Movie Challenge 2018: Failure

Well, yes and no. I didn't make it to 12 movies this year in the theater. In fact, even with the plan to see Aquaman with a coworker still in flux, I still didn't make it. 

Without trying, I became a big reader. Not like those real people who read, but someone who now reads more than she used to. I bet if I looked back, I made it to twelve books this year. The portability, the fact that I can stop and start when I want, and there is not a designated space specific to where it must be consumed all contributed to my more frequent reading. 

Even though reading is fundamental and it's better than movies (if you believe your teachers) is that it still keeps me on my ass. I'm not advanced enough to read a book while on a treadmill. Or like the guy in Cotsco who was watching football while moving thorough the isles. 

So what movies did I see? Well here we are: 

1. Black Panther 2/18/18 
2. Ready Player One 4/1/18
3. Avengers: Infinity War 4/29/18
4. Deadpool 2 5/18/18
5. Solo: A Star Wars Story 6/1/18
6. Ocean's 8 7/3/18
7. Mission: Impossible Fallout 7/29/18
8. Bad Times at the El Royale 10/21/18


If I wanted to bulk up my time at the theater, I could count:

Jim Henson’s Holiday Special
Featuring Emmet Otter and Fraggle Rock


I suppose I could count that as two if I really wanted to. Sadly, it would be cheating and not winning. Double boo.

I'm okay with it though. It's about doing something fun and I didn't have the urge to see everything out. Here's to 2019 being more tempting.

Are Podcasts Sabotaging My Career?

Yes.

Okay fine, not exactly. I think it would be in my best interest to learn some hard skills to open up my career possibilities. Enter learning SQL. It's been high on my list since someone who wasn't my husband told me to do it. It was lower on the list when my husband suggested it.

I have my trusty library card ready for some access to online learning. But in my best Homer Simpson voice I think, "But then I won't be listening to podcasts. You can see the bind I'm in."

This is not a new thing. I also find myself working on low brain level tasks because I'm listening to something and I want to keep listening. So let's answer some e-mails, collate some papers, not take on something that requires more than 15% of my focus. It only occurred to me that this might be keeping me from learning and advancing. 

It was a scary thought. Should I create some sort of non podcast listening pact with myself to better myself? Yes. Will I do it right now? No it's time for bed. Maybe tomorrow. Thursday is a slow release day for me anyway. Wish me luck....oh a new Pen Pals is out! #saga

Happy Halloween

The last few months have been an overload of stress. As funny as this sounds, I think my biggest fail is that I didn't get my shit together long enough to get a costume put together for my dog.

Yes, you read that correctly. I broke my streak and I have not put together an adorable or awesome costume for my dog. I know he's not broken up about it. I know it's not the end of the world (bad thing to say in Halloween, cue a horror movie scenario). 

I think it's 100% FOMO. As all the internet is posting their incredible Halloween photos of costumes and fun, I'm happy to get a full night of sleep. I will try not to begrudge the world their fun. Instead I shall cuddle the dog. That fixes almost everything.

Long Live President Camacho

It's been hard to watch the news lately given the political climate, so I am just going to reminisce about a better president. My happy moment is courtesy of the awesome Terry Crews. May he reign supreme.

 

  Shit.....

License Plate Game 2018: A Pathetic Year

I'm really ashamed of myself. At least right now and in five minutes after I post this, I'll move on with my life. Ordinarily, I am the loser of my family when it comes to this game. I don't "compete" with them so much as we update each other and its fun to see what's left.

Early this summer, my ten year old niece was asking me questions and I was a little embarrassed by my performance only two weeks in. Then I realized this game has been commandeered by my sister's brand of play. I think I can describe it adequately from this scene from The Breakfast Club.

I can make excuses like when they play, it's a family of four and they are actively going to parking lots for the search. For my parents's household, they have four adults and one teenager participating. My husband joins me, but I make him verify with photos if I'm not there. (Yes, I have a scary eye of the tiger similar to my sister. Husband has tamed it mildly so now I enjoy life a little more.) Plus, I'm a train commuter, so how the hell am I going to see exotic plate from the train tracks? 

Fortunately, my dad maintains my enthusiasm about the journey, not the destination. We reminisce and play as it was meant to be. A silly game where we just can't find those last three plates. Or in my sad case, thirteen. 

 

 

As always, Rhode Island can suck it!

I Got Fooled Again

Since I'm living in an on-demand world for my music choices, I hop through YouTube and get whatever the hell I want. It's rarely I get the treat of hearing a great song on the radio and rock out. When I do, I'm typically coming back from the grocery store. (It's one of the two reasons I drive a car since I became a train commuter two years ago.) 

It was a pleasant surprise to hear The Who (I love bands) and of course I was enthralled by their one of the voiceless interludes and fell into a happy trance as the organ continued. And then it happened.

Siiggggh.

Now I can't enjoy this song. Your damn crime procedural has robbed me of this song. I can't listen to it without my thoughts being hijacked to a stupid meme. I mean that's 65% of my life, but I was upset when it happened and still am.
Similarly, my husband can't hear "Like A Rock" without thinking of Dodge trucks. That's the point, and I bet that was a mutually beneficial arrangement between Dodge and Bob Seger. Fortunately, I don't give a crap about either. Though I do hear a fake Sam Elliot when see a Dodge. Yep a fake one.

And now I'm hungry for beef.

Here We Go Again

Fascinating realization that I had last night. The sequel to Mama Mia! follows the same sequel structure as The Godfather Part 2. It interweaves the story with how the parental figure from the first movie came to be where they are and how their offspring continues after the first movie ends. 

Even further down the connection hole, Andy Garcia decided to find his way into the show and have a relationship that no one asked for with a member for the family. And it's uncomfortable. Okay, possibly not as I have not seen Mama Mia! Here We Go Again (full title). 

I don't know why I made this connection, but I do know that this made me smile. Quick, we need a mafia musical!

Oh. Umm. Well. Okay, never mind.

Hello Out There?

I started this blog 13 years ago. I swear I turned off comments off a long time ago. Suddenly there are words under my words. Wait, this is interesting but has nothing to do with my post. Oh, two others on two other posts. Oh, just links to something else. I assume bots. Whew. That was a close one. Back to typing into the void.

License Plate Game 2018

If I go outside right now to the parking lot, I bet I can cover at least three. Yay for this game!

Media Good Friday

Avengers Infinity War is out. I have my tickets for Sunday. I saw the first tailer and decided to avoid the rest. No articles or anything. Thanks goodness I'm about a week behind on my podcasts and I have a good group of friends that tell me that they've seen it, but that is all. They patiently wait to react online.

But not all of the internet is that way. Articles titles out today are spoiling the damn movie. And since it is a huge release, it's big news, so they need those clicks. The true fans will have seen it at least twice by the time I make it in on Sunday. I fear the assholes who will openly talk about it in attempt to ruin the fun of others. 

To try to keep myself free of spoilers, I am going into a state similar to Good Friday. No Facebook, no Twitter, and my best to stay off the internet. What the hell world? I can't go online without some dickhead writing in huge capital letters who died or this amazing thing happened? 

I even go as far as to get irritated when someone mentions if they like it or not. Don't poison me with your opinions when I did not ask! Fuck off Rotten Tomatoes. Stop aggregating the opinions of jerk asses. 

I go into hiding now. My only announcement about Infinity War I post will be if I have seen it (if that). Shit, I don't know if it's War or Wars and I can't Google it! Must not care until Sunday! Damn it!

I'm Not Ready for Player One

I've already made my choice, but last month it was a tiny crisis. Ready Player One was going to be in theaters soon. My husband got me the book for Christmas. I think we can say that most of the time, the book is better than the movie. If that's the case, then I should see the movie first. But wait, the movie is going to spoil the book. What do I do?

Answer: I read like hell. I am so glad that I avoided the trailers. THEY SPOIL A DAMN IMPORTANT PIECE IN THE POSTER. SCREW YOU MARKETING! It's like the Hulk in Thor: Ragnarok all over again. You're lucky that movie was awesome without that reveal. 

The book was fine. I wasn't too excited about the constant pop culture references. If anything, I was antsy about whether or not I would get far in this quest. Nope. Too much to be retained. I don't do that anymore. Well, not on purpose.

I will get dragged by my husband. I should go willingly as I say no to him too much already. Okay, I'm ready now.

Oscar Meh

I'm running my company's Oscar pool again this year. It's the way I avoid being held accountable if the "move buff" doesn't win. "Come on, I thought you were a movie buff!" Apparently that means I'm Oscar psychic as well.

It's especially hard(or makes it easier possibly) since I've seen exactly one best picture nominee this year. That's about par for every Oscar year. So far, I can only say what I think won't win (Phantom Thread, The Post, Darkest Hour). The others could slip by and I would probably say, yeah, that makes sense. 

I really don't have a dog in this race. I just want to have fun with it at work. Though I will say that it is vital that Boss Baby doesn't win Best Animated Movie. You owe me this one Academy!

The Power of Podcasts

2018 SF Sketchfest is over for me. It continues in schedule, but I have overwhelmed my introvert self so I call the journey complete. I saw an amazing group of performers and morphed into shy fourth grade me when I said hello after the shows. 

What was different this year was the group around me as I made my way to the talent. In an series of unfortunate events, my husband got sick and I went to three shows without him. I was not concerned about my safety as I drove the hilly streets of San Francisco without him. (He was. His basic protection instincts kicked in. I appreciate them.) I knew I would have a good time, but also knew the experience would be altered without my primary partner in crime with me. 

But it was an experience I am grateful I had. After the first show at Cal Academy Night Life and the Stan Against Evil panel, I gently moved my way to Dana Gould and Janey Varney to shake hands and get autographs. But actively moved to a couple also shaking hands. I asked it they were Steve and Izzy from Everything I Learned from Movies Podcast. Sure enough yes and the next hour and a half was filled with chatter in all different directions.

That night at The Wahlberg Solution, my table for one status got me in front row center despite the long ass line to get in. I met this guy named Alex and his friends (damn, I already forgot their names) and we exchanged Dan Van Kirk stories and realized we both be at the same two shows the next day.

At Dump People Town, I saw sat in front of two women, turned around to offer to buy them my two drink minimum and realized I was sitting behind Erin and Edith whom I met two years ago at LA Podfest. As I bought my DPT merch, I saw I was standing next to Brandon. I met and competed against him at Last Man Stanton at a Doug Benson Stand up show in San Jose last year. Knowing full well he would be at Doug Loves Movies next, I said hello. 

At my final show I was around Alex and his friends, Brandon in front of me with two guys that I talked movie trivia with, and Julie who I remember meeting after the Walhberg Solution too. I get so nervous trying to push my way into groups but everyone was very nice. I did, however, remove myself when the smoke started to get thick.

I will point out that one of the coolest moments of the day. I said hello to Kenny Stevensen and we talked about the Fast and the Furious. Between the two of us, we had only see one and he mentioned that I seem to know a lot about the franchise even though I didn't watch them. I chose to take that as  complement.

Another glorious start to the year. Thank you again SF Sketchfest!