Red
I love The Martian. I went to see it with Gert yesterday and it’s a great movie. I found it to be very realistic, in so far that is possible. Matt Damon portrays a very ingenious and likable main character. It’s intriguing to see him struggle in trying to survive on a hostile planet like Mars. I definitely want to see this again, and I can’t wait to read the book.
Today I went to pick up my new folding bike. I’d been thinking about getting one for a while now to help me when I travel to people or places that are far from public transport points. I can’t always walk those ends and I also don’t always want to rely on others to pick me up or drive me. With a folding bike I can take, for example, a bus or train and then bike the rest to go see Eva instead of hoping she can pick me up.
I started looking at Marktplaats last week for a cheap, but good, folding bike. I bid on one on offer a town over but got outbid. That turned out to be my luck as I came across a beautiful bike. One of those tiny models, in red and grey. And even better, it was in perfect condition. The previous owner used it for her commute and had it serviced every year. Because of a job change she didn’t need it any longer so she was looking to sell. I bid, and it got accepted.
It was a bit further out of the way than the first one, so Mom drove me there to pick it up. We made a first stop in the town before to go to the Action. I’m in need of cake plates for birthdays and such. I’d checked at Blokker and online but couldn’t find some that were both pretty and affordable. I need about twelve so no way I’m buying sets of four or six for € 15,00 – € 20,00.
The Action came through as it usually does. I found gorgeous glass plates with a design in them that made them almost look like crystal. And, even better, they also had serving plates in the same design. So I got me twelve cake plates and two different sizes of the serving plates. I love pretty things 🙂
Then we went on the pick up the bike. It was just as cute in real life as on its picture, and it fit in the back of the car perfectly.
Once home, I took it for a little practice round around the block. It’s felt a bit odd at first. It’s so small and the front wheel and handle react very fast. Especially compared to the heavy front end on my regular bike (I have a crate on it). It’s low enough so I can put my feet on the ground, though, so if I need to pull an emergency stop, I can.
Later, I made a new centerpiece for the coffee table to celebrate the fall. A good end to a good day!
We then went on to see The Intern. I had fairly high expectations of that movie. I like Anne Hathaway, I like De Niro and from what I’d seen in the trailer this seemed to be a smart comedy without an overdose of romance. I’m glad to say I wasn’t disappointed. Hathaway and De Niro were awesome together. I liked the plot a lot. It was nice to see the modern-ness of it. Female CEO, working mother, stay-at-home husband, trying to find a balance between work and private life, internet, social media all that stuff. It really is a movie of this time and I like that it’s more a slice of life thing. The issues don’t magically get resolved just because the end of the movie is approaching. It has it’s happy(ish) ending, but there’s still work to do.
Today was market day in town so I took a gander with Mom. Bought some jeans on sale for €5, which was a steal. It’s a nice model with some flare around the ankles and a three-button close instead of a zipper. I also got this cute, light blue, stoneware pitcher. It’ll look nice with some flowers in the spring, or as a general decoration in the bathroom once I have adequate furnishings there.
Paper Towns was next, but we had some time to kill in between. So we ended up on the market square and enjoyed the sun before heading back to the cinema. Paper Towns was a pretty good movie. The ending didn’t match the book, which is a shame. I felt it lost some of its impact this way.
I’ve never been a terminator fan. I’ve never seen any of the movies beyond bits and pieces during channel surfing or online maybe. But after seeing the trailers for the new Terminator Genisys I was intrigued enough that I wanted to see it. So that’s what Gert and I did Wednesday. The movie was fun and entertaining, not particularly special, but I enjoyed it. And I liked seeing Schwarzenegger reprising his role and poking fun at himself and his age.
Then yesterday, we had a market in town. Mom and I took a stroll around. I didn’t really find anything that struck my fancy. Since the weather was still fantastic, Mom and I decided to hit the cafe and get a drink and something tasty. She went for apple pie, the standard snack for cafes, and I picked strawberry tiramisu. It was delish!
The first candidate was Huba Hollóköi and he conducted Bela Bartok’s first violin concerto and Tchaikovsky’s Romeo & Juliet fantasy overture. Then, after the break, Konradin Herzog conducted Dutilleux’s Sur le même accord for solo violin and orchestra and Schumann’s Symphony no. 4.