Rainbow Connection

Last night I was talking to my roommate about kids music she could play for her kindergarten class that wouldn't be painful for her to listen to. I mentioned that Jason Mraz does a great cover of The Rainbow Connection from The Muppet Movie. She had never heard of The Rainbow Connection. I was shocked! So, I dedicate this post to her.



Also, here is the Jason Mraz cover.

Autumn Evening

Sometimes I feel myself slipping into a complete and utter funk. I wish I had the ability to sit down and just have a good cry and get over it, but I don't. I apt to wallow until I am able to kick my thoughts of despair.

Last night I felt myself slipping. I thought in order to kick this mood, I would go watch a movie that I knew would make me cry. I thought crying about someone or something else might help put things in perspective. I chose "The Boys Are Back," the story of a sports journalist, Joe, played by Clive Owen, who finds himself being a single parent after his second wife dies of cancer. Joe has spent his life traveling the world covering sporting events arriving home to play with his six-year-old son and deliver "pressies," but has never had to really discipline his son. Joe's teenage son from his first marriage also arrives from overseas wanting to get to know the father he has only know from afar. Joe caves under the pressure of being a single parent to two boys he doesn't really know while dealing with own grief and non supportive in-laws.

Joe creates a "just say yes" philosophy, trying to make up for the loss of his wife and his inadequacies as a father. Ultimately, as you can imagine, this does not work. However, the film goes about showing this in a creative and non-cliched way. Joe seeks to build a family with his boys that will not crumble under the strain of everyday life.

In the end, this movie did not quite create the tears I thought it would. The story focuses on moving on with life rather than grieving. I walked away from the theater satisfied and in a little less of a funk.

It could have been a great beginning.

Yesterday I was excited to learn that Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs by Judi Barrett is being made into a movie. I told my boss how cute the trailer was and she paused and said, "Great title, but I have no idea what you are talking about." I was sad because she has a little one and I decided that it's a book he needs to grow up with. So last night I went to remedy it.

I went to Half Price Books on Capitol Hill and poked around the kids book section for a while until I realized I had no idea who the author or any hope of finding it. I went to the front desk and asked the very cute guy working at the desk for the author. I said the title and he gave me a surprised look. I said, "It's a kid's book." He said, "No, I know! I was just thinking I should know the author, I totally remember that book!" I explained to him why I looking for the book at 10:00pm on a Wednesday, which I'm sure made me look even weirder. After I got the author I wandered back to the section and found one copy. I sat on the floor and read the book cover to cover, reveling in the story of the people of Chewandswallow. I then walked by the front desk as I was going to the lower level to look in the adult books.

As I walked by the desk, the previously mentioned cute guy said, "Oh, did you not find it?" I said, "No, I found it. I was just reading it. It was still good." He smiled. I asked him if he wanted to read it while I looked downstairs. He looked a little hesitant, I said, "You know you want to*." He said, "Yes, I do." When I got back upstairs he was changing shifts at the front desk, but telling the guy taking over for him to make sure to give the book back to me. He thanked me for sharing the book. Sadly, this ends my tale, but as Carrie Bradshaw would say, "I couldn't help but wonder..."

* Author's note: Clearly reading a book from the 1980's transported me back to my elementary school manners. I should have just pinched him and ran away.