TRC Goes to School

The big day has come and gone. TRC is now officially a Kindergartener. I'm proud and happy (and relieved) to say that he had a fantastic time. DKC and I waited with him for the bus this morning, along with DC. He was practically bouncing off everything in sight, he was so excited. The bus finally came, and then I think it hit him that this was the Real Deal. He hesitated a bit before he got on the bus, but on he went, and that was that. DC saw him go on the bus and drive away, and she about started crying, poor thing. And for all of you wondering--no, I didn't cry. :-)

The whole day, I've been wondering how his first day was going. Too bad they can't have kids Twittering from school. :-) I went home early so I could be there waiting to see him when he got off the bus. DKC and I were both pretty sure that he would have had a great time, but you never can tell. Thankfully, he had a great time. He was full of stories of share time, recess, lunch, choice time--you name it. A very positive experience. Here's his report:

"This is a very special day. It was my first day ever of school. Kindergarten with Mrs. K. I loved it. And Mom is going to help out on field days at Kindergarten! First we got on the school bus. Well, just me. I got on the school bus. And then I went for a few pick ups of kids and then I got to go to school, and I had choice time. I also had meeting time, and I had two choice times, and we practiced lunch, and we practiced recess, and then we did real recess, and we did lunch, and then we had a meeting at the meeting time. And then I think that's all I want to tell you."

There you have it. A blue ribbon day.

The Princess Bride and Various Other Sundries

We watched The Princess Bride last night with TRC. We'd tried a while ago, but he was still too young at the time (the shrieking eels freaked him out). Last night, I'm happy to report it was a resounding success. For the record, his favorite character was Fezzik, favorite part was when Fezzik conks the albino over the head, and favorite line was "Anybody want a peanut?" He's been saying that non-stop since we watched it, giggling each time. Very funny. Next stop: Lord of the Rings. (I'm just kidding!)

Secondly, my laptop died last night. The light on the LCD screen has gone the way of all lights, burning itself out into a worthless piece of garbage. Sigh. In good news, the rest of the computer still works fine, so I'm thinking about hooking it up permanently to my television set, and using it for Netflix streaming. If I just buy a wireless keyboard and mouse, I should be sitting pretty. Heck--then I could surf the web and do all sorts of cool computery stuff, all at 42" of bliss. Maybe this is a good thing . . . Anyone out there ever try something like that before?

Thirdly, I'm off my diet. 190 pounds exactly. That's 16% of my starting weight lost, which is nifty. The next step is to go into maintenance mode--I'll still be counting calories, it's just that I can give myself a larger food budget. Once I know how much I can usually eat, then I'll slowly stop counting and just go by feel--still watching my weight all the while, of course. Blech.

And finally, I have here a tech support flowchart (from xkcd) for all of you technically challenged peoples out there. Please consult this before calling your buddy to ask for help. It'll save you some embarrassment in the long run, trust me. :-)



Happy Friday, all!

The Epitome of Industry

I've been really effective so far today. Of course, it helps that I did everything I'm doing today yesterday, then managed to screw it up at the last minute yesterday, ruining everything I'd done. Today, all I have to do is do it all over again, minus the screw up.

So far, so good.

The beginning of the semester is a pretty hectic time for me at work--lots of computers to get ready for the year, new computers to install, classes to prep for, faculty to contact, faculty to meet . . . At times right now I'm sort of feeling like my head is going to explode. It won't.

I think.

Tonight is movie night at home--TRC has been complaining that all we've been watching are grown up movies, and he wants a kid movie. I have no idea what he'll choose . . .

And in DC news, she went to the doctor--95 percentile in height and weight. She's already almost 30 pounds, and she's just 18 months old. The girl's a machine.

I was Going to Post Something Good

But then I had a lousy day. Too much to do, folks--move along. Nothing to see here.

Still here?

Well, fine. I'll give you something. Two cool chain mail armor links. Because they're cool.

The Ring Lord--a supply store for rings, tools, kits and more.

Chain Mail Basket--a site that gives examples of all sorts of cool things you can do with chain mail.

(Yes, I used to make chain mail--and looking these sites over, I'm seriously tempted to take it up again . . .)

On the School Bus

Last night was TRC's Kindergarten open house, a chance for parents to bring their new Kindergarteners to the school and let them check out their class, meet their teachers, look at the school--the whole shebang. TRC was extremely excited. The highlight of the evening for him was getting to go on a REAL SCHOOL BUS. He just couldn't believe he was finally able to do something quite that awesome. It was fun watching him run up and down the aisle, pick different seats, talk to his friends about how excited they are.*

Of course, being back on a school bus brought back memories of my own. Crazy how even the smell (is it fake leather?) can take you back twenty years. The other parents on the bus started commiserating about where they had sat. (I was a middle of the bus guy--not far enough back to anger the cool kids but not far enough forward to have too many people think I was a dweeb. Not that that worked--people still thought I was a dweeb. But it didn't stop me trying to avoid that label.

Which leads me to my next thought--my fear for TRC as he embarks on his school adventure. I look back on the whole experience as a very positive one, but I also know that, well . . . kids can be really mean. I worry that some brat might be mean to my son, and that there's nothing I can do to shield him from that. I worry that my son might be a brat to someone else--and while I can do my best to teach him not to do that, I still won't be there to see if the training sticks. TRC is a great kid. He's full of energy, confidence and curiosity. I think he'll do great in school, but that still doesn't stop me from worrying.

Anyway--Monday's the big day. Wish him (and me) luck!

*On a side note, I think this whole open house idea would be really cool for adults, too. What would it be like if adults could show the kind of emotion 5 year olds can put out? You're hired on as a new employee, and you get to go a week early and have the place to yourself for an hour. Run through the halls. Sit in your chair and spin around a bunch. Pretend to type at your computer. When does that enthusiasm stop, exactly?

Why You Didn't Get Pictures Last Week

You didn't get them because I couldn't upload them from my iPhone. BUT, if you're my friend on Facebook, you could see them quite easily. Ah, the perks of being my friend on Facebook. Doesn't it make you want to open a FB account right now? :-)

In other news, my Sunday was gobbled up yesterday by a trip to Bangor for a church meeting. I'm all for church meetings, and I know they're necessary and all that. But having to drive 1.5 hours one way for a church meeting? I can't say I would mind having them a tad bit closer, you know?

Anyway--all the computers in my library seem to have Gremlins in them today. I've got to go subdue them again. Enjoy your Monday.

Chatting w/TRC

DKC just forwarded me a chat session TRC had with my sister, Gretel. I'm including it below, because I got such a kick out of it. He did the typing all on his own. Not too shabby for a 5 year old. :-)

me: Hi Gretel
do you have a minute?
TRC would like to chat with you a bit.
Gretel: sure!
Hi, TRC!
me: hi gredl
Gretel: How are you?
me: <3
Gretel: :)
me: fin
Gretel: good!
me: and u
Gretel: I am great!
I love Fridays. :)
me: <3 <3
Gretel: What are you doing this weekend - anything fun?
me: iluv u
Gretel: I love you too!!!
me: yus wer plag basbaii
Gretel: wow! sounds fun!
me: say r u doog sutg fun
Gretel: I don't know yet...I hope so!
we might make a pizza
me: grat
Gretel: I heard you were sick the other day
I hope you are feeling better!
me: say haw is wil doog
Gretel: he is doing well. he starts school next week
me: he gostscool stil
Gretel: yes! he is almost done, though.
you are good at typing, TRC!
me: thacu
Gretel: you're welcome
me: i hafto go et lunch
Gretel: okay! thanks for chatting with me!
me: bi an iluv u
Gretel: bye! I love you too!!

Better Late Than . . .

Sorry for the lack of a post today--I was too busy swimming in the ocean. How about I make it up to you? Tomorrow--pictures!

Movie Review: District 9

Let me start this review out with a bit of history (because that's the best way to start any review out, right?) Way back when, I read this book called Battlefield Earth. I thought it was awesome. It took a sci-fi trope and then cubed it. Halfway through, just when you think "Well, they've pretty much solved everything there is to solve," the scope of the book just broadens, and you see all sorts of additional implications to what's been happening. But the part I liked most about the book was that it was logical. Humans way in the future fight back against an alien race, and they have to do it with whatever they have available. They come across a cache of "old" weapons (jet fighters, machine guns, etc.) But they can't use them, because they don't know how, and the materials have degraded. No standard Hollywood tricks were used to get around problems (which is why I had such a big issue with the movie, where every Hollywood trick was used--and some were invented--to cheapen the story.)

Anyway.

Fast forward a while into the future. A few years ago, Peter Jackson made big news by saying he was going to produce an adaptation of the video game Halo. And bigger news by saying he'd picked an unknown to direct it: Neill Blomkamp. Then the deal soured, and it all fell apart. Jackson, being the King of Awesome that he is, went back to Blomkamp and basically said, "Here's $30 million. Make a good movie." And so Blomkamp did.

District 9 makes sense. It's a fantastic movie, but it's one that I don't want to really give much away of. You need to see it with fresh eyes. But I don't think it's spoiling anything to say that it's superbly plotted. There are no Hollywood tricks to solve problems. The bad guys aren't stupid, and the good guys are geniuses. They're all just people, and they do what people do: surprise you. I had no idea what was going to happen next at any point in the film. I completely loved it. Strong four stars.

However, I also feel the need to strongly caution people before they watch it. This is a brutal film. It's not just violent--it's hyper violent. And bloody. And very uncomfortable in many many parts. If you can't stomach blood and guts, then you don't want to see this film. Which is too bad, because it's by far the best film I've seen this year. It's the sort of movie that makes you proud of the Sci-Fi genre. So see it--but don't say I didn't warn you.

What Do Viruses and Butter Have in Common?

Not that viruses go particularly well with butter, but they're both being homegrown at my house now. Yesterday DKC took the kids blueberry picking at the local farm. On the way home, DC was pretty out of it. We were worried she had heat exhaustion, and she wasn't really with it all yesterday evening and last night. (Woke up three or four times.) She seems to be doing better, but TRC (not to be outdone) just projectile vomited all over our living room. We're talking Exorcist proportions here. Thankfully, no one was in the path, and it missed our carpet. He's now lying down and recuperating--it was his first real vomit experience, and it kind of shook him up a bit. (Direct quote: "I didn't know I could do that, Dad." Some firsts are better than others.) Meanwhile, I'm feeling a tad off--hoping I don't get the bug, too. We'll see . . .

Butter, on the other hand, is another story. DKC is now getting our milk at a local farm, and we've got cream coming out . . . never mind. (I don't think I'll finish that sentence so soon after the vomit story.) Suffice it to say that we have a lot of cream--and now we have some of our own butter. (And buttermilk) We made it in our Kitchenaid, but there's got to be a better way--that was an awful lot of churning for the butter we ended up with. Once I'm off the diet, we'll move on to homemade ice cream. :-)

Anyway, I should go check on TRC again. I'll leave you with a parting movie review: DKC and I watched What a Way to Go last night: a comedy starring Shirley MacLaine, Dick Van Dyke, Gene Kelly, Robert Mitchum, Dean Martin and Paul Newman. It centers around a millionaire woman who tells how she amassed her fortune by marrying a series of men. It was on the silly side, but it also had some genuine laughs. I'd give it two and a half stars.

In Which My House Tries to Burn Down

I had an eventful weekend. It started last Friday, when the family and I went canoeing for the first time. 6 miles or so down a lazy river, with a few little spots of small rapids thrown in for a tad of interest. Swimming in the middle to rest. A fun time was certainly had by all.

Saturday was hot. Very. I don't like heat, if you know me at all. DKC went down to the Boston Temple for the day, so it was me at home with the kidlets, trying not to melt. TRC played a lot of Leapster, and DC learned how to say "Dragon" (she's getting much better at trying to imitate sounds these days--hooray!) When DKC got home, we watched My Man Godfrey, a movie I really enjoyed, but which lacked a bit for me when it came to the total package. Three stars.

Sunday, I decided to stop complaining about the heat and do something about it. I obtained a used air conditioner and put it in. Worked like a charm.

Until the smoke started wafting in from another room.

This had happened over the winter with our electric heater, but this time I wanted to find out what the problem was. So I started looking. I found a bat in our barn, and evidence of more mice there (or something larger . . . ) Disturbing, but not a cause for smoke. I found evidence of a lot of water in the basement. Again--disturbing, but no reason for smoke. For the life of me, I couldn't find the problem. Finally, I was on the phone, just sitting in the room with the smoke and the lights off (with the window open--trying to air out the room), when I saw it: a spark coming from an outlet. I turned down the AC in the other room, then went back. Another spark. I turned OFF the AC. This time, a giant yellow crackling spark shot out.

I turned off that entire breaker. (Which meant my TV, Satellite, sound system, AC, internet, DVD--pretty much anything electronic went out, too.) Turns out the outlet had some issues and was doing its best to melt whenever a serious load of current was on that breaker. I called in the help of a friend, and he showed up this morning and we've fixed the problem. (We think--he's going to show the faulty breaker to an electrician and double check some things.)

In any case, it was certainly more than enough excitement for an evening. I'm just glad I've finally solved The Case of the Unexplained Smoke, and done so in a manner that didn't involve actual flames.

That's all I have for you for now--enjoy your Monday, and stay cool.

In Which I Spare You from a Long and Extended Whine

[Insert long and extended whine here]

(See how nice I am? I could have subjected you to paragraphs of me venting--but I'm just going to wish the world a happy weekend and hope that I get one in return. See you all Monday.)

Review: Winter's Heart

Winter's Heart by Robert Jordan

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Wow. What a difference a book makes. The series went from its low point last book to a fantastic book this outing. (Someone explain to me why they decided to have Perrin walking through snow on the cover. Yes, it's called Winter's Heart, and snow is a wintry thing, but still--why no Shadar Logoth on the horizon with Rand and Nynaeve being assaulted by all the Forsaken and protected by Asha'man and Aes Sedai? Seriously. Would have been a great cover . . .)

In any case, I almost gave this book a five star. (Elayne's sections managed to bring it down for me. That conflict and Perrin chasing Faile both feel extremely contrived to me, and it frustrates me when I have to read them.) The book was very well paced, had tons of great action scenes, the plot advanced by leaps and bounds--seriously a great Wheel of Time entry. Yes, it was a bit spotty, with huge chunks of one plot line at a time, but I was okay with that. Each one stopped at a reasonable time, and each one (with the exceptions noted above) kept things interesting.

It also helped that Rand didn't seem quite so Froot Loopy this time around--he had a plan, he stuck with it. Sure, he did some stupid things, but he's trying not to go crazy--I'll cut him some slack. Mat's sections were fantastic. Love the reveal of the Daughter of the Nine Moons.

All in all, a great read. Makes me really look forward to book 12 coming at the end of October . . .

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Writing Update

I realized I haven't given a good update on where I am writing wise in a while. Not too terribly much has changed, I'm afraid. I have yet to hear back on the screenplay for Ichabod, or on the copy of Pawn of the Dead that's been at the agent's for a while. (Four months and change waiting so far on Ichabod, six and change on Pawn--but I'm a patient fellow.) In the meantime, I had been flitting from project to project, not really staying with any one long enough to make real headway--just wasn't feeling it. I'm happy to say that I've now settled on my next book--it's going to be another Middle Grade--my first return to that age group since Buttersby. It's a contemporary fantasy that is set around holidays that are going awry. I've been plotting now for quite some time, but it's starting to all come together well, and I don't think it'll be too terribly long before I'm writing again. That will be a happy day--I like to feel productive.

In any case--the short answer is that I'm still working on writing, but it's taken me a while to get the next book in gear. Hopefully it writes more smoothly once I'm going at last.

Exercise Does Not Equal Weight Loss

For today's interesting article, there's a fascinating report in Time about how exercise often results in weight gain, not weight loss. I'll say that as I read it over, I found a lot of stuff in there that matches my own most recent weight loss experience (32.2 pounds as of this morning, by the way). I said right from the beginning that I didn't want to exercise to lose it--primarily because I was looking for a lifestyle change--one that I could actually stick with. I've never been able to consistently exercise. But I thought I might be able to alter my diet. Once I started tracking exactly what I ate (right down to weighing most of my food these days--that kitchen scale has been probably the best investment in weight loss that I've ever made), I was surprised at just where my calories are coming from. Anyway--just thought it was interesting.

And on another note, TRC just passed the Level One swim test this morning. He's officially on to Level Two, and he's very proud of himself. If you see him, congratulate him--he'd love to brag to anyone who will listen. :-)

The Pew Report on Mormons

(Not to be confused with the pew pew pew report on Mormons)

Came across this report over the weekend that studies the current state of Mormonism today--what Mormons believe, how active they are in practicing their religion, what their political beliefs look like, how much education they have, what their racial characteristics are, etc. A fascinating report--whatever your views on Mormons might be. My religion's been getting a lot of press lately--much of it bad. I thought it was interesting to see what the statistics looked like as far as what Mormons are reporting on national surveys.

For those of you who think you don't want to read it, you really do. At least if you're a statistics junkie like myself. Even DKC thought it was interesting. 61% of Mormons have some college education? 90% are absolutely certain God exists? 76% attend church once per week? Where else are you going to find out this kind of stuff?

Movie Review: GI Joe (or, All We Need is VENGIL)

Just got back from the movie, and I thought I'd get my review out there sooner rather than later--especially since they didn't allow the movie to screen for many critics, so there might be a good chance some of you out there are debating whether or not to go see GI Joe this weekend. Allow me to answer your question.

Go Joe!

(Sorry, couldn't resist.)

Look--it should come as a huge surprise to any of you that this movie is not high brow cinema. It's based on a line of toy aimed at 10 year old boys. But as far as movies go that are aimed at making me feel like a 10 year old boy again, this one was pretty near perfect. It's got anything and everything you could ask for: violence, explosions, ninjas, and girls in leather. I mean, just about anything is better with violence, explosions, ninjas, and girls in leather (VENGIL from now on), right? I mean, think about it. Take Fried Green Tomatoes, and add a good dose of VENGIL. Voila! A movie any American boy would love. The Notebook? Just add VENGIL, and watch the magic happen. Beaches is dying for some VENGIL. So is pretty much any movie with Hugh Grant.

(Please note: I think this goes without saying, but if you don't like VENGIL, you won't like this movie.)

GI Joe is over the top. There are explosions around every corner. The laws of physics do not apply to this movie. Neither do plots that can't be solved with gratuitous VENGIL. How was the acting? Well, Marlon Wayans wasn't entirely annoying 100% of the time. It made me feel like I was watching a cartoon. So--mission accomplished.

I think I might go see it again. :-)

Dear Mr. Michael Bay: please take notes for how to do an 80s cartoon adaptation. This movie blew Transformers out of the water. Stephen Sommers (the guy who actually made a watchable Huck Finn movie--I'm speaking as an expert here, folks)--I salute you! Three and a half stars. If you had put in the theme song, I would have given you four.

John Hughes

I've been reading a lot about John Hughes since he died yesterday. I've seen so many of his movies. Which ones? The ones he directed: Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club, Weird Science, Ferris Bueller, Planes Trains and Automobiles, and Uncle Buck. The ones he wrote: Mr. Mom, National Lampoon's Vacation, European Vacation, Christmas Vacation, The Great Outdoors, Home Alone, Beethoven, Home Alone 2, 101 Dalmations (the live action one), and Baby's Day Out. Admittedly, there were some weaker films at the end of his career, but when you're talking about successful, fun 80s cinema, I don't think you can not mention his name. He's classic. I've seen some of those films over five times each.

Movies don't have to be just about Cinema. They're also about having a good time--enjoying yourself--and I almost always enjoyed myself in a John Hughes movie. When it comes right down to it, can you ask for anything more?

So long, Mr. Hughes. You shall be missed.

Because People Seem to Care

I keep getting asked how World of Warcraft is treating me. Turns out people actually read my blog or check it out through Facebook--who knew? :-) And since the question keeps popping up, I thought I'd let you all breathe a little easier by telling you all at once. Azeroth is fine. I have yet to play more than an hour at a stretch, and I find it very relaxing. There's something to be said for the stress relief one gets when one is vicariously slaughtering Murlocs. I don't like fish. Murlocs are pretty much walking fish. It's a win/win situation. (Except for the Murlocs.)

But lest you think that WoW is all I've been doing, allow me to say that TRC and I have been playing baseball, and the prognosis looks pretty good for him. I played little league all of one year, as I recall. I was stuck out in right field, and I did very little. Me and coordination don't get along too well. TRC, on the other hand, loves doing anything outside. We picked up a baseball set at Marden's for $11, and he's having a great time batting, throwing, catching--and especially running. I'm impressed that he can actually hit the ball and catch the ball, but then again, maybe I'm just comparing his skill level with where I was at his age.

And finally, DKC and I have been watched the Dick Van Dyke show, of all things. You know what? I really like it. There's quite a big disconnect in some of the plot lines (like the one where Dick got all ticked off that his wife was being too controlling, even though by today's standards she was really just trying to stick up for herself and their son), but the humor's squeaky clean and it's a nice way to enjoy 25 minutes of your life. Thanks, Netflix!

Down with Mosquitoes! (and a Tron movie review)

I'm fed up with mosquitoes. All of them. Even the male ones, who I guess don't bite. Too bad for them. I've never been much of a summer person, mainly for two reasons: it's too hot, and I don't like mosquitoes. (Or other biting, itchy bugs, for that matter.) Take away those two things, and I'd be a much happier boy in July and August. Why is it that we can put a man on the moon, but we can't eradicate mosquitoes from the face of the earth? Kill 'em all.

Can you tell that I have a bug bite on my leg? Three of them, actually. And I'm sick of itching them.

Anyway--I watched Tron last night with TRC and DKC, and I have to sadly report that it didn't live up to the memory I had of it from my youth. The plot is just a bit too wacky, in the end. DKC had to keep asking me, "Am I supposed to understand what's going on?" TRC had no clue, but he liked the video game stuff, so it was all good by him. In the end, I'd have to give it two stars. Definitely groundbreaking in some areas--computer animation, for one, and intimations on MMORPGs in a sort of roundabout way--but the characters were wooden (even the non-computer ones), the conflict was obtuse, and the pacing was way too slow. That said, I'm still really excited for the sequel.

Book Review: Path of Daggers

The Path of Daggers by Robert Jordan

My rating: 2 of 5 stars
Wow. Definitely the low point of the series for me so far. I suggest a retitling of the book: The Path of Not Really Much Important Happens. Really. What do you have of significance? True, Elayne and the gang fix the weather, but that happens right at the beginning of the book (and I would argue should have happened at the end of Book 7, really). Then you have her traipse off and start the interminable "I want to win Andor on my own" campaign. Perrin goes and does a whole lot of not much with the Prophet, and then Faile gets captured--an interesting development, but one that's just tacked on as an afterthought, to be explored later. Rand goes and does crazy stuff with the One Power and the Seanchan, and then he manages to not get killed by some rogue Asha'man. And Mat? The guy who might have died at the end of Book 7? We don't get more the hints at his continued existence. What does this translate into?

Filler.

Almost a whole book of filler. There were swathes of pages where I skimmed. Entire chunks of chapters where all that happened was a character stood there thinking. And thinking. And thinking. I love these characters, too--but I don't love anyone enough to just listen to their thoughts on life for pages on end.

My complaints about the Forsaken taking a backseat in the last book pale to their almost entire absence in this one. And . . . I don't feel like complaining anymore. Two stars out of five. That sums it up for me. It's got to get better from here on out. Right?

I've got a bad feeling about this . . .

View all my reviews >>

Book Review: A Crown of Swords

A Crown of Swords by Robert Jordan

My rating: 3 of 5 stars
This book was a noticeable dip in the series for me. I think the biggest problem I had with it was that the conflicts of the series seemed to drastically change with this book. For one thing, the Forsaken take a dramatic turn for the worse, going into hiding much more. Yes, Sammael is still there, and you've got some machinations by Moghedien and others, but there just wasn't a big enough oomph for my tastes. Even the climax of the book fell short for me. It suffered from a case of the "not as good as . . ." blues. The battle scene wasn't as good as Dumai's Wells. The duel with the power wasn't as good as many others. The bad guy wasn't even 100% for sure killed.

This was a book where it seemed to me like Jordan started to get too focused on his characters. The conflicts are no longer as "the fate of the world lies in the balance." They're more "Rand is going crazy. Or is he?" or "Watch in wonder as Elayne tries to manipulate other Aes Sedai." I don't know--I wasn't loving it here. There were still pieces of goodness here and there, but way too much description and machinations to slog through to get to them.

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Review: Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day

I don't know if I'm the only one out there who didn't really have this movie come up on my radar (admittedly, it's not the sort of movie I really seek out information on), but if you haven't heard of it either, allow me to introduce you to Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day. I'm a bit at a loss for how to describe it, except as excellent. It's part romantic comedy, part period piece, part screwball comedy, part . . . something else. The basic premise is simple: a woman (Frances McDormand) in depression-era London finds herself at the end of her rope. Completely out of luck, she pretends to be someone else in order to land a job she doesn't really understand. She thinks she's going to be a nanny, but she ends up being a social secretary. Whatever that is. Her employer (Amy Adams) is a flighty aspiring American actress. Entertainment ensues.

The movie took a bit long for me to get going, but once it did, I was completely enthralled. The acting was fantastic--particularly by McDormand. The directing made the film feel like it really had been produced in the thirties. It managed to be sweet without being saccharine. Funny and goofy without being ridiculous. Really, I can't recommend it heartily enough. Three and a half stars--and I even debated ramping it all the way to four. PG13 for some partial nudity and innuendo. Rent it today.

Anyone else out there seen it already? I'd love to hear your take.