IT RAINED TODAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yes, I realize I'm getting excited over a simple act of weather, but IT RAINED TODAY!!! Here in the desert! And real rain, too, not the 3-drops-and-then-nothing sort of rain.

Weather this week's been absolutely ridiculous, honestly. I wouldn't be surprised if a bunch of people got sick as a result! We'd been building up to summer with lots of days in the 80s and 90s, and then Sunday hit the 100s. Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday were all over 100! You felt like you were going to melt, and we still have another 20 degrees or so to go up from there, before we hit the summer peak! And then the cold front moved in. Wednesday was very windy and the temperature started dropping. Thursday was a high at about 70, and I think today might have reached 65 degrees. And then today, rain!! Craziness!

It's been a good 2 months since I moved out here - practically 2 1/2. And not a drop of rain since then. And for someone who's grown up in some very rainy places, that's very unusual. Summers were spent in FL, where it rains every day, either for 3 min or 3 hrs, but it rains every day (otherwise, the state would look like there area where I am now!). And I went to college in Williamsburg VA, where from end of Sept/early Oct through to early March we have rain all the time. Coastal VA doesn't really get much snow - too close to the coast, so we don't really get cold enough. So lots of 35 degree rain instead!

It's not one of those things I thought I'd miss, honestly. You don't really think about it until you DO miss it out here. Rather like color or greenery (more on that in another post!). There are just some days that need to be rainy. It suits your mood, or it just feels like one of those days that you want to curl up under the covers with a good movie or a good book and a cup of tea or cocoa and, well... just nest. Watch the rain out the window, and enjoy being warm and cozy and dry.

Maybe it's just me, though :)

Still, one of the girls I work with is German, and has been out here about 6 months, and she also has been missing the rain. We both took pictures! The other people we were working with today thought we were a little nuts, but I don't mind :) There was rain today!

...Interesting side note about the rain out here. There's a smell that comes with it, but not like a regular sort of fresh rain smell. The descriptions I heard were "dusty, chalky sort of smell" and "wet dog." It's true too. Rain comes in, and stirs up 6 months of dust into the air, and it does give the place an unusual scent. One of those things you never think about...

Weirdest, coolest thing I've seen in a long time!!

MUTO a wall-painted animation by BLU from blu on Vimeo.

The video itself is surreal, to say the least, but it's amazing to think about the work that went into this!! This is anamation, and the 'cells' are painted on WALLS. It's a truly awe-inspiring amount of work involved, and being able to see it all on the blank brick walls....

So cool. Just had to share.

PS - if the embedded video doesn't work, check it out here.

In Memoriam

We had a death in the family this past week. My great-uncle passed away in the middle of the week. Really, it's like losing a grandpa, because the family's pretty close. He'd been very sick for a while, so we knew it was coming, but at the same time, death is still death, and nothing makes it any easier to say goodbye to a loved one. I know it's been a normal-seeming week in my posts, chattering about movies and all, but I wasn't ready to sit down and type about this sort of thing. This blog has become an outlet for so much of my life and what's going on in my head, that I couldn't ignore here something that has been on my mind so much of the week in my daily life. I think I've found a way to honor him a little, that I think he would have approved of.

Bud was a gourmet, a foodie, and especially loved desserts. Every time we came to down to visit, he'd ask what desserts we wanted, and would have a selection of our favorites ready. He made wonderful chocolate chip cookies, and a delicious apple pie. Mom's favorite was tiramisu. He'd make it in a dish like a casserole pan, and she'd happily munch away on it after lunch and dinner (and sometimes for breakfast!) during the week we were visiting. She always laughed that the family visits were her yearly splurge, and she'd have to be good about her desserts leading up to the trips to FL so she could enjoy her tiramisu. It's amazing how many memories food can bring up.

My personal favorite that he made was Chocolate Bavarian Creme. A very fancy, rich chocolate pudding. Not really as light as a mousse, but lighter than a pudding. Great with berries, and apparently it's good for cake fillings too. Bud had special glass cups for it, and they'd be waiting for us in the fridge when we came down to visit. This is one version of the dessert, taken from Cooks.com. I don't know if it's similar to the recipe that he used, but I wanted to post one here.

Chocolate Bavarian Creme

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 c. sugar
• 1 env. unflavored gelatin
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 2 1/4 c. milk
• 4 egg yolks, slightly beaten
• 1 c. (6 oz.) milk-chocolate pieces (reserve a few for decoration)
• 1 c. heavy cream
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• Sweetened whipped cream for decoration

DIRECTIONS

1. Blend sugar, gelatin, salt, milk, egg yolks and milk-chocolate pieces well in top of a double boiler.
2. Cook over simmering water, stirring constantly until mixture thickens and chocolate pieces are completely melted and blended into the mixture.
3. Chill until the mixture mounds slightly when dropped from a spoon.
4. Whip the cream and vanilla together until stiff.
5. Fold whipped cream into the chocolate mixture.
6. Spoon into an oiled 4 cup mold.
7. Chill several hours or overnight before serving.
8. Decorate with sweetened whipped cream and reserved chocolate pieces.

Makes 6 servings.

Other variations can be found here:

• Chocolate Recipes blog - another chocolate version (and check out their other recipes too!)
  
• Food Network- a plain version
• Allrecipe - a vanilla version
• Cooks.com - a strawberry version
• Bean's Bistro - a raspberry version

New actor to watch: Simon Pegg

He played the lead Nicholas Angel in "Hot Fuzz," and he was also the lead in "Run, Fatboy, Run," which we say Tuesday. Both very funny, and he's nicely deadpan in all the crazy antics going on 'round him. Right up my alley of humor :)

Review: Run, Fatboy, Run. Another movie at the post theater - sometimes they do get some good ones! :)

Dennis Doyle jilted his pregnant fiancee Libby five years ago, running away scared (what other reason would you have to run away from Thandie Newton?? She's gorgeous!). Now, five years later, he's realized he made a mistake and is trying to win her back. Except she's now got a new guy, the perfect Whit - rich, successful, handsome, marathoner. Dennis sets out to prove to her (and to everyone else) that he can finish something he starts, and enters the same race as Whit, the Nike River Run marathon. Smooth sailing, right? Except out-of-shape Dennis now has to train for the marathon...

"Run, Fatboy, Run" is a romantic comedy, not a spoof movie like "Hot Fuzz." Seeing the trailers I was thinking it'd be more a sports-movie spoof, so it wasn't quite what I expected, but still very funny. Thinking about it, it's more of a comedy with romance, because it's more about Dennis, than it is about the Dennis-and-Libby relationship. I'm not a big romantic comedy person - probably the genre of movies I'm most picky about. Too many are just teeth-achingly sweet, or the characters are outright irritating. It's a bad sign when you're watching a movie, and honestly don't care if the two leads end up together (or with anyone, ever!). Thankfully, this was not one of those movies! :)

This is a sweet movie, and a good message (stick-to-it-ive-ness), and you actually like the characters you were watching. Maybe it's being a British movie instead of a major US studio release. As Zach pointed out, characters in a comedy are, by nature, charactetures; that's why everyone can relate to them. But in so many Hollywood movies, the characters are so exaggerated that they irritate or insult! With a movie like this, more subtle, you recognize the characters and can laugh with them, instead. And, without giving too much away, I love the good British ending, of playing soccer happily on the green :)

Another inter-continental comment, but Simon Pegg (even with a false belly) is hardly a Fatboy. British-fat is a big step closer toward health than the American-fat. Maybe it's living in the Land of the All-You-Can-Eat-Buffet, but Americans seem to make EVERYTHING bigger, including themselves. Just a little observation.

Hank Azaria (the 'other guy' going for Libby's attention) is always funny. So deadpan! C'mon, he's been playing voices on the Simpsons for years - you know he's good at some subtle humor :) If you didn't know, on the Simpsons Azaria plays (among others) the voices of Moe, Professor Frink, Chief Wiggum, Lou, Carl, Bumblebee Man, Apu, Dr. Nick, and my personal favorite - Comic Book Guy!

And let me just add that... Whit works in the Gherkin!! Best building nick-name ever! One of the perks of this movie - so much London scenery, especially in the race along the Thames :)

Pegg is also on the writing team for these movies, too, which definitely puts him up there on my list, because these movies are just so wonderfully dry! Definitely have to see "Shaun of the Dead" now! The other writer for this movie is Michael Ian Black, one of my so-sarcastic favorite guests from VH1's decades series (I love the 70's, I love the 80's, etc). Another big reason to go see this movie :)

I was very surprised, but this movie is directed by David Schwimmer - yeah, Ross from "Friends"! Nothing much to add there, except my opinion of him just went up a good couple notches (never was a Ross fan - definitely my lease favorite Friend).

Overall, 5 of 5. Very funny, and I'd definitely like it on my shelf. So rare for me to like a romantic comedy (usually, I don't care a bit about the characters, or they irritate the heck out of me).



As a side note, I write a movie review today, because (unlike all you people that live in towns) I can't go and see "Prince Caspian" as it opens this weekend. :(

Review: Hot Fuzz

Now that things are settling down post-move, I've reactivated my Netflix, and will be able to once again fill my evenings with obscure movies and shows that I would never have been able to find in a store (or at least would forget to rent if I ever went into the store looking for just any movie).

First on that list: Hot Fuzz

Nicholas Angel is the finest cop on the London force. He's so good, he makes everyone else look bad. As a result, Angel's superiors feel embarassed and send him to a place where he won't be so much 'trouble' - the tiny country village of Sandford. Once there, he is partnered with the well-meaning puppy-of-a-person police officer Danny Butterman. Danny is the son of the local police chief, and a huge action movie fan ("Bad Boys II" and "Point Break" are mentioned a lot). He constantly pesters Angel with questions about the car chases and gun fights he feels he's missing out on. Meanwhile, a series of suspicious accidents start Angel thinking that Sanford isn't as quiet as it appears.

Simply put: Hys-freakin'-sterical. It's been a long long time since I laughed out loud so much during a movie (I believe the last time was "Curse of the Were-Rabbit").

The movie itself spoofs cop movies (particularly the buddy-cop-action-and-explosion-type). I love mysteries and action movies (even a lot of bad ones!), so I was having a blast recognizing scenes they were ripping from other movies. And everything is played soooo dead-pan. Wonderfully dry. :) The action scenes themselves are pretty funny, just being so over the top and so out of place in this tiny English village.

Reading reviews of this movie online (before renting it), there was a lot of comparison between this movie and "Shaun of the Dead," also by the same writer-director-actor team. I've heard it's also very funny, but being a action/cop movie fan more than a zombie movie fan, I saw this one first. I do want to see Shaun of the Dead now though :) Personally, I don't feel comparisons would be really accurate, since they're spoofing such different types of movies. Like comparing Indiana Jones and Schindler's List, since they're both directed by Steven Spielberg - just such different types of movies. Anyway, one of the reviews I read (Hollywood Reporter) made the comparison as follows: "Everyone can relate to a zombie picture, but 'Hot Fuzz' is 'Point Break' meets 'The Vicar of Dibley.' It's most unlikely that outside the U.K. the twain's devotees know one another." I guess I am that niche audience, because I found it a complete hoot. Even if you don't get a lot of the UK-specific jokes (village life, etc) there are still so many movie spoof and good lines that you'll still have a good laugh.

"By the power of Greyskull!" When someone actually uses that as an exclamation, you know it's good. 'Nuff said. I think I hurt myself laughing, that one caught me so much by surprise. (If you're not from my generation of cartoon viewership, that's what He-Man's alter ego calls out to transform into He-Man - yay early 80s cartoons!)

Overall, my rating: 5 of 5. May not be everyone's sense of humor, so no guarantee on how much you'll like it, but when I have to rewind the movie several times because I've laughed through the next joke, I know it's good.

On the subject of rude people

Really, just a vent to get out.

So, we were trying to go to Six Flags this past weekend, on Mother's Day. They were running a special, so that people with season's passes got a free guest ticket on Mother's Day. Apparently not as many moms want to spend Mother's Day at a theme park (though, it wouldn't surprise me at all if my own mom wanted to spend 'her' day riding roller coasters!). Anyway, a friend from work's family (really, his in-laws) got season's passes this year, and he invited us to come along for the day, enjoy the benefits of the extra tickets.

The story continues, that we all met up on Saturday for a small get-together, and there was much discussion of the time we were meeting at the park on Sunday. Now, the in-laws, when Zach and I met them, were really some of the rudest people. Granted there was a lot of other stuff going on, so I understand their being busy, but it was really like we weren't there. Some spoke to us for only the initial introductions, and some never spoke to us at all. Our friend says that's actually pretty normal for them - they barely speak to HIM sometimes, and he married into the family!! And, in all of the discussion of times for the theme park, it was repeated, rudely and within our hearing, "Now make sure your friends are there on time." As if they already knew that they would be waiting around impatiently for us the next morning! (You just can't appreciate the rudeness of the comment over the internet, but trust me, it was!)

Meanwhile, this family (not our friend, but his in-laws) just bickered like crazy! It was as if that was how they regularly communicated with each other! It was becoming uncomfortable and awkward for Zach and I sitting in the next room with our friend listening to it all! Should have warned us of what was to come.

So, the final chapter of this story is the events on Sunday. Zach and I woke up early and hit the road right on time to drive the 2 1/2 hrs over to Six Flags and be there at 9:30ish, as agreed upon the night before. We were both really looking forward to being there, riding the roller coasters, all that fun stuff. So we get there about 9:40, meet up with our friend, and head to the main gate. Now here's the kicker - once we were at the park, we had to wait nearly 3 HOURS for the in-laws to arrive!!!! Our friend had come separately, and the in-laws were supposed to be right behind. It was almost 12:30 before they reached gate! The ones who had been making such a fuss the day before were the ones we had to wait 3 hours for!! They called at about 11:15 that they were in line to pay for parking, and then it was nearly an HOUR from that point til when they reached the gate!! How much bickering did they have to do to make it take THAT long to get from the parking lot to the main gate?? The park isn't that big, and it wasn't that busy on Sunday (I know - I sat and watched people come in the main gate for 3 hrs!) And we had to wait even longer for them to get their season passes verified and get the vouchers for the free tickers! By the time it was almost 1 o'clock, we'd been waiting there since 9:40, and had yet to even ENTER the park!!

Our friend's wife was very apologetic - I think she realizes how trying her family is. From the family, however, the closest we got to an apology was from the dad: "I'm sorry Michelle didn't coordinate the times better." Immediately trying to switch the blame to someone else, as if our friend and we had gotten the time wrong, that it was supposed to be 12:30 that we met!

Well, Buddy, just let me respond: The only times that were discussed were 9:30 and 10 am - period. No one ever talked about us all meeting at 12. You were all very focused on being there early, even to the point of insulting us! Besides, we would've remembered if it meant we got 3 extra hours of sleep! And as a final thought for you, Mr. Rude Sir, before we left the party the night before, YOU were the last person we talked to, and YOU reminded us again about being there early, since there were so many good rides to hit!

Zach and I actually left without entering the park. It was almost 1, we were starving, and the in-laws were still picking up the vouchers for us. We couldn't take it any more. Even if we just stuck around long enough to enter the park, and then headed out on our own once inside, I doubt either of us could have remained civil towards those people if we'd run into them in the park. It's one thing to be late, but to be 3 hrs late (and it takes less than 3 hrs to drive here in the first place!), never call to let us know they left late or were running late or anything, and then never apologize, even try to shift the blame to someone else? It was more than we could take. Our friend has to deal with them, but we don't! (As he says, though, he knew his wife was the right girl for him, when he met her horrible family and still wanted to be with her!)

And as a side note, I guess all of this combines to remind me how lucky I am both with my own family, and with my in-laws. We're all a bit nutty, but in the best of ways. I'm not saying we're perfect, but it's nothing like this family was. We have arguments from time to time, but there's no constant bickering, or mean pettiness, and none of this Jerry Springer, trailer park trash sort of nonsense. Seeing my friend's in-laws, I realize I really am very lucky!!

Lancaster, CA - Antelope Valley Wildflower Preserve

Speaking of splashes of color, the poppy preserve!

This state park is a wildflower preserve. The CA poppy is the state flower, and this preserve is about 1,700 acres set aside for the wildflowers. From mid-March to mid-May the hillsides erupt in bright oranges and orange-golds. We visited the first weekend in May, about a week or two past peak bloom, and it was still beautiful.

The poppies are really very delicate flowers. The petals almost look like tissue papers clustered on the stem. The flowers have evolved to curl up in the wind, and you could definitely tell that on Saturday!! We were VERY blown around as we walked around the park. Quite the blustery day! :)

Seeing the preserve with most of the blooms faded, it's like seeing the trees changing colors in the fall, but when the leaves have already started to fall. It's still very impressive, but not breathtaking, like it had been a few weeks prior. So, yes, we've already added it to the calendar for next April, so that we come during the peak season and see it in FULL bloom :) Between this and the small desert woodland state park, Lancaster is definitely worth the day trip for us. One of the other might not have been enough, but the two together make for a very scenic day of paths!

(Also, if you've made it all the way through this post without thinking at least once of "paah-pies" in the Wicked Witch of the West cackle, then you're a stronger person than I!)