monthly movie review

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monthly movie review for 101 List

movies i watched for "The Guardian's 1000 films to see before you die" list
and the "AFI - 100 Years...400 Movies (2007)" list
i am at 52% and 80%, respectively.
some movies are on both and some movies are on single lists and i won't differentiate between them.
i'm just going to list the movies i watch each month.
if i tried to list them as i watch them, it would just create a bunch of useless entries.
so here goes...

Gimme Shelter (1970)
End of the Century: The Story of the Ramones (2003)
Howard's End (1992)
The Wicker Man (1973)
Shadow of a Doubt (1943)
Top Hat (1935)
Kiss Me Deadly (1955)
The Fortune Cookie (1966)
Hoosiers (1986)
Hud (1963)
My Man Godfrey (1936)
The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)
Gaslight (1944)
The Thief of Bagdad (1940) -
Salinui chueok (Memories of Murder) (2003)
Les Yeux sans visage (Eyes Without A Face) (1960)
You Can't Take It With You (1938)
The Haunting (1963)
In the Name of The Father (1993)
Triumph of the Will (1934)
I Walked With A Zombie (1943)
Cat People (1942)
The Magnificent Ambersons (1942)
Les Vacances de Monsieur Hulot (M. Hulot's Holiday) (1953)
Mon Oncle (My Uncle) (1958)
Out of the Past (1947)
Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! (1965)
They Live By Night (1948)

#74 - read all of Stephen King's books

Lisey's Story by Stephen King
i actually started this book back in July and i just couldn't get into it at first.
i know it was partly because i wasn't really reading anything at the time.
but it was also because King was driving me nuts with this one.

now, don't get me wrong, i love Stephen King. he's one of my favorite authors.
but some of his quirks were making me batty.
he used too many of his made up words/terms/phrases for my taste.
it made it hard for me to connect to the characters.
and the constant shifting of time periods.
sometimes, it really annoyed me.

well, a few weeks ago, i checked out the book again
and i was determined to finish it before i "maxed out" my renewals.
once i got going again, i really got into the story.
the jumping around in the timeline still irked me at times.
but overall i still enjoyed the story.
however, i would only recommend it to King fans.

right now, i'm at:

40 / 55 words. 73% done!

The Official Post: 101 Things in 1001 Days 2nd Edition

The Mission:
Complete 101 preset tasks in a period of 1001 days.

The Criteria:
Tasks must be specific (ie. no ambiguity in the wording) with a result that is
either measurable or clearly defined. Tasks must also be realistic and
stretching (ie. represent some amount of work on my part).

Why 1001 Days?
Many people have created lists in the past - frequently simple goals such as
new year's resolutions. The key to beating procrastination is to set a deadline
that is realistic. 1001 Days (about 2.75 years) is a better period of time than
a year, because it allows you several seasons to complete the tasks, which is
better for organising and timing some tasks such as overseas trips or outdoor
activities.

Source: triplux

So here's my list...
1. visit Canada
2. go to West Virginia
3. take a road trip alone
4. ride in a hot air balloon
5. go skinny dipping
6. go skydiving
7. ride a jet ski
8. go tubing
9. go horseback riding
10. rent a convertible for a day or weekend
11. volunteer with Habitat for Humanity
12. participate in some sort of charity walk (probably for PKD)
13. spend a whole day and go through the entire Holocaust Museum
14. spend a day at a spa
15. lose 30 pounds
16. lose another 20 pounds
17. throw a real dinner party
18. throw a theme party
19. make a real budget and stick to it
20. start a retirement fund
21. start a savings account for a house
22. go back to school
23. see a Broadway/Off-Broadway musical - completed 02.12.09
24. sing “Love Shack” at a karaoke bar
25. have a movie marathon day of the Extended Editions of the Lord of the Rings
26. go to an outdoor movie or drive-in
27. label the cases for all of my burned cds
28. refinish a table with a mosaic top
29. put together the model cars
30. put together the Joan of Arc figure
31. learn to re-root hair and repaint faces for Barbie
32. finish the dollhouse
33. finish the growing up scrapbooks
34. learn to make jewelry
35. learn to knit
36. make a skirt
37. paint and hang birdfeeders
38. refinish the chair I stole from the Chemistry Dept. at Maryland
39. get back into the darkroom and start developing and printing again
40. enter an art competition
41. re-learn how to use Adobe Premier
42. thin out, organize and create a record of my doll collection
43. get my Bavarian cuckoo clock repaired
44. get Lasik
45. buy a real pair of heels and learn to wear them out in public
46. get knee high black boots
47. black dress
48. scan and upload photos from previous trips (2000, 2002)
49. ask a guy out on a date
50. kama sutra (Hehehe)
51. take my father to Medieval Times
52. visit Stef and Bert in Chicago(?)
*53. get a new job
54. go on a cruise
55. go parasailing
56. Go to South America/Africa
57. go to the West Coast
58. visit at least one town/city named Scarborough
59. go to the Outer Banks
60. go to the Biltmore
61. take Jasmine and Jade to see Skyline Drive in the Fall
62. ride the train in PA – take Jasmine & Jade
63. go to Hersey Park
64. go to Monticello
65. go to Montpelier
66. go to the American History Museum
67. go to the National Archives
68. visit a historical site in each county in MD
69. pay off my debt
70. take a painting class
71. send a gift basket or flowers to someone
72. watch the fireworks on the National Mall
73. read all of Stephen King’s books
74. read Jane Austen books
75. get a fancy tea set (serves at least 4)
76. get a garden gnome
77. get a Blythe doll
78. get a Wii
79. get a Cricut - completed 03.09.09
80. get a Roku box (Netflix)
81. get a new pair of bowling shoes
82. get a bike
83. get a new laptop
84. get a “new” car - completed 02.24.09
85. paint/decorate magazine rack
86. finish/do all cross-stitch kits
87. Sort & thin out all albums – do scrapbooks
88. Get clear pages and redo all of Dad’s photo albums
89. watch all the movies on the AFI 100 Years 400 Movies list (starting at 77%)
90. watch all movies available on the Guardian’s 1000 Films to See Before You Die (starting at 49%)
91. watch all seasons of Charmed
92. watch all seasons of The X-Files
93. watch all seasons of The Sopranos
94. watch all seasons of The Wire
95. watch all the James Bond movies
96. get 20 stamps in my National Parks passport
97. try letterboxing or geocaching
98. plant a tree at Dad’s house
99. plant Black-Eyed Susans at Dad’s house
100. renew passport
101. do the Dark Side of the Moon/Wizard of Oz thing

*starts the newer tasks*
Start Date: October 1, 2008
Completion Date: June 29, 2011

91. learn to make fresh salsa from scratch - made it!

another 101 list item done!



i chopped everything by hand, which was a long and tedious process.
definitely need a little chopper thing.
and how does one mince fresh cilantro?
sometimes it seemed like the pieces of cilantro were too big.
i have to let it chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours to let the flavors really soak in.
but from what i tasted so far...yum.
so much better than the jar stuff you get from the store.
if i get a chopper, this might be a regular thing because i love chips and salsa.

42 / 101 (41.6%)

another task completed!

93. tear down old fence and put up a new one (at Dad’s house) - changed to repaint front steps
yesterday i put on 2 coats.
today i put on a 3rd coat with a non-skid additive. yay, me!
the steps were substituted for the fence project because Dad finished taking down the fence without me
and he hasn't decided whether or not he will be putting another one in its place.
if he decides to put up a new fence, i will still help him.
but in the meantime...
i can consider another item for my 101 list done!

41 / 101 (40.6%)

41. get a TiVo - got it!!!

i shouldn't have. i really shouldn't have.
but i saw it at Big Lots and couldn't help myself.
it's on my 101 list and i've been obsessing about getting one these last few weeks.
today's labor paid for it and both my dad and i benefit.
:D

40 / 101 (39.6%)

9. go back and tag all my live journal entries - completed

initially i started out archiving my entries as a Word document,
with the intention of printing them out and making a book.
then i realized that i didn't want some of these entries being read after i was dead.
so i scratched the book idea.

i continued to archive the entries as a Word document,
then i admitted to myself, that i wouldn't go back & read these documents.
so, i decided to just go through the entries and tag them.

today i finally finished tagging my entries. whew!
the longer it took, the more i had to wade through.
but now i am done!

now on to the next project.

39 / 101 (38.6%)

95 - re-read the Chronicles of Narnia - completed

i finally finished/re-read the Chronicles of Narnia.
Prince Caspian and the Voyager of the Dawn Treader were my favorites.

Riding the Glacier Express

Riding the Glacier Express
Originally uploaded by camkin.

75. ride the Glacier Express - completed!!

i rode the Glacier Express on Monday with Joe, our mother & grandmother. we traveled the route from Chur - Andermatt, which was only a short part of the whole route, only about 2 & 1/2 hours, but it felt longer. And we went over the highest point, so it was cool that we only did a short trip. besides the weather was mostly crappy, rainy and overcast. and we got up at 5:30am to drive from Munich to Chur, so we were all exhausted on the train. maybe someday, i can do the whole route and have beautiful weather , too.

Please to help me with my rucksack?

Please to help me with my rucksack?
Originally uploaded by camkin.

68. get a dirndl - completed!!

my aunt bought me a dirndl for my birthday.
i can't explain why, but i've always wanted one.
now my mom says that i'm 100% Bavarian!
(but i still don't drink beer!)
however, i will eat plenty of bratwurst and semmel (type of Bavarian bread)

Joe & Joani in front of the Charles Bridge

Joe & Joani in front of the Charles Bridge
Originally uploaded by camkin.

76. visit the Czech Republic - completed 06.18.07

i went to Prague on June 18th and returned to Germany on the 20th. I got see quite a bit of the city when we went on a 6 hour tour on the 19th. On the way back to Germany, we went to Karlstein castle. I'd like to go back to Prague again, because there was so much that we didn't get to see.

another long term task completed

37. read 30 books from the Online Computer Library Center 2005 Banned Book List
though i will read more on the list, i have some other stuff i want to read first.


in no particular order:
1. Arabian Nights
2. Scarlet Letter – Nathaniel Hawthorne
3. Diary of a Young Girl – Anne Frank
4. Madame Bovary – Gustave Flaubert
5. Dracula – Bram Stoker
6. Animal Farm – George Orwell
7. 1984 – George Orwell
8. Candide – Voltaire
9. To Kill A Mockingbird – Harper Lee
10. Of Mice and Men – John Steinbeck
11. Brave New World – Aldous Huxley
12. Lady Chatterley's Lover - D. H. Lawrence
13. Lord of the Flies - William Golding
14. Fahrenheit 451 – Ray Bradbury
15. Communist Manifesto - Karl Marx
16. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest - Ken Kesey
17. Catch-22 - Joseph Heller
18. Moll Flanders - Daniel Defoe
19. Color Purple - Alice Walker
20. Catcher in the Rye - J. D. Salinger
21. Bluest Eye – Toni Morrison
22. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings - Maya Angelou
23. Bridge to Terabithia - Katherine Paterson
24. Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath
25. James and the Giant Peach - Roald Dahl
26. Red Pony – John Steinbeck
27. Slaughterhouse Five - Kurt Vonnegut
28. Sylvester and the Magic Pebble - William Steig
29. Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood
30. Flowers for Algernon - Daniel Keyes

#79

#79 - private - done!
it was something personal.
and that's all i'm going to say about that.

#46 - send a care package to a soldier overseas - done!

i finally sent off my care package today.
there was no way to fit everything i got for him in that box,
so i went ahead and requested another name.

decided to postpone the tea party until after i move.
maybe even after my trip to Germany. we'll see.

as of today, i have completed 30 tasks.
yay!

task #94 - read 25 books from The Modern Library 100 Best Novels - done!

so now i have finished another task on my 101 list. yay!
task #94 - read 25 books from The Modern Library 100 Best Novels

in no particular order:
1. The Great Gatsby – F. Scott Fitzgerald
2. Brave New World – Aldous Huxley
3. Catch-22 – Joseph Heller
4. 1984 – George Orwell
5. I, Claudius – Robert Graves
6. Slaughterhouse-five – Kurt Vonnegut
7. Native Son – Richard Wright
8. Animal Farm – George Orwell
9. Lord of the Flies – William Golding
10. On the Road – Jack Kerouac
11. The Catcher in the Rye – J.D. Salinger
12. Heart of Darkness – Joseph Conrad
13. The Call of the Wild – Jack London
14. Wide Sargasso Sea – Jean Rhys
15. The Lord of the Rings – J.R.R. Tolkien
16. To Kill A Mockingbird – Harper Lee
17. The Stand – Stephen King
18. Beloved – Toni Morrison
19. The Handmaid’s Tale – Margaret Atwood
20. The World According to Garp – John Irving
21. The Haunting of Hill House – Shirley Jackson
22. Fahrenheit 451 – Ray Bradbury
23. It – Stephen King
24. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest – Ken Kesey
25. Scoop – Evelyn Waugh

more ethnic cuisines

tonight i had my first taste of Brazilian food at Churrascaria
went with Nikki and her husband to celebrate her birthday.





it was mostly buffet style,
but then the "meat guy" would come to your table with different skewers of meat.
nikki even tried the chicken hearts! (blech!)
i stuck with the beef.
but overall, the food was good and i had a good time.

i have 2 more ethnic cuisines to try before this item is done.
(technically only 1, but i'm not counting the Japanese food)
doesn't mean that i won't stop trying new foods.
having it on the list is just an excuse to eat out!

more tasks accomplished!

i finally finished:

2. watch all of the movies on AFI’s top 100 list
(actually i think i finished this list back in January)

and

72. watch all of the movies on Entertainment Weekly’s greatest of all time list

well, i've watched all the ones that i can get from Netflix.
(i stay away from local video rental places)
i'm missing 3 from the AFI list, "The African Queen", "The Jazz Singer" and "Wuthering Heights"
and from the EW list, i'm missing "Sunrise" and "Celine and Julie Go Boating"
so, for now I will consider these done.

73. finish taking down the wallpaper in dad’s kitchen - completed!

101 list update:



i finally finished taking down the wallpaper in my dad's kitchen.
i first started on this when dad was in the hospital.
that was 3 years ago!! ridiculous, huh?!
well, now it's finally done. yay, me!

i'm close to finishing a few other tasks on the list.
good stuff.

more ethnic cuisine

101 list update:



i had Lebanese food for the first time tonight.
Albert and i went to Lebanese Taverna.
(sorry, Nikki, it was his idea to go there!)

since we were pressed for time and the place was closing in 30 mins, i just went with chicken kabobs.
i didn't have the time to agonize over the menu.

but i also sampled most of Albert's food, too.
it was all very good. yum!
i am definitely going to go back and try some more stuff.

next up Moroccan food!