Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet: A Novel by Jamie Ford

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
I read Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet just after finishing The Piano Teacher, both of which were debut novels written about the time period of WWII, but from opposite sides of the Ocean. The storyline of this novel is so compelling and it was just so refreshing to be reminded of the purity and innocence of love; even during a time of such injustice. The characters came to life for me, and the pages practically turned themselves. The speed of the read cannot be mistaken for lack of depth. Overall, a very good book.


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Twilight

Okay, just finished 'previewing' my latest Netflix movie. I've had Twilight saved in my queue since it was out in theatres, and bumped it to the top, returning a movie just in time so that I would have a perfectly orchestrated delivery of it on opening day. Then it just sat at my house for four more.

I am having some friends over to watch it on Thursday, but figured I'd want to see it more than once anyway. Yes, I know that the reviews were very disappointing, but here are my thoughts on it.

First, I watched both the version with the commentary and without. I was throughly entertained by the commentary, because both Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson were involved and were very humble about the version of the movie that made it into viewers' hands. The commentary made the movie very endearing, and I was laughing more than once about their frank self-awareness, such as Pattinson's assertion that you should never trust a man that wears lipstick and plucks his eyebrows or Stewarts embarassment about the number of times that her eyes crossed unwittingly.

Edward and Bella have great chemistry, the kiss is executed very well, and Ms Meyer even ensured that we see a less steamy version that what was originally presented to her; which is in keeping with the books, as (and this won't spoil anything, don't get your panties in a twist) they have a young adult target audience, so aren't intented to be soft porn. Ya garbage minds.

When Jasper meets Bella at the house, he looks like he's constipated, and when Edward meets Bella the first time, it's comical instead of heady and romantic. Ah well...I assumed before watching it that it didn't have a lot of money and the next movie is bound to have a bigger budget (which they also talked about in the commentary) so it's only going to get better.

The special effects were pretty cheesy, but the baseball scene was fun.

Overall I felt like it did its job; I wasn't expecting The Godfather or Gone With the Wind. It's entertaining and cheesy and I would HIGHLY recommend reading the book first because it's just always better. Am I going to watch it again? Yep. And I may just buy it.

What?! J owns some doozies and has viewed more B movies than I've seen episodes of Sex and the City, so there will be no judgements in this house.

*As a funny coincidence, my sister published an almost identical post at almost the same time...and we didn't even know that the other person was watching the movie!

Dickie No More

Last night, I got together with a few of my knitting buddies, and finally picked up and started knitting the first part of the first sleeve on my sweater...now I have to finish it, because you can't have a dickie with cap-sleeves.

Looks Like We Made It

Two days ago, J and I celebrated our sixth anniversary. The night before, he got home just before our dinner guests came over, and helped get C and H into their night-time gear while I put the salad together.

Remembering that he was a lame-wad for Valentine's Day, he told me that he'd debated stopping for flowers on the way home, but knew he was already running late. I assured him that I didn't need flowers, as we had plans for a date night and that was enough for me (read: I don't want grocery store carnations)...plus, I didn't plan to get him anything, so it left me off the hook.

The next night he came home with a single rose, explaining that I'd told him I didn't want flowersss, so he got me a flower. Ah, so sweet. Accompanied by a cheese-tastic card of the sort that always remind me of what my dad gave my mom, it was all together a very nice sentiment; I was appropriately appreciative. And I wonder why he doesn't make more romantic gestures....

Baby-sitter settled, we went for dinner at Sole Proprietor in Worcester and I had the best scallops I've ever tasted; maple-glazed and served over steamed broccoli and a bed of mashed sweet potatoes. The perfect texture, melting and smooth, much like sashimi as it made it's way to my happy belly. Contrary to what some say, sashimi has a velvety texture and is not at all slimy...if it is, you may want to make your way to the nearest ED.

Along with my scallops, I had a glass of Bangin Red Meritage...I'd not ever had a meritage, and let me just say that it is my new best friend. I was so satisfied with my dinner that I passed on dessert. For those that don't know me, this is akin to a nympho passing on sex, as we are a family known for partaking of our sweet treats. I didn't even have a coffee!

We had planned to spend some time in a book store or something after dinner, but then remembered as we pulled into the first parking lot that it was almost 9 on a Sunday, so headed home to watch Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist (I love Michael Cera movies). We had to pause it about 5 times when C decided that he's not going to have long stretches of sleep anymore, or fall asleep by himself. Heading to bed with the sad realization that a restlessly sleeping baby and the possibility of a pre-schooler joining you at any moment kind of negates the re-enactment of the wedding night, so there you have it.

Sarcasm aside, I often marvel at the fact that J chose to spend his life with me. He's pretty amazing; wicked smaaht, funny, and the perfect laid-back balance to my uber-anxious and controlling self. I can honestly say that I am happy with him and our relationship every day. Well, as Charlotte said "Not all day every day. But, every day."

Happy Anniversary! Oh, and for our tenth anniversary, I don't want a diamond. (translation: I want diamonds)

Lady GaGa

A different recording of this acoustic version of Lady GaGa performing her song Pokerface was on my friend Maggie's site Slice of Wife, and I went to YouTube to get the embedding, and found this version...enjoy! It's far different from the radio version, but it just shows how amazing her voice is...she's not just another performer who has to use electronics to sound good.