movie minute

Funeral Fun: What do you get when you mix together an uptight British family, a funeral, a shocking secret involving a midget and a drug that is most definitely not valium? You get this ridiculously funny movie about just how far people will go to protect the memory of the departed. Death At A Funeral (R) comes along as the summer blockbuster season putters to a close. The film starts out with an upsetting but surprisingly funny faux pas involving the wrong body being delivered for a funeral. Matthew Macfadyen (Mr. Darcy from the hit movie Pride & Prejudice) plays Daniel, the less successful and more stressed out son of the deceased. As Daniel's family gathers for the somber occasion, Daniel discovers something upsetting about his father and tries, at all costs, to stop the secret from getting out and making sure his father has the most dignified and moving funeral possible. The funeral is definitely moving; dignified is quite a different story.

This film features some very funny cast members. I must point out the standout performance of Alan Tudyk (Knocked Up) who plays Simon, the first person to be affected by the drug. Tudyk's performance is practically a movie unto itself; one that offers the elastic faced actor to offer up most of the movies hysterical moments. The film also features the usually quite arresting Peter Dinklage (The Station Agent) and while he does do his best in the role of Peter, the midget with money on his mind, he does seem out of his element and not just because of the different accents floating around him.

This film just gets more and more absurdly funny as it plows along toward the inevitable conclusion of the delivery of the eulogy; how it gets there is all the fun and one would have to be in a coma to not have at least a few guffaws. Just be warned there are a couple of gross out gags (thankfully those do not include upchucking, however, one does include something worse). The film's only weak point is the storyline between smitten and lurking Justin (played by Ewen Bremner) and Martha (played by Daisy Donovan).

Maven muppet director Frank Oz offers up an alternative to those blue over all the summer sequels; a late summer gem and hopefully a sleeper hit that the grown-up crowd will enjoy.

Bags of popcorn (out of 5): 3.75

paul

Gonzo, Gonzo, Gone

Gonzogate is finally over. U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, whose tenure was marred by controversy over political firings and perjuring himself in front of Congress, finally offered his resignation today. This comes just a couple of weeks after Karl Rove (Bush's "Brain") stepped down and that was followed by the replacement of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.

Bye, Bye, Berto.


paul

weekly post from August 24, 2007

Hello friends & loved ones,

Another week and one more day closer to September and fall. I won't remind you what comes after that. How is it that summer is near the end already? How is it possible that we are so close to starting a new decade? Where in the heck does the time go?

I don't know how your week went but my week was not the best one; in fact the whole second part of July and first part of August was not the best for me. I had something this past week and it wasn't pretty. Yes, I spent the better part of the week praying to the porcelain God. For me, it was the first time in 11 1/2 years. The last time that happened was February of 1996; shortly after my birthday. Although my birthday had nothing to do with me getting sick.

It got me thinking, though, just how many movies there are in which a character gets sick; and how many there are in which we as the viewer have to actually see it. I reviewed a movie on my blog last week in which the "sick" device was used multiple times. From now on I'm going to keep a running tally on my blog of movies I see in which a character gets sick and whether or not it happens off-screen or onscreen. I really think that when it comes to losing one's cookies, the less seen the better.

Until next week: Stay safe, stay happy, and STAY HEALTHY.

love,

paul

How do you like to say it?

Check out this link to colorfully describe how one gets sick.

http://surveycentral.org/survey/20303.html

movies and more movies

Ahhhhhh, fall. The colorful foliage, the crisp air, the apples, the battening down of the hatches for the season to follow, ahhhhhh. Oh, and, of course, spending hours upon hours in a darkened room in front of a big screen. Yes, it's that time of year when the studios march out the serious films that aim to please the intellectuals and those who are soooooooo tired of the damn sequels. Enough already. Now, we have Shrek 4 and 5 and Spider-Man 4 to look forward to in the coming years not to mention the last two Harry Potter films. Oy, vey!!!!

Well for me fall and winter is a time to see all of the films that will eventually be vying for the little gold men. It's an exciting time for me as I pride myself on seeing ALL of the major nominees. The better to offer my humble opinion on who REALLY SHOULD be winning those men. So, without further ado and before the multiple critics and awards groups weigh in on their winners (hello Boston, hello, NY, hello LA!!!!), I will list the movies coming out in the next four months that I'm most looking forward to. I'll also offer a few early predictions on who will score a nomination for the big O.

I hope you enjoy the list as much as I've enjoyed putting it together.

Rendition-Blond funny girl Reese Witherspoon in a drop dead serious role? Yes, with Oscar winners Alan Arkin and Meryl Streep thrown in for good measure.

The Kingdom-Sydney Bristow (Alias) and Ray Charles impersonator together???? With hunkier as the years go by Jason Bateman???? Yes, it's true and it's also got a great director and is just one of MANY films this fall to deal with the quagmire in the Middle East.

The Brave One-Yes, we know Jodie Foster can act tough but what happens when she goes on a crime spree????? Hmmm, let's start jotting down ideas now as she goes face to face with cop Terrence Howard (not to mention some unlucky thugs).

Into The Wild-I read the book twice (only one of a literal handful of books I've read more than once) and this will either be a serious Oscar contender or a disappointing adaptation of a beloved book (remember, Memoirs Of A Geisha? Unfortunately, I still do.). Sean Penn has proven before how superb he is as a director; don't let us down Pennie.

Michael Clayton-Oscar winner and perennial hottie George Clooney and Oscar nominee Tom Wilkinson in a "layered" thriller set in a Manhattan law firm. I recently saw the trailer and was quite intrigued. Let's hope there's plenty more where that came from.

Grace Is Gone-Another movie that deals with the tragedy in Iraq. This one has a somber and unfunny John Cusack (who's had Oscar buzz surrounding him since this movie premiered at the festivals) as a widower whose wife was killed in Iraq and must now figure out how to tell his daughters.

Dan In Real Life-Steve Carell could read the phone book and I'd probably pee myself laughing. Perennial beauty and Oscar winner Juliette Binoche plays a woman who is dating the brother of Carell's character but he wants Binoche for himself.

Enchanted-I recently saw the trailer for this movie as well and it does put a little spin on all of those fairy tales. A prince and princess go from technicolor animation to real-life NYC. Throw in a little McDreamy (yes, from Grey's Anatomy) and you've got the makings of a hopefully very clever film with some great fish out of water gags. Thankfully it was changed from a Chicago setting with the princess being mistaken for a stripper. And, yes, it's a film with the terrific Oscar nominee Amy Adams......ahhhhhhh.

The Kite Runner-Just had the pleasure of reading this book earlier this year. Wonderful story and portrayal of 1970's Afghanistan. A tale of two friends who are torn apart by fear and silence. Again, either it will really work or have the book lovers hurling vitriolic stones.

Lions For Lambs-Ok, I'm not into this movie because of Tom Cruise at all. It is an interesting pairing of Cruise and Streep (who COULD get her 15th Oscar nod). Throw in Redford as a director and you've got the makings of a potential several category sweep when it comes to the nominations.

I Am Legend-This reads and feels like a movie one would see in the middle of the summer. Will Smith as the only "living" thing on earth after a plague wipes out most of humanity. The word is that there is hardly any dialogue at all in the first hour; just Smith and his trusty German shepherd. Kudos to the filmmakers for filming this in NYC and making it look like a true ghost town.

Leatherheads-The film's premise doesn't sound that interesting to me but the cast very much does. John Krasinski (American version of The Office), Renee Zellweger, and George Clooney. Directed by Clooney as well.

National Treasure:Book Of Secrets-I know, I know, it's a remake of 2004 popcorn adventure thriller. Why do I want to see it? Not because of Cage who is back as treasure hunter Ben Gates but because of the so-prim-and-proper-it hurts Helen Mirren who plays his mother. I just want to see her letting her hair down and shedding that corset.

Atonement-Another adaptation from another beloved book.

Some predictions for Oscar nods come January.

Marion Cotillard-La Vie En Rose (sure bet) ****
Julie Christie-Away From Her (sure bet) ****
Reese Witherspoon-Rendition
Jodie Foster-The Brave One
Jason Bateman-The Kingdom
Evan Rachel Wood-Across The Universe (sure bet) ****
Clive Owen-Elizabeth:The Golden Age
Tom Wilkinson-Michael Clayton
John Cusack-Grace Is Gone (sure bet) *****
Javier Bardem-No Country For Old Men
Meryl Streep-Lions For Lambs
Laura Linney-The Savages (sure bet) *****

Films

The Golden Compass
Lions For Lambs
The Kite Runner
Into The Wild

Run, Beckham, Run

I guess scientists didn't have anything better to do this week so they decided to calculate just which animal does run faster.

The scientists calculated the top speeds of five meat-eating dinosaurs and using the muscular and skeletal information of these animals, here's what they came up with:

Velociraptor: 24 mph
T-Rex: 18 mph
Compsognathus: 40 mph
Ostrich (fastest living thing on 2 legs): 35 mph
Speed of a top human sprinter: 25 mph

This means that if the T-Rex were actually after David Beckham he might be in some serious trouble. Posh, you might want to cover your eyes!!!!

paul

weekly post from August 19, 2007

Hello my friends & loved ones,

I was at a bar several weeks back and made a fool of myself. How? Well, I had had one too many glasses of white zin and started making a scene with someone at the bar. It was foolish, idiotic, and totally not who I usually am. Thankfully I haven't found myself starring in a video on youtube.

Youtube is my favorite site; I can spend hours watching videos on that site. It's somewhat addicting. People put anything and everything up there. Very few clips are truly funny but most of them are head shakers. What the hell was that person thinking, anyway? Oh, wait, they weren't. Kind of like my scene in the bar.

We live in an age where just about every phone you see comes equipped with a camera. Many people don't even think twice about taking pictures, even if YOU might be in it. And watch out if there's a fight or someone committing a crime or a highway accident or a bridge collapsing (see the clip someone took of the bridge in Minnesota collapsing). It gives new meaning to the phrase, "Smile, you're on candid camera." It's hard to know who's around with a camera. I offer this to you as someone who is thinking their lucky stars that, so far, I haven't seen a clip of me at my "best" in a gay bar making one hell of a scene.

I was inspired to write about this topic by a story I saw on Keith Olbermann's show this week. Yes, I've often talked about "my" Keith. I'd meet him in a heartbeat. His sense of humor is very similar to mine and he's entertaining and he reports the news.

So, to repeat an oft heard phrase from the 80's show Hill Street Blues, 'Let's be careful out there.'
Stay safe, stay happy, and stay healthy.

love,

paul

my next Everest

I think Josh Groban has a fabulous voice; so rich and melodic. I've sung a couple of his songs in church and the next one I'm going to tackle is the song in the clip below. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

paul


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ls7ila3srzI

Turn it up, August

Who says there's nothing good on the radio? Not me. Here's a few songs I'm currently enjoying and one that I could stand to NEVER EVER hear again.

"Thnks Fr Th Mmrs" (or thanks for the memories if the vowels are included) by Fall Out Boy who happen to be one of the best groups of the late kk00's (that's double k, double 00 or the 2000's). Bonus points: The lead singer of the group sports an androgynous look and the lyrics sound giddily gay.

"Teenagers" by My Chemical Romance (another great group of the late kk00's).

"4 In The Morning" by Gwen Stefani

"Summer Love" by Justin Timberlake, however, is a song I'd be fine with never hearing for the rest of my life.

peace,

paul

movie minute

The IN crowd: Yes, it's the third remake of a 1956 film about aliens from another planet who take over everyday human beings and make them stolid, automated persons. One of the ultimate non-conformity-is-dangerous-to-your-health movies returns in the form of The Invasion starring a radiant Nicole Kidman and a somnambulant Daniel Craig (yes, Mr. I'm-the-new-James-Bond).

If you've seen the 1956 film or the 1978 remake or even the crappy 1993 remake of a remake (Body Snatchers), then you know the basic plot of the film. A meteor hits the earth and the material is contaminated with a foreign substance that gets into a human host and turns that human into a less interesting and less expressive form of their former self. It's very similar to The Stepford Wives (another movie that suffered an inferior remake) except the trouble comes from another planet instead of our own planet.

Nicole Kidman plays Carol Bennell (yes, this time she's a female; the males were played by Kevin McCarthy in 56 and Donald Sutherland in 78) who discovers that something is not right with one of her patients and takes a sample of the alien substance to her lover, Daniel Craig, to investigate.

The film continues as more and more people are infected, or turned, many times forcefully and by a mob, until it seems that Nicole Kidman and her son are the only two on the planet not infected. The film is very timely with the recent outbreaks of SARS, the birdflu virus, smallpox in the midwest and the looming threat of biological warfare, however, the ending is too pat; too easy; too predictable. And there's not even a twist ending like there is in the '78 version. There is one gruesome scene in which two people off themselves in order for the turned people to see who reacts with shock so that they too can be turned.

The casting of this film is interesting; Nicole Kidman seems to work as she gives it her all but Craig is sadly miscast. Tony, Golden Globe, Emmy winner and Broadway star Jeffrey Wright, however, who plays scientist Dr. Stephen Galeano, gives his performance his all and it would have been just fine if HE had been Kidman's male lead star instead of Craig. But then poor Nic would have had to kiss a black guy.

The only two things this film has going for it are its timeliness and Kidman and Wright although his role is sadly too small. One other caveat; for those of you who are squeamish, the way in which the body snatchers turn the uninfected is truly gross. Don't say I didn't warn you.

It's not a surprising invasion but it does cause some fear in the fact that what happens if a virus that cannot be contained does knock on our door.

Bags of popcorn (out of 5): 2.5
Timeliness Factor: 5

A new superhero in NYC

Check out these clips of Jimmy Justice, recently featured on Countdown With Keith Olbermann, as he busts the people who bust you. According to James Huntley, the NYC traffic enforcement union president, the rules allow officers to sometimes park where others cannot. He also says, "I'm like really upset that he's doing this because now he's causing the NYC members to get embarrassed, they have to go home, they live in the city neighborhoods, um, and they haven't done anything wrong." However, former NYC Transportation Commissioner, Sam Schwartz, says that "besides the cursing, yelling, and name calling, Jimmy Justice has every right." YOU be the judge.


Enjoy,

Paul

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3CEFAifA1vY&NR=1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=052S1yg-zR0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJJw9fSM0es&NR=1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CELZSD1ijWE&NR=1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0rSqX-elZY&mode=related&search=

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jf-tcjc87hw&NR=1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DytIyFgtvKI&mode=related&search=

another video

Here are the four Presidents that make up Mount Rushmore in S.D. speaking about Bush, our current President. All of the comments that Bush makes are ones he actually said in real life.

Enjoy,

paul

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pw2UQziI4aY&mode=related&search=

youtube video

I was not offended by this video. I would be offended if the gay guy who offended the waiter was at my table. The whole world doesn't need to know one's sexual orientation. I do want to know, however, why the waiter or the manager didn't tell the guy at the table to keep it down or they will have to leave. Just a thought.

Enjoy the video,

paul

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MgD_ZOZOyrk&feature=dir

movie minute with a clip

Bourne one more time: If you haven't seen the first two movies, The Bourne Identity and The Bourne Supermacy then get thee to a video store stat. Or not. You can actually catch the third movie, The Bourne Ultimatum, without having seen the first two movies but if you want to know exactly how Jason Bourne (played by Matt Damon) got to where he is now, you might want to check out the first two. You'll enjoy the first and may not like the second but the third time is definitely the charm.

Bourne has been trying to find out who he was and what happened to him and how he became a killing machine. It involves a cover-up (naturally) of epic proportions with a secret CIA building in NYC (huh?) and lots of assassins. The film's "regulars" are also back. Julia Stiles, Joan Allen, Scott Glenn and David Strathairn joins the cast as a seedy CIA agent bent on taking out Bourne once and for all and anyone else who gets in his way.

When a journalist for the Guardian discovers crucial information about Jason Bourne he publishes it and Bourne makes a beeline for the journalist. Paddy Considine, a wonderful actor, plays the journalist whom Bourne must protect.

The film boasts such locations as Berlin, Madrid, Morocco, England, Paris, and, of course, NYC. It also features some great cat and mouse scenes with a "you are there" look to the film. Paul Greengrass, director of last year's best film, United 93 (in my opinion), directs this film as well. He gives it an urgency and intensity that has not been matched this summer.

The film really does speed by and there are very very few flat moments. So for a good time call Bourne at your local multiplex. And check out the spoof of the film from youtube. The link is included below.

Bags of popcorn (out of 5): 4.25


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qA1tM4lIjIU

Some terrific pics for Tuesday

This guy, Henri Ayala, a Colombian with the Zippo Circus, shows off his balancing skills. Yes, he's actually standing on a chair on a high wire. I'm guessing there is a huge net below him to catch his possible fall. Now that's is truly incredible!!! Photo from BBC News.

paul

A car caught between, not a rock and a hard place but a wall and a handrail in Central Moscow. According to witnesses the driver walked away unscathed. Photo from BBC News.

paul

This lego man appeared on Zandvoort beach in Holland. It's huge. It's either trick photography or someone's idea for the next summer blockbuster: Attack of the Legos: The Building Is Over.

Photo was found on BBC News.

paul

more cool clips

I really like clever magic and these clips are really neat.

Enjoy,

paul

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNSnSbH05qo&NR=1


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XW3kpAbcwn4&NR=1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ibtk5PxDDtQ&NR=1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZvipCNfMUz8&NR=1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VK8GkVm4G10&mode=related&search=
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ET_MKohV0xU&mode=related&search=

Commercials can be cool

Here are a few links to some entertaining commercials from youtube. Most of them are from other countries. There are also some other neat clips.

Enjoy,

paul

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vvTU0rlhBVw&mode=related&search=

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FSOr3KfPc3A&NR=1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Yw7oX5CXhk&mode=related&search=

weekly post from August 3, 2007

Hello friends & loved ones,

It's a hot one today and has been all week. So far today it's gotten up to 97 degrees. I pray you are staying cool.

Jim and I recently watched Jay Bakker's reality show, "One Punk Under God." It was broadcast on the Sundance channel last fall and after watching it I developed a new respect for him. I think I got more out of it than Jim did. I was also fortunate enough to get to shake his hand and have my picture taken with him (twice) at conference in Arizona. I felt like a little schoolgirl with the famous quarterback. The first time I stood in line for my picture with him, instead of hitting the take picture button Jim hit the power button. So I waited in line again and this time the picture was definitely taken. I am so proud of him for the work he is doing with GLBT people.

I recently went out to a local bar a couple of times and both times I handed people one of my deacon cards; a Jay Bakker in the making or just coincidence? Only time will tell.

One other thing that touched me this week was the reemergence of Paul Potts (not PolPot as Jim commented). My friend Dougie sent me his cd in the mail after I had forgotten about him. Paul who? Paul Potts, the guy who earlier this summer simply wowed the judges on Britain's version of America's Got Talent by singing Nessun Dorma. I've included the link below; watch the whole thing. The best part of it, aside from the singing, is the look on crabby Simon Cowell's face. I remember watching it for the first time and both Jim and I thought for sure that he was lip synching. I even poked around online to watch other clips of other tenors singing the same song to see if it sounded the exact same or not. This guy, who worked as a cell phone saleperson, came out of nowhere. He took a chance on national telly and sang his heart out; his passion, his dream. I've often talked about following dreams and passions and taking risks and look where it got this guy.

In other news, today we had to put our 12 1/2 year old Golden Retriever to sleep. He seemed to have really good days and then he would decline again. Of course once we called the vet to come, Brewster, appeared more alert and perky than he had in 6 weeks. I had no idea it would affect me the way it has; I feel empty and like I'm missing a part of my body. Never one who was a dog person, Brewster was so loyal and so loving that I will definitely miss him.

Please pray for each other as I pray for each of you. Remember to stay safe, stay healthy, and stay happy. And for something feel good watch the link at the bottom.

love,

paul

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1k08yxu57NA

Passing of our pal

We had to put our beloved Golden Retriever, Brewster, down today. For the past 6 weeks he's been getting thinner and thinner and eating less and less. When the vet came today he said that Brew looks like a cancer patient; we had thought that's what it was. We didn't want to put a 12 1/2 year old dog through that so we thought it best to let him go. There's no telling how long he would have kept up and suffering more and more.

Here is Brewster with our 23lb (yes, 23lbs!) cat Perry. They were both the same color and sometimes if Perry was sleeping right up against Brewster it was hard to tell he was there.

Who will look at me intently while I'm eating my dinner? Who will drool on the floor when I feed him a cookie or snack? Who will whine from downstairs that he wants to come up if Jim and I are napping and he's still downstairs? He would have to be prompted to come up, he wouldn't do it on his own. Who will run off down to the creek if I'm outside with him and turn my back for a second? Who will find the grossest carcass and sniff at it and lick it and eat it? No, it won't be my spouse Jim. I'm going to miss that wonderful dog.

paul

movie minute

Hair Galore: First things first: Let's get the original Hairspray, directed in 1988 by John Waters, out of the way. The film is not so much a musical as it is a movie with sometimes too long scenes showing characters dancing. It's 1962 Baltimore and desegregation is one of the main themes. Most notably desegregating the popular Corny Collins tv show. This is a show whiter than snow and "shake my groove thang" Tracy Turnblad is just the one to get the show colorized. There's something else going on in the film as well and that is being comfortable enough in one's own skin to get on national tv to shake it like a tailfeather. In today's "everyone wants their 15 minutes" culture, it's a timely theme. The original sags a lot and doesn't have verve or fun.

Fast forward 14 years later and the film becomes a Broadway musical. The 2007 film of Hairspray is based on the original and the musical. This time around instead of Ricki Lake, newcomer Nikki Blonsky takes on Tracy's toe tapping and hip hopping. Whereas Lake's Tracy was pushy and too competitive; Blonsky is perky and determined to win without resorting to petulance or arrogance.

John Travolta fills Devine's shoes as Edna Turnblad and I have to tell you I never thought that Travolta would make such an appealing and cheek pinchable woman. Whereas Devine's Edna was harsh and unpleasant; Travolta's is a waif of a housewife with only good intentions.

The film is pure fun much like last year's High School Musical in which one of that movie's stars appears in this film as Link Larkin. The numbers with the exception of two are full of pizzazz and energy. There are some leftovers in this film from the original: Jerry Stiller who played the father in the original plays Mr. Pinky in this version; Ricki Lake plays a talent scout near the end; and John Waters plays a flasher. One other thing very worth noting is one of my favorite young actresses Amanda Bynes. Bynes plays the best friend of Tracy, Penny Pingleton and Bynes's winsome face and facial expressions are a delight. She should have a great career ahead of her.

Hairspray is full of fun and finger snapping and although the ending does differ from the original it does make sense especially in today's atmosphere of total inclusion. This is a film amid the string of summer sequels worth seeing more than once.

Bags of popcorn: (out of 5) 3.75

paul

Hump Day Humor

All Time Dumbest Questions Asked By Banff Park Tourists

Yes, they're ALL TRUE as heard at the information kiosks manned by ParksCanada staff!

1. How do the elk know they're supposed to cross at the "Elk Crossing"signs?

2. At what elevation does an elk become a moose?

3. Tourist: "How do you pronounce 'Elk'?"
Park Information Staff: "'Elk.'"
Tourist: "Oh."

4. Are the bears with collars tame?

5. Is there anywhere I can see the bears pose?

6. Is it okay to keep an open bag of bacon on the picnic table, or should Istore it in my tent?

7. Where can I find Alpine Flamingos?

8. I saw an animal on the way to Banff today -- could you tell me what itwas?

9. Are there birds in Canada?

10. Did I miss the turnoff for Canada?

11. Where does Alberta end and Canada begin?

12. Do you have a map of the State of Jasper?

13. Is this the part of Canada that speaks French, or is that Saskatchewan?

14. If I go to B.C., do I have to go through Ontario?

15. Which is the way to the Columbia Rice fields?

16. How far is Banff from Canada?

17. What's the best way to see Canada in a day?

18. Do they search you at the B.C. border?

19. When we enter B.C., do we have to convert our money to British pounds?

20. Where can I buy a raccoon hat? ALL Canadians own one, don't they?

21. Are there phones in Banff?

22. So it's eight kilometers away... is that in miles?

23. We're on the decibel system, you know.

24. Where can I get my husband really, REALLY, lost??

25. Is that two kilometers by foot or by car?

26. Don't you Canadians know anything?

27. Where do you put the animals at night?

28. Tourist: "How do you get your lakes so blue?"
Park staff: "We take the water out in the winter and paint the bottom."
Tourist: "Oh!"

paul

Here are some pics from our amazing vacation in Arizona. Enjoy.

This first pic is a photo of Jim and his friend (and now my friend) Florin who lives in Bucharest. Hopefully Jim and I will be able to go to Romania next year to visit him. Florin is an activist of GLBT people (and the pastor of the church) in Bucharest. He takes a risk everyday as people are much more conservative and closed-minded there.

A photo of me next to a cactus outside of our room at the resort. I was pretending that I had touched it and I had hurt my finger. I'm not a ham or anything.

A photo of Jim feeding the ducks at the resort. This is how we started every morning; going out and feeding them. They would see us from the other side of the pond and then hop in the water and swim over as fast as they could. Sometimes they'd even hop up onto the grass. It was a lot of fun. I didn't get a chance to feed the sparrows which ran rampant by the outside bar at the resort. Jim tried to feed the sparrows one morning and the woman behind the bar told him not to. I was going to sit where no one could see me but I never got a chance; too busy.

A photo of my feet after the first day in Phoenix, AZ. I wore sandals the first day and wore sneakers for the rest of the week. They are still healing almost two weeks later.

These are my favorite kind of cactus (cacti?). I believe they are called saguaro. This is sunset at the resort.

Some more cacti we saw at the resort.

There were lots of cacti at the resort; it was Phoenix and desert like. These are barrel cacti. They aren't my favorite but photo worthy nonetheless.

I went on a horseback riding day trip. It wasn't fast riding but trail riding. This is a pic of me before the trip. I am on a Pinto named Beau. I decided to wear a helmet so my head wouldn't burn (Jim says I look retarded; how un-pc).

Me with Jay Bakker (yes, Jim & Tammy Faye Bakker's son). He was part of a panel at the conference in AZ and, for me, it was the highlight of the conference. I waited in line twice to get my pic with him. The first time my spouse turned the camera off instead of taking the pic. Jay preaches to the GLBT community that they are loved and God loves them for who they are. He's a straight ally and I really look up to him.

A pic of our bed (which we could have had a party in) at the resort. When we checked in our room wasn't ready so they offered us a mini-suite at no extra charge. How nice!

A pic of the rest of our mini-suite at the resort. Yes, there's my honey talking on the phone (naturally).

A pic of our closet at the resort. I was excited and camera happy, ok?

The first pic of our bathroom at the resort. The little room on the left side of the pic leads into the shower.

The second picture of our bathroom at the resort we stayed at in Phoenix, AZ. We could have had a party in there. There was a shower that would have fit four people easily and a tub that would have fit at least three and another four or five could have stood around the sink which is seen here.

A picture of a real live roadrunner. Smaller than the one portrayed in the Looney Tunes cartoons but just as fast. It didn't actually run like the cartoon roadrunner but we could see it's feet moving pretty damn fast. It probably would have run if we tried to chase it. Jim decided to try and make the noise it was making and it started coming toward the jeep we were in. It crossed right in front of the jeep but was moving way too fast for me to get a better pic of it.

The first of two pics of mule deer. Not a great pic but I couldn't get the deer to stand still.

During one of our daily outings, our wildlife tour, we saw some mule deer. They have long ears like mules. This is the second pic and it's not a great one and while the guide stopped so I could take a pic the deer did not stop.

The first pic of me dancing a Native American friendship dance. You can see my backside; the one with the tan looking shirt and blue jeans.

A picture of me dancing a friendship dance with a Native American girl. I'm the one right next to the small girl on the left; she has little jingly things on her dress. I'm in the tan shirt and blue jeans with the sunglasses.

A photo of some ravens outside of our hotel room in Grand Canyon, AZ. We did not have a pleasant stay at that hotel and neither did a number of other people we spoke with.

One of the red rock mountains in Sedona. They are just incredible. I forget what this one is called; something like the Council or some important people getting together for a meeting. If you look, it does look like some impressive people convening for some important topic.

A cypress tree we saw on the wildlife tour. How strange it looks. I wonder how it formed this way.

This was taken while Jim and I were on the spiritual outing. I think Cypress trees are wonderful and I was becoming one with nature by "hugging" the tree. I was even talking to it. Jim says I wasn't really hugging it but I was pretty close. I was at least feeling it up.

Jim and I on our first day in Sedona, AZ with the red rock mountains behind us. We were standing on the back patio of our hotel room.

A pic of Jim and I with the red rock mountains in Sedona behind us.

A picture of one of the red rock mountains. They all have names such as one rock that looks like Snoopy (from Peanuts) laying down and the mountain is called The Snoopy. One of the guides on one of our day tours told us a few years ago a man climbed one of the mountains and then could not get down. He called 911 and asked for a helicopter rescue. When he found out just how expensive that would be he somehow found his way down.

A photo of the red rocks. Jim and I were on a spiritual tour of the red rocks and back roads and we were on top of one of the mountains. We were over 4,000 feet above sea level. It was so peaceful and relaxing.

A picture of a green lizard; I don't know the real name of it. I got pretty close to it before it scampered under this rock. This was on the real dirt and rocky roads we went on on one of our two tours in Sedona, AZ. Sedona is beautiful; it's where the red rocks are found and should not be missed.

The first pic of the Grand Canyon. I just could not get over how big it was.

A pic of the Grand Canyon (GC). It's huuuuuuuuuge. If you live in Rochester there's a car dealership commercial in which the guy yells "HUUUUUUUUUGE (as in huuuuuuuuge savings). It's kind of annoying but I like to repeat it from time to time.

Another pic of the GC.

A pic of Jim and me with the GC behind us.

A picture of me with the Grand Canyon behind me. Jim and I (well, really I wanted to) were going to do the skywalk but it is 240 miles from the South Rim of the GC. The South Rim is the place where most tourists go to see the GC. It's the one that was in the Brady Bunch. The GC is just so huge; it's amazing.

AA vacation, epilogue

We are back in Dalton and the sinuses that took three days to dry up (what a great feeling to not sneeze and have a runny or stuffy nose all the time) took minutes to come back when we stepped back into the hot and humid air of Western, NY. I never ever thought I would prefer a dry and hot 120 degrees to a humid and hot 95 degrees. I'd take the dry heat anyday of the week.

I already miss AZ but it is nice to be back home. Also conferences are always exhausting. The next conference we go to we will follow the same plan; vacation for a few days before the conference starts.

Now reality starts again.

More later,

paul

AA vacation, Day 9

Didn't do too much today. There wasn't even any worship this morning. I meant to go to an afternoon workshop but I was too tired and sweaty after doing laundry with Martha this morning. It will be nice to go back home with only clean clothes.

In a bit we will be going to the final worship service and then having dinner at Carrabba's with our Romanian friend Florin. He's a great guy; soft spoken, to the point and more into activism than being a pastor.

Tomorrow morning we leave: Early.

It's been a great vacation and will be nice to get back home.

Till later,

paul

AA vacation, Day 8, Part 2

Thursday was a hot one. 120 in downtown Phoenix and some areas of Phoenix got up to 136.

After dinner on Thursday, Deacon Deb, her partner, Martha, and I went to sing karaoke. Martha sat and took pics and Deb and I sang. We did a duet to MercyMe's "I Can Only Imagine" and I did a solo to The Wallflowers's "One Headlight."

It was a bittersweet day because tomorrow is our last day in beautiful, resorty, Arizona.

And still no tumbleweeds. I have met some really neat people from all over the world: England, South Africa, and Germany to name a few.

peace,

paul

AA vacation, Day 8, Part 1

Today started out like all of the other days so far except that I had not slept at all; maybe one hour at the most. I was given a book on Romania by our friend Florin and left it on the table at the restaurant last night. The three of us had been discussing Jim and I possibly going sometime next year. I've NEVER been overseas so that would be fabulous. Of course Jim says I only want to go so I can get one of those stamps in my passport. Oh, he knows me so well (heehee).

Thankfully this morning I went back to the restaurant (they also serve breakfast....whew) and they did have it in the lost and found. Thank the heavens!!!!!!

We did the morning service and then me and my friend Corinne went to see Sicko, Michael Moore's new film. Much better than Fahrenheit 9/11. Michael Moore may be a lot of things but he is not evil and he's not a bad guy. The film should be a blaring wake up call to ALL AMERICANS in this country. Why in the hell are we so friggin' complacent and afraid of the government that WE elected. What the hell is wrong with this picture? Lots!

In other news it's a sweltering 120 in downtown Phoenix and I have to say I have gotten used to this weather and I don't mind it one bit. The only thing I don't like is the heat of the car when first getting in.

More later.

peace,

paul

AA vacation, Day 7, Part 2

Well it got up to 115 degrees in Phoenix yesterday. I got to meet Jay Bakker, the son of Jim and Tammy Faye. A straight guy, Jay founded Revolution Church in Phoenix and now travels to the GLBTQI community with positive messages for a hurting community.

He's a great guy; very well spoken and smart.

After that I suntanned for a bit but I don't think it did any good. Jim and I went to evening worship and then took our Romanian friend, Florin, out again for dinner.

Long day and I'm beat.

More tomorrow,

paul

AA vacation, Day 7, Part 1

On our way out to worship this morning we again stopped to feed the ducks. They are so cute. And there are bunny rabbits hopping ALL over the resort. Sometimes I don't even notice them at first because they are so still. We can get relatively close to them but once we start walking their way, they hop away.

Worship this morning was good. The preacher has three adopted children; two Hispanic and one Chinese. Of the three two are deaf. The preacher was raised Southern Baptist and his spouse is Jewish. Talk about a melting pot!

Later this morning we'll be hearing Jay Bakker, the son of Jim and Tammy Faye. He is an advocate of gay rights and he's not even gay. Excellent!

It's currently 94 degrees at 9:29 am. Yesterday it got up to 108 and today and tomorrow it is supposed to hit 115. Everyone is saying it's going to be the hottest day of the year. I've spoken to several people who have lived here for quite a long time and they don't like the heat; they'd prefer the heat (and humidity) of Florida. Give me this any day.

Happy 4th.

paul

AA vacation, Day 6, Part 2

Well I survived the long and drawn out business meetings. Remember as lay delegate for the church I had to be there to vote. The old adage remained true throughout: Everything has been said just not by everyone. So, of course, "everyone" had to try to say everything again and again and again.

This evening we blew off worship and took out Jim's Romanian friend Florin. We took him shopping and then had dinner with him. He's a neat guy and very soft spoken. Jim makes fun of his English but it's all in good fun.

It's late and I'm beat.

more later,

paul

Tuesday humor

I found these amusing......enjoy and beware of The "S" people.


I was at the checkout of a K-Mart. The clerk rang up $46.64charge. I gave her a fifty dollar bill. She gave me back $46.64. Igave it back to her and told her that she had made a mistake in MY favor and gave her the money back. She became indignant and informed
me she was educated and knew what she was doing, and returned the money again. I gave her the money back again...same scenario! Ideparted the store with the $46.64.................They Walk Among Us, and Many Work Retail.

I walked into a Mickey D's with a buy-one-get-one-free coupon for a sandwich. I handed it to the girl and she looked over at a little chalkboard that said "buy one-get one free." "They're already buy-one-get-one-free", she said, "so I guess they're both free" She handed me my free sandwiches and I walked out the door.................They Walk Among Us, and Many Work Retail.

One day I was walking down the beach with some friends when one of them shouted, "Look at that dead bird!" Someone looked up at the sky and said, "Where?"

While looking at a house, my brother asked the real estate agent which direction was north because, he explained, he didn't want the sun waking him up every morning. She asked, "Does the sun rise in the north?" When my Brother explained that the sun rises in the east,and has for sometime, she shook her head and said, "Oh I don't keepup with that stuff."................They Walk Among Us!!

I used to work in technical support for a 24/7 call center. One day I
got a call from an individual who asked what hours the call center was open.
I told him, "The number you dialed is open 24 hours a day, 7 days aweek." He responded, "Is that Eastern or Pacific time?" Wanting to end the call quickly, I said, "Uh, Pacific."

My sister has a lifesaving tool in her car designed to cut through a seat belt if she gets trapped. She keeps it in the trunk.................They Walk Among Us!

My friends and I were on a beer run and noticed that the cases were discounted 10%. Since it was a big party, we bought 2 cases. The cashier multiplied 2 times 10% and gave us a 20% discount.

I couldn't find my luggage at the airport baggage area, so I went to the lost luggage office and told the woman there that my bags never showed up. She smiled and told me not to worry because she was a trained professional and I was in good hands. "Now," she asked me,"has your plane arrived yet?"

While working at a pizza parlor I observed a man ordering a small pizza to go. He appeared to be alone and the cook asked him if he would like it cut into 4 pieces or 6. He thought about it for sometime before responding. "Just cut it into 4 pieces; I don't think I'm
hungry enough to eat 6 pieces."

paul

AA vacation, Day 6, Part 1

It's hard to believe we've been here for 6 days. Both Jim and I were wiped out after all the excitement and stimulation yesterday.

We woke up this morning (actually, Jim woke up and I wanted to sleep longer but I finally got up after Jim kept saying in a whiny voice, "Come on."

We went out and fed the ducks for a while then drove to get breakfast. We stopped at a place called The Good Egg. The food was alright and not bad pricewise.

Jim is at the morning worship service then he's off to bible study. I've opted to skip those since I'll be in business meetings all day. Normally I wouldn't attend but I am the lay delegate for the church because the real lay delegate could not attend. The board approved me to be the alternate this time. So I have to vote on anything that requires a vote. I familiarized myself with the info yesterday so hopefully I'll be ready.

It's a wonderful 90 degrees in Scottsdale at 9:11 am.

more later,

paul

AA vacation, Day 5, Part 2

Well the conference is officially on. The different regions met separately with their elder (the equivalent of a bishop) and we discussed how each church in the region is doing (we are region 3). It's the same each time; congratulations and accolades...yada, yada, yada.

After that Jim and I napped for a while and then we went to the first service of the conference. Our moderator (the equivalent of the pope) Nancy Wilson preached. It was a 2 hour service with lots more congratulations and applause. It got to the point where I was not going to give anyone else a standing ovation. Again, it's the same each time.

We then caught up with one of our fellow congregants who had moved to Phoenix a few months back. It was good to see him and his new boyfriend. Then a group of us went to the main pool at the resort and ordered dinner and drinks. One glass of pinot noir was $12.00. Yikes! By the way, the food was unsatisfactory.

It's been a long day; so much interaction and catching up with people; it's exhausting.

I'm going for a short swim now and will write more tomorrow.

love,

paul

AA vacation, Day 5, Part 1

This morning when we woke up we were having such a relaxing morning; Jim at the computer, me still half sleeping in bed until I heard Jim yell, "Ewwwww!" I asked him what it was and when he didn't say anything I looked over and saw a cockroach on its back. Apparently Jim picked it up thinking he had dropped something and felt "all legs" as he said. The resort must spray because the cockroach was dying but still alive. Jim threw it out our room door and later when we stepped out, we saw that something had eaten it. All that was left were the wings. We were also surprised to see a covey of chukkah quail.

We went out to have breakfast; actually Jim ate and I had orange juice. Then we went to a grocery store called Basha's. In Arizona we are able to buy wine and hard liquor at the same store we shop for our groceries. Convenient.

After that we went back to the resort to register for the conference. I told Jim I wanted to be very early but we got there at about 8:30. Registration started at 8. It probably wouldn't have made much difference as it seemed that people had started lining up before 8. We spent two and a half hours in line to register. There was a meltdown with the computers with the info in them and they had to manually enter everyone's name to make the tags.

We are chilling a bit now and will have our first meeting at 1. Right now in pretty Arizona it is 100 degrees. I just can't get over the landscape here. Lots of open fields with cacti, bushes, palm trees, and sand. I really like cacti; they are just wonderful plants. Apparently birds can sit on them without hurting themselves and we even saw one with a bird's nest inside.

I'm off for a quick snooze.

more later,

paul

AA vacation, Day 4, Part 2

After getting checked in and taking a brief nap, Jim and I met up with a couple from the church and decided to go tooling around Scottsdale for a restaurant. We drove around for about 20minutes before finally deciding on an Italian restaurant called Arrivederci. It was really Italian and really good food. I had cannelloni di carne. I didn't have dessert but I did try an Tuaca which is kind of like a scotch drink. I was going to try grappa but Jim said that a diesel engine could run on grappa so I decided not to chance it.......this time.

So far I'm really enjoying Arizona. I'm used to the heat and I'm not even sweating. I also saw, for the first time ever, not one, but two dust devils. One crossed right in front of us. So cool!

Now I'm going for a short swim in the pool and lounge in the jacuzzi for a bit.

More tomorrow.

paul

AA vacation, Day 4, Part 1

This morning we woke up and planned to travel to the Grand Canyon. When we checked out of the Best Western, Jim was in line to hand in the keys and more than a few people were expressing their dissatisfaction with their stay at the hotel. In fact, when Jim was next in line to be helped, the manager said to Jim, "I'm helping her," (referring to another woman) and walked away. The friggin' manager. I'm so glad we weren't the only ones disappointed. I've told Jim to never book us at a Best Western again; especially in the Grand Canyon. I did, of course, fill out the comment card to express my dissatisfaction and I mentioned that Stefan (see previous post) was quite helpful. I don't care if it gets thrown away, at least I filled it out. Unfortunately, neither one of us did a good job of researching the Skywalk. Jim usually does the research but I was the one that wanted to do it. Come to find out the Skywalk is not at the South Rim; this is the place that most people go to see the Grand Canyon. In order to get to the Skywalk, we would have had to drive 70 miles south to Flagstaff then drive West then drive up North; all told it would have been over 200 miles from where we were.

We did spend some time at the GC and it is so breathtaking. One interesting statistic I read was that over 250 people either fall or are rescured from the GC each year. There is even a book I came across that has stories of people who have fallen to their demise or who have had to be rescued; that's the whole book. Also, according to one of the guides, a few years ago a man climbed one of the rock formations (in Sedona) and when he got to the top he could not figure out how to get down. He called 911 and when told how much it would cost for a helicopter rescue (over $3,000) he managed to find his way down.

We just got through checking into the resort in Scottsdale; it's called the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess resort. This is where we will be staying for the next week during the conference. There are 651 furnished guest rooms, 72 villas and 119 newly renovated casitas. This is what we are staying; a mini suite in a casita. Each casita has 4 mini suites. We were supposed to have a regular room but at the check in counter we were told (again) our room wasn't quite ready. So we were given a mini suite at no extra cost. The resort has bunnies, birds and other little critters literally all over the place. I'm definitely going to spend some time feeding them. No signs not to so I'll be feeding away. It's fun for me. I've also told Jim that we WILL go swimming this week. It's a really cool place. I've taken plenty of pics. It's a huge property and a great place for a world conference. If you'd like to see pics of the resort, I've included a link below. And it's a dry 109 degrees right now with a hot breeze blowing; but no sweat.

http://www.fairmont.com/scottsdale/

Now we are off to find some of our church people and do something.

More later,

paul

Amazing Arizona Vacation, Day 3, Part 1

The day started early as I had to be up by 6 to be ready to go on my horseback riding adventure by 7. Jim opted not to go because he says that every single horse he has ever gotten near has tried to bite him; including the ones he's owned. He stayed behind and did some laundry (housewife!!!). My adventure started at 7 and we got to the ranch around 8. My horse's name was Beau, a Pinto, and believe it or not, it was quite fun and easy. I was as relaxed as a stringed puppet whose strings aren't being pulled. I learned how to steer the horse, get it to stop and start. It was a 2 hour ride (1 hour would have been plenty) and while there was no fast trotting; Beau did very quickly trot up one hill. I was almost tempted to yell "heeyaw" to get him to move ahead of the rest of the riders. All in all there were about 20 plus two leaders and two wranglers to make sure everyone stayed in line. It's really surprising how many people we've met who aren't from here. The first person I've met so far who is a native was one of the wranglers.

This afternoon we drove to Grand Canyon and tried to check into our hotel around 2:45. We thought check in was 3 but it was 4. The woman was not helpful and there were no non-smoking rooms available; even though that's what we asked for when making the reservations.

With almost an hour and a half to kill, we decided to drive around and look for gifts for our pet nanny. We came across this Native American sale with a Native American dancer. After the dancer finished his dance he invited others to join him for another dance. I went out but Jim didn't. Why am I always the adventurous one?

At 3:45 we went back to the hotel to try and check in again. By the time we got to the front of the line it was 3:55. This time a young man by the name of Stefan, who appeared to be Slovakian, told us again that our room wasn't ready. It had yet to be cleaned. I asked, trying to remain calm, "Do you know why the maid hasn't cleaned the room yet if check in is at 4?" Stefan didn't know but he said he would tell the maid to get right on it. That's what the first girl should have done as we were seeing people left and right get keys to their rooms.

I decided to walk around the city a bit while Jim did computer stuff. Finally, at 4:40, Stefan came over and said our room was ready. I have advised Jim very strongly to never book a hotel at Best Western again; especially not in Grand Canyon. Of course, if we had been smart we would have stayed in Sedona one more night and just driven to Grand Canyon today to do the glass walk and driven back to Sedona. Then instead of driving 4 hours to Scottsdale, we would have only driven 2 hours. Oh well!!!! Next time.

By the way, I don't like the town of Grand Canyon; it appears way too touristy and people are just plain rude. At least in Sedona, it didn't appear touristy and people were really nice. Sedona is a New-Agey, alternative, upscale place but it's really nice.

We are in for the night and will read and just veg. Tomorrow is the big grand canyon day.

More later,

paul

AA vacation, Day 2, Part 2

This evening Jim and I took a wildlife tour. Another jeep ride and more off road fun. We did get to see some deer mule (they have really long ears, kind of like a mule, hence the name). We also saw some elk. Sadly no bobcats or mountain lions. But we did see a jack rabbit. At one point, the first time I saw a deer mule, I yelled out, "Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh!" It was very similar to what Horshack from Welcome Back Kotter sounded like. Everyone got a big kick out of that and from time to time someone would yell, "Ooh, ooh, ooh!" Jim and I have decided that we really like off-roading. The vehicles certainly take a beating every day. At the end of the tour, the moon had started rising in the east while the sun was still setting in the west. The moon at one end and the sun still up on the other end. Then it just so happened last night was a full moon and the sight of the moon with the huge mountains and rock formations in the distance was incredibly beautiful. Don't worry I'll post some pics. Just wanted to keep you all updated.

According to one of the guides, celebrities that either visit Sedona or have homes there include Kurt Russell & Goldie Hawn, Al Pacino, Ted Danson, and John Travolta.

By the way, after both adventures Jim and I were covered in dust and dirt. We both ran a finger along our faces and the dirt was at least an inch thick. Our clothes and hair too had dust in it. It's really amazing how these guides do this every single day. Dust bowl indeed!!!!!!

One really disheartening thing is that even in the picturesque hills and back roads of Sedona, Arizona, one can find a Busch beer can and discarded Wendy's container. There was really a lot of trash in some areas. People camp there and have no regard for nature. It's really appalling. And since, according to the guides, it hasn't rained in two-and-a-half months there are signs everywhere saying, 'No Campfires.'

Tomorrow I'll be horseback riding. I'm definitely going to get some pics of that. Jim has decided not to go with me so he'll probably stay at the hotel and do some laundry. And I thought I was the homebody.

peace,

paul

Amazing Arizona vacation, Day 2

Our second day in beautiful Sedona started out with a continental breakfast. We then sat down with the concierge to decide which activities we wanted to do while we were here. The horseback riding that I wanted to do is still up in the air. This morning we had a 3 and a half hour Sacred Wheel Tour. This tour was a tour of some of the most remote places in the desert in Sedona and Coconino National Forest It was my first time ever in a jeep and it was only Jim, myself and the guide. He took us on some of the most rugged dirt roads I've ever seen. Huge rocks jutting up from the ground. We drove down and drove up these roads. It was quite bouncy at times and totally wild. During the tour we even saw a road runner. They really do move the way the cartoon road runner moves; very fast and agile. They aren't quite as big; in fact I was surprised how small it was.

The mountains and rock wheel we saw were amazing. A rock wheel is just stones in the ground in the shape of a circle. Jim and I were both asked to walk around the wheel three times and then stop on one spot. That spot was supposed to correlate to where we were in our lives right now; and it did. Jim stopped in the NW part of the circle and I stopped exactly North. The guide was very informative and when we were at the top of one mountain (4000) feet up he played a flute song as Jim and I took in this natural wonder in Arizona.

We just finished lunch at Judi's. Yes, we went back and it was still fabulous. This evening we are going on a safari tour to see some of the wild animals. I don't have the cord to download pics with me but I will be putting them up as soon as we return. It's a wonderful 101 degrees in Sedona right now as we settle in for a quick nap.

peace,

paul

AA vacation, Day 1, Part 2

The rest of the day was spent just chilling. We got back to the room after driving around a bit and finding a store that we can buy some water and snacks. Jim spent most of the evening on the balcony of our hotel room and I was inside the cool room (still getting used to the dry heat) reading. I did go out at one point to see the bats flying around. How cool!!!!!

Tomorrow we will do some adventure stuff in Sedona.

peace,

paul

Amazing Arizona Vacation, Day 1, Part 1

Well, the big day has finally arrived and we started the day at the un-godly hour of 3:45. Yes, that is AM!!! We arrived at the airport for a 6am flight and had no major problems with check in, screening or the first flight to Atlanta.

We arrived at Atlanta on time and had about an hour to wait for our flight to Phoenix. Again that flight was uneventful (thank you travel Gods!) although we were in a three seat row and the woman on the end threatened to talk our ears off. Thankfully we had books AND headphones to listen to the plane's XM satellite radio. She still tried to start conversations but with one word answers and just a few grunts, she stopped trying. Take a hint, lady!

We arrived in Phoenix way ahead of schedule. We were supposed to land at 11:40 but got there at 10:20. There is a 3 hour difference from NY to AZ.

The Phoenix airport seemed to be an endless taxi from landing to getting off the plane. I thought we would never get there. It was a loooooooong taxi. So after we got off our bags just happened to literally be the first two on the carousel and we booked across the street to catch the shuttle to the car rental place. That was a 10-minute drive.

When we arrived at the car rental place, Jim had his Emerald Club card and we were told by one of the employees to take our pick from 3 different cars. No check in or anything. Nothing to sign, no forms of ID to show. We could have chosen a Pontiac V6, Toyota Camry, or a Toyota Corolla. We chose the Corolla. It's exactly like mine except the color is black. We were in a parking garage and drove to the exit where they finally asked for our id's and gave us the paperwork.

We drove through mostly hilly and barren landscape with lots of cacti, palm trees, and shrubs and lots of red dirt. When we got into Sedona there were plenty of red rock formations. Simply amazing!!!! The hotel room wasn't quite ready so we asked where there was a restaurant. There was one right next door to the Best Western Sedona and it was called Judi's.

The food and atmosphere was inviting, cozy and lovely. I had grilled cheese with 3 cheeses and lace fries. Jim had potato tacos (no meat) and salad. When Jim was done the waitress actually asked Jim if he wanted another one, much like a mother would ask a son if he wanted more to eat. Both of us were shocked because we've never had that happen. For dessert Jim had bread pudding and I had carrot cake. Jim said it was one of the top two best bread pudding and my carrot cake was absolutely the best. I also tried a hot butter rum. I wasn't sure I'd like it and Jim was sure I wasn't but it was terrific.

So now we are at the hotel and ready to crash for a while. We'll nap and then mosey on around Sedona, take some pics, and enjoy ourselves. By the way, the heat is oppressive but I'm actually not sweating. It's so dry and not humid at all. It's very bizarre. Jim says it's exactly the same in Baghdad where he lived for 2 years.

More later my friends,

paul

some stuff about me

This was kind of fun. Enjoy and if you don't want to do it then just delete it. Here's some stuff about me that you may not have known.
Peace,
paul

Four places I have lived:

1. Houston, Texas
2. Elmira, NY
3. Sugarland, Texas
4. Dalton, NY

Four TV shows I love to watch:

1. Lost
2. Countdown With Keith Olbermann
3. The Office
4. 24

Four places I have been on vacation:

1. Hawaii, The Big Island
2. Orlando, FL
3. Canada
4. Las Vegas

Four of my favorite foods:

1. grape tomatoes
2. goulash
3. zucchini bread
4. angel hair pasta

Four places I would rather be right now:

1. sleeping
2. on the beach
3. in my car driving nowhere
4. watching tv with a glass of wine (oh, wait, I'm doing that now)

weekly post from June 23, 2007

Hello friends & loved ones,

It's a chilly 50 degrees in Western, NY this morning and the sun is shining brightly. The new movie Evan Almighty, a modern day retelling of Noah and his ark, with Steve Carell opens this weekend and while I think Carell is hilarious I have all the animals I need right here in the country. Of course we have our dog and our three cats (including one outside cat who has adopted us). We also have the numerous birds, chipmunks, squirrels (or as Jim and I call them tree rats; I don't like them one bit), and deer. In the past couple of weeks we've also seen raccoons, a raven and of course the nightly light show put on by the fireflies (my personal fav). All of the negative things about living in the country are wiped right out by the above. It makes me glad to be alive and want to cherish my life and live for today.

Speaking of living for today, if you've ever questioned doing that or how fragile life is then wait until you hear two stories that really affected me this past week. The first one involves a 16-year-old girl who was on a Superman Tower of Power ride at Six Flags in Louisville, Ky. In a freak accident, a cable on the ride came loose and somehow got under the car (it's a free fall ride) and hit the girl in the legs and severed both of them (I believe the report said it was just above the ankles). Unbelievable. Granted this doesn't happen everyday but just the thought that one is going along on a ride and, boom!, part of the body is just gone.

The other story involves a 24-year-old man in California. A driver in a car swerved to miss something sharp in the road (something many of us have probably done and it doesn't even have to be a sharp object) and the car ended up hitting a fire hydrant and knocked it loose from its moorings. The fire hydrant became airborne and hit a 24-year-old male in the back of the head. He was walking down the street with his wife. Boom! Gone just like that. Another freak accident, yes, but one that I listened to and realized that it really can happen anytime and anywhere.

So whatever you are doing this weekend please live life to the fullest. Laugh, love, smile, appreciate the beauty around you and hug or kiss someone you love or care about and tell them you love them. You never know when your life might change....or worse.

Stay safe, stay happy, and stay healthy.

love,

paul

Keith's kibbitzing

Keith Olbermann has offered his speculated outcome of the Harry Potter series less than a month before the book comes out. No one is allowed to read the book early so Olbermann's speculation is just that.

He claims that Voldemort and Harry will come to blows and Harry will destroy all but 5 of the horcruxes of Voldemort. The location of Voldemort's last horcrux.......Harry's scar. Brilliant. The only way to get rid of it is for Harry to kill himself. Just as he is about to, Professor Snape comes out of the shadows and tells Harry there is another way. He can destroy the scar and survive but his magic will not. He will be a regular muggle. He will live (everyone's happy he didn't die), Voldemort will be history and everyone lives happily ever after. And come to find out, Snape's not such a bad guy; greasy yes, bad no.

peace,

paul

update

The lawsuit that a US judge brought over a lost pair of pants has been completed. A judge ruled that Roy L. Pearson is not owed 54 million dollars for his lost pair of pants two years ago. And now Pearson is a pariah in the judicial community. He should have taken the settlement that the dry cleaners offered him which was thousands of dollars. Enough to buy more pants and then some.

peace,

paul

movie minute

With Music Once More: In director John Carney's new musical interlude of a film, Once, guy meets girl, girl likes music guy makes and girl and guy make music together. What happens after that is the capper to a sentimental, bittersweet and feel good movie.

The guy in question is played by Glen Hansard, the lead singer of the Irish group Frames. Director Carney also used to play in the Frames. The girl is Marketa Irglova, a Czech-Republic musician who actually met Hansard when he visited the Czech Republic. The two leads are actually billed as guy and girl.

As the film starts, Hansard's character is busking (street performing) for money while playing his guitar. On the side he works at a Hoover repair shop with his father. When he meets Irglova's character, she expresses an interest in his music and come to find out she has a Hoover which needs to be fixed.

As the two develop their relationship we are treated to songs which both characters sing to express their feelings and thoughts. The film's soundtrack is one of the absolute best you'll hear this year. A few of the songs have already been recorded by the Frames and been included on their albums. As guy and girl rev up to record the songs the two reveal past loves which threaten to come between their future.

The acting has an improvisational feel; in fact some of the film was improvised and it's also set on the streets of Dublin. This movie has more feeling and passion than 97% of Hollywood movies and Once is a treat of a film to ring in the dog days of summer.

Bags of popcorn (out of 5): 4.5

paul

Check out this youtube link from Britain's Got Talent. This is simply incredible.

Enjoy,

paul


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1k08yxu57NA

cool

A very cool picture. Can you imagine? Also a cool link. www.superdeluxe.com

paul