Thursday, January 31, 2008

Birthday

My 25th birthday was on Monday, but I stayed home sick Monday and Tuesday so I didn't do much. We rented Once and Paprika. I heard good things about Paprika but it was just to weird for me I guess. I haven't watched Once yet but I have the soundtrack and have been looking forward to watching it forever. Tuesday we went to see Persepolis. That was amazing. We have the books and the movie was probably even better.

While grocery shopping at Whole Foods I got fresh seafood, mussels, shrimp, and scallops. Then last night we went to our friends' house to cook dinner. I made an italian tomato sauce and it was probably the best thing I have ever made ever. I agree with Brad when he says he could probably stop eating read meat if he could have seafood every night.

Brad got me a Ipod shuffle and I love it. I just loaded random songs onto it so listening is a discovery of our music that I haven't heard in a while. Here are some random songs.
Wedding Day - Rosie Thomas
19th Nervous Breakdown - Rolling Stones
Easy Skanking - Bob Marley
Some TOOL song that I don't know the name of (no display remember)
Lets Get Out of This Country - Camera Obscura
Time After Time - Cindi Lauper
A Decemberists song
A Kelly Clarkson song
A George Strait song
An Arcade Fire Song
Maybe Sparrow - Neko Case
A few punk songs of brad that I like but don't know the names of. I think the bands are Scared of Chaka and Pinhead Gunpowder.

When i say I listen to most every types of music, I really mean it.

Friday, January 11, 2008

100 greatest movies

Here is a list of AFI's picks for the 100 top movies of all time. The movies I have not seen are in Bold

1. Citizen Kane (1941)
2. The Godfather (1972)
3. Casablanca (1942)
4. Raging Bull (1980)
5. Singin' In The Rain (1952)
6. Gone With The Wind (1939)
7. Lawrence Of Arabia (1962)
8. Schindler's list (1993)
9. Vertigo (1958)
10. The Wizard Of Oz (1939)
11. City Lights (1931)
12. The Searchers (1956)
13. Star Wars (1977)
14. Psycho (1960)
15. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
16. Sunset Blvd. (1950)
17. The Graduate (1967)
18. The General (1927)
19. On The Waterfront (1954)
20. It's A Wonderful life (1946)
21. Chinatown (1974)
22. Some like It Hot (1959)
23. The Grapes Of Wrath (1940)
24. E.T. The Extra-terrestrial (1982)
25. To Kill A Mockingbird (1962)
26. Mr. Smith Goes To Washington (1939)
27. High Noon (1952)
28. All About Eve (1950)
29. Double Indemnity (1944)
30. Apocalypse Now (1979)
31. The Maltese Falcon (1941)
32. The Godfather Part II (1974)
33. One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest (1975)
34. Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs (1937)
35. Annie Hall (1977)
36. The Bridge On The River Kwai (1957)
37. The Best Years Of Our lives (1946)
38. The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre (1948)
39. Dr. Strangelove (1964)
40. The Sound Of Music (1965)
41. King Kong (1933)
42. Bonnie And Clyde (1967)
43. Midnight Cowboy (1969)
44. The Philadelphia Story (1940)
45. Shane (1953)
46. It Happened One Night (1934)
47. A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)
48. Rear Window (1954)
49. Intolerance (1916)
50. The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring (2001)
51. West Side Story (1961)
52. Taxi Driver (1976)
53. The Deer Hunter (1978)
54. M*a*s*h (1970)
55. North By Northwest (1959)
56. Jaws (1975)
57. Rocky (1976)
58. The Gold Rush (1925)
59. Nashville (1975)
60. Duck Soup (1933)
61. Sullivan's Travels (1941)
62. American Graffiti (1973)
63. Cabaret (1972)
64. Network (1976)
65. The African Queen (1951)
66. Raiders Of The Lost Ark (1981)
67. Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf? (1966)
68. Unforgiven (1992)
69. Tootsie (1982)
70. A Clockwork Orange (1971)
71. Saving Private Ryan (1998)
72. The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
73. Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid (1969)
74. The Silence Of The Lambs (1991)
75. In The Heat Of The Night (1967)
76. Forrest Gump (1994)
77. All The President's Men (1976)
78. Modern Times (1936)
79. The Wild Bunch (1969)
80. The Apartment (1960)
81. Spartacus (1960)
82. Sunrise (1927)
83. Titanic (1997)
84. Easy Rider (1969)
85. A Night At The Opera (1935)
86. Platoon (1986)
87. 12 Angry Men (1957)
88. Bringing Up Baby (1938)
89. The Sixth Sense (1999)
90. Swing Time (1936)
91. Sophie's Choice (1982)
92. Goodfellas (1990)
93. The French Connection (1971)
94. Pulp Fiction (1994)
95. The Last Picture Show (1971)
96. Do The Right Thing (1989)
97. Blade Runner (1982)
98. Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942)
99. Toy Story (1995)
100. Ben-hur (1959)

I can't believe I have seen so few of these. Some have resolved to watch any they have missed by the end of this year. I think I will try not to watch any of them. I used to be so into watching movies all the time (my first job was at a movie theater); but now I only go to the movies like once a month (that is a reduction for me) and on Netflix I usually only watch TV show DVDs now. I like it this way. My latest Netflix obsession is X Files on DVD. Damn that Smoking Man!

via Defective Yeti

Thursday, January 10, 2008

The Gym

I went to the gym yesterday for the first time in about a year. Don't even get me started on how I have been paying for it and not going. Hey, I finally went and it only cost me $240! psshha!

There are a couple of things that annoy me about gyms. I will list and explain.

Personal Trainers. I get one session a month, but I only ever used one. They just push too hard and make me never want to come back. I do not want to be a gym rat, I am not exercising to lose weight, I have not exercised much in the past. So going to the gym for the first time in a long time and pushing myself too hard is not what I want. And don't even get me started on the diet supplements they try to sell you.
The way I see it any exercise is better than none. So ten minutes on the elliptical and ten minutes of weight training are good for me right now as a beginner with knee pain. I was in my target heart rate the whole ten minutes so it was all good for me. I am still a little sore today from the little amount of weight training I did. I don't want to feel that my muscles are all torn up (which is actually what you go for when weight training, then they heal even bigger) but that they have actually been used; for something other than changing the channel.

Judgy Judgersons. This is one reason a lot of overweight people don't go to gyms because they always feel judged. I have been trying to get over a lot of my issues about that in all situations in my life (like being afraid to dance in public, big fear of mine). It is so true you should fake confidence until you feel it. I walked in there with my robot pajama pants, instead of tight exercise pants, with my head held high and didn't feel judged at all. The way I see it, when people are judging me, it is their self esteem issue not mine. It is easier to change the way I think than the way they think.

The Story of Stuff

Amazing video.

Wednesday, January 02, 2008

bye, bye, bye 2007

I got these questions from here, via here

1. What did you do in 2007 that you’d never done before?

Got engaged!
2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?

I don't remember if I had resolutions, but see my last entry for this year's resolutions.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

Yes, my two closest friends both gave birth. One on 11/27 and one on 12/10, both were boys
4. Did anyone close to you die?

No one very close to me, but my great aunt did die from cancer, and my second cousin was in a hit and run accident. Although it is sad for those left behind, I never feel sad for those who die; they are now a part of everything.
5. What countries did you visit?

Um, only the one I live in sadly. :( If my reader(s) want to donate $3500 I can go to Europe this year with my Geography professor this summer.
6. What would you like to have in 2008 that you lacked in 2007?

A baby; but that would not be "good" this year. That is tentatively planned for 20010. I am surprised I will actually be getting married before I have a baby, who knew! I would like to have a husband this year.
7. What dates from 2007 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?

Well the births of the two new babies I got to meet, and the date I got engaged (Christmas Eve).
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

Finishing my classes for the fall semester.
9. What was your biggest failure?

Not being ready to go to ASU this spring
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?

Nope. But that could be because I don't do much. There is not a lot of ways to get hurt while laying on the couch.
11. What was the best thing you bought?

Hmm, well now my copy of Offbeat Bride by Ariel Meadow Stallings is turning out to be my best buy. I bought it long before I was engaged, because I love her blog.
12. Whose behavior merited celebration?

Hmm, I can't think of anything.
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?

No one I actually know, but Britney Spears mads me sad and appalled. She is rich, she doesn't always need to be driving her own car or leaving the house to get Starbucks everyday. I am sad for her and her family.
14. Where did most of your money go?

Rent.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?

My friends having babies. I love living vicariously through other people!
16. What song will always remind you of 2007?

Peter Bjorn and John - Young Folks
Animal Collective - Peacebone
Black Flag - Nervous Breakdown
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - Let the Cool Goddess Rust Away
Cold War Kids - Hang Me Up to Dry
The Knife - Heartbeats
I may have heard some of these in 2006, I just can't remember, the years run together.
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
 a) happier or sadder? 
b) thinner or fatter? 
c) richer or poorer?

a) happier
b) same
c) poorer, but I guess it is by choice. I work part time during the school semester.
18. What do you wish you’d done more of?

Traveling and going outside.
19. What do you wish you’d done less of?

Less watching of the TV.
20. How did you spend Christmas?

Christmas Eve and morning were spent with my family, then we drove to Taos, NM to spend the rest of the week with Brad's Mom and Step-Father.
21. Did you fall in love in 2007?

More and more each day. (awwwwww)
22. What was your favorite TV program?

Too many to choose from. The Soup became one of my favorites.
23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?

No, not that I can think of.
24. What was the best book you read?

With by Donald Harington
25. What was your greatest musical discovery?

I am happy that I no longer know what is popular. I never listen to local radio stations (I have Sirius) and people will bring up a song and I never have heard it. I like discovering music I like, not liking music because it is pushed down my throat by Clear Channel.
26. What did you want and get?

Engaged (wow, it is great to use this for all my answers).
27. What did you want and not get?

A new car
28. What was your favorite film of this year?

Superbad or Knocked Up or Dan in Real Life
29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?

I turned 24 in 2007 and I had a get together at my apartment. I think that was the one time I actually got drunk this year.
30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?

$1000000
31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2007?

Comfortable, jeans, tshirts, a hoodie zip up jacket, and slip on flats.
32. What kept you sane?

My personality, I am not one to stress about anything. I don't let things bother me.
33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?

I developed an Alan Rickman major crush this year.
34. What political issue stirred you the most?

Environmental ones, our breaking of the Geneva Convention, and generally just how this administration breaks laws without any consequences.
35. Who did you miss?

It seems although I have grown closer to a couple of people from our group of friends, the rest of the group seems to be growing apart. I have only been around for three years, but they have all been friends for more than ten years, so I am sad that we may be moving in different directions.
36. Who was the best new person you met?

Malia, a girl in my geography class. I actually haven't talked to her since the semester ended, but I plan on continuing the friendship.
37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2007

Don't try to change yourself to fit society, try to change society to fit you.
38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
Joy and Pain, Sunshine and Rain.

Resolutions

In 2008 I will:

Exercise more. Mostly in a fun way (tennis, racquetball, basketball, etc.), but also to the gym. The goal is not to lose weight necessarily, but to build strength and a healthy heart (and perhaps tone my arms since I am getting married this year).

To work more on my crafts (knitting, sewing, crocheting) and to actually sell something I have made for money.

To get married!

To move into a smaller apartment and to downsize our stuff in order to save money. In the last few years we have been moving each time into bigger and nicer places, but I realize that we need to save money in order to buy a new car and someday a house.

To frame all the artwork I have. Frames are expensive!

P.S.
I am working on a Wedding Website for Brad and I. There is not much there yet, but you can check it out at www.mywedding.com/bradandshannon