Top Gun Maverick

I decided to follow the crowd this weekend and went to see Top Gun Maverick. I had hiked that morning and thought continuing my break from reality sounded appealing.

Boy, was this ever the right choice.

To be clear, I enjoyed the original movie but am not a huge Tom Cruise fan. All the same, I’ve heard rave reviews from friends who saw the movie and thought it sounded fun.

It is packed with action, witty dialogue and a whole lot of aerial stunts. They used real planes – in fact everything about this movie feels authentic.

Best of all, this movie asked nothing of me.

There was no political bickering, no griping about inflation, no social maneuvering and no sense that you are expected to do anything except sit in the dark and try to keep up with the high flying action.

We’ve reached a point in American society where the philosophy seems to be you’re either with me or against me. We drag politics and social justice into absolutely every conversation, embracing what divides us rather than seeking common ground.

The message of this movie is teamwork and working together to accomplish the impossible. It’s about bringing everyone back from a mission alive.

I think this was my first movie experience since the pandemic began. In fact, I can’t even remember the last time I stepped into a theater even though it used to be a somewhat frequent pastime.

This movie was an amazing escape from my reality which all too often is unpleasant.

Incidentally, this is a movie that you should see on the big screen. Some movies can be viewed anywhere but this one is so expansive, so action packed, that it’s best appreciated at the theater.

Doors of Marietta

One of the best things about being on foot is that you notice things you would miss from a car. I love to park my car and just wander around a town – even one that I know well – looking for things that interest me.

I visit Marietta several times a year, usually to antique or to see a show, but walking around with my camera is fun sometimes too. I’m sort of obsessed with doors so it comes as no surprise that I produced a substantial amount of door pictures this last trip.

Here are a few.

Is there something you always seek out? Sometimes I feel like a broken record, looking at all my door pictures, but I really don’t care. A good door makes me happy.

Inconceivable!

I spent last evening at the movies, watching one of my favorite films on the big screen. A local historic theater hosted a screening of The Princess Bride for free and I just had to go. It is, after all, one of the most quotable movies of all time!

If you aren’t familiar, or if the line “as you wish” doesn’t ring any bells, please stop reading and immediately go watch the movie. Then come back and we’ll chat about how fabulous it is!

The Markay was on the brink of loss several years ago but an amazing group of people with the Southern Hills Arts Council rallied to bring it back to its present glorious state. The project was enormous. It was costly. It took years because they paid cash for the whole thing through donations, fundraisers and grants.

The thought of all they accomplished by rolling up their sleeves and diving in makes my heart swell with pride and hope for other historic structures that are in trouble.

I’ll tell you more of their story someday but, for now, here’s a couple of pictures from my fun evening there.