Procrastination

Ever put something off for, say, forever? I have. Procrastination is my middle name. I put off calling a friend for so long that, the longer I waited, the more difficult it became to get in touch with that person. I felt like I was a major disappointment, and the shame that kept building became nearly insurmountable.

Well, today was the day for me to bust down the walls I’d built (yet again) and get in touch. I did, even if via IM, and I’m glad. I apologized, was told there was no need, and I feel tons better about it.

I do this falling-off-the-Earth thing, and I hate that I do it. I have let down a number of friends this way, have been told they hate when I do it, and yet I still let my depression/shame get the best of me. Time and time again. And for what? I’ve even lost jobs because of this shit.

Life is short and I’ve been squandering it. I rarely leave the house, so is it any wonder I don’t have many local friends? Fear. Fear has been ruling my life, and I don’t like it. I can relate all too well to agoraphobics, afraid to leave home, to the point where I’ve rescheduled appointments. I’ve skipped get-togethers with friends because of this shit.

I don’t know what the answer is, other than to keep doing what I did just a while ago: push through the fear and do it, anyway. Not an easy task for me, typically riddled with anxieties about anything and everything. But I’ve done it before (BlogHer, TequilaCon, etc.), and I can do it again.

It doesn’t help that I’m not working. I need to work. Ideally, a work-from-home writing situation. Yeah, even though I rarely post anything these days, writing is my key talent. So if you happen to know of anything available, please let me know.

I’m tired of burning bridges. Time for repair work.

And on a totally different note, I caved in and went to see the Hangover 2 yesterday. The synopsis on Rotten Tomatoes says:

A crueler, darker, raunchier carbon copy of the first installment, The Hangover Part II lacks the element of surprise — and most of the joy — that helped make the original a hit.

And some of the reviews?

I can’t believe how precisely everything does happen again, except that what was fresh and surprising in Las Vegas turns rancid and predictable in Bangkok, where yet another wedding is scheduled to take place.

This is pretty much one of the laziest… most careless and unimaginative sequels I’ve ever seen. It’s not even so much a sequel as it is a filmic pat on the back to those responsible for making the first film such a success. It’s a self-congratulatory and mostly unfunny REMAKE of the first film…

Adheres to the old maxim “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” yet somehow manages to break it while not fixing it.

All of these snippets are correct. The Hangover 2 is exactly the same flick as the first one, except this time, there’s no surprise element. Everything is duplicated – just in Bangkok instead of Vegas. It may be a little bawdier than the first one, and there ARE some laughs, but for me it was a letdown.

Yet another “forgotten” evening of debauchery and danger, where the three main characters attempt to put the pieces back together the following day. The stakes are the same…they’ve got to find someone they “misplaced” and make it back before a wedding, this time Stu’s. Mike Tyson makes an unbelievable appearance. There’s even the same plot device at the end credits, where you see all the photos taken during their forgotten night. These aren’t spoilers, mind you, I got all this info just from reading one review of the film.

WORTH: the dollar cinema, if you have one in your town. Otherwise, wait for it on video if you simply feel you must see it. Better yet, watch the first Hangover again. It’s much funnier and better executed.