Smorgasboard

A bunch of things on mind as of late:

Saw Volver last night- the new film from legendary Spanish director Pedro Almodóvar. Loved it! I won’t give away too much of the plot, because I don’t want to spoil anything. The film’s cast is almost entirely female, with Penelope Cruz playing the lead character Raimunda, who works odd jobs to support her teenage daughter and loser of a husband. I never thought much of Cruz in American movies, but in Volver, she is outstanding, as well as absolutely stunning. I now have a new woman-crush. Raimunda and her sister Sole venture back to their hometown, a rural village where their parents died in a fire, to visit their senile aunt. After the death of their aunt, a mystery begins to build, with the ghost of Raimunda and Sole’s mother making an appearance. Volver seems to be Almodovar’s tribute to the female gender- all of the women are strong, independent characters, who capably tackle the obstacles that life flings at them, even when it comes to disposing of a dead body (there is definitely some dark humor in the film). One of the most poignant scenes is a group of women moving a refrigerator- at some level, it’s funny to see Cruz, all hair and makeup and boobs, struggling with a heavy object, but it also reminded me of all the times my sisters and I, or the girls in my dorm in college (no co-ed dorms at Notre Dame) and I would work together to accomplish something normally considered “men’s work.” Then we’d all strip down to our underwear and have a pillow fight.

My sister Kerry is scheduled for a Cesarean today- keep your fingers crossed for a healthy, new niece. I’ve now officially hit the age where everyone around me seems to be having babies. Babies, they’re the new weddings.

Christmas shopping: Only one gift purchased so far. I got one of these for my dad.

Oh, want to know something I hate? Those g-damn Belden jewelry radio ads. “I almost cooked it!” Vomit.

Something else I hate? Backpacks on wheels. If you're toting one of those things and you're between the ages of 12 and 60, you are a dork.

Happy Friday, everyone!