4/3/07 post from douglasmyers.net

4/3/07 – Great weekend! Lots of outside playtime with the kids (swings, slide, sand table, “rock rock” in the rocking chairs). Spring flowers, hanging baskets, and planting. Card game with the guys on Saturday night - on the back deck, a Nat Sherman “Omerta” cigar, & Terri bought me a card shuffler and two new decks of Bicycles (yes, I’m getting spoiled). Absolutely great time to be outside.

300 – Saw it this past week. Incredible movie, but probably more so for guys than girls. Despite its inherent “graphic novel-ness,” which in my day was called a “comic book,” as seen in some of the villainous hordes of Xerxes, there was a strong grounding in fact. From the Spartans’ scarlet cloaks, which served to mask a bleeding wound, to their detailed phalanx formation, it rang to the core of this viewer. It beat its message like a drum - the bloody price of Freedom. It is this type of movie that I love best of all; one which is able to entertain, yet leave the audience with a little morsel of thought. So if you go to see it, enjoy the mix of “graphic” exaggeration with the grounding of fact. And prepare yourself not for “Glory” as the movie poster claims, but to give thanks to our military’s past and present. They’re the ones putting their life on the line for our Freedom. God bless them.

It’s official! – Terri and I are addicted to The Sopranos. We’ve been watching it for the last couple months on A&E from the very first episode. Yes it’s edited, but you’d be shocked at how much is left in each episode too. We’re now contemplating renting the seasons so we don’t have to wait a week for two more episodes.

Homebrew – Drumroll, please. Yes! I opened the first bottle an hour ago after putting a couple in the fridge yesterday. Quite good. I’d give it an 8, though I am biased. For an IPA it’s a little more on the amber side than usual, but the hoppiness really comes through in the aftertaste. I’m incredibly pleased with its outcome. So here’s a toast to anyone whose ever brewed their own beer. From the Ancients of Mesopotamia, to our Founding Fathers, to modern-day hand-crafted experts, Cheers!