Sunday, September 30, 2012

Fitness Challenge, School, Amarcord

Having a nice relaxing weekend due to successfully passing my 2 exams on Friday.  Haven't cracked a book yet this weekend, but that might change soon.  On Monday I have a waxing competency, will be recreating tooth #14, a Maxillary First Molar which I feel like I'm going to dominate.  School is going sweel.
Started doing the Kenley Family Fitness Challenge this week.  It is just basically a weight loss competition where you get points for different healthy habits.  You have to eat 5 servings of fruits and vegetables daily, drink 48 oz of water, not eat 2 hours before bed, and no treats except for one day a week.  The other part is you have to exercise like 250 minutes a week to get full points for exercise.  I don't know if I'm going to win this time around, but I it is definitely helping the health.  The only thing that is hard so far is drinking that much water.  My body can not handle it.  I am in the bathroom like every 20 minutes.  I use the working out as a break from school everyday, it's a good one.
On Monday evening we are having a big southern barbecue with my team at school.  Should be fun.  I'm bringing my famous bacon babyfood baked beans.  I know it sounds gross, but it is delicious.
On Friday night ran home and cooked some dinner for Nat, made some Chipoltle Salmon and Asparagus.  Then we watched the Criterion movie for the week, Fellini's Amarcord from 1973.  The movie is kind of a nostalgic look back at a small Italian town in the 1930s.  All the characters are extremely cartoonish and exaggerated, as they would be in somebody's childish memories.  All the stories within the movie are very loosely connected by themes and the characters involved, but they do not add up to a larger story at all.  Taken as a series or loosely connected short films, I enjoyed at least 75% of them.  As a whole, the modern movie goer inside had a hard time keeping checked in throughout the whole film.  Here are some favorite bits and pieces.
-The Nina Roto score alone is worth it.  I have heard the music used many times in other tv and film, but never knew where it came from.  The music is really beautiful and matches the film so well that now it will be inseparable in my find with some of the movie's best scenes.
-I think my favorite scenes in the film involved Aurelio's family.  Specifically the dinner where Aurelio confronts Titta for urinating on  the neighbor's hat.  Aurelio is such a great, hot-blooded character, and watching him try to tear his head in half at the mouth was amazing.  Plus, in the middle of it all, the grandfather leaves the room to pass gas.  It's an amazing scene.  I also loved the scene where the uncle escapes and climbs a tree screaming "I want a woman!" is one of the better short stories.
-All the school teachers were amazing, circus-like stereotypes.  My very favorite was the Italian teacher.
-The cinematography throughout the film was amazing.  Specifically during the night with the fog, the colors were so bright and the shots were really impressive.
So I liked Amarcord, but probably not as much as I should have.
Next week is The 400 Blows.
Calvin

1 comment:

Melissa said...

I just added up my water intake the other day- at the end of my pregnancy in this hot, place I'm downing over 100 ounces of water a day. No wonder I'm always wondering where the bathroom is the minute I arrive some place.