So it's only 3pm, but so far today has been a good day. I slept late, went for a run in my new-ish asics and accomplished the goal I wanted. I hadn't run in a week, I was giving my groin a rest, so I had been going to the gym and using the bike and the eliptical (I don't really understand what either do besides keep up my cardio - any explanation would be welcome). My goal for this morning was to run 4 miles. If I could do that, I could add a mile each week to my "long run" and I would only be about a week behind my schedule. I mapped out a good route thanks to this great site, and I set off. I kept a fairly consistent pace, and I finished 4 miles in 41:38! I had about a 10 minute mile (which is what I'm aming for) and I was tired when I finshed, but not ready to collapse..huzzah! I've decided that I'm going to stick to outside running as much as possible. I feel like running outside is easier/more fun than running on a treadmill (it's a constant change of scenery!). I'm a little sore, but I think that's to be expected.
After my run, I went to go pick up Nick and I's numbers for the 5k tomorrow, and then went to Dunkin Donuts to grab a flatbread, and this kid in front of me was .11 short, so I gave him the money. That was my good deed for the day. Tonight UMass is playing Northeastern in the HockeyEast quarterfinals at Northeastern...was thinking of going (sidenote: watching the Islanders/Bruins game, and the Bruins won (hooray!) but I have issues that "Dirty Water" is played after a Bruins win...that song only feels right at Fenway...anyways) but the game is being broadcast on NESN, so I'll probably watch it on that. UMass won last night 2-1; Northeastern is the #2 seed, UMass is #7. If UMass wins tonight, they're in the Hockey East semi-finals Friday night at the fleetcenter. Will Ferrell's show You're Welcome America: A Final Night with George W. Bush is on HBO tonight, it's a live performance of his show on Broadway. I've heard really good things abut it, and it got pretty good reviews. And, thanks to HBO, I can see his show without paying $120 a ticket. Thanks HBO!
Last night I went to the Celtics game with Greg, Diego, Greta, Meredith and Benett, they beat the Grizzlies 102-92. We went to the Harp after, and saw this great coverband, Joe Bachman & The Crew. It was basically, the dream playlist on my ipod. Lame I know, but they were great.
I think that's it for now, I need to go out to find safety pins somewhere because we didn't get any when I picked up our numbers for tomorrow...peace out! and GO UMASS!
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Ugh
Today has been awful- I've been plagued with the hiccups since 3:30am. They legit woke me up. They'll go away for an hour or two, and then come right back...wtf?! I have no idea why this is happening. I'm going to bed soon, and hopefully, they'll go away and not come back for a long, long time...blah
Monday, March 9, 2009
24
I'm pretty sure that Kiefer Sutherland just won his second Emmy on tonight's SUPER-intense episode....this is why I love this show....
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Gomorrah
The one hold-over film from 2008 that I couldn't wait to see was the Italian film, Gomorrah. It had tremendous buzz from Cannes last year where it won the special jury Grand Prix prize (basically 2nd place) wasmet with a slew of rapturous reviews. Martin Scorsesse/IFC picked it up for distribution in the States, and it was Italy's entry for Best Foreign Language Film. I couldn't wait to see it, I had heard and read such great things, and I had just finished the book. Basically, the author of the book, Roberto Saviano infiltrated the Comorra, one of the most brutal mob networks in the world that runs Naples. He spent 3 years undercover doing the research, and after he published the explosive exposé, he was put into police custody and constantly had escorts and body guards because of the amount of death threats he received. Clearly, this had the making of greatness written all over it.I'll admit, the book was quite dense and at quite a few times pretty hard to follow. There were a lot of characters, and Saviano had jumed around quite a bit. But, I decided that I would still see the movie. I waited quite a bit of time; it was initally released in NY and LA the last week of December (to qualify for the Oscars) and finally opened at Kendall Square in Boston. In a few quick words, I was not disappointed.
The film weaves five different storylines of Italians whose lives are affected by organized crime. First up is Don Ciro, a middleman who pays families of imprisoned Comorra members. Toto is a 13 year old delivery boy who wants more than anything to join the gang and be accepted. Roberto is a recent college graduate who works for Franco, who is illegally dumping toxic waste in farmlands. Next we meet Pasquale, a haute-couture designer who is secretly doing business with the Chinese and training them on the
creation of high fashion. Finally, Marco and Ciro are cocky wanna be gangsters who often quote Scarface and have an idealized vision of a life in organized crime. The Commora have an incredible amount of power in Italy, and have control over everything from drugs to clothes to food to exporting. Watching the stories unfold and the amount of unflinching violence was incredible (note; this is not for the squeamish). This movie makes The Godfather, Goodfellas and The Sopranos look PG. Everything is done through a deal, and everyone gets paid or wants money for their services. The performances of the mostly unknown Italian cast were outstanding, and the director, Mateo Garrone created, I think, some of the most striking images captured on film (the inspiration for the poster pictured is one of them). Garrone showed a world that almost no one sees but everyone knows about. At multiple times during the film I kept thinking "these people really live like this", and each time, it gave me goosebumps. This is definetly recommened, and has found it's way into my top 10 of 2008. I think it's playing a limited engagement at Kendall, so if you can't see it in theaters, rent it as soon as it's on DVD. There was an interesting epilogue with the film, saying that the Comorra had money invested in the new World Trade Center site in New York. Interesting....
Grade: A
I feel like an old man, everything from my waist down hurts. Today, I re-ran the 5k course, I was a little slower than yesterday (just about 31 minutes, yesterday Nick and I did it in under 30) but I felt a lot better and felt like I had a more consistant pace. My new asics were wonderful, I'm really glad that I took the time to get properly fitted. I think I might have done something to my groin, which was kinda painful, so I got some icy-hot at CVS, we'll see how that works. 11 weeks from today til the big race!
The film weaves five different storylines of Italians whose lives are affected by organized crime. First up is Don Ciro, a middleman who pays families of imprisoned Comorra members. Toto is a 13 year old delivery boy who wants more than anything to join the gang and be accepted. Roberto is a recent college graduate who works for Franco, who is illegally dumping toxic waste in farmlands. Next we meet Pasquale, a haute-couture designer who is secretly doing business with the Chinese and training them on thecreation of high fashion. Finally, Marco and Ciro are cocky wanna be gangsters who often quote Scarface and have an idealized vision of a life in organized crime. The Commora have an incredible amount of power in Italy, and have control over everything from drugs to clothes to food to exporting. Watching the stories unfold and the amount of unflinching violence was incredible (note; this is not for the squeamish). This movie makes The Godfather, Goodfellas and The Sopranos look PG. Everything is done through a deal, and everyone gets paid or wants money for their services. The performances of the mostly unknown Italian cast were outstanding, and the director, Mateo Garrone created, I think, some of the most striking images captured on film (the inspiration for the poster pictured is one of them). Garrone showed a world that almost no one sees but everyone knows about. At multiple times during the film I kept thinking "these people really live like this", and each time, it gave me goosebumps. This is definetly recommened, and has found it's way into my top 10 of 2008. I think it's playing a limited engagement at Kendall, so if you can't see it in theaters, rent it as soon as it's on DVD. There was an interesting epilogue with the film, saying that the Comorra had money invested in the new World Trade Center site in New York. Interesting....
Grade: A
I feel like an old man, everything from my waist down hurts. Today, I re-ran the 5k course, I was a little slower than yesterday (just about 31 minutes, yesterday Nick and I did it in under 30) but I felt a lot better and felt like I had a more consistant pace. My new asics were wonderful, I'm really glad that I took the time to get properly fitted. I think I might have done something to my groin, which was kinda painful, so I got some icy-hot at CVS, we'll see how that works. 11 weeks from today til the big race!
Saturday, March 7, 2009
New Shoes
Today I think that I had my first rite of passage as a runner- I went to Marathon Sports on Boylston and was fitted for running shoes. James hooked me up with a sweet pair of UnderArmours, but I was "fitted" by the guy at Sports Authority. Anyways, I was pretty certain that improper shoes were part of the problem of my plantar fasciits, so I needed to get his problem solved quickly.
I'll admit that I was a little nervous going in there; it seemed like a complete geek-runner store, and I don't really fit that yet. The sales people there were great, they watched me walk, told me what kind of support/shoes that I needed, and had my try on about 6 or 7 pairs. They also had me run outside on Boylston to try them out, and they'd watch me run. After about 25 minutes of trying on and running, a pair was decided on; asicis GT-2140
I'm pretty excited that I have a "real" pair of running shoes that was fit specifically to me. Hooray! Mike Keough came with me, and then we ended up walking from Copley (I tried to get a BPL card, but they were about to close) all the way to Charles/MGH, through the Public Garden. It was an absolutely beautiful day, and most of the snow that was dumped on us Monday is gone. Huzzah!
Earlier in the morning, Nicholas came to Somerville and we did a practice run for the St. Patrick's Day 5K next weekend. It was a pretty good course, and I was glad that Nick was there, he pushed me a little bit. I think that I'm going to run it again tomorrow, this time a little slower and more at my own pace. Mike, Nicholas and I had lunch at this great crepe place in Daivs (Mr. Crepe, I think) and then some J.P. Licks to finish off a great afternoon.
Also! Dunkin Donuts is coming to Powder House Square! There has been quite a bit of activity in the corner store lately, and when Nicholas and I ran by this morning, we saw a sign that said "COMING SOON: POWEDER HOUSE MARKET AND DUNKIN DONUTS" I almost stopped where we were, but I had to keep going.
I signed up for the B.A.A. 5K tonight, it's a 5k race the day before the Boston Marathon that starts and ends in Copley, so I get to cross the Marathon finish line...hooray! I'm glad that I've been able to get back into training, it was a long week at work and this is an opportunity to vent my frustration...
Don't forget to "spring" forward tonight!
I'll admit that I was a little nervous going in there; it seemed like a complete geek-runner store, and I don't really fit that yet. The sales people there were great, they watched me walk, told me what kind of support/shoes that I needed, and had my try on about 6 or 7 pairs. They also had me run outside on Boylston to try them out, and they'd watch me run. After about 25 minutes of trying on and running, a pair was decided on; asicis GT-2140
I'm pretty excited that I have a "real" pair of running shoes that was fit specifically to me. Hooray! Mike Keough came with me, and then we ended up walking from Copley (I tried to get a BPL card, but they were about to close) all the way to Charles/MGH, through the Public Garden. It was an absolutely beautiful day, and most of the snow that was dumped on us Monday is gone. Huzzah!Earlier in the morning, Nicholas came to Somerville and we did a practice run for the St. Patrick's Day 5K next weekend. It was a pretty good course, and I was glad that Nick was there, he pushed me a little bit. I think that I'm going to run it again tomorrow, this time a little slower and more at my own pace. Mike, Nicholas and I had lunch at this great crepe place in Daivs (Mr. Crepe, I think) and then some J.P. Licks to finish off a great afternoon.
Also! Dunkin Donuts is coming to Powder House Square! There has been quite a bit of activity in the corner store lately, and when Nicholas and I ran by this morning, we saw a sign that said "COMING SOON: POWEDER HOUSE MARKET AND DUNKIN DONUTS" I almost stopped where we were, but I had to keep going.
I signed up for the B.A.A. 5K tonight, it's a 5k race the day before the Boston Marathon that starts and ends in Copley, so I get to cross the Marathon finish line...hooray! I'm glad that I've been able to get back into training, it was a long week at work and this is an opportunity to vent my frustration...
Don't forget to "spring" forward tonight!
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
The City of Blinding Lights...
U2 IS PLAYING THE SOMERVILLE THEATER! That's right! The location of the uber-secret U2 intimate show has been "announced" and they've chosen the Somerville Theater. Less than a half a mile from my apartment! Next Wednesday, March 11th. Of course, you can't get tickets, but I might go hang out there next week (along with hoards of others, I'm sure) to see if I can catch a glimpse of anything. Also, their tour is coming to Foxboro September 20th or 21st (Sunday/Monday night) and tickets are goig to go on sale soon. Let me know if you want to go
Sunday, March 1, 2009
The good, the bad, the ugly....and the undecided....
I went to New York this weekend with the fam. We were going to see Blithe Spirit and the revival of West Side Story. We headed down to the city Saturday morning, and arrived just before noon. We headed up to Columbus Circle/Time Warner Center and made a visit to The New York Running Company so that I could see if they had anything to help my plantar fasciitis...and! they did! I got these really comfortable inserts that will apparently help me keep my arch and provide the right amount stability. I also go some heel/foot exercises to do to help it heal. I'll admit that I was a little intimidated going into a running store; I feel like I don't quite belong there...yet.
THE GOOD
After our trip to Columbus Circle, we headed back to the theater district for the matinee performance
of Noel Coward's Blithe Spirit. The play was about an author, his wife, a medium, and the ghost of his ex-wife. I know, sounds a little ridiculous, but it was really pretty awesome. Angela Lansbury was the medium, Rupert Everett was the author, Jayne Atkinson (she was on 24 a few seasons back) was the wife and Christine Ebersole was the ghost. It was a classic farce, and it had that high-brow British humor- the dialogue was rapid fire, and you had to pay attention to keep up and get the (sometimes extremely funny) jokes. It's definitely not for everyone, but I highly recommend it. It was only the 3rd preview, and the show was in excellent shape. I'm confident that once it opens, it will be met with a slew of excellent reviews and probably quite a few Tony nominations. I wouldn't be surprised if Angela Lansbury is nominated and wins Best Featured Actress.
THE BAD
We stayed at the Milford Plaza. It was an ok hotel, had nice facilities, except, for our room. We had booked 2 double beds, but we ended up with two twin beds. I had to sleep on the floor, and the room was about the size of a double room in Sylvan at UMass. And there were mirrors all over one wall. And the walls were paper thin. Oh well, for one night, and we were there legit to just sleep, it wasn't too bad. And it was $100. Unheard of in New York. The gym was really nice- it had the same equipment as Planet Fitness. I didn't use the treadmill, I ended up doing 10 miles on the stationary bike, which was a little more forgiving on my foot.
THE UGLY
There is 12 - 15 inches of snow in the forecast for the next 12 hours. Seriously. The only possible good thing to come from this? There is a chance that the MOS may be closed tomorrow. Hooray snow day!
THE UNDECIDED
The real purpose of the trip was to see the revival of West Side Story. The show was being billed as a "groundbreaking" rethinking of the original production, and the original librettist, Arthur Laurents, was directing (he's about 90). We bought our tickets in October, the day they went on sale. I had never seen West Side Story (shocking, I know, but sadly 100% true), s
o I was really looking forward to this. Sadly, I was pretty disappointed. The show didn't really do anything for me. There were a couple things I really liked; hearing Bernstein's score played by a 35 piece orchestra, the scenic design, the choreography and the insertion of Spanish into the book and score, "I Feel Pretty" became "Siento Hermosa" and "A Boy Like That" became "Un Hombre Asi", worked well for me. My biggest problem? All of the fighting, for the most part, is done very stylized, Riff and Bernardo do this amazing ballet knife fight dance, so it has this sort of "graceful" feel to it. Then, there is a part towards the end of Act II where Anita goes into the drugstore, and the Jets attempt to rape her. The way it was done was extremely jarring, and borderline gratuitous, and totally took me out of the show. It was portrayed unlike any of the other violence in the show up til then. I understand the stark contrast that Laurents was going for, but this was a bit much. I was kind of thinking "is this really happening?!". I also thought there was ZERO chemistry between Tony and Maria and, correct me if I'm wrong, but that's pretty vital to the show. I don't know if it's the show that I didn't like...I think it might have just been this production. It was still early in previews, so I would entertain the thought of going to see it again in 6 months, to see if anything has changed.
So there you have it friends, the weekend in a nutshell. Hopefully the snow won't be TOO terrible, but if the result is a snow day, all will not be lost. Also, 12 weeks from today til the half marathon...no time to quit now....
THE GOOD
After our trip to Columbus Circle, we headed back to the theater district for the matinee performance
of Noel Coward's Blithe Spirit. The play was about an author, his wife, a medium, and the ghost of his ex-wife. I know, sounds a little ridiculous, but it was really pretty awesome. Angela Lansbury was the medium, Rupert Everett was the author, Jayne Atkinson (she was on 24 a few seasons back) was the wife and Christine Ebersole was the ghost. It was a classic farce, and it had that high-brow British humor- the dialogue was rapid fire, and you had to pay attention to keep up and get the (sometimes extremely funny) jokes. It's definitely not for everyone, but I highly recommend it. It was only the 3rd preview, and the show was in excellent shape. I'm confident that once it opens, it will be met with a slew of excellent reviews and probably quite a few Tony nominations. I wouldn't be surprised if Angela Lansbury is nominated and wins Best Featured Actress.THE BAD
We stayed at the Milford Plaza. It was an ok hotel, had nice facilities, except, for our room. We had booked 2 double beds, but we ended up with two twin beds. I had to sleep on the floor, and the room was about the size of a double room in Sylvan at UMass. And there were mirrors all over one wall. And the walls were paper thin. Oh well, for one night, and we were there legit to just sleep, it wasn't too bad. And it was $100. Unheard of in New York. The gym was really nice- it had the same equipment as Planet Fitness. I didn't use the treadmill, I ended up doing 10 miles on the stationary bike, which was a little more forgiving on my foot.
THE UGLY
There is 12 - 15 inches of snow in the forecast for the next 12 hours. Seriously. The only possible good thing to come from this? There is a chance that the MOS may be closed tomorrow. Hooray snow day!
THE UNDECIDED
The real purpose of the trip was to see the revival of West Side Story. The show was being billed as a "groundbreaking" rethinking of the original production, and the original librettist, Arthur Laurents, was directing (he's about 90). We bought our tickets in October, the day they went on sale. I had never seen West Side Story (shocking, I know, but sadly 100% true), s
o I was really looking forward to this. Sadly, I was pretty disappointed. The show didn't really do anything for me. There were a couple things I really liked; hearing Bernstein's score played by a 35 piece orchestra, the scenic design, the choreography and the insertion of Spanish into the book and score, "I Feel Pretty" became "Siento Hermosa" and "A Boy Like That" became "Un Hombre Asi", worked well for me. My biggest problem? All of the fighting, for the most part, is done very stylized, Riff and Bernardo do this amazing ballet knife fight dance, so it has this sort of "graceful" feel to it. Then, there is a part towards the end of Act II where Anita goes into the drugstore, and the Jets attempt to rape her. The way it was done was extremely jarring, and borderline gratuitous, and totally took me out of the show. It was portrayed unlike any of the other violence in the show up til then. I understand the stark contrast that Laurents was going for, but this was a bit much. I was kind of thinking "is this really happening?!". I also thought there was ZERO chemistry between Tony and Maria and, correct me if I'm wrong, but that's pretty vital to the show. I don't know if it's the show that I didn't like...I think it might have just been this production. It was still early in previews, so I would entertain the thought of going to see it again in 6 months, to see if anything has changed.So there you have it friends, the weekend in a nutshell. Hopefully the snow won't be TOO terrible, but if the result is a snow day, all will not be lost. Also, 12 weeks from today til the half marathon...no time to quit now....
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