December 31, 2005
More New Year's Resolutions
I already made a list of specific movie-watching goals, but here are some general ones. You know, the kind nobody ever keeps.
» I want to go see more concerts. I say this every year. Next item.
» I want to volunteer at something. My friend Shane volunteers as an ESL (or do they call it ESOL down there? whatever) tutor, and it sounds like fun.
» I want to see more obscure films next year. Maybe I'll ditch my "Stinker of the Month" category for "Obscurity of the Month." I live in the third best movie-watching city in the United States, and I seldom take advantage of the opportunity to see anything that you couldn't eventually see in the middle of Iowa. We have several great venues for foreign and independent film, and I'm going to frequent them.
» I want to take an acting class. My dream is to make movies, and I feel like if I want to direct actors, I should know a bit about what it's like on their side of the lens. Also, I think it would help my reviewing, since I think I am weakest when I am attempting to describe a performance.
» I want to make more friends, both in person and online, and see my existing ones more often. I realize that there are only three or four people I see on a regular basis, and one of them is moving at the end of the summer. Also, in the past year I've cultivated a few friendships with fellow online movie reviewers, and I'd like to find more.
» I want to find a transcendent pizza experience in Chicago. Why is it so hard to find a really good slice here? Oh, right, because this city is laboring under the delusion that nasty cheese loaf deep dish pizza is better. It's good to be known for something culinary, but why did this city pick crappy pizza? It is possible to get really good pizza; both places are in Wicker Park. But there must be other options.
» I want to start learning a second language. Since this is the United States, I think it should probably be Spanish.
Posted by mike, December 31, 2005 5:18 PMHey. There are three places for decent pizza in Chicago and one of them is in Ravenswood. (Or thereabouts: Pizza D.O.C.)
Posted by: rebecca at January 1, 2006 2:05 PMHappy New Year! I hope you are able to do everything on your list, including the pizza.
Posted by: AmyF at January 2, 2006 10:47 AMOh and if you want to make good on the "seeing your friends more often" resolution you are more than welcome at my place NYC (at least until the end of April, when I move out to who-knows-where-yet).
Posted by: AmyF at January 2, 2006 10:49 AMMy favorite pizza is Piece. It's in Wicker Park, I believe. I don't mind a good deep dish, though. I hear New York has great pizza. winkwink
Posted by: Shawn at January 3, 2006 9:58 AMYeah, Piece is one of the two I was referring to. I vow to find more!
Posted by: mike at January 3, 2006 11:14 AMI was going to say Piece, too!
The other day I was looking back at some old journal entries of mine and found a resolutions list from 2003. Sadly, I still haven't done everything on that list. Why is it so hard to visit the Museum of Contemporary Art? I'm lame.
Posted by: Amy at January 4, 2006 5:30 PMAh, yes, the Museum of Contemporary Art. I always tell myself I need to go there more often and I rarely do. Is there some kind of mythical shield around that place?
Posted by: Shawn at January 5, 2006 10:15 AMSounds like some good "resolutions" things you can at least attempt to do.
I also want to direct movies, I've made a few already with my friends, but they're not into as much as I am. So I'm thinking that I may volunteer as an usher or something at a theater somewhere so I can get "in touch" with some more creative type people.
Posted by: Michael at January 11, 2006 3:45 PMThis year, my primary resolution is to lose weight. Well, rather to lose inches. I'm factoring my sedentary lifestyle into account and am realistically shooting for losing two inches. I'm cutting down my portions and am on a regimen of not eating or drinking anything other than water for three hours before bed. If I eat dinner at a certain time and don't go to bed for six hours, so be it. I've been doing this for a month and a half already. Wish me luck on following through!
My second resolution is to find a decent place to live in enough time before our lease ends to not have to rush to get moving done in a weekend.
And my third resolution, which may not happen this year, is to begin the attempt to hear the pitter-patter of little feet in our home. Due to resolution #2, we may have to put this one off, but I think 32 is the maximum age I want to be before starting a family.
So, eager to be called 'Uncle' within the next two years, Old Man?
Posted by: Moose at January 12, 2006 10:10 AMMichael, I took a film production class at Chicago Filmmakers that ended up being really helpful. It taught me some things about making movies and introduced me to some creative people, one of whom ended up getting me my current job at the theater. They're not very expensive either, when you factor in all you're getting.
Posted by: mike at January 12, 2006 3:08 PMI am late to this conversation! Sorry. I just wanted to say that I find the tutoring to be very fulfilling. It does not take a lot of time or even effort, just a little compassion and intelligence. I tutor English Speakers of Other Languages, and it is actually quite interesting. It can be a little frustrating at times, but even if you only help a little, it is a little help that the person likely would not have received otherwise. It should not be that difficult to work into your schedule or find the opportunity! I highly recommend it.
Yeah. There.
Posted by: shane at January 22, 2006 4:00 PM