This movie is what happens when the director cares more about special effects than story. He did a great job on the former, horrible job on the latter.

I finished Hemingway’s, A Moveable Feast, a book I appropriated started on the flight to Paris.  Loved it. I think I will replace the novel, Money, with Hemingway’s first novel, The Sun Also Rises, for my goal #21.

As I had mentioned, I took a lot of video, but I took it with a cheap Flip pocket camera, so if you feel vertigo I’m sorry.  Click the picture if you care to want to take a look.

#27 Done.  City Lights was obviously great for it’s time, but I think it’s safe to say pantomime movies are dated. The Original Post.

I probably took more video than pictures, but I’ve put together a descent photo gallery on flickr.  Click the picture above to check it out.

Taking a three prong approach to documenting our Paris Trip.  The first will be a flickr gallery with some description. The second will be a video montage. And the third will be a short essay.

Despite walking the streets of Paris this morning, we still made it back home to catch Brit’s game.

Snapshot of the Eiffel Tower taken from the top of the Arc De Triumphe.

#23 in Progress.  Eating in “our” neighborhood of Saint Germaine Des Pres. Great food, better ambiance.  Tres’ Bien.

Contemplating #44 at Pere Lachaise cemetery amongst some of Paris’ brightest stars such as Balzac, Marcel Proust, Oscar Wilde, Gertrude Stein, Georges-Pierre Seurat, Frederic Chopin and Jim Morrison (not French, but visiting).

#6 In Progress. In the neighborhood of St. Germaine Des Pres, I took some time to sit in the cafe where Hemingway sat as a young man.  It was here at the Cafe De Flure, as well as at the Cafe Duex Maggots next door where Hemingway struggled with the idea of writing his first novel.  Hopefully my struggles will go as well as…

#3 Done. (Source: https://www.youtube.com/)

#20 in Progress. We signed a lease on a cozy home with a back yard good enough for a hammock.  If all goes well, we’ll move in on the first of October. (Source: http://maps.google.com/)

http://www.kaltura.com/index.php/kwidget/wid/_35168/uiconf_id/1002330 #97 Not going to happen.  There are a few stinkers on this list and this is one of them. Other than The Amazing Race, which is not taking applications, I have no desire to jump through the hoops for the chance to win the lottery. (Source: http://www.kaltura.com/)

#12 Done. Snapped this picture of Brittany walking toward the school’s entrance as I drove by. She was annoyed.  But, another milestone is complete.

Started the season with a 1-0 loss.  I guess this league won’t be a cakewalk after all.  In other news, my fantasy football team is rollin’.

Bottle Shock tells the story of the events that led up to the Judgment of Paris in 1976, when California wine beat French wine in a blind taste test. Pretty good movie.

Brit finally got her four poster bed, but not without a whole lot of blood, sweat and tears from yours truly.  I look forward to the day that furniture assembly is not cost productive.

Tucked away in the hills of Griffith Park, the Greek Theater is by far L.A.’s best concert venue.  And tonight’s concert was a great one. Nothing better than Dave Matthews Band on a warm summer night. (Source: https://www.youtube.com/)

She had to wait fourteen years, but Brittany finally got to go shopping to furnish her OWN room.

#21 in progress.  Finished Slaughterhouse Five… So it goes.

Labor Day

I did nothing.

#72 Complete. We spent the weekend in the Santa Ynez Valley outside of Solvang following the wine appreciation trail seen in the movie Sideways.  Good times.

Looking for wooden shoes in Solvang.

Number 23 in progress. Eating at AJ Spurs in Buellton, CA.

Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs was the movie that probably most inspired me to try my hand at screenwriting.  Like Reservoir Dogs, Inglorious Basterds is full of great scenes and dialogue.  However, unlike Reservoir Dogs, Basterds lacks a solid core and coherent plot.

Once I saw the trailer for the remake of Pelham 1, 2, 3 I felt taken.  I worked with the producer of Pelham for several months on a script I wrote called, The Hostage.  He loved three ideas in particular about my script.  All three things were in the trailer of his Pelham remake.  Was he “inspired” by those ideas?  I’d say without a…

August Recap. I’ve been thinking about goal #11 since I took on the job when Devin was in the 2nd grade.  Twelve years later we finally got the job done.  Although a bit traumatic, especially for Sonia, it was a successful hand off.  With that said, I managed to knock eight more goals from the list. What’s done… #11. Like I said. #28. After…

Just finished the big Fantasy Football draft.  Ours is an auction league, so lots of strategy. I had the winning bid for the first two players on the board (Adrienne Peterson and Maurice Jones-Drew), but was broke thereafter. Still, on paper I’m happy with my team.

At Magic Apparel Show in Vegas. Anxious to get back to the craps table.

At Pure Nightclub at Caesar’s Palace.

Cop. Cyndie. Sonia. Elvis.

In Vegas… On Business.  For real.

The hills are on fire again.

At the beach today. (Source: https://www.youtube.com/)

One of L.A.’s hottest restaurants at the moment is the roach coach, Kogi Truck. Lines to order the Korean BBQ are sometimes a hundred deep. Luckly we spotted it in Venice before a major line formed. Pretty damn good.

Interesting, but dry.

But it’s dry heat.

Surprised it took me so long to see this.  I really enjoyed it.

#7 not done yet.  Eliminated three credit cards today.  One more and it’s sayonara bad debt.

#31 Done.  Saw Placido Domingo’s conducting debut with Yo-Yo Ma and the LA Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl. (Source: https://www.youtube.com/)

Took Brittany to see District 9 to keep her distracted from the lingering pain of her morning oral surgery.  I was really looking forward to this one, but overall I was let down.

<param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vOyDwhJrdD4 A ride on the trolly. (Source: http://www.youtube.com/)

#11 Complete.  At approximately 12:30p.m. on Sunday, August 23rd 2009, on the corner of Powell and O’Farrell in San Francisco, Sonia, Brittany and I hugged Devin goodbye and wished him luck on the next chapter of his life.  A bittersweet day for all of us.

#58 Done.  Mark Twain said, “The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco.” He wasn’t kidding.  But the view from the Golden Gate Bridge was nevertheless spectacular.

#85 done. Enjoyed some eggs benedict in bed.

#23 in progress. Met some old high school friends for dinner at this French place in San Francisco’s Mission district. Tres bein.

Moved Devin In.

#94 Finished.  Enjoyed a bowl of calm chowder in a bread bowl at Fisherman’s Wharf where mom used to take Sean and me as kids.

We’ve arrived.