I started thinking about 'My Year in Review' this morning while I was in the shower - the shower seems to be a great thinking place for me. I had reread my YiR blog post for 2009 not too long ago and was thinking of that as a gauge for this year's YiR and I realized something fairly interesting.
2009 was a tough year but I had a long list of great things to write about too. It was a memorable year in that a lot happened both good and bad (although in hindsight is the bad ever really bad). 2010 was a lot more understated. There are big things...The Olympics, dating, school, holidays...but it still seems like less. I haven't finished compiling my list yet so I know I am missing some things. I should hopefully have the post up by the end of the week though so we'll see.
*Update - upon some reflection, I've decided that yes, sometimes the bad is actually just really bad.
Tuesday, 28 December 2010
Monday, 27 December 2010
Nearly didn't post this one...
I am tucked away right now, in the corner of a local cozy coffee shop. I chose this particular coffee shop today because of it's location and it's coffee. I often pick where I am going to go based on the clientele - more specifically, men. I like to go where the men hang out. As a single girl for the past *cough* years, I find it's a good thing to put yourself in situations where other singles may be hanging out.
So here's the thing with that plan - I'm not a single girl anymore. Old habits are hard to break though and I find myself still thinking like a single girl. So today when trying to decide where to go and write, the first places that came to mind are the men-centric places. Not that I ever met an available, age appropriate or straight guy at any of the places I frequent. When I remembered that my goal today was to write and not scope out available men, it narrowed my choices of where to go down to two. This one won out because it's got the best atmosphere.
*I have to interrupt my own writing to let you know that I am listening to a playlist while I write and Bad Bad Leroy Brown is playing and I am slightly rocking out.
So, back to me not being a single girl. This is new. Six weeks new...well, actually almost eight weeks but he's been away for the past two so they are harder to count. Since he's been gone, my life has mostly gone back to exactly what it was before we met and so it adds to the confusion of trying to remember not to think like a single girl. Before he left, he referred to himself as my boyfriend and when I talked to him today he talked about our 'relationship' so clearly I need to break the single girl thought process.
I had thought that when I started dating that I would blog about it, share the stories with everyone. Well, it turns out I am far more private than I expected. Even as I type this, I am contemplating deleting the whole post.
The single girl lifestyle has been mostly very good to me over the years. I went back to school, moved into the city, started a new career, found my passions (writing, painting, school, movies, God, my friends, myself), I have a rich and full social life, I have great friends and am rarely ever bored or lonely (and I've been lonelier while in relationships than I ever have been as a single girl - the loneliness is far more acute when you're not alone). But the single girl lifestyle also had a ceiling and it was fast approaching.
So, I don't know that I will be blogging about my adventures in dating as I had thought I would. Maybe as I get more comfortable with it, I will write more about it. As it stands right now though, this will have to be enough.
So here's the thing with that plan - I'm not a single girl anymore. Old habits are hard to break though and I find myself still thinking like a single girl. So today when trying to decide where to go and write, the first places that came to mind are the men-centric places. Not that I ever met an available, age appropriate or straight guy at any of the places I frequent. When I remembered that my goal today was to write and not scope out available men, it narrowed my choices of where to go down to two. This one won out because it's got the best atmosphere.
*I have to interrupt my own writing to let you know that I am listening to a playlist while I write and Bad Bad Leroy Brown is playing and I am slightly rocking out.
So, back to me not being a single girl. This is new. Six weeks new...well, actually almost eight weeks but he's been away for the past two so they are harder to count. Since he's been gone, my life has mostly gone back to exactly what it was before we met and so it adds to the confusion of trying to remember not to think like a single girl. Before he left, he referred to himself as my boyfriend and when I talked to him today he talked about our 'relationship' so clearly I need to break the single girl thought process.
I had thought that when I started dating that I would blog about it, share the stories with everyone. Well, it turns out I am far more private than I expected. Even as I type this, I am contemplating deleting the whole post.
The single girl lifestyle has been mostly very good to me over the years. I went back to school, moved into the city, started a new career, found my passions (writing, painting, school, movies, God, my friends, myself), I have a rich and full social life, I have great friends and am rarely ever bored or lonely (and I've been lonelier while in relationships than I ever have been as a single girl - the loneliness is far more acute when you're not alone). But the single girl lifestyle also had a ceiling and it was fast approaching.
So, I don't know that I will be blogging about my adventures in dating as I had thought I would. Maybe as I get more comfortable with it, I will write more about it. As it stands right now though, this will have to be enough.
Thursday, 18 November 2010
Movies, movies, movies
This has been a busy semester for me. Between work, school and a social life (not to mention a trip to Palm Springs), I've barely found the time for other things. My hobbies seem to have fallen by the wayside and the only upside is that I am having enough fun that I've barely noticed. Until this morning, when I woke up (couldn't sleep might be more like it) and felt like writing. But here I am again, in a mood to write with nothing in mind to write about.
My film class is good. I am loving watching movies and learning all about them. Plus, we've watched some pretty great flicks so far.
The Birth of a Nation
Easy Street (Charlie Chaplin)
Sherlock Jr (Buster Keaton)
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (Germany)
Battleship Potemkin (Russia)
Citizen Kane (US)
Breathless (France)
Rashomon (Japan)
The Seventh Seal(Sweden)
Taxi Driver (US)
And in the next two weeks, we'll add Dead Ringers (Canada) and Pan's Labyrinth (Latin America) to the list.
As for movies in the theater, I've barely had time to get out. And to be honest, there haven't been a lot of movies coming out that I have been very excited to see. I have seen some good movies lately though. The Town (Ben Affleck) is a stand out. Nowhere Boy (the story of a pre-Beatle John Lennon) was great. It's Kind of a Funny Story was good. The Social Network was fantastic. - ok so I have seen some pretty good movies lately. I would include Fair Game on the list except that I ended up in the third row and since much of the filming is in close up with hand-held camera, I felt queasy for most of the movie, which took away from really being able to enjoy it.
Oscar season is about to begin and work and school will be winding down and so I might be seeing a lot more movies in December. Maybe I'll even beat last years record of 47 movies in 52 weeks.
My film class is good. I am loving watching movies and learning all about them. Plus, we've watched some pretty great flicks so far.
The Birth of a Nation
Easy Street (Charlie Chaplin)
Sherlock Jr (Buster Keaton)
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (Germany)
Battleship Potemkin (Russia)
Citizen Kane (US)
Breathless (France)
Rashomon (Japan)
The Seventh Seal(Sweden)
Taxi Driver (US)
And in the next two weeks, we'll add Dead Ringers (Canada) and Pan's Labyrinth (Latin America) to the list.
As for movies in the theater, I've barely had time to get out. And to be honest, there haven't been a lot of movies coming out that I have been very excited to see. I have seen some good movies lately though. The Town (Ben Affleck) is a stand out. Nowhere Boy (the story of a pre-Beatle John Lennon) was great. It's Kind of a Funny Story was good. The Social Network was fantastic. - ok so I have seen some pretty good movies lately. I would include Fair Game on the list except that I ended up in the third row and since much of the filming is in close up with hand-held camera, I felt queasy for most of the movie, which took away from really being able to enjoy it.
Oscar season is about to begin and work and school will be winding down and so I might be seeing a lot more movies in December. Maybe I'll even beat last years record of 47 movies in 52 weeks.
Friday, 10 September 2010
History of Film
So the class I'm taking is amazing! It is so completely up my alley that I almost can't stand it. Basically, I will be learning about the history of film and every week we will watch a movie and talk about it. My only assignment is to write about movies.
My first class was on Tuesday and at one point I actually felt teary I was so excited to be there. It was only mildly ridiculous that the girl sitting next to me was 19 years younger than me. Seriously, she was 17 and at one point even gave me an "oh honey" dripping with empathy at how ancient I am. Sure, it was based on the fact that in talking about music, I referenced 'mixed tapes'. But I don't think I'm the one to be felt sorry for. Mixed tapes were f*cking awesome! Kids today have no idea.
So here's what I think I am going to do, blog wise... I am going to write about all the cool things that I learn in my class. I figure anyone who is probably reading this might also have an interest in cool things and I think movies and the 'history of' is a cool topic.
First things first - here's what I learned this week.
One of the very early filmmakers was a french stage magician, Georges Milies. He was one of the first to use editing and special effects. Before him, films were 30 seconds to a minute long. Filmmakers would set up a camera and film one thing for up to a minute - feeding a baby, knocking down a wall, a dancer spinning, someone jumping into a lake. People were fascinated to see these 'moving pictures'.
Georges Milies wanted to bring spectacle to the people and so used editing to create a false reality. He has been called the 'Father of Special Effects' or the "Father of Science Fiction'. He made movies with story lines and plots and changes of location. He wasn't a savvy businessman though and didn't copyright any of his films until 1912. By then his films had been so bootlegged, copied and shown all over the world that people just stopped showing his films rather than pay him for the rights to show them.
By 1913 he had made over 500 films and was completely bankrupt. In the end, he sold his films to the French army to be melted down and made into boot heels for the soldiers.
One of his most famous films "Le Voyage Dans La Lune", made in 1902, can be viewed online. Click the title for the link. We watched it in class and it is fairly fascinating that it was made in 1902.
My first class was on Tuesday and at one point I actually felt teary I was so excited to be there. It was only mildly ridiculous that the girl sitting next to me was 19 years younger than me. Seriously, she was 17 and at one point even gave me an "oh honey" dripping with empathy at how ancient I am. Sure, it was based on the fact that in talking about music, I referenced 'mixed tapes'. But I don't think I'm the one to be felt sorry for. Mixed tapes were f*cking awesome! Kids today have no idea.
So here's what I think I am going to do, blog wise... I am going to write about all the cool things that I learn in my class. I figure anyone who is probably reading this might also have an interest in cool things and I think movies and the 'history of' is a cool topic.
First things first - here's what I learned this week.
One of the very early filmmakers was a french stage magician, Georges Milies. He was one of the first to use editing and special effects. Before him, films were 30 seconds to a minute long. Filmmakers would set up a camera and film one thing for up to a minute - feeding a baby, knocking down a wall, a dancer spinning, someone jumping into a lake. People were fascinated to see these 'moving pictures'.
Georges Milies wanted to bring spectacle to the people and so used editing to create a false reality. He has been called the 'Father of Special Effects' or the "Father of Science Fiction'. He made movies with story lines and plots and changes of location. He wasn't a savvy businessman though and didn't copyright any of his films until 1912. By then his films had been so bootlegged, copied and shown all over the world that people just stopped showing his films rather than pay him for the rights to show them.
By 1913 he had made over 500 films and was completely bankrupt. In the end, he sold his films to the French army to be melted down and made into boot heels for the soldiers.
One of his most famous films "Le Voyage Dans La Lune", made in 1902, can be viewed online. Click the title for the link. We watched it in class and it is fairly fascinating that it was made in 1902.
Saturday, 4 September 2010
School
I am not registered for any classes this fall and I am a little regretful. I suppose in a way it's actually not too late for me to still register, but I'm pushing it. As far as I know most classes are full. Fully full.
Ok, so I just took a time out from writing this post to do a course search and see if there was even a class that appealed to me. As I scrolled through the list of courses so many of them appealed to me. It's amazing how many courses I would love to take! I just want to keep learning.
One course stood out more than all the others and I started to really feel something; A stirring in my heart, behind my eyes, a flutter in my tummy. I decided to see when it was being offered because my work schedule this semester kind of cuts through all the days and the likelihood of it being at a time when I am also available seemed slim. I clicked on the schedule and I am completely free and clear for that time. My eyes flicked over to see how far down the wait list I would be (I've been 11th and still gotten in) and there is no wait list. The class has 14 seats available.
I believe I might be a student after all this semester!
Ok, so I just took a time out from writing this post to do a course search and see if there was even a class that appealed to me. As I scrolled through the list of courses so many of them appealed to me. It's amazing how many courses I would love to take! I just want to keep learning.
One course stood out more than all the others and I started to really feel something; A stirring in my heart, behind my eyes, a flutter in my tummy. I decided to see when it was being offered because my work schedule this semester kind of cuts through all the days and the likelihood of it being at a time when I am also available seemed slim. I clicked on the schedule and I am completely free and clear for that time. My eyes flicked over to see how far down the wait list I would be (I've been 11th and still gotten in) and there is no wait list. The class has 14 seats available.
I believe I might be a student after all this semester!
Goodbye girl
September! Not only is it September but it's September 2010. I remember thinking in March 2009 that I couldn't wait for 2009 to be over. And now 2010 is now rounding the bend to 2011. 2009 was a tough year and I am very happy to report that 2010 has been much, much better.
I feel happy today which is always a nice way to feel. The sun is shining, I am at a cool coffee shop drinking a delicious latte, I am writing, I am listening to good music (a playlist made by my favourite online dj), I am having dinner with friends tonight and I have no complaints.
*The title of this post is the name of the song I was listening to when it came time to write a title and I liked it.
I feel happy today which is always a nice way to feel. The sun is shining, I am at a cool coffee shop drinking a delicious latte, I am writing, I am listening to good music (a playlist made by my favourite online dj), I am having dinner with friends tonight and I have no complaints.
*The title of this post is the name of the song I was listening to when it came time to write a title and I liked it.
Thursday, 22 July 2010
No spoilers - read away!
Inception.
I'd like to write more but I'm in the camp that thinks the less you know going in the better. Although, I actually believe that about most movies. I find if you know nothing, the movie unfolds and you are along for the ride. If you know anything, it sets up expectations and assumptions. Still, with the way previews are made these days, not much is left to discover once you finally get to see the full movie.
I thoroughly enjoyed Inception. It was original and well executed. I felt inspired and excited after seeing it; just for the creative process and the joy of finally having seen a good movie this year. Though, to be fair, I saw The Kids Are All Right four days earlier and when it ended, I walked out of the theatre feeling as though the long dry spell for good movies had finally been broken.
If The Kids Are All Right broke the spell, Inception flooded the dryness and satisfied my thirst! It satisfied the thirst and made me thirstier! I want more good movie-viewing! I want to feel inspired and excited.
I have hope that the second half of 2010 will be better for movies. I have heard murmurs of good things to come. Let's hope they're right.
I'd like to write more but I'm in the camp that thinks the less you know going in the better. Although, I actually believe that about most movies. I find if you know nothing, the movie unfolds and you are along for the ride. If you know anything, it sets up expectations and assumptions. Still, with the way previews are made these days, not much is left to discover once you finally get to see the full movie.
I thoroughly enjoyed Inception. It was original and well executed. I felt inspired and excited after seeing it; just for the creative process and the joy of finally having seen a good movie this year. Though, to be fair, I saw The Kids Are All Right four days earlier and when it ended, I walked out of the theatre feeling as though the long dry spell for good movies had finally been broken.
If The Kids Are All Right broke the spell, Inception flooded the dryness and satisfied my thirst! It satisfied the thirst and made me thirstier! I want more good movie-viewing! I want to feel inspired and excited.
I have hope that the second half of 2010 will be better for movies. I have heard murmurs of good things to come. Let's hope they're right.
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