It's Over

On Wednesday the auction I've been working on for just about three months finally ended. I felt such relief watching it close. The phone calls, the chaos, the constant emails are now finished and I can focus on my primary project. I helped raise a bunch of money for an incredibly good cause and now have that experience under my belt. Fundraising is an all mind body consuming process that I don't envy. The people who do it have drive, ambition and persistence. I did it for three months, and feel like a great calm has swept through.

This holiday weekend I read about 200 pages, wrote a good number of pages, saw 4 movies. Yes that's correct- 4! Actually 5 if you count the one Plosk and I watched at home yesterday. On Wednesday night we saw "The Queen." It was excellent. Superb acting, and a large dose of undemonstrative love...yep, it reminded me a lot of my mum. On Thursday, I went to Jersey with my family while Plosk drove up to CT. I then spent the evening alone in a highly productive fashion. Friday night a few hours after he got back to NY, we met up with Jacek to see "The Fountain." Plosk loved it. I liked it. However the acting was fabulous. Hugh Jackman really put himself out there and officially made me a Jackman fan. Not that his other work hasn't been good, but this reached a different level of emotion.

On Saturday morning Plosk and I caught a matinee of "Little Children" done by the same director who made "In the Bedroom." "Little Children" was interesting but not amazing. I won't say too much more. If someone wants to see it, I say go for it, but I don't recommend running out and seeing it if you weren't already inclined.

Later that evening we headed into the city to meet Steph and had dinner at my new favorite restaurant Candle Cafe. All I can say is I wish I could fit one of their chefs in my pocket. Their food is so scrumtious and Joy and Bart are just about the best hosts anyone could ask for. It's very tangible when someone loves what they do and feel that kind of devotion. They share it with all around them and send good vibes into the atmosphere. To top off an already wonderful evening, we saw "The Nightmare Before Christmas" in 3D (not 2D:) 3D) Plosk had shown me the film and I liked it. I appreciated the story and songs that were to become a very sweet part of our relationship as I'm sure it has for many others. But to see it in 3D, the detail just felt so real and so beautiful. I would highly recommend seeing it this way. I'm not sure anything else can compete.

Then Sunday we relaxed, hung out, and stayed in. We watched a documentary about Walmart- you know the one, "The High Cost of Low Prices." It was interesting but I didn't feel very well done. Perhaps they pulled out the sentimental card one too many times or didn't have enough faith in me as a viewer, but the film never strayed beyond it's own agenda. It could have made a larger statement about big business, about tyrant corporations or tied the problems that exist within Walmart to other problems, but they stayed inside their bubble. I can understand that, but it made the film lack context.

Tomorrow, I hand out 120 pages to my class. I'm home from work today feeling pretty blah. Hopefully by tomorrow morning I'll be back to my chipper self. Yep, I said it, chipper.

So hoorah for a great weekend filled with movies movies movies, reading and writing and quality time with my fam and Plosk. It was after all a much needed few days off.