2002-05-21
Goodbye Ally, posted at 7:59 a.m.
Epiphany in Baltimore has moved to epiphanyinbaltimore.blogspot.com Wow, I just had a really crappy workout. I almost left, but at least I got through it. The main problem is that I'm sorer than hell. I apparently went over the top on Sunday with my legs workout, and yesterday and today have been painful. Today I slugged through my workout; it wasn't fun.Somehow, though, I've lost four pounds in a week. I go through weeks of plateauing, then lose a bunch of weight in one week. It isn't anything different I do, I don't think. I ran more than usual this week, which is a much better workout than my usual eliptical machine workout. But otherwise, it was pretty much the same. But it was nice to put on my six-year old Alanis Morissette t-shirt this morning and have it not only fit, but look good.
I left school by 4pm yesterday, which was excellent. I mailed off my dad's birthday present package and card (50th b-day on Wednesday!), and contemplated seeing Spider Man alone. I feel very out of the loop in terms of going to the movies lately - I haven't seen anything in weeks, and desperately want to see the aforementioned, Star Wars, About a Boy, and Y Tu Mama Tambien. I have tentative plans to see Insomnia on Friday night, so my movies are really bunching up on me right now. I need to check some off the list. Spider Man is first on the list, because I think it's going to be a lot of fun, and because it's directed by an MSU alum and probably will feature a cameo by my old Film Studies professor (since he's in almost all of Sam Raimi's movies).
I opted not to go to the movies last night (too tired), and instead stayed in and watched the season finale of Boston Public and the series finale of Ally McBeal.
I've been asked in my guestbook recently whether I enjoy the show Boston Public. Well, I basically do. It's a deeply flawed show, but I find it entertaining in most respects. In its over-the-top situations, the show is maddeningly frustrating at times. Still, it's punctuated by enough nice dramatic moments to make me keep watching. Plus, it's simply fun to see your own profession depicted on television, even if it is a rather unrealistic portrayal. Some of it is very realistic for a city school - the long hours, the pawning off of "bad" kids on the certain teachers, the gaggle of young teachers going out to the bar after work - but the majority of the plotlines (the hook lady, all sorts of bomb threats, etc) are too crazy. It just seems like there are all sorts of stories that really go on in a city high school that could lend themselves to great drama, without having to go all crazy about it.
I'm sure copy and doctors feel the same way about NYPD Blue and ER, though. And my cop dad and nurse mom still love those shows, too.
Last night's episode of Boston Public was a good example of the strengths and weaknesses of the show. We've got a heart-tugging central storyline of Harry Senate getting stabbed by a student. Fine. But what's up with Lauren Davis asking Scott Guber to sleep with her? Absolutely ridiculous. What's up with that lawyer/teacher getting completely full access to every defendant she wants to?
I hate her. I think she's my biggest problem with the show. I like most of the cast - except for her. And David E. Kelley seems like he's in love with her, giving her all the major plotlines this year.
Now, onto Ally McBeal. It hit me last night that two of my favorite shows of all time - The X-Files and now this - have ended within the span of two days. In both cases, I'd lost touch with the shows and the characters in recent years. I watched the first two seasons of Ally pretty religiously, then lost track in seasons three and four (despite the addition of Robert Downey Jr), then thought it regained some creative stamina at the beginning of this year and I watched the first few weeks. Then it veered wildly off-track with the surprise addition of a daughter(!) and way too many appearances by Dame Edna, and it pretty much completely lost me at that point. But I was surprised how moved I was last night. When this show was on, it was terrific - moving, funny, poignant. I related in a lot of ways to Ally this past October, as I was single and living in a big city and feeling very alone. I then lost touch, but came back to say goodbye. And it was pretty depressing, I have to admit. I'll miss these characters - Ally, Elaine, Renee, Biscuit. Everyone except Fish.
Gotta go. Maybe I'll go to the movies this afternoon.