MJ Goes Out on Top!

All I can say is WOW.  I am still reeling 5 days after seeing Michael Jackson’s This Is It.  I can’t seem to get it out of my head… I struggle to even write a review of it, as the experience was more visceral than anything for me, making it incredibly hard to put into words.

I’ll begin by placing myself on the continuum of Michael’s fans.  I’m not an MJ obsesser, nor am I a MJ hater.  I like to think of myself as an MJ Appreciator.  Thanks for letting me get that out of the way up front.

I realized after his death that the mere mention of Michael Jackson made me quite uncomfortable.  Opinions were so disparate and I felt like I had to make a case as to whether the value of the contributions of his music outweighed the negative impact of his misunderstood behavior.  To like him was to defend that he was sane.  To not like him was to deny the quality and impact of his work.

For me, the movie provided the resolution I needed to this internal conflict.  It was a stunning compilation of his final project, portrayed in a very raw, intimate way.  It was impossible to deny his innate talent when watching the film – even at age 50, his gift as a musician shone just as brightly as the video footage of when he was 20.  Even the dancers were struggling to keep pace!

When you stripped away the hype of his personal life and just focused on his ability to make music, it was impossible not to be moved.  He knew his songs backwards and forwards and was a step ahead of all the other supporting performers.  Other than the emaciated look of his body (which was hard to ignore), nothing else suggested that he was incapable of executing this tour.  And so it was with immense joy that I just sat in my seat and let his music wash over me.  I lingered over memories that his music brought up and found myself clapping in between songs along with the rest of the theater.  It was incredibly therapeutic to embrace him for all that he was (good and bad) and mourn that I wouldn’t get to enjoy any more of his music.

I had always secretly hoped that Michael would go out on top.  I wanted him to be remembered for his contribution to music, not the tabloids.  And as I walked out of the theater with a wide smile on my face, I was relieved to realize that somehow this movie made it all right.  In the space of that 2 hours, all was right with the world.  So go to the movie, all you lovers and haters, and make your peace with MJ.  It’s time to put this debate to rest.

In closing, I leave you with one of my favorite MJ medleys by Sam Tsui:

I succumbed to the hype

I’m not sure how it happened, but at some point during the trip to Mexico I picked up a copy of the book Twilight.  Ladies and Gentlemen, it was all over from there.  I had book 1 finished in two days, book 2 of the series done in 2 more and I’d managed to find the third one at the airport for the flight home.  Can someone say obsession?  Honestly, I did not think I’d feel this way about it.  Teeny-bopper books about vampires?  Not my thing.  Yet… the writing is superb, the story-line bizarre but compelling.  I can’t believe I’m advocating for this but if you haven’t read Twilight yet, it’s time.  Don’t rent the movie first, that’s not supposed to be as good.  Start with the book.  I just picked up the 4th and final in the series and plan to annihilate in tomorrow on the plane ride back to MN.  Take the leap on this one, you’ll thank me later…

Jodi’s Coming to Town

Very exciting news!  Jodi Picoult, one of my very favorite authors, is coming to town.  She’s written some of these titles that you may recognize: My Sister’s Keeper, The Pact, Plain Truth, Nineteen Minutes…  She’ll be at the Rosedale Center Borders on Wednesday, March 18th at Noon signing her newest book: Handle with Care.  Sadly, I will be in DC that day (bad timing!) but I hope someone else has the joy of meeting her!  And if you haven’t read any of her books yet, start with My Sister’s Keeper and move on to Plain Truth.  You’ll want to read them all after you finish those two…

Bonus: Attention ER fans! I used to watch ER in the early days but stopped watching it about 5 years ago.  Well, just an FYI that on Thursday night many of the old “favorites” will be back on the show including: Julianna Marguiles, Eric LaSalle and Noah Wiley.  Definitely worth tuning in again for one night!  At 9 PM CST on NBC.

Warning: You May Become Addicted

Those of you who know me well know that I am anything BUT a gamer.  It seems though, that I have developed a bit of an addiction.  It’s called Fuzzle.  In fact, Fuzzle has become such a favorite of mine that I’ve created a verb out of it, often saying to Nick, “I’m going to go FUZZLE now.”  Seriously, how did I fall for this game??

It’s quite beautiful in its simplicity.  You need to line up 5 balls of the same color in a row.  The balls can be moved anywhere, but after 2 plays are made another 3 balls randomly show up on the board.  There are also 2 types of wild balls that can be used in your favor.  The balls can be moved anywhere that you have a direct path on the board, but the random placement and speed of the new balls showing up really adds to the challenge.  Play stops when your board has become filled with balls and you can no longer make a move.

Here’s the best news: This fabulous game can be yours on itunes for a mere $1.99!  It’s well worth it for the hours of fun it can provide in the car or airport!  I play mine on an ipod touch, but it can also be used on iphones.  Let me know if you find it as addicting as I do!

Try not to Covet my Passport Cover!

As many of you know, Nick and I are preparing for our 18 day trip to Malaysia in November.  How does that relate to today’s post, you ask?  Well, when I was out on my lunch-time walk I happened to pass a boutique store that I hadn’t been in yet, Paper Patisserie (next to WA Frost on Selby).  Of course I met the owner since it’s my latest favorite hobby and she delighted me by showing me around the store she’s owned for 26 years.  It was then that I stumbled across this purple beauty you see above.  Let me tell you, it’s even prettier in person than photographed.  It’s shiny and purple and velvety inside and it just screams, “I’m a globe-trotter!” 

Up until meeting Nick, I never really understood the value of a passport cover, but he loved his little leather-bound one so much that I started to want one too.  And then somehow my passport got made fun of when we were in Grenada due to all the water stains on it (from study abroad) and my feelings towards passport covers began to change.

I believe it was fate.  I was supposed to own this passport cover.  I feel bad for those of you who may have also wanted it, because as I mentioned in my other post- I GOT THE ONLY ONE!  No more shame now from Nick.  It kind of feels like a beautiful purse to house my passport in.  PS- The beautiful backdrop you see behind it is the hand-made paper I also had to have from this delightful stationary store.

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly: A must-see foreign film!

Nick and I saw this film over the summer and fell in love with it.  This French film has subtitles but I noticed when watching it that I became so entranced with the film that I forgot they were there.  It’s out on video now, so with the weather turning cooler, it’s a prime time to rent it! 

It’s a high-profile story about the editor-in-chief of French Elle, who became trapped inside his body after a stroke during the prime of his life.  This movie tells the story of how he faced the tragedy head on, dictating a memoir of his life titled In the Blink of an Eye  (and here’s the amazing part!) using only his LEFT EYELID.  If you aren’t inspired by this film, then I don’t know what will reach you! 

Here’s the synopsis from the movie’s website:
From one of the most emotionally exhilarating and luminous bestsellers ever written comes the true story of a man who took an adversity beyond all imagining and transformed it into a testament to the irrepressible human urge to love, create and dream.  With his third film, director and artist Julian Schnabel (“Basquiat,” “Before Night Falls”) forges a visually stunning, heart-stirring ode to what drives a man to go on when all truly seems lost. Through a mesmerizing blast of color, beauty and humor, and a rousing spirit of creativity, Schnabel tells the story of Jean-Dominique Bauby (Mathieu Amalric, “Munich”), AKA “Jean-Do,” the high-flying editor of French Elle and father of two, who was renowned for his sense of humor and style, his joie de vivre and amorous energy, when, in an instant, his world was plunged into the depths of catastrophe. 
 
Faced with a harrowing predicament, Jean-Do will use enormous courage and determination but, most of all, his soaring imagination to escape from his trap.  Tapping into the limitlessness of his memories, fantasies, wit and wishes, he finds a way to race through experiences of wonder and grief, sex and love, fatherhood and childhood, faith and questioning, ecstasy and absurdity – and touches the very essence of what it is to be human.