Friday, April 2, 2010

Turn that Rock into Meat...and put it on Bread

Somehow when the light is brightest in the Lenten tunnel, the temptation somehow seems worse. While I am most certainly a lapsed Catholic in many ways, I try not to eat the meat on Fridays, and I've given up on the cookies and am doing a shoddy job of blogging. When my Girl Scout samoas were delivered more than a month ago, I opened them and shared them with others, and did not feel compelled to eat one. It was not hard, because it was like, nope, still have a long way to go. But as of last night, they've been glowing heavy from behind the closed cupboard door like the Ring in the mind of Frodo. I'm not saving the world by not eating cookies, mind you. I certainly just transfer cookie desire to chips and chocolate. But my self control is really really bad. And apparently, getting worse toward the end.

Today a coworker announced he was in search of his traditional Good Friday philly cheesesteak sandwich, a hilarious premise and tradition in and of itself. Kind of a real F you to the whole Lenten Friday meat abstaining thing, more so because it takes place on THE Friday of Lenten Fridays. But after talking about cheesesteaks all day, and then watching/smelling/salivating as two coworkers ate them, I was having trouble with the no meat thing. I just wanted to go through the Wendy's drive-thru on the way out of work and get the Bacon/Bleu burger and a frosty and dip chicken nuggets in that. And I don't typically go through the Wendy's drive thru after work. It was absolutely a case of wanting it more because I could not have it.

After making it through, and looking at the samoas knowingly as I put some clean dishes away above them this afternoon, I found myself able to have the Friday I wanted to have last Friday, which instead became me writing an angry rant about the noise control issues of my neighbors. Sure they've got a phone book that was delivered 2 days ago and 2 take out menus outside their door inviting trouble and indicating disregard for their space, inches from my door, but hey, they're very QUIETLY not taking in the junk mail left on their stoop. Thank you neighbors.

Tonight I did the two loads of laundry I wanted to, and the dishes, and the sitting in peace on my couch eating chips and watching a movie I had not seen but wanted to - yep, it was Cars, the Disney/Pixar movie. Happened to be on the Disney Channel. And I only missed about 3 minutes of it!

Yes, yes it is the same premise and a story that's very close to Doc Hollywood, but guess what - I loved it. I love talking cars. I really am a sucker for animation - this is fairly widely known. But once again as I will gladly tell anyone - Up was the best movie I saw last year and do not understand how it was not the best picture given that it made me experience close to 75% or more of the gamut of human emotion and I was still thinking about it for weeks after, telling people to see it like I was trying to convert them to a new church or the Atkins diet - It will change your life! The Pixar folks really make round characters and tell good stories. Yes. Yes they do. I love those cars! Like I loved that old man and his boy scout! They manage to make me care about everyone in the movie. Mission accomplished.

Also, this movie, like Fantastic Mr. Fox of Thanksgiving, made me go - Wow, that's amazing that even just the voice is incredibly well acted. Paul Newman is a tremendous car! He brings some grit, emotion, and depth to what might otherwise be the feel-good old timer character of this movie. I had the same reaction to Meryl Streep in the aforementioned Mr. Fox. I mean, even as a fox, she is exceptional. I feel her fox's emotions. I believe that fox. Like I believe the anguish of a tarnished past for Newman's car.
That takes some chops!

Well, a TGIF to all with especial hopes that your Good Friday is a really good Friday, and that you avoided, or indulged in the cheesesteak you so richly deserve as needed.

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