Tuesday, December 05, 2006
Well, Hell must have frozen over...
...because I just made a new post on StormWyvern Press. Link to the right.
Sunday, November 19, 2006
We Got A WII!
I know I haven't posted here in a while, but this is a pretty momentous occasion. The title, coupled with the date, says it all.
We weren't able to get a preorder due to the limited numbers and a couple of preorder related fiascoes. We had decided to arrive at what we though was a very early hour (roughly 5:30 AM) at our local Target, which we had heard had at least 100 Wiis coming in, probably 120. But when we got there, contrary to our expectations of low turnout, at least 120 people were forming a line that went around the side of the store. Tents and opened cars told us quite a few people had been there a very long time. Disheartened, we left, and decided to try a few more places before resorting to ordering online. We decided to go with a less likely store. I hesitate to even name it as we may need to rely on the trick of going there when the next generation of consoles comes out. Friends can e-mail me if they're curious. Anyway, this store initially had no line. We went to check another nearby store quickly, found it did have a line, and returned to the previous store to find two people waiting. We quickly secured our places waiting for two (we had a friend with us) of the 6 available Wiis.
I'm very happy to say that the people we ended up waiting with were a great group. Everyone was really friendly and as far as I could tell, not one of them was looking to resell the system. We chatted, checked out a new DS game, held a spot for the mom of a twelve year old while she went to retrieve her son from the nearby Circuit City line. (She later repaid us with a cofee and donut run.) We had arrived around 5:30 and the store wasn't supposed to open until 10, so we were prepared for a length wait. But one of the managers decided to let us in around 7! The only downside was that our friend had gone home to grab some warmer clothing. Fortunately, since Andrew and I still count as two people, we were able to pick one up for him. The signage outside had indicated that the store was only selling bundles. None of us knew what this meant and we were pretty nervous, having heard tales of $600 bundles of crappy games. But we were in luck. The bundle here was the system, and extra controller of your choice (remote, nunchuk, or virtual console controller), and either "Excite Truck" or "Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess". We, of course, picked the latter.
So how is it? FUN. Thw controls work extremely well and the whole interface is a joy to use. The game included with the console, "Wii Sports" shows off the controller functions very wel through a number of fun little sports games. There's not much depth, but you can customize your characters and all the games are pretty fun. "Twilight Princess" would be a great game without the Wii functionality. I've been waiting over a year to play it. But I do dearly lover aiming my slingshot with my remote and hearing it emit sword slashing sounds as I swing it to slash away at my foes.
All in all, this was a surprisingly good experience, and the real fun is just begining. I'll try not to neglect my social contacts, but if you hear me talking about triple bogeys and triforces as I talk to you with one hand holding the phone, you'll know what I'm up to.
We weren't able to get a preorder due to the limited numbers and a couple of preorder related fiascoes. We had decided to arrive at what we though was a very early hour (roughly 5:30 AM) at our local Target, which we had heard had at least 100 Wiis coming in, probably 120. But when we got there, contrary to our expectations of low turnout, at least 120 people were forming a line that went around the side of the store. Tents and opened cars told us quite a few people had been there a very long time. Disheartened, we left, and decided to try a few more places before resorting to ordering online. We decided to go with a less likely store. I hesitate to even name it as we may need to rely on the trick of going there when the next generation of consoles comes out. Friends can e-mail me if they're curious. Anyway, this store initially had no line. We went to check another nearby store quickly, found it did have a line, and returned to the previous store to find two people waiting. We quickly secured our places waiting for two (we had a friend with us) of the 6 available Wiis.
I'm very happy to say that the people we ended up waiting with were a great group. Everyone was really friendly and as far as I could tell, not one of them was looking to resell the system. We chatted, checked out a new DS game, held a spot for the mom of a twelve year old while she went to retrieve her son from the nearby Circuit City line. (She later repaid us with a cofee and donut run.) We had arrived around 5:30 and the store wasn't supposed to open until 10, so we were prepared for a length wait. But one of the managers decided to let us in around 7! The only downside was that our friend had gone home to grab some warmer clothing. Fortunately, since Andrew and I still count as two people, we were able to pick one up for him. The signage outside had indicated that the store was only selling bundles. None of us knew what this meant and we were pretty nervous, having heard tales of $600 bundles of crappy games. But we were in luck. The bundle here was the system, and extra controller of your choice (remote, nunchuk, or virtual console controller), and either "Excite Truck" or "Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess". We, of course, picked the latter.
So how is it? FUN. Thw controls work extremely well and the whole interface is a joy to use. The game included with the console, "Wii Sports" shows off the controller functions very wel through a number of fun little sports games. There's not much depth, but you can customize your characters and all the games are pretty fun. "Twilight Princess" would be a great game without the Wii functionality. I've been waiting over a year to play it. But I do dearly lover aiming my slingshot with my remote and hearing it emit sword slashing sounds as I swing it to slash away at my foes.
All in all, this was a surprisingly good experience, and the real fun is just begining. I'll try not to neglect my social contacts, but if you hear me talking about triple bogeys and triforces as I talk to you with one hand holding the phone, you'll know what I'm up to.
Wednesday, September 27, 2006
Meme Time
I did this on Kim's blog, so the Law of the Internet says I must post it on mine. Enjoy, my readership of two, possibly three.
1. Your Middle Name:
2. Age:
3. Single or Taken:
4. Favorite Movie:
4a. Favorite Book:
5. Favorite Song:
6. Favorite Band/Artist:
7. Dirty or Clean:
8. Tattoos and/or Piercings:
HERE COMES THE FUN ... ... ...
1. Do we know each other outside of Live Journal?
2. Whats your philosophy on life?
3. Would you have my back in a fight?
4. Would you keep a secret from me if you thought it was in my best interest?
5. What is your favorite memory of us?
6. Would you give me a kidney?
7. Tell me one odd/interesting fact about you:
8. Would you take care of me when I'm sick?
9. Can we get together and make a cake?
10. Have you heard any rumors of me lately?
11. Do you/have you talk(ed) crap about me?
12. Do you think I'm a good person?
13. Would you drive across country with me?
14. Do you think I'm attractive?
15. If you could change anything about me, would you?
16. What do you wear to sleep?
17. Would you come over for no reason just to hang out?
18. Would you go on a date with me if i asked you?
19. If I only had one day to live, what would we do together?
20. Will you post this so I can fill it out for you?
1. Your Middle Name:
2. Age:
3. Single or Taken:
4. Favorite Movie:
4a. Favorite Book:
5. Favorite Song:
6. Favorite Band/Artist:
7. Dirty or Clean:
8. Tattoos and/or Piercings:
HERE COMES THE FUN ... ... ...
1. Do we know each other outside of Live Journal?
2. Whats your philosophy on life?
3. Would you have my back in a fight?
4. Would you keep a secret from me if you thought it was in my best interest?
5. What is your favorite memory of us?
6. Would you give me a kidney?
7. Tell me one odd/interesting fact about you:
8. Would you take care of me when I'm sick?
9. Can we get together and make a cake?
10. Have you heard any rumors of me lately?
11. Do you/have you talk(ed) crap about me?
12. Do you think I'm a good person?
13. Would you drive across country with me?
14. Do you think I'm attractive?
15. If you could change anything about me, would you?
16. What do you wear to sleep?
17. Would you come over for no reason just to hang out?
18. Would you go on a date with me if i asked you?
19. If I only had one day to live, what would we do together?
20. Will you post this so I can fill it out for you?
Wednesday, September 06, 2006
Q & A
Another one of these things. I guess it's a good way to see if anyone still reads this.
I want everyone who reads this, that wants to, to ask me 3 questions, no more no less. Ask me anything you want and I will answer them as honestly and completely as I can. Then I want you to go to your journal, copy and paste this, allowing your friends (including me) to ask you anything.
I want everyone who reads this, that wants to, to ask me 3 questions, no more no less. Ask me anything you want and I will answer them as honestly and completely as I can. Then I want you to go to your journal, copy and paste this, allowing your friends (including me) to ask you anything.
Friday, September 01, 2006
I Now Pronounce Thee Done.
I guess it's about time for me to recap the wedding experience. Unlike diligent blogger Jon, I didn't manage to make daily reports. But the again, Jon wasn't in the process of getting married. Apologies if I forget anything or anyone; it was a somewhat crazy couple of days.
FRIDAY
Erik and Trina are supposed to arrive today, so good chunks of the day are spent cleaning. We've also scheduled lunch at Lexx for Andrew's family and mine to meet up before the wedding. Andrew has opted out to wait for Erik and Trina to arrive and to continue cleaning. Donna and her Andrew are going into Harvard Square. That leaves Andrew's parents, Meredith, my parents, and me. Everyone arrives in a timely fashion and the food is good. Andrew's family gives me a white purse for the emergency kit Meredtih and I have been putting together, which is another worry off the list. Our families get along fine and I get a tasty four cheese macaroni and a so-so white chocolate bread pudding.
Later on, we stop by Andrew's aunt's house to see some of his family, including Andrew's ten month old first cousin once removed, Logan. Logan is at a particularly curious age and seems particularly interested in Andrew. Much as he complains that he doesn't like kids, Andrew seems to do pretty well with them one on one.
The day goes on. Erik and Trina get delayed by evening traffic in Connecticut, so we eat the takeout we ordered before they arrive. They get around nine with a sleeping Orin in tow. We reheat the pizza and chat for a while before heading off to bed.
SATURDAY
Andrew and our guests go out to see the local toy stores. I opt to stay home, get my nails touched up (for free!), and plan the "rehearsal dinner". Since we're not having an actual rehearsal, we've decided to just have a nice meal with some of our friends. I make reservations at Kushboo, our local Indian restaurant, then start calling people to see who's coming. Andrew, Erik, Trina, and Orin get back from shopping and we head over to Baja Fresh for a late lunch.
Our guests start arriving in the evening. We have a few late arrivals, so Andrew stays behind to wait for them while I take everyone else over to the restaurant. Kushboo is very accommodating, especially considering that w end up with one more person than we anticipated. Once everyone arrives, we have 11 people and one baby: Dave, Keng Qui, Tim, Les, Jon, Erik, Trina, Donna, Donna's Andrew, Andrew, and me. Since we all share similar interests, everyone gets along very well. Aside from Orin fussing and no one remembering the name of Superman's third obscure girlfriend, the night is a success. We come back to our house and continue chatting until we kick everyone out so we can get some sleep.
SUNDAY -THE BIG DAY
Sleep turns out to be an unattainable dream; we wake up around 3 AM and don't really get back to sleep. I get up a few hours later to prepare for Meredith arriving around 8:30. The stylist comes at 9 to do my hair and makeup. Everything goes pretty smoothly, but I'm still nervous. All the last minute concerns I have no control over are hitting pretty hard, to the point where I keep tensing my shoulders. To try to calm down, I watch my favorite relaxing movie: Toy Story 2 with commentary. It's fun, familiar, and a good way to kill time. Eventually, we head outside and Trina spots the limo at the end of the street. We climb in and head for the restaurant.
I call my mom from the limo to let her know we're on our way. She helps my anxiety by telling me everyone is already having a great time and not to worry. In spite of my worries, we approach the restaurant on time. I call one more time so Mom can alert the photographer to come down and take pictures as we exit the limo. We're greeted b the staff and head upstairs to the dining room.
Once we arrive, I feel about ten times better. The room looks fantastic and everyone got there without incident (even my mother's brother and his family, who were coming in by train with very little time to get to the restaurant). I greet as many people as I can, pick up by bouquet, and get a quick look a the cake. This was one of my worries; last I heard, the florist and the restaurant staff hadn't talked and the cake was supposed to be decorated with flowers. But once I see it, I'm convinced they got in touch.
After the greetings, I talk to our officiant and gather our wedding party to start the ceremony. The Grover "reading" comes in right on cue (thanks to Donna's Andrew) and goes over very well. The only hitch is when I have to say my vows. I'm both nervous and really happy, which tends to make me giggle. I mess up one line and have to repeat it. Andrew does just fine and the rest of the ceremony goes smoothly.
The photographer grabs us for various family group pictures after the ceremony. Once those are done, we get to mingle and sample the appetizers. The only real problem with any of the day's events is the music. We spent hours picking out music and putting it in order....and no one can hear it. I guess if we had dancing, it would have focused more attention on the music, but as is, I guess no one minded since everyone was talking anyway. If something had to go kind of wrong, I guess it was pretty minor and didn't really bother anyone but us.
After talking to people for a while, we sit down for dinner. The food is quite good for the most part and everyone comments on how tasty it is. Andrew gets the tofu entree and I get the chicken, so we each have an opportunity to try a bit. My dad and sister both make beautiful toasts. I manage to thank everyone for coming and remember everything I meant to say without notes. Andrew and I circle around from time to time to talk to people at other tables when we're not enjoying our food.
I get the room's attention again to call attention to the favors and announce the cake cutting. The waitress tells us that there's cardboard about an inch in somewhere, but I never figure out exactly where. We cut the cake with Andrew's parents' cake knife from their wedding. We feed each other without too much frosting mess and everyone seems happy to discover that the cake inside is chocolate. The cake and dolci is a big hit all around. I make my last announcement and present my bouquet to my sister for luck with her wedding. People begin to leave and we're eventually down to one table. We head out before 5 and the rain that's held off until now makes an appearance. Will and the limo driver provide umbrellas, so we get to the limo relatively dry. We return home in plenty of time to feed the bunnies. I change into more comfortable clothing (those shoes will probably not be worn again), and take a brief nap on the couch. Around 8, we decide we're hungry and go out to Chili's with Erik, Trina, and Orin. It's a nice, casual end to the day and I'm feeling quite satisfied as we go to bed.
(I may add an entry for Monday at some later time, but I'm running out of steam, so this is it for now. Additions and comments welcome.)
FRIDAY
Erik and Trina are supposed to arrive today, so good chunks of the day are spent cleaning. We've also scheduled lunch at Lexx for Andrew's family and mine to meet up before the wedding. Andrew has opted out to wait for Erik and Trina to arrive and to continue cleaning. Donna and her Andrew are going into Harvard Square. That leaves Andrew's parents, Meredith, my parents, and me. Everyone arrives in a timely fashion and the food is good. Andrew's family gives me a white purse for the emergency kit Meredtih and I have been putting together, which is another worry off the list. Our families get along fine and I get a tasty four cheese macaroni and a so-so white chocolate bread pudding.
Later on, we stop by Andrew's aunt's house to see some of his family, including Andrew's ten month old first cousin once removed, Logan. Logan is at a particularly curious age and seems particularly interested in Andrew. Much as he complains that he doesn't like kids, Andrew seems to do pretty well with them one on one.
The day goes on. Erik and Trina get delayed by evening traffic in Connecticut, so we eat the takeout we ordered before they arrive. They get around nine with a sleeping Orin in tow. We reheat the pizza and chat for a while before heading off to bed.
SATURDAY
Andrew and our guests go out to see the local toy stores. I opt to stay home, get my nails touched up (for free!), and plan the "rehearsal dinner". Since we're not having an actual rehearsal, we've decided to just have a nice meal with some of our friends. I make reservations at Kushboo, our local Indian restaurant, then start calling people to see who's coming. Andrew, Erik, Trina, and Orin get back from shopping and we head over to Baja Fresh for a late lunch.
Our guests start arriving in the evening. We have a few late arrivals, so Andrew stays behind to wait for them while I take everyone else over to the restaurant. Kushboo is very accommodating, especially considering that w end up with one more person than we anticipated. Once everyone arrives, we have 11 people and one baby: Dave, Keng Qui, Tim, Les, Jon, Erik, Trina, Donna, Donna's Andrew, Andrew, and me. Since we all share similar interests, everyone gets along very well. Aside from Orin fussing and no one remembering the name of Superman's third obscure girlfriend, the night is a success. We come back to our house and continue chatting until we kick everyone out so we can get some sleep.
SUNDAY -THE BIG DAY
Sleep turns out to be an unattainable dream; we wake up around 3 AM and don't really get back to sleep. I get up a few hours later to prepare for Meredith arriving around 8:30. The stylist comes at 9 to do my hair and makeup. Everything goes pretty smoothly, but I'm still nervous. All the last minute concerns I have no control over are hitting pretty hard, to the point where I keep tensing my shoulders. To try to calm down, I watch my favorite relaxing movie: Toy Story 2 with commentary. It's fun, familiar, and a good way to kill time. Eventually, we head outside and Trina spots the limo at the end of the street. We climb in and head for the restaurant.
I call my mom from the limo to let her know we're on our way. She helps my anxiety by telling me everyone is already having a great time and not to worry. In spite of my worries, we approach the restaurant on time. I call one more time so Mom can alert the photographer to come down and take pictures as we exit the limo. We're greeted b the staff and head upstairs to the dining room.
Once we arrive, I feel about ten times better. The room looks fantastic and everyone got there without incident (even my mother's brother and his family, who were coming in by train with very little time to get to the restaurant). I greet as many people as I can, pick up by bouquet, and get a quick look a the cake. This was one of my worries; last I heard, the florist and the restaurant staff hadn't talked and the cake was supposed to be decorated with flowers. But once I see it, I'm convinced they got in touch.
After the greetings, I talk to our officiant and gather our wedding party to start the ceremony. The Grover "reading" comes in right on cue (thanks to Donna's Andrew) and goes over very well. The only hitch is when I have to say my vows. I'm both nervous and really happy, which tends to make me giggle. I mess up one line and have to repeat it. Andrew does just fine and the rest of the ceremony goes smoothly.
The photographer grabs us for various family group pictures after the ceremony. Once those are done, we get to mingle and sample the appetizers. The only real problem with any of the day's events is the music. We spent hours picking out music and putting it in order....and no one can hear it. I guess if we had dancing, it would have focused more attention on the music, but as is, I guess no one minded since everyone was talking anyway. If something had to go kind of wrong, I guess it was pretty minor and didn't really bother anyone but us.
After talking to people for a while, we sit down for dinner. The food is quite good for the most part and everyone comments on how tasty it is. Andrew gets the tofu entree and I get the chicken, so we each have an opportunity to try a bit. My dad and sister both make beautiful toasts. I manage to thank everyone for coming and remember everything I meant to say without notes. Andrew and I circle around from time to time to talk to people at other tables when we're not enjoying our food.
I get the room's attention again to call attention to the favors and announce the cake cutting. The waitress tells us that there's cardboard about an inch in somewhere, but I never figure out exactly where. We cut the cake with Andrew's parents' cake knife from their wedding. We feed each other without too much frosting mess and everyone seems happy to discover that the cake inside is chocolate. The cake and dolci is a big hit all around. I make my last announcement and present my bouquet to my sister for luck with her wedding. People begin to leave and we're eventually down to one table. We head out before 5 and the rain that's held off until now makes an appearance. Will and the limo driver provide umbrellas, so we get to the limo relatively dry. We return home in plenty of time to feed the bunnies. I change into more comfortable clothing (those shoes will probably not be worn again), and take a brief nap on the couch. Around 8, we decide we're hungry and go out to Chili's with Erik, Trina, and Orin. It's a nice, casual end to the day and I'm feeling quite satisfied as we go to bed.
(I may add an entry for Monday at some later time, but I'm running out of steam, so this is it for now. Additions and comments welcome.)
Tuesday, August 22, 2006
W Minus Five: Real Progress
Now this is more like it. I think the list is actually getting smaller. Andrew's family is now back in town and his sister has been a huge help. Stuff has just generally been coming together in the past few days. Plus, Andrew is done with his job, so I can freely bug him to do wedding related stuff.
Things That Are Done (Or Mostly Done)
Pen for the guest book - Andrew's dad is supplying us with a nice pen from his large collection of free pens he's received. This is a relief, since pens seem to cost either 99 cents or 30 dollars with not much in the middle.
Confirm ceremony plan - Our officiant is all set on what we want to do. Just one or two tiny details to iron out, but this is essentially done.
Get hairclips and other dress accessories - Meredith and I visited the mall last night and got this taken care of.
Make emergency kit - We also took care of most of this at the mall. We still need some lipstick and a travel sewing kit, which Meredith is taking care of. Aside from that, maybe a nice bag to put it all in.
Clothes shopping with Andrew - This may not be necessary anymore, but even if it is, it shouldn't be too tough.
Plan family lunch - I think we're on for Friday, probably at Lexx in the center. Note to self: Call on Friday to reserve a table.
Figure out jobs for people - I think this is pretty much worked out. I should work out who will take what to the site and make sure they have it ahead of time.
Finalize menu with planner - I just got off the phone with her. All I need to do is make sure we have a final seating count and get the name of the person who will be there on the day.
Things To Do
Buy other part of favors - This should be really easy.
Get something old and something borrowed - I know what the something old is and will pick it up on Friday.
Resize Andrew's ring - We'll be doing this today or tomorrow.
Call and confirm vendors - I will probably do this Thursday or Friday. The only one I absolutely need to talk to is the photographer.
Check prices for parking garages - This is easy, I just need to sit down and do it.
Tell Andrew I love him - It's not that I haven't; I just need to keep it up.
Bonus: Andrew is working on cleaning today!
Things That Are Done (Or Mostly Done)
Pen for the guest book - Andrew's dad is supplying us with a nice pen from his large collection of free pens he's received. This is a relief, since pens seem to cost either 99 cents or 30 dollars with not much in the middle.
Confirm ceremony plan - Our officiant is all set on what we want to do. Just one or two tiny details to iron out, but this is essentially done.
Get hairclips and other dress accessories - Meredith and I visited the mall last night and got this taken care of.
Make emergency kit - We also took care of most of this at the mall. We still need some lipstick and a travel sewing kit, which Meredith is taking care of. Aside from that, maybe a nice bag to put it all in.
Clothes shopping with Andrew - This may not be necessary anymore, but even if it is, it shouldn't be too tough.
Plan family lunch - I think we're on for Friday, probably at Lexx in the center. Note to self: Call on Friday to reserve a table.
Figure out jobs for people - I think this is pretty much worked out. I should work out who will take what to the site and make sure they have it ahead of time.
Finalize menu with planner - I just got off the phone with her. All I need to do is make sure we have a final seating count and get the name of the person who will be there on the day.
Things To Do
Buy other part of favors - This should be really easy.
Get something old and something borrowed - I know what the something old is and will pick it up on Friday.
Resize Andrew's ring - We'll be doing this today or tomorrow.
Call and confirm vendors - I will probably do this Thursday or Friday. The only one I absolutely need to talk to is the photographer.
Check prices for parking garages - This is easy, I just need to sit down and do it.
Tell Andrew I love him - It's not that I haven't; I just need to keep it up.
Bonus: Andrew is working on cleaning today!
Sunday, August 20, 2006
W Minus Seven: One Week To Go
A busy and fairly eventful couple of days, though I still feel like I have virtually nothing done. Thursday was my next to last day of fake job before the big day. I did get a call back from our officiant, but I'm still waiting on an e-mail from her finalizing the details of the ceremony. It doesn't help any that I think I left my e-mail program at work on and it has a nasty habit of grabbing up all my mail from Gmail before my home program gets it. I've been checking via webmail, but it's still pretty annoying. Note to self: do NOT forget to turn off e-mail program at work on Tuesday. In fact, consider disabling automatic checks for personal e-mail address altogether.
House cleaning is proceeding slowly. Andrew is working on a freelance job which I can't really say much about, so I can't ask him for help at least until Monday. Which would be OK except that the majority of the stuff that needs to be cleaned up is his and I don't have a clue where he wants it. I did get most of the front hallway and living room vacuumed; both areas sorely needed it. And to be fair to Andrew, he did clean up the kitchen prior to this job coming in. I gave the bathroom a good scrubbing then we reorganized the kitchen, resulting in a new "bunny corner". There's still a lot to be done, but it feels pretty overwhelming right now.
Andrew dropped me off at my parents' house Saturday evening so that I could go with my dad to pick up Donna and her Andrew. I've seen a fair amount of my parents lately. I'll frequently stop by their house after work since it's a short walk. And with Andrew needing some time alone to get more work done, my visits have been getting longer. After work on Thursday, I stayed for dinner out at an Italian restaurant near Mom's work. I do like visiting with them, and getting to spend some time with just my dad is especially nice.
Anyways, Donna called us from the airport and Dad and I headed out to pick her up, with Pedro in tow. Pedro absolutely loves car rides and behaves very well one them, so we like taking him too. He spent the majority of the ride curled up in my lap, happily relaxed. Logan was the usual horrendous mess and we ended up accidentally leaving the airport, then looping around the terminals an extra time. Once we found Donna and Andrew, we had a pretty uneventful drive home.
We got back to my parents' house and various belated gifts were exchanged. Then we got the big news: Donna and Andrew are engaged. I'm quite happy for them. Andrew is a great guy and I'm sure they'll continue to make each other and their two cats very happy. It gives me someone to pass my accrued wedding knowledge on to before I forget all of it. And my parents only have to remember one son-in-law name.
Andrew called and said he was exhausted, so I took Mom and Dad up on the offer to stay the night. I chatted with Donna and Andrew for a while, then went to bed for a less than easy sleep. Guess I'm just not used to being in a strange bed sans fiance. I woke up somewhat early for me, got a morning greeting from Pedro, and had breakfast. Everyone else was going up to Maine, so I got a lift home before they left.
The one wedding related thing I've managed to accomplish is getting a pretty complete music playlist ready. I have to check on some things with the iPod and speakers to see if I can shuffle the reception playlist. Otherwise, I need to put it in order myself. On the positive side, the wedding dreams have either stopped or stopped being memorable. Still nervous though.
Things To Do
- Get a pen for the guest book
- Confirm ceremony plan with officiant
- Finalize menu with planner
- Buy other part of favors
- Get hairclips and other dress accessories
- Get something old from Mom and something borrowed
- Make emergency kit and find someone to hold it
- Resize Andrew's ring
- Go clothes shopping with Andrew
- Call and confirm vendors
- Plan family lunch
- Figure out jobs for everyone
- Check prices for parking garages
- Tell Andrew I love him
Notice how the list gets longer instead of shorter? Yeah, that's really good.
House cleaning is proceeding slowly. Andrew is working on a freelance job which I can't really say much about, so I can't ask him for help at least until Monday. Which would be OK except that the majority of the stuff that needs to be cleaned up is his and I don't have a clue where he wants it. I did get most of the front hallway and living room vacuumed; both areas sorely needed it. And to be fair to Andrew, he did clean up the kitchen prior to this job coming in. I gave the bathroom a good scrubbing then we reorganized the kitchen, resulting in a new "bunny corner". There's still a lot to be done, but it feels pretty overwhelming right now.
Andrew dropped me off at my parents' house Saturday evening so that I could go with my dad to pick up Donna and her Andrew. I've seen a fair amount of my parents lately. I'll frequently stop by their house after work since it's a short walk. And with Andrew needing some time alone to get more work done, my visits have been getting longer. After work on Thursday, I stayed for dinner out at an Italian restaurant near Mom's work. I do like visiting with them, and getting to spend some time with just my dad is especially nice.
Anyways, Donna called us from the airport and Dad and I headed out to pick her up, with Pedro in tow. Pedro absolutely loves car rides and behaves very well one them, so we like taking him too. He spent the majority of the ride curled up in my lap, happily relaxed. Logan was the usual horrendous mess and we ended up accidentally leaving the airport, then looping around the terminals an extra time. Once we found Donna and Andrew, we had a pretty uneventful drive home.
We got back to my parents' house and various belated gifts were exchanged. Then we got the big news: Donna and Andrew are engaged. I'm quite happy for them. Andrew is a great guy and I'm sure they'll continue to make each other and their two cats very happy. It gives me someone to pass my accrued wedding knowledge on to before I forget all of it. And my parents only have to remember one son-in-law name.
Andrew called and said he was exhausted, so I took Mom and Dad up on the offer to stay the night. I chatted with Donna and Andrew for a while, then went to bed for a less than easy sleep. Guess I'm just not used to being in a strange bed sans fiance. I woke up somewhat early for me, got a morning greeting from Pedro, and had breakfast. Everyone else was going up to Maine, so I got a lift home before they left.
The one wedding related thing I've managed to accomplish is getting a pretty complete music playlist ready. I have to check on some things with the iPod and speakers to see if I can shuffle the reception playlist. Otherwise, I need to put it in order myself. On the positive side, the wedding dreams have either stopped or stopped being memorable. Still nervous though.
Things To Do
- Get a pen for the guest book
- Confirm ceremony plan with officiant
- Finalize menu with planner
- Buy other part of favors
- Get hairclips and other dress accessories
- Get something old from Mom and something borrowed
- Make emergency kit and find someone to hold it
- Resize Andrew's ring
- Go clothes shopping with Andrew
- Call and confirm vendors
- Plan family lunch
- Figure out jobs for everyone
- Check prices for parking garages
- Tell Andrew I love him
Notice how the list gets longer instead of shorter? Yeah, that's really good.
Thursday, August 17, 2006
W Minus Ten
It is ten days before I get married. There's a part of me that's still pretty suprised by that. The rest of me is busy freaking out.
Prior to now, I've been relatively calm about this whole thing. I've never been nervous about the marriage aspect of it and I'm not now. As I see it, we'll wake up in the morning together and go to bed at night together and the only tangible difference will be the addition of a couple of rings. It's not that I don't place any importance on getting married; if that were true we probably wouldn't be going through with this. It's just that since we've been living together for several years, we share a house, and we parent two rabbits together, I don't see this as a new begining or a life altering event. It's more a formal confirmation of what we already have. The worry is because of the event, not what it symbolizes. Andrew feels much the same way, but he got a head start on being nervous about it, so I have to cram an equivalent amount of worrying into roughly two weeks.
To be fair, we have accomplished a lot. I just spoke briefly with our officiant, who is supposed to call me back, which would mean the really essential stuff is pretty much set. But there are still those little things to deal with and that nagging fear that something more important than the music is going to go wrong. For two straight nights, I've had dreams about things going wrong at the weddings, one of which involved Darth Vader (who, weirdly, was not at all related to the problem we were having).
To (hopefully) calm my nerves and possibly make for some interesting reading, here's what we've got done and what we have left to do:
Things We've Done
- Booked the location
- Sent invitations and recieved responses from pretty much everyone
- Decided on the menu
- Ordered the flowers
- Hired an officiant
- Bought speakers for the iPod
- Purchased and recieved wedding rings
- Decided on outfits
- Gone to salon and made home appointment for the day
- Hired a limo
- Bought a guest book
- Obtained a marriage license
- Contacted photographer
- Had my mom order favors
Things To Do
- Get a pen for the guest book
- Finish selecting music
- Confirm ceremony plan with officiant
- Finalize menu with planner
- Buy other part of favors
- Get hairclips and other dress accessories
- Get something old from Mom and something borrowed
- Make emergency kit and find someone to hold it
- Tell Andrew I love him
If you notice any obvious omissions, please let me know. I may have done them and just forgotten to write them in.
So we do have a lot done. But there's still a lot to do, and this doesn't even touch on cleaning the house for our coming guests. I can only imagine how crazy "normal" brides with their much bigger weddings and 100 or more guests, must get my this point. Or is it comforting to have worked over every detail for months on end and have a rehearsal and so on? I like to think my smaller wedding is saving me some stress, but you never know.
Given what I've still got to do, I'm not sure if I'll get back to the blog before the big day. I'll try to at least post a rundown of how things went, though most people who actually read this will be attending. Until then, I expect to continue being stressed out and having odd dreams.
Oh, and Happy Birthday, Donna!
Prior to now, I've been relatively calm about this whole thing. I've never been nervous about the marriage aspect of it and I'm not now. As I see it, we'll wake up in the morning together and go to bed at night together and the only tangible difference will be the addition of a couple of rings. It's not that I don't place any importance on getting married; if that were true we probably wouldn't be going through with this. It's just that since we've been living together for several years, we share a house, and we parent two rabbits together, I don't see this as a new begining or a life altering event. It's more a formal confirmation of what we already have. The worry is because of the event, not what it symbolizes. Andrew feels much the same way, but he got a head start on being nervous about it, so I have to cram an equivalent amount of worrying into roughly two weeks.
To be fair, we have accomplished a lot. I just spoke briefly with our officiant, who is supposed to call me back, which would mean the really essential stuff is pretty much set. But there are still those little things to deal with and that nagging fear that something more important than the music is going to go wrong. For two straight nights, I've had dreams about things going wrong at the weddings, one of which involved Darth Vader (who, weirdly, was not at all related to the problem we were having).
To (hopefully) calm my nerves and possibly make for some interesting reading, here's what we've got done and what we have left to do:
Things We've Done
- Booked the location
- Sent invitations and recieved responses from pretty much everyone
- Decided on the menu
- Ordered the flowers
- Hired an officiant
- Bought speakers for the iPod
- Purchased and recieved wedding rings
- Decided on outfits
- Gone to salon and made home appointment for the day
- Hired a limo
- Bought a guest book
- Obtained a marriage license
- Contacted photographer
- Had my mom order favors
Things To Do
- Get a pen for the guest book
- Finish selecting music
- Confirm ceremony plan with officiant
- Finalize menu with planner
- Buy other part of favors
- Get hairclips and other dress accessories
- Get something old from Mom and something borrowed
- Make emergency kit and find someone to hold it
- Tell Andrew I love him
If you notice any obvious omissions, please let me know. I may have done them and just forgotten to write them in.
So we do have a lot done. But there's still a lot to do, and this doesn't even touch on cleaning the house for our coming guests. I can only imagine how crazy "normal" brides with their much bigger weddings and 100 or more guests, must get my this point. Or is it comforting to have worked over every detail for months on end and have a rehearsal and so on? I like to think my smaller wedding is saving me some stress, but you never know.
Given what I've still got to do, I'm not sure if I'll get back to the blog before the big day. I'll try to at least post a rundown of how things went, though most people who actually read this will be attending. Until then, I expect to continue being stressed out and having odd dreams.
Oh, and Happy Birthday, Donna!
Wednesday, July 26, 2006
Comic-Con Report
We got home from San Diego on Monday evening, following a delayed flight to Cincinnati that nearly caused us to miss our flight home. It was crazy and tiring and usual, but still a lot of fun. Here's the happenings in brief:
Lowlights (because I'm a firm believer in bad news first)
Getting told we had a king size bed after I called three time to make sure we were down for two doubles and was told everything was fine. They couldn't even guarantee us cots. We ended up with a two bed smoking room.
Blarney's Irish Pub, our Thursday night dinner choice, which went far beyond understandable problems with more than the usual number of customers and being short on staff and ended up in sheer incompetence. I thought the last straw was when my salad came with a side of butter instead of dressing. (I tried it, thinking it was dressing. Not good.) But then they brought the bill.
Missing panels I wanted to see. We got in Thursday afternoon, so some had already passed. Some overlapped with other panels, and some happened when we found a spare moment to eat lunch. This happens every year, so I was kind of prepared for it, but it's still frustrating.
People who step in front of you, separating you from the people you're walking around with, only to stand around or shuffle along as slowly as possible without allowing you to pass by them. Again, this happens every year and having been before, I was now more ready for it.
Cool Stuff Outside the Con
Our Hotel - Aside from the bed problem, this was a really pleasant experience. Last year, Andrew and I stayed at a place sneezing distance from the border and had to take the unbelievably pokey trolley to and from the con. This year, our hotel was the one right next to the convention center. SO much nicer. We could just go back to our room any time we wanted to drop off newly acquired stuff, make meal plans, or just chill for a bit. We also sampled the pub, the bar, and the Starbucks. If we go again next year, I'm seriously considering getting a room there again.
Indian Food - Our Friday dinner, a huge step up from Thursday. Terrific food and service made for a very satisfying meal. Of course, I can't remember the name of the place? Jon? Les? Anyone?
Meeting Up with Dave - I knew Dave back in high school and Les and Jon had been in touch with him more recently. We had a tasty dinner at a brewery restaurant (right next to the vats) and caught up while chatting about animation, which is always fun for me.
Our new Cell Phones - Obtained shortly before the trip they hold a charge much better than our old ones. Cell phones are essential for Comic Con; the convention center is huge and you will inevitably need to contact someone who is not currently with you, even if your intention was to be with this person the whole time. Our phones worked beautifully, with a few exceptions due to poor reception, and kept us in touch with everyone we needed to talk to.
Panels
Hellboy Animated - We were treated to a trailer and a full color scene from the upcoming "Hellboy: Sword of Storms". Tad Stones, Mike Mignola, Phil Weinstein, Matt Wayne and Sean Galloway talked about the film, along with Guillermo del Toro, who showed up fashionably late. The movie focuses on Japanese folklore, which Mignola's apparently really jacked about. Some version of "Heads" is included, but it's not the entire story. They pointed out a kappa among the character designs and I'm pretty sure I spotted an one as well. The clip we saw looked really good; the coloring is especially sharp. The movie will premiere on Cartoon Network in October with a DVD release following early next year. Oh, and "Hellboy 2" is search of a new studio since Revolution kind of went under.
Bruce Timm Retrospective/Legion of Super Heroes - I went in really early to get a good seat and ended up catching a good chunk of the panel for Fox's "Bones" with David Boreanaz. Snagged a better seat as the room cleared between panels. Bruce Timm joked about how retrospectives usually denote the end of a career and he's still paying off a mortgage. Timm talked about how "Batman" got off the ground, the particular difficulties of doing "Superman", and what they learned from the first season of "Justice League". (He talked about that being the first time animated shows that weren't done by him and his crew were really setting the standard for TV animation, specifically mentioning "X-Men: Evolution" and "Samurai Jack".) An interesting thing happened during a showing of clips from Timm's DC shows. When "Batman Beyond" came on, people were clapping and cheering and screaming like crazy. After the clips were over, Timm noted that most of the audience was probably livid about the show when they first heard about it. (Guilty as charged.) But to be fair, he said that he and the WB Animation crew weren't to keen on a Kid Batman either when they first heard about it. Q&A started up and Timm gave advice on spotting particular storyboard artists scenes, revealed that the Bat-embargo wasn't much of a problem after the initial annoyance wore off, and expressed sympathy for the directors of "Braniac Attacks", who apparently had a very short time to do their work. There was some mention of that little rumor that was floating around the internet. (Timm claims this was a misunderstanding and he's actually working on a show for Food Network called "The New Fondue". We'll see.) But the big reveal came towards the end as Timm was saying that his current projects were still in the early stages and he really couldn't talk about them...as a dripping red Superman logo on a black background appeared on the screens behind him. Now what could that possibly mean? :) Timm then cleared out to make way for the "Legion of Super Heroes" preview. The show looks pretty good, the cast is solid, and the ideas seem strong. I'm not as sure about it as I am about "Hellboy", but there's a strong chance it could be good. Still, the big thrill for me was getting to see somebody who had such a huge impact on my view of so many DC characters.
Center for Cartoon Studies - James Sturm is one of Andrew, Les, and Jon's favorite professors, a creator of some excellent comics, and the founder of the Center for Cartoon Studies. CCS is located in Vermont and teaches students the art of comics. James and some of the other faculty/comics greats talked about the school, the small town it's located in, and the various programs offered. I'm really impressed with what we heard and glad to see that James is doing well.
The Tick Animated - I was very happy to see that the first season of this terrific series would be coming out on DVD in late August (minus one episode due to legal complications). Creator Ben Edlund, who I had met many moons ago, talked about the pre-cartoon history of the Tick. Voice actor Townsend Coleman favored us with a hearty "Spoon!" and a bit of "Oh! Little Wooden Boy!" (aided by a life sized Little Wooden Boy provided by a fan). We got to see a demo of puppet version of The Tick and Arthur who would have provided content during the credits if the show had been renewed for a fourth season. The Tick was a two liter soda bottle and Arthur was a milk carton. In addition to "The Tick vs. Season One", there are plans for a Tick anniversary's comic which Ben may actually draw a page for.
Cartoon Voices II - I missed "Cartoon Voices I", so I made certain to catch this as my last panel of the con. Boy, was it ever a great way to end things. The participants included Billy West (Fry, Prof. Farnsworth, Dr. Zoidberg, and Zap Brannigan on "Futurama"), April Stewart (most of the female cast of "South Park"), Bob Bergen (the current Porky Pig), Kimberly Brooks (Buena Girl on "Mucha Lucha"), and Wally Wingert (a lot of voices on "Family Guy"), with perennial panel host Mark Evanier playing MC. Everyone had tons of fun stories and did voices on request. The bulk of the panel consisted of the actors performing a script from the "Flash Gordon" radio show which they hadn't seen before. When Mark Evanier said "Change!", whoever was reading had to go back and redo the last line with a different voice. The audience, myself included, completely cracked up as heroic Flash Gordon acquired a Porky Pig stutter, a seductive space princess became a valley girl, our narrator morphed into Butthead, and a crazed German scientist turned into George W. Bush. Improvisation abounded and the whole event was a huge success. If they have this panel again next year, I will definitely make a point to catch both.
People who Drew in my Sketchbook Last year, I started a convention sketchbook for drawings from the pros. It kind of became a rabbit themed sketchbook, though I honestly didn't intend it to at first. I'm happy to say my sketchbook doubled in size this year, thanks to these kind people.
Linda Medley - The creator of "Castle Waiting", one of my favorite comics ever, was doing signings at the Fantagraphics booth. I bought a new copy of the collected hardcover and got it signed, then came back the following day for the new issue. In return, I got a drawing of a rabbit guy in an Elizabethan collar.
Takeshi Miyazawa - Artist on "Sidekicks" and currently "Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane", Takeshi Miyazawa was somebody I HAD to have a sketch from. It ended up being the only sketch I paid for, and I'd do it again in a heartbeat! Like everyone I spoke to, Mr. Miyazawa was extremely nice. I also had the first "Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane" trade with me and got it signed. Turned out he hadn't seen it yet, so of course I let him check it out.
Want to see the sketch that I got done? Do ya? Do ya? Well lucky for you, it's already online! Just go to Takeshi Miyazawa's Gallery Page, click "Con Sketches 2" and check it out. Which one is it? Well, I think you can figure that out yourself. Just remember the theme. (And remember that there's a second page of sketches.) I may well put the rest of them up myself at some point, but I"m stupidly afraid of scanning them.
Los Bros Hernandez - The team behind "Love and Rockets" was doing sketches while I was looking for Roger Langridge. Two awesome artists, free quick sketches, virtually no line? I'll take it! I got a quick cartoony bunny each from Gilbert and Jaime.
Roger Langridge - The creator of "Fred the Clown" was another person I really wanted to see. We chatted a bit while he was drawing and I found out that he did an upcoming Marvel Christmas story. Sweet! Mr. Langridge finished out my sketchbook for ComicCon '06 with a Groucho Marx rabbit in color.
Other Cool People
Paul Chadwick - I didn't get a sketch from the creator of "Concrete" because I already had one; the first one I got for the sketchbook, in fact. Still, I stopped by to say hi and pick up a Concrete trade I didn't have, which is now personalized with a signature and sketch.
Rick Geary - The artist on the new "Gumby" comic signed a copy for me and gave me two promo posters for free!
Geof Darrow The guy behind "Big Guy and Rusty" and "Shaolin Cowboy" was at a remarkably uncrowded table. I called Jon to let him know and Jon talked with him for a bit about living in France. Were I not drowning in stuff to hang on my wall and afraid of shipping large posters home, I would likely have one of his prints.
Mike Mignola - Hellboy's creator didn't have enough time to do sketches, but he did have time to sign a book of his sketches and hear my positive opinions on the aforementioned "Sword of Storms".
Craig McCracken - I didn't see the father of "The Powerpuff Girls" and "Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends" at a booth. He was just hanging out on the exhibit hall floor talking to some people. Craig McCracken is one of a very few artists I admire who I can also recognize on sight. Unfortunately, he was engaged in conversation and I didn't want to be rude and bug him while he was "off-duty". So the opportunity to meet one of my animation heroes passed me by. Oh well. Maybe next year.
Greg Weisman - I made a point of tracking down the chief architect of the "Gargoyles" universe at the Slave Labor Graphics booth. I got a promo poster signed by him, artist David Hedgecock, and colorist Will Terrell. I'm pleased and amazed to say that Greg remembered me from the Station 8 comment room. He wrote "Welcome to the clan" on my poster, which I assume he does for everyone, but it still made me happy/
Andy Runton - I really would have liked a sketch from Andy Runton, but my sketchbook was with Takeshi Miyazawa when I saw him and I would have felt bad going back and asking for a sketch after he already signed a book for me. But I still got a cute little drawing in the latest "Owly" trade.
Billy West - Before I saw him bring the house done at the voice actor panel, I strolled by his booth and saw that he was there. I waited around for a while. listened to him talking to other people, and finally got to speak with him a bit. We chatted about politics (we're on the same page there) and I bought a photo which he signed for Andrew and me. He wrote "Greetings from the Year 3000! It still sucks!", which I can only imagine being said in a Zoidberg voice.
Javier Grillo-Marxuach and Les McClaine - Les drew in my sketchbook last year. They are nice. Buy their book.
Well, that is not remotely everything I saw and did and bought at the con. But that's the main stuff. It was a lot of fun and even better than last year. Thanks for reading though my mammoth recap. Hope you enjoyed it.
Lowlights (because I'm a firm believer in bad news first)
Getting told we had a king size bed after I called three time to make sure we were down for two doubles and was told everything was fine. They couldn't even guarantee us cots. We ended up with a two bed smoking room.
Blarney's Irish Pub, our Thursday night dinner choice, which went far beyond understandable problems with more than the usual number of customers and being short on staff and ended up in sheer incompetence. I thought the last straw was when my salad came with a side of butter instead of dressing. (I tried it, thinking it was dressing. Not good.) But then they brought the bill.
Missing panels I wanted to see. We got in Thursday afternoon, so some had already passed. Some overlapped with other panels, and some happened when we found a spare moment to eat lunch. This happens every year, so I was kind of prepared for it, but it's still frustrating.
People who step in front of you, separating you from the people you're walking around with, only to stand around or shuffle along as slowly as possible without allowing you to pass by them. Again, this happens every year and having been before, I was now more ready for it.
Cool Stuff Outside the Con
Our Hotel - Aside from the bed problem, this was a really pleasant experience. Last year, Andrew and I stayed at a place sneezing distance from the border and had to take the unbelievably pokey trolley to and from the con. This year, our hotel was the one right next to the convention center. SO much nicer. We could just go back to our room any time we wanted to drop off newly acquired stuff, make meal plans, or just chill for a bit. We also sampled the pub, the bar, and the Starbucks. If we go again next year, I'm seriously considering getting a room there again.
Indian Food - Our Friday dinner, a huge step up from Thursday. Terrific food and service made for a very satisfying meal. Of course, I can't remember the name of the place? Jon? Les? Anyone?
Meeting Up with Dave - I knew Dave back in high school and Les and Jon had been in touch with him more recently. We had a tasty dinner at a brewery restaurant (right next to the vats) and caught up while chatting about animation, which is always fun for me.
Our new Cell Phones - Obtained shortly before the trip they hold a charge much better than our old ones. Cell phones are essential for Comic Con; the convention center is huge and you will inevitably need to contact someone who is not currently with you, even if your intention was to be with this person the whole time. Our phones worked beautifully, with a few exceptions due to poor reception, and kept us in touch with everyone we needed to talk to.
Panels
Hellboy Animated - We were treated to a trailer and a full color scene from the upcoming "Hellboy: Sword of Storms". Tad Stones, Mike Mignola, Phil Weinstein, Matt Wayne and Sean Galloway talked about the film, along with Guillermo del Toro, who showed up fashionably late. The movie focuses on Japanese folklore, which Mignola's apparently really jacked about. Some version of "Heads" is included, but it's not the entire story. They pointed out a kappa among the character designs and I'm pretty sure I spotted an one as well. The clip we saw looked really good; the coloring is especially sharp. The movie will premiere on Cartoon Network in October with a DVD release following early next year. Oh, and "Hellboy 2" is search of a new studio since Revolution kind of went under.
Bruce Timm Retrospective/Legion of Super Heroes - I went in really early to get a good seat and ended up catching a good chunk of the panel for Fox's "Bones" with David Boreanaz. Snagged a better seat as the room cleared between panels. Bruce Timm joked about how retrospectives usually denote the end of a career and he's still paying off a mortgage. Timm talked about how "Batman" got off the ground, the particular difficulties of doing "Superman", and what they learned from the first season of "Justice League". (He talked about that being the first time animated shows that weren't done by him and his crew were really setting the standard for TV animation, specifically mentioning "X-Men: Evolution" and "Samurai Jack".) An interesting thing happened during a showing of clips from Timm's DC shows. When "Batman Beyond" came on, people were clapping and cheering and screaming like crazy. After the clips were over, Timm noted that most of the audience was probably livid about the show when they first heard about it. (Guilty as charged.) But to be fair, he said that he and the WB Animation crew weren't to keen on a Kid Batman either when they first heard about it. Q&A started up and Timm gave advice on spotting particular storyboard artists scenes, revealed that the Bat-embargo wasn't much of a problem after the initial annoyance wore off, and expressed sympathy for the directors of "Braniac Attacks", who apparently had a very short time to do their work. There was some mention of that little rumor that was floating around the internet. (Timm claims this was a misunderstanding and he's actually working on a show for Food Network called "The New Fondue". We'll see.) But the big reveal came towards the end as Timm was saying that his current projects were still in the early stages and he really couldn't talk about them...as a dripping red Superman logo on a black background appeared on the screens behind him. Now what could that possibly mean? :) Timm then cleared out to make way for the "Legion of Super Heroes" preview. The show looks pretty good, the cast is solid, and the ideas seem strong. I'm not as sure about it as I am about "Hellboy", but there's a strong chance it could be good. Still, the big thrill for me was getting to see somebody who had such a huge impact on my view of so many DC characters.
Center for Cartoon Studies - James Sturm is one of Andrew, Les, and Jon's favorite professors, a creator of some excellent comics, and the founder of the Center for Cartoon Studies. CCS is located in Vermont and teaches students the art of comics. James and some of the other faculty/comics greats talked about the school, the small town it's located in, and the various programs offered. I'm really impressed with what we heard and glad to see that James is doing well.
The Tick Animated - I was very happy to see that the first season of this terrific series would be coming out on DVD in late August (minus one episode due to legal complications). Creator Ben Edlund, who I had met many moons ago, talked about the pre-cartoon history of the Tick. Voice actor Townsend Coleman favored us with a hearty "Spoon!" and a bit of "Oh! Little Wooden Boy!" (aided by a life sized Little Wooden Boy provided by a fan). We got to see a demo of puppet version of The Tick and Arthur who would have provided content during the credits if the show had been renewed for a fourth season. The Tick was a two liter soda bottle and Arthur was a milk carton. In addition to "The Tick vs. Season One", there are plans for a Tick anniversary's comic which Ben may actually draw a page for.
Cartoon Voices II - I missed "Cartoon Voices I", so I made certain to catch this as my last panel of the con. Boy, was it ever a great way to end things. The participants included Billy West (Fry, Prof. Farnsworth, Dr. Zoidberg, and Zap Brannigan on "Futurama"), April Stewart (most of the female cast of "South Park"), Bob Bergen (the current Porky Pig), Kimberly Brooks (Buena Girl on "Mucha Lucha"), and Wally Wingert (a lot of voices on "Family Guy"), with perennial panel host Mark Evanier playing MC. Everyone had tons of fun stories and did voices on request. The bulk of the panel consisted of the actors performing a script from the "Flash Gordon" radio show which they hadn't seen before. When Mark Evanier said "Change!", whoever was reading had to go back and redo the last line with a different voice. The audience, myself included, completely cracked up as heroic Flash Gordon acquired a Porky Pig stutter, a seductive space princess became a valley girl, our narrator morphed into Butthead, and a crazed German scientist turned into George W. Bush. Improvisation abounded and the whole event was a huge success. If they have this panel again next year, I will definitely make a point to catch both.
People who Drew in my Sketchbook Last year, I started a convention sketchbook for drawings from the pros. It kind of became a rabbit themed sketchbook, though I honestly didn't intend it to at first. I'm happy to say my sketchbook doubled in size this year, thanks to these kind people.
Linda Medley - The creator of "Castle Waiting", one of my favorite comics ever, was doing signings at the Fantagraphics booth. I bought a new copy of the collected hardcover and got it signed, then came back the following day for the new issue. In return, I got a drawing of a rabbit guy in an Elizabethan collar.
Takeshi Miyazawa - Artist on "Sidekicks" and currently "Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane", Takeshi Miyazawa was somebody I HAD to have a sketch from. It ended up being the only sketch I paid for, and I'd do it again in a heartbeat! Like everyone I spoke to, Mr. Miyazawa was extremely nice. I also had the first "Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane" trade with me and got it signed. Turned out he hadn't seen it yet, so of course I let him check it out.
Want to see the sketch that I got done? Do ya? Do ya? Well lucky for you, it's already online! Just go to Takeshi Miyazawa's Gallery Page, click "Con Sketches 2" and check it out. Which one is it? Well, I think you can figure that out yourself. Just remember the theme. (And remember that there's a second page of sketches.) I may well put the rest of them up myself at some point, but I"m stupidly afraid of scanning them.
Los Bros Hernandez - The team behind "Love and Rockets" was doing sketches while I was looking for Roger Langridge. Two awesome artists, free quick sketches, virtually no line? I'll take it! I got a quick cartoony bunny each from Gilbert and Jaime.
Roger Langridge - The creator of "Fred the Clown" was another person I really wanted to see. We chatted a bit while he was drawing and I found out that he did an upcoming Marvel Christmas story. Sweet! Mr. Langridge finished out my sketchbook for ComicCon '06 with a Groucho Marx rabbit in color.
Other Cool People
Paul Chadwick - I didn't get a sketch from the creator of "Concrete" because I already had one; the first one I got for the sketchbook, in fact. Still, I stopped by to say hi and pick up a Concrete trade I didn't have, which is now personalized with a signature and sketch.
Rick Geary - The artist on the new "Gumby" comic signed a copy for me and gave me two promo posters for free!
Geof Darrow The guy behind "Big Guy and Rusty" and "Shaolin Cowboy" was at a remarkably uncrowded table. I called Jon to let him know and Jon talked with him for a bit about living in France. Were I not drowning in stuff to hang on my wall and afraid of shipping large posters home, I would likely have one of his prints.
Mike Mignola - Hellboy's creator didn't have enough time to do sketches, but he did have time to sign a book of his sketches and hear my positive opinions on the aforementioned "Sword of Storms".
Craig McCracken - I didn't see the father of "The Powerpuff Girls" and "Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends" at a booth. He was just hanging out on the exhibit hall floor talking to some people. Craig McCracken is one of a very few artists I admire who I can also recognize on sight. Unfortunately, he was engaged in conversation and I didn't want to be rude and bug him while he was "off-duty". So the opportunity to meet one of my animation heroes passed me by. Oh well. Maybe next year.
Greg Weisman - I made a point of tracking down the chief architect of the "Gargoyles" universe at the Slave Labor Graphics booth. I got a promo poster signed by him, artist David Hedgecock, and colorist Will Terrell. I'm pleased and amazed to say that Greg remembered me from the Station 8 comment room. He wrote "Welcome to the clan" on my poster, which I assume he does for everyone, but it still made me happy/
Andy Runton - I really would have liked a sketch from Andy Runton, but my sketchbook was with Takeshi Miyazawa when I saw him and I would have felt bad going back and asking for a sketch after he already signed a book for me. But I still got a cute little drawing in the latest "Owly" trade.
Billy West - Before I saw him bring the house done at the voice actor panel, I strolled by his booth and saw that he was there. I waited around for a while. listened to him talking to other people, and finally got to speak with him a bit. We chatted about politics (we're on the same page there) and I bought a photo which he signed for Andrew and me. He wrote "Greetings from the Year 3000! It still sucks!", which I can only imagine being said in a Zoidberg voice.
Javier Grillo-Marxuach and Les McClaine - Les drew in my sketchbook last year. They are nice. Buy their book.
Well, that is not remotely everything I saw and did and bought at the con. But that's the main stuff. It was a lot of fun and even better than last year. Thanks for reading though my mammoth recap. Hope you enjoyed it.
Wednesday, April 12, 2006
Fun Time
As of late, I've been getting over that cold I got after vacation, dealing with a new and hopefully brief ailment, caring for a sick bunny (who is doing much better now) and other stuff that is not enjoyable. "Kingdom Hearts II" is helpful, but Andrew likes to watch all the cutscenes, so I can't play when he's not here. So I hereby decalre this to be "Fun Time" on my blog. Basicly, that means I'll pick some of the neat things I've seen other people do on their blogs lately and do them on mine. Feel free to do them on yours too. Ready? Here we go!
Wikipedia Fun
The instructions state that you should go to Wikipedia.org and enter your birthdate without the year. List three facts, two births, and one death that occured on that day. I will be taking those numbers as suggested minimums.
Events:
622 - Muhammad completes his hegira from Mecca to Medina. (The oldest one listed for that date. Pretty cool.)
1493 - Christopher Columbus departs on his second expedition to the New World. (In which Columbus took slaves in defiance of an order from the Spanish monarchy not to and imposed a system by which natives who did not turn over a certain amount of gold would get their hands chopped off. Fun guy.)
1789 - The United States Supreme Court and the position of Attorney General are established. (Two brnaches of government were not enough.)
1789 - The United States Post Office Department is established. (Prior to this, people jus threw letters out their windows as paper airplanes.)
1852 - The first airship is displayed. (Laying the groundwork for thos to come in "Final Fantasy".)
1869 - "Black Friday": Gold prices plummet as Jay Gould and James Fisk plot to control the market. (Yeah, there are a couple of these "not so good" events in here)
1890 - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints officially renounces polygamy. (They later moved on to making informative PSAs to teach kids morals.)
1957 - President Dwight D. Eisenhower sends United States National Guard troops to Little Rock, Arkansas, to enforce desegregation. (No quip for this one.)
1962 - United States court of appeals orders the University of Mississippi to admit James Meredith. (I guess that thing in 1957 didn't fix everything.)
2005 - Hurricane Rita makes landfall in the United States, devastating Beaumont, Texas and portions of southwestern Louisiana. (One of only two events for that date in my life time and it has to be this.)
Births:
1564 - William Adams, British navigator and samurai (How many people can claim both of those on their resume?)
1724 - Sir Arthur Guinness, Irish brewer (Yes, that Guiness)
1755 - John Marshall, Chief Justice of the United States (Longest tenure as Chief Justice in the court's history.)
1871 - Lottie Dod, English athlete (Listed by the 1803 fellow's Book fo World Records as the Most Versatile Feamle Athlete.
1896 - F. Scott Fitzgerald, American novelist (I read "The Great Gatsby" in high school.)
1936 - Jim Henson, American puppeteer (d. 1990) (I actually knew this already.)
1941 - Linda McCartney, American singer and activist (d. 1998) (And she was on "The Simpsons". Just like...)
1948 - Phil Hartman, Canadian actor (d. 1998) (Knew this too. Died too young, along with Jim Henson.)
1950 - Alan Colmes, American talk show host (Oh goody.)
1958 - Kevin Sorbo, American actor (Cool!)
1959 - Steve Whitmire, American voice actor (Probably made for a big birthday celebration at Henson Studios.)
Deaths (not nearly as many):
768 - Pippin the Short, King of the Franks (But did they call him that while he was alive?)
1991 - Dr. Seuss, American children's writer (b. 1904) (Pretty sure I knew that too.)
Whoo, that took a while. OK, what's next?
Stupid Pet Fun
Apparently, hedgehogs eat strawberries and bounce. There's a decent variety of animals available, including a wolf. (I'm looking at you, Kim.)
I'm poking around, but nothing else is striking me asomething fun to do with my blog. So here's a favorite clip of mine off of YouTube.
Actual news sometime later, maybe.
Wikipedia Fun
The instructions state that you should go to Wikipedia.org and enter your birthdate without the year. List three facts, two births, and one death that occured on that day. I will be taking those numbers as suggested minimums.
Events:
622 - Muhammad completes his hegira from Mecca to Medina. (The oldest one listed for that date. Pretty cool.)
1493 - Christopher Columbus departs on his second expedition to the New World. (In which Columbus took slaves in defiance of an order from the Spanish monarchy not to and imposed a system by which natives who did not turn over a certain amount of gold would get their hands chopped off. Fun guy.)
1789 - The United States Supreme Court and the position of Attorney General are established. (Two brnaches of government were not enough.)
1789 - The United States Post Office Department is established. (Prior to this, people jus threw letters out their windows as paper airplanes.)
1852 - The first airship is displayed. (Laying the groundwork for thos to come in "Final Fantasy".)
1869 - "Black Friday": Gold prices plummet as Jay Gould and James Fisk plot to control the market. (Yeah, there are a couple of these "not so good" events in here)
1890 - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints officially renounces polygamy. (They later moved on to making informative PSAs to teach kids morals.)
1957 - President Dwight D. Eisenhower sends United States National Guard troops to Little Rock, Arkansas, to enforce desegregation. (No quip for this one.)
1962 - United States court of appeals orders the University of Mississippi to admit James Meredith. (I guess that thing in 1957 didn't fix everything.)
2005 - Hurricane Rita makes landfall in the United States, devastating Beaumont, Texas and portions of southwestern Louisiana. (One of only two events for that date in my life time and it has to be this.)
Births:
1564 - William Adams, British navigator and samurai (How many people can claim both of those on their resume?)
1724 - Sir Arthur Guinness, Irish brewer (Yes, that Guiness)
1755 - John Marshall, Chief Justice of the United States (Longest tenure as Chief Justice in the court's history.)
1871 - Lottie Dod, English athlete (Listed by the 1803 fellow's Book fo World Records as the Most Versatile Feamle Athlete.
1896 - F. Scott Fitzgerald, American novelist (I read "The Great Gatsby" in high school.)
1936 - Jim Henson, American puppeteer (d. 1990) (I actually knew this already.)
1941 - Linda McCartney, American singer and activist (d. 1998) (And she was on "The Simpsons". Just like...)
1948 - Phil Hartman, Canadian actor (d. 1998) (Knew this too. Died too young, along with Jim Henson.)
1950 - Alan Colmes, American talk show host (Oh goody.)
1958 - Kevin Sorbo, American actor (Cool!)
1959 - Steve Whitmire, American voice actor (Probably made for a big birthday celebration at Henson Studios.)
Deaths (not nearly as many):
768 - Pippin the Short, King of the Franks (But did they call him that while he was alive?)
1991 - Dr. Seuss, American children's writer (b. 1904) (Pretty sure I knew that too.)
Whoo, that took a while. OK, what's next?
Stupid Pet Fun
| adopt your own virtual pet! |
Apparently, hedgehogs eat strawberries and bounce. There's a decent variety of animals available, including a wolf. (I'm looking at you, Kim.)
I'm poking around, but nothing else is striking me asomething fun to do with my blog. So here's a favorite clip of mine off of YouTube.
Actual news sometime later, maybe.
Tuesday, March 21, 2006
Vacation Wrap-Up
We got back from our trip to Orlando yesterday. From warm weather and theme parks to 28 degrees and bills. Whee.
We had two pre-trip problems. One was that I did not realize when I booked our vacation that "Pirates of the Caribbean", one of our favorite rides, would be closed during the whole month of March. We'll just have to make do with the soundtrack CD I got for Andrew last year for a while longer. The more worrying thing was when my debit card stopped working. I called up my bank and found that some weird charges to me card had been attempted (but didn't go through) and the bank had decided to cancel my debit card and send me a new one. Of course, I discovered this the day before we left. Thank goodness for our credit card.
Aside from these headaches, we did have a nice time in Disney World. Here's a park-by-park rundown:
Disney-MGM Studios - We checked out some old favorites like Star Tours, MuppetVision 3D, and the Great Movie Ride, but this is still probably the park with the least for us to do. We checked out Walt Disney: One Man's Dream, a museum exhibit type of show about the life of Walt Disney. We found it interesting, but it seemed strange that the creative minds at Disney Imagineering couldn't come up with anything more than a rather typical exhibit to explore the life of the Disney Company's founder and guiding force. We also checked out the "Chronicles of Narnia" exhibit, and I'm sorry to say I was hugely disappointed. You wait in a fairly lengthy line and go through an extensive pre-show to see....clips from the movie and about six props and maquettes. Perhaps this was more exciting before the movie came out, but as it was, it felt like a lot of buildup for very little payoff. We stuck around the park all day mostly because we had priority seating for Fantasmic!, the park's night show. I enjoyed seeing it again, but in hindsight, I think Andrew might have preferred the SpectroMagic parade at the Magic Kingdom, or skipping the nighttime shows altogether.
Epcot - We spent two partial days here, one largely dedicated to the World Showcase, the other for Future World. We skipped the few rides in World Showcase this time. We ate at the counter service restaurant in Japan, which was pretty good, and I managed not to make a total idiot of myself with the chopsticks. Conveniently, Japan was having an exhibit on tin toys, so we went and checked that out. Then we headed to Germany for drinks and France for pastries. We didn't hit Norway until our next visit, when we checked out the small exhibit on Vikings. The rest of our time was spent browsing the shops. Future World has been a bit of a letdown for us in recent years. The lack of recent updates to the park's rides and attractions means that today's Future World just isn't very futuristic. We did very much enjoy "Turtle Talk with Crush", part of the Living Seas recent "Finding Nemo" makeover. A CG Crush talks and interacts with the audience in real time, taking questions from the audience and asking them questions in return. It's one of Epcot's recent highlights and it's even been changed up since the first time I saw it. We rode on Spaceship Earth, a.k.a. the big golf ball at the entrance to Epcot, which we both agreed could use updating in both technology and content. For a show about communication, it feels just a bit behind the times (and a bit West-centric too). We picked up FastPasses (time stamped tickets that allow you to come back later and wait in a shorter line) for "Soarin'", Epcot's newest attraction which had a whopping 80 minute wait in the normal line. If you're familiar with the Massachusetts Museum of Science, Soarin' is much like the Omni theater with a seating rig that pulls you up into the air and tilts in various direction to suggest movement. As its name suggests, Soarin' is a very gentle ride, so unless you get motion sickness easily, you probably won't be losing your lunch. It was kind of fun, but we really though it could have been better. It's not very long and the film has abrupt cuts every few minutes that spoil the illusion of real flight. I'm glad we saw it, but I'm extremely glad we didn't wait around for over an hour to do so. We made an attempt to see Journey into Imagination, having heard that it had been revamped since a very disappointing redo we saw several years ago. Unfortunately, the ride was out of order when we went, so no visit with Figment this time.
Animal Kingdom - Andrew had never been to Animal Kingdom before, and I was eager to show him the rides I liked. We went on the day when the park opened an hour early and zipped over to Kilamanjaro Safari, which rewarded us with a brisk 10 minute wait time. Of all the parks, Animal Kingdom is the one where it's most critical to try and get there early, since the midday sun drives the animals into the shade. Again, our timing was good and we saw numerous animals at very close distances. After lots of photos, we caught the 3D movie It's Tough to be a Bug, which also greeted us with short lines. We had a good time and Andrew was impressed with the audio-animatronic Hopper. Our last big attraction stop was Dinosaur, which was probably the most extreme ride we went on during our visit. It's not a roller coaster, but it does take place in the dark and shake you around quite a bit as you ride by ocassionally loud dinosaurs. We both had fun, but wished there was just a little more to it. After that, we went at a more leisurely pace. Animal Kingdom features two animal viewing trails, one in Africa and one in Asia. We took both, and caught a show about birds before heading home for the day.
Magic Kingdom - Disney World's premiere park was our first and last stop. At Andrew's request, we rode the Haunted Mansion 4 times during our stay. The first was a little disappointing, as the ride was stopped for a while before we could get on and some of the effects weren't working right. But all was fixed for our subsequent rides. With a detailed dark ride like Haunted Mansion, you do notice more and more things as you ride it again and again, so neither of us got bored. We stopped by many other old favorites like Peter Pan's Flight, Snow White's Scary Adventures,and others. There were a few new rides since Andrew was last there, which we made a point of seeing. Stitch's Great Escape is cute in parts, but a little thin in content with too much reused from its former incarnation as Alien Encounter, which I preferred. The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh was also a little light on story and complex animatronics, but it does use some very simple and effective visual tricks. We both really liked the 3D show Mickey's PhilharMagic, which has Donald running through various classic Disney musical numbers in pursuit of Mickey's sorcerer hat. I had though we were going to skip It's a Small World, but Andrew decided it would be a nice way to end our visit. We were both glad that we did. The refurbishment that closed it down on my last visit resulted in a new facade of geometric architecture and a working clock, reminiscentappearancede's appearence at Disneyland. Inside, the ride had been touched up, most notably with new lighting which did wonders for the look of the show.
Our flight back to Boston went smoothly. The bunnies got a good report card from their sitter and we are settling back into our normal routinessouvenirs our souveniers and photos should be arriving in the mail sometime soon. I'll post any good picture we may have.
We had two pre-trip problems. One was that I did not realize when I booked our vacation that "Pirates of the Caribbean", one of our favorite rides, would be closed during the whole month of March. We'll just have to make do with the soundtrack CD I got for Andrew last year for a while longer. The more worrying thing was when my debit card stopped working. I called up my bank and found that some weird charges to me card had been attempted (but didn't go through) and the bank had decided to cancel my debit card and send me a new one. Of course, I discovered this the day before we left. Thank goodness for our credit card.
Aside from these headaches, we did have a nice time in Disney World. Here's a park-by-park rundown:
Disney-MGM Studios - We checked out some old favorites like Star Tours, MuppetVision 3D, and the Great Movie Ride, but this is still probably the park with the least for us to do. We checked out Walt Disney: One Man's Dream, a museum exhibit type of show about the life of Walt Disney. We found it interesting, but it seemed strange that the creative minds at Disney Imagineering couldn't come up with anything more than a rather typical exhibit to explore the life of the Disney Company's founder and guiding force. We also checked out the "Chronicles of Narnia" exhibit, and I'm sorry to say I was hugely disappointed. You wait in a fairly lengthy line and go through an extensive pre-show to see....clips from the movie and about six props and maquettes. Perhaps this was more exciting before the movie came out, but as it was, it felt like a lot of buildup for very little payoff. We stuck around the park all day mostly because we had priority seating for Fantasmic!, the park's night show. I enjoyed seeing it again, but in hindsight, I think Andrew might have preferred the SpectroMagic parade at the Magic Kingdom, or skipping the nighttime shows altogether.
Epcot - We spent two partial days here, one largely dedicated to the World Showcase, the other for Future World. We skipped the few rides in World Showcase this time. We ate at the counter service restaurant in Japan, which was pretty good, and I managed not to make a total idiot of myself with the chopsticks. Conveniently, Japan was having an exhibit on tin toys, so we went and checked that out. Then we headed to Germany for drinks and France for pastries. We didn't hit Norway until our next visit, when we checked out the small exhibit on Vikings. The rest of our time was spent browsing the shops. Future World has been a bit of a letdown for us in recent years. The lack of recent updates to the park's rides and attractions means that today's Future World just isn't very futuristic. We did very much enjoy "Turtle Talk with Crush", part of the Living Seas recent "Finding Nemo" makeover. A CG Crush talks and interacts with the audience in real time, taking questions from the audience and asking them questions in return. It's one of Epcot's recent highlights and it's even been changed up since the first time I saw it. We rode on Spaceship Earth, a.k.a. the big golf ball at the entrance to Epcot, which we both agreed could use updating in both technology and content. For a show about communication, it feels just a bit behind the times (and a bit West-centric too). We picked up FastPasses (time stamped tickets that allow you to come back later and wait in a shorter line) for "Soarin'", Epcot's newest attraction which had a whopping 80 minute wait in the normal line. If you're familiar with the Massachusetts Museum of Science, Soarin' is much like the Omni theater with a seating rig that pulls you up into the air and tilts in various direction to suggest movement. As its name suggests, Soarin' is a very gentle ride, so unless you get motion sickness easily, you probably won't be losing your lunch. It was kind of fun, but we really though it could have been better. It's not very long and the film has abrupt cuts every few minutes that spoil the illusion of real flight. I'm glad we saw it, but I'm extremely glad we didn't wait around for over an hour to do so. We made an attempt to see Journey into Imagination, having heard that it had been revamped since a very disappointing redo we saw several years ago. Unfortunately, the ride was out of order when we went, so no visit with Figment this time.
Animal Kingdom - Andrew had never been to Animal Kingdom before, and I was eager to show him the rides I liked. We went on the day when the park opened an hour early and zipped over to Kilamanjaro Safari, which rewarded us with a brisk 10 minute wait time. Of all the parks, Animal Kingdom is the one where it's most critical to try and get there early, since the midday sun drives the animals into the shade. Again, our timing was good and we saw numerous animals at very close distances. After lots of photos, we caught the 3D movie It's Tough to be a Bug, which also greeted us with short lines. We had a good time and Andrew was impressed with the audio-animatronic Hopper. Our last big attraction stop was Dinosaur, which was probably the most extreme ride we went on during our visit. It's not a roller coaster, but it does take place in the dark and shake you around quite a bit as you ride by ocassionally loud dinosaurs. We both had fun, but wished there was just a little more to it. After that, we went at a more leisurely pace. Animal Kingdom features two animal viewing trails, one in Africa and one in Asia. We took both, and caught a show about birds before heading home for the day.
Magic Kingdom - Disney World's premiere park was our first and last stop. At Andrew's request, we rode the Haunted Mansion 4 times during our stay. The first was a little disappointing, as the ride was stopped for a while before we could get on and some of the effects weren't working right. But all was fixed for our subsequent rides. With a detailed dark ride like Haunted Mansion, you do notice more and more things as you ride it again and again, so neither of us got bored. We stopped by many other old favorites like Peter Pan's Flight, Snow White's Scary Adventures,and others. There were a few new rides since Andrew was last there, which we made a point of seeing. Stitch's Great Escape is cute in parts, but a little thin in content with too much reused from its former incarnation as Alien Encounter, which I preferred. The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh was also a little light on story and complex animatronics, but it does use some very simple and effective visual tricks. We both really liked the 3D show Mickey's PhilharMagic, which has Donald running through various classic Disney musical numbers in pursuit of Mickey's sorcerer hat. I had though we were going to skip It's a Small World, but Andrew decided it would be a nice way to end our visit. We were both glad that we did. The refurbishment that closed it down on my last visit resulted in a new facade of geometric architecture and a working clock, reminiscentappearancede's appearence at Disneyland. Inside, the ride had been touched up, most notably with new lighting which did wonders for the look of the show.
Our flight back to Boston went smoothly. The bunnies got a good report card from their sitter and we are settling back into our normal routinessouvenirs our souveniers and photos should be arriving in the mail sometime soon. I'll post any good picture we may have.
Monday, February 27, 2006
Vacation
It's time for a vacation. If you've lived in New England, you know why. While the snow hasn't been to insane this year aside from the occasional blizzard, it is cold. The weather widget I have says it is currently around 18 degrees. I was just out mailing some packages and that seems about right, though it's worse with the added wind. I haven't been on vacation since my trip to Portland last September and Andrew hasn't been on one since July. So we're more than ready to take off for a while.
I don't think anyone will be surprised to hear that we're going to Disney World. We had a few other destinations in mind for a while, but due in no small part to the aforementioned cold, Orlando won out. Aside from the Disney factor, the nostalgia factor, and the fun factor, what I like about vacationing in Disney World is how easy it is. Once you actually get there, your biggest concern is usually the lines, and we're going at a somewhat off time in hopes of cutting down on those. You don't really have to worry about how you'll get to the next thing you want to see or whether there's anywhere to eat nearby or how you'll get back to your hotel at the end of the day. It's all laid out for you. This in contrast to our trip to the San Diego Comic Con last year. We did have fun and will try to go again this year, but that is NOT a relaxing vacation. Trust me, the worst lines in Disney World do not compare to simply trying to get around the convention floor at Comic Con. And after staying at a hotel some distance from the convention center, we found that we are not fond of San Diego's trolley system, which had a habit of getting stuck for long periods of time and taking forever to reach its destination.
So the reservations are made, the bunnysitter has been booked, and all that's left is to wait until it's time to go and get packing. If we end up with any good photos, I'll try to put them up at a later date along with a rundown of our trip. Until then, I just hope the weather here warms up just a smidge.
I don't think anyone will be surprised to hear that we're going to Disney World. We had a few other destinations in mind for a while, but due in no small part to the aforementioned cold, Orlando won out. Aside from the Disney factor, the nostalgia factor, and the fun factor, what I like about vacationing in Disney World is how easy it is. Once you actually get there, your biggest concern is usually the lines, and we're going at a somewhat off time in hopes of cutting down on those. You don't really have to worry about how you'll get to the next thing you want to see or whether there's anywhere to eat nearby or how you'll get back to your hotel at the end of the day. It's all laid out for you. This in contrast to our trip to the San Diego Comic Con last year. We did have fun and will try to go again this year, but that is NOT a relaxing vacation. Trust me, the worst lines in Disney World do not compare to simply trying to get around the convention floor at Comic Con. And after staying at a hotel some distance from the convention center, we found that we are not fond of San Diego's trolley system, which had a habit of getting stuck for long periods of time and taking forever to reach its destination.
So the reservations are made, the bunnysitter has been booked, and all that's left is to wait until it's time to go and get packing. If we end up with any good photos, I'll try to put them up at a later date along with a rundown of our trip. Until then, I just hope the weather here warms up just a smidge.
Sunday, February 05, 2006
Animation Talk: Good News From Disney
Been a while since I wrote one of these. I figured when I did the first one that I would be putting the out quite frequently, but then I had other outlets for my animation related opinions. Now I'm limited to anyone I can get to listen to me and the blog. So I should probably get back to writing my animation thoughts here, where people can choose to read or ignore them, rather than making some unfortunate and handy soul listen to me rant.
Okay, I'm guessing most of you heard already that Disney has bought Pixar. The move is already the source of some debate: Did Disney pay too much? Should they have tried to continue building their own studio back up rather than buying the current animation king? Will Pixar's winning streak continue long enough for Disney to get its money's worth? But that's not what's on my mind right now. What I want to talk about today is some Disney related news that was reported here. I mention this largely because I haven't seen any confirmation of these events yet. So I don't know if it's all true or not. So take everything I say from here on with a big grain of salt.
In case you decided not to read the article, here's the scoop. When Disney bought Pixar, John Lasseter, probably the name most closely associated with Pixar, took on some pretty hefty new responsibilities. And according to this story, Lasseter is looking to make some changes over and Disney Feature Animation. Specifically, he's looking to take out the middleman. In the case of Disney Feature Animation, the middlemen are those business types who mostly do not have a creative bone in their body, but nonetheless think that they know how to make an animated film. They're the guys who want to play it safe, repeat the successes of the past, chock every film full of marketable characters, and generally keep the real creative people from doing what they do well. When the end product fails to make money, they're quick to place the blame on the creative people.
If this is true, it's really good news. Many animation fans and pundits have long cited the interference of business interests as the reason for Disney animation's generally poor performance over the past decade or so. And I think one of the reasons for Pixar's success is that nearly every one of their pictures has a major creative force behind it. A Pixar film is someone's vision, someone's baby. Many people contribute to the final product, but there's usually one guy whose job is to protect the integrity of the original idea. Books and toys and rides can come later; while the film is being made, the story is the important thing. If Disney can really start being a place that nurtures stories and ideas again, it could regain its place as the major force in animation.
The second item (it's not the second in the article, but it's the next one I want to do) is the only one that we seem to be a little more certain about. One of Lasseter's first moves in his new job at Disney was to stop production on Toy Story 3. This is also good news. I think the recent trend of Disney producing sequels to everything exemplifies what is wrong with the company's approach to animated films. In their rush to cash in on hot properties, they've turned the Disney films and characters from special events to omnipresent background noise. I can remember when the new Disney animated film was a really big event, something worth waiting for. Now, between sequels pushed in to theaters, sequels on DVD, and the regular dose of Winnie the Pooh, Disney films are a much more regular occurrence, to the point where it's become a little more mundane. Sequels do even further damage; a poor sequel can cheapen people's memory of the original. A series of bad sequels can cause the original to become lost in all the mediocrity as parents stop enjoying the movies with their kids and start using them as convenient babysitters. If there are too be sequels, they should be made by the original team if at all possible and only when there is a story idea that can live up to the original (see "Toy Story 2").
What isn't as certain is the other part to this story, which says that Lasseter may be keeping Circle 7 - the studio Disney set up to make "Toy Story 3" and possible future sequels to the Disney owned Pixar films - open. While he understandably didn't much like the idea of anyone else producing continuations of the movies he and his colleagues had made, he did reportedly like some of the work they were doing. So what might we see from Circle 7, if they do in fact remain open? That's not really clear yet. Maybe they'd provide extra manpower on feature films, maybe they'd do slightly lower level work like animation for TV or the parks. Right now, it's wide open.
Speaking of the Disney parks, Walt Disney Imagineering is another area where Lasseter will apparently now have some major sway. According to the article, he's using his clout to do two things with the department responsible for keeping the Happiest Places on Earth happy. One is to direct some much needed cash flow to Imagineering. The story for the past few decades has been that the imagineers have a lot of great ideas for rides and attractions, but the money to make them really work or even get the projects off the drawing board just isn't there. Enter big time fan of the Disney parks Lasseter, and a Disney company that apparently really wants to keep him happy, and somehow you end up with a promise of more money for Imagineering. So what's Lasseter's vision for the parks? Well, this is the one point where things get a little iffy. Supposedly, Lasseter wants to start putting rides into production at the same time as the movies that they're based on. So in theory, had this system been in place back in the 90s, you could have gone to see "Beauty and the Beast" in theaters, headed over to the nearest Disney park, and taken your place in line for the attraction based on the movie.
At first blush, it sounds good. Wouldn't it be great to be able to reap the benefits of a hit film while it's in theaters and fresh in the public consciousness by having a matching attraction right there the minute the audience has an appetite for it? To a degree, yes. But a lot of conditions have to be met for this idea to work. For one, the film needs to actually get made. This may not sound so tough, but more than one feature film in animation history was scrapped before making it to the screen. If a film in progress gets canned, then both the feature animation department and Imagineering would have wasted time and money on something that won't ever see the light of day (barring any clever repurposing of some concepts on Imagineering's part). And even when a film does get made, any number of scenes may be cut before the story is finalized. What if the big action sequence a film's tie-in ride is based around gets rewritten or dropped entirely? Finally, there's the problem of deciding which films merit rides. To keep things sane, we probably won't see an attraction for every "jungle Book 2" or "Pooh's Heffalump Movie" that comes along. But even some of the classic features may not really make great ride material. People may like "101 Dalmatians", but does that mean they'll want a ride based on it? In addition to films that don't quite lend themselves to becoming a theme park attraction, there are the films that just don't do very well. Fans have already been wondering what would have happened had this policy been in place for "Atlantis", "Treasure Planet", and "Home on the Range", among others. While some of these films have sequences that would have made great rides, people aren't going to line up if they didn't see the movie. A stage show, a parade, or a couple of costumes can be packed away if the film they come from fizzles. But if you build an attraction, that's going to be around for quite a while. So the question is, who's going to be the one to say: "I think this is a nice little film, but I'm not quite seeing blockbuster and there's really not much potential for a good ride."
All in all though, this is some pretty good news from parts of Disney that haven't had much good news as of late. It may be some time yet before we see the results of these policies, assuming the account of events is even accurate. But I am actually starting to feel hopeful that Disney might be on the road to recapturing its former glory.
Okay, I'm guessing most of you heard already that Disney has bought Pixar. The move is already the source of some debate: Did Disney pay too much? Should they have tried to continue building their own studio back up rather than buying the current animation king? Will Pixar's winning streak continue long enough for Disney to get its money's worth? But that's not what's on my mind right now. What I want to talk about today is some Disney related news that was reported here. I mention this largely because I haven't seen any confirmation of these events yet. So I don't know if it's all true or not. So take everything I say from here on with a big grain of salt.
In case you decided not to read the article, here's the scoop. When Disney bought Pixar, John Lasseter, probably the name most closely associated with Pixar, took on some pretty hefty new responsibilities. And according to this story, Lasseter is looking to make some changes over and Disney Feature Animation. Specifically, he's looking to take out the middleman. In the case of Disney Feature Animation, the middlemen are those business types who mostly do not have a creative bone in their body, but nonetheless think that they know how to make an animated film. They're the guys who want to play it safe, repeat the successes of the past, chock every film full of marketable characters, and generally keep the real creative people from doing what they do well. When the end product fails to make money, they're quick to place the blame on the creative people.
If this is true, it's really good news. Many animation fans and pundits have long cited the interference of business interests as the reason for Disney animation's generally poor performance over the past decade or so. And I think one of the reasons for Pixar's success is that nearly every one of their pictures has a major creative force behind it. A Pixar film is someone's vision, someone's baby. Many people contribute to the final product, but there's usually one guy whose job is to protect the integrity of the original idea. Books and toys and rides can come later; while the film is being made, the story is the important thing. If Disney can really start being a place that nurtures stories and ideas again, it could regain its place as the major force in animation.
The second item (it's not the second in the article, but it's the next one I want to do) is the only one that we seem to be a little more certain about. One of Lasseter's first moves in his new job at Disney was to stop production on Toy Story 3. This is also good news. I think the recent trend of Disney producing sequels to everything exemplifies what is wrong with the company's approach to animated films. In their rush to cash in on hot properties, they've turned the Disney films and characters from special events to omnipresent background noise. I can remember when the new Disney animated film was a really big event, something worth waiting for. Now, between sequels pushed in to theaters, sequels on DVD, and the regular dose of Winnie the Pooh, Disney films are a much more regular occurrence, to the point where it's become a little more mundane. Sequels do even further damage; a poor sequel can cheapen people's memory of the original. A series of bad sequels can cause the original to become lost in all the mediocrity as parents stop enjoying the movies with their kids and start using them as convenient babysitters. If there are too be sequels, they should be made by the original team if at all possible and only when there is a story idea that can live up to the original (see "Toy Story 2").
What isn't as certain is the other part to this story, which says that Lasseter may be keeping Circle 7 - the studio Disney set up to make "Toy Story 3" and possible future sequels to the Disney owned Pixar films - open. While he understandably didn't much like the idea of anyone else producing continuations of the movies he and his colleagues had made, he did reportedly like some of the work they were doing. So what might we see from Circle 7, if they do in fact remain open? That's not really clear yet. Maybe they'd provide extra manpower on feature films, maybe they'd do slightly lower level work like animation for TV or the parks. Right now, it's wide open.
Speaking of the Disney parks, Walt Disney Imagineering is another area where Lasseter will apparently now have some major sway. According to the article, he's using his clout to do two things with the department responsible for keeping the Happiest Places on Earth happy. One is to direct some much needed cash flow to Imagineering. The story for the past few decades has been that the imagineers have a lot of great ideas for rides and attractions, but the money to make them really work or even get the projects off the drawing board just isn't there. Enter big time fan of the Disney parks Lasseter, and a Disney company that apparently really wants to keep him happy, and somehow you end up with a promise of more money for Imagineering. So what's Lasseter's vision for the parks? Well, this is the one point where things get a little iffy. Supposedly, Lasseter wants to start putting rides into production at the same time as the movies that they're based on. So in theory, had this system been in place back in the 90s, you could have gone to see "Beauty and the Beast" in theaters, headed over to the nearest Disney park, and taken your place in line for the attraction based on the movie.
At first blush, it sounds good. Wouldn't it be great to be able to reap the benefits of a hit film while it's in theaters and fresh in the public consciousness by having a matching attraction right there the minute the audience has an appetite for it? To a degree, yes. But a lot of conditions have to be met for this idea to work. For one, the film needs to actually get made. This may not sound so tough, but more than one feature film in animation history was scrapped before making it to the screen. If a film in progress gets canned, then both the feature animation department and Imagineering would have wasted time and money on something that won't ever see the light of day (barring any clever repurposing of some concepts on Imagineering's part). And even when a film does get made, any number of scenes may be cut before the story is finalized. What if the big action sequence a film's tie-in ride is based around gets rewritten or dropped entirely? Finally, there's the problem of deciding which films merit rides. To keep things sane, we probably won't see an attraction for every "jungle Book 2" or "Pooh's Heffalump Movie" that comes along. But even some of the classic features may not really make great ride material. People may like "101 Dalmatians", but does that mean they'll want a ride based on it? In addition to films that don't quite lend themselves to becoming a theme park attraction, there are the films that just don't do very well. Fans have already been wondering what would have happened had this policy been in place for "Atlantis", "Treasure Planet", and "Home on the Range", among others. While some of these films have sequences that would have made great rides, people aren't going to line up if they didn't see the movie. A stage show, a parade, or a couple of costumes can be packed away if the film they come from fizzles. But if you build an attraction, that's going to be around for quite a while. So the question is, who's going to be the one to say: "I think this is a nice little film, but I'm not quite seeing blockbuster and there's really not much potential for a good ride."
All in all though, this is some pretty good news from parts of Disney that haven't had much good news as of late. It may be some time yet before we see the results of these policies, assuming the account of events is even accurate. But I am actually starting to feel hopeful that Disney might be on the road to recapturing its former glory.
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