lolz i can haz mugshot?
what a day! it’s been a while since I have a wild rant.
My day started rather early — before 7, took a quick shower, grabbed a bite, and then settled into the lousy routine of figuring out what to wear.
No, I am not some coy clothes horse. I have lost a little weight. Okay, I’ve lost a lot of weight. Something like a whole little kindergarten person. That’s a good thing. However, it has presented a bit of a wardrobe problem. It’s not like I can go shopping every day, and so I’ve kind of shopped as I’ve lost. That means stuff I wore last month is useless.
Cue this morning’s dilema. I had to dress for graduation (you want to know why I was going to commencement in the middle of July? I ask myself that question every July, too) which means I have to find a black or dark dress to wear under the regalia. Yes, that’s an awful lot of black for July in Georgia. Thank God for air-conditioning: the eighth wonder of the modern world.
Anyway, the night before I dusted off the robe feeling all Hogwarts and stuff, and untangled the little tassle-thingie, inspected the hood which is looking a little ratty, and hung up a navy dress next to the robe. It looked good hanging in the bathroom.
And then this morning, I put on the dress. Let’s say it wasn’t a good fit and let it go, okay? I mean, I really could smuggle my kindergarten-age nephew in the dress, and maybe squeeze my godson in for good measure. It wasn’t a good look for me.
At that hour, without waking up John or agitating the dog who was already looking at me funny, I had to find an alternate. Luckily, there was a black dress that looked like it would fit, only it was sleeveless, and let me tell you that I’m not wearing anything sleeveless until I start going to the gym, but heck, I was going to have the robes, so no one was going to see my arms. It fit better than the other one and has a tie in the back so it actually looked fairly good on me. The only thing missing was pantyhose, and I have a secret stash of that for these kinds of emergencies.
By the way, we are required to wear the hose if you can beleive it (I guess the men are wearing ties). Perfect! I looked grand. Or at least, like faculty should, so I proceeded on my merry way, stopping by the office on a small errand.
If ever the fates have smiled upon me it was today to have me go by the office. As I walked the 50 feet into the building I could feel that the queen-size pantyhose were coming loose. By the time I got to my office, they were by my knees and falling quickly. Can you imagine if that had happened in the processional? LOL, gives a new name to pomp and circumstance.
I’d like to stop here to thank my parents for teaching me to be adaptable and resourceful.
I locked my door, grabbed a rubberband, hiked the dress up, tied a knot in the hose, and went on my merry way.
By the way, graduation was lovely, as always.
a public service announcement from Captain Obvious
I am not 21 anymore.
Heck, I’m not 39 anymore, forget Jack Benny.
We went to the midnight show of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. It was worth it–no regrets. But man, I am dragging my butt this morning, and there will be no relief until late tonight because not only am I at work and already taught an 8 am class, today is the day I teach in the evening as well.
I suppose I can pick up a little bottle of Visine at the drugstore during lunch. I wonder if I can close my door and camp out under my desk instead of wolfing down a sandwich?
Remind me of why I thought this was a good idea.
Oh yeah, it’s HARRY POTTER! What’s wrong with you–doesn’t everybody live, breath, and eat Harry Potter? Well, no, as a matter of fact, I don’t, but I do love the series and have enjoyed the movies except for that weird departure in #3. Also, I want John Williams back, but that’s another story.
Still, it was a great film. I’ve read the books several times, but still look forward to the interpretation on the screen, and I was not disappointed with this one. Part of the reason I went last night is to avoid getting spoiled, so I’ll be careful here. At least for a week or so.
I loved the way the camera moved from point to point. It was particulary cool when the Weasleys were introduced at home, but the unusual angles and long, encompasing shots were equally lovely in other scenes. I was especially taken with the way that cad, Malfoy, was filmed. His isolation was captured nicely. I really felt sorry for him in the film, although the book captures his mother’s desperation much better. If I’m going to be critical of anything in the film, it’s that the book carries much more pathos than the film–perhaps because there is just so much to convey and not everything can be covered on the big screen. Too bad, because the places where it was executed well, it was great.
Somehow, and I don’t think I’m spoiling anyone, Dumbledore’s death could have been played to devastate the audience but it didn’t, except for one woman in the audience who was openly (and rather loudly) sobbing, that death scene could have had a greater emotional impact, and for me, fell somewhat short. Perhaps it’s just that I had expended all my grief in the book.
However, that very scene had a BRILLIANT use of light to symbolize how the Light can banish the Darkness. Read that as you will — it will make sense when you see it.
It also makes me impatient to see the rest of the story. Overall, I give it both thumbs up. At this point, they’d really have to do something really stupid to screw this up. Enjoy it. It doesn’t have the flashy special effects of the last movie–this one has a somewhat deeper, somber feel, but it works and is appropriate. It also has a great deal of comic relief to balance it.
Incidentally, the best casting in the history of the world: Helena Bonham Carter. Closely followed by Alan Rickman.