So, I've been gone for a while. I was on vacation (or at least out of town) at first, and then when I came back, my wireless router was all screwy, so I didn't have internet access until I got a new one. And now I'm back.
It's weird, when you've been away from this site for a while, the first impulse is to try and catch up on everything -- all the girls you've missed, all the friends' journals, all the group topics you were watching. But there's just SO MUCH here, it can be a little overwhelming. In a way, that's a testimony to the site and the community, that it generates so much engaging content. Anyway. Not sure where I was going with that.
I spent 4th of July weekend (and a chunk of last week) in Tennessee visiting family. My sister's birthday is on the 1st, so my family always holds a big party up at my folk's modest little place on the lake. I love the boathouse -- its basically a small, floating cabin that my dad built himself when I was a toddler, and has been renovating and improving ever since. The only downside to visiting that particular weekend is the swarm of relatives that descend on the boathouse with that may people crammed into that small a space, its hard to just hang out and relax. But at least I did get to go out tubing once. Woo-hoo.
I also got to spend some time with two of my best friends from high school. One of them (I was the Best Man at his wedding) is the father to my two goddaughters. The older of the girls is 6 now, and the younger is not quite a year old. She took her first real steps while I was there that was very cool. The other friend was my high school sweetheart, who remains my closest confidante. She just got engaged. Im very happy for her (her fiancs a great guy, they really fit well together), but Im rather ashamed to admit that my first reaction to the news was dismay. I shook it off, and the three of us had a wonderful night out, talking about the wedding plans, etc. But that kernel of disappointment still lingers. I suppose I shouldnt feel too bad when ones First True Love gets engaged, I imagine some mixed feelings are understandable, no matter how much time has past since the romantic relationship ended. Nevertheless, Im excited for both of them.
Saw Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest last night. Now, I've seen all of the mixed reviews and complaints -- the plot is weak and fragmented, the pace is erratic, several sequences are twice as long as they need to be, etc. All of this is true. BUT, I still loved it. Part of it is that I'm a sucker for pirate movies in general (I even liked the bomb that was Cutthroat Island). But at any rate, despite its flaws, the new movie still has the great characters, the wonderfully creative action sequences, and the stunningly detailed visual design that made the first one great, and made this one enjoyable throughout it's long running time. I admit withouth shame that I can't wait for the next one.
It's weird, when you've been away from this site for a while, the first impulse is to try and catch up on everything -- all the girls you've missed, all the friends' journals, all the group topics you were watching. But there's just SO MUCH here, it can be a little overwhelming. In a way, that's a testimony to the site and the community, that it generates so much engaging content. Anyway. Not sure where I was going with that.
I spent 4th of July weekend (and a chunk of last week) in Tennessee visiting family. My sister's birthday is on the 1st, so my family always holds a big party up at my folk's modest little place on the lake. I love the boathouse -- its basically a small, floating cabin that my dad built himself when I was a toddler, and has been renovating and improving ever since. The only downside to visiting that particular weekend is the swarm of relatives that descend on the boathouse with that may people crammed into that small a space, its hard to just hang out and relax. But at least I did get to go out tubing once. Woo-hoo.
I also got to spend some time with two of my best friends from high school. One of them (I was the Best Man at his wedding) is the father to my two goddaughters. The older of the girls is 6 now, and the younger is not quite a year old. She took her first real steps while I was there that was very cool. The other friend was my high school sweetheart, who remains my closest confidante. She just got engaged. Im very happy for her (her fiancs a great guy, they really fit well together), but Im rather ashamed to admit that my first reaction to the news was dismay. I shook it off, and the three of us had a wonderful night out, talking about the wedding plans, etc. But that kernel of disappointment still lingers. I suppose I shouldnt feel too bad when ones First True Love gets engaged, I imagine some mixed feelings are understandable, no matter how much time has past since the romantic relationship ended. Nevertheless, Im excited for both of them.
Saw Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest last night. Now, I've seen all of the mixed reviews and complaints -- the plot is weak and fragmented, the pace is erratic, several sequences are twice as long as they need to be, etc. All of this is true. BUT, I still loved it. Part of it is that I'm a sucker for pirate movies in general (I even liked the bomb that was Cutthroat Island). But at any rate, despite its flaws, the new movie still has the great characters, the wonderfully creative action sequences, and the stunningly detailed visual design that made the first one great, and made this one enjoyable throughout it's long running time. I admit withouth shame that I can't wait for the next one.
oooh i want to do a sweeney todd set next...