some new drawings

Just a couple of quick sketches, done while I'm on holidays. When I'm not cleaning my art room, that is.

The Dark Knight review

So, I gave in and saw Dark Knight last evening. I bravely resisted for a long time, as I am not a fan of Christian Bale, and I wasn't terribly intrigued by Heath Ledger, either. I will admit, I succumbed to peer pressure...and my curiousity got the better of me.
The Dark Knight is too long, and there are far too many gaps that left me wondering what went on during that scene. There were no surprises for me in this movie; I become greatly annoyed when it seems that I'm two steps ahead of the scriptwriter. When I managed to stay awake, I found myself saying, "okay, here's the part where the Joker gets himself arrested," and explaining why to my husband. The backstory of Harvey Dent and Rachel was mundane. The changing story of the Joker's origin was somewhat interesting, and I thought it added to the paranoid, schizophrenic character.
As for the actors: I am still uninterested in Christian Bale onscreen. He is flat, unoriginal, and extremely weak as the Batman. His pronounced lisp combined with the attempted deep voice as the Batman just made him appear silly and ineffectual. Perhaps spitting on the villain is considered threatening; I was just distracted by it. Heath Ledger was somewhat more interesting to watch, but I felt jilted out of seeing the many more possible layers to his character. Though I predicted the outcome of the two boats scene, I was disappointed in the Joker's rather mild reaction to it. Heath Ledger brought brutality, gleefulness, and insanity to the role which I enjoyed watching. I felt no sympathy for the Joker, despite his many stories of abuse and abandonment. That's as it should be; I did not want the villain to be a misunderstood, abused victim. I disagree with many who've said that there should be a sequel with the Joker (despite the complications of casting another actor to replace Heath Ledger); the Joker's demise is fitting and compelling to watch. I think a sequel would water down his viciousness and his mystery.
Harvey Dent and Rachel Whatever-her-name-was didn't intrigue me at all. It was a tenuous connection, at best, between Dent and the Joker, and I was reminded of the line, "You made me, I made you," that Jack Nicholson uttered. I felt that the Joker really didn't need a reason to destroy lives and reputations; part of the fascination with this character lies in his absence of reason. He does what he does because he wants to.
A minor point here, but one that I found irritating enough to distract me from some of the plot: it became more interesting to count how many times Heath Ledger and Gary Oldman dropped into their particular native accents, than to actually hear what they were saying. And why was it necessary to change Barbara Gordon from daughter to wife, and the child from a girl to a boy? It added nothing, and for those of us who are fans of the comic book, it was a glaring mistake.
Overall, I give this movie two and a half stars. And that's only because of Heath Ledger.

on and on...

Just a quick update...
Derek is married. The wedding went well, the bride looked beautiful, the groom looked deliriously happy, and the food was fantastic! It was so much fun, and yes, I cried!
Still working at Value Village, not so bad, I guess. I've been there a bit over a year. I've got a steady paycheque, health benefits, and respect at work. Plus, I have found lots of great stuff! Having the job gives me the freedom to explore my artwork and do the kind of freelance stuff that I want to do.
I am planning some new things for the blog. But it will have to wait until my holidays in September, when I have the time...watch for it!

Summer movies

I have now seen three of the "blockbuster" summer movies; Iron Man, Get Smart and Indiana Jones. All have disappointed; all have promised greater things than they delivered. Summer movies were once something that promised excitement and entertainment, if only for a brief, few hours. But where are the movies that caused the viewer to relive moments for weeks after, smiling and anticipating the next great moment? I've not seen a movie that has made me feel entertained, indulged, and thrilled for a very long time. There have been some that were moderately enjoyable, but none that entranced me. I don't ask for realism from summer movies; I do want plausibility mixed with action and humour. One of the funniest moments in Get Smart is not delivered by Maxwell Smart (as played by Steve Carell), but by Dwayne Johnson (The Rock). It is sad that the secondary characters have become more amusing and interesting than the leads. The jokes are lame, the action is forced ("ooh, look at that...wonder how long the computer guys took to make that effect?"). I don't think that superior computer effects have improved movies at all. I don't have a problem with watching special effects that do not have the slick, designed feel to them; movies from the 70s, 80s, and early 90s still have more of a thrill, and that warm summertime fun feel to them than anything I've seen lately. Give me Superman, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Die Hard, even Star Wars, over the drivel I've endured the past few summers.

wedding invitations

This is my son's wedding invitation. The character is the Chinese character for love. The text appears on the center panel, which I have not shown for reasons of privacy. I'm very happy with this design, and Derek says he's received many compliments regarding it.

Success

I have accomplished what I thought was impossible; the 10K Redberry Run. I did it in an hour and a half. It was much more difficult than my practise runs. I misjudged the distance when I was doing the practise runs, so the actual run was longer than I thought. When I was returning, I had passed the weir, and developed a cramp in my left calf. I was forced to walk for awhile, and shorten the running time. When I reached the 2.5 K point, I knew I had to push through it, because I wanted to run past the finish line, not walk. The moment I passed the Redberry flagposts, Brian grabbed me and held me up, as my leg buckled beneath me. Though I was in pain, I felt great! Now I'm suffering from allergies and post-run muscle soreness, and looking forward to breakfast in bed on Mother's Day.
I am grateful to Janet Harms-Masich and Ashlynn Harms, for also participating and contributing to my video. We were all running for the same reason: inspiration from Dwayne Harms. My apologies to Janet for referring to Dwayne as her former husband, when I should have said first (as Janet said). Ashlynn looks remarkably like her dad, but with her mother's grace (and speed!).
It was wonderful to have the support of so many friends and family, my husband most of all. He put up with my early,early morning runs on the treadmill (must have been hard to sleep with that going, he pledged a large amount for me, and he was there to see me start and finish; even though his back must have in a great deal of pain!
I think a long, hot bubble bath is well-deserved.

D-day is coming

As the Redberry run gets closer, I get more afraid! Why did I sign up to do this? (Probably because I am prone to doing impulsive things, with no real thought as to consequences; I guess I'll find out how crazy this is on Sunday, when I wake up with all sorts of aches and pains.

The Runners Are Coming! The Runners Are Coming!

It is now only 13 days till the Redberry Run. I am very nervous! So many questions go through my head...What if I can't do the 10K? What if I can do the distance, but it takes me four hours? Will I need my asthma medication with me, and how will I carry it? Will sunscreen pour into my eyes, blinding me, which will then cause me to trip in a tiny pothole in the cement, and then I'll break an ankle, and be unable to finish the race...so many questions.
I believe I've prepared as much as I am able. All I can do now is pray, and show up on the day. And after it's all over, I'll think about my next challenge.

update

It's been a few months since my last entry. Got so consumed with my facebook profile, that I forgot my blog. How shameful.
Nothing much is happening in my life, anyway. Same old job, same old boredom. The one thing that is giving me a great deal of pleasure now are my training runs. I am preparing for a 10k, for Redberry Bible camp, on May 10th. I look forward to the challenge, and some days, I am so exhausted from work that I groan just looking at my treadmill. But I forge on...I will do this 10k, to fulfill a promise made to my late friend, Dwayne Harms, and to myself.