Twilight

OK, who would have thought? I am never on the cutting edge of anything trendy (see my last post).

However, I read the entire Twilight series. And enjoyed it. And now, it is poised to be the blockbuster of the holiday season.

And so, my wonderful, intelligent, independent, some having children of their own, 6 girlfriends and I got tickets to opening night. I am never on the cutting edge of anything. I never want to be. I don't like the crowds. However, we did not buy tickets at the ghetto City North 14 by my house. We bought tickets at the Muvico. And not just any seats, but "Premier VIP Seats" So, no lines, assigned, plushy love seats and a restaurant to order food from. In short, no mingling with the hoi polloi as we like to joke.

We bought these about a month ago. And I have to admit, I have lost all sense of time. I live in some sort of time/space warp, being stretched over mulitple axes bending the space/time continuum. So, of course, I forgot and planned a trip to NYC this weekend.

Granted, this was the only weekend J and I could make it to NYC and I would not have prioritized a movie over a weekend in the Big Apple. I was just upset that I had not even put the conflict together. I can't believe it's November, let alone the week before Thanksgiving!

So, to all my friends and the teenie boppers who will be there on Friday, enjoy! The actor cast as Edward is nothing like I imagined in my mind, but I hope he does it justice. Because, really, the first book is all about him.

I'm almost happy i'm missing it. I have almost never enjoyed a movie version of a book that I have already read. I've peeked at the trailers. The Cullens in these novels are described as so breathtakingly, achingly beautiful, I feel as though they cannot ever be represented on film. And certainly not by some unknown actors and actresses. I think we will be especially disappointed by Rosalie. I'm already disappointed by Edward.

And J has promised he will go with me to see it when we get back. I expect you all to bear witness...

I love ergo I am

This afternoon, instead of actually working, I read this review of Roy Blount Jr's Alphabet Juice in the New York Times.

I am a fan of Roy's from "Wait, Wait... Don't Tell Me" and I have to say, I found the review itself to be a most pleasurable read!

As I went to forward the article on to a couple of other word-loving friends I found myself struggling to come up with the word for "lover of words". Which lead me to this list for words of love and attraction

I therefore declare myself a dendrophilious philalethist and logophile!

Never to be confused with a neophile or cynophilist, although this picture does seem to contradict that last sentiment

Library Update

My most recent library book was due on Tuesday. Unfortunately, it was also unfinished.

I went to the library and renewed the book. Can you believe it?

Progress, indeed. Yes I can!

More Observations

I have seen this man outside the Thompson Center for months now. He is there every time I actually take the train to work. He never moves, never says a word. Just stands there.

He is always dressed in this suit. However, today he had on very clean, new looking jeans, a turtle neck, jacket and a hat.

Today was the day I almost asked him what he meant. Is this a statement on the war? Does he want Obama to pull the troops out? Or is it something else entirely? But I chickened out. Maybe I just didn't want to deal with whatever compulsion drives this man.

I mean, who goes to the same corner every day and stands unmoving holding a sign for months on end. I've seen reports of him being spotted in other areas of the city as well.

Observations

As I was walking to my local Walgreens last night a man rode by me on his bike.

He was wearing one of those bright yellow vests that the street crews wear and on the back had handwritten

"Kill 'em all and let God sort them out"
USMC

Um, maybe I should take someone with me when I go to Walgreens at night.

ZEN STEW

Here is one of my favorite new soup recipes. I have modified it a little bit, especially cutting back on the amount of miso the recipe I found recommended since the sodium content was unbelievable!

2 carrots thinly sliced
1/2 cup sliced red onion
2-3 oz. fresh shiitake mushrooms sliced
2 cups water
2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
4 oz tofu diced
1 cup cooked brown rice
2-3 Tbsp miso paste
1/2 cup warm water
Spinach (several large handfuls)
Green onion sliced
**optional red chili sauce

Add the 2 cups of water and 2 cups of vegetable broth, the carrot, red onion, mushrooms and cooked rice to a large pot. Simmer for about 10 minutes.

Mix the miso paste with 1/2 cup warm water and stir well.  Add the miso and tofu to the pot and continue heating for another 5-10 minutes. 

Remove the pot from the heat and add as many handfuls of spinach as you would like. Stir until the spinach wilts. Taste, you may want to add a little more miso paste or even some red chili sauce for a kick.

Serve in bowls and sprinkle with the sliced green onion

Enjoy!

Twilight (or I was a Teenage Vampire)

OK, I will admit, I was pissed off when Twilight was our bookclub pick this summer. I've been feeling a little out of sync with my bookclub and our selections and this one almost pushed me over the edge. I was mired in bad attitude and pretty much went to bookclub to eat, drink and smoke.

Teen horror/romance novels? Had we sunk so low?

If you haven't heard of the Twilight series, it consists of 4 novels by Stephenie Meyer. A teenage romance with a vampire as one of the main characters and the heroine's love interest. The story revolves primarily around the struggle for this human-vampire couple to establish their relationship in the face of, obviously, some complications. Hiding this from the human population, the vampire's ability to resist the sweet smell of the human's blood, other vampires who are not so civilized, and eventually werewolves.

Due to a member's giving birth on that day, the meeting was cancelled and we never formally met to discuss this novel and I was happy.

But then, I was in a reading funk. I couldn't find anything to sink my teeth into (no pun intended) and borrowed the first novel from my friend ADG.

And I was hooked. I am now on the fourth and last novel in the series, and have enjoyed each one even more than the last. This is the first time I've been looking forward to getting home and reading in a long time. They are a bit repetitive, the heroine is kind of ridiculous, and the story-line a little far fetched, but I am drawn in, and can only imagine how fervently I would have followed this story if it had come out when I was in Jr. High. Pre-teens are suckers for star-crossed lovers.

So, I need to apologize for my bad attitude. I will stand by my contention that this is not an appropriate selection for an adult bookclub. But I am happy I was able to see through the red glow of my anger and try out the books on my own.

Oh yes, and we already have our tickets for opening night of the movie.

Election Day