had a great time in italy. i posted pics for my fb friends. if you aren't on fb then umm... hope friendster is going well for you.
now that i'm back, i'm on full on detox. no drinking for the next 2 months. and i'm trying to go 80% vegetarian. which is kinda half ass but still.
basically this means i'm eating vegetarian at home and at work. and i'll "break" if i go out. i don't want to be that guy who goes to the steak place and orders a salad.
going to italy for debbie and rodney's wedding. first time in europe since 2004 when i went for the monaco marathon. but every time you travel is different. you are in a different point in your life, maybe travelling to a different destination, maybe with different travel partners.
haven't really prepped much for the trip (unless you count viewings of european vacation, eurotrip, and when in rome). it's one of those "just go with the flow" trips.
i always tell people that the best investment they can make is not in homes or stocks, but in yourself. and i think the best way to invest in yourself isn't through fancy clothes but travel and education. b/c while housing markets can crash and investments tank, noone can ever take away what you learn.
i'll keep you guys posted on the trip, ciao! (see what i just did there.)
congrats to my bro and his wife! they are pregnant so looks like i'll be an uncle soon!
especially happy for my folks. i know they'll make excellent grandparents.
don't know why i took so long to get around to it, but here's my take on inception:
big christopher nolan fan. loved memento, the batmans, and the prestige. the cast? awesome top to bottom, (leonardo, ellen, jgl, caine) not enough can be said about the casting. music? hans zimmer makes magic out of a fog horn.
i can't say enough good things about this movie. but i have come across some negative reviews. some critics saying the movie didn't work on an "emotional" level. i dunno, it worked for me. i felt you really wanted leonardo to work his stuff out and come out of this one on top.
"Ariadne: Why is it so important to dream?
Cobb: Because, in my dreams we are together. "
totally reminds me of this quote:
"I think we dream so we don't have to be apart so long. If we're in each other's dreams, we can be together all the time."
-Calvin and Hobbes
this one definitely deserves a second viewing.
an excerpt from the latest blog of ryan hall (olympic marathon runner):
"In the ensuing years I've learned a bit about the Negative Neds. Ned was a Dream Stealer. Neds are dangerous. Those who have abandoned their own dreams will try to convince you to abandon yours. Don't listen. Believe in your dream, whatever it is. Hold onto it with everything you have because Ned will come. For every dreamer there are a hundred critics; and the bigger the dream, the bigger the cynic.
Follow your heart and believe in your dreams, surround yourself with positive people, folks who will encourage you in your dream pursuit. Never give up. Never give in. Don't let your dreams die. Bleed, claw, sweat, & scrape to make them a reality. Find the door to your dreams and knock, knock, and knock until your knuckles bleed and your bones hurt. Knock until you wake everyone in the house. When they tell you to leave, keep knocking. If you knock long enough and hard enough, eventually someone will open the door just to shut you up.
The person you want to be, that thing you want to do, start today. Life moves fast, we must move faster.
The world needs your passion. The world needs your ideas. The world needs your dream."
let's keep chasing it people. whatever "it" is.
"Fear is like a giant fog. It sits on your brain and blocks everything -- real feelings, true happiness, real joy. They can't get through that fog. But you lift it, and buddy, you're in for the ride of your life. "
that quote is from an albert brookes movie, defending your life. i came across it on netflix and its one of those great movies people just miss the first time around. basically the premise is this:
main character dies and goes to "judgement city" (kind of like pergatory). here he is judged and if he wins, he moves on, and if he loses he goes back to earth. now whats interesting is they don't judge based on how nice you were, etc.
they judge by how much fear controlled your life.
basically the moral is to live bravely, and not let fears control you. great advice i thought. and i know its probably easier to hear than actually live.
hey noone said it would be easy.
thank you running.
you have always gotten me past rough spots.
when i was a junior, and transferred to a new high school, i joined the track team. first time i had ever done organized running in my life.
after throwing up during the first run (first and only time i have ever thrown up due to running), it was a great experience where i met some great friends.
i'll admit, during college i stopped running altogether. i replaced running with beer and mexican food. (nothing wrong with beer and mexican food, mind you). but my life had no balance.
so after i graduated from sc, stepped on a scaled and was shocked that i weighted 200 pounds, i started running again. signed up for my first marathon (la marathon, 2001) and i was hooked.
lately, i've needed running more than ever. this time, not to meet new friends, or to lose 50 pounds. i'm just trying to run until i figure everything out.
slowly but surely. its working.
got my diploma and transcript in the mail. 3.80 final gpa. showed it to my parents and they were proud. and that makes me happy.
i realize i'm 33 years old and not a little kid. i realize i should strive for a little more than just trying to impress my parents. but it means alot to me, ok?
sometimes, i feel like i've let them down. and that makes me feel the opposite of happy.
in honor of my friends running badwater, the baddest race on the planet (135 miles and over 12000 feet of gain in temperatures from a low of 90 degrees to a high of 121 this year).
We all neeed to understand that experience is agony and ecstasy at the same time. Pain and joy holding hands. And pain is not suffering, but part of the Good Fight we must fight in the name of our dreams.
let's keep chasing it, kids.
Life is like football: the adversary is the best teacher
Be proud of your scars. They remind you that you have the will to live
When I had all the answers, the questions changed
Recognize problems when they are still small and deal with them before they grow. And learn how to distinguish between a quick summer rain and a devastating hurricane
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