Archive for Travel

How I Spent My SpRiNg BrEaK in movies

{ March 31, 2009 @ 12:20 am } · { CheckIt, Happenstances, Travel }
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  1. Changling – Very good. True stories are really IN these days, and this was a very well written and directed one. Angelina does a different acting job than I’ve ever seen her do, and it was very good. Really shows the corruption of the LAPD back then. It kept me on my toes up to the last moment. Good thriller.
  2. Rachel Getting Married – Shot like an Indie film so I automatically loved it. It was scored live during filming, which is amazing and just SWEET because the wedding band was constantly playing or playing around with their instruments. Real to life, cuz thats what musicians really do when they get together.
  3. Alexander – Just bad. Bad story telling writing. Bad child actors (I hate bad child actors). Homosexual scenes. Battles were pretty cool. Unnecessary blood. It’s not worth it.
  4. Slumdog Millionaire – Very good. No wonder it won those awards and nominations. It was brilliantly written. Telling the story of just how slummy it is in the bad parts of India. The writer was definitely saturated with Indian culture and the reality of a boy like that actually experiencing all that he did. I love the love story aspect of it too. It held two plots without overloading you. It just worked perfectly.
  5. Skulls – I had seen the ending, and now I got to see the whole thing. It’s very predictable, not so good acting, interesting story. I watched it on a high intensity HD TV so the whole time my eyes were freaked out by how the whole movie looked like a history channel documentary. That’s when I discovered that I’m not that big of a fan of that Blue Ray/HD look. I’m sure I’ll get over it though.
  6. The Duchess – The Duke was a jerk! I really liked this movie. Another true story one, those don’t usually have happy endings… that’s real life for you. Kiera isn’t that bad of an actress. She just lives in period pieces. But anyway, the movie was good. The writing of the character of the Duke just made you wanna strangle him. When she had to give up the baby I almost cried… almost. All in all very good.
  7. Becoming Jane – Not sure why it took me so long to see this, but it was pretty good. Not sure if Anne Hathaway really pulled off her time period, but maybe that’s just because my mind couldn’t fathom her outside of the US in the 2000s. I think there falling in love could have been a little more evident. It happened too quick, but when it did happen it was very cute. Course, everyone falls in love really quickly in those movies. This was sad ending #2 of my movie binge the other day. But honestly, it was a good movie.
  8. No Country For Old Men – What in the world! Crazy Mexican goes around killing people with a pressurized oxygen tank all for $2 Grand. Horrible ending! I didn’t understand the overall point, unless it was the power of fear and how greed takes control of the mind. I wondered the whole time if this movie had a soundtrack, then I realized what it would be:

    Track 1: Dust and wind from the Desert
    Track 2: The sound of locks being pressurized out of their sockets
    Track 3: Gushing blood from people’s heads and necks
    Track 4: Dogs growling and being shot and whining
    Track 5: Shot guns
    Track 6: Mexican Mumbling
    Track 7: People taking their last breaths
    Track 8: Pressurized locks (DJ Schnizzle Remix)
    Track 9: The car wreck
    Track 10: The Final Speech of Ed Tom

  9. August Rush – This was cute. Very musical. Enjoyed the guitar playing a lot. Didn’t like the way he banged the guitar. In theory it works, but its not the way you learn to play. It was a little bit magical, but it really wasn’t for my age group anyway. I liked the ending, but for goodness sakes: If I hadn’t seen the man of my dreams in 10 years I would have been a little more taken back by the sight of him! But I understand, the kids music was mesmerizing them. She was an excellent cello player (or cello faker). I may even download a few songs.
  10. Twilight – I found it interesting. I may even read the books now, because I hear their hard to put down once you stop. Although I hear the movie doesn’t do the books justice (does any movie?). I like Bella the character and the actress. I don’t like the cheesy effects of the running vampires and when Edward tingles in the light. We’ll see how I like the books.

~Of all of these I would recommend: Slumdog Millionaire and Rachel Getting Married. ~

Northland Camp: Green Pudding?

{ May 26, 2008 @ 8:32 pm } · { Travel }
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The road trip to Dunbar was pretty adventurous. I got here in 3 and 1/2 hours… If I had driven it before, realizing how far Tower Line road was from Crivitz, then I would have perhaps made it in 3 hours and 15 minutes.

Cool moment: Driving at 70mph, listening to a jazz song that would just make anyone smile, witnessing a lightning storm over the sunsetting horizon. The downpour came later that night when I forgot to get a few things out of the car…

I awoke this morning the first time (about 12:30) to Axel Yula jumping on me! Do you know how weird it is to awake in a strange place, strange bed, and then to an old roommate?! I was delirious.

At 5:50 I walked over to work. My first project was to dish out the pudding they prepped from the day before… It was green…

Made coffee cake from scratch! As well as brownies, and some sort of donut glaze, which was 6 pounds of powdered sugar, boiling water and vanilla. (the brownies were just a mix and water… hmm…)

All honesty: The food aint half bad here. Maranatha is better, but ya know…

A Wedding Roadtrip to Remember

{ May 13, 2008 @ 4:16 pm } · { Happenstances, Travel }
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I’ve been to 14 weddings in my life. Out of those 14, Iv’e stood in 4, performed in 1, danced in 2. Iv’e got one on the way in June (no dancing involved, just standing). Chelsie and Jon’s wedding was by far the most unique. Ive never been friends of the bride and groom, and this will be my 2nd college friends wedding I have attended so far. What made this wedding so far out and unique was how we got there. Allow me to explain:

It all started on Mel’s birthday, May 9. Midnight was wrung in by watching Rat Race, but I’m sure she didn’t mind terribly. Little sleep was received by anyone that night. When we actually awoke, we both headed off to work. Nothing real interesting there, but I did get someone to work my lunch shift (blessings!). I headed out to find an outfit for the wedding (yes, on the day I was leaving). Long story short, I passed up a $140 outfit for a $50 outfit (the shoes were more than the top… How is that?). Swifty finally showed up at the house about 7:00. Mel, Swift and I were off to Minnesota.

Before we got in the car, Mel says in response to being able to watch a movie on the way, “Watch, his cigarette lighter wont work.” I say something to the effect of, “You pessimist.” We get in the car. Swift says, “Hey you got any tunes?” I say “Yeah, on my computer. I can plug in my computer with this.” “My cigarette lighter doesn’t work.” Mel and I exchange a look. And that was just the beginning.

“Do you know how to get to Chelsie’s?” I ask. “Nope, but maybe Troy Poorman does. I’m staying at his house.” says Swifty. . . . . . Mel -“How were you planning on getting a gift before the wedding?” Me *A look of slight panic* “I guess we can borrow someone’s car and shop.” *Brilliant idea strikes my head* “Hey Swift, have you gotten them a gift yet?” “Nope.” “Wanna go out tomorrow and get one?” “Sure!”

Me-“Oooo a Koosh ball!”

Me-“Shoot, I dont even have Chelsie’s address to get the key to the neighbor’s.”

Me-“Perhaps there is a wireless signal at this rest stop. . . nope.”

We arrive at Troy’s house after 5 hours. I find a wireless signal. I get the address. We pull away. We drive around the neighborhood till we find Chelsie’s. Got the key and a piece of paper with the directions on it. Can’t find the house. Drive back to Chelsie’s. *Flash Back* — “Ok Chelsie, so what your saying is, technically we could walk behind your house and walk to your neighbors house.” “Well yeah I guess.” *End Flash Back* We do just that. With a blow dryer concealed so no one thinks we are a bunch of robbers, we walk though Chelsie’s backyard. We walk in, never see the owner. We even leave the next morning never seeing the owner of the house! We even go to wedding and never meet her!

The morning of the wedding went something like this: Swift-“I think i’m in front of the house.” *Open door* “You are!… how did you find it?!” “I -don’t -know.” Swift-“Let’s go to target.” “We should pick up that couch.” “I feel under-dressed.”

Mel and I walk arm in arm with Swifty into Target. “I’m getting the hot chocolate frother!” “You bite!”

The kitchen aisle. “What does it even look like…” “Hey! The juicer!” Mel-“It’s not metal.” Me-“So.” Swift-“Are these the mixing bowls?” . . . Me-“Let’s get them the DVD player.” Mel-“Wanna split it?” Swift -“Wait, wanna split it three ways?” So Mel, Swift, and I all split a gift. We borrowed wrapping paper from the Poorman’s, forgot a card, had to get one, Swift threw away the directions to the church, dug in the trash, signed the card in the car.

The wedding was beautiful. Quick. Jon tried to kiss her after one of the prayers. That was unique. Free bags of chocolate!! Greatest wedding gift ever.

You have been randomly selected to act the part of a Terrorist suspect as TSA pats you down

{ March 31, 2008 @ 12:51 am } · { Travel }
{ Comments (2) }

This is kind of long, but very appealing if you have had interesting experiences in airports.

Airplanes are funny things. It’s kind of like a carpool system. You don’t know the people in the plane at all (unless you’re traveling with friends or family, or, as I have experienced, traveling with your ex-boyfriend’s wife’s best friend), and you put your full trust in 2 pilots (drivers) whom you have never met.

“Hey, random 30-40 year old male, who I trust has passed his pilot test without cheating. I know nothing of your character. For all I know, you could be one of those people who snap under pressure. But regardless of your possible tantrums, I put my life in your hands as you put me up 30,000 feet in the air in a piece of equipment that, if tampered with, could plummet to the ground and blow up.”

Anyone else find this a little twisted when looking at it from this angle?

How does a tube of metal get up in the air anyway?!

Aside from the inside of the plane, the preliminaries are quite twisted as well: I have flown about *counts trips in head* 7 times in the past year. I travel a lot! I know how the ticket counter works, how the security line works, how ridiculous boarding is, how I have to pay for the WIFI in the airports… So when I misread the check-in lines today, I felt like a rookie, but there was NO NEED to treat me like an idiot, miss “Its 7:30 in the morning and I’m already tired of being at this stinking (I could use other words) counter.” I’m standing in the line with all the people, away from the 1st class line. Well, the line with all the people (of which I am in front and to the right of) is the people not waiting for a counter, but waiting for their e-ticket to process. As they all are STARING out to the counters, my brain interprets such behavior as waiting to be called to the counter, not waiting for their ticket to be processed up at the desk.

So grumpy pants, sees me standing there and says something like, “Are you waiting for your ticket to process?” Me-“No I have a long story, (flight was cancelled, they called my dad at midnight to say another flight was leaving an hour earlier than mine. News-flash: people go to sleep before midnight, Delta!!!!!!) Delta booked me on an AA flight so I don’t have an e-ticket number.” *we walk up together to her desk* “Well, this is the e-ticket line, people are checking in with their confirmation numbers here. This line right here *points to line RIGHT NEXT TO first class* is the check in line where you should have been.” Me- “I’m sorry, I thought that was the first class line, because no one was there so I figured there were 2 and–” “No, this is the check in line.”

She was pretty much a piece of plankton (bottom dweller, pick a word) the rest of the experience.

Because I was booked about 3 hours before my flight left, I was picked to be one of those lucky people who get to play the part of a terrorist suspect. Got to cut people in line as my stuff went through the conveyor, escorted by a TSA lady. She looked very closely at all my stuff. Tested my laptop and book-bag for explosives (swipe a square of white material onto objects, put wipe in machine, machine sucks it in, tests for explosives, genius). Patted down by another TSA lady (felt up could be another description). Good to go.