NEW LIFE IN ALABAMA

Posted on February 7, 2007 by thathobbitlady

Yes, I am still alive. In fact, my life has been so busy these past several months, that’s why I have not been writing here that much. But now everything is much changed, and along with those changes I am hoping that things will once again begin to settle down, giving me the opportunity to start writing again, and part of that means being able to keep up in my LJ.

Okay. So my life has changed. Are you ready for changes?

I got engaged. I quit my job. I moved to Alabama. Is that enough in the way of changes? Just about the only thing that has remained the same in my life is my cats and my couches.

Well, I’m being a little facetious there. Lots of my stuff came over with me. But it’s not about “stuff.” It’s about being happy, and I am.

This was a giant step for me, and I have to say that I don’t know how I would have managed it, if it weren’t for Russ. He has been an absolute sweetheart, every step of the way. I feel so safe and confident with him. To all of those who say you can’t really get to know someone on-line, I say….P-SHAAAW!! The most surprising thing to me is that I am not at all surprised by Russ. He is exactly as I imagined he would be, and so easy to get along with.

As for Alabama, it’s great! So different than South Florida. It really reminds me so much more of Gainesville (especially around the University of Alabama, which is 2-3 miles away from our house).

In some ways, it reminds me more of “up north” than of the South. The trees are dead now, in the Winter, but I’m hoping in a month or so to begin to experience a true Spring, with leaves and flowers blossoming everywhere.

The houses here remind me of Long Island. There are a lot of brick houses, and a lot of houses are built on hills, or at the bottom of hills. Some houses are really old. Like ours.

Apparently it was built in 1926. This little house is so cool, I’m going to do an entire post just on the house, but I have to mention at least this much: at one point, the “lady of the house,” (who may have been Russ’ great grandmother, if I have the story correctly) refused to get one of those new-fangled washing machines. She insisted on continuing to do her laundry on a washer board! I wonder if she also made her own soap from grease drippings!

Anyway, at the moment I am “Alabamaizing” myself. So far I have a driver’s licence, a library card, and my voter’s card is on the way. I switched my address on my car insurance and I’m saving approximately 50%! Gas is $2.06 a gallon right now. That’s the good news. The bad news is that sales tax is 9% and they tax everything, even food! But apparently property taxes are low, so Russ and I will reap the benefits when we buy a house.

I live within walking distance of:

Publix
Office Depot
McDonald’s (which has free internet!)
K-Mart
KFC
CVS
Wendy’s
Taco Bell
Arby’s

There’s more, I just can’t think of it all at the moment. Oh! And one more thing you have to know about Alabama, there are churches EVERYWHERE! You cannot drive two minutes in any direction without seeing a church.

I can see a church steeple from my living room window, and there is another church directly across the street from that. Also, the church that Russ grew up in, St. Mark’s Methodist, is within walking distance. Apparently you can’t buy liquor all day on Sunday, and though team sports for kids is really big (at least in Russ’ family), they never schedule practices or games on Wednesdays. Why not? Church.

It’s a different world.

Okay, enough for now. Just to let you all know, I’m here, and I’m psyched to be here! Tomorrow I have my first employment interview at the University! More about that next time.

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Posted on October 28, 2006 by thathobbitlady

My boyfriend is a freakin computer GENIUS!!!!!!

Thank you, Russ! : )

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DILEMMA

Posted on September 11, 2006 by thathobbitlady

Okay, here’s a dilemma. I recently “discovered” a singer I really like. A Brit pop star, Robbie Williams. Actually, I’ve known a little bit about him for a short while, because I used to hear some of his music on internet radio, back in the days when the I.T. department wasn’t so particular about people listening to internet radio at work.

But then, I kind of forgot about him, until recently for some reason I picked up one of his CD’s at the library and have totally fallen in love with his music. So, of course, I go online to find out more about him, how many CD’s does he have out, what’s he like, etc etc.

Well, its the “What’s he like?” part that poses my dilemma. Because, from the little I’ve read, he does not seem like a very nice person. He seems angry and conceited and totally full of himself, and he (or at least his lawyers) treat his fans like shit. So, not very happy with the person Robbie Williams, tho I still think his music rocks.

I know I shouldn’t feel this way, I know the music should stand on its own, but nevertheless, I’m not entirely sure I’m going to be able to enjoy the music in the same way now, knowing what I know about him. I wish I hadn’t gone on the internet and looked him up. It would have been much better that way. But of course, it’s equally possible that I might have looked him up and discovered that he was the biggest sweetheart in the world (well, except for my Russ, of course!) and then I would have been saying, “Oh! Isn’t he great!” and I would have liked his music even more.

So….was it worth taking that chance? Am I going to be able to get over all this and listen to his music without thinking about how he is this 32 year old megalomaniac who has random sex with his teenage groupies and sues any of his fans who dare to reprint the lyrics of his songs on their websites celebrating his music and his career (or at least it is so reported in various places on the internet.) I just want to enjoy the music!!! I feel like it isn’t right that my opinion of him as a person could possbily affect that enjoyment, but I’m just being honest. It does.

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CLICHE?

Posted on September 9, 2006 by thathobbitlady

In discussing the Angel episode Spin the Bottle, Mary made a comment that it was a “cliché storyline” along the lines of twins switching places, or someone with powers getting a cold that affects said powers. This gave me something to think about, and Russ and I something to talk about, so I just want to open up the floor to the question: what, exactly, is a cliché?

Dictionary definition: 1 : a trite phrase or expression; also : the idea expressed by it
2 : a hackneyed theme, characterization, or situation 3 : something (as a menu item) that has become overly familiar or commonplace.

(Well, I don’t know what that “menu item” is all about. If you go into McDonald’s and order a Big Mac, is that a cliché?)

Now, as for a cliché being “hackneyed,” I needed to go back to the dictionary to be sure I understood all the implications of that word. Here’s the dictionary definition of hackneyed:

1 a : to make common or frequent use of b : to make trite, vulgar, or commonplace

So, before we go any further, I have to say I am most disappointed in the dictionary for using this circular method of definition. A cliché is hackneyed, which is common, which is trite, which is commonplace, which is, in turn, cliché. Anyway, I think we get the idea.

But…

As far as literature (and by this, I also mean movies and TV shows), when and how does a story pass from “common” to cliché? I mean, let’s consider, there are only so many stories in the world. There is nothing really truly *new * out there, it’s just a matter of how one combines the elements to give it all a new slant.

I hate to do this (No! Actually, I LOVE to do this) but I’m going to quote NaNo guru, Chris Baty, because this little passage is so incredibly telling:

“Can someone in your story get fired? Can a marriage or relationship implode? Can someone get a disease? Can someone die? Can an unexpected windfall occur? Can someone be wronged, and set out to exact vengeance? Can someone find a precious or unusual object? Can your character set off on an impossible quest or journey? Can someone try to become something they’re not? Can someone fall in love with someone who is off-limits or wildly inappropriate? Can your character be mistaken for someone else?

If all of these questions sound suspiciously familiar, it’s because one of them…has driven the plot of nearly every movie you’ve ever watched and every book you’ve ever read.”

Wow. Think about it. Except for “Can your character have to overcome a natural or supernatural disaster?” I don’t think this list misses too much, does it? As I said, only so many stories in the world. So. When do we pass into the realm of “cliché”?

And while we’re at it, you know, there’s a *reason * why clichés exist. It’s exactly because they are common, and representative. Let’s go back to my mention of someone going into McDonald’s and ordering a Big Mac. In the movie, Bedazzled, which I re-watched recently, Brendon Fraser does exactly that. As I’m sure has been done by hundreds of other characters in hundreds of other movies. Are we going to bemoan the fact that this is a cliché? Don’t you see why the writer/director has him order a Big Mac at McDonalds? Because that’s what it means to have the McDonald’s experience.

Sure, the character could have gone in and ordered the side salad and an iced tea, but that would have distracted from that story, because we would have been asking, “What is the writer trying to say by having him order a side salad and an iced tea? Is he a health food nut? Is he worried about his weight? Is he a pansy?” No, no, no! Don’t go there! The writer doesn’t want you to go there. The writer just wants you to know that his character is at McDonald’s. Hence, he has him order a Big Mac.

Okay now…Twins switching places? Yeah, I agree. Cliché. A cold affecting powers? I don’t know, maybe I’m not watching the right kinds of shows, but I haven’t really seen that one too often. And that brings up another point! What is cliché for one person, might not be for another person. Someone who is an aficionado of the mystery novel is going to instantly recognize all the clichés of that genre, but someone who has limited exposure to this kind of story is going to see something and say “Ooooh! Cool! How innovative and creative!”

I think what I’m saying is “Cliché is in the eye of the beholder.” So who is going to set the limits on where clichés begin and end? There is an “expert” for everything in the world. Is that person the one that sets the limits? Or are we going to try to find the common ground, what “most people” are familiar with? Who is going to determine that? Is there any way for anyone to really know what everybody else knows, what they are familiar with, what they are thinking?

Finally, I think, what it comes down to, when all is said and done, is that maybe it’s not really so important whether or not something is “cliché” but rather how well the story is told.

Once again, I quote Chris Baty:

“A good plot is less a matter of innovation and invention as it is one of creative re-use; the most acclaimed books of the modern era have used the same building blocks as the worst soap operas and clumsiest cartoons. The main thing separating the mind-blowing, life-changing stories of a great novel from the treacly dreck of daytime TV is THE MANNER IN WHICH THE TALE IS TOLD.”

Now, Mary may still disagree with me on whether or not the Angel episode was well-told (and in fact, she does!), I’m just saying I wouldn’t be so quick to call it cliché—at least not until we’ve got a better definition than the one offered by the dictionary!

And I’m not entirely sure that’s possible.

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THE ARTIST REPEATS

Posted on August 23, 2006 by thathobbitlady

Okay. Here is a question. Does art exist in a vacuum?

I remember starting off one of my college papers with the statement “Art does not exist in a vacuum” and my teacher made some snide comments in the margin about how we could test this theory by putting the Mona Lisa into a rocket ship and shooting it into outer space. All kidding aside, art does not *not* exist in a vacuum. But how much should we let that fact affect our appreciation of it?

We are watching Buffy. We are also watching Angel. A short while ago, in Buffy, there was this fabulous episode called Tabula Rasa, where the whole gang goes under a spell and forget who they are and what they do (fighting demons and vampires, etc.) It’s quite a hilariouos episode, actually, and a good look into everyone’s personalities.

Now, a short while later, there is a fabulous episode on Angel call Spin the Bottle. In this story, a magic bottle causes the whole gang to revert back to who they were at age 17. Of course, they don’t know each other, they know nothing about demons and vampires, and hilarity ensues.

I happen to like both episodes very much, tho I must admit that the first time I saw Spin the Bottle, I was struck by its similarities to Tabula Rasa. For a moment I felt cheated (the same way I always feel cheated when an author pulls the “And then I woke up” card), but in a short while I decided the episode stood on its own, so I just sat back and enjoyed.

Now, Mary has a problem with the Angel episode. She calls it a “cheap rip-off” of Tabula Rasa. I think because of this she is putting up a wall, and not allowing herself to enjoy the episode on its own. So this is my question: if Tabula Rasa did not exist, or if it came *after* Spin the Bottle, would it affect the way we think about Spin the Bottle?

Can a storyline stand on its own, even if it is a “cheap ripoff”? If you don’t know about the “original” will the rip-off automatically seem better, more entertaining, more artistic? And….SHOULD it? Or do we have to view everything in its cultural context?

And how about this: does the fact that one author is responsible for both storylines make their similariy more acceptable or less? If a similar storyline had appeared on…let’s say, Charmed, would it seem worse because the story idea would appear to be “stolen”? Or is it better if one artist repeats their own story ideas? At least it’s not theft, it might just appear they are a bit lazy, running out of ideas.

Mary, I hope to see you respond to this issue. And I also look forward to comments from anyone else who would like to respond to this artistic dilemma!

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PAR FOR THE COURSE

Posted on August 20, 2006 by thathobbitlady

Sorry to return on such a negative note, but I have an observation about life that is not entirely encouraging. Basically, it goes something like this: in general, you can’t trust people to do what they say they are going to do.

Nothing personal. The people who are most important in my life have not disappointed me. What I’m talking about is the freaking landlord and this whole issue about the roof. The other day the landlord told me the roofers would be here at 2:30 and they would need to come in to go into the attic and see where it was leaking. So I took some time off work, all the time thinking, “Yeah, right, like they’re really going to show.”

And why did I think that? Because I’ve been down this road before. I’ve been waiting for roofers before, that never show. Hell, one time I had a nice afternoon planned, and I cancelled it so I could be home for roofers….who never showed! And do you even want to hear about how many times I waited for a refrigerator repairman when I lived in the Falls of Margate? Man! I think it was literally 10 or 11 times that I waited and they never showed. It was just about the most frustrating experience of my life.

Anyway, come Friday, I get home, and lo and behold, there is the landlord, and here come the roofers! I am most surprised.

Well, everything is fine and dandy, except before they leave, the landlord tells me the roofers will be back on Sunday afternoon, about 2:30 again, and they will want to go up in the attic. Again. To drill a hole, so they can see where they need to work.

Okay, first of all, why didn’t they just drill the damn hole when they were up there on Friday? No, I am being asked to stay home again to let them in. So I say okay, since I don’t really have that much planned for Sunday, just intending to putter around the house. So Sunday afternoon is fine.

Only now it is early Sunday evening, and you guessed it….no roofers have ever shown up. And the landlord has not even called to explain why.

Oh well….the world has just gone back to normal, I suppose.

I think it must have something to do with being a renter. They know they have you over a barrel. At least for one year, until the lease comes due again.

Okay, I’ve vented enough for one day. Thanks for listening.

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THE LOVE LIST

Posted on August 5, 2006 by thathobbitlady

Mary issued a challenge to create a list of things I love, but sticking to only one letter of the alphabet. She gave me the letter L, so here is my list, pretty much in the order I thought of them, only backwards. Meaning, the last thing I thought of is on the list first, and the first thing is last. Got it? Would that be ascending or descending? Well, you know what I mean! Here is my list of things I love, beginning with the letter L.

10. Latin music. It’s Lively, and it doesn’t even matter if I can’t understand the words. It makes me want to dance. My favorites are Ricky Martin, and the jazz flutist, Nestor Torres.

9. Lemonade. Not the drink (tho I do like that) but the song by Chris Rice. It’s just about the happiest song I can think of, tho kind of bittersweet, and I relate to it so well, because like Chris Rice, I am also finding love later in life. Here are the lyrics, in full. I was only going to post the last three or four lines, which are my favorite, but I think the entire song deserves to be showcased.

So go ahead and ask her
For happy ever after
‘Cause nobody knows what’s coming
So why not take a chance on loving
Come on, pour the glass and tempt me
Either half-full or half-empty
‘Cause if it all comes down to flavor
The glass is tipping in my favor

Life gave me lemonade and I can’t imagine why
Born on a sunny day, beneath a tangerine sky
I live life without pretending
I’m a sucker for happy endings
Thanks for the lemonade
Thanks for the lemonade

Now take your time to answer me
For the beauty of romancing
Is to calm your trembling hand with mine
While begging love to fill your eyes
I can hardly breathe while waiting
To find out what your heart is saying
And as we’re swirling in this flavor
The world is tilting in our favor

I’ve got it made
Rest in the shade
And hold my love
While God above
Stirs with a spoon
We share the moon
Smile at the bees
More sugar please
He really loves us after all
We’re gonna need another straw
We’re gonna need another straw!!!

I need another straw. 🙂

8. Lasagna. Who doesn’t love lasagna?

7. Luke Skywalker. Anyone who knows me knows that I was one of the original Star Wars nuts, seeing the movie seventeen times the year it came out. Luke is the ultimate hero, is he not? And yet he also has a vulnerable side. For a long time, I saw him as the perfect man. Now I know better, but he still has a tremendous amount of charm.

6. LIght. Anyone who knows me also knows that I am a nut for lights and lamps. I like a room to have several options for lighting, as I feel that a large part of the comfort of any room comes directly from the lighting. Sunlight is also a great option, as is also moonlight slipping through the curtains. The one thing I hate is overhead lighting.

5. Library. I love to public library! In fact, I love any library. I love books and music and movies. Self explanatory.

4. Lip gloss. It looks and feels great, and sometimes even tastes delicious! But I like the kind that is mineral oil based, not waxy.

3. Lord of the Rings. I just purchased the Deluxe Extended Editions of all three movies. The story is classic, of course, and the music alone is good enough to keep on in the background as you are puttering around the house, doing other things. I may not be as big of a fan as some people I know, people who can recite every line of diolog, or know Aragorn’s family tree backwards and fowards, but I do enjoy LOTR in my own way.

2. Life. This one is obvious, isn’t it? I really do love life! Life is good.

1. Love. I love being in love! I wanted to say I love Russ, but neither his first, last nor middle name begin with L, though of the 18 letters in his complete name, four of them are L’s. I love the L’s in my lovey’s name! And, in general I have to say….I love being in Love!!

That’s my list. Anyone want a letter?

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MIXED EMOTIONS

Posted on August 5, 2006 by thathobbitlady

When was the last time I was here? It’s been a while. Well, here I am. I mean, I’ve been here all along, of course, I just haven’t been posting, but perhaps now as things are changing in my life, I will have a little more time for posting. More time for reflection.

The news is that Mary has gone away to college. I want to think of a way to explain this. I was going to say “This leaves a great hole in my life” and that’s true, but it sounds so negative. Well, it really *is* negative, because there is a great deal of sadness, and I miss her being right here. Mary is my buddy, and always will be. So yeah, this is a bummer, and it’s going to be an adjustment for me.

So there is the sadness. But that doesn’t mean I would want to change anything. I know this is the best move for her, and she is going to have a great time in Gainesville. I wouldn’t want to wish that away from her. I want what’s best for her, even tho it might make me sad for a while.

So it really is a mixed bag of emotions. The sadness, and the excitement, for both Mary and myself. Because I also am moving into the next stage of my life. Soon, within the next 3 to 5 months, I hope to be moving to Alabama. So, a certain number of changes have to happen first, leading up to this big change. Kids are growing up and going out on their own. It’s the natural order of things. It’s sad, but it’s good.

It might sound odd, but I am kind of “enjoying” this sadness. Not really, but what I mean is that because I know it is part of the natural progression, it’s okay. I want to go through all the stages that are a natural part of life.

So yes, things are changing. And perhaps at this time I will be inspired to once again use this journal, as a way to document those changes, to reflect and to ponder.

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BUFFY UPDATE

Posted on May 4, 2006 by thathobbitlady

It seems like it’s been such a long, long time since I’ve updated here. Well, it seems that way, and I guess it actually has been. But things are about to change, and for what better reason than this….a Buffy update!!

Russ and I are now solidly in the middle of Season 4. It seems like it’s taken a long time to get here, but at the same time that we’ve been watching Buffy, we also began watching Angel, which of course began its run on TV apparently the same time as Season 4 of Buffy. Each show, of course, stands on its own, yet somehow I find that they are indeed so much better together. Of course, there is that occassional mixing of the storylines, but mostly I think I like the picture I’m getting of the entire “Buffyverse.” If that makes sense.

Now as for Season 4, Russ insists it is not his favorite season. From where I sit, I would have to say I don’t share his sentiments. I thought I might have a hard time accepting all the new characters and situations our heroes find once they get to college, but surprisingly I feel quite comfotable in this new world. Maybe because I so well remember the excitement of starting college myself, being out on my own for the first time, and can relate somewhat (tho, sorry! Can’t relate to slaying vampires on a regular basis!)

Now the best part of course, is the change in Spike. He has always been an intriquing character, but somewhat one dimensional. Here in Season 4, he becomes deeper, more multidimensional. Yes, in a way he is “reduced to comic relief” but at the same time can’t you just feel his angst over that?

Missing Oz. Big time. And Russ is not a fan of Riley. I like him, but then from my vantage point midway through Season 4, perhaps there are yet a lot of things I do not yet know. Actually, I’m quite sure of it. Knowing this show, the surprise would not be any particular surprise, but it would be much more surprising if there turned out to be no *more* surprises.

So, Russ is not a big fan of Season 4. And yet, he has a friend who says it is his favorite season. Too early for me to tell. I still have Seasons 5 and 6 and even 7 to go! Wow! Hard to imagine ever getting that far along. But that day will come, I’m sure. In the meantime, enjoying the heck out of where I am.

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Posted on May 1, 2006 by thathobbitlady

what time? 1:32pm on Monday, May 1

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