Williams as Monroe

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I went with a dear friend to see "My Week With Marilyn" last night. I am a forever-fan of Marilyn Monroe's, something about her tragic existence and exploitation as a sex object has always fascinated me, even as she put herself into that position while still trying to be taken seriously as an actress. And I have to say, while I did not particularly like Michelle Williams as Marilyn Monroe, there were a few snippets here and there where she 100% was the ill-fated starlet. A purse of the mouth here, a jumble of words there, a drunken stumble and a cry and Marilyn was there on the screen in all her simpering glory. But then she would disappear again and it would just be Michelle Williams with platinum hair and strange hip padding. Still, the movie itself was worth a viewing - the entire cast is amazing and Kenneth Branaugh is, as one would expect, strong as Sir Laurence Olivier. Definitely check this film out, as all England-based films are (for me, at least), this is a great winter-time flick.

ugh

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I am a pretty optimistic person. I like to look for the best in people, assume that goodness and fairness and honesty is there within all of us. This gets me into trouble more often than not - some people really are just shady or hateful or manipulative, and while I'm sure there was once goodness within them, the older I get the more exhausted I am having to deal with current states of personhood, which generally can be fairly terrible. Last night on the train I experienced a slight example of this as I bumped into - and stepped on the foot of - a rather large man as I was getting crammed into my train home by the hordes of fellow commuters. I turned slightly to apologize for stepping on him and he told me it was quite all right. "Nothing wrong with getting bumped into by a beautiful woman." He nodded as he spoke and I couldn't help but laugh out loud - I was commuting home after a sweaty gym session, and still bloated from Thanksgiving, so I was feeling nothing further from passable let alone beautiful. Unfortunately that seemed to give him his cue to continue even as I turned back to face away from him. He went on. "Any man who has a problem getting bumped into by a beautiful woman, that ain't right. Why's he got to complain? He wants a man to bump into him?" This last comment raised the tiniest of red flags which were validated when this stranger chose to lean in towards me with his last bit of philosophizing before getting off at his stop, "If a man wants a man to bump into him in a crowded train, he's got something wrong with him. Something wrong with him inside." And with that last bit of conspiratorial homophobia he wished me a good night and left the car. And I was left with a sad, sick feeling of just how far we have to go and of the fact that humans are always going to be ignorant and fearful and hateful and awful to each other, based on one thing or another. And it was all I could do to get myself home and showered and put myself to bed.

home sweet home

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Good new kids. After months of waffling back and forth with do I like New York? Has it beaten me? Is it time to throw in the towel? And a recent return from my October visit to Cali rendering me less than excited about returning to this iconic city, I am pleased as punch to tell you that I am very happy to be back in New York after this Thanksgiving holiday. I think the move to Brooklyn had a lot to do with it, I think returning home in Cali to friends who love me in all my varying incarnations and who themselves are scattered all throughout California - and who share appreciations and pasts in the city I now call home - had a lot to do with that. New York is my playground for the time being, my place of self-discovery and adventure, and I am excited to return to it and view it as such. So as we wind down November and gear up for December - and admittedly another return visit to my California home - I am amped to keep discovering my New York. I hope everyone else had safe travels and wonderful times with family and friends this past weekend, whether as a part of Thanksgiving gatherings or not!

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Happy Thanksgiving!

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And today is the day that America eagerly preps for the eating that will commence tomorrow. I am flying home tonight to spent the long weekend with my family so I will be MIA from this oft-visited page until next week. I hope all my American readers enjoy this time with family and friends, and remember things to be thankful for, and cherish them, because god knows there is a whole lotta awful going on all over the world at any given time. Life never claimed to be easy, it just claimed to keep going, so we have to take note of those things for which we are grateful at every opportunity. Happy Thanksgiving all, safe travels to you and yours, and I'll see you next week!

lovely

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It really is lovely how, if you are open to all the new experiences and adventures that life throws your way, you really can discover consistently new angles and sides of yourself. I guess life should always be a learning experience, you should never think you're done. Because, maybe we never are. Nothing better than contentment after a long and busy prior week, I'll say that!

One more day of work and then Thanksgiving feasting can commence for us stateside folks. I hope you all enjoy your Tuesdays!

gloomy monday

 I have to say, after a wonderful weekend filled with an aunt, an uncle, cousins and a houseguest-longtime-friend, I am rather happy that it's gloomy and rainy today at work. And, while I know this won't happen - I have 2 roommates after all - I would love nothing more than to come home from work today, plop down on the couch and watch some old episodes of "The L Word" - a TV series whose DVDs I do not own - while eating leftover cheesecake. I actually am itching to go to the gym after work but I lent my work-gym-back to my house guest to take to an interview so I am without clothes and I can almost guarantee I am not going to have the dedication to go home, get my clothes, and go back out to the gym. Especially if it's raining. So I think cheesecake - with something entertaining on the TV or the radio perhaps - is a much better substitution. I hope you all have equally relaxing entrances into this short workweek!

worked it!

 I didn't work out yesterday - I got a badly needed haircut instead and then chatted and made dinner with a dear friend of mine from college who is visiting. However this morning? This morning I got up, got my motivation going, and did yesterday's intended workout as well as today's! I feel amazing now, and I'm so proud that I just up and did it, no excuses, no complaints. I made this decision to get my health and strength together, and I'm seeing it through. Added bonus to getting the workout done, I must admit, is the fact that I have family coming to town today to enjoy a pre-Thanksgiving holiday, so I will be meeting up with them tonight. But how great do I feel that I didn't just skip either workout completely? Very great, let me just say. I wish you all the happiest of Fridays and the greatest of weekends!