Weekends, Movies and Lent

I had a very good weekend. Nothing spectacular, but it was a good one. Friday I slept in (as I'm wont to do) but made sure I was up in enough time to pack up the items I needed to mail and be on time for the Yoga class. I was very nervous about it as I really had no clue what Yoga is about. I was there in plenty of time (as usual for me) and had time to get even more nervous. It went well though, my very first yoga class of my life. And I liked it well enough that when the instructor announced at the end of class that he would be teaching another class Saturday morning at 8:30 a.m. that I took note. After yoga, I went and signed up for a one-on-one training session. That's where one of the gym employees comes up with a workout regimen (I think that's what happens at any rate) for you. They ask what you want to accomplish and they take you around the gym and show you how the machines work. Essentially anything that helps me be skinny again, I'm up for. I'm tired of pushing maximum density in my fat jeans.

After yoga, I went to the post office and sent off my packages to various locations. Then it was off to PetSmart (cat food and litter) and Target to spend massive amounts of money on workout clothes, slips, spatulas, contact solution, pain relievers, allergy pills and essential amino acids. I didn't buy any DVDs! I didn't even let myself look at them. I then had something to eat (ramen noodles) and went back to the gym where I did 45 minutes on the treadmill and stretched. I went to bed early since I'm a wuss and I wanted to get up early for the 8:30 yoga class. Yup, I went. Can you believe it? Let's see how long I keep up this diligent gym-going though. I really want to be serious about this and do what I can to work off my fat ass. After yoga, I cruised home and showered, because I had a massage scheduled for 11:00 a.m. After the massage, I went to the Plymouth yarn store to check out their yarns and figure out what I wanted to buy at the Super Bowl Sale on Sunday. Well, once I got there I decided I really didn't want to go back the next day, especially as they couldn't tell us what was going to be on sale. I was only there because I had a gift certificate that I had to use up by the end of the month. After two hours of not really finding anything I had to have and wishing I had a $65.00 GC to Threadbear and complaining about how much I hate the Plymouth store I finally just grabbed enough Katia Scotch Tweed to use up the GC and left.

Saturday night was Knitting Club so I took the yarn with me along with my two pattern books and asked if Soyon could help me figure out what to make. I want to make a sweater I tell her. She went through my books and determined that I could make the last one in my Knitting Simple Sweaters from Luxurious Yarns if I have more yardage. ARGH! You know what that means. Yup, a trip to the hellhole that is the Plymouth yarn store on Super Bowl Sunday – something I had wished to avoid. I was determined to get there first, grab the # of balls I needed and get the hell out of there, so as soon as Mass was over I said Good-bye to Mom, said Yes, I have a hot date and peeled out of the parking lot with Iggy Pop blaring on the stereo. I got to the store within 20 minutes (by 11:15 with the doors to open at noon). I had been smart enough to bring a book, so I kept my eye on the people who pulled into the parking lot and the woman next to me who had beat me there (she has less of a life than I do!). Finally at 11:45, she got out of her car and the rest of us followed. I was second in line. The doors opened a touch before noon and I went straight to the lying on its side milk crate type yarn holder and found one ball of the yarn I needed (but ten others hit the floor – reason #1 why I hate that damn store). Bloody hell, I say. A store employee asked me if I needed anything and I said, Yes, I need four more of these. She goes in the back and comes back with an unopened bag of my yarn. YAY!!! I grab them, hit the checkout counter. I was the first person to check out and I was on Hines Drive by 12:05 p.m. Pretty damn good, I must say. Now to get up the nerve to start that damn sweater. ;-)

I watched five movies this weekend. Friday I watched Beetlejuice (yes, I know, everybody else saw it years ago. I'm telling you I'm behind in my movie watching) and I thought it was okay. I thought I would hate it and I didn't so that's cool. I loved Winona Ryder in it! Loved her goth look!!! Saturday I watched Like Water for Chocolate. A very good movie, but damn that mother was a bitch from hell!!!! Sunday I watched The Shipping News. It was an interesting movie starring Kevin Spacey, Dame Judi Dench and Julianne Moore. I wanted to love this movie, but I didn't. I didn't hate, but I didn't love it. I think it's another film that shows Kevin Spacey's range, and there was great potential for it to be extremely tragic (which I'm thankful it wasn't), but I'm just not sure how I felt about it. I'm not sure I would recommend it to anybody because it is so unique and I'd hate someone coming back and saying, How could you recommend that movie, it sucked. If you like different movies about small Newfoundland towns, and if you love Kevin Spacey, then I'd say, check it out. If you are a fan of mindless comedies and don't really like thinking about your movies, don't waste your time.

After Kevin Spacey's foray into Newfoundland, I wanted something a little more light-hearted, so I broke into my Audrey Hepburn boxset and watched Sabrina. And after that I watched the audio commentary with Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke on the 40th anniversary DVD of Mary Poppins. I noticed they also have a Pop-Up version to watch, so I think I'll watch that next. I loved Bravo's (or was it A&E's) pop-up version of Willie Wonka and The Breakfast Club, so I'm hoping there are lots of cool tidbits of information forthcoming.

Last night at dinner I was talking about the movies I watched and it turned out all three of my dinner companions had seen The Shipping News and thought it was good, if a little weird and different. One person commented on how Kevin Spacey's character, Quoyle, seemed actually stupid in the first half of the movie but by the end he was a newspaper columnist and quite popular in his little town. I thought about it and came up with this response (belatedly): I think it's a clear indication of how a father's view of his child can color that child well into adulthood and it takes signs of approval, shows of trust in the person's ability to contribute to succeed. Quoyle's father had belittled him and used his own version of "tough love" which backfired. Some people can thrive in that situation, but others withdraw into themselves when faced with constant criticism and I think that was the character's problem. And once his father died and his aunt showed him true tough love along with the quirky townsfolk that he was able to come into his own. At any rate, that's my take on The Shipping News.

I didn't go to the gym last night but I did get on my stupid stationary bike and ride it for 20 miles (a little over an hour). Man, I hate that thing. I much prefer the treadmill at the gym (which I never expected to say) as it doesn't hurt my knees like the bike does. Still, I did exercise and that's what matters. Today is gym day with my workout partner. I'm hoping we can get there shortly after 4:00 and grab a treadmill for 45 minutes. I find it's a better workout than just walking as it makes you maintain your pace.

Today is Mardi Gras, Shrove Tuesday, Fat Tuesday, Paczki (pronounced PUnchki) Day, Carnavale, etc. And I have no great and fabulous plans. I didn't even get a Paczki! What the hell is up with that??? The plans I do have are attending lame-ass all hands meeting (I did bring my knitting), going to the gym, and then to go Ursamajor's for a Body Shop party. I hope she has Paczkis, or at least something sweet and fattening since tomorrow starts the ascetic's life for me. I'm giving up candy, desserts (anything along that line), fast food, take-out pizza, alcohol (except when out with Martha but as she's probably only going to be home two or so weekends during Lent, that's not too bad - she makes me promise that it doesn't count when with her, so that's kind of a Giving Up thing too) and I'm going to try to tone down my swearing. It's going to be a rough 40 days!!! And at some point I'll have to get to the grocery store as I have next to no food in my house.

It's a tad boring here today as half of my department is out of town. And it's really really quiet. Maybe I'll walk over to the good candy room and see if there are Heath bars. Gotta pig out as much as possible today since tomorrow we deny ourselves….