Mini-vacation

So I haven't run since the Reindeer Romp, and it's now Tuesday night. Uck. I am NOT going to allow this rush to turn into a six-week hiatus from running, I really will NOT. Already I'm doing better than before. Rush is only another four weeks or so, after all. =) I am definitely going running tomorrow. I'll shoot for about 3 miles, probably an abbreviated campus loop (because that will pretty much be my only choice). This weekend while I'm home I'm definitely going to make time for running. Once during high school I went running early on Christmas morning. The streets were empty, even the highway. The entire world was silvered with a thin layer of frost. It was quite eerie, in a way, but also so very peaceful. And certainly one of the most memorable runs I've ever had. Maybe I'll try to do that again. I'll be pretty busy with family stuff during the short time I'm home, but if I can get a run in every day, I'll feel pretty good about things.

The Alphabetical Movie Project is also taking a mini-vacation. Next in line is Artificial Intelligence, and I'm not especially eager to watch it this time of year since it is so depressing. Instead, we watched Love Actually because that is required for Christmas. I absolutely love that movie. I've never been one to get excited about romantic comedies, but I admire this one because it tells some genuinely poignant stories, and things don't always end the way a normal romantic comedy would. And what can I say? I love listening to British people talk. This is one that still gets me teary-eyed, and I still always yell at Colin Firth when Aurelia is walking away from him: "Go AFTER her, stupid! Don't just stand there!!" Also when Alan Rickman is buying the heart necklace for the skanky secretary (actually a very good German actress whose name escapes me), I yell: "How can you ever THINK about cheating on Emma THOMPSON? You FREAK!" Sigh.

Well, I guess we did not succeed in avoiding depressing movies, because we picked up Deep Impact on sale while out Christmas shopping. Very enjoyable, and also very underrated. So much better than Armageddon. It's kind of scary, in a way. How would you face your death? What would you do if you knew you were going to die? Who would you want to be with? I could answer that last, but the first two, I honestly have no idea, and I hope I don't have to consider them for many years to come.

We got some incredible news today: former President Bill Clinton will speak this June at the 2007 Knox commencement ceremony. Details here. I am definitely going to go, although who knows what the ticket situation will be. It's an outdoor event, so unless it rains we'll probably be able to get close enough to see and hear him speak, but I wonder what they will do this time around about heightened security and so forth.

Well, I'd better go pay my bills and spend some quality time with The Name of the Rose.