule variation that I think is going to seal the deal. I need to do some more playtesting with this super duper rule but lucky me Saturday is Maryland Game Day so I should be able to swing that no problem. Another highlight was Rob's incredibly eerie Leonard Cohen filk. An the $10 seated massage lady. Oh man she was good! Hubby gets super points for helping at the booth and fetching Vietnamese lunch.

As promised I finished Dreaming Metal at the con. I was actually teary at the end. Slow start but good book in the end. Now, must run credit cards then sleeeeep.

Books: The Spiderwick Chronicles/Bonk

Movies: None - con con con

Soundtracks: Hey little bird, fly away home (Tom Waits)

Ravencon Ready

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 21:32:58 GMT

Well almost. I still need to pack my luggage but the car's all packed up and ready to go. I also found my directions and hotel confirmation on the first try. This means I will have time to go to choir practice tonight!

Reading multiple books is really slowing me down. I will try to polish one off in between customers this weekend. More when we get back. TTFN.

Books: Bonk/Dreaming Metal

Movies: none

Soundtrack: Eye of the Tiger - who put that in my head?

The Not Very Highly Recommended Kingdom

Sun, 20 Apr 2008 16:41:45 GMT

It would be too much to say Forbidden Kingdom. The movie was cute without being great. A see once, and I see no reason to pay full price to do that. What WAS great was to see it with our friend Jim who until recently had been working nights. It's so nice to have him back in our social lives.

Sang in Transylvanian in church today. It was a pretty sort of slow chant in a minor key. No one turned into a bat.

Books: Bonk/Dreaming Metal

Movies: The Forbidden Kingdom

Soundtrack: Where there is God there, there is no need (translation)

With a Z

Sat, 19 Apr 2008 20:16:03 GMT

Watched American Dreamz last night. Brilliant satire of the whole American Idol craze mixed in with blistering political commentary. Although the names have been changed to protect themselves from the guilty Dennis Quaid turns in a great puppet George Bush, Marcia Gay Harden makes a charming beaten down Laura Bush, and Willem Dafoe plays the devil incarnate - I mean Dick Cheney. These two plot lines collide when the VP sets up the Prez as a guest judge of the American Dreamz show. Too bad he doesn't realize one of the contestants is a terrorist who lost his mother to an American bomb in Baghdad.

The script is very clever. Kudos to anyone who can make you interested in a "love interest" plot line where both parties are vicious and shallow and admit it. What they enjoy so much about each other is they don't have to pretend to be nice. The most romantic thing said between them is "I don't loathe you" and you actually are excited for them both at that point.

So I guess I'm saying - see it you won't be sorry.

Books: Dreaming Metal/Bonk

Movies: American Dreamz - plans to see Forbidden Kingdom tonight

Soundtrack: Wake up, smell the cat food! - TMBG

Brown Paper Wrapper

Tue, 15 Apr 2008 00:05:41 GMT

I am actually reading a book that I can't bring into work to read during lunch. Last week on NPR Mary Roach was being interviewed about her new book: Bonk - The Curious Coupling of Science and Sex. She has thoroughly researched a book about the history of the scientific study of sex. This includes everything from the researchers lives, to the instruments they invented and the results they measured. There was a funny quote from Kinsey during the interview so I told the hubby about it.

Saturday the hubby took his car to the oil change place next to the Borders. He saw the book on an end cap and remembered me talking about it so he brought it home. It is fascinating - like a car wreck. Mary Roach has a good sense of humor though, and her footnotes are as entertaining as they are in a Terry Pratchett novel. So far it's an excellent read and yes, I'm learning a lot too.

Went back to the other gym today. I think I'm getting into the rowing machine. Rather than switch gyms though I think I'll just invest the money it would cost to change in my own rowing machine if I can find one that stores under the couch. Other than that I like the gyms about equally.

Books: Dreaming Metal/Bonk

Movies: Stargate - the actual movie for a change

Soundtrack: Empire - Dar Williams

Wetting my Pants in Excitement

Sat, 12 Apr 2008 20:12:44 GMT

Looky at what I just read on Amazon:

"With over 45 million books sold, Pratchett is an international phenomenon. His brainchild is the Discworld series of novels he began as parodies of other works like Macbeth, Faust, and The Arabian Nights. The Wee Free Men, one of Pratchett's most popular novels, will be made into a movie by Spider-Man director Sam Raimi."

Woo hoo! I love all the Tiffany stories and I LOVE the little blue boys to death. This is going to be swell! I wonder if the feegles will be animated or if they'll be shot live and digitally shrunk. 2010 is too far away - I can't wait!

The Sterling Playmakers did a nice job with Tom Jones last night. Light and fluffy farce makes a nice change of pace from all the depressing movies I've seen of late.

Yesterday I also tried out a new gym on a guest pass. L.A. Fitness has some things I like better than Olympus, and some things I like less. The pass is good for a week so I'll go two more times, then return to Olympus and see if I miss the good things at L.A. Fitness enough to switch. I wouldn't bet on it since the tie breaker would be price and Olympus is as cheap as it gets.

Oh, and the big news - Mr. Christopher moved the last of his stuff out yesterday and gave back the key. The end of an era. We wish him well.

Books: Hollow Chocolate Bunnies of the Apocalypse

Movies: No, just went to the play

Soundtrack: Shotgun

Surreal World

Fri, 11 Apr 2008 15:07:05 GMT

OK, so I'm on the bike a the gym looking at the news but listening to the MP3 player and...

On screen - archival footage from the VT shooting showing cops in riot gear running with big guns

On the MP3 - Warren Zevon singing Lawyers Guns and Money

Woah.

Watched Mulholland Falls last night. A well made movie with a sad ending. Good to see once so, back on the swap it goes. Plan on seeing Tom Jones (the play) this evening with Jay and the movie night crowd. We'll see how the Sterling Playmakers do with it.

Books: Hollow Chocolate Bunnies of the Apocalypse

Movies: Mulholland Falls

Soundtrack: Lawyers Guns and Money

Putting on the Ritz - What about you?

Tue, 08 Apr 2008 01:14:59 GMT

OK B'Way buds - justhuman and I and our friend Judy are going to see Young Frankenstein on May 17th - hopefully the matinee showing. Does anyone want to go with us? 48 hours notice, then I'm buying tickets. Let me know.

I Went to Work Today!

Mon, 07 Apr 2008 21:50:31 GMT

That is all. But it's plenty. Now I'm VERY tired.

Books: The Hollow Chocolate Bunnies of the Apocalypse

Movies: None today - I went to work!

Soundtrack: Cartman answering the Proust questionnaire - yolen you rock!

More Couch Time

Sun, 06 Apr 2008 23:48:36 GMT

I can't seem to shake this thing. I perk up for an hour or two, then I get sleepy again. The temp is still holding steady at 99.1. Hubby is also still dragging. We are compromising on the TV. We have seen Robin Hood and a sizable chunk of SG-1 season 9. Thanks for Robin Hood Jay, the special features really were super.

I've started reading a book called The Hollow Chocolate Bunnies of the Apocalypse. The plot bears a stunning resemblance to The Big Over Easy. I wonder which is ripping off which.

Books: The Hollow Chocolate Bunnies of the Apocalypse

Movies: Robin Hood/SG-1 season 9

Soundtrack: We're having a heat wave, a tropical heat wave

Bad Timing

Fri, 04 Apr 2008 22:08:00 GMT

The problem with being sick at the same time as hubby is I don't get to wallow in chick flicks while getting better. He's finally dragged out of the house this afternoon so I'm going to try to work in something sappy before he gets back.

Note to fans of Moulin Rouge - try Idlewild. It's a black rap and blues movie with similar plot, film style, and dance scenes. Quite good.

I left the house for one hour today because I had a mammogram appointment and it was near the house (thus one hour total including the mammogram). I wonder, are you REQUIRED to be a masochist to be a mammogram tech, or is it optional?

Books: Three Days to Never (one chapter left)

Movies: Iron Giant/Ice Pirates/Space Hunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone/Idlewild

Soundtrack: You are my home

Writer's Block: Where in the World...

Wed, 02 Apr 2008 23:11:16 GMT

[Error: unknown template 'I'm still thinking Hawaii is paradise. Not Oahu which is too built up, but maybe the big island, or Maui or Kuai all of which are beautiful and placid with perfect weather. Riding horses and walking on the beach followed by lying on the beach reading sounds perfect. As for things which are essential they include books, movies and music of course _ plus sushi and thai food both of which are plentiful on the islands.']

Feh!

Wed, 02 Apr 2008 22:57:32 GMT

Well I guess it was only a matter of time. Hubby is getting better but I'm running 99.1 and feel like dirt. I have a baaaaad feeling about this.

I will attempt an illness haiku for shuttergal:

Tickle in my throat
My fever begins to spike
A doctor is next

Books: Three Days to Never

Movies: I'm sure I'll see some while I'm sick

Soundtrack: Lord, I am so tired, how long can this go on?

Oh yes! A poetry reading!

Tue, 01 Apr 2008 23:44:42 GMT

I don't know why shuttergal wants poetry, but hey, I can do that.

They are gossamer threads that tie me
Easily broken, yet I will not win free
Without them cast off, with them bound
Moored to the dock, I fear the open sea

By ocean's vastness, the pier solid and safe
The calm lagoon, the deadly reef
Dreaming of freedom, I seek shelter
They are glass chains that bind me

Hubby slept most of today, but I think he's stronger now that he's on the meds. Maybe tomorrow he can wake up before noon!

Books: Three Days to Never

Movies: none today so far

Soundtrack: Appalachian Spring

Diagnosis Murder

Mon, 31 Mar 2008 20:18:07 GMT

OK, more like Diagnosis flu PLUS an ear infection. No wonder he's been so uncomfortable. In the good column however, they were no joke giving out free chair massages in the waiting room. Better still, it turned out to be our friend Ken B. doing the massaging. Turns out he works in the medical spa that is associated with our doctor's office and they were giving out massages and spa propaganda to drum up business.

Yesterday was another day on the couch for the poor hubby. We became too lethargic to even pop in DVDs so we watched network television. We even watched some golf. Lucky for us My 20 shows movies on Sundays. During a really perky part of the day we popped in Jay's Princess Mononoke so hubby could see it.

In 45 minutes I get to pick up the hubby's anti-biotic and hopefully he'll start to get better soon. Thanks for all the well wishing comments folks!

Books: Three Days to Never

Movies: Princess Mononoke/Hell Boy/An Ideal Husband - yes in that order and the TV did NOT explode

Soundtrack: Hazy Shade of Winter - Bangles version

I Left the House!

Sun, 30 Mar 2008 19:38:14 GMT

Hubby is STILL sick. I was going to stay home with him last night but Jay called and tried to entice me out to movie night. I told him I'd already seen both the movies, but he said Theresa made a special MJ-friendly dessert for me so I allowed myself to be coaxed out.

It was environmental animation night - Happy Feet and Princess Mononoke. Sharrainchains was there along with a large portion of the movie night crowd. She and I tried to play a little drinking game where we counted how many times Mumble should have been deader than a doornail, but they started happening so close together we lost count about the time he gets sucked into the rotor but didn't get diced.

Jay had upgraded a bunch of his movies from standard copies to HD so he gave each of us a movie to take home. I got Robin Hood. We already have it on VHS but clearly this will be better quality plus it's got a lot of special features. Jay also graciously allowed me to borrow Princess Mononoke so hubby could see it.

Today I am back to keeping poor hubby company. Tomorrow I will take him to a doctor if he is not better.

Books: Three Days to Never

Movies: Happy Feet/Princess Mononoke

Soundtrack: Turn me loose, from your hand, let me fly to distant lands

A Romantic Turn

Sat, 29 Mar 2008 16:39:36 GMT

Last night the hubby gave me a break and we watched The Princess Bride and Sense and Sensibility. He's sweating out the fever now so hopefully he'll be back to his old self soon.

Books: Three Days to Never/The Bourne Legacy (audio)

Movies The Princess Bride/Sense and Sensibility

Soundtrack:Storybook Ending