The following online journal entries are from December 2001.

SATURDAY. 9:16 PM. A quiet evening at home. At least that is my hope for this chilly Saturday night. The past week has been hard -- full of some high emotions -- and I am glad for every moment of respite and peace I get. I am really not in the mood to talk about, though. It's just one of those situations where you have to pull yourself aside and have a little one-on-one. Yes, I know I'm talking about myself in the third person, but someone has to make the effort.

During the down times at work, I've taken to popping around the net to find interesting things to watch or listen to online. Since I have a high-speed connection at work I might as well take full advantage of the technology.

So, I'm always looking for songs to fill the soundtrack of my life. For a while there it was "Superman" by Five for Fighting. But, this week, I've dipped into some energetic rock and found Jimmy Eat World catching their video on MTV for the song "The Middle." The song speaks to me.

"The Middle"

hey
don't write yourself off yet
it's only in your head you feel left out or looked down on
just try your best
try everything you can
and don't you worry what they tell themselves when you're away

it just takes some time
little girl, you're in the middle of the ride
everything everything will be just fine
everything everything will be all right

hey you know they're all the same
you know you're doing better on your own so don't buy in
live right now
just be yourself
it doesn't matter if that's good enough for someone else

(refrain)

hey
don't write yourself off yet
it's only in your head you feel left out or looked down on
do your best
do everything you can
don't you worry what thier bitter hearts are going to say

(refrain)

>>

WEDNESDAY. 10:16 AM. Suffice it to say that I am nearly delirious -- from seeing The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring at 12:05 AM this morning. It's official: the hobbits are here!

The fact that I am awake is a miracle after only about four hours of sleep after the film let out at 3:15 AM, after waiting in line to get out of the parking garage, after finally getting to sleep once the caffeine wore off. I had to get up by 9:30 AM; supposedly someone sent by the realty company that owns the building is supposed to walk through the apartment. That fellow has not yet arrived.

I refrain from making too many comments about The Fellowship of the Ring until more people of have seen it. However, I think the adaptation is fair and I am happy with all who played in the film (including Liv Tyler, who plays the elven lady Arwen, whose role has been expanded). Though many would disagree with me, I have little difficulty in accepting retellings of a tale if the tellings are within the spirit of the story (part of the magic of the oral tradition lost in this literate and text-laden world -- yes, I know I'm typing as I speak -- is that most think stories are monolithic, wholly original, immutable, and even sacredly single-versioned). I think director Peter Jackson did an admirable job.

I don't agree with everything that was changed or cut or added, but on the whole the movie held its weight, its length, and enriched the history, legacy, and fantasy of The Lord of the Rings. I am glad to have seen it. I want to watch it again at a more decent hour. It was good to see a handful of the audience garbed (though oddly fascinating and distressing to look at the nearly packed theatre two hours before the show started and realize that this is my demographic?!).

I am duly impressed. The movie could have been longer and undoubtly a director's cut will be made and pressed and delivered in some unholy length. After I see the film again, I will post a few more notes than just simple platitudes.

Oh, Elijah Wood is just too cute.