Rocky Mountain….hi?
Saturday, June 16, 2007
You know how in life you are sometimes given the opportunity to do something you’ve never done? I don’t mean like when you’re a kid and you finally ride a bicycle or summon up the courage to go down the BIG slide like the older kids – I mean the “I can check that off my list of life’s Things To Do” moments that we hope for.
Well, for me one of those little unchecked boxes said “ride in a helicopter”. While I’ve spent more time airborne than much of this particular planet’s habitants (although a tiny smidge of time compared to some…and you guys know who you are) I basically done it all on commercial airliner this and Boeing / McDonnel-Douglas / Airbus that. Still pretty neat, but all fixed-wing. So, in her usual considerate and does-she-always-listen way, Mabel knew that I had never been in a helicopter and was clever enough to notice the Vertical Challenge Air Show being held (coincidentally?) on Father’s Day weekend at the San Carlos airport. We spent a great day with Nicky at the Hiller Aviation Museum, watched cool helicopter demonstrations and lucky me, I got to take a quick flight in a Robinson R-22 4-passenger helicopter.
So lemme say this – you know how sometimes you are simultaneously thrilled and scared utterly sh*tless? That kinds covers the ride. The power and smoothness of the chopper surprised me – but when the pilot says the words “who wants to go on a roller coaster?” the correct answer (which, for the record I provided through clenched teeth in a frequency only canines can hear) is “NO!”. He reduced (or for all I stinkin’ know removed) the collective and that damn thing fell like a stone. Maybe it was 50 feet…maybe it was 50 inches – how the hell do I know. All I do know is it felt JUST like a roller coaster (what an apt description he provided!) when you drop – except you’re not on a damn track, you’re in a thin, aluminum fishbowl. Whoa. But totally cool. I was sorry to return to terra firma – no matter how exhilarating *cough* the ride was.
The truth is, many of us may never check off our own lists – but when you have a chance (or if one is provided to you) grab it. It may take a while to unclench but it’ll be worth it.
Movie time, baby!
• I ♥ Huckabees
So before seeing this movie I saw the video of Lily Tomlin and David Russell arguing and figured that such a poisonous environment could not possibly have resulted in a worthwhile film. Wrong. Jude “I’m oddly perfect” Law and Naomi Watts as a sublimely dysfunctional beautiful couple, Tomlin and Dustin Hoffman as goofy detectives…it’s a funny, twisted romp. Check it out, you may just ♥ it.
• The Pursuit of Happyness
Ok, will someone please give Will Smith a freaking Oscar? Please? Yes – he’s talented. He’s humble(ish), he’s taking serious roles. What else does he have to do? This movie is one of those based on a true story tales of a hard-luck guy finding a way to success. The piling on of misfortune gets to such a melodramatic point that we actually laughed ourselves silly after it. It’s not that it was a bad movie – it really was not, but it was so damn earnest that you want to puke. Then you’ll feel bad about it. By the way, they spell it that way on purpose.
• Man of the Year
Awfully marketed political commentary positioned by those lazy bastards in Hollywood as a yuck-yuck Robin Williams doing his usual schtick comedy flick. It isn’t. It comes THIS close to being a sublime indictment of the political system, electronic voting, the party system and commentary as celebrity and journalism being subjugated by the “process”. Unfortunately Christopher Walken is wasted and Williams vamps (what, him over the top?) but any movie with Lewis Black is worth checking out.
• Volver
Perdo Almodovar, Penelope Cruz. Mother issues. Conspiracies. Strong women. A new angle for him. I mean…not so much. Still – a good watch.