07/27/2008

Enter… JOSIE!!!

by Matthew Edward Hawkins

Time for some personal notes…

New Cat GET!

So the much awaited moment for both Katie and I finally took place: our bundle of joy arrived earlier today. No, Katie wasn’t preggers; not too long ago, I believe I mentioned previously how we were looking into getting a cat. Well most of this past week was spent towards getting the apartment, which meant numerous trips to various pet stores, getting food and toys and the such. Though the highlight would have to be the seminar Katie and I had to attend, organized by the pet adoption agency that we’re going through, which was led by some wacky cay lady/undercover federal agent, along with the discovery that the feline that we would be bringing into our home is somewhat of a celebrity in certain circles. Hence why Katie and I have decided to stick with her original name, Josie, instead of going with what we had originally planned, which was Kimchee

Anyhow, we learned a lot, such as how the allergens that a cat releases is directly related to it’s diet, and that if kitty gets what a kitty should for nourishment, then I might have to worry too much about living with scratchy eyes and sneezing all that much. Plus much more, like how to read the labels on cat food cans, and how pretty much all dried food is basically “McDonalds’ for cats” meaning that its really bad for them, as well as how litter that turns into clumping clay is actually dangerous for them as well. Along with tons of other useful things that helped to confirm what a horrible pet owner my previous roommate was (gotta admit that I do love seeing people’s reactions, especially animal experts, when I mention how she used to feed cat food to her dog… and while it might seem like I’m acting like a passive aggressive dick for talking shit about her, all I can say is that over nine months later and I still haven’t gotten all of my security deposit from her, so whatever).

When she first arrived, Josie hid herself under our couch and simply stayed there (not too much of a surprise, sine we were told that she was shy). Katie did manage to draw her out a few times for isolated bits of playtime, though that was pretty much it. As silly as it sounds, for a while there I was kinda afraid that she might not like me, mostly cuz in my last residence I had to share the roof with a scrawny little rat dog that hated me with a passion, which was fucking hell on earth (honestly, my ex-roomie should give me the full amount just for fighting off the temptation of snapping that little fucker’s neck), but after Katie went to bed, I managed to endear myself to her, and now we’re best buds. Enough to pose for some pics!

Now all I have to worry about is her fucking up my games and collection of little plastic figurines! That and my allergies, which hopefully won’t act up; Katie and I have Josie for a month trial basis, so if they do, she sadly might have to go…

Finally, Something For Us White People!

Also really looking forward to tomorrow; there’s a new diner opening in my neck of the woods, here in Washington Heights. Actually, there’s already tons of diners in the immediate area, so maybe I should clarify; there’s a new “white” diner opening up. The block I live on is literally the border separating the Puerto Ricans and the Dominicans (who have a bevy if diners and all sorts of eateries) and all the whites (there are lots of Columbia University folks around here) plus Jews (Yeshiva University is also just down the street). Everyone gets along well enough (like most places in Manhattan, it used to be kinda hairy, or so I’ve heard, but those days are mostly long gone), though the businesses clearly reflect their clientele.

The diner has been under construction for some time now, and everyone has been quietly frothing with anticipation. Today they put up a sign stating that tomorrow is the grand opening, and also had the menu available for public viewing. All throughout the day there’s been a small crowd surrounding it, with everyone looking inside intensely (What’s inside? The entire staff, getting ready). Man, it’s gonna be a mad house; wonder if we’ll run into Nullsleep and his gf there? Probably. I just hope they do cheeseburgers good.

Definitely Good, But Better Than Batman ’89? Let’s Don’t Be Too Crazy Now!

Oh, and Katie and I finally saw The Dark Knight yesterday. It was actually really good! Even more so than expected, though I will admit that expectations were never all that high to begin with; I was one of those few folks that didn’t get swept up by the hype leading up to it (unlike Iron Man, where I was literally counting down the minutes and actually caught it on opening night), and somewhat found all the praise after its release a tad bit mind-boggling, even annoying. Granted, it’s certainly not the greatest movie of all time, like some people have wanted me to believe, let alone the greatest super hero movie of all time, but it was pretty god damn great, and easily the most successful attempt at a “realistic” super hero flick I’ve ever seen. I actually found myself far more interested in Batman when he was in his civilian digs, which is normally not the case in these types of movies. I couldn’t get enough of Bruce Wayne, the billionaire dick with a hard-on for his ex.

Also loved the pacing and the pure density of the script. I again can’t recall any previous super hero flick where you had so much shit going on. Despite a few nagging plot holes and lapses in realism, for the most part, everything simply flowed together logically and rather elegantly. The build-up and the tension throughout the latter half was particularly effective, or at least I thought. Things went from grim to grimmer to holy shit, things are really fucked up! And Heath Ledge was indeed fantastic as the Joker, though all those people saying he should get an Oscar nod are, I’m sorry, crazy. But then again, the Oscars are a joke anyway (I’m still annoyed that fucking Lord of the Rings got a best picture that one year… I mean, its neat and all, but come on), so I guess it wouldn’t be that out of the question. Back on topic: I’m also amazed how the movie was able to so perfectly accommodate the multiple bad guys thing, which no other comic book movie has really been able to do all that well (I guess the closest might have to be Batman Returns).

That’s not to say the movie doesn’t have its issues. More or less, everyone did a fantastic job, like Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, and especially Aaron Eckhart, but Maggie Gyllenhaal just didn’t do it for me. I actually missed Katie Holmes, perhaps because I find Gyllenhaal so insanely overrated as an actress (plus she’s not as easy on the eyes). I also found Bale’s voice as the Batman to be ridiculous to the point of practically being a distraction. Plus, and this isn’t a complaint but a comment: I found the ending to be… “interesting.” I guess I shouldn’t say anything since that would be spoiling things, yet I guess I kinda already did so by revealing that there’s two villans (well Katie for one had no idea who Harvey Dent was), but at this point, who hasn’t it? Also, some people are saying it’s the best Batman movie of all time, and making direct comparisons between it and the first Tim Burton one, and while I guess The Dark Knight is on paper the superior motion picture, Batman 89 is my sentimental favorite and still damn fine today. Both are totally different really, so its practically like comparing apples and oranges: 89 is like a comic book but for the big screen while TDK as already noted is a comic book that’s been made “real.”

Now, speaking of realism and comic books, I also caught the trailer for Watchmen beforehand (actually, saw it online before it even hit the big screen) and all I can say is… I guess it’s about as good as can be expected. There’s a bunch of little things that annoy the piss out of me already, though I’m just going to sit back and hold tight, while hoping for the best. Yet I’m already certain that the “prequel” video game is gonna fucking BLOW.

Oh, and even though its all shaky and hard to make out, this Tron 2 concept footage is just plain fucking awesome.

More Asian Than Ever

In not so great news, I’ve also come to realize this past week that I’m becoming ever-increasingly Asian: I am now lactose intolerant (a problem that many Asians seem to have). I had come to suspect this in recent times, but finally realized the simply truth during my two day stint at Chopping Block. Did some on-site consultation for them, which was actually pretty awesome and loads of fun… except for the fact that on the morning of the second day, I had two bowls of cereal, and for the rest of the afternoon I had to keep holding back burps and farts. So I guess that means no milkshakes for me at that diner tomorrow. Maybe.

  • http://CAT? Slonie

    YOU’RE GONNA DIE OF ALLERGIES.

  • https://www.fort90.com Matt

    Surprisingly, I’m okay! Granted, the entire living space is being tightly controlled; she can roam around the living room, within reason (more on that in a sec), and has free reign of the kitchen and bathroom. The bedroom door shall be kept shut at all times; it is a total no kitty zone. I’ve asked Katie to always discard contaminated (from cat hair) clothing before getting into bed, to avoid bringing allergens with her and straight to my eyes.

    The living room is the trickiest part since I have so much shit in there, mostly my aforementioned collection of games and designer toys/Japanese capsule toys. The stuff that’s high up on my shelves seem to be safe since Josie does not seem to be a jumper (plus I was told that she always judges before making a leap, and with so much crap taking up shelf space, that leaves little room for footing)… stuff that’s down before, closer to her also seems okay since she doesn’t seem like a scratcher. I also feel my computer/work area is also safe since its so cluttered. Then again, she just got her and the true test will be when she’s totally accustomed to her surroundings. Though last night, after we were both asleep, she knocked down my Mario magnet dioramas, and it was a pain digging up all the pieces from the next of console wires. Grrr…

    When I woke up this morning, my eyes were hella itchy and bloodshot, but they cleared up in no time. Maybe I just didn’t get enough sleep? I still have a minor rash… I’m hoping that I will get used to Josie in time and things will be nice and calm.

    Famous last words?

  • Luana R.

    Thank god there’s someone else out there that thinks that The Dark Knight wasn’t the Best Movie Ever. Don’t get me wrong, it was really fucking fantastic, but it’s by no means perfect (Christian Bale’s Bat-voice and the whole boat dilemma really bugged me, amongst other things).

    Oh, and technically you didn’t spoil anything with the two villians mention — remember the quickie cameo in the beginning?

  • Sheep Herder

    What you could try for your allergies is at some pet stores they have an allergy solution that you use on your cat. Simply throw some on a rag or sponge and wipe down the cat with it, but not too much to where the fur will be soaking wet. It’ll get rid of the dander and at the same time by wiping them with a wet cloth, it’ll rid some of the hair shedding as well.

  • JUNE

    BLANCHE COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT!

  • JEN

    Just wondering, are you giving that sweet little puddums booze? Why are Josie’s eyes so dilated in such a well lighted room? Pleeze… ‘splain that to me!

    Thanks,
    Jen

  • Katie

    I’m still checking her out, but whenever Josie closes her eyes and reopens them, her pupils are huge. Also when she’s a little nervous and wary of what’s around her, her pupils will get bigger. But under normal circumstances in bright lights, they get tiny just like any other cat. But I’m sure filling her bowl with gin isn’t helping much either.

    June– Josie is like 50% smaller than Blanche! You should come over and see her soon!!

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