Three sentence movie review: The Heartbreak Kid

heartbreak_kid

I can’t decide if it was because American comedy mores have changed so dramatically since 1972 that I only found this puzzling and frustrating, rather than funny.*  Perhaps it was the subject matter that tanked it for me.**  Overall, I just didn’t understand what the ultimate message I was supposed to take away from this film.***

Cost:  free on YouTube
Where watched: at home, while painting toenails purple.

*But then, again, I found the director’s previous film, A New Leaf, quite amusing.
**Just as in Mikey and Nicky, Elaine May excels at putting women in wrenching scenes. I will always remember the scene in the restaurant with the excellent pecan pie as being incredibly awful to watch.  Poor Jeannie Berlin!  Though I do agree with the sentiments expressed on the poster.
***Thus, I look forward to the Filmspotting discussion.  I’m also curious about the 2007 remake. It looks like an awful movie, but the status of women has changed a bit since 1971, so I’m curious as to the update.  The remake is written by a woman, so perhaps I will watch it, if only to keep the #womenfilmsbywomen going.

poster from:  http://www.impawards.com/1972/heartbreak_kid.html
(I really like the poster.  And you can see the fold marks!)

Requiem: Two Bags

This is a red Timbuk2 bag I bought three or four years ago to be my main work bag.  It was great! That double zipper in the front was to hold a yoga mat (Or a 2×4! quipped Tim when I showed it to him.  I never ever used it to hold a yoga mat or any lumber, but remembering his comment made me smile on multiple occasions.)  It was roomy inside, had good pockets for my various things, I liked the color and plus…IMG_5034

It could convert into a backpack if the occasion called.  This came in handy when I wanted to take a long walk.  Despite washing, it’s pretty stained, and my new go-to-work routine calls for a real backpack, so this bag will be moving along.IMG_5035

I bought this bag in preparation for my Washington DC trip in 2009. It was exactly what I needed: a smaller bag that held a ton of things.  And that’s what it has been.  It’s pretty, and its faux leather and maybe partially suede exterior doesn’t show stains. It easily holds my cell phone, camera, a book (sometimes two) a water bottle, plus a small notepad and pens and pencils.IMG_5036

Those things on the side were manufactured to hold water bottles, but water bottles didn’t really fit.  So I put a foldable bag in one and sunglasses in another.  It was all very handy.IMG_5037However, it’s pretty worn out.  It will move onto it’s second life.  Originally I thought the second life would be to go to the Goodwill, but I realized at work today I need a bag to put bank deposits in.  So I will bring it to work.

Postcards from Germany and Brazil and Slovenia and Belarus

Four postcrossing postcards arrived today.

This is from Manuela, who “is 29 [or possibly 25] years young girl.”  Among other things, she likes working on her puzzle with 18,000 pieces.IMG_5030

This is from Gisele in Brazil, who tells me this is a picture of a plant called capim dourado and is used to make a variety of things like bags, flowerpots and earrings.  Just the kind of information I love to learn.IMG_5031

Meuara writes from Slovenia that she should be studying for geography (she’s 14) but she decided to write me a postcard instead.  One of her favorite books is Wonder by RJ Palacio. I’ve read that book, so I was able to write back about that.IMG_5032

Marysia writes from Belarus.  She reports that she is a beautiful and kind whitecoat seal.  Apparently seals like sending postcards just as much as humans do.IMG_5033

I believe four postcards in one day is a record.  I love Postcrossing and I love getting postcards and I continue to marvel that they arrive in multiples on the same day, despite being sent from all over the globe. Given my druthers, I would rather have four separate days of my mailbox being happy, but this seems to be a case of like things clumping together.

Downtown McMenamins Passport Page Complete!

Here we go, chipping away at another page.  Matt, outside the 23rd Avenue Bottle Shop.  This shop is newer than our Passports, but we still had to get the stamp.  This place can meet all of your McMenamins-related alcohol needs.IMG_5022

Across the parking lot from the Bottle Shop is McMenamins Tavern & Pool.IMG_5023

Onward to Hoyt, where we found the Ram’s Head.IMG_5024

A quick stop at the Blue Moon.IMG_5025

Then a long walk to the Market Street Pub where we got our last stamp and waited for a table so we could get our burger.IMG_5026

Here’s our completed page.  We got our Mission Theater stamp when we went to the alien abduction movie last spring.IMG_5027

And here’s my burger.  And oyster crackers came with my clam chowder!IMG_5028

I noticed that the lamp wasn’t going anywhere.  It’s screwed to the tabletop.IMG_5029

Lint 2016

Remember Lint?  Maybe not.  Lint is my project of general improvement I do some years during the season of Lent.  Lint started one year when I decided to improve my wardrobe during the days between Ash Wednesday and Easter.  One year I decided to meditate and eat mashed potatoes every day.

It’s time to pick a Lint project for 2016.  And that project is:  to walk across the Steel Bridge BOTH ways each workday between now and Easter.
IMG_4965

I’ve recently started a new job and decided to sneak some exercise into my day by getting off the train at Rose Quarter and walking the rest of the way to work.  It’s a nice 20 minute walk, which, in theory I walk the reverse on the way home.  In theory.  I often find reasons not to make the end-of-day walk.

So for the next 40 or so days, I will make sure I make both trips over the bridge.*

*There will be a slight exception this Friday because I already had plans to meet up with the boyfriend after work.  But every other work day** I have plans to walk.
**Actually, the first Wednesday of this project I had book group. In order to make it on time I couldn’t walk across the bridge.  So if there are reasons like that, those are okay.

A walk on Burnside to Pacific Crest Community School

Since I helped with PKO’s senior dissertation, I was invited to her Senior Dessert event, where each student talked about their senior project.  Since PKO’s school is just off Burnside, I decided to talk a walk up Burnside.

But first!  Dinner!  According to the Oregonian, it’s Dumpling Week.  I initially dismissed Dumpling Week as I am not a fan of dumplings.  But that was before a friend posted the featured dumplings at Sizzle Pie.  Pizza “dumplings”?  I can go for that.  They were delicious.  Apparently Salt and Straw, the ice cream place, had some ice cream “dumplings” too.

IMG_4999

Outside of Sizzle Pie were these signs.

IMG_5000

They seemed to be part of an art instillation that was ending tonight.

IMG_5001

It turned out that all those signs were encouraging people to exchange high fives!  Alas, there was no one to high five with.  I wonder if I missed a sign like this on the other end of the block?

IMG_5002

The Burnside Bridge.  I’ve always liked the bridge operator towers.  Ahead on the left you can see the new big building that changed their window ratio after the design was approved.  Nothing bad is happening to them for doing that.IMG_5003

This building has long been a favorite.  It has a Burnside Bridge entrance and for many years was empty or used for storage.  Now it seems to be some sort of creative-type work space.  And also the warehouse for the fruit place, but I think that was always the case.IMG_5004

Blurry shot of what was the used car lot with the multi-pointed roof.  I don’t know what they are building, but I can guess it’s apartments/condos that I won’t be able to afford.IMG_5005

Back before Matt and I shacked up, and I used to walk from my studio apartment downtown to his place in Buckman, I used to avoid this sketchy motel.  But it became the Jupiter Motel, a hip place to stay.  And then it was fun to walk by. In my mind, this was the first thing that really changed on Burnside.IMG_5007

Hippo Hardware is still there.IMG_5008

What was once the big parking lot for the Foursquare church is now a big apartment complex of one- and two-bedroom apartments.  Starting rent for a 575 square foot one bedroom?  $1395.IMG_5009

Here’s where the restaurant Old Wives’ Tales was before it was sold to a developer to build either apartments or condominiums.  I’m not terribly upset.  The owner seems quite happy with the deal (see link) and the food there was always kind of bland.IMG_5010

Good old Little Baja!  I can remember that from when we would visit when I was growing up.
IMG_5012

This used to be a parking lot.  Now it’s…guess what!  Did you guess expensive apartments?  You are correct!IMG_5013

But here is my favorite place on East Burnside.  The neon is looking quite resplendent.IMG_5014

This corner once held a two-story run of different modest businesses, with apartments on top.  Now it’s a four-story run of fancier businesses and condos or apartments I can’t afford.IMG_5015

I made it to the Senior Dessert.  Here’s PKO talking about her project!IMG_5016

Three sentence movie review: Hail Caesar

hail_caesar

Like the best of the funny Cohen Brothers movies, this has several laugh-out-loud moments, along with some random quirky stuff.  I loved the set design and the bits of movies we get to see.* It also manages to be a compelling story.

Cost: $8.00
Where watched: St. Johns Twin with S. North

*The pinnacle, of course, being Channing Tatum’s tap dance routine while in a very darling sailor suit.**  This was well worth the price of admission.

poster from: http://www.impawards.com/2016/hail_caesar.html

**See!unnamed