weapons of massdistraction

I feel like our home has been enveloped by some sort of evil forcefield, one that allows cranky energies to seep in, but doesn’t let them out. Like that breathable meshy plastic wrap you sometimes see on produce. So the crankiness continues to whirl about the house, feeding off of us and growing synergistically and making me crazier. I’ve even found myself muttering and growling sub-vocally. Luckily the little man escaped this morning. To my surprise and relief, he greeted the arrival of the school bus with great gusto. But not before demonstrating how easily he picks up on some of my bad habits. I wasn’t quite aware of it, but before I’d had my coffee this morning I snapped at the husband. Later on the little man repeated my declaration, saying to him, “yeah, you’re lame”. When the husband complained about it later I probably should have apologized…rather than having myself a little laughing fit. Uh, oops. But now that the kiddo is safely away at school for the first time in weeks, and the husband isn’t speaking to me, I have some free time. But I don’t know what to do first. Work? Dishes? Bubble bath? Laundry? Lie down? Flee to France? I’m overwhelmed by the possibilities.

Here’s the last of my list-happiness…the top films of 2004, in my estimation.

The Top Ten
01: “Shaun of the Dead” (which led to my discovery of and obsession with the BBC series, “Spaced“)
02: “Goodbye Lenin” (I so need to own this)
03: “Return of the King” extended edition (I still need to get through all of the extras)
04: “Kill Bill Volume 2” (I liked both Volumes 1 & 2 more than I expected to, and am glad that I waited to watch them together)
05: “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind“
06: “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban” (hated the first two films, loved this adaptation)
07: “Ong Bak” (weak on plot, strong with Tony Jaa, Jaa rules!)
08: “The Incredibles” (The little man announced this will be the theme for his 7th birthday party as he’s already set on “Finding Nemo” for his 6th. The kid plans ahead.)
09: “Hero“
10: “In America“

Honorable Mentions:
“Garden State“
“The Calcium Kid” (I hope this film finds its way to a wide release)
“House of Flying Daggers” (sure, it’s mostly eye candy, but oh what eye candy it is)
“The Princess Blade” (came out in 2001, but was new to me)
“Koi… Mil Gaya” (the first Hindi science fiction film ever made)
“Triplets of Belleville“
“Saved!“
“The Blind Swordsman: Zatoichi“
“Blogumentary” (and not just because we’re in it, more because it’s a topic near and dear to my heart and I heartily enjoyed watching it)
“The Bourne Supremacy“

Movies I Wanted to Like More Than I Did: “The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou” and “Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow” and “Code 46“
Movies I Felt Guilty About Enjoying: “Bad Santa” and “The Day After Tomorrow“
Movies I Haven’t Gotten Around to Seeing: “The Saddest Music in the World“, “Sideways“, “Twilight Samurai“, “Collateral“, “A Very Long Engagement“, and “Tarnation“
Phew. Now we can get back to regularly scheduled programming.

Being the fickle creature that I am, these lists are hard to compile, especially without editing afterwards. And rarely do I have the chance to hear a tenth of what I intend to. But I had better get on with it.

01: Arcade Fire - Funeral
02: Mirah - C’mon Miracle
03: Elliott Smith - From a Basement on a Hill
04: Saul Williams - Saul Williams
05: Ted Leo & the Pharmacists - Shake the Sheets
06: Zap Mama - Ancestry in Progress
07: Magnetic Fields - I
08: The Decemberists - The Tain EP (though the upcoming Picaresque is far more fabulous, which I know because I am, uh, clairvoyant, yeah)
09: Low - A Lifetime of Temporary Relief
10: Handsome Boy Modeling School - White People
(specifically because of the Cat Power track)

Honorable mentions:

The Thermals - Fuckin A
Neko Case - The Tigers Have Spoken
Mates of State - All Day
Interpol - Antics
Camera Obscura - Underachievers Please Try Harder
Le Tigre - This Island
Deerhoof - Milk Man

Before we get too far into 2005 I’d like to hear more of what’s on Lane’s list. Next up, books and movies.

Where did the year go? I’m still processing, and not quite ready to recap 2004 yet (though it was oh so much better than 2003). So do I resolve to be realistic about my expectations for the new year, or go for the Mondo Beyondo when looking ahead? Maybe a little bit of both. I don’t want to set myself up for failure, so I’ll throw a few things out there that would be, you know, nice for 2005 (if not terribly exciting). I would like to:

• edit my first novel before I start writing its sequel;
• ensure the little man is matched up to an educational environment that most closely matches his needs. We are on this path, with his upcoming evaluation at the Children’s Hospital, but I do intend to follow through;
• migrate this site to the CMS the husband’s put together for me (I have just ordered new parts so the husband can assemble me a new, much faster computer);
• have my actual body weight more closely match the number listed on my driver’s license;
• see the husband get a day job, so that we might actually be able to hang out…and sleep in the bed at the same time, rather than in shifts. That would be novel.

Now for the much sexier and highly improbable list. However unlikely…

• Have at my disposal an arsenal of high quality digital cameras, new lenses, and other accessories (including a professional quality photo printer) to continue my photographical adventures. And taking it one step further, getting set up with video equipment and classes to further document my life (that thought should make the husband cringe);
• Get some globetrotting in. Say, a trip to England with my boys, lounging in Italy with Zophia, Taiwan with Dave and Huey-Ling, with a sidetrip to Beijing to visit April, and a toyshopping spree in Japan for good measure. Closer to home, Canada to visit my favorite goalie and his kin, and further away, a sojourn to Lebanon to meet my long-lost cousins (in reality, I’ll be lucky if I make that tentatively planned trip to the Bay Area in 2005).
• Home renovation. First, the damage control. A new roof, new electrical wiring, new boiler, new water heater, new siding, replace the falling down fence in the backyard. Then the fun stuff. Refinishing all the hardwood floors. An addition on the back of the house with a fireplace and a second bathroom. A completely revamped kitchen, with cupboards I can reach, and flooring that isn’t peeling mauve linoleum. And hey, how about a garage?
• After renovating the house, put it on the market and magically make enough of a profit to move the family unit to Berkeley. Now I’m really tilting at windmills, huh?
• And finally, the ultimate daydream. Getting a book deal to have one or more of my novels published. Ha!

But really. My life is pretty danged good as it is. I just need to push myself a little harder, to combat my tendency towards sloth (she writes while still wearing pajamas). Apparently the husband’s one and only goal for the new year is to control the weather. What can I say, he thinks big.
Bonus: Tonight you can catch the Four Polite White Men of the Apocalypse on TPT at 7pm (a couple of weeks ago two of our compatriots from New Patriot shared a short segment on Almanac, with Powerline bloggers Scott Johnson and John Hinderaker). It’s also online here.

It feels somehow wrong to carry on with business as usual, while there is so much (extra) doom and gloom in the world. But I’ve been trying to take advantage of my time to strengthen connections with those close to me, as much as possible. A good friend, Miss Delia Jane has been home from Chicago for over a week now, but today we had our first opportinity to get together. And it happened to be on the eve of her departure. I’m glad we had the time to catch up over a leisurely late afternoon lunch at Evergreen, which we followed with a shared slice of vegan cheesecake at Muddy Paws.

Back at the ranch the little man and I enjoyed a quiet evening. Our only excitement…discovering some leftover christmas crackers. He tore into them and claimed the yo-yo and plastic fangs, while I crowned myself. Twice. Since then I’ve taken care of some work, and had a little photoshop fun. It was high time to ditch my old self-portrait on the about page. I’ve gone through more than a few hair colors in the intervening years, and have, obviously, aged some as well. The new photo tells it like it is, so to speak.

Bonus: Always read the fine print before signing.
Random: On the way to Minneapolis this afternoon I spotted a stalled pickup truck on the side of the freeway. These things happen. But the bed of this particular truck happened to be holding a Star Wars pinball machine.
Plus: “These are the People in My Neighborhood” (well, in Heather and Derek’s neighborhood, at any rate).
And: Everyone Else Has Had More Sex Than Me (via Coudal, via The Twilight Lounge via some other guy). My favorite part, the keyboard player in the background.