57 Channels and Nothing On

I was thrilled to see that ABC renewed Castle. Sister and I have been watching from the first episode, and it's fun, smart, witty, and sweet. Hits all my favorites in one neat package. Nathan Fillion is at his devilishly charming best, and Castle's relationships with all three of the women in his life (his daughter, his mother, and Detective Beckett) are complex and interesting. I can't wait to see where they go next year.

Dollhouse's renewal also made me happy, albeit more for others than for myself. I've only seen a couple of episodes, and the premise still makes me very uncomfortable, but I've heard it's much better now that they've gotten into the meat of the story, and Alan Tudyk was outstanding in the penultimate episode. I'll definitely be giving it another shot.

Of course, selfishly, my primary concern is that the schedules are all settled, so maybe some more "Firefly" people will be able to commit to Dragon*Con. ;-)

Ain't Nothin' Gonna Break My Stride

For as long as I can remember, I've had a latent desire to be a runner. It hasn't been something I've pursued or even actively thought that much about, but it's just been there in the back of my mind. My unconscious mind must have it going, too. You know how most people dream of flying at some time? Almost every time I have, I've been running and just gradually lifted off the ground. Not to full flight, usually, but just running and/or floating in the air above the ground. That may also have something to do with my fear of heights. ;)

The thing my brain never manages to process is that before you can be a runner, you have to become a runner. And with apologies to Tom Petty, with most things, it's the becoming that's the hardest part. (See also: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Becoming I&II.)

It took me until last month to commit to running. I've tried it a couple of times before, but I never stuck with it. This time, I signed up for a weekly running program, along with my sister and some friends, so I have people to cajole me into running and cheer for me when I do it. I usually work best alone, but when it comes to exercise, I need all the help I can get. Shelling out fifty bucks for the session and a hundred for the shoes is pretty good incentive, too.

So far, things are going well. I've been running at least twice a week; it should be three times, so I have that as a goal. I've packed my running gear to take to my parents' house this weekend and will make myself get up and run Saturday morning. I found a 5K to run next month, once I've worked up to that distance, which will give me another goal. I'm already thinking about how I'll work running into my Dragon*Con schedule, which doesn't have much breathing room. Er, so to speak. ;)

That's probably enough goal-setting and planning for now. The other hard part of becoming is not getting ahead of yourself. One step at a time, preferably in well-fitted shoes. :)

(Non-)Killer Queen

Apparently Queen has heretofore untapped health protection usefulness. First we learn that "Another One Bites the Dust" provides the perfect tempo for CPR (if not the perfect soundtrack). Now we find that singing the bridge of "Bohemian Rhapsody" will give us the proper length of time for hand washing. (I wonder if head-banging adds anything to the antimicrobial properties?)

What's next? "We Will Rock You" for the Heimlich maneuver? Thrust on the handclaps, not on the foot stomps!