Wear, Watch, Want #43: The Sticky German Mutant Edition
Wear: EVA Birkenstock Gizeh Sandals
I like to wear shoes around the house, but specific house shoes. I used to have a pair of Havaianas that I'd wear when it was warm, and I'd switch to Ugg Ansley slippers when it was cold. Then my rheumatologist told me that Havaianas were basically the worst things I could be doing for my feet, which are pretty messed up anyway (I have hypermobile joints and there are some issues with the joints in my toes specifically. It's so fun to be chronically ill!). I'm a huge fan of Birkenstock's Gizeh sandal (I own three pairs, and I wrote a post about them almost five years ago that you can read here), and I found out they make the Gizeh sandal in a super-light EVA that would be perfect for kicking around the house in. To get a pair in black in my size I had to go to eBay, but they were new-in-box and they arrived in a couple of days. All that, and they only cost $40! They're super comfortable, and my poor feet are much happier in them.
Watch: Legion
I'm not into this massive trend of comic book adaptations. I'm sitting here thinking if I've seen any installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and... er... Oh! I saw Guardians of the Galaxy! And I might have seen an Iron Man. I did once stand next to Robert Downey Jr. at a Starbucks in LAX and he checked multiple times that they made him a triple latte and I was like, "Whoa there Broseph, maybe you don't need a triple, eh?" I also took the opportunity to play my favorite game, "But How Tall Is He Really?" And RDJ does not lie about his height on the internet! What a man!
Anyway, I got very off topic there. It's probably because I don't know anything about comic book characters or even the recent popularity of comic book adaptations. But all that background knowledge is not necessary to enjoy the Legion, the latest in a never-ending stream of comic book inspired media thrown our way. Legion, the television show, was created by Noah Hawley, who you will of course know as the man behind Fargo. A few Fargo cast members are in Legion too, most notably Jean Smart and Rachel Keller. I am completely obsessed with Fargo, and I think that, plus hearing a lot of advanced buzz for Legion is what made me check out the pilot.
I was immediately engrossed in the story of David Haller (who, spoiler only to like, me, is the son of Charles Xavier, Christ-figure of the mutants), a man who thought he was schizophrenic but discovers he's actually been blessed with mutant powers! And he's like, the most powerful mutant EVAH. David is played by Dan Stevens, a guy I never saw the swoony appeal of until I watched The Guest, a film in which he plays an ultra-charismatic mega-creep (let's not analyze that). Now I think he's great. I think the only things I've seen Stevens in are Downton Abbey, The Guest, and now Legion - all very different roles that he does a fantastic job of immersing himself in. Legion is a great show, but if they didn't have an actor playing David that wasn't wholly in it then the show wouldn't be as amazing as it is. Stevens is perfectly cast.
Rock solid performances from all the show's actors are essential for a show that is so different from anything else on tv. Legion has a nonlinear storyline and a completely unreliable narrator, who we discover as the story continues is even more unreliable than we initially thought. As of this post's publishing, episode 4 just aired, and in it we discover that perhaps one of the character we met through David might have been a complete fabrication, and we spent at least half the episode wondering if the entirety of what we were watching was happening inside David's mind. If you're into a tripp scifi adventure full of mystery, suspense, action, and some really amazing production design and cinematography (sometimes I'll stop and go, "This is television!" Peak TV indeed.) Legion is the show you need to be watching.
Want: Adorable Stickers
I wrote at the beginning of the year about how I use a bullet journal, and how I'm very anti-bullet journal foofiness and unattainable glorious illustration. I guess saying I'm anti is a little harsh. Really, my point was that when a person looks up bullet journaling to see if it's for them, it can be completely overwhelming to see a bunch of professional illustrators who spend hours on their spreads, and it makes something as simple and helpful as bullet journaling seem impossible. I don't really draw in my journal, but I'm way into stickers. My new obsession is ultra-cutesy Korean stickers featuring rabbits riding bicycles, cats reading books, or anthropomorphized vegetables. I may have gone on a little shopping spree and bought some of these, and some of these, and maybe these too. But I want MORE. My journal is gonna be aegyo AF.
