a day in pictures
The quote of the day:
Brain: "Don't you see, Pinky? You're the ultimate codependent victim!"
Pinky: "Why, thank you, Brain."
Running news:
5.3 miles.
Click on the pic to go to a large version of this picture of Pooks and me, taken in my backyard.
I look like a damn raccoon. I think I have to start wearing makeup if I'm going to have my photograph taken.
We went to see Mulan and my review is: GO! It's a really good movie. I enjoyed everything, from the fact that it's Disney's first animated musical about cross-dressing to Eddie Murphy's dragon (which I was prepared to hate). I only wish that Disney could have a strong female character who wasn't such a total fuck-up at being a girl, but what can you do? You have to paint these things in broad strokes.
The villains in this piece are the Unstoppable Hun Horde, and the Huns are made out to be demons on earth: glowing yellow eyes, ghastly grey skin, vampiric teeth.
I leaned over to Darin and said, "They are going to be hearing from the Hun Anti-Defamation League on this one."
He whispered back, "A group that so far has a membership of one. You."
It took me a second to realize that he was making a pun. He always calls me "Hon," you see, as I always call him "Bun."
Putting up the picture of me and Pooks inspired me to do a visual journey of my day. After all, I have this camera, I oughta use it.
First off, as always, I went to Pane Dolce for some coffee. Yes, I still love their coffee, and it's a nice walk.
Pane Dolce: Ventura Blvd.'s best coffee
Darin bought a board recently to put in his computer, only he discovered that he needed a small plastic connector for said board. He came in and asked me if I'd seen it, and if so, where...and I looked at him and said, "Que?" As in, There's a little teeny tiny connector somewhere in this house and you expect me to know where it is?
He called Fernando; Fernando had one; we piled in the car and headed out to Burbank to visit Fernando at the MausHaus. Well, not Disney proper; one of the side buildings that Disney has one of their umpteen billion companies in. (Remember when Disney was expected to go under? Remember? Ain't over 'til it's over, folks.)
Fernando and Darin discuss, "Quien es mas macho: Disney o Microsoft?"
You might get the idea from this photo that Fernando's office is lighted. You would be wrong. All ambient lighting you see in this photo is from my flash; Fernando keeps his office unlit (that is to say, dark) because he can't stand fluorescent lighting.
Fernando handed Darin the connector he needed.
The connector
Since we were already all the way in Burbank, we said, Hey, why not go see a movie? I wanted to see Mulan and since it was a Disney movie Fernando thought it only right that he go check out the company's movies, so the three of us traipsed across the street to the AMC 14 Theatres.
AMC Theatres: they're everywhere, and they're comfy
In front of the theatre was a man with a clipboard, which means, MOVIE PASSES! You fill out some info and the man gives you passes to a test screening. The screening was for tonight, at a theatre near our house, so we said, what the hell.
After Mulan Fernando went to his car and we went to ours, saying that we would make plans about the screening once we were both comfortably home. (Fernando, after all, had to coordinate with Nancy, who might be home from work and want to snuggle.) We went home and immediately made plans that we would go pick up Fernando and go to the screening.
The screening was the General Cinemas theatres, which we usually don't go to despite their proximity, because they're older and uncomfy. We saw Good Will Hunting here and our backs hurt for the next couple of hours. So we usually drive the extra 10 minutes to downtown Burbank.
General Cinemas: not as comfy
However, we were seeing a free movie.
In order to get into one of these screenings, you have to tell them your occupation--and you can't get away with just, "Student," either, because they want to know what kind of student. Basically, if you have anything to do with the movie biz, even peripherally, you can't get into the screening.
I am, by the way, a "computer tech."
You have to fill out forms promising not to tell anything about the movie to anyone, especially on the Internet (though wouldn't they want word of mouth if it's good?). You have to tell them everything. It's annoying. But it's free.
Darin fills out some paperwork
Darin and I enjoyed the movie, Fernando didn't. I can see why he didn't; I felt guilty for enjoying it for about the first hour, because it's a comedy that deals with very difficult subject matter: two mentally disabled people falling in love. I hated laughing at some of the stuff, until I realized that the joke was primarily that these people said precisely what was on their minds, as opposed to the bullshit that everyone else was giving off.
Juliette Lewis, the star, was amazing, by the way, as the young woman who falls in love. In case you're wondering whatever happened to her.
After dinner we went to Iwata Sushi, which is on Ventura Blvd. near the theatres. We were very pleasantly surprised: Darin opined that it was the best sushi he's had so far in LA. I'd definitely rank it right up there--the tuna was amazingly good, and the unagi-avocado handroll...try to ignore the little orgasmic mewlings I'm making. It was good. Go.
"Hix Nix Stix Pix" (or maybe it was "Stix Nix Hix Pix") was a famous headline from Daily Variety about how the Heartland was not cottoning to pictures depicting rural American life. Variety excels at headlines like that, and they're not even stifled (as is the New York Post) by having to use recognizable English words.
I don't know how I came up with the title for this entry. I looked at the photograph of me and Pooks and the phrase just popped into my mind. I'm weird that way.
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