Oops.

Let's just say that yesterday did not quite go as planned... Sorry about missing my usual post!  Life got a bit in the way.

Anyway.

If you're reading my blog directly rather than through a reader, you'll notice that I've changed my look.  I got a comment on Wednesday that the old layout was hard to read. I hope this is better!  I'll probably do something a little snazzier in the future, but for now, you should be able to read my posts more easily.

In other news, I'm about to go off and do some heavy lifting - it's spring cleaning time at the community theatre where I volunteer, so we're emptying out the basement, cleaning, then refilling it.  Believe me, it's necessary.  At this point, no one really knows what's down there at all... It's kind of scary.  So wish me luck!

And if you don't hear from me Monday, it's probably because the theater rats ate me.  Or the ghost got me.  One of the two.

Some things should not be explained.

Warning: this post contains spoilers about the movie "One Hour Photo."  If you're thinking of watching it, and you don't want to know about the ending, come back and visit on Friday.

I've had "One Hour Photo" in my DVD collection since 2003.  I've started to watch it several times, but it has always bored me, and I've turned it off before the halfway point.  Yesterday, though, I managed to sit through the whole thing, if only because I've decided that I have to finally watch every DVD in my collection.  (There are about six more I need to watch to reach that goal.)

I didn't enjoy it.  Robin Williams was good at playing a creepy guy, but there just wasn't enough going on for me.  What really drove me nuts, though, was the ending.  At the end, Sy (Robin Williams) has been arrested and is sitting in the interrogation room with the detective.  He asks about the detective's family, then goes off on this insane little spin about how good fathers don't make their children do dirty things and take photos of it.  Basically, it felt like the writers were justifying Sy's sociopathic behaviour by saying he had a bad father.

Seriously?  Was his father sitting there, telling him to go and terrorize the couple?  No.  Did his father mess him up? Sure, but he's still an adult and he's made his own choices.  I really felt like this was a cop-out.  Lots of people have shitty childhoods, but they don't all turn into crazy people.  I don't want to essentially be told that it's okay that he did this, because his daddy was a bad man.  It's not okay!  Don't feel sorry for the sociopath!  Don't tell me that it's not his fault.

I've seen similar endings in a few books that I've read (although I can't think of their names off hand - I'll add something in the comments if I remember later).  It's similar to the whole deus ex machina concept, although almost in reverse, if that makes sense.  I will accept when a writer tries to make me feel sorry for a victim.  However, once that victim turns around and uses his problems to become the one who is doing wrong, don't expect me to have the same reaction.

It also feels a bit, well, lazy.  "I can't think of a good reason for him to be all crazy-like.  Let's just make him an abused child."  Um, yeah.  Because nothing else makes people crazy.  Believe me, I know a sociopath or two, and they didn't have horribly abusive parents.  They're just that messed up on their own.  I think they get off on the chaos they can cause.

Anyway.

The point is, I didn't like the way the writers chose to end the movie.  I think it would have been better to just end it when the cheating husband came home and his wife stared at him from across the room as the police protection packed up and left.  The explanation of the crazy seemed unnecessary.

Sometimes I surprise myself

I just spent four hours waiting for the gas company to come, and no one showed.  Grrr.

In other news, I ended up staying up later than planned last night to watch the end of "William & Kate" on Lifetime. I know, I know, it was cheesy and gimicky, and I didn't plan to watch it!  I just happened upon it as I was searching for something to fall asleep to, and it caught my attention.

I know that everyone seems to have an opinion about the royal wedding these days (probably because it's this weekend, right?), but I don't really have a lot to say about it.  I'll probably watch it if I'm home at the right time - I remember watching Charles and Di when I was a little girl - and I think it would be fun to see.  At the same time, it's not essential for me to watch it.

Also, I'm kind of getting tired of TLC's Wedding Week specials.  There's nothing wrong with weddings, but a wedding should not be the be-all, end-all goal for anyone's life.  I'd rather be watching, well, almost anything else at this point, and it's only Monday.  Luckily, HGTV isn't airing wedding stuff, so I'll spend the week watching home improvement shows.

Watching home improvement shows is actually a good plan because... I've got a house!  Yes, that's right, I will soon give up the apartment dwelling lifestyle, and be stuck doing all of my own repairs... Um... Hm... *reaches for the remote in a panic*  Must watch more HGTV!

Let's do the time warp!

This has been such a weird week... actually, it's been a weird month.  I swear, the week has started out with three days' worth of Mondays.  Not just any Mondays, but particularly long Mondays.  It's been bad enough that I haven't been able to figure out what day it actually is without looking at my watch AND my phone, to make sure that one of them isn't lying to me.

Then, just as I'm resigning myself to the Monday-ness of the week, Thursday and Friday zoom by and suddenly it's Saturday.  Wha??  So for the last month or so, my week has been: Sunday, Mooooooondaaaaaaay, Mooooooondaaaaaaay, Mooooooondaaaaaaay, Thursdayfriday, Saturday.  It is making me all sleepy.

I'm trying to figure out why the days have been so weird.  At first, I thought that it was maybe because I'm trying to get up early three days a week to exercise.  The problem with that theory is two-fold: first, I've only been doing this for two weeks, not for a month.  Second, I'm doing the exercise thing Monday-Wednesday-Friday, not Monday-Tuesday-Wednesday (or Mooooooondaaaaaaay-Mooooooondaaaaaaay-Mooooooondaaaaaaay).  So I've got no idea.

Is anyone else experiencing this disturbance in the space-time continuum, or is it just me?

A letter from my body

Dear Danielle,

We want to preface this by saying that we love you.  However, after today, we're not quite sure how you feel about us.  The poor legs are exhausted!  You started the day with Carmen Electra's Aerobic Striptease, and it was hard on them.  And then you wore your Sketchers Shape-Ups all day!  Don't you like your legs?  Or your feet?

And let's not forget your poor skin and back!  What on earth possessed you to start hauling tree limbs around?  We understand that there were nasty storms this weekend, and that your yard was full of debris.  However, you apparently forgot that you're allergic to everything with leaves, and now your hands and arms are covered in little welts from brushing up against pine needles.  Next time you decide to do yard work, please stop and think for a moment, then go put on work gloves and long sleeves.  And instead of hauling the 18 foot tree limb over to the curb by yourself, GO ASK SOMEONE FOR HELP.  Dumbass.

Of course, we can't ignore your brain.  First, you wake up early to exercise, which is really screwing with it.  Then, you spent the day doing statistical analysis.  Can we say ouch?  Granted, you did give in and provide some extra caffeine today, but your teeth aren't all that impressed with the extra dose of sugar.

In closing, please be nicer to us tomorrow, or we'll go on strike, and you'll have to lay in bed like a vegetable.

Love,
All the parts of your body

P.S. Here's a picture of the pile of yard debris that was hauled to the curb today, including the 18' tree limb. It doesn't look nearly as impressive in the picture as it did in person.  There was a lot of debris... and still is, but it will require a wheelbarrow to bring it to the front yard.  Also, it will require work gloves and long sleeves.  And some assistance.  Sorry, body.

I saw a play last night...

And it really got me thinking about the distinction between the play and the performance.  I saw "My Fair Lady," and I enjoyed the performance.  Henry Higgins was well-cast, and I only caught his southern accent poke through the British one once, which is quite impressive, because I've heard the actor speak, and his southern accent is quite obvious (at least to me).  The woman playing Eliza was fantastic.  The dancing was good, especially for community theatre (although I could definitely see a difference between the couple that I take ballroom classes with and the rest of the cast!).  The costumes were beautiful, and the set at this theatre always amazes me - it's a small stage, but they definitely make the most of every inch.  I really had a good time, and I liked the performance!

However.

I don't like the play.

The ending of it was, well, unsatisfying.  I really felt like there were a dozen things that needed to happen between scene 5 and scene 7 (the final scene) for the ending to make sense.  Although I suppose some of that is because of the time period it was set in... It turns out that I'm way more of a feminist than I ever thought I would grow up to be!  But it just didn't make any sense, the complete turnarounds made by the two main characters in that last little bit.

And there was a random character, Freddie, who was, well, random.  He sang two songs about how wonderful Eliza was, but he didn't serve a purpose that could not have been filled by another, existing character.

Hmm.  Can you tell I'm in an editing phase?

A quick one

Hello blogglings!

It's been a long week, so this is a short one.  I have done a bit more work on the blanket for Baby Bear, and I even managed to find my camera, so here's a picture!

Section A: 10/10 rows completed
Section B: 90/90 rows completed
Section C: 21/111 rows completed
Section D: 0/90 rows completed
Section E: 0/10 rows completed
Total length: umm... forgot to measure!
Percentage complete: 39%

But you can start to make out the logo now!

Have I mentioned I don't like Mondays?

I started off my day heading to the dealership for brake issues.  Luckily, it wasn't anything major, and I managed to get it all fixed and get to work before 10.  Still, starting that late threw me off.  Then, I found out that the pager company had apparently left me messages that I never received last week, and when I tried calling back, I had to leave a message.  When I finally reached them (late in the afternoon!), they told me that they had discontinued pager service in our area.  Blah!  On the bright side, that meant that I got to turn the problem over to the boss lady.

I ended up with a huge pile of paperwork left on my desk at the end of the day, which will be waiting for me tomorrow.

I went to audition tonight, but because there were so many females auditioning, I didn't get a part.  Instead, I'll be stage managing, which I like, but which will keep me awfully busy.

I did get to talk to my sister tonight, which was awesome, but it was pretty much the only high point of my day.

I'm just feeling blah, and that has resulted in a very blah blog today.  Sorry, blogglings.  I'll try to have a better day tomorrow and Wednesday!

I'm proud of myself!

I went to the dentist yesterday, and I didn't cry!

Yes, I realize that, for most adults, this is a normal occurrence, not something worthy of celebration.  Well, I'm special.

For years, I've had severe dental anxiety.  It was not good.  I didn't go to the dentist for 10 years, because I was so terrified.  Visits to the dentist have been the bane of my existence.  When I was a child, I had a series of horrible experiences with hygienists.  My teeth are very close together, and it's hard to get dental floss between them, even when I'm being super-gentle at home.  These hygienists (and I never seemed to have the same one twice) were brutal.  They didn't care that I was crying and bleeding.  They told my mom that it was because I wasn't taking good care of my gums.  I still firmly believe that it was because they were SLICING UP MY MOUTH.

I had all four wisdom teeth removed at once, under general anesthesia, because my dentist at the time was quite certain that if I only had one done, I wouldn't go back again.  And if I just had local anesthetic, I would never go back to a dentist.  Ever.

Not long after I moved, I chipped a tooth. I was tempted to just leave it, but it was rough and uncomfortable, and I realized that I really did need to see a dentist.  I ended up calling the dentist that everyone in my office sees.  I got an appointment right away, and started panicking immediately.  By the time I was in the chair, I was hyperventilating and squeezing the stuffing out of the stuffed bear I had tucked into the pocket of my hoodie.  (Yes, I brought a stuffed animal.  Like I said, severe dental anxiety.  The bear helped a little.)  He started working on the tooth, and it broke all the way through (not his fault - it was just a defective tooth, hence the original chip).  And do you know what that meant?  That's right!  Root canal!

I freaked out.  I was crying in the chair, and the poor dentist was trying to reassure me, but it wasn't working. He did a temporary filling, and set me up with the uber-dentist to do the root canal a few days later. (I can't remember the title of the root canal guy - cosmetic dentist? Dental surgeon?) By the time we pulled up in front of the office, I was already sniffling.  Tears were running down my cheeks as I filled out the new patient paperwork.  By the time I was in the chair, I was full-out crying.  I feel sorry for the poor technicians who had to deal with me.  I really don't remember much after that, other than more tears and squeezing my bear.

Slowly, though, over the last three years, I've gotten better.  At first, I was still sniffling and hugging my bear during all of my cleanings and exams.  Yesterday, though?  No tears, and the bear stayed in my purse.  I totally blame the awesome dentist and hygienist combination for this change!  Since seeing this dentist, I've had the same hygienist for every visit.  Charlotte knows me, and knows my mouth, and she can distract me and laugh with me while she's doing the cleaning.  The flossing part still sucks, but she's careful and she knows  that's where I can get upset, so she usually launches into a story about something to keep my mind off of it.

So yes, it's a big deal that I didn't cry at the dentist yesterday.  Let's hope this pattern continues!

Blanket update: I've managed two rows.  The pattern now runs from one edge of the blanket to the other, and I've got to twist strands every 2-4 stitches, so it's taking about an hour per row.  It'll be a while...

It's Terminal.

Wow, that title sounds way more ominous than I had intended...  Anyway, here's a post about one of my non-writing problems!

I can't sleep.  I've had this problem for a while.  Years, actually.  I talked to my doctor about it, and he told me that I have 'terminal insomnia.'  It sounds way worse than it is.  It's not going to kill me (not any time soon, at least).  It actually refers to the fact that my sleep 'terminates' - I wake up.

I've done a bit of research, and it actually sounds like 'middle insomnia' is a more accurate diagnosis, since I wake up several times, and usually end up going back to sleep in fairly short order.  I was surprised to see that the main cause is thought to be anxiety or stress.  I'm actually feeling way more relaxed in the last few months than I have in a while.  My doctor suggested that it might be allergy-related - as I get all icky, my nose and throat don't let air pass as easily, and I might not be breathing properly.

Lately, I've been waking up about three times a night.  It's been remarkably regular.  I usually go to bed around 10, and fall asleep around 10:30.  I'll wake up around 12:30, 2:30, 4:30, and 6:30... which is ten minutes before my alarm goes off!  That part really sucks.

But then I did more research, and I found this pretty graph, which indicates that a standard sleep cycle is in the neighborhood of 2 hours long.  And I've been waking up about every two hours... So now I'm wondering just what is going on in my head to make me wake up every time I get into that lighter sleep phase.  Maybe that's when I'm suddenly more aware of sounds outside?  Or my dog's movements?  Or my sniffling?  Hmm... much to think about.

Meanwhile, here's the update on Baby Bear's blanket.  Yes, I've only done 4 rows since last time.  And those four rows took 2 hours, because I'm still new to this whole knitting-with-multiple-colors thing.  And I've lost my camera, so no photo tonight :(

Section A: 10/10 rows complete
Section B: 90/90 rows complete
Section C: 15/111 rows complete
Section D: 0/90 rows complete
Section E: 0/10 rows complete
Total length: 17.5 inches
Percentage complete: 36.9%

The Future is Now!

Yesterday, I attended a baby shower in Canada, from my comfy chair down in the US.  It was kind of awesome.  My sister and I hooked up our computers and I was able to watch her open all of her presents via Skype.  It was more than a little awesome.

I remember, growing up, when video phones were a thing of sci-fi movies.  It was a crazy thought, that anyone could use videos to have conversations.  And now?  The newest iPhone does it portably!  Holy cow!

I'm all about the technology - I've been online since... well, let's not admit how long I've been online.  Point is, I love the way tech is evolving, and I can't wait to see what's next, even if I can't quite afford all of the latest toys.  Funny thing is, though, the more time I spend around hi-tech gadgety bits, the more time I spend on the rather low-tech crafting hobbies I have.

And speaking of crafting, here's the blanket update:

Section A: 10/10 rows complete
Section B: 90/90 rows complete
Section C: 11/111 rows complete
Section D: 0/90 rows complete
Section E: 0/10 rows complete
Percentage complete: 35%
Total length: 16.5 inches

Feeling foolish?

Normally, on April Fools' Day, I'll run across some really great pranks online. This year, I didn't see many, sadly.  I did see several amusing announcements, though!  I loved Nathan Fillion's, though the possibility of Castle getting cancelled made me worry for a second.  Kiersten White's and Lynn Viehl's blogs made me giggle, too.  And I'm left wondering if Blogger's new "View" thing is an April Fools' joke... it doesn't seem, well, useful.

Oddly enough, no one at work pulled any pranks or jokes or anything... unless you count the guys who came to install the new furniture, then left, saying that the tabletops were cut wrong, and that they'd be back Monday.  Except for the part where that wasn't a joke.

Also, some of my Canadian family and friends got a prank from Spring.  It snowed.

I can't remember the last time I was on the giving end of an April Fools' joke.  While I can be witty or even amusing on paper and in real life, I just don't have the right kind of funny to pull off a prank.

What about you, blogglings?  Did you find anything good out there today?  Did you pull a prank?