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Holidays

It seems like christmas came and went so fast. Gary and I flew down to So. Cal to spend christmas eve and day with his parents, the future in-laws. We had a nice time playing games and going on walks. They really enjoy giving us gifts too. I also got to spend some time with my family and friends. Gary and I spent the last day of Hannuka with my family. Later we went to Santa Barbara to see my grandfather. Since I got a new digital camera for Hannuka, some photos of this trip may be up loaded soon. It is just tiring to travel so much. I was glad to come home and sleep in my own bed.

Also, Sunday I went to see Lord of the Rings: Return of the King. I really liked it. First of all, the movie was pretty darn faithful to the book - the main changes were basically just omission or exajuration, nothing totally new. The part I missed the most was the Houses of Healing, but I hear it will be added in the DVD. I loved the depiction of the different cities and fortresses. Minas Tirath and Minas ilith were great. The characterization continued to work well. I loved Eowyn's part. I did think the ending dragged on a bit too much, but overall I think it was excellent. Can't wait to go see it again.

LOTR prep

Last weekend Gary and I spent sometime preparing for the third LOTR installment. We watched both extended addition DVDs and hosted a littel LOTR evening. The turnout was small, but we had a good time.

Also, Friday was the first night of Hannuka. We spent a lovely evening Friday with my Aunt Nancy and her family. Gary and I try to light candles each night and exchange a couple gifts. The rest of the festival of lights will probably pretty low key.

The Festival of Lights last for eight nights (December 20 - 27, 2003) and commemorates a Jewish victory against oppression. Read all about latkes, dreidels, maccabees, and menorahs!

Fuel efficient driving

Think you gas bill is too high? Want to help reduce pollution? Try these fuel efficiency tips
- Avoid quick "jackrabbit" starts and stops
- Keep you tires inflated properly
- Avoid idling you vehicle
- Use cruise control
- Get your regular car mantainence

Find out more tips on Fuel-efficient Driving .

Weekend update

Friday evening was a bit stressful when Gary and I got our messages crossed and each missed the other for dinner. He was waiting for me at the restaurant while I was waiting for him at home. That was very frustrating for both of us.

Otherwise, I had a pretty relaxing weekend. Saturday I went on a long jog and later volunteered at my cousin Mallory's Hannuka party. It reminded me of the good old days when I was in Jewish Youth Group. I got to host the extreme dreidel booth. It made me feel good to give back to the community.

Mistletoe

Mystic river

Gary and I saw the movie Mystic River on Saturday. I had heard it was a great film and a top contender for Academy Awards. I guess it was a very well done film, the acting was excellent, but the story was so depresssing and painful. I think the point of the movie is that bad stuff happens, people get messed up, and it just snow balls out of control from there. Although I'm glad I saw it, I can't really say I liked the movie.

Matrix Revolutions

Last night Gary and I saw Matrix 3 (Revolutions). I had heard it was a let down, and it was. The movie was one long tense moment, hammered out with each fight scene.

I did like the first gun fight outside the club, although is seemed a redo of the major gun fight from the first movie. The actor who had to mimic Agent Smith in the "real" world gave a good performance. Also, I like seeing how the machines and the programs could be real people too.

I did not like to overdone fight scenes. Nor the mysterious, garbled and cliched dialogue. The most disappointing thing was the lack of original thought. I felt the best thing about the first two movies was the ideas they presented: the first movie brought up the conflict between perception and reality; the second focused on fate vs. choice. These are great philosophical concepts to wrap your brain around. This movie goes with classic Savior dogma - have faith in the messiah who dies to save the world. Ugh, what a dissapointment.

Bridesmaid dresses

I have decided on bridesmaid dresses for the wedding. Since I want the gals to be able to pick something that fits their bodies and their price range, I choose the seperates at Eden Bridal. That way they can pick what ever top, bottom, or dress that they like, so long as they're all in the same color - cranberry.

Thanksgiving

It was great having some time off and spending time with family. It was also good to see my brother, Ari for his birthday. Gary and I lucked out for Thanksgiving this year. Gary's parents graciously decided to attend Thanksgiving with
my family. It was fun, and it made things so much simpler for us two.