Elizabethtown & Chicago

If you haven't seen the movie ELIZABETHTOWN, you really should. I can't recommend that flick enough. Not only is the movie excellent, but the soundtrack rocks! Orlando Bloom, Kirsten Dunst, and Susan Sarandon are phenominal in the film. But as much as I love the storyline, the music by Nancy Wilson and the songs by so many great artists really do the movie! Let me just say that after watching ELIZABETHTOWN I always feel like taking a long road trip.

Speaking of road trips, I just got back from Chicago. Unfortunately, neither Josh nor Jamie could go with me due to football and work commitments. I didn't mind the time alone at times - it was well spent listening to GONE TOMORROW by Lee Child and THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO by Stieg Larsson. Read them - they're great.

It was weird driving around my old hometown of Des Plaines. Most of the roads are torn up due to the American Restoration and Reinvestment Act. I know that because they've put up signs all over the city to let everyone know that dealing with the traffic jams, single lanes, and bumpy drives have "America" written all over them.

I went back home for my mom's 70th birthday party. It would have been great to see more relatives there, but due to other commitments and issues, not everyone could attend. That's understandable. One of the highlights was getting to see my newly born great niece, Mia. What a doll she is! I loved cradling her in my arms.

Got to say I almost felt like a savior at one point (not being overly arrogant here, am I?) - my parents, sister, and brother-in-law are really into country music. Me? Not so much. And there were six or so 20-something adults there (my nephews, niece-in-law, and their friends) who are not into country at all. Luckily, I had my iPod with me and my FM adapter so I played my playlist over my dad's radio. We got the full range of music - from classic rock to alternative to TWILIGHT & ELIZABETHTOWN soundtracks and metal. I got some "thank you's" from the younger crowd, and it made me feel good to provide music they liked too. Then, when the battery died, we went back to the country music. It was a win-win for everyone there!

I hope everyone is enjoying their summer. Seems like the summers get shorter every year. Oh, I'm not getting older, am I? :-)

Current reads

I've been doing a lot of reading lately. Just finished reading something by an author whose books I always enjoy. This book was a little different though. It seemed reminiscent of an earlier book, and I was able to guess "who did it" about halfway through it. There was a lot of back story involved. I don't know - it seemed to drag after a while. Don't get me wrong - it's still a good story. It's just not as fresh as I would have liked it to be. Okay, maybe I expect too much from that author.

It makes me wonder what an author goes through after a number of successful novels under his/her belt. Does it get progressively harder to come up with ideas? Do they have ideas but rely too heavily on their past successes as far as character development and plot?

I imagine it can be difficult sometimes to generate an entirely new story line after writing for years. Unless you're one of those exceptional people who have a bottomless pit of ideas. How wonderful it would be to be one of THOSE people.

So now I'm reading BREATHERS - A ZOMBIE'S LAMENT. I'm about halfway through, and I have to say it's holding my attention. I didn't think I'd care for it, but one of the guys at work recommended it, and he is correct - it's entertaining. The story puts a different spin on what zombies are all about. Pick it up if you would like something light to read.