I saw Up today.
The first 15-20 minutes of it are probably – in my opinion – close to perfect.
Also, it made me cry like a baby.
In a good way.
Category: year26 (Page 65 of 92)
I posted an entry each day during my 26th year of life.
With our east trip coast being a bit packed with things to do (and not as much simple relaxation) and a full day of work today, I feel rather tired.
Not sleepy tired, just like I want to just relax for a day or so.
I think I’d like to see a movie tomorrow. Perhaps Pixar’s new triumph, Up? Maybe something light and funny like the new Night at the Museum? Maybe well-received Star Trek? Maybe something action campy like Angels and Demons?
Whatever the choice, it might be nice to just blend into the shadows in a movie theater for a few hours, eating something screamingly unhealthy and letting the screen wash over me.
Or maybe I’d be equally happy just letting a few hours melt into my Wii or Xbox, playing some of the games on my backlog. Nothing too hard, nothing too taxing.
Or maybe shopping, for a few hours. Walking around an air-conditioned mall with a Cinnabon break, buying some clearance Gap clothes.
Or I could just sleep all day, eating ice cream and pizza in bed.
I’ll figure something out, and let you know what happens tomorrow.
Maybe part of it is the self-indulgent fact that I like the sound of my own voice, but I think that more people should read out loud.
Aside from random school presentations and other opportunities for learning, the first time I remember reading something out loud to other people was in a summer program during high school.
For some reason, someone in the group of friends I had formed at this program needed to read A Prayer for Owen Meaney during that summer, and I offered to help make the reading more pleasant by holding a daily storytime where I would read the book aloud to everyone, chapter by chapter.
And, for some inexplicable reason, my friends agreed. So we would cluster ourselves in the basement of our dorm each evening, and I would read the book to them out loud.
It was wonderful. It also was my introduction to John Irving, for which I am also quite grateful.
I still read aloud, but only to Katie now, and not as often as I (or she) would like. I think the reason I find it so enjoyable is because it’s a kind of sneaky way of turning an activity that is designed to be private into a shared experience.
That, and the theatricality of turning a story from words on a page into sound. As a reader, there are certain powers that I enjoy, such as the tone and pacing of the piece that may not be entirely evident just as words on the page.
I encourage everyone to try it. Find someone to read to, or who will read to you. Not everyone will comfortable in the former group, of course, but it’s worth a try.
That, and you get to do voices, which is – of course – the best part.
It’s been a long day. This morning, Katie and I visited Ford’s Theatre with about 500 schoolchildren and listened to a ranger talk about the night of Lincoln’s assassination.
Then, we walked across the street to the house where Lincoln died and walked into the actual room where he died.
Then, we went to the airport, arriving at around 3:00 PM, Eastern time. We boarded our plane on time, then got off of it when we were told that we had no pilots due to inclement weather – they were stuck in Raleigh.
We then waited an hour and a half, then reboarded the plane.
We then waited another few hours on the plane. We got to taxi around the airport a bit during that time, before finally taking off.
I’m tired. I’m going to try to go through my email, eat a hot pocket, and maybe play a quick game before collapsing in bed.