July 2008: Fireworks, Lightning, Hellboy, Maniacs, and Gambling

July 4th, Friday - Fireworks at Val & Matt's. It's the 4th of July and we went to the Winchester and had hot dogs and watermelon and then watched stuff blow up. They got all of the legal fireworks they could and while that was going down, some of the neighbors were setting off the illegal ones. It was like we were in a war zone. I am not much of a pyromaniac, but the legal ones were pretty good. Personally, I just prefer the hot dog portion of the evening.

July 12th, Saturday - Val's Birthday. At the Winchester again. This time, there weren't any fireworks, but we did have a lightning storm. It was alternately pretty and scary. After one too many lightning strikes though, I had to go inside and it was there we were sucked into the Wii. Man, that thing is addictive. Val got DW sound effects, which was especially fun since you could have it say "EXTERMINATE" over and over again.

July 13th, Sunday - HELLBOY: THE GOLDEN ARMY. I love Hellboy. I really do. I also love Abe Sapien. And it looks like other supernatural characters love them too. I am so glad Doug Jones got more opportunity to act in this movie. He was so good in the previous one and then the overdubbed him with David Hyde-Pierce's voice. DHP, was/is such a classy fellow, he didn't even want to take credit for it. Go DHP! I'm not sure this movie is as good as the first one. The solution to the problem seemed absurdly easy to me. But the emotions were spot on and the actors so good, it was worth it. Oh, and the graphics were lovely. Steampunk robots! And Gigantic Tree Monsters! And fighting! Always good stuff.

July 19th, Saturday - TAKING OVER THE ASYLUM at Val & Matt's. We watched the very first show that David Tennant was in on British television. He was a manic-depressive in an asylum. He was really good. Super skinny, too. I think he's aging well. He looks a lot better now than he did back then. The show was about the inmates in the asylum and the radio DJ who's been assigned to help them run their internal radio station. He's got issues of his own and it sometimes seems like the "normal" people on the outside are crazier than the inmates on the inside. It's funny and tragic and I don't want to give anything away, but it all kind of seems like real life even though it isn't. It was very, very good and DT credits this show with starting his career. I have no picture because DT looks horrible in 80's clothes.

July 20th, Sunday - THE FALL. It made me cry people. It made me cry. Plus it was visually stunning. Lee Pace is a stuntman in the hospital after an accident on set and he makes friends with a little girl with a broken arm. He starts telling her a story and the visuals switch to the story he's telling and the hospital scenes. Then they kind of meld together. I don't want to give anything away here, but the friendship with the little girl is a ruse and there's more to his accident than he's telling people. Tarsem Singh also did THE CELL, which was visually frightening, at least to me, but it seemed like a very original piece of work. The man does know how to shoot beautiful pictures and I don't think he used CGI at all in this picture. There's a bit of animation in the movie, but it makes perfect sense, when you think about it. I highly recommend it, but if you do get it, get the widescreen or HD version because you really don't want to miss that.

July 26th, Saturday - Casino Night at the Brant's. Daryl and I went to a friend's Casino Night way out east, nearly half-way to Vegas it seemed. Anyway, each person was given a certain amount of money to gamble with and there were games of roulette, craps, poker, and blackjack set up. I held onto my money in case Daryl lost all of his and in the end we were up $600 of play money. But there was one guy who made over $50,000 so he won for the night. Craps was a complicated game and I couldn't figure it out. Roulette seemed to be the most popular one of the evening, and got even more popular after the fellow won $50,000 on Black 9 or some such. The only games that made sense to me were blackjack and poker, but I'm not very good with cards. With my luck, I try not to bet on anything. Oh, and I got to see a junebug. It was huge! The desert makes very big bugs.

June 2008: Indy, Caspian, Spaced, WALL-E, and Doctor Who

June 7th, Saturday - INDIANA JONES AND THE CRYSTAL SKULL. I was glad to hear this was coming back, but I did wonder...what's up Shia Lebeouf? He was kinda gross in the movie and I have a hard time believing that's what you get when you cross Marion Ravenwood and Indiana Jones. Was it supposed to be telling that his name was Mutt? Daryl did not like this movie and turned to me in the middle and said, "If this ends with a spaceship taking off with aliens, then I'm done." I did like the chase scene. It had some of the exhilarating action of the previous movies. Daryl thinks that they
were trying to imitate the movies of the 50's instead of the old serials, which makes sense...giant ants, aliens, Communists, etc. All they needed was zombies and they would have tapped every old cliche. Apparently, there's a Frank Darabont script out there they didn't make and the general opinion is that script would have rocked. This one was ok, but it did make me long for the vigor of the first one. Oh, and the refrigerator thing...That's when you knew it was not the same old Indy. And why hasn't Karen Allen gotten more work? She's fantastic in every scene, so delightful! Hollywood is stupid for not casting her more.

June 14th, Saturday - Haircut, finally. And boy did I need it. I'd put up a picture, but I'm too embarrassed to show what I looked like for months.

June 15th, Sunday - THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: PRINCE CASPIAN. Here's another movie that I had high hopes for and was disappointed by. Ben Barnes is pretty, but kinda meh. I didn't get the whole power play with Peter. Edmund fared better and Lucy was stupendous as usual. The story was not my favorite of the series, but they did do a good job of adapting it. Peter Dinklage as the dwarf was fantastic. That man should be James Bond. I am not kidding. Heaps of charisma, that man has, dwarf or no. And it was all fighting, all the time. Isn't it a PG movie? It seemed so violent. There's a war, yes, but it did seem a bit much for what is essentially a children's movie. So we saw the movie and then went to Christian & Yuri's wedding. The wedding was in Rancho Palos Verdes at The Wayfarer's chapel near a cliff next to the beach. A lovely location for a wedding. It was beautiful and the weather was great and everyone had a terrific time.
The Happy Couple.

Me and the Ocean

Daryl and the Ocean


June 21st, Saturday - It's time again for the yearly SPACED marathon at Val & Matt's place. This year they held it at their new home which they call The Winchester. Smaller than the previous venue, but the AC is much better. I got sick that day, but refused to leave until the whole show was over. I can't recommend this series enough and it just come out on DVD for the US, so grab it now while you can. It's totally worth it.

June 28th, Saturday - I had the best birthday ever. I had cake and pie. I had friends over. I got presents! I got to see WALL-E. And I got to shoot Nerf guns at zombies. Speaking of which, I was inspired by the Office Nerf War and asked Daryl to get Nerf guns for the party. He obliged and he also set up targets using zombie pictures from the web. My favorite was the zombie kitten. Seriously, this is fun stuff. Daryl's family called me on the phone and his nephews got all excited to hear we were playing with Nerf guns. We got the Recon rifle that deconstructs down to a pistol with an ammo clip. I want to try the Maverick pistol next. It's got a rotating barrel. Plus, it takes the Nerf darts that whistle through the air when you shoot them. Then we all went to see WALL-E in the theater. It was such a good movie. I cannot recommend it enough. I cannot wait for our Robot Overlords. If they're all as cute and kind and curious and gentle like WALL-E, I'm sure we'll be fine in our enslavement. Go Robots! It was a wonderful end to a great birthday and I thank everyone that showed up and Daryl who indulgently helped plan it all. I also cleaned up! I got a Master's Laser Screwdriver from Doctor Who, a bunch of Doctor Who comics, the Serenity comic book, Those Left Behind, Alba lip balms and a mirror for my purse, and the promise of a iPhone. I love all of my friends. It all makes me forget I'm actually getting older and more decrepit. This is why people have parties.

June 29th, Sunday - Oh my. The Doctor Who group got together to watch the season finale of DW and it was a doozy. It was sad, so very sad. People didn't die, but it's kinda like they did. Once you see it you think, yeah, that's they only way they could have done it, but still. It was brutal. There was weeping. Not from me, because I have a heart of stone, but there was weeping. The forums were chittering away for hours after that one. And now we won't have a new one until Christmas. Now that makes me really sad.

May 2008: Vegas, IRON MAN, SPEED RACER, Babies and Birthdays

May 1-4, Thursday - Sunday - Las Vegas. This is the hotel where we stayed. It's way at the north end of the strip and the Las Vegas Hilton is behind it. Daryl didn't get into the money finals, but he did play two games more than he thought he would. He was actually playing beautifully but then scratched on the 8-ball. Twice. Arg. Poor D. I checked out the spa at the Hilton and I think I may actually like massages after all. I got a massage, a seaweed scrub, and a facial. The massage was great, the seaweed weird, and the facial was more money than I think I should have spent. Also, I went to town at Sephora. I should really not spend any money anymore. Sigh. I visited the Star Trek store at the Hilton and it was a hoot. I bought a communicator! I really wanted a Tribble, but didn't have the guts to actually get one. We had no idea they vibrated and made noises. Daryl actually touched one and nearly fell back after it "spoke." Later on, we actually ate at Quark's bar. It wasn't that bad, but it did not compare to the buffet at the Wynn. Daryl and I went there three times, it was so good. What other buffet has crab legs? It was super expensive, but totally worth it. We also ate at the Burger Bar in Mandalay Bay (Kobe Beef Burgers!) and at Bouchon at the Venetian. The pastry chef even gave us a tour of the restaurant. Seriously, go to Bouchon. It's the best food and the staff is excellent. The pastry chef told me to call ahead next time I'm in Vegas and he'll make me something special! It is so on. Otherwise, Vegas is like one big obnoxious frat party. I just wanted to see the scenery and I feel like I don't need to go back. Although I've heard that they're shuttering the Star Trek Experience , so we may need to go back just for that. I mean, the casino in there is Star Trek themed. It's like you're on the set of Deep Space Nine. Oh, and I have to mention the smoke. Everyone smokes there. It's weird and smelly. Yuck.

May 10th, Saturday - IRON MAN. Robert Downey, Jr. was perfect as Tony Stark. I really hope they make a sequel. I loved him, I loved his Arabic doctor friend (Did you notice that when he shot the machine gun, he fired in to the ceiling. He didn't want to shoot at anyone!), I loved his suit, and I adored his robots. They really got a fantastic cast for this one. And Jeff Bridges is entirely creepy as a bald guy. Who knew?

May 15th, Thursday - Wedding Anniversary. 8 years! Apparently we have to give each other something bronze. I really don't understand that custom.

May 17th, Saturday - SPEED RACER: IMAX. Visually, this movie was amazing, but I couldn't believe how much people were talking. Really, I just wanted to see racing, with the spikes coming out of the hubcaps and the jumpers making the cars leap over each other. Seriously, I've never heard so much dialogue. They tried to make it interesting, sure, with lots of flashbacks and such, but it didn't help. I also was not entranced by the monkey and the little brother. Susan Sarandon and John Goodman were fantastic as usual. Christina Ricci was cute as well as Trixie. The movie was kind of meh, but any movie that makes John Goodman the winner in a ninja-fight is OK with me. Oh, and if any of you know COUPLING, Patrick's head is huge on the IMAX screen. (Oh, and I didn't get dizzy at all, which was a fear, considering how I reacted to THE BOURNE SUPREMECY.)

May 21st, Wednesday - A dog tried to attack me as I was walking home. It was a German Shepard. A big German Shepard. I am now afraid of all dogs.

May 31st, Saturday - Amy's Baby Shower and Matt's Birthday. Daryl and I went to Amy's baby shower. It was huge. Must have been 100 people there. And the decorations were, well, I never knew they had decorations like that for baby showers. I've only ever been to ones where people just open presents and have cake. But this one had Cuban pork roast in the catering and not one, not two, but three diaper cakes. I am in awe. I also didn't know it would last so long, we had to leave early to go to Matt's birthday party picnic. We missed the message that would have told us the party moved to an entirely different location, but we eventually got there and had a good time. It was a park in what looked like a dam on the outside. You'd never know there was a lake and trees and picnic tables there.

April 2008: Rollerskating, Doctor Who, Kung Fu, and Breaking Up

(I just found this photo. Daryl took it when I wasn't looking. Cheeky.)

April 1st, Tuesday - Ever since his birthday, Daryl and I have been rollerskating with Christian on Tuesdays. It's loads of fun and quite the workout. Afterwards we always go to my favorite restaurant to eat, so it's really a good evening out.



April 6th, Sunday - Lately, I've been going to a friend's house to watch DOCTOR WHO. It's a really good show featuring an old SciFi character I loved when I was growing up. Back then the effects were cheap, but the writing and acting were so good they made up for it. Now it's like the effects have caught up. I usually go every Sunday to watch the latest showing (and I watch it again when it airs on the SciFi channel.) So I thought I'd mention it here. Here's a nice photo of the latest incarnation of the Doctor.

April 15th, Tuesday - Tax Day. Daryl and I actually had to pay this year. That means we actually made enough to have to pay. I think it's a step forward.


April 19th, Saturday - THE FORBIDDEN KINGDOM. I love kung fu movies and it was just a dream to see Jackie Chan and Jet Li in a movie together. That alone was worth the price of admission. They both got two roles, too! The story was so-so, but Michael Angarano does his best with two of the most popular and talented kung fu stars in Hong Kong cinema. There's a great villianess with white hair. She's got so much kung fu, her hair can fight, too! If only my hair could do that. Sigh. (There's badness, too, with a very bad urine joke, but I'm going to ignore that.)

April 20th, Sunday - FORGETTING SARAH MARSHALL. I think my eyes have seen enough of Jason Segal's penis. Although, Hawaii looks lovely and you really do want Peter to get the girl at the end. Kristen Bell looks great and Russell Brand is delightfully weird in every scene. Paul Rudd is also good as a surfer dude. I didn't even recognize him. I do love that Bell's character actually is not that bad of a person and that Segal's character did play a part in the deterioration of their relationship. That's rare to see in a break-up/romance movie. Oh, and the Dracula musical with puppets was so impressive that the Henson studios want Segal to work on their next Muppet movie! Seriously, it may be the best part of the movie.

(OK, I have TMJ, which means my jaw is misaligned. Every now and then it'll get "locked" and I kind of have to jar it back into place. But it was never really that painful. Now, though I sometimes have a searing pain in my jaw in the morning and my jaw hurts when I chew for a long time. This is going to make gum a less likely afternoon snack. Ow.)

April 30th, Wednesday - Road Trip to Las Vegas with Billy. Billy, who also qualified to play in the tournament, offered to drive us out to Las Vegas. Fun! He has a gigantic truck, luckily, I'm small enough I can fit in the back, no problem. Daryl and I got a nice suite on the first night, but we had to move to the tournament rooms after that. (They paid for half.) I do like getting fresh towels and maid service every day.

March 2008: Alien Pets, Weddings, and Daryl's Birthday!

March 9th, Sunday - Saw CJ7. It made me cry people, and I have a heart of stone. It's also hilarious in the way that Stephen Chow's movies are so outrageously absurd. I mean, casting a large man as a elementary school girl? Having a poor kid find an alien that he thinks will give him superpowers? That's the kind of crazy here. But like I said, it'll swing you out towards the crazy funny and then slam you down with some serious weepiness. You have been warned. And I want my own CJ7. Seriously.

March 15th, Saturday - Mike and Margie's Wedding in SF. We went to a lovely low-key wedding in SF. It was also moving out day for Elise and Mike. So sad! We won't ever stay in their loft ever again! Boo. We did have fun catching up with all of our SF friends. And we even got to play a game! Daryl was so happy. But we forgot our camera. Boo.

March 23rd, Sunday - Easter. I made it. Tomorrow I'm having a Snickers.

March 26th, Wednesday - Daryl's Birthday!

March 29th, Saturday - Daryl's Birthday celebration! Mo joined us and Christian after doing a triathalon for dinner at Chulada. Then she went off to bed while the rest of us went rollerskating. Yay! The rink announcer even mentioned Daryl in his happy birthday announcements. It was fun and exhausting trying to navigate around the children falling around us. They'd be in front of us rolling tentatively along and then collapse in a heap like their pockets were full of stones. It was like a video game trying to avoid them.

February 2008: Anniversary, Rats, Parades and Tournaments

February 3rd, Sunday - Our First Kiss Anniversary! Daryl and I celebrate this anniversary mostly because it was a pretty memorable event for the both of us. It was a useful marker for the years when we weren't married. Now that we are married, we tend to like this anniversary better, just because it seems like much more fun. Anyway, in keeping with longstanding tradition, we went to Crustatcean and had the garlic crab and butterflied prawns. (Crustacean has restaurants in LA and SF, lucky us!) I got a bit tipsy and had to lean on Daryl as we left the restaurant. I really do have the best husband ever.

February 6th, Ash Wednesday - Lent begins. I decide not to have any candy. We'll see how well I do.

February 7th, Thursday - It's the Year of the Rat! (4705) Actually, I like rats. They're smart little guys. I wouldn't want any wild one roaming my apartment, mind you. But you have to admit, that they are clearly out to survive.

February 9th, Saturday - The Chinese New Year Parade. I got some lovely decorations, but it wasn't as much fun this year without Christian and Daryl. And it was unusually hot! I really wanted to get a little gold rat with a gold cake on his belly, but they were all out of them. I did buy a very bad Mickey Mouse imitation cell phone decoration, though. It was pretty funny. I have it up in the room at work. All in all, the decorations for the Year of the Pig were cuter by far, than the ones for the Year of the Rat. I guess lots of people didn't think Remy in Ratatouille was cute enough.

February 10th, Sunday - Daryl qualifies to go to Vegas to the APA Tournament! Yay!