The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo at CLT

My sister Ret and I saw this film last night at the Nineteenth Street Theatre, after a couple of slices of pizza at Salvatore Ruffino's, by far the best pizza in town.  We took advantage of the film being shown in the "big" theater, as opposed to Theatre 514 across the street.  The "19th St." is my favorite theater in Allentown - the only place where you can hear live organ music before certain shows, and see non-mainstream films -- and what a great old building. 


Back to the movie - the book was closely followed for the most part. Certain of Blomkvist's relationships were glossed over, and the ending was different as well, echoes of Body Heat, which is one of my favorite thrillers.  I got an eerie feeling when Blomkvist first enters the cottage where he finds Harriet's Bible -- it  looked exactly as I'd imagined it.


I recommend seeing this version before the American re-make is released.  The acting was great all around, and I can't imagine the redo topping some of these performances, expecially Noomi Rapace as Lisbeth Salander, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo.  I think I want a new haircut, short on one side, swooping over my ear on the other. . . and maybe a motorcycle???

Lost and What Was Lost

What Was Lost: A NovelI was up until 1:30 a.m. last night reading this book.  It had been on my "books wanted"  list for months - I got my copy at the most recent Bethlehem AAUW used Book Sale, but it's available on Amazon.  What a great film this would make - and unlike Lost: The Complete Sixth And Final Season, all loose ends were wrapped up in a surprising, satisfying way.  There's a several-page scene in the book that's a conversation between a music store manager and an employee who has a temper problem - it had me laughing out loud, was very realistic and very funny.  Any readers who have had to discipline an employee will get a real kick out of it.  The bulk of the book was serious - the characters were all lost, in different ways.  I highly recommend this haunting story - What Was Lost by Catherine O'Flynn.

As for the Lost series finale, they had me all the way to the church, and lost me in the aisle.  The ending was too easy, and left too many loose ends.  Viewers are already rationalizing the presence of Penny - my niece sent a link to a site that has an interesting analysis - http://www.tvsquad.com/2010/05/24/lost-finale-theories-explanations/?ncid=webmaildl2 - I'm not going to divulge any spoilers because my daughter, for one, hasn't seen the finale yet.  I'm not negating the hours of pleasure Lost brought me, but I have to say I was disappointed in the finale.

Two Cool Places in Downtown Bethlehem (or My Big Mouth, Big Waist, Big Head)

I love a good Reuben, and got one yesterday at Deja Brew on 4th Street in Bethlehem.  The rye bread was thick and toasted just right, the corned beef sliced thin with not a bit of extra fat, and the sauerkraut fresh (and it didn't overwhelm the sandwich, which fit perfectly into my big mouth. . .)

My iced Americano -- believe me, I'm picky about Americanos, especially after living in Seattle -- was excellent, though it could have used a bit more ice.  I was there with two of my sisters, one of whom also had an iced Americano and chugged it down (go, Lyd!), obviously cafeeine-deprived, or maybe just used to drinking her coffee really fast, the way she eats. . . Ret had a mocha with skim and sipped hers in a very ladylike (as my Mom would say) fashion throughout her lunch.  After the caffeine hit, though, she let loose, which fit in well with the bustling lunch atmosphere at this obviously popular local spot.

The staff were all very friendly, and the layout open and inviting.  The walls were covered with local arts news and posters, and being a huge Beatles fan, it didn't take me long to spy the post that was painted with Sergeant Pepper-era Beatles.  I look forward to re-visiting for one of Jeff's Pulp-Fiction-inspired sandwiches.

Before Lunch, we stopped at Underwired to browse and chat with Lisa.  I used the Gift Certificate I'd won from Lisa's Mother's Day contest, where I'd entered a picture of Aunt Moogs (see the Underwired blog). I tried on a couple of 50's dresses.  Let me tell you (and Lisa agreed) -- waists were smaller back then, (some heads were, too, as all of the hats I tried on just sat on top of mine).  Although I was able get the zipper up, I would have had to wear Spanx underneath if I wanted to go for a Reuben in that dress!

I ended up with a dear little 1944 Modern Library Edition of Green Mansions, and a big ring that I plan to wear on my index finger.

It's great to see two old buildings in Bethlehem being creatively and respectfully utilized.  There's an art to coffee-making, and an art to the handling and display of vintage clothes and artifacts.  At Deja Brew and Underwired, artists are at work.  Their work is done with the care and attention to details that make for successful small businesses.  Check them out next time you're on the South Side.

Are you Ocean or Mountain?

Needless to say, in my time off, I've been reading voraciously.  I just finished The Outermost House by Henry Beston.  How did I miss this classic all these years?  It was first published in 1928 and has been reprinted many times - I have the 75th Anniversary Edition with an excellent Introduction by Robert Finch. 

The reader is immediately immersed in Beston's world, in his little house on Eastham Beach on Cape Cod,  surrounded by dunes and water. I could quote extensively, as there are so many lovely passages, some so breath-taking I had to stop and re-read them.  Here's an example from the last chapter:

"And because I had known this outer and secret world, and been able to live as I had lived, reverence and gratitude greater and deeper than ever possessed me, sweeping every emotion else aside, and space and silence an instant closed together over life.  Then time gathered again like a cloud, and presently the stars began to pale over an ocean still dark with remembered night."

"An ocean still dark with remembered night" - how beautiful.  I have never read such lyrical, and realistic,  descriptions of the sea: its sounds, smells, look, and life.

And way back in 1926, when he stayed there, oil spills occurred, harming the wildlife.  How disturbing and appalling that we still haven't solved that problem today.

Someone once told me -- or I read somewhere -- that people are either "mountain" people or "ocean" people.  "Mountain" people are supposedly quieter, more inward, loners; "ocean" people more gregarious and open.  I'm not sure I agree with the personality part of that, but I know I'm more drawn to the ocean.  I love to sit and watch the waves, the birds, to walk the beach and smell the ocean air.  The ocean always makes me ponder the immensity of the world, what lies behind its horizons, and to think about the strangeness of life.  I'm sure mountains spark those thoughts as well, but I'd rather think on these things while listening to the ocean's breath.  And I'd rather eat fish than venison!

This book will be a perfect segue into Mark Kurlansky's The Last Fish Tale, about life in Gloucester, Mass.

Donde esta la spais?

Why is local Mexican food so bland?  I think of Mama's Mexican Kitchen (http://www.mamas.com/) in Seattle, and how I loved going there, as it was consistently interesting food.  The huge Elvis posters added to the funkiness of the atmosphere, and I could count on some zest in both food and ambience.  At On the Border in Allentown Monday night with Sis and Mom, I was disappointed.  (Lest you think there are no local restaurants I'm enthused about, see my blog on Louie's.)

First -- the chips -- they were oily and chewy in the center, crisp only on the outside (though the salsa had plenty of zip).  Then, the taco melts were served in a way that you put them together yourself (again - where were the plates?).  The self-servings would've been OK if we'd been given a spoon, but the watery cheese surrounding the chicken (what was it - Cheez Whiz???) slithered through the fork tines, thus unmanageable, and also completely bland.  We all had pulled chicken tacos (Mom and Sis hard corn shells, me flour tortillas), and all were a mess to eat.  I couldn't tell if Mom's sound effects (grunts and moans) were from pain or pleasure, though she did finally say it was good.  There was no seasoning at all, except on the rice (which Sis didn't like) and refried beans (which Mom didn't like).  These were OK in my book, but I could have done without the overcooked corn in the rice, and it's pretty tough to mess up refried beans. . .

I looked around, and everyone was busy chewing, but no one looked happy.  Where was the fiesta atmosphere?  I'm sure the other patrons left as full as we did, but when I think of Mexican food, I think of spice -- chilis, peppers, right? -- and smiles and sparks.  Oh, Mama's!!!

Back Out/Food In/The Nan Plan

Today my back is out - don't know why - could be those darn ankle weights -- but food is still coming in, as my mouth works fine. 

Last night, I had leftover lasagne (home-made by me) with the slow-cooked tomato sauce from Moosewood Cookbook, to which I'd added Baby Bella Mushrooms from Wegman's - quite choice, I must say.

Mom and I had lunch yesterday, and I'll tell you, no deli meat can beat Wegman's brown sugar ham-off-the-bone.  The only bread Mom had was Maier's Italian, so we had the ham and W's lo-fat swiss on the Maier's - could barely talk to each other during lunch, as that bread was sticking to the roofs of our mouths, as well as our teeth, and afterwards, we looked as if someone had whitewashed our teeth with Elmer's glue.  We cracked each other up and then got out the toothpicks. . .

Business cards ordered today for "The Nan Plan" and "Culture Spin."  If anyone knows of businesses who want to publicize via blogs, I'm available!

Dinner with a friend - better than recent dine-out!

Last night my friend Wendy came for supper - I made the red lentil soup recipe that I included in my annual Christmas letter this year - delish - and Wendy brought a lovely mozarella/tomato/avocado/basil salad which she made, along with those great Wegman rosemary rolls and fruit tarts (which I saw sitting in the fridge after she left). . . This was a much better dinner than the clammy clams Monday night. 

We talked about life and interviews and dissertations and cats, cats, cats (my brother Jon just got his second one, and Wendy has 2).  I told her about our cat Jerry when I was a kid, who, after Mom ran him over pulling into the garage, went gallumphing down our hall at home with a cast on his leg, still spinning around just before he reached the wall at the end of the hallway.  Great cat, that Jerry.