Avengers (Spoilers maybe)

I watched Age of Ultron today. I liked it well enough. Interestingly, I don’t actually like superhero movies all that much and I generally wait until they are on DVD. However, I do watch Agents of SHIELD, so I needed to see the film to tie it all together. Also Joss Whedon is a sort of hero.

Anyhow, I liked the film well enough. It was a fun surprise to see Andy Serkis and Paul Bettany. I really dislike Tony Stark. I really love Natasha Romanov. I also like Clint, but I really dislike the actor, so it’s sort of hard to reconcile that. I really enjoyed his little family twist.

The film and Whedon have been getting some criticism (rightly so) for Stark’s primae noctis line. My theory on that is that it isn’t so much just a cheap rape joke put into the script for fun. It’s Stark. His character is real. I mean, it’s horrible of course, but it’s his character. And it’s also something that comes up in real life. What was upsetting perhaps more than the joke itself, was that no one called him out on it.

That’s what Joss Whedon’s strength is: making real people. These characters aren’t just archetypes, they are more real than any of the other superheroes I’ve seen, including the other Marvel ones with the same characters. They all have weaknesses. And they all have strengths other than the obvious. I think the main reason I love Natasha is that she doesn’t have super powers. She’s just bad ass. And that’s why I like SHIELD as well. Real people. Humanity. And Joss does that so well.

So yeah, no real spoilers I guess, just my thoughts. Now I can go back to watching SHIELD and wishing for a Black Widow movie.

Lucy

I’ve had “Lucy” on my list of movies to watch for some time now. It didn’t do so well with ratings and all, so I decided it was a drinking movie: one I wouldn’t have to pay too much attention to.

I actually liked it. It was strange to be sure. The premise was unreasonable (we actually don’t use only 10% of our brains. We just don’t use it all at once). ScarJo was great of course. As was Morgan Freeman. I really enjoyed the style. Flashing back and all, delving into human evolution. (Seeing the writing/direction credit - Luc Besson - explained it all.)

I do feel that it lacked real impact, though. But the potential was there. She mentions that she feels less human as the human emotions melt away.

I think that that bit should have been the focus. Because- as I’ve stated before- humanity is the real subject of sci/fi. So if I were writing the film, I’d say she learns everything she can. Everything there is. She unlocks it all, but ultimately chooses to remain human, understanding that knowledge and power aren’t the goals of life. It’s the raw, experienced, emotions that make us who we are.

Trail Tuesday

I did a really nice run/hike today as a sort of last hurrah before surgery. I’m sure I’ll do a hike this weekend, but I wanted a nice long run also. It was a new park- White Ranch Open Space Park-  that I recently discovered and it has many diverging trails to choose from. It’s rather steep most of the time, so I didn’t really run up it, mostly just fast hiked. And then I ran all the gradual bits and the flat bits and downhill. I saw maybe half a dozen people the whole time.

obligatory trail selfie...

It was a blast. I cannot wait until I’m healed up enough to go back and explore more.

RMNP fun

I need to post about my adventures more. I always upload the photos to facebook, but I never get to really talk about them. So-

On Saturday we went up to Rocky Mountain National Park. We headed up to Mills Lake, which we did earlier this winter, but went well beyond it, following some ski tracks along the creek. There was a good three foot base of snow, but luckily the trail was (mostly) packed down enough that I didn't need snowshoes. However, by the time we were heading back, the temperatures had risen so much that we were in shirt sleeves and the snow was getting slushy and sticky. It was sort of gross. But it was a beautiful day, not a cloud in the sky until early afternoon. I got a sunburn on my neck from the snow reflecting. We even got to glissade down a section. It was a really great day.

up the ski track

a fun glissade

Mills Lake

Mills panorama

Snow.

I really like snow. Really. Almost every thing about it. The only thing I don't like is driving in it. Mostly because I now drive a tiny little car and I'm afraid of all those people who drive big ones as if they think four wheel drive means that they are impervious to slipping...

Anyhow. Snow. We have it. It's been an odd winter. Snow dumps down then melts in a day or so leaving thick mud and/or layers of ice. Then we have a few days of 60+ temperatures. And now three solid days of snow. Fun!

Except I have to drive to work tomorrow.

I also like to hike/play/ski/snowshoe/run in the snow. I did a couple of those things today. We went to a park and played with the dog. He's also a big fan of snow. Then I went for a nice 7 mile run. It's so refreshing. Until my eyelashes start freezing.

Last week was really rough. I'm still feeling the aftershocks of emotional stress. A lot of things happened with a lot of my friends at work. I just want everyone to be happy and healthy. I wish I could fix everything back up. I am confident that everything will be okay. It will just take time. Some really rough, emotional time.

I found out a few things:

I don't actually handle well under certain sorts of stress. I need someone to give me direction.
I am not used to high emotional stress and it exhausts me.
Though he may make it hard to see, my boyfriend has a huge heart.
My roommate is actually a really good guy to have around.
I really love my friends.

What a day. Consultation with the surgeon (more on that here). Phone tag with the surgeon's office and the medical flex card company to determine if I can use the money I allotted. Very pleasant four miles along Cherry Creek opposite the paved trail. Locked out of my car and waiting in the cold for rescue. Listening to my roommate tear up the kitchen floor that is not only moldy but also has asbestos tiles. Sushi.

Ugh.

I just watched The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel again. I first watched it on the plane back from Iceland.

It's really quite amazing. A bit of a comedy, but mostly drama. Great scenery, music and acting. I absolutely love Dame Judi Dench. But there are so many other older British actors as well.

My boyfriend's synopsis: "Super Excellent Hotel"  It's about a bunch of old people who go to India to die.

Not exactly true, but not entirely false either. Basically, it's really good and I think everyone can get a little something out of it. I think I may even buy it.

Oh, and they're making a sequel. I hope it doesn't disappoint.

I have been trying desperately to write more. But I've been doing it on paper, so this blog seems a bit neglected. This year I set goals (resolutions?) to write more, read more and run more. So far I've been doing well with all of them.

Running has been especially good lately. I have learned to really enjoy running in the cold weather. The only thing that's hurt me is the long run I did (8.5 miles) was mostly on concrete and my foot hurt a bit afterwords. I need to do at least my long runs on trails. So my next goal is to find some good trails nearby. I moved further from the foothills, so it takes heaps longer to get to some of my favorite ones. I need to find some on this side of town.

I want to register for some races. Probably had better start with a 5k. I can manage that on pavement. I should probably volunteer at one to get the feel as well. My ultimate goal is to be able to do a Spartan Sprint this year. I was sorely tempted last year, but I couldn't justify the cost. Someone mentioned that I could likely get a waived fee if I volunteered for the morning race and ran in the afternoon. So that's a possibility. Then I can combine my two favorite activities - parkour and running.

All of this depends on if/when I get surgery and how long recovery takes. I need to train smart and I don't want to mess up my scars.

This year is going to be great.

Today I learned of the suicide of a young trans woman Leelah Alcorn. It breaks my heart. In her note, she described her family life and how rough it was coming out to her parents at a young age. Her parents, being strict Christians, acted much as my parents did: refusing to believe it, telling her she was selfish, sending her to Christian therapists. However, at such a young age, dependent upon them, she didn't have the option I did of basically ignoring them and doing what needed doing. Even after her death, her parents refuse to honor her as a the woman she was.

These sorts of tragedies need to stop.

I have been fortunate to have great support group of friends. I have a stable job with adequate income. My parents are perhaps slowly coming around. I will hopefully be getting chest surgery within a couple of months with money I've saved over the years.

I have struggled, I am lucky. But I know I am not alone. No one should ever feel so alone.

#reallivetransadult