I am now a proud owner of a Wii

Well, I did it. I went out and bought a Wii this past Sunday. I think I played for 5 hours on Sunday. I own Mario Kart and Madden 09, so if anyone wants to play online, give me your friend ID.

Mamma Mia Movie - 6 out of 10

Ok, so I am still not sure how I feel about the movie. I saw it the day after the musical. Of course the musical is 20 times better. But the movie offered some details of characters that you couldn't get from the live stage version. What I didn't like about the movie. The lighting was horrible. Some scenes just looked fake, green screened or like they were in a studio. I am not sure what it was. The backgrounds just didn't match sometimes. Now the location (Greek Islands) they were on was quite beautful in some scenes, but looked overdone sometimes, or not done enough. Maybe they were going for that magical look, not sure. Pierce Brosnan - ok, he cannot sing. He looks uncomfortable singing and I actually laughed out loud when he tries to sing S.O.S. He is fine to look at though. The whole feel of the movie was cheesy, but I actually find myself wanting to see it again for some reason, maybe it is because I can't watch the play again and again.

The Good - Meryl Streep was excellent. Some notes were a little off, but mostly right on. My favorite scene is "The Winner Takes it All," seen below. Christine Baranski was hilarious as best friend Tanya. The scene on the beach with "Does your Mother Know" was fun. And the actress the plays Sophie is a joy to watch. She always has a bright shine to her and she can also sing.

Mamma Mia! Musical is still my favorite!

It's been about 4 years since I last saw the musical and convinced my friends to go to Mamma Mia when it came to Devos Performance Hall here in Grand Rapids. They had never seen the musical, although were familiar with the 70s pop band, ABBA, whose songs the story is based on. Seeing it the second time didn't disappoint. I enjoyed the performances best of the actress that played Donna, the mother and the performance of the actress that played the best friend, Rosie. The music is addicting and infectious, I got Mamma Mia cds for my friends because I knew once they saw it, they were going to want to sing along in the car to songs like "Mamma Mia" or "Dancing Queen." And indeed, they have already become addicted. My personal favorite is "The Winner Takes it All" and "S.O.S." I recommend if the musical comes close to your town that you make sure you catch it. I have already checked, it is coming to Lansing in October. I may just have to go again! Here is a clip from the Tony Awards of Mamma Mia, not the cast we saw ( The audio is a little un-synced, but couldn't find a better clip:

Hot Stix are League Champions at Byron Center!

Vacation at Long Lake July 19-26

Vacation at Long Lake up in Traverse City, Michigan was a memorable one! A group of 8 of us vacationed at a cozy red cabin on the beautiful pristine lake. Activities included kayaking, paddleboat, water volleyball, frisbee, bag toss, Rockband, and renting a Wave Runner. It also rained a couple days, but there wasn't any boredom at the cottage, Rock band and Wii kept us busy, as well as a trip to the brand new Turtle Creek Casino (in which I won $17, woo hoo!) We ate out at Boone's Inn that offered some great steak and seafood. Otherwise, Keith served up his famous beer-can chicken and ribs, along with other grill favorites. Here are a few pics of the vacation! Click on the picture for a larger one.