I’m not going to update for a while-I just need to take a step back and evaluate some things in my life. I’ll still check in on blog friends. Thanks.
Archive for February, 2008
Friday’s Feast
Appetizer
Have you ever played a practical joke on anyone? If so, what did you do and who was your victim?
I’m not very good at coming up with practical jokes. I used to be the victim of them all the time, though. This guy I worked with got me so bad on April Fool’s Day every freaking year. He even managed to put over the old “Myra Maynes.” Have you heard this one? I worked in HR and my friend R got the receptionist to write up a message for me requesting I call back one Myra Maynes. I called the phone number and got a funeral home. What’s pathetic is that I didn’t get the joke right away. I verified the phone number with the girl on the other end of the line and everything. She swore up and down there was no Myra Maynes there at the funeral home. Seriously, I was talking to her like she was the idiot. She was really patient with me, though, and worked me through it. I usually take the jokes pretty well, but I was sort of annoyed about that one because I was so busy that day. I had interviews all day long, plus I had to get payroll out. R actually got into trouble with me for that one. Not that he cared. He put these little explosive poppers on my phone two hours later that went off when I picked up my phone receiver.
Soup
What do your salt and pepper shakers look like?
I use the McCormick salt and pepper grinders. So they look like a McCormick seasoning bottle with a grinder attached.
Salad
Where is the next place you plan to visit (on vacation or business)?
Well, my sister and I are doing a conference in Dallas this summer, but since I live very near Dallas, it doesn’t feel all that vacationey, so I’ll say Galveston, because we’re also planning a trip thataways soon.
Main Course
What kind of lotion or cream do you use to keep your hands from getting too dry?
Aveda hand relief. Someone bought it for me as a gift, and now I’m addicted.
Dessert
Make up a dessert, tell us its ingredients, and give it a name
I can’t make up anything better than Mrs. Cavanaugh’s Chocolate Lemon Cremes. Truly. They are devine.
Delicious Satire
Go at once and visit this site. I highly recommend post #64 Recycling. This is really good satire. Tasty and perfectly seasoned. 
Borrowed Water
Borrowed Water is LaToya Brown’s painfully honest memoir of growing up neglected and abused, and subsequently rising above it. The title refers in part to the shame derived from being compelled by her mother to literally borrow water from neighbors for cooking and cleaning. Symbolically, Brown refers to herself as a vessel and admonishes her readers to be wise-to be careful who they borrow water from. You can fill yourself up with truth or you can fill yourself up with lies. Ironically, many find it easier to believe the lie.
Faith is and was essential to Brown’s journey and she is honest and passionate in her expressions of it. God is her lifeline and she credits Him with putting individuals in her life who believed in her; she also credits her faith for finding the courage to turn her back on the life she knew best-the life she thought she deserved.
While faith was the primary motivating factor in her change, Brown also has a firm belief in the power of education to change her life. Despite an itinerant childhood, gross sexual abuse and violence, and constant emotional abuse, Brown persevered, graduating from high school and community college, and capping it off with a BSW and MSW from the University of Texas at Arlington. Today, she works in the same middle school she attended as a youth-the same school where she met her mentor and began her diligent pursuit of a better life.
Brown doesn’t make excuses, nor does she ask for pity. She tells her story in a matter-of-fact manner, calmly describing horrific episodes of abuse and the impact it had on her formative years. I defy anyone facing similar circumstances to acheive in such an extraordinary mannor, yet Brown asserts that it is possible.
Brown’s story is a compelling, and unfortunately, all too common example of the type of abuse suffered by too many of our nation’s children. She doesn’t give a pat answer, and admits herself that she continued to make mistakes, even while trying to reshape her life. But she is proof positive that nurture can win out over nature.
If there is a fault to Borrowed Water, it is an excess of grammatical errors, some of which distracted from the flow of the story. Brown is an excellent writer, but she needs a good editor.
Ms. Brown is an exceptional young woman who has told her story with unflinching honesty. You can order Borrowed Water here.
Juno Rocks
Spoiler alert: I like Juno a bunch. This will be a very good review. In the course of this review, it is entirely possible that I will give away details regarding the film. If you have not yet seen it and don’t wish to be spoiled, then go away. Because I respect you so much, I’ll even give you
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You’re welcome.
So I finally got to see Juno yesterday afternoon. I know, I know, “finally” sounds so melodramatic, but honestly, I thought the fates were conspiring to keep me away from it. First time I tried, the advertised movie time in the newspaper matched the actual movie time perfectly, if by perfectly, I mean NOT AT ALL. Juno’d already downed a gallon of sunny-d and peeed on the pregnancy stick for third time before I even arrived at the theatre. They were nice about it-gave me a free ticket, but I had a brief window of time and couldn’t wait around for the next showing. I went ahead and watched Gerard Butler’s abs instead, only I think the movie was actually called “P.S. I Love You.” Next time I wanted to see it, I wound up working late. I wound up seeing “The Eye” with chauceriangirl and L2-neither was terribly interested in Juno, which is okay, but I really, really, really, really wanted to see it. So yesterday before I even got out of bed, I had my mind made up. I was going, dammit. And that’s final. So I did. And I really, really like it.
I’m no Diablo Cody (the screenwriter, who has a kick-ass way with words) so this review will pretty much fall under “stuff I liked” and “stuff I did not like.” So, without further ado:
STUFF I LIKED
1. Juno. I have to start with Juno because she’s the most wonderful character ever, a teenage girl with brains, wit, and shitloads of charm. She’s confident, insecure, brash, naive, little jaded, inexperienced, and wise. All at the same time. She’s that cool.
2. Juno’s family. The best line ever, which I can not quote verbatim because I was too busy being absorbed in the film to take notes, is something along the lines of ”I was hoping it was drugs…” instead of teen preganancy. Yet, her father and stepmother love her and support her. Allison Janney is perfection, especially when she jumps all over an ultrasound technician who appears to be making a judgment about Juno.
3. Juno’s best friend. A preternaturally mature teenager who crushes on the male teachers at her school. Every girl needs a friend like that-true blue and possessing important knowledge like where in the Pennywise newspaper one can find potential adoptive parents.
4. Jennifer Garner as the potential adoptive mother, Violet. Someone I deeply love has struggled with infertility and I have to say, Garner perfectly captured the wistfulness and desperation of a woman clinging to hope, even though she still kind of thinks it maybe probably won’t happen for her. In particular, the look of misery and longing on her face when Juno, complaining about her nausea, thoughtlessly tells her”you’re lucky it’s me and not you” was SPOT ON. It was right there in her face, that emotional slap, followed by stinging bitter pain. And yet, it passed so quickly, you would have to have been looking for it to see it. Beautiful performance.
5. Jason Bateman as the potential adoptive father still clinging to his youth. He is so likeable, at first, and Juno immediately bonds with him over music and heinous slasher flicks. He descends into slight creepiness so subtly, that I never really saw it coming. I felt as betrayed as Juno by his revelation that he was leaving Violet.
6. The resolution. I ached so much for Violet, for all of her dreams, and I was thrilled at the outcome. There couldn’t have been a better, more fitting family portrait. Juno isn’t about following any specific set of rules except for her own. At the end, she had a question and it was answered and it made her choice obvious.
7. Diablo Cody. She’s a tremendously gifted writer, never slapping you in the face with her point. Her dialogue is sharp and witty and I defy all those who claim it’s unrealistic for a teenager to speak that way. I have to believe there’s a Juno in the world and Diablo Cody’s gift is to make me do just that. She creates subtle conflict-the look of surprise in Violet’s face when she hears Juno found her in a Pennywise ad; Bleeker’s sad face at Juno’s suggestion he ask someone else out and Juno’s dismay when he actually does. And the most perfect moment of all when Violet is holding her son, tears streaming down her face and she sees Brenda, Juno’s stepmother-she asks “how do I look?” and Brenda replies, “like a real mother…scared shitless.” Sure, it’s clever, but more than that, it’s human. I can’t wait to see what she does next.
STUFF I DID NOT LIKE:
1. What, are you kidding me? Did you not read above? I liked everything. Go see it.
Friday’s Feast
Appetizer
Name one thing that is unique about you.
Wow, now that one’s hard. With so many people on this planet, I don’t think anything is unique anymore. Here’s something cliche for you instead-I’m a shy actor. I’m perfectly comfortable onstage saying or doing just about anything, but I have a difficult time in groups of people larger than three or four, and multiply that by about 50 if I’m in a group of three or four people I don’t know that well.
Soup
Fill in the blank: My favorite Joss Whedon show is Buffy the Vampire Slayer but I like Angel and Firefly too.
Salad
What type of wood do you have for your home’s furnishings?
Mixed. There’s oak, maple, cherry, and a little bit of mahogany. Probably more fruit woods than anything else, though.
Main Course
Who do you talk to most often on the phone?
My big sister. She’s my best friend.
Dessert
What level of responsibility do you have in your job?
Fair bit. I am a first and second approver for a professional certification program-one that generally is required for agency employees to upgrade their current pay and position. Since what I do directly impacts the earning potential of my clients, I try very hard to be both accurate and speedy.
Happy V-Day
Being a singleton, I can be a little eye-ball rolly when it comes to Valentines Day. I’m told by my monster that I’m probably just jealous. This is possibly true, but honestly all that shiny, happy love in one place is enough to “make me toss my heart shaped cookies!” (Thanks, chauceriangirl for the e-card)
So I’ll spare you any residual bitterness (’cause it’s really just me being cranky for no good reason) and mention that it’s also V-Day-a day when hundreds of colleges and professional theatres across the country produce The Vagina Monologues as part of a global effort to end violence against women and girls. If you’ve never seen this play, you really should. It’s a little uncomfortable at times, true (My vagina is a shell…). But by the end, you feel pretty damn empowered just by being a woman or being a man who loves women. It’s a kick-ass feeling.
So Happy V-Day. And while we’re at it, Equality Now would be a way better Valentine’s Day gift than flowers or chocolates. Not that there’s anything wrong with flowers and chocolates….
It’s a Great Day at Izzybella’s Blog…
So I just called my salon a moment ago to make an appointment to have my hair done, and the receptionist answered the phone, “It’s a Great Day at Izzybella’s Salon. How may I help you?” Only the tone of her voice was more like “Today sucks and I spilled hair color all over my new white jeans. What the hell do you want?” So I laughed because, honestly, I just couldn’t help it. I lied and told her I was laughing about something else, but it didn’t matter because she clearly didn’t give a crap. I just thought that was kind of funny.
I used to manage an accessories store called Afterthought’s Boutique (I think it was called Topkapi in other parts of the country). They’ve since been sucked into the Claire’s Boutique corporation, but at the time, that’s how we had to answer the telephone when it rang. “Hi, it’s a great day at Afterthought’s Boutique! How may I help you?” I thought it was so completely lame to answer the phone that way, so to alleviate it, I just gave into the corniness of it. I was so fricken’ chipper and happy, ya’ll. I said it was a great day like I really meant it-like it was the best damn day I’d ever had. It was so insincere, but my district manager loved it. She’d be all, “Izzybella, I wish everyone answered the phone the way you do.” And this one part of me felt really guilty knowing that I was practicing reverse asshole-ism, but the other part (the one that likes keeping out of trouble) was all, “Thank you, district manager. I try.”
Also, did I mention how glad I am that I’m not in retail management anymore? That job sucks. And I have loads of respect for those who still do it. Keep on keeping on, my friend. That customer who speaks to you like you just got hit with the moron stick? They’re deeply unhappy-just let it go. The customer standing right in front of the sign that reads “All Watches $19.95″ only to ask, “hey, how much is this watch?” Let it go. Breathe. The customer who tries to return the item they’ve clearly used/abused the hell out of? Let it go. Breathe. The customers who leave the clothes they tried on in the dressing room in a great big wad? Let it go. Breathe. The customer who screams at you, red-faced, because you’re out of what s/he wanted? Call mall security. For reals. You don’t have to take that kind of abuse. Also, let it go. Breathe. The customer who stands idly by while his/her toddler destroys the display you just spent six hours on? Beat the crap out of that parent and throw their asses out of the store. Kidding. What I meant was, let it go. Breathe. At the end of the day, most of your customers know you work hard and they’re not trying to make your life more difficult. And that one customer? You know the one. He’s a great big asshat anyway, who clearly compensates for his inferiority complex by shitting on other people. Let it go. Breathe.
Wow. I did not know that rant was still in there. But hey, big love to you retail employees, and what I mean by that is, Have a Nice Day and Come Back Soon!
Thank You, Red Robin
I subscribe to an email group called Hungry Girl. If you haven’t heard of Hungry Girl-she provides useful tips and healthy alternatives for comfort food, recipe swaps and all kinds of good stuff. If you’re into fitness and nutrition, yet you also enjoy eating well, I highly recommend you subscribe. She’s down-to-earth, funny, honest, matter-of-fact, and easy to read.
In today’s email, Hungry Girl attached a link for Red Robin, a restaurant chain in the states, who is now providing full nutritional information for their menu items. What’s great about this is that you can customize your order–add a little of this, subtract a little of that–and get nutritionals based on your modifications. On the one hand, it’s a little appalling-I looked up the nutritional information for products I’ve ordered in the past and the amount of calories and fat was absolutely staggering. But I’ve also learned how to customize the order to bring it down to a managable level. Plus, there are a few menu items I’d never even considered ordering before, but seeing how they could work within my healthy eating habits, I’m all for trying.
It was pretty brave of Red Robin to make that information available. Although the majority of their entrees are completely out of the question for the lifestyle I’m choosing now, there’s enough there that I can still go out with my family for dinner and not feel deprived. Thank you, Red Robin, you’ve made me extremely happy. I hope other restaurants will take a cue from this. Till then, I’ll be giving my business to those restaurants, like Red Robin, who provide the information I need to be an informed consumer.
Fast, No Feast
Friday Feast’s website is down, so there will be no partaking today. I figured I’d just do a general what’s up in my world post instead.
Things are going okay. Still working hard on all of my resolutions, but I can sense it’s going to be a long, difficult journey for each one. That’s okay-I have the time and I’m very determined. If you could actually see me right now, you would see my determined face. It’s very resolute.
I’m going to a book club next week for the very first time. I’ve always wanted to be a part of one of those, but never enough to start one of my own. My sunshine friend took the hard part out of my hands and we’re going to meet next Saturday (not tomorrow) with book choices. Should be a lot of fun. I’m a little worried, because I can have trouble clarifying what did and didn’t work for me when it comes to books and poetry. Usually, I give a general “I liked it” or “Eh. Read better.” I’m much more eloquent when analyzing plays/performances-but c’cmon, how different can it be with a book, you know? Jehara and chauceriangirl have the smarts going on, so I’m sure they’ll keep the conversation going when I’m lacking. I’ll get the hang of it. I should practice, though. Maybe I’ll put up a review when I finish the one I’m reading right now. I think I will. You can hardly wait, I know!
I’m finally going to see Juno tomorrow, after my MMM meeting. Haha, someone passing by saw the words “MMM meeting” and wanted to know if I was meeting with Red, Yellow, and Green. In case you were wondering, no. I’m not actually acquainted with them, and anyway, if I saw a six-foot tall MnM talking to me, I’d actually freak out a little. MMM just refers to the theatre company I am an ensemble member of. So after the meeting, chauceriangirl and I are going to the comic book store (because we just can’t stay away from Lone Star Comics) and then to the movies. It will be a very good day.
Last weekend while I was out with the monster, I saw this little contraption that resembles the Staples “Easy” button, only it says “Good Day.” Ordinarily, I pass noise-makers by with disdain. Just ask Chauceriangirl. But for some reason, I felt compelled to smack that button, so I did, and suddenly “Walking on Sunshine” by Katrina and the Waves comes on and I got so excited!! I love that song. Seriously, I can’t NOT dance when I hear it. It’s just a happy-making sort of tune. So the monster bought it for me. Every time I get a cranky client, I smack that button. Luckily my co-worker is very tolerant and amused. I just played it for her a second ago when she was cranking up and she laughed. The Good Day button is swell.
Oh, and I heard about two wonderful things this week and I must share! 1. Tim Minear (aka the other guy) will be the special guest at the Dallas 2008 Can’t Stop the Serenity event benefitting Equality Now. I’m so excited, I could dance without the Good Day Button blaring out Katrina and the Waves. Seriously, ya’ll-he’s the credited writer for Out of Gas, my very favorite Firefly episode. So that’s very good news. I’ve already put the date on my calendar for the purchasing of tickets. 2. New book release date for Breaking Dawn was announced and I will be hosting a shut-up-and-read party. Yay!
I’m really a geek.
Okay, in the spirit of resolution #3, my break is over. Ya’ll be good.
