Stunned…

Sunday, November 19, 2006

Ok guys, I’ve had a few surprise parties in my time.  In each and EVERY case I was caught utterly unaware.  Mind you, I generally regard myself relatively adept at sensing surroundings (a product, I expect, of living in Rio where things could get pretty hairy pretty quickly)…but the truth of the matter is I can spot the minutiae while utterly missing the obvious.

This time around it was at work.  We’re in that holiday mode which means a lot of scrambling to put out fires that were supposed to have been prevented weeks (if not months) ago.  Invariably shipments are delays, production runs into a glitch or hell sunspots cause molecular disruptions in Customs clearance and the proverbial fecal matter impacts upon the ventilation device.  It’s the nature of the beast, fine.  So there I am in a delayed meeting with my boss on Friday afternoon.  This would be the Friday before going out for the Thanksgiving break.  Everything should (by now) be good to go and with a couple of exceptions they are.  But alas…as we finish up the meeting, Juliette recalls another meeting to which we’re late.  “What meeting?” I inquire, as a quick review of my schedule reveals nothing.  “That returns meeting thing”.  Uh on.  I mean, there was a brief mention of following up on some scrap product, but I was be no means prepared to discuss any sort of resolution.  We dash upstairs (yes, literally) and enter a conference room.

There’s no pretty way to say, in response to a rousing “SURPRISE!!!” I literally stood with mouth gaping in the stunned reaction of a deer in the headlights.  A dumb deer.  A dumb, tired deer.  After (slowly) regaining a semblance of awareness, I give all my colleagues warm hugs and thanks.  They had managed to COMPLETELY keep me in the dark as they prepared a wonderful baby shower for Mabel.  It was really special – a delicious Oreo ice cream cake, adorable decorations and a humbling offering of gifts that were far and away beyond anything we could have ever expected.  It’s cool to work in a fun and exciting organization, sure  – but it’s truly something precious to work with people you truly care for and that treat each other with affection and consideration.  I’m touched by the fact that my busy teammates would make time not only to attend, but to go out of their way to celebrate our child with us.

Thank you to everyone for doing this.  It means more than you know.

Now, back to our usual programming – movie review!

• Love, Actually:

Good, actually.  Ok guys, I sat Mabel through Godfather, Airplane, Clerks…you know I was going to hit the romantic comedy path eventually.  Bonus though – Keira *drool* Knightly is in it and while it is a stretch of credibility with Hugh Grant playing the British Prime Minister (umm…Hello, Ambassador Divine?) the movie manages to be sweet without getting sappy and maudlin without getting TOO serious.

• V for Vendetta:

Disclaimer: I had never seen nor in fact heard of the comic book on which this movie is based prior to seeing it, so I have no CLUE if it was a faithful reproduction or if it was even a good execution as an “inspired by” film.  All I know is that is was fantastic.  No, not because of Natalie Portman, in fact her presence is just short of irrelevant, but rather the fantastic portrayal of the “V” character.  I’ll not risk spoiling the movie, but suffice it to say that the physical work of the actor is astounding, as the character sports a mask and thereby forfeits the use of facial expression.  Despite a significant acting handicap, his ability to communicate through gesture and tone are simply amazing.

• Scrubs (Season One):

For some reason I never watched this show.  People said it was my kind of humor – they were right.  This show takes E.R., mixes in generous helpings of Police Squad! and features a fantastic cast that pulls off drama and slapstick in almost perfect balance.

• Zoolander:

I’ll say it…Ben Stiller plays the same character in every stinking movie.  People told me this was a good movie.  Not so much.  Feel asleep about 30 minutes in.  That was about 35 minutes too late.  Feh.

• Wedding Crashers:

Like “Something About Mary” I went into this movie with high expectations.  It was funny, yeah, but chuckle funny – not laughing so hard my sides hurt funny.  There are glimpses of the older Vince Vaughn from Swingers – snappy, sarcastic and engaging, but he’s relegated to a supporting role favoring one of the Wilson brothers.  Owen maybe.  That’s the thing – the lead is forgettable and the buddy role steals scenes left and right.  The insane siblings (the manic sister and recluse brother) are a riot.  If you expect a few giggles, you’ll be happy.