Home in Texas

Anyone else frantically watching (and fast-forwarding through the boring parts) the Olympics each evening to clear space on their DVR for the next day's round of events?

I thought we were pretty much through with stuff Alex and I were interested in watching, now that Phelps has officially made his mark, gymnastics is pretty much wrapped up, beach volleyball seems to be winding down, and we finally gave up on the rowing events... but now I hear that the rhythmic gymnastics cometh. With ribbons and all.

Dangit.

Not that I'll be able to catch much of it the next two nights--since the library closes at 6pm each night, I am going to have to scramble and use my evening-time at home to print more items for my annual performance review-type binder. Yippee.

Quebec City was awesome, my IFLA presentation went exceedingly well, and I now have at least four trips of which I haven't even looked at the photos I took--much less edited or uploaded to Flickr. Dangit, I need Christmas break already.

Oh, and Alex is taking scuba diving lessons--last week was his written test and pool exercises, and this weekend will be his open-water test, at a local lake. We were hoping to camp out there, as well, but between the rain and my mom coming into town, I think we'll just make the drive Saturday and then Sunday. I'm hoping to get some photos of him in all his gear this weekend--woohoo!

While he's underwater and I'm sitting on the shore, I've got my New York City guidebook to look through, to make some final plans. We'll be there August 28 - September 2, and will be catching a Yankees game and The Lion King (maybe another show as well, but that's the one we broke down and paid full price for). I've also got a handy list of "best of" NYC sights from my pal Rosemary (who lives in Queens)--any suggestions are certainly welcome! I'm hoping we won't be totally doomed, going over a holiday weekend... but ah well, you go when you can.

Wednesday = "Meh"

It's not really a bad day, although it feels like it's trying hard to become so.

This morning, I woke up for the third time in the past week having had a dream about Cherie--most of them involving Cherie still being alive, and this most recent one discussing her as gone, but then she showed up to join the commentary, as well. In each dream, I was having the best time with her--going to the movies, laughing, etc. They were really good dreams--they were just hard to wake up from.

This morning, I found out that Pauline Baynes, my favorite illustrator, had died a few days earlier. This article focuses on her work for Tolkein, but I knew her best through CS Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia.

• http://tor.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=blog&id=2679
• http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2008/aug/06/booksforchildrenandteenagers?gusrc=rss&feed=books
• http://briansibleysblog.blogspot.com/2008/08/pauline-baynes-queen-of-narnia-middle.html

I got home from work at 10:45 last night--a glorious 13-hour day courtesy of my overloaded schedule, which is completely my fault. I learned how to say "no," just not soon enough. In any case, I slept in a little so I wouldn't be completely useless at work today, but even so, I have a raging sore throat and feel a bit spacey.

And I should be excited--I'm going to get to present at IFLA in Canada next week, after all! A new country, an international professional opportunity--but I'm tired and I'm sad that I can't bring Alex. All in all, it scares me a little that I'm longing for the fall semester to begin. Am I really so busy that three classes' worth of homework will seem breezy by comparison? Rationally, I highly doubt it. But as usual, being the well-seasoned schoolgal that I am, I'm excited for classes to begin, so that's probably a good thing.

So, yeah--it's not a bad day. But I can't help feeling a little down, nonetheless. Well, maybe "down" is too strong a word--it's more like "quiet and thoughtful."

Best/Worst Comic Book Movies

Anyone going to San Diego Comic-Con?
...If so, and if you can manage to swipe me a copy of this awesome Sandman poster, I'm forever in your debt.

In brief update:

• I'm using Twitter now--finally gave in. The upside is, I'm spending less time on Facebook (which I love, but I don't really have time for)--because the primary reason I kept my Facebook window open all the time was to see status updates, anyway. If I'm not following your Twitter, please let me know so I can add it.
• I'll be in DC from this Friday (July 25) through Saturday, August 2nd. No idea what my online status will be during that time, but let me know if you're in the area and up for lunch/dinner/sight-seeing (evenings and weekends only).
• I turn 30 next Monday. No big party this year, as we're living in the temporary circumstances and ridiculously busy. It bums me out, but I'm planning on having the "big" bash next year, instead--just between you and me, can we pretend that I'm turning 30 next year? Pretty please?
• Got my Fall class schedule, finally: EPSY 6010 (first half of Educational Statistics), EDHE 6070 (Finance in Higher Education), and EDHE 6500 (Essentials of Academic Publishing). I think it looks like a good schedule, and I only have five on-campus sessions the entire semester, which ought to help me out.
  
• Re-watched T2 this weekend on Blu-ray, and the effects stood up pretty well in hi-def, considering it was made in 1991! Yowza. And it was good timing, considering I saw the Terminator: Salvation teaser last night.
• Which means: YES! We watched The Dark Knight last night. Ledger really does make an awesome Joker--it's not just the facial tick, body language, etc., but the fact that he is terrifying and insane, yet genuinely funny. That was the first time I've heard an audience consistently laugh so loudly in a long time. And that's the essence of the Joker, to me--crazy and violent while genuinely funny.
  

So after we watched the movie last night, Alex asked me if I thought it was the "best" comic book movie of all time. And what that meant. I haven't had a lot of time to ponder this, but here are my initial musings:

• X-Men 2: Most Watchable. By this, I mean that the pacing in this movie is so smooth, the plot so enjoyably crafted, that I am almost always in the mood to watch it. It's not the most complex or "best," but it's just a fun movie. This, despite a dizzying number of characters, which still impresses me.
  
• Iron Man: Most Fun. This is almost the same category as X-2, really--but there's a slight difference. Also a movie I'd frequently be in the mood for--not so much for the pacing, as for Downey, Jr's great interpretation of Stark. "Best Quipping?" It loses a few points for obvious villain/pacing at the end, but meh--doesn't bug me much. Also: Best Costume Translation On-Screen. On paper, I love Batman's costume best--but the most authentic and least cheesy-looking has to be Iron Man.
  
• The Dark Knight: Best Villain. Most Successfully Serious. I'd almost put "best movie" here, except that I've only seen it once, and I think the pacing/length aren't perfect. However, there's no question in my mind that Ledger's Joker is the best movie comic-book villain, period. And I love me some Batsy.
  
• Spiderman 2: Best Origins Summary. I love, love, love the opening credits with the "best of" the first movie. It's done in a pleasing visual manner, it's brief, and it leaves out most of the crappy Green Goblin parts (I hate helmet/mask acting). Also possibly second-best villain... hmmm wait, now I'm remembering Zod--never mind.
  
• Superman 2 (Richard Donner Cut): Most Surprising. This is another close contender for "best," because I'm just amazed at this movie. I watched the original version again a few months ago, and was flabbergasted by the contrast. This movie has real drama, emotion, and two moments that flat out made my jaw drop with surprise: Superman letting Lois fall out the window (!), and Lois shooting him (!!). Daring moves from an older movie, where I didn't expect it. And Reeves--man, what talent he had in that role.
• Batman (1989) and Batman Returns: Best Set Design. Tim Burton--what an excellent choice for a movie with such a dark character and setting. He truly made "the" version of Gotham for me--gothic, art noveau-ish, dark, extremely stylized. Also the best Batmobile--this is what I miss most in the Nolan movies. Sigh.
  
• Superman: The Movie: Honorable Mention. I actually prefer Superman 2, but I have to give this one props for the scene where Superman peeks at Lois's underwear. (Not that Frank Miller would agree with the less-self-righteous interpretation of the character--but that's why I love it. Goody-two-shoes Supes has always annoyed me, thus my preference for 'ol Batsy.)
  
• The Bottom of the Barrel:
  
  • X-Men 3 (too many plots)
    
  • Spiderman 3 (too many villains)
  • Superman Returns (too little heart--although gorgeous visually)
  • Supergirl... oh gosh I loved this movie as a kid. Too... yeah. Worse waste of Peter O'Toole in a film? Hokiest plot ever? Take your pick.
    

I'm sure there are worse comic book movies, particularly pre-1990's, but I honestly haven't seen many older ones.

I was trying to pick my favorite leading lady of a comic-book film, but I'm kind of stumped, to be honest. Debra Winger's Lois is nice and gutsy (and not nearly as annoying as I found her when I was a kid)... Kristen Dunst was annoying in Spidey 1, but I like her fine in 2... Maggie Gyllenhall was a geniously great replacement for Katie Holmes in Dark Knight, but she's really Harvey's gal in that movie, so I somehow don't want to count her. Of the early Batman films, I really liked Michelle Pfieffer as Catwoman--although I haven't seen it in about four years, and this makes me wonder how she stands up against today's more dramatic fare. I enjoy both Famke Jansen and Anna Paquin in the X-films, but neither enough to pick as my favorite.

Hmph. Let me know if I'm missing someone obviously awesome.

Villain I'd most like to see in a new comic-book movie? Mr. Freeze. That would be the second-favorite of my favorite Batman villains, and he was treated so very, very well in Batman: The Animated Series and in Batman: Beyond (both cartoons). And he suffered so very badly in the hands of Arnie, on-screen (shudder). But I'm skeptical that he'd be a watchable live-action villain, especially since Nolan seems to like using more than one villain at a time.

I'm interested to know your thoughts... about Dark Knight, about best/worst comic book movies, etc.! Feel free to pick a fight with me, heh heh.

It's July Already?

This post isn't going to be about Alex's adventures in St. Pete, but as I'm spending part of my Sunday afternoon going through our stuff on Flickr, I thought I might post one of my favorite shots from his trip. Gorgeous, eh?

Last night, we went to Fort Worth for a date night. We ate dinner at the Flying Saucer, an establishment so centered around their international alcohol that I thought for a minute the waitress was going to throw us out when we said we weren't drinking tonight. However, the food was quite good; I enjoyed a goat cheese/cranberry/walnut salad, and Alex had a buffalo chicken wrap. Then we indulged in some kind of ice cream/chocolate cake drenched in raspberry sauce.

The Bass was gorgeous, and Avenue Q was great. So, so great. We kept joking throughout the first act that we'd see a bunch of empty seats after intermission, due to the, ahem, controversial nature of the show. And sure enough, the four seats to our left were empty throughout the entire Act 2, despite the fact that one of the guys had been laughing his head off. My theory is that he's going to get heck from his wife for laughing at all.

Today, we've had pancakes and some lazing about, and now we're back to work--Alex literally working on work stuff, me working on getting papers together for house financing, and travel receipts to file tomorrow, then the last three weeks (and four trips' worth) of laundry, and I had been planning on ripping CDs and organizing our mp3 players.... but yeah. So far, I've managed to throw up my hands in frustration over my lack of cohesive plans for my 30th birthday party, and add tags to some images on Flickr. And, er, there's this post.

I've still got a ton of photos and content to post for the last three trips (plus earlier stuff that I'm not even going to think about at the moment)... here are two brief notes:

• I was just in Anaheim, Abilene, and Austin. What's up with the A-town theme?
• I have now come to realize that Austin is the avacado capitol of Texas. And also has the most fantastic waiting service I have ever enjoyed. I have now made my peace with this town, and accept its eccentricities as charming (with the exception of the awful highway system, which I did not personally have to deal with on this particular trip).
  

More Online Humiliation

In a further effort to make my entire life public to the world, particularly any embaressing instances, here's a link to all my yearbook photos from HSU, which my lovely employer the UNT Libraries have just digitized.

Ah, more fodder for being teased at work--just what everyone needs, eh?

Pre-Flight Check

I just had to add this funny anecdote. So, you know what sucks most about a huge thunderstorm the night before you're going on a trip? Nope, it's not that the thunder kept you up so you didn't get much sleep--although that was interesting, too.

It's pretty darn hard to pack when the power's out.

Um, yeah. For hours. And all your decently-sized flashlights--those have been packed in boxes for two months. And you have no idea where your in-laws keep flashlights, but you're pretty sure it's somewhere downstairs... in the dark... probably three rooms away in some drawer that you can't find in the dark.

So--good thing you've got that tiny LED light in your purse. You know, the kind that is only really useful for finding the keyhole of your car door in the dark? That is so tiny, that if you set it on the counter, it doesn't shine light anywhere near what you're packing--but you're using your hands to pack--so you spend two hours holding the darned thing in your mouth while you ponder which pants you want to wear to Friday's Happy Hour at ALA.

Yeah, that was interesting.

Sunny (Kinda) Cali!

It was an early morning with a flight and time-change that made for a long day, but it was fun. Here are some highlights:

• realizing that Dr. Totten from UNT's SLIS was in the TSA security line right behind me at DFW
  
• riding in a convertible through Beverly Hills, Mulholland Drive, Rodeo Drive, and Santa Monica with Greg, Cari, & Emma
• the resulting crispy shoulders (despite liberally applying 30 - 50 spf sunscreen four times)
• seeing dolphins playing in the waves at Santa Monica
• eating almond-chocolate-chunk ice cream on Santa Monica Pier
• photographing my favorite part of the Pier: glimpses of the waves beneath the boardwalk
• passing Kodak Theater and Groman's Theater
• chatting with a librarian/vendor from Melbourne on the shuttle from LAX
• getting a tremendously-upgraded room at Residence Inn... and finding three closets and two balconies in it!
• finally staying in a hotel with free wifi
• eating at In-N-Out Burger (nod to Tihleigh)
  
• "talking" to Alex (still in Russia); he was IMing Robert, who called me, and we had an interesting three-way conversation
• sitting in my hotel room, getting annoyed at the loud upstairs neighbors... realizing there *is* no upstairs... walking outside and realizing it's the enormously loud/huge fireworks at Disneyland... and laughing at myself
• (did I mention my room has three closets and two balconies? yeah, dude.)
• exchanging thunderstorm stories and befuddlement at the convention center entrance with a Library Journal exhibitor from NYC
• walking around the Convention Center... the looooong way
  
• being so tired from the long day and time change that I ate popcorn for dinner--thank goodness for Residence Inn's kitchenette!

This isn't even all of the selected photos from today.... but it's a start.

FYI: ALA in Anaheim

I'll be in Anaheim, CA at the American Library Association's Annual Conference starting tomorrow (June 26th) through Monday evening (June 30th). I may or may not find the time and divine combination of free time + laptop + outlet + internet connection + near beach (ha!) to post more updates, so I thought I'd let you guys know what I'm up to.

I will, however, be spending at least some of that possible free time posting on my professional blog. So if you're curious as to what lofty academic pursuits I'm up to (ha!), feel free to check there.