Another 100 rolls by
Michael and I went out today on a ride he knows, around a 52 mile round trip on some rolling Piedmont countryside (although many houses are being built out there). It's a pretty run, with some fast downhills and syncopated uphills. The wind was pretty tame, and the sun shone down.
A good ride, and it took me just over the 1,900 mile mark for the year. Only 100 more miles to go to beat my target.
Kung Fu Hustle - panriffic !
The Onion had nothing but good things to say about Kung Fu Hustle in their year end movie round up. They were right. It's just plain good fun, with plenty of laugh out loud moments all the way throughout. The CGI effects - and there are lots - complement the film wonderfully. The acting is as perfectly cheesy cornball as you'd hope from all the best kung fu movies, and the action scenes are done superbly. It's an absolute must see movie. This film gets ten kee-yas !
An odd place for it
I work in an odd building. There aren't too many right angles, the architects were scared of them or something. Which is cool, I like that it's a little odd - watching people who are new to here trying to figure out the room numbering is practically a hobby.
But some things are just plain weird. The bathroom down the hall has a series of lockers in there - I can't imagine anyone using them, but they're in there anyway. Odd. And at the back of the same (male) bathroom is a communications room, where a good chunk of the buildings wires run through. So what if you're a female network tech ? Do you just not get to work on the wiring in this building ? Do you have to run through with your eyes covered, red faced ? Do you confidently stride in, using a urinal before you get to the network hub ?
I have no answers.
Another 100 ticks over
My ride into work yesterday tipped me over the 1,800 mile mark for the year - 1,803 to be exact. 2,000 for the year by March 17th is actually looking possible.
Windy Saturday
The weather cooled down this weekend and the winds started to blow. I went out with Drew from his house down to the Sherron Harris nuclear plant and back through Holly Springs. It was a good ride - but windy. We were dropping to around 11mph at times on the flat. 27 miles in total, and I'm choosing to add on another 5 miles for the wind.
And now a movie that doesn't suck
I watched "Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story" last night. I was by myself since Laura was lost to Lost - compulsive viewing for her. After seeing Napolean Shiteamite I needed this to be good. Fortunately it delivered in big form. Ben Stiller's character was over the top wonderful, Vince Vaughn somehow plays is very well, and the comedy is laugh out loud funny. I was sitting in downstairs, bursting out laughing on a regular basis. It's one of the funniest movies I've seen in a long time.
If you've not seen it then do yourself a favor and pick it up.
Worst movie in a long time
Netflix has been producing some pretty good movies recently, so we were due a dud. That dud came in the form of Napoleon Dynamite. I've had people I like and respect recommend this to me. They've taled about the clever cultural references, the identification with the main character and the overall charm of the movie.
Sorry, but you're wrong.
This is quite simply one of the worst movies I've seen in a long, long time. This movie makes Beavis and Butthead seem like a studied and thoughtful insight into the American zeitgeist. It's ohmygod awful. I put it on with big hopes and probably managed to stay with it for forty minutes - that's forty minutes of my life I'm never going to get back. I need to work not be bitter about that time when I'm on my death bed. I could have been removing the fluff between my toes in that time, doing something meaningful.
Why do some people like this ? It's pushing four stars on the Netflix site and is in the Top 100. Why ?!
It's not just me either. After I'd dropped it back into the Netflix envelope I went out to their site to see what others are saying about it:
"Worst movie ever filmed! I can't believe I watched the whole thing. Wished I'da had a root canal instead."
"Root Canal? How about a colonoscopy? That would have been better. Hour and a half of hell. Almost committed suicide after watching this one!!! Almost went postal on the co-workers that reccommended this one who not only told me it was the best, but wear those stupid "Vote for Pedro" shirts"
Here's my fave review:
"Where's a stick of real dynamite when you need one? There are no words that can fully explain the total waste of time and energy spent watching this. I feel violated and can never regain the 95 min. of my life that was lost as this crap rolled across the screen. I grew up in the 80s and this does not resemble my youth. The lack of plot and ridiculous attempts at one-liners clearly show the stupidity of this so-called comedy."
DON'T TRY TO WATCH THIS FILM !!!
Back biking
YAY !!!
I was told by the surgeon this last week that biking is suitable exercise for the post op recovery. Michael phoned on Friday night, wondering when I could ride again, about thirty minutes before I thought about phoning him. As a result on a cool but glorious Sunday morning I swung my leg back over the mutt and headed out on the road for the first time in about four weeks. We were both a little out of top biking form, so no speed records were set, but we got in a good 35 miles. And I found myself smiling at times on the bike, just from the sheer pleasure of riding along. Moving along at speed under your own power is a wonderful feeling.
Michael happily remembered Mt Sinai and the big hill. It's probably the biggest hill round here, with maybe the exception of Pleasant Green. He took off down the hill, with me close behind. As I looked down at my speedo at the bottom of the hill, slowing to avoid overtaking Michael, we were going 41 mph. Damn, it felt great ! More fun than I've had in a long time.
The fallout from the ride means I'm nursing a sore knee now, probably for a couple of days, but otherwise everything is fine. Entirely worth it.
Congratulations Ashley and Michael !
Michael got engaged to Ashley in NYC over the Christmas break. There's a photo on his site, and they both look very happy - as does Michael's beard.
Congrats to both ! And the beard !
