How I Spent My Labor Day Weekend

I had the best Labor Day weekend, primarily because it began last Wednesday--I had some days off just sitting around waiting to be used, so I used them. I didn't really do much. Hung out with the family. Slept. Ate barbecue because you're supposed to have barbecue on Labor Day weekend. Went to the movies. Read. Watched DVDs. Completely ignored my e-mail. In other words, I was extra-lazy and I really enjoyed it.

Friday, my sister and I went and saw Little Miss Sunshine. I liked it very much. It centers around an incredibly disfunctional family taking a road trip so little Olive, beautifully played by Abigail Breslin, can compete in the Little Miss Sunshine pageant. Dad (Greg Kinnear) is a motivational speaker who can't get his career off the ground; grandpa (Allen Arkin) recently got kicked out of his nursing home for his drug problem; Olive's brother, Dwayne (Paul Dano), won't speak; Uncle Frank (Steve Carrell) is a suicidal Proust scholar; and mom Sheryl (Toni Collette) is just harried and trying to keep it altogether. To be honest, the sentence in my E.W. magazine that made me want to see the movie was, "Steve Carrell plays a suicidal Proust scholar." I didn't really need any other inducement. He is such a funny, gifted actor, and he doesn't disappoint in this film. A caveat: it has some filthy, profane moments--I could sense my sister tensing up at a couple of scenes--but it's such a wonderful, sweet, witty film and I absolutely loved it and, aside from some of the filthy moments, so did my sister. Very recommended.

Saturday afternoon, I picked up There and Back Again, an actor's perspective on making the LOTR films, by Sean Astin. Now Sean Astin is remarkably honest in this book. His egocentricism and sense of entitlement (apparently inherent in many Hollywood actors--who knew?) is at constant war with his desire to associate himself with middle-America. In short, he's trying his best not to be an ass even though he admits that sometimes he's still kind of selfish and annoying. It was funny--I'd read a segment and think to myself, "wow, well that was kind of selfish and moronic," and then 3 sentences later, he'd say something like, yeah, in retrospect that was kind of selfish and moronic. Mostly, though, I think he does a pretty decent job of trying his best to maintain normalcy in a town that thrives on sheer over-the-top drama. And I have to respect someone who clearly puts his family ahead of all other considerations. In my book, that alone makes him extra cool. Aside from the insights into his own career and what it was like growing up in Hollywood, the sheer amount of information and perspective on making the films is just really interesting. So good read, definitely.

Sunday, I mostly spent with my parents. Monday we all got together for lunch and then I went home and watched some DVDs. That's pretty much the extent of it.

Just generally a lazy and very relaxing weekend. Usually vacations entail traveling to visit extended family or something like that. It was nice taking one like this for a change. But the vacation is over and I am back to work. Energized. Refreshed. Um...reconciled? Yep, that's it.