another one bites the dust

in a few short hours, another year will have come and gone. i know some people who are ready for a new year and i know some people who wish 2010 would never end. i just don't care. 2010 was neither bad nor good. i think the bad and the good have balanced each other out making 2010 a year of blah.

sure there were some highlights - finally getting to ireland, finding my great job, getting a car that starts every time the key is turned, three broadway shows with my bff and sister, only having one other person living in my house instead of two....hmm....now that i think about it, 2010 was pretty great. maybe it wasn't the 'year of blah' after all. doesn't change that i don't care it will soon be over.

i've always felt that new years was a holiday for people who regret their lives. it is a time for them to say goodbye to the crap and move forward trying to forget about it. i don't regret things. sure, i've made mistakes. i'd be crazy if i denied that. a lot of people would probably regret some of the choices i've made if they were living my life. i don't. in fact, i can say with almost 100% certainty that i wouldn't change anything i've done in my life. what i have done so far makes me who i am and to desire to change those mistakes, i desire to change who i currently am. i don't want to do that. i'm pretty happy with who i am.

that doesn't mean that i don't plan on making some changes in the new year. while i'm happy with who i am, a person can always be better. on that note, i've made 3 new years resolutions as well as several other shorter term resolutions. two of the new years resolutions and the short term resolutions have already been outlined in my other blog (www.notcelebrityfitclub.com) so i won't get into them too much here other than to say i want to weight less this time next year than i currently do now (203lbs) and i want to complete a 5k in under 30 minutes. the short term resolutions are just ways i'm going to go about doing both of those things. if you want to know more, to read it.

but the 3rd resolution is this: i resolve to read no less than 100 books in 2011.

when i sat down to figure out how that resolution was going to work i realized i needed to set some guidelines. needless to say, i'm going to have to average 8.33 books a month in order to achieve this goal. i don't think it is an impossible task at the rate in which i currently read. according to my page on www.goodreads.com i've read to completion 80 books since march 28th, 2010 with 2 other books started, but not finished. it was that started but not finished thing that made me realize i needed to set some guidelines so here they are:

1. the book must be at least 150 pages to be added to the count. i read a lot of graphic novels and some of them have smaller page counts. thus the page minimum.

2. the book must be completed by 11:59pm december 31, 2011 in order to be added to the count.

3. at least half the books are to be books i already own, not books from the library or new purchases. this goal will hopefully limit the number of books i buy this year as well as get some of the much deserving books on my shelves a chance to be read.

4. audio books count...at least this year. i have a long commute to and from work every day that is just perfect for getting in some reading time if i didn't have to drive so i'm going to use the time to listen to audio books. at least for awhile, all the audio books i listen to will be books i currently own so i can pick up the book itself when at home to read if i'd like. it is another way for me to 'read' some of the stuff already on my shelf.

5. at least a quarter of the books need to be non-fiction. i want to use this year as an opportunity to learn some new things without having to go back to school so i'm going to do some reading outside of my fiction comfort zone.

6. only books started on or after 1200am january 1, 2011 will be able to be added to the count. meaning all the books i'm in the middle of will not be able to count for 2011 as they were all started before 2011.

7. eighty-five percent of the books must be first reads. i occasionally reread books and already plan on rereading the harry potter series this year so if i reread more than the 15 books allowed, they will not count.

you'll be able to follow my progress with the book resolution at

http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/3508320. i'll occasionally update here as well, but mostly that will happen when i read something extra good and i want to let you know about it.

and you'll be able to follow my other resolution at http://www.notcelebrityfitclub.com.

happy new years all! may it bring you closure and peace if needed as well as new adventures and endless possibilities.

a new rule?

remind me next christmas to only buy christmas presents at places that will gift wrap them for me.

sometimes you just feel like a movie

the other day i mentioned going to see a long list of movies...well i've finally found the time to sit down and give my thoughts on those movies. i love movies and i love sharing my opinion so now you're going to get my opinion on those movies... :)

toy story 3 - let me just say, pixar can basically do no wrong in my book. i've been super impressed with their ability to tell a compelling story...not just a story that appeals to the kid in us, but also a story that appeals to the adult in us. no movie does that better than toy story...and toy story 2. and now toy story 3. i'd be lying if i said it didn't pull at my heartstrings. by the end of it, i was openly crying in my theater seat. i loved the movie dealing with the concept of growing up. as well as the concept of sharing with a new generation. great movie...if you haven't seen it, go now.

easy a - some people will find it hard to believe what i'm going to say next, but this was my favorite movie in my 5 movie marathon weekend...and i saw some really great movies. it is funny, sad and sarcastic all at the same time. and emma stone is fantastic in it. as are patricia clarkson and stanley tucci who play emma stone's parents. they seriously steal every scene they're in. this movie is getting some good talk, but not enough. i, however, think everyone should see it.

the social network - who knew that jesse eisenberg had it in him to be this (insert adjective of choice here). he was pretty darn amazing. i've loved him since i saw adventureland and zombieland, but figured he'd be like michael cera....basically play himself in every movie he makes. i'm glad to say i was wrong about that. his portrayal of the facebook founder was definitely not the same guy he played in zombieland. outside of eisenberg, the rest of the cast was also fantastic. i never thought i'd watch a movie with justin timberlake and not want to shoot myself at the end of it, but i even found him to be highly entertaining. i don't know how accurate the movie is at portraying actual events, but it definitely tells a story worth watching. and i must say it has one of the best endings of any movie i've watched in a long time. it goes out with the perfect shoot with the perfect song. it is a movie that is going to win a lot of awards and deservedly so.

inception - i love leonardo dicaprio. i love christopher nolan. i love this type of sci-fi. and this movie didn't make me like any of those things less. while i was not blown away by the story (i saw the ending coming not long after the movie began) i was definitely blown away by the way the story was told. the concept of going into other peoples dreams sounds like an incredible invasion of privacy, but also something i'd love to be able to do at least once. every entertaining, very thought provoking and i would consider it a must-see.

harry potter and the deathly hallows part 1 - just like the book, this movie is long and drawn out. this was my second time seeing it and while it was good, i would have loved for it to be 30 minutes shorter. i understand the need for the book to be broken into two movies. it is necessary to do the book justice, but there is no way this movie needed to be 2.5 hours long. but outside of that, it was good. it needed more alan rickman to make me completely happy, but that's just a personal quirk. and after 7 movies, those kids have learned to act from some of the best so it wasn't painful to watch them on screen like it has been in the past. definitely one of the better adaptations of the harry potter books, but almost too loyal to the drawn out storytelling i felt the book had. that being said, there were at least two moments i jumped so bad i thought i was going to wet myself. if you're a fan of the potter series, you won't regret seeing this movie. if you aren't a fan, you really need to see them all....get on that!

off to the races

so i've begun the quest to be more social. i have to say, so far so good. i used to be very social. i had a large group of friends that either hung out at my apartment or went out for dinner, drinks, movies, etc. i was rarely home and when i was i was either sleeping or other people were there to hang out. since buying my house 4 years ago, i've slowly become more and more hermit-like until i've found in the last 6 months to a year i've been completely closed off from everyone. when i go out, it is by myself. on the very rare occasions i was with other people, i looked for excuses to get out of there.

i've always enjoyed my own company. i'm pretty introverted so being with groups of people tires me out pretty quickly, but as i've gotten older, i've let introverted become an excuse to never be around people. which makes me sad as i like people. thus the quest to be more social. i've wanted to say yes to more of the opportunities that come my way so i've started saying yes.

last weekend, i went with a group of people i didn't really know on a shopping weekend to the detroit area all because the one person in the group i did know asked me to go. a group of people i don't know with a plan to do nothing but shop for two days is typically a good enough reason for me to say no. add on top of that the fact that is was labelled a 'girls weekend' and i would normally run for the hills. i've never been good at bonding with groups of girls. but i didn't run. i embraced my desire to get out more and i went. a good time was had and i even hope to hang out with some of them again.

later in the week, i found myself in yet another situation that i would normally run as quickly as i can from...an in home jewelry party. you know...like tupperware parties except with jewelry. a good time was had, some jewelry bought and when asked 'would you like to host a party?' with the new saying yes thing, i said....'yes, i'd love to host a party.' so while everyone else is celebrating martin luther king jr.'s birth, i'll be stressing out about a clean house and whether or not anyone will show up for my little shindig.

today, i planned to spend the day catching up on my movies. i had 5 movies picked for the marathon...toy story 3, easy a, the social network, inception and micmacs. got through the first 4 movies and received a text message from a friend letting me know that another friend of ours had gotten engaged and there was an impromptu engagement party i really needed to get to. so in the spirit of 'yes' i gave up the 5 movie of the night (one i was really looking forward to) and went to celebrate the engagement of two friends i hadn't seen in awhile. several promises to hang out more later, i've finally gotten home and i'm feeling good about my first full week of being more social.

we'll see how next week goes.

all i want for christmas is an....

Official Red Ryder Carbine-Action Two-Hundred-Shot Range Model Air Rifle!

i don't usually condone the purposeful killing of pets, but the rare exception to that rule has been living in my house for several months now and has done nothing but give me reason to adios it from my house since moving in. as i need his owners rent money, i can't very well kill the lovely cat or even 'lose' him outside so i've decided it would be fun to shoot him in the behind with a bb gun every times he annoys me. especially since it is obvious that hitting him with pillows does not work.

i was gone for the weekend (another blog entirely) and when i came home, i found that the lovely little creature had broken not one of my glass christmas tree ornaments, but no less than 5. all of which were still shattered all over the floor when i got home.

stupid renter this is for you... 'PLEASE CLEAN UP AFTER YOUR STUPID A** CAT! IF HE BREAKS THINGS WHILE I'M AWAY AT LEAST TRY TO HIDE THE EVIDENCE!'

ok...i feel better.

but i would still like the Official Red Ryder Carbine-Action Two-Hundred-Shot Range Model Air Rifle! :)

yes, die hard is a christmas movie

one of my favorite things about christmas time is christmas movies. i watch a lot of them during the month of december, but save my top 5 favorites for the week before christmas. i watch one every night starting 6 nights before christmas. on christmas eve, i watch whatever my dad has picked out. most of the time it is either some version of 'a christmas carol' or 'it's a wonderful life.' though great stories, neither one makes my top 5.

so in the week leading up for christmas, here's what i'll be watching:

1. 'the shop around the corner' - as jimmy stewart christmas movies go this one is, in my opinion, the best. most christmas movies are pretty darn unrealistic and while this one will make most people under the age of 30 say 'mail? what's mail?' it seems to me to have a much less cheesy premise than most christmas movies. but then, i'm the type of person to fall in love with someone through a letter they wrote.

2. the 1947 version of 'miracle on 34th street' - i don't really go in for the perpetuation of the santa claus myth, but i am a fan of the concepts of hopes and dreams and to me, that's what this movie is all about.

3. 'home alone 2: lost in new york' - this movie is just plain fun. and new york city at christmas time is one of my favorite places. i can't get there every year so this movie is the next best thing for me. though the pigeon lady is very creepy to me.

4. 'while you were sleeping' - most people don't think of this movie when their minds stray to christmas movies, but it is a favorite in my family. this movie isn't really about christmas, it just happens to take place at christmas time. which is enough for me to make it a christmas movie. favorite scene? the random scene of a kid on a bike wiping out as he tries to deliver a newspaper. makes me laugh hysterically every time.

5. 'christmas in connecticut' - this is my all-time favorite christmas movie. it is funny, festive, romantic and has uncle felix....everything a great movie should have. if you've never seen this classic, track it down. you won't regret it.

coming in at honorable mention (meaning i try to make a point to watch these movies sometime in december): 'edward scissorhands,' 'the muppet christmas carol,' 'love actually', 'scrooged,' 'elf,' 'the holiday,' 'better off dead,' 'die hard' and last but not least 'a claymation christmas.' that last one would make it into the top 5 if i had a copy.

there you have it...

it's beginning to look a lot like christmas

i can't tell you how much i really don't like this time of year. there are so many reasons it would take hours to list them all but here are the top 5.

1. it is cold. mind you, the cold itself doesn't bother me. but all the stupid crap you have to put on to go outside which bothers me. i really dislike snow boots and i HATE hats. i really don't think it should take 10 minutes just to get dressed to go outside. and then by the time you've put on the hat and gloves, you're sweating. it's just crazy.

2. people forget how to drive. how is it possible that in just 8 months or so, people who were born and raised in a place that gets a LOT of snow in the winter forget how to drive in it?

3. constantly being wet. i have hardwood floors in my house. once the snow starts they are ALWAYS wet. between my roommate, his friends and myself, there are people almost constantly coming and going from the house tracking in a ton of gross, dirty snow which melts and gets tracked further into the house. i hate wearing shoes in the house, but during the winter i almost have to because otherwise, my feet are guaranteed to find all the freezing cold puddles as i try to get from my couch to the bathroom. it is bad enough that the hem of my pants is wet from the walk in from the car, but now i have puddles of water everywhere. blech...it's gross.

4. the greediness/commercialism that is now a natural part of christmas. no, i'm not immune to it. i'll admit to wanting my fair share at christmas, but it does make me feel guilty. i'd prefer to not receive any gifts at all for christmas, but since i have a mom who loves to give gifts i get them. however, i hate surprises so i make it very clear what i want for christmas so as to not have to pretend to like something i didn't really want and don't really need. very rarely is the christmas list i give my mother things i want, but rather things i need. it is full of things i'll buy myself after christmas if they don't end up under the tree with a tag reading 'to murff, from santa.' christmas to me isn't about getting gifts or fighting over the cheap plasma tv the day after thanksgiving. we're still weeks away from christmas and i'm really tired of the 'i want' i keep hearing around me.

which brings me to number 5 - the lack of christ in christmas.

to me, christmas is about the birth of christ. it isn't about santa. it isn't about who gave and got the best presents. it isn't about christmas trees. i get tired of seeing 'merry xmas' or 'happy holidays' or 'seasons greetings.' this isn't a time of year to be politically correct. this is the season in which the christian community celebrates the birth of christ. if anyone gets offended by being told 'merry christmas' they shouldn't be allowed to celebrate the holiday at all. i get offended when i'm NOT wished a 'merry christmas.' santa is a fun addition to the holiday, but only if you don't forget to teach your children about the nativity as well. santa isn't the reason for the season...just an added bonus. and if you don't follow any religion, then get your own day. if you're religion doesn't celebrate christmas, then embrace your december holiday. either way, don't let my 'merry christmas' offend you, i'm just embracing my beliefs.

but as i sit here writing this, i'm looking out the window. the snow is falling softly, but steadily. the scene is peaceful and beautiful...it makes me think of all the good things about this time of year. while the list is definitely longer for the things i hate about this time of year, there are still things i love. christmas music and movies, the quiet that happens when it snows, giant mugs of hot chocolate, snowball fights, christmas eve services, and actually getting things in the mail that aren't bills. with the obvious exception of christmas eve services, i've experienced all those today and it makes me smile.

And so it begins

a few years ago, a friend and i almost started a day care. we had kids, we had a location, we had a name....we just didn't have the courage. it was a big step. a step we felt called to take, but like jonah, we didn't want to do it. our day care became our Ninevah and Camp Ninevah became the name of our non-existent day care. we didn't take that last step in starting the day care and that sent me on the path i'm walking today.

i find that i'm commonly walking a path i'm not really excited to be on. the concept of Ninevah seems to be a constant in my life. i regularly think 'i don't want to go there' or 'i don't want to do that.' i've never been swallowed by a giant fish as a consequence, but then i tend to stay away from large bodies of water as well. my consequences tend to be less visible to the outside world and more in the form of quiet, metaphysical slaps across the face. i'm tired of the slaps and i'm tired of the regular feeling of negativity about where my path is taking me. so i'm going to try things in Ninevah...or at least i'm going to try to eliminate some of the 'i don't want to' in my life by embracing the opportunities that come my way, but i'm sure to do some grumbling and stumbling along the way so it definitely won't be easy...or boring.

Ninevah, here i come!