What ever happened to people leaving comments on this blog? WE encourage it from everyone except that one creepy guy who kept posting links to his creepy hacker blog. No thank you, sir.
If you read this thing ever in life...drop US a line sometime to let US know you care.
*Note: Updated to include Charlie in this situation. I'm told it's his blog too. We'll see about that.
Friday, December 17, 2010
Talents
This holiday season I agreed to make Pioneer Woman's infamous cinnamon rolls for our family's Christmas morning brunch. My friend Erin made them for us last year (right?) and Mom just loved 'em. With limited time in Minnesota prior to said event, I decided to make the rolls before leaving here, freeze them, then pack them on ice and carry them with me to the Land of 10,000 Awesomenesses-es.
Two nights ago after work, I got down to business. I made my very first ever dough which was, as Charlie suggested it would be, super fun to *PUNCH!* once it had risen. BAM! BIFF! DOUGH SMASH! I was feeling pretty confident about the whole process and my skill at making baked deliciousness. Unfortunately, my spirit was to be crushed when I got to the step where I had to roll out the dough. I guess it wasn't so much the rolling out of the dough, as it was trying to re-roll the dough into a cinnamon roll log of delight after it was filled with butter, sugar and cinnamon...and butter.
You see, in an effort to keep our energy bills to a minimum (and because C-Murda has an uncanny knack for keeping the house both too warm AND too cold: read as 81 degrees F in the summer at its coolest) my house is kept at a balmy 852,001 degrees Kelvin in the summer and 4 degrees Celsius in the winter. Sadly, in SE Texas it is (though technically the middle of December) still 75 degrees Fahrenheit outside, which a cold-countertop does not make. This complicated the process of making the nummy log treat. The dough stuck to the countertop and as I was rolling it (PW says to keep the roll tight ....i did not succeed) I got sad, frustrated and almost started crying. I swore out loud in my kitchen about how it was always so Gosh Darn (GD) hot in this house and I Stink at making things and WHY can't this dough just cooperate, I didn't have time to deal with crummy, no good, rats-a-frackin' dough.... it was a sight.
I can't really explain to you why I thought crying too might make this situation any better, but on the verge of tears, C-Murda stepped in and suggested I do something different. He's the smarter of the two of us. He gently 'splained to me how I probably didn't use enough flour on the countertop (as I whined about how I didn't know how much to use and didn't want to use too much and...and...AND...*sniff* with extra pout face), picked up a flipper-flapper thing (spatula?), doused it in flour and helped scrape the dough off the counter so I could roll it. My HERO!
With the first roll complete, I was equally as sad to the see the finished product in the pan. My rolls are the stuff jokes are made of: floppy, thin, lame. Still with a severe case of pout lip, Mo-Murda asked if I wanted him to try the next roll. Um...yes please?
Like a professional, he began tossing flour on the countertop like a Pizza Maestro! Fling! Sprinkle! Poof! It all landed nicely in his target zone (unlike my attempt, which literally had flour ending up on the teapot on the oven, in the crack between the counter and the stove, on the floor and in my hair), then he plopped the dough on the counter, rolled in into a perfect 10"x30" rectangle like the directions say with right angles and knife edge precision...shake some flour here, sprinkle some flour there...finshed the roll all neat and tight, sliced it perfectly and VOILA! Second roll done and not a tear to be shed anywhere!! How does he do it? I don't have a clue, but I am thankful he's got a talent for hot-counter dough rolling and wife consoling.
Next dough project?...it's all his!
Two nights ago after work, I got down to business. I made my very first ever dough which was, as Charlie suggested it would be, super fun to *PUNCH!* once it had risen. BAM! BIFF! DOUGH SMASH! I was feeling pretty confident about the whole process and my skill at making baked deliciousness. Unfortunately, my spirit was to be crushed when I got to the step where I had to roll out the dough. I guess it wasn't so much the rolling out of the dough, as it was trying to re-roll the dough into a cinnamon roll log of delight after it was filled with butter, sugar and cinnamon...and butter.
You see, in an effort to keep our energy bills to a minimum (and because C-Murda has an uncanny knack for keeping the house both too warm AND too cold: read as 81 degrees F in the summer at its coolest) my house is kept at a balmy 852,001 degrees Kelvin in the summer and 4 degrees Celsius in the winter. Sadly, in SE Texas it is (though technically the middle of December) still 75 degrees Fahrenheit outside, which a cold-countertop does not make. This complicated the process of making the nummy log treat. The dough stuck to the countertop and as I was rolling it (PW says to keep the roll tight ....i did not succeed) I got sad, frustrated and almost started crying. I swore out loud in my kitchen about how it was always so Gosh Darn (GD) hot in this house and I Stink at making things and WHY can't this dough just cooperate, I didn't have time to deal with crummy, no good, rats-a-frackin' dough.... it was a sight.
I can't really explain to you why I thought crying too might make this situation any better, but on the verge of tears, C-Murda stepped in and suggested I do something different. He's the smarter of the two of us. He gently 'splained to me how I probably didn't use enough flour on the countertop (as I whined about how I didn't know how much to use and didn't want to use too much and...and...AND...*sniff* with extra pout face), picked up a flipper-flapper thing (spatula?), doused it in flour and helped scrape the dough off the counter so I could roll it. My HERO!
With the first roll complete, I was equally as sad to the see the finished product in the pan. My rolls are the stuff jokes are made of: floppy, thin, lame. Still with a severe case of pout lip, Mo-Murda asked if I wanted him to try the next roll. Um...yes please?
Like a professional, he began tossing flour on the countertop like a Pizza Maestro! Fling! Sprinkle! Poof! It all landed nicely in his target zone (unlike my attempt, which literally had flour ending up on the teapot on the oven, in the crack between the counter and the stove, on the floor and in my hair), then he plopped the dough on the counter, rolled in into a perfect 10"x30" rectangle like the directions say with right angles and knife edge precision...shake some flour here, sprinkle some flour there...finshed the roll all neat and tight, sliced it perfectly and VOILA! Second roll done and not a tear to be shed anywhere!! How does he do it? I don't have a clue, but I am thankful he's got a talent for hot-counter dough rolling and wife consoling.
Next dough project?...it's all his!
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Craftiness Part 3 - Le Bistro, Madame!
The last crafty project (finished just today) was to refinish the rusted and weathered metal and wooden bistro set. It was functional, but not in good shape.
"How hard can this be?" I thought to myself over a glass of pinot noir. "Not hard at all! I have seen them do this kind of thing on HGTV a billion times AND I'm a genius, so......get to gettin'!" And get to gettin' I did.
I donned protective ear, eye and breafs gear so I could live to see another day (although I wore the same flip flops as foot covering over the course of a few weeks during this project...don't ask me about this logic). I looked bad ASS, if I do say so myself. So after a short strut around the garage, parading my awesomeness to Charlie and the dogs, most especially, I went about my project full-force!
First I began to sand the heck out of the wooden slats. They were stable on the chairs and table, so I sanded what I could before taking them off the metal frame. I wanted that weathered grey color GHANDI! Charlie likes the weathered look, I do not. Since it was my project, what I sez goes :) I sanded like a mad woman and saw the makings of some nice wood underneath all that grey. Wood type TBD, but I none-the-less assumed teak for some reason. So, teak it was.
Since that small bit of success reinforced my image of awesomeness, I decided to detach the wood from the metal frame so I could finish sanding the other faces of the slats. No problem! 75 screws later, that was done. Man, my hamstrings were burning after that part...huh. Note to self: good form imperative to painless crafting. Once detached, I had to sand Sand SAND every piece. BLECH! I was dusty, sweaty and grumpy from an aching back (see previous note about form...), but forged ahead determined to make more progress.
Feeling confident from the hard work that I had already done with the wood, I continued working on the metal portion of the table. I used steel wool to hand-sand the funk and rust off every surface. This, my dear readers, was a terrible, god-awful task. I at least remembered all of my protective gear (including flip flops) again, so in case there was lead in the paint I wouldn't get some malady from it. Yay fun mask! Enter stage left: Mr. Marshik. Always helpful, he pulled out his Dewalt screwgun and affixed a metal-scraping super scraper to the end of it. MMMMMMMMMMMMUUUUUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR....i was in business! I power-tooled the chairs and table to the best of my ability...and THEN called it a night.
When I got back around to this project (a couple? days later), I primed the pieces with gray Rustoleum primer and then coated them with yellow Rustoleum paint. Yellow? Of COURSE yellow! I love yellow and the 3 shades of blue and 1 shade of green I also bought couldn't hold a candle to the fun yellow. Yellow = Happy Jaime! Each time I painted a coat of yellow on the pieces, I noticed how crummily I did the last coat - there were patches missing everywhere and I wasn't very diligent about reaching all the nooks and crannies. FINALLY, after maybe 5 coats (?) I raised the white flag of painting-ness and sprayed a coat or two of clear to seal the deal. I sprinkled in this painting project over a few days, for good measure.
Yesterday came and I only had two steps remaining before I could call this project complete and reclaim the garage stalls for our cars. I have been missing my garage parking capability. I rolled up my preverbial sleeves (still in flip flops) and oiled each and every piece of wood per the directions on the oil can (geez, I hope this is TEAK!). I lubed 'em up real good, let them dry and bid them adieu for the evening. Man, they looked so much better than the first day!
Finally today I pulled out the ol' screwgun and put all the pieces of the puzzle back together. Unfortunately for me I did not label which slats came from which chair, or the order in which I should put the slats back on...*sigh*...so that took quite a bit of time. Note to self: label slats next time, will save LOTS of time and aching hammies (see previous note SHOULD have applied, but I forgot about it...again). I put Humpty Dumpty back together again and at long last placed her, all finished, on my patio. Mwah!! Bellisima!
Before and After contained in slideshow. What do you think?
"How hard can this be?" I thought to myself over a glass of pinot noir. "Not hard at all! I have seen them do this kind of thing on HGTV a billion times AND I'm a genius, so...
I donned protective ear, eye and breafs gear so I could live to see another day (although I wore the same flip flops as foot covering over the course of a few weeks during this project...don't ask me about this logic). I looked bad ASS, if I do say so myself. So after a short strut around the garage, parading my awesomeness to Charlie and the dogs, most especially, I went about my project full-force!
First I began to sand the heck out of the wooden slats. They were stable on the chairs and table, so I sanded what I could before taking them off the metal frame. I wanted that weathered grey color GHANDI! Charlie likes the weathered look, I do not. Since it was my project, what I sez goes :) I sanded like a mad woman and saw the makings of some nice wood underneath all that grey. Wood type TBD, but I none-the-less assumed teak for some reason. So, teak it was.
Since that small bit of success reinforced my image of awesomeness, I decided to detach the wood from the metal frame so I could finish sanding the other faces of the slats. No problem! 75 screws later, that was done. Man, my hamstrings were burning after that part...huh. Note to self: good form imperative to painless crafting. Once detached, I had to sand Sand SAND every piece. BLECH! I was dusty, sweaty and grumpy from an aching back (see previous note about form...), but forged ahead determined to make more progress.
Feeling confident from the hard work that I had already done with the wood, I continued working on the metal portion of the table. I used steel wool to hand-sand the funk and rust off every surface. This, my dear readers, was a terrible, god-awful task. I at least remembered all of my protective gear (including flip flops) again, so in case there was lead in the paint I wouldn't get some malady from it. Yay fun mask! Enter stage left: Mr. Marshik. Always helpful, he pulled out his Dewalt screwgun and affixed a metal-scraping super scraper to the end of it. MMMMMMMMMMMMUUUUUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR....i was in business! I power-tooled the chairs and table to the best of my ability...and THEN called it a night.
When I got back around to this project (a couple? days later), I primed the pieces with gray Rustoleum primer and then coated them with yellow Rustoleum paint. Yellow? Of COURSE yellow! I love yellow and the 3 shades of blue and 1 shade of green I also bought couldn't hold a candle to the fun yellow. Yellow = Happy Jaime! Each time I painted a coat of yellow on the pieces, I noticed how crummily I did the last coat - there were patches missing everywhere and I wasn't very diligent about reaching all the nooks and crannies. FINALLY, after maybe 5 coats (?) I raised the white flag of painting-ness and sprayed a coat or two of clear to seal the deal. I sprinkled in this painting project over a few days, for good measure.
Yesterday came and I only had two steps remaining before I could call this project complete and reclaim the garage stalls for our cars. I have been missing my garage parking capability. I rolled up my preverbial sleeves (still in flip flops) and oiled each and every piece of wood per the directions on the oil can (geez, I hope this is TEAK!). I lubed 'em up real good, let them dry and bid them adieu for the evening. Man, they looked so much better than the first day!
Finally today I pulled out the ol' screwgun and put all the pieces of the puzzle back together. Unfortunately for me I did not label which slats came from which chair, or the order in which I should put the slats back on...*sigh*...so that took quite a bit of time. Note to self: label slats next time, will save LOTS of time and aching hammies (see previous note SHOULD have applied, but I forgot about it...again). I put Humpty Dumpty back together again and at long last placed her, all finished, on my patio. Mwah!! Bellisima!
Before and After contained in slideshow. What do you think?
Craftiness Part 2 - Glidey and Otto
Last post I mentioned the fun stuff I got from my friend, two items of which needed a little luvin' to make our house their home. Each project had its own challenges, so in true Jaime form I tackled the easier of the two projects first: recovering the glider set in a fabric to suit my taste.
The ottoman (named Otto) was easy enough to re-cover in swanky new duds. I just unscrewed Otto's top (the cushion) from the base, covered it with new fabric, stapled it on there like a maniac, and screwed Otto's top back on to the base. Simple! I didn't see the need to unstaple the old fabric, so I just covered right over it. Actually, to be straight with you, I tried pulling the 57,000 staples out and hurt my hands and fingers all along the way. So, after only 5 successful staple pullings in what seemed like an hour, I theraputically smashed them back into their staple holes and decided to perform a "cover-over-cover" method. Worked out fine, yay me!
With Otto sitting happily in his newfound swankiness, I was feeling quite proud of my craftiness and felt the motivation to continue on and re-cover the back padding of Glidey the Glider. Yes, everything gets a name in my house. This way I don't have to remember the real names of the things in my house, I can call them almost anything!
The original backing for Glidey was a bit trickier, two-fold. 1. I was running low on fabric, since I didn't fully prepare for this project and just bought "enh....a few yards should do the trick, right?" of fabric. I didn't realize how big the backing was. 2. The shape of the backing isn't a simple shape like a rectangle that even I could handle, it was more of a seashell shape with a flare toward the top AND it looked like it had been covered with the original fabric, sewn straight on top to make pretty seams and slice it into 3 pieces.
Hmmmm, I thought, how was I going to do this? I wanted to keep the fun seam action, but there was no way I was going to sew right through that thick foam with my measley machine. My plan of attack was to cut 6 sections of fabric to represent each "slice" on each side. Sew those guys together, then sew the sides together, slipcover that backing and stitch the bottom. Good plan, Me. Good plan... EXCEPT, as everyone knows about Me and crafts I get impatient and then sloppy. SOOOOOO, the first side had wonky seams and was too big, but the second side had even WONKIER seams but fit just right. Too frustrated to care anymore, I sewed those babies to each other, jammed the cushion inside the cover and hand sewed the bottom of the cover closed. Professional? Oh lordy no! Cuter than it was and functional? Yes sir!
After a little happy dance, I sat in Glidey and rested my feet on Otto's head with a smile on my face. Goooooooooo Me!
Glidey and Otto Before and After contained in slideshow. What do you think?
The ottoman (named Otto) was easy enough to re-cover in swanky new duds. I just unscrewed Otto's top (the cushion) from the base, covered it with new fabric, stapled it on there like a maniac, and screwed Otto's top back on to the base. Simple! I didn't see the need to unstaple the old fabric, so I just covered right over it. Actually, to be straight with you, I tried pulling the 57,000 staples out and hurt my hands and fingers all along the way. So, after only 5 successful staple pullings in what seemed like an hour, I theraputically smashed them back into their staple holes and decided to perform a "cover-over-cover" method. Worked out fine, yay me!
With Otto sitting happily in his newfound swankiness, I was feeling quite proud of my craftiness and felt the motivation to continue on and re-cover the back padding of Glidey the Glider. Yes, everything gets a name in my house. This way I don't have to remember the real names of the things in my house, I can call them almost anything!
The original backing for Glidey was a bit trickier, two-fold. 1. I was running low on fabric, since I didn't fully prepare for this project and just bought "enh....a few yards should do the trick, right?" of fabric. I didn't realize how big the backing was. 2. The shape of the backing isn't a simple shape like a rectangle that even I could handle, it was more of a seashell shape with a flare toward the top AND it looked like it had been covered with the original fabric, sewn straight on top to make pretty seams and slice it into 3 pieces.
Hmmmm, I thought, how was I going to do this? I wanted to keep the fun seam action, but there was no way I was going to sew right through that thick foam with my measley machine. My plan of attack was to cut 6 sections of fabric to represent each "slice" on each side. Sew those guys together, then sew the sides together, slipcover that backing and stitch the bottom. Good plan, Me. Good plan... EXCEPT, as everyone knows about Me and crafts I get impatient and then sloppy. SOOOOOO, the first side had wonky seams and was too big, but the second side had even WONKIER seams but fit just right. Too frustrated to care anymore, I sewed those babies to each other, jammed the cushion inside the cover and hand sewed the bottom of the cover closed. Professional? Oh lordy no! Cuter than it was and functional? Yes sir!
After a little happy dance, I sat in Glidey and rested my feet on Otto's head with a smile on my face. Goooooooooo Me!
Glidey and Otto Before and After contained in slideshow. What do you think?
Craftiness Part 1 - Behemoth Couch
Since Thanksgiving, I have taken it upon myself to become crafty. My dear friend Sarmad left the country for a new job and upon his departure he bequeathed certain items to me: a sleeper sofa, a glider and gliding ottoman set, and a bistro-sized patio set.
The sleeper sofa is in great shape, despite being 10+ years old, so up in the gameroom she went - displacing the 9 foot college couch (and slipcover!) I have had since forever. Sammie would miss her afternoon sleeping spot, but I am confident that in due time...say 17 minutes...she would take to the new sofa quite naturally. Charlie managed to get that beastly couch downstairs by himself - I'll never know with what magic he pulled that stunt - and with the enlisted help of Cory and his truck, the ol' couch was off to Goodwill for someone else who could really use it.
I took the other two items with the knowledge that with some love and caring they could be given life anew at the Marshik household.
You'll see details of those crafty adventures in the coming posts.
The sleeper sofa is in great shape, despite being 10+ years old, so up in the gameroom she went - displacing the 9 foot college couch (and slipcover!) I have had since forever. Sammie would miss her afternoon sleeping spot, but I am confident that in due time...say 17 minutes...she would take to the new sofa quite naturally. Charlie managed to get that beastly couch downstairs by himself - I'll never know with what magic he pulled that stunt - and with the enlisted help of Cory and his truck, the ol' couch was off to Goodwill for someone else who could really use it.
I took the other two items with the knowledge that with some love and caring they could be given life anew at the Marshik household.
You'll see details of those crafty adventures in the coming posts.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
DC, MN and Ninjas!
A couple weeks ago I went to DC for the week for work - commercial space stuff. I left on a Friday after work and spent the weekend with Jenny T (again!) and family. I like this "getting to see Jenny often" stuff. It makes me happy! We hit the outlet mall, had a bunch of laughs and even had dinner with me, Jenny and Kim (she's on my work trip with me) girl's night out style in Reston Town Center at...the Something Tavern. Dangit, I should remember the name...oh well. It was a lot of fun reminiscing about the last time we 3 got together at Mamacita's here in TX. For those who know this story, it was a brutal night for us all (most especially Jim!) capped off with a super dose of pain cave the next day. Ahhh, memories. We had a great time in DC and I can't wait to return to see JT and her awesome new digs again! Yay!
Charlie went to Minnesota for a birthday getaway to spend time with his friends and family. From what I hear he had a great time and really enjoyed seeing everyone from his Army days, playing football and hanging out with his family. There was something in there mentioned about hot tubs and pull tabs, a shed and drinking beer...that I couldn't quite follow, but it all ends with a happy Mar. That's what I like to see!!
Halloween is upon us and while we didn't go crazy this year with the decorations, we did put some up and at the moment Charlie is carving pumpkins for the front porch. The weather here is gorgeous (cooler, but not cool just yet) and perfect for Halloween-ing. We went to party thrown by a coworker of Charlie's last night - the theme was Seven Deadly Sins. What a FAB idea! She went all out on the decorations: bloody tarps, a fog machine, strobe lights, outdoor projection screen with the movie "Seven" playing, and then seven stations around the house, one for each of the deadly sins. In case you don't remember your 7 Deadly Sins, like I didn't, they are: Sloth, Gluttony, Lust, Greed, Wrath, Envy and Pride. Each station had a special shot, game or activity of some kind and decorations to match (a bedroom dec'd out for Lust, mirrors for Pride, casino area for Greed, a red velevet pig cake for Gluttony and so on...).
It was a good time and a great party idea! Charlie and I dressed up as Ninjas to represent the sin of Wrath. We had homemade nunchucks, chinese throwing stars, a wooden staff for smashing people and awesome homemade outfits. Note: Our ninja skills did not go unnoticed (or undisplayed - we OWNED those fools!!). It is entirely possible that I ran around the party declaring important things like "Chinese star to your face!", "Ninja knee to your ribs!", and "Hi-YA! You got Ninja'd!". I'm just saying...
Tonight is Halloween, happy tricking and treating to you all!
ps: Below are a couple pix from camping at Shaffer Bend (see last post), and Roktoberfest (Todd and Kathie are the beer can and fancy bar lady). Enjoy!
CAMPING AT SHAFFER BEND:
ROKTOBERFEST AB MARSHIKHAUS
Charlie went to Minnesota for a birthday getaway to spend time with his friends and family. From what I hear he had a great time and really enjoyed seeing everyone from his Army days, playing football and hanging out with his family. There was something in there mentioned about hot tubs and pull tabs, a shed and drinking beer...that I couldn't quite follow, but it all ends with a happy Mar. That's what I like to see!!
Halloween is upon us and while we didn't go crazy this year with the decorations, we did put some up and at the moment Charlie is carving pumpkins for the front porch. The weather here is gorgeous (cooler, but not cool just yet) and perfect for Halloween-ing. We went to party thrown by a coworker of Charlie's last night - the theme was Seven Deadly Sins. What a FAB idea! She went all out on the decorations: bloody tarps, a fog machine, strobe lights, outdoor projection screen with the movie "Seven" playing, and then seven stations around the house, one for each of the deadly sins. In case you don't remember your 7 Deadly Sins, like I didn't, they are: Sloth, Gluttony, Lust, Greed, Wrath, Envy and Pride. Each station had a special shot, game or activity of some kind and decorations to match (a bedroom dec'd out for Lust, mirrors for Pride, casino area for Greed, a red velevet pig cake for Gluttony and so on...).
It was a good time and a great party idea! Charlie and I dressed up as Ninjas to represent the sin of Wrath. We had homemade nunchucks, chinese throwing stars, a wooden staff for smashing people and awesome homemade outfits. Note: Our ninja skills did not go unnoticed (or undisplayed - we OWNED those fools!!). It is entirely possible that I ran around the party declaring important things like "Chinese star to your face!", "Ninja knee to your ribs!", and "Hi-YA! You got Ninja'd!". I'm just saying...
Tonight is Halloween, happy tricking and treating to you all!
ps: Below are a couple pix from camping at Shaffer Bend (see last post), and Roktoberfest (Todd and Kathie are the beer can and fancy bar lady). Enjoy!
CAMPING AT SHAFFER BEND:
ROKTOBERFEST AB MARSHIKHAUS
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Catching Up On Stuffs
So...more details on the safari are...perhaps forthcoming? Perhaps.
Time just flies by so fast I forget about this blog thingie. If anyone is even still reading this, I appreciate your patience...and continued interest.
We got back from safari in Zambia and Charlie went straight the next day on travel for work to DC (right babe?) for a few days. I went to an amazing dinner at VOICE Houston in Hotel Icon and a symphony with my dear friend Sarmad.
Charlie's 32nd birthday was shortly thereafter, where we went to an amazing restaurant, t'afia, which is focused on sustainable/local fare. The food was SO delicious!! I highly recommend being a patron there with its delectable food, great atmosphere and attentive customer service. Charlie's birthday present is a trip back to MN in a coming weekend, to spend some quality guy time with his friends :) We also went to Armand Bayou Nature Center nearby and went on an evening Owl Prowl, which was super fun. We walked through the park with the full moon shining on us and went on the lookout for the 4 different types of owls in the area. As much as we called them (via our fancy owl-calling recording), we didn't see any. We did hear some Barred owls calling, but alas never saw them. There was a HUGE spinning spider of some kind (no, not a garden spider, this puppy was light grey and FAT. With the body the size of a fat peanut), and even a small alligator in the water, but no owls. The evening was muggy but super fun. Yay nature!!
The next week I got the opportunity to go to D.C. for a work benchmarking trip-the kind of trip where my job is to talk with people/businesses who perform similar functions and see if I can learn anything that will be helpful to the way we do business in my group. It was not only super fun: I got to visit the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) on the gorgeous Johns Hopkins campus - they are the people who schedule users and observations on the Hubble Space Telescope -but I also got the chance to go into the heart of the Federal Aviation Administration's Air Traffic Control System Command Center. The FAA Command Center reminds me a lot of the Mission Control Center and it was AWESOME to hear about how complex management of the National Air Space is. SO COOL! As a super bonus, I got to see my best friend Jenny T and see the Tobin family's brand new house and I got to interfere (as I always do) in Jenny's process of making her new house a home. I had missed her so. PLUS, Andi is so big! Oh my gosh, what a pumpkin pie and a ham all rolled into one. 18 months is a challenging, but pretty neat time, so it was good to see her smiling, tooth-making face too :)
The next weekend we went on our very first camping trip as a family (me, Charlie and Kirby - sorry Samdog!) and with the new car. We went to Shaffer Bend just outside of Austin (about 4.5 hours from home). Few things: 1. The Subaru was packed to the brim for our first camping trip and worked really well. Whew! Good car choice Marshiks! 2. Jaime likey camping! 3. Kirby is the best camp dog, for sure! Despite the fact that she didn't stop panting or standing for the whole drive up there (poor anxious thing), AND she jumped out the window at our campsite landing squarely on her neck-head (scratching the car door in the process, oops!), she was amazing. Kirby stood by our sides unleashed at the campsite, as we walked around and was an excellent campfire companion throughout the weekend. PLUS (drum roll please...) she actually swam in the river! It was her first time swimming and was the most fun thing to experience! The PUFF! PUFF! PUFF! from her snout and paddle paddle paddle of her web feet was so fun to watch. Charlie and I simply adored it. Yay for camping, yay for new adventures with the family!
On Friday we had the first ever Roktoberfest at Marshikhaus, our first attempt at a possible yearly Oktoberfest party. Charlie and I dressed up in makeshift lederhosen and beermaid garb, while our friends Todd and Kathie dressed as a giant beer can and beermaid as well. A bunch of friends came and we had a good time. Next year? We'll see!! Saturday we had the 1st birthday party for our friends Tomas and Heather's baby (also Tomas), which was also a lot of fun. I would just like to point out that baby Tomas snacked on the tissue paper from OUR present first, so I guess that means we WIN! Team Marshik prevails! Sunday I went to the Bayou City Art Festival in downtown Houston with Sarmad and bought a kick-ass watch from Mistura (Ferro Red & Bianco, to be precise). I love it! A big splurge on myself, but every so often I gotta do it. At least that's what I say :) It was a lovely day in Houston to be admiring art outdoors. A little brunch with mimosas at the Sundance Grill II afterward capped off a great weekend. But WAIT, there's more! Thanks to Columbus Day, Charlie and I had the day off, so we rode bikes around the area - oh I don't know, 10 miles including some off-roading? - which was so great! I sweat in the great outdoorsies and even though my nether-regions are a tad bit tender, it was fun.
On Friday I return to DC for a different facet of work (commercial space endeavors at Orbital Sciences this time) and again I get to see Jenny T! TWICE in 3 weeks time, yippee!!! It will be a fun-filled and busy week(end), and I come home just as Charlie is heading back to MN for some R&R. ...and I'm spent.
Well, that post was longer (and possibly less interesting) than I expected. Sheesh!
Until next time!
Time just flies by so fast I forget about this blog thingie. If anyone is even still reading this, I appreciate your patience...and continued interest.
We got back from safari in Zambia and Charlie went straight the next day on travel for work to DC (right babe?) for a few days. I went to an amazing dinner at VOICE Houston in Hotel Icon and a symphony with my dear friend Sarmad.
Charlie's 32nd birthday was shortly thereafter, where we went to an amazing restaurant, t'afia, which is focused on sustainable/local fare. The food was SO delicious!! I highly recommend being a patron there with its delectable food, great atmosphere and attentive customer service. Charlie's birthday present is a trip back to MN in a coming weekend, to spend some quality guy time with his friends :) We also went to Armand Bayou Nature Center nearby and went on an evening Owl Prowl, which was super fun. We walked through the park with the full moon shining on us and went on the lookout for the 4 different types of owls in the area. As much as we called them (via our fancy owl-calling recording), we didn't see any. We did hear some Barred owls calling, but alas never saw them. There was a HUGE spinning spider of some kind (no, not a garden spider, this puppy was light grey and FAT. With the body the size of a fat peanut), and even a small alligator in the water, but no owls. The evening was muggy but super fun. Yay nature!!
The next week I got the opportunity to go to D.C. for a work benchmarking trip-the kind of trip where my job is to talk with people/businesses who perform similar functions and see if I can learn anything that will be helpful to the way we do business in my group. It was not only super fun: I got to visit the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) on the gorgeous Johns Hopkins campus - they are the people who schedule users and observations on the Hubble Space Telescope -but I also got the chance to go into the heart of the Federal Aviation Administration's Air Traffic Control System Command Center. The FAA Command Center reminds me a lot of the Mission Control Center and it was AWESOME to hear about how complex management of the National Air Space is. SO COOL! As a super bonus, I got to see my best friend Jenny T and see the Tobin family's brand new house and I got to interfere (as I always do) in Jenny's process of making her new house a home. I had missed her so. PLUS, Andi is so big! Oh my gosh, what a pumpkin pie and a ham all rolled into one. 18 months is a challenging, but pretty neat time, so it was good to see her smiling, tooth-making face too :)
The next weekend we went on our very first camping trip as a family (me, Charlie and Kirby - sorry Samdog!) and with the new car. We went to Shaffer Bend just outside of Austin (about 4.5 hours from home). Few things: 1. The Subaru was packed to the brim for our first camping trip and worked really well. Whew! Good car choice Marshiks! 2. Jaime likey camping! 3. Kirby is the best camp dog, for sure! Despite the fact that she didn't stop panting or standing for the whole drive up there (poor anxious thing), AND she jumped out the window at our campsite landing squarely on her neck-head (scratching the car door in the process, oops!), she was amazing. Kirby stood by our sides unleashed at the campsite, as we walked around and was an excellent campfire companion throughout the weekend. PLUS (drum roll please...) she actually swam in the river! It was her first time swimming and was the most fun thing to experience! The PUFF! PUFF! PUFF! from her snout and paddle paddle paddle of her web feet was so fun to watch. Charlie and I simply adored it. Yay for camping, yay for new adventures with the family!
On Friday we had the first ever Roktoberfest at Marshikhaus, our first attempt at a possible yearly Oktoberfest party. Charlie and I dressed up in makeshift lederhosen and beermaid garb, while our friends Todd and Kathie dressed as a giant beer can and beermaid as well. A bunch of friends came and we had a good time. Next year? We'll see!! Saturday we had the 1st birthday party for our friends Tomas and Heather's baby (also Tomas), which was also a lot of fun. I would just like to point out that baby Tomas snacked on the tissue paper from OUR present first, so I guess that means we WIN! Team Marshik prevails! Sunday I went to the Bayou City Art Festival in downtown Houston with Sarmad and bought a kick-ass watch from Mistura (Ferro Red & Bianco, to be precise). I love it! A big splurge on myself, but every so often I gotta do it. At least that's what I say :) It was a lovely day in Houston to be admiring art outdoors. A little brunch with mimosas at the Sundance Grill II afterward capped off a great weekend. But WAIT, there's more! Thanks to Columbus Day, Charlie and I had the day off, so we rode bikes around the area - oh I don't know, 10 miles including some off-roading? - which was so great! I sweat in the great outdoorsies and even though my nether-regions are a tad bit tender, it was fun.
On Friday I return to DC for a different facet of work (commercial space endeavors at Orbital Sciences this time) and again I get to see Jenny T! TWICE in 3 weeks time, yippee!!! It will be a fun-filled and busy week(end), and I come home just as Charlie is heading back to MN for some R&R. ...and I'm spent.
Well, that post was longer (and possibly less interesting) than I expected. Sheesh!
Until next time!
Monday, September 13, 2010
Post-Safari Blues
....oh yes, being back at home has its bonuses (seeing the pups, taking non-chlorinated showers, humidity for my crackly skin), but as with all vacations home, by-and-large, is less 'awesome' than non-home.
Zambia was the bomb people! We spent 95% of our time there (15 days?) in Kafue National Park, with the first two days at Livingstone, where Victoria Falls just happen to be. There is so much to tell, but this is not the post for such tellings. I shall recap on another date, but the pictures at the link below (straight out of my camera, to you) tell the briefest story of Charlie and me, some furry, scaly, and feathery animals, "The Falls" (at the end of the season's flow), a schedule of eating, sleeping and game watching, and the lovely country of Zambia.
Perhaps tonight I will celebrate being back with a Gin & Tonic and "second dinner"...
Ahhh, the memories.
More to come later detailing the stats of the vacation of a lifetime!
ps: So far no Malaria (score!) to speak of! Yessss! We win!
Zambia was the bomb people! We spent 95% of our time there (15 days?) in Kafue National Park, with the first two days at Livingstone, where Victoria Falls just happen to be. There is so much to tell, but this is not the post for such tellings. I shall recap on another date, but the pictures at the link below (straight out of my camera, to you) tell the briefest story of Charlie and me, some furry, scaly, and feathery animals, "The Falls" (at the end of the season's flow), a schedule of eating, sleeping and game watching, and the lovely country of Zambia.
Perhaps tonight I will celebrate being back with a Gin & Tonic and "second dinner"...
Ahhh, the memories.
More to come later detailing the stats of the vacation of a lifetime!
ps: So far no Malaria (score!) to speak of! Yessss! We win!
Friday, September 10, 2010
Safari Pics
Many of the pics have been posted to Picasa. Enjoy!
http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/sredir?uname=107083029733534927988&target=ALBUM&id=5514997225926409105&authkey=Gv1sRgCKOt0-7SwvTrGw&feat=email
http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/sredir?uname=107083029733534927988&target=ALBUM&id=5514997225926409105&authkey=Gv1sRgCKOt0-7SwvTrGw&feat=email
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
So long old friend...
2.5 weeks ago I finally said goodbye to The Coop after 7 faithful years of service. She was a beauty still and ran like a champ, but I had to let her go. It was time. Time to get a car with more than 4 inches of clearance in a major floodplain, time to get a car with more than 2 doors so my guests don't need to heave themselves out of the back seat like clowns, time to get a car without bucket seats in the back!
So I bid her a teary (yes, I said teary) adieu and sold her to a freshman in college (or rather her parents). They claim to want to put eyelashes on the headlights to make her more girly (le sigh)...I couldn't really bear to think about it, so I kept my mouth shut, let them pay me and waved farewell.
Happily, that very same day, our new car was available for pick up. The whole car pickup experience was drah-muh filled, but in the end we got the car we ordered from the factory at the price we ordered it for (jerks). Whew! What did we get you ask? A brand-spanking new 2011 Subaru Outback in dark blue: 2.5i Limited with puddle lights, all-weather package (for those Christmas jaunts to chilly MN), trailer hitch, moonroof, and Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle (PZEV) accountrements. PLUS I can pair my phone with my car and talk via my steering wheel. Never thought I'd use it, but it's one of my favorite things!
I.
Love.
It.
I love the company values (as far as I can tell, let's not get too political or nit-picky) and the fact that the Outback is built in the Indiana plant (U.S. jobs, yay) which is also an eco-friendly plant. The car is basically 50% Japanese parts, 50% US parts, which for me is a bonus. Yay team!
Anyway, I will post pictures eventually. Probably post-Africa adventure coming up here soon. That's the latest!
ps: Now we have 3 dark blue (almost matching) vehicles in our home: the VW Golf, the Buell and the Outback "Il Duce". Variety is the spice of life!
So I bid her a teary (yes, I said teary) adieu and sold her to a freshman in college (or rather her parents). They claim to want to put eyelashes on the headlights to make her more girly (le sigh)...I couldn't really bear to think about it, so I kept my mouth shut, let them pay me and waved farewell.
Happily, that very same day, our new car was available for pick up. The whole car pickup experience was drah-muh filled, but in the end we got the car we ordered from the factory at the price we ordered it for (jerks). Whew! What did we get you ask? A brand-spanking new 2011 Subaru Outback in dark blue: 2.5i Limited with puddle lights, all-weather package (for those Christmas jaunts to chilly MN), trailer hitch, moonroof, and Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle (PZEV) accountrements. PLUS I can pair my phone with my car and talk via my steering wheel. Never thought I'd use it, but it's one of my favorite things!
I.
Love.
It.
I love the company values (as far as I can tell, let's not get too political or nit-picky) and the fact that the Outback is built in the Indiana plant (U.S. jobs, yay) which is also an eco-friendly plant. The car is basically 50% Japanese parts, 50% US parts, which for me is a bonus. Yay team!
Anyway, I will post pictures eventually. Probably post-Africa adventure coming up here soon. That's the latest!
ps: Now we have 3 dark blue (almost matching) vehicles in our home: the VW Golf, the Buell and the Outback "Il Duce". Variety is the spice of life!
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
I Ain't Lion!
It's already been over a month since our last post (and by "our" I mean MY). What's been going on in the lives of the Marshiks? Well let's see...
We had a super fun night out with our friends after renting a limo for an adult Saturday evening - woohoo! Needless to say some of us (ahem) got a little queasy before nights end and had to spend the 4th of July recovering. Erin has the pictures, check her blog for more details.
Charlie and I have spent most of this time working on building the media console I designed; Charlie is great at the handiwork! Eventually I'll post pictures of the build process and then the final product, so stay tuned. We hope to have it completed prior to heading out on our ...vacation!!
We are treating ourselves to a 5-year anniversary vacation of a lifetime! Destination: Zambia! Safaris left and right, hopefully a good view of Victoria Falls (even though it's late in the season)!! We'll be gone for about 2 weeks and I am hoping to bring enough camera batteries and flash cards to sustain my photographic needs. Right now we're working on getting all vaccinated up, though nothing is officially required for travel to Zambia at this moment, just some recommendations. In a later blog entry (yes, prior to us leaving at least) I'll give you all the details of our trip plan. WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!
Until then, tonight is a massage pour moi, which will hopefully quell a raging headache I have from being dehydrated from workout (and missing my daily chai break with my Besties)!
I've also spent some time as of late taking photos of gracious friends who will let me practice my (lack of) skills in this area, in an effort to improve. Some outside family shots, some inside baby and kid shots. Hmmmm, gotta learn how to better use my camera before the safari! I appreciate them allowing me to practice my hobby :)
Let's see, what else may I bore you with in the details of my life...
Tomorrow is the weekly installment of So You Think You Can Dance and I am madly in love with the dance shown here from a few weeks ago - SHABOOYAH!! I'm STILL pumping my fists and clapping and smiling as I watch this for the zillionth time! My friend Kathie (recent hot Mom again and overall super sweet gal) and I (and of course Todd and Chewie) watch SYTYCD every week, drooling over hot bods (girls only for Todd) we love and wish we had and awesome dance moves. Listen people, Get Outta Ur Miiiind! I wish Nappy Tabs would choreograph a dance just for me, where I look less like a shoulderless monkey and more like a freaking dance machine when I bust a move. Ahhh yes. P'rhaps someday...up in this piece.
What else what else? Enh, that's good enough for now.
....ps: watched Alex & Twitch again, still clapping....and smiling!
We had a super fun night out with our friends after renting a limo for an adult Saturday evening - woohoo! Needless to say some of us (ahem) got a little queasy before nights end and had to spend the 4th of July recovering. Erin has the pictures, check her blog for more details.
Charlie and I have spent most of this time working on building the media console I designed; Charlie is great at the handiwork! Eventually I'll post pictures of the build process and then the final product, so stay tuned. We hope to have it completed prior to heading out on our ...vacation!!
We are treating ourselves to a 5-year anniversary vacation of a lifetime! Destination: Zambia! Safaris left and right, hopefully a good view of Victoria Falls (even though it's late in the season)!! We'll be gone for about 2 weeks and I am hoping to bring enough camera batteries and flash cards to sustain my photographic needs. Right now we're working on getting all vaccinated up, though nothing is officially required for travel to Zambia at this moment, just some recommendations. In a later blog entry (yes, prior to us leaving at least) I'll give you all the details of our trip plan. WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!
Until then, tonight is a massage pour moi, which will hopefully quell a raging headache I have from being dehydrated from workout (and missing my daily chai break with my Besties)!
I've also spent some time as of late taking photos of gracious friends who will let me practice my (lack of) skills in this area, in an effort to improve. Some outside family shots, some inside baby and kid shots. Hmmmm, gotta learn how to better use my camera before the safari! I appreciate them allowing me to practice my hobby :)
Let's see, what else may I bore you with in the details of my life...
Tomorrow is the weekly installment of So You Think You Can Dance and I am madly in love with the dance shown here from a few weeks ago - SHABOOYAH!! I'm STILL pumping my fists and clapping and smiling as I watch this for the zillionth time! My friend Kathie (recent hot Mom again and overall super sweet gal) and I (and of course Todd and Chewie) watch SYTYCD every week, drooling over hot bods (girls only for Todd) we love and wish we had and awesome dance moves. Listen people, Get Outta Ur Miiiind! I wish Nappy Tabs would choreograph a dance just for me, where I look less like a shoulderless monkey and more like a freaking dance machine when I bust a move. Ahhh yes. P'rhaps someday...up in this piece.
What else what else? Enh, that's good enough for now.
....ps: watched Alex & Twitch again, still clapping....and smiling!
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Family Visit!
Mom and Faith visited the first weekend in June for some girl's weekend action and boy, did we have fun! We ate, drank (hehehe), shopped and spent some much needed quality time together. One day we went to the Annual AIA Sandcastle competition on Galveston's East Beach, laid in the hot HOT sun, had juice box wine, and got burnt to a crisp! Faith and I rocked out to some serious throw back jams on her iPod (flashing stank face all up in that piece!) and sweat it out under our makeshift shade of personal umbrellas. Ahhhhhh the beach. That evening we attended a fabulous Sex & The City 2 party at my dear friend Beth's house, ate some amazing dip by Alicia (mmmmmmmmmm, diiiiiiiip) and looked stunning doing it! The Strandmark Ladies were in full effect! The movie was good, but the whole evening was great!
The long weekend consisted of concerts in the park (where we got rained on), live music, the winery, beach and the required Canyon Cafe stop for their amazing soup! PLUS, Faith got some fabu wedges at DSW that I hope she wears all summer!
All in all, it was great to spend time with my family and made me very happy :) I hope to make this a yearly thing!
The long weekend consisted of concerts in the park (where we got rained on), live music, the winery, beach and the required Canyon Cafe stop for their amazing soup! PLUS, Faith got some fabu wedges at DSW that I hope she wears all summer!
All in all, it was great to spend time with my family and made me very happy :) I hope to make this a yearly thing!
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Mission Complete!
The crew of STS-132 landed safely yesterday to close out Atlantis' final voyage from space. With that, I have served my final mission as Lead FAO and my final day on console as a Shuttle Flight Control Room operator. Two more missions to go, but none of them will be served by me in the "front room". I will be supporting them from a behind-the-scenes place. It is a bittersweet ending to my small piece of the space shuttle program.
Thank you Atlantis, you've served us well.
Thank you Atlantis, you've served us well.
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Mission Commence!
STS-132/ISS-ULF4 launched successfully on her first try yesterday from Florida. 13 days in space, 3 spacewalks, a slew of robotic activity and undoubtedly some antics from the crew will happen before they all return safely to earth around May 26th.
This is my final Lead Flight Activities Officer (FAO) assignment before the end of the shuttle program and it is also the last time I will get to sit in the Shuttle Flight Control Room ("front room", people you see on NASA TV...) in my career.
It is certainly bittersweet. The road to getting this mission off the ground has been a long one, so on one hand it is exciting to get the ball rolling and have an end in sight. On the other hand, since it is the final mission of this vehicle, Atlantis, my final mission as FAO, and nearing the end of the space shuttle program, I can't help but feel a small sense of loss. I will be focusing on enjoying the last moments of my time as a shuttle flight controller and reflecting on how much this program has meant to me and should mean to the American public.
Go get 'em Atlantis!
This is my final Lead Flight Activities Officer (FAO) assignment before the end of the shuttle program and it is also the last time I will get to sit in the Shuttle Flight Control Room ("front room", people you see on NASA TV...) in my career.
It is certainly bittersweet. The road to getting this mission off the ground has been a long one, so on one hand it is exciting to get the ball rolling and have an end in sight. On the other hand, since it is the final mission of this vehicle, Atlantis, my final mission as FAO, and nearing the end of the space shuttle program, I can't help but feel a small sense of loss. I will be focusing on enjoying the last moments of my time as a shuttle flight controller and reflecting on how much this program has meant to me and should mean to the American public.
Go get 'em Atlantis!
Sunday, April 18, 2010
WorldFest Houston 2010
On Saturday I wrapped up my two-week long WorldFest Houston - Independent International Film Festival - marathon! This is the 43rd year of the festival in Houston, but only my second year giving it a go. Last year I saw one movie (the second was thwarted by a flood of obscene proportions) that was...fine. "Work Hard Play Hard" (France)...though it wasn't very memorable.
This year I upped the anty and saw six - count 'em 6! - movies!
WorldFest Houston is a great concept and has the potential to be an asset to the city of Houston in terms of event traffic, the arts, business and the film industry. Their execution (even after 43 years) of the event, however, leaves much to be desired. Everything about how the people who are in charge of executing this event (from a movie-goer perspective) screams amateur and discredits the long-standing histroy and 'importance' of an event as this. The Festival's main website is a god-awful 1995 version of the world-wide-web (shameful, really), schedules can change without notice to the customer, the theater is a bit trashy and in an less-than-savory (though ethnicly diverse) part of town, plus there is a general lack of formality given to the marketing (what marketing? ...i don't think there even is any, seriously) and regalia surrounding the entire event. It's a shame that something as wonderful as an independent film festival can be nearly overshadowed by simple marketing schemes.
DESPITE MY COMMENTS ABOVE: I do highly encourage people to attend this event!! WorldFest Houston happens every year, and if you can get past any expectations of glamour for the event itself, you have the opportunity to see some pretty incredible films. For nearly all of the films we saw, a Producer, Director, Writer, Main Actor or combination thereof showed up to the film, had a Q&A session, and even met with the audience on a personal level. To hear how/where/why a film was shot, the trials and tribulations of independent film making, and side-stories from the shoots themselves is interesting, informative and fun. On opening night we even (my friend Sarmad and I) got to see a lifetime achievement award given to two Italian filmmakers (the Amati brothers)....cutest guys ever!The festival allows the average person (WIDE variety of people seeing these films) to see amazing Indie films and up-and-coming artists, without feeling intimidated.
So, without further ado...Below is my review of the movies I saw this year ranked from what I liked worst to best (in my opinion):
6. Ek Tho Chance [Last Chance Mumbai] (India)
- www.ekthochance.com/default_subtitle.html
-This was the first Indian film I had ever seen. For me, the story was unoriginal and I don't really get why there is singing and dancing (ala a musical) in a 'normal' movie. This movie lacked that "indie" feel I was looking for and overall did not impress me with its sub-par acting and unimpressive plotline. On the plus side, I am glad I got to experience a pseudo-Bollywoood style film. I do not expect to see another one, however, it's not the format for me.
5. The Frost (Spain/Norway)
-http://www.thejonesesmovie.com/
-The Producer of the film gave a speech in the beginning of the movie. I don't remember what he said, but I'm sure it was nice.
-Great concept for a movie. They definitely are doing this in the 'real world', I just know it!! David Duchovny has a special place in my heart since The X Files, but in this movie he's simply adorable. Convincing in character and relateable. Demi Moore is smoking hot and I'm jealous. I want to look like her....like when I was 20! But late 40s? C'mon! It's amazing. Anyhoo, the movie was good in production, concept and acting...though not everyone liked the ending. I did.
3. Love Life of a Gentle Coward (Croatia)
- www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_y8BOe4rug
-I really enjoyed the storyline in this movie. It had the feeling of a rom-com without the cheesiness. The story was relateable and the acting well done. The main character guy was believable; I could sense his sadness and desperation. The production of this film was good and the music light and tinkly, which made it all the more interesting to watch. I was very happy I got to enjoy this movie.
2. The Square (Australia)
- http://www.squarethemovie.com/
-This was a Premiere, to be released next week in theaters (in Australia, I assume). The film was dark and kept me constantly wondering "What can happen next?!" I thoroughly enjoyed this film from start to finish - good production value without any gimmicks. There were moments when my heart stopped, and moments when I almost cried (read: a dog gets eaten by a shark in this movie - so obviously I was nearly in tears). Highly recommended!
-BONUS: Blue-Tongue Films showed a movie short before the film and I loved it!! "Spider". Here is a link to their YouTube stuff, I hope you like it too!
1. Bodhisattva (India)
- http://www.bodhifilm.com/
- The principal actor/director/writer of the film introduced the film and then answered questions afterward. It wasn't until the movie was over and he did Q&A with the audience that I figured out who he was - I'm an idiot. It was fun listening to him talk about his movie: shot in 7 days (because they only had the camera for that long) and each scene only shot once. 30 days to edit the film.
- I very much enjoyed the story in this film. There was an edginess about the plot and when it was all said and done I had no idea what just happened. It was all done in a matter-of-fact manner, leaving some questions - but not in an annoying way. Production value was pretty good (given the filming circumstances especially!), but not the best I'd seen this round of movies. It was dark, shot at close range from a single point-of-view, and for the most part edited well. I liked the way it was shot. I liked the angles and the color. The drama in the dirtiness of the area and the grit of the people. I highly recommend this movie to anyone looking to think a bit about a movie.
That's it folks! Until next year (mark your calendars for April 8-17, 2011) - can't wait!
ps: I would also like to send a special shout-out to Sarmad for being my patient movie cohort for the entire festival. Without him, I would have only smuggled in water and snacks for one...that's no fun! Thanks again, it was worth almost getting shot for :)
This year I upped the anty and saw six - count 'em 6! - movies!
WorldFest Houston is a great concept and has the potential to be an asset to the city of Houston in terms of event traffic, the arts, business and the film industry. Their execution (even after 43 years) of the event, however, leaves much to be desired. Everything about how the people who are in charge of executing this event (from a movie-goer perspective) screams amateur and discredits the long-standing histroy and 'importance' of an event as this. The Festival's main website is a god-awful 1995 version of the world-wide-web (shameful, really), schedules can change without notice to the customer, the theater is a bit trashy and in an less-than-savory (though ethnicly diverse) part of town, plus there is a general lack of formality given to the marketing (what marketing? ...i don't think there even is any, seriously) and regalia surrounding the entire event. It's a shame that something as wonderful as an independent film festival can be nearly overshadowed by simple marketing schemes.
DESPITE MY COMMENTS ABOVE: I do highly encourage people to attend this event!! WorldFest Houston happens every year, and if you can get past any expectations of glamour for the event itself, you have the opportunity to see some pretty incredible films. For nearly all of the films we saw, a Producer, Director, Writer, Main Actor or combination thereof showed up to the film, had a Q&A session, and even met with the audience on a personal level. To hear how/where/why a film was shot, the trials and tribulations of independent film making, and side-stories from the shoots themselves is interesting, informative and fun. On opening night we even (my friend Sarmad and I) got to see a lifetime achievement award given to two Italian filmmakers (the Amati brothers)....cutest guys ever!The festival allows the average person (WIDE variety of people seeing these films) to see amazing Indie films and up-and-coming artists, without feeling intimidated.
So, without further ado...Below is my review of the movies I saw this year ranked from what I liked worst to best (in my opinion):
6. Ek Tho Chance [Last Chance Mumbai] (India)
- www.ekthochance.com/default_subtitle.html
-This was the first Indian film I had ever seen. For me, the story was unoriginal and I don't really get why there is singing and dancing (ala a musical) in a 'normal' movie. This movie lacked that "indie" feel I was looking for and overall did not impress me with its sub-par acting and unimpressive plotline. On the plus side, I am glad I got to experience a pseudo-Bollywoood style film. I do not expect to see another one, however, it's not the format for me.
5. The Frost (Spain/Norway)
- http://www.thefrostfilm.com/
-The director of the film flew all the way from Norway to accept an award for this film from the Festival committee. There were 7 of us in the theater...that count might be a bit high. I felt awful. I did like his glasses though.
-The storyline in this one was bizarre. From death, to kooky/creepy neighbors and flashes of incestual desire, I was left feeling dissatisfied with the story as a whole. I couldn't quite make the connections through all of it and did not appreciate some of the artistry of the production...like the random graphics at various spots. Overall, I enjoyed the quirkiness of the movie, but couldn't piece it all together in the end. That's why it's toward the end of the list. I did, however, get to see the most beautiful landscapes Norway has to offer via this film. It's not often I think of Norway as a hot-spot for vacationing, but after seeing the town on the water and the gorgeous mountains and fjords (what an awesome word, FJORD)...I'm sold!
4. The Joneses (USA)-http://www.thejonesesmovie.com/
-The Producer of the film gave a speech in the beginning of the movie. I don't remember what he said, but I'm sure it was nice.
-Great concept for a movie. They definitely are doing this in the 'real world', I just know it!! David Duchovny has a special place in my heart since The X Files, but in this movie he's simply adorable. Convincing in character and relateable. Demi Moore is smoking hot and I'm jealous. I want to look like her....like when I was 20! But late 40s? C'mon! It's amazing. Anyhoo, the movie was good in production, concept and acting...though not everyone liked the ending. I did.
3. Love Life of a Gentle Coward (Croatia)
- www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_y8BOe4rug
-I really enjoyed the storyline in this movie. It had the feeling of a rom-com without the cheesiness. The story was relateable and the acting well done. The main character guy was believable; I could sense his sadness and desperation. The production of this film was good and the music light and tinkly, which made it all the more interesting to watch. I was very happy I got to enjoy this movie.
2. The Square (Australia)
- http://www.squarethemovie.com/
-This was a Premiere, to be released next week in theaters (in Australia, I assume). The film was dark and kept me constantly wondering "What can happen next?!" I thoroughly enjoyed this film from start to finish - good production value without any gimmicks. There were moments when my heart stopped, and moments when I almost cried (read: a dog gets eaten by a shark in this movie - so obviously I was nearly in tears). Highly recommended!
-BONUS: Blue-Tongue Films showed a movie short before the film and I loved it!! "Spider". Here is a link to their YouTube stuff, I hope you like it too!
1. Bodhisattva (India)
- http://www.bodhifilm.com/
- The principal actor/director/writer of the film introduced the film and then answered questions afterward. It wasn't until the movie was over and he did Q&A with the audience that I figured out who he was - I'm an idiot. It was fun listening to him talk about his movie: shot in 7 days (because they only had the camera for that long) and each scene only shot once. 30 days to edit the film.
- I very much enjoyed the story in this film. There was an edginess about the plot and when it was all said and done I had no idea what just happened. It was all done in a matter-of-fact manner, leaving some questions - but not in an annoying way. Production value was pretty good (given the filming circumstances especially!), but not the best I'd seen this round of movies. It was dark, shot at close range from a single point-of-view, and for the most part edited well. I liked the way it was shot. I liked the angles and the color. The drama in the dirtiness of the area and the grit of the people. I highly recommend this movie to anyone looking to think a bit about a movie.
That's it folks! Until next year (mark your calendars for April 8-17, 2011) - can't wait!
ps: I would also like to send a special shout-out to Sarmad for being my patient movie cohort for the entire festival. Without him, I would have only smuggled in water and snacks for one...that's no fun! Thanks again, it was worth almost getting shot for :)
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Catch Up Photos
**UPDATE: MOM & DAD VISIT PIX POSTED**
Well Helloooooo! Yep. We're back in the heezie for some more mad stylin's and ribbidy-rhymes.
I've attached some slideshow dealies to help you catch up on some of the happenings since the ol' Christmas-y timeframe.
1. November 2009: Cory's 22nd Birthday Sports-themed party. Thank goodness for spandex. Of course that all depends on your viewpoint...
2. January 2010: Charlie's 2nd Marathon
3. March 2010: Oscar Party
4. March 2010: Mom & Dad's visit
5. March 2010: Carey & Chris' visit
Not shown here yet: Our trip to San Fran in January, because I can't find those pictures. Gasp! Enjoy...stay tuned!
Well Helloooooo! Yep. We're back in the heezie for some more mad stylin's and ribbidy-rhymes.
I've attached some slideshow dealies to help you catch up on some of the happenings since the ol' Christmas-y timeframe.
1. November 2009: Cory's 22nd Birthday Sports-themed party. Thank goodness for spandex. Of course that all depends on your viewpoint...
2. January 2010: Charlie's 2nd Marathon
3. March 2010: Oscar Party
4. March 2010: Mom & Dad's visit
5. March 2010: Carey & Chris' visit
Not shown here yet: Our trip to San Fran in January, because I can't find those pictures. Gasp! Enjoy...stay tuned!
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
The Pink Eye
This morning I woke up with what appeared to be a 'sore' and slightly bloodshot eye. Did Kirby punch me in the face again during bedtime cuddle-time? Nope, she took care of that fun move last Friday morning.
It went something like:
Me: Good morning Kooner! You're such a good girl! ((cuddle cuddle tummy rub))
Kirby: Oh Mommy! Oh Mommy! I'm so excited to see you! If I could just...get...a little...closer...ennnnnnnnnnh! ((Karateeeeeeeeeeee PUNCH! to the face with a furry claw!))
If that wasn't it, what could it be? Hmmm...
The eye funk was annoying, but nothing spectacular or day-breaking, so off to work I went. La de da! Work work work. Touch touch touch (my eye). Red red red.
I didn't want to go to the clinic, I just didn't want to. However, at the end of the day I decided I must go for the sake of my 'bulb and those around me. Since I don't have a general practitioner here, it was either go to the work clinic or have my OB/GYN perform an eye exam on me. The choice was clear.
Diagnosis: The Pink Eye
Impact: Banned from work until it clears up. Literally. They don't want me infecting any spacemen or spaceladies.
Remedy: Antibiotics just in case it's bacterial. "Time" if it's not.
So how 'bout that folks? My first case of pink eye. Whee!
Good news is I have a long weekend now. That, my friends, is alright with me.
It went something like:
Me: Good morning Kooner! You're such a good girl! ((cuddle cuddle tummy rub))
Kirby: Oh Mommy! Oh Mommy! I'm so excited to see you! If I could just...get...a little...closer...ennnnnnnnnnh! ((Karateeeeeeeeeeee PUNCH! to the face with a furry claw!))
If that wasn't it, what could it be? Hmmm...
The eye funk was annoying, but nothing spectacular or day-breaking, so off to work I went. La de da! Work work work. Touch touch touch (my eye). Red red red.
I didn't want to go to the clinic, I just didn't want to. However, at the end of the day I decided I must go for the sake of my 'bulb and those around me. Since I don't have a general practitioner here, it was either go to the work clinic or have my OB/GYN perform an eye exam on me. The choice was clear.
Diagnosis: The Pink Eye
Impact: Banned from work until it clears up. Literally. They don't want me infecting any spacemen or spaceladies.
Remedy: Antibiotics just in case it's bacterial. "Time" if it's not.
So how 'bout that folks? My first case of pink eye. Whee!
Good news is I have a long weekend now. That, my friends, is alright with me.
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Back!
It's been since Christmas. 3 months...way too long. I mean, if my best friend Jenny Tobin can finally post something after many moons, then that's the kick in the buns I needed to start posting again.
We have much to post about and will...soon.
We have much to post about and will...soon.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)