Goldmember opens today...and I plan on being there at 7pm tonight. "I love GOOOOLLLDDDD!"



I've undertaken a large project from my mother. I'm putting all of her black and white photos into a photo album/scrapbook. These photos consist of her mother and father's families, her grandparents, siblings, great-grandparents, uncles, aunts cousins. I've seen most of the photos over my lifetime, but I'm amazed at how many I don't really know. My Grandpa Garness came from a large family-11 kids. I only remember 3 of those aunts and uncles really well. The others passed away before I was born or died when I was young. My grandpa died when I was 8 and I realized how very little I knew him. Looking at these pictures of him with his family has really made me think a lot about how they were all young once too. They're goofing around, with their arms around each other. Photo booth pictures of my grandpa with some random friend-we'll never who the guy is. Standing with my grandma after they got married, both of them thin and young and looking like they really do love each other. I think of some of the stories Grandma has told about when they were dating. Grandpa was considered a 'rogue' and pretty wild. They shaped who I am today, just as their parents did, and those parents before, etc. It truly makes me appreciate where I came from and the sacrifices made. It's a lengthy process to sort all of these photos, but lots of fun too.



Did anyone catch the replay this week of the mini-series The Shining? I caught most of it the first time around, but it was interesting to watch again. Having read the book, this mini-series re-creates the movie very closely. The original Stanley Kubrick version made famous by Nicholson is awesome, and it's a classic, but they made him into a freak and did not follow a lot from the book. In the book, it's a slow madness that he descends into. Much more effectively done by Steven Weber. It's freaky to see him in this role after watching him on Wings all those years ago. He once played David Koresh of the Branch Dividians in a TV movie. Scared the bejezus out of me. But I digress...



The kid who played Danny this time around is only fair. His mouth, or teeth (I can't figure it out) don't let him close his mouth all the way. It was really annoying. Plus he was really nasily. In the movie version, I that Danny was a fair take on the book. A very intelligent kid for his age who has things figured out in life and at the hotel waaaay more then his mom and dad do. Did anyone like Shelley Duvall as Wendy? I liked Rebecca Demornay better. Classic line from the movie: "I"m not gonna hurt you Wendy....I'm just going to bash. your. brains.in." I'm really stuck in the middle on which is better (besides the book). Nicholson still rocks though. And obviously, this all just my opinion, as many beg to differ on the Internet Movie Database.



Something to ponder from an article I ready by Michael Moore. (I'm sure you're familiar with him). He was wondering why matches and lighters were not on the prohibitied list of items to take on an airplane. I stopped to think about this and asked myself the same question. Why? Well, it turns out that the FFA had them on the list after 9/11. However, the tobacco companies lobbyed to have them taken OFF the list. Their reasoning? People can't smoke on a plane and the minute they get off, they want to rush to a smoking lounge where they can. They must have their lighter to do so. The lobbying with Bush and the FFA was successful, and the items were removed. But what happened in December? Richard Reed tries to light his shoe bomb on an airplane. They're still on the list.



Note to my brother: watch where you urinate.

In my defense, I thought Summer Catch was a decent movie because it had a number of fairly obscure actors in it that I like. Didn't say the story was the greatest, but over the movie was good. I'm talking good as in I'm not bored to death by it and when there is nothing else on cable that I can watch, it will suffice. Because I'm a girl I obviously didn't think Jessica Biel was eye candy, but I don't really care for as an actress.



What I do for a living...I work with teenagers every day for a program in Minnesota called Target Market. This is a youth anti-tobacco industry deal. We're not anti-smoking, we're against the industry and the marketing that is done. Bring on the comments should you feel the need to argue. I do it everyday! Anyway, I manage an office of about 15, with kids who are active in the movement here all the time. We have a cheap office space (storefront) with old office furniture cast offs. As you can imagine, sometimes the damn teenagers get bored or mad at us and decide to have a little fun. Hence the glueing incident. It was actually kind of fun to have the shit hit the fan for a change with them. Usually they get away with murder, but a day back from vacation set me off and I hauled one of 'em into my office and let him have it. (the response as usual was I don't know why I felt like doing it.) Now, no one under 20 is allowed to have a key (we have interns that work evenings). Let's just say they're none to happy with Kristin these days. All the adults were thrilled with some rule finally. So, when I mention things like 'poopcicle' you can imagine why it's suddenly funny. I work with an age group that ranges from 14-32. And Office Space is an oft quoted and favorite movie. Anyway, go to our website if you want details.



Weekend was fair. The friends weekend bombed, and it was only 2 of us. Looonnnggg story. Had a good time with one friend, but find that things have changed quite a bit since college in terms of what to talk about over an entire weekend. I wanted some alone time by Sunday.



Have thought much about my brother's post about goals. I need to do a lot better in this area. Good boost, good writing Pat. Thanks for making me do some re-thinking of where my life is going....I don't mean that in a sarcastic way either. It's in a nice way!