A Weekend of Relaxation
This was definitely a "hands off" weekend for me. We had a party here with about twenty guests, lots of wine, lots of delicious food.

Yesterday, I went to see Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban with the younger siblings. I thought the movie was very well done, certainly covering all of the important aspects of the rather long book. Unfortunately, the character of Oliver Wood was cut, even though he played a fairly important role in the book. While the first two movies were directed by Chris Columbus, this one was directed by Alfonso Cuarón. The movie was filmed with much higher contrast, and the style was different. Not better or worse, but strikingly different, less childish. I very much miss Richard Harris' Dumbledore; he passed away and it's not the same without him. I haven't seen a movie with Harris where his performance didn't touch me in some profound way.

Today, I went to see The Chronicles of Riddick with Markus, who seems to be in town pretty often for someone who works in Toronto. The movie was sci-fi, with Vin Diesel as the main actor (and producer). It was filmed in Canada. The design work and cinematography were fantastic. Even Vin Diesel's acting was above Vin Diesel par. But it was definitely a Vin Diesel movie. That tends to mean lack of character development. Otherwise, the movie was entertaining. The only real work I did this weekend was to rip the prop shafts out of my big r/c boat. The starboard shaft had come completely loose after over three years of heavy usage, and they were never set properly in the first place. They will be done properly this time, hopefully in time for the Merrickville meet next weekend, probably my favourite event.