Hi Everyone! I’m sorry I didn’t post last week. I was not feeling well at all and everything
was extremely hectic. So, I’m going to
try to cram a lot into this one. I haven’t
weighed in a few weeks. I’m being
persistent with my pattern of eating like I should during the week and then
losing it all when I get to the weekend.
My half marathon is this Saturday and I’m hoping that once it’s over and
I can return to a more normalized and less rigorous workout regimen so that I
can stop eating so much on the weekend.
I am growing more concerned by the day about my eating habits on the
weekends. I know it’s probably a
coincidence but two pairs of pajama pants busted at the seams yesterday. I had a mini breakdown. All of my clothes fit but they are tightening
so I know that I have to get everything back in order quickly. I will definitely keep you in the loop over
the next few weeks. I’m going to set a
goal for May and try and trim down as much as possible for the summer months.
.JPG)
I wanted to share a snack with you that I found at
Target. It’s from Angie’s and it’s
called Boom Chicka Pop. It comes in a
big bag but I managed to find it in single-serve bags which is always
nice. It’s especially nice because the
smaller bags are only two points. It’s
got some flavor which is unusual for light popcorn and you get quite a bit so
if you can manage to find it, I recommend it.
So, Saturday is the big day.
It’s the day that I will attempt to run 13.1 miles in the Tuscaloosa
Half Marathon. I have been training for
this for over two months. I think I was
experiencing some burnout last week. I
was sick and exhausted. I couldn’t get
out of bed. I rested all weekend and I
was finally able to complete my final big run before the actual race. I think I’m about as ready as I’m going to
get. I have a couple short runs this
week because you are supposed to taper down as you approach the big event. I did the Glow Run which is a 5K with friends
and I think that’s what gave me a clue I was burned out. It took me forever to run it and I was
sore. Afterwards, I just wanted to
sleep. I feel better now. I plan to carb up on Friday and go to bed
early. The race starts at 8. I’m scared.
I keep envisioning myself being last and passing out somewhere and
nobody will be able to find me. I know
this isn’t going to happen but this is a much bigger challenge than I ever
anticipated. We will see. Obviously, I’ll report the highlights on
Monday. Wish me luck!
Jordan and I always watch all of the Oscar nominated movies
in preparation for the Oscars. We did
that again this year and we had ourselves and Oscar party for two last
night. I had a blast as usual with him! He even rolled out the red carpet for me. It
was one of the better shows that I’ve ever seen. It had a tribute to the Wizard of Oz and I
got to see performances from Pink, Bette Midler and Idina Menzel…so many of my
favorites. Typically, I post comments
about the movies BEFORE the actual show but because I was sick last week and
midterms were due it’s just been crazy.
I decided to still give you my two cents on the major movies so if you
don’t want to see those, feel free to stop here.
There are certain movies in my life that I’ll never watch
again. “War Horse”, “Schindler’s List”
and “The Impossible” are a couple examples.
“12 Years a Slave” is now on that last.
These movies don’t acquire a lifetime ban because they are bad or poorly
made, it’s because they are incredibly gut-wrenching and borderline impossible
to watch. I think the point in making
the viewer uncomfortable is to get the message of the film across. “12 Years a Slave” accomplishes this perhaps
more than any other movie I’ve seen. It’s
a brilliantly told true story. The
acting was amazing. The real-life scenes
of violent abuse are so hard to watch, I considered leaving at one point. I sobbed the entire movie and was effected
for days by its impact. I think everyone
should watch it. It’s important to
remember our history and learn from it.
Now that I have seen it though, I’m done. It won for Best Picture and Best Actress and
rightfully so.
“American Hustle” had some nice moments and Christian Bale
and Jennifer Lawrence both gave awesome performances but the movie fell a
little flat for me. It was really long
and I stayed with it the first hour but at the end, it all seemed a bit slow
and pointless for me. It got a lot of
buzz and was even up for best picture.
The buzz softened a bit during the actual show and I think that’s the
right call. There were many more worthy
performances and stories told.
I loved “August: Osage County,” y’all. It’s probably my second favorite. First off, it’s relatable. Everyone has family members that they can see
in some of these characters. I would own
this movie in a heartbeat. Julia Roberts,
Meryl Streep and the entire cast were spot on and believable. Even though I thought Cate Blanchett was
fantastic, Meryl Streep deserved the award.
This movie goes beyond typical family drama. It’s dark but funny at times and I recommend
everyone watch it.
“Before Midnight” is part of a series of movies and it’s the
only one I’ve seen. After watching it, I’d
say it’ll still be the only one of the three that I will see. Nothing in particular against the story or
movie but I found it boring. The
characters were static, there was far too much unnecessary dialogue and I was
unimpressed overall. Maybe I need to see
all of them to appreciate it but it’s unlikely that will happen.
I would say “Blue Jasmine” is my fourth favorite movie of
the year. I am not a fan of Woody Allen movies…at
all. This is by far the best one I’ve
seen. Cate Blanchett is great in this
movie. She is an anxiety ridden woman
whose rich husband turned out to be a crook and she is forced to slum it awhile
with her sister, Sally Hawkins. Hawkins
was also nominated though I’m not sure why.
Even though I thought Meryl was a little stronger in this category, I
was happy for Cate Blanchett…she does crazy really well.
I rank the movies a little but it’s hard to do considering
they are all so different. If I had to,
I’d put “Captain Phillips” right under “Blue Jasmine.” This movie is so suspenseful and
well-done. It’s based on a true story
and includes breakout star Barkhad Abdi who was nominated for Supporting Actor but
didn’t win. My biggest beef with the
academy this year was the snubbing of Tom Hanks. He was fantastic in this movie and it’s one
his best performances in my opinion. He
was also snubbed in a way because he was in “Saving Mr. Banks,” the story about
Mary Poppins which I LOVED and got no accolades at all. I thought that Tom Hanks should have
definitely been nominated over Bruce Dern from “Nebraska” for his portrayal of “Captain
Phillips” but snubs happen.
“Dallas Buyers Club” was probably my third favorite
movie. Jared Leto and Matthew
McConaughey were so deserving of their wins.
They were committed to their roles completely. The movie isn’t overly sentimental and tells
another true story. It raises awareness
about the ever increasing problems with the pharmaceutical industry and allows
people to remember all of the lives lost to the horrific disease that is AIDS. I loved this movie and all of the layers of
complexity that it has. I would
definitely watch it again.
“Gravity” is a movie that was spectacular in looks and
intensity but the dialogue was cheesy and the acting was overrated. I love George Clooney and Sandra Bullock but
I wasn’t that impressed with the performances.
That’s all I have to say on that one.
“Her” was a story that had intriguing concepts and made me
think hard about relationships and the future but overall, my experience with “Her”
was just awkward. It was a little too
weird for me. I’m rarely going to be on
board with a sex scene between Joaquin Phoenix and an operating system. Maybe I lack the sophistication to find this
movie profound or maybe I’m right and it’s just weird. I also didn’t think the ending of the movie
was that great. It’s not that I can’t
see a future in which Operating Systems have intelligence that they don’t have
today I just didn’t see the beauty of it with this example. Spike Jonze won for the screenplay…not sure
I agree.
June Squibb ran away with the movie “Nebraska” and if not
for her, I don’t think this movie gets the recognition that it got. It’s a simple artsy movie. It’s in black and white the entire movie and
I didn’t understand the artistic value of that.
Will Forte didn’t impress me as a serious actor and I have no clue why
Bruce Dern was nominated. After watching
the Oscars last night, it’s clear playing an old man isn’t that far of a
stretch for him. Having said all of
that, the concept of the story is nice and it certainly has relatable aspects
when it comes to family. June Squibb is
hilarious in it and steals all of the good lines but I think overall the movie
was a bit overrated.
If I had to have an honorable mention outside of my top 5,
it would be “Philomena.” This story is
heartbreaking and revealing. It speaks a
lot about the style of the Catholic church back in the day. It’s another true story and Judi Dench’s
portrayal of Philomena is wonderful. The
movie made me tear up quite a bit and I thought it was nicely done.
Finally, my favorite movie of the Oscar season has to be “The
Wolf of Wall Street.” I loved “August:
Osage County.” I’d buy it and whether I
would purchase it or not is usually my main criteria. However, I can see myself watching “The Wolf
of Wall Street” multiple times a year. I’m
obsessed with Leonardo DiCaprio…have been over half my life. I wanted him to win the Academy Award but
maybe next time. The movie has
everything. It’s funny and addresses the
crime that happens on Wall Street. It’s
never boring. It’s racy and edgy and
unique. Loved it. Watch it.
This was a good Oscar season. I never have the best predictions but I have
my favorites and this year, it was tough to choose. I didn’t despise any of the movies which is
unusual. Have a good week y’all and I’ll
report on the half marathon next Monday! Bye!
“All I really want from you is to feel me
As the feeling inside keeps building
And I will find a way to you if it kills me…” If It Kills
Me-Jason Mraz
