Happy piano players work the circus...

My mind is cornucopia of random musings these days. Beautiful Girls is playing on Lifetime. I solely blame the movie for my never ending crush on Timothy Hutton. *sigh* He's so cute and brooding with his perfect hair and crack one liners. Actually, the whole cast was great. I love the movie because it represents a part of society that is real and reminds me of how I grew up. I love when movies don't have anything to do with the fake Hollywood lifestyles. The soundtrack to this movie is also amazing and is what got me listening to Chris Isaak. That sort of speaks for itself.

I've been watching lots of Halloween themed movies, and I'm working on coming up with my personalized list of the top 10 Halloween movies. There are too many good movies and limiting them to 10 is impossible. Any suggestions are welcomed, but I am avoiding gory slasher flicks because a a girl's gotta sleep.

On Friday, I saw The Nightmare Before Christmas 3D. I never had the opportunity to see it on the big screen. I'm a huge fan of the classics being rescreened. The 3D effects were interesting, but the best part was just being able to see it at the theater. Tim Burton is just such an inspiration. His work is personal and always has such a unique twist. His work always outdoes itself and brings to life a whole other world. I love that and always look forward to seeing his latest projects.

“I pretty much try to stay in a constant state of confusion just
because of the expression it leaves on my face.” -Johnny Depp

Funny and then some...

This past weekend, I saw Sinbad. I bought the tickets because I grew up watching A Different World, but I went to the show not knowing what to expect. I think that, like most things in life, going into a situation with no expectations leaves you more open minded and ready to enjoy. The show was awesome and so funny.

Horace Sanders opened for Sinbad. This guy was absolutely hysterical and really knew how to play up to the crowd and get people's attention. His jokes were original and fresh, and he was just adorable on stage. I found it interesting because he got his start on Star Search, and I didn't even realize that the show is still on. Makes me curious to find out when it's on. You can watch some videos of his stand up on the website.

Sinbad was just beyond funny. You could tell that when he walked out on that stage, he was happy to be there and having such a good time. His jokes were honest, real, and hysterical. He did not come out on the stage with a list of old, overdone jokes, and he talked to the audience and played off of their liveliness. It felt like having an excellent conversation with one of the funniest people you've ever met. I give him a lot of credit because in a time when everything is so scripted and overproduced (think reality tv shows that are beyond scripted), it was nice to watch someone with talent go out on the stage, trust themselves, tell the truth, make people laugh, and just entertain.

It was a fantastic, full show and I highly recommend that if anyone gets the chance, they catch his act. It's been awhile since I've laughed so hard that I've lost my voice. It was a truly enjoyable night.

“God is a comedian, playing to an audience too afraid to laugh.”
-Voltaire

Today's Fishy Scope

I don't check my horoscope on a daily basis, but I looked a few minutes ago and was pleased. Sometimes it's nice to look and have it be something relevant and positive. We all need a little hope for better things every now and then and I thought it was good advice for anyone.

You're into something good. Follow that trail. Wear down the opposition. Your work here alleviates suffering elsewhere. You have an effect.

"Thoughts meander like a restless wind inside a letter box..."

I saw the movie Across the Universe this weekend. While I enjoyed watching it, I'm torn between liking it and thinking it was just a poor attempt at capitalizing on the sentimentality surrounding the Beatles, the 60's, hippies, and the Vietnam War.

I loved the use of the Beatles' music. All of the characters were created from people in the songs. It was also very beautiful and interesting to watch. Jim Sturgess, who played Jude, and Joe Anderson, who played Max, absolutely made the movie for me. They had the best screen presence, and because their characters were taken from such a traditional viewpoint, they really grounded the whole movie for me. I would have loved if the movie would have been centered more on their friendship. It would have been an interesting play on the Lennon-McCarthy partnership that was so uniquely balanced on their differences. I also liked that the inclusion of Bono, Joe Cocker, and Salma Hayek was so played down, yet striking in the movie. Very nice touch.

I actually loved all of the characters except for Lucy. She was such a follower, and I never got that she had a strong sense of self or purpose. Usually the main character goes through some sort of an epiphany or growth of character, but it ended just as it started in her waiting around for the guy to come find her. Maybe part of it was that I just didn't feel like Evan Rachel Wood had a very inspiring screen presence; I found her whinny and boring. Maybe if she had more to lose, I would have felt like there was a chance she would lose, her story line would have had a stronger impact. Because she didn't, Jude stole the whole movie.

Sadly, with all of its potential, this movie had the most poorly developed plot that I have seen in a really long time. I spent far too much time trying to figure out what was going on and how all of the different story lines were going to fit together. It never converged into a good theme. Ending with the whole group singing All You Need Is Love is just too cheap and easy.

About 20 minutes of the movie went into their drug experiences. The scenes were interesting and beautiful to watch, but they hit a point of getting too bizarre and let it drag on too long. Again, it got to a place where you thought there was going to be character development, but you ended up just watching for camera tricks and good music.

The most interesting part of the story was the social commentary on the war and its effects on the characters. This was sadly glazed over and quickly joked away at the end.

I know that I'll want to watch this movie again when it comes out on DVD, but this time I won't be looking for a great story. I'll watch just to enjoy the music and the cinematography.

As a side note, I bought the soundtrack, and while a lot of the songs were cut, it's fun to listen to. I would love a second CD with some of the songs that were cut. Was anyone else wondering when they were going to add Maxwell's Silver Hammer?

On writing and not writing...

I'm one of those people who deals with their issues through their writing. Most of the time, I don't try to cover up that fact because writing is cathartic and gives me a safe reasoning space. I also think it works well as a healthy reminder of life's lessons.

The last few years of my life, I have been through so many periods of change. I feel like I'm the same person, but then I know that things have changed me. The most difficult part of all of this is that I haven't felt like writing. It’s been good because it forced me to deal with everything head on, but it is also sad because I didn't take the opportunity to expand my writing and realize what all of these things have meant to me and who I am.

I've gotten the writing bug back and I've been reading all of these fantastic books (Their Eyes Were Watching God has completely spun me around). My mind is so creatively charged. Organizing all these creative bursts feels like teaspooning a tidal wave into buckets, but I'm still figuring it all out. As crazy as it sounds, I'm enjoying it. I am happy to have the drive and interest again., For me to be a happy person, I have to create things.

Writing is both mask and unveiling.
E.B. White

A synonym is a word you use when you can't spell the other one.
- Baltasar Gracián

Ty made me think...

Apparently, I must have needed a good cry because I watched Extreme Home Makeover tonight. It was the season finale from last year, and they were helping a family where two of the children had HIV. I was absolutely astonished hearing the story of these kids and how cruel and ignorant people in their community were to them.

On the show, they helped a charity that allows children with HIV or who have been affected by HIV go to camp. The camp was fantastic and did really wonderful things for the kids. Check out their website: Camp Heartland.

Also, I learned a lot from the following:

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AIDS
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HIV_and_AIDS_misconceptions

“It is from numberless diverse acts of courage and belief that human history is shaped. Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope.”

- Robert Kennedy

Well, there's a feeling in the air...

I love fall and all of the things that come with it: Halloween, Thanksgiving, theater season, colder weather, fall fashion, boots, bonfires, hayrides, big comfy sweaters, apple cider, anything with cinnamon, and everything pumpkin.

I am such a traditional Midwesterner, so sometimes (all the time, this time of the year), it is very difficult living in Florida. Not only do we miss out on a lot of those things that I love, but it is hurricane season here and about a million degrees.

One of the things that I still get is theater season. This past weekend, I bought my tickets for the next six months and am so excited about the shows that I'm going to see: Sinbad, a Mexican folk ballet, Gypsy, Puccini's Madama Butterfly, The Producers, Movin' Out, and Spamalot. I always try to select a variety of show types and pick some type that I've never been to before.

Last year, I saw my first opera (La bohème), Chicago, and George Carlin, but my absolute favorite was seeing Molly Ringwald in Sweet Charity. They were all fantastic, but that last one is probably due in part to the fact that I grew up watching Pretty In Pink, The Breakfast Club, and Sixteen Candles.

The other good thing about this time of year is that I get the urge to bake again. By request, I made oatmeal raisin cookies today, but in the upcoming weeks, I'm hoping to try some new recipes. Cooking Light always has the best recipes this time of the year.

"Bittersweet October. The mellow, messy, leaf-kicking, perfect pause between the opposing miseries of summer and winter."

- Carol Bishop Hipps