Holiday

Three hours ago I was driving toward the setting sun on the Pennsylvania Turnpike. Cognitively, I know that this fuzzy neon orange bubble in the pleasant dusk sky is the same sun that warmed us for (most of) the last week in Emerald Isle, NC, but it feels completely foreign.

For some unknown reason which speaks poorly of my cellular phone network choice, I couldn't gain access to my voice mailbox until we had crossed over into the Commonwealth of Virginia. I had ten messages, four of which were devoted to informing or updating me as to the status of BENJURY, 2006: WINSLOW, LOSE OR DRAW. Seriously, I'm as devoted to the Steelers as anybody, but I'm so ridiculously thankful that my out-of-town vacation coincided with the resultant media orgy. My guess is that by noon on Tuesday the bike wreck had its own local news theme music and logo. Incidentally, my own preferred design would be an amalgam of the Lombardi Trophy, the medical asp-on-staff insignia and a stylized number seven.

We had a great time on vacation. A few vacation-related observations:

1. I'm trying to think of the big-budget Hollywood films of the past 365 days that have given me as much pleasure as The Disney Channel's HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL. No kidding. I count GEORGE A. ROMERO'S THE LAND OF THE DEAD, THE 40 YEAR-OLD VIRGIN and THE NEW WORLD and no others. I have no desire to ask what this says about me.

2. I've waitied 35 years to name an official beer of Russ. I'm going with the Champagne of Beers. Oh, it's not my favorite. Not by a long shot. It's probably not even in the Top Fifty. Still, it is my official beer.

3. As far as I'm concerned, there are two essential DVD box sets this year: Rohmer's Moral Tales and the 1979 World Series. My friend Foob brought the latter set along and we spent the rainy mornings of two days watching Games Five and Six. It didn't disappoint. Even if watching the Fam-a-lee rebound from a 3-1 deficit against the Birds isn't your cup of tea, the Cosell-Drysdale color and play-by-play is a gold mine for any '70s-era sports fan. Throw in the promos for abc's 1979 fall lineup, and there's something for everyone.

Ali and I took the girls to see CARS. I've got a few thoughts I'll post tomorrow.

BONUS: Dan Laugharn pointed out this great live performance.