It was a good year for movies...

In fall of 2010, I felt like we were having a weak year for movies.  Besides Inception, nothing had really "wowed" me.  But toward the end of the year, some really great films came out, and I was impressed with the results of the Academy Awards last night, since no one film swept everything.  It seemed like all the Academy voters appreciated all of the films, and that's a good thing.  

I can't verbally explain a logical reason why I agree with The King's Speech winning what it did (Best Picture, Leading Actor, Director, and Original Screenplay), but I feel in my gut that it really deserved all of those awards.  It was such a subtle film, but I somehow KNOW it was great quality work.  Christian Bale definitely deserved Supporting Actor, Natalie Portman definitely deserved Leading Actress, and Melissa Leo definitely deserved Supporting Actress - all on the money.  

I was impressed that Alice in Wonderland won Art Direction and Costume Design - I worried that people wouldn't take the film seriously, even though it was so incredibly creative.  And I really thought Inception would get totally passed over (the Academy doesn't always take blockbusters seriously, either), but was glad it won Cinematography, Sound Editing/Mixing, and Visual Effects.  

I can't really speak to Adapted Screenplay, because The Social Network won, but I didn't read the original.  I do know it surprised me, with Winter's Bone and True Grit being such strong originals.  The Social Network also took home Best Original Score, and it DID have a really original score, though it wasn't the prettiest-sounding. I was surprised to realize the lead Nine Inch Nails guy was behind it...interesting.  

Overall, a really good year for movies, and I think most of these awards were well-deserved.  Here's hoping next year is even better!

Loyalty

I honestly think true loyalty in friendships is a lost art.  I feel like I remember a time when to be a friend was to be loyal - to dislike anyone who harms a friend, to not try to "remain neutral" if a friend gets hurt, etc.  But these days, it's all about self-preservation. I struggle with this.  If someone hurts my friend, I take it personally.  I don't hang out with that person.  I don't try to remain "neutral", because it doesn't really work. 

The gray area creeps up when problems arise between people who are both your friends, and as much as we say "no one has to choose sides", people do end up having to choose sides.  It sucks.  It's not fun.  But it's life.  And someone always gets hurt.

This time around, I am the one getting hurt.  I don't say this in a pity party sort of way, but in an honest and appalled way - I don't have a single friend that I KNOW would be loyal for me no matter what.  I have some wonderful people in my circle of acquaintances, people I admire and really care about.  I'd be willing to stand up for them in a hurtful situation, but that sentiment is not really returned.  I examine myself in an honest way, and I can't see that the problem is within myself - I am far from perfect, but I try to consciously be a thoughtful and positive friend.  I know I have flaws, but I don't feel like being a bad friend is one of them.

So is loyalty simply a lost art?  Something that we consider old-fashioned?  Out-dated?  Juvenile?  Questions of the female heart (like this one) always remind me of Sex and the City, and no matter how many people may say it's a TV show and is therefore not realistic, I maintain the belief that women should have friends who will be truly loyal to them, instead of trying to stay "neutral".  Maybe I'm dreaming, but that seems right to me.  I need a Charlotte who will stand up for me when someone hurts me, period.

To own or not to own?

We have been debating lately about buying a house.  It is a superbly hard decision for us and I've had a mental list of pros and cons that I can now put down on paper (screen) pretty confidently.

Pros about buying a house:
1. Not dealing with landlords, as all the rules are annoying
2. Having more space and being able to alter it
3. More space for pets and we'd like another dog
4. Additional bedrooms, larger kitchen, etc.  
5. Being able to live in Vinings, where we would like to settle if we stay in Atlanta

Cons:
1. We would really not have extra money for traveling (at all) because we are both going back to school, paying off one new car and need another one after that's done, and need to pay for other grown up things, like dental work
2. Having to pay for all the extras - taxes, insurance, any renovations, maintenance and upkeep, etc. - in this regard, renting is great
3. Did I mention no traveling?  Yuck.
4. My biggest concern - my gut really doesn't feel like Atlanta is our forever home, so I don't think we should buy here and be tied to a house that we may not be able to sell, or may not be willing to lose money on.


I don't know where we'll end up, but because Atlanta doesn't FEEL like our permanent home, I just can't get past Con #4.  After a discussion about it, I think we're going to hold off and move into a nicer rental.  Sure, it will cost more and we'll be traveling less (rent is cheap now and allows us to save extra dough), but we won't be tied to the city and we may be able to move on if we need to.  


I wonder why Atlanta doesn't feel like "it" to me...I don't know for sure of another place that feels like "it" - but I want to find it.

So, for now, no house buying for us, and I feel perfectly OK with that.

One month in...

One month in to my 101 Goals in 1,001 Days - not doing too badly so far!

Start Date: Friday, January 7, 2011.
Conclusion Date: Friday, October 4, 2013.

143 weeks

35 months

2 ¾ years

1. Travel to Africa
2. Travel to Europe
3. Travel to Australia
4. Visit New York City again (with Wes, this time - maybe this year!)
5. Visit California once - DONE!
6. Snorkel decently - going to try in April on the Riviera Maya
7. Try 35 new Atlanta restaurants (15/35 - tried Local Three, Peter Chang's, Thumbs Up Diner, Corner Bakery Cafe, Full Cup, Holy Taco, Canton Cooks, Garrison's, Caffe Fortunato, Old Vinings Inn, Babs Midtown, La Pietra Cucina, Park's Edge, Spoon, Ceviche)
8. Attend 5 concerts (1/5 - New Kids on the Block in June!  Considering seeing Zac Brown, Keith Urban, and Rascal Flatts.  Would love to see Adele or Florence and the Machine, or even Lady Gaga, but they're all sold out.)
9. Attend 5 musicals/plays (2/5 - Oklahoma, A Chorus Line)
10. Visit 2 museums and actually look at things (0/2 - going to Fernbank in April?)
11. Get dental work done that I hate- DONE.  It was 6 hours in the chair, but I have a mouth of pearly whites that will last forever now - that's a good feeling.
12. Pay off 50% or more of student loans
13. Read 125 books (14/125 - 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea, A Postcard from the Volcano, Winter's Bone, 1984, Mirage, Outliers, Blink, The Hobbit, Siddhartha, Ethan Frome, 54, 40 or Fight, Silk, Alas, Babylon, A Tale of Two Cities)
14. See 75 movies (15/75 - Blue Valentine, I Love You Phillip Morris, Winter's Bone, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, I Am Love, 127 Hours, Somewhere, The Witches of Eastwick, The Ghost Writer, Jane Eyre, The Last Lions, The Adjustment Bureau, Animal Kingdom, Silk, Woman on Top)
15. Buy a new car for me
16. Workout an average of at least 3 times per week (gym, sports, other physical activity - with the combination of my Curves membership and The Biggest Loser Challenge on Wii, this is going better than expected - and with CurveSmart, it's even more motivating!)
17. Paint a picture I like enough to hang on the wall
18. Buy a bike
19. Improve at tennis
20. Find one beer-type drink I like
21. Begin my MBA courses, possibly finish them (done - started them!)
22. Take a wine tasting class - done!
23. Take a random road trip
24. Take an overnight trip alone
25. Take a weekend trip with a girlfriend - planned for June, beachin' it up on Amelia Island with Ann
26. Volunteer at least 5 times (0/5 - working on this, why are so many organizations impossible to work with?)
27. Write at least 5 snail mail letters (0/5)
28. Eat all breakfasts and lunch IN for one week (prepare them myself)
29. Play three video games with Wes (2/3 - played Wii Sports while snowed in, now we're doing The Biggest Loser Challenge together)
30. Take Macy to 10 different places for her to run/walk/play (3/10 - tried Piedmont Park - she wanted to walk with us and had little interest in the dogs...then we tried Lewis Park near Marietta Square, which was OK until someone brought in a pit and it attacked another dog, that was horrible. Did walking around the loop in the heart of Vinings, which is really nice.)
31. Give 5 “I saw this and thought of you” gifts. (2/5 - one for Amanda, I saw a wristlet at Express that just seemed like her, then I saw a candle for Kate that would add a nice touch to her new place in California)
32. Bake really good cookies from scratch
33. Go to the symphony
34. Go roller skating/blading
35. Go bowling
36. Hit golf balls with Wes - DONE.  We'll be doing this more - it makes me sore, but I'll get better...
37. Make at least three healthy snacks (1/3 - pumpkin spice muffins were delish!)
38. Acquire a new piece of gold jewelry - DONE!  Got a perfect dainty chain that I can add to or wear alone, love it.
39. Play trivia at least 5 times (2/5 - @ Harry's w/Wes, Laura, Matt, @Taco Mac w/Jeanne, Mark, Laura, Matt)
40. Host/go to a game night - working on this now.
41. Buy Wes a real grill
42. Buy new bedroom furniture
43. Buy some Waxing Poetic Jewelry
44. Move into a home I love and want to stay in for a few years - we've decided to go another direction, so I am changing this to finding a rental we really like for the next couple of years!
45. Take some vitamins that are good for me - DONE, but will continue (taking Biotin for hair/nails/skin, Saint John's Wort for falling asleep naturally, and C/Zinc/Lysine for immune system)
46. Clean out clothing and get rid of what I don’t wear (made some progress on this!)
47. Buy a filing cabinet and organize all our documents
48. Play three new board games (0/3)
49. Learn three new card games (0/3)
50. Ski once
51. Buy a bathing suit I feel really sexy in (got one - working on the feeling sexy in it part now!)
52. Go to an amusement park
53. Complete a puzzle
54. Pay off Wes's car - half way there!
55. Go to the beach - Mexico in April, AND Amelia Island in June, yay!
56. Make three new friends I really appreciate
57. Go dancing at least 4 times (0/4)
58. Plant something
59. Buy a lottery ticket
60. Do a pin-up photo session - working on this!
61. Go on a picnic
62. Rent a cabin and relax there
63. Go to the opera
64. Take a ballroom dancing lesson
65. Get a massage (done! I'll get more!)
66. Keep up with my blog
67. Go horseback riding
68. Play in the rain
69. Watch a sunrise and a sunset
70. Take myself on a date
71. Send someone flowers
72. Do karaoke
73. Spend a night in a local hotel just because
74. Spend a day in downtown Atlanta
75. Check out 5 new ares of the city (4/5 - explored the Marietta Square, realized I really like it and want to spend more time there.  Also did walking tours of Midtown and then Inman Park, and learned a good bit about both. And we've explored Vinings lots, and really like it!)
76. Check out 5 boutique clothing stores (2/5 - Festivity in Buckhead, like it a lot. Checked out Sand Piper in Vinings - nice stuff, little too pricey for what you get.)
77. Scan high school photos
78. Learn more about my ancestors
79. Try 75 new recipes (7/75 - Hearty Lasagna Soup, Bobby Lee's Chicken Pasta, Southwest Beef Stew, Turkey Chili w/corn and black beans, simple shrimp/butter/garlic pasta, Skillet white bean pasta with tomatoes and spinach, turkey sloppy joes)
80. Write 10 random thank you cards and send them (0/10)
81. Try 10 new mixed drink concoctions (2/10 - tried a homemade margarita that was just OK, decided I love capirinhas!)
82. Take a meditation class or yoga class - happening next week...
83. Attend a Falcons game
84. Visit a winery
85. Become CPR certified - DONE!
86. Take a Zumba class - DONE!
87. Go to a black tie/formal event
88. Go back to Disney World
89. Go to the Harry Potter Theme Park
90. Re-read the last Harry Potter book
91. Turn off cell phone for an entire weekend
92. Turn 30 and love it
93. Adopt a second dog
94. Give up French Fries for a month
95. Truly enjoy one of my birthdays
96. Anonymously help someone in need
97. Have a deep talk with someone
98. Take a yoga class
99. Allow myself to spend more than $300 on a fabulous pair of shoes or a bag - I would love a pair of Manolos, or a Marc Jacobs or Cole Haan bag...choices.
100. Splurge on a pair of True Religion jeans
101. Make another list when this one is done!

2011 so far...

It's only been 2011 for three weeks, but I feel like it's been 2011 for ages.  I have tried to immerse myself in this year already - and I think it's working.

Random things on my mind related to my goal setting...

We are hoping to travel to Africa in late 2011 or early 2012.  The trip is just so expensive, and requires so much time off work.  I want to see Africa, but I am not sure I am going to love the roughness of Zimbabwe for more than a few days.


I used to say I could never live in New York City.  Now I am starting to think I could, and that we (me and Wes) might really love it.  Food for thought.

I made a goal to visit California once and didn't expect to reach the goal so soon, but I am traveling to San Francisco and Sacramento this weekend with Kate to help with her apartment search. I am sad to lose one of my very best friends, but am happy for her job promotion.  I am very much looking forward to the weekend and our travels!

I have already tried 5 (of my goal of 35) new restaurants in Atlanta - Local Three, Peter Chang's, Thumbs Up Diner, Corner Bakery Cafe, and Full Cup.  All were good, not sure if I'd call them superb.  Thumbs Up was perhaps my least favorite, simply because it's cash only and crowded.  Full Cup has good hearty sandwiches and soups, but the menu is tiny, as is the place itself.  I am probably most likely to go back to Peter Chang's (good Asian, close to home) and Corner Bakery (plenty of menu options).

I need to get some concerts on my calendar.  I have New Kids/Backstreet (don't judge) coming in June.  There aren't very many other good shows coming to town between now and summer, which is a bummer.  I also really want to visit a museum soon, but there's nothing happening on the Atlanta scene that looks too appealing - boo.

My husband has surprised me with tickets to the new Peter Pan CGI show in Atlanta for Valentine's Day - he is so sweet.  Looking forward to that!

With the combination of "The Biggest Loser Challenge" on Wii (harder than you'd think) and my women's gym membership, I am doing better than expected with working out.  I do find that my body needs more sleep, so I need to get into bed earlier.  I don't feel tired, I feel good and more alert, but my body needs re-charge time because I am being active instead of sedentary in my downtime.

My first healthy snack recipe to try: Pumpkin Spice Muffins.  Review to come.

 

Free your mind, Part 4

41. If you knew that everyone you know was going to die tomorrow, who would you visit today?
That's a hard one.  Wes, my immediate family, Kate and Amanda, most likely.


42. Would you be willing to reduce your life expectancy by 10 years to become extremely attractive or famous?
No.  I agree with Kourtnie - extremely rich I might give up 10 years for, because I could afford to live more in those previous years!


43. What is the difference between being alive and truly living?
The difference to me is two things - awareness and living deliberately.  I want to be alive - to be truly aware of the world and myself, and to live deliberately, make choices, love life.  One without the other doesn't mean being alive for me.


44. When is it time to stop calculating risks and rewards, and just go ahead and do what you know is right?
Interesting question.  I have tried to achieve a good balance in this regard - researching, calculating and being rational, but also doing what makes me happy.  For me, I need to weigh things out a bit in my brain, and then with my knowledge straight in my mind, go with my gut from there. 


45. If we learn from our mistakes, why are we always so afraid to make a mistake?
I'm not really sure.  Maybe people are afraid to look bad?  Living with fear of making a mistake is like living on a 3 foot leash your entire life.  It's not freedom.  I strive to not be afraid to fail, there's no shame in failing, only shame in not trying at all.


46. What would you do differently if you knew nobody would judge you?
I might cut my hair into a pixie cut.  I think they're so cute, but Wes doesn't think it's very ladylike (although he'd support it if I wanted to go for it) and something about the corporate world stops me - sometimes bosses frown on funky-ness like pixie cuts, tattoos, etc. (I like those too)


47. When was the last time you noticed the sound of your own breathing?
I notice my breathing every night, it's part of how I fall asleep - and it works almost every time.  I also notice it if I am deep breathing to de-stress.


48. What do you love? Have any of your recent actions openly expressed this love?
I love my friends (the true ones, which are very few).
I love books - really love them.
I love movies, and movie popcorn.
I love traveling and trying new things.
I love beautiful places.
I love waking up with no alarm, and love it even more if there's sunlight and birdsong.
I love delicious (but usually simple) food.

I express most of these really often, because they're part of my everyday life.  Things you love + everyday life = happy.


49. In 5 years from now, will you remember what you did yesterday? What about the day before that? Or the day before that?
I will remember the snow/ice in general, but nothing major about it, besides trying to enjoy my home time.  I will remember Wes passing his big test, but that's about it.  I plan to make some good memories next week!


50. Decisions are being made right now. The question is: Are you making them for yourself, or are you letting others make them for you?
Making them for myself, sometimes almost too much...I have to make myself take others in account and let them enter the decision making process with me.

Fair or unfair?

This morning, I heard something on the radio that has been bothering me all morning.  It began as the news that some counties in Georgia have decided to have school on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day (this coming Monday) because students have now missed an entire week of school due to snow and ice.  The choices are really to take away this holiday, some of spring break, Memorial Day, or tack days onto the end of the year during the summer.

Because I have some school system experience, I can see how this makes the most sense (to have school on MLK Jr. Day) - lots of people plan trips for Spring Break, Memorial Day, and summer break, and some can't be refunded, so if they had school then, they'd get enormous backlash from parents and students.  Martin Luther King, Jr. was a very important individual in our history, but it's freezing on MLK Jr. Day and because it's only one day during winter, very few people travel for it.  What's more, people who have the day off generally stay home and don't do much of anything but relax, and a lot of the companies in Atlanta don't even consider the day a holiday.

Nonetheless, there were people calling in saying these school systems are racist.  No kidding.  They were saying that Martin Luther King was far too important to just "skip" his day.  So the radio hosts asked some of the callers if they'd be happier if the schools made a point of doing special presentations and readings that day about the man, to which they responded no, that wasn't good enough.  But when asked what special commemorative events they had planned for the day, none of the callers had a single thing to mention!  ?!?!?!?!?!

I was also highly frustrated when the radio hosts asked if it would be preferable for those callers if President's Day was canceled, and they said yes, "because white men have been celebrated enough."  Are you joking?

I absolutely love people of all races and really believe in equality.  I personally don't care if they hold school on MLK Day AND President's Day - both could be better handled for kids while they're in school anyway, as opposed to sitting at home watching daytime television and playing video games.  It was just so apparent from these radio callers that they WANTED to feel like "white people" were being unfair to "black people" about MLK Day.  Heaven forbid we should educate our kids as much as possible, why shouldn't they be in school for it?  Frustrating.