Date Night

No, not ours, the movie.

I had hopes for this one. Dan in Real Life, also starring Steve Carrell, is one of my favorites and not just for the scenery (Pt. Judith Lighthouse, a beloved backdrop to my childhood, makes a cameo). The story is sweet, the characters are quirky and lovable. A real feel-good movie about love, set in the context of family.

Date Night? Not so much.

The basic premise had potential. A marriage not quite in trouble, but maybe headed there because the exhaustion of raising two (obnoxious) kids and both husband and wife working leaves them no time or energy for each other. So they go on an impromptu fancy date night to try to rekindle that romance and things go a bit haywire as they're mistaken for another couple who didn't show up for their restaurant reservation (our heroes took it in their name).

However, the execution was execrable. It was crass, crude, and coarse. And it really wasn't funny at all. I didn't really care about the characters, which were flat and unbelievable. The situation and the resolution were just absurd. If you haven't seen it, don't waste your time.

One more thing that was distasteful. The closing credits ran over outtakes from the film. I usually love these - they can be funnier than the film. But this time, I lost all respect for the actors involved, the sewage coming from their mouths was so over the top.

I'm glad we didn't see it in the theater, but we should have checked some online film review sites before renting it. Maybe we'll learn our lesson!

SDG!

Progress Report

So, since I've posted last, life here has been busy.

1) School is going great guns! For more details, check my school blog. I'll be posting soon about French and a new (to me!) organizational approach that has been working very well.

2) Work on the second semester of Christendom is progressing.

3) Still getting the house together, but it's been going well.

4) Cooking German food for the first time to prepare to celebrate Reformation Day on Sunday.

So, where should I start? Hmmm …

The house!

Our King's Meadow discussion group meets here three times each month. Usually, we start the year out with the house looking pretty good, and then it gradually goes downhill all year. What's a little more clutter among friends?

This year, I decided that I'd rather work in the opposite direction. So, we did our best to get the house presentable for the first meeting in October, and my goal is that each time we meet, the house is a little more put together, even if it's not something obvious—like straightened and reorganized cupboards. So far, the kitchen has stayed clean and the peninusla has been cleared of all the clutter that's been sitting there for who knows how long. The sideboard/hutch is fairly straightened out. I've been slowly working on clearing off the kitchen desk. Things will look a little out of place tomorrow, but that's because paint is drying on the wall below the peninsula (after years of being half-finished). And grout is drying on the facia tiles that had popped off the island in the kitchen.

Even if I only work for about ten minutes each day, I'm headed in the right direction. Line upon line, again!

I'll post about those other things as I have time.