I Have Found

Overall: okay, Academy. Okay.

Everything makes sense and was pretty easy to call - best actor noms, supporting actor and actress (why they even bothered nominating anyone besides Christoph Waltz and Mo'Nique...) Best Actress? Well, yes and no. We all know by now that Sandra Bullock is going to win, unless the Oscar angels grant me my one wish of Carey Mulligan walking away with the golden man. Helen Mirren, Gabourey Sidibe - makes sense. I haven't seen The Last Station, but it's Helen Mirren, so I'm willing to bet she's giving a Helen Mirren quality performance. Gabourey is fantastic in Precious, and were it any other year I think she'd have a serious shot. So, here comes the kicker. Meryl Streep for Julia and Julia.

Maybe it isn't a "kicker". Maybe I should have seen it coming. She's Meryl Streep. And she's nominated BECAUSE SHE'S MERYL STREEP. I would find it hard to take anyone seriously who could look at me and say that she deserves that nomination spot over Emily Blunt or Marion Cotillard. Julie & Julia was a really good movie. I loved it. I read the book the minute it was over. She was great, Amy Adams was great. They were both charming in a Nora Ephron penned feel good "chick flick". It is not - I WILL REPEAT - it is not an Oscar worthy role. And with so many other performances out there, I think it's embarrassing that the Academy felt the need to nominate her. And trust me, I think just as highly of Meryl as everyone else. But I'm realistic about it.

All of that aside, the winners are fairly easier to figure out.

But I'm here today to call shenanigans on the new NOMINATE EVERY MOVIE EVER rule.

Well, no. Not every movie ever. Because somehow A Single Man was overlooked for a sentimental, run of the mill movie like The Blind Side.

Why, dear Oscars, do you feel it's necessary to nominate TEN movies? I mean, TEN. Really? TEN? Is it really that difficult to make up your mind? I can't wrap my head around why this is a good or even relevant change. Did you feel, dear Oscars, you were leaving too many people out? Were you hurting feelings? Did someone complain to the teacher? But wait, this is HOLLYWOOD NOT KINDERGARTEN.

Movies get overlooked all the time, usually for lesser quality movies that sneak their way into the nominations. That sucks, it does, but that's how it works. If they were really concerned about this, maybe try to vote for quality movies, EH? We all know that five or ten nominees, the outcome will be the same. Let's be honest here.

Does this look right to you:

OSCAR NOMINATED THE BLIND SIDE.

UP, OSCAR NOMINATED FOR BEST ANIMATED FEATURE AND BEST PICTURE! BECAUSE WE LOVE TALKING DOGS!

I am, however, thrilled that this put An Education into the mix. But I would have understood had it not made it into the normal five movie list.

The whole change is just bizarre and I still can't understand the thought process. But, c'est la vie.

On that note, if Avatar wins best picture, I'll have lost faith in all humanity.

Not really.

But, well, a little bit. I'm not saying Avatar is bad, I'm really not. I did really enjoy it. I love Pocahontas. (HAH! I kid. Sort of). But it is NOT the best movie ever made. It is especially not the best movie of the year. Up against brilliant, original, WELL ACTED, finely crafted movies like The Hurt Locker, Inglorious Basterds, Up in the Air, and An Education... I'd find it hard to be at peace if a movie mainly being praised for it's technical feats walked away with the big prize.

Same goes for James Cameron as director - win all the technical awards there are, dude. You deserve them. It's really a stunning movie to look at. But best director? No, no, no. Kathryn Bigelow better walk away with that award. The Hurt Locker is so engaging and difficult and thrilling, it would be so unjust for her not to win. And, yeah, I'm a little biased being a woman. She would be the first woman to win best director. THE FIRST. I'm thinking... yeah, it's time.

Who knows what the academy has in store for picture and director - I honestly can't predict it.

Leaving you now with the full list of nominees, my personal picks bolded. Because you care. Deeply. Also comments in bold. Because sometimes I comment on things.

(Categories not bolded are categories I have absolutely no clue about. That happens. Sometimes I don't know things. Sometimes. I'll put those first.)

'French Roast'

'Granny O'Grimm's Sleeping Beauty'

'The Lady and the Reaper (La Dama y la Muerte)'

'Logorama'

'A Matter of Loaf and Death' (Is it bad that I want this to win based on title alone?)

'The Door'

'Instead of Abracadabra'

'Kavi'

'Miracle Fish'

'The New Tenants'

'The Hurt Locker' (Paul N.J. Ottosson and Ray Beckett)

'Inglorious Basterds' (Michael Minkler, Tony Lamberti and Mark Ulano)

'Star Trek' (Anna Behlmer, Andy Nelson and Peter J. Devlin)

'Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen' (Greg P. Russell, Gary Summers and Geoffrey Patterson) (Though, it has to be said, part of me would LOVE a Transformers movie to win a freaking Oscar just for the mass quantities of LOLs that would ensue).

'The Hurt Locker' (Paul N.J. Ottosson)

'Inglorious Basterds' (Wylie Stateman)

'Star Trek' (Mark Stoeckinger and Alan Rankin)

'Up' (Michael Slivers and Tom Myers)

'District 9' (Dan Kaufman, Peter Muyzers, Robert Habros and Matt Aitken)

'Star Trek' (Roger Guyett, Russell Earl, Paul Kavanagh and Burt Dalton)

'Avatar'

'Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince'

'Inglorious Basterds'

'The White Ribbon'

'District 9'

'The Hurt Locker'

'Inglorious Basterds'

'Precious'

'Down in New Orleans from 'The Princess and the Frog' (Music and Lyrics by Randy Newman)

'Loin de Paname' from 'Paris 36' (Music by Reinhardt Wagner, Lyric by Frank Thomas)

'Take it All' from 'Nine' (Music and Lyric by Maury Yeston)

'The Weary Knd (Theme from Crazy Heart)' from 'Crazy Heart'

Music and Lyric by Ryan Bigham and T Bone Burnett

'Avatar'

'Fantastic Mr. Fox'

'The Hurt Locker'

'Sherlock Holmes'

Neill Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell ('District 9')

Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci, Tony Roche ('In the Loop')

Geoffrey Fletcher ('Precious')

Jason Reitman, Sheldon Turner ('Up in the Air')

Mark Boal ('The Hurt Locker')

Alessandro Camon and Oren Moverman ('The Messenger')

Joel Coen and Ethan Coen ('A Serious Man')

Peter Docter, Bob Peterson, Tom McCarthy ('Up')

'Coraline'

'Fantastic Mr. Fox'

'The Princess and the Frog'

'The Secret of Kells'

Penelope Cruz ('Nine')

Vera Farmiga ('Up in the Air')

Maggie Gyllenhaal ('Crazy Heart')

Anna Kendrick ('Up in the Air')

Matt Damon ('Invictus')

Woody Harrelson ('The Messenger')

Christopher Plummer ('The Last Station')

Stanley Tucci ('The Lovely Bones')

Sandra Bullock ('The Blind Side')

Helen Mirren ('The Last Station')

Gabourey Sidibe ('Precious')

Meryl Streep ('Julie and Julia')

George Clooney ('Up in the Air')

Morgan Freeman ('Invictus')

Jeremy Renner ('The Hurt Locker')

James Cameron ('Avatar')

Lee Daniels ('Precious')

Jason Reitman ('Up in the Air')

Quentin Tarantino ('Inglorious Basterds')

'Avatar'

'The Blind Side'

'District 9'

'An Education'

'Inglorious Basterds'

'Precious'

'A Serious Man'

'Up'

'Up in the Air'

*K

Sometimes I have a lot of doubts and questions about the experiences I've left myself out of, such as dating. I never dated, I only had exclusive relationships. So it's a weird thing for me to think about. Sometimes I wonder if I missed anything.

But I know I wouldn't have enjoyed it much anyway.

And I also know that even if I had, I would have ended up in the same place. Because this is where I belong.

I'm content with what I've experienced and how I've lived my life. Because I'm so happy where I am right now. Really, I'm just glad I didn't take any longer to get here.

-end sappy-

Keywords to bring unsuspecting people to this entry: Next to Normal Bootleg, Feeling Electric, Alice Ripley, Dexter. (My Dexter entry has been getting tons of traffic).

Oh, and if you don't mind, click on the ads.

*K

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! This video is only one example of the spotty TV coverage we had going on... luckily got the final seconds of the countdown.

2010.... Don't suck.

*K

Months ago Anthony and I booked our flight to Orlando for a friend's wedding. We were to leave at 7:43pm on December 19th to attend the wedding the next day. I would then be picked up by friends and driven home on the 21st. A perfect plan.

My story for you begins at 10:30am, Saturday December 19th, 2009.

We'd been hearing tales of the blizzard on the way. Talks of historical snow buzzing in the air, we tried to pay no attention. But I was not completely shocked when I woke up at 10:30 the morning of our departure to discover that my bus into Philly for 12:30pm that afternoon had been canceled. Treacherous driving conditions cited as the reason. Things seemed serious. I predicted flight delays to Anthony as I looked into making my trip to Philadelphia via the New Jersey Transit.

Our flight was already delayed one half hour.

I boarded the 12:14pm train to Trenton, which would then connect me to a train into Philadelphia, setting my arrival time at 2:45pm. Perfect! Plenty of time to relax before heading to the airport for our 7:43pm flight!

Just before 2:00pm, I checked our flight status. Canceled.

I informed my travel partner of this news, deciding to call the airline upon my arrival.

The train pulled in promptly at 2:45pm. I pulled up my hood, tightened my scarf, and ventured out into the blizzard to complete the 15 minute walk from 30th Street Station to Anthony's apartment.

The walk took 40 minutes.

Climbing hills of snow, dragging my suitcase through mounds, slipping and tripping, wheezing and coughing, my hair freezing to my forehead. This was a blizzard.

I arrived at the apartment, a little worse for wear, but not discouraged. I settled myself in a bit and we called the airline.

The connection kept dropping before we got a chance to speak to anyone. The website wasn't giving us any information and/or was speaking in code. We took a break from this shouldn't be but was frustrating task.

When we did finally get through to a human being, we were informed there was nothing into Orlando until late the next night, long after the wedding. Nothing into Tampa. No way to make it in time. Discouraged by this news, I gave up but was able to book a flight straight home to Fort Myers free of charge. Leaving at 6:51 the following evening. We were missing the wedding, but at least I could still get home free of charge. Anthony canceled his flight altogether, as he was to return right after the wedding for exams. This was not the way things were supposed to go, but at least we had found some sort of resolution.

We went about our night satisfied with this outcome, though clearly not thrilled. I was supposed to sing in this wedding ceremony.

We awoke freshened by sleep and ready to explore a Philadelphia covered in snow. The day was full of promise and hope.

Wanting to be prepared, I checked my flight status after showering, just in case.

My 6:51pm flight out of PHL into Ft. Myers was already delayed. 2 1/2 hours.

Normally, why would this matter? Well, this was not a non-stop flight. I had a connecting flight in Atlanta, Georgia. A delay this absurd meant that I would miss my connecting flight and would be trapped in Atlanta.

Naturally, I called the airline immediately.

Naturally, I sat on hold for 20 minutes and never spoke to a human.

Frustrated, I hung up and just decided to go to the airport as if there were no delay, and figure it out there. Get re-booked on a flight that made sense. A different connecting city, a different part of FL, anything that could just get me home.

We successfully discovered a snow covered Philadelphia, though that doesn't even begin to describe it. This, however, is another entry.

I received a call from my mother around 4pm saying there was an earlier flight to Atlanta running on time. If I left right away, maybe I could get on the flight! We called a cab for me and I was at the airport by 4:23pm.

This earlier flight to Atlanta was not only sold out, but extremely overbooked. I sighed, but went about finding another way to get home.

"What is the first flight you have to Ft. Myers tomorrow?" I asked.

There were none.

I inquired about Sarasota/Bradenton. There was a flight out of Atlanta at 9:50am the next morning. Having no choice in the matter, I booked it.

This was now my itinerary:

6:51pm flight PHL to ATL

DELAYED until 11:10pm

Arrive in ATL at 1:45am

9:50am flight ATL to SRQ

Arrive in SRQ at 11:29am.

So, as I was at the airport at 4:30pm, this was around 7 hours of waiting at the Philadelphia Airport (as the flight didn't end up taking off until around 11:30pm, after a lot of bouncing back and fourth between 10pm and 11pm), and an 8 hour overnight stay in the Atlanta airport.

I watched half of Dexter season 1 in an effort to make time pass quickly. I slept for about 3 hours between 2am and 5am on uncomfortable seats in the freezing Atlanta airport. I ate expensive airport food and I resented 2 things that were being forced on me:

1. The song "Let it Snow" kept playing. A lot. I mean, come on.

2. AirTrain's slogan: "Go. There's nothing stopping you." I think it was mocking me.

Horridly groggy and exhausted, but unable to sleep in such uncomfortable conditions any longer, I continued to watch Dexter and ate a muffin, impatiently waiting my flight to Sarasota.

I am happy to say that there were no delays in boarding.

We did, however, sit on the plane for a half hour before taking off waiting for people to board.

We landed in Sarasota at 11:51am. My mom and I went to Friendly's, and then made the hour and a half drive home.

And then... I was home.

I began this journey officially at 12:14pm on Saturday the 19th. It ended at around 3pm Monday the 21st.

I learned a lot about traveling during a blizzard: Don't do it.

I was interviewed for Fox 29 in Pennsylvania. (See the picture at the beginning of the entry).

I have slept about 4 hours, including some sleeping on the plane.

I wore the exact same outfit for 3 days.

But I did eventually shower and change and in a very short amount of time, I will even sleep.

I really wish we didn't miss the wedding. Not only because I was supposed to sing in the ceremony, but because we were supposed to be there.

I'm sure I may have forgotten little details along the way. I highly recommend taking a look at my Twitter timeline: http://www.twitter.com/Kerrie09 I kept track of pretty much every single moment of this horrific trip. For entertainment.

This concludes the story of my journey. I rest now in my bed in my room in my home in Florida. With a very large Australian Shepard lying next to me. Snoring.

Mike flies in tomorrow. Luckily, there will be no blizzard to stop him.

Happy traveling to everyone, and very happy holidays. It'll all be worth it in the end.

*K

That implies that I have been silent. I haven't. I haven't stopped thinking or talking about the Season 4 finale of Dexter since it aired 2 nights ago. I barely slept the night of, the final image burned into my mind.

I will say this once.

Okay.

Dexter is a class in how to keep a show interesting and shocking and complex without going completely overboard. (I'm talking to you, Grey's Anatomy). 4 seasons in, and it is still completely solid. Not only is it solid, it changes and evolves, while still staying true to the major theme: Dexter is a serial killer. Point blank. He has something that he cannot control, and he has manipulated it to his and the rest of the world's advantage.

Every season has had it's own focus, but it seems that the writers have always played with a common variable: Dexter's hope of connection. Rita is a constant. (Well, not anymore). But there was Brian Moser, his own biological brother, there was Lila, there was Miguel - all people who Dexter saw promise in. There was the promise of connection and acceptance. Clearly, it never worked out. And at the end of the day, as it turns out, it was Rita who accepted him. And even though she saw the very very VERY tip of the iceberg in terms of his darkness, she could look at him and tell him he wasn't crazy. Hold him when he said he wanted to be a better man.

And now Rita is gone. And this begs a million and a half questions. What does this do to Dexter, a man who already claims he doesn't feel things like normal people, but who also came just short of renouncing his "Dark Passenger" for the sake of his family. What does that guilt do to a person, even a person like Dexter? That despite all his efforts to protect his family, he failed. What doors are going to be opened, but more importantly: which will be shut?

This season, for me, is the best they've put out. The writers really found what they wanted to go for, and how to balance it all out. But most importantly, they introduced a character so complex and so thrilling and so absolutely despicable who, as it turns out, really got the last laugh.

What does THAT do to a man? How do you avenge a death when the killer is gone?

The writers were extremely brave in what they did here. To let someone else get the best of Dexter. That isn't supposed to happen. They played a lot with Dexter struggling to be on top of his game - even from the very episode, juggling his newborn with his darkness, not being able to find a body, killing an innocent man. The dust settles over all those things, and you think the worst has passed - but it never did. The minute that he decided to let Trinity live was the worst mistake he could have ever made, and will haunt him for the rest of his life.

The last scene between Dexter and Trinity... I've watched it more times than I care to admit. When the episode aired, I found myself feeling bad for Trinity. He seemed so sympathetic in that light - tied down to a table, accepting his fate, needing to see a toy train and hear a record. It was sad. This guy had issues.

But we had no idea what he had already done.

Re-watching that scene is absolutely brilliant. The things that John Lithgow is hiding - the smirks, the tiny laughs, the way he looks at Dexter when Dexter says he has a family. Nothing is more disturbing. Watching that scene again is almost more disturbing and heartbreaking than the last scene itself. Dexter having no idea what is already done.

But nothing can really compare to the image of Rita in the tub. The baby on the floor in his mother's blood. And I need to address this now - the critics out there who are saying it's too far fetched for Trinity to have known that was Dexter's beginning - he didn't. He didn't do it to mirror Dexter's own past. That would almost seem less cruel. Trinity put that baby in a pool of his mother's blood for no other reason than to put the baby in a pool of his mother's blood. I have no doubt that Harrison was in the room as he was killing Rita. Because that is the kind of monster that Trinity was. It was no tip of the hat to Dexter's childhood. It was pure evil.

John Lithgow did the best work I've ever seen of his. The subtleties in everything Trinity said and did were mind-blowing. But that's nothing compared to the absolute agony in his face every time he killed. He was so much a slave to these compulsions, and it really tortured him.

Goes without saying that Michael C. Hall must be one of the most underrated actors ever. He's brilliant, plain and simple. Jennifer Carpenter also deserves her due - I couldn't even go into her storyline throughout the season. I'd need a whole other entry. That girl is raw emotion every single episode, and never fails to blow my socks off.

So what now? No Dexter until September 27th, 2010. Let the speculating begin! What happens with the investigation of Rita's death? It's going to bring a whole slew of problems for Dexter - it's not like he can tell people where he was prior to finding her. And what about him being at Arthur's house when Miami Metro and the SWAT team burst in? It's all suspicious and will, of course, make for another great start to what I'm sure will be another impressive season.

The Season 4 finale of Dexter had 2.9 million viewers. More than anything Showtime has ever aired.

3 Golden Globe nominations (as of today), and I'm sure Emmy nominations quite soon. I say this every year, but really you guys - This HAS to be Dexter's year. I don't see how anything could have been better in terms of writing and performances. Can we finally do the right thing here, people? Come on.

*K

So apparently in order to get people to read this thing, I need to post excessive/illogical/ridiculous/greedy lists of things that people will never give me.

Probably not a good thing.

But, well, in the meantime:

I want...

- A unicorn.

- Someone to knock down our wall into the next apartment and kick the people out so that our apartment can be twice as big. (That would make it 400 sqft. MAYBE 500).

- To own Broadway. Not the street. The idea.

- David Tutera to plan my wedding.

- ...a wedding.

- Jude Law to perform a private showing of Hamlet for me.

But, seriously, more sensibly... I just want world peace.

*K