sitting on Santa's knee
Last minute holiday shopping is, of course, miserable. Crowded stores, long lines, cranky cashiers, and that one person holding up everyone else while they argue about the price. But, the absolute worst thing about shopping the week before Christmas is that school is out. The crowd becomes laced with shrill, over-excited middle school girls who squeal and shriek at the sight of every other item in the store and yell for their eight friends to come and shriek at it as well. I circled the parking lot for 10 minutes to put myself through this? Christmas madness.
Ok, it wasn't really that bad. I managed to never been in a rush, so I didn't get aggitated when people who arrived after me snagged parking spaces sooner than I did. If a store in the mall got too crowded I just left and checked back later. I didn't mind waiting while the incompetant soccer mom did a 23-point turn to maneuver her minivan without ever coming within 5 feet of another car. I'm determined to stay relaxed this Christmas. Normally, the holidays are a stressful, frenzied gathering of every relative I haven't seen since last Christmas. This year, however, I'll be with Dianna and her family. I miss seeing my cool cousins and my hilarious uncle, but it's nice to have a break from the chaos. Thus, all my shopping was completed in a peaceful zen with a smile on my face in anticipation of spending Christmas with my wonderful girlfriend.
On Sunday Dianna and I went to the mall and had our picture taken with Santa. He had a real beard too. The little boy ahead of us in line was adorable. He sported a huge smile, wide-open eyes, and a letter to Santa in all caps. It read something like, "Dear Santa, my name is Scotty. I am 4½. I have been good this year. I want two remote control cars so I can play with my Daddy." Daddy was nearby with a smile even larger than Scotty's. Damn, kids can be cute. We saw Return of the King on Saturday. Having seen the whole series now I think I'd rate them as follows:
Production: 10/10
Acting: 10/10
Casting: 9/10
Costumes: 10/10
Art direction/set design: 10/10
CG Effects: 8/10 in FotR, 10/10 in TT and RotK
Cinematography: 4/10
Script adaptation: 3/10
Directing: 2/10
I'll probably explain more later. In short, Peter Jackson is a good producer and had a good team working with him. But, he is still a talentless hack who can't direct. And his wife can't write.
Anyway, Merry Christmas to everyone! And a good new year too in case I don't blog before then.
posted by Ryan @ 11:20 AM
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Rediscovering childhood delights should be a mandatory activity for adults. How easy it is to forget the simple joys in life! Much of what amused us as children seems mundane and common now, but that shouldn't detract from the delectability of youthful diversions. Consequently I was delighted when Dianna suggested having a picnic and feeding ducks last weekend. There were little shy ducks and bold fat ducks and noisy jealous ducks and an old friendly duck which we held and fed bountifully. There were also a few weird duck-like birds with dark feathers, black fluffy necks, fat bodies, and leaf-like feet. Has anyone has heard of such animals and know what they are?
Tuesday night Dianna and I went with Shane, John Lin and Masako to a karaoke bar in Koreatown called Caffe Brass Monkey. The service didn't start off well as the waitress rudely resisted Dianna's requests for a glass of water and only reluctantly gave in, stalking off as if we had ordered her to fetch us exactly 427 peanuts on a silver platter. She ignored us most of the evening except to repeatedly remind us that there is a two drink minimum. Then she shot annoyed glances at us every time we passed up an opportunity to order a drink, and every time we ordered a drink. She made little effort to remember who ordered which drink and sometimes just asked a nearby person to hand a drink to the receiver instead of walking the extra three feet to deliver it herself. While Dianna was singing "
So, I waited for her at the bar and insisted she review the charges. Once again she waved her hand over the check and mumbled a bit with a guilty look on her face. I took a pencil and went over each item on the list clarifying what it was and writing a price down for it. Sure enough when I added them up it was about one drink's worth less than the amount she was asking for. She just glanced around shiftily and mumbled until I called over the bartender and asked to see the manager. Quickly she admitted that the tab was wrong and offered to correct it. I still asked to see the manager, but both the waitress and the bartender refused to let me or even tell me how the manager could be contacted. I don't think I've ever had a more frustrating experience at a bar or restaurant. To top it off the drinks are over priced, under sized and poorly mixed. On my list of places to return to the Brass Monkey is only slightly ahead of the emergency room and is less appealing than using a 
