Alien, Aliens, and more Aliens

Last night Encore played all three Alien movies in a row. My understanding is that there is a fourth Alien movie that came out as well, but Encore did not play that one. That was kind of them, as it allowed me to sleep.

Because I watched all three Alien movies. For the first time. I don't know exactly how I've missed them before, but I've gone through all 28 of my available Alien-watching years blissfully unaware of the bounty of Alien goodness.

So, here are some observations from a deflowered Alien virgin:

1. Sigourney Weaver is freaking hot.

2. Had I seen Alien when it came out nearly 30 years ago, at any age, I believe I would have been scared actually to death.

3. I don't remember the last movie that actually made me involuntarily bring my hands up to my face to cover my mouth. Nor do I remember a movie actually making me flail my arms around as I sat in my chair.

4. Watching all three Alien movies back-to-back right before bed can give a person some seriously messed up dreams.

5. James Cameron is one seriously messed up dude.

6. I am equally amused and saddened that Carrie Henn, the girl who played Newt in Aliens, is now a school teacher and never made another movie. Saddened because I thought she was a pretty decent actress, amused in the same way I am when I think of Stephen King being a high school teacher. "Who's your English teacher? Stephen King." "Who do you have for homeroom? That little girl from Aliens!"

7. Aliens is on again now and I'm fighting the urge to watch it because I think doing so might be suggestive of an addictive personality.

8. How could that dude breathe with that thing on his face?

9. A backward swan dive into a pit of fire and coddling an alien to your breast like a newborn baby is, not only "seriously messed up", but there's a beauty to it that creates the inevitable ending all us writers want to produce in our fiction.

The legend steps down

Favre has decided to retire.

In January of 1997, my friend Meredith Manners called me up and begged me to come to Eau Claire, WI for the weekend. We'd barhop (I was nervous at the prospect since I didn't turn 21 until June of 1997) and hang out and go to a bar to watch the Superbowl. Because I would have chewed off my right arm to have the opportunity to hang with Meredith for the weekend, I agreed to go, even to watch football.

We showed up at some random bar in Eau Claire to watch the game. When we walked in, I was stunned by the crowd. Everyone, I mean EVERYONE, was dressed in Packer gear from head to toe. No wives or children had been dragged along by their husbands. No one was just there to have a drink. If you were in that room, you were a Packer fan.

The drinks flowed freely, no one cared that I was 20. When they found out where I was from--Minnesota--everyone in that room made it their mission to have me walk out of that bar a Packer fan. And, what can I say? They succeeded.

I became a Packer fan.

For eleven years I've stood by my team and its figurehead, Brett Favre. I've watched him win and lose, get pissed off and laugh himself silly. I've watched his passion wane and rally. I've worn my Packer clothing on win days and loss days. I've taken verbal beatings, had drinks thrown at me, been booed...it's tough being a Packer fan in Minnesota. But, I love Brett Favre. And I love his (former) team.

I think he made the right decision. His reasons are sound enough for me, and I'm not sorry that he's done. I'm sad, I'll miss him, but he's going out a Champion and that's exactly what he should do.

Serindipity and all that

Tonight I watched 'Conversation(s) With Other Women' staring my beloved Helena Bonham Carter. I do so adore her, more and more every time I see her.

The movie is about two exes who run into each other at a wedding and briefly flirt with returning to the past. The whole thing is about age, loss of opportunity, regret, experience and maturity.

So I log into my email and there's a message from a guy I went to high school with...who was always in love with my best friend who was always unavailable to him. And I crushed on him my entire freshman and sophomore years...junior year too, when I went to prom with his best friend and he went with mine. We had a smashing time.

And he's married now and lives in another state and that's totally fine because I do not live in the movies. Thank God. But, still, it's an interesting thing to wonder--how many different people I've known in my life and how many paths I turned away from either by choice or because they weren't options to me.

Third time's the charm and New Year's Resolution #2

Yeah, I saw Sweeney Todd three times in the theater. And yes, if I was in a position to fund Helena Bonham Carter's salary, I'd probably see it a fourth. But, I'm not, sadly.

Since it's the end of January it's time to unveil New Year's Resolution #2 (of 12, one per month). This month's was to stop smoking, and so far so good. Except for when Jessie was up this weekend. Now I don't have any other cigarettes in my house. Guess I'm really done.... because February's resolution is to not spend more than $20/week on anything fun. No books, no clothes, and only a few meals out with friends. It's time I addressed my finances for real, and so February's resolution is to begin to get a handle on it all.

Sweeney Todd

*sigh*

I am in love with Johnny Depp, this much is known by pretty much everyone on earth. But, never have I heard him sing. And putting Johnny Depp in a horror musical with a huge singing role is pretty much my dream come true. Sweeney Todd is gory, funny, scary, gross, and fantastic from beginning to end. And Johnny Depp sings. He's seeking revenge, he's pissed, and yet still sensitive and romantic all the same, with a Broadway singing voice to boot.

When I said I was totally in love with Johnny Depp before, I was wrong. NOW I am completely in love with him. And his voice.

Music, crushes, dreams and nightmares (a.k.a. "too much information.")

Kind of a hodgepog of thoughts today, things that have been swirling in my head all week but since I was struck down by the plague/hanta virus I was unable to gather the energy and motivation to write.

I've decided that part of the reason why my work days are a struggle is because of my lack of media. I've been bringing my ipod in and tuning out the world during the brief times during the day I'm alone, and it's amazing what a good five minute music reprieve can do for my mood. It shouldn't surprise me; music has always been a huge thing for me, influencing my moods for the positive or letting me wallow in the negative if I felt like it. Jodi is so vocal about her musical working environment I really should have realized it earlier, but I'm glad I finally figured it out.

I have a new crush. This is monumental, not just because crushes are damn fun, but because the excitement of a new crush is the fastest way to mending a broken heart. My new crush is a writer, breathtakingly handsome, and just quiet and shy enough that when he talks to me and looks me in the eye I feel like we have stolen each other for the time being. His writing is incredible, some of the best I've read in a long time, and talking to him reminds me that when my ex gave me a rough equivalent of "it's not you, it's me," he was right.

This does not stop me from dreaming about the ex, though. Last night I dreamed that we went out in a group for the first time since we ended the friendship part of our relationship. He had long hair, and was supremely good looking. It was awkward, though, and I was also with another ex and several mutual friends that were trying to make things as un-awkward as possible. We ate pizza and drank beer.

My nightmare....well, it was scary, but not in the adreneline scary, scary in the sense that I don't know where it came from. Jodi and I are huge believers in the fact that no one cares about a dream more than the dreamer, but I'm going to write about this anyway. Not in full detail, though, because I still fear that my students will stumble on this at some point and call me out.

In my nightmare I was raped by the Candyman. The Candyman of horror movies, with the bees coming out of his mouth. He abducted me and my friend Erica and he tied a bag over my head and put me in his bathroom while he went and dealt with Erica. I looked for a way to escape but I didn't dare. He came in and I managed to convince him that I would willingly have sex with him if he was gentle. He was huge, and it hurt a lot, and he had open sores all over his penis. When he finished, it flowed out of him for several minutes, wouldn't stop, and then my parents showed up at the house and Erica and I weren't allowed to say that we had been raped. I then met Ex and others for pizza and beer and it drifted into my other dream.

The scary part is that I went through the whole rape, and like I said I left out details. I have no idea where that came from. The nearest I can figure is that my mind and my emotions are so screwed up right now that I'm going to the extreme of possibility because I have nowhere else to go. Bizarre....and yeah, too much information. Sorry.

My two new star crushes

Okay, there are two new ones in the hopper, both from Big Brother 7: All Stars. And I have to say, between the two of them they have almost every feature I would want in a star crush. Its impossible for me to pick one over the other, so I present to you both of my latest star boy toys.

Mike Boogie. Mike is part of the Chilltown alliance, and there's just something about him that I dig. He's funny, and loyal to his buddy Will. He looks a little like Beevis. Or Butthead...whichever is the blonde one (give me a break; I don't crush on cartoons). Nice bod, too. Plus, I love a guy whose nickname is "Boogie."

Dr. Will. It's the ego, here. He's a little pasty white for me, and while I appreciate the work he's done to take care of his body, I prefer a little natural padding in some key areas. But he's freaken smart, and I've always loved a guy with a huge ego. He's funny as hell, and watching him work the BB house is like watching an artist at work.

This is totally the best season of Big Brother, and my only regret in life at the moment is that I didn't hook in with BB until season three, meaning I missed Chilltown on season 2.

Thank you for indulging me in this. I've been trying to curtail my star crush spooging, but these two boys are just too delicious.