Where Dreams Are Made

The New Year is almost upon us. I have made a few promises to myself--and I do hope I keep them. I know I can be real stubborn and that I am capable of not making good on promises, especially those that I make to myself, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed. Thankfully, "quit smoking" will not be on my list. I have been nicotine-free for a month now! Alright! :D

I won't be listing my new year's resolutions here. It's not long enough to be considered a list in the first place. I just want to focus on one thing next year. Make more money. So I guess I have to think of all the things I need to do to achieve that. Now that is what's going to be a pretty long list.

I have a bad cold that's keeping me awake. Argh.

I went to bed early (9pm) last night because I wasn't feeling well and I wanted to catch up on sleep. I've been up 'til the witching hour the past few days, checking mail, blogging, surfing, and reading. Now I see sleeping early wasn't a good idea after all. Yes I slept early, however, I also woke up early. How early? As in 3am early. To top it off, I woke up with a stuffed nose and some hunger pangs. I don't know which state it's better to wake up to: a hungry nose and a stuffed stomach or a stuffed nose and a hungry stomach. Okay, sleeplessness isn't really making me coherent or logical.

I kinda feel well-rested but I know I should be sleeping still. I've already watched some TV in hopes of tiring my eyes; I've tried closing my eyes, forcing sleep to come; I've tossed and turned then tossed and turned some more--still, the sandman wouldn't come. I didn't want to count sheep 'cause it seldom works for me. I think it only keeps me awake because I concentrate too much on reaching a certain number that is divisible by one hundred (i.e., 100, 200, 300). Geez, I didn't know I could be that OC even when on the verge of sleep. Dork.

My sore throat is getting worse and the cold isn't doing anything to make it better. This weather would have been perfect for a fitful slumber, alas, shut-eye is as elusive as a Blue Ghost Rider.* (Okay, I'm having problems with the asterisk there. Can somebody correct me if the placement is wrong? Do asterisks follow the same rule as end quotation marks, meaning they have to go after the period?)

First light's starting to break into morning. I'm pretty sure I'll be having an even harder time going to sleep once the sun's up and the weather gets warmer. Plus, there'll be all sorts of scuffling as people get ready for work or school. Then will come all sorts of motor sounds and the lively banter of "morning people," and the birds will launch into their impassioned morning choral routine.

I hate mornings. Especially when I've got a stuffed nose, a semi-sore throat, a lightheaded feeling from waking up too early, and the sentiments of a grouch.

*The Blue Ghost Rider action figure is a hard-to-find variant of the Black Ghost Rider released under the Marvel Legends Series 7.

This post was supposed to appear in the comments section but I realized after typing it that it was way too long to be a comment. Besides, I would like to share this one with everybody. However, for those of you who have not yet seen "Requiem for a Dream" and are planning to do so, let me just caution you that the following is a semi-spoiler. Though it does not say what exactly happens to the characters in the movie, it does say how it ends (again, not specifically). Read on if you wish but don't say you weren't warned.

First, let me thank our DVD pimp, Joon, for lending us such great DVDs! I keep forgetting to give due credit to him. My apologies, soon-to-be trumpet-master-general. :)

Okay, so I've finished "Requiem" already. It's got to be the saddest and most depressing film I've ever watched. "Pi" (also from the same director, Darren Aronofsky) was disturbing; "Requiem" is so real it goes beyond disturbing to shocking and frightening. When you watch characters who receive no redemption in the end, you realize that's real life staring you right in the face. But the movie doesn't say we have no control over our lives. Just the opposite, in fact. The movie suggests that we choose our paths in life: we either dig our graves for ourselves or we rise above our sorry circumstances. I've never seen a movie that showed this theme in such a daring way. "Requiem" takes you on a downward spiral along with the movie's characters. There was no resolution, no salvation in the end. There were but a few brief spurts of happiness in the characters' lives that only made you feel sorry for them knowing that these were all they were going to have.

Then, again, we each weave our own stories. We have the choice (really, no matter what anyone says) and the power to make it good. We are, truly, the captains of our souls.