Favourite things?

One of my friends has started a blog recently (thecookingchook) and amongst her cooking posts has started to list some of her favourite things. This got me thinking that I can't seem to pick favourites lately, apart from my favourite colour (which is purple, by the way). With other things like movies, music, and TV shows, I struggle to even limit what I like into a Top 10 list, because I invariably forget about something I used to love but might not have watched or listened to for a while, and then I have to re-do the list but find I end up with a whole heap.

Actually, that's not entirely true for movies. My favourite film has been and always will be Stand By Me, with Labyrinth a close second. I can't imagine those ever being removed from my Top 2 movies, because they meant so much to me as a child and have carried with them a lot of sentimental value, and I can still sit down and enjoy them, even if I don't laugh as much as I once did while watching them. But beyond those two, the other films are a jumbled mess because it's just too hard to choose.

I've now found the same with trying to reconcile my favourite book. Since its publication in 2005, The Bride Stripped Bare took its spot as my favourite book. I have read it more than any other book and at the time I first read it, it really spoke to me. I re-read it last year and found that, although I still loved some parts of it, I didn't think it was that great and was a bit sloppy in parts. This year I've read quite a few fantastic books which I think are far more worthy of becoming my new favourite, but I simply can't choose one. I think The Bride Stripped Bare might be out of favour though, although I'm sure it'll always hold a special place. But I simply can't be asked to narrow my books into a Top 5 or Top 10 list, it's just too hard!

What to do when stuck on an assignment? Blog!

Well the weekend was crazy busy! On Saturday I got the food in the slow cooker, we did some housework and went grocery shopping, I managed to squeeze in some studying, and then before we knew it Ivan and Miyuki had arrived for dinner and a catchup. Felt like ages since we'd seen them, and I was trying out a beef and red wine casserole in the slow cooker so who better to have as our taste testers. Thankfully the food was a hit, as was the chocolate cake I'd made for dessert, and we cracked open the yummy wine they'd brought around and sat back and watched a couple of movies, Blood Diamond and Howl's Moving Castle. The night flew and at 1am the guests left and we crawled into bed. We are so old, that's the latest we've been awake for a very long time!

Sunday was Father's Day here in Australia and we were invited over to Mum and Dad's house for lunch. In the morning I did the weekly laundry, tried to study some more, and then we headed over to their house. What looked like it would be a bit of an anxious day due to my Dad actually turned out to be a really lovely afternoon. After dropping Glen home I went to the nursing home to visit Grandma, and then after dinner tried to catch up on a bit more study.

Unfortunately this virus/cold that's been floating around finally got me and I've been at home sick the last two days. What sucks about it is the time off should be conducive to getting lots done, unless ofcourse you're not feeling well and struggling to concentrate. So I have an assignment due Friday and I've only managed 113 words so far. Hoping I can get it done and so that it actually makes sense. There's little point in asking for an extension as I have an even bigger assignment due next week and so this weekend will be spent working on that one instead.

Anyway yesterday I got my fertility test results back. Everything is normal except they need to re-check my progesterone levels so that means more blood tests. Because 4 vials of blood last time just wasn't enough it seems :P

Ok too tiring to sit at the PC much longer. Think it's time to go flop onto the couch and pester my cats...

Bye bye, free time

We haven't been up to much since my last update aside from going to work and having quiet weekends at home, but it has given me the opportunity to get back into doing some cross stitching. I love cross stitching for something that takes my mind off other things, although I hadn't done any for over 2 years. But when one of the ladies at work was showing me this craft magazine she gets and I saw all these beautiful cross stitching patterns, I was inspired to do some more. I wasn't able to afford a massive pattern so just bought my niece and nephew some little wall hangings and have been working on those during the evenings while I watch TV.

Aside from that, the rest of my free time has been spent quietly reading or watching stuff. Glen and I went to see The Dark Knight Rises last weekend on the spur of the moment. Those who know me know I love comic books and their associated cartoons, TV shows and films, and I love these newer Batman movies. Needless to say I wasn't disappointed. I thought the film was brilliant.

The books I've finished recently are Prohibited Zone by Alastair Sarre and just today on my lunch break I finally finished 11.22.63 by Stephen King. I had started reading this a while ago and then took a break partway through, read 6 other books, and just got back into it on the weekend. I didn't stop reading it because I wasn't enjoying it, just that I'd borrowed some books off other people and thought I should get through those first. I was able to pick it up and keep going from where I'd left off without any hassles. I love Stephen King and this book is definitely up there as his best. What always frustrates me with his horror is an amazingly evil character which is so unstoppable that the endings to those books sometimes feel rushed and disappointing, like he himself didn't know what to do about the monster because he'd made it too powerful. But his recent books seem a lot better, and this one was just fantastic. The pacing and suspense towards the end was done really well, so I just wanted to keep reading even if it meant not sleeping much.

Anyway this week Uni went back so I daresay by time to read will diminish a bit. Just another 18 months of Uni to go! So apart from seeing some friends for a pizza night on Saturday, the rest of my weekend will be spent doing homework. Joy!

Couch weekend

This past weekend, with the weather being extremely ordinary, we decided to spend most of the Sunday on the couch watching movies and catching up on TV shows. Thank goodness for the internet in these times when we're trying to save money!

On Saturday night I watched a film called Take This Waltz which was surprisingly good. I was expecting the same old formulaic romantic comedy and it refreshingly wasn't. Michelle Williams was the main character and she was fantastic. As the audience, I was able to feel everything her character was feeling simply by her expressions. When she smiled, she really made you feel her happiness, and when she was melancholy you started to feel that way too. I don't remember her having that impact on me in her other roles so I'm thinking it was the way she played the character so well, even when the character is sometimes unlikeable. Was a surprisingly good film, although probably one only the female audience will enjoy (although there is a delightfully raunchy sex scene ans some full frontal nudity for the male viewers!).

On Sunday Glen and I finally watched Snowtown. I loved this movie and highly recommend people see it. It isn't a gory serial killer movie, but instead it looks at the psychology of the killers and, in particular, Jamie Vlassakis's upbringing. It is actually really sad. Such a great movie, can't recommend it enough.

The other film we watched on Sunday was the Ridley Scott Robin Hood. It was a bit 'meh' although I'm not sure if it's because we'd just finished watching a fantastic movie, or if it was just a little ordinary. Wasn't crap, but not a keeper.

All in all, a nice relaxing weekend. I'd be interested in hearing if anyone else has seen Snowtown though, and if so, what you thought of it.