Parts Unknown & Fondness... Always

My mom has recently gotten me interested in Anthony Bourdain. He's a chef, author, and TV personality who has a show on CNN called Parts Unknown, where he travels abroad. He eats different foods, learns and shares history lessons, discovers cultures. He's humorous at times. He's a recovered addict - of many things, apparently - but still indulges in his booze.

And this next picture reminds me of something on my bucket list I need to accomplish...

Oh yes... Oysters and stout. I missed out on an Oysters & Stout festival that was a couple hours away a year or two ago. Since then, it's been one of my top to-do's.

He has great disdain for Guy Fieri and has often ridiculed him.

I spent New Year's out of town with a couple friends. We attended a New Year's Countdown show at a comedy club (and drank too much whisky) and then saw a limited 70mm release of Quentin Tarantino's "The Hateful Eight" the next afternoon. Very good times.

Incredibly upset to hear of Alan Rickman's passing. I haven't been this affected by celebrity's death since Robin Williams. If you look at my movie collection, you can see that I sometimes collect flicks by actor, when I really like them. Alan Rickman was one of these few such actors. My collection - quite suddenly - now has an end.

Goodbye, Mr. Rickman. And thank you.

Your Own Beliefs

I'm going to repost something I posted 2 years ago today. Because I still agree with these words.

Post of the Month, Apparently

As I feared, joining Tumblr has decreased my blogging on here even more than before. But there is some truly cool stuff there. I enjoy finding the posts that pique my interest, match my moods, and express my feelings. Things that I can reblog or post that show different angles of my personality. Music, pirates, drinking, comics, art, humor (certain types), and such. If you would like to check these angles out, I'm at the-seldom-seen-linds on Tumblr.

Thanksgiving is approaching. Looks like it'll be me, the kid, and the husband this year. Dunno if we've ever had it be just us three. I enjoy holiday get-togethers, but this may be nice too.

(Best one I could find... Not many good Thanksgiving pics out there that I could find.)

Two nights ago I decided it was time for me to take another trip. Not far, but far enough. Just get out of town for a day or two. So I started looking up musicians and comedians I enjoy - or would enjoy - seeing. Found one! A comedian I really enjoy, whom I've seen once before but would for sure see again, is doing a New Year's show. Looks like he'll actually be doing the countdown with his audience. How cool it that?

The frontman of my favorite band Elbow - Guy Garvey - recently put out a solo album. Gotta say I prefer the group's albums over his rather jazzy feel, but it's still good. If this is the music he feels, good on 'im for expressing it. I'd still see him on tour.

Stayed home from school today with the feverish kid. While I still have that anxiety when I'm absent - due to my last two employers being pretty strict and degrading - it felt good to have a break from a rough week. With the combination of having a substitute teacher and indoor (classroom) recess for three days, in a K-3 Cross-Cat class, I welcomed the day at home with the sick kid. Now I just have tomorrow - Friday - and then the weekend. Yesss. I can do this.

In case I don't post again this month, Happy Thanksgiving to the ones that read this and celebrate said holiday. Indulge. Enjoy. Then diet... ;)

(I know this holiday, along with a few others, is a bit controversial due to the truthfulness and reality of its story. But I still celebrate it and them, while I also acknowledge & respect those truths and realities.)

Bad Bondage

Hey there. Rough day today. Kinda wish I could talk/vent to someone but options are pretty nil. So, lucky you!

Ever been in a public setting, and your child throws a screaming, thrashing tantrum?
BETTER YET
Ever been in a public setting, and your THREE children throw a screaming, thrashing tantrum?

Well, tell yourself this: "I HAVE AN ADVANTAGE.
I can physically remove my child(ren)."

Whereas someone in my position requires a special 12-hour course on how to handle a child.
A course that I - a paraeducator in a Special Ed classroom - have not had the opportunity to take.

So...

Just a rough day. Usually it's 1 of the 8 that has this extreme of an issue. Today it was 3 of 8.

With a teacher who doesn't believe in discipline, and recently took away us paras' ability to apply it. 

Needless to say, I hit my two biggest vices (rum & music) as soon as I got home.

Farewell Ale

Today marks my 9th day working with elementary kids as a full-time paraeducator. It's physically and mentally exhausting, but after a beer or three, some tunes, and some time with my own kid... I'm ready for the next day.

There's something going around Facebook lately, where if you like someone's certain status or posted pic, you are given a comic book superhero to post as your cover photo or profile pic. After liking someone's photo of Michelle Pfeiffer as Catwoman (seriously, did I have a choice? No. I didn't. She is amazing as Selina Kyle.) I was given Spider-Woman. Who I didn't know much about. But I Googled her, and discovered that I liked her fairly recent redesigned look, with the yellow glasses rather than the mask.

On another note, very sad to hear of Wes Craven's passing. R.I.P. to the man who exchanged sound sleep for nightmares, for many of those who watched his movies. 

And I must add this next pic. Very nice "cameo" type pic. The janitor dressed as Freddy in the first Scream movie.

Hehe. Very nice.

Now I know he's known for more than Nightmare and Scream, but those are the ones I'm most familiar with. And prolly the most popular, as well. For good reason.

Adieu, good sir.

Also, one year I dressed up as Mrs. Freddy Krueger for Halloween. One of my favorite costumes ever.

That be it for now. Go watch a Wes Craven movie. Please.

This Bird You'll Never Change

I've been doing quite a bit of reading during these several months of at-home joblessness. The urban fantasy genre has really captured my attention. Especially the Alex Verus books by Benedict Jacka. British author, British setting. I've read all but one, and I'm waiting for the next one to come out (this August, I believe) so I can read them back-to-back. But until then, I'm occupying myself with other books. Like the Dresden Files. Just finished the 6th - Blood Rites - and now moving on to Dead Beat. (And I love the way Blood Rites ended, that very last line: "Why did you get the large breed puppy chow?")

Oh and lately there's also been a lot of SimCity play on my iPad. Whiskey Bend is thriving. So far.

My show Hannibal moved to Saturdays rather than Thursday a couple weeks ago. What's left of the show, anyway. (Got cancelled.) The episode before last... The whole Mason/Margot/Hannibal episode... I believe it was my favorite of this season so far. Several jaw-dropping moments. While still missing the important element that is Clarice Starling, it was pretty good.

I just realized that I quite like almost any movie scene that the song Freebird by Lynyrd Skynyrd is in.

#1 - Kingsmen: The Secret Service (the church scene)
#2 - Elizabethtown (the memorial service)
#3 - Forrest Gump (Jenny's scene)
#4 - The Devil's Rejects (end scene) (spoiler alert)

They are all done very well, in my opinion.

And can't forget Conan O'brien's last hosting of The Tonight Show. I still get emotional hearing what he says here. Still love this man.

I'm employed! Signed the contract this week. Just a few more things to tie up (benefits, security badge, etc) and I'll be ready for the teachers institute in a couple weeks. Woo!

Shows & Tunes, But Not Showtunes

Thursday nights are my tv nights. For now, anyway.

First up is Food Fighters, which is a cooking show I enjoy. It's different from the others. A "home chef" - an unknown man or woman who cooks at home - prepares 5 of his or her best dishes... Against 5 celebrated/accomplished/famous chefs cooking their version of the same dish. Each in a limited amount of time. And when their time is up, their food is taste-tested by 5 people who vote on which of the two dishes they liked best. It truly is enjoyable to watch.

Next is Wayward Pines. The mini-series adaptation of the Blake Crouch trilogy I recently read. While the tv show isn't quite following the books to a T, they are doing well enough to keep me interested and looking forward to the next episode.

And finally is Hannibal. Which, unfortunately, has been cancelled. They'll air the remaining episodes of Season 2, but unless another network picks it up, it's done for. As for this last episode... 1) I think that what was originally the Hannibal/Clarice/Krendler dinner - if done right - could have encompassed a whole episode. Or at least, much longer than the mere minutes - and that's being generous - that was shown in this week's installment. 2) Initial impression of Margot in this episode: I think I prefer her with her hair in the tight bun, but no matter because 3) The scene with her and Alana Bloom...!... First of all, Nice! Second - guess my invitation got lost in the mail... Or spammed, in this day and age... Either way, kinda feeling like I missed out.

My kid was supposed to be away at camp all week this week. He lasted about a day. We got a phone call saying he was feverish and not really eating. So we drove the 45 minutes to get him. The same 45 minutes to drop him off the night before. And then that very same 45 minutes to get back home. Ug. But, as is common knowledge, tis best to be home when one is feeling icky. While a tad inconvenient (we were in the middle of painting his room, and supper was seriously just done cooking when we received the call) I was and am very happy to have him back home and in our care.

I don't intend to have a gravestone after I pass, but if I were to have one, I know what I'd want inscribed on it.

I'll leave you with that thought.