sweet flicks

{{EDIT: In a [self-created] lull at work, I decided to just go ahead and make a blog listing of movies I'm watching. If you're interested, find it here (movie list).}}

Ok, now that I feel some level of closure with that other situation, I'm ready to talk about two kick a$$ movies I saw last weekend.

• Lords of Dogtown — It might have something to do with this longtime fascination with skateboarding that I have, but I LOVED this movie. I thought it was so awesome. Now I want to take skateboarding lessons and see the related documentary Dogtown and Z-Boys.
• Cars — Packed with celebrity voices, one of the story lines this movie contains (pertaining to the Insterstate system) I found particularly interesting and, I thought, was unexpected. Plus, it includes a sweet one-line commentary on SUVs at the end. What does this movie leave me wanting to do, you ask? Take a trip (or two) covering all of Route 66.

Check 'em out!

<3 the family

In spite of everything (or maybe because of everything) this past week, I've had some really good times. I'm mostly talking about some really good family times. A death in the family creates this situation where all of a sudden you're spending a lot of time with relatives, some of whom you rarely see and when you do, it's during a several-hour reunion where there's a lot going on. Our time together during the last week was very precious, including tears and laughter. With some of them, I feel like I have this whole new bond. I certainly don't wish it would have happened this way, but nevertheless, I'm glad that part of this past week happened.

sad news

On Friday afternoon (June 9), my aunt died. She was my dad's younger sister and was diagnosed with breast cancer about three years ago. Hospice had been called in a couple of weeks ago when it was determined that she could no longer receive treatment. At the beginning of last week, doctors could tell that she didn't have much longer; her lungs were beginning to fill with fluid. Thursday afternoon, she took a turn for the worse and stopped really responding (at least with words). I and my parents spent Thursday evening at her house with her, my uncle, several other family members, and some of her friends; I feel so grateful for this time that I could be with all of them. Early Friday morning, she became very quiet and her breathing became very shallow; they discontinued giving her morphine. By Friday afternoon, she was gone. A lot of us have shed a lot of tears already, and it's difficult to yet imagine when all the tears might be cried out. She was one of the sweetest people ever and we'll all miss her greatly.

farewell today
travel on now
be on your way

go safely there
never worry
never care
beyond this day

farewell tonight
to all joy and to all delight
go well and go peacefully
we can't keep your majesty
be on your way

make ready for the last King of May
make a cardboard crown for him
make your voices one
praise a crazy mother's son
who loved his life
who loved his life

farewell today
travel on now
be on your way
can't bear the very thought
that we could keep your majesty
be on your way

make ready for the last King of May
make a hole in the crowd for him
raise your voices up
lift your loving cups
to his long life
to his long life

make ready for the last King of May
make a hole in the sky for him
raise your voices up
drink your loving cups
to his long life
to his long life

—King of May, Natalie Merchant

highlights

Ok, now that I've embarrassed myself with the last post (as if you guys didn't already know I'm lame like that...), here's a post of my highlights from the last few weeks:

• several diet coke/mentos fountains a couple of weeks ago


• a dry ice explosion in a front yard...obliterating grass and inverting the blown off top of a pop bottle


• the guess who concert last weekend


• a rockin' good time at newell's with a fun group of people when tine, lisa, and nick were in town


• discovering tequiza


• finally seeing an anvil shoot...it was awesome


• and probably the biggest highlight...my new bike! (pictured below)

lame tv post

1. I rented the first disc of the first season of laguna beach over the weekend. No matter what anyone else says, it doesn't hold a candle to the o.c.


2. I can't believe the series finale of everwood is on tonight. That's my favorite show. CW made a grave mistake canceling it. And I can't believe they're bringing back 7th heaven. wtf? Why did they have this 2-month long "Good-bye to the Camdens" ridiculousness and then bring it back? The only mention of everwood's series finale was at the end of last week's episode. That's it! I already hate CW. Except for one tree hill...

p.s. I love that spellcheck suggests "overdose" for "everwood."