So, This is Christmas!

My Christmas festivities have been a little slow to get started this year.  Christmas is in a week and a half, and I have been to one show, made three batches of cookies, been to one party, and bought entirely too few presents.  I did manage to get most of my cards out though!

This afternoon, my friend M took me to see SLSO's Mannheim Steamroller Christmas, conducted by Arnie Roth, himself classically-trained violinist and a member of the group.  The show was great fun, with a mix of their rocky arrangements, brass fanfare, and more traditional pieces.  What a nice present!

Goal #50

Goal #50: cookie delivery.

My Christmas cookie baking extravaganza is not yet over, but it's time to start delivery.  I've already taken some to work and given some to my friend M, but I need to make a delivery to G&G and one to V&S. 

Recap of goal #49: my recovery is progressing!  My foot is sprained, and I have to say that I'm not too good at staying off of it. but then again I've never been great about following instructions for recovery.  But I do wear my boot when I have to do a lot of walking, although it's a pain because it's my driving foot, which means I have to take the boot off or put it on every time I get in or out of the car.

My biggest problem is that I really want to work out!  I did go to the gym yesterday and did some top roping, which was J's excellent idea because then I could never fall too far.  I did take one fall that would have been pretty monstrous if I had been leading, but thankfully I wasn't.  And I was good and stayed off the bouldering wall.

Quote of the Day

"I've paid the price of solitude, but at least I'm out of debt."
  -- Bob Dylan, Dirge

What I'm Reading Now -- The Book Thief

When K finished The Book Thief by Markus Zusak some time ago, she texted me a picture of the cover and said something like, "YOU MUST READ THIS."  I promised I would, and all these many months (years?) later, I'm finally getting around to it.  It is pure chance that my reading of it coincides with the release of the movie, truly.

What I knew about this book before I started was that it had something to do with a girl and the Holocaust.  Almost one CD into it, that's still pretty much all I know about the setting, but I've met a lot of characters whom I think will be important as the story rolls on.

The most interesting thing so far is that the narrator of the tale, and you figure this out early on so I'm not spoiling anything, is Death.

At Home: A Short History of Private Life -- Take 2

Bill Bryson has done it again.  His At Home: A Short History of Private Life is an entertaining, informative, stroll through a modern home, while always casting his gaze backwards to see how our domestic comforts came to be.

A doctoral candidate could probably turn each chapter of Bryson's book into a historical dissertation all its own, but the fact that Bryson doesn't do that is precisely what makes his book enjoyable.  He gives you the general historical overview while picking out the choicest tales and anecdotes with which to pepper his storytelling, and leaving what I presume is a voluminous amount of boring nonsense out altogether.

Obviously if you're looking for a comprehensive volume, you'll want to look elsewhere, but if you're looking to be entertained as you learn about the history of home life, chuckling all the while, this is a great place to start.

Goal #49

Goal #49: recover.

I had an unfortunate accident while I was climbing today, and busted my ankle.  It's definitely not broken, and it doesn't appear that anything is torn (though I'll probably have a better idea in the morning).  Most likely, it's probably just badly bruised.  But I'd like it to heal so I can go about my business and fitness normally.

Recap of goal #48: I bought some Christmas presents this week!  I have not put my own list together (sorry, everybody!), but I managed to do just a teeny bit of shopping.  So much more to do though!

What I Watched -- The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

It's Hunger Games time again!  T and I spent an evening this week catching up with Katniss, Peeta, Gale, and the gang in Catching Fire (trailers), the second of what will be four Hunger Games movies.  The third book, as appears to be a matter of course these days, is going to be split into two movies.

Catching Fire finds the victors from the first movie headed back to the arena for more fun and games, in another survivor-takes-all battle even more twisted than the last one, with the added bonus of rebellion brewing in the Districts.  Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence), the Mockingjay, is their symbol of hope.

I thought this film was better made than the first one, and did a good job of focusing on the plot-based portion of the story, rather than getting lost in the thoughts of the characters.  But because you don't have Katniss's narration spelling things out for you, some of the details get lost in the shuffle.  The fight scenes were still a bit difficult to follow, but overall the camera work was better than the first.

I'm going to need more of Gale (Liam Hemsworth) in the third movie, because the Katniss-Gale story needs a little work.  Katniss and Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) won this one, but being in life-and-death situations will do that to a couple. Elizabeth Banks (still gorgeous) as Effie Trinket was a little less grating and a little more nuanced and, while I like Philip Seymour Hoffman, his casual demeanor doesn't seem quite right for a head gamemaker Plutarch Heavensbee.  And of course I still love Lenny Kravitz as Cinna and Woody Harrelson as Haymitch Abernathy.

Bottom line: I had heard mixed reviews about this one, but on the whole I have to say they did a decent job with my least favorite of the three books.

Sister Act

Remember back when P and I went to see Evita?  Well, she had another spare ticket to Sister Act, part of the same series at the Fox.

Compared to Evita, I'd say the vocal qualities were much better.  The woman who played Deloris was fabulous, and the whole supporting cast was excellent.  If you remember the movie, you'll recall that they used a lot of popular music.  Apparently they couldn't license those songs for the show, because it was all original numbers -- and pretty good ones, at that.  It was a fun, upbeat romp which I suspect was aided by the fact that I understood the Catholic jokes.  If you don't get those, a lot of the humor will probably be lost on you.

What I Watched -- Gold Star Children

Gold Star Children, my second SLIFF movie of the year, tells the tragic but healing tale of kids who have lost a parent to war.  The film specifically profiles two characters: Cierra, who lost her dad in Iraq, and Jennifer, whose dad was killed in Vietnam.  Together they, along with the thousands of other Gold Star children, try to work through what that loss means, and how to move forward.  You can see the trailer here.

This was an incredibly powerful movie, and while the subject matter is heavy, I didn't find it depressing.  Rather, the way that a young kid like Cierra can process what has happened without becoming bitter, and can turn it into a source of strength, is really amazing.  Probably the most touching scene in the movie is when she is in a group session with other Gold Star kids and their mentors, including Jennifer.  Cierra's younger sister says something about their dad, and starts to cry.  Instantly, Cierra is transformed from the mentee to the mentor, and it is so clear how important this type of support system is for these kids.

We also had the privilege of having the filmmaker, Mitty Griffis Mirrer, there to answer questions.  Her movie began as a Kickstarter project (also a good trailer on that site), inspired by her own father who was killed in Vietnam just hours after her birth.  Now that the project is complete, she is working with the Department of Defense to get it distributed to Gold Star families.  It's $10 to download the movie from the website, if you are so inclined.

Goal #48

Goal #48: Christmas gifts.

It is now post-Thanksgiving.  I have purchased exactly two (2) Christmas gifts.  I have only one or two other ideas, and I haven't put together a list of my own.  Usually I'm good at Christmas. This year, not so much.  Time to get crackin'.

Recap of goal #47: dinner was great!  It was a bit hectic getting started, because I ended up working later on Wednesday than I had planned (but what's new, eh?).  But Dad and D brought cheese, crackers, and wine, and that was perfect for buying a bit of time to get the meal ready.  Thanks for coming, guys!