Sunday, September 9, 2007

Into the Wild - the movie?

I forgot how I read about this, but I saw on imdb.com that the book Into the Wild has been made into a movie, with a screening at the Mill Valley Film Festival. I was excited at the chance to see it, but I hadn't learned about till now and I don't have the time or money ($150!) to attend the screening on 9/13.

I don't read much in terms of books. Magazines, cookbooks, myspace profiles, no problem! That crap, I can read forever. Books, and I'm not sure why, not so much. But Into the Wild is one book I actually own, having read it many years ago. I don't remember what exactly attracted me to the story but I do remember being upset through most of my reading, with Chris McCandless, so young, full of potential, and very privileged. At the time, I was at crossroads, struggling to get through college and start my life, thinking wow, what a waste.

Or was it? Bits and pieces of his story, written by Jon Krakauer, still stay with me to this day and that's why I was a little excited to know that the movie version was coming soon to a theater near me. I think I need to dig it out of the closet again and/or see the movie to revisit my feelings about Chris' experience and what he was really trying to discover out there in the wild. I get the feeling I'll be more sympathetic this second time around.

Sunday, September 2, 2007

Wake up now so you can go to sleep

My mom always says the television watches my dad, not the other way around.

My sister and I spent the night at my parents' house this past Friday. Guests usually sleep in the living room. My dad fell asleep on the couch and we had to wake him up so we could go to bed when the movie was over. It didn't matter that we were all howling through "Blades of Glory" and plain ole chit-chatting. I think the noise lulls him to sleep. He was awake for the beginning of the movie, but he gradually fell asleep.

He's been doing this for quite some time. I was still in high school and he'd come home around 11PM from his second job. I'd be doing homework (procrastinating) and we'd watch some TV together - Twilight Zone, news, Benny Hill, whatever, and talk about what was on or I would listen to him talk about stories he had related to what was on - and he'd eventually fall asleep. He'd sense things were done when the program was finished or when I'd start wrapping things up with my papers and he'd wake up.

On Friday however, a little nudging of his arm wasn't enough going to be enough. When we realized this was going to take a little more effort than normal, I blurted out, "Daddy, wake up now so you can go to sleep." We were laughing so hard, I think that really got his attention. So he said his goodnights and made his way up to the bedroom.