let's take a look at the five-day

The Groundhog Day Project is, in a way, in its home stretch... really, it won't be winding down until summer time, but it's Day 251. This thing is more than 2/3 of the way complete... if it could ever be complete, that is. Since I hope to tie all of this into my thesis next year, I suppose I will have Groundhog Day as an integral part of my life well after the "Project" part is over.

I wonder what I haven't done yet that I need to do.

For example, other than a bit on Bill Murray, I haven't really done any actor profiles, which I thought would be obvious part of this thing--and I really should do something about Stephen Tobolowsky, if for no other reason to decipher the relationship between Groundhog Day's Ned Ryerson and Glee's Sandy Ryerson. I still need to finish reading Hannam's The Magic of Groundhog Day and Yoder's Groundhog Day and write about those. I will work on finishing and writing about Day Break. I keep having the urge to watch È già ieri again. I've wanted to watch some of the TV Time Loop Day shows again--and, Maolsheachlann, I watched that Twilight Zone episode, "Shadow Play" but didn't think it was enough to justify its own entry, but if I revisit the TV Time Loop episodes and find a few more, I will include it. I still want to write about divorce, notably referencing how Bill Murray's links to the production of Groundhog Day, and referencing a bit I read about Harold Ramis' divorce from his first wife, but I figure that topic will necessarily involve some personal stuff from me as well, and I don't want to squeeze that entry into a couple hours at the end of a long, busy day... for example, because of work-related stuff this morning and then school this afternoon into night, I wasn't even home until 10:20, so the movie will be on until after midnight, when I have to get up early tomorrow. I want to write a deep and meaningful entry almost every time. Well, sometimes I would rather write something fun and funny, but those are hard to plan. Long and informative and potentially meaningful--that seems to be my default.

Lately, I've been trying, of course, to systematically deconstruct Benesh's (2001) Becoming Punxsutawney Phil: Symbols and Metaphors of Transformation in Groundhog Day. And, I've tried to make that less boring recently by juxtaposing Benesh-related stuff with Day Break related stuff, but I think that has probably been more confusing than amusing. One week from tonight, I will be in Michigan for a national speech tournament. I'll be there for a week. The blog entries during that week will likely be short but pointed. Between now and next week, though, I hope to finish dealing (directly) with Benesh and finish watching and commenting on Day Break. Regarding the former, there are maybe 6 tabs left and I've already written about a couple of them, I think. Regarding the latter, I've got nine episodes left, so I may have to binge watch a bunch when I've got some free time... Friday. Day after tomorrow, for those not reading this blog day-to-day.

Tomorrow, I've got a relatively busy day, with school again.

Saturday, my son has an honors orchestra performance, but I think I'll have some time.

Sunday, I'm going to the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books. Stephen Tobolowsky will be there. He's got a book out, The Dangerous Animals Club. Amazon describes it as follows:

From legendary character actor Stephen Tobolowsky, comes a collection of memoiristic pieces about life, love, acting, and adventure, told with a beguiling voice and an uncommon talent for storytelling.

The Dangerous Animals Club by Stephen Tobolowsky is a series of stories that form a non-linear autobiography. Each story stands on its own, and yet there are larger interconnecting narratives that weave together from the book's beginning to end. The stories have heroics and embarrassments, riotous humor and pathos, characters that range from Bubbles the Pigmy Hippo to Stephen's unforgettable mother, and scenes that include coke-fueled parties, Hollywood sets, French trains, and hospital rooms.

Told in a vivid, honest, and wondrous voice, Tobolowsky manages to render the majestic out of the seemingly mundane, profundity from the patently absurd, and grace from tragedy. This book marks the debut of a massively talented storyteller.

Monday, I'll have some free time, Tuesday a little--especially since I won't be attending either of my grad classes next week because of the tournament. I will complete those two things before leaving for Michigan--both Benesh and Day Break.

But, then what? Sometimes, it's nice to come to this blog without an agenda, or with only a vague notion of an idea and then it's like a 2-hour research project. But, other times, I wish I had some topics planned ahead.

And, sometimes I do things related to this blog that don't even really make it into the blog itself. For example, I shared a photo recently of a Phil Connors doll, but I didn't really write about it.

That's a Peter Venkman 1/6 scale figure I got off eBay, wearing Fox Mulder's suit, also gotten off eBay. I still want to get him a scarf and a nice long coat, but all the trench coats I can find for Ken Dolls and the like are far shorter than Phil's should be. Mulder's shoes also proved to be a very tight fit on Venkman's feet--I had to cut a slit in the backs of them to even get them on, so Phil could use new shoes. For the record, though, while putting socks on my Phil Connors figure--who now sits on my rather full Groundhog Day Project shelf--it did occur to me that it might be weird that I put that together. I am not completely insane.

That Groundhog Day Project shelf may have to be expanded to two shelves soon, by the way. There are now five binders, the Christ-Figure one and four Groundhog Day Project-specific ones. And, I've recently saved or bookmarked more articles that need to be printed, read, highlighted, referenced in this blog, and put into a binder (there's room in Binder #4 but I will soon be on to #5).

Today's reason to repeat a day forever: to have a plan for every day... but mostly just do whatever. Like regular life.