This morning I'm flicking around the TV stations looking for something to watch. I'd slept later than intended, missed the beginning of church. Geoff and I were the only ones up. Sunday morning TV is horrid. By the time Doug got up I was ready to throw the remote in the blender, and I stumbled across one of my all time favorite "teen" movies.
"Detroit Rock City." Baby!!!
Doug rented it one night a year or so ago. I'd heard bad reviews about it, and was sort of skeptical. But we watched it and I was hooked. Who could go wrong with this formulaic teen comedy, with some added on gross-out humor (Ed Furlong drunk and puking in front of a bar filled with sex starved women waiting patiently for him to finish and then do a striptease. Really unnecessary)?
The story is set in a Detroit suburb in 1978 and tells the tale of Jeremiah (who would rather be called "Jam" cause it's cooler) and his burnout friends, Hawk, Trip and Lex.
The boys are in a KISS garage rock tribute band. They want to go see KISS in concert, but Jam's chain-smoking hypocrite mom burns his tickets in a fit of Catholic anti-rock/anti-KISS fueled rage. They're screwed, or are they?
How will these loyal members of the KISS army get to see the band of their longing? It looks hopeless. Jam is sent to a Catholic all boy's school and his band mates devise a cunning plan. They spring him and head to Detroit because Trip thinks he won tickets on the radio in a phone in contest. Along the way, they get into horrible and funny situations and have to get themselves out of them.
Things get completely out of control, the way they do in wacky teen movies, and these four friends have a night they will never forget, filled with romance and raw sex, puking, convenience store robberies and watchdog taming.
It's a ridiculous premise, but like my adoration of Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, movies like this always intrigue me. How WILL these seemingly mentally impared people get out of their mess. Why is Jam such a nice guy and friends with these three pothead jerkoffs?
Why does this kid remind me so much of Doug when I met him???
It's freaky.
Anyway, I thoroughly enjoyed burning an hour and watching this movie. If you've never seen it, I'm not surprised. A ton of movies came out in 1999 that overshadowed this one, including 10 Things I Hate About You and American Pie. It is the single most underrated film of that year, even though it had to compete with a guy having sex with a homemade baked good. So even though it is exciting and intelligent, and a glimpse into teenage history as opposed to current teenage life... that's why no one knows about it. No one boofed a pie. So rent it if you haven't seen it. Let me know what you think.
We went geocaching yesterday. Two in one place, the Ward Reservation in Andover.
The first cache was easy as pie (not American Pie though...). The second one was much harder. We didn't pack any water... I thought the two locations were not in the same place and that we'd pass a store on the way to the second one. Doug misunderstood me in saying that I wanted to stop and buy water. So Jessica was very whiney and complainy. As usual.
The second cache was hidden near Boston Hill clear at the far end of the reservation, almost out of it. It was a bear at times to get the kids to walk up. Even Geoff was wilting. All told it was over four miles of hiking. Thing is, I could have kept going. For the first time in a number of years, I feel great and strong. The view from the top of the hill and the wild blueberries growing low to the ground were intoxicating. The smell of the ferns deep in the damp forest made me swoon with joy. And the fact that I ignored the moans and complaints of my kids and kept myself happy for a change -- that's priceless.
When we were coming to the opening in the field at the top of the hill wild turkey flew across the path. Doug saw both adults, I only saw one. And I saw two chicks to his three total. They were not afraid of us but kept a safe distance.
I'm so proud of both our dogs because they didn't chase them and try to catch them. They were interested and aware, Kinger did his usual "curiousity whine" but he didn't strain on leash or try and give the turkeys the bums rush. Jack was an amazing hiker... he is hardcore. We got home and he passed out on the floor and slept clear through the evening. Both dogs SO need a bath today. We took a short cut trail that went down in a holler and was all mud at the bottom. There were trees and boards laid down across the mud, but it was a mess. Both dogs decided to take leisurely rests on their bellies in the mud... so they are filthy. Kinger cleaned up pretty good, but Jack needs a shampoo. That's on my list of things to do today.
One part of the reservation that we went to is called Holt Hill (another bear to climb when you think you're done going up, after Boston Hill... voof!) and it is the highest point in Essex County, MA at a whopping 441 feet. At the top there are solstice stones in the form of a compass. You can see straight and clear through to Boston, as the vantage to the south and east is unobstructed. It is beautiful. Getting there is easy when you take the direct path up the hill, so we'll be sure to go back again to just see the view from there, and torture the kids with more hiking!
Today we're kind of keeping a low profile. I redid the top layers of the site here. I guess this is the fourth iteration of the look and feel. What do you think? How's it look? Lemme know.
Anyway. Jessie is at a friend's house. Doug and Geoff are playing Sonic, and I need to shower and put together a shopping list. We need a full blown trip to the grocery store today. I'm hoping to get Doug to do it. Perhaps if I fake a nap he'll feel that it needs to get done so he'll do it.
I got interesting email from a friend the other day letting me know that another friend who currently resides in San Francisco will be visiting the area next week. He's in a wheelchair after a car accident while en route to a medieval festival where he was performing/participating a few years back. I'd lost track of him after corresponding with him for a little while in 2000, so I'm greatly looking forward to seeing him again. He was instrumental in my friendship and bonding with Doug and Clayton, and a lot of other people, so I am happy to get to see him and reconnect with that part of life. He was my first and only Dungeon Master when I played D&D in college (nerd alert! I warned you I was a nerd!) and I always had great fun with him. We'll host the visit because it will be relatively easy to get him into the house here as opposed to our other friend's home which is not handicapped accessible.
And we have to finish hanging drywall this week. Oh the joys.
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