December 2003

Disassociative Grief

A coworker just lost her baby. She was nearly 5 months pregnant. While I don't know this coworker very well, I'm completely overcome with sadness. No one should have to suffer that kind of loss.

Double Your Pleasure

For Christmas my ISP permanently increased my pathetic 64k, cause-I'm-so-poor, cable connection to 128k! I've been on 64k for months for the increase is like a dream come true. Ah, it's good to surf.

Arrrrgh

I need a vacation, from my "vacation"...

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaah

Home at last. Each plane we were on had delays and we arrived home nearly two hours late on a plane we weren't scheduled to fly... but we made it. It's so nice to be in my own place. It's quiet which is absolutely wonderful.

Day 8 - Run Like Hell

Ah, our 8th and final day with the in-laws. The cup is half full, my friend.

I had baby duty last night. I brought the baby monitor into my room to listen for her. I found myself jumping at every little sneeze, moan, or rustling. I was so stressed that something terrible might happen on my watch or that I wouldn't wake up for her feeding. I ran upstairs into her room probably 6 times before she actually needed fed. k was cool enough to handle the 2nd feeding so I actually only had to do it once.

Because of the late night, k and I slept till 1pm (Montana time). This means we have just 3 hours until we need to get to the airport. That should give us enough time to pack while not giving us much time with family. As I said, the cup is half full.

Day 7 - Avoidance Techniques

I slept till noon today. Once I got up I got on the phone with tech support regarding the lack of internet connection. After that k and I went for a drive which included wandering, shopping, eating, and more shopping. This place is complete hicksville. The John Deere store is nearly as large as the Walmart...

It was really nice to get out for awhile. We got back just in time for dinner (it was already on the table). I resumed my tech call and finally got the internet fixed. Then was watching baby for a bit, playing Pictionary, volunteering to get up with the baby during the night, and finally resting down in front of the computer.

k is having a much harder time today. Her anxiety is through the roof and she's on the verge of tears. Well, sometimes she's just ditched the verge and has dived right in, but you get the point. I definitely think she's reached her limit. Tomorrow is our last day. We have to be at the airport by 4pm so it's really only half a day we have to survive. I'll be counting down the hours...

The Bathroom Incident: A Follow-Up Story

Father-in-law apologized for the event later that evening. Cool. Kudos to him.

The next morning (Christmas) Guy gave k a hug and asked how she was doing after the previous night's event. She said that she was really mad. He pulled away and said something like "Fine. Be that way" and stormed off. What a loser.

He's been even more grumpy since. He was Mr. Short-Temper while passing out the presents screaming at the dogs, cursing when his coffee got knocked over, and generally radiating angst.

On the positive side, the bathroom incident and Guy's subsequent behavior really helped me to be less insecure about trying to make things work with the family and let everyone own their own issues. No matter what family obligation, no matter how much I want to make a friendship work, no matter how much I want to honor k's family... I'm not going to being belittled, abused, or disrespected. If Guy wants more from me, then he's gonna have to get over himself first.

Because of this new perspective things have been less stressful for me. It's still really emotionally draining, but I am holding my own much better.

Day 6 - Merry Something

On Christmas we got up early because everyone was anxious to open presents. Since we had a house of 7 adults, 1 baby, and 3 well-loved dogs the present pile was rather large. By large I mean that it took us nearly two hours to open them all doing it mostly one at a time. That was fun. It was great to be a part of so many gifts.

I got lots of awesome stuff. I got something like 6 DVD's including The Long Kiss Goodnight, Matrix Reloaded, X2, and The Two Towers extended edition. I am currently listening to the Evanescence cd k gave me. The best gift was the latest Zelda game for my Game Cube (also from k). I got several cool how-to books (which I asked for) and some great bath stuff (from my mommy). I only got one generic gift. Everything else fit me perfectly!

After that k and I napped for several hours because we were tired and because we didn't feel like being around people after the bathroom incident the night before.

That evening we had a very hum drum dinner. Don't get me wrong, it was a full Christmas dinner with turkey and all, but it just sort of happened. The day didn't include any Christmas music or Christmas wishes or anything that really made it feel like Christmas. Ah well, it could have been worse (as has been evidenced repeatedly this week).

Withdrawls

I have been without the internet for some 36 hours. I didn't get to post my daily update yesterday. I didn't get to read my e-mail. I didn't get to continuing taking advantage of my brother-in-law's fast connection by downloading every freaking file available on the internet. I didn't get to visit any sites. I didn't get to lose myself in surfing went the intensity of the house got too much. I suppressed repeated panic attacks at the thought of being without the internet. Basically I was a druggy without drugs for a day and a half. I sucked on so many levels.

The DSL modem went down sometime yesterday. I was on the phone with the tech people for several hours today getting it fixed. Apparently nothing was done wrong, but it just happens sometimes. Whatever. The modem could recognize any ip address, but could recognize any websites. That's useful. The second tech was finally able to provide a fix.

Of course, at the point I got the internet running there were group plans so I bidded my time until I could spend some quality time with the internet. Aaaaah. There's nothing like plunging into the juicy folds of the internet after a long abstinence.

Matter of Perspective

For what it's worth:

With exception to last night's horrible events, k is really enjoying being here. She really likes her family and is loving being with the baby. She isn't thrilled with her family's foibles, but isn't all that affected because this was standard for her growing up. Also, k stood up for herself last night which was a major step for her. She actually feels kind of empowered by it and seems to be doing fine today.

I just thought I'd be fair for a second and let you know that I'm the one living a nightmare this week, not k.

Underwear Swap

Grandpa has been complaining since he got here that his landlord (who is also a care provider) packed all the wrong stuff for him. He says he packed hankerchiefs, but she must have removed them. Also, she packed clothes that were slightly too small for him. Why would she do such a thing?

Well, after being here for 3 days Grandpa finally realized that he picked up the wrong bag at the airport. No lie. He's been wearing someone else's clothes all week. Ah the joys of being 90. Isn't that just too damn funny?

btw, Merry Christmas.

Day 5 - All I Want for Christmas

In comparison to the infuriating events that ended the day, the rest of the day was dreamy.

k and I took the car out to brave the town fairly early this morning. The comic book store didn't get in their new shipment as expected and the number of comics they had in stock barely exceeded my own library. The bead stores we sought out weren't much better. Navigating around town is a breeze and even though the population size is probably comparable to Fairbanks, it feels like a much smaller, much hick-er place.

We had a family photo shoot this afternoon which consisted of everyone telling everyone else how it should be done. A good, hearty game of "No I'm the Boss" is always the highlight of any day.

Later Guy, Nikki, and I saw The Return of the King. It was great. The experience was tainted a bit by some talking people, a very small theater, and cold air blowing down my back. I'm excited to see it again when I can fully get into it. One comment is that, even considering the conditions, the movie didn't feel overly long to me. The 3.5 hours went by without me feeling restless at all. Impressive to say the least.

Late evening Grandpa took us all out to Applebee's for dinner. The food was tasty and the conversation was only painful for a brief period.

Tomorrow is Christmas and while I can't say that I have the slightest bit of Christmas spirit, I am excited to open presents. Beyond that it's just a matter of surviving another day. Here's hoping one of my presents is an isolation chamber.

Merry Fucking Christmas

k had a really bad day with regards to her anxiety. During dinner at a restaurant she had several panic attacks. She was really good all day about telling everyone what she was feeling and everyone was very supportive. She was especially clear about this at dinner time (in a mature and tactful way). Major kudos to k for being open and honest.

After we got home from dinner, k was on the newly installed toilet which is in the laundry/boiler/etc. room. Guy and father-in-law needed a broom that was in the room k is in. Because they thought it was funny they began to knock on the door and tell k to let them in. The knocking and telling turned into pound and yelling. Finally, Guy found a way to unlock the door and opened it...

k yelled at them, standing up for herself like I've never seen. They finally realized that perhaps they had gone too far. By the time Dana got back into our bedroom she was sobbing. Everyone in the house knows she had been pushed way over the edge and is walking on eggshells.

I'm furious and am even more ready to leave than I was before. I'm pissed that those two are so clueless as to not have even considered that k was possibly in a fragile state. Even if k was completely stable, what they did was rude and violated her space. I'm mostly angry with Guy because he always goes too far, is always freakin' annoying, and never thinks through his actions.

I Are Computer Problemated

I've been on Guy and Nikki's computer a lot this week. It's in a very sad state of affairs. They aren't overly computer savy and as such haven't taken care of their baby as they should have.

the last virus scan was run in April of 2002; there were about 10 viruses
the virus program wasn't set to automatically scan downloads, e-mails... nothing
the virus program had 56 updates which hadn't been downloaded
spyware had taken over their computer spitting open the cd drives and informing them that they needed to download a special program to fix this problem
once I utilized the spyware removal program that they had already paid for, I deleted over 100 spyware programs
their 20gig harddrive is 19gigs full
there were some 500 temp files
the trash had over 1000 files in it

To their credit, I'm impressed that they own a spyware removal program and anti-virus program. Also, the hard drive was defragged and scanned 3 months ago (rather than 3 years). They are very pleased that I'm cleaning things up for them. They need more RAM also, but I'll settle for reversing the countdown to imminent self-destruction.

Great Depths

I just finished taking a most luxurious bath. Guy and Nikki have an extra deep tub. I used some cool bubble bath leaves my mom gave me for Christmas. I felt all special and stuff. It was wonderful.

Day 4 - Shoot me, I think I'm done

I sat for several hours today and watched my baby niece. I fed her, burped her, changed her diaper, entertained her, held her... All this baby time makes my uncle side very happy. It doesn't do anything for my paternal side, one way or the other, which I find very interesting. I've been told Rory (my niece) really likes me. I was kind thinking... duh.

Besides the joys of being with my niece I was pretty feeling done today. Done listening to rambling stories, done with the endless games of 20 questions everytime I shift in my seat, done with being in a house of 7 adults, 1 baby, and 3 dogs, done trying tolerate the very different way this group interacts, and just plain done being social. My loner self was feeling very motivated to hide away in a corner. I found lots of ways to avoid people much to the confusion and sadness of my in-laws. Perhaps I need to actually try to do things their way while I'm here rather than just try to tolerate their differences. I'm not even sure I can...

What I'm realizing most is that this group is used to interacting as a community. If someone is going to another room for awhile, it is announced so everyone knows where everyone is. This is quite opposite to my approach of slip-out-while-no-one's-looking. Somehow announcing to the group that I need time away from the group seems to destroy the whole process of trying to get away from the group. <le sigh>

Guy made an amazing dinner tonight. He made Chicken Fettucini Alfredo (the Alfredo was made from scratch) with a side of fresh steamed vegetables. He can cook for me anytime!

Temper, Temper

Grandpa was amazingly well-tempered considering the forced stay-over in Salt Lake City and the near 12 hours of wandering around the airport waiting for his flight.

Guy was amazingly foul-tempered considering that I offered to cook dinner for him. During the cursing and yelling I was unsure as to how he was feeling. I think it was the throwing things that finally cleared things up.

Day 3 - Independent Thought

Today was long as well, but in the wanna-gnaw-off-your-leg-and-beat-someone-with-it sort of way.

Went shopping this afternoon with k, Nikki, and mother-in-law. Whaaaat an adventure. Nikki must stop and look at everything that might possibly be on sale or might possibly be of use in the next millenium. She also must buy lots of things even though she, just yesterday, had an argument with Guy about how they don't have money to buy stuff.

Mother-in-law likes to tell people what to buy. In fact, through some convoluted turn of events, K and I got birthday money from the parentals so we could spend it down here. Great. Mother-in-law decides that we want to buy clothes from TJMaxx with said money. How very gracious of her to relieve us of the burden of independent thought and opinion. And here I thought I might have to make some debilitating decision about how to spend fifty bucks. We went to TJMaxx, but were highly unimpressed. Most likely we'll be spending our money once we get back home and have been returned the full control of our brains.

This evening, I mentioned that I was thinking of starting to use a PDA. Father-in-law decides to show me his PDA. When I say "show" I mean more like give me the grand tour and tutorial. Thirty minutes after my off-handed comment I'm fully certified in PDA mechanics. Thanks Dad.

Grandpa didn't arrive tonight. The flights were canceled due to weather so this 90 year old man who is nearly deaf is stuck in Salt Lake City for the night. Father-in-law called to request that an agent help him find a hotel. Hopefully that is what is happening. We haven't heard from him yet.

On an amusing note I believe I now know what it sounds like when my mother-in-law has an orgasm. At least I'm guessing that's what happened each time she sneezed. It sounds something like, "Uh. Uh. Oh, oh, oh. Aaaah. A-choooo. OoooOoh." While I should have been highly disturbed, I found the entire production so comical that I had to stiffle my giggles.

Supportive In-Laws

"Whatever you just did, it was wrong."
This was just said to me, I kid you not.

Don't Ask

Saint Mayo's Spread of Desperation
(hee, hee)

Day 2 - Lifetime

My wife (klondike.kate, to be referred to as "k") and I got up for a awesome breakfast prepared by my brother-in-law, Guy. k, who had a hangover from anti-anxiety meds for the flight, went right back to sleep and didn't get up until 6pm. She went to bed again at 10pm.

I sat in front of the tv so I could hang out with Nikki (Guy's wife) and my niece Rory. The unfortunate thing of it was that Nikki was watching the Lifetime channel and watched it all afternoon. I can't say that a marathon of Lifetime movies was what I thought I would be doing on my vacation. For that matter I never thought that I could even survive such a marathon. It was quite special. Quite.

I did get to highlight Nikki's hair today which was fun. I actually highlighted it twice because the stated "30 minutes" (which was extended to 45) did almost nothing to change the color of her hair. The 2nd go round, of 75 minutes, produced very nice, if subtle, results. We were hoping for a more dramatic finish so we might do something more with it this week.

The parent in-laws arrived around 6pm. I listened to several long rabbit-trailed and highly uninteresting stories from my father-in-law before retreating to my room to surf the internet on their DSL connection (it's a dream after my meager 64k at home). I did get out for a bit to go with Nikki to the store at which I was emotionally scarred at seeing a life sized animatronic santa "getting jiggy with it."

The evening wrapped up by playing a game with Guy and Nikki. Little did I know that Guy had had a few drinks and, as such, became increasingly loud and obnoxious as the game worn on. I was glad when Nikki finally won and released me horror of it all.

The plus of the day is that I had zero responsibilities, there was very little stress, and the day was long in a luxurious sense. Hopefully I can say the same about my six remaining days...

Day 1 - Door Ajar

We flew out yesterday (Saturday) morning to visit my inlaws. We had a 20 minute stop in Anchorage which turned into almost two hours. Apparently the door to the plane wasn't sealing completely. Fortunately they were able to fix it. We had a long layover scheduled in Seattle so we made our next connection with plenty of time to spare.

On the flight to Seattle I was neatly wedged between my wife on my left and a pleasant man on my right. I tried to sleep, but was inundated with the body heat of two additional individuals. I felt like I was slowly being baked to perfection. The wedging also hindered the use of arms for things such as reading, accessing my water, or allowing the blood to circulate. The plane to Montana was small and as such had only two seats on either side of the aisle. Yay! No more wedgy for me.

While waiting in the Seattle airport I wandered and explored. My wife and I wanted Cinnabon so I was on a quest. I ended up having to take a transit to a completely different terminal and run to place my order before they closed. It was quite an adventure. I enjoyed my gooey, sugary delight, but perhaps not enough to get another one on the way back. It's nice to know that my taste buds are starting, however reluctantly, to come in line with my health needs.

We arrived at my brother-in-law's about 1am. We coddled our new neice for awhile and finally went to bed.

That's the latest breaking news in my exciting adventures with my in-laws. Tonight: the parents arrive. News at 11.

Let the Adventure Begin

My wife and I are leaving tomorrow to spend Christmas with her family. We'll be staying at her brother's in Kalispell, Montana (woo-hoo) and will be gone a week. Spending this much time with my in-laws should be... interesting. I'll keep you posted.

The Outside

They're letting me out on good behavior.
Suckers.

Trailers

So what, do you ask, did I do with my work day? Only official, sanctioned work activities of course...

The Chronicles of Riddick looks like it might be reeeeeal good. In case you don't know, this is the sequel to Pitch Black and will again be starring Vin Diesel.

The The Passion of Christ could be very interesting as well. It's been a very controversial movie because it presents Jews as being partly responsible for Jesus death... Um, yeah, sounds about right. That's not to say that if any other race was there they wouldn't have done the same thing, but in this case the Jews did choose to send Jesus to the cross. Sorry. Truth hurts.

The Scooby Doo 2 trailer doesn't tell me much, but it's gotta be good.

While not overly original, Mindhunters looks very interesting.

Seeing the Timeline trailer in the theater didn't make me want to see it. The exclusive internet trailer, on the other hand, did.

Oh Yeah

I'm finally caught up at work. This means I have time to surf the web and update my blog again. The cup is half full my friend.

Mr. Picasso Head

With another artistic way to waste your time, Mr. Picasso Head is great fun. Create like the master painter himself.

The interface is really easy to follow and lots of fun. I like that you can size, rotate, layer stuff, and chose from the whole palette of colors. Make your own disturbingly surreal head and have some fun.

Rhapsodic featured this some time ago. I'm just now getting around to it.

Schism

I recently purchased some random independent comics hoping to stumble across something I really enjoyed. In this case I not only enjoyed, but was thrilled with the title Schism by Paul Lindsley and published by Summertime Books and Comics.

Joshua is having dreams; nightmares really. In his dreams he sees demons; feels the evil within them. He watches as a demon attacks and possesses a man filled with light who serves the people. He senses a need to stop this event, but, in his dream-like state, is only able to watch. Joshua doesn't know that he was sent to this world to confront the demons and stop them from attacking an ancient tribe of elders. He is unable to remember who he is or what he was sent to do. Meanwhile elders are being killed and another one must sacrifice his life to help Joshua cross over into the spirit world and fulfill his calling.

This first issue reads very much like a dream in surreal tones and meanderings. Lindsley aptly conveys the confusion and complexity of what Joshua is experiencing while still giving enough information to let the reader know what is happening. Still, he doesn't give too much. In fact, after the first issue I find that I have more questions than answers. I don't really even know the world in which it will take place. This approach really intrigued me and is part of why I enjoyed the book so much. Probably the largest reason I enjoyed the book was the amazing art. I'm not talking about some nice comic drawings, but true art. The kind of stuff that you'd hang on your wall (if you were into dark imagery of demons and tortured souls that is). Each page was really a treat to look at.

Below are two of the inside pages. Go the the Schism page to see them at a larger size, to see additional pages from inside the book, and to see a gallery of Paul Lindsley's work. If you haven't read this book, I recommend purchasing a copy while you are at the Summertime Books site. Rating: 9/10

My Sentiments Exactly

Thanks to Joat for sending me this

Finding Nemo

Plot:A father-son underwater adventure featuring Nemo, a boy clownfish, stolen from his coral reef home. His timid father must then search the ocean to find him.

Review: I saw this sometime ago and loved it. Pixar's animation has risen yet another level. The water and lighting alone was breathtaking. I also really enjoyed the story. I enjoyed that the story revolved around the father rather than the missing child. That seemed like a unique approach and certainly appealed to me as an adult. All the voice actors were great, but I especially enjoyed Ellen DeGeneres' performance as Dory. Dory, the ditzy sidekick with no short term memory, was the major appeal of the movie for me. Overall the movie was well written, well performed, and well executed. Hats off to Pixar. You guys rock.

all work, no play

Last week I pumped out a total of 22 jobs at my morning job. That would explain the exhaustion and the grumpiness I've so carefully cultivated.

Ever

For the next 15 minutes I'm going to run away and never come back.

Inappropriate Musings

Life's a bitch.
Do it doggie style.

Guess What the Stork Brought?

Look at my new baby. Isn't it the sweetest thing you've ever seen? Of course, like any newborn, it's drastically affecting my sleep schedule...

Movie Trailers

Hellboy - I don't know much about this comic series, but the movie actually looks interesting. The look of the characters is pretty cartoony, but, given that expectation, I think I might enjoy it.

Shrek 2 - The premise of this sequel seems weak, but it does look like a fun movie.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban - Wow. This story is probably my favorite book in the series and this trailer makes the movie look amazing. They definitely did their job with making me desperate to see it.

The Day After Tomorrow - This looks really intriguing. There isn't a lot of information given here, but I'm definitely interested in finding out more.

The Punisher - I've never been that captivated by this character, but I really like the look of this movie. It has potential.

The Princess Blade - This is another trailer that doesn't tell me much, but it looks like just another marital arts movie. Fortunately that's what I'm in the mood for.

The Incredibles - Pixar is at it again. That is reason enough for me to see this movie. Besides that, it looks like it could be funny.

King Me

I went to my dreaded dentist appointment today. I have a fracture in the tooth that has felt like it's been connected to a car battery for the last week. They have to put a crown on it. I guess it's better than a root canal or some of the other horrific options that went through my mind. Now I have to figure a way to pay for it.

Hero Machine

Ugo.com features reviews of games, movies, music, comics and more. They also feature a very complex Hero Machine. It's kinda like dressing up your dollies, but with a lot more options (and less pointing and laughing by your friends). You can create superheroes, fantasy characters, and sports stars. Give this one a mowhawk, that one a flaming torch, and don't forget the full body spandex suit. Choose the eyes, hair, skin, belt, boots, insignia, sidekick, etc. It's loads of fun.

Some of the stuff is really ugly looking, but most of it really looks great. My biggest frustration was with the limited, if not hideous, color palette. The interface it pretty smooth and it provided me with hours of enjoyment. My first two creations are what you see here. Click on them to see the full version.

Up, Up, and Away

Ok. I think this is getting a liiiiittle out of hand... Here's a list of upcoming comic based film projects:

Batman: Intimidation - Proposed release: 2005.
Batman will be played by Christian Bale.

Blade: Trinity - Proposed release: August 2004.
Story summary: When the Vampire Nation hatches a plan to frame Blade in a series of brutal killings, he must join forces with the Nightstalkers, a clan of human vampire hunters, in an extreme battle in which the trail of blood leads directly to the notorious vampire legend, Dracula. Blade will be played again by Wesley Snipes.

Catwoman - Promosed release: 2004.
Story summary: Patience Price, a woman wrongfully killed, manages to come back to settle the score as Catwoman. Continuity: Patience is but one in a line of several Catwomen. Catwoman will be played by Halle Berry.

Constantine - Proposed release: 2004.
Story summary: John Constantine, has been to Hell and back... Using his knowlege of the occult, he wages a war against the demons among us. With the help of a female police officer, Constantine finds himself face to face with the agents of darkness called the "First of the Fallen". Constantine will be played by Keanu Reeves.

Fantastic Four - Proposed release: summer 2005
Story summary: Reed Richards, Sue Storm, Johnny Storm and Ben Grimm are forever transformed after a freak accident while manning an experimental rocket into the Fantastic Four. Each is given extraordinary super-human powers.

Hellboy - Proposed release: April 2004
Story summary: Born in the flames of hell, and brought to our world in a pagan ritual, the fierce red hero, Hellboy was saved by his friend and mentor, the benevolent Dr. Broom. Raised in Broom's Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense, Hellboy joins a team of heros. Together, they must come to terms with fantastic powers that prove to be both a blessing and a curse. In the process they discover that their abilities serve to benefit mankind but may also keep them forever isolated from the society that only they can protect. Hellboy will be played by Ron Perlman.

Iron Man - Proposed release: 2005
Story summary: When billionaire genius Tony Stark was gravely injured by an act of industrial sabotage, he saved his own life by designing a life-sustaining shell -- the hi-tech armor that is the invincible Iron Man.

Man-Thing - Proposed release: August 2004
Story summary: Marvel?s terrifying creature of the swamp, MAN-THING screams onto our screens in the new horror motion picture that presents a very different kind of character to the usual Marvel superhero. Based on the cult comic book series that was first published in 1971, the MAN-THING is a vengeful creature born from the evil and injustices perpetrated against both man and nature.

The Punisher - Proposed release: 2004
Story summary: The story of FBI undercover agent, Frank Castle, who until now has beat considerable odds. A former Special Forces operative, he is finally moving out of the field and into a desk job -- and a normal life with his wife and son. Then Castle's world is shaken to its core by a nightmare he has longed feared: his family is executed as a repercussion from his final undercover assignment. With unparalleled intensity, ferocious intelligence and fearless actions, Castle seeks to punish the murderers -- and finds the one thing he least expected: redemption. The Punisher will be played by Thomas Jane.

Spider-Man 2 - Proposed release: July 2004
Story summary: Two years have passed, and the mild-mannered Peter Parker faces new challenges as he struggles with "the gift and the curse," desperately trying to balance his dual identities as the web-slinging superhero Spider-Man and his life as a college student. Peter's life is about to become even more complicated as he encounters a formidable new foe -- Dr. Otto Octavius (Alfred Molina). Peter must use all the powers at his disposal to try to stop this diabolical madman in his octagonal tracks. Tobey Maguire will again play Spider-Man.

Son of the Mask - Proposed release: October 2004
Story summary: This is a sequel to The Mask starring Jim Carey. The main character will be played by Jamie Kennedy.

X-Men 3 - Proposed release: 2006

Potential/Unscheduled Movies:

Dejollyified

When I was out of the office for about an hour, a coworker - from whom I had sought relief for my new holiday cheer - took every Christmas decoration we had and hung them around my office. Since I work in a closet, that basically meant there was no office showing anymore. I walked in to a fluffy Santa sitting on my computer, a bear climbing a Christmas tree, and about a dozen oversized glittery plastic candy canes hung from every possible perch. It was kind of like a Damascus road moment. I saw the light and I was cured. No more Christmas cheer for me. No sir. Not one teensie little bit.

...

(fa, la, la, la, la...)

Jolly

It hit me today. I was designing a Christmas card for a customer, I lit the cinnamon candle I brought to work... and then it happened. Suddenly, with tremendous force, I was hit with the Christmas spirit. I am now afflicted with a deep yearning for Christmas carols, snowmen, blinking lights, egg nog, cozy fires, and tons of shopping. Crap. And here I thought I could make it through another holiday with the reckless apathy I've come to know and love.

Advanced Ticket Sales

Peter Jackson (Director of the Lord of the Rings triology) is working on an remake of King Kong and there are rumors of a possible Hobbit movie in the future...

It also looks like a 2nd X-Files movie may be in the works.

Finally, Tim Burton will be directing Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, a new movie based on Roald Dahl's children's book Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.

I Could Dye

My workplace is selling white t-shirts at a steal of a deal so I bought a couple. They also had a bunch that were yellowed with age so my supervisor let me have those for free. I spent the weekend dying some 15 shirts (when you add the shirts for my wife and other shirts I already owned). I now have grape, black, charcoal, blue, slate, and wine colored shirts. I had such a good time playing with color and am very pleased with the results. The shirt I'm wearing today is tie-dyed. I feel giddy like when I first tie-dyed shirts as a kid. It's cool to wear clothing that is an upper.

Linus & Lucy

I've been practicing the song Linus and Lucy by Vince Guaraldi to play in my student's piano recital this Friday. It's been kind of a big deal for me. With my tendonitis problems I've not learned much new piano solo music in years. This is probably the first thing I've learned in at least 5 years that has no other purpose than my enjoyment. It has been physically difficult, but it has also been a lot of fun. The piece is sounding great and I'm having a lot of fun playing it. This December, I look forward to my students' recital not just because they get to show how well they are doing, but also because I get to perform. I'm a performer at heart and it kinda feels like I'm returning home.