January, 8, 2006 archives

the big sleep, the 1978 version, is unsurprisingly not as good as the bogart/bacall incarnation. the setting is 1970s england, apparently before the bra had been invented. this version is more faithful to the book (and actually sees the story to conclusion), but the acting is pretty universally flat, if not bad.

the castle is a goofy little australian film about a family fighting to save its home from an eminent domain land-grab to expand the airport they live next to. but it’s really about the quirky family, and their blind geniality, especially the dad’s.

this completed my full weekend — going on the city hall walking tour, to the los angeles auto show, and finally to the japanese american national museum and the oshogatsu celebration. (oh yeah, and made a pizza.)

the taiko drum performance and rice pounding were both amazing. you aren’t actually supposed to take pictures inside the museum, but i didn’t notice that part of the sign until my second or third trip inside, so i took a couple of pictures of the drums in the exhibit inside.

i’m exhausted (both because of everything i did, and waking up at 4am today), but i hope i can keep coming up with things to pack my weekends with like this. maybe some weekend i won’t do all of it alone.

time to veg out.

the main impression i had of the buena vista cabernet sauvignon 2002 was “peppery.” it was okay, but another wine that i wouldn’t seek out.

it’s probably time to actually give some other types of wine more of a shot. i’ve been sticking with the cabernet sauvignons because i knew there was at least one that i had liked.

i think it’s time for another trader joe’s run this weekend.

bonus link: tracking trader joe’s, an unofficial blog all about trader joe’s.