Flying dogs, a pride of lions, a three wheel car. You want more? O.K., how about a cake that looks like a cat box, the boys from American Chopper, mutant vegetables, and food made using a drill? All this and more makes the Lane County Fair a bona fide ertainment hit.
First though, the story of the ribbon whore. Yes, in fact, this part is autbiographical.
I have been submitting pottery entries for the last three years. Last year, on a lark, I also submitted some beef jerky that I had made for our Costa Rica trip. Yes, after toting it all the way to Central America and back I entered it into the Adult Dried Meat competition and beat out one other competitor for the blue ribbon (last year's pottery entry, on the other hand, only garnered a third place white ribbon in the advanced section).
Well since I have a food dryer, and very few people entered the dried food categories, I decided to go all out. In addition to the beef jerky, I decided to enter dried mushrooms and dried pineapple, two categories I figured few if any would enter. When I announced my intentions to do this, Kim called me a ribbon whore, and I couldn't argue with her assessment.
In addition to the dried food, I entered a nice hand-thrown pot that I thought would do well even against stiff competition, and three photos which, though nice, I didn't figure had a chance as their are always some great photo entries.
Kim entered a felted bag, a knitted sweater, and a pair of knitted socks (see her blog for photos).
We dropped our entries off on the appropriated days, and when Tuesday rolled around, we rushed over to the fair to see our spoils.
Much to my surprise and disappointment, the dried food categories were three times as popular as they have ever been. Most of them had between seven and ten entries! My blue ribbon dreams were dashed on the hard reality of the burgeoning food-dryer market. My mushrooms garnered only a second place red ribbon, my beef jerky a third place white ribbon, and my dried pineapple an honorable mention green ribbon. Oh cruel life!
My pot, on the other had took the blue ribbon, beating out 0 (yes, zero as in none) other entrants.
My photos, as expected did not place at all.
And the entries of the woman who called me a ribbon whore...a red ribbon for her felted back, a white ribbon for her sweater, and for the socks: a special award. The ribbon has frills and an image of the state of Oregon on it.
Oh well, there's always next year.
Now onto the rest of the fair!
O.K., it's really not the guys from American Chopper, but it is their lifesize cutout images. And that's pretty exciting. The chopper is real, though. There is some win-a-chopper lottery game on right now and you could get your picture taken with the the motorcycle and the cutouts. We passed on this opportunity.
The driver sits in the front and the passenger sits behind. Rear-engine fueled by propane. The inventor claims it gets 70 mpg. Very cool.
Fun and tastefully decorated. Unlike certain other baked goods.
As if you really needed the scoop to clue you in. If you think it looks disgusting here, you should have seen it in person. Amazing what you can do with chopped nuts and carmel. It is kind of funny, though.
A hand-felted sculpture. Very cool.
The Cabela's Dock Dog competition was really fun. Contestants ranged from those who were too timid to jump without encouragement to those who flew over 20 feet. One 10-year-old dog that had had a knee replacement made 19 1/2 feet!
A little girl on a BIG horse. She won a blue ribbon!
Food just tastes better when it's prepared with power tools!
The result: half a cubic foot of curly fries.
I can hardly wait until next year!
Sunday, August 20, 2006
Saturday, August 12, 2006
The Scandinavian Festival, Junction City, OR
What struck me most about this festival was the broad range of authentic Scandinavian food. I had no idea their cuisine included such a wide variety of delicacies!
Wednesday, July 26, 2006
20 Second Movie Review - The Matador
Pierce Brosnan as a burned-out hit man meets up with Greg Kinnear's struggling business man. It's a 90 minute movie, by the 30 minute mark, no characters were developed and the plot had not progressed past Pierce and Greg meeting in a Mexican Bar. We turned it off at that point (hence a 20 second review instead of the full minute). Life is too short to be bored by a movie that hasn't started by the 1/3 mark.
0 out of 5 stars.
0 out of 5 stars.
Saturday, July 22, 2006
Hot Weather Escape
With temperatures headed into the 100's, we needed a plan. And the plan was a morning hike to Sweet Creek Falls, south of Mapleton, and then onto the beach to cool off.
The hike to the lower falls was nice and easy. The info we had said that after the lower falls, if the water is low you can cross the creek and continue to the upper falls. We got to the lower falls, took some pictures, then went onto the overlook for the lower falls. From there we took the steep "trail" thinking it would turn back upstream and we would cross above the falls. Well, that "trail" was so steep were were scrambling on hands and feet until we got to a pretty washed out section. We decided that descretion was the better part of valor and that we didn't want to have to pay for a medivac helicopter to come fetch one or both of us.
As we headed back past the bottom of the falls, I looked across the creek and noticed what looked like at trail on the other side. I crossed and sure enough, I was right. With only a little more difficulty, Kim and the dogs made it across. We continued on to the upper falls.
By this time the day was hot and we were tired. We took the road back, along which we saw the renegade melon, pictured.
After lunch at a pub in Florence, we headed to the beach where we found wind, fog, and very cool temperatures. Apparently when the weather is hot in the Willamette Valley, the air rising sucks cool air off the ocean and makes for a cool windy day at the beach.
We spent about half an hour on the beach, letting the dogs chase the floats. After that, it was time to head home and, ironically, warm up.
The hike to the lower falls was nice and easy. The info we had said that after the lower falls, if the water is low you can cross the creek and continue to the upper falls. We got to the lower falls, took some pictures, then went onto the overlook for the lower falls. From there we took the steep "trail" thinking it would turn back upstream and we would cross above the falls. Well, that "trail" was so steep were were scrambling on hands and feet until we got to a pretty washed out section. We decided that descretion was the better part of valor and that we didn't want to have to pay for a medivac helicopter to come fetch one or both of us.
As we headed back past the bottom of the falls, I looked across the creek and noticed what looked like at trail on the other side. I crossed and sure enough, I was right. With only a little more difficulty, Kim and the dogs made it across. We continued on to the upper falls.
By this time the day was hot and we were tired. We took the road back, along which we saw the renegade melon, pictured.
After lunch at a pub in Florence, we headed to the beach where we found wind, fog, and very cool temperatures. Apparently when the weather is hot in the Willamette Valley, the air rising sucks cool air off the ocean and makes for a cool windy day at the beach.
We spent about half an hour on the beach, letting the dogs chase the floats. After that, it was time to head home and, ironically, warm up.
Sunday, July 16, 2006
Proxy Falls, Oregon
Proxy Falls are located on a .8 mile trail accessible from the Old McKenzie Highway (Hwy 242) in Oregon. Both Upper and Lower Falls are beautiful, the Upper falls especially so because of many cascades.
I packed up the dogs, my camera, and my tripod and headed out to continue my attempts to get a good waterfall picture. The secret, I am told, is to get there before the sun does. I doubted that would happen, but I decided to try anyway. Much to my surprise, when I got to the overlook of the Lower Falls, the sun had not broken into the valley where the falls flow. Of course, in the ten minutes it took me to get set up, the sun broke over the trees, creating glare and the high contrast I was hoping to avoid.
As I was taking shots, a family hiked past. A girl asked me "Are you a photographer?"
"No," I said. "I'm just a guy with a camera."
With only minor difficulty, I hiked down to the bottom of the falls to take more pictures. There I ran into a real photographer who was doing a story for an outdoors magazine. I assume his pictures turned out better than mine.
After the Lower Falls, I went to the upper falls. I got a few good shots there (see picture), but had to back away when another group with a dog showed up and decided to stay for a beer and a smoke. Shasta, didn't much care for their dog and proved too much a distraction to allow for photography.
I took the dogs back to the car, hiked back to the upper falls, got a few pictures (you know, about 100), then headed back home via the Dee Wright Volcanic Observatory and Sisters.
I packed up the dogs, my camera, and my tripod and headed out to continue my attempts to get a good waterfall picture. The secret, I am told, is to get there before the sun does. I doubted that would happen, but I decided to try anyway. Much to my surprise, when I got to the overlook of the Lower Falls, the sun had not broken into the valley where the falls flow. Of course, in the ten minutes it took me to get set up, the sun broke over the trees, creating glare and the high contrast I was hoping to avoid.
As I was taking shots, a family hiked past. A girl asked me "Are you a photographer?"
"No," I said. "I'm just a guy with a camera."
With only minor difficulty, I hiked down to the bottom of the falls to take more pictures. There I ran into a real photographer who was doing a story for an outdoors magazine. I assume his pictures turned out better than mine.
After the Lower Falls, I went to the upper falls. I got a few good shots there (see picture), but had to back away when another group with a dog showed up and decided to stay for a beer and a smoke. Shasta, didn't much care for their dog and proved too much a distraction to allow for photography.
I took the dogs back to the car, hiked back to the upper falls, got a few pictures (you know, about 100), then headed back home via the Dee Wright Volcanic Observatory and Sisters.
Monday, July 10, 2006
Lost in the Mail
I came home yesterda and this was in the mail. From the size and weight, as well as the addressee, I could tell it was a Christmas card. You gotta love the Post Office, 7 months to return this. Later I was looking at it again and noticed the post mark was from 2000! Apparently postage was 33 cents back then. I opened it and read our annual letter. It's about as exciting as this blog. Oh well...
So today, Kim called me at work and said, "Guess what came in the mail today."
I took a couple of stabs at what it might have been and then she told me. The The 2001 Christmas card we sent to the same people! This is just too odd. Our best guess is that the people who were living at the address where our friends used to live are moving and were cleaning out that desk drawer. At any rate, the 2001 letter was less exciting than this blog, which tells you it must have been a slow year!
So today, Kim called me at work and said, "Guess what came in the mail today."
I took a couple of stabs at what it might have been and then she told me. The The 2001 Christmas card we sent to the same people! This is just too odd. Our best guess is that the people who were living at the address where our friends used to live are moving and were cleaning out that desk drawer. At any rate, the 2001 letter was less exciting than this blog, which tells you it must have been a slow year!
Saturday, July 08, 2006
Salt Creek Falls
Salt Creek Falls (in this picture) was formed by a lava flow into an existing valley. The distance from top to bottom is 262 feet. There is a sign on the side of the creek about fifty yards from the falls warning about dangerous falls ahead. Seems like an understatement to me.
On Saturday, Kim and I packed up the dogs, three bottles of water, and a pound of cashews and made the hour and fifteen minute drive to Salt Creek Falls. We did the 3 mile loop trail from there to Diamond Falls, which if not as spectacular, is just as pretty. Once we hit the trail, the mosquitos started hitting us and the dogs. A little bug dope kept them at bay from us, and we kept moving so they wouldn't have too much of a chance at the dogs. For the first half of the hike, we moved in and out of mosquito pockets. They left us alone for the second half.
I took a boatload of pictures at Diamond Falls, but the sun against the bright water against the dark background of basalt and pine trees made for too much contrast, even with the polarizer. Hence, no posted pictures.
On the way back we stopped a DQ for burgers and a Heath Bar blizzard which almost put me in a diabetic coma. All in all, a good, if warm, hike.
On Saturday, Kim and I packed up the dogs, three bottles of water, and a pound of cashews and made the hour and fifteen minute drive to Salt Creek Falls. We did the 3 mile loop trail from there to Diamond Falls, which if not as spectacular, is just as pretty. Once we hit the trail, the mosquitos started hitting us and the dogs. A little bug dope kept them at bay from us, and we kept moving so they wouldn't have too much of a chance at the dogs. For the first half of the hike, we moved in and out of mosquito pockets. They left us alone for the second half.
I took a boatload of pictures at Diamond Falls, but the sun against the bright water against the dark background of basalt and pine trees made for too much contrast, even with the polarizer. Hence, no posted pictures.
On the way back we stopped a DQ for burgers and a Heath Bar blizzard which almost put me in a diabetic coma. All in all, a good, if warm, hike.
Tuesday, June 27, 2006
The Black Sheep Gathering
The Black Sheep Gathering is an annual fiber and sheep show at the Lane County Fairgrounds. If you know Kim, then you know it's one of her favorite events. She went when it opened on Friday to grab the best of the yarn bargains, then again with me on Saturday to walk through and look at the sheep. On Sunday, she went to a spinning class that was part of the fun.
Pictured is Moses, a champion Shetland ram. We were lucky enough to talk to Moses' owner who told us how wonderful Shetland sheep are. They produce wonderful fleece, good milk, and you can eat 'em, too. He also told us to pet sheep under their chins and not on their heads. If you pet them on their heads, it makes them more likely to butt.
The black sheep gathering is centered around less common breeds and colored sheep. This one lives up to that goal. I have no idea of the breed or sex of this sheep, but you have to admit those eyes are quite captivating.
In addition to colorful sheep/goats, you get some with strange characteristics, such as extra horns. This little devil has 4. Usually we see at least a few with 6 horns. I will skip the obvious jokes about amorous goats.
Life's not all grazing and hanging out in the pens. There was no dignity for this one.
There are various competitions for fiber arts. These include weaving, knitting of various categories, spinning, felting, and needle felting. This is a needle-felted alpaca which is not only charming, but a good segue into...
The Alpaca Marketplace is at the Fairgrounds the same weekend as the Black Sheep Gathering. It is sponsored by The Emerald Valley Alpaca Association.
We always enjoy seeing the alpacas. They are members of the camel family from South America, and are closely related to llamas. Their fleece is wonderful for spinning. This year we learned that adults reach about 200 pounds, the hair on top of their head is left after shearing for "vanity's sake", and if you have 3 spare acres, you can raise about 25 of them. Be prepared to spend about 2 hours a day scooping the manure, if you do, though. Conveniently, they tend to all poop in the same location.
Pictured is Moses, a champion Shetland ram. We were lucky enough to talk to Moses' owner who told us how wonderful Shetland sheep are. They produce wonderful fleece, good milk, and you can eat 'em, too. He also told us to pet sheep under their chins and not on their heads. If you pet them on their heads, it makes them more likely to butt.
The black sheep gathering is centered around less common breeds and colored sheep. This one lives up to that goal. I have no idea of the breed or sex of this sheep, but you have to admit those eyes are quite captivating.
In addition to colorful sheep/goats, you get some with strange characteristics, such as extra horns. This little devil has 4. Usually we see at least a few with 6 horns. I will skip the obvious jokes about amorous goats.
Life's not all grazing and hanging out in the pens. There was no dignity for this one.
There are various competitions for fiber arts. These include weaving, knitting of various categories, spinning, felting, and needle felting. This is a needle-felted alpaca which is not only charming, but a good segue into...
The Alpaca Marketplace is at the Fairgrounds the same weekend as the Black Sheep Gathering. It is sponsored by The Emerald Valley Alpaca Association.
We always enjoy seeing the alpacas. They are members of the camel family from South America, and are closely related to llamas. Their fleece is wonderful for spinning. This year we learned that adults reach about 200 pounds, the hair on top of their head is left after shearing for "vanity's sake", and if you have 3 spare acres, you can raise about 25 of them. Be prepared to spend about 2 hours a day scooping the manure, if you do, though. Conveniently, they tend to all poop in the same location.
Sunday, June 18, 2006
Life is...
...A bowl of cherries of course! 4 or so years ago we planted a Ranier cherry tree in the back yard. In years past, we have harvested maybe a total of 6 cherries. Not six quarts or six pounds, but six cherries.
This year, we noticed a lot of fruit on the tree, but figured the birds would take care of it for us. I checked during last week and harvested about a quart and a half of cherries. The rest were not ripe yet.
Yesterday, I checked, and it was definitely time to harvest the rest. I was able to reach a lot of them from the ground, and a lot more from a step ladder. As I plucked those at the limit of my reach, I reminded myself that blogging about cherries is good but blogging about recovering from broken bones is bad.
So the conundrum was, what to do about all those sweet juicy cherries that were out of reach. I just couldn't bear to let them go to waste. We checked at the hardware store, but could not bring ourselves to purchase a fruit picker that probably would be able to grab anything as small as a cherry and that would take up most of the remaining cubic foot of space in our garage. "I will make one," I declared.
After about 30 minutes with an ACT mouthwash bottle, a pair of scissors, and a stick, I had crafted the extordinary instrument displayed in the picture. I managed to grab most of the out-of-reach cherries with it and left the rest for the birds.
This year, we noticed a lot of fruit on the tree, but figured the birds would take care of it for us. I checked during last week and harvested about a quart and a half of cherries. The rest were not ripe yet.
Yesterday, I checked, and it was definitely time to harvest the rest. I was able to reach a lot of them from the ground, and a lot more from a step ladder. As I plucked those at the limit of my reach, I reminded myself that blogging about cherries is good but blogging about recovering from broken bones is bad.
So the conundrum was, what to do about all those sweet juicy cherries that were out of reach. I just couldn't bear to let them go to waste. We checked at the hardware store, but could not bring ourselves to purchase a fruit picker that probably would be able to grab anything as small as a cherry and that would take up most of the remaining cubic foot of space in our garage. "I will make one," I declared.
After about 30 minutes with an ACT mouthwash bottle, a pair of scissors, and a stick, I had crafted the extordinary instrument displayed in the picture. I managed to grab most of the out-of-reach cherries with it and left the rest for the birds.
Wednesday, June 14, 2006
American Goldfinch
American Goldfinch. It sounds like the next big reality show on the Discovery Channel: Tonight on American Goldfinch, the boys get rambunctious when the feeder gets refilled with thistle seeds. Right after this episode of American Chopper.
I set up my camera on a tripod, zoomed in on the bird feeder in the front yard, then sat in the window with my camera remote. Sounds easy, but on the camera, the sensor for the remote is not very well exposed. I had to make quite a few trips out to the front yard to move the camera so that the remote would work from inside the house. Every trip out to the camera scared the birds away, of course. I think the end results turned out pretty well, but you can judge for yourself.
As with many birds, the males are more colorful than the females. This is how they show off their virility. If this carried over into the world of humans, women would be attracted to men who wear Hawaiian shirts. As someone who wears Hawaiian shirts, I can testify that this does not carry over into our world
I set up my camera on a tripod, zoomed in on the bird feeder in the front yard, then sat in the window with my camera remote. Sounds easy, but on the camera, the sensor for the remote is not very well exposed. I had to make quite a few trips out to the front yard to move the camera so that the remote would work from inside the house. Every trip out to the camera scared the birds away, of course. I think the end results turned out pretty well, but you can judge for yourself.
As with many birds, the males are more colorful than the females. This is how they show off their virility. If this carried over into the world of humans, women would be attracted to men who wear Hawaiian shirts. As someone who wears Hawaiian shirts, I can testify that this does not carry over into our world
Saturday, June 10, 2006
Minute Movie Review - Match Point
An Irish tennis pro, Chris Wilton, falls in with the rich British Hewitt family. The daughter falls for Chris, the father takes Chris into the business empire, and Chris starts an affair with the fiancee of the son. Therein lies the thick of the plot.
While the movie has very little in the way of action, it manages to hold the viewer just enough on edge to keep things interesting and, at times, uncomfortable. The theme of luck vs talent, or luck vs caution for that matter, runs through the movie pretty explicitly.
Woody Allen is back on his game with this one. The plot develops steadily and logically, but not obviously. The conclusion has a bit of suspense and the movie makes it point well. Similarities to Crimes and Misdemeanors, are too much to call it original, however.
3 stars out of 5.
While the movie has very little in the way of action, it manages to hold the viewer just enough on edge to keep things interesting and, at times, uncomfortable. The theme of luck vs talent, or luck vs caution for that matter, runs through the movie pretty explicitly.
Woody Allen is back on his game with this one. The plot develops steadily and logically, but not obviously. The conclusion has a bit of suspense and the movie makes it point well. Similarities to Crimes and Misdemeanors, are too much to call it original, however.
3 stars out of 5.
Saturday, June 03, 2006
On Rollerblading with a 16-Year-Old
Before one enters into any endeavor in which injury or death are possible, one should make an evaluation of the facts in order to determine the risks and predict likelihoods of the bad outcomes, weigh these against possible benefits of the endeavor, and make a well-considered decision.
This was the thought that entered my mind as I sat on the side of the bikepath with bruised butt and bruised ego, watching the wheels on my rollerblades spin to a stop. Stephen, my 16-year-old nephew was patiently waiting for me at the bottom of the hill. I limped a few more steps along the side of the path, then stepped back onto the asphalt and trusted my meager skating abilities and fate. As we continued we talked about a variety of topics and I constructed a list of factors I should have considered before going rollerblading with a 16-year-old. To wit:
Risks
As a 16-year-old, Stephen is fearless, still has cartilage in his joints, has excellent balance, good eyesight, and is flexible. In addition, he is on a rollerblade hockey team. His musculature is not yet fully developed. He doesn't know how to drive a stickshift.
As a 46-year-old (not quite 3 times his age), I have fear but lack sense. Most of my cartilage has petrified. My balance and eyesight are not what they once were. I am as flexible as a dry-rotted pine board. I rollerblade once in a while, and my musculature is primarily around my waist and padding my butt. I can drive a stickshift.
Bad Outcomes
Outcome 1
I will fall and break or mutilate some part of my body, Stephen will be unable to haul my carcass back to the car, and if he somehow manages to do so, will be unable to drive me to the hospital because we took my car, which is a stickshift.
Likelihood: High
Outcome 2
Stephen will fall and hurt himself. I will hurt my back carrying him back to the car, and barely be able to drive us both to the hospital.
Likelihood: As if he would ever fall when he is on skates.
Benefits of the endeavor
Are you kidding? I get to go rollerblading with my nephew!
So to make a long story short, the only times I fell were when I was stepping down a couple of hills in order to avoid skating out of control. I mildly twisted my knee on one of the falls. On the way home, we stopped off at a parking lot where I taught Stephen how to drive a stickshift. Needless to say, the positives far outweighed the negatives. And I can rest easier knowing that next time, need be, he can drive me to the hospital.
This was the thought that entered my mind as I sat on the side of the bikepath with bruised butt and bruised ego, watching the wheels on my rollerblades spin to a stop. Stephen, my 16-year-old nephew was patiently waiting for me at the bottom of the hill. I limped a few more steps along the side of the path, then stepped back onto the asphalt and trusted my meager skating abilities and fate. As we continued we talked about a variety of topics and I constructed a list of factors I should have considered before going rollerblading with a 16-year-old. To wit:
Risks
As a 16-year-old, Stephen is fearless, still has cartilage in his joints, has excellent balance, good eyesight, and is flexible. In addition, he is on a rollerblade hockey team. His musculature is not yet fully developed. He doesn't know how to drive a stickshift.
As a 46-year-old (not quite 3 times his age), I have fear but lack sense. Most of my cartilage has petrified. My balance and eyesight are not what they once were. I am as flexible as a dry-rotted pine board. I rollerblade once in a while, and my musculature is primarily around my waist and padding my butt. I can drive a stickshift.
Bad Outcomes
Outcome 1
I will fall and break or mutilate some part of my body, Stephen will be unable to haul my carcass back to the car, and if he somehow manages to do so, will be unable to drive me to the hospital because we took my car, which is a stickshift.
Likelihood: High
Outcome 2
Stephen will fall and hurt himself. I will hurt my back carrying him back to the car, and barely be able to drive us both to the hospital.
Likelihood: As if he would ever fall when he is on skates.
Benefits of the endeavor
Are you kidding? I get to go rollerblading with my nephew!
So to make a long story short, the only times I fell were when I was stepping down a couple of hills in order to avoid skating out of control. I mildly twisted my knee on one of the falls. On the way home, we stopped off at a parking lot where I taught Stephen how to drive a stickshift. Needless to say, the positives far outweighed the negatives. And I can rest easier knowing that next time, need be, he can drive me to the hospital.
Friday, June 02, 2006
To San Jose for My Niece Jean's High School Graduation
I'm in the middle of trip to San Jose for my niece's high school graduation. I left Thursday p.m., overnighted in Redding, and arrived yesterday. The drive down was good and uneventful. The Miata, surprisingly enough, is a comfortable road trip car.
For the trip down, I bought the audio version of John Krakauer's Under the Banner of Heaven ( NY Times review, LDS response to book). I have found it, and the events portrayed in it, interesting and a little disturbing. I can definitely recommend it.
One nice thing about the trip from OR to CA is Mt. Shasta. It was its usual photogenic self. I am a bit perturbed with myself for forgetting to use the polarizer, however.
My parents and brothers, along with my bro-in-law's stepmother and stepsister have rendezvoused in San Jose for my niece's graduation. My niece scored an extra 4 tickets so my brothers and I and my brother Kevin's wife could all attend. This was especially exciting as my niece was salutatorian and spoke brilliantly at the ceremony.
Last night the family partied it up, tonight, more celebration for a broader audience.
For the trip down, I bought the audio version of John Krakauer's Under the Banner of Heaven ( NY Times review, LDS response to book). I have found it, and the events portrayed in it, interesting and a little disturbing. I can definitely recommend it.
One nice thing about the trip from OR to CA is Mt. Shasta. It was its usual photogenic self. I am a bit perturbed with myself for forgetting to use the polarizer, however.
My parents and brothers, along with my bro-in-law's stepmother and stepsister have rendezvoused in San Jose for my niece's graduation. My niece scored an extra 4 tickets so my brothers and I and my brother Kevin's wife could all attend. This was especially exciting as my niece was salutatorian and spoke brilliantly at the ceremony.
Last night the family partied it up, tonight, more celebration for a broader audience.
Wednesday, May 31, 2006
Minute Movie Review - The Family Stone
A family comes home for Christmas movie with pretty much the usual suspects as characters. What separates this one from most of the others is that it's not overly schmaltzy (or however you spell that word) and it's not a farce. Members of the family have their idiosyncracies, but despite their differences, they are a loving, functional family.
Some of the characters and situations go mildly over the top, but overall, it works.
3 out of 5 stars.
Some of the characters and situations go mildly over the top, but overall, it works.
3 out of 5 stars.
Minute Movie Review - Transamerica
Felicity Huffman stars as Sabrina, a preoperative male-to-female transsexual living in L.A. The week before her surgery, the son she never knew she had calls from juvenile lockup in New York. He is looking for Stanley, his long lost father. Without revealing that she is/was Stanley, Sabrina flies to New York and the strangest road movie since The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert ensues. Along the way the two learn a bit about life, each other, and themselves.
The movie was poignant and at times humorous. The characters were very human with strengths, weaknesses, hopes, and fears. It's no wonder Felicity Huffman got an Oscar nomination for her performance.
4 out of 5 stars.
The movie was poignant and at times humorous. The characters were very human with strengths, weaknesses, hopes, and fears. It's no wonder Felicity Huffman got an Oscar nomination for her performance.
4 out of 5 stars.
Sunday, May 28, 2006
Nature in the Gardens
About three weeks ago, our dogwood trees were in bloom. When I went out to take some photos, this little guy was enjoying a meal.
The caption pretty much says it all.
This past week, the weather turned back to rain. The upside of that is the beautiful droplets it leaves on the blooms.
Blooming in the middle of the purple irises (see other iris photo), this one seems to be making a statement.
The caption pretty much says it all.
This past week, the weather turned back to rain. The upside of that is the beautiful droplets it leaves on the blooms.
Blooming in the middle of the purple irises (see other iris photo), this one seems to be making a statement.
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