The Amicable Bureaucrats

Let me share a story about an endearing quality my wife has.

So, it often happens that my wife, Jennica (bless her heart) will get excited about a new movie, TV show, restaurant, band or actor and want to share with me her excitement. The problem is, Jennica is THE WORST person I know when it comes to remembering names or titles accurately.
Coincidentally, she's also THE BEST person I know at unintentionally creating new names or titles for things through association, thinking they are the correct names. For instance:

• She swapped the band name "Sunset Rubdown" with the name "Midnight Massagers".
• "Tin Angel", a restaurant we frequent in Salt Lake, she remembers as "Copper Fairy".
• The TV series "Battlestar Galactica" was mistaken for "Battleship Gattaca".
• Roberts become Rodericks. Tylers become Travises.

You get the picture.

So, as a consequence, it also often happens that Jennica is trying to relate a story to me about something with a proper name and I have no fucking clue what she's talking about. Tonight is one such example.
After finishing up dinner, we start talking about going to a movie this weekend. Jennica brings up a movie she heard about on the radio. Here's how she described it:

"So, there's this new movie that sounds really cool. We should go see it."

"Oh yeah? Which movie?" I ask, naively thinking I'll know all about the movie she's about to mention.

"It's this movie with ghosts who hate their bosses, and they go around and...I don't know."

I'm stumped, and intrigued. Ghosts are cool. Ghosts with bosses? So I ask, "A movie about ghosts and their bosses? Is it a comedy? Is it animated?"

"I'm not sure. I just know it sounds good," she declares.

Silence.

"I have no fucking clue what you're talking about."

"It's called..."The...Amicable...Bureaucrats". Look it up on your iPad," Jennica challenges.

Confused, I do. I pull up movie listings and start moving down the list. Eventually I see "The Adjustment Bureau".

"You mean the Adjustment Bureau?" I tease.

"Yeah! That one!" Jennica is excited that I found the movie she was talking about."Sorry. It wasn't Amicable Bureaucrats."

"This isn't about Ghosts." I state.

"Watch the trailer." She challenges again.

So, we watch the trailer. During the first 15 seconds, while watching Matt Damon looking heroic on the screen, Jennica confidently states, "I love Marky Mark. He's such a good actor."

The Road (the film)

Last year I read Cormac McCarthy's book "The Road" based on a suggestion from a friend.
Yea for me! I read a book.
Needless to say, I loved the book as I find myself drawn toward all things melancholy and depressing, and I definitely appreciated it for its ability to evoke strong emotions in me while reading it.
Anyway, the film: I watched it last week for the first time, and it stuck with me. I found it to be a very faithful adaptation of the novel.
What I loved the most about The Road was that amidst the seemingly hopeless, desolate backdrop of a post-apocalyptic U.S. ruled by chaos and a loss of humanity, the director allowed the actors tell a story of love, discovery, hope (yes, there is hope in the film) and humanity. What dialogue is present is often poignant and metaphorical, and where there wasn't dialogue, focus was placed on the actors using long close-ups or mid-shots to allow them to portray an emotion or mood, often without words. Striking imagery is used to startle the viewer into the reality of the situation, but then, small, soft moments lessen that harshness. The everyday joys in life that we often take for granted are relished not only by the characters in the film, but by the viewer, and should be recognized.
When I hear people talk about the film, they comment as if they were let down by it; that it deceived their trust in its portrayal of a world and a family without hope; that it was too depressing. Yes, it is depressing and bleak, but it also celebrates what makes us bond as humans, and shows that with complete loss comes appreciation for life's simple pleasures, however rare they might be.
There was, as my friend Chris pointed out, a moment where the main character makes a decision that was hard to buy into, and it was an important decision. And, honestly, I don't remember why he made the same choice in the book, and if the reasoning there was stronger than in the film. (I don't want to spoil anything, so I'm being really vague about what the decision was). Honestly, that's my one issue with the film other than some slightly egregious product placement near the same part of the film.
I missed the film in theatres and took my sweet time renting it, so this post comes out of left field a bit. I recommend watching it with an open mind. And if you saw the film, what did you think?

Handsome Boy Modeling School

The day before Christmas I received a package from an unknown source. Naturally I opened it, and to my surprise, footy pajamas were included within. Not knowing who they were from as there was no message nor invoice that didn't have my name on it, I promptly put them on. Whilst home I've been wearing them as much as possible.

As the holidays went on, I gave credit to many people:
Jennica.
Nope.
My Mom.
Nope.
My Mother-In-Law
Nicht.
Any of my In-Laws
Nein.
A secret admirer?
Darn.
My mistress?
She doesn't like me in pajamas.
Hmmm....

Oh well. Fearless and comfy, I continued to wear them.

Yesterday, I received a cryptic text message from my friend Ben. It went something like this:

"Hey dude. Blah blah blah. Did you get something strange in the mail?"

I replied:

"Darn, I was hoping my secret admirer was hotter..."

He responded:

"Blah blah blah. Actually, Shin Shin had the idea."

I thought, but didn't write:

"Shin Shin IS hotter than Ben. Yes!"

So thanks to Ben and Shin Shin of Eugene, Oregon on sending me doggy footy pajamas for Christmas. You guys rule. I'll try not to trip on the feet and cut my head open while wearing them, but I can't promise you anything.

Photos and Dapper looks: Kelly Murphy
Clothing: www.footedpajamas.com
Prop: Monchichi
Hair: Bed

This is a book for Superman!

So, my last post was rather confusing to most people what with its dork jargon and all, so I thought I'd talk about something we all have some history with...the holidays.
My wife is going to NY for the holidays to spend with her family, while I hold down the fort at home and spend the holidays with mine. So, my mother-in-law sent me some presents in the mail to be opened before Jennica leaves. I opened them tonight.
Inside the mailed package were many wrapped goodies; some traditional fare that I look forward to getting every year: new socks, some deodorant, a toothbrush, Ronco spray-on hair, gum, mints...err--waitaminute...

Anyway, the new BIG present this year was this:














This looks like a job for Batman!

Yeah, that's a DC comics pop-up book for kidults like myself. It has pop-up pages within pop-up pages within pop-up pages and a Bat Signal(c) that lights up. It has pop-up Wonder Woman. The final pop-up in the book is an ensemble cast of well known and obscure DC characters that rises off the page 12 inches. It rules.
The only downside? It's like 10 inches thick, so
when I carry it around I look really tiny. A small price to pay for such awesomeness.

Thanks Momma Cathy!
















All the pop-ups are even illustrated on the back as well as the front. And, yeah, that Bat-mobile transforms as you open the mini-page it's on.

Red Dead Redemption Thoughts and err...Feelings

I completed Red Dead Redemption's single player campaign over the weekend. I had taken some time away from it to start and finish some other games, but came back to it and knocked it out. Some things I took away:
1. This is the first Rockstar game I have ever finished. That means something.
2. I found myself enjoying the systems within the game through to the end. Meaning, even when I finished the game, there were still things I hadn't tried, and things I felt I wanted to do more. This is rare in a sandbox game, as usually, the systems all connect earlier, or are limited enough that I get sick of them well before finishing the game.
3. I REALLY enjoyed the last few hours of the story, and without spoiling it, recommend playing through it if you haven't already.
4. Horseback riding in this game draws much inspiration from Shadow of the Colossus. It's simple, elegant, and I would do it even if I didn't need to in order to get from point A to B.
5. I hate that I can't swim, and that even stepping in water deeper than my nipple results in instant death. I know this is used as a means of blocking the player's progress in the world, but sheesh! Lame. At least let me doggy paddle for a bit.
6. It becomes evident that the sandbox and the story clash with one another often; The story wants to frame John Marston in a particular light while the sandbox wants me to be able to express myself using John Marston as my "means" of expression. The story paints John as a renegade who has turned a new leaf, and just wants to reunite his family so he can become a rancher. But, the sandbox lets me kill whomever I want, however I want. Hogtie someone and carry them to the prairie, leaving them to die in the sun? Sure. How about then startling a herd of buffalo to trample that person? Check. Or, maybe simply shooting your opponents in a friendly game of poker in the head after they take you for all of your money? Go for it. Lasso and drag someone behind your horse through cactus infested desert? God yes. Just know that when the story resumes, you're a man on a mission to reunite his family and live peacefully, and the writers really want to tell a story that personally made me often feel like a hypocrite.
I'm honestly not sure how this could be remedied, other than changing the story based on how the player behaves in the greater sandbox, which may not tell as compelling a tale.
Regardless, the game is impressively broad and boldly beautiful at the same time. And, I haven't even touched the multi-player nor the Undead Nightmare expansion. Buy it if you haven't already, and are at all interested. This is well worth the 60 dollars.

Mommy wow! I'm a big kid now.

In my effort to be a better husband, I attempted to make Jennica dinner tonight...for the 1st time since we've been married.
Note that previous attempts at this (when I was still an ambitious lad and courting her), resulted in me scraping the burn off of a grilled cheese sandwich while her tomato soup from a can was getting cold. That's what ambition will get you. Stupid grilled cheese. I never get it right.

But, what with me being off work and all I figured I had a full day to prepare a meal that would otherwise take a skilled cook 2 hours. This should be no problem!

And actually, it wasn't. I even had time to nap, walk the dog, nap some more, and visit friends.

What did I make? A Moroccan stew in Jennica's Tagine. What's a Tagine? It's a clay pot and lid, with a hole at the top for venting. You put a bunch of ingredients into the bottom, cover it, and let them simmer. This particular stew turned out really well, and I'm proud of my efforts. What was in the stew?

Chicken marinaded in lemon juice, Tumeric, and garlic. I didn't know what was technically a "clove" of garlic and had to look this up.
Onions. Lots of Onions. I cried.
Harissa sauce (I made from scratch. Ha!)
Grapes...fun!
Artichoke Hearts. I heart them.
Cilantro. I had to look up how to chop this.
Chicken stock.
Some sugar and spices.
It's served over Couscous.

Kudos to Jennica for trusting me to use the sharp knives and for being patient. She rules.
No more "My First Kitchen" for me!

Photos below:

Hi-gher-Def Arlo

Here's a Hi-gher-Def version: