Well, I’ve finally done it.  I’ve packed up my bags and moved.

You can now find me here.

Yeah, yeah, I watch a lot of movies!!!

I just finally watched the movie version of “The Stone Angel.” I believe this movie was put out about two years ago, 2007.  The reason I wanted to watch it was because The Stone Angel happens to be one of my favorite books.  It is unique because it is probably the only book I read in highschool that I ever genuinely enjoyed.  Also, it hurts me to say this, but probably the only book by a Canadian writer that I genuinely enjoyed.  Don’t get me wrong, I’ve liked books written by Canadian authors, but not genuinely.  Adding to this, I didn’t even enjoy any of Margaret Laurence’s other works.  Margaret Laurence herself had a very ingriguing life, even a rather dramatic end.  She’s a fine example of a truly Canadian woman in my humble opinion. Read more here if  you’re interested.

Back to the movie.  So, The Stone Angel, is about a young-old woman named Hagar Shipley, and well, a stone angel.  Hagar’s mother passed when giving birth to her younger brother.  Hagar’s father so in love with his late wife honoured her life by importing a massive, beautiful stone angel as a headstone.  The story follows Hagar’s tumultuous life, which is a series of results based on her impulsive decisions.  As her son John would say she “always bet on the wrong horse.” It’s a story about love, life, femininity, aging and finally, loss.  Throughout the story of Hagar’s life, her family members’ names, one by one, are etched under the stone angel.  In the beginning of the story, we know that old-Hagar is going to die, so we know from the start that The Stone Angel is patiently waiting.  One interpretation would be that The Stone Angel symbolizes Hagar’s mother.  Always looking over her, waiting for her to come back to her one day.

The movie was GREAT.  I had some apprehensions, since it is a Telefilm Canada movie, and Canadian films don’t necessarily have the biggest budgets for films, let’s just say.  But it was amazing.  Ellyn Burstyn starred as the older Hagar Shipley, and wasn’t she amazing?  In fact I thought the entire cast of actors were just outstanding!  With the notable exception of Ellen Page.  She was rather disappointing in this, but then she’s more of a comedic actress anyway.  Ellyn Burstyn was just fantabulous!  Isn’t she always though?  She’s real class. Also, Kevin Zegers, as Hagar’s son John was outstanding.  I just love him!  Everything I see him in I just find him so magnetising!  It’s like  you can’t take your eyes off him, and you wish his eyes were on you!  And Cole Hauser was great as Bram!  How could you NOT marry him?  All tanned and strong on that horse?  Even if he was a drunk!  lol.

Whereas the film was great, her life was rather depressing.  It really was the result of some poor decisions and not knowing herself very well.  But at the same time, she followed her heart, she really did.  Even if she did regret it later, which she shouldn’t have.   She was amazingly head-strong even to her detriment.  I really think that her leaving her husband Bram was a big mistake.  He was really the love of her life, and I think she gave up on him too soon. For me, if someone has a problem (Bram’s alcoholism) in the relationship, you both do, and she should have at least tried to help him with it.  But, she left him for a good 10 years or so.  Then only came back to see him die.  How sad!  I think even though her decisions were impulsive, she should have stuck with them.  Because, you can do anything you like in life, as long as you’re willing to face the consequences of those actions, right?

Young Hagar Currie, portrayed by Samantha Weinstein

Hagar Currie (Christine Horne) and Bram Shipley (Cole Hauser) falling in love

The Stone Angel overlooking Hagar and Bram's wedding

The Stone Angel overlooking Hagar's father's burial

Bram Shipley (Cole Hauser) after Hagar leaves him

Fallen Stone Angel, when Hagar returns home after abandoning it

Hagar with Bram when he passes, some 10 years later

Hagar's Sons: Marvin Shipley (Dylan Baker) and John Shipley (Kevin Zegers) at their father's death

The Stone Angel, Hagar's family legacy, after son John passes

Hagar (Ellyn Burstyn) returns to her old abandoned home some 50 years later dying of cancer

Old Hagar (Ellyn Burstyn) at 94 years old, dying of cancer reminisces on her life

Life flashing before her eyes. Bram (Cole Hauser) the love of her life, offering one last ride

Into the sunset they go...

The Stone Angel, forever she remains.

Michael Jackson, 1958-2009

I know there are millions of posts today regarding Michael Jacksons’ passing yesterday.  Well, I don’t care, I’m going to write another one.

I have always loved Michael Jackson, having grown up in the 80′s and 90′s and having been an avid dancer, his songs were always on the tip of my tongue.  I admired him as a dancer, singer, entertainer and truly tortured individual.

One of the first Michael Jackson songs that I heard and really understood and felt was “Man in the Mirror.”  I know this might sound a bit much, but I believe this song played a part in shaping my young life.

No other words, just leave you with this:

Man in the Mirror

Ooh ooh ooh aah
Gotta make a change
For once in my life
It’s gonna feel real good
Gonna make a difference
Gonna make it right

As I turned up the collar on
A favorite winter coat
This wind is blowin’ my mind
I see the kids in the street
With not enough to eat
Who am I to be blind
Pretending not to see their needs

A summer’s disregard
A broken bottle top
And a one man’s soul
They follow each other
On the wind ya’ know
‘Cause they got nowhere to go
That’s why I want you to know

I’m starting with the man in the mirror
I’m asking him to change his ways
And no message could have been any clearer
If you wanna make the world a better place
Take a look at yourself and then make a change, yey
Na na na, na na na, na na na na oh ho

I’ve been a victim of
A selfish kinda love
It’s time that I realize
There are some with no home
Not a nickel to loan
Could it be really pretending that they’re not alone

A willow deeply scarred
Somebody’s broken heart
And a washed out dream
(Washed out dream)
They follow the pattern of the wind ya’ see
‘Cause they got no place to be
That’s why I’m starting with me

I’m starting with the man in the mirror
I’m asking him to change his ways
And no message could have been any clearer
If you wanna make the world a better place
Take a look at yourself and then make a change

I’m starting with the man in the mirror
I’m asking him to change his ways
And no message could have been any clearer
If you wanna make the world a better place
Take a look at yourself and then make that change

I’m starting with the man in the mirror
(Man in the mirror, oh yeah)
I’m asking him to change his ways, yeah
(Change)
No message could have been any clearer
If you wanna make the world a better place
Take a look at yourself and then make the change
You gotta get it right, while you got the time
‘Cause when you close your heart
(You can’t close your, your mind)
Then you close your mind

(That man, that man, that man)
(That man, that man, that man)
(With the man in the mirror, oh yeah)
(That man you know, that man you know)
(That man you know, that man you know)
I’m asking him to change his ways
(Change)
No message could have been any clearer
If you wanna make the world a better place
Take a look at yourself then make that change

(Na na na, na na na, na na na na)
Ooh
Oh yeah
Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah
(Na na na, na na na, na na na na)

Oh no
Oh no, I’m gonna make a change
It’s gonna feel real good
Sure mon
(Change)
Just lift yourself
You know, you got to stop it yourself
(Yeah)
Oh
Make that change
(I gotta make that change today, oh)
(Man in the mirror)
You got to, you got to not let yourself, brother oh
Yeah
You know that
(Make that change)
(I gotta make that make me then make)
You got, you got to move
Sure mon, sure mon
You got to
(Stand up, stand up, stand up)
Make that change
Stand up and lift yourself, now
(Man in the mirror)
Make that change
(Gonna make that change, sure mon)
(Man in the mirror)
You know it, you know it, you know it, you know
(Change)
Make that change

So I watched Powder Blue recently.  It was TERRIBLE! Gah, don’t even know where to start, just a crap movie overall.  To be quite honest, I really only wanted to watch the movie because I was curious to see the Jessica Biel stripper-scene. I haven’t seen her in anything since 7th Heaven, so I was curious, kill me! lol.

But trust me, it’s not worth it!  She’s a way better dancer than actress though having said that.  I felt like I was watching Mary Camden down-on-her-luck as a stripper and was half-expecting Reverend Camden to bust down the door of the strip club and take her home to Annie.  That girl will never shed that character.

The movie follows the depressing crappy lives of about 5-6 people.  All of which are really uninteresting.  For me the surprise star of this movie was Patrick Swayze as the sleazy-80′s hair-asshole manager of the strip club she worked at.  Oh, and his brother, Don Swayze, played the bouncer.  The resemblance!

There were actually some pretty big names in this flick including: Forrest Whitaker, Ray Liotta, Patrick Swayze, Kris Kristofferson, and Lisa Kudrow.  But, I guess the film was just so bad it didn’t matter!

Well, another honorable mention was relatively unknown Eddie Redmayne, who played Jessica Biel’s love-interest.

Anyway film was two thumbs down for me, regardless of this ensemble cast.

Well, I think it’s a really great book.  He’s got little features on some of the folks who have become a part of this project with him that gives it a good-read feel as opposed to just a reference-book.   And best of all, he’s got SIMPLE recipes! You know, for us simple-folk.  (read=lazy)

Let’s hear it for the 30 minute recipes!!!  Most of the reason, at least I find, that I don’t cook at home, is that I either don’t have time, or I’m too lazy.  Because often I find that even a “quick meal” finds me in the kitchen for at least two hours a day and using every dish and pan I own.  So coupled with washing-up time, even longer! I did however, make a lovely Chicken Korma (below) from his book, coupled with the coriander and lime basmati rice and it was great!  It did take much longer than 30 minutes however, used up a lot of pots and pans, and the ingredients (at least initially) were quite costly!

I don’t eat fast food (often), but I DO eat out quite a bit.  Even though a lot of ingredients at restaurants are technically healthy, they can be very richly coupled with not-so-healthy ones.  And you KNOW how large portion sizes are these days in restaurants.  So, it is much healthier simply to cook at home. In fact, if you were struggling with your weight, the most important thing to do would be to simply cook all your own meals, using as many items from scratch as possible and the weight will just fall off.  Beacuse fact of the matter is, if you eat anything fast food, at a restauraunt, or from a jar, it’s going to be LADEN with sugar.  And if you’re trying to lose weight sugar is Enemy #1.  Nevermind all those chemical preservatives.  God knows what effect that has on us.  Here’s a simple tip, read the INGREDIENTS, not the nutritional break down (for all you calorie counters out there), if you don’t know what some of the ingredients are, then you probably shouldn’t eat it.  Remember, the food is approved for commercial use not because it is “safe”, but because it is “not proven dangerous.”  These are not one in the same.

Will Jamie’s idea work?  In theory yes, but I’m skeptical.  I don’t have as much faith in the general public as he seems to. As it is, I am a busy person (who isn’t?), I don’t have any children, and I make enough so I don’t have to food shop on a budget, and I am by no means overweight (or prone to bad eating habits, or emotional eating) or have any issues with food or health problems related to food.  And saying that, I’m still too lazy half the time to cook at home and would rather get take out!

Lazy?  Yes.  Is that wrong?  Yes.  But is it the truth?  Yes.  As Popeye would say “I am, what I am.”

“A man will never love you or treat you as well as a store.  If a man doesn’t fit, you can’t exchange him seven days later for a gorgeous cashmere sweater.  And a store always smells good.  A store can awaken a lust for things you never even knew you needed.  And when your fingers grasp those shiny new bags…oh yes….oh YES….oh no.  I spent $900?”

I just watched “Confessions of a Shopaholic” last night.  The movie is based on a book of the same title in a series called “Shopaholics” by chick lit author Sophie Kinsella.  I never read the book, so I can only comment on the movie in its own right.  The above quote was the movie’s redeeming moment.  It basically summed the whole plot up best actually.  It was a simple romantic comedy where girl meets boy, loses boy because of a misunderstanding, gets boy back and they all live happily ever after.  Beyond that essential plot, the movie is about a young journalist named Rebecca Bloomwood who has a spending problem.  Don’t we all!  She is mercilessly hounded by a debt-collector while accidentally (and ironically) writing articles for a money magazine under the moniker “The Girl in the Green Scarf!”  The editor at the magazine is the object of her desire.  So to get him to love her, she does what any woman in a romantic comedy would do:  pad him with lies.  Essentially, she’s living a lie, because she has an addiction.  To shopping.

Anyway, the movie was light, diet lite, but nontheless a fun way to waste two hours of your life.  There were a good few laughs however.  One in particular, where she has her briefcase propped up on a table, and this leggy blond walks in and stuns everyone, to the point where the buckle busts and pops open on her briefcase!  That was subtle.  How she rubs perfume samples from the magazine over her neck in the waiting room for a job interview.  Plus, Fred Armisen was great as that middle-management-ass-kisser-cock kinda guy.  You know your workplace has one (or a few)!

The rest was try-too-hard humour, plus there were a few inconsistencies.  For example, she freaks out over having racked her credit card up $900.  That Gucci bag she featured in the opening sequence alone would have cost that much.  She really should have been way more in debt than she actually was.  I mention this because I think the moral of the story was “don’t spent money or you’ll be in crazy debt”, and she was only in debt $16,000!  I have friends in debt from careless spending and they’ve just about quadrupled that amount at least.  Oh, also, she sells all her clothes in a trunk sale and ends up making enough to cover all her debts?  By selling last year’s stuff?  Doubt it!  Unless it’s vintage or has some kind of famous attachment, fashion depreciates worse than cars!  So, for her, it was really an easy-way-out, because in reality, most people take their debts to the grave with them.  Why couldn’t she have gone to see a financial planner and been setup with a debt repayment plan?  That’s more likely what she would have had to do.

Regardless, Hugh Dancy was very charming as the male lead and Isla Fisher’s hair is definitely enviable!  So call me “the girl with the green eyes!”

Yep.  It’s gotten me.  I’m completely bitten smitten.

This is probably the most addictive series I’ve ever read!  Cheesy, not much substance, and I can’t stand most of the characters, but for SOME reason, I can’t stop reading!

I swear, this is the only and last post I will ever do on Twilight, since I feel more than slightly immature for 1) reading the books, 2) admitting to reading them, and 3) genuinely liking them!

ps. I’m on Eclipse now, if anyone’s interested!  I think the first book was the best, the rest are still good, but the characters are starting to get rotten for me now.

One that fails to win.  Time and time again.  Just as one can look forward to a perennial bloom of tulips in their garden each spring, I can look forward to perennial loserdom each spring as well.  And any other time of the year for that matter.  But Spring is special.  The rest of the year sucks anyway.

That’s me.  When it rains, it pours, then someone shits on my head.  Again and again.

So, I just got over this HUGE event, and I’m all ready for summer and planning all my lame summer vacations.  Including well-deserved time off.  And I get news.

My boss has taken hiatus for the entire summer.  SHHHEEEEESSSSSHHH.  And do you know who the ONLY person is that can cover?  Oh, and as of MONDAY?  Three guesses, first two don’t count!

Bye plans.  Nice kinda knowing you.

Am I ever going to get my “Summer of Yoork?”

I’m neck deep in work-doody now!

Ach.  I’m planning a charity golf tournament that is set to go on tomorrow.  I’ve been planning this tournament for about 6 months, and it’s an annual event, so really, years!  LOL.

Issues stressing me out right now:

- Last minute joiners! (the day-before, really people?  Did you wait until you had nothing better do before you decided this event would be better than nothing?)

- People who haven’t paid-up.  This is usual, but still unprofessional and irritating.

- Still have to package all the prizes together!  Night-before.  Hate that!  Always happens!

- Last minute prize donations!  Which are great, only, maybe it’d be greater last week before I made up all the prize packages!

Needless to say, I’ll be running around like a chicken-with-my-head cut off today.  I’m a pretty “zen” person, so this for me translates to me sitting and staring at a wall every so often silently panicking that I didn’t forget anything and trying to send bad vibes to anyone who’s going to try to break my zen.

Do you ever do something because you think it’s a great idea and it’ll be tonnes of fun, and dismiss the amount of work/stress involved, then you get to final planning stages and wonder why on earth you do this to yourself??? (time and time again?)

Oh, hopefully it goes very smooth, and the charities receive a good donation.  ||X/  \X|| *crosses fingers, hope and a prayer!*