I'm random, thanks for asking.

I've fallen victim to busyness and being too entertained by my flist to post lately. So, instead of cleaning or looking up cookie recipes, I'll post.

Sunday-Wednesday I was in Las Vegas for a conference. I drove up by myself, which I don't mind at all. I love road trips, but it still would have been more fun with someone. During the day we had to attend various conference functions, but the nights were free. Monday night I toured the strip with one teacher and her relatives. Tuesday night I finally saw a Cirque du Soleil show, Ka. Fantastic. My face was in permagrin mode. As soon as it was over, I wanted to see another show. Next trip, perhaps. Later that night we walked around the Venitian and Palazzo hotels. Gorgeous inside. On the drive home Wednesday, I stopped at the Hoover Dam and took a million pictures.

I need to travel more, see more of the country and the world.

Thursday I helped Alyssa out in her classroom. Friday was a movie day with Michelle and Reena, where we watched Lost in Austen and He's Just Not That Into You. Both were cute, but I think I'm more into period dramas than modern comedies/romances. Or, maybe it's jerky male characters that bother me, even though period dramas also have them.

Too much caffeine+not enough to eat=trembly. Need to eat more than just a Hot Pocket and some raspberries.

At the grocery store, I bought Persuasion with Ciaran Hinds and Amanda Root. First of all, buying dvds at the grocery store for $9.99. Then, I already own the version that came out a year ago. Whatever. The older version has the letter-writing scene, which kind of makes the whole story. So what if Ciaran is a little weird to me.

I'm making Pioneer Woman's carrot cake again. My apartment smells heavenly.

Cardinals are in the Super Bowl. Yay, I guess. Major yay if I was a football fan.

Ok, holbytla, jmp0114, laurasia_mystik and ewanspotter, it's my mission to get you to watch Sound of Music. I don't know how to achieve this, but at least you know how strongly I feel about it. I already have a verbal agreement with my friend Michelle to watch it the next time she and Reena come over for movie night. It took a little persuasion, which was funny because Michelle loves Mary Poppins, which I hate. Both are Julie Andrews musicals and yet I can't stand one, and she was afraid to watch the other. Anyway, I'll hopefully make the 2 of them into SoM fans soon.

So, today was another Michelle and Reena movie day. We watched Persuasion 1995, which I actually liked. Ciran Hinds wasn't bad, nor were any of the actors really. No one was annoying, which surprised me. The movie was a fine example of England's recycling of actors. I kept recognizing people who would turn out to not be in anything else I've seen. Michelle and Reena could pick people out they really had seen before. We also watched Sense and Sensibility 2008, which Michelle had not seen. Since Reena had just watched the really bad Jane Eyre (1996) this week, we had to show Michelle some of the gems that make it so shockinly bad. Her face was priceless. Before long I found myself watching through my fingers like the first time. It's just baaaaaaaaad. More actor recycling: William Elliot from Persuasion '95 is the same actor who played St. John in '96 Jane Eyre. Ciran Hinds was Rochester in another version of Jane Eyre that I'm too lazy to look up. Amanda Root was Anne in Persuasion '95 and I saw her on the credits for JE '96. Look it up on IMDB. We always have to check it during or after movies.

-We all love S&S '08 Edward Ferrars.
-I decided I'm going to start using the term "twelve month" instead of "year" and I got Michelle and Reena going as well. That and pronouncing "mama" the British way, with the stress on the second syllable. We kept working it into conversation the rest of the night.
-I can't remember the other phrase often used in Austen and Jane Eyre that I like. It's not obliged, amiable, on the contrary, to be sure...wait, maybe it is "to be sure." Must watch Emma again.

I finished reading Persuasion last night, and now I must gush about my love for Jane Austen books. So, I LOVE THEM! And, I'm a little depressed because now I've read all six and there's nothing left to read. I wasn't even going to read Persuasion after seeing the movie in January. Anne seemed too angsty and I was a little bored. However, books always say what movies can't (or don't) include, and I realized I missed some information in the movie. By the last few pages I was ready to squee. Ok, so I really did squee over one part. You've all squeed at some point in your lives, don't deny it. One part concerning Captain Wentworth in both the book and the movie made me particularly happy.

I am full of (corrected) typos tonight.

Wal-Mart is evil and I must stop going there. Or something. I went for a couple of things and ended up with a bunch. However, they do not have Persuasion on dvd. I hate their dvd set up, which is by price rather than genre.

Bliss:  Pioneer Woman's carrot cake is baking, and it smells heavenly.  

The other extreme: I finally started doing my laundry.  

Reena is coming over later so we can watch The Jane Austen Book Club.  

Yay summer!

Decide for yourself how obsessed/insane/[insert other adjecteive here] I am.
I own: all 6 Jane Austen novels
Pride and Prejudice 1995 and 2005
Sense and Sensibility 1995 and 2008 (yes, holbytla, I had to get the new one)
Emma 1996, with Gwyneth Paltrow
Mansfield Park 2007
Northanger Abbey 2007

Persuasion 2007 I'm kind of meh about, and I haven't read the book yet. My prediction is that I'll eventually read it.

Let's not forget my 3 versions of Jane Eyre, two of which are so bad that I would burn them if possible, and my multiple copies of Lord of the Rings, both books and movies.

Yes, I do own other books and movies. Just that the ones I really like, well, more is better.

Hmm, both the "nerdy" and "geeky" mood theme pics are of Mr. Collins. I cannot escape him!

Reena over to watch the 5-hour Pride and Prejudice + Starbucks and cute matching mugs + noshing on chips and salsa + constant running commentary on the movie + Pita Jungle for dinner between discs 1 and 2 + holy cow Pita Jungle food yum including the best cheesecake EVER + more commentary and laughter + newly created inside jokes + having to pee like every half hour (too much coffee!) + totally awesome iced tea + randomly deciding to watch another chick flick when we weren't even finished with the 5-hour movie + why is Colin Firth such a good Darcy anyway? + much squeeage + watching Emma afterward + loving Mr. Knightly = completely awesome day on Tuesday.

Yesterday morning I finished reading Atonement and tonight I rented the movie. Maybe it was because I knew what would happen, but I was kind of bored watching it. The book I really really liked, and would recommend to anyone. However, I apparently totally misread something in the book and saw what really happened in the movie, and now I'm sort of in shock. I gave the book to a friend so I can't go back and reread that one part unless I hit up Borders, which curiosity might just force.

Tomorrow or Friday, I have Across the Universe to watch.

Today was one of those days where I left work right after tutoring, wondering (yet again) if I'm really cut out for this. Usually, right after I wonder such things, I remember I have NO CLUE what I'd do for a job otherwise. Still, some things just aren't right, and I can't fix them, and I'm not even talking about the things that are out of my control. (tomorrow's vote at the board meeting I won't even touch...)

Then, I stopped at Borders, bought Emma on dvd, the book Atonement, and a coffee. Came home, watched movie, and felt better.

Tomorrow is jeans day!

Vicotria's Secret is giving away free dog tags with any Pink purchase. Looking at the one I got, the package says it costs $10 retail. Um, who even wants this thing, let alone is willing to pay $10 for it? What the heck am I going to do with a VS dog tag???

My mind, it is boggled.


Last night I finally watched P&P again, and I still love it. Love love love. Now I need to clean up a little and try to finish reading Emma.

The Jane Austen movies continued tonight with Northanger Abbey. I liked it better than Persuasion though I have nothing against the latter. John Thorpe ranked up there on the ew!scale almost with Mr. Collins '95. Ick teeth, obnoxious expression, etc. I can't believe NA was Austen's first book. It seems so much different than P&P, at least the movie version.