Homegirl Quel (kel) in Austin

My 2 cents...

I wasn't gonna chime in about my feelings about the Oscar Nominations, because I'm tired of feeling the same way/saying the same thing/echoing the minority masses, but blogs are all about speaking your piece, right?

After reading Summer's take, The Oscars--Business As Usual, here's what I had this to say:

"I'm glad you wrote about that. I wanted to, but didn't have the energy. Black folks get nominated gooood for playing servants (Hattie), thugs (Denzel), poor single moms--who baby daddy in jail (Halle), and pimps (TH). Yes, Jamie got his props for portraying Ray Charles, but statistically...you know what I'm saying. I'd like to see some Oscar nods for Blacks acting outside the stereotypical box. But like you said, you gotta get the roles, to be in the running."

Come on, Hollywood! Can we see a little more art imitating life outside the hood?

RIZE

I watched RIZE this afternoon. Such an amazing documentary. I recognize the dancing from the Missy, Ciara, and Chris Brown videos I've seen. I had no idea that it is such a big part of the lives of so many young people in the hoods of LA. They explain how this dancing came about as a way to vent their frustrations...it's really interesting and moving. There are these very powerful images of tribal dancers in Africa and how their dances mirror those of the kids being filmed. It's like the movements are in their DNA. It really is awesome. One of the dancers said that during their dance sessions, a spirit is there...that you can feel it. I really believe that.

Now I feel bad about making fun of that movie, You Got Served. I thought the concept for that movie was kind of cheesy and made-up...the whole thing about street dancers meeting to "rumble" like gangs or something. Well, I guess it's not so much that I feel bad about making fun of You Got Served, it's just that after having seen RIZE, and how serious and real it is, I realize now more than ever that You Got Served (somewhat based on the street dance crew competition documented in RIZE) really was hokey.

Documentaries are cool. So many interesting people and stories out there...very cool.

If your life was a movie, what genre would it be?

I was checking out Juicy77's spot from my comments and got caught up. I sat down to check my blog and ended up answering quizzes way to long this morning. My movie matches are hilarious.

The Movie Of Your Life Is A Cult Classic

Quirky, offbeat, and even a little campy - your life appeals to a select few. But if someone's obsessed with you, look out! Your fans are downright freaky. Your best movie matches: Office Space, Showgirls, The Big Lebowski

If Your Life Was a Movie, What Genre Would It Be?

Jamie Foxx: Unpredictable- Tonight on NBC!

I cry...

...real hard. Like out-loud cry. Every time I watch The Moulin Rouge. On that part at the end during the lovers' secret song when Ewan McGregor stops walking out of the theater and turns around and sings a tearful, "Cooooome whaaaat maaaaaay." Every. Time.

I hate it when I'm late.

I watched a whole episode of Grey's Anatomy last night. I wish I had started watching it sooner. At first I didn't want to believe the hype, so I never considered watching it. Then I saw Grey's Writer's Blog on Typepad's featured blog list. I like the blog, so I finally gave a whole episode a chance. I really like it. I officially believe the hype. So I'll watch it...until the new season of Curb Your Enthusiasm starts. I think they come on at the same time.

28 and counting...

In approximately 1 year and 8 months, I'll be 30. This has been on my mind for the past few days...why, I'm not sure. Anyway, I feel like I need to accomplish some things before I'm 30. For some reason I feel like if I haven't done them by then, I never will. I know that's totally irrational, because of course I'll accomplish things after 30. Anyway...mainly I'd like to

• be pretty awesome at acoustic guitar,
• get back into the shape I was in circa age 22, and
• get braces again (I'll wear my retainer like I'm supposed to this time).

I'd also like to

• give birth to at least three children,
• become an expert at something,
• see my dogs during the daytime on weekdays,
• go to Disneyland,
• shop for Fall clothes in London,
• ride a horse, and
• maybe get some kind of advanced degree.

However, those are things that I'd like to do one day in general...not necessarily before I turn 30...or maybe...definitely before I'm 40. Why am I even thinking about this stuff? I think I'm having a 1/3 life crisis or something.

Weirdest Yahoo search pointing to my blog EVER...

movies of girls going poop

Why is anybody searching for this?

Why is my blog first on the list?

Ramblings

It's been two days since I had my last Coke. I went from Diet Coke to Regular Coke a while ago. I'd like to go back to Diet Coke, but Regular Coke was too good. Diet Coke doesn't taste the same anymore. I've had to lay off for a minute 'cause I been drinkin' Coke like water lately. Coke in a glass bottle tastes way better than Coke in a can. Unfortunately, the only time I've seen Coke in a glass bottle since like 1980 has been on Caribbean islands.

I watched Love Monkey last night. It's pretty good. I think I like it. I love that Lorenz Tate is in it. Unfortunately his character lacks much swagger.

Tomorrow's dress-up day at work. We're a casual office except when new or existing clients come to visit. It's fun...like picture day at school.

Maybe it's just me

Once I was asked by a woman who was doing my nails. Then I was asked by a man who works at the gas station across the street from where I work. I was asked by more than one guest at a going away party we hosted for one of Billy's co-workers. Just the other day I was asked by the a woman who works in cosmetics at my neighborhood Walgreen's.

The question: "Did you go to work today?"
The inquirers: All Asian people.

Maybe it's a cultural thing. Maybe "So what do you do?" translates into that. I'm curious. It's something strange to notice. It's such a strange question to be asked. It's happened way too often to let it go. I'm SO curious to know why they asked that. I feel like Larry David.

Here's to The Dream

How Martin Luther King Jr. looked around and saw that things could be better back in those days is beyond me. I'm glad he did though.I hope I never have to experience the civil unrest my aunts and uncles and parents and their parents had to experience. I guess no American wants to experience life like that. Back then, when we decided we wouldn't take it anymore, things got ugly. It made life a little more unpleasant for everyone involved. And so things changed. The surface of things changed. And for some people that is enough.

Nine Lives

Nine Lives is an enjoyable film. It's more like 9 shorts back to back with some of the characters' lives intersecting. They're all sad stories. Really, really sad stories. It's actually a quite depressing film...but enjoyable to watch...if you like depressing films. Tuckergurl had asked if I knew what was going on in the Lisa Gay Hamilton story. My best guess is that her character was impregnated by her Latino step-father when she was very young, gave birth to a child and supressed the memories. To self-preserve, she convinced herself that the mixed-race girl she grew up with was her sister when really she's her daughter. All the years of keeping it inside took it's toll and she snapped. This is the heaviest of the nine stories in this film. But like I said, they're all pretty sad.

I miss my engagement ring

I was looking at our honeymoon pictures this morning and I just realized how much I miss that ring. My dogs did something with it about a year ago and we still haven't been able to find it. I'm still so hopeful that one day we'll find it out there in the back yard or maybe under the washing machine when we move years from now. It was so pretty. I thought I'd be okay with just the wedding band, but I really miss that ring.

It's Freaky Friday the 13th!

I'm not the only one

I counted three neighbors on the way home today who still have their houses fully decorated for Christmas...nativity scenes, garland, lights, the whole nine. Our outdoor lights came down after New Years...but the Christmas tree is still in the front room. It's the first thing you see when you walk in. I can totally see how some people leave them up all year. It keeps the mood festive...

The tree's coming down this weekend.

I love "real life" movies

I like movies that are just about people and basic, everyday human experiences and really honest and maybe even bazaar moments. No complicated or silly plots or particularly pretty people...kind of like real life. Sometimes movies like these totally go over my head like Lost in Translation. It was totally lost on me. I tried...even watched it twice 'cause I wanted to love it like so many other people did. It didn't work. Our Song is a "real life" movie that I saw last year for the first time and loved instantly.

I first read about Me and You and Eveyone We Know on Tuckergirl's blog last year around the time it came out. I finally got to see it last night, thanks to a free online rental. It was pretty much what I expected. Actually, I'd heard it would be strange, but didn't expect as much strangeness. I enjoyed watching it. I am, however, pretty sure I won't add it to my collection. The characters are all really interesting, but I was a bit disturbed by this one storyline that involved poop...one little boy's peculiar interest in poop.

Nine Lives is another film I'm really looking forward to seeing. Rodrigo Garcia, the director, also directed Things You Can Tell Just by Looking at Her...a film I thoroughly enjoy...and often.  He's also the director for The Sopranos and Six Feet Under, both shows I love. So I think Nine Lives could easily be among my favorites. We'll see.

This can't be THAT weird

Inspired by Summer's admission of randomly screaming when falling asleep (her toddler does it too) I've decided to share one last...I hope it's the last...weird thing about myself...upping my '100 things About Me' list to 101 things:

101. My eyes tear up when I do #2. Apparently this is not normal or is unheard of or something? I got a rather strong reaction from a couple of friends I told, so I figured I'd put it out there to see if it's really that strange. It's a complete reflex thing. Like when you sneeze or yawn...how your eyes water? That's what happens to me when I feel...that old familiar feeling coming on. And actual tears do fall...but not becasue it hurts, or I'm sad or anything...it just happens. I think I'm genetically wired to do that...my mom does it too.

Is that weird?

I Won!

Years and years of drinking Coke and I finally won a free one! Now I get to see how it works to trade a bottle cap for a Coke. The little things in life bring me happiness too.:)

Vince is off to the NFL

I'm not surprised. It would have been nice for him to give Texas another good year, but he's done all he could possibly ever do at Texas. No way he can repeat that. Might as well leave on a high note while the hype is still hot about the championship game. I figured he didn't plan on graduating anyway...it was all about making a bee line to the NFL, but during his press conference he said he'd still get his degree...a bit surprised...but he is apparently a good student, is close to God and his mom. You know momma's on him 'bout them books. He also thanked his girlfriend, Candice, for her support. Candice better be ready to knuckle up...to fight them diggers off.

Running with Scissors is a little scary

Not scary in the horror movie sense, but scary in the horrifying sense. This is book two in my "branching out of Black chick lit" venture.  I didn't realize it was the true story of the author's childhood until I got the book and read the jacket. It reads like straight fiction. I'm halfway through the book and all I can say is poor kid. I know he's a best-selling author now, but he's lucky to have survived his childhood. If writing really is cathartic, I can definitely see why he needed to pen these memoirs. He's really funny...the book is a great read. It's a page-turner, but I'm turning pages with one eye shut, preparing myself for the next weird, unfortunate event in this poor kids life.

The movie version will be out in the Fall...It could easily be seen as a dark depressing drama or dark disturbing comedy. Either way, I'm sure I'll give it a look-see.