For the Memorial Day weekend Eric, Sarah and I headed up north to the Hamptons to visit Paul and Christina. They moved up about a year ago and I’ve often said I’d go visit but have never made it up. This long weekend served the perfect opportunity to take a road trip and do just that. Being that my car doesn’t have AC and Eric’s car cannot go in reverse anymore, Sarah stepped up as the wheelwoman and drove. It took a little longer than we’d have liked heading up due to the holiday traffic but we made it eventually. It was really nice to see Paul again and spend some time with the newlyweds in their own home. We hot up a few of the popular Hampton shopping districts to meander about and grab some grub. We also drove along the shoreline checking out the massive mansions that line the coast. Some of the houses out there are absolutely beautiful. Others…not so much. It seems that some people think that ‘massive’ is the only criteria for a multimillion dollar house, and forget about taste…
We went to a local brewpub so I could get my fill of regional brews, aswell as a local bar that was featured on Kitchen Nightmares; Finn McCool’s. When we weren’t out drinking and eating we headed back to Paul and Christina’s house to hangout with Roxy, their adorable dog, and just enjoy each other’s company. I look forward to going back during the summer months to enjoy the season bars/clubs that weren’t quite open yet.
The ride home was a bit hectic as we missed our exit and ended up having to navigate downtown Manhattan with a failing GPS. It was a little scary, but cool to get to see the city again; albeit for a few minutes and from the confines of Sarah’s Yaris. Snapped the piccie below on the way out. Fun weekend.
Sunday, Sarah and I teamed up with Katie, Aaron, Eric, Coy, Chelsea and Jason to take on the 2009 Post Hunt, in DC. The hunt is organized by the Washington Post Magazine, and is a series of riddles and puzzles spread out across the Freedom Plaza area of the District. Thousands showed up from all over to race to the finish and take a shot at the $2000 reward. Our team wasn’t really in it for the money (not that we wouldn’t take it of course) more so the thrill of the chase and see how far we could compete. The contest consisted of 5 lesser puzzles hidden throughout the area that competitors needed clues and a copy of the Post Magazine to locate. At each location there was a different riddle awaiting the teams- each yielding a number as the solution. Once all 5 solutions where found the numbers corresponded with a series of clues also found within the magazine. Those, combined with a clue that was presented by Dave Barry after a few hours had passed, was the super-puzzle that offered the grand prize. We put a solid dent in 4 of the 5 puzzles and solved 3 of them correctly- which is more than we where thinking we would. Collectively as a team we where pretty good, though I felt like dead weight to a degree, with only a few useful revelations to contribute. Check out the official Post Hunt website to see the puzzles and the solutions. They are worth watching! I was very impressed with the production value that went into this thing. It was a Da Vinci Code/Carmen Santiago hybrid, and a ton of fun from start to finish. I am really glad we went out for it, and look forward to trying our hand at it again for the 2010 Hunt!
I will come right out and say it; I have never liked Star Trek. It’s a little odd that I dig Star Wars, but not the ‘Trek I suppose, but when you consider that all the action and drama in Star Trek’s past has been presented with wiggly camera, flashing red lights and constant yelling to ‘use full shields’…maybe it’s not that big of a stretch. What my predisposition does prove though, is that JJ Abram’s reinvention of the brand a high caliber, because I really, really enjoyed this movie. The characters where all great casting jobs and where instantly likable, Kirk in particular (Chris Pine) was terrific thought the movie, and Zack Quinto’s Spock was exactly what he needed to be. My favorite part about the movie though was that the action was gritty and frantic while still having an air of futuristic sophistication about it- a nice fresh take on what I have always thought to be a stifled aspect of Star Trek as a whole. Yeah we’ve got laser beams and spaceships, but sometimes its all about throwing fists!
I don’t want to spoil too much, but it’s safe to assume that no Trekkie would ever read an amateur blogger’s review at the expense of camping out on opening night for a new Star Trek so I feel safe telling you that the plot involves time travel. More specifically Spock’s time travel and the effects he has on all the cannon Star Trek characters. This is a really clever way of both meshing this new franchise with the old while a the same time completely separating it. Spock Prime (played by a returning Leonard Nimoy) serves as a central plot point and lip service to the old-school fans, while at the same time taking a back seat to the Next Generation (yeah I said it). It works well and is something not often seen these days. Perhaps cutting all ties to previous efforts and starting with a complete reboot is the coward’s way out? If so Trek deserves recognition for its accomplishments in this regard.
It’s not a perfect movie however…. The bad guy; Nero is terrible and pretty weak to be honest with you. He wants to avenge his planet that he thinks is destroyed. But the guy doesn’t think to go and check on it, which he really should do because he went back in time and the thing is just fine. Does he go and look for survivors? Nope, he hangs around in space waiting for Spock to get revenge. Sure he uses his Death-Star-wannabe ship to take out a whole planet; but he just doesn’t seem like the kind of villain to pin a franchise relaunch on. Why not stick in some Borg-Klingons? All we get is Eric Bana with Darth Maul face paint flying around in a space-laser… meh. Besides that though everyone does a bang up job and are instantly likable. Simon Pegg wins though with Scotty, but Kirk is a close second.
This weekend Ken and I went out in search of a new bike so I might join the elite cyclist group (as ken likes to refer to them as) Living in Reston yields the fantastic payoff of having some lovely public parks, walks and bike paths on my doorstep. I wanted to get a bike that wouldn’t break the bank, but would be a good fit for me. If left to my own devices I’d probably end up riding a girls bike I got from WalMart… so I enlisted Ken to help me size up something that would be economic but still what I need. I ended up grabbing a hybrid Schwinn Frontier that I am really pleased with. Well as pleased with it as can be expected considering I have only ridden it around the parking lot behind Performance bikes…The earlier has been so miserable however that I haven’t had a chance to take it for a spin yet. The weekend is looking like it will be the first chance I get, so I am looking forward to the sun. Might want to look into getting some shorts to. Some EXTRA tight ones! Ow Ow!
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