DirecTV provides me with something like 7 different HBO channels...those various stations have been playing 27 Dresses multiple times over the weekend. I already own the DVD, but I keep watching parts of it. I've also watched bits of the HBO Hairspray airings a couple times this weekend.

It is entirely James Marsden's fault. *sigh*

Little Women is on one of the HBOs right now. And it turns out I am still mad about Jo and Laurie. *sigh*

I'm not dead. Just lazy.

Have been playing catch-up on various TV shows, which I am, again, too lazy to detail here.

I did, however, see Iron Man opening weekend, and loved it beyond reason. See icon.

Also watched tonight's Gossip Girl, and although the show is by no means perfect, there were many, many parts that I absolutely loved. ( I'm Chuck Bass. )

Okay, I have a confession. After a hiatus of three or so years, and a strong belief that the show pretty much sucks, I...I watched the two-hour season premiere of One Tree Hill last week. Damn you, writers' strike! What have you wrought?

So here's the thing...I, um, didn't totally hate it. And *gulp* I'll probably keep watching, at least until something better comes along. Sure, it's totally unrealistic. And yes, Lucas pretty much needs to be slapped upside the head every 7.3 seconds or so. But I'm basically going to be watching for one reason, and that reason is ( spoilery )

Also went to see a sneak preview of 27 Dresses this afternoon, and I really liked it. Was it predictable? Yes. Was it fluffy? Yes. Was it a bit cheesy? Sure, but I went to college in Wisconsin, so me and cheese? Likethis. Katherine Heigl made me remember that it's Izzie I loathe, not KH herself. And James Marsden seriously needs to be the new go-to guy for romantic comedy leads. Seriously. He should have every role Matthew McConaughey has ever smarmed his way through. (And I like Matthew McConaughey. Or I did. Back in his A Time to Kill days. Which was, um, 12 years ago.) Plus JM has the prettiest blue eyes I've seen since...Chris O'Donnell back in, like 1993. Hee.

Happy New Year to one and all! Despite the fact that I've been posting fics on a near-daily basis, I've been pretty much MIA since right around Christmas. I was on vacation with my family, and although I obviously had Internet access, I didn't want to spend too much time surfing the 'net and catching up on LJ.

A big thanks to everyone who sent holiday cards--I'm typing this at work, so I can't go check exactly who all of you were. But they were received and I loved them! I hope yours made it to you as well.

I don't really make New Year's resolutions, but I will say that this year I am hoping to get back into an exercise routine, eat better, and do some "real" writing (even though I can't seem to break my fic addiction). I also need to try and stop reading the WGA strike coverage, because it annoys the ever-living crap out of me.

I am very excited about the fact that I received Waitress for Christmas. Haven't had a chance to watch it yet, but yippee for Nathan Fillion hotness. Mmm.

Per a tipoff from pathstotread, I took advantage of Amazon's $69.99 price and ordered Angel: The Complete Series. Since I don't currently own any of the seasons on DVD, this was a pretty easy decision to make. :)

Watched Gossip Girl last night, which was partially interrupted by a phone call. I am so not a phone person. But a few things of note: ( Humphrey Dumpty sat on a wall )

By the way, for anyone who is interested, there is some truly stellar How I Met Your Mother Barney/Robin fic over at himym_fic. Most of them key off of the first-season episode in which the two of them go play lazer tag, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. :) It's a relatively small fic fandom, but most of what I've read has been good.

I really, really want to see 27 Dresses.

jcd1013 went a little crazy with the requests, but it's all in good fun!

Top Five Movie Kisses
5. Bridget/Mark, Bridget Jones's Diary: When they're standing in the snow, and she's in her underwear, and he wraps his overcoat around her? Oy. "Nice boys don't kiss like that." "Oh yes they fucking do." Hee!
4. Anne/Gilbert, Anne of Avonlea: "I don't want diamond sunbursts or marble halls. I just want you." What else is there, really?
3. Han/Leia, The Empire Strikes Back: Nothing like making out when the ship is broken. "I happen to like nice men." "I'm nice men." "No you're not, you're..." KISS! So. Awesome.
2. Kate/Doug, The Cutting Edge: Doug's speech before their final skate gets me every time, and the kiss is the perfect ending to the film. "Don't tell me we're not right for each other, 'cause the way I see it we might not be right for anyone else." "I love you." "Just remember who said it first." *sigh*
1. Keith/Watts, Some Kind of Wonderful: I fell in love with Eric Stoltz in this movie, and to this day, their "practice" kiss in the garage gives me chills, with his fingers clutching at her jeans...guh.

Top Five 'Ships
5. Rory/Tristan, Gilmore Girls: Admittedly, I don't actually care about this pairing anymore, but they were the 'ship that dragged me kicking and screaming into fandom, and for that they must make the list. Plus, they were so pretty!
4. Sydney/Will, Alias: TPTB pretty much killed this one dead, but it was my first love on this show. I'm actually kind of glad that Bradley Cooper got out when he did, because they were never going to do right by Will. At least he got to sleep with Syd once. :)
3. Veronica/Weevil, Veronica Mars: V/Lamb may have eaten my brain lately, but V/Weevil will always be the end game for me on that show. The sparks of chemistry have been flying since the pilot, and I'm just waiting for them to explode.
2. Mal/Kaylee, Firefly: I am rampantly UC when it comes to Firefly 'ships, but this is my favorite one. Kaylee and Mal are my favorite characters on the show, and I love their dynamic as it is. But I'd love it even more if they hooked up.
1. Pacey/Joey, Dawson's Creek: P/J for the win! Yes, I grew to hate the show, because it was lame. But in the end, all was right with the world, because Pacey and Joey ended up together. Season 3 was a beautiful piece of television history, and I will always love it.

Top Five Comfort Foods
5. Chocolate chip cookie dough
4. Butter pecan ice cream
3. White cheddar cheese popcorn
2. Chipotle steak burrito
1. Jay's barbecue potato chips

Top Five Things to do on a Saturday afternoon
5. Watch a movie
4. Read a book
3. Play miniature golf
2. Play with my godson and his brother
1. Watch the Cubs at Wrigley Field

Top Five Jobs you wish you had
5. Graphic designer
4. Walt Disney Imagineer
3. Photographer
2. Novelist
1. Mom

Top Five Jobs you did have
5. Baby-sitter
4. Games hostess, Six Flags
3. Games Training Lead, Six Flags
2. Engineering co-op
1. Engineer

I realize I'm probably late to the party on this, but I watched Little Miss Sunshine last night. Holy crap, what a fantastic movie! If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend it. It manages to be poignant and heartbreaking and laugh-out-loud funny, sometimes at the same time. The entire cast is sublime, but Abigail Breslin really does steal the show. It's nice to see a child actress who is really talented but still seems like a real kid, instead of a slightly creepy miniature adult a la Dakota Fanning (who I think is great, BTW, but still...creepy).

New Friday Night Lights tonight! Woohoo! If you're not watching this show, all I have to say is WHY NOT?! No, it's not just about football. There are pretty boys and angst and some of the most heartbreakingly lovable characters on TV since the divine Abbotts of Everwood, CO. (Matt Saracen, I'm looking at you.)

Watched swimming on NBC today, [cue dramatic announcer voice]The Mutual of Omaha Duel in the Pool[/end dramatic announcer voice]. Actually watched a bit of it yesterday, as well, so two days in a row of seeing my pretty, pretty Aaron Peirsol. Too bad he's only 22. And completely out of my league. :P But still, the pretty!

Rented and watched both Miss Congeniality 2 and In Good Company today (I had a card for two free Blockbuster rentals, yay!), and I really enjoyed both. I thought that I would miss Benjamin Bratt more in MC2, but I thought Enrique Murciano was a suitable replacement, despite not being a love interest for Gracie. (Which was fine with me, I totally get that Sandra Bullock wanted to do a female buddy movie instead of another romantic comedy.) Of course, I've really only seen Enrique on Without a Trace (is he being typecast as an FBI agent?), and when it comes to that show, I'm really all about the Eric Close, but after seeing this movie, I think I will...appreciate him more in the coming season. He was totally adorable and sweet.

It also freaks me out how much William Shatner has grown on me the past couple years. Ever since he started being all publicly self-deprecating and funny, I have a new appreciation for him. This coming from someone who literally started clapping in the movie theater when Capt. Kirk bit it in the, uh, seventh? Star Trek movie. (Yes, I saw a Star Trek movie in the theater. Shut up.)

Loved, loved, loved In Good Company. This is probably blasphemous, but I can pretty much take or leave Scarlett Johannsen. Dennis Quaid and Topher Grace, on the other hand, I completely adore. And it was nice to see Marg Helgenberger as not!Catherine Willows. The movie even had me a little teary at the end. I think I'm going to put it on my Christmas list.

Thoughts about entourage tomorrow, although I will say that it was totally weird having Malcolm McDowell pop up in both In Good Company and entourage, since I watched them one after the other... Also, Melinda Clarke! Whee!

I really think that this season of entourage is better than last season. I'm not sure exactly what it is, but I find it even more entertaining, and the episodes just fly by. Maybe it's because this season seems to be focusing more on the ups and downs of being an actor, rather than Vince and the boys' romantic escapades. I'm thinking less Emily and Kristin is a good thing--E is more interesting as a fledgling manager than as just another hapless guy. ( More thoughts behind the cut )

Watched Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events with my parents this weekend. It was...weird. And I've read the books. My dad hated it, and actually left the room before it was over. It just didn't seem like a good kids movie to me, but at the same time, as an adult, I was annoyed by what seemed like a cop-out of an ending. Having read the books, I know that there is currently nothing resembling a happy ending as yet for the Baudelaire orphans, so to even imply that there might be seemed like it went against the whole tone of the books. I was surprised by how many faces I recognized in small roles. I had no idea that Meryl Streep was in the movie, and it was interesting seeing Dustin Hoffman and Jennifer Coolidge pop up.

I was also distracted by the fact that the kid who played Klaus Baudelaire looked really familiar, but I couldn't place him.

And finally...I hate Mondays.

Today is my first day back at work after being out sick for two days. In all honesty, I probably could have come back yesterday, but I was exhausted and I desperately needed to clean my house, so I stayed home. Anyway, I still don't feel all that great, with a persistent cough and an overall feeling of fatigue, but I'll survive.

Watched House for the first time on Tuesday night, mostly because Veronica Mars wasn't on. I really enjoyed it, and I'm totally crushing on Dr. Chase (played by Jesse Spencer). Definitely a step up from that dippy movie with Brittany Murphy and Dakota Fanning. Remember when Brittany Murphy was in Clueless, and was both funny and non-skeletal? I miss that Brittany. Remember when Dakota Fanning wasn't unnaturally prepossessing for her age, and therefore non-creepy? No? Me either.

Anyway, House. Once VM returns to the schedule, I think I might have to start taping it. Which means my friends can tape their own episodes of One Tree Hill. (Since I tape Gilmore Girls anyway, I've just been taping both and loaning them the cassettes. I'm my friends' TV pimp, y'all.)

Didn't see American Idol last night, although I can't say I'm heartbroken over any of the 4 rejects. And as shameful as it is to admit it...I actually find Ryan Seacrest somewhat appealing. I mean, I know he's a tool and all, but the self-deprecating humor and gentle pokes at AI itself are rather endearing.

Yeah, I need help.

Haven't watched last night's Alias yet, but it has The Sark, so how bad can it be? (Seriously, how bad? Anyone?) *Note to self: Make a Sark icon*

Watched CSI: New York, and I'm loving Flack a little more each week. For one thing, Eddie Cahill has absolutely magnificent blue eyes. He did pretty much nothing for me when he was Tag on Friends, but then I saw him as Jim Craig in Miracle, and something changed. Incidentally, if you haven't seen that movie, rent it NOW. I don't care if you don't like hockey. It is awesome and inspirational and just flat-out rocks. *2nd note to self: Make a Miracle icon.*

Eeeee! Dermot Mulroney! Romantic comedy! Eeeee!

1. Pick one dozen movies that are ones that you have special feelings about.
2. Pick a few lines of dialogue that mean something to you.
3. As people guess the film, strike out that entry.
4. If possible, after the film is guessed, explain why that movie made the list.
*Stolen from hackthis

1. "You can't judge a book by its cover." "No, but you can tell how much it's gonna cost." Some Kind of Wonderful guessed by herenowhere3 and screaming_mimie Hands down, my favorite 80s movie. I lurve Eric Stoltz, for one thing. I've lost count of the number of times I've fallen for my best friend...sadly, none of them have fallen back.

2. "This field, this game, is a part of our past... It reminds us of all that once was good and that could be again." Field of Dreams guessed by avidtvfan How can I not love this film? I'm a huge baseball fan, which is a large part of its appeal. There's something infinite and magical about the game. Unlike football or basketball, it doesn't have enclosed boundaries. Anything is possible.

3. "I'm in the mood to kick a little ass." The Cutting Edge guessed by halfway2home I just really, really love this movie. D.B. Sweeney is all kinds of hot.

4. "I don't want sunbursts or marble halls. I just want...you." Anne of Avonlea (or Anne of Green Gables: The Sequel, if you prefer) guessed by flippedstargirl I received the first six books in the Anne of Green Gables series the Christmas I was nine. I then proceeded to read everything L.M. Montgomery wrote. Although the movies aren't quite as fantastic as the novels, Megan Follows and Jonathan Crombie are perfect as Anne and Gilbert.

5. "I have a bad feeling about this." Star Wars (any and all) guessed by filmobsessed136 Star Wars (the original) and its two sequels are my all-time favorite films. I first saw it when I was 4; Return of the Jedi was released when I was almost 6, and I begged my parents to take me to see it. The love has never waned.

6. "I shall call him squishy and he shall be mine and he shall be my squishy." Finding Nemo guessed by avidtvfan My friends have two sons. The older one is my godson. His baby brother is just plain adorable. And when he was a few months old, he was all sweet and plump and, well, squishy. So I started using this quote when I referred to him. I love him to bits.

7. "You keep saying that word. I do not think it means what you think it means." The Princess Bride guessed by sullymel and trixalicious How can I not love this movie? And Cary Elwes...yum. Besides, this holds all sorts of fond high school memories for me.

8. "This is totally rad. You're my big little brother." Flight of the Navigator guessed by herenowhere3 I lost track of the number of times my cousins and I rented this movie when we were young. Every time we were at each other's houses, we'd watch it. I was beyond excited the first time I went to Disney-MGM Studios in 1989, and they had the prop spaceship from the film. Too cool.

9. "Sometimes you're so hell bent on making things fit that you miss out on all the fun."

10. "It's amazing how exotic Wisconsin...isn't." While You Were Sleeping guessed by trixalicious Fantastic movie, plus it rips on Wisconsin. What's not to love? I had the movie poster for this on my wall my freshman year of college. Good times.

11. "Even the smallest person can change the course of the future." Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Rings guessed by sullymel I first read the books in high school, and I saw the first two movies on opening night. The original manuscripts are in the archives at my alma mater. So many reasons why this movie is special.

12. "It took me forever to get here." Never Been Kissed guessed by screaming_mimie I relate to a lot of what Josie goes through in this movie. I wasn't quite as hopeless or tormented in high school, but I did have a hard time finding my niche. And I'm still waiting to find my Sam Coulson.

ETA: Changed number 12 because I used the same movie twice. It is so not my day.

Is it weird that the end of The Mighty Ducks 3 makes me weepy? I blame it on Josh Jackson. The boy is too adorable for words.

Anyway, I'm still in the throes of Christmas-shopping-hell, but I'm getting closer to being finished. Just a few more gifts for the extended fam--my younger cousins and my "Secret Santa" name.

This weekend was insanely busy, but fun. I took a bunch of pictures of my godson, his baby brother, and the two other munchkins that I see on a regular basis, and I have high hopes that they are going to turn out really, really cute. I've decided that the 35mm is better for taking pictures of little people than my digital--it doesn't do action shots well, and the kids are rarely still. Have I mentioned how much I need want a digital SLR? Just as soon as I have $1200 to spare, the Nikon D70 is mine. I only need the camera body; my 35mm lenses are compatible, which rocks.

Haven't watched last night's DH yet, but I'm sure I'll love it.

I keep forgetting to mention this, but I really wish people like sullymel, ageofaquarius, stephdub, or mspooh lived closer to me, because I had some prime stalking opportunities the past two days, which I didn't take advantage of, because I can't stalk alone. :) Anyway, they have been filming scenes from the new Batman movie (starring CHRISTIAN BALE!!! about 15 minutes from my house the past two nights. And I had no one to go ogle him with...

I really like Entourage. I just can't help it. I mean, nothing really happens, which is usually a huge turn-off for me (I absolutely loathed Seinfeld, which was pretty much the ultimate show about nothing). But this is just a nice half-hour of brain candy. And Vince seems to be slowly growing a personality, which is a good thing.

Actually went to the movies this weekend, which is a rarity for me. Saw Little Black Book, and I really liked it. ( More thoughts behind the cut )

Watched my new Bourne Identity DVD yesterday. The much-hyped "alternate ending" was totally lame. Not radically different enough from the actual ending to make it interesting. I had forgotten how much fun the movie was, so that was good. And damn, Matt Damon is hot in it. I was a longtime Ben girl up until the J. Lo debacle, but this movie put me firmly in the Matt camp. I might have to go see The Bourne Supremacy now.

Yesterday was pretty much an all-day movie extravaganza for me, mostly because I was sewing, and needed background noise. 28 Days was on cable, and since I'd never seen it before, I decided to watch. Liked it. Probably won't rush out and buy it--there's not quite enough Viggo for that. :) It was cool seeing Marianne Jean-Baptiste (from Without a Trace) in a different role. And I really, really like Azura Skye.

Also caught the end of Armageddon on FX, which always makes me bawl. Yeah, I know it's a big, brainless movie, but the whole father-daughter dynamic gets me every time.

My sunburn is peeling, which is very, very annoying. It's like my shoulders have dandruff. Blech.

Got to babysit for my godson (20 months) and his brother (7 1/2 months) on Saturday for a few hours, which was so much fun. At one point, I had the younger one on my lap, and the older one climbed on too, and we read a book. They're so freaking cute. And my godson gave me a kiss and a hug goodbye. :) *sigh* I so want kids.

I am pathetic. I was flipping through the channels last night, and noticed that What a Girl Wants was starting on one of the HBOs. I'd never seen it, and there was nothing else on, and hello, Colin Firth. So I started watching. And I really, really liked it. And I must be PMSing or something, 'cause I was totally crying for the last 15-20 minutes of the movie. What is wrong with me? On the plus side, Colin dancing in leather pants? Yummy.

I swear to God, USA only airs about 10 different episodes of Law and Order: SVU. Couldn't they show some that I haven't already seen? They have the better part of 5 seasons to draw from. Eesh.

So I watched Emma last night. Well, most of it. I missed the first few minutes. I'd never actually seen it before, in large part due to an aversion to Gwyneth Paltrow (which has only increased since she named her helpless child Apple, of all things). It was fairly enjoyable, and as I adore the movie Clueless, it was fun to see the parallels and differences between the two films. I must admit, as much as I enjoy Ewan McGregor, though, whatever was going on with him hair really wasn't a good look for him. Bleah.

My BJD DVD finally came on Saturday, but I haven't had a chance to watch it yet. :( I need a Mr. Darcy fix soon, though.

And is it just my imagination, or does The Notebook look like it's going to rank right up there with The Bridges of Madison County on the list of Cheesetastic Chick Flicks I Refuse to See? Double bleah.

Going to see Stan Ridgway tonight at Schuba's. Should be fun.

I realize that I'm three years behind the curve, but oh my God, I am in love with the movie Bridget Jones' Diary. I watched it for the first time last night on TBS, primarily because there was nothing else on, and I just...it is so good! How have I been missing it all these years? I already ordered the DVD, I liked it so much. And Colin Firth...oy. I didn't really get it before. He was attractive enough, yes, but I didn't get it. I so get it now. Those eyes...that hair...he just smolders. Must borrow mum's copy of Pride & Prejudice ASAP.

In other news...hmm, I really don't have much other news. I spent a good bit of time last night writing a letter to Chris Pratt as part of a birthday project spearheaded by roxybluegirl7. Of course, his birthday was yesterday, so I'm a bit late to the game, but better late than never. If I actually get a response from him, I think I will fall over.

I still feel like I'm forgetting something...

Apparently, my dad is addicted to Coupling. I find this incredibly disturbing for some reason. I've never actually watched the show, so perhaps it makes perfect sense that he likes it, but I've heard a lot about it, and the idea of my dad watching a British sex comedy is just...weird. It's bad enough he watches almost as many shows on the WB as I do.

We actually had a really nice Father's Day. After I went to the Cubs game with WorkBitch, I cam home and made dinner for my parents. I actually did most of the prep work before the game, which turned out to be a very smart thing, or we'd have been eating at like 9 o'clock. The Cubs actually managed to win yesterday, which is the first time they've done so this season when I've been in attendance. (This was my 5th game of the year.)

I watched Down With Love on HBO this weekend. Ewan McGregor is undeniably yummy, and I enjoy Renee Zellweger, Sarah Paulson, and David Hyde Pierce, but on the whole I found the movie somewhat meh. I definitely won't be buying it on DVD.

And we're having a thunderstorm right now, so everyone cross their fingers that the power goes out and we get sent home early from work. :)

Fans of Jane Austen and MI-5/Spooks rejoice!

Matthew Macfayden to star as Mr. Darcy