Busy, busy, busy...

To quote one of my favorite rock-n-rollers, Tom Scholz, "It's been such a long time...." I can't believe it's been over two months since my last post. The hiatus has been good for me. I finished a very busy end-of-the-semester only to head into a very busy summer (one that's almost over and I still have many projects to complete). So here are a few of the things I've been doing. Watch for follow-up posts for more details.

• I've been spending a lot of time with my family. Michael (9) and Daniel (5) are getting especially fun. Tracy and I are really experiencing a new stage of family life. We just did our first family 8-mile day hike up to Weaver Lake. Woo-hoo! 

• I bought a motorcycle. I've always owned dirt bikes but I finally sold my Honda XL250 and bought a Honda Shadow Spirit 750. I've already put over a thousand miles on the steal horse. Tracy said I only get one midlife crisis....

• Saw a terrible movie: Prince Caspian. I was pleasantly surprised with The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, but I was equally dissatisfied with Caspian. Michael and I had just read the book and were looking forward to the film. Aaagh, $50 taking my family to nothing more than a summer/action/blockbuster (and a poor one at that). Caspian and Susan kissing? Storming Miraz's castle? Keanu Reeves as Caspian? Where was Aslan in all of this? What about redemption and rebirth in the final chapters of the book? What about following the King? I'm so disappointed in Douglas Gresham and Walden Media.

• Saw a fun movie: Get Smart. I didn't go with high expectations. Maybe that's why I was surprised and delighted. I love the original series and watched it as a boy. Don Adams was a riot and Steve Carell (AKA Evan) is equally funny.

• Saw a couple of very good movies. The End of Suburbia is a documentary chronicling the dwindling supplies of crude oil and the mad scramble to increase production. Though three years old this film accurately predicts the peak of oil production, $4-5 per gallon gasoline, and the crash of the suburban dream. Here's an abridged version of the film on YouTube. Another well known film, Who Killed the Electric Car, delineates the auto industry's triumph in effectively squashing research and development relating to the electric automobile, thereby minimizing the potential market for these cars. I'm not much of a conspiracy theorist, but this one really makes sense.

• Rock Band for Wii. My boys and I call ourselves U3 and we play it almost everyday! Both boys are really developing a sense of rhythm. You should see Daniel bang on those skins. And of course I love playing lead guitar with Boston. "It's been such a long time...."