RUN: 2 miles @ slow. Home <--> WM. Catching Up.

Two things that I'm not liking lately are 1) lots of sun, and 2) lightning. Both are good reasons Not to run, but the Need to run was getting too great, so after work, I went to run while it was "between the two scaries" outside... bright but also with partial cloud cover and about to rain but in the "maybe God's getting ready to beat his wife (again)" sort-of-way.

Anyways, I ran. 2 miles. With water. And it really felt like I had forgotten how to run. It's such that I really can't believe that I used to run sub-7-minute miles. My legs (knees in particular -- no jokes Cori) quickly start to hurt, and it's a struggle to run more than a couple minutes at a time (what's up?!). But I got out there.

...

As posted, I had been on hi8us from the blog for about a week. It's been nice not to be particularly glued to the computer organizing/posting pictures and agonizing over typing words. But I also felt as though I was losing a short segment of my chronology. So, my goal for the month is to try to find a good balance of splash and substance.

And on that note, here are just a few pictures from the past couple weeks:
[this should also make up for the recent (quick-and-easy/lazy) video posts]

Running (I'm getting chubby, all the while still looking decent *shrug*)

7/05/07                      7/06/07                      7/12/07
Food (using up what's laying around the kitchen)
Projects (more hanging up of stuff)

Friends(July 4th at Universal with Cori, Marty, and Tiffany) (Watching Harry Potter at Cyn's with Dan and Beth)(Toastmaster Training in Orlando with Nga)
Pets (my nephews and nieces)Ollie and Sam

Caleah and Zeus

StinkyPants and Nala

Miscellaneous (...)Bling City Grills

Guitar Hero


Lizard Hitch-Hiker


Sense of Accomplishment

VIDEO: Eva Avila on Canadian Idol

Eva Avila is the winner of Canadian Idol and the person who will be singing the O Canada song for the updated film at the Canada pavilion at Epcot.

MUSIC: "With Love" (Castillo Remix)

JOURNAL: Blog Holiday (Hi8us)

Read it or not, my last posting (JOURNAL: It is July.) was a calling or sort. I need a break from this blog. My energies need to be directed elsewhere. Much like TV and Disney, I've been a slave to blogging.

Blogging does make me happy. To share my daily experiences and thoughts -- to have something to go back to and re-live.

But now, I want something more. I want someone to share close moments with. I just can't settle for a substitute.

The road ahead will be a bit dark & twisty, I'm sure. There was literally lightning in the horizon on my drive home from work today (yes, I went to work today). But I'm heading out to run nonetheless. I need it. And if I get struck, so be it. All I know is that I need out.

I'm giving this hi8us one week. I'll be back July 9th.

NO MOVIE: Sicko

I just drove a total of 50 minute to-and-from Merritt Island for nothing. Yahoo movies listed Sicko as playing at the Cobb Theatre 16. But when I got to the box office, the person behind the glass just rolled his eyes (what an asshole) and directed me to a taped-up printout blaming the Weinstein company for limited prints. Cobb 16, you're officially on my Crap List.

VIDEO: We can't forget television.

This is for you (you know who you are).

okay, one more.

MOVIE: Live Free or Die Hard

"You just killed a helicopter with a car!"
"I was out of bullets."
Awesome, Awesome, Awesome! I don't care that I didn't see any of the other Die Hard movies. This one pretty much rocked it. Lots of action (adrenaline all the way through) with witty and meaningful back-and-forth dialog (got to really get to know the characters) and fast-fingers computer hacking (okay... I'll play along).

Going into the movie theater (Rave MP this time), I only knew that it was getting a lot of good reviews. I called Chuck up 15 minutes before the 5:15pm movie started, and he agreed to be my excuse not to go to 6:00pm church (I won't explain that here). Anyways, the movie hooked us right from the start. If someone told me the concept of the movie, then I'd be interested but a bit skeptical about anyone trying to pull it off. This movie pulls it off.

Anyways, Live Free Or Die Hard's really, really good. And be sure to take care of all business beforehand (it'll be hard to find 30 seconds to spare). Now I'm grabbing a quick dinner before heading to Merritt Island for the 10:00pm showing of Sicko. And tomorrow I'm watching Ratatouille again, this time at the Oaks with Emily for her birthday. Four theatres in one weekend! (Anyone up for the Enzian?!)

MOVIE: Pixar's Ratatouille

Aieyaaaaaaaah!
What can I say about Pixar's Ratatouille except that it's really good? It has a good story, a strong heart, incredible animation, and for the one hour and fifty minutes, I forgot that I was in Melbourne... and in Cinemaworld.

There are a lot of good parts, but I really liked the part towards the start of the second act when we're following Remy (above) through the walls and up the pipes in the city.

Anyways, I'm sure that I'll see it one more time in the theaters, but I've got a couple of other movies to catch this weekend (Live Free or Die Hard, and Sicko). What a great weekend for movies!

FOOD: Hazel's Caribbean Restaurant

Friday, Chuck and I drove to Palm Bay after work to meet up with my friend Cyn at Hazel's Caribbean Restaurant, a Mom & Pop (minus the Pop) restaurant with ethnic flair.We each ordered the 3-piece Jerk Chicken meal which came with sides of cabbage and rice-and-beans. The sides were nothing special, but the chicken was really good -- I'm not usually a fan of the spicy, but the chicken was well seasoned and very flavorful. The dinner was reasonably-priced, the atmosphere comfortable, and the restaurant unique for this area, so yeah, I'd definitely head back the next time I'm in the area.

JOURNAL: Isaiah's a hater.

In a piece of news from imdb.com,
"Actor Isaiah Washington insists the only reason he was fired from TV show Grey's Anatomy for making a homophobic remark was because of the color of his skin."

Washington goes on to cite the examples of "actor Robert Downey, Jr., who has rebuilt his career despite multiple run-ins with the police over his drug problems, and politician Arnold Schwarzenneger, who has fought allegations of sexual misconduct."

All I can say is that what Robert Downey Jr and Arnold Schwarzenneger did were about love (granted, illegal and inappropriate love), but what Isaiah Washington did was about hate and bigotry.

I think that Isaiah Washington should really stop talking.

VIDEO: SYTYCD S3, Jessi & Pasha, ChaCha

Here's the video of Jessi & Pasha performing the Rumba during tonight's results show. Pasha was safe but sadly Jessi was eliminated. Now Pasha will be paired with Sara... I really hope that this isn't too much of an odd-couple -- a ballroom dancer and a breaker.

Video clip:

JOURNAL: Haircut

RUN: 4.9-ish miles @39:29, Home<-->Interlachen

Work wasn't much today. I was very tired. Toastmasters was lively though -- officer induction -- and now I'm officially the Sergeant-At-Arms of the Harris SpeakEZ Club 2380 (woo). There was food (sandwiches, chips, cake). I bought and brought cupcakes and ate three of them... (hey, they weren't going to eat themselves).

Once I got home, I read my "Now that you're a Sergeant-At-Arms" booklet then took a 30-minute nap that lasted an hour-and-a-half. I then got ready to run and walked out into the dark, but before running, took a moment to use a pair of grass-cutters and trim around mailbox, transformer, and trees (sense of accomplishment).

The run was fine... 8-minute miles... not too hard, not too easy.... wore an undershirt, my [ladies] Brooks shorts, new shoes, and music. After a couple miles, my right knee started to ache. I proceeded with more caution and made it home okay. Knowing that I need to take better care of myself if I want to survive the upcoming long-distance races, I actually did it... I iced it. Next time I'll be sure to include 10-minutes of stretching before and afterwards.

Slow day, nice evening... overall, a good quiet day.

Here are the pics:

I need a haircut. It's a wrap.Goodnight.

VIDEO: SYTYCD S3, Sabra & Dominic, Rumba

I've always liked Sabra -- because her happiness reminds me of a good friend from college... and because she has awesome hair -- but I really didn't care for Dominic... at first. During auditions, I felt that he was a one-note dancer so full of himself, but after watching the two of them landing in the bottom 3 for their impressive disco (week 1) and seeing how well he worked with Sabra tonight, I think they're my second-favorite couple (behind Jessi & Pasha, of course). They really did another absolutely fabulous performance tonight.

Video clip:

Sabra, let that hair free!

VIDEO: SYTYCD S3, Melanie & Pasha, Cha Cha

On tonight's So You Think You Can Dance, Pasha's partner Jessi had to get emergency attention for a heart problem; dancing in her place was the choreographer's assistant, Melanie. I really hope that Jessi is alright by tomorrow and can still "dance for her life". The silver lining is that there's more Pasha (though Jessi wasn't exactly hard on the eyes either).

Video clip:

Get well soon, Jessi!

Pasha's so adorable.

NOSTALGIA: Other Things I Can Do Well...

I was cleaning my bedroom and underneath my bed was a box. And in that box were papers from school back when I lived in South Carolina. The one that I immediately looked for, I found.
I am most proud of what I wrote for "Other things I can do well":

I'm special.

JOURNAL: Where I was this morning.

This morning, I was almost to work when the receptionist at Christie Dental called to let me know that I was late for an appointment. I turned the car around without hesitation because 1) it'd be less trouble than rescheduling and 2) it was a good alternative/excuse for being late for work.

I had a couple cavities that needed to be taken care of. Here's a POV shot from the chair:The procedure involved some drilling, but it didn't hurt -- my dentist is good... plus he's cute... and he gave me local anesthesia.

Anyways, I was off to work in no time, where I managed to get a fair amount of code-work done. Now, I'm home trying to decide between food, rest, exercise, and sheer novelty. Stay tuned for more.

JOURNAL: Admitting it is the first step.

I saw this license plate on the way home today.It reminded me of this one you've probably seen online at some point.

FOOD: Noodles and Dumplings, Irene-style

Last night, Irene made transparent noodles with shrimp and vegetables, topped with fragrant scallions, chopped cilantro, and fresh lime.
And today she prepared some gyoka (dumpings) filled with shrimp and vegetables with sauce made from ginger, scallions, cilantro, and soy sauce.
Both dishes were tasty and also good for us. Thank you Irene!

RUN: 1.8-ish miles, Home <--> WM (Wonton, Ramen)

Today, I ran to Wal-Mart to pick up some wonton wrappers for Irene (she's making shrimp and vegetable dumplings! food pics to follow) and some ramen noodles (replenishment). I took the short way out of the neighborhood (first time through the large field, second time via the first entrance). It was around noontime and I work a long-sleeved tech, my thin black shorts, my new shoes, and a hat. It was hot, but I carried a bottle of water and was alright.

The entire trip (including checkout) only took me 19 1/2 minutes. And yeah, it counts as a workout because it was friggin' noon and I sweated. After getting back, I headed back outside, mowed the lawn (a must task), and sprayed bug protection around the perimeter of the house (peace of mind task). When I got in, Irene was done chopping the vegetables and was now assembling the dumplings and Masayo was hard at work cleaning the bathroom (awww). She inspired me to clean my own bathroom... shower... curtain (which was much needed, believe me).

Anyways, such a nice Sunday it's been. It's like family visiting... wait, it is family visiting :) I <3 Irene and Masayo.

GORGEOUS: From the OGC Program

This was the best best best use of advertisement space in last night's program. Wouldn't you want to grab a drink at the Savoy?!
[NOTE: this is entry #60 for the month! what do I win? (no confetti please)]

FOOD: Mexico and Japan

At Epcot, we had lunch at the San Angel Inn, the table-service restaurant located in the Mexico Pavilion. Irene and Masayo have eaten there a couple times before. The atmosphere was very cozy and would be a great place to bring a date -- a meal by candlelight, beside a soothing river and a calm marketplace with its occasional mariachi band in the background.

They offered a nice menu (not too extensive, but also not too limited). We each found something that got us excited... um... about eating.

Here's what we ordered:
Masayo - Tacos De Pescado
flour tortillas filled with tilapia, peppers, onions, and served with a Morita sauceIrene - Tacos Al Carbon
flour tortillas filled with grilled beef, peppers, onions, guacamole, and sour creamMe - Tacos Al Pastor (really good!)
soft corn tortillas filled with achiote marinated pork garnished with grilled diced pineapple, onions and cilantroAnd then after our meal, I found out that Irene was just as bad of a sponsor as my sister...

So, she had our waiter Alberto (Alberto, Alberto, Alberto) to take a picture of the three of us:
Then had him take a picture with me because "this was my *ahem* first time to Epcot" and so I could... (get this)... have my picture taken with a Mexican.

...

omg.

...

HA!

Here's the picture:
(notice our non-inappropriateness -- I think that I was still in shock).

So, thanks Irene for being my Cori ("Can you make my dreams come true?") on this trip.

...

After that, we headed over to the American Adventure for our mid-day nap. The 20-minute rest in the air-conditioned dark was much needed. And for whatever credit, I did wake-up in time to watch the final musical montage in which some new scenes were recently added -- and I can check AA off my to-see list. *yawn* (much needed)

...

Anyways, Irene gets hungry after naps so as continued to make our way around the world, we stopped by Japan and got some Kaki Gori (shaved ice topped with fruit syrups), something Masayo is familiar with since she grew up in Japan. It's not like the American shaved ice which is more crushed. Kaki Gori is more like fallen snow on gentle lotus leaves. Irene and Masayo shared a Strawberry cone while I went for the Honeydew Melon. We took our treats to the Japanese gardens and enjoyed them there.
Ooo... it was such a happy-good treat and something that I'll probably get the next time I'm over there... happy memories, happy memories.It was such a nice visit to Epcot with the ladies; the rides are fun and fine to do as a single-rider, but eating there with friends... what a wonderful experience!