Daily Archives: September 15, 2008

Pride and Prejudice: The Squealing Continues…

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Did I mention I loved it? So much that since, having already read it and being unable to fall in love that way all over again, I decided to see as many of the movies based off of it as possible. I started with the one made in 1940… Did you know it’s just absolutely awful? Maybe I misjudged, to be fair, I only watched about 3 minutes of it but it was SO boring and just… zzzzzzzzz…

I really couldn’t stand watching it, so I turned it off and sent it back. Then I had to decide whether to watch the one with Kiera Knightly, made in 2005, which I’d seen before reading the book and had this weird mix of liking it in spite of myself and not understanding it at all. Or to see The movie – the one everyone tells me I must see – the 6 hour BBC version starring Colin Firth. Really I hear so many rave reviews about this one I really thought I’d chosen to see it first, but apparently not. Because the one with Kiera Knightly showed up in our mailbox shortly after returning from vacation. No matter, I had enjoyed it – and I was very interested to see if I’d like it better now that I understood the plot, or if it really was that confusing.

I have to say – I liked it a lot. I have my complaints, of course. Having read the book it’s obvious the movie dashes around all over the place, leaves things out and adds things in at leisure. I’m sure they all do a bit of that though. And some of the things added in, like Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley pacing outside muttering about how to get Bingley and Jane together again. That was pretty funny. Things I didn’t like – did both Bingley and Darcy have to be so very not at all handsome. I suppose they both grew on me over the course of the movie, especially when the obvious chemistry between Darcy and Lizzy began to show, but really – they must be splendid actors is all I’m saying.

I’m not being very fair – I really did like Mr. Darcy a lot in this movie and I think Kiera played an amazing Lizzy but I might be biased since to date she’s the only actress I’ve actually seen portray her – the girl in the 1940′s version spoke for about a second before I turned it off, but honestly, what was she, 40? Anyway.

I remember the first time I saw it having a very hard time remembering who people were and WHERE they were but having read the novel, and recently, I didn’t have that problem at all. I was able to just sit and ENJOY it and watch it play out, knowing how it would progress, being able to be just a little bit shocked when things were different and feel all nervous for the characters with them, even though I knew how it would eventually play out.

I’ve found I love to get lost in this story. And after I attend to a few other movies on my queue I’m planning to watch the BBC version with Colin Firth – I’m very excited about that, although I think it will take me quite a bit of time to get through all 6 hours. So in short – if you didn’t read my previous review of the book, despite a good deal of resistance throughout the first half of the book, I eventually fell in love. I think I might have to put it in my little list of Favorite Books of All Time for the story is amazing and very well done. The 2005 movie was also really well done IF you’d read the books. If you hadn’t, you are likely to have been very confused, but for me at least, I still enjoyed a good amount of it, at least what I could understand of it. And I’m very much looking forward to the BBC version.

That, my dear readers, is the end of my first post for the Lit Flicks Challenge and a continuation of my review for the Classics Book Club @ 5 Minutes for Books; and of course, a very satisfying moment in my own literary ambitions. Now I’m going to try to stop thinking in Austenian language, de-verbose myself and try to get back into Breaking Dawn because OMG was I ever enjoying it last night… More on that LATER.

Monday Morning: And The Living’s Easy

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That’s right folks, it’s time for Monday Morning with Karen @ Write From Karen – and yes, I’m well aware that it’s nearly 2 pm – no I wasn’t sleeping, I’ve been doing laundry all morning! Geez! Anyway, this week is all about hair, scratches, candy and agitation. How the four things relate, I couldn’t tell you, but I can tell you it looks like a fun set of questions. Remember, if you play along, to link up at Karen’s main post.

September 8th Questions Are:

1. Are you brunette? Blonde? Auburn? And is it natural? If you could pick any type of hair you wanted, the style and color, what would it be? (Can you link us to a picture?)

I have brown hair, and yes it’s very natural. I’ve gone through the whole “dying hair” stage – you know for most of high school and college, on the hunt for the Perfect Elusive Red. And I think I even found it at one point, but after awhile I got tired of hearing guys tell me that “redheads were so hot” like I kind of wanted to punch them because deep down, I knew I was a brunette. So sometime around college graduation, I dyed my hair as close to natural as I could, let it fade naturally (although I never noticed it do so, so I must have picked well) and I haven’t dyed it since.

So I wouldn’t really want a new color again but if I could have like amazing hair that listens and looks sleek and put together, that would be pretty terrific, although I would be less than willing to actually style it every morning so if that’s part of the package, then no thanks, but if for minimal effort I could look like this every day:

You know, I wouldn’t complain.

2. How did your car get that little scratch/dent? (Because let’s face it, we ALL have car stories, right? If, for some reason you don’t, tell us about how someone else’s car got that scratch/dent).

Most of my dents are from “Adventures in Parallel Parking,” and most happened in college, where I suspect nobody else knew how to Parallel Park either. I actually am unsure if I put the dents in or someone else did, but you can always find my car because the front and back license plates both look like someone tried to make my car a sandwich.

3. In your opinion, what is the worst-tasting candy? Now, what is the best-tasting candy? How often do you eat candy? Do you keep it around your house? Do you allow your children to eat very much candy?

Well those Harry Potter jelly beans that taste like vomit and pepper, I’d be all set without those. I also dislike black licorice and probably wouldn’t touch a chocolate covered bug of any kind with a ten foot poll. Candies that I do like often involve chocolate and peanut butter. I also really love cookie dough bites (chocolate covered cookie dough – my husband hates it but I’m in LOVE with them) and Jelly Belly jelly beans. I don’t eat candy very often, mostly just at the movies and once in awhile when we decide to try and play “going to the movies at home” and eat popcorn and candy and the like instead of our usual suspects. I almost never give my son candy because he’s two. But it’s happened, we just try to limit it as much as possible. No need to unleash his sweet tooth prematurely (more so anyway).

4. Are you easily agitated? What really makes your temper soar? Do you stay angry for a long time? Or do you get over it pretty fast?

Sometimes yes. When I’m feeling irritable it seems anything will set me off – you can ask my son and his little bestie, on a bad day I will yell at them for just about anything. But other times you know you just hit that stride where everything just sort of rolls off your back. Those days are nice. Things that really upset me – anyone doing anything that could hurt my child, ignorance, people being unaccepting of other people. I try very hard not to stay angry for long – sometimes I stew for awhile and feel kind of awkward like “how can I go back to being happy after such a big fit?” That’s the hardest part is the transition really.

Alrighty, that’s all for now folks. Hope you enjoyed it. :)

Lookin' Fine by 2009: Week 3

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So, here we are in Week 3 of Looking Fine by 2009 – the ultimate kick butt diet pioneered by the one and only Jen @ Daily Mish Mash. Also known as Week 3 of My Sorry Excuse for Excuses.

This week I was not on vacation, but I did get a lovely little visit from every woman’s least favorite visitor (especially women like me who are trying to conceive. Thanks. Thanks a lot). The one improvement I have noticed is that in spite of being grumpy and susceptible to moments of weakness, my overall “behavior” has improved since the last time God decided to make sure I was aware of my complete lack of being pregnant. I’m still drinking water like a champ, I’m still piling loads of goodies on my plate, but only eating like half of them. I’m showing willpower, even during my period. So even though I had the world’s most amazing ice cream sundae after lunch yesterday, I then decided to walk from Friendly’s to Walmart instead of driving. And then back again. And I had water with my ice cream. That’s sort of like dieting right? Well shut up, it’s the best I can do.

Excuse # 2 : While I had my little Week of WTF, my hubby was lucky enough to pull his back out or whatever you call it because apparently I am feeling less than confident in my vocabulary this morning but I think that was actually the right term – you know, keeling over in pain, grumpy and actually took Friday off from work because he could barely move? Yeah that. And there was the sick kid. Did I mention my son never did get over that cold we got on vacation? Yeah there was that. So I’m all sorts of “Grrr don’t talk to me, make your own damn dinner.” And dh was all, “I’d make dinner if I could stand up,” and MM was all “blah blah blah hack cough splutter.” And well all my wonderful dinner ideas for Friday-Sunday were largely chucked out the window. We didn’t do too badly considering – it was a lot of freezer food that mostly cooks itself and that one trip to Friendly’s that I’m not proud of but I did enjoy like OMG.

The results of a week of trying harder than say a few months ago, but not as hard as I should. Stagnant. I didn’t gain or lose a single decimal point. Seriously. So I’m calling that a success? Normally I’m gonna guess I gain weight when I have my period.

So my work is still cut out for me, and I didn’t do great. But I’m strangely proud of myself. Is that weird? Should I take a pill for that?

My goals for next week:

  • Walk more.
  • Continue drinking water.
  • Cut out some soda cause I’ve kind of sucked about that.
  • And try to lay off the snacks – I’m actually getting better about this despite my completely non-pregnancy related cravings.

Jen @ Daily Mish Mash‘s question this week is:

What is your best tip for curbing your appetite?

For me the thing that works best is either having a glass of water first or getting up and walking away. Just from whatever. Leave the apartment or leave the room. Kind of like handling a temper tantrum, sometimes if I just “change the scenery” I’ll forget about whatever I was craving.

How’d you do this week?

-update-

After reading Jen‘s post and considering the results of my scale, I’ve decided to move an exercise DVD from the middle of my queue, to the top. That’s motivation right? That’s progress. This is the DVD I’m trying first – I have 3 others lined up to try as well. I think for me, variety is key.