I'm writing a movie script; I need your help

I need your help:
I joined this thing to write a 100 page script in 1 month (scriptfrenzy.org) - And I'm working on the plot -- it's all about a guy who gets stuck in the boring day-to-day, 9-to-5 life of the workforce and he's searching to find ways to keep his head above water before he wants to kill himself (figuratively of course... well, at least on most days). He starts watching people and figuring out how they make it every day - and he notices these little things that everyone does to make it through their day... i.e. He sees someone on the bus reading a different Sci-fi novel every week. Another person has this tiny sketch book they draw trees in. One lady seems to constantly be watching babies and toddlers - she watches them observe the world and their expressions.

Here's the deal:
I need more 'little things' to make real life examples -- I've asked a few friends and I love their answers - now I'm asking you... so here's the question :

What little things do you do to keep life interesting - to get through the hum-drum of day-to-day?

More examples:
- My mom pays close attention to the growth of new plants every time she walks out of her apartment
- I will listen to Disney songs at work about once a month
- During the winter, I always look at the footprint I make in the snow (i think the designs on the bottom of shoes are often overlooked...haha)
- Sometimes on solo missions to the grocery store, I'll act like Mark Wahlberg - just for practice, in case one day I want to pull off a big heist
- My friend tries to see art in the old walls while he tears them down working construction


OR if you can't think of anything: What small things in life do you pay attention to?


And then after I write the script, you could be in this movie - this little part of you... - I'm excited to hear what little things you all do!

taxes and life formulas

This is the first year I've had to do my taxes... and man are those things complicated at first glance. Why do they need to know SO much? And why do we have to have them in the first place?? -- (slow down all you people who know so much about the history of taxes and governments - I know why we have taxes - I just want to know why we have taxes).

One thing I've discovered from this tax experience so far is that with new responsibility comes new stress - stress you've never dealt with before and therefore, have yet to equip yourself with the appropriate coping mechanism. For example: In sixth grade I would come home with these awful headaches every day. I was wicked stressed out about getting any grade lower than an A. (I know, I was an overachiever and perfectionist - comes from not wanting to disappoint people - one road completely littered with stress) But once I realized all you had to do to get an A was give the teacher what they wanted; the headaches went away. I figured out the formula.

I'm definitely a formula person. Pick out the variables, project the end result, find what values get me that end result - plug it in and stay the course. I've found this method works best with things that don't change over time, otherwise you're constantly revising your formula. And I'm slowly figuring out that this method doesn't work very well in marriage - more specifically, women - more specifically, my wife, Kate. I'll ask her what I need to do to bring about a certain result (or sometimes prevent a certain result) and the answer I usually get is, "I don't know. Today might be different than tomorrow - you'll just have to play it be ear."

Playing it by ear is something I'm usually good at too but only because I use my formulas. So maybe with marriage I have to make daily formulas - hourly formulas... at least that's my current method - however, there's not enough data at this time to come to any conclusive conclusions. (hah)

So I'll get this tax thing down - mainly because I know I have to and I'm generally not one to rebel and escape to the hills of Montana. We'll make it through this year and maybe find out how to cope with the stress it brought and next year it will meld into the "that's just life" category. I'll move on, find new responsibilities and stresses, and then find out how to cope with them. Mmmm - the circle of life... I knew that movie would shape my life.

run

Two days ago was the perfect day for run. I ran a pretty decent distance considering what shape I'm in - 2.5 miles. But it didn't come easily - here are my thoughts while running:

00 min : 02 sec - "Thank you Lord for this beautiful day."

00:10 - "How long should I run? I could run out 5 minutes out and then back. No, I can do 7."

00:45 - "I want to do 10 minutes out and then back..."

02:03 - "Mm. I'm kinda sore from soccer last night."

05:15 - "I wonder how long I've run... only 5 minutes?! ugh."

05:53 - "Maybe I will just go 7 minutes out... no I can do 10. I'll go to the end of this street - if it's close to 10."

07:34 - "What if I get to the end of this street and have a nice cool down walk back - yeah, that sounds nice."

08:45 - "No, maybe to the end of street and halfway back and then walk..."

09:26 - "I bet I could make it all the way back - it wouldn't be very fun but I could probably do it. And it's my first run of the year so I won't go too hard - just take it nice and easy."

10:02 - "Perfect, end of the street and now the long haul back."

10:47 - "Focus - not on my legs or lungs - but the rhythm... zone out, hone in. That's right."

10:55 - "Hey, look at that truck."

11:03 - "Ok, ok - focus..."

12:23 - "At least it's downhill now... but the rest looks all uphill - I dunno if I want to run all the way back - maybe I'll stop at 15 minutes."

13:36 - "I wonder what Kate would think of me if I told her I stopped before I wanted to... I bet she would think more of me if I finished all the way strong. - You know, a run is like marriage and life - you can choose to slow down, take your time, walk, not really work much OR you can keep working, keep finding new ways to love you spouse, keep picking up your clothes everyday, and not get lazy - just finish strong - keep going..."

14:20 - "I don't want to keep going - this run isn't a literal translation of my marriage - my marriage won't be ruined if i stop running... Wait, but it's my attitude that counts... Am I going to have this lazy attitude in everything I do OR am I going to keep working at my relationships and keep working on my athletics?? ... I've got to finish."

15:03 - "Gah! It's so hard, I don't know if I can do it... Lord, Please give me strength. 'In my weakness, He is strong.' "

16:05 - " 'In my weakness, He is strong.' "

17:50 - "Ah I'm getting close - run to that stop sign and then focus on the next stop sign... 'In my weakness, He is strong.' "

18:30 - "I feel like I'm flying - 'In my weakness, He is strong.' - Not my energy or rhythm, His; it's like angels pushing me... 'In my weakness, He is strong.' "

18:49 - *(in rhythm of my stride) " 'In my weakness, He is strong. In my weakness, He is strong. In my weakness, He is strong.' "

19:04 - "Come on - get there under 20 minutes... 'In my weakness, He is strong.' "

19:10 - *(breathe, stride, stride, breathe, stride, stride, breathe...)

19:36 - "I did it! Thank you Lord... sigh *(hands on my head) Now, walk around the square for a cool down...sigh"


I think Paul knew what he talked about when he related life to a race... this journey were on... we have to keep running, keep growing... we can't give up - not now, never. Well, I can't make it all the way without feeling like giving up... I will need the Lord's strength for those days... 'In my weakness, He is strong.'