Hello, world! I’m feeling good coming off a really nice
weekend—it wasn’t nearly long enough (they never are), but instead of just
lying around like I usually end up doing, I actually accomplished some things.
Which actually makes me feel so much better than not doing anything. I guess
that’s pretty obvious for some people, but it’s still a revelation for me.
Here’s how I’m doing with my New Year’s Resolutions:
1) Read
a book every month: Still truckin’ on Something’s
Rising, but I plan on finishing it before the end of the month!
2) Watch
every movie on the AFI 100 lists: I’m movin’ right along on this resolution!
Because it’s fun. Here’s what I watched over the past week and a half:
a. Chinatown—4/5 stars: I had already been
spoiled for the ending of this movie, which might actually be a good thing,
because I would have been totally blindsided otherwise—not in a good way!
Still, I really enjoyed the quick pace and the great acting.
b. The Best Years of Our Lives—4/5 stars:
It’s nice to have a reminder that popular culture in the early Cold War years
wasn’t all smiles and songs. This was a great look at the affects of war, and
an honest exploration of complex relationships. Harold Russell, the only actor
to win two Academy Awards for the same role, is amazing.
c. Saving Private Ryan—4/5 stars: Wow. I’m
still a little numb. This movie was so harrowing—but again, it’s an honest look
at war and how harrowing it is.
d. Here
are some of the other movies I watched this week:
i. Skyfall—4.5/5 stars: I really enjoyed
this movie, and I’m not necessarily a ‘Bond’ person. I love a good conspiracy
theory, so I totally buy into the one that M is Bond’s mom. Don’t argue with
me. This was a beautifully shot movie—the scenescapes at the end were
entrancing.
ii. Cirque du Soleil: Worlds Away—3/5 stars:
Not as magical as I anticipated. I didn’t realize it was just repurposed acts
from other Cirque shows. Didn’t make for a very good narrative.
iii. Oz: The Great and Powerful—3/5 stars:
Meh. Maybe if I had seen it in 3D, it would have seemed more magical, but I
don’t think it could ever have come close to the magic of The Wizard of Oz. Some parts that they clearly did just for the 3D
version were actually really scary—at one point, a witch appears all of a
sudden and I literally jumped out of my seat.
3) Finish
a writing project and submit it somewhere: I’ve written a little bit more of my
story, ANON, but not a whole lot. I
plan on doing a big chunk of work this summer, after my job at Centre comes to
an end—I can’t wait! (I mean, I can’t wait to work on my story … )
4) Exercise
for 30 minutes every day: Still working on this, but I did some Zumba this week
and went on walks on pleasant days. Can’t wait ‘til spring has sprung—it’ll be
nice to spend more time outside.
5) Be
on time: Well, this was an absolute disaster every day this past week! I have
had a terrible time getting to sleep lately, which makes getting up in the
morning doubly hard. This is just an excuse, I know, so I’m continuing to work
on it, and am going to try new things this week to make this resolution easier
to accomplish.
As for my Lenten resolutions, we’re now one week until
Easter, so I’m in the final stretch. I pretty much abandoned the end of my
resolutions, to go gluten-free and to do the Paleo diet. After doing some
reading up on gluten-free foods, I realized that that might not actually be the
best thing, since I don’t have a gluten intolerance. And I really do want to
try the Paleo diet sometime, but I only have so much willpower, and I just
couldn’t take that final leap. When I’m not focused on keeping up with so many
other resolutions and rules, I will focus myself in that direction.
Here’s to another week in this wonderful life o’ mine, and
to becoming the person I know I can be! If anyone is reading this blog, good
luck on your goals, too!
