December 31, 2011

365: Debrief

I started this year with a crazy New Year's resolution: blog every day of 2011.  I started out writing lengthy, thought-out blog posts, even planned several days ahead.  But there just isn't enough stuff going on to sustain that kind of content, so things have devolved into "here's a photo."

Uncorked
Here's a photo.

All things considered, though, I'm putting this year's resolution in the "win" column.  Why?  Because, including today, I posted on 359 out of 365 days.  I missed less than a week in total, which is incredibly impressive for me, knowing my habit of leaving projects unfinished.

I won't try to write some deeply introspective summary of this year and what it's meant for my family and me.  I'll think about it, certainly, but -- especially after this particular year -- that's not the kind of thing I want to share with all and sundry who might stumble across this corner of internet.  Suffice to say that 2011 has been a year of experience, and may 2012 bring some brighter days for everyone.

My daily-blogging experiment is at an end, and I think I'll be emigrating from the Impermanent State, for a while, at least.  So with that, I'll end this year the way I began: with someone else's photo and a wish for a very Happy New Year.

happy new year 2012
Best wishes for 2012!

December 30, 2011

364: Millennium

Made it to a movie theater for the first time since June to see The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.  It's a faithful adaptation of the book, and at least as good (if not a little better) than the original Swedish version with Noomi Rapace in the title role.  This English-language version actually seems to be more faithful to the original novel in some ways -- though I could be wrong, since I read the book a while ago.  I really enjoyed Rooney Mara as Lisbeth Salander and Daniel Craig was good (if very, very British) as Mikael Blomkvist.  I actually had trouble looking away from Mara whenever she was on the screen, which is saying something when she's acting opposite Daniel Craig.



Perhaps the best thing to come out of this adaptation, though, is the Trent Reznor-Karen O cover of "Immigrant Song" that ran over the teaser trailer and plays during the title sequence:


Speaking of the title sequence, it reminded me very strongly of the titles for Quantum of Solace, which might be why the whole movie sort of seemed like it could be an alternate-universe James Bond flick.  Also, Daniel Craig.

All told, Dragon Tattoo gets a thumbs-up from me, and I'd highly recommend it (to those old enough to see R-rated films, of course).

December 29, 2011

363: Things I missed in 2011

Pete Campbell and his bitchface
(delayed; due 2012)

The crew of the Enterprise
(endlessly delayed; due 2013)

Jack McCoy and the 27th precinct
(cancelled)

Snow.

December 28, 2011

362: Tumbling Downton

via whatisaweek-end on Tumblr

Lovely late-19th century sketch of Highclere Castle, which plays the role of Downton Abbey.
The second season starts airing on PBS's Masterpiece Classic on January 8th! Huzzah!

December 27, 2011

361: Wishlist

Vintage Whirling Eye Sterling Wide Cuff Bracelet from Mindi Lyn Jewelry

The next time I have $260 lying around, this will be the first thing I think of.

December 26, 2011

360: The city of old

Random Tumblr find of the day:

via Robot Cosmonaut on Tumblr

Minneapolis has some nice-looking office towers, but the drive through downtown would be a lot more interesting if the storefronts still looked like this.

December 25, 2011

359: Come on and let it snow

My favorite terrible Christmas song comes from the movie Love Actually, and it's the only holiday song I keep on my iPod year-round.  Enjoy the awful, really inappropriate music video for "Christmas is All Around" by Billy Mack (AKA Bill Nighy):


Merry Christmas!

December 24, 2011

358: Yule Log

I can't stream the Yule Log, but I can offer this:
Exothermic
2009.
 From snowless Minnesota to wherever you are, a merry Christmas Eve to you!

December 23, 2011

357: Festive

So we got an iPad for my grandpa to use as an ereader, so I obviously have to play with the camera.
2011.
'Tis the season.

December 21, 2011

355: Reading is fun-damental

(click to view full-size)

These are the books from my completed-and-then-some 2011 50 Book Challenge on Goodreads.  I actually read more than this; I left a bunch of the romance novels off because the covers were just so heinous I couldn't bear to have them in the graphic.  With ten days left in 2011, I've read eighty-four books, seventy-two of which can be seen above.  One of the benefits of working only sporadically is that you get a lot of time for leisure reading.  On the downside, you're working only sporadically.  Ah, well.  Here's to a 2012 full of books and paychecks, yes?  Yes!

December 20, 2011

354: Bling

The Grand Duchess Vladimir Tiara
source
I lost at least an hour to The Royal Order of Sartorial Splendor this morning, after a commenter on Tom & Lorenzo linked to it.  I'm a total magpie and fascinated by all those royals, so...it's kind of the perfect storm of casual interests.

Also, shiny.

December 19, 2011

353: Parapluie

La parapluie cassée
Notre-Dame de Paris, France, 2007.

I feel a little bit like this umbrella today.  Just...blerg.
I don't remember why I decided to shoot this photo, but I do remember standing outside Notre Dame on a very sunny day in Paris and seeing it sitting in the shrubbery.
Pauvre petite parapluie.

December 18, 2011

352: Gondor needs no GPS

File this under "things that have amused me today":

1) Go to Google Maps.
2) Get walking directions from "The Shire" to Mordor"
3) Profit:

December 17, 2011

351: Macro

2010.
Super-closeup moss stitch.
(Buy these gloves here.)

December 16, 2011

350: OMG WTF GOP

Because LIGHT BULBS are the real problem facing our country today:

(I love that even the reporter starts laughing at Sen. Coburn's secret lightbulb stash.)

This is the most ridiculous thing I've seen all week.
I can't even.

December 15, 2011

349: Overhead

2008.

This photo is three years old, but the bare branches look pretty much the same.  Now all we need is some snow.

December 14, 2011

December 13, 2011

347: Tributes

If it's nerdy to be excited about nail polish based on The Hunger Games, then LET'S NERD IT UP:

Each color corresponds (or at least seems to correspond) to one of the Districts in the series.  Via The Hob, they are:
Luxe and Lush – District 1 (Luxury)
Stone Cold – District 2 (Masonry)
Riveting – District 3 (Technology)
Hook and Line – District 4 (Fishing)
Electrify – District 5 (Power)
Fast Track – District 6 (Transportation)
Mahogany Magic – District 7 (Lumber)
Dress Me Up – District 8 (Textiles)
Harvest Moon – District 9 (Grain)
Foie Gras – District 10 (Livestock)
Agro – District 11 (Agriculture)
Smoke and Ashes – District 12 (Mining)
Don't mind me over here, I'll just be saving up my pennies.

December 12, 2011

346: Happy Valentine's Day, No One

I realize we're nowhere near Valentine's Day, but I just stumbled across this old 30 Rock clip, and it's still delightful:

December 11, 2011

345: Christmas at Downton

The Downton Abbey Christmas special looks awfully exciting.  Murder trials!  Punching!  Snow!  But will it ever air in this country?

December 10, 2011

344: Lights and sound

We put up the Christmas tree today.  In celebration, here's my favorite Christmas lights video:

December 9, 2011

343: Alcoho-ho-ho

If you're in Minnesota, North Dakota, or Wisconsin, consider buying yourself a Finnegans beer this month.  Why?  Let the Star Tribune tell you:
Throughout December, beer distributors will give donations that match sales of Finnegans beer, doubling the money going to food shelves. To find where it's sold near you: finnegans.org.
(During the other eleven months of the year, 100% of profits from sale of the beer goes to local charities.)  Read the full article about Finnegans at the Strib's website here.

Relevant because I'm halfway through a bottle while writing this post.  Trufax.

December 8, 2011

342: Cold outside

I haven't seen most of the Sing-Off Christmas special, but this was darned cute:

December 7, 2011

341: Retro tourism

We're hosting Christmas for the first time in at least a decade (it's just too difficult to get a wheelchair-bound nonagenarian over the river and through the 'burbs to anyone else's house), so there's a lot of panicked cleaning and a little bit of discovering fun old stuff, like the late-seventies tourist brochures from Montreal:


sad shoe worm.

There was also a guide to food in New Orleans and the merch brochure for the 1970s(?) King Tut exhibit.


This concludes the crappy iPod photo slideshow.

December 6, 2011

340: Picturesque

Look at this gentle frakking snowfall.
It's just so goddamn picturesque.

(from this morning)

December 5, 2011

339: Harrowing

I admit it: I made an impulse buy today.
via TeeFury
 Because seriously, I can't not buy the $10 shirt featuring the only Boardwalk Empire character I still like.
Appropriate graphic:

December 4, 2011

338: Bloopers

Sometimes you just want to watch a bunch of blooper reels.
Here's one to get you started:

December 3, 2011

337: Winter

I wish I had a wintry photo of my own, but I was too busy trying to see through the snow while driving to pull out whatever camera-enabled devices I had on me.  Alas.  Here's one found on the Minneapolis tag on tumblr:

December 2, 2011

336: Chandelier

Semple Mansion, Minneapolis, 2009.

I'm not sure if I like this or not.
Slightly creepy.

December 1, 2011

335: Unsolicited sharing

Unexpected TV crushes from the last 365 days

Corey Stoll (Detective TJ Jaruszalski, Law & Order: Los Angeles)
Jack Huston (Richard Harrow, Boardwalk Empire)
Tobias Menzies (Brutus, Rome)
Alan Cumming (Eli Gold, The Good Wife)
Matt Bomer (Neal Caffrey, White Collar)

Although, honestly, I should’ve seen that last one coming.