Out to Accomplish

I nearly accomplished what I set out to this weekend.

The only thing that didn't get done was "Drive to the North Shore and Lay on the Beach." That'll have to wait for another weekend it seems.

Spent a majority of my weekend inputting figures into one of those money management programs in an attempt to figure out where my money is going. I hate budgeting, but it has to be done. Turns out I underestimated what utility bills would be for the winter, health care (which I've been paying for solely out of pocket the last few months) is frickin' expensive in this country (as in 2-3 months of health care will insure my house for an entire year), and I eat out too much (guess from a purely financial standpoint its good I've only been paying for myself to eat out). Besides the obvious need to buy groceries more often, the healthcare thing makes me want to cancel it and IF I get hurt enough to use it; pull the plug, sell my house for me, and dump me in the river.

On a lighter note I went and saw The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou. Out of the Wes Anderson/Bill Murray movies I still like Rushmore the best. Probably because that movie is the most childish of the bunch. Life Aquatic was enjoyable, but it seemed like everyone was just going through the paces. The underlying story (at least from my random interpretation) of a man who never felt ready to have a family, but is a family person was interesting.

Today more financial stuff, watched the Green Bay/Vikings football game, and then watched Potrait of Jenny on AMC (well, in the background while doing other stuff). Two things come to mind: 1. These two in succession are utterly random and who else out there does stuff like this? 2. I wonder what watching the Super Bowl is gonna be like here. I imagine on the East Coast the event is a dinner/evening event. I know on the West Coast its an afternoon/BBQ type thing. Here, its gotta be more of a lunch thing.

Random Change

For those of you that know me (and to introduce those of you that don't); I'm known to carry tomes or magazines around with me almost everywhere to read. I've noticed that National Geographic is one of the most heavily commented things you can carry around with you; seems everyone wants to know whats inside that magazine. I've also noticed (well, just tonight so far) that carrying a book around here in Honolulu gets you odd looks from people. Do other parts of the country (outside of Portland) not read? There always seems to be someone with a reading/writing device/implement within sight in Portland.

To end this random post, here's the opening of the book garnering those odd glances as I walk aboot (which I got for Christmas from a good friend and so far has been an enjoyable read):

"Your ship glides around the southeast point of the lozenge-shaped Island of Oahu, passing the furrowed dome of Koko Head, the tawny crouching lion shape of Diamond Head, the long white crests of surf that race over the reef toward the leaning palms and tall hotel towers of Waikiki. Honolulu Harbor is a sea monster's mouthful bitten out of a coral plain. Behind it rise steep mountains, mottled with the varied green of Hawaiian forest; their abrupt lift and bold modeling exaggerate their height."

(I imagine much has changed since this was written in 1943, but this description is still accurate)