Transformers: More than Meets the Eye

Last night Jen and I went out to see the new Transformers movie in Merritt Island with some friends. It was GREAT! MUCH better than I imagined.

There are a LOT of differences between the 2007 live-action movie and the 1980's cartoon and animated movie. LOTS. One glaring difference is that humble sidekick "Bumblebee" is a Camaro instead of a VW Beetle. I understand marketing, I really do. And I will admit that he did look HOT as a 2007 Camaro.

Despite the altered storyline and visual changes, the basic themes and characters were kept intact. The cheezy Good vs. Evil banter was still present between Optimus Prime and Megatron. And, yes, Optimus had the same commanding yet gentile voice we remember from our childhoods (best decision EVER).

If you are looking for a deep, thoughtful movie please go elsewhere. If you have tunnel vision and can not see past the original Generation One Transformers TV show and movie, you will not like what you see. However, if you want a good movie with amazing special effects that reimagines a piece of your childhood then this is the movie for you. "Autobots, transform and roll out!"

PS- the new theme song is pretty cool too!

When BEARS Attack

We had a nice visit at Robert and Chale's new house last week! They moved to Deland, FL, over a year ago, and Jen and I finally went up to see them after she got home from Alabama. They took us to a cute restaurant in downtown Deland and then we got Baskin Robins ice cream! We went back and saw the final cut of the wedding video (I was the videographer!) and looked at their fancy-pants Disney Weddings album.

Before we left, Chale had me stand in the yard and make my turkey sound. This is one of my animal tricks, similar to how I talk to chickens. She wanted to have this as her phone ringer. then Robert got the same idea and I was gobbling away! Unfortunately, they had me gobble so much that bears came after us!!

No kidding.

We hear a rustling sound and Robert says "it's a bear." We are all inside so fast it was ridiculous. Robert got his big MagLite flashlight and went back out to see if it was safe to approach the cars. What he found was more bears!! There were several cubs climbing a tree in the yard across the street. After they ran off, Robert was able to count 5 bears roaming the neighborhood. I had no idea Deland was so far out in the country!!

We managed to say our goodbyes and get to the car without being eaten. It was exciting and memorable to visit Robert and Chale's new house! Look here for a few more pics.

Tales from Miami

After spilling both my chicken nuggets (not so bad) and huge Coke Zero (very bad) all over myself in the car , I thought Flight Attendant annual training was going to be horrible.

Then I picked up Loretta (I found her on the third loop through the airport!) and brought her back to the hotel. Where she did not have a reservation.

Sounds bad, right?

Well, while we got her checked in to a non-reserved room I wandered over to the coffee station to get a drink that was hot, sweet, and didn't have caffeine. Alas, only regular tea bags! (the Courtyard Marriott in Ft. Lauderdale has great decaf fruit tea.) Instead I stumbled upon a new and CHEAP late-night beverage. To make it, add the following:

• lemons
• hot water
• Splenda

It makes a GREAT cup of... something delicious! Mmmmmm...... What a way to end the day!

Tim's trip to LA

Hello from Alabama! (I'll let that sink in. It took me a minute too.)

On Sunday night I got a call asking if I was going to the Space Florida meeting in Tallahassee on Monday. When I was considering the 4-5 hour drive across the state, I realized I'd be close to Jen! After a few minutes of frantic calling I got Teresa to watch the cats, Jen to agree to come get me, and Eddie was set to come pick me up instead of meeting me part way. Then I stayed up all night to pack! Not hard as we already planned to meet at 4am so we could be in Tallahassee by 9am. In less time that most people take to sleep, I'd completely changed my plans for the week, packed, and was off to another state!

After the state space meetings and a delicious lunch in beautiful downtown Tallahassee, I got to go to the Capital with some colleagues to check in on local legislators. They weren't there, but it was a neat thing to do. I hung out at the Challenger Center until Jen got done with her class and drove 2 hours to get me. While I waited I got a great tour of the facility and got to sit in on a fantastic IMAX movie about the oceans. If you are in the area, check out the Challenger Center!

I'll spare you the details of driving to Ft. Rucker--mostly because there are no details to give! There's not a lot out there in Lower Alabama. But Jen is there, and now, so am I.