For the first time since Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, I went to see a movie on its opening night. This occasion was different because it was totally unplanned and I decided to go only because Russell called me 10 minutes before leaving. I’m glad I went. The Last Samurai was thoroughly entertaining. Tom Cruise has never struck me as a ‘must-see’ actor, but he did a pretty good job in this movie. On the other hand, I’ve seen so many of his movies that I recognized some of his signature ‘looks.’ I won’t spoil it, but if you’ve seen the previews then you already know it’s very Braveheart-ish. The ending is pretty sappy too, or as Russell put it, very “Hollywood.”

I went to Austin today to see a few friends before leaving for Spain. Noam, Dan, and Orly met me for lunch and Noam and I continued on to REI, where I splurged on a few clothing items for my trip. I also got the chance to finally drive Chris’ Miata (his looks just like this red one^^^). Now, I’ve driven a standard transmission before…granted, it was 4 years ago in a Ford Ranger, but I know the gist of how it works. I figured driving the Miata would be pretty straightforward. Nope. Driving standard is hard. It takes practice. I only burned the clutch twice, but Chris couldn’t even smell it because of his allergies. Getting it going is definitely the hard part, after that, it’s just a matter of knowing when to shift. This is where the Zen stuff comes in – or just being sure to pay attention to what the engine is telling you (and doing what the guy in the passenger seat says). I tore through a winding road in Chris' neighborhood at ~45 mph and the car didn't budge from its line. It was fun. =)

So fun, in fact, I’m considering trading my Accord for a mid 90's Miata, or some kind of standard transmission convertible. The only problem is that I won’t be able to fit my bass and amp in the trunk of a Miata. Any suggestions?