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Last night we went to see the latest movie from Pixar.. er.. Disney.. er Pixney… Disnar? Whatever.. it’s a Pixar movie through and through.

We chose to see the version being shown in 3D (Real-D as per copyrighted technology) and all in all it was an excellent movie with a silly story underpinned by some fantastic writing and acting.

Yes, that’s right, I said acting.

As ever the storytelling is first rate, something Pixar have always been good at, and the opening scenes, tackling the early life of the main character are truly moving and, without giving anything away, tackle a “grown up” issue in a clever way. The adults will probably get more out of this section of the movie than the children but the film doesn’t suffer for that.

Of course there are some good laugh out loud moments, coupled with character development along the way, that take you on the journey with the main characters and certainly make them seem more real than, say, the characters in The Incredibles (the only other Pixar ‘people’).

And what I think is really telling is that all that stunning imagery on screen, the subtle use of the 3D technology, and some genuinely lifelike scenery at points, is the last thing I want to mention, and even then it’s to say that it didn’t get in the road at all. Not once did I find myself losing focus on the story being told to ponder how they get water to look so realistic, or how they get feathers to float on the breeze exactly like they do in real life.

It was only on leaving the cinema that I paused to reflect that nothing I had just seen exists anywhere except on a computer.

It’s also telling that despite having the 3D technology available, and unlike Ice Age 3D, there were no scenes obviously designed to ‘feature’ the technology. Instead it was used to naturally re-enforce the ‘reality’ of the setting. Very clever, and very well done.

I’ve not seen, or read, much about this movie, which is a shame because it is wonderful. Perfectly pitched as a family movie without pulling any punches, it is probably the best bit of story telling to come from Pixar since they started.

Ohhh and whilst I remember, the new short shown before the movie was brilliant, and the trailers for the new Christmas Carol movie (which DOES look likes it makes excellent use of pushing the 3D technology hard) looks cracking!

bookmark_borderShhhh, can you hear Santa?

It’s Christmas Eve which means it’s time for our traditional watching of the Muppets Christmas Carol, a few glasses of wine and possibly even a mincemeat pie*.

I hope, whether you celebrate it or not, that you are having a peaceful time with you and yours, and I hope that Santa is good to you (not YOU obviously, you’ve been bad).

It will be a little quieter than normal here, with posting based largely on my ability to recover from the several hangovers I have planned… well, I’m not planning the hangovers, more the drinks the precede the hangover. And yes, I could drink a little less. In fact I could drink a lot less but this is when I get my binge drinking done so shush.

Right, I hear the sound of cork popping so I’m off.

Have a wonderful day tomorrow, and remember that it’s all about the people you love, not the presents you get or the turkey you burn.

Merry Christmas, everyone!

bookmark_borderEyes closed

A soft coating of dust is not an usual sight in my home office. Every now and then it gets sufficiently bad that the naughty words and pictures drawn in it are a little too obvious and it’s time get the dusters and polish out from the cupboard under the sink, and spend a little time making my little corner of the house a little more habitable. Inevitably it will also involve reorganising my desk or bookshelves, and the production of at least one big black bin bag of rubbish.

Such a momentous event occurred last weekend and I can happily report that my home office is now spick and span and.. ohh wait.. it’s not really. I had started to dust and tidy but soon the re-organisation bug kicked in and I was swapping book around on shelves, moving a box of cables and peripherals to the cupboard, shuffling my monitor onto a stand, and so on and so what.

During all this, as I nipped back and forth from iTunes to skip past the Christmas Carol that random mode kept throwing at me, I noticed that my camera was dusty.

Now, I do keep it in a case but since it’s last outing a couple of weeks ago it’s been lying on my desk, precisely where I left it after getting the photos from it.

This is not a good thing.

Not because of the coating of dust but because it’s going against everything I said when I bought the camera. Namely that I’d, you know, use it to take photos. More often. That last bit is the important one.

I need to get out more, and take my camera with me.

One slight problem is the fact that, largely, Louise and I don’t really do that much.

Our weekends are either filled with chores and work, visiting family, or attending any number of events (not all of which I take my camera too anyway). It’s not that we are boring but…

God, that’s it! We are boring. Great.

Not quite where I thought this blog post was heading but there you go, the truth will out.

Sort of.

You see it’s not that we don’t do anything but it’s more that, whilst Louise will tolerate me and my camera, I am always conscious that my repeated “hold on, I want to get it from this angle” warblings may be a bit of a drag.

So what I really need to do is get out more on my own. That’s it. Perhaps a day spent wandering round Glasgow will suffice. A little shopping on the way.. yes that sounds ideal.

And any notion that I may happen to be in Glasgow this Saturday morning in time for the opening of the Apple store is.. obviously, ridiculous. Mind you, I did hear they are giving away free t-shirts.

bookmark_borderAlmost there…

The last items have been bought – why do we always end up with stuff to buy on Christmas Eve? – bags are packed and ready to be loaded into the car, and in a few minutes we will begin our traditional Christmas Eve evening. Dinner, a bottle of wine or two and the Muppet’s Christmas Carol movie.

The last few days have been … well… emotional. My final day at McLaren was kinda sad, the Christmas night out was that funny mixture of almost delirious happiness with a huge undercurrent of melancholy. For a variety of reasons. Yesterday we visited my Gran, and it’s sad to think that, whilst she’ll be having Christmas dinner with her son and his family, she’ll spend Christmas night at the nursing home. I KNOW it’s the best place for her to be but.. well.. it’s just sad.

Still, the next couple of days will be the usual mixture of fun, family and frustrations. I’ll eat too much, drink too much and lose my temper (quietly of course) at least twice. I can’t wait! After all, isn’t that what Christmas is about? Being with your family, and everything that entails? Of course it is!

Well, regardless of how you are spending tomorrow, it’s worth while remembering that, in the grand scheme of things, it’s just another day. So, no matter how you choose to spend it, I hope it is a merry one.

P.S. Even if you DO get another hideous jumper, remember, somewhere there is a very cold sheep who wants her wool back!