I was going to do another ‘what’s on our televisions‘ post but I realized that I’d have to confess that I’ve only been watching American Idol, Battlestar Galactica, and Survivor for WEEKS now. How . . . lame.

So, how about we dish movie-talk instead? We rarely get out to the theater any more (although I did see Iron Man, which had a Fun Factor of at least eleven) but we rent DVDs on a fairly frequent basis. Here’s what we’ve checked out recently:

Cloverfield. I enjoyed this movie enough to see it in the theater AND rent it, and if you avoided the theater experience because you heard all the camera movement was making people hurl, watching it on your TV is much less disorienting. Totally fun monster movie, with nail-biting moments galore and some truly spectacular special effects. I rarely say this, but the DVD extras are actually worth watching afterwards, just to see what all went into the production.

Juno. You saw this, right? I think everyone saw this. Well, if you somehow missed it, I recommend you go ahead and slap it in your Netflix queue because it’s just as funny, quirky, and heartwarming as everyone says it is.

American Gangster. I knew in the first three minutes of this movie that the pacing was going to be all wrong for me: I found it slow, dull, un-engaging, and way the hell too long. I didn’t care about the characters, I didn’t believe any of the characters, and not even Denzel’s fine-ass self could save this for me.

Gone Baby Gone. Another dud as far as I’m concerned. Maybe it’s that I’ve never liked Casey Affleck, maybe it’s that the storyline was ridiculous, maybe it was the laughable dialogue, either way: BOO.

Michael Clayton. Now, as you may have heard this was supposed to be a good movie, and I was glad to discover that for me it lived up to its reputation. It wasn’t exactly action-packed, but it’s interesting, unfolds nicely, and features a pitch-perfect performance by Mr. Clooney. Two thumbs up!

Lars and the Real Girl. Here’s the little-known title of the bunch, and my absolute favorite. I am not even going to try and describe what this is about, and if you go read the synopsis you will think it sounds downright crazy and maybe pornographic, but I will say that it’s the sweetest, most charming, entirely feel-goodish movie I think I’ve about ever seen. There!

What movies have you been renting lately? Got any must-sees or must-avoids to share?

So it’s your lunch break at work, or you’re at home and the children are (THANK YOU JEBUS) napping, and instead of jumping on your next office project or tackling the never-ending laundry pile, you sit in front of your computer, and . . . well, what are you looking at?

Other than personal blogs and embarrassing, brain-rotting things like People.com and CNN.com, I’ve got a few favorite websites I like to check in with when I have some downtime. I’ll show you mine if you show me yours, okay?

(Heh.)
Read the rest of this entry »

I don’t know about you, but I sure don’t get to spend as much time reading as I used to. Pretty much the only time I open a book anymore is right before I fall asleep at night, which is to say I maybe get one or two pages in before slumping into an openmouthed, snoring coma.

Therefore, I really don’t want to spend my minimal amount of reading energy on an “eh” book, you know? And while I feel kind of bad making recommendations for or against books here (such a totally subjective topic), what the hell, let’s talk about the best things we’ve read lately — and the don’t-waste-your-time ones, too.

Read the rest of this entry »

On the days when my husband and I both work, our schedules go something like this:

1. Take Riley to daycare. Depart for our respective offices, re-convening at the house with child in tow around 5:30 PM.

2. Dinner: sometimes all of us together, sometimes Riley eats first then runs off to play while JB and I eat our own dinners.

3. Playtime with Riley, reading books, taking baths, etc, before his 7:30 bedtime.

4. 7:30 PM - 9:30 PM: JB watches the news, works in his shop, and catches up on work email. I write blog entries, work on freelance projects, and if it’s a good day, follow an exercise DVD.

5. 9:30 - 11 PM: FREE TIME.

Man oh man do I ever relish that free time, where I’ve got no obligations hanging over my head and I can just sit back and relax. Preferably with a giant bowl of ice cream.

While I’m sure we could be engaged with more worthy pursuits, such as playing chess or learning French or, ha ha haaaaaaa, cleaning the house, both JB and I like to veg out in front of the TV during our free time. This is when we watch our Netflix’d movies and recorded TV shows, and I think it’s just one of those homey domestic rituals that helps us stay marginally sane and balanced in the midst of working parenthood.

(I’ve informed our unborn child that upon his arrival he will need to immediately adopt the same sleeping schedule as his older brother. Hey, I can dream, right?)

Here’s what we’ve been watching lately:

Read the rest of this entry »