Paperman

This is pretty much my favorite animated short ever. In my opinion, it truly deserves the Oscar nomination. Well done, Disney.

Love What You Do

I don't know if anyone still reads this, but I thought I'd post something anyway.

Last November, I gave to my first Kickstarter campaign to help fund a feature film with a cast that included several Whedonverse actors (Fran Kranz, Dichen Lachman, Mo Tancharoen, Enver Gjokaj, Miracle Laurie, and Felicia Day!). I really believed in it. They've been sending out updates on the project, and it looks like they genuinely had a fun time shooting it. That's the kind of creative work I believe in; work hard, do your best, have fun, and connect with your audience! They called for extras via Twitter on at least two occasions, but it was never at a time that I could participate. But if I had been in the right city while they were shooting, I would've tried to be an extra or maybe even volunteer for crew.

Their experience making this film inspires me. I look forward to finding my own family of people to work with in the next few years (or however long it takes). I believe there are good people in this city who are experts at what they do, and I'm excited about collaborating with them.

Really Great Lyrics

I really like this song. So grateful for artists who can capture and convey the essence of hope and wonder and tension like this.

"The Call"
Regina Spektor

It started out as a feeling
Which then grew into a hope
Which then turned into a quiet thought
Which then turned into a quiet word
And then that word grew louder and louder
'Til it was a battle cry
I'll come back when you call me
No need to say goodbye

Just because everything's changing
Doesn't mean it's never been this way before
All you can do is try to know who your friends are
As you head off to the war
Pick a star on the dark horizon and follow the light
You'll come back when it's over
No need to say goodbye
You'll come back when it's over
No need to say goodbye

Now we're back to the beginning
It's just a feeling and no one knows yet
But just because they can't feel it too
Doesn't mean that you have to forget
Let your memories grow stronger and stronger
'Til they're before your eyes
You'll come back when they call you
No need to say goodbye
You'll come back when they call you
No need to say goodbye

Summertime and the Reading Is Easy

If you've known me for very long, you know I generally consider myself an avid reader. From the day I read my first Little Golden Book, I was off to the races. I read and reread many books as a teen.

The older I've gotten and the more responsibilities I've had, the harder it's been to find the time and attention span to read for enjoyment. I suppose reading blogs has filled up some of that space, mentally and in my schedule. As of today, my Google Reader Trends page said "Since December 5, 2006 you have read a total of 66,660 items." I had no idea it was that much; but, to be accurate, I haven't actually read every single one of those posts in depth. I also just unsubscribed to twenty blogs that had been inactive for over two years.

I was starting to worry I was losing my appetite for reading fiction on a large scale, but as of the past few weeks, I'm back! I finished three novels in one series (and have the fourth on hold at the library). I started a new mystery series too, the first two books of which were given to me by a book-loving friend. I'm also reading the War of Art, a nonfiction book about overcoming the resistance to create.

I'm not sure why my passion for reading has suddenly been renewed. Maybe it's because summertime and reading just go together. Maybe it's because my friends and co-workers know me well enough to recommend stories I'll connect with. Either way, I'm happy to be filling my mind with new ideas, plots, and characters.

Aron Ralston: escaping for life and love

I watched 127 Hours last night (see the trailer), the movie based on the story of Aron Ralston. It was beautiful and emotionally compelling and well worth a watch. I'll admit, I watched through my fingers during the actual amputation scene. I'm so impressed by Ralston and what he was driven to do, and I think James Franco portrayed him well. As a fun bit of trivia about Franco and the film, he said in an (audio) NPR interview from October (replayed in February) that he hid textbooks under the boulder to study between setups, and that helped him stay sane in such an isolated situation.

Here's an inspiring (text) interview with the real Ralston that I found this morning when I wanted to know more about the real story. He describes his journey over the past several years and the reasons that drove him to escape: love and freedom.

I don't know that I'll ever be an outdoor adventurer like him, but his passion for life is so inspiring. I'd rather not end up in such an extremely dangerous, painful situation as he did, but it makes me wonder if I should start taking calculated risks to a lesser degree. Maybe I could have a slightly greater appetite for adventure than I do. 

Tuesday 5.03

Vampire Weekend's Contra album is perfect for today. It's both mellow and distinct.

My youngest sister is a junior in college, and she's a graphic design rock star. I might be biased, but I'm impressed by the designs I've seen in her portfolio. I hope she gets an awesome internship this summer!

Having the opportunity to hang out with that same sister and a couple of her friends recently has reminded me of how easy it was to make and spend time with friends during college. Say what you will, but it's just different afterward (especially for introverts). It was a lot of fun to spend a spontaneous Sunday afternoon hanging out with some of the siblings and the new German friend. Even losing at pool brought back some fun memories.

I know several people who ran the Illinois Marathon (or Half Marathon) last weekend. I am impressed by the time and commitment they put into the training and the effort it took for the race itself. Last year, I chose to go looking at garage sales for furniture the day of the marathon, carpooling with a friend who lived on the route. That was not the smartest idea, so I made sure not to do it again this year.

I don't think I've posted here since my second nephew was born. He's here, he's adorable, and it's already clear he has a different personality than his brother.

Now that spring seems to be here with a little more consistency, I should play tennis soon whenever it's not rainy.

What Makes It Great

Earlier this afternoon I was feeling pensive, and then one of the writing blogs I follow posted about the moment from A League of Their Own when Tom Hanks's character says, "It's supposed to be hard. If it wasn't hard, everyone would do it. The hard ... is what makes it great." (Here's the clip.)

I was glad for the reminder, and I need to embrace this truth more fully as a human being and as a writer.