Go Away Winter!

I thought I was done dressing like Marge Gunderson a la "Fargo" apparently it's not quite time to put away my parka and my winter boots. Seriously, I am done with winter! No more. I guess it's not really that bad because the snow won't stick around. Today was the last straw having to shovel snow. It's just a pain to keep switching from winter coat to spring coat to parka in the course of a week. I do realize that it is Minnesota and it can pretty much snow until Memorial Day; I'd just like to enjoy spring for a change.

While I was outside shoveling the sidewalk, a man was attempting to plow the streets/ sidewalk, but was having a horrible time maneuvering the truck (he kept having to backing up, inching forward, repeat several times move). I sort of felt bad for him, until I got a little closer. He was having a conversation on his cell phone. Seriously. If you're going to be plowing anything, perhaps it would be easier to not talk on your phone. Duh. It did make me chuckle.

Puffcorn: The Lazyman's Popcorn

I am hopelessly addicted to Old Dutch's Puffcorn. It is the best stuff ever! I swear it has to be laced with crack because it is so addicting. Puffcorn combines the salty, buttery taste of popcorn with the air-puffed goodness of a cheesy poof. It's super cheap,too. Target sells a big ass bag for $2.30. The other night I ate half a bag while watching television. The only problem with Puffcorn is I can't stop eating it.

Randomness

Daylight Saving Time is still kicking my ass. Last night I couldn't fall asleep at all! Once I did fall asleep, I kept waking up every couple of hours like a senior citizen. Ugh. It was awful. This morning I had the hardest time getting out of bed and felt like I had been up for three days. So tired of this! I just want to feel normal. Hopefully, this ends soon.

I worked on my screenplay yesterday. I wrote four pages and I planned out the plot. I haven't written any new scenes since December. It feels good. I think I was motivated by "Juno." I am hoping I can keep this up.

Juno

I finally got around to seeing "Juno" today. Wow. It was fabulous. I was so amazed. It literally brought me to tears because it was such a well-done movie. When it was over, I was a bit sad. I seriously could've watched it again. It's well-written and well-acted. It is the best teen-pregnancy movie I've ever seen. It has such a fresh, new take on teenage pregnancy. And it wasn't just another teenage comedy, either. Good realistic teenage characters. It had such heart and really explained teenage life in suburbia. I was so impressed. Allison Janney had the perfect "mom" outfits; they really reminded me of my own Mom's wardrobe of comfy clothing. The casting was perfect. I loved Jason Bateman and Jennifer Garner as the yuppie couple. Ellen Page is simply amazing.

I really liked the Midwestern suburbia touches of the movie. It is so dead-on. Juno's house has the homey cluttered quality. Her step-mom clearly shops at JCP and Sears. The family has a mini-van. Juno and her friends play pranks on each other. They drink slushies. Yeah, people probably do these things on the east coast, but there's this indescribable Midwestern quality about the movie that made me nostalgic for my own childhood in Midwestern suburbia.

It was nice to finally see the movie and be able to form my own opinions about the movie. I don't understand why people don't think the dialogue wasn't realistic for teens. Juno is a smart. sassy teenager, of course she's going to talk different than an average kid. People also took issue with the catch phrases. That's another part of teenage vernacular. And Diablo really deserved the Oscar. It is so well-written.

I left the theater so inspired to work on my own writing.

Daylight Savings Time= Ugh

I am not a big fan of Daylight Savings Time. I know, I know, we're doing it for those poor kids in Indiana who had to wait for the school bus in the dark. The horror. I do enjoy having it be lighter longer, but it is really hard for my body to get used to it. This phenomenon started a couple of years ago. It must be a side effect of getting old. It seriously takes me a week to get used to DLST. This morning I woke up and felt like crap. I felt like I'd been up late drinking and was horribly hungover. Except, I went to bed early and haven't had any alcohol in days. After a cup of coffee, the pseudo-hangover effect went away, but I still feel like I'm running in my own time zone.

The weird thing is I don't really get jet-lagged when I fly. Granted, I've never left the US, but whenever I end up in the Eastern time zone, I never have a problem adjusting. I have a feeling that my DLST adjustment is psychological. There I said it. This year, I am doing my best to trick myself into not thinking about DLST. It worked yesterday when I had to work at 8 am, after working until 12 am, the night before. Yesterday, I didn't even think about the fact that I was getting up at 5 am instead of 6 am. That actually helped. I was a bit tired and crabby at work, but it really helped in my survival.

At least spring seems to be lurking right around the corner. It's supposed to be in the 40's tomorrow. Woo-hoo! For us Minnesotans, that means a heat wave! Break out the shorts. I am really looking forward to wearing spring jackets. I am tired of my winter coats.

Sad

Yesterday I was shocked and saddened to find out that the Oak Street Cinema is more than likely closing its doors in May. I love that theater. I used to go there quite a bit in college. When I lived in T-Hall, it was practically in my backyard. They hosted the Minneapolis- Saint Paul International Film Fest and other cool events. I love old theaters with character. It makes watching movies a much better experience than at the 24 screen multi-plex.

I just hate it when old buildings like that get closed and torn down in order to build more housing. I wish that someone could save it and if they don't show movies there, they could turn it into a restaurant or a club (sorta of a la the Varsity Theater). I'll have to make sure that I make it there one last time before it closes.

Road Rage Minnesota Style

This morning my psychic abilities kicked in and told me to leave for work extra early. Good thing I did, because it took me about 35 minutes to go 2 miles. Normally, I could get myself to work in that amount of time. Yikes. I just don't understand you, silly Minnesotans: why does a dusting of snow cause people to forget how to drive and just drive stupid? One would think that we would be old pros. Seriouly. It's the one thing that miffs me. And makes me crabby. Grrr.... At least I managed to arrive at work on time and in one piece.