The Hungry Hungry Writer

Man I watched a bunch of movies in the past two weeks. I have to review them. I’m also going to add a “Favorite Scene” at the end of the five minute review just for kicks. I was going to do this plot point thing as I did before but that takes too much time. You’ll get a rating out of 10, a quick review of what I felt (some of which is just ramble and has nothing much to do with the movie as a whole), but at least you’ll know where I stand. Then I’ll end it with my “Favorite Scene” if I have one.

So that’s something to look forward to.

I haven’t been laying on my back staring at the ceiling, mind you. I’ve actually been kinda productive despite the lack of motivation.

I wrote a few pages to my Zombie script. I wrote a horror short and also wrote two scenes for actors which we were supposed to shoot but production got pulled.

Not only did I do the above, I finally got off my butt and ran my first 10K (6.2 miles or 6.21371192 miles rounded to the nearest eighth decimal point as I also memorized the Kilometer to Mile conversion to nearest ninth decimal point for those who care.) Why? Because I had nothing better to do I guess? (read about it here: Glenn’s 1st Annual Memorial Day 10K Run)

What else have I been doing? Well, I’ve been trying to UP my movie watching and get the most out of Netflix. I upgraded the service with a new outlook on late night movie watching and in the past week I have watched the following movies. Reviews pending of course.

Matchpoint
Aliens
The Virgin Suicides
Cry Wolf
Shop Girl
X-Men
Brokeback Mountain

So back to the grind that is life. The last half of this year is going to be hella productive. I’m eyeing half marathons and half Ironmans versus these measly sprint Triathlons and 5K runs. I’m more motivated to get to Kona in 2008 than ever with 2007 as my goal to finish a qualifiying event and a few other 70.3 triathlon distances. I’m also aiming to write more, clean up some scripts and send them out to competition once again.

’nuff said.

I’ve lacked focus in the past month it seemed. Ever since my cousin died I haven’t been writing in my journal as much, I haven’t worked out and I have a Tri in two weeks, and I have lacked motivation in every aspect of my life.

SUCKS.

SUCK!!!!!!!!!!

But I’m trying to get back on track.

My upcoming vacation in June will help me sort things out, spend time with the kids and clear my head.

The Squid and the Whale (2005)
My Rating: 9/10

I haven’t seen a movie this good in a while. The directing and cinematography wasn’t all that great but the writing was brilliant and the acting was superb! Some shots seemed to set the tone well, but it was inconsistent throughout. I guess that’s what you get from a writer who directed his own script.

Aside from that…

This movie had conflict from the first second you step into it. And every scene had layers of character, tons of conflict, and emotion. I was hooked from the start and it kept me hooked till the end. Be prepared to get uncomfortable and uneasy watching this film. But also be prepared to watch some awesome writing and acting.

One sidenote: There was an inline skater that skates through the scene 15 minutes in and this story takes place in the mid-80s. It seemed out of place. Although Rollerblade had inline skates around back then, it just seemed out of place in this movie as this takes place in 1986.

Another sidenote: They played the infamous ‘train scene music score’ from “Risky Business” when Frank Berkman (Owen Kline) was doing… well… some risky business of his own. I loved that music in “Risky Business” and it definitely sets a tone for the Owen Kline scenes for those who remember the song.

Crash Nitro Cart
I got this on Friday night for Jake. He had an audition for Chevrolet that day so as the deal goes, I’ll get him a game for every audition. He’s getting too many auditions because I still owe him a game! But this one was a hit. He loves it. It’s similar to Mario Cart Racing which we use to play on the N64. I’ve been looking for something similar and finally found it! So I’m glad I got it… used of course.

Halo 2
Finally! I’ve been wanting this game forever! Jake got a game so I decided to get one! Used of course. I started playing it on Friday night and really, really like it. I’m not even knee deep into it but it looks like its going to be awesome. It makes me want to subscribe to Xbox live!

Madden NFL 2005
Again… FINALLY! I’ve been wanting a Madden NFL game since I owned an N64 but never got one… That’s a long time ago mind you! Last weekend in Sacramento, my cool little nephew gave me his old Madden NFL 2005 game since he has the newer Madden NFL 2006. I’ve played maybe three full games so far using the Colts and the Chargers and just like I remember it from the good old Sega Genesis days… its awesome!

Fever Pitch (2005)
My Rating: 3/10

Jimmy Fallon is so funny. But he isn’t in this movie… or any other movie he’s done. Drew Barrymore couldn’t save this movie which she’s so perfect for. Where’s Adam Sandler when you need him? I get the point… Sacrifice in the name of love. And I also get the point of how Barrymore could fall in love with a guy who is so passionate about something like the Boston Red Sox… BUT… do I believe it? NO. There is no reason why these two should end up together whatsoever! NONE! WHATSOEVER! Did I find some parts of this romantic comedy enlightening and fun? Um… I’m trying to think and I can’t really say. I may have laughed here and there, but I really can’t say it was that funny. It wasn’t horrible. It wasn’t absolutely absurd… but it was mindless in that regard.

Must Love Dogs (2005)
My Rating: 2/10
I’ve been in the mood for romantic comedies lately. And the last two, including this, sucked! No heart, no character no nothing! NOTHING! And has Dermot Mulroney ever done anything good? I loved ‘My Best Friend’s Wedding’ but thought he sucked in it big time. My feelings of Mulroney’s inability to carry a role is reemphasized in this movie. Not only does he lack talent as an actor, he was a total asshole in this movie. It doesn’t help that the movie sucked. John Cusack gave the movie some credibility… but then again, Lloyd Dobler couldn’t save this movie! Another bomb of a romantic comedy!

Every time I look at my upcoming Tri-events I have to take a deep breath due to anxiety. [/deep breath]

Having missed two triathlons in a row was mentally tough on me. Not only did I miss them, I had to deal with some serious personal issues in life… But life goes on; you lace up your shoes, jump into the pool, get back on the saddle and click the button online to register for the next tri.

The San Diego Xterra Sprint Triathlon I missed on May 7th was supposed to be the “big” triathlon I was training for since day one. It was big because it would have been my first open water swim (in the ocean no less) as well as my first ‘normal’ triathlon that goes Swim|Bike|Run versus a reverse or backwards tri that goes Run|Bike|Swim. It would also be my very first open water swim which I was very anxious about.

My next scheduled event was to be the San Bernardino Sprint on June 25th, which is backwards and in a pool, then a Sprint Relay in July that is normal and in a lake but I would only be doing the bike portion. So I wouldn’t be doing a normal tri-event which included an open water swim till July 30. That wasn’t good.

So I had to squeeze a normal tri-event in with an open water swim on June 10th. It’s a good starter tri-event for anybody. The swim is in a lake and its only 400 yards. The bike portion and run portion are also short. It should be a piece of cake, so-to-speak.

But still… [/deep breath] I still have anxiety about the whole thing.

Here are the details:
· Los Angeles Tri Express Series #3 - Saturday June 10, 2006, 8:30 AM
- Race: 400 Yard Swim | 8 1/3 Mile Bike | 4 Kilometer Run
SIGNED UP AND READY TO GO!!!

My next race will be the San Bernardino Tinman Triathlon. And I’ll treat this backwards sprint like a sprint-sprint. I mean, I’ll be sprinting! I’ll go all out and finish that 100 yard swim in less than 2 minutes time. I’ll push myself to the limit like you wouldn’t believe! I can’t wait. BRING IT ON MOTHER FIRETRUCK!

Here are the details:
· San Bernardino 20th Annual Tinman Triathlon - Sunday June 25, 2006
- Race: 5 Kilometer Run | 10 Mile Bike | 100 Yard Swim
SIGNED UP AND READY TO GO!!!

Then my next Tri will be what I call the “Family Tri” where my cousin, his son and I will join together as a relay team. It’ll be held in Sacramento. Our team name is called, “The Triathlete Nuts”!

Here are the details:
· July TRI for FUN Sprint Triathlon. - Saturday July 8, 2006
- Race: 1/2 Mile Swim (800 meters) | 16 Mile Bike | 3 Mile Run
SIGNED UP AND READY TO GO!!!

Swimming for The Triathlete Nuts will be my nephew, Keaton Mendoza (16) - my 1st cousin once removed in the legal title as relationships are concerned.

Biking for The Triathlete Nuts will be ‘yours truly’, Glenn Magas (39 at the time of the event).

Running for The Triathlete Nuts will be my 1st cousin, Desmond Mendoza (45) - Keaton’s dad hence the ‘once removed’ title for Keaton above.

It should be a lot of fun. Maybe I should get T-shirts made!

And finally, the big event for The Triathlete Nut… An open water swim in the ocean in San Diego… [/breath]

Here are the details:
· Solano Beach Triathlon - Sunday July 30, 2006
- Race: 1/4 Mile Swim (400 meters) | 9 Mile Bike | 3 Mile Run
NOT SIGNED UP AND READY TO GO YET!!!

And that, so far, are my upcoming races… [/deep breath] whew…

The video you are about to see is rare Jedi Training Video captured by a professional team of videographers. It is highly confidential.

A Jedi and his much-much smaller Apprentice practice their lightsaber techniques. The question is, does size matter?

Click here to watch this video: Jedi Training Video

Can you tell who the Master and the Student is?

Welcome to my privacy statement (if you can call it that) for this post and this post alone… I will not be held responsible for anything that transpires after or that you experience; in the reading of my material on this post. Family members… if you feel like you can’t handle the truth then close your eyes. Non Family members… just ignore what I have to say. If you are offended and want to disown me, then you’re just in denial about what transpired. If you share a different opinion other than me you’re probably wrong. If you feel this shouldn’t be voiced in any way shape or form, well… this is my blog, you’re supposed to write about things - so I can do whatever I want in it!

I’m venting. Then I won’t even mention it ever again. Unless you ask.

In the infamous words of my nephew Colby, the first two words I muttered as I looked to my cousin Dolly for answers were… “What the…?!?”

Fill in the rest… What the heck? what the hell? What the fuck? Anyway you put it it will be appropriate. I think the actual words were, “What the hell is he doing?”

I mouthed the words over to Dolly and she just shrugged with an “oh shit” kinda look.

We were at a memorial for God’s sake. Drew, my cousin’s husband, already addressed the family and other well wishers for coming and was halfway up to the doors. Then my Uncle Robert had to… Had To… HAD TO… go up and have the last word. Fine, maybe he had something he needed to say. Fine, this was the forum to make a tribute to my cousin. Fine, he had all the opportunity to do this when… well… the time was right. Was the time right? NO! THE MEMORIAL SERVICE WAS OVER. Drew should have the last words at his wife’s memorial. But he didn’t.

A diarrhea joke to compare a person’s suffering to my cousin last 9 years was well… INA-FUCKIN-APPROPRIATE AT THIS POINT AND TIME. Oh, she was only 43 so the statement, “You die at 45 and are buried at 75” is totally out of context in this situation as well.

WHAT THE?!?

I looked back and saw Drew sitting by himself halfway up the rows of mourners. He had to sit down for crying out loud. Was I the only one taking this all in? Witnessing the crap… wondering how people will feel about it after it was all said and done. I was embarrassed for my uncle. I felt bad that Drew had to sit through it… probably steaming, and confused inside.

The memorial wasn’t messed up or ‘ruined’ as some might put it. It was beautiful, emotional and uplifting. My cousin ‘Desi’ did a very wonderful job. I was so proud of him. It just had a little glitch. And for family, it makes it more memorable… but not in the way you want to remember my cousin’s memorial.

Eventually I’ll blank it out and think about Desi bobbing his head to the UCLA fight song. I’ll remember Drew looking at the casket and apologizing to his wife for some of the reverence and bursts of sadness she so would be unhappy with at her memorial. I’ll remember looking at Drew as I stood at the podium, his eyes closed, trying to hold it in as his body shook yet still able to throw a joke my way as I spoke.

These are the things I want to remember. What my Uncle did was trivial. But it stood out.

The thing is, my cousin OT would have probably laughed. She probably would have thought the same thing as I do… But she would have laughed as well.

As I drove the dark freeway back to Sacramento I thought, maybe it’s just me… Maybe I took it for something it wasn’t. Maybe I was just seeing and hearing things that only I would have such a sour opinion about. I called my sister Liza on her cellphone just as she got off the plane in LA. I asked a simple question, just to test the waters… just to confirm how I felt. I mean, if she felt the same way then I know I’m not crazy.

Well… she did. And so did everyone in the car with her. The question, “WHAT THE HELL WAS HE THINKING?”

I won’t go over his moving ‘tribute’ if you can call it that. I mean, it was the thought that counts right??? RIGHT??!?? Sometimes people just don’t get it. Sometimes ignorance is bliss? I don’t know. All I know is that I was feeling a certain way and although some family have ‘sworn’ to not talk about it again I didn’t swear. I’m probably not going to mention it anymore… I just had to vent.

If someone is offended with how I feel… then they’re just in denial. I don’t have to say anything or write about it… I could be wrong you know. All I’m doing is stating how I feel. If you just accept things as they are and laugh it off, that’s great. Just say, ‘oh well’… or ‘it wasn’t that bad’. Or… ‘come on, give him the benefit of the doubt.’ I can do that too.

Not today.

Maybe I’ll do that tomorrow.

I mean sure… I’m laughing a little. It’s laughable. But its not the “funny ha-ha” kinda laugh. But then it is depending on my mood. Mostly it’s the shocked, exasperated, flabbergast ‘what the???’ kinda laugh.

I don’t show any animosity to my uncle at all. I love the guy. He cracks me up. I’m just taking an isolated incident and drawing attention to it.

But yeah…

What the…???

After trying to decide if I should do two Tris in a row and finally deciding to do both – the Loma Linda Tri on 4/30/06 and San Diego Spring Sprint on 5/7/06 I didn’t do and won’t do either.

I’ve was sick so I missed the 4/30 Triathlon last week and at the same time I had a death in the family and drove up to Sacramento North for a funeral today.

Tomorrow’s Triathlon was the “big” Tri I was training for since I started thinking about Triathlons in December. It would have been my first open water swim, first regular tri where you swim first, bike then run. So I’m disappointed that I’m missing it… but more sad because of the death of my cousin Joshelene.

I’m in a very weird emotional state about this whole thing. It’s a weird feeling. Missing a loved one who just passed away and then missing a big event that I’ve been preparing for for several months.

I’m so confused emotionally and mentally right now.

The mental thing is weird. For six months I’ve been preparing my mind and body for this swim. For this tri. Mostly its been my mind which is the hardest part. There was not one day I didn’t think about it. Not once did I NOT feel apprehensive about it. It took a lot of preparation. Even when I bought my wet suit I felt okay, this is it, no turning back.

I didn’t prepare myself for my cousin dying. At least not right now. I’ve been in denial about her dying. Every time I dropped off my aunt and uncle at the airport to go see her because it may be the last time, she always pulled through and the next thing you know I’d see her at a family function. So this time didn’t seem any different. Sure there was the sense of fear that she may pass but I always believed she wouldn’t.

This time she did.

So here I am. I don’t want to grieve. I don’t want to see her in a casket. I don’t want to see others sobbing. But yes, I do want to be here. I have to. For me. For my family. For her.

Funny, she would have told me to do the Triathlon. But even so, even if she told me to, even if she made me promise to do something like that instead of coming to her own funeral there is no way I would.