Today I Met Belle
Today had its highs and its lows. First, I will set out the highs, as they are far more interesting.
At 1 o'clock today I met Kirk Wise, Don Hahn, Robby Benson, Paige O'Hara, and Glen Keane. In short, five of the people who breathed life into Disney's Beauty and the Beast, in my opinion one of the most flawless films ever to grace the screen, and quite possibly the greatest animated film of my lifetime. I do not grant this praise lightly, as I'm sure my readers are well aware. A careful study of the art, story structure, and music of Beauty and the Beast finds it almost unbeatable, and the only complaint I can bring myself to make of it is that Belle is not a particularly active participant in the film's climax, despite the fact that she is the protagonist. It is, to me, all that a Disney film should be.
And how often does one meet a Disney Princess? Paige O'Hara was extremely kind in wishing me good luck with my writing, she was lovely, and for goodness sake, SHE TALKS LIKE BELLE. It was staggering.
I also got a chance to talk to Glen Keane, the brilliant animator behind the Beast's fluid movements and Ariel's intelligent eyes. And I also chatted with Don Hahn about Beauty and the Beast 3D which he assures me will eventually make it to theaters. For my part I voiced my case for the previously announced Valentine's Day release (though obviously it would be a year late).
All in all, a giddy moment for your Disney Princess.
That said, the rest of my day was lackluster. My interview was mediocre at best, though I don't think I did anything terribly wrong. I just didn't sparkle the way some might have when faced with tough questions and the implication of inexperience. From the way I felt a few hours after the interview, though, I begin to wonder if this job would be as good a fit for me as I thought it would.
I went to the gym after the interview to try to move my body a bit and I burned off 350 calories. That was great, but I didn't have my water bottle, and worse than that, I forgot my towel. That made for a FUN post-gym shower.
I drove home after that and talked to Sam on the phone on the drive home. I got off the phone when I got home and discovered that I could get into the driveway because there was a pile of bricks and construction materials blocking my entrance. I tried to back up and ended up scratching the paint on my bumper (nothing horrific, but COME ON, really?) By the time I got inside I was so frustrated that I ended up crying to Sam on the phone. He sweetly told me not to cry and that none of it was worth crying over. I agreed, but really couldn't help it. It's hard to stop crying once you start. Once I calmed down, however, Sam made pleasant company and we played a few Sporcle quizzes together, yelling answers back and forth over Skype. Eventually he left to eat dinner and I backed my car back out of the driveway and headed out towards dinner, practically all the way back across LA where I'd been earlier.
On the drive I talked on the phone with my Grandma who makes good company, though she does have a tendency of making small talk about things that I find stressful. I got off the 101 when traffic got bad and I passed two vintage clothing stores with Halloween costumes in the window. They looked promising so I parked and checked them out. Nothing too exciting except for a Mad Men-esque party dress that cost over $100 (too much for vintage unless it's perfect, in my opinion) and a run-of-the-mill Pirate costume that I would have passed over entirely had the material not been a bit better than the standard Halloween costume quality. I might return to the store and see if I can try on the outfit. Think it would pair nicely with a corset underneath and my cavalier boots, and it wouldn't be too outrageously overpriced. Pirate costumes also have some reasonable re-wear value, I think.
After my spur of the moment window shopping I picked up my friend Jon (a writer a few years older than I, so already starting to get some real work) and we went to Micelli's, my favorite Italian restaurant. They have singing waiters. And a live jazz pianist and drummer. While I was there the pianist played a jazz Mary Poppins medley, satisfying me immensely. I ate delicious egg plant parmesan, teased each other, and talked about movies that are awesome. Interacting with a friend helped improve my mood.
After dinner I drove home and talked to Sam on Skype for another hour. The poor boy is sick and finally had to abandon me for Benedryl. I hope he gets better soon. Of course, I don't get to talk to him tomorrow because he and the boys back in Evanston are playing whatever D&D game they're doing right now. I guess I have enough tv to catch back up on (plus tomorrow night's ABC comedy lineup) and most of the new Artemis Fowl book ahead of me. [Side note: NO ONE TOLD ME THERE WAS A NEW BOOK, I'M VERY UPSET.] Thursday night I have another dinner date, this time with my friend Jewel, a fellow member of the Northwestern University Creative Writing for the Media Program.
Goal for tomorrow: go to the gym again. I need to get back on track for losing weight. 30 lbs was great, but I'm really only back where I started. The next 10 are obviously going to be harder. Sam asked me rather pointedly today, "How is it that the rest of you got tiny and your boobs stayed the same size?" My answer was, "Porn star diet?" But maybe it's just some of that Disney Princess magic that gives me my delightful curves.
I'm talking about my boobs. It is obviously time for bed.
At 1 o'clock today I met Kirk Wise, Don Hahn, Robby Benson, Paige O'Hara, and Glen Keane. In short, five of the people who breathed life into Disney's Beauty and the Beast, in my opinion one of the most flawless films ever to grace the screen, and quite possibly the greatest animated film of my lifetime. I do not grant this praise lightly, as I'm sure my readers are well aware. A careful study of the art, story structure, and music of Beauty and the Beast finds it almost unbeatable, and the only complaint I can bring myself to make of it is that Belle is not a particularly active participant in the film's climax, despite the fact that she is the protagonist. It is, to me, all that a Disney film should be.
And how often does one meet a Disney Princess? Paige O'Hara was extremely kind in wishing me good luck with my writing, she was lovely, and for goodness sake, SHE TALKS LIKE BELLE. It was staggering.
I also got a chance to talk to Glen Keane, the brilliant animator behind the Beast's fluid movements and Ariel's intelligent eyes. And I also chatted with Don Hahn about Beauty and the Beast 3D which he assures me will eventually make it to theaters. For my part I voiced my case for the previously announced Valentine's Day release (though obviously it would be a year late).
All in all, a giddy moment for your Disney Princess.
That said, the rest of my day was lackluster. My interview was mediocre at best, though I don't think I did anything terribly wrong. I just didn't sparkle the way some might have when faced with tough questions and the implication of inexperience. From the way I felt a few hours after the interview, though, I begin to wonder if this job would be as good a fit for me as I thought it would.
I went to the gym after the interview to try to move my body a bit and I burned off 350 calories. That was great, but I didn't have my water bottle, and worse than that, I forgot my towel. That made for a FUN post-gym shower.
I drove home after that and talked to Sam on the phone on the drive home. I got off the phone when I got home and discovered that I could get into the driveway because there was a pile of bricks and construction materials blocking my entrance. I tried to back up and ended up scratching the paint on my bumper (nothing horrific, but COME ON, really?) By the time I got inside I was so frustrated that I ended up crying to Sam on the phone. He sweetly told me not to cry and that none of it was worth crying over. I agreed, but really couldn't help it. It's hard to stop crying once you start. Once I calmed down, however, Sam made pleasant company and we played a few Sporcle quizzes together, yelling answers back and forth over Skype. Eventually he left to eat dinner and I backed my car back out of the driveway and headed out towards dinner, practically all the way back across LA where I'd been earlier.
On the drive I talked on the phone with my Grandma who makes good company, though she does have a tendency of making small talk about things that I find stressful. I got off the 101 when traffic got bad and I passed two vintage clothing stores with Halloween costumes in the window. They looked promising so I parked and checked them out. Nothing too exciting except for a Mad Men-esque party dress that cost over $100 (too much for vintage unless it's perfect, in my opinion) and a run-of-the-mill Pirate costume that I would have passed over entirely had the material not been a bit better than the standard Halloween costume quality. I might return to the store and see if I can try on the outfit. Think it would pair nicely with a corset underneath and my cavalier boots, and it wouldn't be too outrageously overpriced. Pirate costumes also have some reasonable re-wear value, I think.
After my spur of the moment window shopping I picked up my friend Jon (a writer a few years older than I, so already starting to get some real work) and we went to Micelli's, my favorite Italian restaurant. They have singing waiters. And a live jazz pianist and drummer. While I was there the pianist played a jazz Mary Poppins medley, satisfying me immensely. I ate delicious egg plant parmesan, teased each other, and talked about movies that are awesome. Interacting with a friend helped improve my mood.
After dinner I drove home and talked to Sam on Skype for another hour. The poor boy is sick and finally had to abandon me for Benedryl. I hope he gets better soon. Of course, I don't get to talk to him tomorrow because he and the boys back in Evanston are playing whatever D&D game they're doing right now. I guess I have enough tv to catch back up on (plus tomorrow night's ABC comedy lineup) and most of the new Artemis Fowl book ahead of me. [Side note: NO ONE TOLD ME THERE WAS A NEW BOOK, I'M VERY UPSET.] Thursday night I have another dinner date, this time with my friend Jewel, a fellow member of the Northwestern University Creative Writing for the Media Program.
Goal for tomorrow: go to the gym again. I need to get back on track for losing weight. 30 lbs was great, but I'm really only back where I started. The next 10 are obviously going to be harder. Sam asked me rather pointedly today, "How is it that the rest of you got tiny and your boobs stayed the same size?" My answer was, "Porn star diet?" But maybe it's just some of that Disney Princess magic that gives me my delightful curves.
I'm talking about my boobs. It is obviously time for bed.