It’s been almost two months, but I’ve finally gotten some resolution on my camera theft from my apartment.

As you may recall, I was robbed the day after Thanksgiving. I had a big-screen TV delivered, and when my back was turned, the delivery guys stole my camera, which was sitting out on the table. Well, I don’t have video surveillance that they took it, but it was on the table when they arrived and the camera was gone when they were gone. You do the math.

And that’s exactly what happeIt’s been almost two months, but I’ve finally gotten some resolution on my camera theft from my apartment.

As you may recall, I was robbed the day after Thanksgiving. I had a big-screen TV delivered, and when my back was turned, the delivery guys stole my camera, which was sitting out on the table. Well, I don’t have video surveillance that they took it, but it was on the table when they arrived and the camera was gone when they were gone. You do the math.

And that’s exactly what happened. The local retailer in question was PC Richards, and, much to my surprise, I’ve been reimbursed–in full–for my camera. Their head of security didn’t just talk the talk, he walked the walk. He said he would investigate – he did. He said he would come by my apartment personally and talk to me – he did. He said he would question the drivers hard (they were contracted from an agency; they were not PC Richards employees) – he did. And he said, if it was at all possible, he would get me some compensation for my camera, even though we couldn’t technically prove the drivers stole it – he did.

The head of security arranged for PC Richards to supply me with a new camera. I was certainly appreciative, but since I wasn’t sure I wanted the camera they offered, instead I requested that they give me PC Richards gift cards instead at the value of my stolen camera, so I could buy what I wanted. It took a little doing, but that’s exactly what happened.

In my wildest dreams I never thought I’d get my money back. I did. And I never thought they would apologize up and down, and take responsibility. They did.

I’m still pissed my camera was stolen in the first place, but I’ll say this – PC Richards claims to be a company of integrity. They lived up to it.

Post edited by: rcolchamiro, at: 2009/01/23 11:37

New Year’s Eve day Liz and I were running some errands in the city, one of them being to look for a new dog at Bide-a-Wee, the animal shelter on the east side. We had been there before, and I liked it, so we took another trip. Turns out they didn’t really have any dogs we were interested in, but I figured, [i]hey, we’re here, I’ll just check out the cats. Just to see them[/i]. It was the holidays, and heck, I wanted a treat, if only for a few minutes.

Into the cat room I went, and naturalNew Year’s Eve day Liz and I were running some errands in the city, one of them being to look for a new dog at Bide-a-Wee, the animal shelter on the east side. We had been there before, and I liked it, so we took another trip. Turns out they didn’t really have any dogs we were interested in, but I figured, [i]hey, we’re here, I’ll just check out the cats. Just to see them[/i]. It was the holidays, and heck, I wanted a treat, if only for a few minutes.

Into the cat room I went, and naturally within minutes–okay, seconds–I was all goo-goo eyed over them. I can’t help it. I really want another cat. But after hanging out with some of the bigger cats, it was time for us to go. We were there for a dog, so why keep torturing myself?

But on my way out, I saw it. Or should I say, I saw them.

In a cage was not one, but two cats. Brothers. They were five months old, so cute, and the same general breed as Alex.

My radar went cuckoo for Coco Puffs.

I asked the cat dude If I could see them, and of course I just flipped out. So from there they took us into a separate room where you get to just hang out with the animal(s) you’re considering for adoption.

The two cats were just playing away, climbing up this small Christmas tree, play fighting with each other.

Just to get to this point, a pretty major shift has occurred for us. Liz and I were there for a dog, we’re going to get a dog, regardless, so cats are not really in the cards for the time being. For me, this was like test driving a car you know you can’t afford and will never buy. You just want to imagine, if only for a little while, that it could be yours. That it [i]is[/i] yours.

And then a funny thing happened. I was digging the cats. Liz was even digging themm and after a while, I sorta, kinda suggested that I [i]really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really[/i] wanted to get them. I mean, I know we couldn’t [i]get[/i] them, but that didn’t stop me from saying how much I [i]wanted[/i] them.

And then another funny thing happened. The idea of actually taking the cats–the fantasy–started to drift into the realm of maybe. Of reality.

Now this is big.

Big, big, big.

At this point it’s not me saying how much I want these cats, but should we seriously adopt them? I want to–I know I shouldn’t–but I want to anyway. So Liz and I discuss. We hem and haw. We go over the pros (I want them! They’re so cute) and the cons (cons, shmons), and finally, after about a half hour, I look over at Liz and say, "So? Should we do it?"

Her answer? "Okay. Let’s do it."

[i]Say what now?[/i]

I’m in total shock, but it’s a great shock, but I’m in shock nonetheless. I expected Liz to shoot the idea down. And rightfully so. But if she was in, I was in.

Next I tell the Bide-a-wee staff that I’ll take them, I fill out the necessary paperwork, and ten minutes later … they’re mine.

Mine, mine, mine, mine.

Mine.

And then …

Reality set in. As much as I really wanted them, as much as they seemed like the perfect cats for me, for us, I had this pang in my gut that said, "Dude, you know you can’t do this."

Naturally, I ignored that feeling.

But it didn’t go away. And against all the odds, I had to back out. I actually looked Liz right in the eye and said, "We can’t. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but we can’t."

And we didn’t.

In the end it was just a crazy flirtation with an impulse buy that didn’t quite come to be. Liz is still shocked I pulled the plug, but even I had to admit to myself that it was just too big of a commitment to do on the fly. The timing wasn’t right, even if I really wanted it to happen.

Oh, well. Maybe next time.

I’ll say up front that [i]The Curious Case of Benjamin Button[/i] is a bit long, and flawed in places … but, wow. What a movie. Rarely have I walked out of the theater thinking I’ve seen something truly special. This is one of those times.

Quite surprisingly (at least to me), [i]The Curious Case of Benjamin Button[/i] has a real magical quality that I didn’t expect. The plot is certainly unusual–Benjamin is born and old man and gets progressively younger–even if it’s more just a journeI’ll say up front that [i]The Curious Case of Benjamin Button[/i] is a bit long, and flawed in places … but, wow. What a movie. Rarely have I walked out of the theater thinking I’ve seen something truly special. This is one of those times.

Quite surprisingly (at least to me), [i]The Curious Case of Benjamin Button[/i] has a real magical quality that I didn’t expect. The plot is certainly unusual–Benjamin is born and old man and gets progressively younger–even if it’s more just a journey of his strange life than having a true story arc.

It’s a visually dazzling movie and a tale that really makes you think about your life and what it means to go through it both alone and connecting with others in all sorts of strange and unexpected ways. To watch Brad as Benjamin Button start off as this really old man–small and shriveled–and get younger and more energetic, is really a remarkable bit of film-making.

I understand the complaints from those who don’t quite "get" this movie–it won’t be for everyone–but if you want a movie-going experience that will stay with you long after it’s over, see this movie. It’s one you won’t forget.

So the big question of the day is: Is [i]Slumdog Millionaire[/i] a great movie?

For me, yes. And no.

First, [i]Slumdog Millionaire[/i] is not the movie I thought it would be. You hear all this buzz about it being a "feel good movie," but that gives a really false impression. [i]Slumdog Millionaire[/i] is a crafty, gritty movie about tormented children surviving the harsh slums of Mumbai. It’s more a crime movie–told in flashbacks–than anything else. It also happens to havSo the big question of the day is: Is [i]Slumdog Millionaire[/i] a great movie?

For me, yes. And no.

First, [i]Slumdog Millionaire[/i] is not the movie I thought it would be. You hear all this buzz about it being a "feel good movie," but that gives a really false impression. [i]Slumdog Millionaire[/i] is a crafty, gritty movie about tormented children surviving the harsh slums of Mumbai. It’s more a crime movie–told in flashbacks–than anything else. It also happens to have a cheesy love-story ending, which is where the "feel good" part comes in.

At about two hours, there’s a lot to love about this movie. There’s a really interesting–and surprising tale here–with great music, visuals, performances and pacing. And for most of this movie, I would say it’s great. But the ending really fell flat for me. There’s a fairly intricate plot that has the characters deeply entrenched in the plot, which almost all of a sudden wraps up too easily and too neatly, with several plot holes that just don’t quite add up, which I thought undermined the overall movie.

Should you see [i]Slumdog Millionaire[/i]? Absolutely. It’s great in a lot of ways. And if you can overlook the trite ending, you’ll think this is a great movie in its entirety. But even if you don’t, it’s a special movie that’s certainly worth your time and attention.

I’ll say up front that I’m generally not a big fan of Ron Howard movies (although I loved [i]Parenthood[/i]), but I definitely enjoyed [i]Frost/Nixon[/i]. It was really interesting to get the inside play on how Richard Nixon took himself down, and how unlikely it seemed that it would happen the way it did. The movie gives a real feeling of the times (so people tell me who remember them), and the face-off between reporter David Frost and the ex-president were riveting at times.

Yet while I I’ll say up front that I’m generally not a big fan of Ron Howard movies (although I loved [i]Parenthood[/i]), but I definitely enjoyed [i]Frost/Nixon[/i]. It was really interesting to get the inside play on how Richard Nixon took himself down, and how unlikely it seemed that it would happen the way it did. The movie gives a real feeling of the times (so people tell me who remember them), and the face-off between reporter David Frost and the ex-president were riveting at times.

Yet while I did really like [i]Frost/Nixon[/i], there wasn’t a lot of there, there. I was definitely into the movie while I was watching it, but it didn’t stay with me for very long after it was over. Essentially it’s just a two-man play, on the screen, about an interview between two very different men–and extremely unlikely adversaries. The performances are terrific and it is a fun movie, and even more so if you like history.

[i]Frost/Nixon[/i] is getting a lot of Oscar Buzz, some of it deserved (for the acting). I wouldn’t go so far as to say it’s "movie of the year" calibre, but it is a thumbs up for sure.

Every year I go through the same debate with myself: the best movies vs. my favorite movies. Well, it took me a little longer to see all the movies on the list, but now that I’m caught up, here is my list for my top 10 [i]favorite[/i] movies of 2008.

[b]10. The Incredible Hulk[/b]: I know I’m going to get a lot of grief about this one. The last act was a dud, but otherwise I really enjoyed this movie. Hulk went smash. I had fun. Not in the same class as the top comic book movies, but for a Every year I go through the same debate with myself: the best movies vs. my favorite movies. Well, it took me a little longer to see all the movies on the list, but now that I’m caught up, here is my list for my top 10 [i]favorite[/i] movies of 2008.

[b]10. The Incredible Hulk[/b]: I know I’m going to get a lot of grief about this one. The last act was a dud, but otherwise I really enjoyed this movie. Hulk went smash. I had fun. Not in the same class as the top comic book movies, but for a two-hour check your brain at the door movie, it was good by me.

[b]9. Gran Torino[/b]: There’s not a lot of plot there. Cranky old man’s wife dies. He hates the new neighbors, but they win him over. The movie has heart, although it runs a bit long a slow in places. But the true pleasure is watching Clint Eastwood in a role he should have been nominated for. His performance makes the movie work.

[b]8. Slumdog Millionaire:[/b] This is a great movie for the first two-thirds before the final act falls apart with a silly Hollywood ending. Dazzling and surprising, I was really sucked in. Slumdog deserves a lot of the hype it’s getting. But that ending …

[b]7. The Bank Job:[/b] This biopic about the true story of the biggest bank robbery ever is fun from beginning to end. The characters were glossed over, but I was in all the way. This is one crime movie I’ll be coming back to. Why David Statham isn’t a bigger star is beyond me. His day is coming.

[b]6. Forgetting Sarah Marshall[/b]: My favorite flat-out comedy of the year. Good laughs all the way through, and it holds up on repeat viewings.

[b]5. Frost/Nixon:[/b] The retelling of the David Frost/Richard Nixon interviews is compelling, but nobody’s showing up for the movie itself. It’s the one-on-one between Frost and Nixon we all wanted to see. Those moments do not disappoint. There’s not a lot of story there for a thorough movie, although it does a nice job of capturing the feeling of the times. Just watch the performances. Worth it.

[b]4. Milk:[/b] By the time you get to the end it’s really quite remarkable what Harvey Milk accomplished as the first openly gay politician in America. It took a little while for me to get into it, but the performances are good across the board, and the tension builds throughout.

[b]3. Iron Man[/b]: Robert Downey Jr. absolutely sells this movie. Probably the most charismatic superhero performance ever. Iron Man is fun, fun, fun. It could have used a few more strong actors to fill it out, but Iron Man is one of the top comic movies to come out. I’m so in for Iron Man 2.

[b]2. The Dark Knight[/b]: What truly surprised me was the scope. The Dark Knight wasn’t so much a Batman movie as a crime movie that Batman happened to be. Heath Ledger deserves all the praise he got for his performance as the Joker–one we’ll never forget. The Dark Knight was dark and thrilling, although it ran long and flat in places. But it was so ambitious–a modern day retelling of Elliot Ness and Al Capone–that it upped the level of what comic movies were and showed us what they can be.

[b]1. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button[/b]: I know this movie isn’t for everyone, and get why those don’t like it were disappointed. But for me, this was one of the greatest movie-going experiences I’ve had in years. Benjamin Button has a magical quality that really surprised me. It transported me. Watching Brad Pitt start off as this tiny old man, and then get younger–and wiser–was something to see. I didn’t totally buy the love story at the center, but this movie so dazzled me that I couldn’t stop talking about after it was over.

Post edited by: rcolchamiro, at: 2009/01/14 06:07

Post edited by: rcolchamiro, at: 2009/02/16 19:01

Post edited by: rcolchamiro, at: 2009/02/16 19:02

It’s always fun to take a look back at the year in TV, and this one had a lot of quality shows in the top 5, which it made it hard to choose between them. Honestly, I could (and did) change my mind a dozen times over, depending on what I’m in the mood to watch that day. But below are my top 10 favorite shows from 2008:

[b]1. Mad Men[/b] – Bleak as all get out, but I just can’t turn away. The characters are so layered, so full of pain and angst, that it’s almost hard to believe they’re not rIt’s always fun to take a look back at the year in TV, and this one had a lot of quality shows in the top 5, which it made it hard to choose between them. Honestly, I could (and did) change my mind a dozen times over, depending on what I’m in the mood to watch that day. But below are my top 10 favorite shows from 2008:

[b]1. Mad Men[/b] – Bleak as all get out, but I just can’t turn away. The characters are so layered, so full of pain and angst, that it’s almost hard to believe they’re not real. Other shows are more fun, but none are better.

[b]2. The Wire [/b]- The only shame is that this brilliant show–maybe the best ever–has run it’s course. Season 5 didn’t quite hit the ultimate high-water mark of the season before it, but that’s only because the mark was that high. Not just a great crime show, but a great, great show of any kind. The series came to its close with some shocking conclusions and characters–and a city–you will simply never forget.

[b]3. Lost [/b]- Talk about a comeback. It had a few off moments, but I can rarely remember having this much fun watching TV, and can’t wait for Season 5 to start. It’s a wild, outrageous sci/fi fantasy romp that you have to just jump in and go with the ride.

[b]4. Battlestar Galactica [/b]- Space sagas can be difficult to maintain, but I can watch this show forever. Horrible to believe it’s coming to an end this season, but if the final episodes are as good as the ones that have come before it, it’ll be one for the ages. Another brilliant show coming to its conclusion.

[b]5. The Office[/b] – Cringe-inducing laughter. Addictive, hilarious.

[b]6. Dexter[/b] – I’m a little late to the party on this one, but it’s such a bizarrely addictive show I can’t believe it took me so long to find it. CSI/blood splatter guy by day, serial killer by night. Who only kills really, really bad people. I’m so in.

[b]7. Entourage[/b] – Not nearly the thrill a minute it show it used to be, but it’s still entertaining. This most recent season started slow, then got better and better as it went along. The finale was almost great, but then fell a little flat at the end. I’m still in, but it’s not the champ of it’s earliest seasons.

[b]8. In Treatment[/b] – It’s an unusual set-up: one episode a night, each night, for nine straight weeks, for 45 episodes total. A remake of an Israeli show, In Treatment follows Gabriel Byrne as a shrink who treats four patients on their regular night each week, and then sees his own shrink for his weekly session. Totally addictive, very intense. It’s love it or hate it. You have to invest in the whole series for the final payoff. Worth it.

[b]9. The Shield[/b] – Again, I’m way late to the party on this one, but it’s a gritty cop show that’s powerful and shocking. I’m only at the beginning of the series (I know it just wrapped), but I’m psyched to see where it takes me.

[b]10. Life[/b] – Not real high on the believability scale, even for a cop show, but the characters are likeable and the mythology of the show still keeps me wanting to know more. Slipped a bit for me this season, but I’m hoping it’ll straighten out.

Biggest Disappointments:

[b]Heroes[/b] – went from a fun, promising popcorn show with fun characters into one of the most unwatchable shows on TV. What the heck happened?

[b]Grey’s Anatomy[/b] – This was never more than pretty people looking good and doing fun, ridiculous things we just loved to watch. A pure guilty pleasure. Now, it’s almost in the realm of stupidest. Show. Ever.

[b]Life on Mars[/b] – I’m not saying this a bad show; its OK. It’s just that, for the hype and the premise, I wanted more. Too cheesy when it doesnt’ need to be.

Post edited by: rcolchamiro, at: 2009/01/13 11:18

A funny thing happened after my last gmail debacle.

Remember how I wrote that gmail kinda screwed me by eating my draft? Well … (picture me pulling a Rodney Dangerfield, slightly embarrassed, pulling on my collar) … it kinda worked out for me. Don’t get me wrong, the draft is still gone. But once I sat down to recreate the draft I found that the newer version I wrote was actually better than the old one. I wound up digging deeper, adding layers, and ultimately creating a richer interplaA funny thing happened after my last gmail debacle.

Remember how I wrote that gmail kinda screwed me by eating my draft? Well … (picture me pulling a Rodney Dangerfield, slightly embarrassed, pulling on my collar) … it kinda worked out for me. Don’t get me wrong, the draft is still gone. But once I sat down to recreate the draft I found that the newer version I wrote was actually better than the old one. I wound up digging deeper, adding layers, and ultimately creating a richer interplay between two characters.

I know, I know, I know …

Where I think I did right by myself was not getting all bent out of shape about losing the file and storming off to sulk. I’m not saying I wasn’t upset–I was; trust me (or read my blog!)–but I got back right back to it, and let the lost draft go. Focusing on what I needed to do–rather than on what I’d lost–helped me recover, and quickly. And that led to something better still.

I guess that seems to be true for me on a lot of levels. I’m not in any way immune to all of the annoyances of daily life. Not by a long shot (I can hear you laughing at me all the way from over here!). But I find that the more I focus on what I need to do, rather than on my setbacks, I tend to have better outcomes more often and with fewer bumps along the way. Which isn’t to say my life is in any way smooth sailing–it so isn’t–but as my hero Zig Ziglar says: if we do the things we need to do, when we need to do them, the day will come when we can do the things we want to do, when we want to do them.

Anyhoo, my point (before I got off on one of my philosophical rants), is that gmail can’t screw with me!!!!!

Take that gmail!

Seriously, though, this episode was just another reminder to me that, both as a writer and a guy just trying to make his way in the world, that setbacks can actually be opportunities in disguise, if I just give myself a chance to look at it that way. It’s often easier for me to say than to do, but the more I do it, the easier it gets. If only just a little.

Post edited by: rcolchamiro, at: 2009/01/11 19:40

Generally speaking I find gmail a really good email service. It’s fast, free, easy to access and very reliable. Except that yesterday it really, really screwed me. Hard.

For the last week I’ve been working on a section of my second novel, [i]Crossline[/i], making tweaks and flushing it out. It’s not a major scene, but it has some nuance I wanted in there, and it’s been fun to write. The way I normally write is to just sit at my desk–like I am now–and plug away in Microsoft word. I save thGenerally speaking I find gmail a really good email service. It’s fast, free, easy to access and very reliable. Except that yesterday it really, really screwed me. Hard.

For the last week I’ve been working on a section of my second novel, [i]Crossline[/i], making tweaks and flushing it out. It’s not a major scene, but it has some nuance I wanted in there, and it’s been fun to write. The way I normally write is to just sit at my desk–like I am now–and plug away in Microsoft word. I save the file throughout the writing process, so I’m never worried that I’ll lose it. Still, I back up my files regularly.

But what I also do is work on sections of my book in gmail, and save it as a draft. This is useful if I’m going to be on the road, at a friend’s house, with family, on a business trip, and I want to keep work on the same file without having to transport it via a flash drive. I’ll work on the file in gmail, save the draft, and never fill in the email send destination, so even if I accidentally hit send, it won’t go anywhere. But after a while, even if I’m not finished with whatever I’m working on, I’ll email it to myself so I have it permanently in my inbox, and then cut and paste it into a new email, call it version 2, and save it as a new draft.

Works really well.

Until …

So I’m plugging away yesterday after about a week’s worth of work, and I’ve got the scene very close to being finished. I was really happy with it. And then … poof. Now, maybe I hit some crazy key strokes that signalled the discard option, but I don’t think so, but all of sudden my screen had a spaz attack of some sort–[i]blllll-bzzzt[/i]–and my draft was gone.

Gone.

Not in the sent folder. Not in my inbox. Wasn’t in the drafts folder and it wasn’t in the trash. It was gone. Just flat out gone.

#$@!!!!!!

I searched around in the help section, but no luck. A week’s worth of work down the drain. Luckily, I was able to recreate about 70 percent of what I lost, but second versions are never the same.

If you’ve got any theories as to what happened, I’d love to hear them, but otherwise this is one case where gmail–good, ole reliable gmail–just stuck it to me.

It was one of those questions on everybody’s mind: what will the first day back to work–the first day of 2009–be like?

I would love to say that, according to my plan, my day started off really well. Sure. I’d love to say that. If only it were true.

Wanting to get off to a good start, I got in early–around 7:40 a.m.–and went through my emails, had my morning muffin, got caught up. So far so good. I’m thinking: [i]See? 2009 is better already. Looking good, looking good, looking gooIt was one of those questions on everybody’s mind: what will the first day back to work–the first day of 2009–be like?

I would love to say that, according to my plan, my day started off really well. Sure. I’d love to say that. If only it were true.

Wanting to get off to a good start, I got in early–around 7:40 a.m.–and went through my emails, had my morning muffin, got caught up. So far so good. I’m thinking: [i]See? 2009 is better already. Looking good, looking good, looking good[/i].

And then the phone rang.

At 8:30 I got the call. It was from someone I worked with on a small project, but one, by all accounts, went fairly well, given the limitations we were under at the time. And then he went on, for about ten consecutive minutes, to complain about how it didn’t [i]totally[/i] work out the way he wanted, and even though there wasn’t anything I could do for him at this point–what was done was done–he kept going on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on. If he told me once he told me five times. I told him that I heard him. I heard him clearly, and what did he want to see happen at this point?

Apparently, to tell me again. So he did. Twice.

After I told him yet again that I heard what he was saying, and that I understood, he said, "well, apparently not," and then went on to bitch about it some more.

[i]Serenity now! Serenity now![/i]

On a positive note, my day was busy but pretty productive otherwise, so maybe I was just getting that first one out of the way right off.

But it was one helluva way to start the new year.