Day 50: Halfway Point

So as of this very post I have done exactly 50 consecutive days of blogging! It's been so much fun to write something every day. It has stretched me as a writer and forced me to reach for different subjects to write about which sometimes leads to some deep thoughts and introspection.

I definitely have to thank Corinne (Corinne's Blog) for coming up the idea and my wife Katie (Katie's Blog) for encouraging me to go for it. It's been fun when we both make some time after work to write for our respective blogs. It's calming in a way and I always look forward to reading what she's written.

Well today and yesterday sure have been eventful. All of the furniture is out of the house and we are sleeping in front of the fireplace in the living room. It's pretty cozy even though the house looks like a tornado tore through it. We still have quite a bit of packing to do and some storage building runs to make, but I think the hardest part is done. We both are pretty exhausted and sore, but we're feeling better about getting out of here before the time is up.


 

Day 49: Feeling Blue

Blue really is the best color. I often find my self drawn to blue things. In fact, the other day I was at the gas station and I was compelled to buy a drink solely on the fact that it was blue. As it turned out, it ended up being really good too. It was lemon flavored, which when you think about it is kind of strange for a blue colored drink.

As I'm writing this, I'm looking at my hands as they're tapping away on the keyboard and there are still little slivers of blue paint around my fingernails from painting our new room last night. Of course we painted it blue. Robin's Egg blue to be exact - which is really one of the best blues you can choose.

Did you know that blue is the most popular color among the world's population? The runner up is purple (for some reason that is beyond me). Why do people like blue so much? Perhaps it's because it's the color of the ocean and of the sky. Two things that we humans rely on for survival; air and water.

Well anyway, I'm looking forward to living in a blue room now.  

Day 48: Origin Stories

Whenever I'm watching a movie with a famous actor or actress as the lead character, I am inclined to watch it from the perspective of it either being an origin story or a sequel to another film (or films).

For instance, who would have thought that the singing and dancing young WW2 survivor trying to sell "papes" in NY would later become Batman? Or that Jack actually survived the sinking of the Titanic but was left with damage to his language processor which meant he could only speak in Shakespearean English. "Thou art a villian!" Fortunately for him, later he was able to regain use of modern English via dream therapy.

Speaking of which, Alfred has also come a long way. From the psychotic break he had where he was surrounded by felt puppets, he went on to become the butler for Bruce Wayne. After living a life full of secrets protecting The Dark Knight, he followed Jack's footsteps and escaped into the dream world.

But of course there is also the timeless tale of none other than The Wolverine himself. After a brief stint in a french prison for stealing a loaf of bread, Logan made some friends and then most of them ended up dying. Also, being in a French jail makes you sing uncontrollably.

After minding his own business in America for a while in the 1870's, he time traveled to the 2000's with a man who looked eerily similar to his brother. Then Wolverine goes back in time to become a magician and inadvertently became entangled in a rivalry with none other than Bruce Wayne himself.

Eventually Logan met up with the X-men and had some adventures. At one point though he smoked some south farthing pipe weed with Magneto and had the strangest visions. He was a doctor in the dream. The girl from the mummy was there and there was a floating tree with hair on it. Also, he was bald. Weird right?

And that's just how it happens....    





   

Day 47: Monolith Part II

To read the previous entry click here

 

The tall figure crouched down near the bubbling pot and locked eyes with the girl as he slowly sat down. As he looked at her, she noticed that something was trembling beneath his beard. His dark eyes strained in concentration as the erratic motion intensified. He leaned closer to her and something unexpected happened. A deep gravely sound filtered through his beard from his shaking lips. It was long and drawn out, but discernible nonetheless. 

"Mono.....lith," he said slowly and with great difficulty.

His voice was rough like a sewer grate being pried open and dragged along concrete. The girl was deeply startled by the sudden utterance. She opened her mouth in surprise and began to speak, but realized that she had forgotten how. Perhaps she never knew how to speak. Now that she thought about it, it occurred to her that she never remembered talking out loud to anyone before. Especially not him. But if she was able to converse, she would have asked him if that was his name. Monolith.

She stared intently at him. Trying desperately to ask the question without words. But she saw something in his eyes, a thing that scared her to the core. In the dark reflective orbs, she saw a face. Her heart began to race as the features forcefully conjured up memories that she wasn't able to make sense of. Large fleshy hands tightly gripped around a wooden rod. A scarf around her mouth, broken bottles on the floor. A blazing fire and noise, so much noise. Suddenly she was looking down into the dark swamp water, as she often did. Her reflection was different though. More lines played across her face and the eyes smiling back at her were of a different color. Nor was there any mud blemishing her pale skin. It wasn't her. 

The woman mimicked her open mouth as she tried to scream, but no sound came out from either of them. Black tar began to trickle out of the woman's eyes, covering her pupils until they were swallowed up. A beard sprouted from the clean face and began to crawl downwards, covering the her neck. Mud quickly started coating the slightly-wrinkled fair skin. The girl was staring at him again. He had transformed in front of her eyes.     

She got up quickly, knocking over pots and letting dust loose in the air as she backed away from those dark revealing eyes. He slowly began to raise himself up, which hastened her retreat. She tore out of the cylindrical room, but came to a screeching halt to avoid the blanket of darkness that was parked at the threshold.

As she stood there not knowing whether she should proceed into the darkness, or return to the tower, she heard strange noises coming from the swamp. It may have been the wind slowly weaving through the thick moss, but perhaps something more sinister. She thought she heard inhuman whispers underneath the incessant drone of the various swamp insects. Her skin began to tighten and gather together as tiny hills forced their way across her very surface.

In the indistinguishable sea of voices, she swore she heard, "Audrey.........Audreeeeey."

Her eyes began to adjust to the lack of light and she thought there were shapes moving around the swamp. Or maybe it was just the phantom flames from the fire she had been beside moments before. She became extremely frightened as the dark shadows seemed moved closer and the whispering sounds began to thwart the insect sonata. 

She backed away slowly and ran into something behind her that was hard and felt like an unshakable tree. Terrified, her eyes darted up to confirm what she had run into. Of course, she already knew what it was. It was him. She found a strange comfort, once again, in those dark eyes that had caused her to flee moments ago. He looked out into the darkness for a moment until his black marbles darted back down at her. She understood what his look was saying, this is why. 

This is why he always beckoned her to return to the tower. No matter where she went, or how long she was gone, he always found her when it was time to return to shelter.

To Be Continued...         

   
 

Day 46: Another Short Post

This week has been insane. I've started transitioning at work from a Quality Assurance Associate position, to a full-on Laboratory Technician. While it has been challenging learning the new equipment and how it all works on a scientific level, it makes it all that much harder when at home we have to get the place ready to move by the end of this week.

I know it's a first world problem and there are so many other important things going on in the world, but this thing really snuck up on me. Time just seems to flow faster as an adult and I'm still not used to it. It seems like it hasn't been that long that we've been talking about moving at the end of February, but as I signed the date (probably a hundred times) on paperwork today I realized that we are pretty much there.

Well the office is almost done, so that's good because that's probably the worst of it. Hopefully we can get this place moved without too much stress.

Day 45: Of Laundromats and Snow

There are still a few random patches of snow outside. On my drive to work this morning I saw them scattered around town, picking up the early morning rays. I still can't believe that they've hung around for so long. I was even more amazed when I saw them on my way back home from work too. My thermometer in the car was reading 70 and yet there they were. Tucked in corners of yards and roofs.

I had to go to the laundromat today after work. I never had to go there growing up, so that's been a cultural experience since moving into a place without a washer and dryer. There are some "interesting" people that frequent there. Sometime I'll have to share the story about how I broke up a fight there.

Laundry is done, but there are still quite a few things to do before we're ready to move. All in good time though. 

I didn't put much thought into this post. It's just a stream of consciousness really. Ain't nobody got time fo' that.  

Day 44: Monolith Part I

 
Moss dripped down from the sickly branches like stalactites hanging in a forgotten cave. Fog drifted aimlessly, parting around the the feet of giant cypress trees that jutted out of the water. The sun was nothing more than a myth to this land and the crickets played their eternal songs in the darkness, ever unaware of the time of day. Or that day even existed. The thick trees with their draped moss blotted out any direct light in the stifled water-soaked woods. Nothing ever really changed in the swamp. It was as if it were trapped in time, forced to replay the same segment over and over.

An old crumbling tower stood watch in the middle of a small island surrounded by dark swamp water. Its aging circumference was girdled in moss and stifling clusters of fungus. A small girl draped in a mud-stained and tattered blue dress, crouched at the edge of the water. The star patterns barely revealed themselves behind the swampy veneer. Her face was partially obscured by her matted dark hair as her green eyes peeked out and pierced into the muddy water. Her shoes were also caked in mud, save for a few bits of bright red that glimmered through.

The girl once had a name, but she couldn't recall it anymore. The only thing she remembered before the swamp was getting lost in the woods. She thought she would remain lost forever, but then she found him. Or it. She didn't know what he was. Sometimes she thought he was a tree and other days she thought he was a man. A giant beard sprouted from the bottom half of his face and trailed down to his midsection. Whether his beard was moss or hair, she couldn't decide. His hair was the same way; long, curly and in some places seemed as if it merged with his beard. His clothes, if you could call them that, were of roughly hewn material. Possibly from some sort of giant reptile like an alligator, or something larger. They clung to him and yet looked as if he clung to them as well. She couldn't tell if it was his skin or not.

The girl had been lost a long time. The sun had since forsaken her, so she had no idea for how long she had called this place home. She was nameless and because of the mud and dirt, she was becoming more and more faceless as each day went by. Perhaps someday, she would become like him. A nameless, faceless, creature who was hardly discernible as human. She didn't want that, but she still liked him despite his human-less form.

As she continued to stare at the water, a bulbous muddy and moss-draped hand rested on her shoulder. She tensed for a moment and turned to look up at him. His dark, pupiless eyes were mostly shrouded by the mossy hair as he gazed at her. He never spoke a word, but the girl knew the meaning behind the look. He wanted her to take shelter in the ancient tower. She got up quickly and followed the tall figure through the dark opening.

As she turned the corner she was met with a roaring fire that sent dark odorous smoke spiraling up the inside of the tower, coating the inner stone with a black tar-like substance. A little bed was pressed up against the corner nearest to the fire. It was nothing more than a burlap sack stuffed with moss and an old tattered quilt neatly folded on top. Various pots and pans littered the floor around her sleep space. 

A bubbling pot hung over the fire, the smell emanating from it was something that the girl was very familiar with. She didn't know what was in it, and she never attempted to ask. She just ate it. The taste was akin to the smell of the swamp water once it was stirred. Dark chunks floated on the bubbling surface, bouncing to and fro in the viscous uproar. These were her favorite bits. They were slightly spicy and tender. They vaguely reminded her of something from life before the swamp. She couldn't put her finger on it though. Just like everything else before she became lost.

To be continued...

Day 43: Movies I Want to See This Year

2013 was a great year for movies and 2014 looks like it might follow suit. So here's a list, in no particular order, of a few that I am looking forward to this year.

The Wind Rises

I love Hayao Miyazaki; he's one of my all-time favorite story tellers and 2002's Spirited Away still remains as my favorite film. I am excited to see his final project, The Wind Rises. The film is about Jiro Horikoshi, the inventor of the Japanese Zero during WWII. It was released last year in Japan and the US Disney release is do to hit theaters on the 21st of this month.

Muppets Most Wanted 

  

I was a little apprehensive about the 2011 move The Muppets. I didn't get my hopes up and was extremely pleased with the movie. Even if it made watching How i Met Your Mother different afterwards. I am really excited about the next Muppet movie, Muppets Most Wanted. It's being brought back by the same crew and it can't go wrong with Ricky Gervais and Tina Fey. I want to go to there. 

Godzilla

I really couldn't stand the version of Godzilla that featured Ferris Bueller. He should have just played sick instead of acting in that film. It left a bad taste in my mouth. However the reboot looks like it might stick closer to the original Japanese version that I love so much. Add Walter White in the mix and I'm in.

X-Men: Days of Future Past

I love the X-men movies, even the bad ones. So I'll probably go see this. Wait... Captain Picard and Mr Tumnus are in this? Gandalf and Michael Fassbender? Jennifer Lawrence too!?!? SOLD.

Guardians of the Galaxy

I know nothing about the original source material. Literally nothing. Well except that there is a talking raccoon. But it's a Marvel film and I'll watch all the Marvel films. 

The Hobbit: There and Back Again

I have really enjoyed the previous two Hobbit films and of course I am looking forward to the conclusion, even if I don't know how they could craft an entire film out of the remaining material. But hey if it just Benedict Cumberbatch talking for an hour, I'd go see that!

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part I

I love the Hunger Games and I'm glad that they're splitting this last one into two films. Also it's being filmed here in Atlanta, so that's cool. Yeah I probably should read the book too. 

Of course there are many other films that look great, but these are the few that I know I'm going to see this year.

Day 42: Avocados

Avocados. No, I'm not talking about the fruit that commonly gets mistaken for a vegetable; I'm talking about our favorite local restaurant. Since we first discovered the little place on the Gainesville square, Katie and I have had countless dates there. It's our go-to restaurant. The food is ridiculously good and an ever changing menu means that the chef is constantly creating delicious new dishes.

With a name like Avocados it only seems natural that they would have the best guacamole I've ever had. Their burgers are also (in my humble opinion) the best in town. Or maybe anywhere. Pair the two and you get one of my favorite things on the menu: a burger smothered in the house guacamole. I'm salivating while writing this.

Katie and I went last night for their special valentines day dinner and we were not disappointed. We were given a couple different choices on the menu of different appetizers and entrees. Of course they also had an all-you-can-eat dessert table as well.

For my appetizer I chose the artisan steak salad with sliced avocados and Katie chose the steamed mussels in creamy basil sauce. For our main dishes I chose the T-Bone steak topped with caramelized peppers and french fries. Katie got the beef tenderloin with mashed potatoes and scallops. It was a hard decision because I would have easily eaten any of the items on the menu.

We were both pretty hungry and it didn't take very long for our appetizers to arrive. It was the first steak salad that I had ever had and it was delicious. There was just enough steak and avocado on it to get a portioned amount of each in every bite of salad. The steak was tender and the avocado was perfectly ripe. The salad dressing was some sort of balsamic dressing with cilantro. I tried one of Katie's mussels and it was also really good, particularly the cream basil sauce it was served in.

Shortly after finishing our appetizers, we were brought our main dishes. I ordered my steak rare, because that's the way I like it, and it was very delicious. It was cooked just the way I had asked and it was a very large piece of steak. They also have the best fries in town and I was delighted to see that the rest of the plate was populated with them. I would go there just to get the fries, seriously. I tried a few bites of Katie's plate and hers was fantastic as well.

I hate to say this and it may just be because I'm still sick, but I was not able to finish my entire meal. As I was trying to finish it off, it occurred to me that there was still a fully-loaded dessert table in the room. I tried a little bit of everything on that table and I hurt myself, I really did. I passed the point of being full by a mile, but I was also very satisfied.

We had such a great time there. The atmosphere was very romantic and the food was, as always, amazing. If you live here in Georgia, or are just passing through, you should definitely give them a visit. You won't be disappointed.


      

Day 41: The Snowcation

Katie and I really enjoyed the time that we had off due to the second coming of the snowpocalypse. It was like a much needed and unexpected vacation. We sat back and watched the snow, caught up on TV shows, played some video games, talked to family and friends, read some books, and cooked great food. I think I caught the sickness Katie had during the downtime, so there was plenty of time to rest and take it easy.

When we finally ventured out to Kroger yesterday, some of the ice and snow had started melting. Going out was an adventure though as the roads were still a bit dangerous. Kroger was fairly busy and their stock had seen a fairly significant decline because of the treacherous conditions. We picked up all of the necessities and some nice things for dinner and went back to our little place.

I made it back to work this morning after not having been there since Monday night. The roads were a little icy and scary, but I made it without incident. Being back is strange though, because nobody else had been here and several people are also feeling a bit sick. It's nice though because it is Friday. 

The weekend is almost here and it's Valentines Day. I'm really looking forward to taking my bride out on the town tonight for a date at our favorite restaurant!

Happy Valentine's Day everyone!