In the Event Anyone Still Drops By Here Occasionally....

I'm having a debate with a friend, and we need to know what others think. I recently watched the movie "Annie Hall"...and wasn't crazy about it (which in and of itself is some kind of sacrilege, apparently).

Why did I dislike the movie? Well, I found the title character appalling. She made me want to turn off the DVD player, take the DVD out, and burn it.

Annie Hall is the type of woman who makes other women look bad. She's a flake who takes advantage of men and treats them horribly (case in point, the spider scene - Keaton character had quite unceremoniously and cold-heartedly broken up with Allen character, then she has the nerve to call him at two in the morning and demand that he come over to her place and kill a spider, and yells at him when he doesn't do it properly....whaaaa??), then attempts to convey that she is the real victim in the relationship.

My friend, however, thought Annie was dynamite (well, la-di-dah, la-di-dah, la-di-dah) and was amazed that I got that impression from the film.

Am I totally off-base here, or do others share my view that there's just a little something "off" about Annie Hall?

So much...

....running through my mind these days. How can a person be busy with activities they enjoy, and surrounded by family / friends who love them, but still be unsure about virtually everything in life?

So, when I need to think, I retreat into my little world, listen to music (downloaded some great stuff for the Ipod, including "Let My Love Open the Door", which also makes me really want to go see the new Steve Carrell movie), watch some movies (I heart Movie Village, and I've seen some really good flicks in the past couple of weeks - Lord of War, The Manchurian Candidate, Marathon Man), watch some television (I've recently discovered Big Love, and while I'm definitely the jealous type and could never be involved in a polygamous relationship myself, I do love the show - Jeanne Tripplehorn rocks!).

One of the things I've been pondering of late is that - at this stage in my life (ie. single) - if I do want to think about purchasing property in Winnipeg, I may start looking at some condos in the downtown. A co-worker of mine has this amazing loft in the Exchange (stone walls, hardwood floors, high ceilings - all in all, an amazing space). Question is....do I want to make the commitment of purchasing property right now?? My first instinct is no. What's holding me back? I guess I always thought when I finally took out a mortgage, I'd be doing it with a husband / boyfriend....but I'm 32, still single, and have realized lately that's likely how I'm destined to live out the rest of my life. So, no reason to procrastinate any longer, right?

Sinful Pleasures

(1) A friend and I went to the "Sex and the District" event on Friday night in the Exchange District. Stores were open late (clothing and jewellery heaven!), serving drinks and appetizers as you shopped, DJ's were playing music, bars were open early serving cocktails and sushi, fashion shows were on the runway - all in all, a really fun cool event! I hadn't realized how many funky little boutiques have opened up in the Exchange lately (now I know what I'll be doing during my lunch hour from here on out!) - it really is turning into Winnipeg's own little Greenwich Village! A great event for many reasons, not the least of which is that it brought people into the area at night - hopefully, this will become a more frequent regular event.

(2) I've sworn off cheesecake. For anyone who knows me, that should come as a major shock. Well, I've sworn off almost all cheesecake. I need to lose a few pounds, so cutting down on "junk food" is a good way to start. But when I was in New York City a couple of weeks ago, I tasted the most delicious cheesecake on the planet at Roxy's Deli in Times Square - AMAZING!!!! So I've decided that (since it's not readily available) cheesecake from Roxy's isn't included in the ban. Now, however, I'm really craving it. And they ship orders. But only within the US. Anybody got any bright ideas for getting a little NYC treat up to Winnipeg without too much trouble???

You're Still Out There?!?

Really? Some people still read this thing? Wow, guess I'd better start writing again!! Okay, so...an update....

(1) No longer writing for the Sun, stopped in April. Just didn't feel right anymore, for various reasons. I am, however, working on my first novel, so stay tuned in the not-so-near future for that! I'll likely start to explore other writing options at some point in the not-so-distant future also, any suggestions as to where you'd like to see me in print?

(2) I've stepped back into my introverted ways over the past couple of months, been a long year with a lot of occurrences I didn't anticipate (or at least, in some cases, didn't anticipate the stresses involved in the occurrences), including a couple of job changes and a relationship break-up over the summer. Don't want to talk about it, but yes, I am single again.

(3) I'm trying a couple of new activities this fall (figured I needed something to do other than tv nights with the cat - LOL) including joining a trivia team and a dodgeball league. Not sure yet whether I'll continue to pursue my pseudo-acting career in the MBA annual play. I've decided only to pursue activities I'm genuinely interested in, as I've realized I've lived a lot of my life doing the things I think I'm supposed to do, not the things I really want to do.

And if you're out there reading this, tell your friends I'm back, and post a comment to say hi! Don't want to be writing to dead air!

Family

(1) It's neat to realize that the one person in my family who truly understands me is my 88 year old grandmother. I feel that we have some sort of kindred spirit, or deep connection that I don't have with any other family member (she's an extremely intelligent person with a great sense of humour, and I love the time we spend together). And it's nice to finally be mature enough to realize how cool that is.

(2) It's also neat (while at times disturbing) to realize that the younger sister I always thought of as 'the little kid' has her life more together than I do. And will definitely have a baby before me (if I have a baby at all), and will likely get married before me (if I get married at all). And will, no matter how much pregnancy weight she gains, still always be the skinny one. And even though that leaves me eternally as the chubby sister, I'm really proud of her and very happy for all the blessings that are coming her way.

(3) It's important to travel and experience life with one's parents before they're too old to enjoy it. My dad and I are going to a dude ranch in British Columbia this summer, and my mom and I are going to New York City in the fall. I'm very excited about both trips (and not just because it means I get to take holidays).

The Great Part About Opposites Attracting

My boyfriend and I are very similar in a lot of fundamental ways (which makes for a good base to build a relationship). However, we have many different interests, and that's a good thing. In fact, the more we get to know each other, the more excited I get about some of the new things he has exposed me to.

Comic books, for instance. When I was a kid, I read Archie comics...but I was more into baseball and hockey cards. But I'm getting a second chance thanks to my boyfriend, a real comic book fan. He's schooled me in the history of the artists and some of his favourite strips, and I've even started a small collection of my own - Incredible Hulk, Human Torch, Ghost Rider (the oldies, of course).

I've also been very lucky because one of my very oldest and dearest friends (we have baby pictures together, that's how far we go back) has a father who is a collector. In fact, ever since I've know him, his comics have been his livelihood. So I've purchased some books from him, and hit many of the shops around Winnipeg (Comics America, Galaxy Comics, Cover to Cover, etc.).

But of course, I'm always looking for new sources. So...if anyone else out there is an avid fan, and has any tips, that's what the comments section is for!

Even Old TV Comes Back In Style Eventually

My boyfriend and I have been renting DVDs of old tv series lately - The Saint, Twin Peaks, Hill Street Blues, etc. - and we've discovered some striking similarities between tv of old and tv of today. For instance:

(1) Hawaii Five-O's Steve McGarrett = CSI Miami's Horatio Caine...no explanation needed, just watch the two in action (it's like they were separated at birth)

(2) Ironside's Ironside = The Office's Dwight Schrute...one says 'query', the other says 'question'...tomato, tomato... (it's too much of a coincidence to be an actual coincidence, right? methinks this bit was ripped off).

Any other examples you can think of?