Bicycle porn.

Finally settled down and watched Breaking Away. I thought it was beautifully shot. Loved the music, the seventies clothes and cars and girls and college campus. Women back then just seem more beautiful. Everyone is tan and toned and has fabulous wavy hair and sparkling white teeth.

Again, Dennis Quaid in his prime. That man can rock cut-off denim shorts in a quarry like none another. I take my hat off to you, sir. The bike shots, especially in motion, were fantastic. I love that whirring sound they make. Bonus points for recognizing Jackie Earl Haley as a young, freakishly short young men in the film. I'll always think of him as the creepy child molester in Little Children. He totally should have the Oscar. Love my comeback stories.

interesting fact from imdb.com: The production team decided to call the Bloomington townies "cutters" because they felt the actual local nickname ("stoners" or "stonies") would draw a parallel to drug references for viewers who were not raised in the area.

estate sales and missed connections

from dallas craigslist, this made me smile:

Estate Sale, Cute Red Head - m4w - 24 (East Dallas)

I've never done the whole missed connection thing on here before, but decided to give it a shot after seeing you yesterday at an estate sale off Richmond. It was in the early morning around 7:45 or 8 and you were the cute head I spotted- you had a really cool '50s look and since you were at an estate sale, I clearly figured you're into nostalgia, which is rare to find in a girl. I talked a little with you when I first saw you, and then I saw you again in the line behind me (I had a book shelf and an old Philco radio)- I wanted to say something more but honestly couldn't think of anything. However I'd love the chance to meet up again, so if you see this, don't hesitate to drop me a line!

Was Dennis Quaid on coke when he made The Big Easy?

Just wondering. He's just so durn skinny in this movie. But you gets to see his bum! Yes, he looks amazingly muscular...but just a leeeetle strung out. Dennis! Why you gotta be like that? Still, I love when every actor in a movie commits to a local dialect. It's a funny/awkward/strained/valiant effort. So Dennis, I applaud your effort to sound Cajun. It's difficult, but you even came off as sexy doing it. It helped that you had your shirt off a lot.

I don't know about the cult classic part, but I enjoyed the music and Ellen Barkin's horrible, horrible outfits. I guess when your legs are that good, you can really do anything.

"Edieeeeee!"

I just watched HBO's version of Grey Gardens. For some reason I was upset when I first heard about this, well, not remake. I guess a "behind-the-scenes" version of the cult classic documentary. I hate the term "cult classic." I guess the whole Grey Gardens thing just makes me sad. I mean, it's this tragic, once-glamorous family and house and history that has completely let itself to ruin and humiliation. The documentary is basically an exploitation of their unfulfilled dreams and cat-infested home. Isn't everyone really just laughing at Little Edie as she does her sad song-and-dance routine for David Maysles? The mother wasn't that good a singer either. Even if Edie had gone to New York and auditioned for the Broadway producer, would she have really made it?

I guess we'll never know. And I don't doubt that the Maysles brothers really cared for them. At least, I hope they did. But I just can't help but feel sorry for every subject of a documentary. It always seems like people are laughing at them, not with them.

However, I think Drew Barrymore and Jessica Lange did a pretty good job. Beautiful costumes, of course. Daniel Baldwin, props to you, too. I don't really buy the hunky-dory "I'm sorry, no, I'm sorry!" ending with mother and daughter. And when Edie performs her cabaret routine at the closing credits (apparently in real life, too) is it tragic? Or is it redemption? I'm still undecided.

Pay a visit to your local library.

I am a fan of public libraries. It seems no matter where you go: Austin, Portland, Dallas..it's always the same scene. Crazy people ranting, children, fat old people, and awkward teenagers. And me! I get a little shiver of excitement when I walk in the doors. Especially if it's an old building in the middle of a neighborhood. It's like coming home, even if it's my first time.

So imagine my dismay when I realized I've been living in Dallas for almost six months and haven't gotten a library card! Shoot, I just figured out where the durn thing was last weekend when I went for a bike ride! So I put on my Mom Shorts and pink helmet and hit the road. I also made sure to pack proof of my address and a license. Unfortunately, libraries are sticklers about this. My Lakewood Branch is just fabulous. Sometimes, librarians can be mean. I dunno why, my own mother is one, I guess they just get embittered that no one reads anymore and children are obese Wii-playing brats. But these ladies were nice.

There was an interesting selection of DVDs, that's for sure. The entire series of "The Waltons" was there...you can betcha I'll be hitting that one up! Also three copies of the Pamela Anderson and Denise Richards classic, "Blonde and Blonder." I actually almost rented that, but realized there are so many quality films out there that I simply can't waste my time with such drivel. So I rented The Quiet Man, The Flamingo Kid, and The Big Easy. Love my Dennis Quaid! Book-wise, I settled on Leonard Nemoy's son's memoir. It's all about his addiction and alcoholism. I can't wait!

Hooray for janky bikes, libraries, and the carrot cake cupcakes I'm about to make. With cream cheese frosting.

Concerts make me hate people (more).

So I used to go to concerts/shows/what have you alllll the time in high school. I couldn't drink, I was scared of boys...but I could drive! So my best friend and I would drive forty minutes to downtown Austin...on a school night, mind you! We'd put on our best Charlotte Russe top and boot-cut jeans and paint the town underage red. We were always on our best behavior. I doubt we even batted eyes at the opposite sex or tried to sneak in a beer. Nope, we were high on life.

Fast forward. I'm 24, and I hate going to concerts. I know I hate them, and yet, I still get dragged to them. Granted, I love Morrissey. But I hate the people who go to these shows. Especially in the Big D. I'm sorry, I hate to use this term "dumb bitches" buuuttttt omg there were some DB's up in that joint. I had to hear some skinny-ass Dallasites yammer on about their bridal dresses for thirty minutes. Why? Why go to a show to talk about your stupid-ass life?

Then there was the short chubster karaoke-ing his way through the show. But I digress. I sound bitter and old. I am. Morrissey was fab. He took his shirt off and threw it in the audience and I saw his sweaty pecs. The End.

Wearing ugly clothes makes me happy.

See?