Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

The Harry Potter movies face an imposing task. In order to be truly successful, they must satisfy the faithful with their knowledge of the most inconsequential details, retell the story for those who've read the books but forgotten, and present a stand-alone experience for those who haven't read the books (yes, they do exist).

Because I fall in the middle group, it's difficult for me to assess how successful the sixth movie is at accomplishing all of those goals. But, speaking for my constituency, the movie performed admirably. The movie has an overall more ominous tone (these are not the more carefree days of yore) and yet still manages to inject humor and charm. The scene where Ron is under the spell of the love potion is pure frivolity.

Rachel and I both remarked that we're glad we've already read the seventh book, in that we have some insight into where things are headed. But it would also have been interesting to have experienced the movie without that knowledge.

Taking Woodstock by Elliot Tiber

Not for the prudish or homophobic.

But so long as you don't belong to either of those two groups, this book appeals.

Many of the anecdotes beg disbelief and, of course, since most of the players are deceased, there's no real fact checking to be done but Tiber's story is an aspect of Woodstock that hasn't been previously explored.

How and why The Woodstock Music & Art Festival ended up 50 miles from Woodstock is yet another piece in the improbable, nay, impossible event that took place nonetheless.

As a baby boomer who was 7 years old at the time, my knowledge of Woodstock was woefully lacking and Tiber's book is an intriguing, if at times appalling, introduction.

The Widows of Eastwick by John Updike

Um, not so much.

Much more graphic sexually than the original, not as interesting and really just blah.

Updike's last novel and certainly not his best (although what do I know, having only read this one and the Witches of Eastwick?).

Every once in a while, his descriptions caught me up short but for the most part, I was reading for plot, in a hurry to get it over with and find out what happened to the three friends.

If not for the plane ride, I still wouldn't be done with it.

The Museum at Bethel Woods

Wow!

We want to go back.

Bethel isn't really close to anything so it took us a while to get there from Woodstock (1.5 hours) and it took us a while to get from there to the Albany airport (2.5 hours).

Accordingly, we only had a little less than 2 hours in the museum. That wasn't nearly enough.

The museum is well thought out with exhibits about the culture in the country leading up to the summer of 1969, exhibits about the planning stages of the Woodstock Festival and exhibits about the festival itself.

It was fascinating.

Rachel and I knew hardly anything about Woodstock and each piece of information was a revelation. The whole thing was intoxicating.

It was also very cool walking around the field where the stage was, standing there comparing a photo of the field from the weekend of August 15, 1969 with the empty field sprawling in front of us and chatting with the "docent," a tattooed rocker who had actually been there and kept using the collective pronouns, "that's where we did such and such . . . our most common injury was . . ., etc."

We're so glad we went out of our way to see it all. What an added bonus to a fun weekend.

We're looking forward to seeing the movie, Taking Woodstock, when it's released next month. Rachel's already finished the book (which we purchased on Saturday).

This week's PostSecret favorite

on back: I'm glad that I didn't

Woodstock, not Woodstock

The town of Woodstock seems to have a very conflicted relationship with its landmark namesake music event of 40 years ago.

The festival was not held in Woodstock but in Bethel, a good 50 miles and an hour and a half drive away. So, many visitors to the town are simply not where they thought they were going.

Even those who understand the distance are often looking for something the locals aren't sure they want to provide. There are stores which cater to the crowd seeking to recapture that weekend in 1969, with hippie clothing and "tobacco" products. But there are also stores which seem to be studiously avoiding any connection with the eponymous event.

Being one of those in the know, I inquired at the local bookstore about how far Bethel is from Woodstock and the nice woman behind the counter replied, "Well, I've never been there . . ." This was shortly after she made a comment about the troublemakers by the shelves with the Woodstock books (which kept falling to the floor through no fault of the patrons due to the poorly engineered display).

Not being one to be dissuaded by a little negativity and because of the very intriguing trailer we saw on Wednesday for Taking Woodstock, Rachel and I plan to make the hour and a half drive to Bethel tomorrow to see Max Yasgur's farm and to visit the somewhat scorned (at least by some of the residents of Woodstock) Museum at Bethel Woods.

Surprise!

Rachel and I traveled to the Catskills in upstate New York to surprise my maid of honor and Rachel's godmother for her birthday. We drove to Denver last night and then flew to Albany at 6 am this morning. We then drove via Woodstock to Mt. Tremper and the Emerson Resort & Spa.

Shortly after we checked in, Leah figured out we were here. We had a fun reunion and then a lovely dinner at the Phoenix with Leah's family and assorted friends. It was a really relaxed and friendly interconnected web of people gathered together to celebrate 3 July birthdays.

Tomorrow, we're looking forward to a day of hanging out culminating in a birthday barbecue. Tonight we're exhausted.

This week's PostSecret favorite

07/05/2009

Public Enemies

Johnny Depp - plus.

Violent criminal - minus.

Loyal lover/boyfriend - plus.

Alone, betrayed and anachronistic at the end - minus.

Marion Cotillard - plus

Public Enemies is not an easy movie to characterize. It's violent and Dillinger is hardly someone to like. Of course, as portrayed, he has his moments of rakish attractiveness but there's also little illusion regarding his inevitable end.

It's an engrossing eyes wide open look at America's most wanted criminal and the agent who brought him down.

Just say no to Bike Nashbar

I know internet credit card fraud is a common tale but I thought I'd weigh in anyhow.

In checking my bank account online today, I saw a suspicious charge from www.fedgrantusa.com that had just posted. Granted it was only for $7.95 but it was on a debit card that has not been used since last fall. Being the suspicious person that I am, rather than going to the website which might not be secure, I googled it.

Come to find out that there have been loads of consumer complaints regarding this and affiliated websites. Also found out that most people who were hit with these fraudulent charges had done business with Bike Nashbar (as we have) and that Bike Nashbar has acknowledged a security breach. However, Bike Nashbar has been extremely lax about notifying its customers of this breach.

I called the bank, cancelled the debit card, got the charge reversed and found out about a nice service. Wells Fargo offers a free checking account with a free debit card that you can use for internet purchases. You transfer money into the account when you want to make a purchase and otherwise have the account at $0. This is slightly less convenient as you have to transfer funds before you make a purchase and it's hardly foolproof since a fraudulent charge could hit when you've transferred funds for a legitimate purchase but I'm going to give it a try.

Trying not to be

Ok, I admit it. I'm jealous. Trying not to be but not succeeding.

One of the performers spotlighted in Every Little Step, Charlotte D'Amboise, is going to be at Paepcke Auditorium for the screening tonight and is to conduct a Q & A afterwards. I was quite taken with her when we saw the movie last night.

So, not only did we have to put up with the interruptions each time the reel had to be changed (which we all tried to bear in good grace) but we missed out on a personal appearance.

I definitely picked the wrong night on this one . . .

Every Little Step

A Chorus Line was a vivid part of my high school years. It came to Chicago around the time I was a junior and I went downtown to see it. I bought the album which I still have. A high school classmate, a year ahead of me, got hired for the touring company.

When I saw a preview for Every Little Step which the Aspen Filmfest was bringing to Aspen as part of its summer film series, I was immediately interested.

Every Little Step is a documentary which uses the casting of the current revival of A Chorus Line as a vehicle to explore the creation of the original Broadway smash. It is at times touching, heartrending, hilarious, nostalgic and always fascinating. 5 of us went to see it and all 5 came away well-pleased.

Even the technical difficulties which left Paepcke Auditorium with only one projector and Jon Busch scrambling to change reels on that sole projector with as little interruption as possible couldn't dampen our enjoyment of the film. It was actually a novel experience which gave us an opportunity to discuss the film as it was unfolding.

It'll be available in limited release but if it comes to your area and you have the slightest interest in A Chorus Line or in the Broadway audition process, I recommend you see it.

Happy 4th!

Is it just me . . .

or did Sarah Palin seem even odder than normal today?

What the heck?

I wonder what she's trying to get out ahead of . . .

More PostSecret favorites I never got around to sharing

09/06/2008

09/15/2007

09/23/2007

Race and Humor

The Aspen Ideas Festival is ongoing this week and today I attended Race and Humor, which was basically Ta-Nehisi Coates, an author and writer and blogger for the Atlantic, interviewing Larry Wilmore, the Senior Black Correspondent for the Daily Show.

I realize I'm probably in the minority here but I was more acquainted with Coates from his recent interviews on NPR promoting his book which was recently released in paperback than I was with Wilmore of whom honestly I had never heard. Many of you probably already know this but Wilmore's a funny guy. He started his career as a stand up comedian and then moved into writing, starting with In Living Color. He styles himself as a contrarian and is just full of piercing, witty observations.

During the Q&A period, an audience member asked him if he was offended by the ghetto portrayal of the "twins" in Transformers 2. The audience member specifically referenced (and mischaracterized) a line in the movie where the twins said they couldn't read an ancient language. Wilmore's one line response was that he didn't care if a Transformer can't read.

In response to another audience member's question about Dave Chappelle's rationalization for walking away from his TV show and $50 million dollars (that he felt that his mostly white audience was laughing at him, not with him), Wilmore basically said (in a very biting and humorous way) that he thought Chappelle was stupid to walk away from all that money, especially given the fact that Chappelle wrote all his own material and thus had control if he didn't like how people were reacting.

He's written a book of satirical essays, I'd Rather We Got Casinos, that I'd like to read when it comes out in paperback. I'm also going to make an effort to find some of his Daily Show video clips online.

I also had the opportunity to briefly chat with Coates afterwards to tell him how impressed I was with his article on Michelle Obama in the Atlantic.

Some recent PostSecrets

04/05/2009

05/31/2009

06/07/2009

06/14/2009

06/21/2009

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

Par for the course for a second movie of a trilogy, Transformers 2 is not as good as 1.

But I didn't hate it. (High praise, huh?)

What I did really, really hate was the scene where Sam's brain is probed. It was awful and had a totally different tone than the whole rest of the movie. I felt like they had taken a scene from a horror movie and dropped it into this sci-fi, adventure movie.

I also really did not like Michael Bay's overuse of the spinning, circular camera shot. Give it a rest, dude! Is that all you've got?

The Sam/Mikaela relationship was cute and Sam's parents were a hoot.

All in all, I enjoyed it. Just go to the bathroom during the torture scene . . .

What?

I saw a sticker today that said, "DEMOCRACY DON'T FALL FOR IT"

What does that mean?

Fifteen Books

The meme is to choose fifteen books you've read that will always stick with you. This can be a quick one. Don't take too long to think about it. First fifteen you can recall in no more than 15 minutes. Tag 15 friends, including me because I'm interested in seeing what books my friends choose . . .

1. D'Aulaire's Book of Greek Myths by Ingri & Edgar Parin d'Aulaire
2. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
3. The Velvet Room by Zilpha Keatley Snyder
4. Our Bodies, Ourselves by The Boston Women's Health Book Collective
5. The Red Tent by Anita Diamant
6. 1000 White Women by Jim Fergus
7. Ahab's Wife by Sena Jeter Naslund
8. The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
9. Go Ask Alice by Anonymous
10. A Story that Stands Like a Dam by Russell Martin
11. Cadillac Desert by Marc Reisner
12. Native Son by Richard Wright
13. The Color Complex by Midge Wilson, Kathy Russell and Ronald Hall
14. Sally Hemings by Barbara Chase Riboud
15. Divided Sisters by Midge Wilson and Kathy Russell

In no particular order! I'm sure I've left more momentous books out which I will think of as soon as I post this. Many of the books, especially the older ones, I've included because of the lasting impact they had on me, either by virtue of the book itself or because of where I was in my life when I read it.

The Witches of Eastwick by John Updike

Since I really enjoyed the movie version of Witches of Eastwick, I decided to read Widows of Eastwick. But I couldn't read Widows of Eastwick without having read Witches of Eastwick first.

The book and movie are vastly dissimilar. That I found this surprising is surprising. I mean, I've read enough books after seeing the movie adaptations to be well acquainted with the fact that the book and the movie are often vastly dissimilar. But I was surprised.

What I also found surprising is how intriguing I found Updike's prose. I read novels for plot. I skim the extraneous details, the superfluous descriptions. If it doesn't move the plot forward, it doesn't hold my attention.

And yet, Updike's prose grabbed me in spite of myself. Yes, even the ridiculously lengthy recitation of Jane's middle of the night cello concert kept me, if not engrossed, at least paying attention.

I enjoyed the story told by the movie better, especially the end but on a more superficial level. I found the book's story deeper, more conflicted, more unapologetic about its main characters' amorality.

Now, on to the Widows . . .

Ok, so it wasn't THAT bad

The Pepsi Center holds 20,100 for a concert with a center stage.

A conservative guess is 5 teenage girls for every parent. That puts it at about 16000+ teen and pre-teen girls. 16000+ girls, all of whom would erupt in screams for no apparent reason. I'm talking pre-concert, nothing going on except young girls screaming.

We had awesome, unbelievably excellent seats. 2nd row, right in front of the stage entrance and exit. By the time the Jonas Brothers came on, everyone had figured out where they would be entering from so the powers that be brought them in in an equipment box. But we did get to watch Honor Society and Jordin Sparks enter and exit and the security production when the Jonas Brothers exited was quite impressive.

The show was very energetic and had some cool effects, including a water feature that rained shapes including hearts. In a nod to the parents, they performed Neil Diamond's Sweet Caroline.

The girls were on such a high from the concert that they didn't even complain when we walked all the way back to the hotel.

You really should envy me

Why?

'Cause I'm going to see the Jonas Brothers tonight.

In Denver. (Hey, it's only a four hour drive.)

With a 17 year old, a 16 year old and a 12 year old.

We might even get to meet them.

Aren't you jealous?

The Proposal

Recently I've been disappointed by romantic comedies. So disappointed that I found it hard to believe that I was actually watching an enjoyable romantic comedy.

Rachel and I looked at each other early on and said, "This is funny!" But I couldn't resist adding, "So far."

Well, it maintained throughout the duration.

I read that it exceeded all box office expectations in its first weekend and I can see why.

Betty White was a character, rolling her eyes and making gentle sarcastic remarks. Mary Steenburgen was genteel in her puzzlement. Sandra Bullock really does excel at the romantic comedy genre. Ryan Reynolds was a treat as a cute lovable leading man, able to pull off the put upon assistant but also able to transition to the strong masculine Alaskan.

The Year of the Meatball

Food & Wine was excellent as always but there was a slightly toned down vibe. Not to say there wasn't excess. It is Aspen, after all.

But the event which usually sells out in March still had tickets available at kick off and was selling day passes for the first time since in more than 10 years. The PR people were spinning like crazy, calling it a "soft" sell out. The schedule was pared back, with at least one, if not two, fewer seminars. And the Grand Tasting pavilions weren't quite as crowded, either with vendors or with patrons. The food during the Grand Tastings wasn't as over the top either, although it's amazing how high end a good chef can make mac 'n cheese taste. No caviar this year but still, tenderloin, scallops, shrimp, tuna, lamb, ribs, Korean bibimbap, pot stickers, paella, prosciutto, Thai food, shrimp po' boys, and meatballs. Lots of exquisitely seasoned, tender meatballs of all persuasions.

And the wines. Yum! I, who doesn't like chardonnay, fell in love with a $150 a bottle chardonnay from Evening Land Vineyards, their Oregon Seven Springs Chardonnay. And of course, I found the Destination Riesling tables (yes, plural) and sampled all 15 or so rieslings. Selbach-Oster!

The Seyval Blanc that Brian Duncan served on Sunday morning is my best new find. Always nice to have a tasty alternative when I can't find a Riesling on the menu.

I managed to pace myself quite well during all the Grand Tastings until Sunday when I quite lost control. Steve had to come get me (or I wouldn't have been able to find my house) and I had to go home and pass out at, like, 1 in the afternoon.

A Prairie Home Companion

I know that I'm not a fan of the radio show.

I guess maybe I'm not a Robert Altman fan, either.

I am, however, a Meryl Streep, Lily Tomlin, Kevin Kline, Tommy Lee Jones fan.

Which is why I thought I might enjoy the movie.

Wrong!

Steve, Rachel and I watched it together and all three of us had the same reaction. The movie was just weird. As Steve said, it took all of the least funny parts of the radio show and made a movie out of them with some additional weirdness mixed in.

Pretty much a waste of time. At least, we got it out of the library for free . . .

The Hangover

I don't like these kinds of movies.

Frat boy humor. Yuck.

And yet . . .

While it was a victim of its hype in that I didn't like it as much as I was led to believe I might, I liked it better than its genre would suggest.

It was pretty out there and yet it always managed to pull back just before it fell irretrievably over the edge.

Instead of just being a gross frat boy over the top extravaganza, it resolutely held fast with an underlying sweetness and I laughed in spite of myself.

The photos during the end credits are as funny as the whole rest of the movie.

The People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks

Brooks uses the true story of an ancient Jewish book saved by a Muslim museum curator during the Bosnian war as a jumping off point to take the reader on a sweeping, if fitful, journey through the centuries.

In the spirit of novels which imagine the realities behind works of art such as Tracy Chevalier's Girl with the Pearl Earring, Brooks uses clues found in the binding of the ancient work to fashion a creation story, one that unblinkingly exposes the reader to the separate and intertwined struggles of Jews and Muslims, especially as they attempted to navigate a harsh Christian world.

A bit choppy as it jumps back and forth between present day and days past, the novel also has a disingenuous foray into romance which hits a false note.

But, when it's focused on its primary mission, that of detailing the past, the book finds its groove.

X-Men Origins: Wolverine

Other than a nice opportunity to drool over the eye candy that is called Hugh Jackman, X-Men Origins: Wolverine is just ok.

I'm an X-Men fan. I have been for about 20 years. I've enjoyed the other X-Men movies.

I don't know if it's because I saw it shortly after seeing Star Trek and it suffered in comparison but this movie was so-so.

There was a rote feel to the movie, that of just going through the motions.

But, put Hugh Jackman in another X-Men movie and I'll see it too . . .

The Girl with No Shadow by Joanne Harris

A pleasant enough read.

While I have read another Joanne Harris novel, it was not Chocolat. That one I saw as a movie. I mean who can pass up a movie adaptation with Johnny Depp? Usually, if I hadn't already read the book, I would read it as a follow up to the movie but with this one did not do so.

So, while I picked up this book because of my familiarity with its characters, I'm unsure as to whether the book version and the movie version of the characters are all that similar, although it does occur to me that since Harris wrote this sequel after the movie, she could very well have smoothed out any discrepancies.

I was never enthralled but the book kept my interest well enough. Because Harris makes no bones about Zozie's amorality, a sense of impending doom hangs over the entire novel which frustrated me but also kept me invested enough to see how it all played out.

The novel is rife with identity issues and morals about the perils of not being true to one's self.

Star Trek

I would not call myself a Trekkie.

I occasionally watched the original series. I've never watched an episode of any of spin-offs. I didn't like the movies (with one exception below).

But, did I enjoy this movie! Exhilarating fun. Adventure. Heroes. And so many great nods to Star Trek lore.

I will admit that I also really enjoyed Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home when it came out in 1986. It had a sense of humor and I'm a sucker for time travel. According to Leonard Nimoy, IV was the most successful of the Star Trek movies.

This movie too reaches me as a non Trekkie. By tapping the humor element and including a healthy dose of time travel, the movie successfully capitalizes on previous popular elements.

While I'm aware that many "true" fans don't agree, I felt the alternate reality gambit was a clever way to deal with the difficulties of developing a prequel. It also provides much flexibility for any future projects.

Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin

Let me just start by saying that I highly recommend this book.

Just as I was beginning it, a friend forwarded me a rather snarky analysis of Kearns Goodwin's thesis or, I should say, thesis as he imagined it. I'm still not clear on whether he actually read the book or was just reacting to the press about it but, thankfully, I stopped reading about two lines in when his condescension became clear. Suffice it say that he believes that there was nothing remarkable about Lincoln's cabinet since all presidents up to that time culled their governments from their rivals.

Thankfully, Kearns Goodwin analysis of Lincoln is far more nuanced. While she clearly has a love affair going on with our 16th president, she persuasively shares Lincoln's qualities with her readers. As painted by Kearns Goodwin, Lincoln was a remarkable, ambitious but not egotistical, pragmatist. His ability to look past his rivals' personal slights and to see the strengths that they could bring to bear coupled with his innate diplomacy allowed him to cobble together a government during this country's most trying times.

Would that Lincoln's abilities had been equally as successful in his choices of generals. The most frustrating part of reading this book was the repetitiousness of the struggles Lincoln experienced with his parade of incompetent generals. More than once I found myself exclaiming out loud in frustration as Kearns Goodwin related yet another ridiculous episode with this general or that one.

Kearns Goodwin is obviously enamored of her subject and successfully persuades the reader that this admiration is well placed.

Up

Pixar scores again.

So many resonating images. Days later, we're still referencing the dogs' collars in routine conversation.

The creative minds at Pixar have such a knack for creating these fantastical movies which sample our everyday lives.

Add to that the visual experience that is Pixar and Up is too fun.

In the spirit of PostSecret

Today, I was scanning some Facebook alumni groups for my high school and elementary school and was surprised to find myself looking for friends and classmates who have passed away.

Liz Peterson, Paula Kendall, Kerri Gagnier

I had to remind myself that, even though it feels like I've just lost touch with them, that's not the reality . . .

This week's PostSecret favorite

I showed this to Rachel, hoping that she'd take note.

"Whatever, Mom," was the response I received.

My Life in Ruins

The first half was pretty bad. Bad enough that Rachel and I turned and said to each other virtually simultaneously, "This is really bad." We were the only ones in the movie theater.

Basically, the set up was painful. One episode after another, each more uncomfortable to watch.

Luckily, it did improve. The second half of the movie was palatable. Not good, but comparatively, what a relief.

I wouldn't recommend it.

Tokyo Sonata

Hmmm.

I liked it.

Or did I?

The winner of 11 awards from 8 different film festivals, including the Cannes Film Festival's Un Certain Regard Jury Prize, the Chicago International Film Festival's Grand Jury Prize and two Best Director awards for Kiyoshi Kurosawa.

I suspect that there was a fair amount that just culturally doesn't translate. I spent a fair amount of time trying to decipher what was cultural dissonance and what was filmmaker's license.

The movie was methodically paced which some audience members didn't appreciate, judging by their comments as we were filing out.

No question that it's an art house film. Full of angst, symbolism, repetitive imagery . . .

Sugar

Highly acclaimed, nominated for the Grand Jury Prize of the 2008 Sundance Film Festival and for the 2009 Independent Spirit Award.

Sugar is the story of Miguel "Sugar" Santos, a 20 year old pitching phenom from the Dominican Republic who arrives in the US to find that he's basically cannon fodder for the professional baseball farm team system. Baseball is merely the vehicle for exploring the culture shock experienced by a talented import and the reality of the pursuit of the American Dream through sports.

Sugar is the antithesis of the Disneyfication of the sports story. We travel with Sugar, experiencing his triumphs, his alienation and his self-respect salvaging choice.

No pat answers here, but plenty of thought provoking depth. Even Sugar is left wondering.

Parking :-(

Came home from a movie to find the parking lot full.

This bums me out. I mean, we only have one car. We're supposed to have a place to park it.

Hmph!

Black Canyon of the Gunnison

After breakfast at the b&b, we headed out to the North Rim of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison. As with the Grand Canyon, the North Rim is the less frequented rim and since the weather was a bit chilly and cloudy, we basically had the place to ourselves.

Just the way we like it.

The Black Canyon is a stunning place and not for those who suffer from vertigo.

We had rotating clouds, sunshine, rain, thunder and hail during our Rim Drive and forays to the various viewpoints. It made for a wildly varied sightseeing experience.

Home after a leisurely approximately 3 hour drive and now we're off to see Up.

Colorado Wine Country

Took off for a quick overnight to Paonia to visit some wineries. We went to 4, Azura, Stone Cottage, Terror Creek and Black Bridge. The last 3 are true wineries in the sense that they grow the grapes and make the wine. The first is a beautiful property with a fabulous location and views. The proprietors at all 4 were welcoming and friendly, a necessity for the business they've chosen. Small producers all, it was fun to chat with people who love what they're doing. The wines varied in quality and varietals. Though we enjoyed them all, my favorite winery was Black Bridge while Steve's was Stone Cottage.

A yummy dinner at Eleni's Uptown and now a room (#8) at The Bross, a charming historic B&B a block off Paonia's main drag.

Tomorrow, maybe the North Rim of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison.

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Daily posting

I'm trying to get back in the habit of posting every day (regardless of whether I have anything to say) but I'm not motivated enough to actually get the laptop out so today's post will be this kind of lame email. I'm not sure why I want to post daily especially when I don't have much to say but there it is.

I did go to see an entertaining foreign film this evening, Moscow Belgium. Or it might have been Belgium Moscow. Either way, it was an interesting study of a 41 year old mother of three with a wandering husbnd and a boyfriend 10+ years her junior as she figures out how to put her life back together.

There. Aren't you glad I didn't skip today? Hmph.
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Harvard Beats Yale 29-29

Fun.

Didn't really know what to expect.

The local reviewer kinda panned it (altho I didn't get past the headline, "'Harvard Beats Yale' lacks winning formula").

We really enjoyed it.

Part of the charm actually was our unfamiliarity with the game. It's just so preposterous.

It was great also seeing the connections with Garry Trudeau, Al Gore, Meryl Streep.

It was just fun.

The Transformation

June 26, 2008

December 22, 2008

February 26, 2009

March 3, 2009

April 9, 2009

May 7, 2009

May 23, 2009

June 1, 2009

June 1, 2009

June 1, 2009

In case you've missed me

Slammed with an impending office move.

Little time for attending to my hobbies.

I'll be back.

Santa Barbara Idyll

Basically spent the day hanging out. The boys went for a road ride with Cielo Velo while I puttered. I did venture into Santa Barbara to visit AAA to obtain TourBooks. It would have been nice to have had them all along as they make finding pet friendly lodging much less stressful but these are the downsides to traveling spontaneously. At least, we'll have them for our last couple of nights.

The weather had cleared last night so we spent the afternoon sitting outside reading. Beautiful spot up here at Rancho Tres Gatitos on Shepard Mesa above Carpinteria.

I also helped Rachel get ready for prom from 970 miles away. She had been ambivalent about attending which is why after much back and forth, I did not fly home yesterday or today. But when the time came, she decided to attend. She got herself ready and sent me pictures of her progress for feedback. I accompanied her via telephone right up to the door and sent her in with love and pride. She called me when she got home and the consensus was that while it all seemed much ado about nothing, she was glad she went. She learned that people make prom way too stressful so next year, she'll treat it like just another dance; she learned that if prom starts at 8 pm, she shouldn't leave the house until at least 8:15 pm.

Mexican take out and a Lakers playoff game with Michael, Monty, Jeffrey, Siena and Steve finished out the day.

Canceled flight

So, I'm not spending a ridiculous amount of money to fly home for Rachel's junior prom which she's probably not even going to but boy do I feel like a bad mom.

No hot water

Deetjen's is a cool funky old place and has the potential to be a fun place to stay. But a contraband dog and no hot water make for a less than optimal exp.

Deetjen's

Tonight, we're at Deetjens', a historic inn in Big Sur, but I had to drive to the Fernwood Grill to poach wi-fi.

Doing it right

We're pondering returning to Yosemite next April with an RV and a stay at the Ahwahnee.

Upper Pines

So we're camping for 2 nites at Upper Pines in Yosemite Valley. But since we were just going to Moab for the night, we're not very well prepared.

Yosemite!?!

Exhausted.

Virginia City and Yosemite aren't that close together. Virginia City and Mariposa, California are even further apart.

Thanks to Ellie (who desperately needed to go out due to fajita leftovers), Steve and I got up early and took a wonderful walk around a very quiet Sunday morning Virginia City. We did a large loop and saw all kinds of wonderful old mining town architecture. We ended up at Cora's Coffee where we visited with a number of the locals.

Finally rolled out of VC around 11 am with plans to go as far as South Lake Tahoe and then figure it out. Did a drive by Lake Tahoe but opted not to stop. As we crossed into California, the friendly agent at the agricultural inspection station suggested the best route to Yosemite. We were going back and forth between Yosemite or San Francisco but with his suggestion, opted to skip the big city.

Beautiful drive through Angel's Camp and Chinese Camp and then on to Yosemite. My first time and Steve's first return in 30 years, especially momentous for him since he lived and worked there for a summer 31 years ago. No way I had any concept how big El Cap and Half Dome are. Due to the recent snows, the waterfalls are raging. We didn't get into the valley until 5:30 pm or so and most everything was closed for the day so after some half hearted attempts to find a camping spot, we opted to drive to El Portal where we got shot down due to the prevalent no pet policy.

Made me wish that we had just tried to sneak her in . . .

Drove on to Mariposa where we found a quite nice haven in the Mariposa Lodge where Ellie is legal. Had pizza delivered and now to bed, hopefully to arise early and make the trek back to Yosemite. We'll be very limited in what we can do due to the National Park Service's policies on dogs in National Parks but we knew that when we ventured out this way.

Just couldn't pass up the opportunity, even if it ends up being little more than a drive through.

Still trying to figure out how long we'll be here, where we're going next and whether I'm driving all the way home or flying home from somewhere between here and there.

Virginia City, Nevada

We didn't get too far today but it was a good decision.

After another late start, we decided to check out Virginia City which is only about 10 miles from Carson City but a world away in terms of vibe. When we arrived, it was a bit touristed out, even though it's technically still off season. But as the day progressed, the day trippers moved on and the city calmed. We opted to spend the night in the new, pet friendly Ramada Inn a block below the main drag and are glad we did.

We hung out at the newly re-opened Red Dog Saloon where they suggested we dine at Cafe Del Rio.

Cafe Del Rio is one of those great finds in a town of questionable dining choices. A few blocks past where the main business district seems to end, it's a jewel of a dining experience. Serving Southwest cuisine, the food was fabulous and the service great. I had the mushroom and spinach enchilada, with savory mushrooms and a roasted tomato sauce that was perfectly balanced. Steve had the skirt steak fajitas which he enjoyed immensely also. Steve and I both felt that it was one of the best meals we've had while traveling.

I would wholeheartedly recommend the place but for the sucker punch at the end of the meal when they present you with the check and a lovely note that if you chose to use a credit card, they will add on a 3% surcharge. Aside from the fact that this violates their merchant agreement with Mastercard and Visa, it's just a crappy little surprise at the end of a meal. I left a note on my credit card slip, expressing my displeasure. As I told the server, it's a shame that such an awesome experience had to end on such a negative note, all over $1.16 (in our case). I made it very clear to her that, as evidenced by the 20+% tip we left, we were very pleased with the food and the service, just quite annoyed with the management. She told me that she hated it too, it was the only place she'd ever served where the owners did so and that not only did they charge the customers the 3% but they also charged the staff 3% on any credit card tips.

My take would be that, as a business, either you take credit cards and suck up the fees or you don't take credit cards. It's a cost of doing business.

After dinner, we headed back to the Red Dog Saloon where we listened to a bit of the Nevada Hazzurds. I then called it a night while Steve stayed out a bit longer to soak up the atmosphere (and a few beers).

Road Trip

Made it from Salina, Utah all the way to Carson City, Nevada today with only a bit of ill humor towards the end of the day. Woke up to snow and rain in Salina but the further west we got, the more glorious the weather became. Traveled through some beautiful country. So glad we didn't stop in Austin which is quite the sh*thole but ended up in Carson City which is reminiscent of Prescott, Arizona. We had a nice dinner at the Firkin and Fox after a stroll through the historic district.

Again, tomorrow, who knows. Hopefully, not as much driving, though.
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Consolation Road Trip

We finally roused ourselves enough to pile in the car with the damn dog and our Hawaiian luggage (so practical). Originally we thought we'd go to Moab for a few days and then maybe on to Vegas but we kinda didn't turn south at 191.

So tonight, we're in the lovely town of Salina, Utah. We had dinner at Mom's cafe which once graced the cover of National Geographic.

Tomorrow, who knows?
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Salvage work

What to do when you cancel your trip but you still have vacation time booked?

Go back to work? Hmmm.

Check other destinations? Cabo or PV, $300 RT from Denver. Possible. (Begs the question: why can I fly to Cabo tomorrow for $300 but it's >$1000 to rebook to Maui?)

Road trip? Never been to Mesa Verde. Las Vegas is within striking distance. A play in Denver? Just get in the car and drive?

Or just spend two days wallowing. Yeah, that's it. (but, in my defense, it turns out that I'm sick too. Same damn virus that's been making the rounds among all my co-workers. I think my closing week parties lowered my normally bomber resistance. Of course, I'd much rather be sick laying on a beach in Maui.)

Wahhhhh.

Cosmic Dissonance or Why I didn’t go to Hawaii

Maybe our first mistake was planning a vacation after two bottles of wine. At the time, it just seemed so spontaneous, so adventurous. We were sitting with our friends from Maui in early March, considering our options for Steve’s upcoming big birthday. The offer of free lodging in Lahaina came up and presto, I was online checking airfares. $579 roundtrip from Aspen to Kahalui, it doesn’t get much better than that. In fact, the only time I’ve seen it lower was just after 9/11 when Steve got a $375 roundtrip ticket.

Logistically, we were squeezing this trip in between two trips that were already planned and I didn’t have the itineraries. So I guessed. I made our return to arrive in Aspen at 1 pm on Thursday, April 30 only to find out that Steve was scheduled to depart Aspen for his 8 day backpacking trip in Utah at 6 am on Thursday, April 30.

Oops.

A quick (? 25 minute hold time) call to United and the original itinerary was refunded and the tickets were rebooked with a return a day earlier. Great. Now Steve had a 17 hour turn-around, at best, assuming our return trip went smoothly.

I only had two weeks after my return from London to regroup and prepare for another absence. 10 days in London, one week to recover, one week to prepare and then 15 days in Hawaii. And one of those two weeks in Aspen was closing week at Highlands. Party Sunday, party Monday, party Wednesday. Not very conducive to nose to the grindstone but somehow I managed. More than managed, I basically worked my butt off for 14 days straight so that everything would be done. And done, it was.

But, this past Tuesday, I received a letter from the high school discussing the logistics for prom. You know, prom. That thing that Rachel’s been planning on attending for weeks, nay, months. That thing that was a focal point of our trip to London, resulting in us importing a unique prom dress from the UK for which I paid pounds at $1.45 to the pound.

Yep, prom. Which is scheduled for April 25. (Please see our return date above.)

So now, all of the sudden, I’m going to miss prom. Who’s going to help her get ready? Who’s going to take pictures? Who’s going to drive her to prom? Who’s going to be the chaperone so she can have her friend spend the night, her friend who likely can’t go to prom if I’m not home so that she can spend the night? And it’s $500 to change our itinerary to come back in time for prom. And even then, we’d only be back in time if there are no travel issues.

Oh, but we’re not done yet. Sunday night I sit down to finally do taxes (one of the myriad tasks on my pre-trip to do list) and, oh shit, we’re not getting a refund. Not only are we not getting a refund but, we owe. A lot.

WTF? I always get a refund. I didn’t really mind the no refund part. I really minded the paying a lot part.

Never mind. Once again, I rally, crunch numbers and get it all figured out. Yes, we can pay Uncle Sam and still go to Hawaii.

Or not.

This morning, as we’re getting ready to walk out the door at 6 am for our 7 am flight, the dog just isn’t right. She’s favoring her left rear leg and basically won’t move. She was fine last night, but this morning, not so much. A huge part of me wants to just put my blinders on, leave for the airport and cross my fingers.

The responsible part of me (ugh) can’t do it. So I call United and try to rebook our tickets for tomorrow. $3000. NFW. Amanda from India does tell me that if we show up to the airport today, saying that we missed our flight, they’d likely rebook us for tomorrow for free. Or we have until midnight to cancel our tickets and have a credit to use with United before next March.

Having bought ourselves some time, we hang out until 8 am when Steve takes Ellie to the vet. They can’t see her then, so he has to go back at 11. Turns out she either has a pinched nerve or a slipped disc and needs to be kept quiet until she’s seen again tomorrow at 2 pm.

So, finally, I admit defeat. It just isn’t going to happen. I called United again and Vidya courteously cancelled my tickets.

Unpacking is going to suck.

Today's PostSecret favorite

On back: "We can survive. Tell everyone you know."
Choosing a favorite was hard today.

Really important off-season information

2009 Spring Restaurant Openings (and Closings)

Aspen Daily News Staff Report

Friday, April 3, 2009

39 Degrees Lounge @ Sky Hotel, Closed 4/13 - 5/22, 925-6760

Asie, Open, 920-9988

Aspen Brewery, Open, 920-2739

Bentley’s, Open, 920-2240

Big Wrap, Closed 4/25 - Open 5/17, 544-1700

Boogie’s Diner, Open, 925-6610

Brexi, Open, 925-2838

Brunelleschi’s Dome Pizza, Open, 544-4644

Buenos Aires Fusion, Closed 4/12 - Opens 6/6, 920-7722

Butcher’s Block, Open, 925-7554

Butch’s Lobster Bar (SM), Snowmass, 923-7311

Cache Cache, Closed 4/12 -, 925-3835

Campo de Fiori, Open, 920-7717

Cantina, Open, 925-3663

Caribou Club, Closed 4/11 - Opens 6/1, 925-2929

Cecily’s, Open, 920-9090

Century Room (Hotel Jerome), Closed 5/2 - Opens 5/22, 920-1000

D-19, Open Wed. - Sat., 925-6019

Dish, Closed 4/12 - Open 5/30, 925-7119

Domino’s, Open, 925-3230

Double Dog Pub, Closed Sundays & Mondays, 925-3459

Elevation, Open *bar only, 544-5166

Elkhorn Bar and Grill, Closed 3/28 - Open 6/?, 925-1500

Explore Bistro, Closed 4/1 - Open 6/1, 925-5338

Frank Thirion French Pastry Café, Open Mon - Fri, 925-3569

Garnish Café, Closed May Open 6/1, 920-5833

Grateful Deli, Open, 925-6647

Gusto Ristorante, Closed - Open 6/4, 925-8222

Hickory House, Closed Monday & Tuesdays, 925-2313

Highlands Pizza Co., Open, 920-3088

Ink Coffee, Open, 544-0588

J Bar @ the Hotel Jerome, Open, 429-7674

Jimmy’s, Open, 925-6020

Johnny McGuire’s Deli, Open, 920-9255

Jour De Fete,Open Monday - Friday breakfast & lunch, 925-5055

Kenichi, Open (Closed on Mondays), 920-2212

Krabloonik, Closed 4/12 (reopen early June), 923-3953

L’Hostaria, Open (Closed Sundays & Mondays), 925-9022

Little Annie’s, Open, 925-1098

Little Nell (Montagna), Closed 4/12 - 5/20, 920-6330

Louis’ Swiss Pastry, Open, 925-8592

Lulu Wilson, Open, 920-1893

Main Street Bakery & Café, Closed 5/1 - 5/10, 925-6446

Matsuhisa, Open: lounge -*downstairs Open Thurs-Sat, 544-6628

Mezzaluna, Open (Closed on Sundays), 925-5882

New York Pizza, Open, 920-3088

Pacifica, Closed 4/11 - 6/1, 920-9775

Paradise Bakery, Open, 925-7585

Parallell 15, Open, 309-6883

Plato’s @ Aspen Meadows, 4/14 - 6/1, 925-4240

Pine Creek Cookhouse, Closed 4/5 - Open 6/19, 925-1044

Pinons, Closed 4/5 - Open 6/15, 920-2021

Poppycocks, Open, 925-1245

Poppies, Open, 925-2333

Red Mountain Grill, Closed, 544-6336

Rustique, Open, 920-2555

Ruth’s Chris Steak House, Open, 925-1167

Sabra’s Deli, Closed 1 week mid-April, 920-3489

Sage, Snowmass, 923-0923

Social, Open upstairs Closed Sun - Mon, 925-7900

Specialty Foods of Aspen, Open 7 days incl. Sun 11AM - 4PM, 544-6656

Starbucks, Open, 544-6830

Steak Pit, Closed 4/18 - 5/8, 925-3459

The Restaurant @ the St. Regis, Open *formerly Olive’s, 920-3300

Su Casa, Closed 5/3 - 5/19, 920-1488

Syzygy, Closed, 925-3700

Tang, Open, 544-9888

Taqueria Sayulita, Open, 920-0066

Takah Sushi, Closed 4/12 - Open 5/28, 925-8588

Taster’s, Open 4/1, 925-1952

Tavern @ the Little Nell, Open, 920-6334

Toppers, Open, 920-0069

Victoria’s Espresso & Wine Bar, Open, 920-3001

Wienerstube, Open, 925-3357

Wild Fig, Open, 925-5160

Willow Creek Bistro, Closed 4/5 - Open 5/20, 429-2327

The Wine Spot, Closed 4/12 - mid June, 920-9463

Woody Creek Tavern, Open, 923-4585

World Link Café, Open, 544-0001

Zane’s Tavern, Closed 4/14 - Open 5/1, 544-9263

Zele Coffee, Closed April 12 for good, 925-5745

ZG Grill, Closed 4/5 - June, 920-9449

Zocalito, Open, 920-1991

Courtesy of Aspen Chamber Resort Association; dates and times are subject to change

This week's PostSecret favorite