First up was Commune, a documentary about a commune that was started in the 60's in northern California known as the Black Bear Ranch. It was mostly fond reminiscing of what had happened, with some sad notes about a young girl who was taken by some cult and left with other families in the Phillipines and India. Enjoyable but lightweight.

The second movie we saw at the actual theater, not slumped on the couch. It was
The Orphanage, or El Orfanato, produced by the director of Pan's Labyrinth, and entirely in Spanish (with English subtitles). I was even able to remember a little Spanish from high school, and caught a slight subtitling flaw( they translated digame Pilar as Pilar).

A woman buys the orphanage she grew up in to make a home for special kids, along with her husband the doctor and their adopted son. Their son sees things, and eventually disappears. It was good, a little scary, and not very gory. Quite a few of the usual Gothic horror movie touches. The local paper had a good minireview, you can't or shouldn't go home again, especially if home was a haunted orphanage.

In book news, I went back in time from the Battle of the Bulge to the Battle of the Huertgen Forest with Macdonald's
The Battle of the Huertgen Forest. He also did A Time For Trumpets, which I mentioned last week, as a very good Bulge book with lots of maps showing many of the individual engagements ( I forgot to mention that last week). It's a good quick read about the Hell of the Huertgen, and the many mistakes the American made in that battle.

I also got to watch some football. Eleven year old had a phys ed homework assignment to watch a team sport and see how the players interact with each other, the coaches, and the referees. The only organized sport she likes to watch is football, fortunately there were football games on.

Eleven year old's media onslaught continues. In addition to the billboard, we got a mail flyer with her picture on it, advertising the new exhibit at the museum, then the ad was in Sunday's paper, and now in Thursday weekend section, and today's Living section. Enough already.

I've been good on the workout routine, working out three times this week, including last night. I was even able to get on an elliptical, with the Resolution crowd still in force I've often had to use the steppers. I'll be glad when people get lazy again.

Tomorrow is the monthly gaming meet, which I'm hoping to attend. In other gaming news, eleven year old's teacher brought a game back from a teacher's workshop in Massachusetts, Carcassonne. Eleven year old said it was boring wihtout all the supplements, but she still won.

Tonight is an extended playdate with newspaper_girl, eleven year old is hoping for an overnight, I don't think that's going to happen.