Just call me Barry

So I've been catching up on movies over the last couple of weeks. Here are three in particular that I thought were pretty cool! All three are based on novels (and Jennifer Anniston is in two of them. But that's just a coincidence. Really, it is).

Marley & Me
Okay, first of all, I need to confess that I haven't read the book, which is a pity because I think books are often better than their moving image counterparts. And the movie is pretty good! In case you've been living under a rock and don't know, Marley & Me is based on actual events and follows the lives of young newlyweds, who adopt a beautiful golden labrador puppy (as a sort of starter kit for kiddies) who turns out to be the 'Worst Dog in the World.' From puppyhood to old age, the viewer watches as Marley wreaks absolute havoc on the lives of John (Owen Wilson) and Jennifer (Jennifer Anniston), who grow as individuals, a couple and as a family. It's a really heart-warming story that reminds us that things don't always turn out as planned, but that sometimes 'different' can be even better.

Alan Arkin plays John's tough but endearing newspaper editor and there's extra eye-candy in the hunky shape of Eric Dane (McSteamy from Grey's). Oh, and look out for Kathleen Turner as the misfortuned doggie obedience trainer. She's only in the movie for a short bit but it's truly hilarious!

I guess what makes this movie a winner, apart from the gorgeousness of golden puppies and pooches, is the ability to relate to what the characters go through. Keep in mind the movie spans about 15 years, so a lot happens to the characters during that period. That's life. On that same note, prepare yourself for non-stop sniffling during the last 15 minutes or so. (What is it with animal movies and crying? Sheesh.) All the same, it's a really feel-good movie, and it'll make you want to go home and hug your dog. Or cat. Even if they do drive you mad occasionally. Or all the time. :)

Useless trivial fact no.1: Twenty-two different labradors played the part of Marley.
Useless trivial fact no.2: The director, David Frankel, also directed The Devil Wears Prada.

He's Just Not That Into You
Of course I had to see this movie - how much more chick flick can you get? Okay, well that's not quite true because in chick flicks, there's almost always schmaltzy moments galore and a sickingly happy ending (hey, not that kind of happy ending). Nope, in He's Just Not That Into You, there's heart-ache and drama and screaming and well, reality. Which is what makes it nice and refreshing. The movie starts off with a little girl being bullied by a horrible little boy (kids, hey?!?!). In tears, the little girl is 'comforted' by her mother who consoles her by saying that's how boys act when they like a girl. And so it begins... Basically, it's a reminder to us chicks to wise up and spot the signs of when a guy is just not interested. How often do we console our friends and ourselves with excuses for why men haven't called / pitched / anything? We do everything to make those excuses when the cold truth is, they're just not that into us. And actually, that's okay. Instead of pining for days (or weeks [or, ahem, months]) it's so much better to see it for what it is and move on. Now, that's not an excuse for you lads to act like jerks and high-tail it as soon as you've 'bedded' a lady. It's more a case of, if you meet someone in a bar, or if you've had a date and then there's 'radio silence', then rather cut your losses. Better that than your dignity. Easier said than done, though. Right, ladies? Yeah...

The movie has a strong cast. Scarlet Johannsen, Jennifer Connelly, Jennifer Anniston, Ginnifer Goodwin, Drew Barrymore, Ben Affleck, Justin Long, Kevin Connollly and Bradley Cooper. Their characters pair up to reflect various aspects of relationships, and while some work, some just don't. Drama: tears and laughter, and hopefully a lot of penny-dropping for the audience. I watched the movie with a couple of my gal pals, and what we saw on the screen really rung true, in more ways than one.

Useless trivial fact no.1: The movie is based on a book which is based on a line from an episode from Sex and the City (Remember Miranda's 'A-ha!' moment?).
Useless trivial fact no.2: Okay, not sure this is a fact per se, but I read somewhere that Ginnifer Goodwin and Justin Long are definitely into each other. Talk about life imitating art. How sweet.

Watchmen
And now for something that could never ever in a hundred trillion years EVER fall under the same genre as the two flicks above. Watchmen is based on the graphic novel published in the eighties, and believe me when I say what it lacks it sentimentality and fluffiness, it more than makes up with violence. It's still cool, though!

I've heard a lot of bad reviews about Watchmen, which is actually kinda sad. I think some people bought their tickets expecting a superhero movie along the same lines as Spiderman, Superman, Batman or (heaven forbid) the Fantastic Four (bleuch!). In which case, they were in for a nasty surprise. Watchmen is dark, gritty and yes, violent. The superheroes don't possess any actual supernatural powers (except for Doctor Manhattan) and they're in fact a bunch of vigilantes who dress up in costumes because the scumbag criminals they went after were also in costume (you know, as you do). For a while, the Watchmen are hailed as heroes and adored by the public, but as time goes on, the tables are turned and suddenly they themselves are being targeted, forcing the ones that survive to go into early retirement. Anyway, with the rather brutal murder of an ex-superhero, formerly known as The Comedian, the story begins.

The plot is fairly complex and poses a few universal questions. At least, that's my take on it. Then again, the movie theatre I was at has a prehistoric audio system and periodically, the channel carrying the voices (does that make sense?) would disappear and the audience would be left to lip read. (FAIL!) So yeah, I missed some pretty crucial parts. The movie is set as the height of the cold war between Russia and the States, and this plays quite a big role.

Anyway, forget about any pre-conceived notions of superheroes and go watch it. Be warned though, it's pretty violent. Almost Quentin Tarantino-esque. It's also directed by Zack Snyder, who directed 300 - another film not exactly known for it's touchy-feely-sensitivity. But the characters are cool. Especially Rorschach. And I like Nite Owl too, even though his 'day persona' is a little nerdish.

Useless trivial fact no.1: The Comedian, who in spite of being one of the 'good guys' is actually a real bastard, is played by Jeffrey Dean Morgan. Yeah, he's the guy who plays Denny Duquette on Grey's Anatomy, though trust me, he's much, much nicer (read: hotter) in Grey's.
Useless trivial fact no.2: Nite Owl is played by Patrick Wilson, who was the peado-creep in Hard Candy and the philandering hubby in Little Children. But in Watchmen, he plays an uber-super-duper good guy. (Except in the love [sex] scene with Silk Spectre, cos there he turns into an animal. Ahem.)

So go watch some movies, and don't forget the popcorn...

Breathing deep

It's been a pretty miserable couple of weeks. Work is toxic, my piggy bank is broken and I been sinking into a pretty nasty abyss of a funk. Before I head for the nearest bridge, I thought I'd make the effort to remind myself of all the good stuff that's around, even if sometimes, it's hard to spot at first.

Part of that process involves being pro-active and so at long last, I've given my little blog a make-over. It's still a work in progress as I'm not 100% happy with it yet, but it's a start. Anyway, since last I posted something, I've been away for the weekend, eaten at some amazing restaurants very much off the beaten path, been on a complete bender with a buddy that nearly resulted in alcohol poisoning (yes, my liver and I are very ashamed) and I've had close encounters with city squirrels. (The cute and fluffy kind.) I'm going to bombard you guys with details of all the above over the next couple of days (perhaps not the bender evening though) but in the meantime, here a couple squirrel pics.

I came across these little guys while in Cape Town's famous gardens the other week. They're very people-friendly and happily munch peanuts out of your hand while keeping a wary eye on scavenging pigeons.

More tomorrow...

'Get out of jail free' card

After a horrible week of mounting stress and anxiety, we had that work meeting about the retrenchments. I'm safe. Job-wise, that is. Most of my friends and colleagues weren't as lucky as I was. In my team alone, only four out of the nine of us get to keep our jobs. The rest of the company has also been slashed to pieces, leaving everyone absolutely reeling.

Strangely enough, I don't feel the relief I thought I would've felt. Instead I feel sick. It's so awful to see so many people I care about going through so much crap. Don't get me wrong - I'm extremely grateful to have kept my job. I certainly don't want to come across as ungrateful. But at the same time, it feels like I'm on a sinking ship. It's also difficult to know what to say to people who aren't staying. I've been retrenched before - about six years ago - and so I know how tough it is to take that knock. Never mind the financial stress, the self-esteem also takes serious strain. At least, it did in my case.

Anyway, crisis averted. For now...

My Wonder Years

While waiting for the axe to fall (gulp), I've been getting very little work done. Instead, I've been doing a little bit of this and a little bit of that. (Read: updating the ol' CV and surfing the web.) 'Came across the lovely Ms Brazen's blog, where she posted a great little quote from the Wonder Years (remember that show?). She challenged bloggers to post pics of their own wonder years, and so here's my little contribution:

This photie was taken, well, quite a while ago. I must've been around three at the time. 'Quite a contemplative little kiddie. Though considering how many childhood pics my folks have of me with chocolate or cake smeared all over my face, chances are I'm contemplating where I'm going to find my next choccie. Yeah, some things never change...

Not a happy camper

Well, today I'm all doom and gloom. In spite of my very best efforts to stay upbeat and positive, today it just isn't happening. I'm sure this is just a temporary phase and it'll all get better soon. But it's in my nature to get sucked in by the lows, and lately there just haven't been enough highs to counter-balance the nasty.

Why the major funk? Well yesterday, everyone in my company was sent the dreaded e-mail dotted with the 'R' word. Yup kids, that's R for RETRENCHMENT. Now, I'm not going to get my knickers in knot just quite yet, because at this stage we don't know who's going. All we know is that they'll be retrenching across all teams. They're going to explain the process and criteria for retrenchment on Friday. Yeah, that's four sleepless nights to endure until the Big Meeting. Even then, I doubt we'll know who's getting the chop until next week.

I guess this isn't really a huge surprise - rentrenchments and liquidations have been happening all over the show - both here in South Africa and throughout the world. (Hello Depression.) But that doesn't make it any easier to digest. Even if I dodge the knife, some of my work buddies may be going, and that really, really sucks.

I bet this is what it feels like to be on Survivor. You try your hardest to keep your head down and out of the way, but you never know when you're going to be voted off the island. And once Jeff snuffs out your torch, that's that. The tribe will have spoken.

Anyway, talk of retrenchments is really the cherry on top of the pity party I've been considering attending. As always, it couldn't come at a worst time. My rent is going up at the end of the month (ie. this week). Plus, last week I took my car in for a minor service and to sort out some weird sounds it had been making. Turned out, those weird sounds were going to cost me about R14000(!!!!!!!!!!) to sort out! And the sounds were omens of very bad things. After a mini breakdown (and I'm not talking about the dance type) I got my car in at another place, who gave me a much cheaper quote. So the sounds are gone, and the car isn't likely to get me killed anytime soon, but it still cost me a whackload of money, and my little piggy bank has been left feeling utterly violated.

Anyway, now all that's left to do is sit and wait until Friday's meeting. In the meantime, rest assured I'll be getting no work done. Instead, I need to update my CV and work on my portfolio. And if anytime soon, you pass me on the street and you find me and my cat begging for money, please be kind and help a gal out. And remember, if you don't have any money to give, red wine will do nicely. Thanks in advance.

Baby, it's hot outside

It's Friday! Yay! But hasn't this week really flown by? Hectic! It started off on a good note, heading off to Maynardville to watch some Shakespeare in the park. I really enjoyed the play ('As you like it') but sheesh, those plastic chairs are NOT butt-friendly! Ouch! On Wednesday night I headed off to the Cape Quarter for another eve of good wine and munchies, courtesy of Fiesta and the Nose Bar, but I'm sorry to say I woke up with a rather unpleasant hangover on Thursday. Quite surprising as I didn't go large at all. In between I've been trying to drag myself to the gym but have been failing miserably every time. I blame the heat. It's been up there in the thirties since the weekend and it's actually quite unpleasant - especially considering my car doesn't have aircon. Still, I shouldn't complain. The guys in England have been hit by really heavy snowfalls, never mind the Aussies who have been taking some serious strain. Horrifying to think of all those people who have been killed by those fires!!! And of course, I can't help but think of all the animals too. All those baby birds and little squirrels and hedgehogs and snakes and tortoises... I remember a few years back when we had a particularly bad fire here in Cape Town there was a high toll on animal life and the animals that survived struggled to find food for quite a while after the fires because their natural habitat had been completely destroyed. The biggest shocker though is that these fires are often the result of arson. I mean c'mon - what the hell? You need to be a special type of nasty to pull that off! Grrrr...

So it's nice to hear the heart-warming stories that come out of those tragedies, like that koala that appeared all over the world. You know, the one pictured with the firefighter? Here it is:

Shame, it got quite burnt but apparently she's mending well and has found love in the process (no, not with the fireman but with another koala!) And a friend e-mailed this little story earlier today - pics of a koala in Maude, Australia taking a little dip in a bucket of cool water supplied by a local. It just goes to show how hot it is - these little guys are incredibly people-shy!

And while on the path of cute animal pics, here's another one: It's a baby badger and I'm not sure if there's a story around it. I just thought it was an incredibly cute pic and worth sharing!

Anyway, I hope wherever you are the weather isn't too hot and if it is, I hope you have a swimming pool. As for me, I'll definitely be inflating my blow-up pool this weekend. You know where to find me...

Funny stuff for Dreary Tuesday

Got these from Cyanide and Happiness and the Shoebox Blog.

The good, the bad and the downright nasty

I’ve noticed many of you bloggers out there post lists. Lists of good things that happened. Lists of good thoughts. Lists of positive stuff. Lists of really nice, feel-good stuff. And I really dig that kind of thing, especially in keeping with my ‘positive’ outlook for 2009. But ultimately, there’s a tormented realist deep inside of me who can’t help but point out that lists of crappy things are also easy to make. Sorry, but it’s true. I’m thinking this calls for a bit of balance so please indulge me in my own list. A list of the good, the bad and the downright nasty. (By the way, you should know upfront that this has been a bit of a shite week, as you’ll see in my list, but now that the weekend is almost here, I expect a full recovery.) Anyhoo, here we go (starting with the good stuff)…

Sunshiney stuff that makes me happy:

1. I went for a walk on the beach at Big Bay on Saturday, followed by lunch in Simon’s Town. It was a stunning day, though the morning was a bit foggy. After the walk, I had an ice-cream for breakfast – as did my buddy and her doggies. Ah, it’s the simple things that make life good, don’t you think?

2. On Sunday, I joined some of my favourite people at Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens for a picnic while enjoying a sundowner concert. Prime Circle was playing and the place was packed, but it didn’t detract from the beauty of Kirstenbosch. Nestled in the shadow of Table Mountain it’s the perfect setting to end off a stellar weekend.

3. I’m really, really happy Obama has begun his term and is already making important and long over-due changes. Never mind all the hype, I believe he’ll have a positive effect on the U.S., which in itself, will impact on the rest of us. More so, though, I’m glad George Bush is OUTTA THERE. And not a minute too soon. I’m also looking forward to our S.A. elections, and I hope Cope gives the ANC a good run for their money. Though some of their party candidates are less than impressive, they’re no where near as bad as Jacob Zuma (Umshimi Wami – bring me my machine gun) or Winnie Mandela. Yikes. Oops, dangerously close to the bad stuff here. Will quit while I’m ahead.

4. Friends of mine are organising tickets for us to watch As You Like It at Maynardville’s Open Air Theatre. Shakespeare at Maynardville is another annual Cape Town tradition that’s a must do. Mmmm… hot chocolate, warm blanket and a play by the esteemed bard.

5. If the wind isn’t howling next Thursday, I’m heading up Table Mountain. By cable car, of course. Not by foot, that would be ridiculous. ;) I’m really looking forward to it. Champagne, camembert and crackers… maybe some dark chocolate for dessert. Yum!

Bad-ass stuff that makes me sad:

1. So it would seem my beloved landlord (who is a genuinely nice guy, by the way) hasn’t been paying his rates bill for the last few months, and so on Monday I came home to a love letter from the municipality who are threatening to cut off my water and electricity if he doesn’t pay it soon. Now you can lead a horse to water but that doesn’t mean Mr Ed is going to have a drink, and so I’ve been a little anxious about the LL not getting in touch with them and paying his dues. After all, me sitting in the dark, all thirsty, wouldn’t bug him much but it would definitely piss me off. So now we wait to see who wins the race. The landlord or the municipality. I know whose side I’m on.

2. My trusty kettle is officially kaput. This happened on Tuesday. I’m sure I don’t need to spell this out for you, but I will anyway. It means no C_A_F_F_E_I_N_E. This is a very bad thing, both for me and anyone who I encounter in the morning. Grrrrr…

3. My car broke down on Wednesday night. Again. Sigh. Half an hour away from home, and my car reverts to only two gears. Third and fourth. Amazing how many intersections there are between Table View and the southern suburbs. I’m proud to say I never stalled once, though I certainly revved the hell out of my poor little chariot. Suffice to say, if my car was a horse, it would’ve been shot many moons back. (Humanely, of course.) But with the economy as it is, a new car just isn’t an option right now. But there’s a happy ending this time. Amazingly, my car has already been fixed, in just one day. And for nothing! So I’m mobile again! (Could everyone please touch wood.)

4. I recently got a rather in-depth update on an ex who seems to be living quite happily without me. Come on, guys. We’ve been over this before. After we’ve dated you’re supposed to be so heart-broken that you (a) join a monastery (b) turn gay or (c) spend at least a few years pining away for me. Sheesh…What’s up with that moving on stuff? And if you’re so happy, the least you can do is return my picnic basket and my cooler box and my Scrabble set and my mountain bike and my alarm clock…

Downright nasty stuff that makes me mad:

1. Last night, there was a Lindsay Lohan movie on the telly. I don’t know what it’s called, but it gave a whole new meaning to crap. (Okay, so maybe this doesn’t exactly make me mad, but it’s too crappy to go under the ‘bad’ list.) To be fair, I’m not a fan of Ms Lohan’s to begin with, but I saw Mean Girls. And enjoyed it, but that’s only because Tina Fey is brilliant! Nope, this one sucks. In it, she’s a victim of some warped serial killer but somehow survives, though the same can’t be said for all her limbs. Eeuw. Now she’s in some sort of denial where she thinks she’s someone else and can’t recall what happened to her. Trust me, it’s not a good movie and if at any time you’re standing at Blockbuster holding a DVD box in your hands with a similar synopsis written on the back, PUT IT DOWN and move away. Slowly.

2. ‘Trying to find parking for Sunday’s sundowner concert at Kirstenbosch led me across the path a rather nasty biatch. Searching up and down the parking lot, I found a bay next to which a car was really badly parked, as in parked across two bays. But the driver was still sitting in the car so I jumped out of mine to ask her if she would mind moving over just a squidge, so I could park in the bay next to her. Her answer was a dead-pan ‘no’, because she was keeping the bays for friends who were coming later. I told I didn’t think that was very fair (it wasn’t!) and she just looked my in the eye and said “’Sorry for you”. I could feel my Hulk complex kicking in and so I stomped away before I turned bright green and smacked her (fat) ass. 25 Minutes later I found parking. Six blocks away.

And that’s it for my list. You like? Apologies for it being so long-winded, but I don’t often make lists. If I ever do one again, I promise to make it a whole lot shorter. Now I have to run. (Not literally. I’m off for Friday after-work drinks!) TTFN.

Be still my beating heart

I have taken a new lover.

Yes, it's true. Diemersfontein Pinotage, and it's everything I've ever looked for in a wine. Dark and lovely, it has overtones of (get this) coffee and CHOCOLATE! And it's not like those poncy wine descriptions... you really can taste a hint of chocolate. And in a beautiful red wine, that is very special thing.

It's by no means a new wine and in fact, I suspect I'm one of the last few people on the planet to discover it. Which is especially surpising considering how deeply in love I am in with red wine and chocolate. But better late than never. I was introduced to it at the Nose Bar on Wednesday night. Strange name for a great little restaurant slash wine bar in Cape Town's trendy Cape Quarter. I've been there before, on a blind date, but going back with one of my favourite gal pals was much more fun. And we certainly made the most of the extensive wine menu on offer. A glass of this and a glass of that before scoffing down a delicious cheese platter. OH MY GOD. Yum. And then for dessert, some of the above-metioned chocolatey-wine loveliness. (Yes, I like to drink my dessert.) To be fair, I woke up the next morning with a head stuffed with cotton-wool but it was worth all that delicious wine.

Unfortunately, Diemersfontein Wine Estate is in Wellington, which is a little far from where I live. Pity, but perhaps that's a good thing. It improves my chances of general sobriety and ability to be a relatively 'high'-functioning individual. It retails at about R70 a bottle from the wine farm itself (and is about the same price from Makro), which is a fair bit pricier than the regular plonk I feast on at braais and other social get-togethers. (And keep in mind, that R70 is the wine farm price. Restaurants have the ridiculous habit of adding a ginormous mark-up. Very uncool.) Regardless, the Diemersfontein Pinotage is wonderfully quaffable and worth every cent it sells for, though I'll definitely be saving it for more 'civilised' occasions!

So spread the news. Belinda Carlisle was right. Heaven really is a place on Earth. And it's called Diemersfontein Wine Estate. (Can you also hear the angels singing?)

Well, look who's back!

Me, that's who.

Yup, five hours in to my first day back at the office and let me tell you, I'm taking strain. No more morning visits to the beach followed by a late breakfast, no more long leisurely wine-flavoured lunches, no more Dr Phil and Oprah, no more lazing in my garden with a book. Oh, how sad.

It wasn't particularly easy to haul my butt out of bed this morning. Coincidentally, or perhaps not so much, my butt is showing the after-effects of all that festive munching and drinking and so today not only marks my first day back in the (gag) office but also my first day back at gym. At least, that's the intention.

To be honest though, I'm actually feeling quite optimistic about the new year and all the goals I want to achieve by next December. Some certainly seem more doable than others but I'm feeling psyched, so watch this space! So in spite of feeling the effect of those 'back in the office blues' I'm sure they will pass. And starting back on a Tuesday means a shorter week. Woohoo.

I had a pretty cool holiday too. 'Went to an awesome 'Dusk Till Dawn' New Years Eve party. Other than that, spent time with friends and family. Even went horse riding on Noordhoek beach on Friday. That was great but it left me walking like a cowboy for the next couple of days. Anyway, more on the holiday stuff later. For now, Happy New Year everyone. I hope it's a goodie for both you and me! :)