As Plainbellied mentioned, we're off to Miami Beach this weekend so I can attend a conference. Finding a hotel was the most recent adventure. A few years ago we went to Miami to get our visas for Spain, and it was a rather unpleasant experience. The highlight was getting room service at the Fairfield Inn (only time we've ever done room service). This time, though, we're going to stay in South Beach (SoBe), which is within walking distance of the conference site. I've heard lots of good things about it, but what people don't tell you is how expensive it is. I learned that in order to get decent accommodations there, it is required to sign away one's firstborn child.
I know Plainbellied covered this in her post, but I'd like to give my perspective on our search for hotel accommodations. I jumped on the first "reasonable" rate I found without clearly thinking it through because the conference hotel rate seemed excessive (from someone who never wants to pay more than 60 dollars a night). Last night, when I went looking for directions, etc., I discovered that people passionately despise the hotel I had booked. I've stayed in dives before, so I was prepared for the worst, and if I were going alone it would have been all right. However, since Plainbellied and Her Nibs are coming, I had second thoughts. As you can see from Plainbellied's description, there were some serious problems with the other place. I can tell the difference between a crank who simply didn't like the hotel and serious problems. Since multiple reviewers kept bringing up the same issues, it raised a major red flag. Instead of gutting it out, we decided to swallow our pride and chalk up the one-night cancellation penalty to a "learning experience."
There are still a few minor issues about the new place, but it looks to be sanitary, safe, and friendly (if possibly a bit loud). Apart from a few of the usual crusty reviewers, most people really like it. As long as we're not looking for luxury accommodations, it should be all right. And since it's one of the old Art Deco hotels, it will at least be interesting to look at.
We'll definitely give a solid write-up about the trip when we return. I'm still a bit intimidated by Miami, but hopefully things will turn out for the best.
Startling New Study
I like to read The Onion online. As a parent, I found this recent article to be one of the funniest things I've seen in a long time. I hope you enjoy it.
Who's Drinking the Kool-Aid Now?
Apparently, Kirsten Dunst has a high opinion of herself. Here's the short version. There is talk that Sam Raimi won't make the next Spiderman movie, and that Kirsten Dunst and Tobey Mcguire might not be in it. Dunst thinks that this is "disrespectful" to her and that "audiences aren't stupid. It'd be a big flop without me, Tobey, or Sam."
What do I think? I kind of liked the first two movies. I like a lot of comic-book type films (they're a guilty pleasure). Overall, though, I think the Spiderman movies would have been better without Mcguire and Dunst. I like what Raimi has done, but neither of the lead actors has done a particularly memorable job. Mcguire is OK, but I don't really like his delivery very much. I'm at the point now where I don't actually care if I see the next movie. I've liked the story lines, but the acting is problematic.
Dunst, in particular, has really been terrible. If they dropped her from the films, I would actually be more likely to see it. Take the second film, for example. Dunst's character, Mary Jane, is supposed to be some wonderful actress. But the scenes they show of her onstage in "The Importance of Being Earnest" are terrible. Add to that her bad teeth, and you have the makings of a disaster. Don't get me wrong, I thought that Dunst was solid in "Drop Dead Gorgeous," but I think she's had the same experience as a lot of other actresses. She gets into some serious films and somehow thinks she's a serious actress.
I think it's awfully pretentious of her to think she's somehow indispensable. Somebody needs to give her a reality check.
What do I think? I kind of liked the first two movies. I like a lot of comic-book type films (they're a guilty pleasure). Overall, though, I think the Spiderman movies would have been better without Mcguire and Dunst. I like what Raimi has done, but neither of the lead actors has done a particularly memorable job. Mcguire is OK, but I don't really like his delivery very much. I'm at the point now where I don't actually care if I see the next movie. I've liked the story lines, but the acting is problematic.
Dunst, in particular, has really been terrible. If they dropped her from the films, I would actually be more likely to see it. Take the second film, for example. Dunst's character, Mary Jane, is supposed to be some wonderful actress. But the scenes they show of her onstage in "The Importance of Being Earnest" are terrible. Add to that her bad teeth, and you have the makings of a disaster. Don't get me wrong, I thought that Dunst was solid in "Drop Dead Gorgeous," but I think she's had the same experience as a lot of other actresses. She gets into some serious films and somehow thinks she's a serious actress.
I think it's awfully pretentious of her to think she's somehow indispensable. Somebody needs to give her a reality check.
Maverick and Goose at the Airshow
Plainbellied and I have made a concerted effort to be more connected to the community where we live. There are a number of things we either didn't know about or simply never went to before. We started with the camping trip we took recently. Since then, we found a nice little pizza place in town that everyone else already seemed to know about and a fifties-style diner in a town about twenty minutes north (that other people already knew as well).
Last weekend, we took another leap and went to the airshow that came to town. Let me give a little background to this. When I was a kid, I had a friend whose family invited me to do things with them occasionally. They took me to a Patriots game against the Jets once and professional wrestling another time (back when it was real). :) Well, at one point they invited me to an airshow. I must have been about ten years old at the time. The problem with the airshow was that they planned to go on a Sunday, which is problematic for religious reasons. While I understand my parents' reasons now, I was very upset at the time. To top it all off, my friends who went came to school the next day to tell me all about their helicopter ride at the airshow.
I have been jealous ever since, and I never got to an airshow until now. We were unable to go a year and a half ago for some reason, so this time we decided that we would go no matter what. We took Her Nibs and our friend Don't Mess with Texas came along, too, after Plainbellied's game. It was a great time. We saw biplanes doing things that should be against the law (of gravity--ha ha ha). They brought out an F-18 fighter jet, and it was absolutely crazy what that thing was capable of. Other than high-speed maneuvers, it actually stayed in the air at under 100 MPH, and it weighs 40,000 lbs. Later they had an F-16 and a wing-walker as well, but watching the F-18 alone was worth the price of admission.
To top it all off, we got to go up in a helicopter. Plainbellied's father flew helicopters in Vietnam, so she's always wanted to go up in one, too. We made sure to take Her Nibs, who had a great time. Plainbellied went in a different helicopter than Her Nibs and I, and hers did some crazy stunts with her in it. I kind of wish I had gotten to go in that one, but I had my ride. I'll probably never get to do it again, and it was totally worth it.
Even though we had a great time, we quickly learned that we were airshow neophytes. It turns out that they don't actually provide seating at these things. I expected bleachers or something, but when we got there everyone else had brought camping chairs. There was also only limited shade. Most people had gotten there early and staked out positions under the wings of airplanes. Luckily, Don't Mess with Texas brought some SPF 50 and we got only very mild sunburns. We also realized immediately that we should have brought the camera.
We also learned that airshows are really loud. Her Nibs got very adept at covering her ears. Jets make a ton of noise, and since we were really close to the runway it was more than I had ever experienced. Every time the F-18 turned away from us, we got a roar from the engines. Anyway, it was an incredible afternoon. We all wanted to immediately rent Top Gun. Luckily, none of us had the energy to follow through on that.
Next up: we're taking a trip to Miami Beach so I can go to a conference. Since I had to get a hotel anyway, we thought we'd make a family trip of it. Should be fun.
Last weekend, we took another leap and went to the airshow that came to town. Let me give a little background to this. When I was a kid, I had a friend whose family invited me to do things with them occasionally. They took me to a Patriots game against the Jets once and professional wrestling another time (back when it was real). :) Well, at one point they invited me to an airshow. I must have been about ten years old at the time. The problem with the airshow was that they planned to go on a Sunday, which is problematic for religious reasons. While I understand my parents' reasons now, I was very upset at the time. To top it all off, my friends who went came to school the next day to tell me all about their helicopter ride at the airshow.
I have been jealous ever since, and I never got to an airshow until now. We were unable to go a year and a half ago for some reason, so this time we decided that we would go no matter what. We took Her Nibs and our friend Don't Mess with Texas came along, too, after Plainbellied's game. It was a great time. We saw biplanes doing things that should be against the law (of gravity--ha ha ha). They brought out an F-18 fighter jet, and it was absolutely crazy what that thing was capable of. Other than high-speed maneuvers, it actually stayed in the air at under 100 MPH, and it weighs 40,000 lbs. Later they had an F-16 and a wing-walker as well, but watching the F-18 alone was worth the price of admission.
To top it all off, we got to go up in a helicopter. Plainbellied's father flew helicopters in Vietnam, so she's always wanted to go up in one, too. We made sure to take Her Nibs, who had a great time. Plainbellied went in a different helicopter than Her Nibs and I, and hers did some crazy stunts with her in it. I kind of wish I had gotten to go in that one, but I had my ride. I'll probably never get to do it again, and it was totally worth it.
Even though we had a great time, we quickly learned that we were airshow neophytes. It turns out that they don't actually provide seating at these things. I expected bleachers or something, but when we got there everyone else had brought camping chairs. There was also only limited shade. Most people had gotten there early and staked out positions under the wings of airplanes. Luckily, Don't Mess with Texas brought some SPF 50 and we got only very mild sunburns. We also realized immediately that we should have brought the camera.
We also learned that airshows are really loud. Her Nibs got very adept at covering her ears. Jets make a ton of noise, and since we were really close to the runway it was more than I had ever experienced. Every time the F-18 turned away from us, we got a roar from the engines. Anyway, it was an incredible afternoon. We all wanted to immediately rent Top Gun. Luckily, none of us had the energy to follow through on that.
Next up: we're taking a trip to Miami Beach so I can go to a conference. Since I had to get a hotel anyway, we thought we'd make a family trip of it. Should be fun.
Playoff Time
Plainbellied asked me to write a piece on her game this weekend, because she would prefer that I give my "disinterested" take on it (quotes used for irony). Plainbellied's team lost, 2-0, which most likely means that they are now out of the playoffs for good. About the only highlight of the game for the good guys was Plainbellied in goal. Even though the other team scored twice, the problems lay with the defense, not the keeper. In case you think I'm just showing favoritism, I should point out that I played soccer for years--defense. One fundamental issue Plainbellied's team had was that the defense tended to bunch up and chase the ball, leaving opposing players open to take shots. Plainbellied did the best she could, but they kept shooting, and a couple got past. On offense, Orange Crush simply couldn't shoot. They had a few opportunities, but they missed the goal. Anyway, it was frustrating to watch.
Highlights of the game
One sequence in the second half where Plainbellied's defense completely abandoned her and she had to come out of the goal. She blocked three hard shots in quick succession, leading the crowd (me) to scream, "Nice!!" at the top of its lungs. She had a few other great saves, but that stands out more than any other.
The ref didn't seem to understand what his whistle was for. He tended to wait about thirty seconds to blow it after a foul was committed. I don't think he really knew what he was doing. Seriously, the players got to the point where they had to tell him to blow it when the ball went out of bounds and such. The other team started yelling, "Play the whistle!" because one never could tell if he planned to blow it at all. Absolutely amazing.
One of the opposing players is a friend of ours, and after her team's first game, she complained about how violent the other team played. She even had a scratch across her face to prove it. Well, yesterday, she took on the enforcer role. It was ironic. On one play, she totally tripped one of Plainbellied's teammates who was just about to break a big run past the defense. I screamed, "OOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHH!" really loudly, expressing my displeasure. Probably she should have gotten a red card for the tackle, which seemed pretty malicious. She made two more tackles just like it. One of them sent a player off with a possible ankle sprain. I give her a big thumbs down for her Wayne Rooney imitation (on the link, scroll down to "Disciplinary issues").
Plainbellied's team only had one sub, so when one person went down, neither team had subs. So in the second half, the ref actually called a water break. I couldn't believe it. They only play 25-minute halves. He actually called a water break??!!!
Finally, I got to play the hero. I mentioned that Rooney, Jr. had injured another player. Well, no one had any ice to put on her ankle (it was so hot the ice in their water coolers was melted). Plainbellied asked me, "Don't we have an ice pack in the car first-aid kit?" In fact, we did. Plainbellied deserves the credit for remembering it, but I was the one who ran the 100 yards to the car and brought it back. Of course, one of Plainbellied's teammates is married to a doctor, who happened to be there and could check out the ankle, but I got the ice pack, dang it! That should count for something.
Highlights of the game
One sequence in the second half where Plainbellied's defense completely abandoned her and she had to come out of the goal. She blocked three hard shots in quick succession, leading the crowd (me) to scream, "Nice!!" at the top of its lungs. She had a few other great saves, but that stands out more than any other.
The ref didn't seem to understand what his whistle was for. He tended to wait about thirty seconds to blow it after a foul was committed. I don't think he really knew what he was doing. Seriously, the players got to the point where they had to tell him to blow it when the ball went out of bounds and such. The other team started yelling, "Play the whistle!" because one never could tell if he planned to blow it at all. Absolutely amazing.
One of the opposing players is a friend of ours, and after her team's first game, she complained about how violent the other team played. She even had a scratch across her face to prove it. Well, yesterday, she took on the enforcer role. It was ironic. On one play, she totally tripped one of Plainbellied's teammates who was just about to break a big run past the defense. I screamed, "OOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHH!" really loudly, expressing my displeasure. Probably she should have gotten a red card for the tackle, which seemed pretty malicious. She made two more tackles just like it. One of them sent a player off with a possible ankle sprain. I give her a big thumbs down for her Wayne Rooney imitation (on the link, scroll down to "Disciplinary issues").
Plainbellied's team only had one sub, so when one person went down, neither team had subs. So in the second half, the ref actually called a water break. I couldn't believe it. They only play 25-minute halves. He actually called a water break??!!!
Finally, I got to play the hero. I mentioned that Rooney, Jr. had injured another player. Well, no one had any ice to put on her ankle (it was so hot the ice in their water coolers was melted). Plainbellied asked me, "Don't we have an ice pack in the car first-aid kit?" In fact, we did. Plainbellied deserves the credit for remembering it, but I was the one who ran the 100 yards to the car and brought it back. Of course, one of Plainbellied's teammates is married to a doctor, who happened to be there and could check out the ankle, but I got the ice pack, dang it! That should count for something.
Pseudonyms in History
The recent hubbub about the blogger code of conduct got me thinking about pseudonyms, which the "code" condones. I like pseudonyms. That's one of my favorite things about the blogosphere. Many historical figures have used pseudonyms, and I think it is a long and noble tradition: Silas Dogood (Ben Franklin), Voltaire (François-Marie Arouet), Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens), and Publius (Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, John Jay in the Federalist Papers) to name a few.
Bigfoot
I used to think that Bigfoot was just a monster truck. Now I find out that they call Sasquatch by that name, too. I had no idea.
Actually, I did know that, and I was just trying to find a witty opening for this post. Now that I have your attention, I'm going to talk about my feet. I don't have very large feet, but I have a very hard time finding shoes. The problem is that I have very wide feet (2E). The problem with having wide feet is that unless a manufacturer makes shoes in several widths, you have to make up for the width by buying up a size. So you have to get long shoes that look a little funny.
I've overcome the problem in running shoes by switching to New Balance, which does offer varying widths (and arch support, etc). I now wear my running shoes most of the time. However, since I teach, I've decided that I should wear nicer shoes sometimes so that I can actually look the part.
Tonight we went to the mall so my wife could have her eyes checked out (needed new contacts--paint me jealous), and so we stopped in Sears, which was having a sale. Well, there were several very nice looking pairs of shoes, but none of them fit me (well one did, but it had really thin soles, and I could imagine having painful feet at the end of the day). So here I am, without brown shoes. Several years ago, I actually bought a brown belt to wear with the brown shoes I planned to buy. I still haven't bought them. Needless to say, the belt sits unused in my closet. Of course, now it's too small for me to wear, which is a totally separate problem.
Actually, I did know that, and I was just trying to find a witty opening for this post. Now that I have your attention, I'm going to talk about my feet. I don't have very large feet, but I have a very hard time finding shoes. The problem is that I have very wide feet (2E). The problem with having wide feet is that unless a manufacturer makes shoes in several widths, you have to make up for the width by buying up a size. So you have to get long shoes that look a little funny.
I've overcome the problem in running shoes by switching to New Balance, which does offer varying widths (and arch support, etc). I now wear my running shoes most of the time. However, since I teach, I've decided that I should wear nicer shoes sometimes so that I can actually look the part.
Tonight we went to the mall so my wife could have her eyes checked out (needed new contacts--paint me jealous), and so we stopped in Sears, which was having a sale. Well, there were several very nice looking pairs of shoes, but none of them fit me (well one did, but it had really thin soles, and I could imagine having painful feet at the end of the day). So here I am, without brown shoes. Several years ago, I actually bought a brown belt to wear with the brown shoes I planned to buy. I still haven't bought them. Needless to say, the belt sits unused in my closet. Of course, now it's too small for me to wear, which is a totally separate problem.
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