Thursday, April 28, 2016
Film Forum
I've been catching up on my movies lately. I finally saw the new Star Wars, for one thing. I've never been that super into the franchise, but I thought it was pretty good. They did a good job playing on the fact that Adam Driver is super punchable, and I thought the plot moved at a nice pace. It as comforting to see Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher in something that didn't reek of desperation again, and the new characters avoided Jar Jar Binks levels of awfulness. I'm still kind of wondering why they can't come up with a plot that doesn't involve the need to destroy some giant weapon, but it's not like I really turn to CGI space fantasies for script innovation, anyway.
I watched Carol on the airplane coming back from Europe, which was especially interesting when I realized they weren't going to edit out the nude scenes and there were, like, five year olds all around me. It was a good movie, though! I've never been the biggest Mara booster, but I have to admit she gave a really good, lived-in performance. And of course the Blanchett is always solid. I was afraid that it would be one of those kind of musty, boring period pieces, where everything is set designed within an inch of its life but nothing really happens. It was actually really compelling, though. Fun sexy times.
I also enjoyed Spotlight. Again, I thought it might be slow, but it wasn't, which is kind of amazing, since its subject matter is basically people doing a lot of research. Everyone gave solid, understated performances, even though Rachel McAdams doesn't really look like any reporter I've ever seen, even if reporters still existed. And I thought they did a really nice job conveying the horror of these molestation cases without being exploitative. It was the feel good Catholic church scandal flick of the year.
Saturday, April 23, 2016
Afternoon Amongst the Damned
So I had to go to FedEx Office today to scan some documents for my mortgage application. Now, you may ask, who still goes to FedEx Office? Don't most people have access to scanners/copiers/fax machines now? And the answer to that is yes. But I am so highly ethical that I didn't want to use state resources to scan these materials at my job, and also I was afraid I'd get caught. And though I do have a scanner at home, I didn't really feel like placing the documents on it a page at a time. So FedEx Office it was.
And of course I ended up scanning the documents a page at a time, anyway. Not sure why they don't have a scanner/copier with a document feeder set up like, well, every other place in the world, but they don't. So I spent half an hour (at 38 cents a minute, no less!) scanning W2s and bank statements. But while I was there, I encountered the most fascinating people. (Not to be confused with Barbara Walters' Most Fascinating People.) There was an elderly lady who was struggling mightily to design a business card she could use for her dog and cat walking service. There was a guy who looked like a serial killer who apparently was there solely to use the internet. And there was a woman who was apparently such a regular at FedEx Office that she knew the names and back stories of all the employees. It truly is an amazing place to spend an afternoon.
Not sure how I'm going to top it, frankly. Maybe I should just go to bed now and try again tomorrow.
Wednesday, April 20, 2016
Money Matters
Apparently, they're going to change the $20 bill so that it features Harriet Tubman instead of Andrew Jackson. I am all for this move, particularly because I wrote an essay about how Harriet Tubman was the person I most admired in junior high. To be fair, the person I probably ACTUALLY admired the most in junior high was probably Batman, but I knew enough not to put that in the essay. I'm not sure that I really admired Andrew Jackson at all in junior high. Although I probably knew a lot more about him than I do now, since my US history class was a lot more recent. Certainly he had a terrible haircut.
I'm hoping that, while they're at it, they make some other fun changes to our currency, since right now it's kind of ass boring. Maybe add some colors, a little celebrity gossip? Wouldn't it be great if every dollar bill had a "Stars: They're Just Like Us" photograph on it? I personally would love to be reassured that Eva Longoria pumps gas just like me when I'm buying beef jerky at the 7-11. In fact, I'd like to see the whole operation outsourced to TMZ. Though I am ready and willing to serve as Treasury Secretary, should the subject ever come up.
Saturday, April 16, 2016
Moving & Shaking
So I sort of bought a new place this week. I say sort of because we don't close until July, and there are still plenty of things that could go wrong, but we do have a signed purchase contract. It's a three-bedroom townhouse in Old Town and I kind of love it. It's got a nice private roof deck, all kinds of cute built-ins, and a walk in closet with a window. And an attached garage with snow removal, so I may never even know it's winter again. I'm kind of jazzed, in a "nervous something could go terribly wrong at any minute" kind of way.
I will be sad to leave Lakeview behind, in some ways. The pizza-by-the-slice place on Clark exposed me to some wonderfully weird things that taste great on pizza, and it's nice to have three dozen bars to stumble home from in a two-block radius. Aubrey will miss the proximity to the dog beach, although I will not miss having to literally drag her back from it. And of course it will be strange taking a train to bacchanals like Pride and Market Days. But Old Town is really a return to my roots, since I lived about a block away from the new townhouse for my first three years in the city. I ground a lot of half-eaten jello shots into the carpet there. And I'll certainly be happy to be near Second City, Corcoran's, and the Old Town Ale House again. Why are all of my happy feelings about my neighborhoods related to food and alcohol?
Anyway, things are happening! I'm sure I'll provide updates as the madness progresses.
Wednesday, April 13, 2016
Endless Photos IV
This is part of the Hofburg in Vienna. They have horse shows there. Yes, this is basically a gold-plated stable.
They have all these weird statues along the ceilings of the Natural History Museum. These are in the part that deals with fish and reptiles, so they're like water angry water gods or something.
Here's the castle again in Salzburg. It is a long walk to get there. I'm pretty sure I lost several pounds due to sweat alone.
And this kind of gives you a sense of how far down it is. Why no one has thought to set up an extreme zipline and charge fifty euros a trip, I have no idea.
I think these will be the last of it. Whew?
This is part of the Hofburg in Vienna. They have horse shows there. Yes, this is basically a gold-plated stable.
They have all these weird statues along the ceilings of the Natural History Museum. These are in the part that deals with fish and reptiles, so they're like water angry water gods or something.
Here's the castle again in Salzburg. It is a long walk to get there. I'm pretty sure I lost several pounds due to sweat alone.
Saturday, April 09, 2016
Endless Photos III
Here's the interior of the cathedral. It actually didn't blow me away as cathedrals go, but I'd probably overdone it on looking at old churches by that point.
And this is the outside of the cathedral. Say what you want about religion; they know how to build some attractive god houses.
This is the interior of the castle. It was really fun and medieval, kind of like Medieval Times, but without the food. And you pretty much weren't allowed to touch anything.
Here's the view from one of the fortifications. This is why the castle is such a hot spot on Redfin: location, location, location.
And here's the approach to the castle up the hill. I'm guessing they secretly watch from above and make fun of people as they struggle to climb up. I know I did.
We're back, with a minor change in location to Salzburg. It was about two and a half hours by train from Vienna, and we're not talking some shitty CTA car that stinks of urine here. They were double-decker trains with really comfortable seats, fast Wi-Fi, and cool dining cars. Of course, I wholly humiliated myself by proudly presenting a ticket for a different train, but it turns out that, like most embarrassments, it could be remedied by taking out a credit card. Anyway...
Here's the interior of the cathedral. It actually didn't blow me away as cathedrals go, but I'd probably overdone it on looking at old churches by that point.
And this is the outside of the cathedral. Say what you want about religion; they know how to build some attractive god houses.
This is the interior of the castle. It was really fun and medieval, kind of like Medieval Times, but without the food. And you pretty much weren't allowed to touch anything.
Here's the view from one of the fortifications. This is why the castle is such a hot spot on Redfin: location, location, location.
Monday, April 04, 2016
Endless Photos II
So that Klimt was at the Museum of Applied Arts. (Not sure what the "applied" part of that is, but maybe the painting is good at math?) They also had the crazy inflatable monkeys below. Good inflatable monkeys are so hard to find stateside.
Next we have a gratuitous tiny beer picture. This restaurant is super old and they sell tiny beer and tiny open-faced sandwiches that have like herring and stuff on them. Better to stick to the tiny beer.
Also: I was stuck on top of the cathedral for a spell. There's an elevator that takes you up, but that elevator apparently stops working sometimes. And then you realize that you're about fifteen stories up and that you don't speak very much German at all.
I did get down, thanks to a crafty security guard who opened up the stairway for us. Then I went and saw this amazing old library that's part of the Hofburg complex there. They do not allow you to run up and down the stairs, however.
And our journey continues. Let's start out with some gratuitous Klimt. They pretty much have Klimt everywhere in Vienna. It's, like, Klimt toilet paper with a side of Rubens tampons.
So that Klimt was at the Museum of Applied Arts. (Not sure what the "applied" part of that is, but maybe the painting is good at math?) They also had the crazy inflatable monkeys below. Good inflatable monkeys are so hard to find stateside.
Next we have a gratuitous tiny beer picture. This restaurant is super old and they sell tiny beer and tiny open-faced sandwiches that have like herring and stuff on them. Better to stick to the tiny beer.
Also: I was stuck on top of the cathedral for a spell. There's an elevator that takes you up, but that elevator apparently stops working sometimes. And then you realize that you're about fifteen stories up and that you don't speak very much German at all.
I did get down, thanks to a crafty security guard who opened up the stairway for us. Then I went and saw this amazing old library that's part of the Hofburg complex there. They do not allow you to run up and down the stairs, however.
Saturday, April 02, 2016
Endless Photos
There is really so much to say about my trip. But pictures are worth a thousand words or more, even, if the words are coming out of Ann Coulter. So let's get started.
This is the interior of the Karlskirche. The scaffolding you see they will actually let you climb. It is quite terrifying, to be honest. The stairs just keep getting more narrow and the platforms seem to kind of bend under your feet. And there's a sign that says "occupancy by more than 15 people prohibited," right before you see about two dozen people climbing up ahead of you. But I lived through it, so that's good.
This is the Votivkirche, which is still undergoing renovation, as it was the first time I was there in 2013. Now it's got a kickin' ad for orange juice on its front, though. Suddenly I am very thirsty.
The Austrians regulate their dogs quite strictly, as it turns out. Much of the parks were "hundeverboten," but this was a "hundezone," which this little guy seems to be enjoying the heck out of.
This was part of a contemporary art installation at the Museum of Applied Arts. The bottom part asks "How happy are you?" in German, and people were supposed to take the appropriate gumball for how happy they were on a scale of one to ten. Apparently, ten almost always runs out first, although I find that hard to believe having met many of the people of Austria. I did not take a gumball at all, so I guess I don't have feelings?
There is really so much to say about my trip. But pictures are worth a thousand words or more, even, if the words are coming out of Ann Coulter. So let's get started.
This is the interior of the Karlskirche. The scaffolding you see they will actually let you climb. It is quite terrifying, to be honest. The stairs just keep getting more narrow and the platforms seem to kind of bend under your feet. And there's a sign that says "occupancy by more than 15 people prohibited," right before you see about two dozen people climbing up ahead of you. But I lived through it, so that's good.
This is the Votivkirche, which is still undergoing renovation, as it was the first time I was there in 2013. Now it's got a kickin' ad for orange juice on its front, though. Suddenly I am very thirsty.
The Austrians regulate their dogs quite strictly, as it turns out. Much of the parks were "hundeverboten," but this was a "hundezone," which this little guy seems to be enjoying the heck out of.
This was part of a contemporary art installation at the Museum of Applied Arts. The bottom part asks "How happy are you?" in German, and people were supposed to take the appropriate gumball for how happy they were on a scale of one to ten. Apparently, ten almost always runs out first, although I find that hard to believe having met many of the people of Austria. I did not take a gumball at all, so I guess I don't have feelings?
This is a recreation of a prehistoric bird at the Natural History Museum. Pretty intense. I would love to make a career as a prehistoric bird recreator, but I don't want to retake the SATs.
