Sleep-Deprived Ramblings, Including CELTICS thoughts

So. Exhausted.

Work so far this week has been absolutely killer. I hate, hate that feeling of getting home and just having no energy to do anything. Especially since I have so many things I'd like to be doing after work. I just feel like some people, in order to succeed in their business of choice, get to this state where they have no outside interests, no goals outside the workplace, etc - and I can't see myself ever being that way. I am still pursuing the dream of becoming a writer, and trying to get as much writing done as I can. I have stacks of books to read, piles of DVD's to watch, year-old videogames I've barely scratched the surface of, and dozens of movies I'd like to catch in theaters. I have friends I'd like to see more. I have so many activities I'd like to take part in that I am ashamed to say I haven't participated in at all due to lack of time and energy. One of my favorite things to do is to play basketball, and I hate the fact that I haven't played in months save for one time when I was home in CT in July. Today I sat at work staring at the computer screen as it got to be 7, then 7:30, while two groups of friends called me about meeting for dinner after work. Even if I had managed to get out in time to meet them, today was so draining and mind-numbing that I could barely conceive of doing anything save getting home and watching an episode or two of Curb Your Enthusiasm. Due to a number of factors, today was just one of those really crappy days that makes you question what the hell you're doing with yourself. Sorry to be depressing but today was a real quarter-life crisis day.

At least there is some awesomeness headed my way this weekend, as L-Squared and I are set to see hair-metal superstars POISON live and in concert. Should be a rocking time, and I can't wait to hear such classics as "Every Rose Has It's Thorn," "Unskinny Bop," and "Talk Dirty To Me" live and in person. Expect a full report on that one next week.

Also many movies I'm very excited about. I still need to see THE TEN, and despite some mixed reviews I can't wait to see the latest comedy from the minds behind one of my all-time favorite TV shows, The State. I'm also extremely excited about STARDUST, which opens this weekend. I love fantasy movies in the vein of The Princess Bride (not that there are many in existence), and am a fan of Neil Gamain, whose graphic novel was the inspiration for the movie. I am not really a hardcore Gaiman fanboy or anything, but I've read several of his Sandman volumes and I think it's really cool to finally see one of his works adapted for the screen. I love the cast of Stardust (Michelle Pfeifer, Claire Danes, Robert DeNiro, Ricky Gervais!) and I can't wait to see it - hopefully it does well and paves the way for more movies of this type. Now, I hate to say this, but I am looking forward to RUSH HOUR 3. Yes, I know this puts me on many people's blacklists, but what can I say - I enjoyed the first two and am a sucker for action-comedies, so sue me. But yeah, an interview that I read today on The Onion AV Club with Brett Ratner and Chris Tucker was simply unbelievable. Check it out and prepare to laugh as a defense mechanism to counter the sheer lunacy of what you're reading. Finally, can't wait for SUPERBAD in two weeks. Will probably end up checking that one out with my brother sometime when I make a quick stop on the East Coast next weekend. Michael Cera to me is now one of my favorite people in comedy.

- Gotta make a quick mention of THE BOSTON CELTICS. Holy lord - honestly, I haven't cared about the Celtics in years. I was too young to really watch most of the Larry Bird years, though I kind of got into them a bit during the Dee Brown era. Then, there were a few years where the Celts were reall hot with Paul Pierce and Antoine Walker as an up and coming one-two punch. Since that time, the Celts have just completely stagnated. Paul Pierce has seemed unmotivated and justifiably so - the team around him got progressively worse over the last few years, and he's had no decent big men, few servicable point guards, and few outside shooters to work with.

But now - hot dayum. First, there was the news that CT's own RAY ALLEN was coming to Boston. Now, a few years ago this would have been blockbuster news, but for now it was only moderately exciting to all but the diehard Ray Allen fans. I mean, I am a big fan of the guy - he's one of my favorite players of the last decade or so - but in 2007, was Ray Allen enough to turn around the Celts? No, he wasn't. But ... if you were to combine Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, and ... KEVIN GARNETT?!?! Well, now we're talking. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, business has just picked up in Boston. For the first time in a while, I am psyched about the Celtics, and I have a feeling that the stadiums will be a BIT more packed than back when I was at BU, when we could buy cheap tickets and move down to the front of an only half-full stadium. The Celtics are now suddenly the team to beat in the East, and I can't wait to see what they can do with their new Big 3. BOSTON, baby. Give Danny Ainge and the rest of the front office a TOMMY POINT.

- Well, I had intended to include a pair of movie reviews with this entry, but it's getting late and I have yet another long day ahead of me at work tommorow. Hopefully, I can get around to posting some reviews soon, as I saw two great movies this weekend in The Bourne Ultimatum and most especially in RESCUE DAWN. What a kickass film - another amazing performance from Christian Bale and epic direction from Werner Herzog. Check back tommorow for further thoughts. Until then, time to sleep.