It's love, not Santa Claus.

[Again, not a teaching-related post.  Again, a movie-related post.  Perhaps I named the blog incorrectly.]

I had some reservations about seeing "(500) Days of Summer."  I wondered if it would be the new "Garden State" or "Juno" - a movie that tried ridiculously hard to look like it's not trying at all.  Sure, "Summer" had some of that, particularly in the uber-hip styling of its two principle stars and in the meticulously chosen indie rock soundtrack.  Somehow, though, it didn't really bother me.  

There was something about the character of Tom, with his quest for love and his hot pursuit of Summer, that was quite relatable.  A synopsis of the movie (from the Moviefone web site, I believe) likened Tom to a modern Don Quixote, charging at Summer/love like Cervantes' hero charged at the windmills.  Strangely, Don Quixote has come up a lot for me lately - from watching Terry Gilliam's struggles in "Lost in La Mancha" to discovering through casual party talk that not everyone is familiar with the classic character.  "Summer" came at the right time, when I had Quixote on the brain.  

I don't really know where I'm going with this - "Summer," Don Quixote, etc.  I think it's just that I think everyone, even the most rational, logical of us, is susceptible to the Quixote moment - charging at the figurative windmills, thinking that something that isn't there, really is.  And I think that "(500) Days of Summer" painted a picture of that, also showing that you can come out alright on the other side.

Plus, it did have a pretty solid soundtrack.

Totes.

Since there is currently no teaching happening (thank you, summer), there are no new "adventures in teaching" to report. However, there's a decent amount of movie-watching going on; I guess this is obvious, as I started this blog as a result of said activity.

Last night, while assisting in the construction of an Ikea bed, I watched "I Love You, Man," which was just as funny on my "vintage" miniature college dorm room tv as it was on the big screen. Even though I don't call people "Jobin" or use the phrase "totes ma goats" in conversation, I find myself relating to the character of Peter Klavin. He's a guy without male friends, and I find myself as a girl, in all honesty, without many female friends. At one point, Peter asks his brother: "How do you meet friends? It's such a weird concept." So, so true.

Peter eventually develops a wonderful bromance, which allows him to rock out to Rush, walk a puggle around Venice Beach, and go hiking in the woods. All the while, the women have "girls night" and talk about guys. The movie shows two different worlds - the guy world and the girl world. I wonder why women always seem to be shown as a variation of "Sex and the City," a show which I more than despise. I'll take the bromance, please.

First post.

I have a feeling that the internet is presently becoming inundated with people like myself - people who happened to go see "Julie and Julia" and, after viewing, felt the desire to either master the art of French cooking OR enter the blogosphere. Not wanting to bone a duck or make a gelatin-like concoction out of beef parts, I've decided to do the latter.

I've been saying that I'd like to do this for a while - write about the random, funny life events that keep things interesting. As a teacher of children ages 3-6, the randomness and funniness are everyday occurrences, and I thought this might be a good way to preserve them.

But since life is not all about work, I'd like to record other thoughts, as I see fit. I mean, I do have a pug who is a constant source of amusement.

We'll see how this all goes, and whether this was all just a movie-induced idea or if it'll actually stick.