Day 1...

I went running today, something I hadn't done in a while. Thing is, I pretty much hate running but I went and did it. I couldn't find my mp3 player so I had to run the way I hate most, in relative silence, and plus there was some crazy 99.99999 percent humidity. Sucked... during it. But I needed to. I've mentioned before that this year if something was really bothering me, I would force myself to work out to improve my mood. Today was one of those days. So I ran a few miles to get my endorphins (aka happy hormones) up quickly. Endorphins are my friends. I went as far as I could go after my body gave me a holler to remind me there's but so far it was going to go eventhough my mind was pushing at a different level. So I not only got the natural benefits but also a nice sense of accomplishment for going farther, running past the point my body was indicating I should. After I stopped, my bad knees were a little sore and I had to sit because my legs were wobbly and I was out of breath, but other than that I felt great. Once you get past the initial annoyances, it's such a beneficial act on many levels.

Anyway, during my endorphin high, I started thinking about goals, how I achieve them, and what new goal I wanted to set in terms of working out now that the weather is nice. So, I decided I'm going to go running every day for the next 100 days (shorter distances every 7th day for a "break" day). I'm also going to change my weekday morning habit. I usual use my mornings to lounge, but I'm going to make that my time for trips to the gym/track. I usually do that all in the evening but the effects are most beneficial in the morning so I'll give it a try.

I'm generally good when I spell out goals and timeframes, and especially after I've written them down. I'd be a pretty big loser if I posted this and didn't follow through. I guess we'll see come beginning of September...

Keeping In Touch...

I'm a relatively busy person, and my schedule can make it hard for me to keep in contact with my friends as much as I'd like to. But just recently, it hit me that my way of staying abreast of the going-ons of many friends and acquaintances had changed... thanks to Facebook (and MySpace, somewhat). It's kinda sad, but outlets I once praised for allowing me to connect with friends I hadn't seen in years at the same time allows me to feel I know about the more significant events in their lives without ever picking up the phone.

A few months ago I hung out with a friend and his girlfriend on a Saturday, and they seemed quite happy. By Monday I saw a profile update popup on my facebook home page that said they were "no longer in a relationship." So after giving it some time I spoke to my friend who says, "I guess you heard," and I respond, 'well, sorta'. That's the thing; I don't need to "hear" anything. Just be on a networking site. And this is a case where I actually chat and see this friend regularly. I haven't seen one of my good friend in months but I'm able to track the growth of her baby through posted pictures. Another friend I have seen maybe once in last 2 years, but no worries... a quick read of her profile and I know she broke up with her longtime boyfriend, is tired of men, switched her orientation to bi, cut her hair and now loves the show "The L-Word" and Ellen DeGeneres. And an old school friend who was a quiet, nerdy, glasses-wearing bookworm? Well, she's now a contact-wearing stylish fun girl who is no doubt out throwing back drinks (usually shots) come the weekend. I've got friends/acquantainces that are everywhere from Dubai to Namibia to Honduras right now... and it's not like I'm opening any profiles, these are just what I know from status updates. These are just a handful of examples, but any divorce, marriage, child birth, job change, mood change, pet purchase, travel plans, lunch plans and on and on and on... I can learn about in 2 seconds off a website without even a word spoken to someone. Seems a bit impersonal...

I don't know. It's just interesting that as technology moves us forward, the benefit of progress can sometimes mean a sacrifice in good ol' human interaction.

I Want to Believe...

It's the official trailer release day for my X-Files movie! I basically saw this 2 months ago when the pre-trailer was released at a convention (thank you, youtube). That was awesome, since the leaked video from Paley has all the fan reaction, and they went CRAZY (screaming, awing, etc.). It's been so long since these characters have been on film or screen, so for a true fan to get that first glimpse undescribably cool. I was even more hyped up about the movie after viewing it.

Anyway... http://www.xfiles.com/

It's mostly the same thing from the convention with a few changes, including a shot of Xzibit and the new end shot of Scully and Mulder.

Just over 2 months till release day! July 25!

"Make my way back home when I learn to fly..."

So I got to fly... sorta. As a part of my "do sh*t I always wanted to do so I'm doing it in my last year of my 20s" list, I went indoor skydiving / windtunnel flying. Long story short, it is both fun and harder than you would think. The instructor my group had was great, but took a very hands-off approach, which meant a lot of flopping around at times. You can't even feel him holding you so it really wouldn't have hurt if he guiding us a bit more in the beginning like the other instructors I observed, but anyway, still a blast to do. I highly recommend it. Everyone should have a "flying" sensation at least once in their lives and this is one of the safest ways to do it. (Because jumping out of an airplane at 10,000 feet ain't for everyone!) I'm a bit of a rollercoaster wimp and even I loved it. Admittedly, reviews from the group were mixed but I think the key is to get an instructor who will give you a comfortable level of support until you know what you're doing.

I recommend to anyone interested (in the northeast) to check out the facility in the Meadowlands that will be complete in the next year. Otherwise, the closest location to NY is in New Hampshire.

I flew for about 3 total minutes (1 minute flights) but here is a brief clip...