A quick update to this project. I've been measuring my weight every day, but there are some wide variations in numbers, which makes me wonder if my scale isn't hosed. There has to be something bizarre going on here, because there's a variation of three pounds between this morning and Friday morning, which is impossible. I'm happy because this morning's measurement was the best one to date, and is actually ahead of schedule (down 5.5 puonds instead of the hoped-for 4.3), but this still offends my scientific sensibilities.

Now playing: Sin City and Sahara

Anyway. This weekend I went and caught both Sin City and Sahara, which were both a lot of fun. Sin City was an experience, because when the film starts, it takes a little while to adjust your expectations. At first there's a knee-jerk reaction to how stylized it is, and how riddled with cliches and odd poetic twists the dialogue can be, but before long your mind gets into the rhythm and it becomes one helluva ride.

As for Sahara, it was a blast. A lot of the reviews out there accuse it of having an overly complicated plot for an action-adventure movie, but I say we need as many complicated plots in movies as possible. Matthew McConaughey was clearly having a great time while making it, which infuses Sahara with the same degree of silly joy as Ocean's 11 and Ocean's 12. The added hotness of Penelope Cruz and the offbeat goofiness of Steve Zahn made this one of my favorite cinematic rides of a while. It's great fun in a similar vein to the Indiana Jones movies, but what it lacks is the occasional gravitas of Harrison Ford; even when Matthew McConaughey is being serious he's still more lighthearted than Junior.

Take me out to the ballgame

Today, though, I'm knocking another item off the list of things I want to do before I leave Chicago – the good Mr. Schultz and I are going to catch the Cubs game this afternoon. I'm seriously looking forward to this – I haven't been to a baseball game in years, and going to a Cubs game with Ken is going to be like going out to dinner at fancy restaurant with Jamie Oliver. Go Cubbies!

Aside from that, things out here are chugging along pretty well. This is going to be an interesting week workwise, but I'm feeling pretty upbeat about it. God bless Spring – it couldn't have come at a better time!