movies – hannah ananas

Give some credits

At the end of a good movie or show, when the credits music is right, I love to dance to it. Especially if the movie was a happy one and one where things were accomplished, I am already in a celebratory and happy mood. Put on some great music that makes one want to move, and I am so on board. I, too, want to accomplish things and be happy and take on the world successfully, like they did in the movie (or, sometimes, show). The story followed by the music just makes me want to jump up and dance wild and freely right there in the living room. I love living room dancing period, and this is one of those living room dancing times that is particularly goofy and fun. It’s just great and so freeing…

I have yet, however, to find anyone since my childhood who enjoys doing this with me. When I first began visualizing the partner I wanted to have in life, back as a teenager or, possibly, pre-teen, I had these visions of the two of us dancing together in the living room of a cabin-in-the-woods type of house, in front of the fireplace, on the big living room rug. I wanted this to be a nightly occurrence, really.

Alas, that has yet to happen. It has partly happened, in that I got my man to dance with me a couple times to this long, thrumping song that plays at the end of the Mandalorian episodes. But that’s it for the living room dancing. Otherwise, I’m the only one who hops up after a film to dance around and have fun. I seem to be the only one who’ll dance around at all, really…

Guess I’ll have to work on that with him, because I really want to dance with him both at home and at dance things and anywhere at all. My first guess is that he likely is like most people – how I myself was at one point – in that he likely feels a lack of confidence in his ability to ‘dance around’ or dance spontaneously and freely/free-form, and so feels embarrassed whenever he attempts it, and, therefore, avoids it.

Here’s to hoping we can resolve whatever it is for him that holds him back from being silly and dancing with me, because it is such a wonderful experience to go wild with dancing in the living room. Cheers.

Dear God, please, heal us all. In your name, we pray. Amen.

Post-a-day 2023

That non-nutritive cereal varnish

I felt like I was truly in “Christmas Vacation” yesterday, when I poured myself a bowl of Cap’n Crunch cereal. You see, this bag of cereal has been open for months, truly. And it has been not just open but not even clipped shut the past month and a half, at least. Basically, there was no way I was expecting anything other than stale, slightly squishy and likely no-crunch cereal when I went to bite into this cereal. No way. This is Houston, Texas. We don’t have non-stale cereal that has been opened more than a couple weeks at most, and that’s with a good, tight roll and bag clip.

No, there was just about zero chance this cereal would be anything more than slightly-satisfying stale stuff.

And yet, as I bit down on the first two pieces, just to have a sample before eating it with (almond) milk, I was shocked with a genuine, solid, and real CRUNCH!

My immediate thought was, It’s that non-nutritive cereal varnish! No joke.

Not sure of what that means? Well, do read:

“Oh, the Crunch enhancer? Yeah, it’s a non-nutritive cereal varnish. It’s semi-permiable. It’s not osmotic. What it does is it coats and seals the flake, prevents the milk from penetrating it.”

Still lost as to where I’ve gained this bizarrely unique information about cereal? Allow me:

Clark: I went ahead and I put a 7500-dollar deposit down on it.

Bill: You're the last true family man.

Mr. Shirley, approaching: Mark!

Clark, sipping: Mmh. Clark.

[silence]

Clark: That's Bill, sir.

[silence]

Mr. Shirley: Are you the one who was working on that non-nutritive cereal varnish?

Clark: Yes, sir.

Mr. Shirley: I’ve gotta give a speech to a trade group. I'd like to mention it. Write up a brief summary and have it to me by the end of the day.

Clark: My pleasure.

Mr. Shirley: Layman's terms! None of that inside bullshit jargon that nobody understands.

Clark: Yes, sir.

[Shirley starts to leave]

Clark: Oh, Mr. Shirley… Ah, we got your Christmas card the other day, and my family and I are very flattered that you remembered us.

[silence]

Associate: Corporate cards.

[silence]

Mr. Shirley: Don't forget that report, Bill.

Clark: Yes, sir. Thank you. Merry Christmas…

Merry Christmas. Merry Christmas. Merry Christma— Kiss my ass. Kiss his ass. Kiss your ass.

Happy Hanukkah.

My own personal serving of cereal with an almost-definite non-nutritive cereal varnish that worked wonders! 😛

Happy almost Christmas in July! ‘Tis the season, ne?! 😛

Post-a-day 2023

First Impressions

‘I didn’t really like [———] at first.’

‘I didn’t either… She was very much a ‘CrossFit You got this!’ coach as her first impression… Maybe she’s just really shy.’

‘Maybe.’

‘I really like her now, though. She’s really cool.’

‘Yeah. I like her, too.’

The casual conversation during an absolutely terrible movie that I forgot wasn’t actually a Hallmark Christmas movie, but a NETFLIX(!!!) one… 1) That movie was shockingly terrible in all respects, despite the premise being cute. 2) I wonder how often a shy person in a setting that requires extroverted interactions gets a bad rap, when, really, everyone actually would love the person, given a different initial setting.

Post-a-day 2022

P.S. “The Noel Diary”… I’ve warned you. Enjoy! 😛

A touch of research…

… has determined that, as I expected from the Rosary recordings, Mark Wahlberg was Catholic from childhood (perhaps from age 13). Why I believed this to be the case initially was due to how he says the prayers. Firstly, there is a comfort and ease about them that comes only from much time and practice spent with the prayers. Secondly, he has the cadence of them as they are actually said in Church, which is again something that comes with much time and exposure. And thirdly, he says a few words different from how they occur in the official version of the prayer. These are words that, I believe, would be easy mistakes when learning the prayers aurally, by listening, which is mostly how we learn them as children. For example, in the Our Father, instead of, “Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses,” he says, “Give us this day our daily bread, but forgive us our trespasses…” Also, at the end of the O, My Jesus prayer, the line is, “…especially those in most need of thy mercy.” Mark Wahlberg says, “…especially those in most need of thine mercy.” If he had been reading the words, he would have noticed and corrected his errors, I believe. And the only reason he wouldn’t be reading them is because he is already so familiar with them, he can say them by heart.

Anyway, that’s where we are now with it all. He was Catholic already as a kid after all, it seems. However, the film is a great story filled with lots of opportunities to cry one’s eyes out. It ends with a happy feeling inside (just for those who need to know that before watching movies with sad stuff in them).

Here’s the trailer and a small message from Mr. Mark Wahlberg himself about how he wanted to share this story with the world: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=DHREzAdyCPs&feature=emb_title

Post-a-day 2022

Is it true??

Did Marky Mark really convert to Catholicism after portraying Father Stu in the film by the same name?? I must look into this. My man already said we need to watch that film as soon as possible (and that he would watch it tonight, if I weren’t going to be ready to watch it very soon). This could be a very intriguing turn of events here…

Dun-dun-dunnnnnnnnn!!!!!!

Post-a-day 2022

Trans-patio/table Conversations

“Dumm dumm dumm dumm dumm Dummm…”

For those who can’t read notes out of words, that’s the opening theme to Downton Abbey, and the ring tone that played from a nearby table at lunch today. A minute or so afterward, the girl behind me was talking across the patio to the woman who, I’d guessed, was the owner of the source of the ring tone. The girl behind me was mentioning hearing Downton Abbey…, I casually joined in on how I’d definitely recognized it, too. They mentioned about a movie, or possibly another one coming out, and then, If you like Downton Abbey, you should check out Outlander! I said that I was reading the books, and they were great but filled with ups and downs with the joys and sadnesses. The ring tone girl agreed. The girls at the table behind me were intrigued. I mentioned that my mom heartily recommends Outlander, too, the show. We had a few more comments and giggles, and then finally turned back to our respective tables fully as my dad sat back down at our table, rejoining me from his bathroom stop.

Three of us had mostly held the conversation among our three tables, though five of us had been involved. It was awesome.

And then, my dad asked what we had been discussing. I gave him a quick recap, and then he said, ‘Oh, I’ve seen it. The movie. It’s good.’

Jaw. Drop.

I hadn’t even known about this Downton Abbey film, and my dad has already seen and liked it?? Haha Ridiculously wonderful.

Thank you, God and Universe, for such a lovely surprise of lunchtime today. May you continue to guide me to be your love in the world through all that I am and all that I do. In your name, I pray. Amen.

Post-a-day 2022

(Barely got it^…)

No way

I’m reading a sort of murder mystery ‘with a great plot twist’, as it was recommended to me this week. However, I had a sudden panic that there might be a dude living in the walls of this old house. If that is the case, I can not and will not do this book. No way. A film I was semi-forced to watch last year had that in jt, and it is still haunting for me. I just don’t do freaky crap like that. Ugh! I have too good a brain and memory to waste its effort or space on anything of that genre. I love a good problem-solve or Agatha Christie, but this one has me worried. I already have stopped listening to it close to or after dark, and it’s only the second day (and that rule started yesterday, actually). I asked the girl who recommended it to me, and she hasn’t replied yet. I’ve asked a buddy if he would look up a summary for me to find out about that specifically, and let me know if I need to stop reading it, but I haven’t heard back from him yet either. I think he’ll do it, though, as he tends to understand that I am just plain odd, and so something like that is a crazy yet important request for me. That isn’t to say that won’t comment on how bizarre I am, or even make fun of my total wuss-ness. But that is nothing. 😛

I just need to know if I can read this book or not. I’m already freaked out in bed tonight, and I’ve only just started this book! And someone is teaching downstairs but moved the porch monitoring camera, and that has me super freaked out. This book is scaring me, and it isn’t even scary yet… ugh!

Post-a-day 2021

HBD, HP

Well, I saw “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” in the cinema tonight. Though it’s release date for the US was actually 16 November, in celebration of the 20th calendar year, the local theatres had a showing of it twice this week, and I went tonight! I still remember seeing the original release, and being so frustrated with all the changes from the book. 😛 Nonetheless, I love the film series as a sort of off-shoot from the books, a quick way to remember and jump into the world of them, without having to read the whole books themselves. Plus, those kids got to be gorgeous as they grew up. 😛

So, happy 20 years, Harry Potter, the first film!

Post-a-day 2021

Whatever happened to movies?

Whatever happened to watching movies?

And I don’t mean simply in the theatre. I mean watching them period.

It feels like everyone my age and younger doesn’t watch films. They put on a film – or sometimes attend one in a theatre – , and then spend a handful of seconds or minutes here and there, all throughout the film, checking their phones, or giving their attention elsewhere entirely.

Many of them talk during the film, too, and not just at the music or quiet parts – when actors are in active dialogue.

Half the time, that all then leads to their missing some vital piece of the story or a character, they end up asking questions and talking over even more of the film and dialogue, or they just miss it all completely and have no idea that they missed anything at all.

I no longer wonder at my being given so many recommendations for terrible films – none of these people are even paying enough attention to know if the film is terrible or not. They only see snippets, in the first place, and most good films will seem boring, because they are missing all the wonderful parts that make a great film great.

But does this really surprise me much? I think not. I have experienced consciously for years a lack of people’s being present in life. The same person will tell me the same thing multiple times, as though it is important and new… I pay attention and am present in those conversations, and therefore could tell the story myself, in his or her own words, I’ve heard it so many times.

I’m growing tired of this. Conversations on repeat is exhausting, especially when they carry so much emotion on the telling side.

I watch a film to be an immersed observer of an alternate world for a short time, to experience life from another’s perspective. I do not watch it to fill the time between my comments, to keep me company because I am uncomfortable being with myself. Sure, I have put on a movie to keep me company before, but it is always something I know well, and I don’t talk all over it, even then. Just like I don’t talk all over others, when they are talking to me.

But, even in the cinema, people have their phones out, and seem to have no idea of their disregard for the story that is telling itself on the big screen up front. That is someone’s hard-worked art – a lot of someone’s’, truly. If people aren’t here to experience and honor the set, why bother? They can look at their phones at home or anywhere else, talk with their friends (and over their friends) anywhere else. But either be here or be there – do not pretend you are in either place, if you will not be there fully. Pick a place, and be present there, fully. Period. It is a disservice to all creation to do any less.

Post-a-day 2021

The force was with me

This morning, while putting together my supplements for the month, I had a desire to watch a Star Wars film. So, I turned it on and enjoyed it while doing the supplements.

Then, I went to work out with a friend at midday. It was awesome, of course.

Afterward, I immediately rushed to meet my dad at an open house we both were excited to see. It’s a house I’ve seen for most of my life, always wondering how it looks on the inside. The outside, of course, does not look like a house. It looks like a space ship out of a Star Wars film. Oh, wait…, because it actually was designed after one! So, it’s a Star Wars-themed house. Truly.

Get ready.

This evening, I sit down to my coding training work for the day. What is the while theme for the first topic of the day? Star Wars villains! So, I got to do some coding regarding the Star Wars films and their respective villains!

How crazy and silly and fun is that??? Three appearances of Star Wars in a single day…, and I almost never watch films these days, so even that one was a surprise on its own!

Oh, and by the way, the house was ridiculous and awesome. It felt like a high end, lounge-y space ship from Star Wars would have been. Totally.

Post-a-day 2021