Opera, BBC movies, and other misc.

Well, I did watch the 1973 BBC version of Jane Eyre and I enjoyed it.  It's quite dated and lacks some production values, but it's a great watch overall.  I'd suggest renting it through Blockbuster or Netflix.  A friend of mine suggested the 2006 TV version which I will rent in the near future.  I saw the clips of Toby Stephens as Edward Rochester and he looks fantabulous :)  I just need to watch a few films on my list this week before I get to renting the movie: Crazy Heart, The Hangover II, True Grit (the version with John Wayne), and The Mechanic. 

I haven't gotten around to it but I will eventually read George Eliot's Middlemarch.  It sounds like a terrific read, despite the fact that it's 800 pages long.  I'm not a big fan of such books as it takes forever to read, depending on how it's paced.  I usually read 100-200 pages a day, which takes longer but the book is eventually read.

I love writing fanfiction and I have an account over at Fanfiction.net.  This helps me to improve my writing style and such.  I gave thought to writing a mashup of Jane Eyre with a dinosaur (more specifically, a velociraptor) in Rochester's attic rather than a mad wife.  Then, I gave thought to writing a sequel series featuring the married Rochesters, Jane and Edward, as zombie hunters.  I might pursue both since they sound interesting and something I would read.  And yes, I've read Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters; I am a firm believer that both books should be required reading in all American high schools.  Not sure if I want to read the mashup novel,  Jane Slayre. 

For those who know me really well, I enjoy doing crossword puzzles (from reading this far, you now know that I'm a geek of sorts, but that's a different story).  I managed to finish yesterday's New York Times puzzle in about 10 minutes.  It took me about the same time to do today's puzzle but I didn't finish it.  The New York Times crossword puzzle increases in difficulty each day with Monday being the easiest and Saturday being the most difficult; Sunday doesn't count as the answers to Sunday's puzzle are printed with the puzzle itself.  Sometimes I am able to solve Wednesday's puzzle completely, but not in 10 minutes.  I was thinking about doing the annual crossword contest put on by the NY Times puzzle editor, Will Shortz, but unfortunately, it's in New York City and I'm in San Diego.  Too bad they can't do satellite contests in other cities. 

Last Sunday after church, Mom and I saw the last opera on the last day of the 2011 season at the San Diego Opera.  Both of us saw a production of George Bizet's Carmen, an opera about a seductive gypsy woman who, apparently, likes to change boyfriends a lot.  It has to do with love, lust, bullfighting, and men who can't get the hint that their exes don't want them around any more.  I had trouble staying awake in the first act because I didn't have my daily dose of caffeine, but I enjoyed the rest of the opera.  This opera was Mom's first and it was my twelfth (I've seen eight live performances and four performances on DVD).  However, this was my first time seeing Carmen.  I've heard the infamous La Habanera aria sung by Carmen herself many times, as depicted in this commercial for Doritos:

For those who can understand the dynamics behind the aria can understand how it connects with the commercial.  Next season, Mom and I have decided to see Gioachino Rossini's The Barber of Seville and I am hoping to score a ticket to see opera soprano Renee Fleming in concert at the San Diego Opera on March 24, 2012 once they go on sale. 

That is all for now.  I must get ready for bed.  Fin.