What Are You Watching This Fall?

First day of Fall to the First day of Winter offers some celluloid treats. I'm looking at the the following offerings if you ever want to join me...

September
22 - Flyboys ... bring on the big screen visuals and cute boy smiles
29 - The Guardian ... cause Costner & Kutcher cheesiness can be OK

October
6 - The Departed ... Scorcese, Nicholson, Dicaprio, Damon - do I need to say more?
13 - The Queen ... an interesting tour de force potential
20 - The Prestige ... Jackman, Johansson & Bale in the hands of Christopher Nolan must be magic
27 - Marie Antoinette ... pop music and powdered wigs

November
3 - Babel ... hopefully this year's Constant Gardener
10 - Stanger than Fiction - Will Ferrell's Truman Show
17 - Casion Royale ... a new brand of 007 is unveiled
22 - The Fountain ... this looks just TOO cool to ignore

December
1 - The Nativity Story ... could be a wonderfully beautiful experience
8 - The Holiday ... cause sometimes a good chick flick is necessary
15 - The Pursuit of Happyness ... and sometimes you want a sappy tear-jerker
22 - The Good Shepherd ... Damon, Jolie and De Niro rock the CIA

Hi fromYHZ

I am writing from the Halifax Airport via free WI-FI in the terminal. Being only mildly computer literate this experience is, admittedly, kind of cool! It is also a wonderful environment to express my frustration with my trip to Montreal this week. I think "the Fates" may actually be trying to keep me away and force me to deal with the pile of unfinished tasks on my desk at work. But I have triumphed (fingers crossed, knock on wood, hope nothing happens to a "falange" on the plane!) and I am on my way.

The story began yesterday morning when a combination of sleepiness and old-car syndrome conspired to cause my lateness at the terminal. After I was forced to wait in the line for the self-service ticket (a waste of 7.5 minutes behind an entire entourage of flying seniors getting private tutorials) I was rebuffed by the machine and sent to the ticket counter. By now I had 30 minutes before my flight so I was obviously stressed. And then I was informed that I would not be permitted to board my flight. Especially since I had to check my 1 bag (full of liquid personal care products) and I did not have time. So I broke into tears. Seriously. Not as an attempt to appeal to the ticketman's sensibilities. I was actually, really upset. I could not miss my flight. I had a meeting! It was my first visit to my organization's head office! I had ruined my first impression! What should I do! Well, compose myself would be the thing to do first but that didn't happen for a bit. I did arrange for a new flight and slunk back to the office to work. Sad and feeling stupid - two things I hate most.

Interestingly, it turned out to be a good thing I was in the office for the last two days as there were a number of things that I needed to address and I do feel better leaving with more accomplished. Sometimes it works out. And with that positive vibe I entered the airport tonight to get on my rescheduled flight. I was 90 minutes early. I confidently punched my booking number into the kiosk. And, what's this? - My request could not be processed and I had to see someone at the counter. And as the woman at the desk tried to find my "new" reservation in her computer she got more and more flustered. And then she had to leave and get some more information. And then she came back only to make a phone call while clearly hiding her conversation from me. I refused to get stressed. I hummed to myself. As it turns out, my booking number had already been used. My seat had already been assigned. Apparently, somehow, I had already checked in for this flight! Ummmm ... no. But a full 15 minutes later I had a boarding pass in hand and I was off.

So now I sit in the departure lounge waiting for the boarding call. It is late. The flights west are always late and I am going to be even more of an inconvenience to my bestest friend by arriving behind schedule. But I am getting on this plane! And I am getting to Montreal. And I am getting to my meeting. Fate be damned.

Beautiful Boy

It has be AGES since I got to post a picture of my rapidly-growing nephew extraordinaire. Well, here he is! Isn't he just gorgeous! Total heart-breaker in the making I think. I will be going back to Ontario for the Thanksgiving weekend so I will get to see him again. It has been 5 months since I saw him last and he has changed so much. But that is the way of children. He is also talking (and singing) so I look forward to having my first conversation with him. I am always amazed at the emotions I have about the little guy since I don't see him much. I am always reminded about the unconditional and uncontrollable love for family when I see pictures or hear stories about him. So I am naturally proud of his development and awed by his happy smile. So I just have to share.

Island Wedding

I made my FIRST EVER trip to Prince Edward Island today to attend the beautiful marriage of this lovely gal. She was "fresh off the the island" when I met her 10 years ago so I feel it is only fitting that she be the reason that brings to that special place. Did you know PEI is only a quicki 4-hr jaunt (and $40 bridge toll) from Halifax?

Well, me and some of the other ladies (see below) took the road trip and made sure to enjoy ourselves. I know that people always talk about the red island soil (and it is red!) but I was more amazed by the glowing grass. The sun was beating down through puffy Simpsons-esque clouds and the grass was electric emerald in the light. We were on our way to Charlottetown and the road meandered through one big giant farm of land to get there.

We stopped in a the tiny town of Victory (by the sea) for lunch and what a magical detour it turned out to be. We had lunch at a small, eccentric cafe that served thyme pork roast with baked potato just like at home. And then we visited the chocolate shop for handmade sweets and delicious tea. I had to buy a tin of the house blend that is a soft mix of 3 black teas infused with peach and apricot. Needless to say, we arrived at our cabin much later than anticipated and had to prepare at a quick pace for the ceremony.

So the wedding? The wedding was wonderful. It was traditional and beautiful. I cried cause I am a total softie. The reception was a fun cocktail party that definately had some "scandalous" moments and expensive wine. But I got to do some dancing - including a twirl around the dancefloor with the groom himself. Then it was back to the cabin for more drinks (soooooo many drinks) and conversation. Thanks to my wonderful work family for the fantastic time. Must catch up on my sleep now!

Autumn Arrives

OK ... so I am not ANY closer to sorting out my life. But as we welcome the first day of fall here are two little diversions on the themes (the future and fall) of that instructive horoscope. Don't you just love quizzes?!

What Your Soul Really Looks Like

You are a wanderer. You constantly long for a new adventure, challenge, or eve a completely different life. You are a very grounded, responsible, and realistic person. People may not want to hear the truth from you, but they're going to get it. You see yourself with pretty objective eyes. How you view yourself is almost exactly how other people view you. Your near future is still unknown, and a little scary. You'll get through wild times - and you'll textually enjoy it. For you, falling in love is all about the adventure and uncertainty. You can only fall in love with someone who keeps you guessing.

Inside the Room of Your Soul

You Are Apple Cider

Smooth and comforting. But downright nasty when cold.

What Part of Fall Are You?

Fit

The notion of "fit" has been in my thoughts lately. Not in that physcial fitness way. Nor in the fit of my jeans way. Not even in the British slang for hotness way. I have been thinking of fit in the way that you think of people in your life and how they connect together to turn the pieces of your life into a full picture. And how some people just FIT. Currently I have something new in my life that consistently amazes me with its easy fit. Its good fit. Its fulfilling fit. And I am calmly awed by my luck at finding another element that feels right for the puzzle of my life.

Last May I used the puzzle piece metaphor to talk about compatibility and how important it was that the pieces match in shape and colour. Now I understand that the pieces must be somewhat different to fit. Not so different that they come from completely different puzzles but the colour cannot be the same because the image emerging will never be uniform. And if the shapes match perfectly they may lay beside each other but they will never fit together. AHA! So I must express my modified metaphor. This one is infused with the thoughts that are circling in my brain as I challenge myself to continually find the best pieces for my puzzle. Oh, and relish the addition of a particularly nice one.

A Sunset in NB

More pictures from a work trip. This week took me up to the Baie des Chaleurs in New Brunswick to do some training with the field staff. After a full day of information overload we went out to sit on the shore and watch the sunset. We plopped down on the grass and dangled our feet over the edge of a sandy cliff above the water. And watched as the sun fell in blazing glory behind the horizon. It was one of the clearest and most beautiful sunsets I have ever seen. Check out the evidence below.

Sometimes I have to be really happy about where my life takes me.

Do You Remember Where You Were?

I was shopping for furniture in Kitchener, ON to supply a project house. We ended up seeing the images on a TV in a Value Village of all places - surrounded by the gaudy (and early) racks of Halloween costumes. I remember hearing the news on the radio prior to any visuals and the impact it had to NOT be able to SEE it. To not be able to visualize it and it made me think about all those people listening to wars before television made everything feel like entertainment. And although I have my own (admittedly strong) conspiracy ideas about the whole incident I will cop to feeling a weird shudder of something everytime the phrase 9-11 is mentioned. It has definately become an iconic date.

Pictures of Peggy

One of the things that I love about living on the coast is that I can cruise for 40 minutes and hang out at a place like Peggy's Cove. So after my horrible Friday of spewage and sleep, I decided to treat myself to some fresh sea air on Saturday. I set up my little folding chair and read academic articles as the waves crashed against the rocks.

The visit would be my fourth trip to the cove and everytime it is different. The first time was with my parents and the sky was bright and full of cottonball clouds. The second time was with fellow students and the crisp fall air kept the tourist ants to a minimum. The last time was with Cathy and it was a grey and blustering day. This time the day was all about sea spray and atmospheric lighting. I'm such a shutterbug geek.

On the Horizon

I was sick today. Like, crappy, tummy-achey, spewing sick. I can't figure out where it came from but I think a combination of poor food, chick stuff and stress had something to do with it. Whatever the cause it made today a sucky one. So I stayed home from work to sleep it off. Ordinarily that would be a good plan except that I have SO MUCH to do in the coming weeks.

I admit to feeling the pressure of my life in a weighty way these days. Work is hectic. School has begun again. Research is stalled. Volunteerism is busy. Social life is wonderfully weird. All these elements together are creating a cacaphony of thougths and emotions in my head that is almost unbearable. And at times like this my body goes "Woah - slow down!" or, as was the case today, it just shuts off. Which makes me realize I need to do some serious reflection again. I need to find MY focus. And then I get my new horoscope...

"There is nothing worse than a brilliant image of a fuzzy concept," said photographer Ansel Adams. That advice should be uppermost in your mind as you follow your bliss to the next fork in the road. Although you've got good intuitions about the hopeful scenario that's fueling you, the fantasy still needs to be fleshed out a lot more. Unless you make it more specific and detailed, it will eventually fizzle. Here's your assignment: By the equinox, create a vivid image of a well-crafted, intricately imagined goal.

So what is it on my horizon? Which way should I be setting my sails? The equinox is in two weeks - will anything make sense by then? If it does I will let you know.

The Illusionist - movie review

There are certain things that will lead me to believe a film will be good. Based on a short story is one because it means the plot arc will be easily adapted to film. Starring Edward Norton is another because the man has a wonderful onscreen presence. So we have The Illusionist - a film that has both these elements. And, lucky for the audience, both are good.

The film opens with a lovely set of credits that flow into each other in a series of sienna hues. The score by Phillip Glass (the guy that gave us those haunting sounds in The Hours) sets the mood perfectly. As the opening curtain parts we find Norton's Eisenheim character sitting on a chair in a packed theater. The sound drowns away and only the awkward shifting of bodies is heard. The moment casts an immediate spell of putting you into the action right from the start. And then the mystery begins.

The Illusionist is a story of love lost and reclaimed. It is a simple and straightforward piece. And, for today's crime savvy audiences it is hardly a challenge to solve. In fact, most of my glee was derived from guessing the next reveal in advance and having my thoughts confirmed. So, if the film isn't about keeping you guessing what is it about? It appears that the Illusionist is about illusions of all kinds. The plot is merely the device that helps the characters to explore (or ignore) the illusions under which they live. In the end the movie is about questioning what is true and what you believe.

Joining Norton in this journey is Jessica Biel as the object of affection. I will admit to being impressed with her restrained and sincere performance. For some reason she appears to emote much better with more clothes on. (This is not to say her scene of passion with Norton doesn't have heat - it does ... in a PG kind of way of course). Rufus Sewell replays his dastardly villain from A Knight's Tale as the evil crown prince itcing for a come-uppance. And Paul Giamatti links the characters together as Inspector Uhl who tries to unravel the plot only to become one of the pegs that sustains the web itself.

Thanks to movie magic the illusions are truly magical. It makes one wonder if ANY of it is possible. But then the film is not about respecting reality. It is about magic and the power of disbelief. And it is quaint and pretty. It will make you want to visit Vienna and find a master magician who will reveal his tricks. It will make you smile and wish for undying love. It will make you say "I knew it!" and not feel cheated because you did - as long as you can let yourself go and just enjoy the moment.

On this Day I Need a Nes to Wed...

At the halfway mark of the first week of September 2006 - I find myself in possession of the following knowledge...

- the death of Steve Irwin (the Crocodile Hunter) due to a sting ray spike in the heart!

- the worldwide unveiling of Suri Cruise in all her genuinely cute,and not at all alien, sweetness (but I'm still thinking Shiloh is gonna win this race!)

- the reversal of Pluto's planet status ... WTF?

- the existence of an anonymous cyber crush

- the reality that I like someone who uses the word holophrasting

- the academic year has officially started ... with rain ... again!

Bring on Thursday and whatever it chooses to reveal!

Ummm .... OK then ...

OK ... so "T" is apparently NOT spam. "T" reads this blog and decided the best way to contact me was to search out a personal email NOT listed on this blog. Internet lesson learned by me. As for "T" - using the comment function would have sufficed doncha think?
cheers,
R

Loving My White Horsies

Can I just take a moment here to talk about my Stampeders? You know, I've been a Stamps fan for over 10 years and this year is starting to feel good. It's nice to be out of the gutter. I saw the glimmer of hope in last year's semi-final and I know this year had promise. And it appears that promise is being delivered. The team has won its last four games with the last two being impressive wins (41 to 23 over Montreal and 44 to 23 over Edmonton). I know I shouldn't get my hopes up because it is at moments like this - with the important part of the season ahead of them - that the team may fall apart. But instead I'm going to cheer for the momentum to remain. Now, if we could only put some bad mojo on BC...

Invincible -movie review

Invincible isn't so much a movie as a visual love letter to football. If you are a gridiron fan it will likely touch you but for anyone else this picture is pretty empty. That is not to say the story of Vince Papale isn't worth telling. It is, in fact, almost unbelievable. At the age of 30, Papale scores a spot on an NFL team and goes on to glory with a fantastical touchdown in the team's home opener. It is one of those cases of you not believing it except it happens to be true.

Which makes Invinicible the Rudy for a new generation. It has been 13 years since Sean Astin made us cheer for the smallest underdog in the Fighting Irish. This time it is Mark Walhberg's turn to be the down-on-his-luck dreamer that scores big. Unfortunately, Invincible lacks much of the heart that makes Rudy a re-watchable late-night classic. The opening is slow and repetitive before any real football begins. The characters are broadly drawn and the film prefers to play safe with lingering shots of supposed emotion rather than develop the characters and the relationships.

What the film does offer is a wonderful series of football montages complete with slow motion clashes and bone crunching side effects. This on-the-field approach is what football movie fans will love and it effectively captures the experience of Papale himself. But these sequences are too little too late. Overall, Invincible is third string entry into the field of football films and only second-rate tale of triumph.