Osama

Imdb synopsis: A 12-year-old Afghan girl and her mother lose their jobs when the Taliban closes the hospital where they work.  Now called 'Osama,' the girl embarks on a terrifying and confusing journey as she tries to keep the Taliban from finding out her true identity.

Another foreign movie because we're almost done with our pile of "to-sell" movies- those we're fairly sure we won't keep, but heck, we have the movie so may as well watch it. That's the great thing about Mr. E- every movie is watchable, every movie is studying and researching. Even chick flicks. 

This movie wasn't poorly done, and the acting wasn't bad, but there was just something about it that didn't mesh well. Maybe it was culture shock or maybe it was the disconnect between our situations, but I didn't feel bad for the main character. Not for want of trying, though. I had a hard time understanding her situation because of how whiny her character was: all crying and nasally complaints.

There's definitely something to be said about the message the director was trying to tell, sort of Les Miserables-esque in the way that society creates these sort of desperate situations in which people get caught. But upon reading Imdb, one of the trivia notes about the movie is that it ended with a happier outcome but once the director saw the movie he changed the ending and edited out all of the scenes that gave hope to the main character. I don't need all of my movies to end nicely or even for everyone to end up alive, but this movie was sort of a strong beginner that slowly meandered and lost its way until it keeled over and died. 

If you're looking for a strong Middle Eastern movie, I recommend The Stoning of Soroya M- with Shohreh Aghdashloo.

LOVED This Weekend

"Your eyes are like the color of the ocean," she yelled at him, weathering another breaking wave by bouncing on her toes.

He squinted and smiled, the kind that spread slow like syrup across his features. Salt was in his mohawk and in the corners of his lips. She grinned back. The constant roar of the waves did not make for whispered confessions of love. They had all the time in the world for that later.

She watched him swim and ride and tumble in the foam and cherished that moment, just as she did when he teased her for neglecting to rub aloe on her sunburn or sang Prince Charming's response to her Snow White imitation.

At the end of summer's first beach day- courtesy of growing into responsible adults- they tumbled into the car wet and weary. Windows rolled down to alleviate the heat, book in hand, she rested her free hand on his thigh the way they always did in car rides. No bucket seats, said Cake.

It was perfect, these moments they created. Getting home and letting the dog out, unpacking the sand and shore from their towels, settling back into home. On a holiday for parenthood they called fathers and avoided each others' eyes and held their breath, waiting waiting waiting. It wasn't this year and it hadn't been last, despite what they lectured and warned. But it was coming, slow and sure and inevitable and this time it was just a little bit anticipated. The tiniest of bits. The kind that scattered when you turned on the light or hid in corners at loud noises.

She watched him with wide eyes and an open heart as he made dinner, slicing and setting timers and sneaking olives. The weight of reality was setting in as calls and inquiries came over the line from friends and family; when when when. A question they couldn't answer, a feeling they couldn't point to. Soon, they murmured, soon soon soon.

Two years was easy. Five years was cake. But if everyone said it was coming then they had to batten down the hatches, didn't they? They needed to hunker down and store up love like sustenance because it was all they had to go on. If it wasn't now, was it next year? If it hadn't happened, would it at all?

She kidnapped the dog to the bedroom, sneaking pen and paper. Maybe not this year and maybe not next, but between the two of them some concessions could be made. Just this once. 

The dog shook once and tottered over wooden floors to the kitchen, all waggy tails and a lolling tongue. He couldn't resist and bent down to the note on the collar, hidden amongst the wiry hair. Happy Father's Day in scribbly writing. His throat caught and he met her eyes, a smile that spread like syrup. 

 Cornerstone Confessions

Belated? I Prefer "Continuing the Love"

There are so many things to be grateful for in my father.

He explained to me who was "good enough".

He instilled a deep abiding love of all things nerd and geek related.

He challenged me to take responsibility for myself and my actions.

And he continues to impress me with the choices he makes every day to be a better person, friend, son, father and husband.

I knew what to look for in a husband because of my dad. Thank goodness they get along.

LOVED This Week

Okay, okay, I didn't actually love this week. I loved last week but I never got around to downloading all the pictures to show you so...

This week we jumped head-long into sending out resumes and applications for jobs in LA. At least we have someone to share in the misery with, right?

Mr. E finally received his computer as one of his graduation presents- he customized a Dell computer so he could edit/sound-design from home at some point. If he needed to.

And, sadly, we're getting rid of the big ticket items we've held onto in this house that won't be able to make the move with us. Things like Mr. E's drum-set. And cymbals. It's been difficult, but in all honesty Mr. E doesn't play anymore since drums are sort of a band-sport. We're more into archery now- taking a few hours out of the day to shoot at the local (free) archery range. Not only is this an individual activity, but it also takes up less space! I can store a bow, but five drums and stands and cymbals was something I was having a hard time with.

This is what that USED to look like...band and all!

We're having a tough time keeping up with all of the movies that are coming out this summer too- so many good blockbusters we're sure we want to go see, but who has all that time? Looks like the local dollar theatre might be seeing more of us...

Listen #fiveminutefriday

Write. For five minutes straight. One-word prompt, five minutes, no editing. I'm linking up over at Lisa-Jo Baker (aka The Gypsy Mama) where we read, write and encourage.

Morning is the best time to listen: to the house as it creaks, the sound of puppy  nails across our wooden floor, the shifts that tell me he's noticed I'm not in bed anymore, the incessant typing- the soundtrack to my life lately. It's quiet and gloomy and the only things truly awake are those stupid parrots screeching outside.

It wasn't much different than this in the mountains. There were still birds and rustling sheets and a brook outside that gurgled all day long with water to freeze your toes. We took a vacation, much anticipated and much needed, packed up all the bits and pieces that make us human though maybe not presentable and flew away.

The stillness there affords a certain amount of reflection that just isn't possible in Orange County. The streetlights burn so bright here there's an constant state of gloom but never any true dark. I've never seen stars from my backyard unless you count the airplanes. The freeways and the sirens and the malfunctioning airplanes are your constant companions. So when we sat and read by the bonfire until it was too dark to see the pages on my screen anymore, I want to let you know that I wasn't really reading. I was listening.

Did you know that in Orange County the planes have to circle around to slow down because there are noise laws to prevent them from making too much sound as they descend? John Wayne Airport will never have anything on coming in over the buildings of downtown San Diego, but it certainly makes for an interesting take off and landing!

Roll Out!

We've been on a little bit of a "What is Wheat to Me" kick lately. Which has been great as far as reminding us to take a closer look at the foods we're ingesting. I've never really been one for diets or food restrictions and I'm down to try almost anything (check chicken feet off that list!). I know this was a huge hassle when I was growing up since I preferred chicken fingers and Mac and Cheese...but I've grown up now! Really! I make my own enchiladas and pesto and spinach lasagna!

So trying to assess what has and doesn't have wheat has been a pain. There is SO MUCH that we consume that includes wheat or wheat products. Not just obvious things like bread and cakes and flour-full things, but canned products and pastas and cereals and sauces. Basically, if it's processed, it has wheat of SOME sort in it. And regardless of whether or not we have a medical condition against wheat, that's a pretty scary thing! 

I'm not sure how far we'll go with this wheat journey, but educating ourselves and working to eat more raw/simple foods is a big step for us. We're young. We just graduated so we don't have a lot of money to be spending on fruit/veggie diets. I'm the only one who cooks consistently since Mr. E relies heavily on his grill...eating unprocessed foods is a challenge! But there are definitely small steps that we've taken.

First of all has been home-made breads. Maybe not the biggest step considering we're still using that pesky flour, but they're made from scratch with wholesome ingredients and they taste much better. I definitely plan on substituting my flour at some point with something a little less gluten-y, but for now I enjoy (or don't enjoy as the case may be) making loaves and crusts and tortillas. Most of all tortillas. 

If I had known how easy tortillas are to make, I would have made these bad boys years ago. I actually really dislike store-bought flour tortillas, but Mr. E likes flour better than corn, so we were at a bit of a conundrum buying-wise. Thankfully, homemade tortillas only have 5 ingredients, take 30 minutes tops and leave me with a huge stack of left overs!

Flour Tortillas

3 cups flour 

2tsp baking powder

1tsp salt

4-6 Tbsp shortening or lard...or butter.

1 1/4 cups warm water

Mix dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Cut in butter until it kind of clumps when you squeeze it together. If clumpy, add more shortening. If it's a hard ball, add more flour.

Add water all at once and mix quickly. Knead a little bit to make sure it's all together. You're looking for a soft dough that isn't sticky. Cover 5- 10 minutes. 

Pinch of 1-inch pieces, kneading small round balls. Flatten these into disks with your hand, then roll out (Autobots?) on a floured surface. Make them as thin or thick as you want. I prefer mine thinner, but I'm having trouble laying them down nicely in the pan, so I opt for a little thicker- more like naan.

I cook the tortilla dough on my cast-iron skillet. This has worked so well that I haven't used any other pans or griddles, so I can't say from experience how well that works. I would imagine as long as you have even heat (good pans/good burners) you would be okay. Watch for the air pockets- it only takes about 30 seconds on each side. 

Also, don't drop any flour. Because then you get a dog who's learned to beg.

We primarily use these for tacos (fish or beef) but I've been known to whip up a batch for enchiladas, too. Stuff those suckers with beans and cheese, add olives and chicken and salsa? Mr. E are in Americanized Mexican heaven...

Bad Education

Imdb synopsis: An examination on the effect of Franco-era religious schooling and sexual abuse on the lives of two longtime friends.

Whoa. This movie was kind of outside our regular realm of movies, but it's a Thursday night and we're making enchiladas so Spanish foreign film it was.

I really enjoy Almodovar movies- he has a way of making long movies engaging and he likes to lead his viewer into a false sense of security before revealing his coup de grace. His stories are simple and very character-driven- minimal sets and/or changes but lots of contact between his characters. I really enjoyed Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown and Volver, so we assumed Bad Education would be just as good.

And it was. But the content wasn't something we were entirely prepared for.

Knowing nothing about this movie except that Gael Garcia Bernal was in the cast, we popped it in and sat back only to start playing chicken fifteen minutes in- I can handle this, can you? Bad Education is complicated movie about the lasting effects of child molestation, first love and blackmail. And transvestites.

Overall, I thought this was a good movie. It was interesting to see another culture's take on cross-dressing and homo-sexuality and I think the difference is that these plot points weren't only used for the shock-value (though that was there), it was actually a useful device to further the story. Also, Bernal is a fabulous cross-dresser. 

I looked over at Mr. E at the end and asked him how he felt about the movie and he responded, "As a film director...you have to watch a lot of different movies. Even one's you don't normally watch."