Mission Possible

We were given some old scrapbooks of D's grandmother. They need to be restored and archived. But they are in great condition! There are even some of the 1962 World's Fair in Seattle. Which is super cool, since we'll be there in the fall.

Good thing I have a line with Creative Memories, eh? It's going to be a long process. D says "when you get caught up on our family stuff, you can start on this." Ha! Funny boy. But it will be awesome to have all that information in our house.

Ahh...

There are few things in life as perfect as good vanilla ice cream and chocolate chip cookies. Especially when I didn't have to make either one from scratch. God Bless Amurika.

Oh, and by the way... your mother told you true. The feds are investigating a link between ED drugs and blindness. Talk about a "duh!" moment.

I'm torn on whether or not to see "Madagascar". It looks delightfully well done. But I saw one of those "the making of" shows on HBO last week. It said the director (or whatever) pitched the movie premise as "Seinfeld in the wild". Oi. Hollywood has run out of ideas.

Tom Cruise, yousah crazee

Tom Cruise is getting just plain weird. Beyond the whole ickiness factor of his supposed romance with Katie Holmes, now he's acting like a maniac on Oprah. That boy is DAFT.

Some Yahoo article quotes a statistic of 62% of the voting population believes his current affair is a publicity stunt. Lord, I hope so. That is not an upgrade, my friend.

Oh, and here's something that will tickle Andy the news writer. Gannett, the paper he just left for Knight Ridder, has confirmed their suspected incompetence. Follow der link: http://www.gawker.com/news/media/trends/gannett-newspapers-to-get-somehow-dumber-105087.php

The Dark Side According to Darth

Cheeseburger Brown has now made it even easier to enjoy his Darth Vader blog. This is some good stuff, folks. I don't know if there is a charge or not for downloading.

If not, enjoy this: http://mfdh.ca/starwars/darth-vader

If so, you can still get to the weblog at: http://www.darthside.blogspot.com

It's good to be king (of the geeks).

When you're making other plans, life gets in the way

So, we didn't get around to watching "Wayne's World" the other night. The Batman and Justice League Unlimited was on, yanno. I can't do much to keep my child from watching too many cartoons, when they are cartoons I enjoy watching as well.

Be nice to the geeks, we're taking over the world. Even though it may look like there are more "cartoons" on TV, not all of them are for kids. Grown-up geek kids like me that love animation are stoked we have more of our age demographic out in the work place, making a respectable income by drawing. The storylines are the same as you'll find in a movie of the week or news current events. It just happens to be told by storyboard pictures. I really don't see anything wrong with that!

E was disappointed I had to draw the line at bad anime, however. Japan has to be laughing their arses off at us. There is a ton of anime on Cartoon Network, which I don't get. The dialog is DUMB! I realize there may be a language barrier. But brother, please don't tell me that Americans really tolerate this level of insipid "entertainment". If so, I fear for humanity. Akira, or Gundam stuff, that's ok. But whatever this Hi-Hi-Puffy-Yamiyugi stuff is, oi! Anything that sounds too retarded to say out loud should not be viewed.

/rant off

Sorry!

Salute your Solider

It's Armed Forces Day. Makes me appreciate the soldiers dispatched to defend a cause they may or may not support. Thanks for doing your job!

We went out to Heartland Park today for the Armed Forces Day celebration(s). Not too much going on in the way of activities. But we got there late in the afternoon. Several branches of public service forces had machinery out on display. The police bomb squad had a good-looking F350 that I wouldn't mind to have. Complete with retractable cable on the front crash bar, to cement your bad-assness. The car audio enthusiasts were stylin' and profilin' in the dB (decibal) drag races. It looked like they were getting a military band set up for a performance later. There were even a couple of solar soapbox cars cruising around the track. Not very quickly, mind you. But they were moving in a forward motion.

Armed Forces Day also makes me appreciate my rock star boyfriend. It was at an Armed Forces Day parade that we met. D was even a good sport and let me drag him to a restaurant for dinner tonight. Caught him at a weak moment! He was a little confused at the fact that I stayed at the table after we turned in our order. Usually the girlfriend goes into the kitchen and starts cooking dinner after the boys decide what they want to eat. ;)

Tonight we may try to introduce E to "Wayne's World", Wayne's world, Wayne's world, it's party time, excellent, . He was already exposed to a cultural icon this week with the Star Wars movie. Now he can "party on". That way, if I hear him say "schwing", with any girl in close proximity, then I'll know to start worrying. ha!

Today is The Day!

Yes, my friends.... this is a high holy day of the geeks. Star Wars Episode III has been released, and already consumed by a devout legion of fans.

I even tried to come a complete stop outside E's school, to drop him off and make the pilgrimage to the theatre. Unfortunately, I missed the line waiting outside the box office for the doors to open. The Internet is a wonderful thing. I had already ordered my tickets, and therefore did not need to wait. Sadly, Topeka is not geeky enough, and I was told there was no one waiting in line dressed in "costume". I had even gone to buy a disposable camera, to capture the moment. PS: Thanks for the idea, Diana!

The movie was, of course, impressive with the special effects. It's a dark movie, worthy of the PG-13 rating. I have more respect for Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker, but c'mon guys...... he really only turns to the Dark Side to protect his wife? Yeah, yeah, the omnipotent use of power is cool and all, but I don't know. The film is respectful in the fact that it shows, repeatedly, that Anakin realizes what he's sold out to achieve. And in the end, the battle scenes between Anakin and Kenobi are way cool. I don't know... just getting to that point, Anakin seems not so smart. I guess this is an example of how a book can provide much more insight into a person's motivation than a movie can.

The movie only ran about 2.5 hours, not as long as I thought it would. There were a couple of things I wish they'd have explained better. Like, why was Gen. Grievous coughing and hacking? And why did Yoda feel compelled to mention Qui-Gon Jin's name at the end, so that Kenobi would learn to "commune" with him? Oh, and lastly.... why Sen. Organa ordered C-3PO's memory erased, but not R2's? R2 saw more action than 3PO.

The movie is worth seeing just for the grandeur. They make several references or visual arcs to the original trilogy. It's a sad movie, which someone like me enjoys. I was thinking about it quite a bit leaving the theatre, and am looking forward to seeing it again tonight. Hopefully then, there will be more people dressed in theme.

PS: Today is my rock star anniversary. Sorry, honey, you had to share it with the Force. But Happy Anniversary, anyway! :-*

The Force is strong with this one

In less than 24 hours folks, I will be in geek nirvana. The air is almost Palpatine, I mean palatable.

But why am I really that excited? That is not easily answered with one response. Star Wars was one of the first movies I remember my dad taking us kids to the theatre to see. It was definitely the most memorable, since the others I remember were either Benji or Herbie movies. I wonder what ever did happen to that dog?

Then The Empire Strikes Back comes out when I'm a hormonal adolescent. What young girl wouldn't be swayed by the love story of Han Solo and Princess Leia? And Leia rescuing her man in Return of the Jedi? That is some devotion right there, folks. Yeah, yeah, there was a more predominant story line of Vader seducing Luke to the Dark Side, and Vader's redemption from sacrifice to save Luke in the end... but we all know the *real* reason ya'll were there. ;)

My co-workers have been having much fun at my expense. Today I was asked if I'll be going to the movie in "costume". Little do they realize the correct term is actually "garb". It's not a costume, people! It is part of everyday living (at least in the fantasical world of the geek mind). Dare shall we even say "uniform", as in required dress?

But my family can rest assured, I will not be dressing in any unusual fashion. That's the nice thing about black. It transcends time and trend!

Cue up my theme music

Have ya missed me? I'm sorry I haven't been consistent with my weblog maintenance. I'm usually not a girl that will start a project if I don't intend to see it through the end.

I've been hyponitized by the dude writing Darth Vader's blog. In comparison, my pitiful writing skills have rendered me a bit impotent and excerbates my feelings of inadequacy. Paging Smiling Bob... But, I also have reliable income, which an artist cannot always claim. So neener, neener, neener. :P

Lessee, since we last checked in on our heroes, what has happened? Well, for starters, THERE IS ONLY THREE DAYS LEFT UNTIL STAR WARS!!!!! I've been morbidly scanning all the publicity photos released, hoping for some ephipany. Dang, Carrie Fisher is Miss Chunk-A-Lot. If *I* didn't have anything more pressing going on, and enough money, I would have hired a trainer to get me looking better. Or at least invested in some lipo. Oi!

And where is Harrison Ford during all this promotion? Now, I realize (from interviews I've seen) that the boy doesn't really hold any desire to be idolized for his acting roles. And I even suppose that he may feel more affinity for the Indiana Jones movies, than Star Wars. But to an impressionable girl who has been in love with Han Solo for almost 30 years, his absence hinges on abandonment. He's too handsome to be wasting his time on that skinny Calista Flockhart. Come back to the legions of women that *truly* love you! ;)

Allright, I will admit that I want to see "Mr. and Mrs. Smith". The movie is likely going to be hardly believable in that a married couple is oblivious to each other's secret spy occupation. But it looks clever, and will have beautiful scenery (read: it won't be hard to look at Brad Pitt or Angelina Jolie). It will probably be a hit with anyone that has dreamt of the chance to work out your frustration towards your spouse by hunting them down and eradicating them. Bonus on it being a job, therefore getting paid.

Disclaimer: I will neither confirm nor deny that I have ever been one of those people (the above-mentioned frustrated spouse).

Gather 'round folks, and be amazed!

I have, in my hot little geeky hand, confirmation of my prepaid, guaranteed access, movie passes to Star Wars Episode III! There are few days that have made me so happy. I-CAN'T-WAIT!!!

But because karma is an evil bitch, I'm also looking at some major auto repair bills. Lord, how many more financial obstacles need to come our way this year? Just because I'm looking forward to going to Seattle to the wedding of my last brother to get married.... and we're trying to view it as a vacation for E as well. Yet there always seems to be some damn fly to buzz over and plunk his annoying butt in the ointment. My Jeep better recognize that its equity-to-lein value is in my favor, and it better straighten up its act.

I also received some sad, but hopeful news. The Goddess of My Enlightenment will be traveling soon for high-level medical care. I worry about her, but I'm hoping that she will find some relief soon. She is a wonderful girl, and deserves an easy time than she's been handed lately. A special shout-out goes to her faithful Earth Boy for taking care of her. He's a keeper. And a cutie, too!

It is Your Destiny ...

Go check out Lord Vader's weblog. Whoever this guy is, he's a good writer. He additionally has quite the fanclub! Lots of folks post comments.

www.darthside.blogspot.com

Happy Mother's Day!

I have the best boys. They covered all the favorite girl gift bases: flowers, jewelry, cards, and gifts. And I even got to open my presents a day early! They both know how impatient I am. I even got to enjoy my ice cream without too much disapproval. That really *is* being kind.

Happy Mother's Day to all you nurtuers out there. Whether you bore the child, opened your home and heart to one, or married one... you deserve to be honored for all your work. Yet I realize that it's not so easy to just relax. Especially when you know they are in your kitchen, trying to "spoil" you by making breakfast. ;-)

I know, I know

I'm not being consistent. Work is actually slowing to a dull roar. There's a bit of a lull, until the end of the month.

So we're getting ramped up for the Monster's birthday party. Our last year of sanity. Next year we becoming the parents of a teenager. I'm VERY grateful that my boy is as sweet as he is. It's a wonder my mother didn't strangle me at puberty.

Givin' some love

It's good to see good players getting the pub they deserve:

Incredi-Bull
So rich. So famous. So what? A lot has changed but little is different for former Jayhawk Kirk Hinrich.

Kurt CaywoodThe Capital-Journal

CHICAGO -- The jersey has changed. The city has changed. The league and the level have changed. The money, there's so much now he doesn't know what to do with it.
Kirk Hinrich hasn't changed.

Wednesday night at the United Center could have been March 2000 in Winston-Salem, N.C. The Chicago Bulls' loss to Washington in Game 5 of the first round of the NBA playoffs was no more a shock than eighth-seeded Kansas' second-round NCAA Tournament loss to top-seeded Duke.

As a freshman at KU, Hinrich outplayed Jason Williams, the Blue Devils' fawned-over phenom point guard. As the Bulls' unlikely star, Hinrich, who was drafted two years ago to replace Williams after a debilitating motorcycle crash, did everything he could -- 23 points, 7 assists, 6-of-7 shooting beyond the arc -- to beat the Wizards. Neither time was it enough, and neither time was it anywhere close to enough for Hinrich.

Wednesday night, as he sat next to the permanently vacated locker once occupied by Michael Jordan, a mouse starting to swell under his left eye, Hinrich's expression and mannerisms, his disgust and frustration in defeat, were the same he wore five years earlier in a dressing room at Wake Forest's Joel Coliseum.

Back in the day, it was a five-point loss in the last minute. This time, after a furious comeback that he helped fuel, it was Gilbert Arenas' buzzer-beater that cleared Hinrich's fingertips by no more than a finger's length. "It's just heartbreaking," Hinrich said.

More than ever, he pours his heart into every game. More than ever, he'd gladly cut out yours to win. "The one thing he cares about," said Chris Emens, his agent, "is winning ballgames." Winning ballgames didn't come easily in Chicago for several seasons. When Jordan, Scottie Pippen and Phil Jackson left, the Bulls went from the best team in the league to one of the worst overnight.

In 2003, with the franchise changing direction, newly hired general manager John Paxson made Hinrich the seventh pick in the draft. Hinrich repaid that confidence by making the all-rookie team last year, along with LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony, but he hated it. The Bulls stunk. They lost 59 of 82 games. When Scott Skiles was hired as coach less than a month into the season, he set about changing an entire culture of losing that pervaded the team. He changed everything but Hinrich. "I pretty much just tell him to play the way he plays," Skiles said. "He's one guy you don't have to worry about as far as the way he plays the game. If you're a coach, you have to appreciate guys like that."

This season, with 10 players with three years or less in the league, including a precocious group of rookies, Skiles had what was, in essence, a fifth- or sixth-year college team. After an 0-9 start, it gelled and became one of the NBA's most efficient winning machines.

PRIME TIME
In most statistical categories, Chicago Bulls guard Kirk Hinrich has better numbers in the playoffs than in the regular season.

WHAT'S NEXT
The Chicago Bulls play the Washington Wizards at 7 tonight on ESPN. The Wizards lead the series 3-2. The winner advances to the Eastern Conference semifinals against Miami.

"It turned into a great situation," Hinrich said. "We've got a lot of young guys, and the veterans we have are great to play with, great to be around and learn from. We've had a lot of fun and we've played hard. It's been fun to be a part of."

Hinrich hasn't just been a part. He's been the team's heart. This season, he led them in starts, minutes and assists, and he was second in scoring by a tenth of a point. He's regarded as one of the top defenders in the league. "Without Kirk this season, I don't know if we would have made it this far," said Ben Gordon, the NBA's top sixth man and runner-up for rookie of the year. "He's a very clutch player. He's kind of a throwback guard, a heady point guard, clever with the ball, definitely tough."

And still tough to read. Hinrich is more quotable now, but he's no more excited about sharing his thoughts publicly. The NBA media have learned what college basketball writers came to know: Want to talk about Kirk Hinrich? Call Nick Collison. "I've been getting calls about Kirk for two years," said Collison, a forward in Seattle, "and it's always the same questions."

The answers are the same as they were when the two were teammates leading the Jayhawks to consecutive Final Fours. In a tight circle of friends, Hinrich likes to joke and laugh and have fun. In public, he's about hoops and hoops only. Realistically, his celebrity is no more intrusive now than ever. Sure, in Chicago he is widely recognized as the first guy to lead the Bulls to the playoffs since Jordan did it eight years ago. But he'd already dealt with Jordan-like fame on a smaller scale. "It's difficult to go out, to go places sometimes, but it's not worse than Lawrence," he said, "It was worse there by far. That's just how crazy it is there. If you're a basketball player, they just automatically love you there."

They love him in Chicago. He is introduced last before home games to the biggest ovation. His is the best-selling jersey in the souvenir store. After the Bulls' success this year, businesses will be even more eager to show him a little love. But the endorsement engagements Emens lines up for his client are few and far between. There are deals with Converse, Upper Deck and Topps. There's a new one with a copier company called Genesis Technology.

"The key to that deal, even though it was a very good payment, was it only took an hour of his time," the agent said. "Kirk turns down a lot of things if they are not time-efficient for him."
And why not. By the end of his first contract, he will have pulled down nearly $6 million.

If you're having a difficult time imagining Kirk Hinrich, the gym rat guard from West High in Sioux City, Iowa, as a multimillionaire, it isn't your imagination's fault. "I still live like nothing's changed," he said. "I still dress the same, still eat the same food. Nothing's changed. I'm not even used to it yet. I still spend like I don't have money. If something's overpriced, I'm going to complain about it whether I have money or not."

He lives like nothing's changed, because the most important thing hasn't. In Lawrence, it wasn't about the runaway popularity. In Chicago, it's not about riches and endorsements and stardom.
It's always just been about basketball. "I think he takes pretty much everything in stride," said Jim Hinrich, Kirk's dad. "It comes with the territory. He's doing what he loves. He'd do it for a lot less."

And that's why he's worth every penny.

Kurt Caywood's column regularly appears Mondays, Fridays and Sundays. He can be reached at (785) 295-1288 or kurt.caywood@cjonline.com.