Settled In For A Hot Day

We are supposed to hit the low nineties here today - and we are already well on the way.  A morning spent online with T.R., the breakfast with the guys at Hickory Pit.  A walk-through of Fry's where I picked up "Shaun of the Dead" and "Hot Fuzz" for the Blu-Ray collection (the always entertaining Simon Pegg).  Then, a stop at Nob Hill where I picked up baby lettuce, sweet grape tomatoes, Greek God's yogurt, Silk Almond Milk (vanilla, unsweetened) and some organic chicken breasts.  While in Nob Hill I got my banking done at the Wells Fargo kiosk. Then, Petco for an additional bird feeder, a copper topped lantern style one, and some bird seed. Finally, the short drive home (84 degrees at 11:50 a.m.).  Once at home, put the groceries away, poach the chicken breasts, and now settling in to watch "The Guard", which may be followed by a Simon Pegg mini-marathon.

The Guard

At noon today I went to CineArts and saw "The Guard". The movie definitely lived up to my expectations - funny, well-written, well-acted, and filled with moments where you were laughing, even as you realized what had just been said was totally inappropriate.

I would highly recommend the movie if you need two hours of escapism and a good laugh. Brendan Gleeson is excellent in the film - and the character he portrays is just a great character. I would definitely rank the movie high with my favorite Irish movies. I won't tell you too much about it, but I would guarantee that if you've a fan of funny and clever dialogue, than this movie is for you. So, check it out when you get a chance.

An Evening with Charlie Bartlett

The weekend begins. After breakfast-for-dinner with Tony, I decided to watch a movie I've had sitting on my DVR for a while - "Charlie Bartlett" with Anton Yelchin and Robert Downey Jr.. It's had a few laugh out loud moments, but I would describe it as choppy.

It was another busy week at work - I spent the lions share of the day in meetings, following by an extra meeting or two. In between I managed to get a little work done, but for the most part I am carrying a lot of stuff into next week. I may, if I am up to it, spend a few hours working over the weekend, but right now I am definitely not there. I am not even anywhere close to there.

Tonight, I just want to relax, to slide slowly into the evening, and to spend some time reading "Spares". That is a perfect way to start a three day weekend. My plan is to keep it simple tomorrow - breakfast, a little cleaning, a little laundry, and then out to a movie and lunch. I'm planning on seeing "The Guard" tomorrow at a matinee. It's playing down at the CineArts theater in Santana Row, which is a very nice theater.

At some point over the weekend - perhaps even tomorrow, I am going to tackle this big stack of books on the kitchen table, sort through it, and find the fifty books that I want to retain. Depending on when I contemplate that task - some days I think it will be easy and other days I wonder if I will be able to do it. I definitely attach to books. I love reading. I read a lot. I've always read a lot. Each book contains within it an entire world and that always amazes me. (Of course, some of the books and some of the worlds are far better than others.)

I am finishing up "Spares", and I've got George R.R. Martin's "A Clash of Kings" and Suzanne Collin's "The Hunger Games". I am looking forward to each one. "The Hunger Games" is technically young adult, but I happened to be a fan of Rick Riordan's "Percy Jackson.." series and James Patterson's "Maximum Ride" series - both of which are young adult. A well-crafted story, regardless of the intended audience, is a piece of art. Just writing about books makes me want to curl up and read, so I may call it an early a night - and then read into the deep darkness of the night finishing up "Spares".

Grace, Art, and Beauty

My dinner tonight was a simple but excellent Cobb salad. I spent the rest of the evening relaxing, then catching up with my DVR watching. I watched an episode of Eureka, I watched an episode of Haven, and I watched the Jon Stewart show.

Interwoven through those shows I was moving stuff from the kitchen into the spare bedroom. I pretty much got all of boxes cleaned out of the kitchen - they are now stacked in the middle of the floor in the spare bedroom, with the rest of them in the dining room. My kitchen table is still covered with books I haven't started sorting yet and I probably won't do that until Friday or maybe one of the other days this weekend.

Having officially recaptured my kitchen however I'm looking forward to cooking dinner tomorrow night. I've been eating out a lot and I can tell the impact of processed food on my system. I'm craving fresh fruit and fresh salads. Maybe an egg white omelet or two.

Let me entirely switch gears now. I'm not sure if you're fans of the show So You Think You Can Dance. If you're not you're missing what really amounts to being a truly incredible show. I've always been terribly impressed by the raw physicality and grace of dancers.

I remember when I was an undergraduate I had class, a theater history class, that was preceded by a jazz dance class. It was held in an auditorium and sometimes I would arrive early before my class began and join a handful of people watching the jazz dance class. Over the course of the semester I recall just a tremendous growing admiration for the sheer strength and stamina of the dancers. That feeling infuses me when I watch So You Think You Can Dance. This season has been incredible and it has come down to two truly amazing dancers - Melanie and Sasha. They are both simply dazzling. So, that is my little tribute to one of the truly entertaining pieces of television out there.

Since this is my three-day weekend tomorrow is my last day of work this week. I've got a small stack of meetings, I've got about 20 odd things stacked up in my e-mail box, and I've got about a dozen open tickets. What can I say - it's been a week. I'm definitely looking forward to the weekend. I really want to go out and see the movie The Guard with Brendan Gleeson and Don Cheadle. My tentative plan is to do that on Friday.

So as I slide into the weekend let me do it in the state of grace, dazzled by the dancers on television, and anticipating the power of modern theater through the lens of filmmakers. It seems that I am ending the day in appreciation of the arts that so cover our lives, that so enrich us, that so dazzle us. The picture that graces the beginning of this entry are those two amazing dancers I spoke of earlier, Melanie and Sasha. This is link is to one of their routines that brought the house to it's feet - enjoy - Melanie and Sasha Dancing.