What I Ate in New Orleans

1. shrimp etouffee
2. pistolettes
3. ham & cheese po-boy
4. muffaletta
5. beignets
6. shrimp po-boy
7. raw oyster (just 1)
8. shrimp etouffee at K Paul's
9. veggies & pecan pie at Dooky Chase
10. shrimp remoulade
11. sweet potato & crawfish bisque
12. a taste of brisket
13. filet mignon
14. I won't even list everything I had at the Harrah's buffet on Christmas.
15. another muffaletta

Stuff I've Googled Lately

University of Memphis Law School
Manny Ramirez
Felipe Massa
Confederate Park
brisket
shortchanged
arrondismont
memphis motor vehicle inspection
quaker instant oatmeal
faith ringgold
#7 polycarbonate
2009 holidays
chelsea & ayers, memphis, tn
memphis school board districts
port saint lucie, fl
dinic's roast pork
footnote
ted faiers
Lines & Shapes
orangina
corn meal calories
eliasson waterfall
2009 holidays
5k miles
cauliflower
five in one
Wii
maysey craddock
tromp l'oeil

5QFriday

Chandler Pritchett asked me a list of questions and I answered with lists! See the interview here. Thanks, Chandler!

Topics of Discussion Over Drinks Last Night

1. bikini waxing
2. cars
3. New Orleans
4. dental procedures
5. fire alarms
6. muscle spasms
7. the Wii
8. Guitar Hero vs. Rock Band
9. gloriously large TV's
10. Malaysian shopping
11. underwear
12. puberty

Christmas Wish List

I don't have a Christmas Wish List. Isn't that weird?!

What to Do If You Find Yourself in a Horror Movie

1. Keep your clothes on.
2. Stay out of the woods.
3. Don't have sex.

On the Streets of Memphis

1. This dude (click on it to get a better look at him)



2. This vehicle/advertisement



3. Great big bird on Summer Avenue

I ♥ Stats

This is how I did in the St. Jude Marathon Weekend Memphis Grizzlies House 5k:

• Official time: 33:39 (for those of you who saw my 33:35 time on Facebook, that was the unofficial Elizabeth's iPod time)
• Overall placement: 666 (creepy - I know!) out of 2,147
  
• Placement for females: 293 out of 1,428
  
• Placement for my age group: 31 out of 157
• Pace: 10:52 minutes per mile

Year of Obsessions

I know the year isn't up, and I'm certain to become obsessed with something new within the next 3 1/2 weeks, but maybe my current obsession is making a list of the things I've been obsessed with in 2008?

1. Flight of the Conchords
2. Amelie - movie and soundtrack
3. Paris
4. Lines & Shapes
5. Swedish blogs: a) Camille Engman, b) Smosch, c) Fine Little Day, d) Studio Violet - the ultimate - it's about the studio that a) and c) share!
6. John from Cincinnati - short, confusing HBO series
7. reading (even more than usual)
8. Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything
9. finding books by Elizabeth Taylor (the writer not the actress) in used book stores
10. tamales
11. finding the right slippers (still haven't found them)
12. Mansfield Park
13. the Juno soundtrack
14. Facebook
15. dresses
16. organizing my studio
17. bento boxes
18. mechanical pencils
19. Myers-Briggs personality types (ISTJ)
20. Memphis Farmers Market

And for the next few days I'll be obsessing over what I may have left off of this list.

A List I Found at Thanksgiving

Yesterday

In case anyone wants to know what I really do at my job, here's what I did yesterday:

1. visited a school
2. picked up a check
3. bought stamps
4. stamped envelopes
5. planned a party
6. made final changes to a plan we've been working on for 3 months
7. revised a letter
8. answered emails
9. answered phone calls
10. answered questions

I didn't say it would be interesting.

Thanksgiving Attendees, by Somerset & Me

Technology That Should Be Farther Along, in 2008!

1. phones that work
2. wigs in movies
3. flying cars

Places with Green in the Name

T and/or I have been to these places in the past two weeks:

1. Greenwood, MS
2. Green Bay, WI
3. Greenville, SC
4. Greensboro, GA

What I Love About Thanksgiving

1. ravioli
2. family
3. turkey
4. dressing
5. cranberry sauce from a can
6. parades
7. naps

What Is Under My Driver's Seat

1. a license plate
2. a pair of shoes
3. a brick with my name on it

Funny Words from an Episode of This Old House

1. cupola
2. hoist
3. scarf
4. kerf
5. gambrell

Guestlist: Weepy

Things that made me cry today, by Stephanie Chockley

1. Stacey's CA article
2. Neither parent could attend the Thanksgiving party at Connor's school
3. Shannon changed his Gmail Chat status message to "Unemployed"
4. Someone spoke sharply to me on the phone
5. Connor wistfully recalled, while wearing his self-made Chief Screaming Eagle costume, that some kids had their parents and grandparents at the party and they got to sit at a special table
6. Whole Foods was out of the black bean hummus I went there specifically to buy
7. The kids saw a Tigers sign and started cheering, causing me to remember how we lost the NCAA championship
8. Hormones

What We Saw - Greenwood, MS

1. a dog named BAGS (Bad-Ass German Shepard)
2. cute little shacks
3. M&M's and wine
4. a mouse, another mouse, possibly a third (it was a cold night in the fields)
5. the lights on while we slept
6. amazing clouds over the flat land of the Mississippi Delta

7. Greenwood, MS
8. Blue Parrot Cafe
9. Greenwood Blues Heritage Museum and Gallery, with a guided tour by George

10. the ace of spades, just like in my dream the night before

11. Turnrow Bookstore with lattes and sketching
12. the Tallahatchie River

13. one of Robert Johnson's possible grave sites, at a cute little church

14. the Hampton Inn
15. fluffy white beds
16. Lusco's
17. our own personal dining room
18. more wine
19. lots of steak, lots of baked potatoes
20. dessert

21. pajamas and a few more M&M's
22. the last episode of mash
23. earplugs
24. Shoney's breakfast bar
25. the Yazoo River
26. Square Books in Oxford, MS
27. Rowan Oaks
28. our own comfy beds

Funny List from Girls' Weekend

1. Grenache: a type of wine grape
2. Ganache: a chocolate and cream icing
3. Ganesh: my husband's boss

30 Simple Pleasures, with Commentary

My good friend Click (Daily) sent me this list, and I like it mostly, but being me I have to qualify everything. I've never looked at this site before today - I like it because it's mostly lists, but I don't like it because it's mostly self-help, and I'm a little too stubbornly independent to be told how to help myself.

1. Sleeping In on a Rainy Day Listwork responds: Well, duh.
2. Finding Money You Didn’t Know You Had
3. Making Brief Eye Contact with Someone of the Opposite Sex Listwork responds: Depends on the context. If I'm driving, I'm probably giving him the stink eye.
4. Skinny Dipping Listwork responds: Eww no.
5. Receiving a Real Letter or Package via Snail Mail
6. Making the Yellow Light Listwork responds: Making the green arrow is more relevant to me.
7. Telling a Funny or Interesting, True Story
8. Seeing a Friend Stumble Over Himself Listwork responds: Seeing anybody fall is funny! Except that one time that Heather fell and got no response from me or Shannon. Sorry, Heather!
9. Hearing the Right Song at the Right Moment
10. The First Sip of a Beverage When You’re Thirsty
11. Catching a Glimpse of Bare Skin on the Opposite Sex
12. Saying the Same Thing Simultaneously Listwork responds: Again, the exception here is with Heather, who cheats at "Jinx you owe me a coke."
13. The Pull-Through Parking Spot
14. Realizing You Have More Time to Sleep Listwork responds: This should be number 1. I live for this moment.
15. People Watching
16. Putting On Clothes Straight from the Dryer
17. A Familiar Smell
18. The Feeling You Get When Your Idea Works Listwork responds: Not sure I know what that feels like.
19. Fresh, Clean Bed Sheets
20. A Beautiful View
21. Reminiscing About Old Times with Your Closest Friends
22. Receiving an Unexpected Compliment Listwork responds: Like the other day when someone told me I'm her favorite Facebook friend!
23. Having a Good Laugh
24. The Feeling After a Healthy Workout
25. The Celebration in the Instant Something Makes Sense
26. Relaxing Outdoors on a Sunny Day Listwork responds: Unfortunately there are only about two days you can do that in Memphis - once in spring and once in summer, before/after the time of year that the temperature goes up to 100 and before/after the time of year that you get swarmed with mosquitos.
27. Holding Hands with Someone You Love
28. Playing in the Water
29. Making Someone Smile
30. Finishing What You Started Listwork responds: The only thing I finish lately are blog posts.

What I Cooked Tonight

This is for the week, mind you...

1. curried cole slaw
2. turkey meatballs
3. steamed cauliflower
4. steamed spinach
5. millet
6. sweet potatoes

Dishes I messed up: all of them.

My Day (Last Tuesday)

I promised Facebook that I'd make a list about my day on November 4, so here's what I did:

1. Voted - it took 40 minutes and I talked to Gates of Memphis the whole time.

2. Packed my car for Jackson.



3. Had a lovely drive to Jackson, because the leaves picked today to change colors.



4. Installed my show at The Ned.



5. Took pictures of this awesome Greyhound Station across the street.



6. On my way back home I saw the aftermath of what looked like a one-car wreck. It was actually a car vs. a giant deer.

7. Came home very exhausted, but managed to watch a historical moment on TV.

What Hamlett Dobbins's Lecture Made Me Think About

1. how much I loved Legos as a kid
2. zinnias
3. it might not just be abstract paintings that people need a bridge to
4. the movie 'Harvey'
5. golden moments
6. The Time Traveler's Wife
7. visual memory
8. wanting to make fast drawings
9. wanting to put more thought into my studio practice
10. poetry
11. heroes
12. making paintings more for myself




Hamlett Dobbins & 'Star Wars'

A Few of My Favorite Things

1. yogurt & granola, with toast makes it extra special














2. with S makes it even more special














3. Ted Faiers mural














4. orange jacket

How to Enjoy Getting Your Car Inspected

1. Take a nice sandwich and an Orangina from Fino's.
2. Listen to some good, relaxing music.
3. Sketch something.
4. Read a book.
5. Basically, pretend you are having a picnic for one in your car.

(Here's why you need to be prepared with food, books & music.)

Kitchen Gadgets I Used Tonight

1. steamer basket
2. food processor
3. stand mixer
4. rice cooker
5. salad spinner

Artists Showing in "Local Color"

Elizabeth Alley
Jimmy Haygood
Christian Patterson
Chandler Pritchett
Susan Maakestad

Local Color Group Exhibition
Opening Cocktail Reception:
Friday, October 24th from 6-8:30

Open House Saturday, October 25th from 10-4
After Church Viewing Sunday, October 26th 1-4

What I Love About Baseball

1. The symmetry
2. The pace
3. Hot dogs
4. Hand signals











(Eww, the Yankees, right? Well, Joe Torre is with the LA Dodgers now so it's okay.)
5. Hats (who doesn't love accessories?!)
6. Teamwork and the likelihood of gentlemanly-ness: For example, when Cal Ripken ended his 2,632 consecutive game record, he didn't make a show of it, allowing for the opposing team (the Yankees, of all teams) to make note by standing ovation.
7. They wear belts! Gotta love a sport in which belts can be worn as part of the uniform.
8. Baseball stadiums
9. This guy:













Jermaine Dye, right-fielder for the Chicago White Sox, and MVP of the 2005 World Series

What I Do Not Love About Baseball
1. The Yankees
2. The Boston Red Sox
3. Manny Ramirez
4. Ivan "Pudge" Rodriguez
5. Aaron Rowand being traded from the White Sox. (Yeah, yeah, we got Jim Thome, I know.)
6. Phillies fans
7. The Cubs (Sorry, entire family!)
8. Crazy batting stances








9. Tim McCarver (That one's for you, babe.)

Things I've Realized Lately

1. Working 4 days and taking a one and a half hour lunch at least one of those days is good for my soul.
2. Cooking most of our meals at home creates a lot of dirty dishes.
3. Painting in acrylic for 9 months makes me paint flat when I go back to oils.
4. Oil paint dries veeeeeeeery slooooooooowly. (I knew that, just forgot temporarily.)
5. I love the Amelie soundtrack so much that I'd really like to marry it.
   

My Week in Pictures

1. latte for lunch



2. diagonal parking



3. new lamp & old postcards



4. beautiful light and shadows, plus clouds



5. neat shrubs, plus clouds



6. candy from T



7. my sweet little desk



8. Faith Ringgold lecture at MCA

Recently Sold Paintings

How to Become a Millionaire

These were the only ways T and I could think of to become independently wealthy:

1. Have been born into a rich family.
   
2. Invent something like post-its.
3. Have majored in a profession that makes a lot of money.
4. Win the lottery.
5. Quickly become a famous movie star or a professional baseball player or a Formula 1 driver.
   
6. Have invested a lot of money in the stock market...well, no.
7. Real estate? No...
8. Get injured and win a settlement.
   

Jobs I've Had

1. Babysitting - I just realized I've been working since I was 14 if you count babysitting, which I definitely do
2. Pizza place - When I was 15 I got a job at a pizza place on Kirby Parkway. I have no actual memories of this place.
3. More babysitting - When we moved to Panama City Beach, I babysat a lot. A LOT.
   
4. The Cleanery - That was really the name of it. It was both a dry-cleaners and a laundromat.
5. The Delery - That wasn't really the name of it - it was a deli - but that's what Robin called it. I worked there until I moved back to Memphis.
6. Work study - At MCA. I recall dusting and organizing the student supply store while everyone else sat around.
   
7. Domino's - Answered the phones.
8. Shoney's - But just for one night. One awful night.
   
9. Kinko's - Waited on Memphis's dumbest people.
10. Liquid chemical company on President's Island - I used to have nightmares about exploding liquid chemical companies.
11. Bookstar - I believe I've mentioned this one before, where I got paid to alphabetize and to recommend books to people.
12. Sofamor Danek - I think I worked there for 2 weeks. Not my best job.
13. Kate's Antiques - Drew a lot of still-lifes here.
14. Candle company - I was a candle maker.
15. Internship at Ledbetter Lusk Gallery - Which got me an...
16. Internship at UAC - Which got me...
17. 10 years at UAC as Assistant Project Manager, Project Manager, Director of Public Art
18. Professional Artist, also for 10 years
    

Sports-Related Things That I'm Tired Of

1. The Boston Red Sox
2. Manny Ramirez
3. Felipe Massa
4. All of Ferrari in Formula 1 racing
5. Football

I Love Tim Gunn

Tim Gunn's list of 10 essential wardrobe elements:

1. Basic black dress
2. Trench coat
3. Dress pants
4. Classic shirt
5. Jeans
6. Any occasion top
7. Skirt
8. Day dress
9. Jacket
10. Sweatsuit alternative

Anniversary

T and I sometimes go out of town for our anniversary, or to get married. We've got no trip planned this year, so here's a list of all of the places we've been in our 17 years together (I was going to try to make a list of every specific trip, but 17 years is a long time, so it's just a list of places):

1. New Orleans - T surprised me with this trip for my 20th birthday. It was our first trip together. We went again for our somethingth anniversary.
2. San Francisco - The first time we went we got married! The second time was so that T could run a marathon! We are not normal.
   
3. Greensboro, GA - We've been here about a bazillion times to visit my grandparents for Thanksgiving.
   
4. Statesboro, GA - Two trips here to visit the whole family at my Uncle Aldo's.
   
5. Washington, DC - Twice here, too. The first time was with a group from the U of M, including the late Steve Langdon - it was very interesting to travel with him. It was also the first time we ate Ethopian food. Good times. The second time we had a great visit with cousins Pat & Bob.
6. New York, NY - We have been here...wait don't tell me...I think 7 times together and once each without the other (my lone trip was better because it was with Robin!).
7. Boston - T had a conference and I did stuff by myself all day - it was the first time we did that and it was very liberating (for me).
   
8. Chicago - We've been here 3 times together to visit our various aunts and our White Sox.
9. Chattanooga, TN - Twice here, too - once for a family reunion!
10. Florence, Italy - Only once, so far.
    
11. Paris, France - Also only once, to date.
    
12. Las Vegas - Twice - Both times for conferences, once with a broken arm.
    
13. Ft. Lauderdale/Naples - Twice here, too, together. I've been maybe 100 times because half my family lives there.
    
14. Pensacola/North Florida - We've been here a surprising number of times if you know T.
15. Calgary, Alberta - My only time in Canada, T's second.
    
16. Philadelphia - For Thanksgiving last year. It was cold.
    
17. Portland, ME - Road trip via...
18. Baltimore, MD and...
19. Pittsburgh, PA
    
20. Wild west road trip, including: Oklahoma City,
21. Santa Fe, NM,
22. Denver, CO,
23. Custer, SD,
24. Sioux Falls, SD,
25. Kansas City, KS
26. Phoenix, AZ - But actually it was outside of Phoenix, in a little place I like to call PeePosh.
27. Peachtree City, GA - More aunts!
    
28. Eureka Springs, AR - For a wedding.
    
29. Portland, OR - For spring break - again, not so much with the normal.
    
30. Seattle, WA - For a conference and some rain.
    
31. St. Louis, MO - We've been here a lot since it's 5 hours away, Katherine lived there for a minute, and their art museum is free.

If I've counted correctly, it's a total of 58 different visits. T - have I forgotten anything?

A List That I'm On

Guestlist: Current NFL Head Coaches Named Mike

by T

1. Mike Smith (Atlanta Falcons)
2. Mike Shanahan (Denver Broncos)
3. Mike Tomlin (Pittsburgh Steelers)
4. Mike Holmgren (Seattle Seahawks)
5. Mike McCarthy (Green Bay Packers)
6. Mike Nolan (San Francisco 49ers)

Current NFL Head Coaches Named Romeo

1. Romeo Crennel (Cleveland Browns)

Surprising Sights at the Middle School Career Fair

1. boys with pierced ears
2. a kid who looked just like my cousin Eric F.
3. a kid who looked just like my cousin Taylor K.
4. a kid who looked just like Adam Rich only taller
5. a kid I recognized from when I went last year
6. a "Hood" - I guess since the '80's are back, Hoods are as well. This girl looked straight up Nancy Rouse circa 1986.
   

Meetings at the Animal Shelter

I have to have meetings at the animal shelter as part of my job. Here are a few things I've noticed:

1. There is a constant din of dogs barking.
2. The last time I was there a rooster was crowing and it quieted down all the dogs.
3. There's a lot of discussion of pigs, though they don't get them very often.
4. A little dog named Mojo has attended two of my meetings.
   
5. The meetings really jack up my allergies.
6. If you don't have allergies and you do like cats and/or dogs, you should go adopt one from there right now.
   

Major League Baseball Stadiums

In honor of Yankee Stadium being replaced, here's a list of major league ballparks that T and I have been to:
1. Comiskey Park/US Cellular Field - Chicago White Sox - Go White Sox!
2. Yankee Stadium - stupid Yankees
3. Shea Stadium - Mets
4. Camden Yards - Baltimore Orioles
5. PNC Park - Pittsburgh Pirates
6. Busch Stadium - St. Louis Cardinals
7. Coors Field - Colorado Rockies
8. Citizens Bank Park - Philadelphia Phillies - I have been to one more major league ballpark than T has, since I went to this one by myself, which I do not recommend - those Phillies fans are quite rowdy!

Odd Things I've Done This Week

1. yelled at a construction worker
2. took a day off
3. cheated at sudoku

September Birthdays

1. my T (today!)
   
2. niece, Somerset
3. quasi-niece and nephew, Sam & Abby
4. aunt Lauren
5. cousin Terryn
6. co-worker Cat
7. god-daughter Clara
8. aunt Jehl
9. co-worker John
10. friend Jeff (happy belated birthday, Jeff!)
11. lots of other cousins
    

Upcoming Shows I Will Be In

1. WHITE/BOX/GROUP/SHOW2 at [5]art Artist Collective in Tampa - October 10-31
2. Local Color, a group show curated by Michel Allen, at Biggs Powell Interior Design & Antiques here in Memphis - opens October 24
3. Separate Story at The Ned McWherter West Tennessee Cultural Arts Center in Jackson, TN - November 5 - December 31

Lately I Find Myself...

1. giving my computer the bird
2. getting angry with other drivers every time I drive
3. drinking Diet Cokes even though I know I shouldn't

International Goat Days Festival

1. goats



2. more goats



3. anvil shoot (click on this one to look at it bigger - note the black speck WAY above the explosion - that's the anvil!)



4. where the anvil landed



5. old tractors



6. old Jeeps



7. goat herding



8. an award-winning goat



9. largest goat contest



10. a billy goat

Remind me to tell you about...

1. Goat Days International Festival
2. Upcoming shows I will be in
3. September birthdays
4. Meetings at the Animal Shelter
5. How much I love Tim Gunn
6. The opening reception for my show at CaseWorks
7. My Myers-Briggs personality type

Bad/Good: Things I Wore in the 90's

Bad:
1. oversized denim shirt with black leggings (you know you wore this, too)
2. potato-sack-like dresses
3. overall shorts
4. plaid flannel shirts
5. more plaid flannel shirts
6. brown velvet overalls
7. giant black Mary Janes with white socks
8. crocheted vests (plural!)
9. oversized sweaters
10. hats

Good:
1. Levi's 501's
2. black turtlenecks
3. Chuck Taylors
4. T's dad's army jacket
5. hats

25 Things for 10 Years

Last week was my 10th anniversary at the UrbanArt Commission. Here are just a few things I've done in the 10 years I've been there:

1. Walked across the trestle over Cooper Street that Jill Turman's art is on now.
2. Drove Vito Acconci to the airport.
3. Had dinner with Dennis Oppenheim.
4. Managed around 50 completed projects.
   
5. Curated about 20 shows for the County Mayor's office, leading to the purchase of artwork by at least 20 artists.
6. Moved our office 5 times.
7. Set up a computer network for our office just by clicking around until it worked.
8. Presented at City Council committee meetings at least 4 times.
9. Wrote at least a dozen grants.
10. Traveled to New York, Seattle, DC, Nashville, Clarksville, Palm Beach, Las Vegas and Philadelphia for conferences and such.
11. Had a meeting about a pig.
12. Scraped grout.
13. Emptied wet stuff out of an office that had been drenched with water used to put out a fire in the office above.
14. Toured the abandoned police headquarters on Adams.
15. Berated by a woman with lipstick on her teeth.
16. Visited a lot of studios!
17. Visited a farm in Frayser.
18. Climbed scaffolding.
19. Attended a very fancy party.
20. Spoke on the radio a couple of times.
21. Interviewed maybe 100 artists?
    
22. Planned too many events to count.
23. Employed about 15 interns.
24. Made some good friends.
25. Learned A LOT.
    

List for Installing

Come see my show tomorrow!
1, 2, 3, 4, 5
by Elizabeth Alley

Caseworks
University of Memphis
Communication & Fine Arts Building
Opening Friday, September 5, 5-7:30pm

Movies We Discussed at Bookclub Tonight

1. Hero
2. Enchanted
3. Junebug
4. Cold Comfort Farm
5. The Maltese Falcon
6. Once
7. Smart People
8. The Lives of Others
9. About a Boy
10. White Oleander
    

Hurricane Terminology

More lingo we've learned about hurricanes and hurricane coverage, to add to the ones we learned from my sister:

1. After a hurricane, city officials like to "take a drive-by" to assess damage.
2. "Overtop" is apparently an actual word.
3. "Contraflow" - not sure what that means, but we think it's related to traffic.
4. "eye-wall"
5. "dirty side"
6. "wind event"
7. "rain event"
8. "flooding event"
9. Hurricanes involve "spurts of water."
10. They also may involve "projectiles."
11. "cone of uncertainty" (that one may be my favorite new phrase!)

Elsewhere: A List Made Just for Me

From the Master of Lists, 5ives.

Olympic Observations

1. China...don't get me started. Really, don't. This is a list unto itself, but a) it is just too long to make! and b) if I've spoken to you in the past two weeks you've heard it already.
2. Beach volleyball should really be called sand volleyball.
3. Horse dressage should really be called horse dancing.
4. Only things that get scored by who can jump the highest, run the fastest, etc., should be in the Olympics (sorry, rhythmic group gymnastics!).
5. Exception for #4 should be the mythic jumping on a trampoline "sport" (mythical because I heard about it but never actually saw it), which should use not breaking your arm as some sort of scoring device.
   
6. There should be a do-over for every boxing match that took place, with traditional judging, then in future years, they should have to box until there's a knock-out (see #4).
7. I watched the Olympics without following the Olympics.
8. What is with the runners and the gold chains?
9. The announcers had some verb issues - both "medal" and "final" were used as verbs.
10. It hurts my heart to think that softball and baseball might be removed from the Olympics.

Elsewhere: Kids' Olympics

From my brother's column in the CA:

Five events my kids would excel in if they were actual Olympic events:

• Sofa jumping
• Spilling things
• Bath procrastination
• Falling down
• Screeching

Love/Hate: Movies Made from Jane Austen Books

LOVE:
1. "Pride and Prejudice" - the BBC mini-series. Not only is it a faithful retelling of the story, but it stars Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy! You can't beat that.

2. "Bridget Jones Diary" - Not at all a faithful retelling of Pride and Prejudice, but so much is taken from it and updated that it is obviously done with love. And Colin Firth practically reprises his role from the BBC miniseries - his name is even Mark Darcy!

3. "Clueless" - A near-faithful retelling of Emma. This is the way to do a remake! The characters are the same, which is what is important.

HATE:
1. "Mansfield Park" - 1999 BBC Films version. This is one of the worst movies I've ever seen. They have taken away the depth of the characters and added silly drama in its place, while squeezing out all of Austen's humor. What you are left with is a ridiculous movie full of caricatures - they turned Fanny Price into Cinderella, Lady Bertram into an opium addict, and Mary Crawford into kind of a whore. The rating says it all: "Rated PG-13 for brief violent images, sexual content and drug use." Come on! This is supposed to be Mansfield Park!

2. "Pride and Prejudice" - the 1940 version starring Greer Garson. The ridiculously incorrect-for-the-time-period costumes, which would not have been so bad except for the giant hats, was enough for me to turn it on mute and take a nap. The Google has no pictures of the giant hats, yet that is what I think of when I think of that version.

3. "Pride and Prejudice" - the 2005 version starring Keira Knightley. Where to begin! Keira Knightley makes Eliza Bennett too emotional. Eliza Bennett is supposed to be above it all - that's kind of the whole point of it. Mr. Darcy in this one just makes me want to yawn when I look at him.

Also ran:
1. "Bride and Prejudice" - It's the modern-day Bollywood retelling and it is pretty fabulous! Lot's of singing and dancing. They got a lot of it right - the mother is awful, the Collins character is a buffoon, Wickham is pretty sleazy - but all of the girls are pretty. (They aren't supposed to be.)

2. A 2003 version of "Pride and Prejudice" that I happened upon on the cable TV one day. It appears to be a modern-day Mormon retelling of the story - at least that is what I assumed as they were in Utah and went to church - and that was just confirmed on imdb.com, which gives its full title as: "Pride and Prejudice: A Latter-Day Comedy." It was a little odd, but watchable.

3. Nearly every romantic comedy I've ever seen. Miss Austen wrote them all first.

What I Googled Today

• women's exchange
• 88 racine street
• ex-officio
• 9-digit zip code
  

Language Lessons

Actual words and phrases from my conference in Philadelphia:

1. "dialogue" used as a verb
2. "tipping point" used in a way that actually made sense as a phrase and not just a catch-phrase
3. lots of folks said "interestingly enough" - I hear that a lot lately. A LOT.
4. "message" used as a verb
5. "imaged" used as a verb
6. "Gullverian"
7. "sort of" - this is another one I hear a lot, often preceded by "very", which is contradictory enough, but someone at the conference actually said this: "I am very sort of profoundly interested..."
8. heard "below the radar" enough to wonder if anyone ever says "above the radar" or "on top of the radar"

Philadelphia!

I went to Philadelphia in June for a conference. Here is what I did and saw...

1. At the airport I learned that creams and pastes are also considered liquid.

2. View from the giant balcony of my giant hotel room



3. Went to the Reading Terminal Market



4. Ate a FANTASTIC roast pork sandwich



5. Funny sculpture



6. Cool projection screen



7. Experienced a hotel fire alarm for the first time.

8. Ate at Honey's Sit'N Eat, which was really good.



9. Orange door



10. Sign sign



11. Went to a Phillies game by myself



12. Rode in a cab by myself



13. Read "The Artist's Guide to Public Art" by Lynn Basa...good book!

14. Tall buildings