Monday, June 18, 2007

Freeing the Intracranial Flotsam and Jetsam

Setting the wayback machine… That vacation I took last month? Heavenly. Even though it was 18 hours door-to-door from our house to the hotel in Friday Harbor, WA, it was absolutely and completely worth it. I felt a weight lift when the car ferry sailed away, effectively stranding us on an island we were able to drive the perimeter of in less than five hours. Mountains, meadows, beaches and cliffs for days. At the risk of sounding really dorky, the confines of the island somehow made it feel more safe, more cozy, like getting a hug from nature.

One of my favorite spots discovered along the way was the "Snug Harbor Resort," which featured a few unpretentious cabins along a marina in a sheltered cove. I walked along the shorefront and thought, "I could SO stay here for a month and just heal."

Amazing how the human brain can still surprise its owner now and again.

I think an equally-valid word would have been "retreat," and I'm sure I was predisposed as there's a guy at my gym who used to live in the islands who told me he'd come to Orlando to heal. In any instance, I think I could use some more get-away-and-do-nothing time these days.

We followed the days there with a trip to Seattle — which was quite a shock to the system. Note to self: do not follow relaxing destinations with a Friday-rush-hour arrival into a big city. Much fun was had over the weekend, though, visiting with (and, as normal, teasing and taunting) Our Jorge. Of course, the weather was freaking brilliant the whole time: low- to mid-70s and sunny all but one day. My mantra-to-self became: remember, it's not normally like this. Lather, rinse, repeat. Jorge even reminded me just last Friday, when it was 91 and humid here, that it was 54 and raining. In mid-June.

Got back from Seattle, worked a half-week, a full-week, then a two-day week before taking off again.



The UnBachelor Party 2007, of course, is what pulled me out of work (but had me within sight of it) yet again. Nothing particularly new to report here that hasn't been said already. Every year, we run up to the weekend almost dreading it and claiming it to be "the last time we'll do this" &hellip and every year we end up enjoying it despite ourselves. It was entertianing to end up with a villa up-one-floor-and-over-one from last year's pad. It still remains to be seen if we'll go for a third year in this manner, or if we'll shrink, expand or relocate our digs.



Some Other Threes… Spidey 3: Fun but L O N G. Any time I feel compelled to look at my watch during a movie, it's taken a lull. I looked twice during Spidey, one time even pondering, "doesn't he get a black suit at some point in this film?"
Pirates 3: Fun, despite its length. No watch-checking for me. I just made sure to go in dehydrated.
Didn't see Shrek 3 (yet) or Oceans 3 13 (haven't seen the other two). If I have time I might go see Fantastic Four Two.
It was even the year of threes in TV. The third-season finale for Desperate Housewives made me just melt " the whole wedding-in-the-forest scene was brilliant, and the actual ending a perfect shocker. Contrast this to what has been my favorite show, Grey's, which spent their third season trying to piss off the fan base. Killing the lead and having half the show occur in between life and death? Breaking up all the couples? Creating a spinoff? Even without the off-camera controversy, this season smacks of "jump the shark" potential. (Although, I have to hand it to them: the season finale could have been used to justify the departures of Burke and/or O'Malley in equal measure.)



Isaiah, Don and Mel… Speaking of all that, I find myself pondering this year: Is it better that someone in a position of influence or authority harbor unspoken virulent thoughts that undoubtedly inform their actions, or that they express themselves inappropriately in a public forum?

Should we be equally concerned when an actor, a director and a talk-show host use what is considered "inappropriate" language? The talk-show host is paid to fill airtime with his thoughts, and to prod others into expressing theirs. The actor usually is delivering lines written for his. However, the director can use his worldview to influence and inform his work, far more subtly. Guess which one of the three men I'm thinking of is still working, though.



Still to come: My mind's been churning on a post over at Lewis' site. Once those thoughts coalesce, I'll try and put fingers to keyboard here.

4 comments:

  1. I do believe that's been your longest post....ever. Or darned near. And it really concerns me that you've found anything worth considering for more than 30 seconds at my site.....let alone something that you're going to blog about. Thanks for the update! So great to hear from you.

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  2. What is that expression I've heard so often in my life? I'm getting it wrong, but the point remains the same:

    'Better to keep your mouth shut and be thought a fool, than to open it and remove all doubt.'

    Besides, I think Mel's movie was already in the can when he opened HIS big fat Jew hating mouth.

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  3. Thanks for the update on everything. Those secluded cabins sound wonderful! I could use a week alone there.

    And we enjoyed Ocean's 13 and Pirates 3. Haven't seen Spidey 3 and won't waste my time on Shrek 3.

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  4. The idea of a place I could go for a month to heal is very, very appealing. After a month, I'd be hard pressed to come back.

    You're the first person I've heard say they enjoyed Pirates 3. We'll be waiting for the DVD (so we can pause-to-pee), but good to hear it wasn't a total waste of time.

    To be honest, I think it is better for everyone if the bigots and assholes of the world let their thoughts be known. That way it can be addressed in a constructive manner. Granted, the media and society in general usually don't do things constructive, but I think there is some good that comes from these little outbursts.

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