The movie opened last Friday and today, Popcorn Tuesday at the Regal Theater Chain, we finally got to see it.
You might be wondering, what the heck is Smilin' Jack and Cuddly Carol doing going to a movie about SpongeBob SquarePants. Good question. Hahaha, very good question. It's really simple, though, Carol's youngest daughter, Gretchen, worked on this movie as one of the two Digital Background Paint Artists.
Hahaha, how cool is that!?!?!
I know. But, before we get to the movie, let's spend some time walking around Coulon Park, 'Kay!?!
Internet
Evidently, someone was concerned for the pedestrians there as they outfitted them with some artfully arranged t-shirts.
Fun Facts: It was a day in the 1960s and Phillip Levine was sitting in his car in downtown Seattle waiting for the light to change. Pedestrians crossed in front of his car from both sides of the street, gliding in that smooth walking style folks have.
Levine remembered that moment 20-some years later and decided to create a sculpture of it.
"It struck me as a great sculpture idea," Levine says. "It seemed like a great idea for a park with people interacting."
The sculpture idea became Interface, the three bronze figures in Gene Coulon Memorial Beach park on Lake Washington. Levine's sculpture was chosen for the park in 1982, shortly after the park's creation. He won a city-wide contest.
Levine has a masters in sculpture from UW. Interface is one of his favorite pieces, however. It's also one of his few projects where he knows the origin of the idea for it.
"I just love it," Levine says of Interface. What he doesn't love is vandalization. His statue has been damaged three times. Unfortunately, there's little to be done about fashion destruction - caused by those who dress up Levine's figures. Holidays bring new costumes, and the figures aren't spared from fashion trends, like thong underwear.
See for yourself from these pictures I got from the Internet. There are more. Many more.
There were plenty of Old Coots out today. I mean, besides me. I've never noticed before, but they have some really awkward looking feet. More on that later.
It was a semi-cool, overcast day given to a kind of a lethargic ennui. Even the Canada Geese were listless. These Fine Fat Fellows didn't even move a whit when we strolled on by them.
Canadians. What're gonna do, eh?
It was a gentle day, really. Hardly any breeze and, as I mentioned, semi-cool.
Still, there were some dramatic (and photogenic) clouds ready for some pictures.
And the waterfowl. OK, I have a soft spot for the ducks. They'll be a continuing feature as long as they pose so willingly for me.
Artsy-Fartsy Alert!!
I've always been drawn by the patterns and arrangements the trunks of the trees make in parks and neighborhoods. I've just never been able to get a good picture. And yet, as you can tell, I still try. A lot.
What the . . . !?!?!
I never knew there was a view of The Emerald City from Coulon!!
Duh!!
There's Columbia Center, the second tallest building west of the Mississippi towering over the other buildings. Tres cool!!
Artsy-Fartsy Alert, Part 2!!
Hahaha, working on reflections in puddles again. This one was from the wooden walkway out to Bird Island.
OK, I mentioned them earlier but here are the coots again, with a better view of their . . . feet.
Fun Facts: The waterbourne American Coot is one good reminder that not everything that floats is a duck. A close look at a coot - the small head, those scrawny legs - revel a different kind of bird entirely. They often mix with ducks, but they're closer relatives of the gangly Sandhill Crane and the nearly invisible rails than of Mallards or Teals.
Although it swims like a duck, the American Coot does not have webbed feet like a duck. Instead, each one of the coot's long toes has broad lobes of skin that help it kick through the water. The broad lobes fold back each time the bird lifts its foot, so it doesn't impede walking on dry land, though it supports the bird's weight on mucky ground.
Ah, what better sight than a Dad taking his Baby Girl out for a walk through the park.
Here's Carol getting a shot of . . . me. Ah, gotta love the cell phone camera feature.
And then, while we were there we spotted this guy . . . a Belted Kingfisher. We heard him before we saw him and then it took several attempts before he sat still long enough for me to get a picture.
Fun Facts: With its top-heavy physique, energetic flight, and piercing rattle, the Belted Kingfisher appears to have an air of self-importance as it flits up and down rivers and shorelines. It nests in burrows along earthen banks and feeds almost entirely on aquatic prey, diving to catch fish and crayfish with its heavy, straight bill. These ragged-crested birds are a powdery blue-gray; males have one blue band across the white breast, while females have a blue and chestnut band.
Which sex is this one?
I'll give you a moment.
One of our perennial favorites, the Common Merganser.
OK, did you guess the sex?
Hahaha, you're right!! Why did I think I could slip one past you.
Absent the chestnut colored band around its breast this one must be a . . . Mighty and Magnificent Male!!
Hahaha, Boys Rock!!
Here's the benches beneath the magnolia trees. This beautiful walk is just south of the Ivar's and Kidd Valley Hamburgers and Shakes.
Then we thought we spotted one of our bikes that had been stolen out of the garage about a year ago. It was the right color and, by golly, I was getting ready to dial 911 and alert the police when we noticed that the tires were too narrow. Then Carol noted the handlebars were different, too.
Ratz!! I had thought we'd solved the mystery and the crime.
Finished with Coulon Park, we headed over to The Landing for the movie. And to get to it, we had to walk through The Landing and I saw this.
Ahhhhh, Nirvana.
Fun Facts: Other than the fact that beer is fun, that is. World of Beer started as one retail location that sold great craft beers. The owners wanted to bring customers an enhanced craft beer experience - a place they where they could enjoy various beers, discuss them with friends and meet other beer lovers.
Yeah, that's what I do. Sit around and discuss beer with my friends and meet with other beer lovers.
"Hey!! Is there any Bud left?"
The first World of Beer opened in Tampa, Florida and spread from there. Honest, if I had to have guessed, I would have said it started in Seattle what with all the stupid craft beers they have in each and every bar/restaurant in this town. I'm a simple man with simple tastes.
"Yo, got any Coors Light?"
Passing Shop Window Reflected Selfie!!
Aw, who could resist, eh? Not me.
Hahaha, enough fun, let's get down to business.
Regal Cinemas Stadium 11 at The Landing.
And, quick as that, we were inside. We've worked out a great routine. Carol goes and snags some primo seats and I, well, I do the heavy, but absolutely necessary, lifting, i.e. getting the popcorn and soda.
Honestly, what would a movie experience be without popcorn? I got into a conversation with Jamiel at the concession stand about the butter. He asked if I'd like it with butter and I replied, with the requisite note of incredulity, "Fer sure, popcorn without butter is, well, it's UnAmerican!!" Boom, we were off and he came back and said that about half the people take their popcorn without butter.
I was stunned. Then, after some further conversation, Jamiel admitted that he didn't even like popcorn!!
WTH!?!?!
I was speechless!! I was flabbergasted!! I was flummoxed!! I was gobsmacked!!
"Just gimme my buttered popcorn and don't say another word."
Hahaha, doesn't look like the lobby I went into at the Lankersheim Theater in Sun Valley.
Hokay!! Let's go have some fun.
Oh, and the crowd? Hahaha, there are several plusses to being old and retired. At 1155 on a Tuesday morning we were the only two in the theater. Until another couple of old people came in about 5 minutes before the movie started.
This is the place.
This one was very excited.
And, away we go.
We went to the 3D version so these pictures are a little out of focus.
Quick rundown, SB loses the 'Secret Recipe' to the Krabby Patty and the whole plot revolves around getting it back.
That involves some help from a celestial dolphin named Bubbles and a great deal of teamwork.
OK, the plot is pretty thin so I don't think I'm giving anything away here. But if you aren't catching on then stop reading so you can enjoy the movie without having the ending spoiled.
Once they get the recipe back, things go back to normal and . . .
. . . everyone's happy again.
Because now they can get their Krabby Pattys again.
All right, here's what the Proud Mama wanted to see, her Baby Girls name in lights!! I know it fuzzy; the camera had trouble focusing on the small moving credits.
Her name is on the sixth line down from the top on the right.
She was credited with being a . . .
Digital Background Paint Artist
Gretchen Bangs
Hahaha, Mama was proud!!
It was fun!!
Bottom line, it's definitely not a date movie but, if you've got yourselves some little kids then they'll really enjoy this movie.
Stylin' with her 3D Glasses!!
Hey, every girl needs a souvenir, right?
CB
We stopped along the Cedar River. Carol says this is her favorite of the shots she took because it's so typical of me . . . to stand with one hand in my pocket and the other taking a picture.
Hey, I've got an uber casual approach to my photography. Kind of a snap 'n go guy.
CB
Just for reference, this was the picture I took in the shot above.
It looked better in my head.
Much better.
The Cedar River was running high and fast. We walked down to the pedestrian underpass and I got this shot as we were starting back to the mini. The park runs along the side of the Cedar river for several miles. Beautiful park.
As we often do, we stopped by our park just because it was a nice day and, what the heck, we could.
And spotted an eagle in the EagleTree.
CB
Doggone branches. I got a bunch of pictures of this guy but I'll be merciful.
You're welcome.
As we were pulling up, a jet took off from the Renton Field. Then, after we stopped, we saw a second jet taxiing down the runway and turning around for . . . a take-off.
But, no. They were just teasing and all they did was run up the engines and then taxi back down the strip. Hahaha, I know.
I get it, everyone can see jets take off, but this plane, it's on a small municipal airstrip and this is probably the first flight for these newly built jetliners when it takes off.
Cool.
While I was snapping away, Carol was taking pictures, too.
CB
And the eagle just sat there and took it all in.
Then this Big Boy came to play for a while. Oh, and he was intent on that throw toy.
Ok, OK!! Throw the damn thing!!
Oh!! I see it. I will get the toy right away!
Hahaha, I tried to catch him running and just missed. He was too fast for me.
Haha, Dawg had fun! And it didn't rain on him . . . or us.
They say that this is the last of the Pineapple Express that has soaked the western coast this past week. You remember it from all my griping when we were in Oregon. Tomorrow is supposed to be partly cloudy but no rain is forecast. The first non-rain day in the last seven.
We drove over to the Trailer Park Marina so we could get closer to the Eagle Tree. I do like me some eagles. Anyway, they have this whimsical Dolphin mounted there. I was wondering if he was, somehow, related to the Celestial Dolphin from The SpongeBob Movie.
Probably not.
So I got up to around 150 feet from him, he on his perch looking around and me, down on the ground, looking up. As I started taking pictures, I think I irritated him.
He looked in my direction and then . . .
. . . took off.
Even though I was expecting it, I was still caught flat-footed. I saw him start to shift and tried to zoom out and it wouldn't move fast enough so I went back and tried to find him and get another shot and got this, semi-blurred one.
Still, I did catch him.
Then it was zoom out so I could find him flying.
Carol caught this lovely photo with her cell phone.
It proves what Stieglitz said, the art is in the eye and not in the camera. To prove this, he took a brownie camera and made a striking series of photographs of clouds.
Having expensive gear is a plus, but it is definitely not the end. Just take a look at this picture. And Carol doesn't have an iPhone, either.
You can see the eagle just about center and towards the left-most third of the picture.
Good job, Schubert!
CB (Best shot of the eagle, today!)
I zoomed out, found the eagle and then tried to keep up with him.
I definitely need to polish my panning skills and techniques.
And there he goes. That small little dot on the left.
CB
What a good day.
Buttered popcorn, great company, a good movie, a walk in the park, waterfowl AND an eagle.
How lucky can one guy be,
I shot an eagle sitting up in a tree.
Like the fella once said,
Ain't that a kick in the head!!
Hahaha, sorry Dino.
Life, it is good.
Hooah!!
No comments:
Post a Comment