:: home again...for now

this entry finds me back at home in "the dell", where i've been lucky enough to have had some time to spend unwinding after the long semester. unfortunately, i have to trek back to starkville tomorrow morning because i've still got work obligations. that means, above having to make the long, boring journey back there, i've got to leave my friends, family, and girlfriend behind for at least another month to work long hours in a job that i'm both thankful for yet unhappy in. i know lots of people who can handle a "long distance relationship" and go for a while without seeing their other half. i'm not like that, i know it wrecks any "tough guy" cred i might or might not have, but it's true. becca (my girlfriend) was in japan last summer for 2 weeks and that nearly drove me nuts. so, i'm not looking forward to the next month or so.

part of this weekend's relaxation was enjoying a movie with my friends. this week, iron man. wow. i really didn't expect this movie to be as great as it was. i guess i've been numbed by the awful quality of most superhero movies (see: the fantastic four movies, spiderman 3, hulk (2003), and even superman returns). but this movie was different. it was well acted and well directed. there weren't many "campy" moments that you've come to expect from superhero movies. i think the fact that the movie is about a superhero who isn't exactly central the the general public's core of superhero lore actually works in this movie's favor. after seeing iron man, i came home and started reading more about the character. they have left a lot of room to explore the character of tony stark. and after this weekend, and with the way hollywood has treated any superhero movie, you can be sure there will be at least one more movie exclusively devoted to iron man (and rumor has it a "super movie" featuring iron man and the rest of the avengers).

i'm the kind of movie-goer who enjoys catching the opening trailers of movies. i've found it to be human nature to become the "uber critic" and judge the movies by their trailers. you know that when you saw the trailers for juwanna man, hot rod, or college road trip that those movies were going to be awful (now, whether or not you decided to see them anyway is another story). but, if trailers are as good an indicator as they are made out to be, than i'm really looking forward to the incredible hulk (not the one referenced above staring eric bana, but the new version starring edward norton), indiana jones and the kingdom of the crystal skull (unfortunately, not featuring for the love of god by artist damien hirst), and the dark night (but who isn't looking forward to that one?).

now, on to things i've been listening to. there has been a good period of discovery in the music realm in the past few weeks (most of it occurring during the hours i should have spent studying). so, here are a list of good albums that i've enjoyed recently.

-pershing by someone still loves you, boris yeltsin
-men's needs, women's needs, whatever by the cribs
-the seldom seen kid by elbow
-¡all-time quarterback! by ¡all-time quarterback!
-hymns for the hopeless by william elliott whitmore
-a living room hush by jaga jazzist
-the we sing and we dance ep's by jason mraz

check those out, i'm sure you will enjoy them.

on the listening list for tomorrow's journey to starkville: a few episodes of this american life, a new episode of the relevant podcast, the new album by the hoosiers, and the raconteurs new album.

more to come...