Saving Mr. Banks

So the Missus and I received an invitation from Disney studios to see the new Disney movie "Saving Mr. Banks" at the Disney theater on the Disney lot in beautiful downtown Burbank.  We went tonight to see it.   I must admit that I was skeptical about the movie, the subject matter didn't seem to be particularly interesting but I was wrong.  It was a great movie, a tear-jerker of the first water. 

I recommend it, I think even someone as grouchy as me will like it.

It was fun seeing the scenes in the movie filmed in and around the very Disney studios that we passed to get to the theater!   The Missus is always star-struck when we are invited to the Disney studios and I have to keep a tight grip on her to stop her from sneaking off to hide on the lot and try to get discovered by a movie producer.

Go see the movie, you will enjoy it.

Middle East Conflicts memorial

Spend five minutes watching this video about the Middle East Conflicts memorial erected by a private company in Illinois.  I had certainly never heard about this until now.  It is a touching story and show what individuals can do to achieve something of meaning together.

 

 

 

 

 

How many people can fit into a.....?

Back in the old days the craze was to see how many teens could fit into a VW bug or a phone booth (if you have to ask what is a phone booth you are too young to be reading my blog)

Here is a modern version of   'how many people can fit into a...'

 

 

Apparently 675 people can fit inside an Air Force C-17!

 

It's done!

I had my final class Thursday for my Organizational Leadership Master's program and as long as my capstone project isn't found to be lacking I will have earned my master's degree.  Yay!   I will miss the others in my cohort, they are great folks and we have gotten to know each other over the past year. 

It seemed so abrupt. We did our presentations, said goodbye to the teacher and to each other and that was it.  A year was finished and we move on with our separate lives.  I guess I am lucky to have known all of them for the year that we spent together.

Now, no more homework start on Sunday afternoon and cumulating Wednesday evening.  I didn't think I could be nostalgic for the work and the classes but at least for right now, I am.

Music Interlude

Young son loaned me his Monsters and Men CD the other day and I'm hooked!  I particularly like this track, so here it is for your auditory pleasure.

 

Citizen Grouch visits the Radium Queen and a mine

Some friends and I went exploring recently in the Mojave desert and found the home site and graves of Josie Bishop 'The Radium Queen' and one of her sons.

Here is Josie's story: http://www.explorehistoricalif.com/feb07.html

All that remains of Josie's home is a foundation and the two graves.

The grave site

Josie's grave

A write up about Josie at the site of her home

Josie's view from where her front door used to be.

After visiting the Radium Queen we traveled on the the location of an abandoned mine.  There are untold numbers of abandoned mines in the Mojave although the BLM is doing its best to fill them in to protect us from ourselves.  The Mojave bankrupted many a man and the remains of their various sure-fire schemes are everywhere for us to visit.   This location was once a going concern with a lot of activity but it is all pretty much gone now.

The mine shaft is on the upper left 

A deep hole

One of the many scattered scraps left behind by the miners.  I thought the label reading  "made in the U.S. of America" was interesting!

Citizen Grouch goes off-roading

When off-roading, the hill you climbed or the hill you descended never looks as steep in a picture as it does when you are sitting in your Jeep contemplating the challenge waiting for you.  Here are a series taken by a friend as I was coming down a pretty steep hill in my trusty Jeep.  Back about 20 years if I had done this in my open differential Samurai it might have been a bit more sporty but with my Rubicon it is almost ho-hum.  But, it was fun anyway!

At the top - it looks pretty steep from up here

Here I go, low range first gear, sway bar unlocked, differentials locked

No problems here

The only problem is that I'm going too slow!  Low range first gear is really low and slow!