I ended up working until 1:30am on a report that's probably going to have a lifespan of 1.5 months (I realize of course that my saying that inevitably means this will backfire and I'll have to crank these out every week, but if so - i've at least a good framework now). In any case - I managed to finish the "list" of tasks due in my outlook yesterday, something amazing. I am now, however - feeling a bit sluggish and trying to jumpstart the day with an entire caraffe of coffee. (Note - the crappy Braun that I bought in 92 is finally giving up the 10 year ghost, so I've a newer one en route.)
I'm going to Beate's Groundhog's Day party. I'm to bring Vodka for martini's - but I'm also restraining myself to just one. My former occupation as "Lush and boozer" is getting a very slow retirement party (2xscotch and soda's on Wednesday, a few tonight, etc) -- but I can honestly say that getting soused isn't as great as it used to be. I feel like the rush of getting soused in public/private to be rare, inconvenient and well -- not as artful as it once was (paying for overpriced cocktails at the #$(%*ing Baltic Room [or even the $%*&$in Cha-Cha] is turning nightlife into Mcdonald's style-genericism. Yeah - Thanks, guys for a memorable evening...)
In any case - I'm cleaning the clutter today and tomorrow. Possibly weeding out my closet of the various clown and monkey suits, funky thrift scores I pass off as vintage (but somehow fail and make me look like a creepy late 70's throwback), and the "normalcy" clothing that I never wore... That does it. It's nothing but designer knockoffs and ...

Speaking of tired RETRO things - I just found out that Tron, the geek-opus film from my youth that made me dearly want a commodore 64 so I could fight the evil corporate powers, has had a big revival:

• a 2 disk DVD has been released with new footage. I seem to recall when I first saw a huge home theater set up in the mid 80's and laserdisc had made this big debut... They were playing this film. It boomed on the Yamaha speakers and impressed all the yuppies.
  
• A Sequel to the movie called either Tron 2.0 or Tronkillerapp is supposed to be in production or something. There's this cryptic teaser site that's probably going to do another "A.I." like marketing campaign (where they create their own some-what related narrative around a whole bunch of sites and lead fans on a big scavenger hunt for clues. I'll try to find the article and post it here sometime for you to read - it was a pretty interesting phenomena...)
  
• 80's synth-meisters Ladytron are going to be performing a live soundtrack to the original "Tron" in London...
  

Now if I can just remember my strategies at winning Tron Deadly disks, I'll be my own true geek self...

Oh my god - I haven't posted a damn thing since Tuesday!? Well, it's proof that I've been hella busy at work, trying to sort out the Dogme project and going to the gym (I can't believe that I would ever admit to even saying that, but it's true) that I've done little in my spare time (unless you count the time I spend crawling around between all three because I'm soooo bloody tired) -so I've nothing notable to point out. No new sites, no fantastic news, or observations.
...and even worse is the fact that I'm right now at work on a friday night trying to finish last minute projects. Today was a day that I had many "customers" and these "customers" were really needing some form of "validation" because the "procccccessssss" wasn't "worrrrrrrrrking"... Whatever. Sorry, folks - don't mean to take it out on the blog, but I so need a vacation... Or go back to school. Or travel. Or volunteer helping the mentally disabled shop for groceries and write checks to their utlities. Or walk dogs. Or make obscure films. Or Find true love on the internet. Or get into religious dietary tenants. Or sing songs of great sadness that your heart will truly break when I belt out the final chorus. Or just walk down the street with no particular destination, and turn a few heads as if they say, "huh...interesting" (maybe that's a good interesting or a bad interesting... who knows)...
I just need a vacation.
and go nowhere.

Ooh - I can't sleep now. I have to get the story idea for the film somewhat slightly together, and just having been buzzed from a great dinner and stimulating conversation w/Beate and seeing the latest dazzling japanime flick Metropolis, I return to quickly check email and do my usual semi-weekly lurking on ILE, only to discover this
heated thread on men dating asian women. Of course, it's pretty much ILE vs Momus, who's Japaniphilia is reknown - but, I am tempted to write back with love doesn't know color, but neither does 5 shots of whiskey in a backroom somewhere in Shinjuku - but that might be getting a bit personal... Besides, that would mean some kind of emotional internet investment - which is one of my unsaid resolutions for 2002 (ie, don't get involved in posting on BB's - esp. when you've nothing to say on said subject). I do want to start posting at some point again however - but only come back with a bit more "umph", and less pretense. Maybe later. Maybe never.

Ugh - I had very strange dreams last night (involving a pyramid made out of orange couches and sex w/midgets!?)
I kept waking up hourly with some strange discomfort (ie, your hand goes numb, you're sleeping w/out covers w/the heat off so you're congested, the heat comes back on at 5am and you're completely drenched in sweat... Sheesh).
In any case, I'm feeling a bit worse for wear at the moment - but luckily my 7am meeting called off, so I am sitting here, drinking coffee - listening to NPR... Speaking of current events, Tom Tomorrow fans rejoice:
This Modern World by Tom Tomorrow has his own blog... I'm going to have to include a link to this!

I am bursting with non-sequitors to report, but nothing that points to the fact it was a busy monday (which it wasn't)... however, we'll go in reverse ---

1. I just found out that Edith Beale died two weeks ago!! For those who are not familiar with the cult doco "Grey Gardens", Edith - or Little Edie as she's called - was the very eccentric cousin of Jackie Kennedy-Onassis, who moved back in w/her aging mother, "Big Edie" at Grey Gardens - a wonderfully yet horribly decaying mansion (it was declared a health hazzard in the 70's while they were still living there). In any case, this is so timely -- as the Mayle's brother's wonderful documentary has had a big resurgence lately (the DVD has interviews with several celebs and fashion designers citing Edie as an inspiration, and Rufus Wainwright wrote a song about them). If you haven't seen this documentary - see it! You'll be amazed. (A good amazed, not shocked amazed. Contrary to what critics say, there is triumph in the movie.)... Also, it looks as though finally a good tribute site is up, GreyGardens.com, courtesy of smut magnate David K.
   
2. Over the course of three cocktails with Rachel and Lyle last night, we made a remarkable discovery: Women can lift chairs with their heads placed against a wall while men cannot. This trick is to be tried while standing 3 paces back and leaning against the wall with your head - try lifting a chair. Can't be done. In any case - kudos to Lyle for digging this one from an All in the Family episode.
   
3. Lorah sent me an interesting update from her high school chum who has chosen to live in terrarium-like biosphere. Details and soon-to-be livecam are here - but let me tell ya, this is a dream job! Where else do you get to poo in bags and interract with other species?
   

More later...

Sluggish Slushy sunday. Pile of laundry. Snow has melted... Photoshop tryout has been downloaded only to discover that of course - you can't save files (it's a tryout, silly - of course not...What were you thinking?) Sigh. I could be one of a million tasks and projects (home related, work related) and I've no drive to do them. Coffee ain't helping either...
Ended up seeing Bark last night --- It was suprisingly a good film with a very unsure start... Woman turns into a dog in a kafka-rendition of the Metamorphosis (but actually becomes more of a commentary on living with mental illness). I think the supporting cast (the impeccable Lisa Kudrow) helped make the film more solid - although Heather Morgan's (who also stars in it) script came together at the right moment.
Rachel and I are to go the gym - but I am not sure if either of us is motivated at the moment (and besides, I'm going to train this next week and will get my cardio in then)... But still, I can't help but think that I might get motivated to come back and clean this dump if I manage to get a good 20 minutes on the stairmaster. Funny how the law of inertia works... The minute I open the Sunday NYT and start eating my breakfast, the less I want to do anything -- Just sit around in sweats, listen to KEXP and drink an entire caraffe of coffee.

I love Sundays for this reason...
I also hate them at the same time...