Fingersmith

What is it about British period pieces? Why is it that I find anything with haughty accents, top hats and bustles absolutely fascinating? I feel I ought to know better, and yet I watch so much of the stuff that Nate will walk through the living room, glance at the TV and ask, "Is Helena Bonham Carter in this one?" As discussed, Dangerous Liaisons is one of my favorite movies.

Yesterday Richard & I watched Fingersmith (2005) as part of Crafternoon. A 3-hour drama set in London in the 1860s, Fingersmith tells the story of a pack of thieves who hatch a plot to swindle a nice young girl kept as an indentured servant to her perverted uncle. It was so engrossing I only managed to sew 4 buttons in the whole 3 hours, and Richard later had to undo all of his needlework. Now that's entertainment.

Romancing the Stone

Well, so far I've accomplished some important work this holiday weekend. With our cross-country move to Portland coming up in less than 2 months, I spent yesterday (rather than packing) watching 2 of my all-time favorite movies, Romancing the Stone (1984) and Scarface (1983). You may be interested to learn that these movies, while very different on the surface, share a very important element in common: the very strong anti-Colombian sentiment that marked the early-mid 1980s as the drug wars made headlines, and Cubans and Colombians warred for turf in Miami. In Scarface, Colombians are portrayed as ruthless & sadistic killers in a drug deal gone wrong in a South Beach Hotel. Drug smuggling also plays a role in Romancing the Stone, when Joan Wilder and Jack T. Colton, on the run from a bloodthirsty Colombian general, take shelter in a cargo plane wrecked in the jungle and get stoned on the piles of marijuana they find in the fusillage. Which is pretty funny - due to the strong anti-drug climate at the time, they couldn't just light up a joint; they had to make a freaking campfire out of the stuff and then pretend they "accidentally" got high. It's a pretty classic scene, and I would argue that their romance begins under the influence of weed - and a little tequila.

In between screenings, I lolled about with Nate in Riverside Park reading Hunter S. Thompson's The Rum Diary. It was one of those rare, early, breezy summer days when you can actually go to a park, smell the flowers, look around and think, "New York's not so bad..."

Miami Blues

As you may have gathered, I recently went to Miami. For various reasons this was an ill-advised trip. For starters, please note that May is the beginning of Monsoon season in Miami. Let's just say there has been a lot of fallout - both direct and indirect - from our little tropical vacation, including but not limited to:

1. 3 day hangover
2. the requisite sunburn
3. loss of cell phone and several important garments
4. cancellation of my netflix account - twice
5. i now own a VHS copy of "The Other Sister"

Most, if not all, of these unforeseen consequences were avoidable. What wasn't avoidable was, one way or another, I was coming home broke.

The Craft

As I mentioned below, I knit. Here I am modeling a maternity vest I made last winter. Just kidding, it's not supposed to be a maternity vest. It's just that flattering.

Closely Watched Trains

Yesterday, in a rush to get to work, I saw the dreaded "INSUFFICIENT FARE" message at the turnstile. I missed 4 trains as I waited in line to buy a Metrocard. I was behind a German tourist asking for directions and an old woman using nickels (really, nickels!) to pay her fare. This type of shit only happens when you're already late.

Other activities I enjoy include armwrassling while drinking.

Dangerous Liaisons

As part of orientation for a graduate program I am starting in the fall, I'm supposed to write "a brief biographical statement" to share with my classmates. Something that includes my hobbies & interests, etc. The mere thought fills me with trepidation. I mean, I like to talk about myself as much as the next person, but one always wonders just how candid one ought to be. Do I want to frighten and offend potential friends and colleagues with the truth? Or shall I just play it safe and tell them the following:

1. I like to knit!
2. I have 2 cats!
3. My favorite movie is Dangerous Liaisons!

Now, my favorite movie is not actually Dangerous Liaisons, but it seems like a safer alternative than other films I might enjoy. Will I be barred from working with children if my blog says

1. My favorite movie is Blue Velvet!
2. I enjoy making crank calls!
3. I like to drink!

So I am starting this blog. And since I always have a hard time deciding what is and is not appropriate, I feel scared.