.... The Cinema

The Handsome Honey, who was totally not imaginary this weekend, and I went to see Zodiac last night. It was star studded, not with the usual big names, I guess, but with stars that I love. Who can resist Robert Downey, Jr and Mark Ruffalo? Not I. It starred Jake Gyllenhall, but also included Donal Logue and Ione Skye and Clea Duvall and Chloe Sevigney.

So, the movie is based on Robert Graysmith's book on the Zodiac Killer. I read the book about ten years ago, or so and found it well written and interesting. I guess it must have been when I was reading a lot of true crime books. The movie was very interesting and covered a lot of ground, but it was soo long. Maybe it's just me, but I don't think that you need to make a movie last two hours and forty minutes when you aren't going to at least catch the bad guy. The Zodiac killings remain unsolved.

There were some very interesting tidbits, though. The movie is based on Graysmith's book, but they didn't exactly paint him in the most favorable light. It's not that he was unlikable, but he certainly came off as being unliked. I loved when people let him in and opened up to him, but his personal and professional life was a mess.

I found it hard to believe that the cop they based Steve McQueen's Bullitt on wore bow ties to work. Although Mark Ruffalo had a fabulous raincoat.

The hair piece took 15 years off of Anthony Edwards. It was like seeing him the way he was in all those movies when I was a teen. Gotcha! and Revenge of the Nerds, even Top Gun. Amazing how much that can age you.

All in all, good movie, great cast, a little long, but certainly interesting source material.

That is what's rattling around in Piksea's head today!

#6 Unapologetic wise ass

100 Things about Piksea ~ #6

I am an unapologetic wise ass. Well, that's partially true. Occasionally something will pop out of my mouth before I even knew I was thinking it. I usually wind up apologizing for those things. But, I absolutely do not apologize for being a wise ass. Most of my life my mother would caution me, "Nobody likes a wise ass, Piksea." But, she was wrong. I, for one, really like a wise ass.

I know, they say sarcasm is the weapon of the weak. I think it's most dullards that hold this point of view, because they are incapable of holding their own in spirited conversation. They wouldn't have to be so wet blankety if they weren't such mental and verbal wusses. My family has always been filled with wits and jokers and tricksters. We all grew up well versed in jokes and pranks.

Don't get the impression that I lump my mom in with the dullards. She just was best at harnessing her inner wise ass. She is the epitome of tact and diplomacy. She can rip you a new one with a smile on her face, without ever raising her voice and with all strictly "G" language. She personifies diplomacy when defined as "the ability to tell you to go to hell in such a way that you look forward to the trip." She's really a wise ass with an incredible degree of self-control. As it turns out, she digs a wise ass, herself. She's totally smitten with House, MD, especially Dr. House, himself. It's his acerbic wit that gets her. He's a total wise ass.

I will always wear my distinction as a wise ass proudly. I adore all of my very witty friends. The ability to play well with words is a power that I should be able to use for good or evil as suits my mood.

Although my parents tried very hard to keep my "fresh mouth" in check, or at least to try to get me to think before I blurt, many of their favorite stories to tell were the utterances of said fresh mouth.

Piksea Makes a Plea For Your Help

I need a favor from anyone who stops by. Please follow this link and sign the petition. You may have seen and signed similar ones before, but please sign this one, as well. Here is the information directly from the Lifetime Television web page:

Sign the Petition
Grammy-Nominated Performer Jewel Joins Lifetime, 12 Million Viewers and Bipartisan Political Leaders on Capitol Hill to Urge End of "Drive-Through" Mastectomies
In September, as part of the network's award-winning Stop Breast Cancer for Life campaign, Lifetime Television and Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter Jewel delivered more than 12 million petition signatures to Capitol Hill, urging Congress to pass the bipartisan Breast Cancer Patient Protection Act of 2005 (S 910/HR1849). The bill would allow a woman and her doctor to decide whether she should recuperate for at least 48 hours in the hospital or whether she has enough support to get quality care at home following this emotionally and physically difficult surgery. The bill was reintroduced in 2007 with the support of 14 million signatures from Lifetime's online petition. (Get an more information on this act.)

My mom was recently diagnosed with breast cancer. She'll be getting 4-6 months of chemotherapy, followed by mastectomy. We've already been told by the surgeons that the mastectomy and reconstruction can take up to 6 hours. I can't bear the thought of her enduring all of that, only to be sent directly home afterwards. Please sign the petition.

#4. The Eben Street Girls

100 Things about Piksea #4

I still see my girlfriends from college semi-regularly. We still don't use our real names, to the point that it's difficult to do it on the odd occasion we deem it necessary. Although our nicknames evolved over time, we still use and answer to them. HH needs me to use the real names and nicknames, just so he can figure out who the hell I'm talking about. My mother never needed me to translate for her. I use the nicknames, she knows exactly who I am talking about, but she always uses the proper given names.

We have an annual summer get together. We used to have it early summer in Wildwood. At the reunion weekend, we played the traditional Saturday night game of "chandeliers" quarters. In chandeliers you have one glass for each person and one in the center. If the quarter goes into an individual's cut, they drink, if it goes into the center cup, everyone drinks, and the last person finished has to drink the middle cup. When a person gets a quarter into any cup(s) five times in a row, that person gets to make up a rule, usually fairly ridiculous and hart to follow, especially after all that drinking. If you break a rule, you drink. Rules generally include no cursing, no saying the word "drink," etc.

In our group someone would inevitably institute a rule where we couldn't use nicknames, but had to use our real names. This was followed by an introduction by our real names, and then a complete inability to follow the rule. Old habits die hard and the booze doesn't do much to help.

With my college pals I have accumulated some of the silliest, craziest, funniest and most exciting adventures, anecdotes and memories in the years we've been friends. I think there's a permanent bond between people like us. I mean, we've known each other for longer than we haven't known one another. I can't imagine how much I would've missed out on if it weren't for having Buzbee, Nasty Girl, Monko, Chauncey, Swabby, Zoid and P-Noid in my life. Hmm, come to think of it, this is about the time that someone usually schedules the Hussy Convention, which is generally dinner, drinks , a lot of laughs and a sleepover.

#3 - My Marital Stats

100 Things About Piksea ~ #3

I have been engaged twice, married once, divorced once, and am currently shacking' up with The Handsome Honey. I can't even count how many guys I dated up until HH and I went on our first date, which was 5 years ago, the beginning of January.

I think it's safe to say that I probably wouldn't know half of them if I tripped over them and I am known for my memory. Others, I think I would expect to look just like they did back in the day. Often I say young men who remind me a lot of a guy I dated a million years ago. It would be so odd to run into a boy I haven't seen since we were both teens, only to find that cute adolescent is now a bald, paunchy man who is quickly approaching middle age. My goal is to be timeless and I'm afraid to admit how much I spend on skin care and anti-aging products in a vain and pathetic effort to achieve it. I see myself everyday, so I don't notice the changes as much, but I think a good twenty year absence would make for very different looking lost loves, don't you?

#2. My first Concert

100 Things About Piksea
# 2. My First concert

My first "rock" concert was at Steel Pier (which was demolished a couple of months ago) in Atlantic City when I was 4 or 5 years old. My parents took my brother and I, and the boy who lived across the street to see The Bee Gees. Yes, The Bee Gees. I vaguely remember the trip and I don't remember the concert at all. I do remember an unfortunate incident involving my brother and a little person at the Planter's store. At least I think it was a Planter's store, because I remember Mr. Peanut walking around. And, this may or may not have been where Phyllis Diller scared the crap out of me at the wax museum. I'm not sure if Madame Tussaud ever had a place in Atlantic City. If not, the Phyllis Diller incident happened when my family spent a couple of months in San Francisco when I was a little older.

Christmas meme, part 6

CHRISTMAS MEME, PART 6

15. What is your favorite holiday dessert? That's another hard to answer question. I love the cookies that my mom and I bake. I love most of the holiday desserts, though. After my great grandfather died and we started to spend Christmases with our more immediate family and never with our entire extended family, people would gravitate to our house on Christmas Eve. My mother would bake and clean out the bakery cases to have plenty of stuff available for guests. The guests usually brought stuff, too. We'd have people snacking and laughing and chatting for hours. They either came before or right after midnight mass, so sometimes it would be 2:00 before the house cleared out and we could start our Christmas.

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? I love tradition and have a tendency to be resistant to change, so I like them all. I like that visiting and gathering and the time spent with family. I'd have to say that my favorite is probably the time my mom and I spend together baking. This year we've cut down the kinds of cookies we're making (but we usually add some in as we go along). I'll spend tomorrow night and Thursday night with her in the kitchen making the butter cookies we use the press for (someone has to get the rhythm of how many mechanical hums before just the right amount of dough is on the pan) and the viennese pretzels which are very delicate and not to be made alone, and probably another cookie or macaroon or two.
17. What tops your tree? Every year I say that I am going to buy a proper tree topper, say a pretty glittery star, or something to that effect. Then I take out my decorations and unwrap the corn husk angel that I found among my grandmother's things after she died. I'm not sure if it was finished, or if was ever intended as a tree topper, but she's really sweet and simple and as soon as I unwrap the tissue with her inside, I know that she's what I want on top of my tree.

18. Which do you prefer, giving or receiving? Definitely giving. I am an excellent present giver. I love going out or surfing the web to find the perfect gifts for my friends and family. I don't usually get the impression that people generally pay as much attention, or put as much thought into it as I do. That's okay, but I never get how it happens. I think it's because I'm pretty intuitive, so I get a sense for people and I'm good at melding personality and style and finding something that will be to the recipient's taste and will be flattering, or interesting, or whatever (depending upon the kind of gift).

19. What is your favorite Christmas song? I like them all, in moderation. I love the modern versions as much as the classics. I'm a big fan of the Whirling Dervishes version of The Grinch Song, especially since they use the most important line, "The three words that best describe you, are as follows, and I quote, stink, stank, stunk." I used to tease Sparky with that one all the time. But, then, he was the creator of the infamous "You Suck" note, so he should have had a better appreciation of it.

20. Candy canes, yuk or yum? Yuk. I like mint, but I prefer mine sugar free and bite size. I'm not a big fan of dripping and slurping. Oooh dirty.

Merry Christmas everyone!