Rewatching Robin Hood (1973)

My friends Maxx and Piper got married this weekend and hired a lovely band to play songs during the ceremony and the reception. The first song they played was from Robin Hood, here’s a bit of it.

Now, a few days later, I can’t stop thinking about Robin Hood so I ended up watching it tonight. This was one of my favorite movies as a kid, not sure exactly why. Maybe it was because I was in love with the idea of someone doing something good like giving to the poor (I ignored the fact that he was stealing from the rich, which, as an adult, I am very torn about.) or maybe it was the music.

Sir Hiss Air Balloon
Sir Hiss

But now, I give you, my top 10 lines from Robin Hood:

    1. “Oh, poppycock! Female bandits, what next? Rubbish!” Ah, sexism. Always funny.
    2. “I’ve got a dirty thumb,” will never get old.
    3. “Are you ready, Lady Kluck?” “Oh, as your lady in waiting, I’m waiting!” Klucky is the best.
    4. When Little John dresses like a dandy at the archery tourney and says “I am Sir Reginald, Duke of Chutney.”
    5. “Move it Creepy, get lost! Be gone Long One.” As an adult, I find this hilarious but as a kid I was like “That’s mean!”
    6. “Please, I don’t drink.” says Sir Hiss as he is encased in a barrel of wine during the archery tournament.
    7. “Release the royal fingers.”
    8. “Not so hard, you mean thing!” This was the rudest insult they could get away with in a kids movie.
    9. The whole phony King of England song.
    10. “Lucky for us, King Richard returned and well, he just straightened everything out.” How convenient, Disney.

Also, this movie is very confusing because a lot of the characters have American accents, even regional American accents but the movie (and the story of Robin Hood) is obviously set in England. There are even pound signs instead of dollar signs on Robin’s wanted posters.

racist and sexist
Robin being both racist and sexist.

Birthday Achievements, Unlocked?

Today is my first day of 31. So far, it’s not anything spectacular: had a great dinner at Patina with Patrick, but there’s also been some unfortunate changes at work that happened this week and I’m slowly coming to the realization of what it means.

Now, let’s go back to a year ago when I was setting goals for myself and trying to make a big deal out of 30 (which actually wasn’t that big a deal because most of the time I can’t actually remember how old I am). I made a list of things I wanted to do last year. Like an over ambitious new year resolution, it started out with a bang and lots of enthusiasm, but then life caught up with me and I didn’t care so much anymore.

Here’s what I did end up doing:

1. Swim with a Beluga (or some kind of up close and personal experience)
2. Steampunk Party

Aircaptain Cooper
Aircaptain Cooper

3. Get a scooter
4.Host a masquerade party

Mysteriously Masked Me
Mysteriously Masked Me

5. Learn how to sail
6. Disneyland

R2-DME

7. Do laughing yoga
8. Learn how to drive manual
9. Indoor skydiving
10. Visit http://www.skyzonesports.com/ (caution: this site has auto play sound)
11. Have a Thanksgiving feast (not on Thanksgiving)
12. Kayak in Hawaii

KAYAAAAKIN’!

13. Dim Sum Party!
14. Travel overseas (Hong Kong? Europe? Bali?)

We traveled over an ocean. That counts, right?

The view from Diamond Head in Honolulu, HI

15. Make and eat a pizza (being really ambitious here)

It was delicious
I made myself a pizza

16. Get a goldfish!
17. Host a private screening of a movie in a theater (http://www.dickclarkproductionstheater.com/)
18. Screen an old movie (with a projector preferrably) and wear clothes from that era
19. Ride a train to a destination outside of L.A.

We got beds in a sleeper car!
This is Ann and I, en route to Memphis from New Orleans

20. Visit a museum
21. Go on The Price is Right (kind of dreading this, actually)
22. Make a movie - I shot and directed this:http://instagram.com/p/ghMxcGrSIx/
23. Have a big Chinese family dinner gathering at parents’ house
24. Do a factory tour (of anything: donuts, tortillas, furniture, cars)

We toured the Anheuser-Busch Brewery in St. Louis. Missouri
We toured the Anheuser-Busch Brewery in St. Louis. Missouri

25. Go to a farm or petting zoo

I touched this guy!
I touched this cute lil guy!

26. Celebrate at a barcade (Dave and Buster’s or other arcade/drinking/dining environment)
27. Learn CSS
28. Visit New Orleans

Ann eating a real beignet from the real Cafe Du Monde

29. New tattoo in a new city

This almost happened
I was this close to getting my feet tattooed in New Orleans

30. Go to Graceland

 

I’m going to Graceland (Graceland), Memphis, Tennessee.

Tomorrow though, Patrick and I embark on an 11 hour flight that will take us to a very far place on the globe, Hong Kong.

30 for 30: January

Ladies and gentlemen, I am now 30. A grown up, technically speaking.

I have already completed four things from my list of 30 things to do in my 30th year! Here they are:
2. Steampunk Party!

patrick and myself in steampunk garb
Steampunk’d!

4. Host a masquerade party

Julie and Elliot wearing masquerade garb
Masqueray’d

 

25. go to a farm or petting zoo (with goats and llamas or alpacas)

A goat trying to eat my tote bag at the petting zoo
Ermahgerd!

 

And on my birthday, Patrick and I went to…
6. Disneyland!

Patrick and I at Disneyland
DISNEYLAND!

 

So that leaves just 26 items left. Here is what remains:

1. Swim with a Beluga (or some kind of up close and personal experience)
3. Get a scooter
5. Learn how to sail
7. Do laughing yoga
8. Learn how to drive manual
9. Indoor skydiving
10. Visit http://www.skyzonesports.com/ (caution: this site has auto play sound)
11. Have a Thanksgiving feast (not on Thanksgiving)
12. Kayak in Hawaii
13. Dim Sum Party!
14. Travel overseas (Hong Kong? Europe? Bali?)
15. Make and eat a pizza (being really ambitious here)
16. Get a goldfish!
17. Host a private screening of a movie in a theater (http://www.dickclarkproductionstheater.com/)
18. Screen an old movie (with a projector preferrably) and wear clothes from that era
19. Ride a train to a destination outside of L.A.
20. Visit a museum
21. Go on The Price is Right (kind of dreading this, actually)
22. Make a movie
23. Have a big Chinese family dinner gathering at parents’ house
24. Do a factory tour (of anything: donuts, tortillas, furniture, cars)
26. Celebrate at a barcade (Dave and Buster’s or other arcade/drinking/dining environment)
27. Learn CSS
28. Visit New Orleans
29. New tattoo in a new city
30. Go to Graceland

Turning 30 (aw, sh…)

I will be 30 next month. I am trying not to think about it.

Well, I’m trying not to think of it in the “Shit, I am going to be 30… why, god?! WHY?!” kind of way and instead the “How can I turn this into a reason to do ridiculous things that, under other circumstances, I would probably not do this year?” kind of way. After all, 30 is the new 20 (by the way, this statement does not sell me on 30).

At some point in my 20s I realized my 30th birthday would be on 01-30-13. Exciting, right?! So I wanted to do something special because this is never going to happen again. “I will have 30 days from the beginning of the year until the 30th birthday to do 30 things to celebrate the occasion!” I started making a list, I started mentally budgeting and decided that I should probably put away about $10k for all the things I want to do (one of the celebrations included renting a venue for a masquerade party).

On my current budget, I can afford a masquerade party at a public library. Seriously, I thought this would work.

Anyway, it’s the month before my birthday. I didn’t save up money. I didn’t book my trip to swim with beluga whales at either the Georgia Aquarim or Shedd Aquarium in Chicago. I don’t even know what I am doing on my actual birthday.

I kind of came to the conclusion that I failed at this “project” until Patrick suggested that I accomplish my task list throughout the year. Oh, right… brilliant! So I’m going to go ahead and share my list of things to accomplish next year. Hopefully, sharing this list will make me feel committed to this project and will carry it out throughout the year. This strategy worked well last year.

Problem is, I don’t think I even have 30 good “celebrations” yet.

1. Swim with a Beluga (or some kind of up close and personal experience)
2. Steampunk Party!
3. Get a scooter
4. Host a masquerade party
5. Learn how to sail
6. Disneyland!
7. Do laughing yoga
8. Learn how to drive manual
9. Indoor skydiving
10. Visit http://www.skyzonesports.com/ (caution: this site has auto play sound)
11. Have a Thanksgiving feast (not on Thanksgiving)
12. Kayak in Hawaii
13. Dim Sum Party!
14. Travel overseas (Hong Kong? Europe? Bali?)
15. Make and eat a pizza (being really ambitious here)
16. Get a goldfish!
17. Host a private screening of a movie in a theater (http://www.dickclarkproductionstheater.com/)
18. Screen an old movie (with a projector preferrably) and wear clothes from that era
19. Ride a train to a destination outside of L.A.
20. Visit a museum
21. Go on The Price is Right (kind of dreading this, actually)
22. Make a movie
23. Have a big Chinese family dinner gathering at parents’ house
24. Do a factory tour (of anything: donuts, tortillas, furniture, cars)
25. go to a farm or petting zoo (with goats and llamas or alpacas)
26. Celebrate at a barcade (Dave and Buster’s or other arcade/drinking/dining environment)
27. Learn CSS
28. Visit New Orleans
29. New tattoo in a new city
30. Go to Graceland

Christmas time is here

Christmas time is my favorite time of the year. Well it’s the main holiday of my favorite part of the year.

Patrick is in St. Louis with his family. I’m here in LA and have come down with a cold. A pretty miserable one at that. Not only do I have a cold but I also am having an allergic reaction to something in my bed. This means  I can sleep for about 4 hours before I wake myself up with scratching. Hopefully that will go away when the cold does, which should be tonight.

I haven’t come up with a final meal plan for Christmas yet but I think it will either involve duck or a turkey. Not sure what I am going to do with my family for their presents. I was going to get my mom a massage from Burke Williams and take my sister out shopping for some new clothes, and not sure what to do for my dad, but instead I have spent too much money on myself so I am not doing anything. :/ I know, it’s terrible.