In Praise of Brendan Fraser

Now I don’t usually update my blog on Wednesdays but I’m leaving for my conference in Minneapolis later today. You might have forgotten I was Looking Forward to: This conference because my Vital Stats entry for the month of February has mysteriously disappeared!

However, (if you’re my friend) you won’t have forgotten that the Academy Awards are coming up March 5th – and my life is pretty crazy up until then (with going to Minneapolis, coming back, going to Mississippi and all that) and this is one of those years I can get pretty crazy about the Academy Awards (I think the last time I really cared was the year ROTK was nominated for everything – and won!)

But in the run up to the awards, I’d like to take a moment to appreciate an actor who to my knowledge has never been nominated for an academy award, but has given us some really good work: Brendan Fraser.

I know what you’re saying, - Brendan Fraser, yeah we’ll always remember him from Encino Man. But wait a minute! The guy’s done some good stuff. Forget about George of the Jungle. Forget about Looney Tunes Back in Action and definitely forget about Monkey Bone!

Brendan Fraser has been really good in some movies, and has done his share of, if not controversial, let’s say socially conscience roles. He’s part of the ensemble cast of Crash, nominated for Best Picture (and winner at the SAG awards). He was in School Ties (with Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, and let’s not forget Anthony Rapp), and a bad film version of Twilght of the Golds, (but he was good in it.) I myself am rather partial to With Honors, also staring Joe Pesci – that’s a good movie!

And I almost forgot about Gods and Monsters!

I saw Brendan Fraser on stage in the west end in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. He played Brick opposite Ned Betty’s Big Daddy, with hair plugs– now, I love Cat on a Hot Tin Roof as much as the next guy and he wasn't stellar, but he had good moments, and good moments are what you need (probably) for movies. For not being a stage actor, I was satisfied.

So, before we forget what making and watching films is all about and get all competitive and argumentative about who’s the best (-don’t have anyone in your life to argue movies with – call me) I just want to take a moment to appreciate the work of one talented actor out there: Brendan Fraser. Maybe he’s not the best actor working, certainly not the most recognized, but he has done good work and some of it has moved me. And I appreciate it.

Despite our best intentions...
sometimes we just have to listen to what our bodies tell us they need. For instance, I thought I was going to work until 6:30 every night this week and then go work out for an hour. That didn't happen. Instead on Monday my body was telling me that it was much more important that I go home and eat spaghetti than work out, since I'd seen the Daily Show episode for that day already anway. And I should also have an Erbert and Gerberts sandwhich for lunch. With Cheetos.

Clearly I was going to have one of those weeks where I feel the urgent need to eat anything I get my hands on, whether I'm hungry or not. Plus anything you mention to me becomes an instant craving. Tuesday I had a pint of Ben & Jerry's for supper (and the only Ben & Jerry's I could find was Vanilla Heathbar. Given my current raging obession with Heath Ledger, clearly this is God thinking she's funny!) And last night my inner college student that will never completely go away ate free cheese pizza until I thought I was going to be sick!

The point to all of this is - sometimes your body knows what it needs. I used to have a week like this exactly once-a-month. Now I haven't had one in probably more than a year. I think it's good for someone who excercises regularly (or tries to) to take a week off and catch up on junk food and sleeping on the couch. Or if not, what I'm trying to say is I'm not going to feel bad about my abberant behavior this week, not because I'm a woman - not for any reason. In fact precisely because I'm a woman is why I choose to feel good about it! Because if my body tells me it needs Ben & Jerry's, Ben & Jerry's it shall have!

Now, if you don't mind. I'm going to go home and spend sometime with a heating pad watching The Shawshank Redemption.

End Radio Silence

I just got off the phone with Verizon Wireless because last night, being the 2nd of the month I thought I'd go crazy and place a call to Natalie (Natalie doesn't read blogs so I can call her names and stuff her like Natalie Watalie...) when I was told my phone had been suspended...Meaning someone at Verizon through the massive switch turning off all my calling privleges!

But rest assured my good friends who have been trying to call me every night at 9:00 I'm sure for the past two days, I had them turn it back on. They're so crazy there at Verizon. Everytime I call they're like "Nicole called us and told us you're not supposed to be using her phone," and I'm like "That's impossible!" and they're like "no she called on Jan. 28th" - "No that was ME!"

So confusion abound, but now it should be settled. Thankfully! Whew!
But wait? Why haven't you been able to call me for two days if I just found out my phone was shut off last night? Well, that's because my good friend Chris and her bf Dave, stopped by on their way to Seattle and I had my phone off all night while cooking them dinner and going out for a beer. It was a fun night, and Chris-with the power of the allmighty laptop-showed me some really funny internet cartoons! A good time was had by all I hope.

So I met Dave! He does exist. Or if he doesn't, our little Chris is into some powerful witchcraft!