28 January, 2010 11:54

the first month of the new year is almost done. one down, eleven more to go.

at the same time last year, i was gearing up for an epic break ahead. now, i’m barely catching my breath as i cope with waves of challenges at work.

by day, i’m the picture of efficient competence, sunny smiles and helpful demeanor as i shuttle quickly between meetings, sessions, hospital, seminars, group work, committees, research, reports and case work. i suppose it’s no wonder i’m empty by sundown.

i appreciate the value of my job; but i wonder if i’m really suitable for it. i can keep doing what i’m doing now, but just not with the kind of personalized touch i think i’m gifted with.

so where does it leave me? with another challenge to surmount, i suppose.

Test

Lunch at Starbucks

i must, must make the supreme and herculean effort to do things differently this year. the newness of work, church, social circles and all is likely a flashing neon sign that i have to approach this year of the tiger with the requisite ferocity and determination it embodies.

first off, to preserve this thinking space, to fill this page with fresh words; in other words, to resume blogging despite the announcement in the papers just this very morning of the waning popularity that blogs are facing. how i’m going to accomplish this is still unknown, especially as i ruminate on the other things i would like to do with my limited free time, but that’s fodder for another post of a complaining nature.

yay, i have the next post’s contents ready even as i type this.

secondly, to keep running and burning. i’ve never had a high metabolism to begin with, and age just refuses to be cooperative; which leaves me with the single option of actual physical activity. well, i mustn’t gripe. i mustn’t gripe.

and finally, to quickly round off this post, to adhere to the very ambitious bible reading program i felt compelled to sign up for. i suppose wanting to take things easy doesn’t exude the kind of steely resoluteness i’m hoping to radiate this year, so there it goes on my to-do list.

and there you have it. my first post of the year. now hush.

a little over 2 months have passed since i caved in to the facebook phenomena. intriguing place that it is, filled with endless snippets of random information, i’ve logged too many hours there while neglecting this space.

as the obsession with the tireless cycle of updating and commenting wanes, i realize, with dismay, my ability to construct a thought beyond 3 sentences has degraded significantly.

hence begins the slow return to bona fide blogging; and the quest for balance anew in my universe.

art and stuff

am outside the arts house now for the dead sea scrolls exhibit. this area sure brings back lots of fond memories of performing with the various choirs that i’ve been with. waiting for the rest of the cell to get here so we can add to the crowd that’s already here! i hope it won’t be too raucous in there.

~ sent from my e63

bug on the run

it’s a particularly quiet and languid morning by the beach with a couple of strollers and just 1 other runner. earlier, what felt like a fat hairy caterpillar plonked itself on the back of my neck giving me a major case of the heebie-jeebies. even after flinging it away i can still feel the hair-raising ickiness, if you know what i mean.

whatever. i had a great run this am and no bug is gonna take that away from me!

~ sent from my e63

the time traveler’s wife

the sad truth about films based on best-selling novels is that they often never turn out quite as good as its source. being a gigantic fan of both rachel mcadams and eric bana, it therefore pains me to admit this work falls into that lackluster category.

the premise is intriguing. a genetic anomaly causes bana to involuntarily jump to random points in his own timeline. this naturally causes great inconvenience; and where love is concerned creates much opportunity for angst. however, typical of book adaptions, the richness and complexity of the original narrative is greatly lost in the process. the film side-steps the writer’s intention of time-travel as a metaphor for communication and ends up as a rather pedestrian tale of an almost-normal couple locked in a cycle of bickering and making up.

don’t get me wrong. this is still very watchable despite the wanting script and despite the two leads being a little lightweight in this. the film is lovely to look at and listen to, and there are powerful scenes which hint at the possibilities this work could have been. a unique love story like this deserved more than such a nondescript treatment.  at the very least, i was inspired to read up on time travel after the show. now that was fascinating.

hard work

@ starbucks before cell meeting and feeling kinda spent. went for a run earlier, well, tried to at least, and was surprised at the herculean effort it took to complete my usual route. think my body is still coping with the tail end of last week’s annoyingly drippy flu.

~ sent from my e63

moon

i first came across sam rockwell in the 2000 remake of an iconic television series – charlie’s angels. despite its campy ludicrosity, rockwell stood out as a highly capable actor far above the ensemble he worked with then. here, in what critics are lauding as one of the best of 2009, he proves it in a mesmerizing vehicle all his own.

the story is a simple one of a lone astronaut counting the days till he returns to earth and his family. eerie at times, yet quirky at others, this stunning work defies easy categorization. elegantly directed, much of the film evokes cold isolation and claustrophobic loneliness which contrasts beautifully with rockwell’s spell-binding performance as a man unraveling and coping with the horrifying truth of his existence.

despite the occasional lapse in the narrative, this taut and cerebral film raises complex questions about humanity. go watch it and we can discuss them.

closed door?

2 weeks ago i applied for the school counselor position with moe. last week i followed up with an email and the jist of the reply i received today was:

1. we did not get your application

2. you can apply in our next recruitment exercise

i wonder if that’s a sign i should be looking elsewhere? regardless, it’s a bummer feeling like 2 weeks had been wasted.

i’m going for a run.