Holdouttrout

First, I just finished an eight-week running program that is, theoretically, a Couch to 5K program. However, it's all done by time, and I am slow, so I just ran a little over 2 miles in 35 minutes.

The important part here is that I. Ran. For. Thirty-Five. Minutes. Straight.

Me.

I felt so good I ALMOST thought that it might be fun to keep running. :-)

I hesitate to put this out there, but I feel like it might be useful or encouraging knowledge for someone: I haven't lost a pound since I started running--and no, I wasn't trying to lose any weight. I haven't changed my eating habits and I haven't gone up or down a size, either. It's certainly possible that I am eating more calories, but I haven't felt like I'm eating a ton more than I was before. I DO feel much stronger and way more fit--it's constantly surprising to me how much MORE I can do without feeling out of breath. Anyway, there's some anecdotal evidence for you to use as you see fit.

... and now for the Sharks!

I wasn't able to actually watch Sharknado, but I almost don't care. People's tweets last night made me happy, and I have a few links to keep here for maximum joy:

(All of these have spoilers.)

Cleolinda compiles everything she knows about Sharknado
The writer of Sharknado answers some very serious questions
A beautiful review of a beautiful movie
The fact that this happened means that there will always be hope for humanity

That's the $10 question, isn't it? I keep hearing how people really liked it, and then read reviews that pretty much tell me that I'm not going to enjoy it all that much.

(If you're wondering, I didn't much care for the first one for various reasons, the smallest and pettiest of which was the plethora of miniskirts for no logical reason. Honestly, at this point, I'm not sure I really remember most of the specifics of the other reasons.)

(The pettiest reason I am not too thrilled about this movie? THE LACK OF THE COLON IN THE TITLE.)

Maybe instead of Star Trek, I should go see Iron Man 3 again.

I was initially just tickled at the idea of the Hulk REVIEWING MOVIES, but then I saw that there was a link where the Hulk explains Mulholland Drive, which I admit I saw and did not even come close to understanding, even though I would have said that it was an intensely compelling experience.

I read the whole 11,000 word explanation (which is in ALL CAPS, because HULK), thinking to myself how amazing simple it really was and how I could possibly have missed it... but it was the part at the very end that made me write this entry.

The Hulk was defending that there's room for a complex movie like Mulholland Drive to exist, and he made the point that he watches all movies while asking the same questions about character motivations and theme and imagery that Mulholland Drive demands. Sometimes this means that uncomfortable questions about "popcorn" movies come up. I can't tell you the number of times I've been told that I need to "just enjoy" the movie, and not think about everything that is wrong about it. To that idea, the Hulk says this:

THERE IS NO REAL VALIDITY TO "TURNING YOUR BRAIN OFF" ARGUMENT. THAT'S PURELY AN EXCUSE TO GIVE A PASS TO SOMETHING ONE KNOWS IS BAD. AND IT'S AN EVEN BIGGER LIE BECAUSE THE BEST POPCORN MOVIES CAN ACTUALLY TURN YOUR BRAIN ON.

That.

:-)

Every time I post these days I feel like I need to apologize profusely and come bearing fic--but I am not going to jinx anything by actually talking about fic here. Shhh.

I don't even want to know how long it has been. I suspect longer than I have been pet-sitting, or I would use that as an excuse. So here's some things that have happened recently:

1. Fall meetings are starting up again. This is both happy and a little scary. I will have at least one fewer night at home from now until December.

2. My laptop battery... well, it didn't quite blow up, but it did do alarming things that suggest I should probably not use it for the time being. As in, ever again. So that's fun.

3. I caught up on the teamy, wonderful, awesome goodness of Leverage! Oh, so much fun. I'm with Parker--Nate's getting creepier, but I kinda like him that way. And I also think the whole Nate/Sophie thing is cute, ridiculous, and going to blow up in their faces.

4. I have also seen a couple of eps of Necessary Roughness, which is cute, and Misfits, which is anything but, but is very interesting.

5. Awkward fannish question time! Way back in the day, one of the shows I didn't watch but secretly wanted to* was Lexx. Turns out it's available on hulu, so I watched eps 1 and 2... does it get any better? Because I'm kinda intrigued but... well, honestly, I'm a little bored.

6. I saw the new Jane Eyre movie and LOVED IT. I love Jane, and this movie made me remember why. The quips! The naivete! Her firmness in pursuing her own happiness! Plus, I love moody atmospheric things. Still don't quite know what to think about Rochester, but I think I liked him a bit better this time around.


*Most anything with hints of sex/sexual tension fell into this category--I blame it on my conservative upbringing.

This weekend was really, really nice: Saturday for errands and housework, and Sunday for relaxing with wonderful friends, playing leisurely card games in the sunny backyard while their chickens hunted bugs in the corner.

Sometimes I even realize I have a great life.

Today, I finally got around to reading Walked Right out of the Machinery by rydra_wong. I know, I know, I'm terribly late. BUT. It's truly fabulous. GAH.

I also read Like a Body Wholly Body, by troyswann, which is a follow-up snippet to Operator, an AU SG-1/Matrix crossover. (Jack/Daniel) SG-1 and the Matrix--what could be better?

I also watched Repo! The Genetic Opera, and all I have to say is... WTF?

Finally, the saddest Darth Vader you'll ever see.

The icon has nothing to do with the post*, except I still think it's hilarious.

Next in a line of bad movies: My Little Pony Live Action Trailer. Make sure to watch to the end, no matter how terrified you feel. It's worth the emotional scarring.


I also discovered My First Dictionary, which brings that subtle note of creepiness you've always wanted to associate with innocuous words.

*I suppose I could mention that my boss's wife is having her baby today, but...well, the icon still doesn't actually apply.

( I went to see Wicked this weekend )

Speaking of books, I'm reading Silent on the Moor, by Deanna Raybourn, and loving every melodramatic, overly foreshadowed moment of it. I ought to be reading The Source, which is interesting, long, and due (for reals this time) on April 4, but Moor is way easier to get into, and a lot more...fun. And melodramatic! I have my suspicions, Annerb, about who's really behind the...well, you know. And if I don't get at LEAST a little more kissing this book, I'm going to tear out my hair in frustration.

I have physical therapy scheduled for Thursday, and I AM feeling better besides. Still have the back pain, and my hip and knee (which my doctor thinks is secondary to my back, which makes sense to me) occasionaly give me problems. Mostly when I think I'm feeling better.

My jacksamfriends fic has a title and a summary, and I'm rather amused that I'm done on time, considering how much trouble it caused me at first. Other ficathon fics have...words. I am actually on track for my writing goals this month, too, after some scrambling make-up work over the weekend.

Oh! And I saw Monsters vs. Aliens this weekend. ( vague spoilers )

Also, I have to say, somewhat abashedly, that I'm entirely too excited for the Star Trek movie. I mean, I know better, but I still catch myself squeeing every single time. I don't know why! People! Save me!

I am off work today, but it is not ALL fun and games. For one thing, there's that Do Something Scary fic that still has to be written, a scarf that has to be crocheted, and two Christmas presents to be bough, numerous cards to be written, and then wrapping of presents, too.

*sighs*

I saw The Lost Boys last night! Vampires in California! I liked it a lot--angsty teen vampires done right! And the music was pretty awesome, too, which never hurts. Some great cheesy bits, too. :-)

First: I am not going to watch Continuum before it arrives at my door. I don't care how old-school this makes me--I love the suspense and impatience of waiting, and I'm not giving that up.

Second, A Christian response to the Gloucester pregnancy pact. I know it's not indicative of all Christian thought on the subject, but it is an interesting read, and there are a couple of things I thought were worth thinking about.

( in which I get religious about marriage and pregnancy )

I definitely intend to play this week's ljdq. The only problem is that I don't feel particularly witty this week. *sighs*

My Grand Chapstick Experiment, wherein I attempt to discover if I am, indeed, addicted to chapstick, is going rather well. I'm allowing myself lotion instead of any straight lip product, which is at least SOMETHING, and I can feel my lips again, which is...kinda awkward. *g* I did give in the night before last when I was going to bed, and OMG, the BLISS. But since then, I haven't really felt like I needed it. I have a little bit of a rough patch on the top of my top lip, but I think that's because I've had an uber-runny nose the past three days and have used copious amounts of kleenex.

Finally, via rm, Metropolis has been found! For those of you not up on your silent films, Metropolis, directed by Fritz Lang, is The Iconic Speculative Sci Fi Movie. It's really cool to watch it, because so many later sci-fi movies completely ripped it off paid homage to it. Anyway, after 1927, several scenes of the movie were reported completely lost, but they finally resurfaced. So cool! I shall have to make KR watch it with me again when the new scenes are released...bwa ha ha!

Thank you--you totally made my ENTIRE YEAR. You know what I'm talking about.

In other, less-obscure news, I finally saw Back to the Future II and Back to the Future III. I can't believe I hadn't seen them before! (Neither could the friends I was with at the time, which is why I saw them.) That, my friends, it time travel done just about as well as a movie can possibly manage. I love how each story segued into the next, and they were all just so charming in that 80's way.

Also: WHERE IS MY FLYING CAR, DAMN IT!

I also went hunting shopping, and ended up buying really cute things, both for work (yay!) and for working out (triple yay!). I really needed some casual shirts that 1) weren't too short and 2) weren't too tight. Thanks to KR and my family, I managed to cross that particular disaster off my list.

Also, I got a really awesome green coat. (Why can I never find pics of these things when I want to?) Um, KR totally called me on the green thing when she went shopping with me. She has a point--if I keep going like this, I might just end up with an all-green wardrobe. Fun Scary.

Rest assured, dear: none of the casual shirts I bought today are green, except for one workout shirt, and I might take that back. Srsly.

Also today, I attended my parents' church, saw one of my Spanish professors, ate too much, and had a nice Father's Day with my family, during which time we almost but not quite also celebrated my mother's birthday. Oh, and I read The Book of Dragons by E. Nesbit. If you've never read anything by Nesbit, please do yourself a favor and treat yourself to one of her books. Really. I haven't read them all, but I've loved every single one I have read. She writes about children and magic in the most matter-of-fact way, which only makes it that much more hilarious. I remember reading them when I was younger, and they only got better in the intervening years, mostly because I understand more of the jokes now. Brilliant. I read "The Deliverers of Their Country" (one of the stories in The Book of Dragons) to my father, and he enjoyed it, too. So you know it's good. :-)