I have misgivings about this mission but deep down I know we're doing the right thing

#2 Make alphabet cubes
Finished! Finally. I've taken a long time to get to this point with the alphabet cubes. It seemed both too easy and too hard. The weather didn't help - it's been so cold that I've been wrapped up in blankets and haven't been able to do any crafty things. However, after a concentrated effort last weekend they were mostly finished. Then on Saturday night I finished stitching the last one up. It was very exciting. Pictures to come.

#29 Learn basic Spanish
In honour of this year TDF winner, Carlos Sastre, I have purchased a Basic Spanish audio kit ready to start learning. I've also bought a book for Latin American Spanish speakers becasue it has some good advice - listen as much as you can before trying to speal. Spanish DVDs, here I come.

#76 Attend films I want to see - by myself if necessary
Ongoing task. I went to see 9 Film Festival movies, taking a couple of days off. All very interesting although the one I think I enjoyed the least was the one I was really looking foward to. Dead parents seemed to be the theme of the day. Not by choice. V. strange.
Barefoot Cinema - NZ Documentary. Alun Bollinger and his wife Helen (Albol + Helbol) talk about their lives and his career. Fascinating insight into someone who is able to live the way he wants and work the way he wants. Well, the way they want really. (The kind of people that I wish I could be if only there wasn't so much work and so little luxury involved.)
Encounters at the End of the World - Discovery Channel documentary with German director/narrator. V. funny documentary about workers in Antarctica. nice study of just how strange the environment (and people) are.
Garbage Warrior - Discovery Channel documentary. About an eco-architect and his crew. All the best and the worst of the eco-sustainable movement and the best and the worst of modern society and governance. Happily it looks as though eco-architect and clients are legally able to build their houses now.

Jinx Sister - NZ drama. Languid, powerful, amazing acting. Excellent script, good characters - can hardly tell it was made on a shoestring budget. (About two sisters who have coped with the death of their father (then mother) in different ways. One has been in LA and has now come back to NZ.)

O'Horten - um, Norwegian (?) drama/comedy. Random events that individually are hilarious and poignant but together add up to a very Odd film. Mother is dying.

The Savages - USA drama. Excellent performances by the two leads. About a brother and sister dealing with their father's slide into senility and his eventual death. (Their lives seem to start after he is dead and they no longer have to deal with their feelings about him.)

A Song for Good - NZ drama. A couple of unnecessary scenes which make the story about characters other than the main. Strange ending but appropriate to the movie. (Main character's mum is dead.)
Trouble is My Business - NZ documentary. Assistant Principal with responsibility for student wellbeing at Aorere College in South Auckland deals with truancy, fighting, racism, self-esteem etc. Powerful documentary which shows the struggle that schools have to keep students at school let alone teach them something. Very emotionally intelligent teacher. (Unfortunately will never be on TV; it deserves a wide NZ audience. )
Welcome to the Sticks - French comedy. Cute little film but I don't understand this thing about v. attractive women with averagely attractive men. v. funny in parts that weren't focused on the language difference. (no dead parents!)

what we have here is a failure to masticate *

#37 See a film at the Matakana theatre
I went to see "Once" in Matakana last night. Bit of a trek to get up there (80mins return) but the theatre was lovely and the film was great. I had a chocolate ice-cream waffle cone and a flat white. I could have had a glass of wine but it was dark and scary out there on the roads so coffee seemed like the best option. I was in the Roxy theatre - styled in blue fabrics woven across the ceiling with flocked wallpaper on the walls. Very comfy seats and a good sized side table. There are lazy boys at the front of the theatre but I think you'd have to crane your neck up to see the screen. Guess that's why the seats recline!

COMPLETE/ONGOING
I've adjusted a few of the completed/in progress tasks to "COMPLETE/ONGOING" to better describe their nature. After all, #9 Meditate should be an ongoing process and having listed as complete does not really say what I'm aiming for.
Here's a list...
#9 Meditate
#25 Live eco-smart - recycling etc
#68 Replace lightblubs with eco-friendly ones
#76 Attend films I want to see - by myself if necessary

* David Hewlett on the messy eating habits of his son

I'm pretty sure there will be bees

#86 A-Z reading challenge - authors

Kingsolver, Barbara "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle"
About the author and her family spending one year eating locally, which for them means eating as much from their own garden as possible (while not being too precious about it (although this is a woman who hasn't eaten bananas in years in protest at the gas they use getting to the USA.))
What did I think?
This has made me more determined to eat locally, in season and also possibly to go organic. I've read lots about this and always think this is a good idea but never quite get going on it. Hopefully this time it will be different. There will be some challenges to overcome. We don't live on a farm. We live in a rented, steep, sea-view suburban house. Growing things to eat isn't something that I have grown up doing - the garden was always my Dad's area of expertise. We are both people who find it easier to keep doing the things we have always done because they are easier rather than making a bit of extra effort to change. Oh, and our fridge freezes anything lower than the second shelf in random and mysterious ways. Recommended. (The book not dodgy cooling units.)

Lackey, Mercedes "Sanctuary"
The final book in a triology following the adventures of a former serf who has risen to become the leader of a group of new style dragon riders.
What did I think?
Had to read this to finish off the set. Not her best work.

Morris, Paula "Trendy but Casual"
About publicity girl Jane who is told she is "ugly on the inside" by a street person (bag lady? Crazy woman? Can't remember the term) and then spends the rest of the book trying not to be while interacting with a large cast of characters.
What did I think?
A much easier read than her first one "Hibiscus Coast" (local! to me!) as this is more in the vein of the 'Shoppaholic' series rather than a look at art forgery through a detached narrator. Easy and with a much lighter plot (which doesn't mean better as I enjoyed the other one as well.) Recommended.

#76 Attend films I want to see - by myself if necessary.
Watched the inspiration for this task on DVD today -"Hot Fuzz". Laughed until I cried. Am having lots of luck with funny English comedies at the moment.

#31 Go away for a romantic weekend
Left early on Saturday morning to drive up to the Farmers market in Matakana. Bought beers, (bit of advice - if you buy beer from the Leigh Sawmill Brewers make sure to take a note of which type of beer matches which colour sticker and then mark all the other cans so you know which is which) lemons, dried banana chips, (if we eat local within 100km (seems to be the thing although it's the 100 mile diet overseas which would give us a few more kms to play with (another 60 in fact)) we can still have bananas) spicy hot chocolate and whitebait fritters. Drove over to Pakiri then to Leigh, winding our way back to Matakana taking every turn to a beach and going via Snells Beach. Paused at a local tea cafe (recommended - if only I could remember the name - it's on the roundabout corner opposite the cinema and shares the space with a stitching shop and soon potters and something else) before holing up in the motel for a quick rugby break. Decided not to go to the movies as there wasn't anyting on that we really wanted to see. Went to dinner at the place downstairs - delicious, expensive and we left pretty soon because we gatecrashed a table - then spent slightly longer in the wine bar upstairs. Spent some of the movie money on a bottle of a delicious local red. Next morning we'd planned to go to breakfast at a place in Warkworth but it wasn't open so we went to the Queen Street cafe and had a great breakfast there. Took the backroad to Puhoi before stopping at the Cheese factory. Spent teh rest of the movie money on cheese, took in a couple of open homes and then went to our home. About 3 minutes after we had unpacked the van it bucketed down. Great weekend looking around places we usually just drive through/past.

You are not alone.

Went out yesterday with LoM to get new tramping boots. I thought it would take an hour or so...four hours later I managed to find some. Apparently that was very good in terms of how long it could have taken. Really good shop assistants in all the shops we went to as well which makes a nice change. Knowledgeable and helpful. Plus the boots are surprisingly comfortable. I guess they should be - they cost enough! I'm all ready for #84 Walk Auckland/Atuanui mountain on August 12. Just checking out the thermos to see whether it would be suitable to take with us. Hopefully the heavy rain will stay away - I don't mind a little bit of rain but I'd rather not get soaked!

Other progress areas
#35 Cook through the Edmonds cookbook
The more I do this the less scary baking becomes. I have no trouble whipping up a cake or a batch of biscuits after dinner. Our cupboards are well stocked with baking ingredients.

#87 A-Z reading challenge - titles
"Pride and Prejudice" Jane Austen
The original chicklit novel - girl meets boy, girls dislikes boy, boy thinks girl's family are embarassing, boy reluctantly falls in love with girl, boy declares himself, girl is incredulous, boy goes away, girl suffers period of angst and consternation then it all works out in the end.
What did I think?
It took me a while to get into this novel. Orginally I wondered what the hell I'd gotten myself into (bad vibes for #19 Read all of Jane Austen) but then I came to appreciate the elgeance of some of her sentences. So in the end I quite enjoyed it. I took it to the last film of the film festival (for me at least.) Funnily enough one of the actors in that film was in the latest film version of the book I had just read. Everything is linked right?

That film was "Death at a funeral". (#76 Attend films I want to see - by myself if necessary.) This choice for me was a bit of a wild card. I liked one of the actors in it but wasn't sure that it was actually a valid reason for going. Boy was I glad that I had decided to go! Very very funny. I was wiping tears away at one stage. Nicely paced and edited - there was a section of high comedy then one of high drama. The whole theatre went silent. Quite a good result considering it was packed out (at the Civic) and had moments before been in hysterics. Sure, there were some over the top moments, but it could be forgiven in that environment. Best seen in a large theatre with lots of people. (There was applauding after this film which I totally understood.)

#86 A-Z reading challenge - authors
Izzard, Eddie "Dressed to kill"
An old title (almost ten years old) written when Mr Izzard was just starting to get into films and become known over here in NZ. Musings on life with a bit of biography thrown in.
What did I think?
Another wild card choice - I wasn't sure what to read so I thought I'd search the library catalogue for the first last author listed in the "I"s. I think I'd already read it but I found it interesting all the same. I'd just read an interview so it was a lucky coincidence that this book came up. Lots of fun if you don't mind philosophy and the occasional tangent in your biographies.

Shut up just shut up shut up *

#57 Have a cheap-as-chips movie day - all movies, all day
(also counts for #66 Attend some festival events - arts, literature, movies etc. and #76 Attend films I want to see - by myself if necessary)

Done and done. Four movies in one day. I thought they started at 11am and that I'd missed the start because of the traffic. Then it turns out they started at 11:30am so all was good.


First two films were at Sky City village theatre. Nice, comfy seats and places to put your drink. Next one was at the Civic. Luckily it was a short one becaus those seats weren't very comfortable. Plus I got an itch and fidgeted all the way through the film. The last one was at the SkyCity Theater. Comfy seats but nowhere to put a drink except on the floor. And they had the sound too loud. I kept wanting to put my hands over my ears!

"A world of shorts" - Short films from around the world. Top one - "Family Reunion"About a girl from Iceland who has moved to New York. She has a girlfriend there who her family doesn't know about. Then she goes back to Iceland for a family party where she thinks her secret has been discovered. Excellent twist at the end. Some other thought provoking films in the lot too.
"The great happiness space" - Japanese host clubs where men encourage women to come and party (i.e. get drunk and shout a lot. Oh, and moon over their host.) Very interesting. I thought the host men were a bit like geisha in that they provide support and emotional comfort to the woman who go there. It was quite sad in that host clubs were quite expensive, so to support their 'habit' the women they interviewed had moved into sex trades to get the money. Therefore it was a bit of a revolving circle of sorrow and money and sex and desperate attempts to feel something and manipulation and lies and deceit.
"Manufactured landscapes" - This wasn't what I was expecting so I didn't really get into it until after the film. It was about a photographer who interprets man-made landscapes. During the course of his career he has come across many interesting created landscapes which show the influence that manufacturing has had on the environment and on people's lives. Some of his phtotos were amazing - great, enormous caverns that were quarries, making huge dumptrucks look tiny. Large factories in China where there are over 50 rows of workers (a shot of the factory opened the film. I didn't count but it must have gone on for several minutes, just dolly-ing down the side.) He had a few pictures that showed the end-life of some things we use - ships that are taken apart by hand and computer components that were melted down and all useable metal salvaged. He didn't really come out and say "You idiots! Look what your desire for stuff has done to these people and this country and it will be only a matter of time before this impacts on your lives!" but you could tell that he had thought about the consequences of his actions and what he does etc. I think it would be a good companion piece to "An Inconvenient truth" (which I have not seen) and "The Planet" (which I will see next week.)
"Helvetica" - about the font. Wonderfully done. The font is treated like a person with its history delved into and opinions on it from a number of graphic artists. They are all interesting people if slightly manic. I love the way they describe how the font makes them feel, what it reminds them of and why (or why not) they use it. The most surprising thing to me was how many people were NOT graphic artists (all the articles I've read seem surprised by the opposite.) The director was there and told a great story - apparently he is now tired of Helvetica and sees it everywhere. On Sunday he went out to Piha and climbed Lion Rock. What should he see but Helvetica on the sign. Priceless :) However, his doco was not priceless. All financed by Mr Visa so if you get a chance go see it, buy the DVD and download the music. (All available later this year.)



#87 A-Z reading challenge - titles
"On a hoof and a prayer : around Argentina at a gallop" by Polly Evans.
About a woman who rides around Argentina on a horse.

What did I think?
It was interesting to compare this book with the Llama book. Both women travelling alone. Polly has also written a great book about cycling through Spain. Their attitude was certainly different - Polly being a bit more concerned about appearances and comfort and eating well. This one was okay. Read the book that's "Not about the Tapas" rather than this one for a better travel story. Bussing somewhere and then jumping on a horse was interesting but not as gritty as the cycle story.

*song title/chorus

ma easy goin' nature is being sorely fuckin tested

#87 A-Z reading challenge - titles

"Ivy tree" by Mary Stewart
About an individual who impersonates another individual ostensibly to get some cash from her co-conspirators but then it turns out that she may not be what she seems. There's a couple of handsome men, a doting sister, dying grandfathers, thwarted love affair and possible Roman ruins.

What did I think?
I like Mary Stewart. I really do. I especially liked her King Arthur series. And there's another one - something to do with greyhounds? But this I hated. It felt like reading for an assignment. The format didn't help - old, brown falling apart paperback with text that had started to bleed across the page. Maybe it's because the story is so set in it's time - with different norms and expectations. Or maybe it's the way they all refered to each other as 'darling' or the creepy sister love. *shudder* (Found through Unshelved book club - "Ivy tree" here.)


"Joust" by Mercedes Lackey
About a serf who is rescued from his serf-y life by a dragon rider (aka a 'Jouster') who takes him into the dragon compound and teaches him about caring for a dragon. This 'Jouster' has trained his dragon from an egg so they have a bond that the other riders (who steal their dragons when they are young and then entrust their care to others who ensure they are drugged up) lack.

What did I think?
Alert readers will note a similarity between this one and the 'A' title book. This is the beginning of the series and it makes so much more sense now. (There is definitely a bonus in reading a series in order.) So this time there didn't seem to be so much action going on in the background of the story. The character had his troubles and managed to work through them. I'm pretty lazy so reading about how hard someone works is always fun. Still, not her best title.

#76 Attend films I want to see - by myself if necessary
Didn't have to attend this one by myself - Transformers. This movie is nothing but action action action. Plus a bit of talking in between. Seriously - how wrong can you go with shiny vehicles, Shia LaBoeuf, men in uniforms and lots and lots of guns? Just leave your brain at the door and have a good time. More than meets the eye baby!

Wot duz yr hart tel u

Peanut brownies. Ahh, how delicious you were. Another recipe from the Edmonds (#35) down. If I make them again (and I think I will) I'll let the peanuts cool down before mixing them in. They were a bit warm after roasting and kept falling out of the mixture which meant I had to keep stuffing them back. They were also concentrated in certain areas not spread through. The peanuts on top are on purpose though - I think it helps the look of a biscuit to have something tasty on top.

#86 Complete A-Z reading challenge - authors.

Doyle, Roddy "Not just for Christmas"
A heartwarming tale of two brothers who finally come face to face after not seeing each other for over 20 years.

What did I think? Well, I feel like I cheated with this one. It's part of an adult literacy series. therefore it's short. It's short, but it's good. A bit of tension, some laughs and a sweet ending. It feels like a longer book condensed into a plot outline. Great quick read.


Alas, poor #100 Send Power company the key to the house. It feels like the universe is conspiring against you and you are not meant to be completed. I've had the key but not the form; I've had the form but not the key; I've had the form and the key but no envelope; I've had the form, the key and the envelope but no postbox; I've had the post box...but no envelope with the form and the key. It's been at least 3 years since I first tried to get you done. Tomorrow I will make a concerted effort to finish you off.


#76 Attend films I want to see - by myself if necessary. Not so much attend as watch for this one. I haven't seen "Brokeback mountain" yet. Good 'ole library DVD collection. Hopefully it will come through before the weekend so I can watch it when my boyfriend isn't here. He's seen bits and says "it isn't [his] thing".

#68 Replace lightblubs with eco-friendly ones . I'm not planning to replace them all - just the lightbulbs that we leave on for a long time. I have bought two as a starter and plan to replace the lightbulbs in the lounge when they go. They are frosted so we won't get the same 'star-burst' effect as we get now but that's okay. (The lampshade is slatted (original retro 70s) so un-frosted lightblubs shine through and cast a groovy shadow on the ceiling. It used to annoy me but now I like it.)

Am feeling quite tired so I believe that '#73 Have a regular nap on the weekend ' will get an airing this weekend. I used to have a regular nap on Sunday afternoon when I was cycling a lot. Now I don't feel that I deserve it. Maybe I could convince a friend to go cycling with me again on Sunday morning (maybe to a cafe??) so I can feel virtuous again. About having a nap at least.

Maybe I will #5 tomorrow.