So this is the Master Control Program everyone's been talking about!

In anticipation of Tron: Legacy coming out this winter, I added the original Tron to my NetFlix queue, not expecting to like it, but wanting to know the back-story before I enter the theater for the new film...

Wow, was I pleasantly surprised.

This was the first time I had seen the movie. Why is that the case? This movie just screams for multiple re-runs on channels like TBS, TNT and WGN in the 1990s.

The movie is just gorgeous, first of all. I expected lousy animation... maybe because all I was really familiar with of the movie was the motorcycle race scenes. The people look great, though. The reds, blues and grays mixed with the splashes of neon looked great on my Sony Bravia.

The story is actually intriguing. The Master Control Program makes for a great villain, and Flynn, not fully realizing who he is in the MCP world, makes a great hero. The character of Tron (I always assumed Tron -- pictured below -- was the name of the game, not a character) was also cool... and it was fun following both Flynn and Tron's odyssey through the MCP world.



Maybe it was just a case of low expectations surpassed, but I'll tell you that me, Adro and Evey sat and watched it from start to finish, and all three of us enjoyed it. Evey even wanted to re-watch it... and that was fine with me, as the movie was rated PG, and never got too scary for her.
So add Tron to your NetFliz queue when you get a chance. After all, Tron: Legacy is almost here (out on Dec. 17th), and it's going to be the BIG MOVIE of 2010...

Head for the Cure, hurt for the cause

On Sunday morning, me and my sister and her friend Stacy ran in a 5K race in Lawrence. This was Jessica's idea... I ran a lot of 5Ks when I was a high school kid, but I haven't run one since I was 19.

The good news? I finished 5th in my age division.

The bad news? There were only five people in my age division.

Good news... both Jess and Stacy finished in FIRST PLACE in their age division!

As you can see, the race was called "Head for the Cure," and yes, this was a benefit for brain cancer research. Brain cancer is what took our Dad, so Sis thought this would be a good event for us to support.

Maybe next year I'll support them by just mailing them a check!

Seriously, the 5K hurt. It didn't help that I have/had a bad knee, a sprained ankle, a level 1 hangover and only four hours of sleep when I ran (I was at the Smashing Pumpkins/Cake show the night before). I ran the first mile straight through, but then ran/jogged/walked/farted through miles two and three. I was hoping to finish in 30 minutes... I ran it in a whopping 32:30. OUCH. Jessica and Stacy ran it in 26 and 25 minutes, respectively.

While I was on the first mile, I saw some poor runner stepped in a giant load of dog shit. There was a right shoe-print of dog poo that went on for about 50 yards. Within that same 50 yards, someone apparently got a nose bleed, because there were little splotches of blood on the sidewalk every six feet.

And I thought to myself: wow, there are two people actually having a worse time than me!

All kidding aside -- it was a great cause, I'm proud of both Jess and Stacy for winning their divisions, and I'm happy I actually made it across the finish line and that the camera man documented this occasion for me. (He must have realized the feat of me crossing the finish line was special, as I was the only person who seemed to get a finish-line photo taken.)

I'm also glad I didn't step in dog crap or get a nose bleed. Those two dudes may have had better times than me, but hey -- at least I didn't have to leave my shoes outside when I got home.

Smashing pumpkins@ sandstone

Somehow we r not getting rained on!

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We upgraded for smashing pumpkins!

Wanna go for a ride!

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We upgraded for smashing pumpkins!

Wanna go for a ride!

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I am ready for the 5k

@ cake concert!

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Home at last

That wore me out! Wore evey out too. She's watching the care bears dvd we checked out from the library. Hopefully napping soon...

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Three hours later, we're back

At the library!

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Called an audible

Decided to make a pit stop by Dad Perry Park!

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Lunch at old chicago

Photo by momma

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Train derailed

We were at the library for all of 5 minutes. Story time was about to start. Evey was playing with the blocks.

"dad, i have to change my pants!"

You. Are. Kidding. Me.

Turns out, some little **** spilled her sippy cup on the blocks table. Evey sat there and let the drink drip on her until she was a mess.

"i want to go home and take a shower," evey said to me.

I calmed her down. We are now at target looking at toys. We are modeling new $4 pants.

We shall return to the library later...

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First stop, Anthony's Diner

My fave restaurant in eudora! I love small towns. Everyone is so nice.

Next up, story time @ the library.

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Friday O'POMP

• Today's Friday O'POMP photo is of my two flip-flops. I left one outside in the car in the heat, the other made it inside in my duffel bag. It was damn hot outside. I got the two flip-flops together, and I blinked a few times. What the hell? It took me about five minutes to confirm that someone hadn't switched me shoes... that the heat made the one shrink that much!
• Me and Evey are taking the day off today (I travelled on Labor Day for work, so work did me a solid and gave me Friday off). So me and Evey are going to get a pancake, hit the library, have lunch with mom, go to Best Buy... it's gonna be awesome.


• I just saw a commercial for Kevin Yoder for Congress. That dude looks exactly the same as he did when he was going to KU in the late '90s with me. And he looked just as awkward on TV as he did in person. Which is kind of cool that that awkwardness sticks with you, even when you're running for Congress.


• True story: The Republicans came by my house recently. They didn't knock, but they left me some candidate pamphlets on my front step. I'm a Democrat, but no problem, I appreciate them trying to spread their word. What I don't appreciate? The dude handing out the leaflets leaving his empty coffee cup behind! Seriously, I thought whoever was campaigning also bought me a cup of coffee! But nope, he just left me his trash to clean up! Jerks.


• One white Russian on a slightly empty stomach makes my brain feel less anaerobic, more aerobic.


• I would go see Shakira if she were playing at the Bottleneck or Granada.


• The View has had 3,000 episodes. There were 102 episodes of Alf. Sometimes there is no justice.


• Evey has been asking us for a pet on the drive into Lawrence the past week or so. Usually it's when we hit the light at 23rd and Iowa that she hits us with the sob story. I don't know why she's reminded that she doesn't own a pet when we hit that intersection. Something about Freddy's? I don't know. But she'll get on the sad voice, and say, "Daddy, why can't we have a pet?" and I'll say maybe someday sweetie. And she'll get sad. Then I'll ask her what kind of pet she'd like to have, if we could get one. "Daddy... I want a baby unicorn." Everyday, a baby unicorn. I've told her there are no baby unicorns. She still wants one.


• Wednesday night Adro crashed out before Evey did, so Evey came downstairs to the Shadow Gallery to go pee-pee* (*see what dad was doing). After she went to the bathroom I told her it was late and she needed to get her butt in bed. She said, "OK, Dad. But when I go to bed... I'm going to dream about Disneyland." Who is feeding this kid these things?


• I emailed my top 100 songs of all time to about 25 friends yesterday. Why? I don't know. I'm not on Facebook, so I need to reach out every once in a while. (This is what people do on Facebook, right? Send each other their top 100 songs lists?)


• Speaking of Facebook, if there has been a group created in support of Jason, formerly of 96.5 the Buzz, will someone let me know? And let me know when and where their next rally is? I am thinking about bringing a tomato to the Buzz Beach Ball on Saturday night, just in case Lazlo takes the stage at any time.


• The Toadies are playing the B'neck tomorrow night. I can't frickin wait! That band in a venue as great as the Bottleneck? You really should come with me.


• My wife dressed as white trash for work today. I was supposed to take a photo, but we never did. It was "wing day" at work, and each wing had a different theme, my wife's wing went with white trash. What did I learn about this? Two things: 1) our family owns a reassuringly small amount of white trash items and 2) my wife also looks hot in a white trash get-up. Giddy-up!


• My wing? We were a wing restaurant. We all wore aprons and had chicken wings available. I don't look hot in an apron, it turns out.


• But in hindsight, I should have been wearing more than just the apron.

Evey at dance class

Evey is taking a dance class down the street from our house at Amanda's Dance Academy (or somesuch). Evey LOVES IT.

We started her off in the easiest class, called "tumbling." there was a higher class for girls her age and older called "ballet" but that sounded a little difficult... If she has the dance moves of her mom and dad, all the other kids would laugh at her, we figured.

We brought Evey to her first session, and she was the only child registered in the class. So it was essentially a 30-minute private lesson, right? We were unintentionally training the next child dance prodigy.

But then we'd leave, and there'd be 8 little girls around her age waiting to go into the next class, ballet. Evey didn't understand -- why couldn't she dance with the little girls, why was she in a class by herself, she wanted to know.

Me and Adro decided we'd drop the tumbling and let her dance with the girls in ballet. It's great that she wants to dance with other kids. We shouldn't sequester her.

Wait, wait... Evey just learned how to do a forward roll! Awesome! (i'm typing this on my phone while Evey is in dance class.)

Then we told Judy about the class situation. She had a forward-thinking view on it, a view of a true grandma... Why not have Evey take BOTH classes? Grandma Judy volunteered to help out with the additional cost.

So now our dance prodigy is in back-to-back dance classes.

And guess what? Dancing genes must just skip every other generation... Because Evey's a graceful dancer. We should have known this. She loves to dance at home. It's probably her second favorite thing, behind movies.

So next time you see her, ask her to show you some new moves! The girl's got skills!

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Dad would have turned 64 today

He wasn't much of a beer drinker later in life, but... cheers, Dad. This one's for you.

And not to be too melancholy, here's a photo of Evey at the library the other day (I posted this photo on Twitter.)