Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

Trailer

Someone told me this was a great movie, at least for a movie of which he had no expectations in the first place. I would have to agree.

What was funny for me about this movie is the way I totally accepted the "eraser" technology, even though the rest of the movie wasn't exactly science fiction. Somehow, the premise worked though.

I felt the movie was a little like Vanilla Sky, but unlike Vanilla Sky, this movie didn't leave me annoyed at the ending. I thought Vanilla Sky copped out at the end.

Another person told me that Eternal Sunshine of the Spottless Mind showed that people should get together and enjoy being together even if it might not work out in the end. I'm not sure I took the movie the same way. To me, it's more about whether you're compelled to be with someone or not. If you are, you'll do it, no matter the consequences. And if someone is trying to convince you, you're obviously not compelled. And if you can resist, maybe you should. Save the consequences for when you can't resist.

The Master Butchers Singing Club

First, I have a problem with this title. I think that it is punctuated wrong. Shouldn't it be The Master Butcher's Singing Club? Or, if there is more than one butcher, it should be the The Master Butchers' Singing Club. But I just can't think of any circumstances under which it would be written "The Master Butchers Singing Club." And yet there it is on the front of the book and the top of every page.

I did manage to get beyond the title (isn't there some saying about judging a book by its cover?). I actually really liked the book, although there were some parts that were a little weird for me.

This book is also by Louise Erdrich. I didn't intentionally read two of her books in a row, I just happened to pick this up in the bookstore when I was looking for something to read on my vacation in Brazil. Actually, I picked up the paperback and then found the hardcover for a third of the price. Not that that matters.

The main character in this story is a woman who doesn't know who her mother is, and ends up mothering everyone else. It's a different type of story for Louise Erdrich, although I learned that it's based on the other side of her family. I guess that's where most stories come from . . . from somebody's life.

Olã from Brazil!

I'm in Rio de Janeiro! This is my first time south of the equator, which is pretty cool. As soon as I realized that, I decided that I have to visit every quadrant of the globe. Actually, I can't decide if it's every quadrant or eigth or what . . . maybe I should just make it every continent and call it good. I should post that on 43 things.

In any case, it's been a great trip. I'm here for my brother's wedding, so I'll have lots of photos and stories to tell when I get back.

I also got to spend the day with the sister of a friend of my parents, which was great. More stories to follow.

Hard Work Pays Off

I've just gotten the job offer that I wanted. Hooray! It's exciting to be joining a company that I'm excited about and doing work that challenges me.

I'm a little worried though . . . today someone on my team told me that old joke about heaven and hell. The job applicant dies in the middle of the interview. She goes to heaven, and St. Peter decides to offer a choice between heaven and hell. So the applicant checks out heaven and thinks it's okay. Then she checks out hell where they're having a great party. She chooses hell, but when she goes back it's all fire and brimstone. "What's up?" she asks. "Yesterday you were a freelancer, today you're an employee."

Hmm, I wonder when my start date is.

All kidding aside, I'm really thrilled to be on this path.

The Last Report on the Miracles at Little No Horse

I am rereading this book by Louise Erdrich. I picked it up a couple of years ago. I've always liked Louise Erdrich because she writes about Native Americans and reservation life, and I grew up on the Northern Cheyenne reservation in Montana.

This story is different from her other stories, or at least different from how I remember them. I would say that in this book, unlike her others, her style is magical realism. I could be wrong in thinking this is the first time she's written in this style--it makes me want to go back and read or reread her other books.

The story is about a priest who goes to the reservation called Little No Horse in 1912 and whose life is shaped by the people he meets as much as he tries to shape their lives and bring them into the Catholic church. We learn early, though, that the priest is actually a woman who came across the "real" priest's body after a flood in which she almost drowned. A vision leads her to assume the priest's identity and she goes to the reservation. Erdrich speaks beautifully and eloquently of the dichotomy the woman feels living as a man and how when she is a priest she is not man or woman, but both and neither at the same time. It's a beautiful and, for me, provoking examination of how our spirits transcend our bodies.

The other story lines in the book are as compelling, stories of the people on the reservation during illness, famine, hardship and joys, births, deaths, marriages and the tragedy of losing the land that is everything to the tribe.

This is a difficult book to read in some ways, but it's beautifully written and has layers and layers of meaning.

My favorite cooking ingredients

olive oil
cayenne pepper
spinach
feta cheese
goat cheese
veggie sausage
sweet potatoes
eggplant
ginger
garlic
onions
walnuts
sun dried tomatoes
basil
coconut milk
curry powder
red peppers
mushrooms

I don't cook that much, but I enjoy it when I do. My best dishes are curries, stir fries, and pizzas.