REM, Pot Roast and Jennifer Garner: A Birthday Ramble

I celebrated my birthday a couple weeks ago. One of my Mom's gifts to me was to watch the kids while Geoff and I went to a movie (Juno) and then after the movie we all had dinner at her house. And the best part: pot roast! My mom makes the most fabulous pot roast with carrots and potatos and onions. Geoff does not eat red meat, so I never cook this sort of thing; it is a huge treat for me to have my mom's pot roast. I was going to share a photo, but sadly, though delicious, Mom's pot roast does not photograph well.
I know Juno has been criticized for being a fairy tale, but personally, I love fairy tales and really enjoyed the movie. The entire cast was terrific, but Jennifer Garner was just amazing. Her longing is palpable. It is difficult to believe that someone with dimples as cute as hers can be a good actress, but she is. Perhaps I am influenced by the fact that since the writers' strike we have been watching nothing but DVD's of "Alias" (DON'T spoil it - we are three episodes away from the series finale.) I am not sure how we missed this show when it was on the air. We are maniacs about it now. How did JJ Abrahms ever think he could find an actress who could play Sidney Bristow? No one but Jennifer Garner could do it, of that I am sure. And don't even get me started on Victor Garber! A little aside (and obnoxious name dropping): when Geoff and I worked for Circle Repertory in NY, we worked on a show with Ron Rifkin. Among other things, I ironed his socks. He is a sweet man and more than once took all the interns out for dinner after the show. But anytime he has a fight scene, Geoff and I nearly wet ourselves laughing.

Since my birthday, here are some things that have made me feel old:

1. Thing One is singing REM's "Stand" in music class.
2. Last week, I was running across the yard in my fake Uggs (these shoes should come with a "no running" warning) tripped, face planted, and actually SLID across the yard, ruining a new pair of jeans and my dignity in one go. But here is the part that made me feel old - when I stood up, every part of my body ached, and I had a sudden knowledge that it would be DAYS before my body felt normal again.
3. Facebook