Violets are blue

I visited my old neighbor, Violet yesterday. She lived in the unit across from mine. She revealed her age to me a couple times over a number of years and it was always 93. She’s living at an old age home now. About a year ago she fell and hurt her hip and she realized it was time that she needed help. I brought her a little Napoleon cake and we talked for hours. She talked more than I did. She is mentally fine– her hearing is another story. One of the things I’ve always found disturbing is how people talk to older people, in that sing-song way. Like they are talking to children or foreigners who speak only a little English. I try hard not to do that but it was so difficult because I couldn’t just talk naturally— I had to shout to be heard. At any rate, I am glad I finally visited her. I will have to do it again– maybe next time I’ll bring Bo.

Freedom Pictures

My father sent me a clip of Sharon Osbourne attacking a contestant on a reality show she hosts. My father said he wishes she would just go back to England and stay there. He then said, it would be nice if all the English actors would just go back to England. I asked him why he feels that way. He said you would never see an American on the BBC. They have actual laws over there that you must hire local talent. I think its the same way in Canada. Many of my favorite shows were filmed in Canada. I always saw the same faces over and over again. Many times in the same series just playing different parts. It became a game to me- Where have I last seen that Canadian Character Actor? That guy played Nikita’s boyfriend, he was also the cop that went bad in Forever Knight, and he replaced Ray Vecchio in Due South.

This evening I put in my latest Netflix movie, La Buche. Watching scenes of snowy Paris roads, I couldn’t help but think of one of my favorite movies, Ma nuit chez Maud (My Night with Maude) directed by Eric Rohmer. The movie discusses Pascal’s famous wager as well as temptation. It’s a good film. At any rate, after watching La Buche, I went onto IMDB to find out a little bit more about the movie and guess what!?! The mother in La Buche was portrayed by Françoise Fabian WHO ALSO PORTRAYED MAUD! I know! My head just spins! Another interesting connection I found was with the movie, On connaît la chanson (Same Old Song). Charlotte Gainsbourg was in La Bouche, and her mom Jane Birkin was in On connaît la chanson, and Sabine Azéma was in both! I would love to see On connaît la chanson again. The movie had a novel premise, you see the characters reveal their inner emotional states by bursting out in song— but it’s not them singing, it’s clear they are lip syncing along to an old song. It’s kinda weird but it worked somehow.

Check it out:

I think the reason for the fight is that Sabine found out that a building is going to be erected right in front of her new apartment and wreck her gorgeous view. I could be wrong though.

Bride movie

Has anyone seen the trailer for the movie Bride Wars? I just saw it the other day and I gotta say there is no way in heck I would ever pay money to see that rubbish. Apparently the premise is about two best friends who have both built up their wedding days to unhealthy proportions that when their weddings are mistakenly booked on the same day at the same location, they turn on each other faster than you can say Vera Wang. It scares me that some people might believe that women would actually act in this manner. If I was a young man with limited experience with girls and I saw this trailer, I would be scared gay. (I know, bad stab at humor, it’s not a choice, I’m sorry). But honestly best friends don’t turn on each other like that! Heck, if the weddings were booked on the same day, why didn’t they immediately just go the Jan and Marsha route and have a double wedding? Too easy.

There are some movies I want to see– some of which I think may be out on DVD soon:

The Women – This is a remake of the 1939 film starring Rosalyn Russell (Rosemont Alum) and Joan Crawford. In fact, this isn’t even the first remake! There was a musical remake in 1959 starring Joan Collins called The Opposite Sex. I enjoyed the original and the original remake so what’s to stop me from getting a kick out of the third time around? Besides, I am facinated by Meg Ryan’s face and hair. Neither look natural.

Brideshead Revisited – This is also a remake! I think if you go back through my old posts you’ll find one in which I said if this move ever gets made I’ll be the first lined up to get a ticket. That didn’t happen. So now I gotta wait for it to hit DVD.

Yes Man – This is still in theaters and the chance of me catching it is rather nil since I have an issue spending money on movie tickets. But I do want to see it, eventually.

Iron Man – I don’t think I would mind seeing this movie. I just wish that Robert Downey Jr had done the role in the fur suit he wore in the movie, Fur.

The Love Guru – I heard it’s horrible but I still want to see it. I’ll pay a buck at Redbox to see it.

Hancock – I think the only reason I want to see this is to figure out why they cut Charlize Theron out of the trailer.

How to Lose Friends & Alienate People – It sounds like the title of my autobiography.

Any other suggestions?

Poly want a cracker

Before I went to bed last night I read the last couple entries Steve Pavlina posted. I’ve been following him on and off for a couple of years. I think I got hooked when he wrote about how to become an early riser. Pavlina is almost always entertaining and I have often found him motivational. There were certain things that bothered me about him though. My main issue has been his wife and her psychic readings. What phooey! I believe people can be intuitive but the whole psychic reading thing is a silly parlor trick. If he’s writing as a smart person for “smart people” how could he accept it and advertise her services? At any rate, I just laughed at the weird stuff like that and took what I could from the good stuff. Last night he wrote how he will now be entering into a period of polyamory. Can I just say my jaw hit the floor? I kept hearing Katherine Hepburn in the African Queen saying, “Nature, Mr. Allnut, is what we are put in this world to rise above!” My one hope is he continues to deliver some good tidbits and he doesn’t dwell totally on this new found lifestyle choice.

So at any rate, last night I dreamt I decided to enter into a phase of polyamory. I invited a bunch of people to my house so I could further develop my physical and emotional intimacy channels and connect with many people more deeply. What happened was that each person had demands and I found I spent the entire time trying to live up to everyone’s expectations that I simply didn’t have the time to explore any “channel.” I had to clean out an oven of junk and make french fries and ride elevators, I had to feign enthusiasm when I was presented with a roof to a speed boat and I kept having to make excuses to get away from everyone. It was tiring. I awoke feeling overjoyed that it was just a dream.

Dinner at the Donnavilla

This is what I am making for dinner tonight:

Penne Pasta with Escarole and Cannellini Beans

Ingredients:
1 (16 oz) penne pasta
2 quarts water
2 Tbsp salt
1 head escarole, washed, boiled for 5 minutes, drained and chopped (spinach or swiss chard can be used instead)
2 Tbsp extra virgin oil
1 (15.5 oz) can of cannellini beans with liquid
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
salt and pepper
grated parmesan cheese

Directions:
Bring salted water to a boil. Cook pasta 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente. Drain and reserve 1 cup of pasta water.

In skillet over medium heat, add oil and garlic, cook for 45 seconds or until garlic is translucent.
Stir in escarole and cook for 1 minute.

Add cannollini beans with liquid and then add diced tomatoes. Cook for 3 minutes, season, toss with pasta, add 1 cup of pasta water….heat thoroughly serve with a generous sprinkle of parmesan.

Dream Weird

I dreamt I was a man driving a tractor trailer through a dark and foreboding landscape. Ahead of me I saw a carriage being drawn by wild boars. The carriage was empty and it positioned itself directly ahead of my tractor trailer. I kept trying to get my truck to the side of the carriage so I could make sure it was empty. The boars led me through the macabre forest safely but right when I was about to reach my destination, my dream shifted. No longer was I in a forest but a suburban neighborhood. I was also veritably myself again. The wild boars were still with me except they were no longer good boars. The boars now had artillery strapped to their torsos and they were wrangling up the people of the neighborhood. They had us stand against a white picket fence. The head boar held a Cosmopolitan magazine and he read out the monthly quiz, “If you answer A, that is two points! If you answer B, that is 3 points!” This was my first time not knowing what the correct, normal answers to the Cosmo quiz questions and I started to whimper and fear for my safety. I awoke.

New Year Part 1

I took a couple of hours and I reread all my Donnaville entries posted in 2008. Those of you who stick with me, God bless you! You guys are amazing. About 1/2 way through I was pretty much ready to find the silly biatch who writes such drivel and kick her in the head. 🙂

I wanted to find a couple of things– my best entry for 2008 and my “zeitgeist” (if you can use the word in this manner). I also wanted to look at my past resolutions and see how well I resolved. Sifting through my entries, nothing picked me up and shook me around. I found an entry or two that I thought, yeah, this is kinda good but then as soon as I clicked away, I totally forgot which one it was! I should have taken notes! The one entry that does stand out for me is the one in which I described Kimbo Slice punching his opponent in the cauliflower ear that subsequently exploded showering the ring with pieces of ear flesh. Yeah, that was a good entry. I liked how I described the cauliflower ear as looking like a testicle. I also like how I quickly transitioned to writing about the Brideshead Revisited remake. Kimbo Slice and Sebastian Flyte! A match made in heaven! Re-read the entry here: Ear Debris, What a Flyte.

kimbo-slice-vs-thompson-elite-xc
(I know, the talent I have with Photoshop is astounding. I would give lessons but I am afraid that this knowledge in the wrong hands might be dangerous)

So how did I do with my New Year’s Resolutions?

2008 Resolutions – by Donna on January 1st, 2008

1. Simplify my home/life. Declutter. Love what I own and respect it. Live simply, stop over-consuming.
I am still working toward this goal. Probably about 6 months into it, I started dropping my clothes back on the floor at night. I don’t shop like I used to and I am getting better at making better decisions about items but I am still working towards gaining a more minimalistic outlook.

2. Get my finances in order. Get a true portfolio together. Invest!
I moved my money out of Wachovia and into a bank that actually paid interest on my savings. I rolled my 401K over but I need to invest in some index funds but I haven’t made any big moves because the economy is scaring me. I did buy some inverse ETFs and Gold and Silver but they didn’t come through as I expected. I am getting closer.

3. Stop taking my job so seriously. Live. Enjoy. Spend time with friends and family.
Grrrrrrrrrr. I don’t think I met this goal while I was working but now that I am in between jobs, I am rocking it.

4. Figure out my goal – what am I aiming for? Why am I here and am I accomplishing it?
It’s funny. Looking back over the last year, a conversation I had with Erin sticks out. We talked about the pressure to reproduce and what our goals are in life. I remember saying to her, “Why am I here, Erin? What is my purpose? I really doubt God put me on this earth to sell software!” I have not yet figured out my goal, however I do seem to know what I don’t want and what I am definitely not here to do. It shouldn’t be hard reversing it to figure out what it is I am here to do.

And what about my Zeitgeist for 2008? I dunno. I rallied behind Dr Paul and I tried to keep Rosemont from going co-ed. I worried about the bailouts and I cursed Obama and McCain. I think rather than worrying about the past I am just going to work on making 2009 a better year.