Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Bullet Points

I don't really have any one thing to talk about today, but there have been several things I've been meaning to mention to you all that never quite make it into a post of their own. So I'm just going to collect a bunch of them below:
  • Although I fantasize about it, I know in reality I probably wouldn't have loved to live in the times of King Henry VIII and the castles and the big dresses and all of that. It would have been too hot or cold, I would hate all of the drama, and a lot of it would be uncomfortable/awkward/tedious. I just like all of the flirting and the dresses and the fancy banquets and stuff. It would be fun to be a cast member of the Tudors so you could enjoy all of that without having to live back then.
  • Lately I've been using Pantene for curls on my hair. Because I can't afford Wen anymore. I was using Garnier Fructisse but the Pantene is even cheaper and it's awesome. I use that and then their leave-in conditioner on the ends when I get out of the shower. I hardly ever have to use anything else now. I highly recommend it for curly or frizzy hair, it's moisturizing without being too heavy. A black friend recommended it to me and said it was awesome on her hair too.
  • For self tanner, L'Oreal's Sublime Bronzing is inexpensive, doesn't smell bad and goes on easily without streaking. I haven't used it recently because I've been lazy and unsocial, but in the past I'd use it two nights in a row after a shower but before bed, and got lots of compliments on my tan. I am normally the first to do semi-permanent damage when trying new beauty treatments, and I've never had an issue with this stuff so it must be foolproof.
  • I'm totally in love with Netflix and could live without t.v. (no one else in the house could, but I could). I looooooooove documentaries, and recently watched "The Devil and Daniel Johnston" (brilliant, amazing, genius, well-produced) and a documentary called "Girlhood" about troubled teen girls that they keep track of for several years. Both were great. I watched a true story called "An American Crime" with Ellen Page (love her!) and it was the saddest shit ever and you shouldn't see it. Really, don't. Read the book if you must.
  • I'm reading the 19th Wife and it is SO GOOD. Wow! Amazingly well-written. The characters are rich, the history is interesting, the story line is compelling, I love it. THAT'S the type of writer I want to be when I grow up. I have so much admiration (and envy) for authors who write good fiction. I read an article the other day that said something like 1 in 4 adults didn't read one book last year. I always feel bad for people who aren't readers, it is such a great escape from life. If you haven't read a book lately, you should try again.
  • We've been having Hobo Packs for dinner sometimes because they are cheap, easy and fun! We crumble a handful of hamburger with A-1 mixed in, some chopped carrot, potato and celery and some salt and pepper into a foil square that we fold up. I make one for each of us and broil them on 500 for 45 minutes. They would be great for camping (which we hope to do soon, although I am admittedly not much of a camper).
  • Reggie is getting ginormously fat. His leg is still gimpy, but I've ordered him a wheel to run on. I really can't imagine him running on it because he doesn't really like to do anything other than snuggle and sleep.
  • I used my birthday money on curtains for the living room. I'm disappointed by how practical that decision was.

17 comments:

MzLiz said...

I'm with you on the Netflix thing, Ashley. I love, love, love Netflix. Our local Blockbuster only has horror and low level "new releases", so I finally bit the bullet and signed up for Netflix. I love documentaries, independent, classic and foreign films --- Grey Gardens (is awesome), 51 Birch Street (interesting family saga), An Ideal Husband (fun period drama), Roman Holiday (dorky, but who can resist Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn?), am now awaiting the 3rd "John Adams" dvd (great historical drama--hbo series--I don't have hbo).

Unknown said...

Grey Gardens is on my list, I'll add the others.

For those who like unusual movies, Closet friend/Flapjack writer/Arthur Kade-enabler Kent Osborne was in a movie called Hannah Takes the Stairs that was really cool. The script was mostly improvised and it was low budget and really quirky and character-driven. I loved it. AND you get to see him naked playing a trumpet at the end.

miss. chief said...

i saw a "zonkey" at a petting zoo once but they called it a "zedonk"

it wasn't as cute as that one though, it just looked like...well...a stripy donkey.

KMServino said...

I love a good book too! I think my best reading score was 19 books in 3 months. The said part was they were ALL Danielle Steel books...

This HoBo pack you speak of...hmm, this sounds good. Although I think I may try making it on the stove (like brown the mixture first) and then mix it with beef rice a roni. Kinda like a hobo rice. Hmm...

Allison said...

19th wife rocked. Pantene is good for straight fine hair, too. Mary kay has the best self tanner - sorry. And netflix rocks my world.

Lists are fun!

A. J. Lewis said...

"An American Crime" was a super sad story! Another good pre-Juno Ellen Page movie is "Hard Candy". It is pretty interesting and has some good cinematography.

Alissa said...

I have been using the Pantene for Curly hair for several years now and I LOVE it! I use the shampoo and conditioner and the mouse. I think my hair is really soft and it does a decent job of bringing out the curls and keeping the frizz away. The mouse doesn't leave my hair crunchy or anything. I am a big fan too! We are also Netflix fans too. We refuse to use Blockbuster anymore. They suck. We have an XBOX 360 and we can instant stream from there onto the tv. They have all kinds of kid movies and tv shows too. It is great!

Jennifer said...

I saw An American Crime and you are right. It was horrible, and the fact that it was true.... I can't even imagine. Just so, so much was wrong everything that happened. I don't understand how that much sickness could come together all at once.

I just buy whatever shampoo is on sale that I have a coupon for. But I'm starting to run out of my stash so I'll try to watch the ads for some Pantene sales.

I love to read, but I like junk. But I did read the Kite Runner recently and it was so, so good. Very interesting. Actually I think I found that recommendation on your blog.

And all I can think about living in another time period is that I probably would have been a peasant, and that wouldn't have been very much fun.

Katie said...

Thanks for the tip on the Pantene for curls - I've been thinking about trying it but didn't want to waste the money if it wasn't good. And I've been looking for a good bronzer. We only have like a week of summer here in Minnesota so I need to find something to hide my ghostly whiteness!

because I said so said...

I haven't seen An American Crime...not sure I want to, but there is another movie based on the murder of Sylvia Likens called The Girl Next Door. Equally disturbing.

Nikky said...

Netflix is aweome, the boyfriend and I used it to catch up on Supernatural. And we discovered that the "Evening With Kevin Smith" thing on the instant-watch lists were funny as hell.

I'm a big reader too, I can't even imagine how anyone could not like it. I have a lot of friends who say, "I don't have time," but have 13 TV shows every week. Or they can't get into books. How is that even possible? No book? Ever?! I always have a book in my hand. I buy purses with "needs to fit a book" on the must-have list.

Joy said...

I want a Zonkey too! They are so adorable!!

MzLiz said...

Another movie--- Grizzly Man--about Timothy Treadwell. Haunting and disturbing---nothing shown is gory, but don't think it is appropriate for you kids.

Life, Love And Lola said...

I see a Zonkey in your future!

MzLiz said...

I meant for "your" kids

Hippie at Heart said...

Grey Gardens is AMAAAAYzing! Watch the original documentary first then watch the HBO movie & marvel that is the insanity of Big & Little Edie. They are fascinating. You've never seen anything like it! And the HBO movie. Wow! Drew Barrymore & Jessica Lange are dead on. It's great!

I'm a documentary junkie. I look forward to watching a couple of the ones you mentioned that I haven't seen yet.

Amy said...

I once spent my birthday money on curtains - we had eight windows in our living room with beautiful dark woodwork and I found the perfect curtains, but they were pretty expensive. I had just enough birthday money to get those perfect curtains for all eight windows. It was a depressingly "adult" decision and although I still have the curtains, I still remember all the more frivolous things I wished I'd bought.