I just realized today that I can wear a fitbit! Here's the deal: The unfrozen caveman lawyers where I work don't allow fitbit devices to be worn on the premises, because the technology confuses and frightens them. So I haven't worn either of the two fitbits I own in probably 3 years. It doesn't make much sense to spend most of the day without it and then wear it for a few hours in the evening. That's a waste of my time and also the fitbit's. But since I haven't been anywhere near my workplace in almost three weeks, the fitbit is fair game. Tonight I dug my old fitbit out of the drawer, charged it up, and went for a walk around the neighborhood. Look at that: 5,196 steps, 2.48 miles, 2,414 calories, and 24 flights of stairs. (For the record, I actually did zero flights of stairs. Yeah, my neighborhood is that hilly.) Man, I wish I would have remembered the fitbit two weeks ago!
What I'm watching today
The Nice Guys (2016, HBO Now streaming) - I saw this movie when it came out, and at the time I just didn't get it. I think the problem was that I didn't believe that the two leads, Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe, could be funny. So I gave it a rating of "meh" and filed it away. A friend who reviews movies in real life recently discovered my distaste for the film and prodded me to give it another chance. I promised that I would, so long as it didn't cost me anything. Well, The Nice Guys landed on HBO this month, and I was obligated to see it. I am so glad that I did. Here's why: This movie is hilarious. There are so many laugh-out-loud moments and fantastic one-liners that obviously went over my head the first time around. And at the same time this is a gripping crime drama that gets insanely dark at times. It's a perfect balance. One more thing, and hold onto your butts, The Notebook fans: This may be Ryan Gosling's best role. There I said it.
Onward (2020, Disney+ streaming) - The trailers for this movie never looked interesting to me. In fact I had zero interest in seeing it. It seemed like the kind of movie where the stuff happening in the background was going to be more eye-catching than the stuff happening in the foreground. Unicorns are vermin, for example. Now that's funny, and it's a unique take. But anyway, I was ok with waiting around for Onward to land on Disney+. Was this movie good? It was better than expected. The setup in the first act is pretty funny. There's a lot of teenager awkwardness and geek references to make it humorous. Then the second act, which is basically a budget Lord of the Rings, happens. I don't remember much from the middle of the film, because it put me to sleep. Literally. But then the third act rolls around, and the film redeems itself. First there is a larger-than-life dragon that appears for a final battle, and the dragon is incredibly creative. Next the battle that ensues is epic. And finally, that last scene is so moving--especially if you have lost a parent, or have kids, or both like me--that it gut punches you right in the feelings, and there is no avoiding the sloppy mess that you're bound to become. So I'll ask it again: Was this movie good? If the measure of a film is how much of an emotional reaction it sparks, then yes, this is a good movie.
What I'm doing today
Tidying - We have just under two months to get our spare bedroom grandma-ready. Previously it had
been a dumping ground for things that didn't have a place anywhere else in the house. Outgrown kid clothes, luggage, giftwrap supplies, and a mishmash of other odds and ends filled the room from wall to tall. This was my challenge today. When all was said and done, everything that needed a place had one, and I ended up with three large bags of donation items. And now we have just under two months to keep our spare bedroom grandma-ready.
More tidying - I cleared off the workbench in the garage today also. My HDMI connector finally came in the mail so I got that old TV hooked up and had some tunes to listen to while I worked. I put up a worklight over the workbench and rearranged some power cables for various things on and around the bench so that they're out of the way now. I also cleared out some old papers and other things that were no longer needed and taking up space in the file cabinet next to the bench. It's so nice to have a usable workspace.
Being an amateur geologist - I sent the kids outside to do some sidewalk chalk artwork. While I was cleaning the garage, I also discovered some treasure hunts, which are trinkets encased in chalk blocks that the kids chip away at with mini tools, like little geologists. Eventually they always get frustrated and dad gets tired of the complaining, so a large mallet ultimately makes an appearance. We also found a big bag of geodes in one of the cupboards. Geodes are ordinary-looking rocks that often contain quartz or other kinds of crystals. They're fun to crack open and even more fun to examine once they're opened up. The kids got out their magnifying glasses and their rulers and had a field day playing amateur scientists.
Comments
Post a Comment