Day 201*-- 20 hours in Arizona

[note: this entry kinda a rant against my mom and step-dad.  Well, at least it's honest]

Yikes I'm getting a headache and I haven't even written this yet.

I remember the first time I went to my mom and step-dad's newly bought house in Arizona.  It was Christmas of 2006,  four weeks after my dad had passed away, two weeks before I started dating my boyfriend, a few days after being forced to quit my job at Borders Books, eight months before I started college at ASU, and Coldplay's "Talk" was playing nonstop in my iPod.

The plan was to go to orientation that Christmas and to move to Arizona June 1st with them until term started.  

I hated the house.  I mean, it's a gorgeous house.  I just hated how clean and hot and decisively non-me, non-my mom it was.  If I remember right, L--- further proved himself to be my mother's husband, not my step-father when he gave me a bunch of his Hurricane Katrina-ruined coins to count so we could take them to the bank (and he would give me the money).  The amount was something like $200-300 in nickles and dimes and it took me a few hours to count.  Well, we get to the bank and my counting was off by like $60-80.  I don't think anything of it, just an honest mistake and good thing they took the extremely long time to recount it.  

Well we get back to their house and my step-dad is raging pissed off at me.  He's in my "room" yelling, literally yelling at me, for making him seem foolish in front of people.  My step-dad is a former military, former cop so he's pretty scary when he's angry. There has been only one other time in my entire life where I was afraid for my life, and my body was going through the same motions of heart racing, nausea, and quick escape/self-defense violence tactical plans.  I didn't want his money.  I didn't want to move in.  But the worst of it was that my mom took his side.  She went on and on about how he's a proud man and he's done so much for us and how he doesn't like to be embarrassed.  

Flash forward to this Christmas.

Unfortunately my relationship with my mom and my step-dad hasn't changed too much.  He and I have a quasi-friendly relationship.  He uses me for story-telling about how he has a daughter, and I've used him to pay for things like rock-hit-broken car windows.  

My mom and I have never gotten over the strain.  She's in a merry mental Candyland and shows me affection with gifts and pictures, but whenever I try to have a real conversation with her she changes the topic.  Her husband is 1st.  I am 2nd.  Which is fine if I liked the guy.  I guess it shouldn't matter.  He makes her happy and gives her the security and attention she wants, and in return, he has a family and isn't alone. 

So about Christmas.  My boyfriend's dad was a real saint this year and bought us both tickets to see my mom in AZ and his family in CA.  The bf and I had been in a travel limbo for weeks.  Did we have enough money to travel, where should we travel, who's family is chosen, or do we see our separate families separately? Since I skipped Thanksgiving with my mom I knew that my choice was either stay in San Diego with him or see her.  With the plane tickets, we could see everyone.  Again, his dad is a true saint and I can't say enough thanks.

The cool part was, we were only going to be in Phoenix for 20 hours.  That's just enough to see my mom because she's my mom and to be back in Arizona where I haven't been since graduation.

Fuck...where do I being?  My mom picked us up in her little red Escape with car reindeer antlers and a red nose.  I had high hopes then and were quickly dashed when she asked to me to return the garage door opener because I'm not using it, and how I shouldn't get another unpaid internship because I have a college degree (like it means something in 2011).  Then she started going off about how they were taking us to dinner (they don't cook) but pretty much put a gun to our heads about getting this dinner special because they have a coupon.

I should note that my mom and step-dad are "new money".  They grew up really poor and shamed because of it.  Eventually they both made enough money to enjoy life more than comfortably and they show it off.  For example, as soon as we got to the house L--- started bragging about their huge new tv and how much it cost, but yet they steal sugar, and reuse plastic spoons. They can blow $4,000 on lawn furniture they never sit on, but won't tip more than 15%. 

[side note of me bragging: my bf's tv is bigger, and we always tip 20%]

So we go out to dinner.  We don't get helped for a few minutes which is fine by me because it's DEC 23RD and most people have the night OFF to spend with LOVED ONES.  Not once did my mom or step-dad thank any workers for working during the holiday.  Well, my step-dad makes a huge scene to the manager about how they always come here and where the hell is the service.  I'm completely embarrassed at this point.  Not just for me, but for my boyfriend as well.  L--- later apologizes to the manager while also cracking jokes about it.  

To an extent angry customers are right: they should be served properly.  However, most people working in the service industry have a tough life and this is what they have to do to get by.  Be compassionate to them, they'll be nice to you.

Oh, and the bf and I did use the coupon.  I'm sorry, but coupons with guests are tacky.  They just are.  

Oh!  AND WHAT REALLY PISSED ME OFF.  Some neighbors swung by our table and asked what my boyfriend did for a living.  L--- cut him off before he could talk and said, "computers."  My boyfriend grows medical marijuana.  This is what he does.  I'm really not that keen on it, but that is what he does and he should be allowed to talk about it.  Throughout the dinner L--- kept sorta asking about his work but would insert "your profession" and "the technology field".  Clearly MY MOM HAS LIED AGAIN.  I can't FUCKING STAND how that woman keeps secrets and lies.  It really really fucking upsets me.  And I didn't know what to do at the dinner table.  I mean, do I correct L--- and tell him what's really going on?  Does my boyfriend?  My mom sure as fuck didn't say anything.  The bf didn't say anything (probably politeness of not ruining the next 20 hours) and I couldn't correct it after the first statement, so the lie continued.

They did "let" us sleep in the same bed so I guess it was a victory.  My mom wanted me to thank my step-dad for "allowing" us.  I didn't.  I'm 23, my boyfriend is almost 29, we've been together for 5 years; if they didn't want us sleeping together (a) I would have left and paid for a hotel for us, and (b) they don't understand that their strict rules has meant they see me less.  

Where did my mom go?  Where did my fun mom with her whimsy and openmindedness go?  In a way, I lost her too.  

And so that was Arizona.  I saw my mom.  I was disappointed like I usually am.  And as I was sitting in the faux black leather seats at the airport I look out the window and remembered why I left Arizona.  It's nothing but dry, dead boredom and Carl's Jr.s.  

20 hours was nearly too long.

Day 200-- Loving broke Christmas with the bf and fan letter to Urban Outfitters

I'm glad it's a recession Christmas.  There's something a little more grounded this year.  Nearly everyone I know is skipping the gifts, the tree, the decorations--the material fuss of it all--and are simply making a bigger point of visiting people instead of sending presents. 

Isn't that what the Christmas spirit is supposed to be about?  The simple act of telling the people you care about that hey, you're thinking of them, and hey, they're important to you.  The holiday is more about love than money this year, which is how it should be.

And being a broke-ass community on Christmas also means that it's honestly not expected of you to give anything.  So if you do, not only are you doing it because you truly want to and, because of the misfortune of you can afford vs what you can't afford, you're forced to really think about the gift creatively and about the gift's effect, not it's value.  I have spent so many Christmases worrying about matching the price of what the other person is giving me that I've lost the spirit of things.  It's not how much the gift cost, it's about whether or not I picked it because I knew it'd make you smile, or laugh, or use it, or because you need it.  I dunno.  I just really like that the meaning of Christmas has returned in a way. 

For the first time in my life I finally understand when my mom would say she didn't need nor expect anything for Christmas.  I know I shall be receiving gifts, but in my heart of hearts, I truly and deeply don't expect anything.  I'm just really excited to see everyone these next few days.

(laughs) Now after all that, let's talk presents.

My boyfriend and I were unsure if we would do presents this year and we probably shouldn't have.  But we just really wanted to.  And for the record, my bf is the only boyfriend I've ever met who likes Christmas mall shopping with his girlfriend.  When we were out to dinner the other night (thanks to an early X-mas gift card :)  he was telling me about his happy memories of Christmas shopping with me in Arizona and how he wanted to make our shopping a date night this week.

When it comes to Christmas shopping we totally bring out our feminine and masculine strategies.  I'll think of the perfect gift (or genre ie humor, pragmatism, books, music, ect) weeks in advance [female], and he doesn't want to actually hit the stores until the day before [totally male].  He also pretends that he doesn't do any planning but inevitable right before we enter a store he'll tell me what he's picking out and it will be in my same genre if not the same gift.  Bastard. 

Tonight we hit up Target first.  We both wanted something involving music for our parents and I needed to hunt down the Regis Philbin book for my grandma.  The woman is obsessed with the man.

It's kinda cheesy but my boyfriend and I have Target dates every few months.  We'll split up to do individual shopping but irresistibly both end up in the book section pointing out novels to each other.  Last time we were in Target together we sat down in the children's aisle and read Oh! The Places You Will Go as other customers walked around us.

I found Regis and more books that I want for me (Dear Mindy Kaling, I will buy your book when it's in paperback), and I know he saw a few books for him.  Every few minutes or so, amongst the chaos of shopping carts and stressed out people, he's turn to me and say he wanted to share "a moment" where we'd just stand together happy and peaceful before returning to the crazy.  We checked out and he headed to the Starbucks kiosk so we could split a tall pumpkin spice latte on our way downtown. :)

Downtown was beautiful as ever driving in.  I may hate my job but there is something goddamn beauty about a city at night.  The lights, the reflective glass, the heels and shiny shoes, the drug peddlers, the gym rats, the tourists with their cameras a flash, the pubs and window shops, and the graffiti-meets-art on tall walls.

We parked and I practically hustled us to Urban Outfitters.   I LOVE URBAN OUTFITTERS. I love everything about that store.  I love the wacky/funny/informative/fashion/art/music/random lists/travel books.  I love the headphones and vinyl making a comeback.  I LOVE the cameras and if I had the cash I would buy all of them--especially the bubble view lens camera which makes every picture so much cooler.  I love the shot glasses that come shaped like chemistry beakers or labeled 'hot mess' and other drunk phrases.  I love the random-ass owl and clock jewelry, not that I own any.  I love the hipster clothes, not that I fit into a single shred of clothing there.  Hell, I even love that stupid squirrel-covered notebook and I despise squirrels.

Basically, I love Urban Outfitters, aka Urban, aka "The UO" my boyfriend likes to say just to fluster me and make me laugh.  We found just what we wanted and we were on our way out when I gasped and ran back to the notebook rack. "Look!  Look here! It's a comma used correctly!  "something something something [comma] douchebag!".  The people around me looked at me funny, and the bf started chuckling, but I don't a give a fuck.  Correct comma usage deserves recognition.  

And so we were off.  Bags in one hand, holding hands in the other, trying not to get mugged once we left 5th Ave. 

We did a obnoxious high five once we parked in front of my house.

Some victory sex later...and we're wrapping gifts with us playfully fighting over the tape, and he's using all of my gift labels, and I keep losing the scissors.  It was a fun night. And I'm truly truly excited to board my plane in a few hours. 

Just need to finish up a few letters, print some photos, pack, eat, shower, clean out my car, maybe get a peace scarf for my grandma, get a few more Christmas labels, wrap  my step-dad's gifts, download some music and done! 

Day 198-- Conversations with the floor

Oh if my floor could talk.  In attempts to look for my printer cord so I can print out my Christmas trade recipes, I have unleashed yet another moving box's contents all over my floor.

There's nail polish, crayons, gift bows, burn cream from my coffee-meets-toes accident at Starbucks a year and a half ago, a Shane Co pearl necklace from my boyfriend three Christmases ago, my movie stubs to July's Horrible Bosses and Page One, a few Vons gift cards half spent, a flyer of how to get published, a white watch I only wear to interviews, brown UGG boots with the right boot more worn-in on the inside lining, a Jack Johnson cd, 6 contact lenses, 1 Splenda, 3 vanilla tea candles, 2 eyeliner pencils, and 1 ASU Alumni pin I'll never wear.  Oh, and a small lit Christmas tree to the left of things.

Now, where the hell is that cord? 

Day 196-- Bacon-Wrapped Basil Stuffed Chicken Breasts recipe

Prologue: 

When it comes to potlucks, welcome the chaos, take some shots, cook something new, and watch it turn into a fabulous night. 

Last night's potluck started on walk to the farmer's market when me and my bf's roommates got to talking about the successful Halloween potluck we had in October and how we should have one for Christmas.  Somehow the neighborhood heard the news, and we almost had a too many people and not enough food.  And while there was a few minutes of stress about feeding the entire town, I've found that it's always better to have more friends over than less friends over.

And so we poured some sake shots, laughed, got out our chicken, spinach, and pasta, and thus started a truly wonderful night of good food and 90s house music.

Bacon-Wrapped Basil Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Prep time: about 15 minutes

Cook time: about 40 minutes (might be faster at higher temperature)

Total time: 55 minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients

4 medium skinless, boneless chicken breasts

3 oz-ish cream cheese

8 stripes of high quality bacon

8 basil leaves (a few more if you want garnish)

3 tbsp olive oil

a few dashes of rosemary

salt and pepper

*optional 4 large tomatoes

Directions

1.) Wash and pat dry your chicken breasts and place them on a cutting board.  Using a very sharp small knife cut a slit into the thickest part of each chicken breast.  Rotate the knife inside of the chicken and use your fingers to create a nice pocket inside of the breast.  Repeat for each breast.

2.) Stuff each pocket with a healthy chunk of cream cheese and two basil leaves.  Seal up the pocket the best you can with your fingers.

3.) Tightly wrap two slices of bacon around each breasts, tucking in any loose ends.  Season with salt, pepper, and rosemary.

4.) Pull out a frying pan and heat up to medium heat.  Drizzle in a tbsp of olive oil.  Brown each breast until the bacon is turning that reddish/brown cooked color and the breast skin has that golden singe.

5.) Meanwhile slice up the tomatoes into large slices and preheat the oven 350 degrees. Once the breasts are all browned, get out a shallow baking dish an place the breasts next to each other with the tomato slices along the sides.  Sprinkle some salt and pepper onto the tomatoes.  Drizzle the rest of the olive oil onto the breasts and tomatoes.

6.) Cook the breasts at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.  Flip over and cook for another 15-20 minutes.  Take out of the oven and garnish with some torn up pieces of basil if you so desire (I always desire basil). Done!

Review:

Absolutely delicious!  Honestly the best chicken I've ever made, and the basil with the cream cheese was just enough to give that sweet flavor to battle with the salty bacon coat.  Served at our potluck with Spanakopita, cold feta pasta primavera, a few Manhattans, and a round of Apples to Apples.  Cheers!

Day 193--Bullies, resumes, and hippy bags

So Mid-- is back.  She's the bully of the hotel who only irritates those who realize that she's not kidding and she actually doesn't like you.  And she has a special spot of bullying just for me.

I don't what this bitch's problem is, but she really doesn't like me.  At first I thought it was because I was the youngest, skinniest, and suddenly the one who got the most attention.  Then I thought it was because I was friends which the night boss aka her arch nemesis.  And I definitely know she hates me because she had to work on Thanksgiving while I was up in Tahoe with my boyfriend's family.  Tough shit, lady. 

Examples: (1) she will interrupt any conversation I'm having--even it's in front of a guest.  (2) she will use my computer when I'm  using it.  (3) she plays with my hair, usually in a condescending way.  (4) she makes me do her work.  

Now, this doesn't bother me as much as you would think, because the truth of the matter is, in 10 years she'll still be working at a broke-ass hotel and I'll be working either in publishing, in media, and I'll have a master's degree. Hell, I may be leaving in a few weeks anyway so byebye, Mid--.

I just it's just annoying that she was gone for 2 weeks and I did her job better than she does, and in a faster time too.  She is replaceable.  Actually, her job could be eliminated and no one would notice.   The thing is, she's a large loud sarcastic lady so most guests love her and the new workers think she's a hoot.  She's not.

But the best part of working under a bully is that it's motivation to apply to new jobs, and a confidence boost that I can do so much better.

Tonight I researched the publishing house my former co-worker D--- recommended to me.  It's not quite what I want but if I can get my cover letter spruced up by tomorrow I'd like to ask D--- which person to send it too.  

And if this publishing house doesn't work out, I'd like to send out a cover letter and resume to a different publishing house each day starting next Monday.  If that doesn't work, then I'll try applying to the news stations around the area after Christmas.

In related news, I began the process to become a California resident again today!  It was a bit of a hard decision because I wanted to stay open to the possibility of Oregon come summer.  However, if I do land a publishing or media gig then I  clearly need to stay at the job for at least a year or more to gain experience on a resume.  Furthermore, I have a feeling that I'm going to need to learn some web design skills to be successful in my chosen field and out-of-state tuition at the community colleges are ridiculously overpriced.  And so it is.  

I'll be getting a "replacement" Arizona driver's license in the mail in 5 days (they don't expire until you're 65 years old), and from there I'll change over my car registration (due on the 21st) to California, and start practicing for the CA driving test so I can get my license. 

On a final note, I start Christmas shopping today.  I really can't afford it, but as long as I keep everyone at a $10 minimum I can still participate in one of my favorite hobbies--the chase of the perfect gift.  Like today's hunt for a hippy bag (I hope she's not reading).  I seriously hit 6 different shops looking for the perfect bag.  I wish it wasn't in red, but I love the size, feel, and design of it, and I hope she loves it too. 

Well, got to run.  The bf is cooking me dinner tonight. Peace!

Day 192-- My top 10 movies of 2011

My 10 ten favorite movies of 2011:

A's

1.) Harry Potter

For 10 magical years of film and 13 years of readings, Harry Potter created a family between strangers and imagination in those still willing to believe.  At midnight of the July 15th, we, in our cloaks, robes, and glasses, said goodbye to our hero.

In this final movie Harry and the gang are off to Hogwarts find the last remaining horcruxs, which are the last pieces of Voldemort's soul.  Kill the horcruxes, kill Voldemort.  Much has been written about Daniel Radcliff's transformation as an actor from his age 11 to now 22, and I heartily agree.  He plays Harry as a grown-up leader still capable of humor and faults, but with utmost dignity to do what is expected of him.  He is ready.

The movie was filled with non-stop action, humor, friendship, and an unexpected grace. I can honestly say that it had the most heart of any movie I've seen this year, and one of the best hero's sacrifice I've seen in years. 

On a warm summer day at age 13, my childhood began when Vernon Dursely saw people in funny looking cloaks parading around London. I was sitting in my backyard near my dad's BBQ and everything seemed possible then.  On July 15th I was 23 sitting in an office chair in my boyfriend's room.  My college diploma was in a moving bag under the night stand and I was looking for my first real job come Monday morning. 

Magic goes on, Hogwarts goes on, Harry Potter doesn't stay a boy on the edge of school, Harry Potter grows up.  And you know what? it's ok for us to grow up too.

Read my full review here!

2.) Atlas Shrugged: part 1

You either love author Ayn Rand or you desperately hate her.  She used her novels to personify objectivism, a philosophy she created.  She believed in the utmost personal rights, regulation-free capitalism, reality, rationality, no religion, personal choice, and pursuit of individual happiness. She's a big hit among libertarians [Ron Paul is a libertarian].  Former Chairman of the Federal Reserve Alan Greenspan was a close friend of hers and used her philosophy in his politics towards economics, which (a) helped the economic boom and riches of the 90s (remember those days?), but also (b) lead to the laxness that led to the poverty recession we're experiencing now (which is sucks).

Atlas Shrugged was her opus.  As a movie I really enjoyed it. It takes place in 2016 when the economy and gas prices has gotten so bad that people are going back to commuting on trains. Unfortunately the rails are so old that disasters often occur.  Dagny Taggart, who is vice president of Taggart Transcontinental Railroad makes a deal with metal businessman and inventor Hank Reardan who will design safer and more effective rails. They decided to test their rails in the state of Colorado first.

All is going well until lobbyists and politicians enter the picture and create "fair" laws so that a person can only own one business, thereby cutting Reardan's capital to invest in his railroad.  Luckily they are able to finish it in time and the rails run smooth and fast.  Colorado becomes rich and its citizens are better off, but the lobbyists create laws to make things "more fair" again and begin to heavily tax the rich states (ie Colorado) to benefit the poorer, less productive states--which in turn strangles the Taggart-Reardan railroad into expanding.

The movie concludes in a cliff hanger as the most talented, most ambitious, and most contributing members of society go missing.  Dadny learns that they left willing and must decide if she too wants to "go on strike".

This movie makes you think.  And it could have easily become a caricature of its philosophies but all of the actors remained complicated with depth.  Grant Bowler, best known as a werewolf on True Blood, does an excellent job as businessman Reardan who clearly loves business and progress but isn't a cardboard cutout of a CEO. Props goes to Taylor Schilling who plays Dadngy not as an ice queen but as someone who calmly loves her job and wants to make things better.  She beat out Angelina Jolie for the role.

3.) Thor

This was the conversations as my friends and I left the movie theater:

Me: [during and after movie] "Please get naked"

Friend: "Please make porn"

Roommate: "When this comes out on DVD I'm going to watch this and 300 and my vagina is going to shoot out fire"

We also said: "Sexy man" "Delicious" "He wore flannel and cooked breakfast" "He helps the elderly" "He helps children" "He can draw" "He's perfect". "Mmmmm" "Are you Thor or Hugh Jackman? No? Then get to steppin" "When's the sequel?" "They should come out with a dildo with his face and hammer and call it hammertime" "Best movie of the year."

For what it's worth, the plot was actually pretty good too.  It was sunny and fun, which is exactly what a popcorn flick should be.

4.) Horrible Bosses 

This one was such a surprise.  I was visiting a friend up in LA when we decided to catch a movie.  $11.50 per ticket later and we were in a pretty annoyed mood with unseemly high expectations.   Luckily the movie was actually really funny.  I'm pretty sure I became a Jennifer Aniston fan when she used the word "fingering" in the first 3 minutes of her screen time.  Her character is woman does not give a fuck (played by Aniston with glee, like she's been waiting her whole life for this), and I love her for it.

The trio of Jason Bateman, Charlie Day, and Jason Sudeikis had incredible funny chemistry together as friends trying to murder each other's horrible bosses (Aniston, Kevin Spacey, and Colin Farrell).  I enjoyed Day so much I became an It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia fan.  Was it worth $11.50?  Maybe not.   But it was definitely an A comedy which is wicked hard to find.

B's

5.) Page One: Inside the New York Times

Page 1 is a documentary that follows one year at the New York Times.  It was the year of Wikileaks, a few corporate scandals, and the height of newspapers around the country closing.  The question every reporter was asking throughout the movie was clear: will the NYT survive and should it?

The answer: maybe, and yes. The best example comes from WikiLeaks, which shakes up the Times with a collective awe and fear.  If people can get world changing news fast and free, what use is there of the Times?  

Page One is all about the value of integrity.  These journalists show the unwavering need to find the truth and report it objectivity.  They don't jump onto stories they haven't properly investigated, and understand their role in the legitimacy of issues.  

For being a documentary about an objective news source, this doc wasn't exactly unbiased and clearly they want the NYT to be the winner over free fast news, bloggers, and other sources who have a voice.  We do need the Times, but how can it survive in today's climate should be the more important question instead of which source of news is better.

6.) Moneyball

I love when Brad Pitt eats.  His lips and chin and twinkly eyes...almost as good as Thor.  Anyway.  In Moneyball Pitt plays Billy Beane, the manager of the crappy Oakland A's baseball team in 2002.  Beane is trying to figure out how to make a broke-ass team competitive with the wealthy teams who can afford better player.  Cue in Jonah Hill's character who uses math and statistics to figure out the strength of cheaper players and how they can align with a whole team.

Pitt throws things, yells, looks sexy, chews, and manages the team to record winning streak.  The movie is all good fun, and as light and breezy as a Spring day. 

C's

7.) Breaking Dawn: part 1

Going to a Twilight movie is a little like shopping at Walmart: you don't want to admit that you choose to shop at Walmart but secretly it has everything you're looking for. Twilight is about someone loving you for eternity.  It’s about being different and finally finding your clan of outsiders.  It’s about magic and transformation.  Or it’s about hipster soundtracks and perfectly manicured eyebrows.

As the world knows, in this edition of the series, Bella and Edward are getting married.  There are exactly two things I think about when I see Bella Swan (portrayed by a whining Kristen Stewart): (1) so this is why feminism is dead and millions of girls want semi-emotionally abusive relationships and get pregnant out of high school, and (2) I love her hair!

In that first movie I understood why Bella and Edward would be drawn to each other: the looks, the curiosity, the emo personality match, and most of all, the chemistry. But why are these people getting married?  They’re both depressives and they both kinda like Breakfast at Tiffany's? 

Love, marriage, baby on the way and it's killing her.  Bella looks more and more like a Holocaust victim, no one informs her parents she’s on the brink of death, and her ex Jacob is always invited in the same room as her baby daddy (rude).  Apparently this is what happens when you have sex.

Read my full review here!

8.) Sucker Punch

Ok, so I kinda didn't see all of this movie.  All of my friends and reviewers said it was terrible so I waited until months later when someone rented it to finally watch it.  I only saw the beginning and the end, but some what I could see, it seemed stylistically amazing, plotline interesting, but something just not quite connecting.  Much like The Watchman.  For it being the disappointment that it was, I'm giving it a C.  However, I do have to thank it for introducing me to "Panic Switch" by The Silversun Pickups, which was the inspiration for Day 1 of this blog.

D's

--None

F's

9.) Red Riding Hood

There were exactly two things good about Red Riding Hood: that song, and that guy.  The rest of godawful.  The set looked plastic, the characters weren't developed, the dialogue was cheesy ["What happened to the bunny, Valerie?!"], and it was overall waste of time.  What was more unfortunate was that I had been looking forward to it for weeks and castigated my friends not to text during the movie.  The worst movie I could have used to make a point about class...

10.) Midnight in Paris.

Now, I'm a huge Woody Allen fan and a Marion Cotillard fan so I had high hopes for this one despite the atrocious trailer.  The trailer was right.  The problem was all about the thesis.  It's about writer who misses the 20s in Paris and magically he's in the 20s in Paris hanging out with famous authors of the era.  Here's a secret, Hollywood: time travel is never done in a non-stupid way.  And Owen Wilson is the king of stupid.

The whole movie felt clunky, dull, and childish.  It was painful obvious that this movie started as a "what if?" concept that should have ended there, but instead was turned into a 2-hour movie.  When you have 2 Oscar winners + Rachel McAdams and it still bombs, clearly the plot is RIDICULOUS. Yikes.