I also watched Back to the Future III, the third and final installment of the trilogy. A fun film; now I can check that box. It was good, however, that they ended the franchise then: the repeated scenes through three periods in history (the baddie and the manure, the inevitable climactic dance, somebody calling McFly "chicken," etc.) were becoming trite. It's almost as if they made one film and then simply varied the pattern somewhat for the two others. It reminds me of a quote: "History does not repeat itself, but sometimes it does rhyme." - Mark Twain.
And finally, I saw the first half of yet another Rick Sebak documentary, A Ride Along the Lincoln Highway (2008). I didn't even know what the Lincoln Highway was until I watched this. It's a coast-to-coast route from New York City to San Francisco, designated in 1913. I write "designated" rather than "built" because it mostly used existing roads and routes - it was not a construction project per se. As Sebak points out, there are all sorts of interesting sites along the way: a shoe store built in the shape of a shoe, cottages for overnight rent, old diners, etc.
I'm approaching the Sebak saturation point, however. Time to give 'em a rest.
As it turns out, I've driven on the Lincoln Highway many times and didn't even know it! We've driven cars out to Utah for the kids twice, and when we've driven on I-80 in Wyoming we've been on the Lincoln Highway. This explains why there's a big Lincoln Monument on the side of the road, east of Laramie. It designates the high point of the route.
Another instance of being on the Lincoln Highway and not knowing it: driving through Breezewood, PA - the ugliest town in one of the prettiest states. (Don't believe me?)
In California if you are driving through the Donner Pass you are on the Lincoln Highway. Did that, once, too, in the 1980's. And here I cannot resist from again reprinting the best line from the Pinky and the Brain Christmas Special:
Pinky: "Look, Brain, the reindeer are inviting the elves to a party at Donner's house!" Brain: "Hmm. Somehow the idea of joining the Donner party is unappealing."
This is interesting (from wikipedia): "In 2013, the Lincoln Highway Association will celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Lincoln Highway by conducting an Official Lincoln Highway Centennial Tour of the road in June 2013. The tour will have both an East Tour and a West Tour, starting simultaneously in New York and San Francisco, and meeting mid-point in Kearney, Nebraska for a celebration June 30 – July 2 at the Great Platte River Road Archway Monument, in conjunction with the Lincoln Highway Association 2013 conference.) An independent international motor tour will also tour the highway on July 1–26. One hundred classic cars will be shipped to the United States and driven the entire route before they are shipped back to Europe."
June has been a rough month for a number of personal reasons; I have been morose and, in general, haven't felt capable of any extra effort. I have just about given up on the piano, my involvement in scouts was half-hearted and sluggish and I haven't felt much enthusiasm for anything... save Baby Gibson, for whom I am utterly nuts. Thank goodness he came along!
Yesterday's photo. My son and his wife took Gibby to the pediatrician yesterday. He is in great shape, perfectly healthy, and in the 98% percentile for height and 50% percentile for weight. In other words, he's tall and slender. He has now gained back his birth weight and is doing fine. Do those statistics mean he will be a tall and slender adult? Not necessarily. As with just about everything else in the natural world, it depends. He has both short (a great grandmother was 4' 11") and tall (I'm over 6' 3") genes. Which will win out? We shall see.
But one thing is for sure: As far as my affections are concerned, he's a colossus.
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