Tonight was the first time that I ever went to a movie by myself.
It was a good choice.
The 14th annual Savannah Film Festival opened on Saturday night, and I had the pleasure of working a little and seeing impressive independent films this past weekend. The SFF is the best time to spot celebrities in Savannah whose careers didn’t start on the Food Network. I can’t wait to meet James Marsden on Friday. *Melt*
Also, whoever wrote the code for the Tumblr feature on “Spotted” could use some help from Harold Jones. Look at the tiny little picture! Pshh. Lame. But, if you click on it, the photo will:
1. Be big
and
2. Be accompanied by photos of Alec Baldwin and James Cromwell.
(via Spotted®: Savannah, Georgia photos | Opening night at the 2011 Savannah Film Fest)
This week my friends and I have been savoring the last few days of summer vacation. On Monday we went to an outdoor screening of the film Up and chatted over a few beers at Mill Street afterward. I think we’re starting to become regulars at the tavern due to my friend Steph’s free beer card and the appeal of diluting the all-too-adult conversations about grad school, jobs, moving, who’s getting married, and who’s having a baby with a Rolling Rock or two.
Last night three of us went out for Thai food. As we were leaving the restaurant, the cool evening weather was surprising. My friend Maren said, “You can tell the seasons are changing” and both Steph and I agreed reluctantly. Minnesotans love to talk about the weather, after all.
Because I work at the local drug store, I engage in, overhear, or conger up a lot of weather small talk. There are so many retired farmers and farmers’ wives in Cannon Falls that on any given day I’ll hear “Today’s a scorcher…Oh boy it’s humid…The corn sure needed that rain last night…Can you believe that wind?” or any other comment on current atmospheric conditions while seniors pick up their prescriptions. I always find it funny that people will ask for empathy on the shifts that I’m stuck indoors for the vast majority of the day.
Today the high temp is in the mid 70s and it’s supposed to be sunny all day. I really hope other people get to savor the day because my light source is going to be of the florescent variety.
Tonight Kaitlin has planned a mid-week bonfire and I’m sure today’s cool temps will turn into excellent evening to cozy up next to the fire. I just wish it was cool spring weather rather than the slow decline to snowy days. I would endure a thousand more elderly complaints about humidity if it meant an endless summer of friends in town, barbecues, and rolling seas of green as I look out my window.
This summer the Sheldon Theater in Red Wing is presenting a musicals film series. A week or two ago my mom saw An American In Paris and brought home the schedule for the rest of the summer. Seven Brides for Seven Brothers is being shown August 5th and I could not be more ecstatic.
I. LOVE. THAT. MOVIE.
I’ve seen it hundreds of times because when Cora and I were growing up my mom would take us to the video store or the library to pick out a movie and we would nearly always pick:
- Seven Brides for Seven Brothers
- Cool Runnings
or
- Newsies
Singin’ in the Rain is playing on July 29th and I might try to make it to that flick too. I studied the movie in my Film Aesthetics and Analysis class and think it might be fun to watch it again without a notebook on my lap and the pressure of a looming final exam.
I was just dumped, or at least it feels that way.
Quite a while ago I learned that I was on jury duty beginning July 1st. My initial reaction was to question how jury duty would affect my job search, if it would take away the few measly hours I am working right now, and whether my three-month beck and call status would be a deal breaker for potential employers.
All of these concerns were slightly premature because I was actually a little excited when I received my report letter telling me to call in over the weekend for a possible trial this morning. The idea of having something concrete planned for my Monday was a nice change from the perpetual ambiguity of my summer days. I guess the best analogy I can think of is when a guy says, “We should grab a drink sometime.” Then you say “Sure, why not?” because you don’t have anything to lose anyway.
I called in to the court administrator last night and heard a message telling me to call back this morning at 10 am.
Then I called in at 10 am and heard a message telling me to call back this morning at 11 am.
Next, I called in at 11 am and heard a message telling me to call back this morning at 11:30 am.
The person on the other end of the line each time was a very clear and carefully spoken woman with simple instructions, “This is a recording. Today is Monday July 12th. All jurors summoned for today are to call back at 11:30. I repeat, all jurors summoned for today are to call back at 11:30. Thank you.”
When I called back at 11:30, they finally cut me loose.
They said something like, “Jurors in groups 1-14 are to report at 1 pm and those in groups 15-38 are dismissed for today.”
I happen to be in the latter group and the message ended my hope for public interaction today. When I called the number back about five minutes later, I heard “This is a recording. Today is Monday July 12th. All jurors summoned for today will not have to report. All jury trials have been taken off the calendar. All jury trials have been taken off the calendar. Goodbye.”
This morning was like a parallel storyline to He’s Just Not That Into You, a movie that outlines ways for a girl to test if a guy really wants to date her or if she’s just being dragged along like an attentive puppy on a short leash. Jury call number one was the, “Sorry, something came up, let’s reschedule.” Call number two was, “Oh no! I have a business trip out of town.” Call number three was “My grandmother died.” And the last straw was, “Is it okay with you if I’m still technically married?” Remember how I said I called again five minutes after I found out that I was off the hook? That was the girl’s “But I still miss him!” phone call.
Don’t worry; the dating debacle I described was fiction just like the movie (I hope). If you now have the urge to watch He’s Just Not That Into You, keep in mind that I own the same necklace that Jennifer Aniston wears in it. It’s a wishbone and apparently I got the short end of the draw today.
My friend Rob brought this story to my attention the other day via another one of our social networking addictions. He must actually peruse ESPN.com.
I do not.
BUT I did find this piece of cheeky news nostalgic. I love the movie and watched the VHS my mom taped off the TV growing up until streaks ran across the screen.
I’ve never been to the Field of Dreams farm in Iowa, but I have been to the Dances with Wolves film set and museum in South Dakota. My parents and I stopped there on one of my many jaunts around the state. I think it’s pretty much ingrained in Minnesotans to pack the kids in the car and drive west in a quintessential “Bad Lands” excursion.
My memories of the Dances with Wolves museum are a bit fuzzy. I assume this is because I’d never actually watched the movie seeing as I wouldn’t have had any kind of patience at age 6 to sit through 2+ hours of prairie cinematography and historical strife.
Anyway, I think Midwesterners have an affinity toward A. Kevin Costner and B. film sets. The Field of Dreams will probably sell in no time. So few movies are shot near us that every time a camera crew comes to town we stake a claim. When people ask me about Minnesota I usually end up talking about Mighty Ducks. This is partially because all three versions sit near the top of my favorite movie list and also because it’s fun to dazzle 20-going-on-12 year old guys at school with my vast knowledge of Banksy, Julie the Cat, and Charlie Conway (swoon).
