Movies & Moving Around

Friday September 23, 2016

Tonight my nephew Carter accompanied me to an evening showing of “Storks” at the Movie Tavern.  Who can resist a cooing baby with a big head and ginger hair? Apparently not the wolves who kidnapped her and fought her delivery team (a stork and a human who was raised by storks) to regain custody.

I particularly enjoyed the scenes with the little boy who wrote to the storks asking for a little brother with ‘Ninja abilities.’ The boy was a little lonely because his two parents (both real estate agents) were always too busy working to play with him. “Cat in the Cradle” anyone?

I also like the scene where Violet (the human raised by storks) braids her stork companion’s feathers in an effort to bond with him like “girlfriends having a sleep-over” while they took care of the baby overnight.

All in all a really cute film and I think my nephew liked it too. We’re both super excited about seeing the Lego Batman movie when it comes out in February. I am hoping my husband and other nephew will join us (since they accompanied us to see the first Lego movie).

Saturday September 24, 2016

Tonight Andrew and I attended a screening of shorts as part of the 49^th annual Manhattan Shorts Film Festival. This is something we’ve gone to most years since we moved here. At times they were shown at the Grandview Theatre while it was under its previous management, but now they’re back at the Gateway permanently.

There are always ten finalists and are sometimes a mix of animation/stop motion and regular live action films. I was grateful for no disturbing or violent movies in the mix. I agree it’s good to raise social conscience and awareness, but sometimes it’s just too much to take. This year’s finalists were a little less in-your-face with their messages, which I very much appreciated.

 As per usual, Andrew and I voted for different films. I selected “The Tunnel” (a futuristic movie where thousands of families in self-driving cars are returning to the city at the end of the weekend not knowing who will make it home as some of the cars and its passengers are indiscriminately chosen for population thinning) while Andrew chose “Bravo Man” (a Russian man and his high school crush  are both hired to “work the audience” for a little theatre company; he stands up and claps saying “Bravo!” “Bravo!” near the end of the shows while she cries a little and dabs at her eyes).

We both agreed on Charlie Chan Dagelet for best actor. She stars in “Hold On” as the first cellist in a German symphony who develops stage fright after her string breaks during an important concert. I knew it was tough being a professional musician, but I had no idea. I feel for them, and will always make sure to clap extra loud in the future whenever I attend a concert.

Sunday September 25, 2016

Today Andrew and I ran a 5k in support of the Kyle Miller scholarship fund which goes to aid a junior or senior at Otterbein University (in Westerville) “with Kyle's passion for wildlife and conservation in the Zoo and Conservation Science program.” http://www.kylemillermemorialfund.com/about_us I first read about it last year in the Hilliard Northwest News and thought it was a good cause, as well as a good opportunity to run another 5k close to home (it was held at the Hilliard Recreation Center).

an owl brought out by a volunteer from the Ohio Wildlife Center (in Powell)

It was a beautiful cool, sunny morning (temperatures in the high 60s perhaps); perfect running weather. There was a pretty good turnout as I’d estimate there were several hundred people there from friends and family to fellow Otterbein students.

Before the race started we looked over all the gift baskets that were ours to win depending on which jar we chose to put our free raffle ticket in. Neither of us was bothered to purchase any extra tickets choosing to place all our hopes on just our two. I had a difficult time choosing between two handmade owl pillows, both of which came with a bag from Thirty-One Gifts.  I think Andrew chose the gift basket with restaurant gift cards.

Probably the most unusual item on the table was a $100 gift card for a model train store, of which only one attendee put her ticket in, and of course, won by default. Andrew debated choosing that one knowing that it was unlikely many people would select that one, but didn’t want to deny someone who really wanted model trains. We also put in a bid on a gift package (which included a $100 gift card) from Pet Palace, but lost it to someone else who outbid us at the last minute. Thus, it was that we went home empty handed (not me though, I grabbed a couple vegan granola bars as my consolation prize : )

We both completed the race with no problem, splitting up at the halfway point. Andrew finished in about 32 minutes while I arrived about five minutes later with a time of 37:37. We were both sixth in our age group and definitely outnumbered by a much younger crowd. My goal is to shave a couple minutes off my time by perhaps starting to sprint a little sooner when I see the finish line. At least now I know I can complete a 5K and hope to do my next one in the spring when they hold the annual Time Warner Road Runner race in our very own neighborhood. At least there will be no commute involved!

Have a good week everyone!