This is my brain, on acid.

Acid does funny things to the mind.

Whenever I'm on a bike ride - no matter how intense or leisurely - the final stretch becomes agonizing. Some of it is fatigue after two hours on the trail, but most of it is my conditioned r

esponse to acid.

Lactic acid, I mean.

My tired quads start burning, and I start wondering silly things like whether I'll even be able to make it home.

It's not like the last mile is more challenging than the rest of my ride. I think just knowing the adventure is almost over

causes me to drag my feet - or wheels. The exhilaration of the ride is coming to a close, and instead of finishing well, I dread ending it.

The same thing's going on with my mind as I round my last collegiate lap. Graduation is in May. Job hunting is even sooner. I see the end of this particular life journey, and instead of pushing triumphantly to the end, I dread the conclusion of this ride.

Lactic acid panic of the brain.

If only I could figure out some way to change my response to lactic acid from dread to a burst of enthusiasm, I'd feel much better about the entire ride.

Who wants to end on a sorry whimper when you can sprint to the finish?

While I work on this problem, I'll continue to use my performance-enhancing drug of choice: black, home-brewed Caribou Blend coffee.

By the way, the title of the post is a nod to this classic 90's anti-drug commercial, starring Minnesotan native Rachael Leigh Cook: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kci12O2EI8I

Better Late Than Never: True or False?

I am a senior at Mizzou and JUST viewed my first True/False Film Festival film. A highly-acclaimed and -recognized film festival has sat, literally, blocks from my home for the past three years, and only tonight did I attend. And loved it, I might add.

Thanks to the Missouri School of Journalism, I got two free tickets to a flick. I chose The Invention of Dr. NakaMats because it looked quirky. It was. The director was there, along with one of the film's score composers (the other composer, Mark Mothersbaugh, was unfortunately not present).

See a preview here.

The film reminded me a lot of my own trip to Hong Kong in fall of 2006. We had a media guru/documentary filmmaker with us and met a character much like Dr. NakaMats - loud, slightly out of touch with westernized & youthcentric culture, unapologetic and seemingly unaware. Loveable, in his own way, but also very trying, at times.

So - does the saying "better late than never" apply to the True/False Film Festival? I think my tea bag answers that. According to the tag on the tea bag I opened after returning from the film, "You're never too old to become younger," - Mae West.

Coincidence? False.

On a side note, I just learned about Canadian figure skater Joannie Rochette's personal tragedy in the face of national attention. Watching her skate tonight and take the bronze medal despite having lost her mom on Sunday was a beautiful display of strength.