Return to Alaska

I was lucky enough to have the Daily pay to send me to Fairbanks, Alaska back in 2004 to cover the hockey team. It was an experience of a lifetime and something I will never forget. When I met Tracy, she was always jealous that I visited Alaska, someplace she always wanted to go. So when it came time to discussing possible honeymoon destinations, an Alaskan cruise seemed like the obvious choice to me.

When Tracy first brought up honeymoon destinations, she asked what I thought. When I suggested Alaska, her eyes lit up immediately. I think she was anticipating some of the more traditional destinations, such as Hawai’I or the Caribbean. We had talked on and off about going to an all-inclusive resort a few times over the years, but never went ahead with booking one. But being of the pale complexion, that never seemed like the best idea.

So we officially booked our cruise over the weekend and we already can’t wait for it to arrive. Tracy’s school won’t let her take extended time off towards the end of the school year, so we won’t be able to leave right after the wedding. We are leaving the second week of July and spending seven days on the high seas aboard Norwegian cruise line. While the struggling economy has been hard on everyone, it sure has created some low cruise fares. We were able to upgrade to a penthouse cabin and remain within our budget.

The cruise departs from Seattle, so the plan is to fly in a few days early and complete a capitol road trip through Washington, Oregon and Idaho. After spending a few days on the road and in crappy motels, it will be nice to relax and unwind on the cruise before heading back to reality.

Ready for the Oscars... three months late

Back in February, I mentioned I was planning on watching all the movies that were nominated for the best picture Oscar. Thanks to some procrastination, late release dates and Netflix delays, I finally got through all 10 last weekend. Looking back at the list as a whole, I still think expanding the field was a mistake. There were several films that didn’t seem to be worthy of the title “best picture nominee” and I definitely wouldn’t have seen them otherwise. In that sense, Hollywood was successful in making people like me more aware of smaller, independent films.

Thanks to Netflix, this is the first year I have seen all best picture nominees. I realize that the awards are long gone, but here is my ranking of all 10 films that were up for the Academy Award for Best Picture, from worst to first:

A Serious Man: I know the Cohen brothers aren’t everyone’s cup of tea, but I found this movie totally unfunny and it seemed to end abruptly.

The Blind Side: Nothing about this mediocre family sports movie was remotely Oscar-worthy. Sandra Bullock sure knows how to lobby Academy voters.

Avatar: Dazzling special effects can’t overcome weak acting, a completely recycled plot and a glacially slow pace.

An Education: Carey Mulligan can’t help but make you fall in love with her, but the supporting cast seems stiff, even for a British period piece. The “surprise” ending is anything but.

Up: Pixar delivers another charming movie that appeals to multiple age groups, but its dark overtones are kind of a downer.

Precious: This was the most difficult movie to watch, but Gabourey Sidibe was able to portray a struggling teen with poise.

Up in the Air: George Clooney is at his charismatic best, but the other two female characters (the sexy Vera Farmiga and the spunky Anna Kendrick) carry the load.

Inglourious Basterds: Quentin Tarantino does it again with memorable characters and overlapping storylines that makes up for its revisionist take on history. Christoph Waltz steals every scene he is in.

District 9: Despite the obvious allusions to South African Apartheid, it has an interesting premise and solid special effects that wasn’t your typical sci-fi adventure.

The Hurt Locker: This film grips you right from the beginning and doesn’t let go. It drags slightly in the middle, but it is one of the most compelling movies I have seen in awhile.

Classroom time

Apparently, I am a big celebrity. People I’ve never even met talk about me all the time and constantly seek updates on what I am doing. Recently, this group of individuals requested they meet me, and I finally decided to oblige them with an appearance.

I stopped by Tracy’s classroom this afternoon and delivered some pizza her students had earned. All year long, Ms. Rumfelt has told her kids about me, that I am a big grammar Nazi, I like to travel to state capitols, and pretty much any other detail she thought they would like. She had mentioned to me several times that her kids requested I stop by so they could meet me in person, and I finally took the afternoon off from work to indulge them.

I anticipated the worst. Since they seemingly knew everything about me, I was certain I would face an afternoon of Q&A that would run the gamut. However, her kids were watching a movie and didn’t really seem to care that much. I was asked a couple of questions from two different kids, but it was almost as if I wasn’t there. Tracy was shocked at their indifference, as they had been supposedly anticipating my visit all week.

After the kids left, she was appreciative of my visit and relayed some of the other comments from her kids, including “He doesn’t look as cute in person.” I never thought I took great pictures, but maybe I need to reconsider.