As I write this I am waiting for a call back from a locksmith. A sick feeling resides in my stomach, stress compounded from my regular morning cups of coffee.
Three days ago, I was walking to my car, just having finished work for the day. I had some relaxing plans for the evening and as usual was in a hurry to get home. I pulled my keys out of my pocket and...oh. That's not good.
Bent spear.
My car key was bent at a rather extreme angle. I cautiously bent it back and as I feared, it snapped.
Broken arrow!
A little background. My car key has always been a pain. Through poor design it was cut to a very thin taper halfway down the key, making it prone to bending and splitting. No matter how many copies I made, they always started bending and splitting.
Back in the parking lot I weighed my options carefully and chose the wrong one. I decided to tape the pieces together assuming I would be able to pull the key back out. As a commuter, I was impatient to get home and did not want to spend the time to get a spare key. As myself, I saw it as a challenge. I was positive I could handle this myself and not have to ask for help. I was smart. I was resourceful. I...was stubborn.
I inserted the key and tried to turn the ignition. Nope. I pulled the key out and sat there staring at a stub. Of course the other half was in the ignition. What did you think would happen? I put the other half back in and to my surprise, it turned and the car started! Success! I would make it back home!
Monday, April 29, 2013
Saturday, April 20, 2013
Girlfriend movie review: the Hobbit
Special treat! Guest post by my girlfriend.
I have never read a J.R.R. Tolkien book and have never seen a movie other than the past movie trailers. So I come in on the first one, the first book - The Hobbit. It's a great movie and I love the way that Peter Jackson took the style from Lucas and presented the first in the series...as the last. WORKS FOR ME! Now I will understand the old stuff that shows every other season on popular cable channels.
I remember as a child in 1977 my father was head-over-heels into this Hobbit crap. He spoke of it, read the books and we had this extremely fantasy driven Tolkien calendar that hung in our kitchen. No one paged forward to the next month as the spell would be broken. After the year was up, he took it down and cut the images off to keep if he chose to frame later. Not sure where they went but they were truly a piece of work even with a slight glaze of kitchen Chinese/Italian excrement coating them.
Also that year, my father handed me a book in the Tolkien series and said with much gusto, "Here you go. I know that you are going to love this book. It is excellent. You may have a hard time with it now but come to me and I will help you with it. You are going to love it, I did." It was The Simarillion and I was 7...in the second grade. The year before I had learned to read with Dick and Jane Books and was, at this time really getting into the Little Toot and Curious George series'. So I took the book, shoved it into my bookcase and went off to climb a tree or play in the creek.
So yes, watching The Hobbit last night brought up the total disinterest that I had over the books that were shoved in my face as a child. The ones I still have not read. But once it started, I was hooked. The HD threw me into fantasy overload and I bet it was ten times better on the screen. But alas, we redboxed it.
The movie was vivid and dramatic it told of a fantasy land that I wish I could see. I know parts were shot on location. But where? I want to know now and will go to research the background on it. And there is more. This story ended with another beginning and another. It looks like Jackson has taken The Hobbit and stretched it into a mini series of three! Come on special effects! They will get better and you know this guy will use power, influence and $ to get it right.
I guess I have taken my movie review down a different path. I like the knowledge and inter-workings of a movie. After all, my father was a director and producer and this is what he showed me as a child. Like a surgeon, he carefully opened up the skull and showed the brain to me - how it worked. That's what I like. That's what I want to know. The entire movie shows me that Peter Jackson really loved the series as well and like my father could never have done, showed us his version of a much loved series of books.
I have never read a J.R.R. Tolkien book and have never seen a movie other than the past movie trailers. So I come in on the first one, the first book - The Hobbit. It's a great movie and I love the way that Peter Jackson took the style from Lucas and presented the first in the series...as the last. WORKS FOR ME! Now I will understand the old stuff that shows every other season on popular cable channels.
I remember as a child in 1977 my father was head-over-heels into this Hobbit crap. He spoke of it, read the books and we had this extremely fantasy driven Tolkien calendar that hung in our kitchen. No one paged forward to the next month as the spell would be broken. After the year was up, he took it down and cut the images off to keep if he chose to frame later. Not sure where they went but they were truly a piece of work even with a slight glaze of kitchen Chinese/Italian excrement coating them.
Also that year, my father handed me a book in the Tolkien series and said with much gusto, "Here you go. I know that you are going to love this book. It is excellent. You may have a hard time with it now but come to me and I will help you with it. You are going to love it, I did." It was The Simarillion and I was 7...in the second grade. The year before I had learned to read with Dick and Jane Books and was, at this time really getting into the Little Toot and Curious George series'. So I took the book, shoved it into my bookcase and went off to climb a tree or play in the creek.
So yes, watching The Hobbit last night brought up the total disinterest that I had over the books that were shoved in my face as a child. The ones I still have not read. But once it started, I was hooked. The HD threw me into fantasy overload and I bet it was ten times better on the screen. But alas, we redboxed it.
The movie was vivid and dramatic it told of a fantasy land that I wish I could see. I know parts were shot on location. But where? I want to know now and will go to research the background on it. And there is more. This story ended with another beginning and another. It looks like Jackson has taken The Hobbit and stretched it into a mini series of three! Come on special effects! They will get better and you know this guy will use power, influence and $ to get it right.
I guess I have taken my movie review down a different path. I like the knowledge and inter-workings of a movie. After all, my father was a director and producer and this is what he showed me as a child. Like a surgeon, he carefully opened up the skull and showed the brain to me - how it worked. That's what I like. That's what I want to know. The entire movie shows me that Peter Jackson really loved the series as well and like my father could never have done, showed us his version of a much loved series of books.
Thursday, April 18, 2013
Lightning movie review: the Hobbit
Speaking of barefoot...hobbits!
My girlfriend's not a fan of fantasy, JRR Tolkien, and doesn't know a dwarf from an elf...I selected this movie with concerns it would not resonate with her.
(Me) "Dragons LOVE gold."
(Her) "how do YOU know they love gold?"
(Me) "they just do, it's common knowledge."
All you need to know is this:
She cried during this movie.
Highly recommended.
(She just said "Peter Jackson sure knows how to make a movie")
My girlfriend's not a fan of fantasy, JRR Tolkien, and doesn't know a dwarf from an elf...I selected this movie with concerns it would not resonate with her.
(Me) "Dragons LOVE gold."
(Her) "how do YOU know they love gold?"
(Me) "they just do, it's common knowledge."
All you need to know is this:
She cried during this movie.
Highly recommended.
(She just said "Peter Jackson sure knows how to make a movie")
Speaking of walking...barefoot!
On our beach trips, the second I get to the condo, I kick off my flip flops, rarely revisiting them unless we need to go to the store.
Pedaling the beach cruisers? Barefoot.
Walking in the sand? Barefoot.
Swimming in the ocean? Barefoot of course.
Barefoot, barefoot, barefoot!
So why relegate a sensational feeling to once a year?
Now that it's warmer, it's sandals when I have to and barefoot when possible.
Drawbacks.
It bothers people. Heck you get more looks than if you were wearing toe shoes. You must be a weirdo if you're barefoot outside and not at a pool.
Burning hot pavement.
Oh yeah I did step on a fish hook and sand burrs.
Poop.
Glass.
Rocks.
Ringworm.
Benefits.
It bothers people.
Groundfeel.
Airiness.
Freedom.
Warm sand or pavement.
Soft pine needles.
Saving money on footwear.
Hobbits!
Pedaling the beach cruisers? Barefoot.
Walking in the sand? Barefoot.
Swimming in the ocean? Barefoot of course.
Barefoot, barefoot, barefoot!
So why relegate a sensational feeling to once a year?
Now that it's warmer, it's sandals when I have to and barefoot when possible.
Drawbacks.
It bothers people. Heck you get more looks than if you were wearing toe shoes. You must be a weirdo if you're barefoot outside and not at a pool.
Burning hot pavement.
Oh yeah I did step on a fish hook and sand burrs.
Poop.
Glass.
Rocks.
Ringworm.
Benefits.
It bothers people.
Groundfeel.
Airiness.
Freedom.
Warm sand or pavement.
Soft pine needles.
Saving money on footwear.
Hobbits!
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
Walking
Simple.
There is really no fancy clothing or gear you need in order to walk.
Just open the door, step outside, and keep going.
Wait! Put some pants on!
Contemplative.
Walking allows you to exercise while taking time to think, observe and enjoy your surroundings.
- There's a turtle on that log!
- Hey the neighbors got 22" chrome rims on their Hummer!
- That bird just farted when it flew by...why yes, it was that bird...
- It smells funny right here (not related to the bird).
For goodness sake don't walk and talk on your cellphone or listen to music on your iPad (true story...sullen teen trailing enthusiastic dad...iPad cradled in arm..no headphones...music blaring in the woods). You will miss out.
Just walk.
There is really no fancy clothing or gear you need in order to walk.
Just open the door, step outside, and keep going.
Wait! Put some pants on!
Contemplative.
Walking allows you to exercise while taking time to think, observe and enjoy your surroundings.
- There's a turtle on that log!
- Hey the neighbors got 22" chrome rims on their Hummer!
- That bird just farted when it flew by...why yes, it was that bird...
- It smells funny right here (not related to the bird).
For goodness sake don't walk and talk on your cellphone or listen to music on your iPad (true story...sullen teen trailing enthusiastic dad...iPad cradled in arm..no headphones...music blaring in the woods). You will miss out.
Just walk.
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
patagonia
My favorite company just got better.
patagonia will take back your worn out patagonia gear when you are done with it and recycle it. Heck if it's polyester it may end up in another patagonia product.
When my patagonia stuff finally wears out I'm definitely doing this. Until more companies offer this I may not buy clothes and footwear (only when I need them) from anywhere else.
So when you tire of that patagonia trucker hat, sell it, donate it, or send it back to patagonia.
Did I say patagonia enough times?
patagonia
patagonia will take back your worn out patagonia gear when you are done with it and recycle it. Heck if it's polyester it may end up in another patagonia product.
When my patagonia stuff finally wears out I'm definitely doing this. Until more companies offer this I may not buy clothes and footwear (only when I need them) from anywhere else.
So when you tire of that patagonia trucker hat, sell it, donate it, or send it back to patagonia.
Did I say patagonia enough times?
patagonia
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