The Nutcracker

One of my friends suggested going to see the Nutcracker about a month ago and I said yes and got us some tickets. I had never seen this ballet or any ballet before. I was impressed with the quality of the costumes and set. I enjoyed the performance and I just sat there and adsorbed it. I really didn’t get the story line too much. My friend read it to me while we were waiting, but I still had a hard time following. There was no speaking or singing or communication of any sort except for dancing. I have never been to any type of performance where there wasn’t any type of talking. Even with that being the case I wasn’t bored. I never looked at my watch to see what time it was or fidgeted in my chair. After seeing this production it gave me the desire to see more types of dancing. My friend suggested checking out some modern dancing troupes in the area. I think I would like to do that.

This production was located at the Zionsville High School. I had never been through the town before. It was very quaint and lovely. The main street was in brick and it was lined with loads of individual sellers of various types of merchandise…antiques, Ice Cream, a ballet store, Ice Cream. I would love to come back sometime and walk up and down Main Street to see all of the stores. Also, apparently there is tons of nature and trials in Zionsville for people to walk down. It is funny to me that I have lived in Indianapolis for eight years and I never knew that all of this stuff existed.

Books

I have decided to humor my avid readers and not blog about my book reading on this site. In order to make all of us happy I have created a second blog website that will just house my reading list and reflections of books.

If you are interested in my future entries, this is the web address:

http://candacebooks.blogspot.com/

3 Beers and Slumdog Millionaire

I got invited to see a free movie last night at the Art Theatre in the Fashion mall. As most of my friends know, I LOVE free stuff, so I accepted the invitation without much notice to the movie or what it was about. I arrived at the mall at 6:15 last night and found some of my friends in the bar next to the movie theatre. When I joined them I thought to myself, “What the heck…why not order a real drink…the movie is free”. So I asked the bartender if they had a Smirnoff, he said no, so I then asked if he had any “girly” drinks. He suggested this special holiday beer and he said, “It tastes nothing like regular beer, it is kind of sweet”. I said sure, why not, even though I don’t ordinarily like beer. When it arrived it tasted SOOOOOOOOOOOO good. I drank the first glass in about 10 to 15 minutes and I am fairly certain that I got a bit tipsy. I hadn’t had anything to eat since lunch so it went straight to my head. I ordered a second glass and I took it into the movies with me.

We had to arrive super early because someone was handing out a large quantity of free tickets to this movie and there was expected to be a large turnout. Se we sat around talking for about 45 minutes while I drank the second beer and ate a small bag of popcorn. The theatre got completely filled up in this time and people were even sitting on the floor and stairs to watch the movie. I think that takes dedication to be willing to sit on the floor. Just before the movie was to start I got up for a bathroom break and to get one of my friends a bag of popcorn. Somehow on my way back I ended up with a third beer in my hand. I am not sure how that happened.

I have to tell you that I am paying for the indulgence today. My head has been very thick and a little achy. I guess I have a small hangover. Maybe I need to increase my tolerance a bit. A friend told me a while ago that since she graduate with her MBA in August she was working on increasing her tolerance to alcohol and bars. I guess she wants to get good at it. I don’t think that it the move I want to take. I just should have stopped at two. O Well…I still had fun. Perhaps I was a bit overly chatty last night. Maybe my companions will have an opinion on that?

BTW...the total cost of the free movie was $18.50

So about the movie, I did like it. I don’t think that I would have ever saw it if it weren’t for the free ticket and invite, but I am glad that I spent the time watching it. It was interesting to see India and Mumbai from this perspective. There were some violent torture scenes in the beginning of the movie that I didn’t like watching. I don’t usually like movies showing people hurting each other, I find it upsetting. There was also a scene where the character as a boy jumped into the bottom of the outhouse and got completely covered in excrement and when running through the village to get an autograph of a famous actor. It was very disgusting. I might have nightmares about that for a while.

I did like the way the story was told in the film. The story was told in a flashback format about how the character knew all of the answers to be on the India version of “Who Wants to be a Millionaire”. I liked the actors and they did a very good job making the scenes believable. The movie was filmed in India and it was kind of fun to point out to my friends that I was there.

I would recommend this film to my friends and especially to my friends who went to India.

This is the info on the film.



The story of Jamal Malik, an 18 year-old orphan from the slums of Mumbai, who is about to experience the biggest day of his life. With the whole nation watching, he is just one question away from winning a staggering 20 million rupees on India's "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?" But when the show breaks for the night, police arrest him on suspicion of cheating; how could a street kid know so much? Desperate to prove his innocence, Jamal tells the story of his life in the slum where he and his brother grew up, of their adventures together on the road, of vicious encounters with local gangs, and of Latika, the girl he loved and lost. Each chapter of his story reveals the key to the answer to one of the game show's questions. Intrigued by Jamal's story, the jaded Police Inspector begins to wonder what a young man with no apparent desire for riches is really doing on this game show? When the new day dawns and Jamal returns to answer the final question, the Inspector and sixty million viewers are about to find out...

Production Status:
Released


Logline:
An illiterate kid looks to become a contestant on the Hindi version of Who Wants to be A Millionaire in order to re-establish contact with the girl he loves, who is an ardent fan of the show.


Genres:
Art/Foreign, Comedy, Drama, Adaptation and Teen


Running Time:
2 hrs.


Release Date:
November 12th, 2008 (limited)


MPAA Rating:
R for some violence, disturbing images and language.


Distributors:
Warner Independent Pictures, Fox Searchlight Pictures


Production Co.:
Celador Films, Film4


U.S. Box Office:
$3,544,374


Filming Locations:
Mumbai, India


Produced in:
United Kingdom

Two Stories for One - Dumb Blond and Smelly

I experienced the biggest blond moment today. I don’t usually like to put myself into this category but unfortunately, I think that it applies today.

I made plans with three of my co-workers to go out to lunch today. While we were in the elevator we were trying to decide which restaurant we should eat at. I said either The Olive Garden or Applebee’s, because I was going to drive separately, and I needed to go to the post office afterwards to mail my passport renewal forms (Hurray for me). I made the decision for the group to meet up at The Olive Garden. So I got in my car and drive to the restaurant. I go inside and get us a table for four in the bar. I start to review the menu and one of my co-workers pokes her head in and says, “Candy, What are you doing?”. I just gave her the blank look and waved her to the table. She walks to the table and asks me again, “What are you doing?”, She then says, “What restaurant is this?”

My face gets completely red and I say, “Oh F..K!!!) I was at Applebee’s! How could I end up at the wrong restaurant! I had only just left work. Why was I so distracted? I was lucky my friends were watching me and noticed that I entered the wrong restaurant.


Then while we were eating I had a couple smaller blond moments also. I ordered soup and salad and when the server brought the soup I didn’t remember that it was what I ordered. My friend had to point out that it was mine. Then payment time came. When the server returned with our various credit cards he called the first person by her name and she claimed her credit card, then he just said, “Chase Card”. I just sat there oblivious. Again, it had to be pointed out to me that the credit card belonged to me.

I have been better this afternoon and I need to leave that craziness behind.


The second story involves my trip to Ohio yesterday for my sister’s father’s funeral. I met my brother at the mall by my house at 7:30 and drove in his car. About ten minutes after we left he looks at me and asks me if I was wearing perfume. I said yes and he then asked what kind. I said I didn’t remember the name but I got it from an Avon clearance sale. He said he hated to hurt my feelings but it smelled like body order. He really told me I smelled like BO! We had just begun the trip and I had to spend the rest of the day worried that I smelled badly. I guess you need people in your life who are honest enough with you to tell you things like that. But, I would rather not smell. He knew that I had showed that morning as I do every day.

A few weeks ago I was at Lou’s house after work and I gave my nine year old niece a very long hug. After we were done she looked up at me and told me that I smelled. I guess that the perfume doesn’t react well with my body chemistry or with the natural deodorant or soap that I use. I have to say I would rather use the chemicals than smell.

Does anyone have any suggestions on any pleasant and even pleasing scented cologne? I am in desperate need of something different.

Email Critique Part A

My brother told me I sounded a bit harsh in my prior post. I was just trying to be funny...not harsh. I was not mad. He said because I am an accountant and I don't usually use that type of humor it sounded like I was being an a..hole. I just wanted to be funny!

I hope I didn't offend anyone.

Candy

Email Critique

So this is in response to the email critique I received from an avid "Candace Adventures" fan. So read the item below in red…

Candy,
As you know I am a huge fan of your blog. Although I tend to skip through the blogs about the “Vampire Love,” I still am a huge fan. Well, I just read your latest “Christmas” blog and did enjoy the pictures…..I want you to know that I need more. Please do what you can to please your blog readers, I really would appreciate it. Think of it as your Christmas gift to me…..I mean your readers.
Thanks so much.
Txxxxxx

P.S. The Christmas movie starring the Grinch is “How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” it’s not “The Grinch Who Stole Christmas.”

Ok…I guess I am the only one really cares about the “Vampire Love” stories. I get it. Except that I am still going to post them because it has become a good place for me to list the books that I read. I have always wanted to track read books but I have never been able to devise a system that I was able to keep up with. I like posting them here and then I always have easy access wherever I am. So if you don’t like it…F..k You, just ignore it.

So now you want more text with the photos. I do these small “picture book” blogs for my nearly illiterate (attention deficit) readers who are not able to read more than two paragraphs at once. I am sorry that I cannot please everyone. I happen to like the longer more in-depth stories. So if you don’t like it…well you know, just ignore it.

OK..Ok..OK I did get the Grinch movie name wrong…so sue me. At least you know what I was talking about.

So please keep the critiques coming…just remember I might have a response back for you.

Yes...T....I was trying to be funny...No Offence

Christmas Decorations

On Saturday I spent several hours putting up the inside Christmas decorations at my house. The picture above shows Sparks new hang our spot. I guess he likes to guard the tree.

These are my dueling Santa Clauses...one on each table.

See the fake poinsettia in on the bottom shelf. Well Sparks and Mickey think that it was put there specifically for them to knock off and drag around the living room. IT IS FAKE....why do they like it so much.

My Rudolph collection. I love that Christmas cartoon. I just purchased a 4 DVD set of classic Christmas shows, Rudolph the Red nosed Reindeer, Frosty the Snowman, Frosty Returns and The Grinch who Stole Christmas. I got all four for the bargain price of $12.73 and this included shipping.

Mickey and sparks...I guess they think that they are my Christmas presents.

Merry Christmas!!!