thirty-one

As I wrote my post last night I forgot to mention one of the funniest things that happened to me yesterday. While babysitting I was asked quite a few times for a snack or meal by my tiny 4 year charge. She doesn't eat a lot or often, due to a pickiness associated with 4 year olds and my 27 year old boyfriend, so I was happy to oblige her anytime she asked for food. Each time I responded unconsciously with a variation of "I'm fixin' to" or "I'll fix that for you". And each time my gregarious ward would respond, "Fix? You are not going to fix anything." To which I would have to answer, "Forgive me, I meant make, I'm going to make you a sandwich." Sometimes I don't realize when I betray my Southern roots so blantantly, especially to a child who doesn't understand why I'm fixin' to do anything.

thirty

Finally, I feel like winter is beginning to recede. I was convinced for quite sometime that it was never going to stop being cold. But Mother Nature has finally taken note that winter should be over. The highs have reached the 60s, which if I were still living in Baton Rouge or Mobile I would consider that to be chilly. Now I can't wait to get outside and enjoy the lovely weather.

I wish I had more to talk about other than the weather, but I'm pretty exhausted from work (I just worked 5pm-1am last night, 8am-4pm babysitting, then 5pm-1am tonight). I managed to get about 3 hours of sleep with a short nap while the child I was babystting napped. I don't really mean to come off as complaining (maybe groping for a little sympathy), but I feel like I'm truly beginning to understand working for every dollar, or as my parent's would say "honest work". It is hard and sometimes doesn't feel rewarding at all, but I don't know if I have ever worked harder in any job that I cared absolutely nothing for.

In other equally thrilling news my cat Margot has learned how to turn on my bedside lamp (it is a touch lamp so this isn't some great evolutionary leap in the feline species). But it is a little disturbing to come home to a lamp that has been turned on by what you were previously assuming to be some mild poltergeist or electrical discrepancy.

Other than my great disappointment at the end of BSG I have very little else to update anyone on. Oh, I want to wish Tara a very Happy Birthday again. She turned 13 on the 26th and is no longer a little girl anymore. My youngest sister is now a teenager.

Time for bed, or should I say popping in Back to the Future III for my bedtime viewing. I'm a dork, I know.

twenty-nine

Tonight I attended my first free screening that didn't involve Free Fridays at MoMA. I arrived at Union Square early so I decided to hit up Barnes & Noble for it's free public restrooms. While there I did scope out an interesting series, Conversations With Filmmakers. I picked up The Coen Brother's book and read a short interview about Fargo. While it was not the most enlightening article, I have hope for the rest of the series. Kurosawa and Fellini looked particularly interesting. I would love to read interviews with Fellini, although I hope he lives up to the eccentric I envision him to be. In the future I would love to kill some down time in Union Square by reading more from this series. Buying the books is out of the question with prices at $22.95 per book. Sorry University of Mississippi Press, I cannot afford to support you.

The screening I attended was Alien Trespass, a 1950s throwback about a space invasion. The director, RW Goodwin, was available for a short Q&A session after the movie. I enjoyed hearing his inspirations (War of the Worlds, The Day the Earth Stood Still, and It Came from Outer Space) as well as the caveats of working in such a tight niche. I learned that there are people who have specialized in composing film scores specifically for 1950s inspired sci-fi films. Afterwards I had the opportunity to ask him about writing a strong female lead in a genre where women were often viewed as accesories. He felt strong and intersting female leads were lacking from the genre as a whole and sought to integrate that into his film. Also worth noting in the film are the little idiosyncracies placed within the movie, for instance an intentional poorly timed green screen sequence. For more information you can visit the website or even better, go see the movie when it comes out. It won't change your life, but it will be an hour and a half enjoyably spent. (I promise I was not asked to promote this movie. I just wanted to share a pleasantly spent Monday evening.)

twenty-eight

What is the best part of walking home at 2AM through heavy snowfall?

Being the first to jump in the giant piles of snow.