Misc. Thoughts

(1) I am sitting in my favorite coffee shop on a Sunday afternoon with my headphones in and an iced coffee. It is a good way to spend an afternoon.

(2) This morning while running three miles outside and sweating my face off, I started to push myself to continue with all sorts of irrational but inspirational thoughts. It is what I do; it is the only way I can keep from veering off to the side of the road and hurling myself face-first into someone's bed of caladiums. This morning my thoughts of fortitude were mainly focused on the women's Olympic marathoners, whose race B. and I caught part of over appetizers (pesto bread, hummus) and Blue Moons last night. When I was struggling to get my breathing into a normal rhythm and feeling like my facial capillaries were boiling beneath my skin not unlike molten lava, I thought about that runner who got the foot cramp in the middle of the race. And I said to myself, "Self, I'm sure that foot cramping marathoner would not be complaining about the opportunity to run at a snail's pace like you around these beautiful lakes so just get a grip on yourself and finish your measly three miles!" It helped, it truly did.

(3) It's been a nice weekend so far. On Friday evening, we got take-out and watched Smart People. I both liked and didn't like it, mostly veering on the side of like. My main complaint is that the romance between Dennis Quaid and Sarah Jessica Parker was soulless and unbelievable, but other than that, I liked the quirk of the characters and the overall film. It was nice to see Ellen Page in a pre-Juno role; she was excellent, as was the always reliable and hilarious Thomas Haden Church. Saturday morning, we woke up early; I went running wanted to stop at two miles but told myself, "If you can run 2 miles, you can run 3." So I did. I ate some leftover stir-fry for lunch, returned some graphic novels to the library, bought a visor to run in to help with the blinding summer glare, and took a long nap. After appetizers yesterday evening, B. and I headed to the wedding reception of a school friend, which was in a backyard and was beautifully laid back and relaxing ... as far as I'm concerned, backyard wedding receptions are the way to go ... had a very nice time except now kicking myself not to have applied bug spray now that I'm sporting about 25 new mosquito welts ... I should know better. I wish there were some kind of natural way to protect oneself against bug bites or something I could eat or drink that would make them think, "This blood is going to be foul, let's move along."

(4) I just finished reading the reissue of The President's Daughter. As I've written before, I have a long history with this series. I have my original copies from the mid-1980s. They are tattered, torn, and deeply beloved by me. The author came upon those entries and e-mailed me about five years ago, saying that she was writing a fourth book in the series, which has since come out. The books were reprinted several years back with truly odious covers (and if I'm not mistaken, the pages were basically xeroxed copies of the original pages), and the latest reissues have much better covers, are all-around first class in quality, and have been revised/updated by the author to add modern things like the Internet. And I'm thrilled that they're back in print and I hope a whole new generation of readers embraces them. Truly. And I am fine with certain updates to bring them into modern times. And I almost want to hold my tongue about this because I have loved these books for most of my life, and I love them still. But the little tweaks to the Preston stuff in the first book really bothered me. I don't like how when describing him, something like "and he's so handsome" was added, and I don't like how Meg talks about having a crush on him. These are very minor and short-lived little moments in the book, but they leapt out at me and made me squirm a little bit. It is clear when reading book four that now that Meg is an adult, a different kind of relationship with Preston is inching into the realm of being conceivable. That's not a spoiler; it doesn't happen in the book -- after all, she is still only 18 in book four -- but it starts to vaguely feel not altogether out of the realm of possibility. And I'm fine with that. Truly. I just do not believe the seeds needed to go back and retroactively be planted in book one when she is 15. Preston was already portrayed in books 1-3 as a wonderful, cool, hip guy who was their family's best friend -- in other words, we already know how important he is to Meg and what a rock he is for their family -- we just don't need the handsome, crush, etc. stuff that early on in the game, and I wish it would not have been added. (I always, always, always assumed Preston was gay, and learning that he is not really threw me for a loop, and so I'm starting all of these thoughts from a little bit of a discombobulated place anyway, for that reason.) I am almost frightened to see if more of these little hints about him are placed in the next two books. ANYWAY -- other than that, I loved reading the reissue, and I can't wait to start the second and third, because these books get better and better as they go along.

(5) Later ... I guess that is about it for now. B. made pesto and it's time to eat!

Steven Curtis Chapman

My siblings and I have always loved the song "I Will Be Here" by Steven Curtis Chapman. It is a beautiful song. The live version, not the original version, which has way too many instruments and is kind of cheesy. This live version that has gone on many a mix tape and mix CD over the years. I've never known any of his other music. Wait, I take that back. The summer at camp when I was a junior counselor, the summer between junior and senior years of high school, we learned "When You Are a Soldier" in sign language. (Learning songs in sign language = big thing at camp. And at school -- I still remember "We Are the World" from fifth grade. Anyway.) But other than that, I've never really known much about old Steven Curtis Chapman.

I just watched his family on Larry King, and I have to say first and foremost that Larry King is a complete creep. I am sorry. But if you are interviewing a family about their child who died tragically, please get the child's name right. And when you are politely and graciously corrected on the child's name, please don't get it wrong AGAIN. WHAT AN ASSHOLE. I am so disgusted with him right now. One the one hand, we had Robin Roberts interviewing them on "Good Morning America." And she was, as she always is, gentle and sharp and completely believable in her kindness and empathy. The contrast between these two interviewers was striking and shocking. Larry King is shocking! Am I the only one who feels this way? He is horrible! Like, way to make the grieving family feel even worse, Larry!

Steven Curtis Chapman has a beautiful family. My parents believe like they believe, and I think it is a beautiful thing. To me, it seems sort of delusional in a way, but I don't mean that in a mean way. I really do think it is beautiful. If that is how the family is getting through this, more power to them. They seem like warm, loving, wonderful people.

I'm not sure if the live version of the song is available through iTunes or what album it came from. I don't even know where we originally got it. I hope it's available somewhere because it's really beautiful. It doesn't have organ or violins or anything cheesy ... just acoustic guitar and some piano, I think. Okay! This just in ... it's on "The Live Adventure" album. It's the perfect wedding song to me, but it's also a song that makes me think of friends and family members. It's just about loving people your whole life through.

Searching, searching, searching ... okay! Here it is. Beautiful song.

You're nice, Steven Curtis Chapman & family. Suck it, Larry King.

Motivation

I went to the gym today to go running. Lucky for me, I caught the last fifteen minutes or so of A Knight's Tale, which are a great fifteen minutes to keep your feet moving, even with no sound and with closed captioning. It occurred to me as I watched the end of this movie (SPOILER ALERT) that this is actually a really good movie. When the prince knights Heath Ledger's character, it's genuinely moving. And when Heath Ledger fights Rufus Sewell in the final duel (my sorrow at seeing Rufus Sewell play a villain is deep, true, and documented), it's genuinely thrilling. At least it was to me on the treadmill today. The thing I like about this movie is even though it's a silly Middle Ages romp with modern rock music (and even though Shannyn Sossamon can't really hold her own with the rest of the cast, her gorgeousness notwithstanding), the actors play it all completely straight. The reactions of the prince, the crowd, and especially his friends to William's ultimate knighting and victory are so heartfelt and loving and real (how awesome is Paul Bettany as Chaucer?), and Heath Ledger never lets on that this is really a silly movie. He acts like it really matters to his character that his dad heard him being addressed as "sir." It is easy, looking back, to see why this was the movie that made Heath Ledger a star. I really liked him, and he moved me in both silly and serious films, and I am very sad that he died.

And this is more than I ever thought I would say about A Knight's Tale, for pete's sake. But it, along with the Olympic footage of the U.S./China water polo match and the women cycling in the rain under the Great friggin' Wall of China, really motivated me today to run three miles instead of two, the longest I've gone since resuming exercising this summer. So that felt great. This evening I went to yoga with my dad and we did so much floor work that my forehead started becoming permanently attached to my mat and had pains shooting through it, so that was a less pleasant fitness experience, but what're you gonna do?

I guess all I can do is prepare to watch Mad Men and face the week ahead. And make these (I used chocolate chip cookie dough and alternated mini-Reese's cups, Rolos, and regular Hershey's Kisses, and they were easy and delicious and perfect). And try to watch as much Olympic gymnastic footage as humanly possible because it is awesome. My older brother texted us in excitement when Li Ning lit the Olympic cauldron because we were glued to the gymnastics coverage in 1984 along with the rest of the universe, for that was the year of Li Ning and Bart Connor and Mary Lou Retton and MITCH GAYLORD. Seeing Li Ning was like seeing an old friend. It was funny that my brother remembered that summer. That made me happy. And now, for nostaglia's sake ... remember, she needed a perfect 10 to get the gold medal:

Getaway

It was decided that an end-of-summer (not weather-wise, but freedom from school-wise) night away was in order. So we headed to the quaint and lovely town and stayed at a bed and breakfast. I liked this bed and breakfast a lot because it had cats, a dog, a patio, homemade oatmeal raisin cookies, a six-pack of my favorite beer stocked in the fridge for our arrival, a hammock, a rope swing, beautiful grounds, an antique bathtub with bathsalts and soap that smelled like apple Jolly Ranchers (in a good way), and little guestbooks full of messages from people who've stayed there over the years which made for great reading somehow, showing little glimpses into people's lives from all over the world.

We got up early in the morning to cross the state line into Mississippi, where we hiked down to some "waterfalls." It was great just to be outside, hearing nothing but the bugs and the birds and the water. It's important to get away sometimes. I recommend it.

Yoga

The truth is that when it comes to utilitarian/authoritarian/no nonsense yoga teachers vs. hippy/dippy/sunlight & moonbeams yoga teachers, I've decided I prefer the latter. Truly! If I'm going to be focusing on shakras, I'd rather be hearing about them from someone who talks about opening our hearts to compassion and love and how the light within her honors the light within all of us and all that jazz because it all just gets me way more into the mood. I still can't do many of the poses but it was nice last night to meet a tiny yoga man next to me who encouraged me and said that yoga comes back to you quickly. Yes, I thought, but only if one was there in the first place. Anyway, I'm sore but feel great after the class. I just collapsed into child's pose as the class held downward dog for five hundred years and then started lifting their legs into the air one at a time and then pulling them to their chests because I just could not hold those poses for that long. But other than that, I pulled most things off, including coming nose to nose with the tiny yoga man in prayer squat (close quarters; crowded class), which was semi-awkward. I was trying to breathe and balance and not fall over and there he was a centimeter from my face, hi. I averted my eyes and prayed while squatting for it to be over soon.

Meanwhile, I have come to terms with the fact that I think I have now seen every single episode of Reba.

Favorite running showtunes

I like running to Green Day as much as the next person, okay? But sometimes nothing makes me feel more footloose and fancy free on my turtle-like jogs than an upbeat showtune. Here are some of my favorites to run to, in no particular order:

1.) Waiting for the Light to Shine from Big River

2.) You Can't Stop the Beat from Hairspray

3.) Oklahoma from Oklahoma (There is something about this song that makes me so happy while running ... I think it's how happy the characters are about their brand new state ... they are overjoyed ... it releases endorphins in me, I cannot help it.)

4.) 30/90 from tick, tick...boom!

5.) The Dark I Know Well from Spring Awakening

6.) You Can't Get a Man with a Gun from Annie Get Your Gun (This song is a perfect of example of how Irving Berlin wrote some of the greatest lyrics of all time.)

7.) Another Day from Rent

8.) Mamma Mia! from Mamma Mia! (not really a showtune, but whatever)

9.) Forget About the Boy from Thoroughly Modern Millie

10.) NYC from Annie

11.) The Seven Deadly Virtues from Camelot

12.) Angry Inch from Hedwig and the Angry Inch

13.) Who Loves You from Jersey Boys

14.) Pharaoh's Dreams Explained from Joseph & the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

15.) What Would Brian Boitano Do? from South Park

16.) Run, Freedom, Run from Urinetown

17.) Defying Gravity from Wicked

18.) The Book Report from You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown

19.) The Lees of Old Virginia from 1776

20.) Fame: I'm Gonna Live Forever from Fame

P.S. Totally open to suggestions!

Sunday Run Day

This morning I took leave of my senses and decided I should run outside since it was a mere 74 degrees outside. My (old) route (that I haven't been on since resuming my exercise routine) has little shade and soon enough I was sweating profusely and my feet like they were being stabbed with hot pokers because I unwisely did not wear my trusty coolmax socks. But I panted and trudged through my two little miles and made it home safe and sound, where I juiced three grapefruits and felt whole again, noting that the temperature had ascended during my run to 85. We're having heat indexes of 110, though. Awesome! While running, I started thinking about my favorite running songs -- then, now, or both.

Eliza's Ultimate Running Mix as of today ...

1.) Get Up by Bleu
2.) Don't Know Why You Stay by the Essex Green
3.) I Hear the Bells by Mike Doughty
4.) Our Love by Rhett Miller
5.) American Idiot by Green Day
6.) I Get Along by the Libertines
7.) Are You Gonna Be My Girl by Jet
8.) Ain't No Other Man by Christina Aguilera
9.) Just What I Need by Rufus King
10.) Since U Been Gone by Kelly Clarkson
11.) Bend and Break by Keane
12.) My Feet Can't Fail Me Now by the Dirty Dozen Brass Band
13.) Taking the Long Way Around by the Dixie Chicks
14.) I Believe in a Thing Called Love by the Darkness
15.) Punk Rock Girl by the Dead Milkmen
16.) Viva la Vida by Coldplay
17.) Who's Got a Match by Biffy Clyro
18.) Better Things by The Bouncing Souls
19.) Save the Last Dance by Michael Buble
20.) Lose Yourself by Eminem

List of favorite running showtunes to follow.