Nick and Norah and their Infinite Playlist

I'm kind of obsessed with this movie at the moment.

Everyone I know who has worked in the movies for a while has done this at some point.

One friend I had an obsession on a new movie every school holidays. I remember Scooby Doo, Lilo and Stitch and Bend it Like Beckham.

I've done it with Garden State, Lord of the Rings, and Enchanted myself (or at least those are the ones I'm admitting to).

We just love the film so much that we want to see it again, and again, and again - and usually do.

That film for me at the moment is Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist. I've seen it 3 times since Sunday and I want to watch it again!!

Then again I love Michael Cera, and I love Kat Dennings, and I love New York, and I like indy rock so I was highly likely to love this movie anyway - even though I strongly felt it could do without the chewing gum joke. It really conveyed a sense of a random night out with random people. I've been doing that a lot lately and so I appreciate the way a night really can be such a horrible, strange, random and awesome thing.

I think people should totally see this film and give it 4 1/2 gophers (it loses 1/2 for the chewing gum joke)

About time!

Thank God for that!

Daylight savings finally ends on Sunday.

I think there's about a month too much daylight savings - 2 weeks back off either end makes sense to me.

Right now it's still dark at 7am, and it's cold. Trees are losing their leaves and people are switching to warmer clothes, but daylight savings seems to have deluded us into thinking it's still Summer. It's not.

Last year I got a shock when it was suddenly autumn. That hasn't happened but I still don't think it's going to be pleasant on Sunday when every thing's dark suddenly.

I must admit, it is lovely being able to still walk around the city at 6.30pm, I will miss that, I can do that, but not with my iPod on once it's dark.

Catching Up

I've missed a few blogs lately. I've been kinda bad with the whole bloggin thing of late, hardly feeling it. Hence why most of my blogs have been so useless as of late.

So I'm going to fill up some of the holes and patch up the bits I've missed tonight.

Today I went and saw Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist (trailer below). I really enjoyed it and think you should see it too - just don't lose your ticket and have to buy a new one like I did. That blows.



Right, better get into writing mode!

Saturday morning meetings

I met Helen Clark today!!

I was on one of my random Saturday missions to Dominion Road and she was down there.

Being me, of course I had to go say something and congratulate her on her UN job. It was really cool and an absolute highlight of the year so far.

Now I've met Rodney Hide and Helen Clark in person. I liked Helen more, but that might be because she is the colour of a human, not a citrus fruit... it might also because I'm a lefty, but whatever.

Time for some objectification of the male form

I'm really into Lost at the moment. To celebrating finishing my rewatch of S3 (which by the way is an interesting thing to do for anyone watching S5 right now) I thought I'd have another Guys With Their Shirts Off post centered on the lovely men of Lost.

I've never been able to pick my favourite character on Lost, but one which is slipping up my charts is Sawyer. Rewatching the series has evolved him as a character to me and I'm really starting to enjoy his humanity.

I think one of the things I find sexiest about Sayid is his voice. As Naveen Andrews (Brit accent and all) he's not as attractive. I know Sayid has always been one of my favourite characters. Flawed but honourable - and very proud.

Finally, a character who I didn't rate previously has become one of my absolute favourites. Prior to Season 5 I hadn't really seen him as a major character, concentrating more on Sun, but Jin has definitely become one of my favourites, what's more, he makes some pretty boy candy.

Walkabouts

Still looking for a flat. Saw an awesome one today, it'd be wicked if I got it.

It's been quite a nice day actually, although I haven't been walking as much as usual, my feet STILL hurt from the bungy. A friend suggested I soak them - they're a bit better but seriously considering investing in a foot bath!

I think it's safe to say that I don't think I'll ever be bungy jumping again! Still, I've done it once so that's good enough for me.

Should be at the gym

But instead I only got as far as the pub.

I've got friends coming into town tonight and they are running late, so instead of taking the sensible option I went and had a few drinks instead. I'm currently in the office wasting a little bit more time before meeting them for dinner.

I really should start taking this gym thing more seriously.

Flat hunt

I'm beginning the hunt for a new flat.

I saw one this afternoon which was nice. It was sunny and big with nice sized rooms, storage and a wardrobe. It was in a nice neighbourhood and close to amenities - I really couldn't ask for much better. It would be really nice if I got it - I like when flathunting is simple - that said, my luck is such at the moment that I don't have high hopes.

Charis is coming up tomorrow for Kings of Leon. I just saw her on the weekend, but will be great to see her again anyway. Yay for life being not-entirely shite.

Not good

I've got a headache, I think I might be coming down with a flu - which isn't brilliant as time off work sick will just mean more problems later on, and I'm all for avoiding more problems at the moment.

Worst thing is, brainiac I am, I forgot the panadol on my trip to the supermarket today. Bugger.

So I'm just going to go curl up and sleep.

Bungy!

I just got back from Rotorua.

It was amazing.

I discovered that nearly 10 years after the event, people still talk about my going away party, I visited my old house, I saw one of my oldest, bestest friends, I got to play with a dog all weekend, I met many people, I kicked butt in ping pong, I drank, I swam and I enjoyed myself immensly.

Oh, and I also bungy jumped.

Bungy jumping has never been something I've sought out. It's not something I would go and do normally, but an offer came up, and it was one I couldn't turn down - and as the photos below prove, I screamed the whole way.

I guess this is growing up

One thing I've noticed in Rotorua is how most of the people I went to school with are now married, with businesses and/or houses and children.

It's incredible.

It's not so much incredible that people in their mid-20s are doing things like that, so much as I feel kind of left behind. I'm making my way in the world, in my own style, but these people have gotten on with their lives and it kind of feel like I'm starting to look up and realise how much I haven't done.

Of course, my life is very different from theirs, and it's possible that those same people envy my carefree lifestyle, but it's incredible to me that the people I went to primary school with, now have children of their own going to that same primary school!

It makes me feel old.

Driving Ms Blogger

I drove to Rotovegas with an old school friend and her nearly-2 year old. It was interesting.

Early in the trip I was left in the car with the child by myself. I'm not one for children nor languages so my inability to understand toddler is understandable, however you can't just ignore one either.

So I tried talking and it was very much about the bread she was slowly disintegrating into fine dust. Then, would you believe? I ran out of things to say to a toddler. So I ended up reading her books instead. She chose the books (even my toddler skills extend to yes and no) and I read them.

We stopped briefly in Newmarket and then found our way onto the motorway and then we were off. The conversation flowed - I had been worried it wouldn't, but thankfully it did. It was a very pleasant trip.

About 20 minutes before we got to our destination, the toddler covered herself in yogurt. Top to toe, literally, in strawberries and cream.

Once we arrived in Rotorua, her grandmother cleaned her up, we all caught up a bit and then I got dropped in town.

Relatively - given the time it's been since I saw her - it was a short catch up, but enjoyable nonetheless.

VEGAS BABY!

I'm going to Rotorua tomorrow for 3 days.

Three days where I don't have to work.
Three days where I won't be at home.
Three days with one of my oldest friends.

Fuck yeah baby!

Mornings are sometimes a pain because I'm exhausted

I lost the subject line game today. Again.

And then I forgot the subject line.

Luckily I remember the gist of it, so I'll just replace the title in the morning.

I am way too tired for this blog, and as I'm just going to have to get up in the morning and go to work again, which I really can't be bothered doing, this is today's blog.

Thank God I got an easy title!

Stripper Money

I put on my jeans this morning, put my hand in my pocket and found a stripper dollar.

I was looking at it tonight and I notice it says "conditions apply".

Apart from not being legal tender (also printed on the stripper dollar), what on earth are the conditions that could be applied to a note designed to tip women for getting naked?

"Must go in garter"?
"Minimum two stripper dollars if you want your face buried in stripper boobies"?
"Will not turn regular women into strippers"?
"Accepted by strippers only"?

Still hating on titles

I really don't have anything to say, but I haven't posted a picture of me with something I own this month, so here is me and my stuffed toy puppies.

I don't know why I have so many, they just kind of collected. I'm not really a stuffed toy person, but I do own a few puppies.

The rotweiller in the middle was my first puppy - I aquired him while moving from Wellington to Whangarei in a petrol station. I thought he was cute, so I bought him.

My second puppy is the Lenin-esque one on my shoulder. Some joker gave it to my father when he left his last position, knowing that Dad dislikes dogs. Dad, knowing I love them, passed it onto me.

The rather feminine chuahuahua is a replica of Paris Hilton's dog (I think it's called Tinkerbelle) and came in a gift set I was given for my birthday with a bottle of Paris perfume.

And the big purple one was won at Rainbows End in a sideshow with my awesome watergun skills.

So I have randomly collected four soft toy puppies, and now they all have their very own blog.

Blah day

Today I woke up sober and feeling great - because yesterday all my friends ditched me and I didn't end up going out at all. I'm still kinda gutted about missing a night out I'd looked forward to for so long. Instead I stayed in my pajamas and watched Lost. Shaun came over and I helped him out with a project, and I proofread an essay for another friend, but it really wasn't the night I'd hoped for.

So this morning when I woke up I decided I was going to go to St Lukes. Shopping always cheers me up and I figured that, given I didn't have a blowout last night, I could afford to drop a few dollars at the mall.

I walked down, and looked around the shops, but it really wasn't the experience I'd hoped for. Every dollar I spent made me feel guilty. Every item of clothing I tried on looked like crap, the meal I ordered was messed up and when it was corrected, was not as good as I was expecting. The few items I'd gone to buy I either forgot or couldn't find and the movie I ended up seeing was decidedly below-average.

The bus I came home on smelt and I accidentally ordered the wrong pizza.

It sucks because Friday was such a wicked night, but then the rest of the weekend was almost not even worth getting out of bed for.

Fail.

On Life

My flatmates and I are going to split ways in a few weeks. I've well and truly had enough of this place, or rather, the way I feel in this living arrangement.

I feel like I'm a nuisance to my flatmate - that I'm here to be tolerated and that I'm not as important as they are. I hate the fact that my opinion - that the way I like to live - isn't even considered. I'm not saying things should be done my way, but flatting is all about compromise, about sharing and I feel like I make all the compromises, and none are made for me.

The only place I feel comfortable or happy in this place is my bedroom and I hate that. I like my space, and like to spend time by myself, but I don't want to live like a hermit in a little cave - I want to be able to spend time in my own lounge, sit on my own sofas, watch TV and DVDs with my flatmates without feeling like they're just suffering through it.

Sometimes this place is great. Sometimes I'm happy here, but mostly I just feel like I'm a giant pain in the ass for them - and that isn't how I want to live. I've tried reaching out - talking about it, trying to reach a compromise or a solution. I've tried talking about this like adults, but it's pretty clear they're not interested in more than themselves.

So it's time to move on. As much as I hate moving, as much as I can't afford it right now and as much as I hate flat interviews and all the crap that goes with breaking up a flat - it's better that I do it now, before it really all turns to excrement.

Another Friday night...

...another missed blog.

Once again I was too busy enjoying myself to worry about blogging.

It's all good though. Tonight I ended up at a strip club of all places, and I had a guy come onto me, which was cool, but I'm a big believer in fate and I had no cards (which is very, very strange) and no pen to write my number down with (again, strange) so I took it as a sign and dissappeared into a cab (ah magic taxis, how awesome they are). If it's meant to be, I'll see him again.

I'm absolutely loving life at the moment, and (dare I say it) enjoying Auckland. Now I've left uni I've got time, and money, to enjoy all the things I should have been enjoying for the past 3 years and I'm living it to the absolute fullest.

Righto, bed time. Got another (!!) big night ahead of me tomorrow.

Still Lost

I think that my favourite TV show of all time is Lost.

I mightn't have a clue what it's about, but I love it and I'm hopelessly addicted to it.

I'm still watching Season 2 - I'm over half way through it though and I think I've only got 5 or 6 episodes left. It's absolutely incredible because to a large extent I can start to see the puzzle pieces come together. There are still GIANT holes - like why did The Others kidnap people in the first season? Why did they kidnap most of The Tailies but none of the main characters (Claire and Charlie excepted because they escaped)? What happened to those people they kidnapped? Why did Walt keep turning up in the rain to talk backwards? But other things are coming together for me.

I've got a handle on the time travel thing - it's helped by the fact I've recently watched Season One, and I'm currently watching as it screens in the States, as it screens in New Zealand (we're 3 or 4 episodes behind and given the US is taking a break this week, only getting closer) as well as marathoning Season 2. Watching it out of order in various stages of plot development, means that - as much as one can with Lost - I'm beginning to understand what the hell is going on.

I haven't begun searching online forums or websites, but no doubt I will - once I've got through all 5 seasons and can actually connect the plot points - I'm sure it will be incredibly interesting to see what other people think and have picked up on. My flatmate and I sat down and watched last night's episode on TV2, and we both picked up on the same thing - which connects that episode to one 2 or 3 episodes down the track - and we both think that Season 5 is by far the best season so far.

It's all very exciting, and I think I'm going to go back to it now.

RIP, Wellington Legend

Holly broke some horrible news to me yesterday - Espressoholic is closing down.

Would anyone like to donate airfares for me to make an emergency coffee run?

After my Ode to Wellington, a reader might imagine that my feeling could be accurately described as "gutted".

My next trip to Wellington isn't until September, and there's going to be one less friend to see.

The future

I'm going mad.

When I finished my degree I made a choice that I would not go back into education for at least 12 months. It's not that I don't want to learn - because I really enjoy uni - but by the time I'd got to my third year I was wiped out. I attempted to do a 3 year degree in two and a half years - I didn't quite make it, but the net result was that for those two and a half years I was almost consistently at uni.

So I made the decision to take a break, to refresh, to re prioritise. I've never ruled out more education - only in 2009.

In the past couple of months however, I have definitely considered it. There's a course offered by the Open Polytechnic on technical writing, which would give me skills to write and communicate technical information in everyday, easy to understand language - something which would be invaluable in my current job which has certainly tempted me recently.

Then today I thought I'd look up postgrad at Victoria University to see what the options were down there. To be honest, Victoria doesn't have topics and papers that cater towards my academic interests.

But Massey does, and Massey's papers are extramural, and I qualify under their entry criteria.

If I went with Massey, I could try working 30 hour weeks and complete a BA(Hons) part time over two years. After that, the door is open for Masters, or even PhD work if I chose it.

The truth is I developed some incredible skills at uni, and it opened up my interests in ways I couldn't even imagine before I began. I walked out of uni a far more open and balanced person, with wide-ranging interests and the ability to connect far-reaching ideas and theories.

It was one of the best things I've ever done for myself, and I really want to continue that process in the future.

But thinking about it now? I must be mad.

Handmaidens!

I'm knackered.

It was yet another late day for me. I've been told I'm taking Friday afternoon off my two of my bosses because of all the overtime I've been doing lately. I'll be amazed if that actually happens - personally I would prefer them to tackle the root of the problem - I'd rather just work 40 hour weeks, but Friday afternoon is a good compromise I guess, if it actually happens.

Other than that it's been a boring and uninteresting day, with the exception that I got to use the word handmaidens in subject line of my emails to Holly for the day.

Hells Boycott

For the last two months or so I've been boycotting Hells Pizza.

There was a time when I adored Hells Pizza - back when I lived in Wellington, before it was a national chain, back when it was simply the best pizza joint in town.

They used to use the best quality ingredients, and had fantastic service and I didn't mind paying more than I would when going through their competitors because the product was worth it.

Now, however, it's a completely different story.

There was a time when if you didn't like a particular ingredient you could swap it for something else for free, you can't do that now.

There was a time when they used premium ingredients so you got a high quality product, now they use the cheapest ingredients and the last few pizzas I got from them were very disappointing with ingredients sparse and the overall effect being nothing more spectacular than something I can get from Dominoes for half the price.

A couple of months ago I ordered a pizza, a cheesecake and two sets of wedges. When they turned up I had one sauce pot for two sets of wedges, the cheesecake was broken in half, some of the ingredients were missing from my pizza and the ingredients had slipped to one side of the box. I rang up and complained and they offered me excuses and no apology. If only one of those things had gone wrong I wouldn't have cared, but to have everything go wrong was plain unacceptable when they got around $40 of my money for the transaction, especially when they can't apologise and put the problem right.

So now I go somewhere else. I get my premium pizzas from a local Italian pizzeria and a day-to-day pizza from Dominoes. It costs half the price, tastes better or the same and I'm not stuck paying a $7 delivery fee (Hells has got rid of free delivery on Tuesdays whereas Dominoes has free delivery if you buy at least $20 worth of product).

Hells keep putting up their prices and giving me and my friends crappy products, and I'm just not down with that, so I'm going elsewhere because I work too hard to be charged twice as much as the competition for a pizza that plain blows. There are many better alternatives and I'm happy to use the market to voice my disappointment.

Party Girl

Another night on the town last night, another day on the couch with a hangover today.

Last night my flatmate turned up with a big bottle of bourbon and a mate and we all ended up playing a couple of games of circle of death which somehow lead to going out into town.

We began down at the Viaduct with some navy boys, but the Viaduct is a crud hole - the music is bad, the people are drunken idiots and it's not a comfortable environment. We were there for about an hour before we gave it up and the three of us girls headed up to Family on K Road.

At Family we danced and drank until 5am or so. We had a brilliant time. The music was better, the people were relaxed and I felt much more at ease - I've definitely learned that K Rd is a pumping place to be when you're out in town.

I managed to see a couple of mates I hadn't seen in ages at Family which was great, and after we'd danced ourselves silly we got kebabs, grabbed a taxi and came home.

I've had about 3 and a half hours sleep and I'm really keen to head to bed but I'm desperately trying to avoid messing up my sleep patterns too much so I'm trying to hold off. I think I'll probably need a nap soon though.

I've had the most brilliant run of random nights out with friends this summer. It sure beats parties in a garage in Mt Wellington!!

Something Good

I realise I've done a bit of bitching lately, so I'd like to congratulate someone.

There's a billboard I go past on the way home which says

"Our customers stay because of great customer service
Not 12 month contracts"

The billboard belongs to Orcon.

I've never been as happy with an Internet provider as I have been with Orcon. It's cheap, it's easy and it's good.

The speed is insanely good, and all interactions I've had with them have been quick and hassle-free.

One thing I hate is Telecom - I hate that because they have the budget for insane amounts of advertising they get so many customers, whereas there are plenty of smaller providers who offer a better quality product at a fair and decent price who miss out because people are either ignorant of their products or are hooked into the ridiculous contracts places like Telecom force people into.

Orcon is one of those providers who tend to develop very loyal user bases. After reading an article on Internet plans (which omitted all the smaller providers) from the New Zealand Herald, I emailed the reporter to complain about the lack of comparison in her article - she told me that I wasn't the only one to write to her and mention/rave about Orcon.

Clearly, I am not the only one thoroughly impressed with the product and service I receive.

I get a number of people asking me for advice on Internet plans. I tell them what I believe and what I have experienced and the best piece of advice I have for these people is to actually shop around.

The Internet has made shopping around so easy - in my opinion you're actually a moron if you don't do it. A quick Google search will tell you that Telecom and Vodafone have the worst broadband speeds and quality on the New Zealand market - yet they're the two biggest companies. Telstra Clear and Orcon are both rated at the top.

You don't have to go to Orcon - for smaller users of the Internet it's probably not worth it - but to simply go to Telecom or Vodafone because it's easy is just being lazy. It's like buying McDonalds when there's a prime steak and full meal for the same price next door if you'd only bothered to look and, with the contracts, it's kind of like being stuck eating McDonalds for 12 months.

So yay Orcon - they're one of those companies I truly wish well because they treat their customers with respect and they recognise that having a product is one thing, having a great product, at the right price with superior service is the best thing.

The Weather

I don't know if it's because forecasters have finally got it right or because Aucklanders are pussys, but I've heard a lot about how bad the weather is today. People seem to be talking about the fact that it's raining, and that it's windy. A lot.

Yeah, there's some rain, and yes, there's some wind. Granted there has been power outages but from where I'm sitting this isn't any worse than a rainy day in Wellington.

In fact it's probably actually a little better than a rainy day in Wellington.

So harden up Auckland. The weather is shit, it does that from time to time, and it's probably only going to get worse in the years ahead.

Crappy Cinemas

I went to a movie today at Queen Street, I hate that cinema so much.

Firstly, it's like a weird little maze. Everything is hidden and the stairs are weird - as my brother once said 'someone should hurt the idiot architect who designed this place and give awards to the engineer who made it work.' It's a bloody nightmare.

At one point, Queen Street was the busiest cinema in the country - which is pretty amusing when you look at the number of toilets they provide. There is a bathroom on each level and I believe 3 or 4 levels, however each bathroom is tiny - only a small handful of toilets on each level - which is ridiculous when you think about how movie theatres work - massive amounts of people, many of whom need the bathroom, exiting and going there at the same time. Cinemas should have massive hallways of toilets, which for the most part will remain empty, but at peak times they'll still develop a queue.

Then there's the legroom - there's nothing. Clearly I'm spoiled from Sylvia Park, Broadway and Rialto, but I always get cramps at Queen Street - particuarly in the Imax cinema - because there's just no room to stretch... or move.

Lastly there's the quality of the product itself. Having been a projectionist for so long I spot dust on the film, scratching and bad sound really easily. I notice when the lens or port glass (that's the glass between the projector and the cinema) aren't clean. I can even tell you if the projector itself hasn't been cleaned in a few months.

So when I go to Queen Street and see scratched films which have been put together poorly containing bad sound and which are often out of frame slightly or out of focus, I get really annoyed.

I don't like paying for movies. Thankfully years of industry experience mean I rarely have to pay full price for them (between friends hooking me up, half-price cards, free tickets and various other tricks), and I'm more lenient with those films I haven't had to pay $16 to go see, but when I have to pay for a film, I expect quality.

I expect to see a print which has been cared for played in a projector that has at least had routine maintenance performed on it in the last 3 months. Call me crazy, but basically I want a quality product, just like I would expect if I were buying milk, or towels, or jeans. Like everything, to me a movie is a product - and I'm yet to recieve a good-quality one at the Queen Street complex.

So why not complain? Well the fact is I have, and was blown off by their technical manager with a bunch of bullshit months ago from the last time I was there.

Clearly, judging by today's dismal showing, the standards are still low. I recognise that projection is a hard and low-paying job, however I also know that the projectionists at SkyCity are paid more than any other chain and that projection is a job which people develop a passion for - if you've been a projectionist for more than 12 months, chances are it's in your blood and it will never leave - you're a projectionist for life. That passion will usually mean you'll go a little further or do a little more in order to do your job properly. If you're a projectionist, your job is to entertain hundreds (and sometimes thousands) of people daily. To do that to a high standard is a matter of pride, and I don't see that at Queen Street at all.

It all culminates into me wanting to avoid this cinema like the plague. I won't go there at all with my friends because I just end up bitching about everything that is wrong with the film.... before getting lost on my way out, while trying to find a bloody toilet.

Purple trousers can injure those idiots who eat blue napkins while sitting on the bus

Clearly I lost the subject line game with Holly today.

So now I just have to write something that fits with the title, and funnily enough, I kind of can - and it's true!

I have a pair of purple workout pants. Those pants were in my gym bag today when I got on the bus.

I was quite tired and the bus was very full, and, as I was walking down the aisle, the bus lurched and my gym bag bumped into the head of a guy sitting half way down. Hence, he was injured with purple pants.

Now, I don't believe he was eating a blue napkin, but for the sake of this blog, lets say he was. He was certainly an idiot because half of his body was in the aisle (hence he got hit with the gym bag).

Therefore, purple trousers really can injure idiots on the bus - regardless of whether those idiots are eating blue napkins or not.

Some days...

Today was a very, very stressful day at work - I was a very tightly wound Miss Kat by the end of the working day.

Luckily my gym gear was with me. I'd been itching to go to the gym from about 2pm, and when I finally got there at 6.45 I went harder then I've gone in a long time.

I'm probably going to hurt tomorrow (I'm already starting to) but man, there's nothing quite like getting hot and sweaty when you're pissed off and stressed out.

So much for the bad weather...

I think we've had cyclones or major storms with heavy rainfall warnings in Auckland at least 3-4 times in the last 4 months.

I don't think they've been right once.

Sometimes (like this weekend) it does actually rain, but not as hard or for as long as predicted. The sky turns blue again and we can all go out and at least enjoy our Sunday.

Most of the time they're just plain wrong.

Every time we get a warning like this I plan to curl up and watch DVDs, but then the sun comes out and I just can't sit indoors - I can't refuse the weather when I know sooner or later the weather will turn into winter again and then I really will stay inside watching weekend upon weekend of Lost marathons.