Quick Hits – July 2016

This was a busy month for me, but I tried to lean more toward books than movies/TV with what spare time I did have.  I am short one television review below, because I did not have a second program to discuss.  I have actually watched pieces of two shows other than the one reviewed, but I did not get to the end of the season for either one.  Most likely those will be next month’s reviews.  I completed a third book review to take its place.

Warning:  Although I tried not to delve into plots too deeply, there are potential spoilers in the reviews below.  Read at your own risk.

TV Show:  Criminal Minds:  Season 10 (2014-2015)

I mentioned in a previous blog that this was one of my favorite procedural crime dramas.  I have been trying to contain the binging of TV shows on Netflix instant, so I made myself get this season of criminal minds disc by disc in the mail.  I just never tire of this series.  Even after ten years, I still find myself surprised by some of the quirky psychoses they match to the crimes and the twists the episodes pull.  Season 10 is no different, giving some absolutely phenomenal episodes like If The Shoe Fits, Nelson’s Sparrow, and Mr. Scratch.  This season brought a new cast member Kate Callahan played by Jennifer Love Hewitt.  I did not really warm to this character, finding her background too generic to really add much to the team and her personality just not connecting to the team dynamic.  I much preferred the departing character of Dr. Alex Blake played by Jeanne Tripplehorn who brought a linguistics specialty to the team and whose general intelligence bounced off Dr. Reid’s character so well.  That particular position on the team seems to get a lot of transition and it will continue as Kate Callahan was going on extended maternity leave at the end of season 10.  I have heard she comes back for season 12 though, so hopefully she will grow on me as they flesh out her character.  Despite my reserve on casting changes, I still loved season 10 and cannot wait for season 11 to come out on disc.

Movie:  The Big Short (2015)

The housing market crash of 2008 impacted me in a big way.  I was working for a nation-wide homebuilder when everything bottomed out.  The company’s numbers fell drastically, costing many employees their jobs, and creating much more work for those employees left.  Although I did already know what happened to cause the housing bubble and crash, I was curious to see how they presented it in this movie.  I really, really liked the movie.  They took a fairly complex situation and boiled it down to a reasonably understood scenario.  I felt the movie producers hit the right balance between the seriousness of what happened and entertainment.  The cast is all-star with Steve Carell and Ryan Gosling topping the list.  Some of the reviews on Netflix are a little negative on the people who profited from the scandal, but I think it is important to remember that none of those people created the situation nor were they trying to hide the fact that they thought it would all come down again.  Of course the movie has some political propaganda in it, especially at that end.  However, I think it does a good job of getting some basic information out there and reminding people that ignoring what is happening around you is never a good idea.

Movie:  Crimson Peak (2015)

I cannot remember how this film ended up on my Netflix list, but it did.  When I realized Guillermo del Toro was the director, I was excited.  His movie Pan’s Labyrinth is one of the best dark fairy tales I have ever seen.  Crimson Peak turned out to be an entertaining gothic romance, but not quite as good as I had anticipated.  Mia Wasikowska plays a young independent-minded woman who falls in love with a mysterious stranger despite her father’s warnings.  After her father’s death, she marries the man and moves into his family home.  There she discovers that he and his spinster sister have some family secrets that could destroy everything.  Mia Wasikowska’s performance was decent, though very similar to all of her appearances in other recent period dramas.  Tom Hiddleston as Sir Thomas Sharpe (the mysterious man) was the strongest performance.  He hits just the right notes emotionally in all the right places, has the perfect gaunt look needed for a gothic romantic man, and was surprisingly believable in the whole strange situation.  Jessica Chastain as the sister was too underwhelming to pull off the role she needed to pull off.  Bonus, Jim Beaver (from Supernatural) makes a pleasant appearance as the now deceased father.  Overall the film was entertaining, so relax and enjoy it, but do not expect anything spectacular.

Book:  Wild by Cheryl Strayed (2012)

Several years ago I read A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson and absolutely loved it.  It was entertaining and inspirational at the same time.  I picked up Wild by Cheryl Strayed because I thought it would be similar.  It does have a similar premise in that a non-hiker takes on one of the National Scenic Trails, but her execution of the story and truly her intent for writing are very, very different.  Wild is much more a memoir of Cheryl’s life leading up to her decision to hike the Pacific Crest Trail than an account of the actual hike itself.  I found that most of her hiking tales took one of three variations:  life threatened by something, boots caused problems mostly to her toenails, and she stops at the resupply stations.  There was very little commentary on the things she actually saw on the trail or how she felt changed by the experience.  The hiking story is heavily interrupted by flashbacks to her life, mostly negative events that lead to her breakdown, but occasionally happier moments involving her family when she was young.  Overall I enjoyed the book, reading it for what it was – one woman’s attempt to reconcile herself to her mistakes in life.  If providing a recommendation though, I think A Walk in the Woods is the better book.  Neither will truly prepare you for actually hiking a National Scenic Trail but both might inspire you to try.

Book:  Before the Fall by Noah Hawley (2016)

This was my June Book of the Month (BOTM) pick.  It was a pretty straight-forward who-did-it suspense novel.  A private plane crashes.  Nine people are killed, two survived.  The dead include all three crew members, five very wealthy members of society, and one bodyguard.  The survivors are a down on his luck artist who was not on the flight passenger list and the four year old heir to a media empire (his media mogul father being one of those killed).  The investigation starts with a number of possible causes and reasons for the crash.   The book slowly works its way through each of the characters back stories and the events leading up to the crash to come to the truth.  Meanwhile, the media is creating a sensational circus around the plane crash, the investigation, and the two survivors.  The book was extremely well written, and I felt completely satisfied by the conclusion.  What sets this book apart more than anything though was the way the media and celebrity were portrayed.  It was so very honest about how ridiculous we can be about people who have no bearing on our day-to-day lives.  The surviving artist's controlled response to his fifteen minutes of fame was admirable.  He exemplifies what heroism should be but often is not.  This was definitely my favorite BOTM pick so far.

Book:  Parnassus on Wheels by Christopher Morley (1917)

This was a delightful, fun read.  I have no idea how it ended up on my Geekpage reading list, but it is one of the earliest entries into that spreadsheet.  This is a short, breezy read that can probably be completed in a day though it took me a couple (work!).  The basic gist of the book is a middle age woman is tired of her life so she buys a Parnassus on Wheels (basically a traveling book store) and goes on an adventure.  It has a bit of a feminine overlay, with the main character’s claim that she did not have to stay home doing the woman’s work if she did not want to do it and with several mentions of Susan B. Anthony and women’s suffrage.  The story hits a wide swath of topics, covering farming, literature, peddlers, ruffians, and love.  On the downside, it does not have a very deep, well-developed plot.  Plus, it is told from the rambling point of view of the main character which can be a little silly.  It did age surprisingly well; it has some outdated references of course but nothing was too distracting from the story.  I highly recommend it if you are looking for something a little different to enjoy.

Overflow:

Movie:  Wild (2014) – Yes, but the book is better.

Book:  Selfish, Shallow, & Self-Absorbed:  Sixteen Writers on the Decision NOT to Have Kids edited by Meghan Daum (2015) – Yes

See you next week! 

Subscription Box Reviews

In October, I confessed myself a subscription box addict.  At the time, I had tried eight boxes and wrote reviews on four of them.  Since then, my need to try more has only grown.  I have purchased a total of twelve boxes (thirteen if you count the Plated box I reviewed in May), and am here to talk about four more of them.

Scentbird:  $14.95/month, discounts if prepaid for a quarter or a year

https://www.scentbird.com/

This is a perfume subscription box.  The first month they send a generous month’s supply of a brand name perfume and a little travel case in which to store it.  Every month after that, they just send a new vial of perfume.  The subscriber can choose the perfumes, adding them to a wardrobe which will be delivered in order.  If nothing is in the wardrobe, then Scentbird seems to send the spotlighted perfume of the prior month.  I really liked this subscription, because it was an inexpensive way to try expensive perfumes.  However, I canceled it at the end of my one year subscription.   I just became overwhelmed with perfume samples.  For the record, my favorite scent received was Clinic Happy Heart.  My least favorite was Carolina Herrera Carolina Herrera CH; I should have known better than to pick something with patchouli in it.  I would definitely consider doing this subscription again in the future if I ever pare down some of my perfume sample collection.

The Cozy Mug:  $19.95/month

http://www.thecozymug.com/

This is my favorite subscription box that I have ever purchased.  I have been getting it for over a year, and I have no intention of canceling it any time soon.  I basically get a present in the mail each month because everything is wrapped beautifully in individual tissue paper packets.  It is technically described as a tea box, but they really send more than that.  Of course, there are tea samples each month, usually in the neighborhood of three or four single serving packets and one slightly bigger sample.  There is also the occasional non-tea drink like hot chocolate or apple cider mix.  There is almost always a goodie of some sort: cookies, candy, granola bar, etc.  Then, there is a random assortment of non-edible things.  I have gotten cards, candles, scented linen spray, nail polish, and lip balm, among other things.  My favorite brand of tea introduced through the box is Republic of Tea with my current favorite flavor the Hibiscus Vanilla Apple.  There have been a few occasions when I really doubt the amount of stuff in the box equals the price of it, but overall the sheer joy of opening it makes up for those times when it is a little light on value.  I await this box each month in blissful anticipation.

Nature Box:  $19.95/month for 5 snacks – options available for 3 or 10 snacks at a time, and weekly or biweekly delivery

https://naturebox.com/homev2/

I have been getting this box for about a year, and I do not plan to cancel it.  For the most part, I have complete control over what I get each month.  I can choose snacks by placing things in a pantry in the order I want to receive them, although they will substitute if something is out of stock.  They have a very wide selection, including cookies, granola, popcorn, fruit snacks, nut mixes, dips, and dried fruit.  I definitely have not tried everything available, but have covered a good mix of things.  I have liked almost everything I have tried with those that I have not enjoyed being a matter of personal preference rather than a quality issue.  My favorites so far are Mango Almond Bites, Peanut Butter Graham Jam, and Mocha Almond Bars.  Snacks are decently sized with 2-6 servings in each one.  I find the box a good value for the price per snack, and I like having some non-grocery store options to mix into lunches for work.

Loot Crate:  $13.95/month, discounts if prepaid for 3, 6, or 12 months

https://www.lootcrate.com

This is technically not my subscription box, but one that my husband and stepson have been sharing for over a year.  Each month a box is curated based on a “geeky” theme.  Some of the past themes have been espionage, Marvel, Star Wars, and video games.  The box will include an assortment of games, books, trinkets, and apparel.  There is usually a good split of things my husband will want and things my stepson (age 7) likes.  They have even included me in the fun, giving me a model car of Dean’s Impala from the show Supernatural and some Harry Potter socks.  While I probably would not continue to get this box if it was just me, my boys really love it.  The reception of the box seems to be a little inconsistent with some themes being more of hit with them than others.  Also, the quality of the items inside the box range from really cheap to good quality.  I probably would not want to spend the money on such an unknown value.  Plus, we do seem to have built up quite an accumulation of stuff from them.  However, it is their box and they seem happy with it.

Finally, I want to give you a brief update on the four subscription boxes mentioned in my original post.  I did in fact cancel my subscription to three of them:  Beauty Box 5, The Walmart Box, and Ipsy.  I have maintained my subscription to Birchbox, although I am currently considering whether to continue it.  I like Birchbox the most, but I still feel overwhelmed by beauty samples even with the reduced amount arriving in the mail.

I am always open to new subscription boxes to try out.  I have my eye on a couple of them, though money keeps me from attempting too many at a time.  What are your favorites?  Any recommendations on what I should look into trying next?

See you next week!

Another Verse, Same as the First

By now, you all know how this goes.  It is July, which means we are closing the first quarter at work.  They once again cut a day off our schedule, and added new weird things that we had to figure out.  So once again, I have been working mornings, nights, and weekends trying to get everything in by tomorrow which is our final deadline.  As of right now, I am almost afraid we are not going to make it.  I have not had the time or the brain power to finish this week’s blog.  I actually did start it, but I still cannot finish it tonight.  In fact, as soon as I hit Publish on this blog, I am opening my work computer and doing one more task before I call it a night.  With any luck, I will be able to finish the half written blog this weekend and post as scheduled next Thursday.

See you next week!

Drop in Optimism – Front Room July 2016

Last month I was feeling so optimistic about The Front Room Project.  I felt like I really accomplished a lot of work during the month.  Even more, I was feeling really motivated to finish the cleaning so I could get more into the design component of the project.  As you can tell from the title of this month’s blog, I have lost that optimism.  I do not feel like I made nearly as much progress this month as I had wanted.  I had things going on every single weekend in June which really limited my ability to spend much time on the room.  July is not going to be any better because it is the quarter close at work, and we all know by now that I never accomplish much during that time period.  I set my goal for the end of the year, but I am beginning to wonder if I will actually make it.  At least I keep moving forward, however slowly it might be.  Below is a brief update on the room as of July 1^st.  I also included the comparison pictures, June 1^st on the left and July 1^st on the right.

Overall, the room looks cleaner this month than last month, especially on the living room side.  I moved a lot of the boxes and debris out of the way so we could start the painting.  Most of the stuff that was moved has been piled in the master bedroom or my stepson’s room.  It all has to eventually go back into the front room when it is complete.  The first few sections of the walls (the big front wall and some smaller sections by the closet and stairs) have been painted.  I picked the color Blue Bird Day from my samples, and I am extremely happy with my choice.  Even just having that small section completed makes the room look so much brighter.  My husband is really responsible for this portion of the project.  He patched, puttied, and sanded any imperfections in the walls.  Then, he painted.  He also replaced those awful metallic outlet covers and light switches with white ones that blend into the wall better.

In July, I am hoping that we will finish the painting.  Since my husband is doing most of the work and is not affected by the quarter close, we might make some progress on this part of the project at least.  We still have two big walls and a few smaller sections by the stairs to finish in the Blue Bird Day.  The ceiling needs to be repainted, just a basic white.  The base boards and the doors will all be repainted the same glossy white they currently are.  He plans to finish swapping all the light switches and outlets in the room.  He also is going to replace the doorbell chime, the smoke detector, and the light fixture by the front door.  Then, his part will be done.  By the end of the month, I may have the time to put some work into the room.  I imagine I will mostly be moving boxes back into the room from my stepson’s because I feel bad taking up all his space.  My next real task is to make some furniture decisions, particularly on the office space area.

That is it for this month’s update.  I will be back next month, and hopefully I will at least have some kind of progress to report, even if it is all my husband’s doing.  Wish me luck with the quarter close, so I can get through it and back to the fun part of life.

See you next week!