Prince Lives Here, We Got 10,000 Lakes

April 20, 2009 | Clark, Jenny Recommends

Clark’s good friend Dahli made him this sock monkey blanket and sent him this cute onesie. Both were featured in the last post, but an outfit this cute deserved further highlighting, don’t you think?

In other earth-shattering, possibly never to be repeated news, about a half an hour ago, around the time of Clark’s morning snooze, I set him in his sidecar thing while I was making the bed. He was laying there happily babbling, so I decided to see what would happen if I just walked away. So I grabbed the baby monitor and shut the door. He continued to babble for a few minutes, then he started to low level fuss. I decided to give him two minutes and see what happened. It was like, WAH! WAH!…Wah! Wah!…Wah….wah, wah, snoooore…

GET RIGHT OUT OF TOWN.

I can’t believe it! Usually, I swaddle him, put in a bink, rock him, sing, and stand on my head playing the banjo with my feet to get him to go to sleep. Who knows if this startling phenomenon will ever be repeated but holy shit, dude! I can’t believe that just happened.

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The title of this post comes from Atmosphere’s shout out to Minneapolis “Always Comin Back Home To You”. If you’re a midwest loving person, (and I know there are a bunch of you) you should download it right away. The first half is beautiful, haunting, hiphop, the second half is clever silliness, all praising places you can ‘drink tap water and breathe the air’.

[musical recommendation disclaimer: This is not new. I am not on any sort of cutting edge. I am aware of this.]

Twilight, no spoilers, I promise

November 26, 2008 | Jenny Recommends

I thoroughly enjoyed the Twilight movie. You definitely have to be in the mood for high drama, but if you’ve read all 3000 pages of the series like I have, clearly you’re in the mood for high drama.

I thought everyone was well cast. Originally, I didn’t think that Robert Pattinson was hot enough to play Edward, but after seeing the movie, um yes. Yes indeedy. He is plenty hot. When he made his first appearance in the cafeteria on Bella’s first day of school, the audience totally squealed. It was awesome. It was like they were trying to keep it in, but they just couldn’t.

Speaking of which, the particular crowd at the 8:30 showing on opening night was mostly full of grown ups, which made me feel bad. As I was calmly printing out my tickets from the Fandango machine, that of course I had purchased online earlier that day with my grown up debit card, a group of teenaged girls was just getting the sad sad news that Twilight was sold out. One of them shrieked, got a hold of herself, then proclaimed in a shaky voice, “You have NO IDEA how upset you’ve just made me. We took two busses to get here, in the rain, I straightened my bangs, it CAN’T be sold out.” Her announcement caused more cries of despair from other teenagers in line, who slowly began peeling off and sulking away, back out into the rainy night. Yeah, sorry about that ladies.

Anyway, I thought they did a good job if staying true to the book. It was really almost exactly the same, with just some stuff left out, but nothing really added in. I give it two enthusiastic, adolescent thumbs up.

Halleluia!

October 17, 2008 | Jenny Recommends

Some of you may be fortunate enough to live in area of the country or part of the world where the presence of an H&M is commonplace. Perhaps you’ve become immune to the euro fashion available in sizes meant for human women, the copious accessories, the irresistible handbags, all available at bargain prices. Well, to you I say, imagine an entire region devoid of such treats, the entire Pacific Northwest with only Target to turn to for the occasional Isaac Mizrahi cheap fashion risk.

Until a couple of months ago, H&M was a treat only sometimes enjoyed on trips to New York, or other proper cities. In fact, I originally knew it as “Hache y Eme”, or, the only store in Barcelona that sold clothing in sizes above 4. Well, a couple of months ago, the Seattle area got not one, but TWO! TWO HACHE Y EMES! I rejoiced, but did not visit, for I knew that I must wait until I am no longer with child to properly enjoy the fruits of H&M. Then the other day, I don’t even know why, I visited their website and learned that HOLY SHIT! H&M has a maternity line! GET. OUT! Then! Then! I called the Southcenter store and learned that THEY CARRY IT! Which I guess not all of them do! A field trip was definitely in order.

You guys! It’s HUGE. It’s like a proper euro one with two floors and an escalator and everything! Now, if you should be local and also knocked up, don’t get TOO excited. The maternity section is all of 10 feet by 12 feet, but I still got three shirts, a nightie, a hat, and and scarf for under $100.

Shirt crisis averted, for at least another few weeks.

Weekend this and that

September 22, 2008 | Jenny Recommends, Whinging

We saw two really good movies this weekend, one at the theater and one courtesy of Netflix. On friday, we saw Tell No One at the Grand. It is a French thriller and SO GOOD! The twists! The turns! The beautiful French people and their lovely language! It was totally worth reading for two hours. The other movie was Death at a Funeral, a hilarious little Brittish romp, that was just delightful. Those Brits. Everything is funnier in a Brittish accent, I’m convinced.

On Saturday night, we attended the 30th birthday party of one of my bestest friends. I hate myself, but GAH! I was such a grumpy stick in the mud. I guess I was just in a bad space and should have kept myself away from others. I wasn’t happy with my outfit. I wanted to drink fun cocktails like everyone else. I tried to dance but I just wasn’t into it. I felt old and stiff and unattractive. We ended up leaving at 11. I just felt SO LAME. Yuck. I’ve been trying to shake this off, with minimal success. I did a lot of bitching about pregnancy, and after I just told you it’s been good lately. I felt like it was some sort of weird internal identity clash or something. My fun, party-girl self, fighting with my matronly old mom new self. Blech.

And finally, SB and I tried Upper Crust Pizza on N. 21st on Sunday night and it was REALLY good. I had a totally amazing salad and a calzone that was simply beautiful. Really, the food was remarkably good. It took them a long time to make, but it tasted like it, too. Aside from a few questionable decorating choices, I give them an enthusiastic thumbs up. I happily wrapped half my calzone in foil and eagerly anticipated eating it for lunch today.

But SB ate it last night after I went to bed. Who steals food from a pregnant woman? Food is our only remaining pleasure after all. He is going to be SORRY.

What the hell, Target?

July 18, 2008 | City of Destiny, Jenny Recommends

Okay, maybe this proves I’m ready to become a mommyblogger, because this will be my first ever post about Target. But DUDE. Have you ever been to a fancy Target? I had no idea such a thing existed. Last night after work, I went to the Target in Redmond (where Microsoft and it’s Money lives). It was SO DIFFERENT from the one in Tacoma. The first thing I saw was the Starbucks, much different from the greasy snackbar ours has. Next, I grabbed a basket, and even THOSE were fancy! They weren’t the standard square, red, plastic kind we have, these were bean shaped and had a fancy, padded handle! As I ventured further in, I felt like I was in some alternate universe. Everything was familiar but SO MUCH BETTER. You know how our purse section consists of two crappy aisles with mostly old lady bags? This Target had a whole Purse Area and they were CUTE. Like, proper bags, that did not look Target-y at all. And the clothes section was at least twice the size of ours and had way cuter stuff. WHAT THE HELL?

I feel like Target is unfairly judging Tacoma. Why can’t WE have a fancy Target? It’s not like ours is small, it’s your standard Anytown, USA giant complex thing.

Anyway, if you happen to be a connoisseur of fine Targets like I am, I recommend checking out a big city’s or rich suburb’s Target ASAP. It’ll blow your mind.

Who knew the 80’s were so naughty?

October 5, 2007 | Everybody's got one, Jenny Recommends

Last night, SB and I went to a special, one night only showing of Poltergeist in honor of the 25th anniversary of the film’s release. He totally had to drag me. I saw the movie at a slumber party when I was far too young for such things, and apparently I blocked it out, because I had no memory of the plot.

In case you’re like me and you don’t remember/never saw it/ have no desire to see it, here is a synopsis:

“Suburbanites Steve (Craig T. Nelson) and Diane (JoBeth Williams) suddenly experience paranormal activity in their home. What starts off as minor excitement quickly turns into nasty encounters. The disappearance of their daughter Carol Anne (Heather O’Rourke) forces the Freelings to bring in parapsychologists and a professional exorcist to exorcise their home.”

Anywho, my point today is, MAN, things have changed since 1982. The movie wasn’t scary, but that isn’t my point, either. I was struck by how puritanical our society has become since then. There were several bits in the movie that totally blew my mind. I couldn’t believe a mainstream, Steven Spielberg movie included such things.
 

Firstly, the movie opens with shots of the happy ‘burbs where the movie takes place. There are kids on bikes and families everywhere. Soon after, the cute suburban family gets ready for bed. The pretty mom tucks the kids in, the dad helps them not to be afraid of the storm, and then the parents retire to their bedroom… WHERE THEY ROLL A BIG FAT DOOBIE AND TOKE AWAY. I was shocked! Apparently in 1982, it was totally acceptable to show this June and Ward Cleaver-like Mom and Dad rolling J’s and giggling while discussing real estate. It wasn’t even a major plot point. They weren’t shown doing drugs to illustrate anything, it wasn’t essential to the action. In fact, it isn’t discussed at all, and the scene ends with the scared son climbing in to bed with them, as the mom hastily distinguishes her joint on the bedside table.  Can you believe it?
 

The family has a 16 year old daughter who is hardly in the movie at all, but when she is, she is highly sexualized. At 16! That kind of thing would never fly these days. The next morning, she is leaving for school on her bike and there’s a prolonged scene of these grody, 40’s-ish construction dudes that are digging their pool totally harassing her. She does an elaborate fuck off dance in reply. The mom, meanwhile, is watching all of this from the kitchen window… and SMILING! Like, “Aww… look at my girl! Sexual harrassment of a minor is so cute!” Can you imagine that happening now? The daughter would be in counseling and the dudes would be arrested, probably. In another scene, a hotel is mentioned near the highway and the daughter says something like, “Oh I know that place,” and the dad is all, “What?!” and the scene continues on to something else, just dropping the hint that this 16 YEAR OLD girl has been having sex in hotels. Again, neither of these things are plot points. They didn’t have these scenes in the movie because the daughter’s sluttiness was somehow part of the narrative.
 

In another scene, the dad is meeting with some parapsychologists about their ‘disturbances’ and the Doctor, an attractive older woman in one of those 80’s belted blouse dresess asks , “who lives in your home and what are their ages’. He replies, “My wife is 32, my oldest daughter is 16, my son is 8, and my youngest daughter is 5. [RECORD SCREECH] Your wife is 32 and your daughter is SIXTEEN? This was another example of something shocking by todays’s standards that was just dropped in, all casual-like. Later, back at their house, the Doctor and her team are there observing. Some serious shit’s gone down, but all’s quiet, and the son is asleep in in the mom’s arms. She and the belted blouse dress lady (not the famous ‘this house is clean’ woman) are talking about how scary this all is, when the old lady pulls out a flask and the two of them finish it off. This isn’t terribly shocking, but I just think that these days, refined, older woman, doctor-types are rarely portrayed toting flasks, unless the flask toting is meant to reflect upon their character. But again, it was all natural, like doctors pulling flasks from their bags and going to town was no big whoop.

So, if you would like to simultaneously feel old because you’re watching something that is 25 years old that you remember being released, while feeling shocked and dismayed by the current cleansing of society, I recommend watching Poltergeist. It is seasonal, after all. It’s also fun just too see all the 80’s toys and products and whatnot in the background. SB recognized some Star Wars stuff (shamelessly prevalent, throughout, Mr. Spielberg), and there was even a Speak n Spell.  Good times.

Need a movie to see this weekend?

September 21, 2007 | Jenny Recommends

If so, make it this one:

You can watch the trailer here.

If you like documentaries or a good underdog story, you will love this movie. I don’t want to say any more. Just go.

(But ooooh! It’s so good! And one of the guys is so cute! I haven’t cheered at a movie in a long time, but this one made me cheer. I may have even dorkily thrust my fist in to the air at one point. )