BNJMN

Cars 2 opens this weekend and I'm not even excited. In fact, my excitement level hasn't been this low for a Pixar movie since Ratatouille (important note, Ratatouille was the last Pixar movie released before I started working at The Disney Store), and I think that's because I wasn't a fan of Cars. Don't get me wrong, it was a decent film, but it was certainly my least favourite of Pixar's roster. It's no Up or Wall•E or Finding Nemo. That the Cars universe has explosions and choppers and international locales (I think the Mater's Tales shorts had all these, actually) hasn't really swayed me, and seeing the main billing as Owen Wilson and Larry the Cable Guy doesn't help either. That said, I'm hoping to be pleasantly surprised by what I'm sure will be a high octane sequel. The near Abramsian secrecy around the content of the movie, which Pixar has shown on their projects of late, will hopefully ensure many surprises. Since the first Ca...

Cooking. Cooking is so much fun! But what happens when you have 5 cooks? Hilarity. I'm sure it would be much more hilarity if it involved more than just pasta. We really have yet to move beyond pasta. Or stir frys. Fries? Movie night featured a very young Angelina Jolie in Hackers. I can see why so many people enjoy it - the costumes, people, funky cgi, floppy disks, and pay phones everywhere! It's very much a pre-Matrix cyberpunk flick. Unfortunately I've seen The Matrix. But I did love that whole pool bit. And the hackers uniting. In fact, don't kill me, but I would love to see a remake of this. Technology has changed so much in the last 15ish years... it could be pretty awesome! Or it might just give me a reason to enjoy the "original". Pictures: Making Macaroni and cheese (not Kraft Dinner-style, but I'm sure that would have been much more inexpensive).

I really like the iPod Touch. I've wanted one since the first hit the market, but held off up until a couple of weeks ago, when I thought I had lost my friend's sister's Nano that I've been using this year (which I later found in my pants pocket in the laundry). I bought it with the idea that, if I really did like the device, I would return it and get an iPhone 4 once my cell contract expires this September. Supposedly, it has a really nice screen, though my left-handedness might interfere with you know, calls. Interestingly, I find the iPod (or smart devices in general) much better e-social devices than the computer. Where have I been all this time? I'm on MSN, Facebook, Twitter, and all these social tools much more, and reading what other people update. But I really do need a camera and internet connectivity - hence iPhone upgrading... They better be readily available in 2 months. Or maybe I'll find some other smart phone between now and then. Movie Nights, Zi...

Through the magic of Zip.ca , and the lovely art of procrastination, I have managed to watch a few movies. One line reviews: Star Wars: Clone Wars - Through production values kinda sucked, it was much better than those Episode I-II-III movies. Slumdog Millionaire - Very interesting storytelling, but not worth all the hype. Doomsday - The English made a Resident Evil movie, only incredibly gory and visceral and filled with plot "conveniences" - plus Doctor Bashir is the PM. Space Chimps - Sometimes it takes a non-Pixar movie to remind me why I love them sooo much. Beverly Hills Chihuahua - A surprisingly decent modern ripoff homage of Homeward Bound (which itself was a remake), which I preferred. I really like the idea of renting movies over the internet (Zip.ca is the Canadian Netflix) because it allows me to make a list of movies I say I want to see, and I'll actually eventually see them! So often I'll see trailers and decide to want to see a movie, just to not see...

I never did catch up on the rest of my Disney trip blogs. I meant to, I just haven't yet found the time. Over the past month and a half (has it been that long?!), I've talked to many people about it, and I'm pretty sure I lit up each time, except where I talk about missing Carl and Russel (Up characters) by 6 days. Up, by the way, is fantastic. Go see it now if you haven't yet. Time won't be an issue soon, so I'll catch up on all kinds of pictures. My last class for the summer is tomorrow. My last shift at Disney is Friday. It was a month ago I found out that the store is closing, and each day since then has been increasingly difficult. I may have only been with the company for two years - one of which was actually with Disney (the first year, the Store were owned and operated by The Children's Place), but in that time, I've felt I've found somewhere I belong. It's a company that I would love to continue working with, certainly in a position at a...

I've actually been noticing advertisements over the past couple of days, whether it's that Flint one (there's an ad on the radio right now, coincidence?), or this weird recycleme.org one all about organs (oh hey it's about organ donation. Well done, Government of Ontario!), or these new ones that are solid black with seemingly odd white copy... I should learn what they're about. Next time I get a change, I'll take pictures. All I know is that they're far more interesting than the plain ones I'm used to. Dinseyworld is sooo soon! I started the check-in process! I have to get on a mass laundry schedule and start deciding what to bring. Jimminy "nobody ever listens to me" shirt? check. Red Mickey shirt? Check. Wall-E shirt? check! Princess Jasmine shirt? I don't have one, unfortunately. The next shopping day I get, I'm going to get all the little things I need for a trip. Sunscreen perhaps. Travel bottles (i prefer to not have to buy exp...

The Canadian dollar is being my hero! It's been on an upswing for the past week, more or less. While i doubt it'll keep that pace, I would absolutely love it it went up a bit more and stayed there until mid-May. Analysis have been saying the dollar's good fortune wouldn't last too long, so I paid off half of the balance on the hotel and bought some US money for spending purposes. I also went through all my change and found 95¢ worth of US coins, plus another 50¢ in pennies. About 5% of my pennies were American! This sudden interest in US currency prompted me to check out my quarter collection. I had been keeping US State quarters that I find at work, but wasn't sure how many I had. Turns out, I have 22 different states represented overall (and I scrounged up another dollar in duplicates). If anyone has ones that I'm missing, please can I have them? I'll give you my address and everything (just please don't come and stalk me). [Click to view my collection...

I finally returned a movie to ZIP.ca , I think it was The Manchurian Candidate. I've had three titles for a long time now (it, along with Tron and The Prestige) and no desire to watch them... so I had to cut my losses somewhere and return one. ZIP, probably thrilled that I'm still alive, promptly sent me Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay. Harold and Kumar 2 was an enjoyable, but not-as-much-as-its-predecessor comedy. As Harold and Kumar hopped from one improbable disaster to another, I couldn't decide exactly what kind of movie it was, and I think that imbalance kept the movie from being better than it should have been. It around a lot from smart comedy, to slapstick comedy, to fart jokes, to a hilarious-yet-touching poem about the square root of three. I haven't seen White Castle in ages, though I'm pretty sure it's a better movie. Though Neil Patrick Harris with unicorns AND rainbows? That deserves some mention. I still don't know what I think of...

Pictures: A bunch of random ones that I took with my cell phone over the summer. I often forget to dump the pictures that I take with my cell phone, and when I do, I often forget to upload them to Flickr. Well, this is part one! Disneyworld is 66 days away. Time is going so quick! However, before I can get on a place, I need to deal with assignments, midterms, presentations, and finals, not necessarily in that order. Those are the parts that I'm not looking forward to. There are three drinks that I can't see myself ever liking are coffee, wine, and beer. Last night, I decided to buy some wine just to see if maybe the "10 times" rule that Prashanta is always on about could apply. After talking to the guy at Wine Rack, I decided to try a pinot grigio , based on the fact that I was looking for something simple. It was alright in the sense that I actually managed to finish a glass (or two?). Some have already suggested that I try red wines... we'll see! If there are ...

The benefit of not having buses is that I won't hear the early morning bus go by if I'm up at 4AM and 5AM. I haven't been up that late in a long time. I had to go to school for a meeting, so I walked. I brought along my newly-acquired snowshoes so that I could take the bike path that cuts through the Centrepointe area. This path is faster than taking any major roads from my house. After the recent blizzard, I figured the path would be travelled, but difficult (hence the snowshoes), but to be surprise, it was completely ploughed! On my way home, I donned the snowshoes and walked around Centrepointe park - at least until the battery in my camera died. Is walking a realistic alternative to public transit? It is in some cases. For instance, the walk to school was a pleasant one, given that the weather was nice. And to be honest, it isn't something I've ever done. The only time I had not taken the bus to get to school was the one time I biked along that same path earlier...

Photos: Alanis, Chickens, Meaghan Smith and Ron Sexsmith, Pixie Hollow, Snow in October, escalator, Halloween Costume (Joe Jonas, Jonas Brothers), Pramod Dhakal, Wall-E and Eve art, someone's parcel paid in a whack of 52¢, 96¢, $1.15, and $1.60 stamps. I completed a huge project that didn't involve school. I'll reveal it very soon, as early as next week. It's pretty awesome, but still a secret. That's what I've been up to. I've also been working a lot and doing some school. Oh, and watching television shows! Stargate Atlantis, Dexter, and Pushing Daisies are impressing, and Heroes is getting pretty tricky. It makes me wish that there were two Bryan Fullers, one for Heroes and one for Daisies. And perhaps one for a new Star Trek as well. Speaking of Star Trek, someone revealed the new original Enterprise (photo) for the 2009 movie. I must say that I really like it, except for how the nacelle pylons' positions. But that's enough geek from me for one da...