Day 7.077: Mission accomplished

I left work at noon, ate my packed lunch on the road and only stopped to fill up the car in order to be home in time to set up the Xbox so that Exile #3 and her friends could dance. 

They are gathered for a sorry-you're-leaving party and are currently watching a movie. Various parents will be picking them up over the next hour or so.  I think they've had a good time.

Tomorrow is E5N1's turn - although he has another excuse for a party too.

Day 7.065: CT & run (for ME)

So this was my day: I woke up at 8-ish realising that drinking about 3 times my normal blow-out night of two beers and going to bed two hours later than my normal up-late time of 10 pm was not going to pass unnoticed. Actually I was fine, once I was up and about - what a lightweight I've become!

I had a shower and went to breakfast where I was lucky enough to chat to some people who I thought had driven home last night without my having much chance to catch up with them.

After that I hit the road. Two stops - one for a quick Facetime chat with my parents and the other for a very slow and still only OK lunch at Friendly's (I know! I know! but I'm a hopeful kind of guy).

I made it back just before 4 pm in time to hit the road again - this time for my longest run of the week (only 14 miles because it's a cutback week).

Then I Skyped the family, got a bit chilled, warmed up in the shower and then watched Nebraska since Exile #2 had rented and watched it last night. It's rather good.

Anyway, back to normal tomorrow. But it was all more than worth it thanks to, you know, this:

Day 7.058: One person ruffle

I remember seeing a film where a wife or girlfriend returned from a trip to see the bed and conclude that it was too messy for it to have been made that way by her other half alone. If I recall correctly, she described it as a "two person ruffle". I can't remember if she was right, but let me tell you I can make a bed pretty messy on my own.

Day 7.001: Happy Birthday (NY)

What could be more appropriate than combining the anniversary of our first day as residents of the US with the anniversary of my birth (observed).

Yes it was birthday part 2 today. It included presents and cards, cleaning and tidying and leaving the house for a viewing, Doctor Who cupcakes, The Hobbit part 2 (without E5N1) and lots of hugs.

And so begins the eighth year of the Exile.

Day 6.343: Destroy the Death Star!

A moment from last weekend - E5N1's X-wing. He flew that for a while and then he started pulling the dining chairs out.

"What are you doing?"

"It's the Death Star!"

Of course it is!

Day 6.319: of The Doctor, The (3D)

On Saturday, after my visit to the beach, I was in need of a late lunch, so I drove to Brunswick (as you do) and fell on my feet when I wandered into The Little Dog Coffee Shop.  They were running low on lunch things but they had the makings of this fantastic salad - just what the doctor ordered.

Talking of The Doctor, I was back in Brunswick this evening with a whole lot of other people (at least three screens' worth) - some of whom were wearing fezzes and stripy scarves and bow ties.  Whovians one and all to see The Day of The Doctor.

My showing was in 3D and very excellent it was too - with a very nice making-of documentary to follow with an appearance by one more former Doctor!

Day 6.303: Geeking out at The Maine Mall

We had a busy day - getting to know various parts of the area - including - though we hardly ever visit one near home - the mall.

We happened upon these three gentlemen:

who we assume were attending Coast City Comicon - we didn't check with them, but they did pose very happily for me in their excellent costumes complete with proton packs with lots of details and flashing lights.

A little later, these two posed for me too...

in a shop full of geeky goodies and many graphic tees.

Day 6.296: Katniss by Exile #4

Sometimes, when I upload the pictures from a camera, I find some that I neither took nor knew about. This was the case on the night of Halloween, when - along with the kids and candy photos, I found these:

If you want an explanation, you'll need to ask Exile #4 (at least I know it was her!) - because I've got nothing!

Day 6.155: The karate kid (and Mr Mymonki)

One of Exile #4's birthday presents was an introduction to karate. She's quite keen.

The hand-art is not karate war paint, but was left over from school field-day which happened earlier.

Paint on....wash off.

Day 6.078: Now that's a movie!

I was surprised to see that the car next to mine on my train journey up to Seoul as I was preparing to leave Korea had the following sign on the door:

The sign made it clear I shouldn't open the door, so I didn't.  Surely it couldn't really be a cinema?

Apparently, yes it was!

Day 6.044: Family movie? As you wish!

Here's my shocking confession: until yesterday/today I'd never seen The Princess Bride.

You're all shocked. Of course some of you are shocked by the fact of the confession and the rest of you by the fact that I thought it was shocking!  I don't think I was even aware of it until the last few years.

Anyway, although it is a hugely popular family movie and also a big hit in the world of geeks but it took our running out of Doctor Who episodes to get us around to watching it.

We loved it. We started it last night and ended up watching the second half between eating breakfast and getting dressed this morning because none of us wanted to wait!




PS Having written this, I've just seen that it's on in Albany at The Palace Theatre this Monday evening!

Day 5.354: An unexpected visit

E5N1 was not unexpected when we dropped him off with friends for a few hours in the middle of the day.  We are very grateful that they were willing to have him over.

Our visit to the mall with the girls was not unexpected - we weren't shopping, we went to see The Hobbit movie in High Frame Rate 3D. For the record: I liked the film, mixed feelings about the HFR and I hate that I didn't love the HFR because the nonsense that low frame rates look 'better', 'more lifelike', 'less like TV' or whatever should be just that - nonsense.

The arrival of a snow storm while we were watching the movie was not unexpected - although it was on the heavier end of what we'd expected and it did make the drive to pick up E5N1 and get us all home more interesting than we might have chosen.

No, the unexpected visit came while I was shovelling the driveway after our safe arrival home.

A car came down the street, veered (slipped) onto the wrong side of the road and kept going finally side-swiping our snow bank at the end of the driveway and then driving on (back on the right side of the road).

Here's the evidence:

It came from the right.  All that snow in the road is the result of the knocked-down snow pile and you can see the tracks going back onto the correct (far) side of the road afterwards.

A good reminder to keep the kids away from the snow banks (and to take care if I ever get back on the roads to run again this winter!).

Day 5.308: Brave, bowling and bleugh!

The kids persuaded me to take them to school for family movie night tonight. I was not keen, but in the end decided that taking them would be less effort than staying in with them (Exile #2 was at a meeting) especially if they were going to be grumpy because I didn't take them!

On a brighter note, this is what E5N1 was doing while we walked at Normans Kill West Preserve on Sunday:

As for me, I've got a sore throat, extreme tiredness and a grumpy attitude of my own so I'm signing off and hoping for the best but fearing worse for tomorrow.

Day 5.296: So good I bought it twice, twice!

A few months ago, information about a film adaptation of Cloud Atlas started showing up on my facebook feed.  I guess I'd listed it as a book I liked and that at some point turned into a 'like' of a 'page' about the book...etc.

Anyway.  I liked the look of the ideas in the film and decided I needed to re-read the novel.  I couldn't find it.  The library was back-ordered to the nth degree, so I decided I had to buy another copy.  This is it - it has a plug for the movie (but thankfully the original cover art).  I thoroughly enjoyed it the second time around.  It suffered from my "I want to know what happens" first-pass reading style - it's a book that needs to be loved page by page, not rushed through to get to the resolution.  It's the first time I ever bought a novel twice (I often have to read them twice - thanks to that reading style I mentioned).  I'm not sorry I did.

Today, Exile #2 and I went to see the film. I'd actually already seen it - on Monday when our plans to go together were disrupted by the school-closing, but I really wanted to share it with her and have someone to discuss it with.

I loved the film.  It takes some liberties with the stories - above and beyond the necessary removal of subplots and secondary characters - but they don't change the feel of the six worlds (three historic, one contemporary and two futuristic) that Mitchell created in the book. It's a refreshingly un-Hollywood-ish adaptation despite the blockbuster cast.  The conceit of using the same actors in multiple roles across the story nearly as often distracts from the action as it adds to it but, just like the hints at self-awareness in the book, this doesn't prevent the emotional impact being felt as each story comes to its climax.

And yes it's the first time I've seen a film in the cinema twice since - wow I have no idea - maybe ever!

Day 5.295: Harry Potter and the Mountain of Candy

This evening, with the weather being kind, we once again took to the streets armed with flashlights, cute costumes and bags to carry candy. Well in my case only one of the three - I was just an enabler.

The kids, dressed once again as Harry Potter, Hermione Granger and Ginny Weasley,  braved some fairly scary sights:

But it seemed to be worth it!

Oh my goodness - that's about a year's supply!

Day 5.290: Which witch?

It was the school Halloween party this evening.  An event we've missed the last couple of years.  Here are the three of them ready to go as their favourite Harry Potter characters.

The party comprises a bake-sale, a disco, some craft activities and the main-event an impressive haunted house (well, more haunted hallway - but it's unrecognisable even to those of us who have often walked along it.)

As a 5th Grader, Exile #3 did a shift inside the 'house' scaring the younger kids.  These are Exile #4's photos inside:

Exile #2 did a long shift supervising a craft table and I trailed around after E5N1 most of the evening.  Not our best ever night out perhaps, but the kids all seemed to have a lot of fun.

Day 5.183: Rocket, nonsense!

Apparently, I missed a day of science experiments today. Here is one of them:



After work, I did manage to join in with a family trip to the movies. As you can see it was difficult for me to find the others when I arrived:

In fact, several other groups came in so it wasn't quite a private viewing. We saw Madagascar 3 which is complete nonsense, but thoroughly enjoyable.

This is the effect it had on E5N1:



...so we'll call it a success I think.

Day 5.157: Sleep!?

Exile #3 is celebrating her birthday a few days early. Five of her friends came over for a movie and a cupcake this evening. Two are staying until tomorrow morning.

They may not be planning on sleeping too much between now and then, but I certainly am!

Day 5.140: Some overdue Whedon

Exile #2 and I had an evening out thanks to her parents.  We started it off with a trip to the cinema to see The Avengers.  As I mentioned, we have been on a bit of a Joss Whedon adventure recently and so we were expecting good things when we went to see his latest project.

It was every bit as good as we hoped - funny, dramatic, full of action, scary, not too serious... it was comic books and Joss Whedon shaken together with some Holywood magic (including Scarlett Johansson in a catsuit).  Great stuff.

Afterwards, we had a quick meal at P.F. Changs where we discovered some new items on the GF menu including the fried rice (pictured).  An excellent evening all round.

Day 5.122: Ancient history

Sometimes I just don't get round to posting things. Sometimes I find those things a long time after the event and occasionally I decide to post them then.

This is one of those times.

These pictures are from a short hike in Thacher State Park nearly two weeks ago.

Pictured:

1. Walking the trail still in need of coats.
2. Overlooking the overlook
3. A trillium that Exile #2 was excited to spot (I was excited too - I thought she'd spotted a Trillian)
4. The stick that E5N1 used for pooh sticks that managed to go upstream instead of under the bridge.
5. Exile #4 and E5N1 playing on the beach.