TOASTMASTER: Table Topics (Apples To Apples)

I didn't have to give a speech at Toastmasters this morning, but I was the meeting's assigned Table Topics Master. And it went well.

I actually practiced last night... I practiced more than I thought I would if I did.

"Thank you, Toastmaster of the Day. When I saw that I was going to be in charge of table topics..."

I brought my set of Apples To Apples, and it was fun. I made each of the other members justify why their (noun) was (adjective).

Doug: Halloween - Scary (yeah, that wasn't too bad)
Bertha: The Little Mermaid - Tame (she hadn't ever watched the movie)
Nga: The Milky Way - Foreign (did it as in the candy bar)
Shelrie: I Love Lucy - Courageous (she was voted best table topics)
Charles: Lennon's Tomb - Funky (probably the toughest combo, and he did well)
Sarah: The Smithsonian - Cruel (good match)

Anyways, I was also the General Evaluator for the meeting since attendance had each of us covering at least one position. I thought that it was a really good meeting today.

Now for some food!

RUN: (yesterday) 4 miles @ 28:53

Last night after leaving work a bit late, I dropped off clothes/videos/etc to Goodwill and also bought a mirror there for the office (my office-mate was not surprised this morning). I got to the BCC PL when most of the people were coming back, so I took off for the 4 miles at supposedly 6:40/mile pace (i.e. faster than my latest 5k pace). I ran the loop around Wickham Park, and from the first step on the sidewalk, I knew I had to pee, but I ended up not stopping. I managed about a 7:15 pace overall. It was cold outside, and I was wearing a sweatshirt in addition to the normal running attire, and I was just thankful that I was even out there running, so yay.

WORK: Donation to the Office

WORK: I need home and happy news...

...or a hug. Today's been really really rough. My code is now becoming an over-grown monster. Then there's a massive load of code to review. Another set to test.

I'm under-rested and over-caffinated and under-fed.

Maybe I need some sun... a walk around the lake.

The day is moving fast, but is that really a good thing?

I feel like I'm WAY past the deadline for the friggin' MySQL script fix.

Boo.

Then it's a meeting up in Cocoa after work (... at least there's an end to it).

And it looks like a lot of driving to be done this week.

I should prepare my mind/body to go into shut down mode.

At least there's something good waiting for me at home in the fridge.

MOVIE: Letters From Iwo Jima

Okay. Anyone who knows me knows that I don't usually do what I'd say I'd do when it domes to something that only involves myself -- I tend to break my own word to myself... yeah, it's an issue of self-control... self-control.

In this evening's case, my "no more movies for this weekend" was broken by the opportunity to watch the 7:55p The Last King of Scotland or the 6:55p Letters From Iwo Jima at the AMC Pleasure Island. It was suggested that I go see TLKoS since it was already 7p by the time the hugging was finished, but I went to see LFIJ instead... because 1) I figured that both were about war, 2) LFIJ was nominated for more Academy Awards, 3) LFIJ would complete my viewing of all the Best Picture nominees, and 4) I didn't want to wait 30 minutes plus previews for a movie to start.

So, the movie was about 10 minutes in, and I sat in just any empty seat (it was pretty crowded... so yeah, I was "That" guy... what? there weren't any room to give for "courtesy seats").

I was going to try to go into a deep, detailed analysis of the movie, but it's late and there's work tomorrow. So, what can I say about the movie? I enjoyed it. I thought it was a really good film. Its cinematography was beautiful. And the screenplay was both compelling and meaningful - it told the tale of the invasion from the "other" perspective... it got personal with all the characters, and they felt "real". Yeah, there was a LOT of killing (plus I didn't realize how much suicide there was by the Japanese troops), and I've had to cover my ears/eyes again a number of times. Still, it wasn't as blatant as in most of the other movies I've seen this weekend. Anyways, last thing about the movie I want to say, as far as the viewing goes, is that Clint Eastwood is the new Steven Spielberg. There.

Anyways, after the movie, I walked over to Wolfgang Puck's restaurant and ordered some Pumpkin Ravioli from their Express menu. Here's a picture:

I had already disobeyed orders to first eat then see TLKoS, so after I spied the ravioli on the menu I just had to go to Puck's. The ravioli reminds me of the Butternut Squash ravioli that my older sister buys from BJ's. Reminds me of eating them in her basement on the wooden tv trays watching whatever on the tv with the bulldogs running around. Good memories. Good memories.

Anyways, I miss the doggies! But not as much tonight because I got to hug my guy. And I really needed that, because it looks like it's going to be a really long week -- I've got after-work plans for every day this week (OMG, probably a good thing though).

Okay, still a couple more things to do before bed. So g'night.

WORK: Sunday and Catching Up

I should have gotten this MySQL database Perl backup script finished on Friday, but I was just burned out and feeling over-whelmed. So a quick visit to MK and four kill-them-all movies later, I'm back at work, ready and willing. I did set a end-time today: 5pm, after which I'm planning on heading to Orlando for a quick hug -- both co-hugger/co-huggee need it.

MOVIE: Pan's Labyrinth

Emily was right. Pan's Labyrinth was harder to watch than The Departed. The story was good... very good. It was just so graphic. A lot of times I was covering my ears and squinting my eyes. I'm starting to really appreciate Little Miss Sunshine as a nominee now. OMG, this weekend has just been a lot of heavy on the graphic killings. At least it wasn't as a cop-out device.

Pan's Labyrinth was a lot different than I really thought it was going to be. I feel like Dakota Fanning when she was auditioning for the role of Ofelia... thinking it would be some sort of Alice in Wonderland. OMG, this movie was heavy. I want to go see Volver again now.

I really don't think that I can handle Letters From Iwo Jima tomorrow. I miss my guy. I want to hold him in my arms if nothing else.

Four movies in three days. I'm spent. I'm not going to be able to wake up for practice early tomorrow morning. I think I'm heading to the office whenever I do wake up. Either that, or a frivolous trip to Orlando, perhaps to the teahouse. More likely work though.

Okay, time for bed.

RUN: ~4.5 miles @37:20, Home <--> Avenue

Okay, there's the sweaty picture of me for the day. My hair's getting long. I'm considering shaving it all off (ala Top Chef's Ilan and Elia).

Anyways, I ran from home to the Avenue, did a large inner-loop, then I ran around the back of the big main square. I felt like I was running 8:00 to 8:30 mile pace, and guessed 4 1/2 miles. Once I got back to the house, I looked at my watch, and it pretty much concurred. Yay. Go me.

I ran with the thin black asics shorts, long-sleeved while TLH XC shirt, the state champion sweat shirt, and (for the first couple miles) the orange-ish nike cap. I also had the runner's light attached on my front of my collar.

I ran without stretching beforehand, but I started off easy. I didn't stop. That's one thing that I'm proud about. After this afternoon's visit to the Avenue, and walking (sashay-ing) around until my legs/knees felt aching (due to un-natural/un-normal form), I'm glad that my paranoia of running today was unfounded.

Self control. I have to mention it again. I need to trust in running as a form of releasing energy. I have to remember, recognize, realize that I'm going to get an endorphin high no matter if I run good or bad.

I also have to try to get to the shower within a friggin' hour of finishing... because I tend to get distracted and then marinade, which can lead to baby-rashing (boo).

So it's go go go.

It's only 9:13pm right now... gotta blog The Departed (watched it this afternoon), then shower, then perhaps back out to catch the 10:30p Pan's Labyrinth up in Merritt Island.

MOVIE: The Departed

This afternoon, I went to go see The Departed at the local Rave Motion Pictures:

It was... good. Martin Scorsese should really stick to the streets and not attempt period pieces -- The Aviator and Gangs Of New York were PAINFUL, but this movie wasn't badly directed. Does he deserve Best director?... Meh, it's still a toss-up between him and Alejandro González Iñárritu (Babel). Best picture? I'm hoping not because, like Chicago, I have to ask: What was the point? I don't think that I took anything away from the movie. The story was good (adapted from a Japanese film) and acting was good (if you could get over the Boston accents on non-Boston actors), and the violence got a little ridiculous at the end.

In ADHD news, Leo did pretty good in this film, but part of it was that whenever he was on screen, I was thinking about Eric Dane:

Also, Anthony Anderson? My mind went from "Gritty Drama" to Kangaroo Jack:

What the hell, indeed.

The person that made up for Mr. AA, was James Badge Dale:

He only had a small role, but he reminded me of my guy - except with dark hair and a slightly-receding hairline (yeah, who am I to talk?... I know!).

Okay, so I'll admit that The Departed did deserve its Best Picture nod. I would be sad (but not surprised) if it won. I'm still rooting for Babel, with Letter From Iwo Jima still to be seen (tomorrow?).

MOVIE: Children of Men

I did it again...

Another late night movie. This time, it was the 10:35pm Children of Men showing at the Rave, just down the road. And instead of just six people, as was the case last night, there were perhaps a full dozen. And a pair of chatterboxes in front of me... no matter because SO not worth it and I just phased them out.

Anyways, Children of Men, near-future apocalyptic story of a world where women are infertile and the world at constant war with England being the only nation remaining and left to fight off refugees. The movie follows Clive Owen's character as he gets recruited by a former lover, a leader of a rebel group, to escort a "miraculously pregnant woman to a sanctuary at sea".

The movie was contemporary/futuristic, set in 2027, and it reminded me of 28 Days Later/Equilibrium/AI/Black Hawk Down. It's up for three Academy Awards: Cinematography, Editing, and Adapted Screenplay. I'm not sure about the Adapted Screenplay, but I'd concur with the Cinematography and Editing. I'm not sure if I particularly liked it... it isn't the 8.2/10, #159 in imdb.com's top 250... I think that the execution of the story could have been improved upon. Halfway through, I noticed how the minor characters had "exits" seemingly already planned for each of them -- something to anticipate, at least.

Children of men was different from Babel in that Children of Men is a fantasy film, the story's motivation is goal-oriented and is presented as a single story thread. I couldn't recognize the purpose of the film... except that it was perhaps another portrayal of how unreasonable people are nowadays with all the fighting/conflict, and how we as a whole are missing the point.

Anyways, throughout the entire film, I couldn't help but picture my friend Paul, who looks like Clive Owen. Random, I know. It's past 1am again, and I think that I'm going to go get my oil changed tomorrow. Random, I know.

MOVIE: Babel

I did it. I really did it. I actually got out of the house and went to see Babel.

Babel is a substantial film. It is an ensemble piece that takes place on three continents -- an American couple in Morocco, their children and Mexican nanny in San Diego, and a deaf-mute Japanese girl. As the name suggests, the major theme of the movie is communication/miscommunication -- many languages represented, and many instances where these means collide.

The multiple threads of the story were handled very skillfully. The story wasn't revealed linearly, and in its juggling of the three major storyline, there was enough time given to each in turn to properly develop the characters and feelings.

The movie made the American/US "system" to be an antagonizing force (I kind of enjoyed looking in the border-crossing booth and seeing pictures of the president and vice-president on the wall) but this portrayal wasn't blatant or overblown.

Communication. Miscommunication. People needing help. People needing people. People needing _________.

//********
I enjoyed the film and am glad that I went to go see it. It was also my first time at the Cobb theatre at the Merritt Island Mall. I drove home with the radio off.

Babel is definitely more Oscar-worthy than The Queen and Little Miss Sunshine (and I suspect that the people on the LMS bandwagon haven't seen Babel). I haven't seen The Departed and Letters From Iwo Jima are still on my hit-list. I'll probably watch The Departed and Pan's Labyrinth this weekend, along with The Last King of Scotland and Letters.

As of last weekend, I've seen all of the Best Actress nominees, and my ranking of the five nominees are as follows:
                      1. Helen Mirren (The Queen)
                      2. Meryl Streep (The Devil Wears Prada)
                      3. Judi Dench (Notes On A Scandal)
                      4. Penelope Cruz (Volver)
                      5. Kate Winslet (Little Children)

And as of tonight, I've seen all five of the Best Supporting Actress nominees. Here's how I'm currently ranking them:
                      1. Jennifer Hudson
                      2. Adriana Barraza
                      3. Rinko Kikuchi
                      4. Abigail Breslin
                      5. Cate Blanchett

I really do have to say that Adriana Barraza is going to give Jennifer Hudson a big run for her money. Both Actress fields are extremely strong.

Anyways, that's my "quick" review of the film. I'm going to bed.

RUN: 8x440 @1:23, BCC PL

It was chilly tonight at practice. It was a long-sleeves&should've-worn-mickey-gloves type of night. I had stayed an extra 1/2 hr at work (to 'make up' for this morning), but it turned out all fine. I sort of ran by myself, but it was good for focus. 1/2 mile warm up (very even 9-min mile pace), then I did my 440s@1:30(goal) w/2min rest inbetween... here were my times - 1:15, 1:20, 1:24, 1:21, 1:22, 1:25, 1:24, 1:15

So it was pretty even-ish. The first four were easy, then I could really hear my feet pound for #5-7, then the last one was kind of messy, but got through it. Doug was cool tonight. I'm feeling more at ease about the getting back into running... I'm running 3-4 days a week,... will probably try to get in a run on Saturday and Sunday... maybe not the Sunday morning at 7am deal, but I will get the miles in at some point.

Work was okay today... a bit dragging at first, but picked up towards the end. I'm getting more face time with my boss (and boss's boss)... not sure if that's good or bad, but I think it's better either way. I'm 1/2 hr ahead of "schedule", so I'll either get in late tomorrow, take an extra-long lunch, or head out for Orlando earlier (depends on whether or not I have plans with my guy).

Tonight, I'm heading up to Merritt Island to go see Babel. I'll be home around midnight, so yeah, that's crazy... no drinking until after I get back. I "punched" it last night and passed out watching tv... (still don't know who got eliminated on Top Chef)... and the sugar from the half-pint of sorbet I also ate probably didn't help in the waking-up, turning-off-the-tv-and-lights, and stumbling-to-the-real-bed, but it was really good sleep nonetheless.

Here's a picture of the culprit:
And while we're at it, here are pictures of the tub of hummus that was my dinner (along with almost-an-entire-bag of tortilla chips)...and a whole fryer that I rubbed with mayonnaise and italian seasoning (it smelled really bad... and is currently sitting in my fridge until it's too nasty to eat and acceptable to throw away (boo (woo)))
Anyways, I've got to grab the dinner I've heated up (fish sticks!) and get ready for the movie!

REVISITED: Jennifer Hudson at Orlando Pride 2005

Jennifer Hudson performing at Come Out With Pride Orlando 2005

A picture of me and the soon-to-be Oscar-winner! :)

WORK: Burned out.

Boo.

After an all-scream-at-once meeting, I'm body-tired. It was scheduled from 3:00pm-4:00pm, and I was planning on heading out for Disney soonthereafter, but the loud-and-confusing meeting continued an hour past when it should've, and I was "stranded" at work -- because leaving at 4 would've meant beating most of the traffic. Tomorrow night I have running practice (plus MK closes at 6:30pm for some reason), and then Friday PM counts for next week... so it's going to be drudging for the next couple days.

There aren't any movie showtimes that work tonight, so it's going to be "stranded" at home. I can sort through finances (haven't done that in a while, and I need to do it), but I'm really really really really really tired. I forgot to take my meds this morning, and didn't splurge on coffee either.

Tonight I'm going to roast a chicken, but will have to stop by Publix for some ingredients... mayonnaise, thyme, and Ben&Jerry's (Mango-something-or-other). And since I didn't have any "punch" last night... I'll have to make up for that too.

Maybe I can/could/should rent a movie... then I'd think that I could've/should've gotten it from the library.

I deserve to be spoiled tonight.

I have to keep telling myself that.

Boo.

RACE PHOTOS: 2007 Disney Marathon

"Stitch" to the young children in the crowd...
"Stitch-Goofy" to their parents...
"Eeyore" to the older folk...

RUN: 5 miles @ BCC PL w/Running Camp

This was my first night back to running camp since the Winter session officially started. I had my qualms about going back because I had been thinking of how the coach expects an unreasonable amount of mileage from us, being very pace/time-oriented, etc...

With all the internal drama I've been dealing with and a good talk with my guy, I realized that it wasn't Doug that was expecting an unreasonable amount of mileage. Doug was a metaphor for something else... he was the doubt and uncertainty I had inside me about my performance as a member of the running community. I was in a conflict of my goal-image of myself as a runner and the things that are necessary to get me there. I have to be okay with some bad days and some pain... pain is necessary and expected in growing as a runner, to get myself to the point where a 5K isn't daunting. I can still Not care about my finish time, but to be able to finish and feel good... it's still going to take some effort and trust in The Way.

And the same is true with work. Especially this week, I've been feeling a push to put my nose to my grindstone. Partially it's been the not-wanting-to-be-home, but also because now the programming group is all together in one area... and it's been like a second home. All I want is a small area rug and a larger mirror, and I'm set.

So tonight, I'm putting in a couple more hours... some quick testing, then a more testing... putting a presentation together... probably thinking MORE THAN I SHOULD on it, but I do still need to get it to a presentable/decent state. I checked on the company intranet, and I'm approved for overtime, but only for 10 hours. I'm currently 8 1/2 hours ahead so once I put in a couple hours tonight, I'll have to stick to regular business hours or I'm heading home early on... um, Thursday (which means that I'd totally skip practice to watch a... no, I should still go to practice. I'd just show up to work late on Friday or slide the schedule back an hour or so. Okay, now I'm rambling.

I figure that the time I spend on the unclass right now is fine, because 1) I'm not counting it towards my work hours, but 2) I'm spend my time "online" more productively than if I was at home. Suzie just informed me that the pictures from the Disney Marathon Weekend are up. I'll grab those, then finish my work, go home, then perhaps post them (tonight or tomorrow morn... after my presentation in the afternoon...).

Oh, the run. I ran a 1/2 mile warm-up, then ran 4 miles (non-stop) at 6:20, 7:23, 8:00, 6:23, and cooled-down 1/2 mile with Donna. I felt strong, but also not at a high endurance level -- that will come in time. It was a good run. Felt a little pain in my right foot, but I started alternating my miles (clockwise, counter-clockwise) to aleviate that problem. I also stretched! I also got encouragement from Doug. I know I have to stay consistent with my training.

Okay, pictures then work.

RUN: Florida Today Picture

A running friend emailed me that I had made the Florida Today picture gallery!... not a bad pic... not gorgeous, but not bad. Yay!

JOURNAL: Current Internal Conflict

I've been feeling manic lately -- great "high" moments followed by a free-falling lull afterwards. I have to attribute a lot of it to my not GOING FOR what I want... holding back because reality sets in hard (-- "what am I working towards?"). And I also attribute it to falling out of a regular schedule. And as a result, I both press-on aggressively towards some ventures -- mid-day/midnight/marathon sessions at work -- and I revert back to unhealthy habits -- I won't go into details here, but will say that I'm just numbing myself at home... trying not to think too far in the future.

What can be done? What is to be expected? What do I need?

I don't know. I don't know. Perhaps just to get out of town... revisit people I haven't seen in a long time... meet new people... or just to get back onto some sort of schedule... get back on the running program.

We'll see how that goes tonight... that is, if I don't stay too late here at work.

MOVIE: OSCAR NODS!!!

I have to get back to work, but I've GOT TO BLOG about the nominees announces like a few seconds ago.

I was either 5/5 or 4/5 for all of the acting categories
   Actress: 5/5
   Actor: Sasha Baron Cohen Will Smith
   Sup. Actress: 5/5
   Sup. Actor: 4/5 Jack Nicholson Djimon Honsou

I was 3/3 for Best Animated Feature.
For Best Picture, I was 4/5: Dreamgirls Little Miss Sunshine

:(   Surprises

•     No Volver for Best Foreign Language
  
•     No Sasha Baron Cohen for Best Actor
  
•     No nods for Casino Royale
  
  :)   Surprises
  
•     All of the Actress/Sup. Actress nods!
  
•     No Dreamgirls for Best Picture
  
•     Ryan Gosling for Best Actor
  
•     Abigail Breslin for Best Sup. Actress
  
•     Sasha Baron Cohen for Best Adapted Screenplay
  
•     "Love You I Do" (Jennifer Hudson!) for Best Song
  

Overall, the nominees this year are impressive!

JOURNAL: 11 1/2 hours of good work

It's been the most productive 11 1/2 hours of work I've had in a long time. I attribute it to a number of things:

    1. Gorging and Drinking last night --> six taco bell tacos, a box of microwave pot-stickers, and a few glasses of "juice" helped with getting some good sleep.

    2. ADHD meds + 2 cups of coffee --> alertness and frequent pee-breaks -- sections off the day in manageable bites -- plus, who needs lunch?

    3. Heavier hands/greater expectations from management --> the combo of belief and need to do better, delivered by a more-involved boss.

    4. No unclass PCs in our work hallway --> cuts down on my email-neediness/news-dependency. Focus, focus, focus...

    5. Cozy work area/No windows --> I'm glad that I came in over the weekend to set up a couple new lights and fake plants... it's back to dorm-days/of more productivity... it's like working at home. And the lack of visual circadian cues puts me in my own industrious little world... like Narnia: Office-edition.

JOURNAL: VENT

Much needed vent...

I was sitting in the movie theatre waiting for the movie to start... it was about 15 miuntes late before they started the previews, then up comes the beginning of Arthur and the Invisibles?... W.T.F?!

Oh, I was raging. After leaving the house promptly to catch the 4:30pm showing of Pan's Labyrinth, after waiting in their eff-ing concessions line with people cutting in front of me, after being asked if I minded that there were going to be subtitles, I went into a pitch dark movie theatre, sat in a chair with freakin' trash in it, moved to another chair only to have people freakin' sitting RIGHT next to me even though there's plenty of seats everywhere else..., watched slideshow advertisements for 15 minutes, another 10 minutes of commercials, 5 minutes of previews, then the first 2 minutes of ALL-ENGLISH freakin' Arthur and the Invisibles? F.

Something clicked, and I was ready to throw things. I could have been at work instead getting stuff done. I could have been at home working on photos or at Wal-Mart printing those photos. I got a refund for the ticket, but nothing for all the time that they wasted... nothing more than a meaningless Sorry by a lowly employee. It eff-ing sucked, and now I'm all frazzled and angry.

I know that something like this really shouldn't get me down so much, but I don't know... I'm seriously needing a big hug right now. I need someone to tell me that everything's alright. This is the hardest thing to handle.

Blind-sided.

It's another movie theatre boycott for me... Cinemaworld for their redneck clientele, and now Oak's for their incompetent employees. Looks like it'd down to just the Rave now (I do like their midnight showings) or driving to Orlando again.

I need a hug.

***
UPDATE: after speaking with my friend Paul, I'm a little better. I just needed someone to empathize with me a bit. And I now realize that it really isn't the end of the world. Paul suggested that I head over to Disney like I really want to, but I checked the operation hours and MK's only open til 8pm. :( At least it's a clear choice.

Well, I'm not getting a WHOLE lot done at work yet, so out of the 4-5 hours I'll be here, I'll count only about 2-3. Boo. I'm still needing something to fight off the inswell feeling of depression from the botched attempt at a movie... (Oh, this is why I don't go out to movies very much... at least to movies here in Melbourne... idiots).

RUN: ~5 miles @ 46:30, Home <--> Carrabba's

I did a mid-day run of 5 miles from home to Carrabbas on Wickham & back. Yeah, it was sunny, but it was also a much needed run in the sun. It was one of those in-the-meantime sort of runs... something to do until I decide what to do next. It was suggested by a friend, so points to him. :)

I wore a gray, sleeveless, compression shirt and my clemson sports shorts and an orange nike hat that would both block some sun rays and wick-away some sweat.

After getting home, I made a breakfast meal and some pasta:
And this is in addition to the kabobs I made and the apple pie a la mode that was YUM YUM!:

Okay, now I've gotta get out of here and head in the general direction of work... :)

JOURNAL: Blogging from Work

It's friggin 1:10am.

I'm attracted to the weird hours... it's my masochism that keeps me off-kilter.

Anyways, today, I did blog about the run. Afterwards was tv and LOTS of eating. I passed out asleep for a few hours, but did get a call from my guy, who I miss with greater frequency as of late. I enjoy the time that we have together, but it'd difficult to not think about the future. I'm fighting it hard though.

Anyways, I did get to work around 8:30pm, but I'm only counting 3 hours. I set up the tall lamp I bought from Wal-Mart, and the roominess of the office jumped a few notches. I was also able to listen to my Nelly Furtado ["Loose"] CD, and I'm quite attracted to Track #12 All Good Things.
I really don't think that I'm going to make it to practice tomorrow morning, though I need to be starting back with the long runs. Five miles wouldn't be too too bad, but I will probably do a long sleep instead -- as I will not be able to physically wake up early enough to run with the group.

Then I'm thinking about heading over to Orlando to MK and perhaps to catch some Babel, though the local alternatives would be to get the Vancouver photos for albums friggin' chosen and ordered, and to put in even more time at the office to work on a presentation and some code. Oooo... I made progress tonight! So I'm going home happy. And tired.

Okay, bed by 2am hopefully... all depends on how much to groom tonight. My complexion's not looking too great at the moment. And the long sleep should help.

RACE: GEF Light the Way 5K, Titusville, FL, 21:0x

This morning was the Light the Way 5K at the Park Avenue Christian Academy in Titusville. It's the third race in the Titusville Racing Series, and my first race after the Goofy Challenge. Even though the race started 2 hours later than Disney, it was friggin' chilly! I was breathing cold air for the entire race. Here are my splits:

    1 mile - 6:30 (6:30)
    2 miles - 13:37 (7:07)
    3 miles - 20:16 (6:39)
    3.1 miles - 21:00 (0:44)

I had some butterflies in my stomach before the race. It had been 5 days since my last run, and I can't say that I ate well the night before. I got about 5 hours of sleep (if that much), but all in all the race was good... better than I had hoped. I didn't place in my age group (3rd place was 19:5x... kicked my ass... oh well).

The ride home was good. I had plenty to eat at the race (4 bagel halves... nice and soft... yummy... plus a cup of coffee!). I've listened to all of the week's podcasts that I've burned to CD (I need an iPod), so I was listening to a mix tape I made last night with some music I bought off of iTunes (yes, I actually buy music online... good for me):

   1. "Nothing In This World" by Paris Hilton - What? It's a fun song. That's hot. They played this at the Disney marathon. Speaking of which, I probably should've also gotten Weird Al Yankovich's "White and Nerdy"... it'll be on the next mix tape.
   2. "Say It Right" by Nelly Furtado - Good memories with this song. DAK with my guy. Definitely another danceable track. Bought this track from iTunes then went out and bought the entire Loose CD... I want some Nelly Furtado at work.
   3. "Buttons" by Pussy Cat Dolls - I like all the dinging. When I hear this song, I think about PCD performing this song on So You Think You Can Dance. Travis really should have won over Benji. Benji's entertaining, but he won by sympathy. Boo.
   4. "Move" from Dreamgirls - Jennifer Hudson rules! I wanted this song ever since I heard it and saw J Hud shake those tatas! (Seriously, am I really gay?... well, I did buy a ticket to go see Dreamgirls... *shrug*...) You go DIVA!
   5. "Irreplaceable" by Beyonce - "You must not know what I mean. You must not know what I mean." Nice hook. Plus this song's just a little stronger than her impressive "Listen" from Dreamgirls. It's a good cool-down song.

Anyways, so I came home, mowed the lawn (changed the blade), uploaded the race pictures, sent out the link email, and finished this blog.

I rule.

Now for a shower, more food, then out to run errands and go touch the office.

MOVIES: The Queen, Volver, Little Children, Notes on a Scandal

Today, on my [Fri]day off, I slept in. The only thing planned was lunch in Orlando with my guy. I had considered heading over early to hit one of the parks beforehand (a bit of a craving for some Space Mountain and Haunted Mansion) but in the end, the need for sleep won out. My guy and I went to Chili's and had another nice lunch together. I enjoy hearing about his latest pursuits and about the people in his life.

After lunch, he had to go back to work, and I headed to see The Queen at the AMC Pleasure Island. I then headed to the teahouse and helped out a little bit before the showing of Volver at the Enzian.

I just wanted to stop in at the teahouse and see everyone -- Nigel and Danny were there, but I mostly caught up with Cori. Pom had left for home early... maybe I'll see her next time.

Afterwards, I headed back to Melbourne, talked with both my sisters, and stopped by Wal-mart before getting home -- I had bought the Nelly Furtado "Loose" CD, a by-the-cup water heater, and a tall lamp, all for the office.

Tomorrow's an early race in Titusville, then home to upload the photos and also to mow the lawn, take a shower, maybe put in an order for some digital pictures at Wal-Mart (for the photo albums I'm putting together of the Vancouver trip -- yes, still..), then off to work. And if I get enough done, then I'll treat myself to a showing of either Pan's Labyrinth, Children of Men, or Curse of the Golden Flower.

Anyways, here are some [very] brief comments of the four movies from this weekend (The Queen and Volver) and last weekend (Little Children and Notes on a Scandal). But first of all, just noticed that the four movies each has a lead actress that is very likely to garner an Oscar nod (the predicted fifth is Meryl Streep for The Devil Wears Prada, and I've already seen that movie); so I've pretty much got this category covered. :)


The Queen (3.5 of 5)

Helen Mirren should definitely grab the Oscar for her potrayal of Queen Elizabeth II, and I hope that Michael Sheen grabs a nod for playing Tony Blair. Strong performances, but I have to admit that I did fall asleep for ??? during the middle of it. The subject matter of how the queen handled the death of Diana was very heavy, and as my older sister pointed out, the movie didn't have a soundtrack. The fact that the projector at the theatre was bouncing the image up and down quite a bit didn't help me fight slumber. Still, I saw enough to say that the performances were very good and be able to cross the movie off my list. Good, but perhaps not my cup of tea.


Volver (4 of 5)

Very good foreign-styled film -- it wasn't an American movie in a foreign language. Being by Pedro Almodovar, Volver was very character-driven, and again, all the performances were very good, especially Penelope Cruz. I watched this at a sold out Enzian showing and ordered more food than I really should've... large popcorn, chocolate-chip cookies, and an espresso... all foods that are pretty bad for my stomach, but I figured that since I was there stag, I had no one to possibly hurt ("hurt"). I really need to be less frivilous with my money. Oh well. I was about to "not go" to see it... and go back to Melbourne early... but I remember that my guy said that I should go, and then we'll talk about it next week. I'm glad that I went. Good film that will easily get a foreign-language nod. I have to wait until after Pan's Labyrinth though before I make a prediction for that award.


Little Children (4.5 of 5) [last weekend]

I went to go see this at the Enzian with my guy. We shared an order of pita and hummus, then I had a hot dog with some awesome homemade string french fries, while he had a salad. Oh, the movie... again, really good performances. Kate Winslet and Jackie Earle Haley deserve Oscsar nods, and Patrick Wilson was very nice as the "Prom King" (CD). The tone of the narration was interesting, and the smalltown feel of the film had a somewhat familiar resemblance to Todd Field's last movie In The Bedroom (one of my favorite films). The scenes at the neighborhood park were the best: "Want to freak them out?..."


Notes on a Scandal (3.5 of 5) [last weekend]

Judi Dench as a delusional black-mailing lesbian spinster... nice. Definite nod there. And Cate Blanchett should also pic up a nod for the substantial-ness of her role, though she really should NOT win, because Jennifer Hudson was totally awesome in Dreamgirls... plus Cate's already won the Oscar that she was "owed" (sorry, I had to put in my pre-awards rant). Anyways, the movie was good, but this film along with Little Children made for a heavy weekend as far as movie-watching went. Nice company to do that with though. Afterwards, my guy and I had a great great meal at the nearby Japanese restaurant (strawberry saki and mango tango sushi). Loved the food-oriented weekend.


Okay, that's about it. It's midnight, and I still need to shower and gather for tomorrow morning's 6:15am wakeup call. I'm just going to run easy tomorrow and try to get some good pictures to post. G'night. :)