Always Anna

On my walk to work this morning, I looked down at my feet as I tromped through some snow.  My thought?  D*mn, I guess I really am a New Englander now.  Sigh.

What made me think this?  Seeing my wide-legged dark gray pants tucked into my snow boots.  This is NOT an attractive look at all – the pants end up poofing out over the top of the boots, looking kind of like a gray pants version of Seinfeld’s Puffy Shirt.  But when snow is piling up and the ground is slippery and you know how much you hate it when the bottom of your pants get wet… well, what else could I do?

As you know, I made a ridiculous effort to see every movie nominated for the Big Six Academy Awards: Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Director, and Best Picture.  And I’m sure you’ll be shocked and thrilled to learn that I managed to see all but 3 of the films!*

As I settled in for 6 hours of Oscar watching (including E’s red carpet special, obviously), I was really excited to see who would end up winning.  And I have to admit that I thought I’d predict at least some of the winners.  I mean, I saw almost every movie!  I really thought about each category!  And surely I’m not so far out of touch that I couldn’t predict at least half of them, right?

Well, it turns out that that the Academy did not agree with ANY of the films/actors that I thought should win.  NOT ONE. 

First off, I really don’t understand why the Academy equates good acting by a male with portraying totally over-the-top crazy.  What other explanation is there for the Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor awards?  Yes, Javier Bardem was good in No Country for Old Men.  And I did really like that movie.  But how on earth did Tom Wilkinson not win Best Supporting Actor for Michael Clayton?  He was completely brilliant in his role!  And way more believable and harder to play (I think) than a blank-eyed killer.  And Daniel Day-Lewis in There Will be Blood?  Well, I admit that I’m biased, since I didn’t really like the movie .  But I still don’t understand why crazed screaming and convulsing and crazy-eyes is considered better acting than a complex combination of pain and strength - like George Clooney showed to perfection in Michael Clayton.  Apparently the Academy does not like subtlety.

Moving on to the actresses.  I thought that all of the actresses did a phenomenal job.  But two stood out well above the other nominees, which is why I was shocked that Cate Blanchett didn’t win Best Supporting Actress for her role in I’m Not There and Julie Christie didn’t win Best Actress for Away from Her.  I don’t really have anything bad to say about the two winners, but… well, I just don’t agree.

As for Best Director… well, I can’t lie.  I don’t really understand how to judge this, so I’m okay with the Coen Brothers winning for No Country for Old Men.  But I was hoping that Michael Clayton would win.  No reason, just hoping.

I sat on my couch, heart racing, as Denzel came out to announce Best Picture.  I bounced in my seat slightly, thinking “Please say Atonement.  Please say Atonement!  Please say Atonement!!!!!” over and over in my head.  First off, I was pretty pissed off and surprised that neither Keira Knightley nor James McAvoy received nominations for their acting in this movie.  They were both so wonderful, in that way that makes you unable to imagine anyone else in the world playing their roles.  They totally inhabited their characters!  And the movie was gorgeous.  So when Denzel announced that No Country for Old Men won ANOTHER award – the biggest award – I was shocked.  And a little appalled.  Again, I liked the movie.  But… I mean… Atonement was just better!  And, when it comes down to it, so was Michael Clayton!

I just don’t get it.  Really.  Don’t.  Understand.

* I didn’t make it to the theater to see Charlie Wilson’s War (Philip Seymour Hoffman nominated for Best Supporting Actor), In the Valley of Elah (Tommy Lee Jones nominated for Best Actor) was rented out at the two rental places I looked, and Into the Wild (Hal Holbrook nominated for Best Supporting Actor) isn’t out on rental until March.

I am having a heart attack. 

Matthew McConaughey – you know, from my lovers list? – is allegedly filming a scene for a movie ONE BLOCK FROM MY OFFICE. 

I have to go stalk him now.  Excuse me.

*************

UPDATE:  I SAW HIM!  HE WAS LESS THAN 10 FEET AWAY FROM ME!!!!!!   AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!

Okay, breathe.

My boss and I walked over to watch some of the filming – we ducked into a building entrance directly across the street from where they filmed about 10 takes of Matthew walking out of a building, pausing to talk on his cell phone, then climbing into the car and continuing to talk.  He was so CUTE – wearing jeans, a leather jacket (brown, I think), and red scarf.  He seemed really tan – a little too tan, actually, but maybe that was just makeup? – and was SO HOT.  Just as hot in real life as he is in pictures and movies.  Yum.

When they wrapped filming that scene, Matthew threw on a big black ski coat (it was FREEZING) and stopped to talk to some crew guys.  So, my boss and I did what any self-respecting crazed fans would do – we pretended to be extras and just walked into the middle of the street where a bunch of other extras and crew were milling around.  We ended up standing about 20 feet away from him, just staring.  Photographers descended on him as he tried to leave the set and blocked us from trying to talk to him, but he was only about seven feet away from us as he climbed into the backseat of a car!

I almost threw myself in with him, but then I remembered that I wasn’t totally insane.  Oh, and that I love the BF.  But seeing Matthew McConaughey?  Basically made my life.  And reminded me – in a rather cruel fashion, actually – that I need to get my camera fixed so that I can take photos if something like this ever happens again.

For the past two nights, for no apparent reason, I’ve been staying up until 1 AM.  Since I have to get up at 6 AM - okay, 6:30 at the latest - to get to work, this means I’m only getting about 5 hours of sleep a night. 

I know that there are people out there (i.e. everyone I work with) who will respond, “Five hours?  That’s more than enough sleep!” Or, “Wait until you have kids – five hours will seem like a gift!”

To this, I only have one response.  Five hours of sleep makes me want to pass out under my desk.  And – while I know it’s not fair for me to take my exhaustion out on you - if you want something from me when I’m tired, you better figure out some way to ask nicely.  Otherwise, I might staple something to your forehead.

Also, stop assuming I’m having kids.  The circles under your eyes and constant stories about how expensive they are and consistent response to the question, “How was your weekend?”*?  They’re not making me want to go there.

Clearly I’m a little cranky today.  But I think the premiere of Cycle 10 of ANTM tonight, then going to bed early, will put me in a better mood tomorrow.

* In case you’re wondering, the response is always, “Well [insert name of child here] had [insert name of sport] games this weekend, so I got to watch their games!  S/he scored [insert number here] points!”  Except around Christmas, when the response involves some type of toy shopping, tree decorating, or movie watching.  Which is fun, but I can do on my own, thanks.

It’s the week before the Oscars…  which means I’ll be running from movie theater to Blockbuster to home (to update my Netflix queue) trying to see all of the movies that have been nominated for the “Big Six”: Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Picture, and Best Director.

I’ve done this every year for the past four years, and think it’s totally worth it.  Seeing the nominated work makes it much more fun for me to watch the Academy Awards.  And, of course, it allows me to scream obscenities at the TV when they pick the wrong winner. 

Since I’ve been lazy this past year about seeing movies, this will not be easy – I still have 10 movies to see before Sunday night.  And I have actual social plans on Thursday, so that night won’t include any screenings.

I hope my eyes don’t give out before Sunday night.

I’ve always liked artistic, crafty, DIY type things.  I think it’s so cool that there are people out there who can knit and sew and paint and draw and photograph and make cards and make jewelry.  You know – create.

I want to be like that.  I want to make my own cards and decorate my apartment and sew new clothes and make accessories and knit myself a fabulous scarf.  And socks.  Definitely knit myself some socks.

And I’ve started getting craftier – making cards and stalking websites and blogs with pretty, inspirational things.  But here’s the problem…

How do I find time to do these things when I’m so busy drinking all weekend?

 

“Falling in love consists merely in uncorking the imagination and bottling the common sense.”

~ Helen Rowland

Every two minutes, somewhere in America, someone is sexually assaulted.* One in six American women are the victims of sexual assault.*  Maybe things are changing – sexual assaults in the US have fallen over 60% since 1993.*  But these numbers are still too high.  And they don’t even begin to compare to the violence against women and girls found in other countries.

Let’s change things.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of V-Day, the campaign to end violence against women and girls.  So, while tomorrow is Valentine’s Day (and I do like to have an excuse to go out on a date), I think it’s critical to recognize that – until the violence stops – tomorrow is V-Day.

* All statistics from www.rainn.org.

I spent Sunday in Vermont, snowboarding for the first time this season.  Actually, it’s the first time I’ve been back on my snowboard since 2005, so it’s probably normal that I was really really super nervous.  I was worried about falling and spraining my wrists, or severely bruising my tailbone, or flipping over and cracking my head open, or forgetting how to stop or turn and running into a tree.  Or, you know, just looking like a total fool.

Yesterday, I woke up with a sore throat and stiff neck and immediately freaked out.  I must have strep, I thought.  Granted, I was exhausted, and therefore was not thinking clearly.  But I called out sick from work and went back to bed, worrying about what the doctor would say when her office opened.  Then – when I woke up again and felt fine – I started worrying about all the work I was not getting done.

I’m not sure where this worrying is coming from – it’s so not normal for me!  And I don’t think I like it.

“Happiness is a direction, not a place.”

~ Sidney J. Harris