Recent things I have taken in:

1) Spring Forward
What a fantastic movie! I’m not sure how it ever got made (it’s such a quiet, unflashy film), but I deeply enjoyed it. Highly recommended. Contains what could be my favorite line of a recently-viewed movie: “Too much soda.” (Second place goes to the line “Flushing your poop,” from the otherwise irritating Spy Kids)

2. Nickel and Dimed
A Christmas gift from Amanda, this is proving to be one of the better books I’ve read in quite some time. Proof of what those of us who’ve spent years working retail already know: you cannot live on minimum wage. Intelligently written, funny, and insightful.

3. The coffee stand at The San Deigo Zoo
No soymilk, no real milk other than the dehydrated white powder, no lids, and my $2.00 tea was made from a punctured tea bag that leaked its contents into the bottom of my (lidless) cup. Oh, and my father was irritated that they didn’t take plastic. Lesson: do not consume caffeine at the Zoo! Caveat: they did have cinnamon rolls the size of elephant dung, which is to say very large.

4. My First Mister
Like Ghost World without the nuance or complexity, and with a moral that seemed to suggest, “Befriending anyone over 50 is dangerous because they could die at any moment.” Mildly entertaining, but not worth it. Rent “Spring Forward” instead.