Back among the 3-Dimensional People

It's official. I have a life again.

This was the first weekend that I had real plans with friends in a very long time. Consequently, I feel the need to give you every dirty detail. Work is still busy, but altering in terms of its nature. So, while I'll start traveling again very soon, the number of nights burning the midnight oil and bringing work home should change dramatically. As such, I'm milking it for all its worth.

We were treated to fantastic weather this weekend, so for those of us with the winter blues, the promise of spring has arrived. Not quite sure how I'll cope if the temps dip again but I'm completely loving the fact that this weekend was in the 50s and the next few days promise 60s and, dare I say it, 70s?! It really does so much to change my attitude.

I saw some fantastic movies this weekend. Netflix delivered Stranger Than Fiction, which I cannot recommend enough. Some of the best writing I have seen on screen in a very long time - both in terms of originality of story, dialogue and overall plot. The acting was superb, and I would argue that Dustin Hoffman, in particular, was robbed of an Academy Award nomination. Will Ferrell never gets enough credit for his range - not that he has done a lot to demonstrate it but this film proved how effective he can still be when playing a more subdued role. The directing is strong as is the cinematography. If you see it, pay close attention to vertical lines in the movie. Fascinating. One of my favorite movies I have seen in a long while. Plus, I had the pleasure of watching it with some of my boyfriend's work friends, in this one couple's wonderfully comforting home, which only reminded me how much atmosphere lends itself to a sense of calm and ability to just relax and, well, be yourself. If only I could afford one for myself.

I also saw Black Snake Moan. Upon seeing the preview, I really wasn't sure what to do with the whole "woman chained up in a man's house in little more than her panties" bit, but I can assure you the preview tells a very different story from the film itself. I only agreed to see it after a friend who is much more conservative than I highly recommended it. It really is a good movie, and handles some taboo topics in a very upfront and honest manner. I probably don't need to see it again, but it did inspire a) a renewed fascination with Christina Ricci's script choices and longevity and b) a continued confusion as to why anyone thinks Justin Timberlake is a sex symbol. Oh well. There were some forced aspects to the film in terms of a secondary plot love story, and I did struggle with the true nastiness of a number of the film's characters, but the positives of the movie definitely outweigh the negatives. Further, I'm always excited about creative ways of using music to move a film along and serve to further develop characters. So, definitely see it, though it's a sufficient rental to be sure.

In what was probably the most random activity of the weekend, I played Risk for the first time in my life. Let's face it, a female only child really has no reason to ever play Risk growing up. But, the group I was with (yes, all guys) became nostalgic and I was treated to my first ever Risk battle. In a classic example of my famous beginner's luck, I actually won (kind of - it's a long and incredibly boring story). But the game took, oh, 5 hours. We started at 9 and ended just as we sprung forward so, really, it took 6 hours. Still, I've become such a fan of board games in the last few years and, oddly enough, had a blast playing this "boy game". Now I'm craving a game night of Scattergories, Cranium and Scene It? Any takers?

Today I had brunch with a dear friend and we went for a long walk afterward, dessert-like coffees in hand (hooray for Caribou Coffee!). Then, I came home and took a truly glorious nap in my brand new living room! No, no While You Were Out or Extreme Home Makeover for me. Let me explain. I came home today to find that my roommate had completely rearranged the furniture in our living room. We'd talked about this set up before but laziness and the fear of a cord going across the floor seemed to get in the way. But, a wave of boredom hit her so she tried it out. Cord be damned, it looks SO much better. I feel like I have a new apartment and suddenly want to have people over to take it all in. It's amazing how the little changes to your everyday can be so totally inspiring. We then cooked a delicious dinner and we're sitting here with Braveheart on in the background, in our PJ's and relishing with our post-dinner bellies. It's just fantastic. There are also frozen eclairs (SmartOne brand, never fear) thawing for us on the kitchen counter. HUZZAH!

So, I'm thankful for having such a tremendous weekend. Again, nothing particularly profound about it, but lots of staying up late, sleeping in, soaking up the sun and spending time with people I care about. It really doesn't get much better.