Best Picture?

Unless your roof is a lovely shade of granite, you probably know that the Oscars happened last Sunday. You also probably know that, despite making more money than God, Avatar lost Best Picture to The Hurt Locker, a comparatively tiny film that made a whole lot less money. No doubt there are tons of people up in arms about this, as there are every year. Why doesn't a "popular" movie win the biggest awards? Who even saw The Hurt Locker? Well, members of the Academy. Not me. I saw neither, having no interest. So I have nothing to say about that.

But, when RTM over at FlixChatter asked about Best Picture winners that I wanted to watch more than once, I got to thinking. You may recall (but probably not) that I brought up a somewhat similar topic a couple of years ago. I definitely find those movies that I enjoy watching more "important" than those that somebody else says are worth watching.

But what interested me was the result of those two ideas merging. The movies that the Academy and I agreed upon. And so, I made some lists and checked them twice, and I will share them with you. As such, here are those Best Picture winners that I have seen. I've also made a note of how many times I've seen them, whether or not I'd see them again, and whether or not I own them.

Best Picture winners, seen by me
Mutiny on the Bounty (1935) - 1
Gone with the wind (1939) - multiple, own
Casablanca (1943) - 1, would see again
Hamlet (1948) - 1, undecided
An American in Paris (1951) - 1, loved, want to own
Gigi (1958) - multiple, own
Ben-Hur (1959) - multiple
The Apartment (1960) - 1, would see again
West Side Story (1961) - multiple, not a fan
My Fair Lady (1964) - multiple, own
The Sound of Music (1965) - multiple, own
Patton (1970) - 1
The French Connection (1971) - 1
The Godfather (1972) - 1, would see again
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975) - 1
Rcky (1976) - 1
The Deer Hunter (178) - 1
Amadeus (1984) - multiple
Platoon (1986) - 1
Dances with Wolves (1990) - 2
Silence of the Lambs (1991) - 1
Unforgiven (1992) - 1
Schindler's List (1993) - 1
Forrest Gump (1994) - multiple
Braveheart (1995) - 1
Shakespeare in Love (1998) - multiple, own
American Beauty (1999) - 1
Gladiator (2000) - multiple, own
A Beautiful Mind (2001) - 2, want to own
Chicago (2002) - multiple, own
LOTR: Return of the King (2003) - 1
Slumdog Millionaire (2008)- 1, would see again


What I discovered was that, in a reasonably small collection of DVDs, a surprising number are Oscar winners. I actually went through the longer list of all BP nominees, and the numbers go up accordingly. Those that I didn't personally enjoy I still thought were (generally speaking) remarkable films: well-made, well-acted, solid. Even if I wouldn't watch them again, I appreciate them as very good, except American Beauty. I've just got no use for that one.

So, I mean, of these 31 movies, I would definitely watch over half of them again. Of those, nearly half again I actually own or plan on owning. There are at least 10 winners that I have immediate plans to see, so maybe I'll have to update this list, but still. Not bad numbers for the old Academy, eh?

Vague thoughts

Here's what I'm thinking about. I'm grasping, so bear with me. I've recently been "reconnecting" (rewatching his stuff) with an actor/characters I really liked as a kid. Preteen, I guess. What I'm finding fascinating is that I really think my eleven-year-old self was on to something. I don't think that I was at a point yet where I can really say I had a crush, but there was a definite connection. And now, I think "Wow. That guy really had something." So it's sort of a chicken-and-egg discussion: Do I really like him now simply because I did then, or is there some fundamental part of my tastes that has not changed? Kind of lame, I guess, but if you know me, you'll know that my love of actors is just a thing, and really, I'd have to say that this guy is the first. Now he's pushing sixty and a grandpa and I miss the slim, blond young man of my youth. I bet he does too. How bizarre that I could come back to it. Obviously, on the screen, he hasn't changed - the characters haven't changed - but I have. But seriously, schoolgirl swooning aside, what interests me is the reconnect. Admittedly, the shows I'm watching were not really children's shows, and so it's reasonable that I would enjoy them as an adult. But it's his performance and characterization that resonates with me, and I'm not sure that it's all nostalgia. Surely some of it is.

Meh. I don't think I'm getting across what I'm trying to. Anyway.

Yeah, vague, random, and probably really lame. My husband is laughing right now, trust. Oh well.

No, I'm not telling who it is. It's too dorky for words.

Open Letter IV

Dear Fashion Industry-

This just occurred to me. If the reason for having skeletal runway models is that your clothes look best on them, wouldn't it be an exciting, interesting, and potentially lucrative challenge to actually design your clothes so that they look best on normal people? Just a thought. You should get on that.

Love,

5'3", 140 pounds, broad-shouldered, voluptuous me.

Styling question!

Just in case there are any fashionistas out there who might actually read this. How would you "winterize" this dress, preferably in order to wear it to work?

Bonus points if you work in the shoes.

Go!

Want list, musical

Arctic Monkeys, Humbug
Lily Allen, It's Not Me, It's You
Katzenjammer, Le Pop
Camera Obscura, My Maudlin Career
Neko Case, Middle Cyclone

Blogging

So I've updated some of my links to reflect some more blogs/people I like to keep up with ... most of them are people I actually know. So far. ;) I got rid of a few that seemed truly dead, and I noticed that one or two of you have been awfully slack. Yep, boys, I'm looking at you.

I'm kind of slack, too, I admit it. I suddenly find that I have a minor interest in many things, as evidenced by my internet habits: cooking, style, movies, etc. Perhaps I shall make a better effort to pick one thing that I am thinking about in a week and post about it. I'm even considering a not-so-daily outfit posting. Good lord.

Here's what I'm thinking about today: the chalk directive, "Love your bodies" on the library steps. I do love my body. I also love college campuses, and that message is just one reason why. Movies. I'm becoming more of a "movie buff" every day.Subject headings. Seems to me they're being used less frequently, and with less efficiency. What gives? I thought everyone just loved "keywords". Arthur and Arthuriana. I'm cataloging it and reading Malory. Yoga/exercise. Looking forward to going home and doing some.Food. I'm hungry. We've been making lots of new recipes lately, and have successfully experimented with making "homemade" ravioli from wonton skins on two occasions! Also, looking forward to some new eats and socialization with newish friends this weekend. Decorating. Still unpacking.

What are you thinking about?

My wishlist:

Per a discussion with the fabulous Mari, I would like:

For all of my friends to be in happy relationships, an awesome job at Yale, a kid, loads of cash, a smaller waist, Frye boots for everyone!, tons of cute interesting cardigans in a variety of colors, less cellulite on everyone's thighs, and maybe some Dom Perignon.

Also new kneepads for Mari, and pants for me.

If anyone can do anything about any of that, I'll be your best friend forever. I can give you a list of acceptable cardigans right now,even. :D

Opera #3: Duke Bluebeard's Castle

Duke Bluebeard's Castle
Music by Bela Bartok, libretto by Bela Balazs

The story of Bluebeard and his wives is a reasonably well-known (?) fairy story written by Charles Perrault (best known for Cinderella). Bluebeard brings a new young bride to his castle, wherein she snoops behind locked doors and discovers that her new husband has horribly murdered his former wives. In the story she manages to escape and live happily ever after. Perrault apparently likes to get a little scary and gory before he serves up the happy ending.

In the operatic version, the bride, Judith, arrives at her home to find seven locked doors. The opera centers around her demands for the doors to be unlocked (based upon her love for Bluebeard and her desire to bring light to his dark home), Bluebeard's protests and eventual relentings, and what she discovers behind those doors. In succession: a torture chamber, an armory, a treasury, and a vast realm, all stained with blood. Behind door number six is a lake of tears. Judith doggedly moves ahead with each door, despite her horror at all the blood, and when she reaches the sixth door, she declares that she's solved the mystery: Bluebeard has murdered his former wives, and it is their blood that stains his castle, their tears that make up the lake behind door six, and their bodies that lie behind door seven. The final door is opened to reveal one part of her theory correct: the wives are there, alive, and shadows of their former selves. Judith takes her place among them, and the opera ends with the castle (and Bluebeard) once again thrown into darkness.

Clearly, this is a much more psychological and ultimately darker interpretation than Perrault's original story. The journey Judith takes is apparently one through her new husband's soul, and in the end, she is assimilated into his life, losing her "self" and merely becoming a part of his whole. I suppose the moral of the story would be that perhaps one doesn't really want to know everything about one's partner's past and psyche. There is, of course, also the notion of a wife's duty to defer to her husband in all things, becoming a part of him rather than an individual.

What is tremendous about Bartok's opera is the music. It rises and falls with creepy/scary tension and tender moments. The accompaniment for each of the rooms truly paints the picture, making this opera a little easier to envision on stage, even while merely listening to a recording. I'd have to say I enjoyed this one, perhaps more than the others ... the story, though, is clearly a hard one to really follow or interpret. I suppose I prefer simple plots and execution, rather than something requiring serious psychoanalysis.

Opera #2: Vanessa

Vanessa
Music by Samuel Barber, libretto by Gian Carlo Menotti.

Barber is certainly a more recognizable name than Argento, and I would hope that Menotti's name rings a bell as well. Samuel Barber is arguably one of the premier American composers and mainly worked in orchestral music and art song. Vanessa was his first (and more or less only) opera. I'd at least heard of this one in college, since "Must the winter come so soon" was a pretty standard piece for aspiring mezzos. What is really interesting about this is the fact the Menotti wrote the libretto. If you have not heard of him, Gian Carlo Menotti was a pretty major American composer of opera himself, and wrote some of my absolute favorites, namely The Medium and Amahl and the Night Visitors (seasonal!). He was also Barber's "lifelong companion," as they say. Barber was a big fan of opera but just never found a libretto he was happy with, so finally Menotti decided to write one for him himself. It premiered at the Met in 1958.

Vanessa is a former great beauty, now in her forties, who has lived the life of a recluse for the past 20 years, apparently because of a love affair gone wrong. She has no visitors, wears a veil, and covers all mirrors and portraits in her house. She lives with her niece, Erika (about 20), and her mother, "The Baroness," who refuses to speak to her. When the opera begins, Erika is arranging the household for an important guest, who Vanessa is awaiting anxiously. Apparently, the guest is her former lover, but instead of himself arriving, it is his son, also named Anatole, who appears. His father has died, and he is curious about the woman who haunted his father.

Almost immediately upon arriving, Anatole seduces Erika, but then declares his affection for Vanessa herself. Erika, nursing a fairy tale idea of romance, disagrees with Anatole's more worldly approach, and so turns down his proposal of marriage, despite her feelings for him. She decides that since Vanessa has been waiting for so long, living in solitude and ostensibly "saving herself," that it is only fair she be the one to win Anatole's hand. In good order, Anatole and Vanessa announce their engagement, subsequent with our discovery that Erika is now carrying Anatole's child. She rushes out into a bitter winter night, apparently to end her life. She is found, hours later, passed out in the snow. Upon recovering, she admits to her grandmother, The Baroness, that she was with child, but is no longer. Her grandmother leaves the room without a word, and it is clear that she will never speak to Erika again, either.

A month passes (we are told). Anatole and Vanessa are married and preparing to move to Paris. Vanessa is haunted by what that night, and constantly asks both Anatole and Erika if there was something between them. They, of course, deny this. Vanessa tells Erika that the house is hers, and after the newlyweds leave, Erika covers all the mirrors and portraits, locks the gate, and dons a veil, declaring that now it is her turn to wait.

Clearly, a properly "operatic" plot. Since Barber is, like Argento, a "contemporary" composer, we again have a work that is not really given to memorable melodies, or even arias in the traditional sense. The mostly conversational nature of the work leads me to believe that it's probably much more interesting/enjoyable to actually watch a production, rather than simply listen to a recording. The music is the real star here. It moves from solemn to playful to melodramatic in a matter of seconds, and definitely gives a mood of anxiety and impending doom. I really liked the concepts at play here - the supposition that Vanessa's doomed love affair played itself out in perhaps the same way that Erika's does, and that therefore there is hope that Erika herself will be rescued someday by the shadow of her former lover. They're almost like Miss Havisham, with all her clocks stopped, still in her wedding dress. The Baroness hovers over them, disapproving, like a guilty conscience, and they wait with growing anxiety for the day when they will be rescued and can revisit a perhaps lost youth. Kind of what we all want, isn't it?

Opera #1: Postcard from Morocco

Postcard from Morocco
Music by Dominick Argento, text by John Donohue.

Never heard of this one, have you? It's a one-act, and Argento, surprisingly, is a "contemporary" American composer. The opera premiered in Minneapolis in 1971. It's basically a group of people at a train station, most of whom are identified by something they are carrying: "Hat Lady," "Old-Luggage Man," and so forth. There are also, apparently, entertainments like a puppet show and operetta singers, roles which are doubled by the waiting passengers. Each individual is protective of their privacy and self by way of behaving defensively toward their possessions. In turn, all of the other individuals try to learn about each person, and to see inside each bag, case, or box. Ultimately, one character, "Mr. Owen," (the only one with a name) is forced to reveal that his "painting kit" is, in reality, empty. Once this realization is made, the other characters fade away, leaving "Mr. Owen" to sink into his own fantasy world, and the opera ends.

The text is in English, and the music is, of course, very "contemporary" in style, with not a lot that resembles a traditional aria. Excellent singing, though, and a very expressive style, which is apparently a trademark of Argento's work. I generally prefer things that are much more melodic and lyric, but I think that in this case the style worked to convey the chaos of an being in an unfamiliar, busy place and interacting with strangers.

Ultimately, I thought the opera was very interesting, and the story reminded me of existentialism, of Sartre's "No Exit," and the notion that "Hell is other people". All of the characters display or communicate a fear ... fear of traveling, of other people, of revealing themselves; yet they all want to get others to open up to them. In the end, when they succeed, they are then no longer interested in the individual who has been laid bare. Within the "entertainments" are musical references, most notably to Wagner and his The Flying Dutchman, which focuses on an character supernaturally cursed to sail the seas forever unless saved by a stranger's act of compassion and love. Argento says of Postcard that it "could ... serve as a prologue to Wagner's opera, suggesting a different but equally possible origin of that journey: not launched by supernatural forces at all, but by very human ones, by people who fail to show charity or pity, love or understanding ... Perhaps this unkindness is self protective or thoughtless or not malicious; perhaps it is the result of curiosity, suspicion, selfishness ... Whatever the reason, when it does occur, another Dutchman is born and ... a new voyage begins." (text from CD program notes)

An operatic journey begins...

A project!

So, in a former life, I wanted to be an opera singer. And yet, somehow, I never really paid that much attention to opera. Recently, I was reminded of how much I do actually like great voices, and I was inspired to listen to some opera. But where to begin? Well, I happen to have a book entitled The Metropolitan Opera: Stories of the Great Operas by John W. Freeman, in which are listed 150 operas deemed "important". And so, the idea for a project was born. I would read the synopsis and information about an opera, and then get hold of a recording and listen to it. Whether or not I will successfully post about them is another story entirely, but I'm willing to try. And so, this is the introduction. I just finished listening to the first opera in the book, and I will try to talk a bit about it momentarily. If nothing else, I ought to feel a little more cultured ... and I'm always saying I ought to listen to more "classical" music.

Thumb-twiddling

Without going into too much detail, I am here to tell you that I suddenly find that I am not currently singing, fencing, or cataloging. What on earth am I doing with my life? I sort of thought when this day came, I would have had something much more important going on to take the place of these all-important activities. You know, like a kid, maybe. Instead, I putter around the house, spend way too much time on the Internet, have finished watching the entirety of Buffy, the Vampire Slayer, don't work out enough, and sometimes read multiple books in one day.

I didn't really have a point to this post. It's just Christmas music season here at Chez Klein, which always makes me miss the singing. I don't actually miss fencing a whole lot - I needed a break. I will most likely be working again before too terribly long. It's just a weird place to be : Sunday night with the week ahead of you pretty much wide open. I'll try to get some cardio, I'll go to the library and get something else to read ... but what else? Damn all other hobbies for sounding unappealing.

I need something to do.

My philosophy

As summarized in a conversation with my brother.

People suck. Surround yourself with people who suck less than others, and try not to be a person who sucks a lot. That's about it.

Mac-hell-yes

I've just been inspired, by news of a big-screen production of Coriolanus and a fun movie blog, to revisit an old LJ post of mine. It basically involves a smash-bang idea for a big-screen production of Macbeth, which has NOT been done properly, and, well, I'm going to let you read my argument for it in a minute. The following is my original post. New ideas for casting will be italicized.

...
So, a couple of days ago, Andrew & I were discussing (ok, I was babbling and he was tuning me out) Clive Owen and Daniel Craig and how they both started out in theatre and have done their fair share of Shakespeare, which I would love to see, of course. I went off on a tangent, trying to figure out what play could be turned into a film version that could star both actors. And it was kind of hard to start out with. They're both in their late 30s-early 40s so you really can't do another version of Midsummer Night's Dream, or anything with the usual two sets of young lovers. I filed this dilemma away in the back of my mind and went on with my life.

But then, this morning, I hit upon the solution, and seriously? It's kind of brilliant. There hasn't been a really good version of Macbeth done recently. There've been some modernizations and weird realizations and things, but not a serious version. Think about it: it's got plenty of room for new-fangled special effects. It's got big battle scenes. It calls for absolutely top-notch actors ... I seriously think it could be a blockbuster. And none of the true leads have to be dewy, fresh-faced youngsters. They can be people in their prime. Anyway. Here's my casting. Yes, I'm thinkin' BIG.

Macbeth
Dramatis Personae

Duncan, king of Scotland ... Ian McKellen (Sir Ian, having already done Macbeth, will enjoy this irony)
Malcolm, Donalbain, his sons ... Gerard Butler, James McAvoy (both Scots)
Macbeth, Banquo, generals of the King's army ... Clive Owen, Kenneth Branagh (who in a perfect world, will also direct)
Macduff, Lennox, Ross, Menteith, Angus, Caithness, noblemen of Scotland ... Daniel Craig (as Macduff, the perfect foil to dark and brooding Clive Owen). Not picky about the rest. Some British-y actors I like : Mark Strong, David Thewlis, Matthew Macfadyen, Dominic West, Jeremy Northam, Rufus Sewell, Chiwetel Ejiofor...
Fleance, son to Banquo ... Freddie Highmore or Thomas Sangster. Sorry, Dan Radcliffe is too old.
A Porter ... Derek Jacobi. Although, Sir Ian in a cleverly disguised double role might be interesting...
Lady Macbeth ... Cate Blanchett
Lady Macduff ... Emily Watson
Three Witches ... Emma Thompson, Phyllida Law, Sophie Thompson (The latter two are Emma's mother and sister, respectively, and I just think the three of them would have a rousing good time)

...

Anyway. Yeah. I think it's brilliant. Somebody needs to get on that. Maybe when Branagh is done with Thor. What do you think?

Road trip!

I have not been on top of my blog reading. In catching up, I am once again struck with the weird notion that everyone else has a more interesting life than I do, which is most likely not all THAT true. I just think it's boring 'cause I'm in the middle of it. Anyway. We recently completed a rather ridiculous road trip, so I'll post about that. Stay tuned if you read the husband's blog, as he'll probably have a more structured wrap-up at some point. Anyway. Here goes ...

Day 1. Drive from Danbury, CT to Ann Arbor, MI. Yeah, you're reading that right. 12 hours. After about a 30 minute break at the home of friends Jen & Erik (and adorable cats Mariane and Amelia) we head over to Detroit to watch the Tigers kick the crap out of the Twins. Ugh. At least the Twins had the last laugh...
Day 2. Pancakes w/Jen & Erik. Brief look around UMich campus, culminating in lunch w/Jen T. and a friend of hers. We hit the road for Chicago, where we have a really fabulous dinner w/friends Matt and Melissa, then proceed to sit up and talk baseball into the wee hours. Adorable cat is Emmy.
Day 3. Apple pancake (yummm) at M&M's ... celebratory mood, as Matt is celebrating a birthday AND passing the bar! Into the car, headed to Stillwater, MN, home base of the Kleins. Dinner with Mother-in-Law. I realize that homes I've stayed in more than once, occupied by family, really start to feel like home after a while. Adorable cats Maya, Beatrix, and Claire.
Day 4. Head north to Two Harbors and "The North Shore" for the main event of this trip, the wedding of Matt and Jessica! Large group of friends all staying in a lodge for the weekend = extremely fun times. Highlights include Gooseberry Falls in the rain, post-barbecue bonfire, Jones D&D themed sodas, copious amounts of beer, friends galore!
Day 5. Sleep in. Huge breakfast with a crowd. Lovely walk along the shore of Lake Superior. Wedding! The sun came out, ceremony was lovely, celebration a total success. Matt & Jess know how to throw a party. No adorable cat.
Day 6. Up early, driving back to Chicago for a stay with husband's uncle John and aunt Marti. Lovely people. Another house that feels like home. Greek food, yum. No adorable cat.
Day 7. Up for diner breakfast w/John, drive to Indianapolis. Brief stop in sports bar to watch (early and boring) part of Twins/Tigers tie-breaker. Dinner at YAT'S (chili cheese etoufee FTW!!) with CORINNE AND LEILI! "Home" again to my uncles' Rich and Jim's. Twins WIN? Awesome. Adorable cat Tucker and awesome, awesome poochie Max.
Day 8. Bloomington for a brief walk-around and a pancake at the Deli. Pancake and Pax II as good as remembered. Bask in Twins' win. See various people : Robert, SLIS folk, Andrew and Zander, Scotty, Leili and various fencing types. No Sammy K. :( Back to Indy for dinner at Bazbeaux's w/uncle, home to relax. Talk w/uncles until wee hours.
Day 9. Quick breakfast, hit the road for Grand Rapids. Meet up w/ MARIIIIIIIIIIII for excellent lunch, then thrift store madness. Ask her about her new Shania Twain coat, for serious. Stupendous (of course) dinner chez Mari, meet-up w/Dudebro. Adorable cat Sphinx!! Sleeeeeep.
Day 10. Diner breakfast. Hit the road. I convince husband to just go home. Lunch was in ... Hmm. Don't recall. Dinner was Thai food in Scranton. Arrival home? 10:30 pm. Adorable cats? MINE.

Now who's boring? Apologies to anyone in the previously mentioned locations that we failed to see ... there was not a whole lot of time spent anywhere, but it was fantastic to see friends and family, some not seen for upwards of 2 years, and to be a part of a wonderful wedding.

Rude awakening

What if one is, in fact, living up to one's potential?

Too young to be heroes, too old to play April Fools'...

Otherwise known as Hip, part II. When last we discussed this particular subject, I had decided to ignore it for the present. Well, I got a little tired of that, so I looked around online and I tried another orthopedic doctor ... one that has actually specialized in research on arthritis, etc. in younger patients. He looks at my MRI scans and does some slightly different X-rays, and declares that I am suffering from hip dysplasia, which basically means that my bones don't fit together properly. As a result, arthritis! We decide, of course, on a cortisone injection. Well, tried that. The shot sucked, the hip hurt in a variety of new and interesting ways for a week afterward, and then it sort of settled back down into normalcy. We're talking my hip's brand of normal, here, which means it still hurts. I suppose on average it hurts a little less, but I am definitely not living pain-free.

So, in the follow-up, doc says that basically, if pain management doesn't work, replace it! Ack. I am also supposed to look into a truly terrifying procedure that involves cutting my bones and trying to fit them back together properly. Seriously, I can't even think about that without bursting into nervous and slightly hysterical laughter. Anyway, my doctor doesn't think that it is an option for me since I am already suffering from arthritis, but he wants me to go get looked at by a specialist anyway. Still need to schedule that...

So. I'm sort of back to ignoring/waiting it out. I don't want to have a hip replacement right now. I guess I'd like to wait as long as possible. Generally, it seems that I will reach a point where I just can't take it anymore, so I guess I'm going to wait 'til I get there. We'll see. I can't really say that I'm dealing with this brilliantly ... I get pretty ticked off sometimes, you know, sort of a "why me?" reaction, or just annoyed that this is happening now, when I'm thirty-four, instead of sixty. But, what can you do? I've altered my workouts and fencing habits as much as I am willing, I take ibuprofin or whatever (only seems to work a little sometimes), and I have a big ice pack that covers my whole hip with which I am in love. That'll have to do for now. I'm waiting until I literally "can't get out of bed".

*Title from "Give In" by Tina Dico

Open letter 3

Dear Lady GaGa-

Madonna's already done pretty much everything you're doing, and somehow, it looked less silly on her.

Kisses,

S

Loss

death isolation
futility alone
i am by myself here
you've left
and now the life
has run
away from the light
and happiness
is a shadow
dark and ugly
and
i feel that you
were stupid to go

you didn't know
the love you had
and left behind
for want of attention
that was already there
and left us all
to love you now
that you are gone
and your spirit is left
to carry your memory
alone

JCS, 8/13/1977-8/21/1991

Tournament

IQ is no problem here
We won't be playing Scrabble for her hand I fear
I need that beer ~ "Seven Days," Sting

I was listening to Ten Summoner's Tales yesterday, and when this line was sung, I thought (and maybe said aloud, alone in my car) "Oh, they would totally be playing Scrabble for my hand." And that got me to thinking ... what if we found our mates via tournament? What sort of competition(s) would you have in order to select the person you wanted to spend your time with? Here's what I came up with ...

It would have to be a multi-part tournament, with a bunch of different, smaller competitions, and a total score to determine the winner in the end. Probably not Scrabble, but maybe Trivial Pursuit, for one of the rounds. I had trouble with an athletic component ... I'm thinking maybe some type of obstacle course that would serve as an equalizer for men with various/different athletic abilities. Definitely a talent portion that could involve any type of performance skill. Maaaybe a stand-up comedy routine? And finally, (this would be the hard one) some type of teamwork assignment for all competitors as a group, designed to determine things harder to fathom personality-wise, you know, ability to work in a group, selflessness, leadership qualities, quick thinking, resourcefulness, etc. Obviously, that's a rough overview, but really, I think it could work. Obviously if someone were not a brilliant athlete, they could make up in other areas, like intellect and talent, and just generally being a good person ... like my husband, who is probably glad he didn't have to go through an obstacle course in order to win my hand.