Batman’s come a long way

So much to post about last week, so I’ll probably end up not writing anything so just in case, highlights included: putting the world to rights with Roberto, fine eats and DIY with Martin & Sally, painless tax filing with Sally’s accountant, catching up with lots of friends and family, Guelaguetza (sp?) oaxacan restaurant in central LA, Frolf with Matt (FRisbee goLF, although I’m told only newbies call it that as it sounds far too precious), red zinfandel comparative tasting with Meg, boozing with Liz, and hassle-free immigration and dog repatriation. and more I probably forgot. So that’s that for now, on to what inspired me to blog today.

Toilet repairs.

So the downstairs toilet wasn’t filling/flushing right, so I had to repeat the DIY shop experience I had in Santa Cruz a few years back when I went to buy a replacement part. I spent a few minutes explaining what I needed with hand gestures and everything, a flapper thing basically, and the bloke got what I was after. It’s called a flapper. Today I went to Santa Tere to a Tlapaleria (DIY shop, more common than the Spanish Spanish, Ferreteria) and had the same conversation in Spanish. Turns outs it’s called un Flapper. Things they never teach you at school…

Atticus is settling in. He’s going to be sleeping in my office to keep him from barking at the various sounds that occur during the night here (road sweepers, door-to-door salesmen, Ralphy Gutierrez, peripatetic mariachi bands, etc.) He met Juan, the water bloke today and barked away at him. (Bonafont’s just hiked the price up to 23 pesos a garafon and I think Atticus sensed that…) but I’ll forgive him anything after his exemplary behaviour on the plane and in the airports yesterday. As I wrote that he started barking up a storm again… ah well.

For proper blogging, there’s always M & D’s travelogue over at ChiliCatInLa.blogspot.com they’re in Oaxaca… And that’s all for today, glad to be back home again and looking forward to catching up with the Guanatos crowd and seeing all the semana santa shenanigans. Hasta pronto!

It’s not as bad as it looks. A fairly rigid interpretation of the bible this one…

The Dante's Inferno Test has banished you to the Sixth Level of Hell – The City of Dis!
Here is how you matched up against all the levels:

Take the Dante's Inferno Test

Quite enjoyed this book, but I thought this paragraph on smoking was inspired:

It’s like inviting a homicidal maniac to live in your house, but you don’t know when he’s going to strike. He’s affable, polite, helps you through moments of stress, helps prolong the post-coital glow, really freeze-frames the moment, but one day, he’s going to come into your bedroom and chop you into small bits. But there’s a thrill to it. Maybe you’ll be one of the ones he likes…

Just got back from the cinema (I’m thinking of buying a frequent flier discount card for Cinepolis). Have a quick review of Mi Super Ex-Novia:

The high concept for this one is “Imagine your borderline psychotic ex had superpowers…” A sobering thought indeed. Anyroad, I was prepared to give it a chance as the director, Ivan Reitman, is responsible for one of the best films of all time, Ghostbusters. Turns out he’s also responsible for Kindergarten Cop and Ghostbusters II, but, generally, history will be kind to him, I feel.

Luke Wilson (the one with the normal nose) and Uma Thurman are the titular my and ex respectively. There’s no discernable chemistry between them and that’s fine because, as you’ll have worked out from the title, they’re destined to split up. Eddie Izzard puts in a passable turn as the baddie and the creepy bloke out of The (American) Office plays a creepy bloke who works in an office. Everyone, except Wanda Sykes, does a fine job and the results are an unspectacular but sporadically amusing romantic comedy. I reckon this’ll work fine on yer 19-inch telly in a few months time; it’s harmless fun for when you’re really not up for watching that Flight 93 DVD from Netflix that’s been sitting there for 3 months, and just fancy switching your brain off for a couple of hours while young Uma gallavants around in skimpy costumes.

(Out of a possible 5 Lulus…)