"He is a Devil, that Mr. Darcy"

When seeing a movie for the first time and inviting your cousin to accompany you (though she's already seen it), it's a good sign when she replies YAAAAAYYY!! It's also a good sign when others have posted online about how much they loved it. And if that isn't enough, there's always the fact you already enjoy the book the movie is based on.

I saw Austenland over the weekend and I have to say it was a lot better than I expected. Critics didn't go for it - psh! - but it was never really a critics' movie. We all know there is a very specific audience of Darcy-lovin' types this story appeals to... 

If you yourself don't number among this demographic of Darcy-lovers, chances are you are well acquainted with someone who does. Never fear! This movie has something for you too. Because in romanticizing and trying to emulate the Regency era and Austen's novels in a 21st century world (the gowns! the balls! the gentlemen!), it actually exposes how ridiculous it all is (the corsets! the needlepoint! the gentlemen!). How you really can't take a modern girl and fully "immerse" her in the time period without there being some entertaining consequences. We don't watch this movie so we can laugh at the lovelorn heroine and her foibles in a mock-Regency setting. We watch so we can laugh at ourselves because we identify with her and the fantasy, bless our hearts.

If you've read the book, you already know it isn't great literature. But if you thought the book was fun, the movie is even more so. It's silly, hilarious, and even adorable at times. Definitely more over-the-top than the book, but not necessarily in a bad way like I originally feared it would be. And it's set to a really fun soundtrack of 80s and 90s pop tunes - Betty Davis Eyes, It Must Have Been Love, Lady In Red, Heaven Is A Place On Earth, etc. Which shouldn't work, but it DOES. 

I also loved the cast. Jennifer Coolidge? Are you kidding me?? HILARIOUS. And Keri Russell was perfect as Jane. SPOILER: When I read the book, there were times I was torn between Nobley and Martin. And the same thing happened with the movie - JJ Field and Bret McKenzie were wonderful. But by the end I thought, Okay, so if Mr. Henry Nobley cures Jane of her Darcy-as-played-by-Colin-Firth fixation, who is supposed to cure us of our Nobley-as-played-by-JJ-Field fixation?? No one, I guess. END OF SPOILER. 

This image pulled from this blog...

So if you have ever found yourself swooning over a man in riding boots and a cravat or sighed at the thought of a Regency courtship, congratulations! This movie is for you. If you're married/related to someone who fits the above profile, congratulations! This movie is for you too. You will all giggle yourselves silly. 

Oh, and be sure to stay for the credits.

Lauren's Grade: A- ...minus because all the servants seemed to be smeared in self-tanner. 

Rubbish

Posts after midnight are usually rubbish, but I figure I might as well hang out since these coughing fits keep interrupting my sleep. This blasted cold has all but drained, save the residual coughing mentioned above and and a scratchy voice that still seems to concern some people. 

Church yesterday was a misery. Extracting yourself from a comfortable bed when you're sick is one thing, but having to do it on a snowy Sunday morning is entirely different... 

I'm over this snow business. It had its chance, the silly tease. As far as I'm concerned it can keep itself bound in precipitation limbo until Christmas rolls 'round again. Bring on the rain. Bring me 3-4 months of rain and Spring and beautiful green things.

Back to Sunday...

Our heroine (me) gets to church 2 hours early for ward council, parking a block away due to the ridiculous number of other YSA church-goers. Seriously, get married so we can free up a few freakin' spaces out there! As she walks down the snowy street, indulging her self pity with every step, all she can think of is what a terrible pioneer she'd be. She approaches the building and slowly drags her soggy self inside.

Immediately following her first meeting, she rushes to set up for a choir rehearsal where, looking back, she is sure to have alienated a few people with her scary germs and inability to fully concentrate on the music. Then she stands in front of the entire congregation in sacrament meeting, valiantly leading them in an opening, sacramental, intermediary, and closing hymn. During this time she goes from being too hot, then too cold, then too hot again. Needless to say, she didn't linger for the remainder of the block. 

She remembers very little of those meetings (that's a mercy); only that her head throbbed violently, her nose ran freely, and the intrusive coughing threatened to repulse the Spirit so forcefully she was sure to be banned from ever attending Sunday worship again. Were future health (and weather) conditions similar to this particular Sunday, she probably wouldn't have minded a temporary ban. Our poor, poor heroine.

Next time I'll simply make my apologies and stay safely tucked under my covers, quarantined in my bedroom where I can suffer my symptoms without the burden of an audience.

Flash forward to Monday. I so wanted to stay home today. I even planned on it after feeling so wretched over the weekend. But ultimately (sigh) I felt well enough to go. And it wouldn't have been good for me to stay in with only myself as company. I am not the best companion sometimes. So I bid my bed adieu.

Despite my efforts the day was still pretty drab, so I relied on my go-to's for miserable and otherwise "blah" days. Chocolate and iTunes. After work I got a Burnt Almond Fudge shake from Shivers and then browsed music online, purchasing a handful of new songs. These are quick fixes, not nearly as effective or long-lasting as something more worthwhile, but there's always the promise of more chocolate and more music. 

Here Comes the Monday...

It may be Monday... but here is how I am going to approach this week. I'm approaching it with blah-lessness. I'm approaching it with swagger. I may even do a little dance or two. I'm gonna incite flash mob craziness wherever I go, just because I can. Won't you join me?

...After watching these videos, you'll be off to a good start. So take that, Manic Monday! With your 24 hours of harsh weekend-robbing reality and monotonous 9 to 5 drudgery. You are only one day out of seven! And Tuesday isn't so far away, after all!  

"Let us rejoicify that good news could subdue..."

Welcome to Good News/Bad News! Where the bad comes with the good and the good comes with the bad!

The Good... I am enjoying this Monday afternoon at home.

The Bad... I'm home because I'm sick. Yuck.

The Good... I'm going to see Brian Stokes Mitchell this Friday at the Conference Center! Wink, wink. 

The Bad... I'll be sharing him with an entire audience. 

The Good... I went to a wonderful Sacrament Meeting yesterday and really enjoyed the Spirit I felt there. I even joined a special musical number.

The Bad... It wasn't my ward. Potentially could be, but that's looking less and less likely. Here's hoping...

The Good... my sister and I discovered a new blog that has sooooo much fun stuff to read and look at. 

The Bad... We spent over an hour scrolling through it the other night. Too much of a good thing??

The Good... Sherlock has been renewed for a second season!

The Bad... It will be released in the UK this fall and then it will eventually make its way to Masterpiece Mystery on PBS. Probably in the spring. Bollocks.

Sherlock - very selective about what goes in and out of that
masterfully observant mind of his.

The Good... Nearly finished with The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins. 

The Bad... I don't know how much I like them yet. I mean, everyone's been telling me how great they are, but I fear I may be suffering from the "Enchanted Effect"... You hear how totally awesome something is from everyone you come in contact with that by the time you get around to seeing/reading/listening to it, you've made up your mind that you're going to hate it. Out of spite OR because the subject's been exhausted by everyone. For me, by the time I saw Enchanted I was basically already disenchanted with it. I thought, "C'mon people, the movie's not that good. And if I have to hear about it one more time..." I think this is how a lot of Harry Potter non-readers of the books and non-watchers of the movies feel when they hear people drool and sob over the latest HP happenings. Don't get me wrong, I am one of the droolers. And sobbers, incidentally. Have been for years. 

The Good... While we're back on the subject of Harry Potter, may I just say once again that the last movie was incredible. IN-CRE-DI-BLE. 

The Bad... It's also over. O-VER.

The Good... My hair is finally returning to a less startling shade of brown.

The Bad... Now I'm itching to cut it. Always do in the summer.

The Good... I think I'm feeling a teensy bit better... health-wise. 

The Bad... Now what do I do? 

...Oh yes. Blog stalk.

"BLAAAAH! I am a kraken from the sea!"

Some days, I am a Kraken from the sea. Today was one of those days. I suppose it really began yesterday. For the most part I enjoyed a wonderful Sunday, but once darkness fell I found myself combating a mild fever. The rest of the night was spent in my bed, tossing and turning the night away, interrupted only by mad dashes to the bathroom... I'll stop there. 


It was only 65 degrees in my apartment, but it felt like I was in the jungles of Vietnam. I'm not basing that statement on personal experience, but from what I've seen in movies Vietnam has to have one of the most unrelenting global landscapes and climates known to mankind. So Vietnam it is. In addition to the inexplicable heat, it didn't help that every muscle in my body ached - from my itty-bitty pinky toes all the way up to my earlobes. And the space between my ears where a semi-functioning brain used to be was reduced to nothing but a throbbing pile of mush. On top of all that, I had an early morning and a long day to look forward to. Monday was a bust before Monday had even begun!


... Then... Monday came... More of the same aches and pains and sprints to the powder room, only this time I didn't have the luxury of retreating to my bed. Or coming and going as I pleased. Or shutting everyone and everything out while I willed the hours to pass. Pass, they did... 8 of them. 8 hours, one spilled Root Beer in my car, and about 1,000 heavy sighs later it was time to go home. And so this ghoulish girl (not kidding... my overall complexion has been gray) dragged herself home and into bed where she took 4 Advil and blogged about her day.  And watched a ridiculous amount of Frasier re-runs online.


To quote the Mamas and the Papas:


"Monday Monday, can't trust that day..."


So beware the Mondays. They're a sneaky, vindictive bunch. Serves me right for praising my weekends so highly in a previous post...


Now, Tuesday. Tuesday is already taking shape and promises to be a far cry better than Monday. Why? It may have something to do with going to see Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring extended cut at Century 16. Or yummy foodies. Or being with some dear and entertaining folk. 


Or the fact that a friend posted this video on my facebook and now I think I will watch it every morning to start my day.

Take that, Monday!

All my love,

The Kraken...