Dancing is over!

I did have something to talk about yesterday. Thanks to some server issues, I completely forgot what that was. I'm sure I'll remember eventually. My daughter and I had our dance recital on Sunday. It went very well but it left me so worn out. Now I have a summer free of dancing. Well, almost. My daughter is taking a jazz/hip-hop class on Wednesdays. However, my mother will be taking her to that. I don't have to look at the studio until August. Yay!

(I almost want to look for testosterone cream that works to see if that would make girls less....girly. A big huge room of chattering girls can give one a big huge headache!)

So busy!

Work has been crazy. A little over a month ago, our controller was let go for reasons I won't explain here. Let's just say she deserved it. Anyway, this has left our new CFO to try to figure out things like 'why do we have 18 merchant accounts?' (Hey! Maybe we can sell merchant accounts as a side business!) In reality, there is no reason for us to have that many. The company changed names years ago and the controller never closed out the accounts associated with that name. I've been helping the CFO try to figure everything out. That is why I have been so quiet. Hopefully this will all end soon!

Movie review: Alice in Wonderland

I finally got the chance to sit down and watch the Blu-Ray of Tim Burton's version of Alice in Wonderland. While I was very interested in it, I have to admit that I haven't been following all the news on it very closely. I saw the "sneak peek" pictures of the Mad Hatter, the Red Queen, and the White Queen, but I wasn't quite sure how they would work when moving. Luckily, I was pleasantly surprised.

Despite the movie being titled Alice in Wonderland, the movie is based more on the sequel, Through the Looking Glass. Alice had spent time in Underland, which she misheard as Wonderland, as a child. However, she wrote it off as sheer craziness and forgot all about it as she grew up. Years later, she happens upon the white rabbit and once more falls down the rabbit hole. There she finds the Red Queen has stolen the throne from the White Queen. Prophecy says that Alice will slay the Jabberwocky, bringing the White Queen and peace back to the kingdom.

The graphics for the movie are gorgeous. I really wish we had seen it in the 3D. I'm sure that tons of people have complained about the look of everything. However, I think it fits right in with the original story. Much like the black-and-white-to-color change in The Wizard of Oz, the look of Underland makes it clear that this is a completely different world where the usual rules don't necessarily apply.

I also found the acting to be superb. Matt Lucas plays both of the Tweedles. I can't imagine how difficult it must have been to recreate each emotion, each movement for each of the characters yet still have the concentration to perform the lines properly. Both Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter revel in odd roles so they were a perfect fit for the Mad Hatter and the Red Queen. The real surprises come with the virtually unkown Mia Wasikowska as Alice and Anne Hathaway as the White Queen. Wasikowska manages to bring an innocence to the adult Alice while still giving her the backbone to stand up to authority. Meanwhile, Hathaway has this ethereal presence as the White Queen. I recommend everyone watch the bonus material. There is some great insight to how the actors brought these characters to life.

If you're not a fan of Tim Burton's style, then you aren't going to like this movie. But if you are, like I am, I think you will find it amazing and beautiful and one of his best works. (Just to note, I feel the same way about his Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.)

Three years coming up

Wow. It's almost been three years since I started TGW. Thanks for putting up with the posts about hemorrhoidal treatments and stuff. I hope that I've been able to entertain a little bit at least. Unfortunately, I didn't get to finish the jdorama over the weekend. I ended up with too much on my plate. With any luck, I'll be able to get through it this weekend. My daughter and I have our recital next weekend so nothing geeky will get accomplished then. However, after that, my schedule frees up quite a bit. Maybe I'll be able to get through quite a few series this summer! Wish me luck!

Game review: Virtual Villagers 4: The Tree of Life

Virtual Villagers is one of my favorite games. The fourth game in the series is titled The Tree of Life. Your tribe (from the previous games) is sending out 5 villagers to check out some strange happenings on the island. Instead of randomly assigning you villagers, you get to choose your party. Once you arrive at your destination, you find out that the Tree of Life is dying. It is your job to figure out how to heal the tree. As usual, the gameplay has not changed. All of the commands are exactly the same as the previous incarnations of the game. However, this is not a bad thing. Experienced players can skip the tutorial and jump right into the game with no problems. At the same time, the controls are easy enough the beginners can pick them up quickly.

Besides, the best part of the game is the puzzles. Each version of the game gives you a variety of puzzles for your islanders to solve. It's usually something that will advance your tribe's abilities. For example, "build nets to catch fish" will help your villagers bulk up their food supply. It is so much fun to figure out exactly what you need to do in order to finish all of the puzzles. Meanwhile, there are still collectibles for the children to gather. I haven't finished most of the collections yet, but there is usually a reward once each collection is complete.

I would say this game is aimed at fans of The Sims or other simulation games. Though, if you really enjoy puzzles, you might like this too.