Weekending

Since I have to work Columbus Day and most of our vendors are closed, I have time to blog in between job searches. Oh yeah, I got another job kiss off this morning. Going 5 months without a job offer and getting love notes from Sallie Mae about my student loan is starting to demoralize me.

I didn't do anything too extraordinary this weekend. Saturday Tae Kwon Do class went pretty well and I went without a bandage on my ankle. It's a tough balancing act trying to figure out when the bandage stops helping my ankle and winds up hurting it. It's time to strengthen and give my left ankle a break now! I am dreading the makeup green belt testing Wednesday. I know I can do the forms, kicks, and self defense moves but when I'm sweaty, exhausted and nervous that's when I can't depend on knowing anything. My two hopes are that I won't be the only orange belt testing and that I won't injure myself. I can deal with the sweat and feeling like I can't go on.

Autumn really began yesterday, Oct. 7 because the temperature was seasonal and I smelt the leaves and a wood fire at night. Rasputin spent most of the day sleeping. I thought I had hibernating tendencies but he is ridiculous! The problem with a sleeping kitten is just looking at them, you get sleepy yourself. I caught up on a couple movies while Ras slept: "Flags of Or Fathers" and "Blood Diamond".

I really liked "Flags" because it stripped away the ridiculous jingoistic fantasy that surrounds WWII in American mythos. Basically, the cynical manipulation of Jessica Lynch ain't new. Sometimes the Greatest Generation wound up being janitors or drunks. Adam Beach did an amazing job in his role.

"Blood Diamond" surprised me by being so good. I'm thinking Leonardo DiCaprio has become one of those actors who you need to follow. Back in college, I called him Fetus Head due to his weirdly large, round head. In "Blood" he did a really good job with a difficult accent. The only blemish on the movie was the love story. It made no sense and felt shoehorned in to pander to the audience. Poor Djimon Hounsou. He has become pigeonholed and the noble suffering character actor. Once, just once, I'd love to see him as a romantic lead. Ditto for Adam Beach.