First of 2008

See

I finally saw Juno last Saturday at the Neptune, and I've been praising it ever since. It's one of those rare times in cinema where the acting, music, editing, writing and directing all coalesce into something perfect. The film clearly has its own unique aesthetic - one might say similar to Wes Anderson, though the beauty is that while the story begins self-consciously - by the end it takes us somewhere truly sweet and genuine. The journey of the central character is mirrored by its tone. I will buy this when it comes out on DVD. I already have the soundtrack downloaded. What people are saying is true: the strength of the writing is what has pushed this movie to the top of the heap. I absolutely adored every minute of it. My face hurt a little bit from smiling, in fact.



...and for something completely different but equally satisfying...just finished up the first season of Dexter. It's the Showtime series about a serial killer who works in forensics and kills other serial killers. The first season is comprised of 12 episodes, and has a nice arc that culminates in a very dizzying finale. It took me until Episode 3 to really get into, but once I was hooked there was no turning back - no making plans even, until I had watched all episodes.

I hear CBS is going to start airing heavily edited versions of the first season in February, in an attempt to buoy ratings in the face of the writer's strike. I would discourage viewing it this way, as I just can't imagine what would be left. It's a show about serial killers!

Also interesting is the Miami it portrays - a much different Miami than Nip/Tuck in its first four seasons. More Cuban, less plastic.



Eat

One of my New Year's resolutions was to make less daily/nightly trips to the grocery store by stocking up better and planning meals in advance. Dan suggested we try Safeway.com and so far so good. Our first order gave us a week's worth of meals and some added bulge to the pantry. Last night was order #2. You place the order the night before and you then select a 2-hour window when you have to be home to sign for the delivery. A very nice man came to our house last week and even placed all the groceries on our dining room table.

The only downfall is that if some items aren't available, you aren't notified until the order comes. You aren't charged for them and you when you make the order you can select "substitutions" or "no substitutions." We only had 3 items that weren't in stock. Delivery fee is $9.95, but only $4.95 if your order is more than $150 or you are willing to give a 4-hour window. First time is free.



Drink

Seeing movies at Pacific Place, or really any trip to Pacific Place usually means stopping for a margarita at Mexico. They have a very extensive menu of my favorite cocktail (Mai Tai runs a close second), but my favorite right now is the Costa Margarita, a slight variation on the original by adding in some orange juice and a float of Grand Marnier Some other options include Hibiscus, Pomegranate and even Coconut. My second favorite is the El Matador, which ends up being more like two drinks since it is served with the shaker.

I think their food is great, too, if a tad expensive. I had their seafood quesadilla last weekend and it hit the spot without giving me that bloated feeling one sometimes gets from a plate of Mexican food.

And, it kind of feels Vegas-y to be drinking in a mall.



Read

I just finished up reading two books.

Chelsea Handler's My Horizontal Life: A Collection of One-Night Stands is not as dirty as it sounds, but just as hilarious as you'd expect from the comedienne with no allegiances. She recycles some of her jokes from story to story, and some of them I recognize her using on her show, but there's still plenty of fresh moments throughout. It's on par with David Sedaris of Augusten Burroughs in that "creative non-fiction" way of making "memoir" funnier through careful embellishments and clever asides.



Exploring Historic Hilo is just that, a pictorial look at the town's past with a sprinkling of reflections from various residents and explorers of the port town. It also comes with a nifty pull-out map that I'm sure will come in handy on my next trip therein June. Much of the pictures were made possible by the Lyman Museum, which I was lucky enough to explore a bit back in October and the that I hope to see on my next trip.



Remember

On New Year's Eve we decided to make coconut shrimp and ahi poke. Instead of fighting the crowds down to Uwajimaya, we found a spot right in our own neighborhood called Mutual Fish. It's a fresh seafood market on Rainier Ave, and clearly a local favorite. You get a number and wait until one of several workers behind the counter yells it out. You then scramble to the front, scream your order as loudly as possible and take your fish to the pay-out counter. It's all incredibly efficient and festive.

In addition to sashimi-grade tuna, one can find sea scallops, octopus, lobsters and a host of other oceanic treasures.

The shrimp and ahi were delectable!



Worry

It's time to take our cat, Caesar, to the vet for a routine check-up. He will be 10 years old this year. We've decided on Rainier Vet Clinic since it's close, reviews are good and they seem to have reasonable prices.

Caesar is a very healthy cat and I sure hope they don't find anything lurking in his little body.