The Great Debate

We've all been a part of a discussion that went something like this:

Have you seen the new __________ movie?

Yeah, but the book was better.

As usual.

In some sense of the word, it's true.  Books are generally more detailed, tell a fuller story, and give the reader more freedom to imagine the characters and events in his or her own mind.  But books aren't accompanied by musical scores, nor do they have the advantage of live performances.  Movies do.  

The point I'm trying to make is that comparing books to movies is futile, because they are so different.  It would be like saying eating at Chipotle is better than eating at the authentic Mexican restaurant.  Chipotle is, of course, inspired by Mexican food, but is a little bit of a different take on it.  It is the product of Steve Ells's creative culinary license.

In the early 20th century, there was a scientist who suggested that as a human race, we had discovered all there was to know. We had reached the end of the discovery phase of mankind. (I could go on about that for quite some time, but will save it for another day.)  While we obviously know that he was wrong, there is something to be said for the slow down in original ideas.

While I am by no means claiming to be an expert on the film industry, it does seem that the majority of movies these days are inspired by something else, whether it's a novel, a series, a comic book, or a real-life event.  And when you're in the story-telling business some of the details always get changed.  I love to tell stories, and it just so happens that I almost always have a story for every occasion.  But I will also be the first to admit that I do some embellishing from time to time.

The important thing to remember is that the details that get changed never affect the overall outcome of the story.  Let's talk Lord of the Rings.  Those of you who know me know that, given the chance, I would go live out my days in Middle Earth, barefoot and drinking tea with hobbits, chilling and talking slowly in Fangorn with the ents, and riding all over Rohan and Gondor with the Rohirrim (on Shadowfax, of course, since Gandalf would be my homeboy and lend him to me whenever I asked).

So, when the LOTR movies were released, I bet you can imagine that I was initially disappointed at the exclusion of (among other things) Tom Bombadil, the Battle for the Shire, and what could have been the most epic cliffhanger in the history of cinema.  (For those of you who DKDC about LOTR: at the end of The Two Towers book, we are left to believe that Frodo has been killed by Shelob, a giant spider, in her lair in Mordor.)  But now I am able to look at the three films as a whole and see that while they do not tell every single piece of Tolkien's story exactly as he told it, they still tell the story.  And beautifully so.

Okay, I'm trying to reel it in, since I could go on about LOTR forever, and you very well might not care, but I just have one more point to make.

Now that I can view the movies as a whole, I have come to the realization that my favorite scene from the films is something that never even happened in the books.  In The Two Towers movie, at the Battle of Helm's Deep (which, btw, is only one chapter in the book), the army of elves shows up to aid in the defense against the orcs.  I love that scene.  I love that the elves are there, without question, to fight a war that isn't theirs to fight.  I love their fancy helmets and bows.  I love that they never seem to run out of arrows.   I love that they don't think twice about losing their immortality for the greater good. That scene really makes that movie what it is.

And that, in the end, is the beauty of art. It's the realization that each genre is different.  And, as with people, differences should be celebrated and enjoyed.  The fact of the matter is that none of us would want to sit through a movie that was exactly like the book...because it would be a 72-hour film!  I've decided to stop making "better or worse" comparisons between books and movies.  Rather, it should be a question of "Was I entertained? Was it a good performance (either written or acted)? Is it thought-provoking? Does it evoke an emotional response? Would i read/watch it again?

We spend so much time complaining about how movies aren't as good as their inspiration that we fail to see that they are, in their own right, works of art.

To Read More Books

It's the new year.  2012.  Ouch...just realized that exactly a decade ago I started counting the days until high school graduation.  I still remember the surprise on my AP English teacher's face the first day back after Christmas break when I announced that we only had 142 days until freedom.  Oh, those were the good old days.

Every year, about this time, we all look at the year ahead with the hope of a fresh start and go about making our new year's resolutions.  I don't think I've ever managed to keep one of mine and every year I think, 'This is the year I will succeed!'  But by the time March rolls around, they usually fall by the wayside.  Let's take, for instance, 2011.  I decided to keep track every day of something I learned, something for which I was thankful, and something beautiful I saw that day.  I think I made it until the 12th of January before I got too far behind to catch up.

Regardless, I'm not making resolutions this year.  I'm going to think of them more as guidelines.  I want to read more, worry less, drink more wine and less coke, try new recipes, do less laundry, waste less produce, volunteer more, keep my nails painted, sit on the porch and look at the stars, learn to like tomatoes, do jigsaw puzzles regularly, actually use the kayak I bought myself, visit more museums, do more people watching, finish writing the book I started two years ago, plant a garden (or at least some flowers out front!), laugh more, blog more, love more, and just try to keep it all together.

So far I'm doing pretty well on some: I'm in the middle of my third book of the year already and I just repainted my nails from dark brown to a bright fuschia-ish color with sparkles!  Unfortunately, I did have to throw away a zucchini and a yellow squash today because they had gone bad since Christmas.  That put me in a foul mood because I had planned on using them for dinner, but it was nothing a little stir fry couldn't save.  

But hey, if this is the year we're all gonna die anyway, I'm probably not going to try too hard.  Except on the book thing...so many to read before doomsday!

An Ode to Fungus

It's the holidays.  I would like to spend my money on holiday-like things.  So in an effort to be more financially conscious, I am making it a point to make more meals at home.  On tonight's menu is Kung-Pao Crab Stir-Fry.  Super easy and SUPER delicious.  (fry up a pack of Uncle Ben's instant Jasmine rice, 2 eggs, peanuts, shredded carrots, cabbage, soybeans, mushrooms, bean sprouts, chopped red onion, whatever meat you've got, and whatever else you like with a little olive oil and the stir fry sauce of your choosing...tonight I used Panda Express's Kung Pao sauce).

Anyway, as I was standing over the wok, tossing in obscene amounts of mushrooms, I thought to myself, "Is this too many mushrooms?"  To which I quickly responded, "No such thing."  But it got me thinking about shrooms and just how incredibly delicious they actually are. I realize and appreciate that not everyone loves to eat fungus, but I was so into thinking about how much I liked them, I did a little research and learned that they're actually delicious AND interesting!!

The average American eats four pounds of mushrooms per year (good to know I'm well above average) while the average Japanese person consumes 26 pounds per year.

Ancient Egyptians called mushrooms the "plant of immortality" and commoners were prohibited from even handling them.

Mushrooms, unlike most plants, consume oxygen during digestion and metabolization and produce carbon dioxide waste (like humans!!!)

There is an estimated 1.5-2 million species of fungus on the planet, but only approximately 80,000 are properly identified.

Some South American Amazon tribes use the same word for mushrooms as they do for meat, as they believe they have the same nutritional value.

All of this mushroom talk reminded me of a great book by Elinor Lipman called The Inn at Lake Devine.  I think I may  have actually blogged about the book before.  But mushrooms play a surprisingly big role in the book...which only makes me want to eat them more!!!

Guilty Pleasures

It's been a while since I last posted. And every time there is a lapse in my blogging, I make excuses for my absence and promise to write more. Not that it matters much; I can probably count the number of readers without taking off my shoes. Anyway, I was thinking on the way home today about the things I love, even though they're somehow wrong. And I compiled my Top 10 list of Guilty Pleasures....

#10: Foot Freedom
Speaking of taking off my shoes, barefoot is my favorite way to be. I especially love to take my shoes off while sitting at my desk at work, in church, and while driving. I am fairly confident that the last one is illegal in almost all 50 states. I don't even have a good reason as to why I'd rather not wear shoes. My feet just like to be free, okay?!

#9: Crime Drama

What IS it with all the crime dramas on TV these days being so good? And to be fair, it doesn't even have to be a current crime drama. In fact, I'm fascinated by crime in general, and just love how those television folks can make a crime happen and wrap it up in a nice little bow in 50 minutes or less. My favorites are the ones about serial killers. It's sick, right? But there's something about them...turn on an episode of Criminal Minds and I'm glued.

#8: Pickles

Basically any kind of dill pickle. But especially pickled okra. It's so good. But given my high blood pressure, I should probably lay off of them. It's tough, but when I go grocery shopping, I force myself to choose between a carton of ice cream or a jar of pickled okra. Let's just say I usually skip the freezer aisle.

#7: Office Supplies

When I first started working for my current employer, I just about lost my s-word when I learned that I was in charge of keeping the office supply closet stocked. It's kind of an obsession. So much so that once when I redeemed my $63 StaplesRewards check, the cashier looked at me, bewildered, and said, 'Oh, I guess you shop here a lot. My rewards checks aren't that big...and I work here.' What can I say? I love all things with the intention of getting you more organized. I also love pens, filing systems, date stamps, rolodexes, sharpies, notebooks, and bubble wrap. It's bad. I have no less than seven boxes upstairs in my spare room labeled 'office supplies' that are wasting away. I wonder if they're like the toys in Toy Story 3 who didn't want to go into storage because they were made to be played with. Are all my hanging files and paperclip dishes sad that they've spent the last two years in boxes?

#6: Recipes

I will collect recipes until the cows come home (which, on my farm, will be never, since there are only sheep that live here). I love feeding other people and I love experimenting in the kitchen. I buy cookbooks, scour the internet for new and exciting dishes to try, and collect the recipe cards from the swivel display in the Safeway and Walmart produce sections. The only problem is that I rarely actually get around to trying them. Something else gathering dust on the farm :(

#5: Nail Polish

I think we can all agree that I am the antithesis of a girly girl. But a few years ago I discovered that if I keep my nails painted, I chew on them a whole lot less. Which leads to healthier cuticles and less embarrassment on my part when other people see my hands. Except this has turned into an expensive habit. I can't remember the last time I bought a bottle of nail polish that cost less than $9. And I have to have something to match every outfit.....

#4: Long Showers

I swear there is a part of me that is a bleeding heart treehugger. One who believes that we are only guests on this earth and should treat it as such. I recycle when it isn't convenient, I buy new reusable shopping bags whenever I'm out and have forgotten mine, I dig recyclables out of trash cans, I spend the extra couple dollars on eggs from open-range farms, I sweat through the summer nights at my house to avoid using the A/C as much as possible. But for some reason, I take the longest showers known to man. I surprise myself when I think I've been quick and then come to find out that I've been over 20 minutes. And that's on a good day. I know that a 30-40 minute shower is a ridiculous waste of water. But there's this itty bitty part of me that says, "You know, Rebekah...water IS a renewable resource...."

#3: Split Infinitives

I am sure that every grammar teacher I have ever had would cringe to hear this. I know that they are wrong. And whenever I proofread for other people, I change them. But I love them so much that I make it a point to work them into a lot of my writing. It might also have something to do with my love affair with adverbs.

#2: Books
I try to justify my life-long obsession with books a million different ways, but the truth is simple. I love them. And I want as many of them in my life as possible. Last week, while on vacation in New York, we stopped by the local library, and it just happened that they were having a book sale. A full box of books and $11 later, I was out of there. And it really doesn't help that Borders is going out of business at the moment. Every time I drive by, that huge yellow and black "Going out of Business" banner might as well be a giant nerd magnet. I just can't help myself from going in and perusing for an hour or so and leaving each time with a full bag or two. So far my trips have ranged in damage from $24 to $65. And now I have more books than I have space for in the library or that I will ever have time to read. Guess I need to buy some more shelves...

#1: Circus Peanuts

100% disgusting. 100% delicious.

So Many Books, So Little Time!

I adore books. Reading them, buying them, smelling them, organizing them, and most of all, sharing them! I also have a bad habit of buying more books than I have time to read. But lately I've been making a concerted effort to knock some of those books off my list. This week I finished two different books, both of which I thought were great reads and would happily recommend them to anyone.

First, is Eat, Pray, Love. For a long time, I wasn't sure how I felt about this book. I wasn't really sold on all the hype nor was I even that drawn to it just by the front cover. But the book was lent to me by a friend's mom, and I finally got around to cracking it open. It turns out it was better than I expected. It was slow in parts and I got frustrated with the author's whining a few times, but overall it was a really cool story. Not many people get the chance to experience all the different cultures she did. And my favorite part of the book is that while she does her own soul searching, I as the reader found that I was doing a little of my own. So if you get a chance to read it, do so. It probably won't be your favorite book ever, but will definitely get you thinking!

And second, is a book called The Inn at Lake Devine. It was lent to me by a coworker in what she likes to call her inter-office book club. Basically, we send books to each other through the inter-office mail that we think each other will enjoy. This book is set in the sixties and seventies and follows a stubborn Jewish girl who refuses to be told no, she can't visit this New England resort because Jews really aren't welcome there. So she makes a friend at summer camp and gets invited along with her family, which sparks a long series of events that lands our beloved main character [and narrator] in the midst of tragedy and awkwardness and a torrid love affair all at once. I started reading this book back at the end of June. And then accidentally left it at my parents' house in New York on the 4th of July. So they recently brought it back to me and I picked it up the other night before bed. I couldn't stop turning the pages. I was literally up until almost 2AM, dying to find out what was happening next. Needless to say, it was a quick, easy, and delightful read.

I know I didn't originally intend for this blog to be about books. But there are some I just can't keep to myself!!

Back Home Again in Indiana

So this has been quite an eventful five days of fun since I touched down and the still shiny and new Indianapolis International Airport. We ate our weight in just about everything this weekend and had plenty of laughs, naps, and all around good times. I am sitting at my gate in the airport waiting for the return flight to BWI and since I am unable to log in to my work desktop and get a head start on tomorrow, I figured this was a great time to try to chronicle the happenings of recent days.

Team Perkins picked me up right around 8PM on Wednesday and our first order of business was to stop and pick up some fancy dog treats for their English bulldog, Crumpet. Now, you might think that buying fancy treats for a dog is a bit extravagant. But she is just way to cute NOT to spoil. I give you Exhibit A:

And I rest my case.

After FINALLY getting to meet Crumpet, we walked on down to the local yokel Alabama Grill. It was almost 10PM and we could only order things off the menu that could be deep fried. But it was all delicious anyway and Team Perkins introduced me to a delicious new beverage...The Flying Dragon. At least that's what I think it was called. It was a-MAZE-ing.

The next morning was spent shopping for shoes for Inga to wear in the wedding...the next day. If it weren't for the last minute, nothing would get done! :) But she managed to find some cute little silver ballet slipper type flats that worked perfectly. We went to Chilis for lunch and that afternoon Inga and I got our nails done. That was an experience you can read about in the previous post.

That night was the wedding rehearsal and dinner. It was an outdoor wedding overlooking the Wabash River. Which is usually not so attractive. But it got dressed up for the occasion. It was super windy for the rehearsal and since it was right next to a golf course, some guys out on the nearest putting green were being jerks and chipping balls that were three feet from the hole so they came over and nearly hit us. And they waited till the balls landed to yell fore. I've never played a round of real (read: not putt putt or wii) golf in my life but even I know that rule! We finished the rehearsal and then decorated the reception hall. It was simple and beautiful and really really nice.

The rehearsal dinner was at my favorite Terre Haute hot spot, Moggers. They had a pulled pork buffet with apple crisp and bread pudding for dessert. Since the guys were going out to have another bachelor party of sorts, we decided that we should do the same. Except for the bachelorette. We thought about going and having a couple drinks, but with an under-21 with us we didn't think that was fair. So we decided to head to the little campus coffee shop in down town and just chill out. But right next door was a brand new hookah bar called Smoke in Peace.

This was fate. With none of us ever having actually smoked hookah in the past but all of us wanting to try, it was perfect. We got two different hookahs, one was called a Yellow Submarine with pineapple, banana, and orange and the other was a random mix of mango, cinnamon, and something else I can't remember. But a good time was had by all. At 11:20 Inga and I had to go and meet David at the movie theater since we had tickets to the midnight showing of Nightmare on Elm Street.

I generally don't go see horror films. Not because they're scary, but because they are ridiculous. I just laugh at all the "scary" stuff and rarely get freaked out. So Inga and I giggled our way through this Freddy Krueger update - especially when one of the girls goes all Exorcist on us - and then audibly judged the movie for making it seem as though you can jam an epi pen directly into someone's heart not kill her. After the movie David had to pee so Inga and I waited in the hall. The two guys who were sitting in front of us in the movie walked by, one of them looked straight at Inga and said, "stupid bitches!" I wish I had heard him...I would have responded by ensuring him that I am not, in fact, stupid.

Well I slept till almost noon the next day and by the time I woke up, Inga had already left to meet the bridal party and get their hair done and photos taken. David and I had lunch at this awesomely delicious home town greasy spoon diner. Then we got ready and headed over to Terre Haute for the big wedding! It was a perfectly lovely ceremony despite the wind which broke the unity candles. A mere eight hours later we were back at the Hotel Perkins and starving like crazy. So obviously, a midnight run to Hardees was in order!

We got up relatively early Saturday morning and went back to where the wedding was to help the newlyweds clean up the last remnants of the reception. After that was brunch at Bob Evans (delicious) and a search for a flea market in Brazil. The search turned out to be pretty fruitless but we did end up on the parade route for the Brazil Loyalty Day parade....which was an experience in itself. It included the usuals like the local state championship marching band, the trucks full of boy scouts throwing candy, and the town's dance academy. But the most interesting of the displays was Santa being towed in a fishing boat labeled Jackson Fire Rescue. I wish I was making this up.

Saturday night I hung out with my friend Betty and her two boys followed by a night DDing for David and Inga at a toga party that only had a handful of togas. It was an interesting party that involved people randomly trading shirts the entire night. And I had way more fun than I expected to. It was kinda nice to pretend like I was part of the college scene again...hahah! So after driving the drunks back in the rain, they went straight to bed but I was wide awake. So I started reading the book Push and couldn't put it down until I fell asleep an hour or so later.

I slept till 1:30 Sunday afternoon and then we hit Moggers for lunch. I had the bourbon wings this time...wings that are so delicious I have literally driven across the country for them. We then went to the mall to pick up some gourmet cookies for Inga to take to her dad for his birthday on Monday.

My internal clock must have known that it was Monday once again and I woke up at the crack of dawn ready to go. So I read some more of Push and then packed my bags. We went to the Umi Grille for lunch, which was as amazing as ever. And then it was time to head to the airport. Which brings me here. Waiting for my flight. Even though I don't really want to get on the plane. If nothing else, this trip has reminded me that I belong anywhere but where I'm going.