Bad dreams and Mediocre Movies
2004-04-26, 3:50 p.m.

Bad night last night...toss, turn, repeat. Why do I never have fun dreams anymore? The midnight movie last night consisted of fragmented work-related dreams. At least I assume they were work-related--I remember a lot of data logging and retrieving anxiety. And that seems to be the only kind of dream I do remember anymore. If I still have the sexy, Brendan Fraser in the altogether type dreams, or the highly plotted caper film type dreams, I no longer remember the next day. More's the pity.

Crappy weekend--again. My ass of a husband finally unpacked his suitcase from a trip he took a month ago. I had no Idea that I was going to get 3 extra loads of laundry to deal with on Saturday. Jerk. After working my tail off on Saturday to bring my house back from the brink of condemnation, as I must do every week, I was really played out. Naturally, it was at this point that the husband decided we should go shopping. In Chicago. (an hour away.) Put the foot down, I did. But ended up giving in on Sunday.

My craving for decent food did me in. Once in a while, I get sick of crappy,

blue-collar/blue plate cuisine, and need to make a run to the foodie-heaven stores of Glenview and Deerfield (Trader Joe's and Whole Foods Market, to be exact.)

The thing that nearly knocks me off my pins, though, is the fact that most items that have a "Pick-N-Save" counterpart are actually cheaper, or at least vastly better quality at the same price, down in the affluent 'burbs. And that is just the stuff you can get in Wisconsin. Forget being able to buy lamb, veal, aged steaks, fresh sushi, fresh-roasted coffee beans, exotic fruits or vegetables, or BOSCO.

Hell, even gasoline was cheaper south of the border. 177.9 vs 185.9 for regular. Sheesh!

I did manage to watch some stuff this weekend, unusual for me lately.

1. "I'll Be There" 2003 Craig Ferguson as an over-the-hill pop star, and Charlotte Church as the daughter he never knew he had. Eh. Mainly watched it for Craig Ferguson, as I am hopelessly gone on craggy Scotsmen. Not bad, in a "What a Girl Wants" kind of way. Man, I watch all these movies in order to ogle the main character's DAD. I'm old.

2. Penn & Telller, "Bullshit" 2003 The entire series in under 24 hours. Spouse and I were amazed at how well Penn articulated our deepest, most heartfelt opinions regarding charlatans, pseudo-science, and hippies. I loved it.

3. "Maybe Baby" 2000 I don't know how I missed this one when it came out, as many of my favorite Brits appear. Hugh Laurie, Rowan Atkinson, Emma Thompson, Joanna Lumley, Dawn French. Any movie with 50% of my three favorite British comedy teams is worth watching.* Actually, make that four teams, because Ben Elton wrote and directed**.

So why wasn't it better?*** Only so-so, I thought, but maybe because it was about the baby obsession, and that annoys the hell out of me. Rowan was very good in a small role that split the difference between intelligent, acid-tongued BlackAdder and the witless Mr. Bean. His character was an ob/gyn with no tact, and gave me my only full-out hoot of a laugh of the whole film. the other high point was Hugh Laurie with long hair and full beard. Oh, yes please! Surprisingly tasty.

*AbFab girls Lumley & Saunders, Fry & Laurie, French & Saunders

** Richard Curtis & Ben Elton

***Maybe it needed Saunders!