an enjoyable weekend

It's been a while since I've done a list post, but it's a pretty easy way to tell you about my weekend! Here are a few things I enjoyed:

• X-Men: First Class. Going into this movie, I was curious, but I did not expect to enjoy it as much as I did. Michael Fassbender and James McAvoy as Magneto and Professor X respectively made this film absolutely fantastic. I loved the look back at their friendship and their falling out, and some questions from the first films, such as "How could they have ever been friends?" and "Why is Professor X in a wheelchair?" are answered. There's also a highly enjoyable (though vulgar) cameo by Hugh Jackman that had the entire theater in stitches. In my opinion, this is the best X-Men movie yet.

• Prom and Prejudice. This is one of my book review books, and, as you can probably guess by the title, it's based on Pride and Prejudice. I know some people are quite snobbish about their Jane Austen and will turn up their noses at any adaptation. I, however, love a good remake--as evidenced by my affection for Lost in Austen--and I thoroughly enjoyed this version set in a private high school (so much so that I stayed up until 2 a.m. reading it). A review will be coming soon!

• Canoeing down the Platte. Those of you from Nebraska know that the words canoeing and Platte River usually don't go hand in hand. This time of the year, the river is often so low that you could easily walk across it. This year, however, the river is exceptionally high. So a few friends and I got together and canoed from Chapman to Central City. It's about 10 miles, and it took us just about three hours. The highlight? Seeing probably 20 deer--including some fawns and three deer that swam across the river. The weather was beautiful, the company was enjoyable, and Beth and I had more time to talk than we've had since she moved back a month ago. Overall, a fantastic afternoon!

  

  The girls in our canoe.



The guys in their canoe.

•  Spending time with Val. She's moving to Indiana in just under a month, so we won't have many more days like today. We got Qdoba for lunch, watched Point Break (don't waste your time--but we'd been wanting to watch it ever since we visited Cannon Beach, Oregon, two years ago as some of it was filmed there), got coffee, and went to another movie. Speaking of that movie ...

• Super 8. This is the new J.J. Abrams/Steven Spielberg film, and it's absolutely fantastic! Set in Ohio in 1979, it's about a group of middle school kids who are making a zombie film when a train wreck causes the military to overtake the town, and someone or something starts terrorizing the citizens. I can't really say any more than that, but trust me, this movie is worth your time! The cast--especially Joel Courtney as Joe and Kyle Chandler as Joe's father Jack--is fantastic. Also look for a 7th Heaven kid in a decidedly unCamden-approved role. And be sure to stay while the credits roll for a look at the completed zombie film.