the ocean at the head of the trail

The good and bad of being stultified with the flu for the billionth time this season is that I watched way too much television over the past several days. And from this I learned:

• To go easy on the US version of The Office. Look, it's not as good as the UK original, and Carell is not Gervais. But he is Carell, of I love lamp and That's a stupid thing to say, and you're a stupid person for saying it fame. Also, creepster Rainn Wilson is worthy of notice. Yeah, yeah, it's a rip off show, but you know what? I'll take a rip off of a fantastic show over another episode of Joey any day of the week. Besides which, you can't browbeat Carell & co. so much about this when Gervais is signed on as one of the executive producers. If Gervais blesses it, it can't be all that bad. I'm going to keep giving it a chance, if I can figure out when it regularly airs (note to NBC- idiots, not a good plan to switch time slots after the first episode airs).
• Arrested Development is going to go off the air some day soon, for it is far too fine a show for Fox to keep around. And I am going to weep when this happens. Who would have thought Jason "Teen Wolf Too" Bateman had this kind of comic timing in him? However, if Fox actually manages not to make "a big mistake" (TM GOB), I'll be even more filled with glee, since aforementioned Ricky Gervais has promised to guest star next season.
• Even with the flu, nothing could induce me to watch Grey's Anatomy. Instead, I recommend that anyone who hasn't checks out Gray's Anatomy. That's worth 80 minutes more of your time than the tv show.
• I can watch Kindergarten Cop again, even though it is a thoroughly braindead movie, featuring the governator who ticks me off regularly. Still, with catchphrases like It's not a toom-ah and There is no baath-room!... well, I think it's worth re-watching every so often just to brush up on your Schwartzanegger quotes. My brother would recommend Predator for this same purpose, but hey, I'm a girl, I like the goofier Ah-nuld better.
• Damn you, Kal Penn! Are you going to make me watch an effing Ashton Kutcher movie? This might be unfounded, but the preview to this film really put a bee in my bonnet. Ashton Kutcher, Amanda Peet, Ashton Kutcher, Amanda Peet, random other white dudes, random other white chicks. And then at the end, the credits said starring Ashton Kutcher, Amanda Peet, and Kal Penn. Um... wtf?!? If Kal Penn is in the film, can't we at least see a snippet of him? Is the sight of a brown supporting character going to scare off a potential audience? I don't get it. All I know is, I'm not sure what's going to win out here: supporting the brown folk in the theater vs. extreme hatred of Ashton Kutcher.
• I'm officially old- I remember watching Dead Poets' Society as a youngster and feeling really sorry for Robert Sean Leonard's character, this scrawny prep school aspiring actor whose dad is not exactly supportive of these dreams. Upon seeing this again, I thought to myself what a wussy- have a little backbone and stand up to Red, kid and also ugggh... drama queen much? when Leonard's character commits suicide. I know, I'm a heartless b*tch. Oh... actually, an old heartless bitch.
• Even though he makes a lot of crap-tastic movies, Robert Rodriguez made me swoon when he talked about resigning from the DGA with Peter Guber. I'll live to eat these accolades, I'm sure. But who else can get away with putting the line Are you a Mexican or a Mexi-can't into a screenplay?

On the other hand, I got restless and couldn't lie around all weekend. Why not be miserable and stuffy while taking in the great outdoors instead? I got plenty of miles of hiking in this weekend. I'm thinking maybe I should take Dayquil even when I'm not ill, because I managed the trails as well as I would have if I were 100% healthy, go figure. Yesterday, I was on a trail near the ocean, but enveloped on all sides by forest. In the distance, I thought I heard the ocean waves. And in a way I did. The sound of the ocean was actually amplified by the trees, if that makes any sense. Transformed from water to wind, the wave crashed onto the trail. I was content to be silent, for a change, to listen.

p.s. I have to admit that I was gloating when Duke went down this weekend. I don't keep up with NCAA much, but I just can't stand the fanatical ravings of Duke fans. This is particularly hypocritical considering the teams I generally cheer for have some of the most annoying fans on earth (the Red Sox, for example).