the beer i had for breakfast wasn't bad...

Other consumption in brief:

No One Cares What You Had For Lunch: 100 Ideas for your Blog. I got this book out of the library and it was dumb. It failed to inspire me with any great blog ideas (other than the one about reviewing recent books you've read/movies you've seen, except I was already doing that on a near-constant basis. So.) I don't have much else to say about it, but if you doubt me, get it out of the library yourself.

The Garneau Block is Edmonton writer Todd Babiak's debut novel. I am enjoying it, although the level of local detail is jarring--the book keeps mentioning the Sugarbowl, a coffeeshop/bar where I go on an almost weekly basis, the last time being Thursday. There is a weird uncomfortableness that accompanies that. I mean, the characters could go in there for coffee, and I could be there. What would happen then? It would be too meta for words. I like to stay out of the novels I read. [Edited Feb. 19th to add: The Garneau Block is not Todd Babiak's debut novel. His Debut Novel was Choke Hold, which was published in 2000. My only excuse is that I am my own research staff.]

Pan's Labyrinth was such an amazing film that I keep trying to articulate why I loved it. So visceral and scary and stressful--I had a stomachache for about an hour afterwards. The acting was incredible. It was in Spanish. What more could you ask for? (I was mistaken about it having Emperor Franco though, in case you were depending on that.) Also, it caused James and I to embark on a little historical information-seeking expedition, because we realized we knew nothing about Spain after world war II. So it had an educational effect, to boot.

I went to IKEA yesterday, and I am going again today. (It's the only place where I am ever really perfectly content-- because I am not worried about going to IKEA. I am half-kidding.) And I will be playing my first Warcraft of the weekend today. I think that warrants a "w00t."