It’s been a week of recovering. Recovering from cellulitis, recovering from the depression fog of Buffy’s death. Neither of these things are ‘over,’ but each new day is better than the last. Both the metaphorical and physical bruise hurt incrementally less and less and, I guess, that’s all I can hope for.
And, a bright spot, there were some favorites for this week.
Favorite Lesson: Firstly, I learned that the ballet wasn’t for me.
I love art. I love art in so many forms. And even when something is decidedly NOT for me, I still love it and can find something in it to appreciate. Ballet, I think, just doesn’t speak to me.
It’s a marvel. It’s incredibly cool to see athletes at their pinnacle performing in tandem, the symphony of the orchestra, all the lighting and tech crew working together, and yet…
It’s slow. I think that’s my problem. The storytelling itself is just a touch too slow for me and, after thirty minutes, I felt like I’d had enough.
This. Is. Awesome. I am SO happy to learn that about myself! I also can’t wait to talk to people who do love ballet. Sometimes my mind can be changed and perhaps, rather than ballet itself, it was The Nutcracker that wasn’t for me. I could always be persuaded.
But I’ll probably wait several more years until I pay for that chance.
Favorite Actually-Delicious-AND-Probably-Healthy-for-Me Recipe:
Umm, this is a delight? I felt good after eating it. And it was so tasty. Plus, I think this is only the second or third time I’ve browned butter and I am amazed at the chemistry every time!! Look! It transforms! It bubbles and the color and taste change! SCIENCE. FOOD SCIENCE.
Anyways, cannot recommend this recipe enough. Also, it’s so easy. So easy I can do it! 10/10.
(It also reheats pretty well, I’m happy to say. It’s better fresh, but nothing an extra bit of goat cheese can’t make up for.)
Favorite Bit of Escapism:
The mantra for the past two weeks has been ‘just keep moving,’ which is especially true of my hands. If I could keep my hands busy — building Lego sets, crocheting — then some part of my mind couldn’t trap itself in a rumination spiral. (I’m still at the stage where every fleeting, happy memory is quickly replaced by the gaping, aching hole of missing Buffy. But I’ll get there eventually. I know I will.)
Since I have no more Lego sets and I needed to give my wrist a rest, I decided to puzzle and listen to Paladin’s Strength. I think I can safely say T. Kingfisher is one of my favorite authors now. Her writing and stories captivate me and it’s so fun to read and reread her work.
Also, isn’t this puzzle the cutest? If T. Kingfisher has become a comfort for me, so too is the artwork on this puzzle. I felt bundled in a hug as I worked and listened.
I’ll hold off gluing this puzzle together and displaying it until maybe the next time it’s completed. The pieces themselves are a joy to work with and I love the cute little container to hold them together.
Favorite New Tradition:
With the Formula 1 season over, my husband and I have a vroom-vroom sized gap in our hearts and in our schedules. We’ve been filling that hole with racing movies. Each Sunday, we pick a new film or two. And — most shocking of all — we both have agreed with how the films stack up against one another. Our very distinguished list below, in order of our enjoyment:
Rush
Daniel Brühl, need I say more?
I don’t, but I will. This had great tension, I loved the acting and all the accents (even Chris Hemsworth’s, which I couldn’t quite place, lol), and I genuinely felt the character development. Plus the way it was shot — the intensity, the up-close look at different parts of the car as they rattled — you could feel the speed.
Cars
A cinematic, childhood classic neither of us saw until we were adults and, like most Pixar movies, holds up really well. I love an archetypical talented asshole getting his comeuppance and realizing it takes a team to truly be great.
Ford v Ferrari
My only complaint is that Matt Damon’s Carroll Shelby wears a cowboy hat frequently in the film and when they showed the real photo of Shelby and Ken Miles at the end, Shelby is wearing a baseball cap. Where is the continuity!
Otherwise, this was incredible. I really do love Christian Bale, all the characters felt real and not like caricatures, the story felt complete, the editing tight (it did win an Academy Award for Best Film Editing & Sound Editing, so I guess that makes sense), and I had a great time.
F1
I refused to watch this in theaters or Apple TV, so we had to wait to access it a different way so that I wouldn’t be giving any credit, attention, or money to Brad Pitt.
It was SO cheesy (and I love cheese). There’s a scene where Brad Pitt’s character, Sonny Hayes, says that the extra c is for ‘combat’ during a meeting and the other characters start chanting ‘combat, combat, combat’ and NO. JUST NO. WHY. NO, WHY, NO, WHY, NOOOO.
I hated the way the two female characters were written, but I guess that’s better than there being none. (I guess? Also they edited out Simone Ashley, which I simply cannot cosign.)
That said, I was entertained (when I wasn’t cringing). The cinematography was incredible, I liked getting peeps at real drivers from the grids I’ve known. And there was a plot! Was it basically every ‘80s or ‘90s sports movie reworked? Sure! But they’re classics for a reason and it’s not last on this list.
Drive
A controversial take around the internet, but this movie really didn’t do it for either of us. I get it was supposed to be artistic. I get that the director wants you to live in the discomfort of the prolonged shots. But we didn’t get to know any of the characters well enough for me to care if/when they died and the plot was barely there. It moved so slowly. Several strikes from me. It doesn’t help that Baby Driver is still a far more entertaining take on the same concept despite its wildly problematic cast.
Cars 2
How dare they make us sit through an entire movie with Mater as the main character? It inspires me to take my comic relief side characters, make them the protagonist, and show how it SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE.
There are still 8 weeks until Formula 1 is back, so we’ll have to fill that time with several more movies. Maybe even Cars 3.
Until next week! Thanks for reading. 🙂