Hollywood North

I realize i haven't written about Vancouver at all and there's no better time like when my email is down and I can't get anything done at work - here's a summary.

Day 1 - drove from Seattle to Canada.

Our rental car situation hits an all time high as we're told the only car left for us to rent is a brand new Subaru Forrester (this helps later on as we're in a blizzard in whistler).

Along the way, we stop for a bathroom break and meet two really cute dogs in a dog store in some suburban mall. Here's Kelly with Piper the westie!

As we approach Vancouver, our customs guard compliments us on Kelly's H&M sweater which I also have in gray.Then we head straight to Granville Island for a pleasant lunch of non-seafood (we were seafooded out). We walk around and check out the local stores, then head to our hotel. The hotel loses our reservation and we get upgraded to the executive suite. Kelly and I do a happy dance and agree that i should book all car rentals and she should book all hotel stays in the future.

Checking in takes too long so we run over to GM Place for our first Canadian hockey game! We are super impressed by the intensity of the arena and the awesome beer and food they have. This makes MSG and almost all older arenas in NY seem embarrassing. Canucks end up pulling a knicks and losing the lead and whatever dignity they have left to Detroit, but Kelly and I had a rocking good time. We go back and sleep cause tomorrow is Grouse!

Day 2 - Grouse Mountain and Whistler

We get to Grouse after a small breakfast and I actually manage to drive there without the help of GPS. Seriously, I guess if you spend a few weeks in a city, you start remembering things. Also, once you cross the bridge, it's pretty easy to follow the signs. We get there and I decide to go without hiking poles cause I like to climb mountains monkey-style. Kelly likes to not-die so she chose to go with the hiking poles.

1/4 mile mark - this took forever and was kind of demoralizing. It wasn't very steep, but it was still challenging and kelly gave me a look like she wanted to kill someone with her hiking pole. Luckily, this was her idea and there's no safe way down. Whew!

1/2 mark - Kelly said that she wanted to die and didn't have enough energy to kill anyone right now. That's safer for me! I took pictures.

3/4 mark - Kelly hugged the tree with this marker like it was sent from god straight to her. The path was much much steeper, but the distance was shorter since we were climbing the altitude faster. It was very foggy and we were seeing treetops and hearing waterfalls (too much shrubbery and fog to get a good look). We took a fruit break and I took some phone calls...i know.

At the finish - They decided to put a huge slab of slippery rock at the end that you had to cross to add insult to injury. Like most dangerous or painful things, i chose to run across it like an idiot. I survived. kelly slipped (the only time) being careful and broke a hiking pole. Dagnabit.

I was starving at this point and inhaled my food. Apparently, I get very grouchy after 3 and half hours of hiking with no food. (Salmon with Mango Chutney Sandwich and seafood chowder)

So, after we eat we hunt down the grizzly bear habitat, which is awesome and learn that the lumberjack show only happens in the summer. We are crestfallen but soldier on. We then take the tram down the mountain and amaze at our great accomplishment.

Kelly looks like she's thinking about never telling me that she wants to do anything adventurous again. But she's looking on the bright side and can't wait for the heated seats in our Forrester!We make it to Whistler and we go shopping in the village and grab a great dinner. Yay! We encounter a snow storm on the way back and then rain in the city - I don't care cause I have an AWD vehicle and am loving every part of it. We go back and collapse into exhaustion.

Day 3 - last full day in Vancouver, so we try and go around the city. It's pouring torrentially, so we have a long breakfast in the hotel and then decide to drive around the city and then go to the Aquarium. We drive through all of the neighborhoods...the olympic village (still being built), chinatown, east hastings street, yaletown till we get to the Aquarium. We see this guy who might be the laziest sea creature I've ever seen:

We drive around Stanley park but it's horrendous outside so we stay inside of our car. We go last ditch Olympic shopping and then meet up with Jeff for dinner. I think I got too excited about the food and totally forgot to take pics of the people AT dinner. We ate at Salt and they pair wine and food for you. This is the best place ever - I didn't have to make many decisions. I think i said - cheese and white wine - no meat. Also exciting cause this is in blood alley which is kind of famous or something.

Day 4 and last day in Vancouver -

We pretty much got breakfast, then walked down to the harbor and stopped by Jeff's office. It was noon by this point so we high tailed it out of there to make it to Richmond for a late lunch. Richmond is a HUUUUGE chinese community just south of Vancouver proper and they have the best chinese food in the area. Here's our rice cakes!

Afterwards, we stopped by Duty free, went to a Lululemon outlet, went to REI in Seattle and then rushed to the airport. I got gas on MLK blvd and some 18 yr old guys tried to pick me up from their Scoobee Doo van. It was adorable and I told them that I had to catch a flight and couldn't "holla at them."

Kelly and I somehow both neglected to make sure the car rental return was IN the airport, so after driving to the airport and then realizing this, we floored it to Dollar and yelled hysterically about missing our flight. The rental car van driver busted a move and I swear made turns on like two wheels to get us there in time. We made it exactly 50 minutes before our flight and gave him a $10 tip. The drama doesn't end there. My burrito that I got to eat for dinner set off every security alarm along the way and I had to explain it to like 15 people who were in line with me that it wasn't a weapon of mass destruction.

Needless to say, I fell asleep on the plane. That's how it all ended. Awesome trip =)

Really, Tiger?

I can't even begin writing about this.

Did he not think this would come out? If his wife doesn't leave his ass and take all of the money that the law allows, i won't have an ounce of respect for her.

I'm not a prude and I don't think guys need to be monogamous. I do think that if you don't intend on being faithful or you need to work out some deep-rooted issues from a loveless childhood and complete lack of a social life due to compulsive golf playing, then you need to be SINGLE.

Derek Jeter dates a million women and is a player. Guess what? No one gives a crap because he's not married with kids.

That's all I gotta say.

A completely unbiased biased review

Watching the movie twice on opening weekend did a couple of things:

a) made people think i was insane

b) helped the movie gross 3rd highest in opening weekends

c) gave me the opportunity as a twilight fan to see if the movie holds up

A - I am not insane, but I do get overly excited for things like this.

B - your welcome summit. how about you guys stop showing previews that are just mini summaries of the movie. some people like to be surprised.

C - the movie holds up.

The first movie, Twilight failed on a lot of different levels. Too rushed, butchered meadow scene, tree-climbing, spider monkeys and really weird expressions/reactions. Catherine Hardwicke is a crazy hippie woman who was in over her head with an abysmal budget. I know Stephenie Meyer is not the best writer in the world (or in her town frankly), but the main area where fans connect to her books is in the emotions and gradual build up to near-crazy teen obsession. There's a vulnerability and attachment to the characters that cannot be explained (not out of lack of trying that's for sure). The point being, none of this was in the first movie.

New Moon's budget and directing blew Twilight out of the water. Most of the movie is straight out of the book. R+J is in the classroom instead of her living room, but it shows how together they are at all times in school. All of the pivotal scenes are there and the window scene with bella depressed and Lykke Li was the exact mood needed. The wolves were awesome and sometimes, really cute (I'm talking bout you Jacob). I think Kristen looked pained, hopeful, defiant and happy at all the right times. I was better able to focus on something other than Taylor's body the second time around, but his performance was solid for me. Rob wasn't in the movie that much, but he looked horrible and tortured throughout so that was pretty much right. Also, who could resist the "marry me" at the end. Millions of girls (and some boys) totally fangirled at those two words.

highlights for me:

1. Jacob with short hair and no shirt

2. the music was amazing

3. alice's wardrobe - i want everything

4. eric crying, jessica ranting and mike throwing up

5. jacob vs. edward at the end

Best part of the movie going experience is the audience. Funniest things that happened to me or i heard come out of someone's mouth:

1. Stampede at 42nd street AMC on Friday night by females over the age of 25 (manager came out to reprimand entire theater and embarrass people)

2. "she's a whore" said by idiot behind me about kristen telling jake that she loved him

3. "you've all read the book, stop sounding so surprised" - me to the audience at least twice.

4. "HOOOOOOOWWWWLLLLLLLL" - some guy at the beginning of the movie

5. "Look it's a new moon" - guy behind me.

"that's a full moon you idiot, and now it's an eclipse" - me

6. "what the hell?" - rachel.

"word for word from the book" - me.

"of course it is" - rachel

I liked the movie and I know that not everyone will - I can't explain why and really, I don't feel like I need to defend it. The movie's a financial success and they already shot eclipse. Next stop - freaky vampire baby!!!