Lately it seems I don't have enough time to stop and think.
Maybe that's why it feels like I have so little to blog about these days. Or maybe it's more precise to say that I'm so tired by the time I get home that the thought of posting a blog entry just makes me wanna curl up and go to sleep.
Not that there's anything in particular that's bothering me, nor is there anything on the horizon that's particularly stressful that's weighing on my mind. I guess I'm just too much in drone mode... you know, that state of mind that you get into when you're so swamped with a variety of stuff that you lose all ability to think too far ahead, simply because all your energies are focused on the thing that's right in front of you right now.
Am I still making any sense? Haha!
Anyway, hopefully things will slow down a bit next week. I really should listen to the small voice in the back of my head that tells me to say no to some things that really aren't that important.
This week has been somewhat busy. I had this crazy idea that I could start a blog for Bituing Walang Ningning, kinda like the way I did for Qpids last year. So most of my evenings this week have been devoted to episode summaries and screenshots.
I guess time has a way of making me forget just how difficult and time-consuming it is to write episode summaries. Because now that I'm doing it again, I'm finding it extremely tough! haha!
So ayun... after working on it for a few days, I finally decided that I won't push through with it anymore. Good thing I played it safe and didn't announce the URL to anyone.
I guess Qpids was different because it was the first time I tried putting together a blog for a show, and I was getting a kick out all the learning I was getting from the experience.
Now, despite the fact that BWN has all the makings of a beautiful soap, and despite the fact that Carla's got a great, rebel-with-a-cause role in it, I'm overwhelmed by a been-there-done-that kinda feeling.
So I will stick to what I do best -- summarizing Carla-related scenes on the Carla Fanblog.
Interestingly, they're not using Loren as her last name in the opening, and they're back to Humphries. Wonder if that means that Loren is an "anomaly" just for Qpids.
Received a link to an online flash movie called May You Be Blessed today.
This movie by Kate Nowak's Live More Abundantly Productions was released in January 2006, and combines meditative music, beautiful imagery, and inspirational text to bring a quiet, reflective experience to the viewer.
If you want a few minutes of quiet to relieve you of the stress of the day, try this online movie.
I spent 8 hours over the past two days in the malls, looking for a suitable dress for a formal dinner, and after all that walking around, browsing through racks, and changing in dressing rooms, I still came home empty handed, with only aching feet and an even more achy back to show for my effort.
There's so much stuff out there that's so pretty but the prices range from P5000 to P8000! There's no way I'm going to spend that kind of money on a single dress! And after seeing the beautifully made dresses, I didn't really feel like buying the cheaper, but not-as-beautiful outfits! haha!
I'm still on my quest to catch up with TV shows that I've missed.
My latest focus is the first season of Grey's Anatomy. Didn't really know what to expect, beyond the fact that I know it's a medical drama. But so far the first two episodes have been highly enjoyable.
Interestingly, this show is also from ABC, the same station that produced LOST and Desperate Housewives. Maybe that's why I'm predisposed to liking this new show. hehe!
I couldn't resist the temptation. So I stayed up until 3am last night to finish watching Star Trek Enterprise: Season 4 on DVD.
It was really quite good, even though I didn't like the resolution to Season 3's cliffhanger (Storm Front, the German Nazi story arc) that much. But the rest of the season has really been exceptional writing and flowed a lot more smoothly than Season 3.
My Raves:
Another highly enjoyable Trek season, with a continuously developing storyline leading up to the inter-planetary charter signing. There was a fairly consistent flow all throughout.
The multi-episode story arcs were such a treat. As one of the producers mentioned in the special features, multi-episode story arcs allow for much better plot and character development. And also made more budget available for elaborate sets and special effects!
Favorite episodes. I particularly enjoyed the story arcs involving the Vulcans (The Forge-Awakening-Kir'Shara) and Brent Spiner's Dr. Soong (Borderland-Cold Station 12-The Augments). But the one that really moved me was the two-parter entitled Demons and Terra Prime. The scene where Dr. Phlox tells Captain Archer that he never expected to gain another family, and the final scene with T'Pol and Trip clasping hands with the IDIC was particularly moving. I was literally crying even though that scene must have only been all of two minutes long. Also worth a special mention is the episode entitled Daedalus. Bill Cobbs was like a breath of fresh air in that episode.
My Rants:
As I mentioned earlier, I didn't enjoy the German story arc that much. I think I was disappointed by the fact that the Enterprise's homecoming was delayed yet again by another excursion through time. Thankfully, there was a lot less of that after these episodes.
The final episode of the series, These are the Voyages, was almost a disappointment, particularly because of the manner by which Commander Tucker rescues Captain Archer. I kept going, "No, no, no!!" when that part of the episode aired. It almost made me wish the series had ended with Terra Prime.
The twin episodes of In a Mirror, Darkly deserve special mention. These episodes were great because:
We got to see the Enterprise crew in Kirk-ian costumes, and in a Kirk-ian ship to boot. There were all these small nods and winks to the audience in reference to The Original Series.
It was laff-out-loud funny just how evil all the characters were. Captain Archer acting like a caricature of the mad, evil megalomaniac was such a treat to watch. Seeing Tucker with radiation burns on his face was such a surprise but also fun. Seeing Phlox using his medical knowledge to maim and torture was hilarious. Having other species subservient to humans was such a shock that you just had to laugh. Having Malcolm as a sadist, seeing Archer being paranoid and insecure, and to have Porthos suddenly be a rottweiler after knowing him as a beagle for almost four years...! hahaha!
I loved the alternate OBB and the alternate music for the closing credits. Such a fabulous treat, because it really set the mood for the episodes. I especially liked the part towards the end of the opening credits when the choral portions came in to add some drama. It reminded me so much of Carl Orff's Carmina Burana, in particular O Fortuna!
All in all, a truly wonderful season. It makes me wish all the more that Star Trek: Enterprise hadn't been canceled after only four years. Seasons 3 and 4 proved that Enterprise deserved to have a full seven season run, just like TNG, DS9, and Voyager. It's really such a shame that this Trek had to end when it did.
A third of the year is gone! The past four months went by just like the wind whooshing past you, without you really thinking about it. Haha! What a lame metaphor.
Well, let's see how we've done this month.
1. Lose my holiday weight gain Yup... have lost two pounds this month, thanks to resuming my workouts. Have to keep at it though.
2. Stop Cursing I didn't even think about this during the whole month of April! Which is great, because I hardly cursed at all this month. If I did, I can't seem to remember it. Hmm...
3. Be Less Judgmental about People I'm really trying hard, I promise! But it's sooo hard not to jump to conclusions. I will try harder.
4. Read at least 12 books of the Bible I failed miserably on this one... again! :( This means I am two books behind already for this year! Will have to read three this month to catch up.
5. Identify 5 friends with whom I've lost touch in 2005 and re-establish contact throughout 2006 Did well with this. Got in touch with friends in a big way, and even got to call and chat with a friend on her birthday. :D I'm really happy about this.
6. Watch at least one movie in the Theatres Each Month Yup. Watched.... you guessed it! D' Lucky Ones! hahaha!
7. Read at least one work of fiction a month Hmm... failed to do this also. Looks like I was bad with reading this month. I guess watching two seasons of Star Trek (a total of 45 episodes lasting 45 minutes each) took up all of my free time. I also haven't had a chance to look for Saffron's recommendation at the bookstore. Will have to do that this weekend.
8. Attend a live JaRla event Nope. Still nothing here. But they have mallshows coming up for BWN! Maybe I'll get lucky.
9. Complete my Christmas Shopping on or before Nov 30. Got a bit of a head start when I went to that Bazaar the other day. This is a good thing.
Am deep into the middle of Star Trek Enterprise Season 4, and so far it's been an interesting romp!!
Wasn't sure if I was going to enjoy it, especially since Season 3 was so unexpectedly good. But so far, the multi-episode stories in Season 4 have been fun to watch!
I'll be especially sad when I reach the series finale, I think.
