Best...Show...Ever...

Oh my god! Did anyone see Veronica Mars last night? My sister doesn't like it, but I totally disagree. The writing is great, the twists are usually surprising, and there is good character development. There were a million things going on last night, yet they all tied together at the end. There were also about four points in the show where I was like, "no way...". So that's good.

Anyway, I am headed to my mom's farm this weekend for wedding planning. (Hers.) So no posts at ungodly hours in the morning. Sometimes I am even able to sleep in when I am there.

Happy weekend. (almost)
NKB

Should I stay or should I go?

A friend sent me an evite to a college reunion hosted at a bar close to my house in a few weeks. I haven't decided if I will go or not yet, but it does have me meandering down memory lane.

Mostly I feel like I am so lucky. I really had, for me, the perfect college experience. I had so much fun (of the virtuous and not so virtuous kind). I learned stuff too. (Nice work English Education department because I felt really prepared to handle teaching when I entered the work force.) I also had some bad times of the clench your stomach, fall on the floor in a ball and sob your eyes out variety. (In retrospect over nothing, but those sorts of things build character, right?) I even had a few scares from crazy professors, sketchy guys, and evil women. So, I think pretty well-rounded over all.

But I wonder if the eight (holy shit!) years that have passed since graduation have served to put a fine gloss over it all, and when seeing all those people who I used to see on a regular basis but now haven't seen in almost a decade will reduce me to the insecure person I probably was back then. And I don't really like Bourbon Street.

The Sisterhood...

Joel and I watched The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants last night. Who expected it to be a tear jerker? Not me. I didn't read the book. We both were reduced to sobs at multiple points during the film. (Don't tell him I told you.)
NKB

Incohesive thoughts on the Golden Globes...

I really like watching the Golden Globes better than the Oscars because everyone is sitting at tables and drinking and so they seem to be having much more fun, plus it is shorter and there is no music between the presenters. Overall, I thought the clothes, were beautiful last night...

I liked Felicity Huffman's dress
Jessica Alba always looks good
Why is Mariah Carey orange?
Geena Davis seems kind of smart; her speech was witty. I was not a fan of the excessive ruffles on her butt.
I heart David Strathairn
Usually Reece is as cute as a button, and she was last night...from the neck up. Her dress was pretty disasterous otherwise.
Chris Rock's jokes are getting a bit tired.
Gwyneth Paltrow's dress was ugly and she looked bitchy all night. But maybe she was pregnant-bitchy in which case she is excused.
I wanted Michelle Williams to win...oh well.
Terry Hatcher is dumb.
Drew Barrymore's dress...beautiful color, could live with out all the nipples.

OK...just like what happened last night while actually watching the GG's... I am bored so I am going to go do something else.

Lovin' Netflix

So last night Joel and I watched March of the Penguins and Batman Begins. Those little penguins will make you cry. And, Morgan Freeman could read the dictionary and make it sound heart-warming. Also, and I know I am probably the last one in America to see it, but Batman Begins was quite good as well. You totally understand the whole Batman story more. And Katie Holmes isn't even annoying because her part is very one dimensional. But did you ever notice her face is really crooked? I remember this from my cheesey Dawson's Creek watchin' days. Sometimes she can look so pretty, and other times she looks rather messed up.

Also, I need a book recommendation. Anyone got one?

The Early Bird...

One sign that I have been at my school for too long: On Wednesday, a student pulled the fire alarm. Twice. As I am trudging out into the cold January day for the second time without a coat, my first thought is… “The students need to find out who is doing this so that they can kick his ass.” Sensitive.

I used to be though. Sensitive, that is. I was an idealist, which is why I am teaching there in the first place. Still, I don’t like this jaded person that I am becoming. But I love most of the students and the time in my classroom. I love my co-workers. It is all the other crap that I can’t stand. Our kids go crazy in the hall and in the lunchroom. Much of the policy and mixed messages that we are given on a daily basis, I can leave behind as well.

One student asked me yesterday, “Mrs. Barr is there a job where you eat a lot, complain all the time, and still get paid a whole lot of money?” Other than the whole lot of money part, perhaps THAT IS my job.

In other news…Look at the ungodly hour that I am posting. I have been awake for an hour. What is wrong with me that I am wide awake at this time on a Saturday morning? I might be good and go work out though. Or, maybe I’ll make some pancakes…

I watched Must Love Dogs from Netflix last night. Diane Lane is beautiful and funny. John Cusack was as charming as always. There were some very witty lines in the movie. And there was a whole lot of crap too. I don’t ask for a lot in movies, just make it somewhat plausible. And I am getting tired of that scene in all comedies aimed at women known as “the wacky singing number”. It may have started with My Best Friends Wedding when they sing “I Say A Little Prayer”. Or maybe it came earlier, but it seems like in any movie now when they want to show that the characters are Quirky! And Fun! they have to have a sing along of some kitschy song from the sixties or seventies to illustrate this. I actually have dorky sing-a-longs with my family on a regular basis, embarrassingly enough… so I am a huge fan of the sing-a-long, and EVEN I am sick of these scenes. I wonder how people who never sing feel about this trend.

Couch Potato

So last night Joel and I had the first party in the house. The "unofficial" Hirsch Holiday Party. There has been some sadness related to our work environment of late, so this was on our mind. Plus there was the usual speculation and a bit of fun gossip. But, mostly it was just fun and I realized how lucky I am to work with such good, kind-hearted, smart people. So, I was enjoying myself too much to remember to take photos, so here are a few of the aftermath.
We went through two of the punchbowls. Cranberry with a Kick rocks.
This is how I plan to spend the rest of today. I feel pretty...

Vacation Reading

I love vacation because it means I get to catch up on reading! Woo hoo. Here is the re-cap thus far: Broken For You. I really enjoyed it. There are a lot of metaphors related to china/ relationships being broken. There is also much discussion on whether or not tiny little details are important. (I am of the mind set that there is beauty in tiny details; I don't think this is the popular vote.) I will, however, warn you that it took a good fifty pages for me to really get into it, so if you can't devote that kind of time, it may not be up your alley.

I also just finished The Washington Story, the sequel to Crossing California, which I shamelessly begged for here. I enjoyed both. My sister did not like Crossing California. So there you are. Make your own decision.

I will probably finish reading Julie & Julia today. I find it a very fun read, but if you aren't a married woman without kids who likes to blog and cook, you might find the author to be a little jaded and self-absorbed.

Next up is Tiny Ladies in Shiny Pants. I'll update later. Thanks Darcy for the way too generous Border's gift certificate.

Finally, I am listening to Pride and Prejudice on my iPod and enjoying it immensely. Partially because of the accents. I can't do accents AT ALL. So even the ones in my head as I am reading sound seriously fake. Oh well. Happy 2006.

And also, Liza and Jennifer, I fixed the comments so you can add one without joining blogger. But please don't correct my spelling or grammar.

NKB