Ten on Thursday: Things that Happened During My Three (Nearly) Blog-Free Weeks

Somehow, I’ve only written three blog posts in the last three weeks — my mojo has been almost entirely gone. But, as of today, it’s a whole new month, so I’m trying to turn over a new leaf. And, since it’s Tuesday, it seems that the best way to recap the past few weeks and move on is with a list of ten things I’ve been doing while not blogging.

[Yes, I know it's now Thursday -- thankfully, the alliterative title still works. I started writing this on Monday, intending it to be posted on Tuesday. See #10 to find out why it wasn't.]

1. I went to my 20th high school reunion. It was neither the most fun nor the least fun I’ve ever had.The best part, hands down, was having a chance to catch up with Dana, my high school best friend. The biggest bummer was that a bunch of people who I really would’ve liked to have seen only made it to the Friday night mixer, which I missed.

2. My first round of Arabic lessons came to an end. We liked our second instructor even more than we disliked the first one (which is saying something), so once our schedules calm down again — November-ish, I think — we’re hoping to retain him for more classes.

3. I’ve watched the first three episodes of the third season of Mad Men, and still find it to be one of the best things on television. I have a feeling there will, at some point, be a post or two on some of the issues it raises; in addition to being well-acted and beautifully designed, it also never ceases to be thought-provoking.

4. I helped my mom buy and set up her new iPhone. I think she loves it.

5. I saw a terrible movie, The Time Traveler’s Wife, with Joanne. Our evening was, however, redeemed by the tasty noodle dinner we had at one of Chinatown’s few remaining Chinese restaurants.

6. I ducked out of work a little bit early on a beautiful Monday afternoon and took in a Nationals game with my brother, sister-in-law, and nephews. The highlight was the Presidents’ Race at the midpoint of the fourth inning, because in this instance, George, Tom, Abe, and, Teddy raced against faux sausages, challenging the  Brewers to bring their famous mascots along next time.

7. My friends Julia & Michael had a bowling party to celebrate their 45th birthdays. It was a ton of fun, but I was dismayed to discover that all my Wii bowling has done nothing to improve my real-life skills.

8. I had another fun day at Bethany Beach, this time guest-starring my nephews. When the riptides caused by Hurricane Bill forced sprite, Rudi, and I to push our day trip back a week, we ended up there at the same time as Brian, Jen, and the boys, so we decided to meet up for some quality time in the sand.

9. My friends’ families expanded — babies Hazel and Angela arrived to Jessica & Bennett and Rachel & Don, respectively. Both are, by all accounts, lovely and perfect.

10. I ruined my plan for a post every day in September when I woke up with vertigo on Tuesday which turned out to be the warning sign of a migraine. (Silly me; I didn’t realize that Monday’s headache was a warm-up, so my body had to kick it up a notch.) I spent all of Tuesday in bed, and have been suffering residual pain since, though today’s headache seems to be mostly sinus-oriented. Yeah, a migraine-allergy double-whammy — fun!

Brain, Athlete, Basket Case, Princess, Criminal

I think it’s fair to say that most people have a few defining moments in their lives, where something changes irrevocably in an instant. One such moment — when my adolescent psychology professor wheeled a VCR into our classroom and told us we were going to learn about the archetypes of American teenagers — came to mind today.

He turned the tape on, and I knew with absolute certainty that I would be quitting graduate school.

The movie was The Breakfast Club.

It was 1994, I was 22 years old, and I knew that any professor who had so badly missed the message in The Breakfast Club about the pitfalls of stereotyping didn’t really have anything to teach me about teenagers.

Now, I have never regretted dropping out of grad school — a career as a high-school teacher could not possibly have been more wrong for me — but the fact that a movie put me over the edge seems so… arrogant. So impossibly 22.

As it most certainly was, but it’s also a testament to the impact of John Hughes’ movies on the lives of those of us who were teenagers in the 1980s — an influence that has a chicken-and-egg circularity that’s hard to figure out: Were we the kinds of teens we were because of the characters in his movies? Or were his characters the kinds of teens they were because they were us?

Either way, the movies John Hughes made perfectly captured white, straight, suburban teen life in the 1980s, from the dopey way we dressed, to the New Wave music that was way cooler than we were, to the angst caused by hormones, social standing, and parental expectations. They weren’t perfect films, and certainly not high art, but they were so earnest and emotionally honest that they still hold up.

And so, thinking of a few favorite lines from his movies, I say farewell and thank you to John Hughes.

“You see us as you want to see us… In the simplest terms, in the most convenient definitions. But what we found out is that each one of us is a brain… and an athlete… and a basket case… and a princess… and a criminal… Does that answer your question?” — The Breakfast Club

“That’s why they call them crushes. If they were easy, they’d call them something else.” — Sixteen Candles

“Life moves pretty fast. You don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” — Ferris Bueller’s Day Off

Updated to add: This is the best article ever about a John Hughes movie. I read it years ago and just googled around until I found it. (Three cheers for journalists with blogs!) If you loved Sixteen Candles, it’s a must-read.

Modern, Yes. Classics? Maybe…

I’m going to (once again) steal an idea from sprite, who has taken a peek at Entertainment Weekly’s ranking of the 100 best films from 1983 to 2008 and noted what she’s seen — and asked for recommendations on which of the missing films are actually worth her time. (Her suspicions about the veracity of the list come from the high ranking of “Titanic,” whereas mine stem from the inclusion of “There’s Something About Mary,” because, really, that was the worst movie ever.)

I’m actually quite surprised at how many of these I’ve seen, since I’ve always thought I see a lot fewer movies than most people. Maybe it’s just my viewing of the traditional classics I’ve missed out on. At any rate, let me know in the comments if there really is a must-see or two in here.

1. Pulp Fiction (1994)
2. The Lord of the Rings trilogy (2001-03)
3. Titanic (1997)
4. Blue Velvet (1986)
5. Toy Story (1995)
6. Saving Private Ryan (1998 )
7. Hannah and Her Sisters (1986)
8. The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
9. Die Hard (1988 )
10. Moulin Rouge (2001)

11. This Is Spinal Tap (1984)
12. The Matrix (1999)
13. GoodFellas (1990)
14. Crumb (1995)
15. Edward Scissorhands (1990)
16. Boogie Nights (1997)
17. Jerry Maguire (1996)
18. Do the Right Thing (1989)
19. Casino Royale (2006)
20. The Lion King (1994)

21. Schindler’s List (1993)
22. Rushmore (1998 )
23. Memento (2001)
24. A Room With a View (1986)
25. Shrek (2001)
26. Hoop Dreams (1994)
27. Aliens (1986)
28. Wings of Desire (1988 )
29. The Bourne Supremacy (2004)
30. When Harry Met Sally… (1989)

31. Brokeback Mountain (2005)
32. Fight Club (1999)
33. The Breakfast Club (1985)
34. Fargo (1996)
35. The Incredibles (2004)
36. Spider-Man 2 (2004)
37. Pretty Woman (1990)
38. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
39. The Sixth Sense (1999)
40. Speed (1994)

41. Dazed and Confused (1993)
42. Clueless (1995)
43. Gladiator (2000)
44. The Player (1992)
45. Rain Man (1988 )
46. Children of Men (2006)
47. Men in Black (1997)
48. Scarface (1983)
49. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)
50. The Piano (1993)

51. There Will Be Blood (2007)
52. The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad (1988 )
53. The Truman Show (1998 )
54. Fatal Attraction (1987)
55. Risky Business (1983)
56. The Lives of Others (2006)
57. There’s Something About Mary (1998 )
58. Ghostbusters (1984)
59. L.A. Confidential (1997)
60. Scream (1996)

61. Beverly Hills Cop (1984)
62. sex, lies and videotape (1989)
63. Big (1988 )
64. No Country For Old Men (2007)
65. Dirty Dancing (1987)
66. Natural Born Killers (1994)
67. Donnie Brasco (1997)
68. Witness (1985)
69. All About My Mother (1999)
70. Broadcast News (1987)

71. Unforgiven (1992)
72. Thelma & Louise (1991)
73. Office Space (1999)
74. Drugstore Cowboy (1989)
75. Out of Africa (1985)
76. The Departed (2006)
77. Sid and Nancy (1986)
78. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
79. Waiting for Guffman (1996)
80. Michael Clayton (2007)

81. Moonstruck (1987)
82. Lost in Translation (2003)
83. Evil Dead 2: Dead by Dawn (1987)
84. Sideways (2004)
85. The 40 Year-Old Virgin (2005)
86. Y Tu Mamá También (2002)
87. Swingers (1996)
88. Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997)
89. Breaking the Waves (1996)
90. Napoleon Dynamite (2004)

91. Back to the Future (1985)
92. Menace II Society (1993)
93. Ed Wood (1994)
94. Full Metal Jacket (1987)
95. In the Mood for Love (2001)
96. Far From Heaven (2002)
97. Glory (1989)
98. The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999)
99. The Blair Witch Project (1999)
100. South Park: Bigger Longer & Uncut (1999)