Gary and I went out to see Harry Potter 4 on Sunday. I like the movie, good action and special effects. It still think number 3 is my favorite thought.
I reread the book recently and noticed how much was missing. It actually seemed like the film glossed over so much. I mean, if they are going to leave it in the movie, at least make it worth it.
For example - the reporter, Rita Skeeter. She is a whole seperate subplot of snooping, slander, and what I see as JK's social commentary on the papparazzi. She is still in the move, but without the juicy stuff from the book, why bother.
If they were going to waterdown parts, might as well take it out - like the house elves. I was perfectly content to see no mention of house elves what so ever in the movie. You didn't even miss Binky, Dobby and SPEW. Better to take it out all together and focus more on what you leave in instead of a milder version of the original.
It also reminded my of why I try to avoid movie theaters. Parking is frustrating, the seats are uncomfortable, people talk, and it costs a fortune. I'm planning to see less movies in the theater and wait for the DVD and netflix.
The last few days I've been attending the National Society of Genetic Counselors annual education conference. For the first time I can remember, the convention is actuall in LA so I didn't have to fly anywhere or get a hotel room. This was good and bad; it can be fun to travel to a new city, but I also appreciate the comforts of home.
I learned some new stuff about genetic diseases and how to explain them to others. I'll change some of the strategies I use in the office, mainly to use less statistics or make the numbers more simple since most people really do not understand probabilities and complex numbers. Although I did get some education out of the conference, the best part, was seeing classmates from grad school, old coworkers from Sacramento, and other friends and collegues.
While Gary and I were in the middle of the move, and we had no TV or internet at the house, only the newspaper, I got hooked on a puzzle game called Sudoku. It is kind of like a crossword puzzle, but with numbers. I love logic games, and this was right up my alley. If you have some time to waste and enjoy logic puzzles, I recommend it.
My favorite internet site for sudoku is Lovatts because you can write notes in a text box above each square before having to fill in the answer.
Over the weekend I went up to Oakland with my Mom to visit my Aunt Nancy and cousin Mallory. It was a bit of a girls weekend. My Mom was going up to give an author talk in Oakland, and although they live in Sacramento, Nancy offered to swing over and meet up.
Gary and I spent a lot of time with them during our stay in Sacramento, and I miss Nancy and her family alot. We didn't do anything fancy - just went for long walks, picked up take out, played cards, etc, But it was really nice just hang out with them and spend time together.