Under The Dome Casting!

CBS is going to make a summer series out of Stephen King's "Under The Dome".  It is a good book with a lot happening.  Luckily it is available in e-book to avoid carpal tunnel syndrome. 

It has a huge cast, but I will focus on the main ones and a few minor ones.



Dale "Barbie" Barbara

Former military, current drifter who is leaving town with a bad taste in his mouth.  He is trapped under the dome and witnesses some bad stuff that sets off the action.  I like Thomas Jane.  I have chosen him for other roles and think he is underutilized.  He is smart, sexy and you can buy him as a former military guy.



Julia Shumway

I think Maura Tierney would be perfect for Julia.  She is scrappy and smart.  I can see her as the owner and writer of a small town paper. 



James "Big Jim" Rennie

From the first appearance of Big Jim the only actor I could imagine was John Goodman.  He is bigger than life.  He can be charming and evil at the same time.  There is a scene in a bunker I can totally see John Goodman killing!




Junior Rennie

Aaron Paul of Breaking Bad fame.  This character is a thug and a sociopath and the son of a powerful man that has kept him down all his life.   I think this kid can pull it off.



Eric "Rusty" Everett

Rusty has to be a ginger, or his nickname doesn't make sense.  He is almost a doctor, a devoted father and husband.  Kevin McKidd has the doctor thing covered.  He can play smart and I can see him as a hero type.



Linda Everett

Yvonne Strahovski can hold a gun.  As a small town deputy, she needs to be strong, yet vulnerable.  She is a mother of two young girls.  After this season on Dexter, (I never watched Chuck) I can see her going all mama bear on the bad guys.




Andy Sanders

Michael Hitchcock is Andy Sanders.  He is a selectman who is pretty much a puppet until he is tipped over the edge by the incidents that set off the dome.  He goes a little bonkers.  I can see him falling apart under Big Jim. 



Phil "The Chef" Bushey

He's a little old for Chef, but can't you see John Benjamin Hickey mixing up a big batch of crystal meth?

 

Horace

Of course the amazing corgi hero Horace should be played by my amazing corgi Stevie.  He will work for treats. 

There are a lot of other characters.  Too many to name.  Who do you think should play the other characters? 

Falling Off The Face Of The Earth

Is anyone there?

I kind of fell off the face of the earth. 

Those are my workout pants hiding under my polar bear lounge pants.  Yes, I have been lounging more than working out.  It has been over a month since I hit the trail. 

Here is my official list of excuses.

1. I have been working a little later. 
2. I'm tired.
3. Daylight savings, it is getting dark earlier.
4. I was sick.
5. It is getting cold.
6. My chair is warm.
7. I am getting seasonal depression.
8. I have to get up at 4AM.
9. The new television shows are really good. 
10. I had to go see the new Twilight movie.
11. Fall makes me crave comfort foods.
12. I can't get in a holiday mood.
13. Trisha Yearwood is making Christmas cookies on the Food Network.
14. My street team fell off the wagon too.
15. I turned 43. 
16. I need a haircut.
17. It is the busy season at work.
18. I need new shoes.
19. I can't find clean socks.
20. My DVR is almost full and I have to clear it out.
21. My sports bra squishes my boobs down enough that my stomach sticks out and makes me look fatter.
22. My dog is lonely when I am gone.
23. My husband turned fifty-one.  
24. I am just lazy.

None of these reasons are good ones.  But when I am sitting in my nice warm chair with an episode of Glee or Dexter (I have eclectic taste!) it is hard to get up.  I know what I need to do.  I need to do it. 

I need inspiration!
I need motivation!
I need a kick in the butt.

I'm Ready For My Movie Montage!

The other night I got a text from my friend.  She is calling me out on not doing my walks.  I need someone to do that.  But as I feared, the weather has started to turn.  All the rain we missed all summer has started in haste.  So the warmth of home is hard to resist.

I need a movie montage.  Think of all the movie where the lead character goes through a physical transformation. 

"Mirror Has Two Faces"

Dumpy Barbra



A two minute montage of running and makeover later....



Hot Barbra. 

"My Big Fat Greek Wedding"



Frumpy Nia.

Cue the montage with a computer class and contacts, soon we have this.



She is with John Corbett getting married.

"Never Been Kissed"



Nerdy Drew.



Just a montage to adorable.

I just want to montage myself to my goal.  Two minutes of highlights, sweating, running, haircut and some mascara.

Movies make it look so easy.  I guess I'll just have to get off my butt and do it in real time. 

Argo - 2012

"Argo"

I was in grade school when the Iran Hostage crisis happened.   I remember hearing about it on the news, mostly about Kathryn Koob, an Iowan who was one of the hostages.  Going to Catholic school, my teachers/nuns had us praying for their release. 

A few months after the hostages were released, Kathryn Koob visited our school.  I remember thinking she just looked like a normal woman.  I wasn't sure what I thought she'd be like but she just seemed normal, like someone's mom. 

Until this movie, I didn't know about the six people that had hidden out in the Canadian Embassy under danger of death. 




Ben Affleck does a great job as Tony Mendes, a CIA operative who heads the rescue mission.  There are so many actors in this movie. 

John Goodman and Alan Arkin steal all their scenes as Hollywood insiders who help get a fake movie off the ground for Tony's cover.

 

There were a bunch of "hey, that dude looks familiar" people in this movie.  They came and went so fast, I had to check out IMDB to be sure. 

The movie is taut and intense.  Even though I knew going in that it was going to turn out alright, I was still on the edge of my seat.  The performances were really good. 

I do have one issue though.  The movie theater is doing something kind of sneaky and wrong.  I had the day off so I went to a matinee.  I love going to the theater and the first show of the day is an early bird.  I stepped up to the ticket counter and was told it was $9.25. 

"Is that right?"  I asked.  "Isn't it a matinee?"
"It's in XD."  Says little theater boy.
"Really?" 

It was another hour and a half until the non-XD show so I went.  But I don't think this movie needed to be in XD.  It stands for Xtreme Digital.   This movie was made in old seventies style.  There was nothing that needed to be extreme. 

It was a good movie.  I imagine we will see it in the upcoming awards season. 

The Breathing Method - Casting The Movie

The powers in that be Movie Land may have finally heard my prayer!  They are going to finally adapt the final novella in Stephen King's collection "Different Seasons" will be adapted for the big screen.

This is a magical group of stories.



Shawshank Redemption



Stand By Me



Apt Pupil

All the movies were really good.  Apt Pupil was the weakest and still had great performances.  Each story was great. 

Shawshank was the story of Spring and the hope that "springs" eternal.

Apt Pupil was about Summer and corruption of youth. 

Stand By Me, or "The Body" was about Fall and the fall from innocence.  It was also the journey away from childhood and letting go of childish things.

But I have been waiting since I read the book way back in the 80's for the final story to come to film.  It is a Winter story.  It shows us a man in the winter of his life telling a story about winter that changed his life.  (How many times can I say winter in one paragraph, once more I guess)  It is the closest to horror of any of the stories in the collection.  But it is so heartfelt.  There is tragedy and inspiration.  It is a pretty cool story.

So I am going to do those movie makers a favor and cast the main characters for them.  Dear Director person, just call me if you need help getting the minor roles cast.

David

This is a slightly minor character, but he bookends the movie and introduces us the "The Club" where stories are treasured.




It is a small part, but Tom Hanks would be incredible.  His thoughts are all over his face and watching him react to the story told would be magical.  Plus he done King before.

Dr. Emlyn McCarron



Thomas Jane as the innovative doctor.  He can just play smart and believable as a doctor.  He also has to be a little in love with the leading lady.   He has also done King.  (Not a prerequisite I swear!)  But please do not age with make up or CGI, give a senior actor a job with rocking voiceover.

Sandra Stansfield



The pregnant patient.  Emma Stone is the right age and has the determination the character needs.  She is a single woman in the 1930's deciding to keep her unplanned baby.  Stone has an integrity about her that would make this character shine.  

Mrs. Davidson



The doctor's receptionist and nurse is a bit judgemental about young Miss Stansfield.  But she ends up being impressed with her and supporting her in a way I can't write about.  Kathy Bates does more with a look than some actors can do with pages of dialogue.  (OK, she has King cred too, can you say Oscar winner!)

I know that the budget just went up on this film.  What do you think?  Who would you cast?

Busy

It has been crazy busy.  And it is getting colder.  A couple of days ago it rained and I didn't walk out of fear that all the leaves on the bike trail would make it slippery and I would fall.

I LOVE EXCUSES!  I can justify almost any lack of exercise or unhealthy snack.  At least to myself.  Right now is great walking weather.   I can put on my jacket and plug in my music and go.  But it is way too easy to just sit in my chair and watch television.  If I don't go walking the minute I get home I can pretty much forget it. 

I am just really busy.  My job is gearing up for its busy season.  I have family in town for a wedding.  I just need to make it a focus and remember that doing a little every day will make the difference.  Gotta stay on the path. 

My favorite quote.

"If it is important to you, you will find a way.  If it isn't you will find an excuse."

No excuses!

Scenes from the Walk

It is fall.  The weather is getting cooler and the leaves are changing.  This is the bridge that starts my path down the bike trail. 

There are leaves covering the trail and crunch under my shoes in the most satisfying way.  I love the sound of walking in the leaves. 

Fall is about my favorite time of year.  It reminds me of starting school and the excitement of my birthday coming up.  I also met my husband in the fall and it reminds me of those early nights of dating.

When we met he was working the night shift.  He could talk on the phone at work, so we would talk for hours.  He would get off at midnight and pick me up at my dorm.  We'd go to an all night diner and eat and talk.  We spent a lot of time talking.  We still seem to have a lot to talk about. 

I'd get home about five in the morning and try to sleep.  Needless to say I did not pass my 8AM class that semester.

 

 

 

The leaves will continue to change and I am looking forward to chilly walks bundled up in a thick sweatshirt.  Hope you enjoy these fall days.

October Plan!

I am turning 43 on October 27th.  I would like to note that I am NOT one of those people who needs to celebrate their birthday for a whole month.  But since this is my year of change, I wanted to do something significant for my last month of being 42. 

Here's the plan.  I will walk at least 30 minutes every night.  No nights off in October.  I have joined Weight Watchers as well.  I was getting frustrated with the lack of dramatic weight loss with all my walking and knew I had to step it up. 

So now I am trying to think of something special to do on my birthday.  For the first time it won't be about the dinner out or the big dessert.  It will be about me getting healthier.  I will let you know. 

I will also post something every day.  I will take a photo on my walk or update you on my thoughts of the day.  I don't know what it will be but it will be.  Hope I don't drive off my twelve readers. 

Have a great night!  Time for Amazing Race, then Dexter returns.  Gotta sign off!

The Master - 2012

.

Remember how I used to write about movies?  Well I went to the movies today.

I got up early and took a very chilly walk, it was only in the forties.  There were some random oddities on this walk.  First I passed a guy standing in front of his house.  He smiled and said hello.  I smiled back, listening to the Beatles tell me about their "Hard Days Night".  But the dude wanted to chat about the weather. 

"Cold morning!"  He announced.

"Yep."  I smiled, still moving.

"You're bundled up today."

Huh?  That is creepy.  Is someone noticing me on my walks?

"Sure is."

"It was a hundred a couple of weeks ago.  I had frost on my car.  It is crazy."

At this point I made it past the house and left him behind.  Then I suddenly had a walking buddy.  A little black and white dog.  He kept walking around me in a little dance.  I remember this from my old dog Phil.  He didn't want to be caught. 

Across the street his mom was hollering at him to come home.  She was in her bathrobe and his good brother was watching with disapproval.  My buddy got close then darted away, really loving the game. 

I stopped and took out an earbud.  I tried to get him close to capture him, but he knew that trick.  His mom finally got him in the yard and yelled an apology.

I told her it was OK, I'd had that kind of dog before. 

"You want another one?"  She asked.

I declined.

On the bridge I passed a woman carrying a baby and pushing a stroller.  I remember before having children that I used to wonder why people did this. 

Then I had the trail to myself.  It was a good walk.  When I got home I took a shower, ate some late breakfast and went to the movies.

I love Phillip Seymour Hoffman.  When I saw he had a new movie I was ready to jump in the car.  Joaquin Phoenix is also good.  And I like Amy Adams, more when she's funny, but she is good.

I did not like "The Master".



Joaquin Phoenix looks like this the whole movie.  Remember the drugged out scenes in "Walk the Line"?  That is this whole movie.

Hoffman is his usual but it is just strange.  He is a cult leader.  Or an innovator.  Or just a nut.  He believes that in all our the past lives we experience trauma that we carry to our next life.  Without working through these we can't be perfect. 





He kind of adopts Joaquin after he stows away on a boat they are having a wedding on.  They start this strange homoerotic yet sexless relationship. 





Amy Adams is his wife and she seems to be the real power behind the throne. 

It was a couple of hours and I must have looked at my watch a half dozen times.  I think I even dozed a little.  I just couldn't get into it. 

I left the movie and felt like I had just lost time I would never get back.

The best part.  I got to my car and called to let my husband know I was coming home.  I turned to check traffic and saw this.

 

 

A bear.

Buckled up. 

It was really a random day all over.

Setbacks

I have been having a bad week.  I feel like I've had some setbacks.  Work is gearing up for the holidays and I am in retail.  It will only get crazier over the next 90 days.   Almost every day this week I have been late coming home.  Then I am not walking like I should. 

I walked on Sunday.  I took Monday off, doing the stationary bike instead.  I walked a couple of miles on Tuesday.  Then I did the stationary bike again on Wednesday until the pedal fell off. 

Last night I got home late and was just tired.  I made the mistake of sitting down in my chair and not walking.  Then tonight I got home.  I knew I was going out later so I am sitting here again.  I didn't want to get all sweaty before I go out.

But tomorrow I am back.  I have found that by not walking the last couple of days I am feeling more tense and emotional.  I can't seem to shake it.  I need to get that sweat out and push all the crap aside and let it go.  It will still be there when I come back home, but I feel stronger and ready to meet the charge.

I will walk. 

 

Going One Way

 

 

 

Normally when I am walking I leave the house and walk a while then turn around and walk home.  This is an easy way to control how far I am walking.   If I am getting achy or my feet are sore, I just turn around early. 

Yesterday I wanted to challenge myself and decided to see if I could walk from the next town over to my house.   This was a little scary.  It is seven miles, a mile farther than I've walked to date.  It was also one way.  There was no turning around if I got tired or achy.  There would only be a call for rescue. 

 

I posted on Facebook that I was doing it.   Got to have my accountability! 

 

My husband drove me to the town and dropped me off.  He wanted freak out the bikers on the trail by yelling at me as I got out and saying I could just walk home.  But we were afraid someone might call the cops so we chickened out.

 

A lady eating a protein bar smiled and said "Beautiful day!"

 

I told her I was walking to the next town. 

 

"Good for you!"

 

I plugged in my ear buds, started my Runkeeper and was off. 

 

I have driven this road thousands of times.  I have lived in my house sixteen years and taken this path to work almost every day.  It is different walking it.  This first several miles are wide open.  No trees, no shade at all.   The cars passed on the highway only fifteen feet away but I just heard my music.  The minutes really flew by.  Suddenly I was an hour in and the trees were in sight.  I watched for all the landmarks I knew and had to catalog them in a new way. 

 

The drive between these two towns is fifteen minutes.  Slowing down makes everything more visible and somehow more real. 

 

There was a small hill and when I came over it I saw the point.  It is a turn off to another town.  This was my turn around point from my six mile walk.  I knew I could make it. 

 

There were a lot of bikers on the road but no other walkers or runners.  I had it to myself for the afternoon.  Under the trees it felt familiar, all the walking I've been doing has had shade like this. 

 

Finally I passed the little landmarks I know.  The two little gravel roads, the other paved road and finally the first of the bridges.  I knew it was close now.  I heard the voice on my tracker tell me I was past six miles .  I had walked my farthest distance. 

 

It is hard to describe the elation I was feeling.  It spurred me on to make it home. 

 

I passed the final bridge and turned to the streets toward home.  I had been walking for over two hours.  My feet weren't sore, my legs didn't ache.  I turned the corner and my house was in sight.  The front door opened and my husband came out with the dog and put his arms over his head in celebration. 

 

The dog didn't recognize me and started barking until I got close. 

 

My husband hugged me and told me how proud he was.  I was sweaty and thirsty.  He had a lemonade waiting for me by my chair.

 

I did it.  Something that even a couple of weeks ago would have seemed crazy.  I am still discovering my potential.  What I didn't know during this trek was that I had people cheering me on.  On Facebook my friend Michelle was keeping our exercise group posted on my progress.  She watched me and updated my status.  My friends gave love and support. 

 

I will be 43 in about six weeks.  I want to do something big for that day.  I want to start my 43rd year as a year of change and transformation.  I want to see what I am capable of.  

One Month!

This is me on August 11th.  It has been one month since the 5K.  In that time I have walked almost every day.  I have only skipped three days.  One was my wedding anniversary.  One was a day hotter than the blazes.  And then there was MeatFest.  On the first two, I did some stationary bike.  On MeatFest, there was none of that. 

I don't know if I have posted about MeatFest.  It is a celebration held on the Sunday of Labor Day weekend each year and family members plan their whole weekend around it.  My husband smokes many pounds of meat.

 
Over the years we have developed a number of MeatFest traditions.  One is INSANE amounts of meat.  My husband smoked about 106 total pounds of meat.  Then there are other meat based foods and many side dishes.  It is crazy.  It is the most awesome of all holidays.

One big tradition of MeatFest is the pre-meal fighting.  It happens in almost all the households that celebrate it. 

Smoking meat is grumpy work for my beloved husband.  He wants it to be perfect and gets very sweaty and cranky.  While I try to follow the predetermined start time it never works as planned.  The family should just plan on it being at least an hour late. 

Being late makes ME cranky.  So you have two cranky people trying to get 106 pounds of meat ready to go.  So we bicker.  But then before you know it we are sitting at the table loading up on protein and all is well.  Since I had to work on the day and then make my dessert and help pack up the meat, I didn't take a walk that day.  But I did sweat.  Smoking and fighting is sweaty work.

So that is the only day I didn't exercise. 

But in the last month I have walked 69.2 miles in 28:16:50 hours and burned 11,296 calories. Which just about covers what I ate at MeatFest. 

Now for more miles and more salads.

My Walking Playlist - Warm Up Songs

When I am walking I like to listen to music.  This is really the only time I do.  In the car I listen to the radio on the way to work because I know someone who is on the station.  On the way home I listen to audiobooks. 

I have a pretty eclectic mix of songs. A lot of them remind me of movies that they have been in. 

I need to have warm up songs.  I read about how especially being diabetic, if I want to walk for weight loss and general fitness, I have to walk slow for five minutes.  This will cause me to burn fat instead of sugar. (Don't ask me for the science.  I am just trusting the internet)  Since I tend to match the pace of the music, it has to be slow and easy.

My current favorite is called "Apron Strings" by Kate Bush.  It was featured in the movie "She's Having A Baby".  It plays over a montage.  Jake's wife has just been rushed for an emergency c-section, he doesn't know what is happening.  After a movie showing all the things that drove him crazy about his marriage, we see all the moments of joy as they threaten to slip away.

The song is haunting.  Through the whole movie you wonder why Elizabeth McGovern put up with Kevin Bacon and those three minutes redeem him completely. 

My other warm up is "Into The Mystic" by Van Morrison.  It is featured in a movie called "Immediate Family". 

 

 

Glenn Close and James Wood are the perfect yuppie couple who can't get pregnant.  Mary Stuart Masterson and Kevin Dillon have bad eighties hair and a unplanned pregnancy. 

 

They come together and the women are getting to know each other.  Lucy (Masterson) finds a CD of Van Morrison and asks Linda (Close) to play a certain song.  In that moment they bond over the song and let their guard down for a few minutes while the music plays.  The song takes me to that moment every time.  It is a really sweet movie.

 

 

The final song (I can hear my husband rolling his eyes) is "The Wind Beneath My Wings" by Bette Midler.  Sadly I know it very well. 

 

 

 



I was cruising the movie channels this weekend and caught it right as Barbara Hershey is having her baby.  I don't remember what I was watching before it, but it was equally schmaltzy and saccharine. 

"Now Beaches?" 

I think he actually moaned with physical discomfort. 

But it is a great warm up song.

Next time I will talk about the songs that get me pumped and moving along for my walk.

Life in Pictures

When we are young we want our picture taken.  It didn't matter if your hair wasn't perfect, you were wearing your pajamas or you were surrounded by your goofy siblings and cousins. 

Even in a bare midriff with shorts.  (I haven't worn a bare midriff since) 

Then one day you start the little tricks to avoid getting your picture taken.  Here I am standing behind my sister so you only see half of me.  I am so sneaky!

My most dastardly trick was becoming the photographer.  It was the perfect way to record the moments and avoid the awkwardness of trying to position myself in the back of the group. 

Today I walked five miles.  When I got home I asked my husband to take a picture of me.

So here I am.  I am fat.  I am really sweaty.  My hair was a nightmare.

But I walked five miles.