The So-So Voyage of The Dawn Treader

So, yesterday Alisa and I went to see the The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of The Dawn Treader. In spite of the lackluster reviews this movie was getting from the critics I went in with high hopes. Dawn Treader is my favorite of the books so I really wanted it to be awesome. I'm sad to say that it was not all I hoped it would be. Well, it was pretty good but it wasn't great. They made some pretty major changes from the book which I didn't really care for and that seemed a bit unnecessary. Now, I didn't hate it or anything but it certainly wasn't as good as the first two movies. However, on the positive side I must acknowledge that the kid who played Eustace Scrubb just did it wonderfully. He is just the way I would have expected Eustace to be. There are also some comments that Aslan makes at the end of the book that give insight into his true identity but that I was worried might be left out because they are too blatantly Christian for most secular movie makers. To my surprise those comments were included. Overall, this was a fairly enjoyable movie. But, as I watched it there was just that nagging thought in the back of mind telling me that it could have been so much better.

The 2010 Pumpkins

Well, in spite of rumors to the contrary, I have not abandoned my blog. I've just been a little bit lazy in my updates as of late. However, it is now that important time of year were I present to the world the fruits of my pumpkin patch. As I indicated in previous posts, this year's patch has not yielded any big pumpkins. This saddened me greatly especially since this was the first year that I planted "Big Max." So, I had really been hoping for some mega pumpkins. However, 'twas not to be. At first I thought that the primary problem was the weather but now I think it was more of a problem with crop rotation. It seems that when you grow the same plant in the same spot three years in a row you don't get as good results. Who knew?! So, since I have a crop of diminutive pumpkins I decided this year to name them all after equally diminutive characters from some of my favorite (and not so favorite) books. A special Halloween treat to the person who can successfully identify the book that each and every one of these twelve pumpkins got their names from.* So, with no further ado, I proudly present to all one of you Ryan's Pumpkin Patch 2010!Back Row: Old Fatty Lumpkin (10.2 lbs), Frodo (4.4 lbs), General Woundwart (4.2 lbs), Reepicheep (4.4 lbs), Gorbert (7.8 lbs) - Front Row: Samwise (4.4 lbs), D.L.F. (6.0 lbs), Trufflehunter (4.6 lbs), Jenks (4.0 lbs), Griphook (4.0 lbs)

Roofintop Dobby (3.0 lbs) and Flitwick (4.0 lbs)

*Open to legal U.S. Residents. Void where prohibited; please see official rules (if there were any). My wife and my sister Shanna are not eligible because I've told them all or most of the answers at some point. No treat if you cheat by typing the names into a search engine.

First Pumpkin of 2010

So, yesterday I picked the first of this year's pumpkins. Collin was really excited about it so I put it in his room. It weighed in at 7.8 lbs and I named it Gorbert after a furry-faced little monster in one of Collin's current favorite books. Sadly, this rather small pumpkin is in all likelihood the biggest one my pumpkin patch is going to produce this year. Pumpkins, and vine fruits in general, have not done very well this year around here due mainly to an unusually cold and wet June. There is one other pumpkin out there that might possibly make ten pounds but I'm not holding my breath.

Superwife!

So, I would like to take a moment to brag a little about the incredible woman I married. She does so much more for our family than I could ever even begin to give her the proper credit for but I want to mention just two things that she has done recently that have reminded me of how awesomely awesome Alisa is. First, earlier this week we went down to a title company to sign the papers to refinance our mortgage. This was a really good deal we got and it will save us nearly $200 per month. I want you to know that I did essentially nothing to bring this about. Alisa made all the phone calls, set all the appointments. I just signed the stuff she needed me to sign and sent one e-mail that they needed to have from me. This involved an immense amount of work on her part and I am so grateful to her for taking care of it all for us. The second thing I wanted to mention was Alisa's great work on our son Collin's 2nd birthday. She organized the celebration, bought all the presents and made the incredible tractor cake you see below. Yeah, she made that from pretty much just a picture she found on the internet and some very general instructions. Pretty freakin' sweet, huh? She's good-looking and smart. And, I know something about being good-looking and smart. I have come to the conclusion that Alisa must not really be from Idaho. I think she must be from the planet Krypton because she is not just a wife; she is a Superwife!

The Pumpkins Are Coming! The Pumpkins Are Coming!

As you can see from these pictures my pumpkin patch has started to produce a lot of pumpkins. I took these pictures a few days ago and many of these are a lot bigger now and there are a few new pumpkins that have since started to grow.

The first picture and the one above are some of the "big max" pumpkins that I planted for the first time this year. They will not be the traditional dark orange color of the pumpkins most people use for Halloween but they can get to be over 50 pounds so I'm really hoping to have a few really big jack-o-lanterns on my front porch this year.

There are actually two pumpkins in this picture. Can you spot them? Wow, this post is kind of like an "I Spy" or a "Where's Waldo" book!

FINALLY! Merlin Season 2

Well, iTunes finally got their act together and fixed the problem with Merlin Season 2. So, after a long wait I was eventually able to watch those last two episodes. And, it was totally worth the wait. This season was great and since I bought it I now have it forever. Or at least until this computer crashes.

This season had some great episodes. I especially liked the one where Merlin fell in love. Of course, she ended up dead but it was a still a very well done and touching episode. I also enjoyed the episodes with Uther being bewitched by and marrying a troll. The love triangle with Arthur, Lancelot and Gwen got more interesting this season. And, Uther's war on magic got more intense so I look forward to seeing how things go with that next season especially now that Morgana has disappeared and Mordred has a grudge against Merlin.

As great as the season as a whole was I really thought the finale was spectacular. The introduction of Merlin's father and the release of the dragon really makes me wonder what direction next season will take. I look forward to season three being made available next spring.

So, there you have it; the long awaited review. I hope that both of you found it satisfactory.

Come Back Homestarrunner!!

OK, so homestarrunner.com has not had an update in about 3 1/2 months. I know that one of the creators just had a new kid or something but come on, I need some cartoons! I know, not much of a blog post but, I haven't done one in a while.

He he he

Oh, you just gotta love these linguistics jokes! This brings back many happy memories from my phonetics class in college.

The Great Merlin Conundrum - Part II

So, I am sure that all of you have been wondering when you will have the pleasure or reading my review of the second season of Merlin. Well, as you may remember, NBC chose not to broadcast Merlin Season 2 and I don't have cable so I couldn't watch it on The Syfy Channel either. So, I ended up purchasing the season pass on iTunes. This was going along just peachy for a while until we have hit a snag. The season has 13 episodes and the first eleven came to me just fine. They became available for download the morning after they aired on Syfy and I would watch them on my computer the following evening. However, just as we are getting to the end iTunes has provided me with two copies of episode 11 while episode 12 is nowhere to be seen. On top of that, when I downloaded the final episode of the season it ended up actually being the season 1 finale mockingly masquerading as the season 2 finale. Needless to say, iTunes had me a little bit confused and annoyed. I mean, I paid for the full season so I really should get the full season. Anyway, I went to the comments section for Merlin Season 2 on iTunes and found that there were pages of comments from others who also were having the same problem. I wrote a message to iTunes in their feedback section so I'm hoping this will be resolved soon so I can see how the season will end.

R.I.P. Hummer

Well, I have bad news. As you should remember I spoke in my last post about the triumphant return of Hummer the hummingbird. Well, I was able to enjoy seeing her buzzing around my backyard for a couple of days. However, it wasn't long after I wrote that post that Hummer vanished. Now, last year it was generally pretty easy to spot her. She didn't usually stray too far from her nest. However I started to get a little concerned when I couldn't seem to locate her. Hummingbirds are very territorial and aggressive. Last year I remember numerous occasions where I saw Hummer chasing off other birds many times her size. Hummingbirds do not abandon their nests easily so, I started to fear that my dear friend Hummer might be dead. Than, a few days ago I came out and found that her nest had been ripped to pieces and her eggs were gone (as shown by the above photo). So, there is really no longer any room for doubt; Hummer is dead. As sad as this is I choose to believe that Hummer died with honor. I believe that Hummer died in an epic battle . . . . with a pterodactyl. And I bet that big flying dinosaur came off a little bit banged up and will think twice about fighting a raging hummingbird again. So, farewell Hummer; when we meet again on the other side you will always be welcome to build a nest in my Celestial backyard.

Hummer is BACK!

It is official; Hummer the Hummingbird has returned to our apple tree. Today I was out in the yard and I looked up to notice that her old nest looked a bit bigger than it had been. So, I got up on the ladder and looked inside to find two little eggs that looked just like a couple of white jelly beans. I saw her a couple of times since then. Good thing I got the hummingbird feeders up a while ago. I'll let everybody know when the eggs hatch.

Chuck Season III

Well, last week I watched the season finale of Chuck. It was a lot of fun. And, one of the best parts is the fact that, unlike last year, NBC has already renewed it for another season so I won't have to keep checking my "online sources" to find out if it is coming back.

So, this season was great. I really like how the new intersect program allows Chuck to access abilities as well as information. The new guitar playing, kung-fu fighting Chuck was really fun. The season ended great. I was sad about Papa Bartowski dying but I was glad to see that Mama Bartowski is still alive so I'm excited to see who will be playing her next season. I guess the destruction of the BUY MORE was inevitable. I mean, now that (practically) everybody in Chuck's life knows he's a spy his working there would quickly not make sense anymore. I was glad that Casey's daughter knows about him now. I'm not sure how I feel about Ellie knowing what her brother really does. I think that the show needed to have someone close to Chuck who was still in the dark about his being a spy. And, I really hope they make her a little less naggy next season. Anyway, we'll see how that all works out.

And that's a wrap. All my regular season shows have had their season finales now. Hopefully, the shows I have coming up for the summer will be enough to tide me over until September.

Jack Closes His Eyes - The End of LOST

Well, I guess it's about time I write my LOST Series Finale blog post. I have decided to spare the one or two of you who read my blog from having to sit through an intolerably long post. I mean, I know when I go to other people's blogs I skip the really long entries. So, I will try to keep it relatively brief.

Anyway, let's dive in. I have already stated in my preliminary LOST blog post that the Finale was AWESOME so now it's time to explain a little about what made it awesome. There are several things that are necessary for any story to be able to enjoy long term popularity. One of these is that it has to answer enough questions for the audience to come away from the experience feeling like the story came to a satisfying conclusion but it also needs to leave enough questions unanswered so there are still things left to wonder about, to talk about and to theorize about. If a story doesn't do this though it may enjoy a lot of popularity while the story is still unfinished the popularity will likely fizzle out not long after the last episode airs, the last movie comes out or the last book is published. LOST managed to get the balance right. The finale (well, really the whole final season) provided enough answers to make me feel like the story wrapped up nicely. But, there is still plenty to wonder about. What was so special about Walt? Why did the big Egyptian looking statue only have four toes on it's foot? Did the man in black actually have a name? What is the nature of the island? Why was Micheal's spirit doomed to spend eternity on the island for committing two murders while Ben who killed a lot more people didn't get that punishment?

Now, as great as this was there were still a few problems. The biggest one was that there were some things in the finale that made it look as though everybody had actually died in the plane crash and that everything that we've been watching for the past six seasons was just these people in purgatory or it was all a dream that happened in someone's dying moment. Basically, it got some people a bit confused about whether everything we have been watching actually happened or not. But, in spite of the confusion, this is defiantly not what happened. First of all, the whole "everybody-really-died-in-the-crash" theory has been around since the beginning of the show but the creators made it clear very early on that the people of Oceanic flight 815 were not dead and that the island was a real place that physically existed somewhere in the world. Also, if this theory was correct that would be a big, fat smack in the face to all the fans because it would essentially be saying that we wasted all these years invested in a story just to find out that none of it really happened. As Sawyer would say that would be quite the "Long Con." Fortunately, that is not the case.

I like how the exact nature of the "sideways universe" is still somewhat up for grabs. However, it seems the basic idea is that it is a place our characters collectively created in the afterlife to allow them all to find each other so they could move on together. I thought that was a really great way to rap things up especially since they brought so many people back that we hadn't seen in a long time. The best part though was the final scene and the way it mirrored the opening scene of the series with Jack lying in the same spot and seeing his eye close as he died.

Well, so much for not writing a long blog post. I should have known I couldn't do this in less than a bajillion words. I could go on forever but I shall end now by saying this: As far as I am concerned LOST is the greatest TV show ever made and if it ever falls from the top spot it won't be for a long time. So, it is time to bid farewell to LOST. It's been great. As corny as it may sound there has never been a TV show that has meant as much to me as this one has. Oh, and by the way, the complete series comes out on DVD August 24th (three days before my birthday. Hint Hint!).

It's A Sign!!

I grow some pretty awesome pumpkins. In fact my pumpkins have been described as legendary and epic (mainly by myself). So, I decided that I needed a sign to mark Ryan's Pumpkin Patch that would be just as epic as the pumpkins themselves. Unfortunately, I don't actually have the skills or the materials to make an epic sign. What I did have was some old pieces of scrap wood, a drill, some random rusted screws I found in the shed, a can of left over exterior white paint that we had used to paint our door jam, some brushes and paint pilfered from my wife's old arts and crafts supplies and a couple random pens. These I took and and was able to throw together this little sign. Yeah I know, I'm a bit of a dork.

Birdless

So, as many of you may remember, last year a hummingbird took up residence in one of our apple trees. I have not seen her yet but I really do hope she ends up coming back. Well, a few weeks ago I happened to look up in our other apple tree and I found that a bird had built a nest up there as well. I was very excited. However, though I have checked the nest on a regular basis I have never seen a bird in it and there are no eggs inside. Sadly, I have had to face the fact that this nest has been abandoned. You know, this just goes to show how bad the housing market really is. I mean, little birdies can't even keep their homes for crying out load!

LOST

LOST Series Finale. AWESOME! NO time to write at the moment! Will write full review in the next few days!

Fringe does it again!

OK, so we had the Fringe Season 2 Finale back on Thursday and it was DYNAMITE! This is a great show and it had another great season. Last season's finale was awesome but this one was even better. Like last season this one ended with Olivia stuck in the alternate dimension. However, the great thing about this one is that nobody knows it yet because the Olivia from the other side has taken her place. I also have to wonder if we have really seen the end of William Bell. I can't wait to see how everything will play out next season. I think they did a really great job with designing the alternate universe. I think it is effective because they differentiated it from our world in very subtle ways. Though there are some pretty hefty differences (The blimps, The Statue of Liberty being a different color, Madison Square Gardens being encased in a giant wormhole) most of the differences are in the small details. I think that makes it more believable for the audience than it would be if the other world were vastly different.

In addition to this season ending well it also had some really great episodes along the way. One of these was the episode "Peter" in which we get to flash back to 1985 and see the story of how Peter ended up on this "side." I also thought it was great how Peter finally figured out the truth about where he came from. Though, I think the best episode was "Brown Betty." It was a really creative episode and I loved how they presented it as Walter telling an old fashion 1940s detective story but still having modern elements mixed in.

All and all, it was a great season and I look forward to watching it again when it returns in the fall.

Just Another Office Episode

Well, The Office has been rather hit or miss this season. It had some really good episodes (like the Jim & Pam wedding) but some that just weren't that funny. Unfortunately, just like last year the season finale was a bit of a disappointment. Like last year it really didn't feel like much of a finale; it was just like a regular episode and not even a very good episode. Now don't get me wrong it wasn't a complete disappointment. There were some funny moments and it looks like there's a chance of Holly coming back next season which should be good. But, next season may be the last chance because Steve Carell's contract is up at the end of the 2010-2011 season and he has stated that he may not be coming back. And let's face it, if he's gone, the show won't make it. So, if the end of the show is coming I hope they make it a good one.

The "V" Season Finale

Well, it's that time of year again. That wonderful yet sad time when season finales air and I say goodbye to my TV shows for at least a few months if not forever. Anyway, last night I watched the finale of the first season of V. Not much I can really think to say except that it was an exciting episode right from the start.

This was one of those season finales that ended with a big cliffhanger. There are a lot of unanswered questions that I will be anxious to have addressed next season. Now that Chad Decker knows the truth about the Vs, what is he going to do about it? Is Anna really going to start the invasion of Earth right away? What will become of Ryan and Valarie's baby? Is Marcus actually part of The Fifth Column? How many people who watch V will go through their lives thinking that the term "The Fifth Column" is an invention of this show? OK, that isn't really a question raised by this episode but in case you are wondering the term originated during the Spanish Civil War. For more information Click Here.

Anyway, this show had a really good first season and, fortunately, I have confirmed that ABC has renewed it for a second season. So, we'll see our alien friends again in the fall. But, until then remember; "We are of peace. Always." NOT!!!

Dan & Jordan Win The Amazing Race 16

Well, another season of The Amazing Race has come to an end and I have to say; I cannot believe that Jet & Cord didn't win! I'm even more surprised that Dan & Jordan actually did win. Let's face it, I don't think anybody would have predicted that. During the last few minutes of the show I sat on the edge of my seat with my heart pounding and hoping that Jet & Cord would pull ahead and manage to win. When I saw Dan & Jordan come through the gates and start running to the finish I began to feel a little bit sick. Now, don't get me wrong; it's not so much that I dislike Dan & Jordan (in spite of their little stunt at the airport). I just really, really wanted the cowboys to win.

I'm also glad that Brent & Caite made it into the final three. Much more glad than Carol & Brandy were. Brandy's little tirade against Caite at the finish line was an embarrassing display of what it means to be a sore loser. She thinks that Caite was stupid to U-turn her and Carol? As Caite pointed out, if she's so stupid, why is she the one standing on the finish mat while Miss Carol who thinks she's so smart is not? Personally, I think that Brent & Caite were absolutely right to U-turn them. If I were in the race and some team was treating me or my teammate with the kind of contempt and rudeness that Carol & Brandy were showing Caite, I would want to get rid of them too.

Anyway, that's a wrap for now. I look forward to September and the premiere of the next season of The Amazing Race.

It's that time of the year again!

Well, yesterday I planted the 2010 crop of pumpkins. I planted a bit late last year and by Halloween I still had a number of green ones so I've planted this years pumpkin patch about 2 and a half weeks earlier. Another big difference this year should prove to really be a "big" difference. This year in addition to planting the regular pumpkins I have planted some "big max" pumpkins. Those are the kind that people grow for the competitions. Now, I'm not anticipating that I will have any 1000 lbs pumpkins. That would require a lot more work than I'm willing or able to put in. But, I am hoping for some that will be at least 50 lbs. I will of course keep you all posted.

10 Months from Today!!

A couple of days ago I found out some wonderful and exciting news. I went to the blog of one of my favorite authors, Patrick Rothfuss and found that FINALLY there is a release date for the second book in "The Kingkiller Chronicle" trilogy. The Wise Man's Fear will be released on March 1, 2011; exactly 10 months from today. Awesome!

The end of 101.9 The End

OK, so a little over a week ago something unexpected and sad happened. As I was driving to work I tuned in to my favorite radio station 101.9 The End to find that it was gone. In it's place was a new radio station playing "Generation X" music. It was an odd experience. As I listened to "Mr. Wendell" by Arrested Development and some song by C&C Music Factory it was strangely nostalgic. I felt like I was back at a middle school dance walking laps around the auditorium thinking that if I just did one more lap I would get up the guts to ask Trisha Reeves to dance with me (just for the record, I never did). Anyway, I was sad to lose my favorite radio station. No more Chunga and Cort in the morning. No more Stupid News, Chunga Poles or "What's Happenin' Hot Stuff." No more listening to Chunga talk in his goofy German accent or his hilarious character of Flight Attendant Roy. I guess I can add this to the list of reasons why I don't like Utah.

So, the big question is: What am I gonna listen to on my drive to work now? Well, I listen to KSL News Radio on my way home but that's not a viable option for the morning. Why you ask? Well, I will tell you. I can't stand listening to Amanda Dickson. Now, please don't misunderstand; I have no doubt that she is a delightful person. In fact, that is part of the problem. She is just too freakin' perky. Seriously, that woman could be talking about a baby being murdered and still sound like she's about to erupt into a fit of giggles. I mean, her voice is so sugary sweet I'm surprised she doesn't get cavities just from talking. She's kinda the opposite of Richard G. Scott who always sounds like he's about to start crying. Now, on the exceedingly unlikely event that Ms. Dickson should read this post I would like to say: I'm sorry. It's not you; it's me. Or better yet: It's not you, it's just your voice. If you are saddened by reading this I will happily bake you a delicious pound cake and add you as a facebook friend.

Anyway, if anybody has any suggestions of a new radio station for me to listen to in the morning I would be happy to hear it. And for those of you who love Amanda Dickson and find her voice wonderfully delightful, please feel free to scold me and call me names.

Hot Springs Arkansas Quarter

So, today is a very special day. Yes, it is Tuesday and that means that LOST is on tonight but that is not what I'm talking about. As many of you may know I took up a new hobby a few years ago. Numismatics! That means coin collecting. So, I am very excited that today the United States Mint is releasing the first of the new 2010 America the Beautiful Quarters. This first quarter is honoring Hot Springs National Park in Arkansas. I have to admit, of the four possible designs for the reverse of the coin they picked the one that I liked the least, but it still looks pretty cool. I got the new coin folder for this series of coins back at Christmas. I suspect by next Christmas, if I'm lucky, I might have two or even three coins in there.

Spooky Ghosts in Miami

So, last night Alisa and I watched a very interesting episode of CSI: Miami. In this episode Calleigh helps to figure out who started a fire that resulted in the death of a 15-year-old boy. Now, that in and of itself is not unusual at all considering that's right in line with what she does every episode. The weird thing was, she did this while she was unconscious in the hospital and her "ghost" was wondering around the crime scene and the lab with the ghost of the dead 15-year-old boy. All I can say is, they must really be desperate for ideas for new episodes because this was a little out there. Probably would have worked a little better if they had done this one around Halloween.

I looked out the window and what did I see?

Popcorn popping on the apricot tree!

Well, it's that time of year again. Our apricot tree is laden with blossoms and the bees are swarming around it. I was out there with Collin a few days ago showing him all the blossoms and trying my best to keep him from ripping them off the tree. We are very much hoping that he will be a big fan of apricots because, as usual, we should have tons of them.

Now, whenever Collin sees the tree he tries to say popcorn because we have started singing that song more often. At least he will grow up understanding it. When I was a wee little lad I had no apricot tree in my yard so I really never understood the association between an apricot tree and popcorn. There was even a time when I was really little that I actually thought that the blossoms on an apricot tree literally exploded off the tree. Of course, as any little boy would, I thought that would be pretty cool to see.

Wow

It's amazing. You get a job and all of a sudden you find you don't have time to do blog posts nearly as much. Oh well, I guess there are worse problems to have.

The Great Merlin Conundrum

So, many of you will remember a few months ago I wrote a glowing post about the British show Merlin that aired on NBC over the summer. Ever since the first season finale aired there has been uncertainty regarding whether or not the show's second season would make the journey across the pond to us in America or not. NBC was less than happy with the ratings but many of us who became fans were hoping that it would come back. Well, a little while back the fate of this show was revealed. The good news is that the second season of Merlin (which has already aired in the UK) will indeed be returning to American TV beginning April 2nd. The bad news is, it will be airing on The SyFy Channel; not on NBC. That is a problem for me because no matter how much I adjust the antenna up on my roof, it will never pick up The SyFy channel. Now, I am not one to concede defeat easily. I have no intention whatsoever of not seeing the second season (or third for that matter) of this magnificent show. I have thought long and hard and I have determined that I have several options:

1. I can spend a ludicrous amount of money and get cable or satellite.
2. I can wait for several months until the show comes out on DVD and either buy it or try to check it out at the library.
3. I can try to find someone who gets The SyFy Channel and by employing my considerable charm and mad baking skills convince them to record the episodes for me.
4. I can look into buying the episodes on iTunes as they become available.

Of course, there may be other possible solutions to this sticky problem but, those are all the ones I can think of at the moment. If anyone has any bright ideas I will be happy to hear them.

Farewell to the Dollhouse

Well, it's over. Back on Friday the series finale of Dollhouse aired on FOX. I really enjoyed the episode though I think it would have been much better if it had aired after several more seasons. It always kinda sucks when a show you really like gets cancelled before it's has a chance to really get going. Fortunately for this show however, creator Josh Whedon knew going into this second season that the show would likely be canceled so he had a chance to try to put together a good ending and wrap up the various storylines. But, it still leaves me feeling like if it had been able to run longer it would have had a chance to be a lot better. It's a bit like if J.K. Rowling upon publishing Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone had been told by her publisher that they would only allow her to write one more book. She likely would have been able to find a way to bring the story to some kind of conclusion but, anybody who knew that she had a plan for seven novels would know that they had missed out on some pretty good stuff.
So, as much as I liked this show I have to ask myself why it was that it ultimately didn't make it. Here are some of my ideas:

• It came from the mind of Josh Whedon. Now that is not meant as an insult to the show's mastermind but the fact of the matter is, Josh Whedon tends to make some really quirky shows that often don't have mass appeal.
• Eliza Dushku is kind of a twit. Sorry, she's a decent actress (as she clearly showed in the finale) but when it comes down to it she probably just wasn't the right person for this role. She simply doesn't play the "butt-kick chick" part of her role very convincingly. It also didn't help that she's the star of the show and she seemed to be upstaged by Fran Kranz, Enver Gjokaj and most every other member of the cast.

So, whatever the reasons may be, it's over and I for one am sad to see it go. I shall however, take comfort in the fact that at least LOST returns this week.

Work Update

Well, I know that all of you have been simply dying for an update. I have been at my new job for a little over two weeks and things are going very well. I am steadily learning my duties and though I still have a ways to go I feel really good about what has happened so far.

Alisa's last day of work is February 3rd and she is so excited to be able to stay home with Collin.

THE NIGHTMARE HAS ENDED!

I GOT A JOB!!!!

At 10:30am on Thursday December 31, 2009 I had the chance to interview with a Freight Forwarder in the area called Air & Sea International/Freightlink. About a half-hour after I got home they called me up and offered me a position in their Operations Department. Alisa and I took the weekend to talk it over and come to a decision. This morning I called them up and accepted the job.

I have been out of work for about 14 and a half months. Alisa and I are very grateful to everyone out there that has helped us and prayed for us throughout this difficult time. In particular I want to thank the McAllisters who have watched Collin during most of the job interviews I have had over the past months.

I officially start on January 12th. I am really looking forward to getting back out into the workforce. Thank you all again for everything you have done for our family.

Owing to the fact that this is such an exciting occasion I have decided that I need to celebrate. And what better way to celebrate than with a 21 gun salute?! Well, I'll tell you. A better way to celebrate would be to 1 up a 21 gun salute and do a 22 gun salute. But you know, this is so monumental that I need to 1 up the 1 up and make a 23 gun salute. I could 1 up the 1 uped 1 up and go for 24 but that would be just getting carried away. So, I give you the 23 gun salute brought to you by some of my favorite TV shows.