Artemis

I heard this song at the funeral I worked tonight.

I found my first grays when I was 21. I was surprised too but it happens!

Same here, under normal circumstances. This trip was shortly after the second LotR movie came out on DVD, and being the Tolkien fan I am, I had watched those movies about a dozen times in recent months, so I was pretty familiar with every face in them, lol. (Although, Haldir's limited screen time (and makeup team) gives me reason to doubt. Had I been sitting next to almost anyone else from the film, I would have known without question.) And actually, all that being said, it didn't occur to me until after we got off the plane who he (probably?) was and why he seemed so familiar. But yes, famous or no, it was nice talking to him.

This is a problem I often have with people. I say things which are meant to be taken literally, exactly as they sound, but others read between the lines and hear another meaning entirely; usually one which is offensive to them. It's very frustrating. Makes me just not want to say things. Speaking of meeting famous people on airplanes! I think I might have sat next to Craig Parker (the actor who played Haldir in "The Lord of the Rings") on my flight to Germany. We happened to be reading the same book, and we struck up a long conversation about books and other things in general. We talked for a good hour or two, it was actually a lot of fun. Unfortunately we never exchanged names, so I've never been sure. If it wasn't Mr. Parker, it was a man who looked and sounded exactly like him (which is also possible). I wish I knew either way; I don't have many interesting conversations with people IRL.

I dreamt that I was accidentally kidnapped by four guys who were robbing a bank and stole my car as a getaway vehicle, not realizing I was there when they all shuffled in. They didn't know what to do with me, so they were just like "Well, looks like you're going to Ohio with us," lol. They were afraid I would go to the police, so they were trying to scare me and act threatening, but I wasn't convinced by their act because they were funny, non-murdery guys who practically couldn't help themselves from being nice. I asked if they had guns and one of them tried to scare me by showing me his, but I could tell it was a fake plastic gun and it had an Avengers sticker on it, lol. It was an interesting road trip and I'm not sure whether they were annoyed or amused by me or both. I was a younger me in the dream, maybe late teens or early 20's. We eventually ended up at one of their safe houses on the way to Ohio, and they were trying to figure out what to do next. I heard them talk about killing me, but I don't think any of them wanted to or could stomach it. When I asked to go to the bathroom, one of them took me and stood guard outside while I was in there, but I spent most of the time trying to think of what to say to them to reassure them that I wasn't going to go to the police or turn them in if they let me go (because I really wasn't, I was fine and I liked them and I didn't care that they stole the money); and that's when I woke up.

It's from chapter 3 of 'The Lord of the Rings'. I don't remember hearing it in the Hobbit movies (not that it wasn't there), but Bilbo never said it in the books. It's Frodo's quote. There's no indication that Frodo heard it from Bilbo (though one can reasonably assume as much, because who else, besides perhaps Gandalf?), nor any indication as to where Bilbo may have heard it. Peter Jackson likes to say things. In any case! The most interesting part of the quote to me is the last bit: "Advice is a dangerous gift, even from the wise to the wise, and all courses may run ill." As a kid reading the books for the first time this had a surprising impact on me. In my circles I've always been the go-to advisor, even from a young age, and this one quote made me rethink my approach to 'counseling'.

Are there any upcoming movies that anyone is actually excited to see? I want to go see a movie but I looked through the lineup and... ugh. There's just nothing. If you guys have some suggestions for promising potentials, I'd love to hear them!

Yep. I hope it all works out.

I don't know what you're talking about, but I sort of understand what you mean. Manipulative people who only think they're clever are almost more intolerable than manipulative people who are actually clever. I don't usually confront manipulative people on their manipulations. There's no advantage there for me; letting them know I'm onto them only gives them the upper hand. Down the line they may realize they've made fools of themselves, or they may not. Either way I've decided I don't care. Such people are already convinced of their superiority, there's no talking them out of it. You could serve them the biggest slice of humble pie, and somehow they'll rationalize it into French silk.

Me with my dog's medicine bottle.

It wasn't too bad. I tried food from two new restaurants I've never eaten at before, and now I'm relaxing at home with my dog, eating homemade cake. If anything I wish I had more time to be a couch potato before going back to work, lol.

Doc Morris Kettlebell Christmas commercial.