Sunday, October 07, 2007
Night at the Museum
A couple of nights ago, hubby and I sat down with Young Son #2 to watch "Night at the Museum." As a museum manager, I like to see how movies portray the museum experience. Plus, the previews made this look like a fun movie, in no small part thanks to Ben Stiller. It did not disappoint. The movie plays on the wishful thinking of museum staff and visitors in that everything in the exhibits comes to life at night. (I know I sure wish I could talk to the people I've read about who've passed into history.)
Ben Stiller plays Larry Daley, the new night watchman. He's replacing three older security guards played by Dick Van Dyke, Mickey Rooney, and Bill Cobbs, all of whom give stellar performances. There's a bit of predictability in the plot in that Larry is a dreamer who can't seem to get anything accomplished, but he must because he's the non-custodial parent in a divorce situation and has to provide security for his kid. The creators of the movie did a seamless job in bringing the museum exhibits to life, especially the T-Rex installation. Owen Wilson and Robin Williams are hilarious and lend to the credibility. The only thing that seemed weird is that certain exhibits caused all sorts of chaos, but others just seemed to wander around aimlessly in the background - like that giant jade Chinese dog. I wasn't keen on the museum director, who was a stuffy fuddy-duddy. That's not what most museum directors are like, but we still have to deal with the reputation because it keeps getting played that way in movies.
All-in-all, "Night at the Museum" was a good movie and plays well with kids.
As an aside, Dick Van Dyke has always reminded me of my dad, especially when he was younger. It's the jaw. My dad has the same strong jaw Dick Van Dyke has.
Ben Stiller plays Larry Daley, the new night watchman. He's replacing three older security guards played by Dick Van Dyke, Mickey Rooney, and Bill Cobbs, all of whom give stellar performances. There's a bit of predictability in the plot in that Larry is a dreamer who can't seem to get anything accomplished, but he must because he's the non-custodial parent in a divorce situation and has to provide security for his kid. The creators of the movie did a seamless job in bringing the museum exhibits to life, especially the T-Rex installation. Owen Wilson and Robin Williams are hilarious and lend to the credibility. The only thing that seemed weird is that certain exhibits caused all sorts of chaos, but others just seemed to wander around aimlessly in the background - like that giant jade Chinese dog. I wasn't keen on the museum director, who was a stuffy fuddy-duddy. That's not what most museum directors are like, but we still have to deal with the reputation because it keeps getting played that way in movies.
All-in-all, "Night at the Museum" was a good movie and plays well with kids.
As an aside, Dick Van Dyke has always reminded me of my dad, especially when he was younger. It's the jaw. My dad has the same strong jaw Dick Van Dyke has.
Labels: ben stiller, bill cobbs, dad, dick van dyke, husband, mickey rooney, movie, museum, owen wilson, robin williams, young son
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Tie One On
I can tie a necktie in the dark with my eyes closed. Okay, so that's redundant. Either way, I can't see. The point is that I can tie a necktie without seeing. I had to do it this morning. Young Son was having class pictures taken and he wanted to wear a suit jacket and tie. His choice, not mine. Strange little boy, he is. He does not yet know how to tie a tie, so he thrust it at me while I was still in bed half asleep. I tied it and handed it back.
Where did I learn such a skill? Where any self-respecting girl learns such skills - from my dad. Back in high school wearing a tie with a boxy jacket was the thing - sort of Annie Hall - and I asked my dad to show me how to tie one properly. He showed me two different ways. I probably also borrowed the tie from him. He wasn't wearing them, but he had a bunch.
My husband doesn't wear ties, either. They strangle him. He wore one for our wedding and again for the awards banquet during the Atlanta trip. He told me he must really love me in order to put up with the noose, although I didn't make it a requirement for the Atlanta trip. He said if I bury him in a tie, he'll come back to haunt me. I don't intend to, so no worries there.
This all reminds me of a post I read on the Dangerous Intersection blog yesterday. Erich Vieth recommends that men all over America should get together and liberate themselves from neckties by having a tie-burning event. Hey, go for it. Most of us ladies gave up our girdles ages ago. (Thank God!)
Where did I learn such a skill? Where any self-respecting girl learns such skills - from my dad. Back in high school wearing a tie with a boxy jacket was the thing - sort of Annie Hall - and I asked my dad to show me how to tie one properly. He showed me two different ways. I probably also borrowed the tie from him. He wasn't wearing them, but he had a bunch.
My husband doesn't wear ties, either. They strangle him. He wore one for our wedding and again for the awards banquet during the Atlanta trip. He told me he must really love me in order to put up with the noose, although I didn't make it a requirement for the Atlanta trip. He said if I bury him in a tie, he'll come back to haunt me. I don't intend to, so no worries there.
This all reminds me of a post I read on the Dangerous Intersection blog yesterday. Erich Vieth recommends that men all over America should get together and liberate themselves from neckties by having a tie-burning event. Hey, go for it. Most of us ladies gave up our girdles ages ago. (Thank God!)
Labels: atlanta, dad, dangerous intersection, erich vieth, husband, liberation, neckties, wedding, young son
Friday, March 02, 2007
Furnace Update
Well, we thought we had fixed the furnace by removing snow from the outdoor pipes, but we were mistaken, albeit that was part of the problem. Did you know that there is also a vent on the gas meter that has to be clear at all times? Yup, the things you learn when something goes wrong. So, everything outside was clear, but we were still having trouble. We could hear the furnace trying to start, the fan was going, but it wasn't igniting. Okay, it was igniting maybe once an hour, which is not often enough, and it wasn't staying on long enough to heat the house. We were down to 60 degrees F this morning. Another call to Dad. He said to check the drain hose on the furnace. A little bit of condensation forms inside the furnace, which is drained through a tube that comes through the furnace wall and down into a pump. If this is plugged, the furnace won't work. We messed with the hose and the pump and the furnace fired up. It's been operational since, but we still want someone to come look at it to be sure there isn't some other problem and to fuss with the drain hose a bit. The interior drain hose is pinched, so that might be causing the problem. More furnace tips of the week, and more shoveling. Ahh, it's Minnesota.
Labels: dad, drain, furnace, minnesota, problem, shoveling, snow, temperature
Thursday, March 01, 2007
More Snow
We are making up for lost time in Minnesota. After a winter practically devoid of snow, within one week we've gained inches and inches. Last weekend we got fourteen inches. Between yesterday, today, and tomorrow, we're expecting another foot or so. My shoulders certainly feel it. I'm soft from not having to shovel before this, so lifting pounds and pounds of snow is giving me a workout I'm not used to. I swear I spent more time outside than inside today. I've been trying to shovel every so often so I don't have to try to move mountains of it all at once. 'Round about three o'clock this afternoon, I collapsed on the couch with my Wired magazine in a funk of white-hot exhaustion. I wasn't a happy camper for a couple of hours. My kids, on the other hand, were delighted. They were released early from school. Yippee!
In the midst of all the shoveling, our furnance decided to quit working. I put on my geek hat and tried turning the switch off and on a couple of times. I opened the front panels and checked to make sure the wires were all attached. Then, I called my dad. He asked if the ventilation pipes for the furnace were blocked. Sure enough, when I went outside to check, the air intake pipe was completely covered (with snow, what else?). When this happens, or when the balance between the intake and exhaust pipes is upset, the furnace has a safety switch that keeps the furnace from turning on. As soon as I cleared the pipes, she fired up. There you have it, your furnace maintenance tip of the week.
In the midst of all the shoveling, our furnance decided to quit working. I put on my geek hat and tried turning the switch off and on a couple of times. I opened the front panels and checked to make sure the wires were all attached. Then, I called my dad. He asked if the ventilation pipes for the furnace were blocked. Sure enough, when I went outside to check, the air intake pipe was completely covered (with snow, what else?). When this happens, or when the balance between the intake and exhaust pipes is upset, the furnace has a safety switch that keeps the furnace from turning on. As soon as I cleared the pipes, she fired up. There you have it, your furnace maintenance tip of the week.
Labels: dad, exhaustion, furnace, geek, minnesota, school, shoveling, snow, winter, wired
