Just Getting Started

Last night marked the beginning of the True False Film Festival.

It's a film festival in Columbia, Missouri that brings documentary films, their directors, their subjects and people who love movies all to one place.

This is an amazing place to be this weekend and it's one of my most favorite activities of the year. I'll leave Columbia this weekend feeling moved, inspired and smarter.

Last night we saw two of the approximately 16 movies we're signed up to see in the next few days.

Undefeated started our festival experience last night and was so fantastic. It's about a football coach, an unsuccessful football team, and love. So good!

We also saw Only The Young. It was one of those documentaries that just follows their subject's lives. Some might argue that nothing happens, and I may agree with that person, however, I tend to love films like this.

Our day starts around noon today and ends sometime later.

Let the fun begin!

photo by Scott Patrick Myers Photography

The Sound and Fury: A Review.

This weekend I watched Sound and Fury.

It's a documentary about two brothers.

One brother is hearing and he married a hearing woman and they had twins, one of which is deaf.

The other brother is deaf, married a deaf woman and has three deaf children.

The issue is one of the cochlear implant. The hearing brother doesn't think twice about doing this for his newborn son. The deaf brother and his wife have a lot of issues with it, namely it will take away from their child experiencing deaf culture.

This was so odd to me. I've always assumed that those who can't hear would want to, but now I see that there is a whole culture of people who are connected through this sameness and value their membership in this community.

I encourage you to watch the movie because it is definitely one that will make you think about what it means to be hearing, about being a parent, and about this whole other community of people.

Watch it and come back and tell me what you think.

Big Ideas

I have a lot of ideas these days.

1. The Oscar's Best Picture category shouldn't consist of a specific number of films every year, it should really just be the best films of the year, whether that is four films or twelve. With this they wouldn't be 'filling spots' with things like Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, which I haven't seen, but hear horrible things about. How's that for an informed opinion?!

2. It should be against the law for songs and radio ads to use siren sounds. This is a huge source of stress for me in the car: 

Is there a cop behind me? 

Is that siren on the radio? 

Should I pull over? 

What's going on? 

See? Very stressful.

3. Vegetarians and vegans should not use words like cheese, meat, etc. I am very supportive of the vegetarian and vegan movements. I believe in them fully and think we would all be healthier with a little less meat in our diets. However, using words like cheese and meat to describe a food that has neither cheese nor meat in it is doing these movements a disservice. If a meat eater is entering into a vegetarian food experience and something is called veggie bacon, they are going to expect bacon, not bacon's vegetarian counterpart. Veggie bacon, vegan cheese, etc should all be given new names.

That is all.

A Never Ending Battle. Looking for my Forever Friend.

I don't have a hairdresser.
I usually wait until my hair starts to look pretty shabby for about a week and call a couple of salons to see who can get me in ASAP.(while trying to trim it myself the entire week). It's not ideal.

I've thought I had found the perfect hairdresser several times in my adult life. I go in for my first haircut and love it and then I go back for my second haircut and the stylist decides to shave the side of my head for some reason (true story), and then I'm back on the hunt again.

So back in January, my hair started to look pretty shabby and I called a place that I'd driven by a couple of times-perhaps not the best way to pick a salon, but I was running out of options.

On the way to my appointment, I thought that this would be the one: my hairstylist. I would make the commitment. Today was the day.

Unfortunately, it wasn't the hair cut experience of my dreams.

At one point, I had to ask her to change combs, it was either her heavy hand or the combs teeth were made of razor blades, but I couldn't endure the pain of it scratching across my scalp any longer.

Second, and this was the unforgivable part, at almost every part of my head she would say, "Cut this part, don't you think?"

me- "Um, yes, I guess"

her- "Cut this part, don't you think?"

Really, who's the stylist here?


And just to provide a little background, I sat down in the chair and gave my spiel first thing.

I'm low maintenance.
I don't style my hair.
I'm easygoing.
I work at a gym.
I just want something shorter than what's going on right now.

But still I had to endure this: "Cut this part, don't you think?"

Is this really happening?
It was.

Today. I walked into a new salon, one recommended to me by a friend that actually goes there. I know!
I liked the stylist right away, my haircut is cute cute cute, and the stylist didn't need any coaching from me.

Perfect.

I may have found the one.

Wanna Swap?

It's that time again where we talk about an ad swap.

So...who's interested in swapping ad space with me?

All my ads are 120x120.

email me at cheryl_birkey@yahoo(dot)com if you're interested.

Mini Stay-Cation

This weekend has been wonderful.

We're house sitting for a client of mine and though she is only gone for about three days, the time here has been lovely. We house sat for these same people in the summertime for about 7 days so when they asked again, I said YES! without any hesitation.

There's something about getting out of my own house, whether I'm travelling to a faraway land or just a few blocks away, that seems to automatically put me in relaxation mode.

Their house is so comfortable. There's a big comfortable couch, a huge television, a great dog, but best of all, it's not my house. There are no house projects to accomplish here, no bills that need to be paid,  no work that needs to be completed, there is just a big couch that needs to be sat upon and a TV that needs to be watched.

We do have a doggy to care for, and that includes a 45-60 minute walk in the morning which turns out is quite the workout. On Saturday morning, Zeb and Peanut joined us and it was so much fun. Although Peanut is about one thirtieth the size of Hoagie, she made sure she was the lead dog for most of the walk. Her little legs moved so fast.

We're headed out later this afternoon, but before we go we have two things to accomplish.
1. More couch time.
2. More TV time.

Why Not?

So I was recently invited to a Facebook event to send this little 6 year old boy with cancer a card.
Here's the actual information from the person in charge:

Ayden is six years old. He is a sweet heart who has stage 4 cancer, and it has spread to his brain. I want to do something for him & his family, and I need your help... I want everyone to send him a card in the mail. Even if you don't know him, it doesn't matter. It would be an AMAZING gift for him & his family to see hundreds of cards arriving to him with messages of hope & support. It doesn't have to cost much-- a handmade card is even better!! PLEASE help me and send him a card this week. Tell lots of people!! The more cards- the better! please send to: Ayden Carpenter, 16808 E. 31st St., Independence MO 64055. thank you ♥ This project of love, has come about c/o his cousin (who would like to stay anonymous.). It's such a sweet idea and it will only cost you a few minutes, and a stamp to make his day. Please help to flood his mailbox.

That's the card I made for him. It's simple and it was quick to make. I think you should send one too. It's inexpensive. Cheap really...and maybe we can help brighten this boy's day.

Here's the address again:

Ayden Carpenter
16808 East 31st Street
Independence, Missouri 64055

Who's coming with me?!