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January 29, 2003
wonder whys..
been thinkin about who i am lately (who doesnt?), but specifically how ive changed over the recent yrs and how there are things i like and things i do..
- i luv movies (or watchin em) and there use to be a time when i would HAFTA--absolutely HAVE TO--watch a film ive been anxiously waitin for the day it came out. i HAD to be there on the first day cuz thats how badly i wanted to watch that movie. for example, when back to the future III came out (on may 25th, 1990--no joke, right?) i not only saw it the nite before (the "sneak preview") but i also saw it in the theatre five times. yes, F-I-V-E (gawd, that delorean was bangin)......but now, i hardly watch ANY movies much less any in the theatre. the last one i saw was two towers and before that, austin powers 3. i luv steven spielberg, but i only saw his minority report on christmas eve on dvd and only cuz my bro-in-law had it. pathetic, huh? but the funny thing is my desire to watch films is still very much there. i wanna go see this and that: catch me if you can or xxx or big fat greek wedding. but i dont. i will (hopefully) but for now it just gathers dust on my to-do list. partly cuz when i watch films i wanna watch em/share the experience with esther (sappy) and partly cuz i feel like i could waste two hrs in a more productive way. like playin madden..
- which brings me to the next pt: i no longer have the patience to play thru a role-playin game or first-person-shooter. i use to luv those games--zelda and super mario in my prime as an elementary school kid. but now, its gotta be football or basketball or racin. and the games/races hafta be short enough: 3 min quarters. i just wanna play (and enjoy) em while givin up the least amount of time as possible. isnt that weird? im tryin break out of this rut cuz i realize there are a lotta coo games out there--for instance, i just rented medal of honor tonite and hopefully will be able to immerse myself in it (if i dont get motion sick first)..
there are a few other things, but im findin myself disgusted w/ my writin approach to this crap. so im movin on..
- yester was a pretty compellin episode of real world. and at its end, i realized why i particularly enjoyed watchin the show thru its various seasons so much, esp over all other 'reality' shows. i like real world because wut i see are relationships--bein made, bein broken, made physical, tearin hearts apart, resultin into fights, and finally partin. i think wut mtv stumbled onto was a great concept of the audience bein able to observe--and hence, experience--the entire life-cycle of relationship w/o havin to be in one. we see strangers meet, become friends by havin fun and causin trouble, fool around and fall for each other, fight and raise hell, and end. and its so fascinatin to see how different people really are and see how people view themselves. cuz i always find somethin in them that i can relate to or i see likewise in myself. yeah, i believe thats called hittin a nerve. i just realized i dont really know wut im writin about..
- so jordan made the all-star reserves--wut a surprise. i really enjoyed the new gatorade "23 vs. 39" commercial. but i just saw a new one from his jumpman company w/ clips of him in chicago and in washington sayin: "love is playin every game like its your last". theres like a 12-pg ad layout in last wks espn mag that goes along w/ it. gawd, the media and the corporations are milkin him for all his worth..
- wut a superbowl. yeah, not very competitive or excitin (cept for about a five min stretch in the 4th). but i walked away thoroughly content cuz i luv watchin great defenses play and tampa bay is crazy awesome. i couldnt believe how fast they were--of course, thats probly only enhanced by the age of the raiders. still, the defensive players are so athletic and monty kiffin has a great philosophy..
i need to spread my thoughts out more throughout the wk so i blog more often and dont splurge once a wk..
Posted by chars at 09:38 PM | Comments (1)
January 21, 2003
leap..
yesterday, i had the day off. so in the mornin as i was takin care of some things around the house i turned the tube onto the sci-fi channel to watch the quantum leap marathon..
now that was a quality show. maybe not the greatest and maybe repetitive after some time, but the sheer premise of the show ("puttin right wut once went wrong and hopin that each time his next leap will be the leap home") and the appeal of scott bakula as the "good" protagonist made for a cool one-hr. admittedly, i wasnt really into the show although for some funny reason i chose to tape the final episode when it was endin. it was an okay finale--the producers had sam leap to his very bday to meet god/time/fate or wutever was leapin him around. it ended w/ him leapin again w/ a final message sayin "dr sam becket never returned home." nothin spectacular. a rather ho-hum finale..
a couple yrs later, i watched that final show again (after havin watched several more episodes and gettin a better idea of sam beckett and his leaps). this time, i thought it was perfect--really, really perfect. and for one reason: sam becket is a character w/ a deep sense of good in him. basically, in that finale in meetin god/time/fate sam finds out that he can in fact leap home whenever he wants to--he merely has to choose to. however, in choosin to go home he can no longer leap into other peoples lives, tryin to make things right (and the world a better place). and so as the show concludes w/ him never havin returned home, it exemplifies how good of a person he is--to choose to help others at the cost of his own longin to return home. money!!
anyways..
- i would like to take this moment to pat myself on the back for callin it an all-gruden superbowl (goin into last weekend not the season--i wish). oakland was a relatively easy call since tennessee was basically a one-man team (mcnair is awesome though). tampa bay took some guts though since the media--as usual--was hypin up the cold, their record at the vet, and the great mcnabb. but tampas defense was on another plane of existence this yr and had an incredible game. philly didnt score a single point in the second half!! and they were at home!! sunday is gonna be good..
- esther and i made some kimbab yester. i think its the first time ive ever really made any. man, kimbab certainly seems like the perfect food. and one can customize it to his or her own taste: the meat, veggies, the EGG!! but the money ingredient: rice vinegar. oooh yeah..
- so my week of trainin in boston was coo. the classes were relatively easy and laid-back. and i pretty much hung out every nite i was there which made for a very relaxed trip. but man, it was damn frickin cold!! every mornin, nite, even in the hotel!! stoopid wind chill..
- til now, my favorite beer has been heineken. but since boston, im slowly bein won over by sam adams. a very easy taste and it goes down well. wish i could say the same about bombay sapphire..
- im becomin a severe fantasy sports addict. do you realize that im playin five different fantasy games for the nfl playoffs, THREE of which i paid for??
- but its so much fuun..
- duke lost to maryland on sat (whyd i write that?). watchin duke play may be the only time i watch sports from as a pure fan since im not concerned w/ any player stats. but ill tell ya--i HATE watchin us play. i live and die w/ each shot and each bounce. id almost rather die than watch us lose, esp to frickin maryland..
- i hate steve blake. no logical reason. hes a good point and if he were at duke, id probly smother him w/ luv. but no--i seriously hate him..
- i only recently realized that i need to go to a wizards game this season. cuz this is probly mj's last season. and whether he pops 45 or hits another brick, i wanna see him one last time in his last season. cuz i dont care how well hes shootin, if hes suckin wind every trip down the court, or even whether the wiz make the playoffs--hes still the focal point of every defense and the only reason the wiz are hangin around .500. the greatest player ever..
aite--i will update in a few days..
Posted by chars at 09:16 PM | Comments (4)
January 13, 2003
bashton..
so im in boston for a week of trainin. its damn cold up here and ive actually begun usin gloves, a hat, and a scarf (i hate scarves). but the winds so bitter, i feel like i need a ski mask..
still, id rather freeze to death than die in swelterin heat..
over dinner tonite, i had a drink comprised mostly of bombay sapphire. now although i enjoy downin the alc, i still prefer wine and beer cuz ive yet to acclimate to the taste of liquor. but bombay is nice..
some good playoff games this weekend in the nfl. yeah, only one of four went down to the end but i luv watchin good defenses play. esp, the bucs--their speed is incredible. i luv defense..
and for a while, ive wondered why my heart is closer to defense than offense. i mean, i think scorin and bein in control (and hence, havin the upper hand) is great. but maybe its the stops--stuffin or preventin the scorin or the play to continue creates immense satisfaction..
plus if theyre good (football or basketball), the defense will dictate the offense. yeah..
so trainin today was okay. just the normal introductory/familiarizin oneself with the material. but sometime in the afternoon, i realized how much i actually enjoy programmin. okay, i dont wanna make it sound like its my absolute favorite thing in the world (hmm, i wonder wut is?). but i found it amusin wut a contrast it was from just a couple yrs ago when i first began w/ deloitte how much i wanted to get into the "business"/strategy side of things--how i so did not wanna be a lowly coder and be on the receivin end of barked instructions. but nowadays, i remember wut i thought was so coo and fascinatin in those first couple classes of my cps major. esthers right--i enjoy bein nostalgic..
it almost makes me wanna go do some work right now..
two sports notes:
- in their last two games, pittsburgh had two incredible two-pt conversion playcalls: 1) hines ward in as QB who handed (or tossed) the ball to antwann randle-el who began to run then threw the ball to jeremy tuman in the end-zone; 2) maddox back-lateralled to ward who passed to plaxico for two. wut awesome plays by mike mularkey..
- ive come to terms w/ the fact that everyone is right: scottie pippen should not be one of the 50 greatest. but i luv him cuz hes the kinda player youd want on your team. great team defender esp w/ those long arms and all-around offensive talent (albeit not a consistent scorer). but since mo cheeks moved him to the one, hes playin great and the blazers are winnin. he made a fantastic half-court bounce pass tonite--good vision and good sense of settin up the offense..
circle mar 25th, when jordan and pippen--the two dobermans--square off for the second and last time..
Posted by chars at 11:59 PM | Comments (1)
January 05, 2003
white rain..
i cant believe its snowin again (here in balt). its like the third time this season. the funny pt is the meteorologists--who admit they cannot accurately predict the weather--said to expect less than an inch. yeah, so we got 3-4 inches..
- as picturesque as your yard looks once the snow has blanketed it, its made only prettier w/ piles of dog crap and trails of concentrated yellow pepperin the white. i shouldve taken a pic..
- after yesterdays two blowout nfl wildcard games, the football gods blessed us w/ two crazy comebacks today. the nfl is incomparable..
- i cant believe sportscenter just showed a whole minute of a bowlin highlight. course, it was pretty coo witnessin a perfect game (300)..
- esther and i finally made it to the movie theatre for the second time since movin to balt. we watched the two towers yester and it was pretty good. in all honesty, i wasnt too enamored by the first one last yr, even after watchin it twice on-screen. i dunno--maybe i just didnt get wut made it so special (cuz although the story/plot was written way before all the ripoffs half-a-century later, it just seemed familiar). but i liked the second one and i liked it a lot more. it just seemed more interestin and had a pace to it. although esther cleverly pointed out
- jordan went off for 41 pts and 12 boards yester (both season highs), of course it was in double OT (yes, the wiz beat the pacers!!). but wut was really impressive about his game was: 1) he had 37 pts by the end of regulation, 16 in the 4th qtr; and 2) he was often guarded by the taller and much-younger al harrington. yeah, he can still play..
- oh yeah, he also dunked (sorta) on jermaine oneal..
- since esther is on-call today/tonite, i played the complete role of house-husband today. went to the grocery and spent an HOUR there (often happens when not accompanied by wife). cleaned the nasty fridge out (i hate examinin food to see whether mold is growin on it or not). did five loads of laundry (see followin point). washed the dishes (took me another hr--im too anal to be quick). and packed lunch for tomorr (im gettin old). oh, and i watched the soap operas that were the nfl..
- isnt the disparity in the length of time washin clothes and dryin them akin to the paradox of why hot dogs come in packs of 8 while hot dog buns come in packages of 10?? seriously, why cant GE or whirlpool come up w/ washers and dryers that do their respective jobs in the same amount of time?
- you know fantasy sports has taken over your life when you dont even think twice about payin to play a game or two or five..
- is it wrong to read glamour and real simple?
gnite..
Posted by chars at 11:59 PM | Comments (2)
January 02, 2003
worker bee..
am i dork or wut?
- new years eve, esthers on call so i stay home tellin myself im goin to sleep after the ball drops in times sq. well, i did--five and a half HOURS after it dropped. im so stoopid..
- i wake up at 10:30am, pretty tired but i hate sleepin in so late so i get up. obviously, by the end of the day im dead tired and go to bed at 12:30am. i end up finally fallin asleep sometime after 1:45am cuz no matter how exhausted i am and knowin i have work the next day, i cant catch the zzzs cuz i was too hot (i hate down blankets) and too uncomfy in sweats (i had to change to shorts). im so weird..
- then of course, i have the worst nightmare in recent memory. basically, im in a rm full of people taken hostage by some former employee gone postal. he (who later morphs into a she) shoots a dozen people before he finally turns it on me. yeah, im freaked when i wake up at like 4am. i give my wife a goodbye hug and nervously lay back down. im such a little kid..
- finally, yester and this evenin, ive actually looked fwd to goin to work the next day cuz im sorta enjoyin wut im workin on (just a silly web app). course, aspects of it frustrate me to hell. but like a quote i came across, "the journey is greater than the end" (cervantes). im such a nerd..
time for bed. cant wait to dream again..
Posted by chars at 11:59 PM | Comments (1)
January 01, 2003
the yr of no significance..
happy new yr..
so for a while now ive thought 2003 would be a numerically insignificant yr because since '99, it has broken the pattern of cool numbers. take a look:
1999 - the penultimate yr leadin to the new century/millenia (although the millenia didnt technically begin till 2001, right?)
2000 - y2k. or for us videogame sports fans, nba2k..
2001 - the yr we made contact. seriously, only worthy because of stanley kubrick..
2002 - i luv palindromes..
so 2003 is just kind of.......blah. right?
by the way, i actually think 1998 was significant as well--cuz it was the yr jordan hit the prettiest championship-winnin shot youll ever see..
anyways..
i spent last wk (christmas wk) in st louis hangin out w/ the in-laws, which was quite fun. although we didnt do much (like go out or even see two towers) because of the snow, it was pretty coo just chillin w/ the kims. in a way, i feel like their household should have their own reality show because each of em is individually interestin. everyone has a distinct personality and a set of distinguishin quirks. oh, and everyone is type-A. so when these alpha-humans come together for a nice family dinner or huddle around the fireplace, it becomes a trage-comedy of epic proportions--each and every nite. i might get in trouble for sayin this: before i began goin out w/ esther, one of our friends--after spendin a nite at their house--said while he was there he was both scared to death and constantly laughin. "everyone is always yellin. it was so funny, but i was so scared.."
i know exactly wut he means =)..
but the thing is the yellin is not a negative thing at all. in fact, its a perfect reflection of wut their family is all about--they all love each other. not in the 'oh-we-grew-up-together' or 'we-are-family' sense. but in the truest form of missin and wantin to spend time w/ each other. its remarkably refreshin to see a family not only eat dinner together away from the tv, but also hang out at the table after all food is gone. maybe its cuz growin up even when my parents and i ate together, dinner was over when we we were done eatin. its like we each led our own separate lives (or at least i led my own) in the same house. but w/ esthers family, theyll all just chill w/ each other at home and enjoy doin so..
anyways, thats my glad-to-see-the-human-race-is-still-around note of the wk. have a happy new yrs day..
Posted by chars at 01:16 PM | Comments (1)