Monday, April 18, 2011

none the wiser

I have spent the last week curled up on couch, clutching bags of frozen peas and corn to my face, eating soup and ice cream and sleeping for hours at a time in the middle of the day. No, this is not the newest cure for the common cold but instead my rest and recovery from the removal of all four of my wisdom teeth last week. While I’m happy to report that my dentist thinks I’m recovering well and I’m feeling much better than the immediate effects made me feel, I’m even happier that all four are now gone and I won’t have to go through such a surgery again.
I can’t complain about much because all really did go well and my lovely husband spent all week waiting on me hand and foot… but I think the most worrisome (and perhaps most funny) part about the whole process were the tales told to me by others as opposed to the actual operation itself. I know it’s true that misery loves company so I shouldn’t have been surprised by the reactions of those around me when I told them I was having my teeth taken out. The horror stories and tales of terror that I heard in the weeks leading up to my appointment should have been enough to scare me away from the surgery altogether. It seemed that everyone’s brother’s, cousin’s, best friend’s uncle hadn’t been as lucky as I would be and seemed to have had the worst happen to them. Weeks of bruising, bad reactions to the medication, or multiple weeks off work…but don’t worry, they all assured me, I’d be fine. (Really? What makes you so sure?) I don’t know about you but that’s not really the type of pep talk that has me pumped for what’s to come. Looking back, it’s made me laugh and has made me feel better about my recovery, knowing that mine was not as bad as many out there. And now, it’s nice to know that after returning to work, and back to more normal routine, everyone has been feeling my pain. It’s amazed me how much talking about trips to the dentist seems to be common ground for everyone around me. While I wasn’t quite like little David in the above video, I did give my husband a few laughs and my visit to the dentist was surprisingly much more of a hot topic than I ever thought it would be.

Do you mind trips to the dentist? Have you had your wisdom teeth removed?

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

scene it: limitless

After having the last of our company leave on Sunday following two and a half weeks of visitors in our new house, a Monday night date night seemed more necessary than ever. A night at the movies with my man is always exciting, and on a Monday night with the gym being our second option, it was literally a no-brainer to be relaxing in front of the big screen. Limitless, staring Bradley Cooper and Robert De Niro, was our entertainment for the evening and while it may not have been quite what I expected, it certainly had it’s moments which made for a good movie. After sampling a new drug, Cooper’s character, Eddie, is suddenly able to access all aspects of his brain making him increasingly intelligent and able to focus. This in turn leads to a fast paced life of riches and power that don’t seem to come without their fair share of negative consequences (…and a couple gruesome scenes that I could have done without!). It was a creatively captured movie that, while at times had me feeling a little dizzy, was artistically intriguing and both visually and mentally stimulating. And hey, Bradley Cooper isn’t so bad to watch for a couple hours so I can’t complain about that!
{via}
What was probably the most intriguing part of the movie was the premise. What if, like in Limitless, there really was a drug that we could take that allowed us to utilize our entire brain capacity? What if we could access every memory? Use every book we've read or show we've ever seen and apply the information in our everyday lives? It's a scary thought to think how this could be used and abused but at the same time, the positive possibilities really are limitless. I don't know how many times I've watched someone else's amazing abilities and wished I was able to work like them – a great chef on TV or an amazing artist, a powerful philanthropist or a world-class writer. What would it be to like to have an incredible idea and simply see it come to life? To want to do something that once seemed out of reach and suddenly it’s a simple task. But when is enough enough? As Bradley Cooper struggles through the addictive powers of such an intriguing and powerful pill, Limitless demonstrates just how limited the drugs actually made him – making the movie worth a watch if only to get you thinking.

What would you do with limitless intelligence? Have you seen Limitless?

Friday, April 1, 2011

fooling around

If I had to make a list of Days To Look Forward To in a year, today would not be one of them. April Fools’ Day has never been high on a list of mine when it comes to things to be excited about. It's not that I can't take a joke, because, believe me, I can and I have. Growing up with my dad and being married to my husband has made me overly prepared for any joke that might come my way. But what I don't like about April Fools’ Day is exactly what the day has turned into being about...being made to look like a fool. While certain jokes may be good for a laugh, I'm not really down with any day that has me walking on egg shells, carefully opening doors and drawers and second guessing any news I may hear – it just makes me too tense!
My dad’s line of work seems to lend itself well to pranks and practical jokes. Removing the last few pages of someone’s book or filling shoes with shaving cream are often to be expected even on days other than April Fools’. Several years ago, my dad was on the receiving end of a ‘bleach in your shampoo’ prank, which saw him go from a dark brunette into an interesting orange inspired blonde. Good thing he has a sense of humour…and short hair! And while I will not-so-humbly admit that I have a pretty good sense of humor, I don't think I'm the perfect person to confide in if you’re playing pranks on people. Besides the fact that participating in pranks isn’t really my thing, keeping a straight face throughout is much harder than it may seem for me. I'll give you two point five seconds of a ‘yes, I am telling the truth’ look before the corners of my mouth begin to creep up into my cheeks and you can rest assured that I'm about to blow the cover on a carefully crafted trick.

I like a good laugh as much as the next person but if it's at the expense of others, I have a hard time getting on board. So if you want to be funny, try not to be mean, and whatever you do today, put a smile on your face and be ready for any fun foolishness that might come your way.

Are you a practical joker? Ever been on the receiving end of a good prank?