Goal #22

Goal #22: cedar chest, step #1.

This is not a particularly big step, but it's the first step in a long process.  I need to get my cedar chest from storage to T's house to start refinishing it.

Recap of goal #21: I can't say that my freezer is empty, but I took inventory of everything in it this week.  I threw out some old stuff, ate some not-old stuff, and added new stuff (ice cream fresh from my own ice cream maker!)

Random Links

Breeding the nutrients out of our food.

The Free Help Guy.

The history of food, vertically.

I am a superorganism.  I'm not sure how I feel about that.

2013 National Geographic photos.

The recycled orchestra.

My Uncle's Cabin

This long overdue post is a report on P's new cabin!  I finally managed to get down to see it when dad was in town a couple of weeks ago.  It's quite secluded (four wheel drive required) and just perfect!  But before you get any ideas:

 

I actually don't really have much in the way of pictures of the cabin, as I was distracted by the suddenly thick blankets of greenery which I'm not used to seeing!

The cabin is a little ways above the river, but it's an easy walk (and an even easier drive) to take in the view, and river access just a little ways away.
 

What I Watched -- Ironman 3

T and I often don't share the same taste in movies.  He tends towards special effects, superheroes, sci-fi/fantasy, good guy/bad guy stuff.  I lean more in the direction of indie movies with unclear resolutions.  But every now and then, we find some common ground.

I don't know why, but I've always liked Robert Downey Jr., even when he wasn't really worthy of liking.  I was buried in legal studies when Ironman came out, and I didn't see Ironman 2 for two bad reasons: (1) I hadn't seen the first one, and (2) I didn't have anyone to see it with.

When Ironman 3 came out, I figured there couldn't be much in 1 or 2 that I wouldn't be able to figure out, plot-wise.  I mean, it is a superhero movie, after all; it can't be that complicated.  And it wasn't, although they did make a few references to The Avengers (which I saw last summer and loved), and I was happy to get the jokes.  There may have also been references to the earlier Ironman movies (Ironmen?) that went over my head, but such is life.

Bottom line: good guy/superhero faces internal struggle, has to fight bad guy/villain, good guy wins.  Did I spoil anything?  Not really.  But it's fun to watch anyway.

Rock of Ages

I had no plans to go see Rock of Ages, but my friend H texted me last week and said she had won free tickets.  Her boyfriend isn't into musicals (although I don't think he knew what he was turning down), so he was out.  Did I want to go?

Sure, why not?

And really, what can go wrong when you're watching an 80s-rock-inspired musical? Whitesnake, Joan Jett, Poison, Twisted Sister, Styx, Foreigner, Europe, and of course Journey.  There's not much to the story, but the players are constantly breaking out into great songs.  Who cares what the story is when the show is so much fun?

Goal #21

Goal #21: clean out the freezer.

A freezer is not a complicated thing.  However, for years I viewed it as nothing more than a storage facility for ice cream (which - no doubt - is still it's highest and best use).  Then I started getting better about freezing stuff that might go bad if I left it out or in the fridge: the second half of that loaf of bread, extra soup from when I made a big pot, vegetables, etc. 

Yay for me, I'm using my freezer!

Except you also have to remember to go back and eat the things you put in the freezer at some point, or they just turn into little blocks of ice crystals.  Not so good.

I have lots of stuff in my freezer.  Some of it has been frozen for ages, some for just a few days.  I'm going to dig around and find out what's hiding in there.

Recap of goal #20: I was busy all week, but just managed to get to the apartment cleaning today (which is technically past the deadline but (1) at least I got some of it done, and (2) it's a holiday weekend, so it feels like there's another day in the weekend left).

I still need to vacuum and deal with lots of papers/computer/online stuff, but I'm pretty sure "clean out my email inboxes" has been a goal a few times already.  I also still need to put away my laundry.  But I made significant progress and am feeling much better about not living in filth with a sinkful of unwashed dishes.  And of course I still have some clutter and projects I will get to sometime in the next 20 years, but there was major progress!

What I Watched -- The Perks of Being a Wallflower

The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a rare beast - it's a coming of age story that holds its appeal with viewers beyond the teenage crowd.

Why is this?  For starters, the main character (Charlie, played by Logan Lerman) is introspective, and not in just a teenage angsty way.  As Patrick (Ezra Miller, as great in this as he was creepy and disturbed in We Need to Talk About Kevin) observes, "You see things, and you understand.  You’re a wallflower.”

And Wallflower is Charlie's story.  He's a freshman in high school, uncomfortable, out of place, the object of ridicule.  But he finds Patrick and Sam (Emma Watson), and they show him he has a place among the outcasts.

From his new seat, he observes the world, falls in love, and generally is okay:

"I can see it. This one moment when you know you're not a sad story. You are alive, and you stand up and see the lights on the buildings and everything that makes you wonder. And you're listening to that song and that drive with the people you love most in this world. And in this moment, I swear, we are infinite."

Bottom line: these three kids are surprisingly fantastic, as is the movie.

Random Links

Trouble on the mountain.

The world's smallest movie.

Baseball's most durable bat boy.

Tetris: the latest cure for amblyopia.

Hyperbole's triumphant return.

The book for "people who can't live without books."

The Monster Strawberry

I was chopping up strawberries to make strawberry ice cream yesterday, and I came across a strawberry which I would normally consider to be a genetic mutant:

The strawberry that could feed an army.

I question it's status as a modified mutant, though, because this batch of strawberries also happens to be delicious - not the flavorless rocks that pass for strawberries most of the year.

Anyway, just thought I'd share.

Goal #20

Goal #20: clean my condo.

The last couple of weeks have been a little hectic, and it shows when you look around my dwelling quarters.  They're a bit of a mess.  I can't take it anymore.

Recap of goal #19: vegetables!  I've been so good!  I ate Brussels sprouts, asparagus, sweet potatoes, spinach, tomatoes...I don't even remember what else.  But it was all delicious!