hairdid and movie updates

so last night, i went on a date with a very sweet man. we ended up having drinks at lillie's and then mid conversation (which was really a mutual spastic rant about how amazing action movies are) decided to go see xmen: origins... mmm wolverine. please keep in mind that any movie with hugh jackman, liev schrieber, and ryan reynolds can have absolutely no storyline or plot and still be the best movie ever. oh wait. :) and so it was, the best ever. :)

today i mosied down to the meatpacking district to red market salon(http://www.redmarketnyc.com/) to visit my new friend and stylist, alex. she is an adorable little thing from california, and ive FINALLY found someone in nyc that knows how to properly do blonde highlights. glass of white wine, tons of giggles, and great hair. you can't beat that, at any price. if you're in the market for a new hairstyle or color, please go see her. and tell her that i sent you, you wont be sorry.

i'm off to enjoy the sunshine... you have no excuse. get outside. and smile at the freshly blonde girl bouncing by you (it's probably me).

okay okay..i GET it.

we all know that love and i have been fighting... and it's sort of like the universe is telling me something.

i'm sitting at home tonight watching one of my netflix videos (that i swear someone's been stealing from my mailbox since i haven't been getting mail lately)... the title is CASHBACK... and it's charming and witty and just romantic enough without being horribly cheesy. and the music is good. and the story is set in england... so obvi i love it.

anyway... the ending scene... a young couple on the verge of love, run outside into the snow... which has stopped and the snowflakes are suspended mid air... and the closing monologue... and the music.

i get it.



Ben Willis: Once upon a time, I wanted to know what love was. Love is there if you want it to be. You just have to see that it's wrapped in beauty and hidden away in between the seconds of your life. If you don't stop for a minute, you might miss it.

cats, robots, cramps, cake, and something...

i went to see WALL-E on sunday afternoon, and to say that i was in love with the film... well that might just be an understatement. so adorable. so... so adorable.

on the way there i stopped into petco (because i'm on a mission to get a wee kitten) to see if they had any animals there... just to browse mind you. petco in union square usually has a few "kittens" up for adoption. usually they are older kittens. well, i want a KITTEN... a small cat. kitten.

there was a young couple at the counter handling three kittens... five week old mewing little kittens. turns out, they found the abandoned kittens up on the UWS last week and have been trying to find a shelter or clinic to take them. however, everywhere seems to be full. one of the kittens has a cold, they came in to petco to get food and see if the adoption center would take them. turns out petco cant take animals younger than 8 weeks old. OBVIOUSLY i gave the guy my card... because although i can't take a kitten for two more weeks, i want one! BUT, i want to make sure that i'm getting a healthy kitten. even the prospect of getting a wee mongrel makes me all kinds of excited. like it was fated for me to walk into that petco and talk to that couple. fate i tell you.

and to top off all my domestic girliness (hurl), i baked a cake last night. the roommate has being says for DAYS that she wanted some chocolate... so i baked her a frickin chocolate cake. and might i tell you... it's pretty darn fancy.

what's happening to me!!

mister depp is singing to me...

i'm watching sweeney todd for the first time as i type this... johnny depp singing is kind of an oddity to me. and yet, i still want to lick his face.

signed the lease on a BRAND NEW apartment about a block away from where i'm living now. i now have a dishwasher... her name is marjorie and i love her already. we move in on thursday, and really i'm just counting down the seconds til i get to run around in the fancy new pad. i. love. unpacking. conversely, i fricking HATE packing, although it's a good excuse to throw out old clothes that i dont wear anymore and dust off knacks that have been sitting on a shelf for the last year.

the summer action adventure season is upon us, folks. ironman, indiana jones, batman, and wanted... excuse me while i go change my panties.

the streets were paved with gold...

i'm sure that a few weeks ago i mentioned how excited i was about the new movie wanted coming out in june. well two weeks ago a notice was posted in the entry of my building saying that the streets would be closed due to movie filming... stunt work to be exact... for the very movie that i've been creaming panties over....WANTED.

well...

james mcavoy is standing outside my building...RIGHT NOW!


they are working on car chase scenes on our streets, and i'm over at my neighbor's house, out on the terrace staring at him.

just another reason why i love this city... fast and gorgeous cars and the opportunity to see one of my very favorite actors (and newest addition to the top five laminated list) twenty yards away from me.

definitely, maybe

british john and i went to see definitely, maybe as our "valentine's day is dumb, let's buddy up and go to the movies" event. we met outside the movie theater only to find out that the showing was sold out. as he exclaimed "it's sold out to me", a man leaned in and said "i have free passes if you'd like them... but you didn't get them from me." i personally thought it was a scam... turns out, not so much. KY jelly was doing a radio sponsored give away and the rest of the people in the audience were all winners... we just happened to be lucky loud people and got in for FREE. love that.

the movie was charming... ryan reynolds managed to carry a movie without having to take his shirt off (which i was a little sad about really, because he epitomizes the pretty to me) and abigail breslin is, of course, adorable. i will clearly purchase this on dvd when it comes out and add it to my ever-increasing pile of sunday afternoon movies.

and just because it was valentine's day and i felt like it... i bought more ck cheekies... because OBVIOUSLY i need more bloomin underwear. pfft.

happy day of naughty snogging...

or something...

i love that time of year when tax returns and paychecks converge in my bank account. suddenly i have a surplass of cash and my happy little hands rub together with excitement deciding what little treat or two i'll buy myself. a few weeks ago i was discussing the possibilities with rach, asking her if i should get that fancy new lens or pay down credit cards. oh wise sage... rach quietly urged me to pay my bills. the jerk. the lovely jerk. so instead of being stupid, i paid down a very substantial chunk of bills... and then managed to buy only a little treat (or two) in this delicious little number:



and a remote timer for my camera. aka i spent not very much money at all, managed to spoil myself a little bit, AND was smart and took care of some actual life business. yay me.

happy day for snogging. i'm going to go see definitely, maybe with my friend john tonight. maybe we'll hold hands, just to celebrate the day.

xoxoxox carry on lovers.

you can totally come over...

it comes in the mail tomorrow... and yes, i WILL be jumping on my bed and singing all of these songs at the top of my lungs.

you can totally come over.



chipmunk adventure = AWESOME

it's like TORTURE!!!

i'm supposed to wait until JUNE for this!!!!!! sometimes it's just so obvious that i would totally lick angelina's face if given the opportunity...

i'm just saying.

cassandra's dream

how ANYONE could give this movie an above average rating is beyond me. after deciding that i'd go see it and perusing the split decision reviews on metacritic, i was kind of surprised at how horrible this movie was. i've never wanted to punch colin farrell in the face so badly in my entire life. his facial expressions were hilarious and the storyline was predictable and not awesome. i predicted everything that would happen almost down to the detail and knew precisely when they'd decide to end the movie... aka at the wrong moment.

woody allen... oh woody. how i don't love you... and you keep reminding me why. i laughed a lot during this movie of yours, and i'm pretty sure that this wasn't your intention.

if you're as much into accents as i am, then the film will be completely worth the two hours that you'll waste. okay fine, it's not THAT bad, and the in the dark hand holding that accompanied the movie completely made up for it. i was entertained... but not overjoyed when all was said and done.

the poster is kickass though...

i am the author of my own legend...

since i've been back in town after the holidays, i've been extremely solitary. part of that was due to my being sick, but even now that i'm feeling back to normal, i just want to be quiet. seek some sense of peace perhaps? i'm not really sure. i'm starting to wonder if i'm sabotaging my move here... meaning if i don't go out and meet people and see the city and enjoy myself... LIVE, in other words... then i'll despise it and move on... or move back home. i don't know why i'm doing this, per se, but i think that i am. and maybe this is me acknowledging that fact. saying something out loud (because clearly i'm saying all of this out loud whilst i type it) makes it real. i just don't know what i'm afraid of.

it occurs to me that people will perceive in you exactly what you want them to see. if you exude anger, you are angry. if you show them fear, then you are afraid. if you don't display confidence, they will not know that you are in fact confident. the key is to walk with your chin up... turn the music up louder, sing if you have to, skip while you stream down any sidewalk. just remember to live in exactly the very fullest version of you that is inside of you. and do not be afraid. fuck "them". because no matter who you are and where you are at this very moment in time, you are perfection. the author of your own legend.

i have a plan.

i haven't been sleeping well. i haven't been able to get myself asleep before midnight, and up in time to wake up and be alert by the time i get to work. i hit the wall at 2pm again. i feel like taking naps at my desk. i had to fix it... so i went to the gym today after work and kicked the everloving bajeezus out of myself. my arms aren't moving very well, but at least i managed to tucker myself out.

via this online dating endeavor, a guy started emailing me today that looks frighteningly similar to my exboyfriend. seriously. they may be related. i even said as much to the guy and he asked to see a picture. even HE said that they look spookily alike. i really don't think that i can date someone that looks like someone that i already dated. what if i shout out the wrong name? and really, i don't want another reminder of that wasted time of my life. next!

in other news, i watched an advance dvd copy of i am legend last night. why no one bothered to tell me that it's a movie about zombies, i'll never know. you jerks. here's me reading every metacritic review before i see a new movie from now on. i can just imagine... had half-asian jacob been here to sit with me while it was on, he would have been jabbing me in the sides to make me jump even higher at the suspenseful parts. p.s. i didn't like it... and my opinion has nothing to do with the zombies. and p.p.s. long sweeping views of a completely desolate manhattan, with shrubbery growing in odd places and birds chirping (who hears birds chirping anymore?!), is completely unsettling.

bygones and good night.

i discover anthony lane

i am sometimes swayed by public opinion when it comes to entertainment... meaning sometimes i believe what the crazy people at rottentomatoes are saying, and add movies to my netflix queue (joy) based solely on the reviews of others. but sometimes, i should be careful.

i brilliant example of this is sunshine, the movie that i watched with friend P last night. it stars cillian murphy (batman begins) and michelle yeoh (memoirs of a geisha). a sci-fi thriller that takes place in space... on a spaceship... on the way to the sun to help regenerate the earth's life force, or else everyone will DIE!!!... dun dun dun. really... the real reason that i even added the movie in the first place is because of chris evans (london, fantastic four). i am swayed by the pretty, it can't be helped.

anyway, the movie was AWFUL... so we get on metacritic to see how well the movie did with the public and it got a really high score and unusually complimentary reviews. we were shocked. until we found anthony lane, a brilliant movie critic for the new yorker. and now my friends: anthony lane reviews sunshine

you really don't need to watch the movie to enjoy this man's writing about it... i spent a good part of last night rolling on the floor with laughter.

some people are pure magic. and now i've found a man's opinion that i can trust. ;)

there will be blood

managed to fenagle (that's a word right?) an advanced dvd copy of there will be blood yesterday, and watched it yesterevening in bed. now let's just say this, daniel day lewis is brilliant. he is. just a brilliant actor. and i can certainly understand why this film is receiving the critical acclaim that it is, and why people are buzzing about winning awards, etc etc. i, however, did not LOVE it. i should make this clear though, i'm not one to like the western genre. nor am i one to enjoy the pace that goes along with prairie concepts or meandering or anything that one might do in a western. if i have to watch a western, give me the guns, and some ornery dudes and witty banter and that'll be that. i'll say it again... DDL is brilliant, but i did not love the movie. there. moving on.

some time during the middle of the movie i decided that i'd make some pasta. because when you've been out of town for almost two weeks, and freshdirect gives you delivery dates into mid week (because EVERYONE is trying to restock their fridges after a long vacation via freshdirect), you don't have much left in the cupboards. so i made this pasta... in fact i made the entire box of pasta... because really, cold pasta is delish in the next day, and decided to try heating up this fancy sun-dried tomato alfredo sauce that i'd purchased a while ago but never used. oh... my... lanta that stuff was heinously disgusting. i can't even pinpoint for you the nature of the flavor it was just foul. i only used a little of it on the noodles and then heaped forty-seven pounds of kraft fake cheese on top and it still tasted foul. talk about forcing low portion size. i couldn't eat anything for the rest of the evening... however, if you'd like to try it, the leftover sauce is in some tupperware in my fridge. have at it... yo.

i'm dreaming of massages. over the break my mother took me up to the salish lodge for brunch and massages and now i'm wanting another one. by the way, if you live in seattle or anywhere near the salish lodge (www.salishlodge.com), make sure you ask for sandy. she does an AMAZING combination of lomi lomi and hot stone massage. best i've ever had. EVER. and that's saying something, considering that i used to work in a spa. dude. do it. anyway, the boss gave me a gc for a nearby spa and i think i'm going to go get a massage this weekend. my post-sickness body could use a little lovin. well... my normal body could "use a little lovin" all the time... but let's not be greedy here.

slowly chipping away at the ole "to do" list

for the very first time in my entire life, i went to the movies alone today. i know... i'm pathetically old for this to have been the first time, but i'm weird like that. i'll probably never get to the point where i'll eat dinner in a fancy restaurant alone, but this was a small step for me.

i saw an early evening showing of the savages. it was a delightful experience spent with a theater full of seventy year olds. ahhhhhhhh the joys of living.

welcome 2008

pardon my disappearance... two weeks spent back home in seattle "relaxing" have kept me completely occupied. and now that the dactyl is back in new york with a raging cold, i just can't seem to compile all my thoughts tactfully.

which means, you're going to get a giant brain dump of events that i'm recalling as i type them. really... lucky you.

- saw atonement with my mother. visually BEAUTIFUL movie, left me feeling rather thoughtful but not exactly weepy. two thumbs up-ish.
- watched the bourne ultimatum (finally). a two hour complitation of ass-kickery and awesomeness. perhaps the best bourne movie yet. i enjoyed it whole heartedly and was most assuredly standing on the couch screaming with glee during all the fight scenes.
- got to participate in (aka watch) the birth of my friend erin's son. i've never witnessed a birth, not to mention a home birth, and the experience (i can assure you) was awe-inspiring. words can do it no justice...
- did an ass ton of dancing, dressed up in ridiculous outfits, ate good food, and gave zillions of hugs. i only cried a little bit. only a little.
- had an eye exam and got fitted for contacts. it has not been a joyful experience, although i think we've found a contact that isn't going to make me scratch my eyes out. as soon as this stress and alcohol induced eye twitch goes away, i'll be attempting to wear the contacts on a daily basis. wish me luck.

i've been home sick today watching movies and drinking tea. my new draperies are up and i'm all unpacked. it's weird yet lovely to have a weekend to do absolutely nothing and regain my new york bearings.

happy 2008 friends and strangers... i have a lot in store for myself. wishing you a heart full of joy in this new year!!

cuz we're the boys of rock and roll...

i spoke to a friend from seattle on the phone last night, and he was just getting home from taking his kids to the movies - the new chipmunk movie to be exact. and although i outwardly mocked him (just a teense) just going to see it in the first place (such things are obviously excused when you have children), i started thinking about the original chipmunk adventure movie from the 80s... the one that i LOVED as a 10 year old spaz.

i was laying in bed last night singing old chipmunk adventure songs, surfing netflix, and adding that movie to my queue. and then of course i moved it up to the top of the list... because i want to watch it tomorrow or the next day. i'm laughing at myself even now.

how can i remember WORD for WORD some of the songs from this movie, and yet forget so many other things? utterly bizarre.



i guess you know what i'll be doing tomorrow. so so awesome.

it's that kind of week...

where i see a ton of movies (apparently)... this is actually fine by me, because i don't have a movie watching partner in crime now that jacob has left new york. now that he's in town, we're seeing our movies.

last night was JUNO:



quite easily one of the most adorably quirky movies that i've ever seen. ellen page is brilliant! go. see. now.

last night my shoulder was attacked by a poltergeist. i have no idea what happened. i'd just gotten back from putting a load of laundry into the washing machine, came back to my room and continued on with the editing of some photos, and all of a sudden my shoulder really started to hurt. sting almost. so i looked over my left shoulder and six evenly spaced cuts appeared on my shoulder... about two inches long each. it hurt sooooo badly, so i grabbed my tubes of whatevers and started figuring out what to put on it because i couldn't find my neosporin. so jacob said that the hydrocortisone was the right choice. wrong. stinging fiasco. wrong choice.

i finally found the neosporin and shelacked myself up with it, but HOW i got the aforementioned injury, the world may never know.

what day of the week is it? i've lost track...

i saw this movie last night:



holy not what i was expecting. and in an attempt to NOT ruin this film for you in any way, i'll just say. wow. and please go see it, so we can talk about it over the weekend. Javier Bardem is genius in his role as a menacing and completely insane murderer.

jacob is in town on his way back to seattle from europe. and after arriving at my house at about 1am from the airport, he proceeded to snore the living BAJEEZUS out of the night. needless to say, i didn't sleep well and am slurping down coffee like it's "insert cheeky metaphor here".

enjoy your day, i have to go make an attempt at planning a holiday lunch for my boss and some coworkers. woot woot!

lars and the real girl...

i went to see lars and the real girl last night with one of my girlfriends. sooooo not what i was expecting, although i really don't know what i was expecting (but really who cares when it comes to ryan gosling, who can do no wrong in my mind... clearly).

here's the imdb write up on the plot synopsis:

Lars (Ryan Gosling) is an awkwardly shy young man in a small nothern town who finally brings home the girl of his dreams to his brother and sister-in-law's home. The only problem is that she's not real - she's a sex doll Lars ordered off the internet. But sex is not what Lars has in mind, but rather a deep, meaningful relationship. His sister-in-law is worried for him, his brother thinks he's nuts, but eventually the entire town goes along with his delusion in support of this sweet natured boy that they've always loved.

i laughed my tooshie off... and went through a few tissues. absolutely worth the in theater purchase price, and i'm recommending this movie with a two very big thumbs up. paul schneider (as the older brother) is brilliant and on the verge of being huge... just wait and see.

bon weekend.

my life IS stranger than fiction...

i know i'm being uber wordy today, i just can't help it. i have rather groundbreaking news to tell you all about tomorrow, but i just got done watching 'stranger than fiction' for the third time in three days, and i'm left with such a joyful feeling of hope that i'd like to put the closing monologue of the movie down on paper (computer screen) to remember it and refer back when i need a moment's pause:

As Harold took a bite of Bavarian sugar cookie, he finally felt as if everything was going to be ok. Sometimes, when we lose ourselves in fear and despair, in routine and constancy, in hopelessness and tragedy, we can thank God for Bavarian sugar cookies. And, fortunately, when there aren't any cookies, we can still find reassurance in a familiar hand on our skin, or a kind and loving gesture, or subtle encouragement, or a loving embrace, or an offer of comfort, not to mention hospital gurneys and nose plugs, an uneaten Danish, soft-spoken secrets, and Fender Stratocasters, and maybe the occasional piece of fiction. And we must remember that all these things, the nuances, the anomalies, the subtleties, which we assume only accessorize our days, are effective for a much larger and nobler cause. They are here to save our lives. I know the idea seems strange, but I also know that it just so happens to be true. And, so it was, a wristwatch saved Harold Crick.