Archive for » May, 2009 «

May

Silver screen: Star Trek (2009)

The future begins

Rating: PG-13

Genre:Sci-fi / Action / Adventure

Verdict: If you have yet to see this movie, I have but this to say: Dammit Jim! What the hell’s the matter with you?

The gist: In year 2233, the USS Kelvin is attacked. Captain George Kirk (Chris Hemsworth) manages to get his crew to safety – including his wife and newborn son – but not without giving his own life. Years later his son, James Kirk (Chris Pine) is a teenager who lives on the edge – with no real purpose. Until , Captain Pike (Bruce Greenwood) talks him into joining joining Starfleet. Under false pretenses he makes it aboard the USS Enterprise – along with Spock (Zachary Quinto), Nyota Uhura (Zoe Saldana), Leonard “Bones” McCoy (Karl Urban), Montgomery Scott (Simon Pegg), Sulu (John Cho), and Chekov (Anton Yelchin). Together they will finish what others started – and begin one infamous galactic journey …

My take: This movie is one grand adventure. Very few movies deserve mention on every aspect of the film – but this is one. Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman did a great job with the script – especially the way they maintained the overall feel of the original Star Trek. Writing in Spock (Leonard Nimoy) was ingenious. J.J. Abrams direction, as well, was true to the original - while subtly making it relevant for today’s audience. Special effects were good – including makeup. Every time Nero appeared on screen I knew I knew the actor … but it wasn’t until the end that it hit me. And casting! Kudos to casting – they did an awesome job choosing the cast. Finally, the actors themselves were spot on. As a matter of fact, Karl Urban’s portrayal of ”Bones” was so similar to the original that it was almost unnerving. Even if an actor was quite different from the original - such as Simon Pegg’s ”Scotty” - he still managed to portray the essence of the character. This, of course, makes the movie all the more fun. It not only allows for a great film, it allows the audience to go back in time, and revisit a bit of their past.

An aside: I’m no Trekkie. I can’t even make the traditional volcan greeting without serious facial contortions – and even then, it’s a bit off. I did, however, watch Star Trek on the tele with my family when I was young; so it holds a special place in my heart. Therefore, when I saw they were making a prequel I was skeptical, at best. Why do they always have to ruin a good thing? If this sounds familiar, rest assured – this is not the case here. Improbable, yes … but this time around, they actually managed to improve on the good. Go on … see for yourself …

Category: Let me just tell ya Tags: movies 2 Comments

May

My life: in the garden

Amy

flowers

In addition to, you know – the usual – I’ve been working here and there in the garden. Here are a few snippets from green side …

Annoying sorts. I have long maintained that garden centers are a good place to be, for gardeners are a happy lot. Except perhaps when you’re in a hurry. The other day, for instance, I ran in to purchase some rose food and potting soil. That’s all I needed. Two things. Unbeknownst to me, however, it would take me 45 minutes to check-out. Forty. Five. First off, the woman in front of me insisted on buying ten stones – of which they could not find the proper five-digit number. Four people and a half an hour later, they were victorious. For my turn, I was informed the potting soil was outside; I needed only to pay, pull in back, and put said soil in the trunk. Well I paid, got in my car, drove over to where the potting soil was suppose to be, and it was nowhere to be found. I reparked. Got out of the car, grabbed a cart, wheeled it to the back of the garden center, only to find an empty shelf where my potting soil should have been. So I threw the closest in price onto the cart, wheeled it back to the cashier, where I was promptly informed that I would need to go inside to customer service for any sort of cash back. At that point, what was a dollar? To end it all, on the way out some old lady whacked the side of my cart, “We’ll just following this one out and take her cart when she’s done.” Suddenly, I knew what Alice must have felt like when the flowers turned on her …

Dill-thief. Each year we purchase a new herb for our herb garden. This year we opted for dill. I mean, how much fun would that be? Fresh dill! We finally got it planted. It seemed happy in it’s new home, surrounded by rosmary, sage, and thyme. All was good. Until Tuesday night. Tuesday night some rodant got a hankering for dill. It ate our whole plant – right down to nubs. Wretched varmet!

Evil feline. Speaking of wretched varmets, I’m currently watering flowers for my aunt and uncle while they are on vacation. I’m also feeding their cat. Their cat is evil – as in the fru-its of the de-vil. I know this. And I usually steer clear. But she seemed so pitiful yesterday. She looked so little in that big house all by her lonesome. So when she came up to be and rubbed around my legs, I gave her pets. She purred, rubbed around my fingers for more. Then – out of nowhere – she grabbed my hand, bit it, and hissed. Like any rational adult, I simply walked away, leaving her to her snit … then, when she was sitting in the screened porch, watching me water the flowers, I sprayed her a good one. It’s probably not right the glee that filled my heart … but, as we all know, it is the little things …

Category: My life Tags: good times, random Comments off

May

Let me just tell ya: Memorial day

Amy

memorial_day

Category: Let me just tell ya Tags: memorial One Comment

May

My life: memorial

Amy

I dreamt about my grampa last night. I guess it’s only fitting, being memorial day weekend and all. He died in 1992 and I still miss him. He was the type of person who would go back and tell the chef, or cook, that he loved the meal. He was big on family. He was always behind a camera or camcorder, making memories; we were always in front, shooing him way. He made his own wine; some of which was really, really bad. He’d just shrug and laugh and try again the next year. He was a nutter – much to the exasperation of my grandma at times. But we still relive some of his better schticks; and it still makes us roar with laughter. He was a gentleman. He did not believe in crossing lines, taking over, or pretending to know it all. I still remember him sitting me down – not long before he died – and telling me, for my sake, to forgive my father. That he believed I would, in my own time. He didn’t scold, or talk down. He was a hard worker. While many of us would rejoice in any reason to get out of work, he continued even when cancer had taken over. He worked until he simply could not work any longer. He touched lives with the concern in those baby blues, with that ornery smile, with that quiet dignity.

Often times I think it highly unfair he was taken so soon. He never got to know the spouses of his grandkids; he never got to know his great-grands – including the one who is his splitting image or the one named in his honor. Nor will they get to know him.

And then it hits me. It’s up to to those of us who did know him, to be a mirror.

Maybe that’s what memorial day is all about. Thinking of all those who have come into our lives and left a footprint that will never fade. We know the traits that have touched our own lives. What better memorial than turning around and passing them on …

Category: My life Tags: live, love 2 Comments

May

Let me just tell ya: the fountain

Amy

dumas_fountain_pen

UPDATE: I received questions in regard to the bottled ink posted here; it’s Duke bottled fountain pen ink. You may purchase it through A Pen Lover’s Paradise. I have purchased pens and ink from them in the past; good pens, good service, at good prices. What’s not to love? Check ‘em out!

Aaaaah, today is a good day – if for no other reason that on this day, in 1830, a man by the name of H.D. Hyde patented a little thing called the fountain pen. The mere thought of that particular writing utensil makes me a verklempt … let us take a moment …

There’s just something about writing with a fountain pen that is exilerating. Today’s pens are a bit more dependable; they’re less likely to explode – which is always a plus. Ink barrels may serve a hinderance – especially for those like me who are accident prone. Still, an ink smudge or two on my fingers is more good than bad. Suddenly, like writers of old, I bear the mark of my trade on my very being. Even if you don’t consider yourself a writer, you just may change your mind after writing a few lines with such a splendid instrument …

pen_ink