Real quick fast

I have this weekend coming up off from work.  It is nothing new, it happens every other weekend.  The big difference between this weekend and others is that I will be home by myself.  Andrea is going up to KC for a baby shower, which begs the question.....What to do? 

I have contemplated just hanging out around the house.  I have thought about finding some place to go outside of Wichita.  Nothing has come to mind quite yet, and I'm looking.  Just not that hard. 

Up early

Every time my body finds in necessary to wake up three or so hours before I need to, I find myself compelled to write something.  Even if I have nothing to write about. 

This weekend coming up is the annual Concealed Revealed art auction in Topeka.  We went up last year with K & M and it was great.  The only problem is that I have to work, so I miss out on it this year.  *sad face*  It is a great excuse to get out of Wichita for the weekend, get a little dressed up, and it benefits a great cause.  If you live up in the Topeka area and have nothing to do this Friday at 7:00 post meridian, shell out a few dollars at the door and enjoy the evening.  Even if you don't buy anything at the auction, you can feel better about yourself for helping out the YWCA Center for Safety and Empowerment.  We got one little piece of art last year for not that much and it hangs on our wall in the living room and we feel good about ourselves.  Every little bit helps.  

This past weekend, we took a trip out to Colorado Springs to visit my brother-in-law.  It was nice to get away for a three day weekend.  Spent a lot of time visiting and just hanging out.  We took a day trip up to Denver and walked around an open air mall.  The weather was great for it, got a decent amount of pictures I have yet to get off the camera.  Half way through our drive back, we decided that the next time we take a trip out there, it would be better to fly.  Not better monetarily, but better time wise.  The drive is eight and a half to nine hours long, and in western Kansas, that takes FOREVER!  Once you get into Colorado and see something other than flat lands or rolling hills, the drive goes quickly. 

Weaving Oscar

Sigourney Weaver is claiming that James Cameron did not win the Academy Award for best director or that Avatar did not win best picture because Cameron is a man and the academy doesn't like big budget films.  After I read this, I couldn't help but shake my head.  If Lee Daniels had won, would she have come out and said that James Cameron didn't win because he wasn't black?  What about if Pete Docter and Bob Peterson won for Up?  Would they have won because it was an animated film and Avatar wasn't (or....was it?)  No Sigourney, Kathryn Bigelow won best director because The Hurt Locker was the best movie this past year.  I will admit that I have not seen Avatar, but I did see The Hurt Locker.  The reason I didn't see it is because I heard it wasn't the best movie ever like most claim it is.  It is pleasing to the senses, but the story lacks.  In fact, it has been compared story-wise, to Dances With Wolves in that an outsider falls in love with a native culture and defends it from the invading force from which the said character comes from.  Ho-hum.  The Hurt Locker on the other hand, was so intense from start to finish, that my heart rate would not slow down.  Everything about it just grabbed me and didn't let go.  That is the reason The Hurt Locker won for best picture and Bigelow won for best director.  So, Sigourney Weaver, shut your mouth and go make Alien five.  You know you want to.  Maybe James Cameron can bring Dallas back to life. 

Besides that, when you get into big budget films they seem to rely more on enhanced movie going experiences.  They want to make the movie in 3-D and use more computers to make a real life far away land.  Which is fine, but they should never be surprised when an independent or low budget movie, which relies more on story and actual directing swoops in and storms the award season.  Personally, I think that Avatar should have been up for best animated film just because it relied so heavily on this computer generated world and generated characters.  

Traditions

The NHL playoffs started tonight, but unfortunately we don't get to watch them (unless going out to a bar is an option) because we live in the hater state of Kansas. One great thing that NHL teams do is growing of beards (unless they come in patchy [See Crosby, Sidney Cindy: dude seriously cannot grow facial hair]). It shows commitment, camaraderie, and ultimately manliness. Ever since I could grow a beard I have let mine grow out as long as the Red Wings have been playing in the post season. Whether it has been just one series into the post season or the entire post season ending with the hoisting of Lord Stanley's Cup, I have always supported them with the growing of facial hair from the comfort of the couch.

This tradition has spread out to other sports, and have even trickled down to none professional sports such as college and high school teams. Not every high school kid can grow facial hair, so other things take the place of beards such as hair dying, head shaving, or cutting hair in a specific way. I just hope that in the end, as every sport starts to pick up on this post season tradition they don't forget where it all started. On the ice. Where real men play sports.

Housewarming gift

We have a couple of friends that bought a house at the end of the past month and moved in about a week ago.  It is perfect timing for them because they are going to be having a baby in June and they were living in a one room loft.  Space is always needed, I suppose, when it comes to babies. 

Last weekend, they had their housewarming party and had a great turn out.  If it is one thing that K & M could always pull off, it is a party.  There were plenty of people there that I didn't know which is how you know it is a good party, not knowing everyone there.  Plenty of people brought them bottles of wine, which partly made me laugh because K is seven months pregnant.  Wine is a fairly common housewarming gift, but what about those of us out there who really don't like wine?  While the bottles were starting to collect, I pointed out that if (and when) we ever buy a house, I want bottles of whiskeys instead.  Andrea doesn't drink whiskey, so this was more of a thought just for me. 

Is it too selfish to ask for something like this?  Why not get something that you need want?