Is it magic ... or...?

Is it Halloween?

(If those are ghost cookies, it must be Halloween.)

This year was a literary theme.

Ladies and Gentlemen ... before your very eyes, two (somewhat) normal people will become ...two somewhat abnormal people.

Later on I ditched Raoul and was hanging out with Nancy Drew.
(Note the dainty pinky on the machette.)

"Hey, Boo."
I figure that 'ol Boo, bein' that he was child-like in the mind and all, was a good match for Scout, seein' as how they was both drankin' and shouldna' been, but it's okay 'cuz they's from the South.

This year's winner is not literary, but ... well ... see and judge for yourself. Even trying to explain makes me have to pee my pants because I'm laughing so hard.
All the way from Hawaii, I present the cousin/roommate's parents as Dog, the Bounty Hunter, and his lovely wife, Beth:

one more

I just overheard this from the t.v. in the living room and remembered how great it was.

"You were ice cream for freaks!"

That's the best movie line ever.
Ever.

blogging not working out time-wise. been staying up staring at court cases involving dui's and dead people and it's making me sleepy, irritable and is a total fecking drag-bummer. and it's midterm week (the only one i have is in film, but still ... who is dixon and where does he fit in? everything before the studio system is a technical blur). must save energy for "lost" watching.

coming soon:
the L'il Hateful Halloween Spectacular (oh boy!)

My Best 'Feined

It started with Deep Fry's confession and was compounded by a discussion at work about why we get headaches on the weekends. I decided that I'm quitting caffeine.

Okay, not entirely. Like smoking, the plan is to continue with it socially. I'll be a social caffeine drinker. I already feel brighter and lucid and the withdrawal syndrome really only carried through until Tuesday. After that everything was really great. I wasn't half as irritable as I usually am and I was getting a lot of stuff done.

One week later: Saturday. I slept in late and woke up without a headache. Bene. I don't need that 5:00 am cup. I'll be okay.

And then I went on a bender. I had 2 cups of coffee this morning at 9 am and I'm still buzzing at 2:40 pm. I want to concentrate on Italian, but after 30 seconds of it I'm restless and need to do something else. Even posting this is making me manic because it's taking TOO DAMN LONG to finish.

Demon, demon 'feine.

HA!

WASHINGTON (AFP) - It is by no means dead, but for the first time, a new survey has shown that traditional marriage has ceased to be the preferred living arrangement in the majority of US households.

I'm not dancing on the grave of traditional marriage, by any means. I'm just happy to be in a majority, one of the gang, on the bandwagon, and so on.

It's amusing that journal "US Society and Values" states that this trend is either "catastrophic or evolutionary." Just a little fun Halloween scare-talk for the Bible Belt.

shoppin'

I don't mean to intentionally steal from La Lars, but while scanning the coat racks yesterday at Value Village I was reminded of how wonderful Trevor Howard's coat was in "The Third Man"

This isn't a good picture of it, but it was the only one I could find on the 'net (we don't own the movie .... yet), but it's heavy wool and has those wooden closures I love. It's like a post-war Paddington Bear coat.

My friend Don has a coat like this, but he won't trade me, so I've got to find it somewhere else.

Cah ... you'd think J Crew would make one.

Anyway, while sorting through photos related to "The Third Man" this one popped up:


It's Robert Kubica, the pride of Poland. He's a Formula One driver for BMW ... I guess it's because he used to be the third man/driver for them. Now, of course, he's a WINNAH! We loves the Kubica.

Remember how they used to pose you like this in grade school? They'd turn your chair to the left, but make you look right, but don't turn your head! just look right. perrrrrrrrrrrfect.

Week 3

The first 2 weeks of school are pretty exciting. The classes are new and there are all kinds of nutty situations with the fellow students -- first I love, then I hate, then I love again, and then ... then it's all pear-shaped. It all falls apart in the 3rd week. That's when the getting up at 4:30, the irritating situations at work, the unending homework, and lack of personal time really starts to take its toll. Why? Why? What will come of this? Is it worth it? Why?

And other pathetic whinging.

That said, after 3 weeks I can safely sum up the classes. La:

Italian 201 - Dios mio! I love this class. I still suck at spelling, but I'm starting to understand the instructor as the class continues. She's patient with us and illustrates what she's talking about when we get lost in the discussion -- she actually acts out the word or phrase. She's the best. I hope I can score her again next term.

Journalism 202 - Info Hell. Not as bad as I thought it would be, but since when is the Eugene Register-Guard an alternative paper? I got marked down for that? Whatever.

Film History - enough said on this, except for one more note: "Forrest Gump" was mentioned in class, was asked by professor to general class if it won best picture, my big mouth blurted out "yes", and grad student teacher shook his head at me. Wh-what? It sure as hell DID win. It was the worst movie ever and it fecking beat "Pulp Fiction" that year! You were what ... 10 when it came out? Huh, sonny? Let me tell you, boy-chick, if there's one thing I know it's crap trivia and that crap trivia was correct (this time ... okay, yeah, I was wrong about United Artists being a production company, sure).

Back to homework now. No more weekends until Christmas. Cah ... school + work = stupit idea.

I'm in Love

I haven't felt like this in so long, I'd almost forgotten what it felt like. I have a reason to go to school, to continue on, to exist. Everything everything revolves around this.

I can't even begin to describe the way my heart leaps when I turn the corner and my glance drifts and I forget the stress of Italian 201, and finding government documents that will support my argument about a change in public policy, and cell phones, and the way I have to spend every day listening to stupid boys talking like idiots to vapid girls ...

This.

This is what I live for.









It's GREEN. Could it be more perfect? Zut! Mein Gott: it even has a basket!

It's the love that dares to speak its name:
PEUGEOT.

Today's Sermon: Bikes, Man

I was yelled at today. It was on my way home from school. I was waiting for the light and I heard this frenzied, high pitch "YEAH, MAN! BIKES, MAN!" I turned to the car next to me, all the windows down and the driver was leaning over just to yell at me. In his enthusiasm he nearly tipped over his Dutch Brothers coffee cup. "YEAH! WHAT IF WE ALL GREW OUR OWN FOOD AND RODE BIKES! WHAT A BETTER WORLD IT WOULD BE! RIGHT? YEAH! RIGHT? LOOK AT THIS CAR" He was driving a Chevy Cavalier (I think) painted with alternate splotches of primer gray and Bondo. "WHO NEEDS IT?" he yelled as he turned in front of me, cutting me off at the light. "THIS CAR IS A PIECE OF SHIT!"

Amen brother.

Not for nuthin' but ...

Why do people still start emails/letters/etc... with the general address "Sir" or "Sirs"?

I mean, I'm no feminist (in that I shave my legs and I wear a bra), but for feck's sake, welcome to the new world, men. Chicks work n' stuff. And "To Whom it May Concern" is preferable, even in it's ambiguity, than "Sir".

By the way, I'm at work. It's Sunday. Usually I get this day to myself, all 8 hours. I wear scrappy clothes and work while listening to the Sony pod. I often sing along with Abba, albeit not in key (or even close to key), but it doesn't matter because with the pod on I can't hear myself and that's fine. This morning, in particular, I did not wear makeup even though I have dry patches and red splotches on my face due to the climate change. My hair is not combed.

So far 5 people have come in, including my boss, who showed up while I was starting this post.

I ask you, is that fair?

Overheard Cell Phone Conversations - Love Hate

Hate: "Hi! What are you doing? I just got out of class."

Love: "Yeah, so I had to spend 38 hours in solitary confinement..."

Art? Forgeddabowdit

I was going to post something today and then I totally forgot what it was. I'm sure it was important, however not so important that I would remember it.

School + Work = Me no think so good

I mean, good golly, when you're stressed out practicing t'ai chi, something's effed up. It's probably an art deficiency. These pictures always help...

This is Maurice Quentin de la Tour.

I used to think he looked a lot like Kevin Spacey.

But here he looks a little like Jack Benny.

Art is a wonderful, wonderful thing.

I'm calmer already.

Message to the future Dr. K:
"While it was never definitively established where Barney Rubble worked, the general consensus was that he also worked at Slate & Co. with Fred (though in another part of the quarry, as we did see some scenes in the locker room in which they both appeared, but never in the quarry itself)." (www.stupidquestionsanswered.com/answered/barney.htm)

He was also a geological engineer and a furniture repossessor. Barney was a true (Prehistoric) Renaissance man.