Books, Movies, and Trips

Hello everyone back from a weekend of doing things away from the computer. Reading, going to movies, Pyschic Fairs, and making decisions.

First the reading. I've been noticing lately that the really good writers read a lot and they read authors whose style they like. I really like the writing style of William Bernhardt. His court room scenes are the most realistic of any attorney turned writer that I read. For me, Bernhardt is a much better writer than John Grisham. Just not as well known. Bernhardt's books do have kind of a liberal tint so be forewarned about that. I started Bernhardt's latest Ben Kincaid novel Friday, CAPITOL CONSPIRACY. It is about a president using a terrorist attack to attempt to change the constitution to give the president more power. Sound familiar? I am seven chapters into it and enjoying it very much. Symply you started reading David Baldacci because of one of my suggestions and I am betting that you will like Bernhardt as well. For more about Bernhardt and his writings you can visit his web site, http://williambernhardt.com/ .

Now, the movies. I love movies. There is nothing like forgetting the world while sitting in a dark theater and getting totally lost in the entertainment before you. I went to two movies this weekend. Leatherheads and Smart People.

Leatherheads stars Renee Zellweger and George Clooney. It was directedy by Clooney and co-written by Duncan Brantley and one of the best sports columnist in the business, Rick Reily. It reminds me of Friday Night Lights in one way. Friday Night Lights uses football as the centerpiece of it but really isn't about football just in the same way Leatherheads uses football as its centerpiece but is about more than football. While the chemistry between Zellweger and Clooney is off the charts, the third wheel in the romantic triangle, John Krasiniski steals the movie. The basic plot is that Dodge Connelly (Clooney) is the team captain of the Bulldogs in a struggling pro football league in 1925. Clooney comes up with an idea that saves the league. That is to convince a college football star and war hero, Carter Rutherford (John Krasinski) to drop out of college to earn big bucks. Zellweger plays a newspaper reporter assigned to get the goods on Rutherford for her paper. Sit back and enjoy this movie. It will remind you of the old Clark Cable-Deborah Kerr chemistry movies. In spots laugh out loud funny, it spots touchingly romantic, and a nice but different ending. One football for Krasinski, One football for the chemistry between Clooney and Zellweger, one football for costume design. Three footballs. Don't let you not liking football keep you away from this flick.

Smart People stars Dennis Quaid, Sarah Jessica Parker, Ellen Page, and movie stealer Thomas Haden Church. Unlike 21 which was about smart people being incredibly stupid SMART PEOPLE is really about smart people, just smart people being real. Dennis Quaid plays a college professor, Lawrence Wetherhold, with a daughter, Vanessa Wetherhold (played by Page), whose goal is to get a perfect score on her SATs. Thomas Haden Church plays the freeloading brother of Quaid. I usally don't like freeloaders but I loved Church being Chuck Wetherhold in this movie. There were a few times that I wanted to shake some sense into good old Chuck but he is just so darn fun in this movie. Parker plays Dr. Janet Haritgan who becomes Lawrence Wetherford's love interest through an accident that brings Wetherford to the emergency room. As a shy guy that really often doesn't know what to do or say on a date I could relate well to Professor Wetherford. Unlike JUNO that had one of the worst predator male characters in the history of movies SMART PEOPLE had a man gentle enough to do the right thing when a situation presented itself. God love him. One football for Church, One football for Page, One football for the movie not being JUNO, One football for a man doing the right thing . Four footballs. Go and enjoy.

Now the trip. I've decided to take baby steps. I haven't traveled since 9-11 and am somewhat afraid of traveling by anything other than by car. I've come to the conclusion that taking a long trip as my first travel outting might not the brightest thing that I have ever done. Also, Mom has gotten worse and I'm not so sure how realistic it is for me to be a long ways away from her base right now. So what I am going to do for the month of May is to do small trips while Mom is in respite care and then if I do the baby steps well take my big ten day LA trip in August. In May I will go to the Coast, to Ashland, Maybe even to Klamath Falls to visit the grave of a cousin that I had that died several years ago at the age of 14 and say the proper good bye that I've never said, and maybe to locations that I've never been. I will also use the time that I have to get my house and affairs in order should I do decide to move at some point.

May this day bring you love and happiness.