"Next Time You See Her"

Saw The Chronicles of Narnia this weekend. It was a good flick, but Wendy and I agreed: it was merely good. There's nothing truly flawed or wrong with it, nor is there anything particularly awe-inspiring or jaw-droppingly fantastic about it. It's a solid film with some well-done special effects and all that jazz. It's the sort of movie that, had it appeared before Lord of the Rings, would have been hailed as a masterpiece. Now it's an almost run-of-the-mill epic fantasy film. It felt for all the world like LOTR Lite. Which isn't particularly fair to either Narnia or LOTR (the books or the films), which are both fantastic pieces of art that strive for very different goals.

I got a rather wonderful package in the mail Friday. Let me give you a hint:



Not obvious enough? Well, how about these:







That's right, my new guitar arrived in the mail Friday evening (just after I'd finished a phone conversation with my father about how the guitar hadn't arrived yet. Sweet, sweet irony). To say that I am pleased with my new Martin is to grossly understate the circumstances. I think it would be fair to say that it fills a void in my life, a Martin-shaped hole that I hadn't even been aware existed. The guitar plays as beautifully as it looks, and I can't even begin to thank my dad enough for getting it for me.

That last sentence felt weird, mostly because I singled out my father as the buyer of the present (which is my big Christmas present this year...though even if it'd been the only thing I received, I'd've been perfectly content). It's accurate, though: dad was responsible for the big present, and mom's getting us a few small things (DVDs, CDs, books, things like that). It's weird to think that the presents will be divided like that this year: that we won't have presents that say "From Mom and Dad" on them as we always have. It's just another physical reminder of the fact that my parents aren't together anymore. It's a tough idea to wrap my head around, and this weekend is going to be rather awkward because of it, I think. I'm sure we'll get through, but that's not saying it'll be a piece of cake or anything.

This time Friday, though, I'll be on my way to Oklahoma. I'm looking forward to seeing everyone, especially since I haven't seen any of my family in like five months.

~chuck

Song of the Moment: The Eagles, "Take It Easy"