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	04 February 2005 PHOTO DIARY. And there it is. My work is done.   Back to main PHOTO DIARY. The hummingbirds outside our window finally grew old enough to leave the nest.   Back to main 31 January 2005 MOVIE: THE FORGOTTEN (2004). A woman searches for answers as traces of her recently deceased son begin disappearing around her. Oh, this movie is utter crap. Crap all the way through. Slice it lengthwise, or down the middle, and it's all pure, smoothly consistent crap. Never mind the fact that it's a little late to try doing in two hours what the X-Files could (and did) accomplish in a single one-hour episode--this film has way more problems than its unsurprising aliens-among-us premise. It starts out frantic and never lets up. Relationships form out of nowhere and take on meaningless significance. The woman (and her conveniently hunky ex-pro hockey player sidekick, also forced out of his fabulous Pottery Barn-flavored New York flat) stumbles upon crucial clues absurdly left behind by a supposedly all-seeing and all-powerful alien legion. The one good thing about the movie was the alien abduction effect, by which a demonic wind spectacularly plucks characters up into the sky without warning. But it's not nearly enough to save this cinematic mistake. After about the fourth or fifth chase scene, not even the emotionally athletic Julienne Moore could give this story any credibility. Crap like this is too big to be dealt with without serious exertion; best to just give it an F, followed by a "See me during office hours," and send it back. What have you done with my son! I want my son! Where is my son!   Back to main PHOTO DIARY. My brother bought a sweet new car today: a 2005 Lexus LE. No more shitty truck for him. The thing rides like a silent lazy boy chair on wheels. He calls it the ajishi ("ojii-san" or "old man") mobile.   Back to main 30 January 2005 PHOTO DIARY. Me and Nik drove up to North Santa Barbara this weekend to celebrate her recent employment after nine months of searching and stressing. We stopped in Solvang, a little town off the 101 which for some reason looks like a Danish village. Aside from excellent homemade danishes, Solvang doesn't have much else to offer but but silly tourist kitsch. We then headed a few minutes north into wine country... ...and hit some of the wineries for tastings. Many of the local inns now offer Sideways tours because here's where the film was shot. (No, we didn't take one.) One of the wineries (Brander I think) looked like a little pink castle. They had awful whites. Good cabernets, though. Then we went back to the hotel in Los Olivos and feasted on caviar, anchovies, cheeses, and a wonderful 2005 diet Pepsi. On our way home we stopped by Pea Soup Andersen's, a highway landmark. Their pea soup was, in fact, very tasty. Other dishes, not so much. Pea Soup Andersen's also features a strange Danish theme.   Back to main PHOTO DIARY. The hummingbird outside my window had babies! Two, in fact. Mama hummingbird dutifully regurgitates into their little beaks daily.   Back to main Archives. 17 August 2003 — 24 August 2003 — 31 August 2003 — 07 September 2003 — 14 September 2003 — 02 November 2003 — 09 November 2003 — 16 November 2003 — 23 November 2003 — 30 November 2003 — 07 December 2003 — 01 February 2004 — 08 February 2004 — 15 February 2004 — 22 February 2004 — 29 February 2004 — 07 March 2004 — 14 March 2004 — 21 March 2004 — 28 March 2004 — 04 April 2004 — 11 April 2004 — 18 April 2004 — 25 April 2004 — 02 May 2004 — 09 May 2004 — 16 May 2004 — 23 May 2004 — 30 May 2004 — 06 June 2004 — 13 June 2004 — 20 June 2004 — 27 June 2004 — 04 July 2004 — 11 July 2004 — 18 July 2004 — 25 July 2004 — 01 August 2004 — 08 August 2004 — 15 August 2004 — 22 August 2004 — 29 August 2004 — 05 September 2004 — 12 September 2004 — 19 September 2004 — 26 September 2004 — 03 October 2004 — 10 October 2004 — 17 October 2004 — 24 October 2004 — 31 October 2004 — 07 November 2004 — 14 November 2004 — 21 November 2004 — 28 November 2004 — 05 December 2004 — 12 December 2004 — 19 December 2004 — 26 December 2004 — 02 January 2005 — 09 January 2005 — 23 January 2005 — 30 January 2005 — 06 February 2005 — 13 February 2005 — 20 February 2005 — 27 February 2005 — 13 March 2005 — 20 March 2005 — 27 March 2005 — 03 April 2005 — 10 April 2005 — 17 April 2005 — 24 April 2005 — 01 May 2005 — 08 May 2005 — 22 May 2005 — 29 May 2005 — 05 June 2005 — 12 June 2005 — 19 June 2005 — 26 June 2005 — 03 July 2005 — 10 July 2005 — 17 July 2005 — 24 July 2005 — 31 July 2005 — 07 August 2005 — 14 August 2005 — 28 August 2005 — 04 September 2005 — 25 September 2005 — 02 October 2005 — 09 October 2005 — 30 October 2005 — 06 November 2005 — 13 November 2005 — 20 November 2005 — 27 November 2005 — 04 December 2005 — 18 December 2005 — 01 January 2006 — 08 January 2006 — 15 January 2006 — 22 January 2006 — 05 February 2006 — 26 February 2006 — 12 March 2006 — 19 March 2006 — 26 March 2006 — 02 April 2006 — 16 April 2006 — 23 April 2006 — 30 April 2006 — 07 May 2006 — 14 May 2006 — 21 May 2006 — 04 June 2006 — 18 June 2006 — 25 June 2006 — 16 July 2006 — 23 July 2006 — 06 August 2006 — 13 August 2006 — 03 September 2006 — 17 September 2006 — 01 October 2006 —