For the Soul

Felt like crap today as I went into work, but that cleared up after a few hours, I guess. When I first started at this job, there was a lot of work to do at all times. I feel like we're kind of caught up now. There are times when I have to figure out something to do. I guess this tends to happen at the end of the month, and it can be that way frequently in accounting, but it sucks. I like being totally busy. I would prefer to have stacks of work on my desk that need to get done. I shouldn't complain. This job isn't that hard and everybody there likes me.

So after I got home from work I watched Maria Full of Grace and then I decided that I needed to go shopping. I bought myself a green tee at Banana and three candles at Illuminations (buy 2 get 1 free). Shopping always makes me feel so much better. I ought to do my own accounting for home. I probably have more money than I think I do and then I can do even more shopping. I want to try to get something for that main wall by night of the Oscar party. I might even paint the dining room. Maybe. If I'm not too lazy.

I came home and finished off the Tom Kha Gai instead of going to In & Out (a victory). And then I ate some of those frozen cream puffs from Costco (a defeat).

Maria Full of Grace is an excellent first film. I expect very good things from director Joshua Marston. But it plays like a freshman effort. It's an earnest, hopeful bit of filmmaking that is often contrived and somewhat unrealistic. It tries to be a gritty film about the exploitation of young, poverty-stricken Colombian girls but it ends up being a bit of a fairy tale. It's still pretty good, though, and it has a few money scenes (my favorite being the scene with Maria in the airplane lavatory). After seeing the film, I'm surprised more than ever that Catalina Sandino Moreno got an Oscar nomination—not that she's not good in the movie—but I'm surprised that the film played so well with Academy voters. She doesn't really do much serious emoting in the film, and the character is not well-drawn at all. The nomination is a boost for the film though, and by association, awareness about it's subject matter, and that's definitely a good thing.

I'm adding Downfall to my list of flicks to see before Oscar night, since it will be released the Friday before the big awards show. So... one down, six to go.