Troubles McSteans

I've been in a funk all week. I wouldn't consider it feeling sorry for myself, because I try not to do that, but I kinda feel like if I look up I'll catch a glimpse of a tiny storm cloud hovering over my head. Wow, that really sounds like self pity, doesn't it. In attempting to clear away the cloud, I've been trying to pinpoint the source of my foul mood. I think part of it can be attributed to not enjoying this time of year. The holidays are over, it's very cold, and currently there is nothing on my calendar to look forward to. Also I miss my dog. Lots. The house seems so empty without him and I continue to expect to see him drowsily shuffling into the kitchen post-nap as he was wont to do. I'm trying to shift my attentions to Lucy, but she is (so to speak) not playing ball. I took her in the car to get coffee with me the other day, an activity Mel loved, and she cried the whole way. I try to give her goodnight hugs and she growls at me. Sweet as ...

For Christmas Ryan got me a little video camera. I love it. When Doug and Kristen were still in town we took them to the Austin Zoo. I took the opportunity to bring the camera for a test run. Here is a small sampling of our day. For those of you who live in Austin and have not yet visited the zoo, I highly recommend it. It's not expensive, nor is it an all day adventure, but they have an impressive collection of big cats you can view at incredibly close range.

I used to love watching the Oscars, Golden Globes, what have you. It was exciting to me to see what movies and performances I had loved over the past year get recognized. When we lived in an apartment and then a very small house, poor Ryan would have to suffer through (albeit rarely silently) as I would insist on staying up until the bitter end of the show, just to find out what won best picture - a piece of trivia I would be sure to forget within six months. There were always a few movies to pop up in November or December that could be labeled 'awards bait'. Miramax may have been the first to embrace this tactic, and it has become increasingly popular among movie studios. You release your movie at the end of the year, at times on December 31 in one or two theaters in Los Angeles, meeting the bare minimum requirement for eligibility. This way it won't have been out long enough to merit backlash and will be fresh on voters' minds. I understand this strategy - bravo...