Weekly TV Recap for July 30th

I told you it would be late this week.  Just finished, so here we go.

In Plain Sight - You know what impressed me most about this episode? The military was presented in a good light. Yes, we had the turn coats that our character of the week was going to testify against. But the rest of the military people we saw were good, caring people who really did want to look out for their own, even if Mary did butt heads with that priest from V at the beginning. But she had to or you wouldn't have this show.

White Collar - So, Jones finally got to see lots of action. I loved it. I especially loved how they started and ended this episode with talk about him being in the van. Way too funny. I hope that aren't putting him back in the van permanently, but we'll see. Meanwhile, that last scene was incredible. Neal talking on the phone to two different people, seeming to chose Peter over Mozzie. The storyline this season has just been incredible. And I can't forget about Sarah. What are they going to do with that relationship?

Covert Affairs - There were so many interesting developments. We've found the leak (I'd kind of forgotten about that). So what kind of trouble will this make for Jai? Joan in the field was a fun departure. Plus she got to see Annie thinking on her feet. Then there was Ben versus the doctor. I was glad they brought the doctor back. And the way Annie was so strong around Ben really impressed me. I like her character more as a result. I get that she isn't really that strong, which is fine with me, but it's nice to see she is becoming a much stronger character. But if they want us to care about Ben, they have to bring him around more often. Honestly, if she and Auggie got together tomorrow, I'd be perfectly happy.

Melissa & Joey - I was nice to see the main story not revolving around the two adults for a change but actually using the kids. Frankly, I thought both kids really got to shine, and they made the most of it. I'm not a big anti-fur guy, but I liked how they handled it here. It felt like character convictions and not preachy to us.

Royal Pains - This show always has happy endings, so I expect that. But the reunion between Eddie and Ted, while expected, really touched me. Maybe because we're talking about Hank and Evan's dad and grandpa. Or maybe it's because we're talking about the Fonz and Lou Grant. Yeah, it's been fun to see those two sitcom icons sharing a screen. Something told me last week that Jill's accident was no accident. Based on what we saw here, I think I'm right. So, why? Was Jill the target? Or Boris?

Necessary Roughness - I actually really enjoyed this episode. Again, the sub-plot with TK was interesting and not the exact same dynamic. The main story with the poker player was also interesting - the ending was obvious although I didn't see it coming. Not sure where they are going with Matt's ex, but that spiced things up. And the kids are turning into an interesting sub-plot as well. Could it be I am actually starting to like this show?

Burn Notice - I never expected to see anyone from the Burn Notice movie again, so it was lots of fun to see those CIA agents show up to give us grief this week. Also provided some great comic relief. Not that I was truly worried about Sam. I mean, really, they aren't going to kill off the main four. I was really expecting the fake Michael to die in the final scene of the episode and be a dead end, but since he bought a gun and walked away I'm wondering where they are going to go with that story line.

Suits - It was obvious Gabbi was innocent from the start, but I never thought her lawyer was really the one responsible for the insider trading. That was an interesting twist. And speaking of twists, Rachel now knows that Mike was helping people cheat on the test. What will she do with that? I'm betting that the seasons ends with someone finding out about him not actually have a law degree.

Wipeout - That third round obstacle seemed a little easy to me. Anyone else miss the baseball game they used to have there? That was their best third round obstacle. I was rooting for the comedy guys to win so the boss would have to clean the bathroom. Sounds like a fun guy to work for.

Expedition Impossible - Erik keeps impressing me. I would have a hard time jumping 40 feet into the water, there's no way I'd try it blind. Plus the kayaking was pretty hard, too. I had some self-inflicted issues with the DVR, so I missed seeing the top 5 teams come in, although I did read a recap and saw that the Gypsies are back on top, which makes me very happy. I'd be sorry to see the Fishermen go, but any time you start sniping at your team mates, I'm ready to see you leave.

New TV on DVD Reviews:
Burn Notice: The Fall of Sam Axe   

Too Busy

I feel like I've hardly been home all week.  Oh wait, maybe that's because I have hardly been home all week.

Monday - returned from my trip

Tuesday - summer league ultimate frisbee game

Wednesday - I was supposed to go to the Dodger's game.  It was an alumni event here at the college, and we were supposed to be shuttled down.  The problem is, the second shuttle got stuck in horrific traffic and never showed.  I was supposed to go with one of my roommates, but we decided rather than drive (or even car pool) down to skip it.  Honestly, I'll week I've been struggling with wanting to go with everything else going on.  So what did we do instead?  We got a very last minute group together to go see Captain America.  We all enjoyed it; the rest of the group seemed to love it even if I didn't.  And it was definitely worth seeing in 3D.  It looked amazing.  So this turned what could have been a mild disappointment into a good day.

Thursday - More ultimate frisbee, this time with the pick up group I've found here in town.  I got there very late, but they were just getting the game started.  I played for over an hour straight, and I had so much more fun than I did Tuesday night.  Part of that was because the team I was on won.  But most of it was because it seemed like the disc was passing through everyone's hands at some point.  It's a friendly group, we're mainly there to have fun.  And fun we all seem to have together.  I'm actually bummed that I'm not going to be there the next two Thursdays, especially the one I will miss for my league game.  That's saying something.

Of course, all this means I am way behind on my TV watching.  I'm caught up through Tuesday night.  Tonight will be a marathon TV watching session, and I'll probably finish catching up tomorrow at some point.  Expect my weekly TV recap to be very delayed.

Trust me, this week was worth it.  I can always catch up on TV later.  I'd much rather do what I did, even though the baseball game didn't work out.

Another Game, Another Loss

Tuesday night was this week's ultimate Frsibee game.  We lost.  Surprised?  Not me.

I showed up about 20 minutes late (you can tell how much I care right now), and I was the first sub we had.  We wound up with two more over the course of the night, which was about what the other team had, too.

This was our first repeat game: we played this team in the first week.  That time it was a very close game.  It's also their only win.  We got crushed this time, finishing at 17-5.

On the plus side, I got the disc several times and only threw it away once when I had it (although I had some of my usual sloppy throws).  So I did feel like I contributed to things positively.  It was definitely a team effort to lose that much, and no one was blaming anyone else, at least that I could see.

And, as was pointed out after the game, we all fought hard for every point.  No where did we just give up.

At this point, I'm not holding out much hope for a second half rally like last season or even very long at the tournament in a few weeks.  It would be nice to win a game or two.  Playing ultimate is fun, but winning is funner.

Word Association for July 27th

Here we go - this week's word association.

1. Stewart :: Jimmy



2. Leafy :: Green



3. Ridiculous :: Stupid



4. Constipated :: Pain



5. Bullied :: Child



6. Permanent :: Solution



7. Surgery :: Painful



8. Mosquito :: Bite



9. Meat :: Beef



10. Stupefy :: Harry Potter

Weekend Up North

I took a couple days off work this weekend and headed north. I hadn't been up to see my parents since Christmas (although they had been down here for Easter). The trip definitely flew by, must more so than normal, in fact.

Of course, I got to see Donald and Heather on the way up and Donald on the way back down. It's always great to catch up with them. Donald's started a new job in the last few months, and we seemed to talk a lot more about work than normal. I hope we didn't bore Heather too much when we were doing that.

Saturday, Mom, Dad, and I headed down to San Francisco to finally visit the Walt Disney Family Museum. I'm sure it's not surprise to anyone, but I loved it. We spent 5 hours there and could have easily spent more time since we had to rush through the second half because they were closing. We all enjoyed it, too.

Sunday was church and then a walk around a lake in town. My parent's Borders is one of the ones closing, so I asked if we could stop by there. Sadly, there just wasn't anything worth waiting in the huge line for at only 10% off. Very little was at the "up to 40%" off they were advertising.

But the highlight of the day Sunday was when we got back and my sister-in-law called to ask if we wanted to Skyp with her and my niece. Naturally, we said yes. My niece is so cute and even knew who I was unprompted! I can't wait to see her in a week and a half.

We even managed to work in one of the movies I always bring but we never watching - Toy Story 3. They really seemed to enjoy it, too.

So as you can see if was very busy, but such a good visit.

Weekly TV Recap for July 23rd

Sorry for the lack of bolding this week, but blogger is being too difficult.
In Plain Sight - The way they play off our expectations with the mother/daughter main story was very interesting. I was glad to see that the daughter decided to give her mom a second chance at the end. And it looked like things were working out, too. I also found it interesting that all of the songs the daughter sang were hymns. Not sure why or whose decision that was, but I enjoyed it. And boy did she have an amazing voice. Not that found of the other story with the guy and his meditation. I'm really wondering where they are going with Mary and the baby and the dog for that matter. I'll be very interested to see where they end this season.

White Collar - Oh man, this is going to be very interesting now that Sarah knows what is going on. What will she do with the knowledge? I don't want to wait all week. Meanwhile, the episode was fun with Mozzie getting a girlfriend and scamming the scammer. Neal and Peter not working together was fun at times, too. But the best moment was Elizabeth reaching for her phone to call Mozzie. And when asked about it, she replies, "We talk." I laughed so hard at that.

Covert Affairs - I do believe this is the first time we had an episode that focused on someone other than Annie. Since Augie is my favorite character, I'm not complaining. It was interesting to finally get the back story on how he went blind, although I think we pretty much already knew the basics. The last scene with him on the plane was pretty intense, but I bought his fight scene.

Royal Pains - Wow, where to even begin. Things in Florida are certainly interesting, and we've left Divya and Jill behind to hold down the fort at home again. Anyway, I feel like a lot of this episode was set up for part two next week as the boys get to know their grandfather. And talk about great casting with Ed Asner in the part. The exchange between Divya and Boris at the end where he said, "Today you don't need to apologize for your professionalism" was wonderful. Jill will be fine, so I'm not that worried about the cliffhanger, although maybe this will be what keeps her in the Hamptons.

Necessary Roughness - There were parts I liked. For example, TK as dating coach was pretty funny. I appreciated the fact that they broke from him being a pain and getting fixed at the last minute this time. But the fact that he bought a replacement car bothers me. I really want the son to face the consequences for lying. And I'm still having trouble warming up to Dr. Dani. I like her with the patients, but when we get to her personal life her lack of patience really bothers me.

Expedition: Impossible - I've been rooting for the Gypies to come in second on at least one leg, but on the leg where they give up the reward to No Limits? That really upset me. I hope the one guy's ankle is okay. Meanwhile, we've lost the first all guy team. But I wonder just how long the California Girls can hang on.

Wipeout - When they find a good pun they can milk, this show is awesome. I love all the bee keeper jokes. I was routing for the Clownselour, but all three of those in the finals were okay this week.

Burn Notice - These guys are good. And there is no doubt they were trying to frame Michael. Now, how in the world is he going to prove he didn't do it? I have no doubt he will, but this is going to be interesting. In the main story, it's been a while since we had a client who insisted on being part of things and caused trouble. That was a fun complication. But I sure did feel for that guy.

Suits - Harvey isn't such a bad guy, but boy does he not want that secret to get out. I loved the way he handled the lawsuit with the cab driver. And I especially loved the fact that he stepped in to help Trevor. I hope they don't send him to Montana soon because I would love to see this story develop more.

Word Association for July 22nd

Word association on Friday again this week.

1. Puzzled :: Mystery



2. Ordered :: Restaurant



3. Unusual :: Suspects



4. Speculation :: Request



5. Tutorial:: Homework



6. Dangerous :: Assignment



7. Second :: Helping



8. Evidence :: Tampering



9. Course :: Work



10. Reason :: Why

Two Ultimate Games

I've already played two ultimate Frisbee game this week.  I'm planning to go to my pick up game tonight.  Hopefully, it goes better than the league games have gone.

Monday night was our regularly scheduled game.  Tuesday night was a make up for the game where we showed up and the lights were off.  We played that game at the same field, but they actually had the lights on for us.

Neither game went well.  The first one was 17-12 and the second was 17-7, or something like that.  We just can't seem to get our act back together after having a couple of weeks off.  I do think that's definitely hurt us.  We're missing one of our strong players, too, so that's not helping.

Personally, I feel like I have been contributing when I've been on the field.  Yes, I've been beaten a time or two on D, but I've always stuck with my man and shut his down a couple of times.  And both games have seen me actually get the disc and pass it on successfully, along with a drop or two.

Of course, with as badly as we've been playing, my mistakes aren't the focus of things.  Everybody's been making lots of mistakes, so it's hard to blame any one person.

And you can tell it in our attitude.  We seem to have given up.  I know I have.  It's hard to be upbeat when you keep getting beaten by those kind of scores.

We still have one game to make up, but our official game for next week is back to the beginning of the roster, meaning we'll play teams we've already played.  Those first few games were close.  Maybe we can come up with a win against one of them and start turning things around.

Fun Weekend

Wednesday already?  Where does the week go?

I'll tell you where the weekend went - lots of fun.

This weekend was Ornament Debut for Hallmark, so I had some fun going to all the Hallmarks in town.  I bought 10 ornaments plus a set from last year (like I need more ornaments).  But my persistence paid off since I won the drawings that Hallmark had for some free ornaments.  Free is always good.

Saturday last afternoon, I caught the last Harry Potter film with a group of friends.  I loved it!  Sounds like it might be a good thing that I haven't read the book recently because those who have came up with the usual list of nitpicks, but as I said, I loved it.

Sunday was pretty much the usual.  I went to church in the morning and out to lunch with friends.  Spent the afternoon at home before heading out to hang out with friends in the evening.

All in all, it was pretty busy but very fun.

Weekly TV Recap - July 16th

Another week, way too much TV.

In Plain Sight - So, I've been figuring all along that Mary would wind up giving the baby to Brandi and Peter. I was surprised that wasn't how this episode ended. But maybe they'll build up to that. And I wonder if she will tell Mark. The plot for this week was very well done. I could sympathize with both brothers are one point or another. But was it just me or did the brothers look like Peter? That kind of threw me off at first, but I soon got used to it.

White Collar - They are really milking this treasure story for all it is worth. And I don't just mean the complications along the way like Sara finding the passport in the final scene. I'm talking about all the scenes between Neal and Peter that have two different meanings - the surface meaning and the warning undercurrent. I love that. I also enjoyed this episode. It was nice to see Sara have a large part; here largest to date, I think. Plenty of great lines, and I liked Neal working with a young version of himself. Despite the rift they've got going on right now, you can still see the respect that Neal and Peter have for each other.

Covert Affairs - I was thrilled to see Reva back and get her out in the field. In fact, I found all the characters great tonight. Aggie gets the best lines. And the sub-plot they gave the sister was pretty ingenious, too. A good way to use her and have it actually count for something.

Royal Pains - Seriously, what is up with Paige? If they drag this out over their break, I am going to be most frustrated. The friendship of our A story guest stars was so heartwarming. And I loved Divya and Hank's exchange at the end about hoping they will behave like that when they've been friends that long.

Necessary Roughness - I think I might be warming up to the show. It helped that Dani actually talked to her kids a little instead of just yelling at them. I did like the fact that the person who came in to evaluate them saw them as a normal family. I certainly can't deny that. I realize TK is a main character, but I'd like an episode where he wasn't out of control and then in control at the end. That's getting old already.

Melissa and Joey - The translations were pretty funny, although I sure felt for Mel. And the subplot with Lenix and her former friend didn't make a whole lot of sense to me. If they were such good friends at one time, how could Melissa have never even heard of her. I realize she's only the aunt, but a long time best friend would be someone you'd know about.

Burn Notice - Wow. That was a very intense climax. Usually, it's compelling but not so dangerous. I immediately recognized Barry's brother as Barry from Big Bang Theory, and it kept throwing me off all night that he wasn't speaking with that horrible lisp. But let's talk the ending. I never saw Michael being framed for murder coming. I think we now have our overarching story for the season. But who is behind it? The people who burned him still or someone else?

Suits - How I love this show! Both of the cases tonight were interesting with some good twists to them. And how can you not love seeing Mike on his first solo case. Once again, the endings were perfect. I already can't wait for next week.

Wipeout - So, what does it say about these All Stars that I maybe remembered a third of them, and even then it wasn't that strong a memory? Yeah, that's what I thought. They just have too many contestants on and too many episodes to really keep track. They picked some real weirdos to come back, too. A few you could tell were putting it on, but many of them were just strange. Plenty of great laughs, however.

Expedition Impossible - Can they come up with a few different and exciting tasks? I realize this is the hot new show of the summer, but I'm only watching (and semi-watching at that) because I need to know how some of these teams do. Once this season is over, I won't be back to watch any more. The show is just walk here, ride here, do something quick and then go back to walking. Makes me really appreciate The Amazing Race.

Word Association for July 15th

Did I really wait until Friday to do this week's word association?

1. Ceremony :: Wedding
2. Thread :: Needle
3. Need :: Want
4. Sarcasm :: Funny
5. Domain :: Name
6. Take :: Give
7. Cast :: Play
8. Zone :: Out
9. Lose control :: Panic!
10. Gambling :: Cards

What I Read - June 2011 Edition

So here's something I want to get back to, posting these lists on my blog.

I can't quite remember where I left off in June and picked up in July, but this is pretty close.

All ratings are on a scale from 1 (bad) to 5 (great).

TO THE MANOR DEAD by Sebastian Stuart - 2
When Janet is offered a chance to sell a large estate, she's thrilled until she finds the woman she is deal with dead and meets the victim's weird relatives. The plot was okay, but almost all the characters made my skin crawl. The main character was only alright. The family of suspects were actually rather creepy. I have a feeling the author was going for funny, but it missed the mark for me.

PERCY JACKSON: THE LAST OLYMPIAN by Rick Riordan - 5
The climax finds Percy and his friend making a last stand against the Titans. Can they save Olympus? The book was incredible. It was almost no stop action, and I had a hard time putting it down. Lots of great pay offs for the characters as well. A worth end to the series.

10TH ANNIVERSARY by James Patterson - 3
The women of the Women's Murder Club are taking on three new cases in this book. It was typical Patterson, fun and fast paced but almost immediately forgettable.

THE RABBIT DIED by Sue Ann Jaffarian - 5
The first in a series of Kindle short stories, this one introduces us to a dysfunctional family. It was funny and sad at various points - a very good read.

PSYCH: MIND ALTERING MURDER by William Rabkin - 5
While Shawn immerses himself in a virtual reality game thinking it holds the clue to find the man who created it, Gus takes a "grown up" job up in San Francisco. But is this the end of their partnership or will murder follow Gus north? I loved it. The characters were very well developed, there were some laughs, and the plot was great.

DARKWING DUCK: THE DUCK KNIGHT RETURNS - 4
I loved this TV show, and now I've discovered they are doing comic books based on it. Lots of fun for those who remember the character.

SECRETS OF HARMONY GROVE by Mindy Starns Clark - 4
Sienna is shocked to learn that she is being investigated by the Feds. Then her boyfriend is killed at the bed and breakfast she owns in Amish country, and her life unravels even further. As always, the author pulled me in from the very beginning and wove an intricate tale. I felt like the pacing was a bit off and times, but overall I enjoyed it.

A Day at the Beach is, Well, a Day at the Beach

I finally made it to the beach this weekend.  I know, I know, the guy who used to go all the time in the summer seems to rarely go any more.  I at least partially blame mud runs since those are weekends I could be spending at the beach.

Anyway, the worship director at church sent out an e-mail sayings, "Let's meet up at the beach for some fellowship for music ministry folks."  We actually had a small turnout with maybe 8 or so families, but it was lots of fun.

Aaron and I played a Frisbee accuracy version of "horse" where the loser had to jump in the ocean.  And my lack of accuracy with Frisbee came back to haunt me as I lost.  But Aaron jumped in the ocean, too.  We were the only two to jump in, and I actually jumped back in a second time.  Keep in mind that the water was fairly cold where we went.

On the other hand, the weather was wonderful.  It was cool in the shade, but it was perfect in the sun. Much cooler than it's been here at home.  Unfortunately, I applied sun screen unevenly, so I have some weird shaped sun burns.

Anyway, some of us also played around with a volleyball for a while.  Other than that, I just talked with people or sat and enjoyed the sun.

I've got to get back to the beach again soon.  Unfortunately, I don't know when that could happen.  I'm just too busy for my own good.

Weekly TV Recap - July 9th

White Collar - Best. Episode. Ever. Seriously, while parts were rather obvious (I knew she'd pick Peter), the rest of it was so very funny. From Neal not getting bid on at all to everything Peter went through to get the proof they needed. Even Elizabeth's wild swings in her reaction to things was funny. And Neal and Sarah hiding while Peter and his date were in Neal's apartment. Can't leave out Mozzie's parts in all this either. Really, it was just funny from start to finish.

Covert Affairs - I must say I'm surprised. I knew Auggie would wind up back in the department eventually, but I figured it would take two or three more episodes. This was fast. I was also prepared to hate his replacement the entire time (they did a great job setting that up), but I liked her before the end. I think that's her again next week, so I hope she sticks around some. Meanwhile, I know they need to give Annie's sister something to do, but I seriously hope they don't break up her marriage.

Royal Pains - Okay, so not quite as fun as the premier, but it was an appropriate follow up, especially for Divya. I like how they played her problems with the one patient and even brought up Evan and Hank's dad. I am really worried about where they are going with Paige this season. That run in she had with Hank is obviously supposed to make us think something serious is going on. I Love her and Evan together, so I don't want to see anything come between them.

Necessary Roughness - I'm still on the fence with this show. Parts of it I enjoyed, but Dani's friends pushing her back on the dating scene wasn't really part of it. I also wish she'd handled her daughter lying to her better. On the other hand, her professional clients were both interesting and I liked the resolution there. I have a feeling this mix of personal good and professional bad will be what this series does, and I don't think I'll enjoy that mix for very long.

Melissa & Joey - Okay, I admit I found this episode fun. Poor Joey at the end when he found out he was just a fling. And what is up with him having hair! That's a first in years. Obviously, it was filmed several weeks after last week's episode since hair doesn't grow that fast.

Burn Notice - I love Nate, so it's great to hear they've moved him back to Miami. Hopefully, they continue to find ways to bring him into the show. I was surprised to find that the guy they were trying to make look like a cop actually was. Frankly, this show continues to get me with the final plot complication/twist. You'd think I would have it figured out by now. Anyway, lots of fun and some great lines. It looks like Michael is going to turn very dark and even more obsessed with the mystery of his burn this season. I hope it doesn't get too dark, but it should be interesting.

Suits - Have I mentioned I love this show? It's funny and the characters are growing on me. Well, most of them. I really can't stand Louis. It's so nice that he gets a come uppance each week. I was glad to see they haven't dropped the friend and his girlfriend. That could get very interesting very quickly, especially with Trevor having the briefcase. I have a feeling they will be the on going story and it will take on a soap opera feel much like on Royals Pains. And we know how much I love that show. I didn't recognize her before, but I had to look up the grandma tonight. Turns out that USA has another former Wings actor working on their show. Cool. And I'm thinking Rachel just might have a crush on Mike, but we'll see if that's true or not.

Wipeout - Okay, so I was rooting for the dinner detective, and then he didn't make it to the final round. Glad to see them back with summer obstacles because I love that course.

Expedition Impossible - I'm not that surprised that Grandpa's Warriors left this week. This is a tough challenge, and the younger, in better shape people are going to go farther. Having said that, I'm thrilled to see No Limits come in second. And I have no desire to ever go on this show. It just looks like torture.

New TV on DVD Reviews:
Smallville - Season 4  

The Rest of the Long Weekend

So, I already told you about the run I did last weekend.  But I was actually quite busy all weekend.

Saturday was my quiet day.  What did I do?  Other than going over to my former roommate Daniel's new place, I stayed home and took care of stuff around there.  I cut my hair and did a few other things like that.  Nothing too exciting, but it was good.

Sunday is when things got exciting.  It started with an e-mail from my friend Josh asking about coming over and swimming that afternoon.  Things changed, and he and his wife didn't make it over.  But I did spend the afternoon swimming with some other friends at a different pool.  With the heat we've had this weekend, it felt great.  Sunday night was the usual hanging out with Josh and Joe, then I spent the night at Josh's.

And then Monday after the race I wound up spending a little time at the parade in my town.  I've never been before.  I stayed for maybe a third of it.  I was aiming to head home, but I made it as far as Josh's for a couple of hours.  We talked while I rested for the long drive across town to grab lunch and then nap.  Oh did that nap feel good.

That evening, I went to Kurt and Kellie's.  I have seen them or that gang of friends in forever.  It was absolutely wonderful catching up with all of them over good BBQ, some disc golf, and a dip in the pool.  Because of the kids, everyone had scattered by the time the fireworks started, but I found a spot to enjoy them before heading home and crashing hard.

As you can see, it was in no way restful.  But oh was it wonderful!

Word Association for July 7th

Ack!  What have they done with my blogger?  Yes, my blog looks the same, but the place I go to post has greatly changed.  Hopefully, I can get used to this soon.

In the mean time, here's this week's word assocation.

1. Google :: Search
2. Cooking :: Stove
3. Pillow :: Sleep
4. Star Trek :: Science Fiction
5. Wake :: Morning
6. Chili :: Beans
7. Premise :: Story
8. Share :: Giving
9. Celebrity :: Famous
10. Stream :: Water

Independence Day 10K

Back in May when I ran my first 10K non-mud run race, I set my sights on doing another 10K this weekend.  I was so close, I wanted to finish in under an hour.

Of course, like everything else I do, I then spent the next amount of time debating about whether I should actually sign up or not.  After all, it started at 7AM.  And with all the ultimate Frisbee I have been playing, I haven't really been training for it.  But I decided this last week to go ahead and sign up.

Since the race started and ended about two blocks from where I normally hang out with friends on Sunday night, I spent the night there.  That way I could sleep later and walk over to the start as part of my warm up.

I bought new running shoes the day before.  I didn't use them, but I think it's about time.  At various times, my legs were killing me.  I even battle shin splints for a little while, which is usually a sign it's time to buy new shoes.

I think I need to get a watch for racing.  I had no idea who I was doing until the end.  That makes it hard to adjust pace as needed.  But I started running and tried to keep my pace.  I did increase a little in the second half, but not very much.  I was passed by plenty of people, but I passed a few as well.  Many of the people I passed were ahead of me for a while, so it's not like I was super slow.

But ultimate, racing comes down to you and the clock.  And I think that may be one reason I and starting to enjoy running.  It can be just about you and your goals.

In this case, I didn't make my goal.  I finished in 1:02:47.

Part of me is disappointed.  But part of me knows that if I had trained harder, I might have finished better.

However, talking to others after the race, no one finished in their goal time or their normal time.  Everyone was running slow because of the heat.  Yes, even at 7AM it was hot.  (Hey, it's the 4th of July.  I would be disappointed with anything less.)  So maybe a sub 1 hour 10K is still doable for me.

I'm going to start looking for one to sign up for (in the midst of all my other races).  And I will get that time yet.  But I'm going to take the next one more seriously and train harder for it, too.

Meanwhile, it was fun to see some friends from church out there at this race, including one who came to cheer me on.  Others were running it.  And I saw someone I graduated from college with but haven't seen for years who was in town.  That part of the morning was a very pleasant surprise.

Weekly TV Recap for July 2nd

Yes, this is summer.  I am just too much of a TV addict.

In Plain Sight - I was actually very happy with that episode. I was expecting our happy ending to be the wife getting her divorce. The fact that she went back and gave her husband another chance surprised me. Hopefully, he does change. Meanwhile, I wanted more from Mary finally telling Brandi she was pregnant. Hopefully that come next week.

White Collar - I was a bit worried about another flashback episode, but this one focused pretty much the entire time on the present, and I loved getting a look at Mozzie's past. The whole thing with "The Dentist" was a riot. "You're a living conspiracy theory?" Fun all the way around. I'm not quite sure what Mozzie was doing at the end, but what it was, it worked.

Wipeout (Tuesday) - That was a Spring episode if I don't miss my guess based on the obstacles they had. The scarecell was back and the Wipeout Zone looked way too familiar. I has actually hoping it would be either the preppy or the philosopher, so I was happy with the outcome this week. I found it interesting that they dumped water on everyone every time they went up the stairs.

Covert Affairs - Aggie going to work upstairs? This is an interesting development. And I wonder if Annie will ever find out he did it to save her? The reporter really should have started trusting Annie sooner, but then we wouldn't have had the last plot complication or two. Overall, another enjoyable episode.

Royal Pains - I was smiling the entire time I was watching. Okay, maybe not the entire time, but most of it. I knew what was going to happen with Divya. Her crashing with the brothers will be interesting this season. I love Evan with Paige. Sounds like that relationship will be rocky, and not on his end, this season. So many plot lines resolved or at least moved forward. I'm just wondering what will happen to change Jill's mind since she's a main character.

Necessary Roughness - I'm not sold on this one yet, mainly because I don't really like the best friend character that much. Well, and I hate it when a main character gets out of a relationship and immediately starts sleeping around. I know, I know it was six weeks. But still. I'm willing to give it another couple of weeks, however. I can see some potential for it to grow on me. And I am reminded that I often don't like shows right out of the gate.

Melissa & Joey - The plot on this one was fairly predictable, but yet I still found it fairly funny. Didn't see the ending of the sub-plot with the kids coming, however. The ex-wife was annoying as can be, however. I hope they aren't thinking of making her a recurring character. The assistant is the only annoying character I can stand. Even with all that, it was nice to see these characters again. Yep, I'll keep watching.

Burn Notice - I always love it when they are able to get Michael's mom into the mix, and they did that this week in a big way. Watching Michael abuse her was so hard, especially with seeing how close they have become. It wasn't quite as fun as some of their other episodes, but it was very good television, and I enjoyed it.

Suits - Okay, I'm officially hooked. That was fun and slick. The characters have a lot of learn, but as long as we show up Lewis every week, I'll be happy. I especially loved the come uppance the judge got at the end. That was the least of what he deserved. And the inventor got a nice settlement as well. All told, the outcome was great.

Wipeout (Thursday) - Another left over from spring, I'm sure. I actually have a friend named Sarah Cooper, so it was fun seeing her win. Let's get back to the summer obstacles now because I liked them much better.

Expedition Impossible - You know, I think I'm doing with the show at least for now. Yes, I'm keeping all the teams straight, but I find the time between the first team doing something and the last team finishing it too boring. I think if it were half an hour I might still be able to enjoy it. Maybe I'll just fast forward through it next week to see what they do and who leaves.

New TV on DVD Reviews:
Sabrina the Teenage Witch - Season 4  

Word Association for July 1st

Let's start off the new (fiscal) year with some word association.

1. Familiar :: Comforting
2. Park :: Grass
3. Bank balance :: Money
4. Ducks :: Mary
5. Relationship :: Love
6. Ruminate :: Think
7. Humanity :: People
8. Baking soda :: Baking
9. Angela :: Angeles

I have a friend named Mary who was once attacked by a duck.  Naturally, I think of her quite often when ducks come up.