Howdy readers

Ho ho howdy.

I saw a horrible movie from the 80’s. “Slam Dance”. Terrible.

I saw a very good, albeit intense movie from a few years back, “Mean Creek”. It was a bit like “Stand By Me” but with a body count. I have to give incredibly praise to the adolescent and teen actors in this movie. They all showed skill beyond their years. Particularly impressive was Josh Peck playing a bully with more complexity and depth than such a character is usually given when Our Hero is the smaller picked-on kid.

A lot of great and heavy questions were asked: who has the right to judge, if you could kill your tormentors would you, the bond between brothers…it was all there and very, very real.

I saw some good lighthearted fare as well. My sister and Lauren and I went over to the Alamo and caught the new Will Smith movie. It was, of course, pretty by the numbers. Hard situation, adversity, more adversity, and through pluck and luck and determination it all works out. It’s good for the holidays and I left with a smile.

To be perfectly honest I was feeling a good bit burned out Saturday and seeing a movie like that was precisely what I needed.

Sunday we headed down to the outlets in San Marcos and, having arrived there, I thought we would make a visit to old San Antone for an early dinner. We drove into town and parked near the riverwalk. After a stroll we ate at Rio Rio and then wandered about some more before heading over to the Alamo, the real one, not the movie theater.