Oscar

I was going to do a post about all the movies I’ve seen lately, and gush about this new series I’m reading but I’ll get to that later (in another post). Right now, I want to talk Oscars. Hugh Jackman did a fair job and he was nice to look at. Too many musical numbers though. I still prefer Steve Martin or Jon Stewart. Some time during the ceremony they always do a tribute to the members of Hollywood that passed during the previous year. And yes, I cried when Paul Newman came on the screen. For several weeks now I have been saying that I no longer find Ben Stiller funny. After watching his annoying performance in Tropic Thunder (although, everyone’s performance paled in comparison to the hilarious Robert Downey Jr.) and even more annoying performance in The Heartbreak Kid (which reminded me of his obnoxious character in Meet the Parents, Along Came Polly, and Duplex) I decided to no longer see his movies. He plays the same sweet, push-over guy that gets into gross and embarrassing situations over and over. However, at the Oscars he shined for a brief moment by imitating Joaquin Phoenix in his recent dazed state. I was reminded of how much I loved Stiller in Dodgeball.



I DVR’d the whole event, thinking how cleaver I was. As I was fast-forwarded through the commercials and uninteresting categories (i.e. any category other that the top four for actors, best director and best movie) I knew I had found the one and only way to enjoy the Oscars. The thing about DVR is that it only records what is listed. The Oscars were supposed to be over after three hours. So, just as the gorgeous Kate Winslet approached the stage to accept her Oscar the recording stopped. It stopped! Next year I will be better prepared because skipping all that crap was almost as enjoyable as reading the reviews the day following the ceremony.

Sandi The Deer Slayer

So, last week my friend was out of town and I agreed to let his dog, Sandi, out at lunch to use the outdoor "facilities". When I arrived, the cable man was there (blocking the drive-way) using a huge ladder to get to some power lines just outside the fence around the property. As soon as I let Sandi out of the house the hair along the back of her neck stood up and she started growling. I assumed it was the presence of the cable man. I was wrong. She runs over to the cable man and continues to bark and act her territorial self. All of a sudden, she sprints to the back of the house toward the lake. The next thing I see is her chasing a deer around the yard. The property is fenced in (except where it meets the lake) so Sandi is chasing this caged creature along the perimeter of the property. Now, while I've got you on the edge of your seat, I'll tell you a side story. Sandi has killed a deer, all on her own, before. She chased said deer around the fence and the confused creature ran into the fence and broke its neck. Back to my story. Sandi chased the deer around the fence and the confused creature ran into the fence and broke its neck. Huh, that's the same story. Except this time I saw the whole thing. The deer just fell to the ground twitching and kicking for what seemed like an eternity (most likely 30 seconds) and then finally went still. Sandi is still barking her tail off (excuse the pun during a story like this) and going nuts. Here is a picture of the little murderess:

I know what you're thinking but apparently the deer consider her to be a real terror. So, per the weather channel we were to expect warm temperatures for the weekend. That means the dead carcass was going to get more pungent than in cooler weather. I slapped on some yellow rubber gloves (usually used to wash dishes--possible pictures to follow) and with some help, dragged the carcass off the property into some heavy brush. The next day the buzzards were a buzzing.

This is a rather morbid story and never in my life did I think I would be telling such a story but it did happen. Here's to more boring lunch breaks in the future.

Bittersweet

I know, another post about baked goods. What can I say? I'm an addict. I made a cake last week...from scratch (including the icing). It's a Barefoot Contessa recipe. It was a little difficult and rather time consuming but I'd make it again. I gave some of it to friends and I brought some to work. Oh, and I also ate way too much of it.

Bittersweet chocolate was in the icing. I think it made it a little too rich for my taste so maybe I'll try the recipe again with dark chocolate or milk chocolate. It also had coffee in the batter and the icing which is supposed to intensify the taste of the chocolate. Bittersweet could also describe the whole process--lots of work for a sweet dessert. Anyway, I was proud of myself. It didn't look half bad either.

Bodies

I went to see an exhibit in Atlanta this weekend. It was the Bodies Exhibition at Atlantic Station. First off, I've never been to Atlantic Station so that was pretty interesting. There were tons of shops and eatery spots and limited parking (of course). It was a little chilly that day but we walked around a little before and after the main event. So, the exhibit was fascinating. It truly was. Here is the link if you want to know a little about it yourself: http://www.bodiestheexhibition.com/bodies.html
Rooms, and the specimens, were divided by body systems (respiratory system, nervous system, etc). There was also a fetus room which was beyond creepy but very important to see. I only have one complaint: there were too many people trying to see everything at once and no directions given in the rooms--like arrows in the aisles of parking lots. After we saw all there was to see, and then some, my group went to eat dinner; because nothing works up your appetite more that seeing preserved dead human bodies. Anyway, we ate at Pappadeaux. It was so yummy. I'll eat there any chance I get in the future.

I watched two horrible chick flicks over the weekend (Over Her Dead Body, and The Prince and Me) and one rather depressing WWII movie (The Man Who Cried). All were wasted selections in my Netflix queue. However, I did get lots of pictures on the walls in my duplex (photos will hopefully follow soon). I'm reading Triskellion by Will Peterson. I'm halfway through the book and I don't really know what's going on or if I even like it. I really hope I can see a funny movie at the cinema soon. I'm dying to see New In Town, Confessions of a Shopaholic and He's Just Not That Into You.