OK, I'm going to talk about Lord of the Rings tonight. My hopes and expectations were high, and well met. Three hours of, maybe not captivating but intense filmography. It didn't concentrate nearly as much on Frodo, which was nice, the battle footage was well done, the Ents were extremely satisfying, and Gollum was superbly portrayed. On the downside, there were some disappointing flashback and dream squences, and the movie doesnt get as far along in the plotline as I would have hoped. But all the same, I find myself counting the days (4) until I see it again.

Have you ever wondered what life would be like if you were to find an isolated place and cut yourself off from the world? To distance yourself as fully as possible from the masses and media, from divisions and differences, and live apart from it all? How different would you be? How different COULD you be? Is there a part of us buried way down deep inside us that, if released, could allow us to survive apart from company, apart from others, and leave beind the technologies and industries that from most of our lives? Or are we bound to them, having them be a part of us, relying on them so heavily that, in removing ourselves from that support, we collapse? Is there any way of knowing?

Tunes: "Set It Off", Audioslave; "Belong", R.E.M.; "The Kids Aren't Alright", Offspring.

OK, two-part post. First is the boring newsy stuff. This weekend was so incredibly long. Friday was pretty laid back. I dropped into the gym class I dropped out of a little while back and am going to sign back in. I'd really forgotten how good it feel to work up a sweat in competitive sports. Especially dodge ball. After that I went and saw a movie with my buddy Tim and bummed around online playing cribbage the rest of the night. The insanity begins on Saturday. I sang at church from about 10 to 5 at various practices and a wedding, and got home in just enough time to eat dinner and take a breather before gong to an overnight party at a friend's house (that I had to leave at midnight because it was a coed thing. I'm going to have a "discussion" with my parents about this.) Sunday morning I was at church in the morning from 9 to 1, because there was a forum from the search committee. I went back at 3:45 to practice for the Lessons and Carols service that evening, which went rather well, and once the service and reception were all over and done with, I went home and collapsed on my bed.

OK, Part Two. The movie I saw on Friday, "Real Women Have Curves", was one of the best movies I have seen in quite a while. Yes, it is kind of a chick flick, but that only increases the allure for me. It's about a young woman who, after graduating from high school, is forced to work in her sister's dress-making factory with her sister and her mother, with whom she clashes frequently, instead of going to college like she wants to. While learning more about her sister and mother and trying to write her essay for her college application, she also starts going out with a boy from her school. And the whole thing is so freaking beautiful! Go out and see it in the theater NOW nefore it leaves. Not at the cost of your Two Towers tickets, though.

"Comfortably Numb", Pink Floyd; "Hate & War", The Clash; "Stuck In America", Sugarcult.

Not too much happening in my world; An all-day movie fest last saturday, my brother was home for the weekend, and I might be forming a band with some of my friends. The feel-good technique I've been using hasn't really let me down yet, and I'm starting to wonder if it's unhealthy in some way not to feel bad at all. I feel kind of like Ron Livinston in Office Space after he gets hypnotized-- encountering problems but shrugging them off as they come. I'm having cares but not worries. And it feels really really good.

Tunes: "Video Killed the Radio Star", The Buggles; "Good Times Roll", The Cars.