Groovymarlin.com

HOLY CRAP! I just watched the trailer for Beowulf. Who is playing the title character – is it Gerard Butler? Brad Pitt? Daniel Craig? No. It’s Ray Winstone. Ray Winstone? The guy who played (excellently, by the way) a pudgy, wanting-to-retire gangster thug in Sexy Beast? Yes, that Ray Winstone. Except, I think they rebuilt him or something, because he is now SUPER SUPER HOT. Let’s examine the evidence, shall we?

Here’s a pic of lovable, teddy-bear bad guy Ray in Sexy Beast:

And here’s how Ray looks in Beowulf:

I mean, Christ on a cracker, what the hell happened here, am I right? HOT HOT HOT!

Except…it was done digitally.  They’ve used some kind of digital mapping to turn Ray into a hardbody, which is…intriguing. Apparently the same technology is used to turn the weirdly fascinating (or perhaps it’s fascinatingly weird) Crispin Glover into Grendel, and Angelina Jolie into some sort of hooved temptress who rises out of a pool in a cave.

Far out.

Holy moley…has it really been two weeks since I posted anything? I am such a slacker! Well, not really. I’ve actually been horrendously busy. My work load has been steady, but not overwhelming – it’s really all the other stuff that has kept me distracted. Like when our power went out all night on the hottest day (and night) of the year, and then my daughter had strep throat and woke us up every two hours for three nights, culminating in a week where I got about six hours’ sleep total. What a drag! Then I had to have some work done on my Passat, we struggled to give the baby antibiotics (which she hates to take) three times a day, I had hearty arguments with my husband about nearly everything, and a few times I felt so depressed and groggy that I almost had a nervous breakdown!

So yeah…it’s been two weeks since I posted, and a great two weeks at that. (Does sarcasm come over in blog posts? Because that was a painfully obvious example of some.)

I’m feeling a little better now though. The baby is much better, and we only have to give her medicine for another day, then we’re done with that struggle. By going to bed at 9pm nearly every night this week, I’ve managed to catch up on my sleep and am starting to feel human again. Plus I finally did something fun yesterday and went with a friend to see the latest Harry Potter movie at the IMAX theater! It was awesome, by the way, definitely the best movie yet. And speaking of Harry Potter, I’m still working my way through the books, finally. I’m a little over halfway through book five (Order of the Phoenix, coincidentally the one the newest movie is based on). I didn’t preorder book seven, The Deathly Hallows, since I still have about a book and a half to go before it makes sense for me to read it. I guess I’ll just have to try to avoid spoilers as long as I can.

I have more I want to say about the Harry Potter books vs. the movies, as well as other subjects, but I’ll have to get to it this weekend. In the meantime, it’s trite but true: thank God it’s Friday!

I should start off by saying this post is not sponsored in any way. Nobody is paying me to try this stuff, or say I like it, or anything like that. These are just a few things that I’ve tried in the last few months and liked. Because I’m such a humanitarian, I’m just sharing my knowledge.

What: Sephora Indulgences Whipped Body Delights
Why: This stuff is SO awesome. I put it on my feet every morning and night, and they’ve never been softer (really cuts down on the necessity of using my Diamancel file). It has the consistency of a really thick but non-greasy cream. Also, it smells totally delicious. My favorite is the Ginger & Lime (already used up a whole pot of that!), but Coconut Nectar is pretty yummy too.
Where: Sephora stores (maybe?) and sephora.com.

What: Dove Energy Glow Beauty Body Lotion with Subtle Self Tanners
Why: I’ve tried several types of self tanner over the years, and the new lotions that deliver small amounts of self tanner for more gradua, subtle results. I’ve also done Mystic Tan and Magic Tan (two methods of spray-on self tanner in a booth). I think this Dove product is my favorite so far. I got the version for “fair to medium skin tones” and the color it produces is very natural, but still noticeable. It comes out very even, and the lotion itself does not have the usual nasty, chemical smell of most self-tanners. It’s also much cheaper and more convenient than the spray tanning booth!
Where: Target, CVS, etc.

What: Crest Pro-Health Toothpaste
Why: I have this weird thing about brushing my teeth: I don’t like to do it. I mean, I enjoy the fresh feeling of having clean teeth, I just wish there were a way to get it without actually brushing! Mostly this is because I don’t like toothpaste – the texture, the flavor, etc. I also have multiple tooth problems (sensitivity, occasional cavities, mild tartar, and who doesn’t want their teeth to be whiter?). I do have a toothbrush that I really like (a Sonicare), and now I have finally found a toothpaste that I like too! It’s sort of a gel base, but not gross and sticky like most gels. It also has a slightly grainy texture, but not painfully or distractingly abrasive like many baking soda toothpastes. It’s formulated to tackle all of the various toothy problems I’m concerned with. The Clean Mint is pretty darn good, but the Clean Cinnamon is even better!
Where: Target, CVS, etc.

What: Garden Botanika Slip Gloss
Why: What girl isn’t always on a quest for the perfect lip gloss? This isn’t perfect, but it’s pretty nice. I was under the impression that Garden Botanika went out of business a few years ago, but apparently they just closed their retail stores. Their products are still available online at gardenbotanika.com, and at certain retailers, including Costco, where I found a set of three of their lipglosses for some ridiculously low price! My favorite of the three shades I got is Rosehip, sort of a nice light mauve color. Slip Gloss is somewhat sheer, has no offensive odor, feels nice and moisturizing on, is not sticky and lasts about as long as most lip glosses do.
Where: GardenBotanika.com and select retailers (listed on their site)

That’s all for now, mostly girly stuff. Perhaps in a few weeks I’ll review something more geeky, like computer peripherals or audio equipment.

I finally caved and have started reading the Harry Potter series. I figure, what the hell…now that it’s almost over, I might as well see what all the fuss is about. I still contend that the first movie was just about the most horrible, boring 2+ hours of my entire life; but the films do seem to be getting better as they go. That last one, the Goblet of Fire thing, was all right. I’ve been known to watch it on HBO from time to time.

So I’m gradually acquiring all of the Harry books (used, generally through Swaptree) and reading them as I get to them (in order, of course). I’m on about chapter 9 of the first one, and as books written supposedly for tweens and teens go, it’s not bad. I might actually end up enjoying these Harry Potter books! When “Harry-mania” hit a few years ago, I was so turned off by all the hype, I purposely resisted reading the books, and was only drug to that first movie against my will (my husband, who as far as I know has never read any of the books, wanted to see it).

One thing that I find hilarious about the Harry Potter stuff so far is the names. I’m sure this is somewhat intentional on J.K. Rowling’s part, but some of it also seems very British. Those people know their funny walks and their funny names!