I’ve decided to grow a pair and submit at least one pattern to Interweave. Submissions are due in March, but I think I can get one swatch done in the car on the way up to Portland tonight. One of my goals last year was to submit at least one pattern, but that didn’t happen. School will be starting soon and although I have my master’s project done (theoretically, I’m sure there will be edits requested), I have to take one class. Not the one I thought I’d be taking – that’s reserved for literary non-fiction majors even though anyone can register for it – but “Sex, Love, Romance, and Mass Media” with my adviser. Super-awesome class, according to those who’ve taken it before, and one of our assigned texts is a collection of fairy tales! In any case, busyness will ramp up starting Tuesday (classes are Tue/Thur), so I want to get the submission(s) done ASAP. Also: hugest order EVARRRR continues apace. Working with Dale the of Norway Baby Ull held doubled on size 6 (US) needles goes fairly quickly, and I have mastered (insert whipcrack here) the two-circular method.

Movie watching continues. Today’s reviews: A History of Violence, Brokeback Mountain, and The Devil Wears Prada

• A History of Violence can be summed up with one choice quote from Llama: “What is it with movies having such shitty endings lately?” Seriously there’s all this tension, all this buildup, all this great ass-kicking and then…the end. Ostensibly a mob movie, it fails on nearly every count. 1.5 ☆
• The Devil Wears Prada: fun lighthearted chick flick, but I can’t stand the message it sends about journalism. Apparently, your work is only worth something if it’s “real” journalism, i.e. not fashion journalism. They try to skirt around it with this “as long as you believe in what you’re doing, it’s worthwhile” thing, and it works until the last 15 minutes or so. Seriously. And the boyfriend? Just as shallow as Andi’s coworkers, but in a different way. Ugh. 2.5 ☆
• Brokeback Mountain: I hesitate to say anything negative about this movie, because so many people liked it, blah blah blah awards, yadda yadda yadda. But you know what? It was a short story to begin with and it should have stayed that way. A full-length feature drags stuff out, and it dragged this out way longer than it should have. And I GET that Heath Ledger’s character is self-loathing and angry, but good lord does he have to talk with marbles in his mouth? I couldn’t understand 90% of what he said. And Jake Gyllenhaal is a good-looking kid, but that’s the problem – this movie spans 20 years, and the facial hair he has in the 70s portion of the movie looks pasted on. And again, the ending was just blah. Would work in print, but didn’t on film. 3 ☏

The points system (written yesterday at Mom’s, included as part of today’s post because Mom doesn’t have Internet)
In the mornings, after we drop Llamaface off at work, I get a 16 oz. soy chai from Dutch Bros. on 11th & High. It’s not the best chai I’ve ever had, but it’s certainly better than a lot of others I’ve had in town (worst evarrr: the cafe across the street from the 10th st. DMV. GROSS). Not to mention everyone who works there is really attractive, not least of all the Hot Coffee Boyfriend (real name because I grew stones and asked him one day: Lucas). Anywho, I went there this morning and he not only remembered what I always get (he’d forgotten one day and I busted his balls for it), but he had it ready for me as I pulled up to the window. Bonus points go to Lucas.

Losing so many points I’ll never eat there again: Marche. We went there last night after shopping for Otto’s birthday present(s), Boogermonkey in tow. Now, let me just say that Eugene is a fairly casual place. I don’t know of ANY restaurant in town where you’d be turned away for wearing jeans, every place I’ve ever been (even the $35-per-plate entree places, which is about as expensive as it gets here) have high chairs. So we get to Marche, and the host is like “let me see where I want to put you guys.” We should have left right then, but I was really hungry so we stayed. They placed us at the very back of the restaurant, in a corner, and shut the curtain behind him as he left. No, I’m not kidding. The entire meal, our waiter visited us twice, the busboy came by ONCE to refill our waters (and almost didn’t refill mine, until I gave him the look, the MOM LOOK, the look that says “you are walking away and that displeases me. You do not want to displease me.” Llama & I talked about it on the way home, and we’re in agreement: any place that not only treats children like second-class citizens, but does the same thing to the child’s parents do not deserve our patronage. Booger wasn’t being disruptive or anything (we would have left if he was), he was being his usual talkative funny, smiling self. He ate bread and olives and drank water from a glass (that we held) and generally had a great time. He’s a fun kid, and kids deserve to be part of society – how else are they going to learn how to behave in mixed company? If they’re always excluded from social events, they’ll be really confused when it comes time that they’re finally old enough to participate. Anywho, I left a much larger tip than I should have (approx. 18% because I’m a schmuck), but that’s the last time we’re eating there and that’s that.