End magic

So, I hope everyone survived another round of well-wishing and shopping and holidays in general?  My favorite holiday is upon us and I’m not sure if I’ll get to write until after it’s gone.

Another cycle of endings that meet beginnings arrives and once more I find myself excited and anxious and nostalgic. It’s been a whirlwind kind of year.  What seems like ages ago (and in part is) some friends and I came up with the burn bowl. We wrote down the thing we wanted to be rid of or overcome in the new year and burned it at midnight. I think this year that will happen again.  For my part, I’d like to be rid of low self esteem. The burn bowl is an easier way to envision the end of what you want. Watching the little slip of paper flame and curl and float away. It’s one goodbye I never mind.

The other special magic of New Year’s Eve is that we can be more selective about what to do, how to do it, where to do it and with whom. Thanksgiving and the month of December, for those of us lucky enough, mean family time. But, there is no real obligation on Dec. 31st. So, you can spend it alone watching old movies, in a crowd dancing, bar hopping, listening to music, walking, doing laundry — however you want to. So few holidays give us this freedom. For my part, I’ll spend it with a few friends, hopefully listening to music, maybe dancing, definitely sipping some bubbly. I like the first night to reflect the way the rest of the year should go. It doesn’t always work out that way, of course, but starting out 2009 with a bit of hope isn’t so wrong.

Share if you want some of the things you want to let go of in the new year. Or a resolution. Or how you’ll spend it. And Happy New Year!! (a horn blows, confetti falls, and glasses clink)

Flu-like symptoms

I really feel fine other than the chills and complete exhaustion. Of course, Shelby began to wonder if I had a fever when I admired this pair of shoes:

I mean, come on, they aren’t that bad. I think I could pull them off with feathered hair and a jewel-toned angora sweater and high gloss applied to the lips. Come to think of it, Tiffany was truly a misrepresented artist. Right?

Or, perhaps she does need to stage an intervention.

85 on the nose

(this quiz is courtesy Michelle’s Facebook notes. I tend to think if you’ve seen lots of movies you maybe just have a healthy way of escaping life. For blog purposes, you can just let me know how many you’ve watched from the list. JSP)

SUPPOSEDLY if you’ve seen over 85 films, you have no life. Mark the ones you’ve seen. There are 239 films on this list. Copy this completely random, almost modern list, go to your own facebook account, paste this as a note. Then, put x’s next to the films you’ve seen, add them up, change the header adding your number, and click post at the bottom. Have fun.

(X) Rocky Horror Picture Show
(X) Grease
(X) Pirates of the Caribbean
(X) Pirates of the Caribbean 2: Dead Man’s Chest
( ) Boondock Saints
(X) Fight Club
( ) Starsky and Hutch
( ) Neverending Story
( ) Blazing Saddles
( ) Airplane
Total: 5

(X) The Princess Bride
( ) Anchorman
( ) Napoleon Dynamite
( ) Labyrinth
( ) Saw
( ) Saw II
( ) White Noise
( ) White Oleander
(X ) Anger Management
( ) 50 First Dates
( ) The Princess Diaries
( ) The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement
Total so far: 7

( ) Scream
( ) Scream 2
( ) Scream 3
(X ) Scary Movie
( ) Scary Movie 2
( ) Scary Movie 3
( ) Scary Movie 4
(X) American Pie
( ) American Pie 2
( ) American Wedding
( ) American Pie Band Camp
Total so far: 9

(X) Harry Potter 1
(X) Harry Potter 2
(X) Harry Potter 3
(X) Harry Potter 4
( ) Resident Evil 1
( ) Resident Evil 2
(X) The Wedding Singer
( ) Little Black Book
( ) The Village
( ) Lilo & Stitch
Total so far: 13

(X) Finding Nemo
( X) Finding Neverland
( X) Signs
(X) The Grinch
( ) Texas Chainsaw Massacre
( ) Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning
( ) White Chicks
( ) Butterfly Effect
( ) 13 Going on 30
( ) I, Robot
( ) Robots
Total so far: 17

( ) Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story
( ) Universal Soldier
( ) Lemony Snicket: A Series Of Unfortunate Events
( ) Along Came Polly
( ) Deep Impact
( ) KingPin
( ) Never Been Kissed
(X) Meet The Parents
(X) Meet the Fockers
( ) Eight Crazy Nights
( ) Joe Dirt
(X ) KING KONG
Total so far: 20

( ) A Cinderella Story
( ) The Terminal
( ) The Lizzie McGuire Movie
( ) Passport to Paris
(X) Dumb & Dumber
( ) Dumber & Dumberer
( ) Final Destination
( ) Final Destination 2
( ) Final Destination 3
( ) Halloween
( ) The Ring
( ) The Ring 2
( ) Surviving X-MAS
( ) Flubber
Total so far: 21

( ) Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle
(X) Practical Magic
(X) Chicago
( ) Ghost Ship
( ) From Hell
( ) Hellboy
(X ) Secret Window
( ) I Am Sam
(X) The Whole Nine Yards
( X) The Whole Ten Yards
Total so far: 26

( ) The Day After Tomorrow
( ) Child’s Play
( ) Seed of Chucky
( ) Bride of Chucky
(X) Ten Things I Hate About You
( ) Just Married
( ) Gothika
( ) Nightmare on Elm Street
(X) Sixteen Candles
( ) Remember the Titans
( ) Coach Carter
( ) The Grudge
( ) The Grudge 2
(X) The Mask
( ) Son Of The Mask
Total so far: 28

( ) Bad Boys
( ) Bad Boys 2
( ) Joy Ride
( ) Lucky Number Slevin
(X) Ocean’s Eleven
(X) Ocean’s Twelve
(X ) Bourne Identity
(X ) Bourne Supremacy
( ) Lone Star
( ) Bedazzled
( ) Predator I
( ) Predator II
( ) The Fog
(X ) Ice Age
( ) Ice Age 2: The Meltdown
( ) Curious George
Total so far: 33

(X ) Independence Day
( ) Cujo
( ) A Bronx Tale
( ) Darkness Falls
( ) Christine
(X) ET
( ) Children of the Corn
( ) My Bosses Daughter
(X) Maid in Manhattan
( ) War of the Worlds
(X) Rush Hour
( ) Rush Hour 2
Total so far: 37

( ) Best Bet
(X) How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
( ) She’s All That
( ) Calendar Girls
(X ) Sideways
( ) Mars Attacks
( ) Event Horizon
( ) Ever After
(X) Wizard of Oz
(X) Forrest Gump
( ) Big Trouble in Little China
(X) The Terminator
( ) The Terminator 2
(X ) The Terminator 3
Total so far: 43

(X) X-Men
(X) X-2
(X) X-3
(X) Spider-Man
(X) Spider-Man 2
( ) Sky High
( ) Jeepers Creepers
( ) Jeepers Creepers 2
(X) Catch Me If You Can
(X) The Little Mermaid
( ) Freaky Friday
( ) Reign of Fire
( ) The Skulls
( ) Cruel Intentions
( ) Cruel Intentions 2
( ) The Hot Chick
(X) Shrek
(X) Shrek 2
Total so far: 52

( ) Swimfan
(X) Miracle on 34th street
( ) Old School
( ) The Notebook
(X ) K-Pax
( ) Krippendorf’s Tribe
( ) A Walk to Remember
( ) Ice Castles
( ) Boogeyman
(X) The 40-year-old Virgin
Total so far: 55

(X) Lord of the Rings Fellowship of the Ring
(X) Lord of the Rings The Two Towers
(X) Lord of the Rings Return Of the King
(X) Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark
(X) Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
(X) Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
Total so far: 61

( ) Baseketball
( ) Hostel
( ) Waiting for Guffman
( ) House of 1000 Corpses
( ) Devils Rejects
(X) Elf
( ) Highlander
( ) Mothman Prophecies
(X ) American History X
( ) Three
Total so Far: 63

( ) The Jacket
( ) Kung Fu Hustle
( ) Shaolin Soccer
( X) Night Watch
(X) Monsters Inc.
(X) Titanic
(X) Monty Python and the Holy Grail
( X) Shaun Of the Dead
( ) Willard
Total so far: 68

( ) High Tension
( ) Club Dread
(X) Hulk
( ) Dawn Of the Dead
(X) Hook
(X) Chronicles Of Narnia: The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe
( ) 28 days later
( ) Orgazmo
( ) Phantasm
( ) Waterworld
Total so far: 71

(X ) Kill Bill vol 1
(X) Kill Bill vol 2
( ) Mortal Kombat
( ) Wolf Creek
( ) Kingdom of Heaven
( ) the Hills Have Eyes
( ) I Spit on Your Grave aka the Day of the Woman
( ) The Last House on the Left
( ) Re-Animator
( ) Army of Darkness
Total so far: 73

(X) Star Wars Ep. I The Phantom Menace
(X)Star Wars Ep. II Attack of the Clones
(X) Star Wars Ep. III Revenge of the Sith
(X) Star Wars Ep. IV A New Hope
(X) Star Wars Ep. V The Empire Strikes Back
(X) Star Wars Ep. VI Return of the Jedi
() Ewoks Caravan Of Courage
() Ewoks The Battle For Endor
Total so far: 79

(X) The Matrix
(X) The Matrix Reloaded
(X ) The Matrix Revolutions
( )Animatrix
( ) Evil Dead
( ) Evil Dead 2
() Team America: World Police
(X) Red Dragon
(X) Silence of the Lambs
(X) Hannibal
Total so far: 85

Let it snow (update)

There is a chance of snow tonight (or not).

In that spirit, I’ve added some to the blog. Maybe I should change the picture to something more wintry?

(update) —I saw nary a flake float down

Oh well, I’m keeping the pseudo snow!

Work window

Justin posted to his blog sometime this year or last year pictures from his work window. It was fairly basic — a rooftop with some occasional item on it. Shelby then posted her office because it is clearly in a basement and has no windows (which has me speculating she really works for the CIA or something secretive). Maybe it seems mundane to most of the blog entries that float around. I mean, there is a cabinet of change being formed, the economy has slumped so bad for so long it needs an IV attached to it and there are 2 wars American soldiers are fighting (not to mention all of the riots in Greece, the tragedy of Africa, the attacks in Mumbai). There is a lot going on in the world other than what is revealed looking out a window.

And yet, it still means something. Work, especially in America, becomes our second home (willingly or not). It’s the place our families and friends find us when all else fails. Our desks are littered with the things we get paid to do. Hours, days, weeks — most of our waking hours are played out away from home.  So it’s important. After talking to several of my friends that are unemployed right now, it’s doubly important we stay behind these desks and in these rooms — surrounded in part by industrial grey.

But I forgot my camera so I can’t post a picture.  If I look slightly to the right of my computer screen I can see 75/85 below me.  All the cars flowing away, but more cars during this hour flowing in. There is construction going on to add a bridge and  further to the right I get a glimpse of the spreading skyline to the north.  I feel like I’m at the entrance of a great machined ant hill. Some silent watcher of the gates. The lives on the asphalt in their red, white, black boxes moving towards their work windows and the others all ready arrived in boxes pointing to the sky, coffee in hand, pens in a wire baskets, pictures of their kids nearby. All of us in our extended homes, so far away from ourselves. Working.

NYE suggestions

It’s early, but I don’t care. I want to have fun on New Year’s Eve (it being my favorite holiday) and I want to compensate for the fact I’m not going to be in Florence strolling the streets with my favorite travelling companion (Luigi).

So, I’m asking for some help. What can a geographically single lady (who’s in a relationship) do for New Year’s Eve that has elements of friendship, champagne, music and mild debauchery? And still feel good about myself in the morning? And will keep me out of any confessional booths (has and would never happen anyway).

I’ll give you some guidelines (other than champagne). I am willing to travel a little bit. I want to at least have to fix my hair. I prefer there to be other people around me. (ie me dressed up, sitting on my sofa with a glass of champagne and alone is not what I’m going for.) I need to be able to burn scraps of paper. I don’t want to see vomit. I’m even willing to host a party if anyone would show up.

OK, help! I’m accepting suggestions here and via email.