To cry for....

Two items tonight, neither of which are earth-shattering or of deep insight.

First is a movie item. My wife and I were "without kids" on Friday and following a very nice date in Boston, we decided to continue it by grabbing a movie. Sort of a last minute thing and we really didn't consider deeply the various options available, but we had seen the previews for "Marley & Me" and it seemed enjoyable enough. Owen Wilson and Jennnifer Aniston -- how deep could such a flick really be?

So we entered the movie with relatively low expectations, merely looking for some mindless entertainment and enjoyment. And that's how the story certainly started. Without giving away anything to those who plan to go see the story, let me just say that it was NOT what we expected. It was good and it wasn't deep, but it was not mindless, I suppose. For those who have seen it (and I gather from the numbers reported, quite a few have), I wonder if they were able to keep their emotions in check.

Which brings me to my second point for today; mindless entertainment that is to cry for! Our darling daughter terribly spoiled our son by giving him Guitar Hero World Tour for his XBox 360. He has had the system for a while and became a fervent action hero in a couple of games, such as the Halo series and some car chasing games, as well as flight games. I've tried my hand at some of these games and while they were mildly entertaining, I could not get engrossed in them.

But this Guitar Hero thing is different. First of all, the soundtrack is great with a lot of rock tunes from the seventies and eighties. Then there is the idea that you are actually creating music as part of this game is very appealing and strangely addictive. I've found it hard to put the guitar down and the only good reason is the fatigue that builds up in my left wrist and fingers as a result of the extended play. Finally, there is the competitive element of not only beating each individual gig, but going head to head with my (much) better son in a game we both seem to enjoy.

So here is to (two) things to cry for ... Marley & Me and Guitar Hero. What a way to end 2008, a year that was to cry for too!