The Departed

Kristin and I just went to The Departed tonight. I have two main thoughts: 1.) it could have been better, and 2.) for a 2.5-hour movie, it felt like 3.5. It had a great cast. All of the acting was good, and I liked the concept. There were some really good twists, but the ending was marginal. I prefer closure in a story, but I can handle the movies that leave you to provide the ending. This movie tried to give closure, but failed. It fell into an awkward middle that I found unpleasant. The main storyline is wrapped up, but some loose ends are left out there unnecessarily. All in all, I give it a 3.2 out of 5. Kristin gives it a 3 out of 5 because she felt it was boring and she was constantly looking at her watch.

Tune it later for a post on holiday festivities.

Ask and Ye Shall Receive

Today over the lunch hour I came home from work and was playing with the dog in our backyard. We were playing a little fetch, at first with frisbee then with a stick. At some point I bent down and my tie clip fell out of my dress shirt's pocket (which is where it's stored when I don't have my tie on).

As I was leaving work at the end of the day, I realized that the tie clip was missing. After thinking about it, I figured it must have fallen out during lunch. So I go home and look around the back yard, but can't find it. Since it is metallic, Kristin and I go out again when it's dark with a flashlight hoping to see it shine. We go to all the spots in the yard where I remember bending down. Nothing can be found. She goes back inside and I stay out there just for a few last searches.

Now this tie clip is special because Kristin gave it to me as a Christmas gift, so in my head I say a little prayer asking God to point me in the right direction. I look to my right and notice a little light peeking through the lilac bushes along the north side of the yard. (As I discovered later, this light on a garage across the street is really only visible from that one spot in which I was standing.) I decide to search in the direction of this light, taking it as good a sign as any. Not more than three steps later I see the glimmer of the flashlight being reflected back at me. There laid the tie clip. It was an area of the lawn I hadn't thought to specifically search and wasn't in my original path.

You can call it a big coincidence or call it an act of God. Either way, if I hadn't said the prayer in my head, I wouldn't have thought to follow the light and I probably wouldn't have been taken directly to it. To me it was a small miracle.

When in Rome...

You knew that title was coming. Although it's been a month since our last post, I figure the best place to begin an update is to finish out the honeymoon. Look for an upcoming post on our life as newlyweds.

Rome was hot and dirty, but a lot of fun. Our hotel there was a significant downgrade. We had a much smaller room, a tiny bathroom, no internet access, it was outside of the main part of the city, and there was an armed guard tower across the street from our small balcony (part of a military fort). We saw all the main sites: Colosseum, Circus Maximus, Palatine Hill, Trevi Fountain, the Pantheon, and Vatican City. Our audience with the pope didn't pan out. We were all excited when we went the day before to turn in our letter for two tickets (from the archbishop in charge of the papal household), but the guard said that no audience was occurring tomorrow because the pope had gone to the summer residence. Although I understand why the pope sought cooler temps, it would have been nice if someone had told us that it had been cancelled. So we saw a lot of St. Peter's Basilica, which is pretty cool. We saw the tomb of the first pope, St. Peter, and the most recently deceased pope, John Paul II. We also toured the Vatican Museum, which includes the Sistine Chapel.

While we were there, Italy won the World Cup. It was pretty awesome to be in the capital city of the winning country. Hundreds of the thousands of people gathered in Circus Maximus to watch the game on three giant screens. We went there just to see the throng. We left before the game was over, though, because we didn't want to die in the stampede that was sure to take place after the game. The one east/west metro line closed at 9pm, so we needed a bus or cab to get home. Unfortunately, the spontaneous parades and general pandemonium pretty much shut down most traffic. Thus we had to walk all the way across the city of Rome (approx. 5-6 miles) to get back to our hotel. Needless to say, our feet were dead when we got there.

Another fun day was the one we spent in Ostia Antica. It's the ancient ruins of the port town of Rome. It was recommended (on the web) as an alternative to Pompeii, which is much farther away and has no amenities. It's a pretty cool way to see really ancient Rome and imagine how people lived thousands of years ago.

After five days in Rome, we flew back to Wisconsin where the next day we packed up Kristin's car and drove to Huron.

Live from Mykonos

Hello from the honeymooners! Although in my previous post, I said I wouldn't post again until after the honeymoon, I have some time and free internet at the hotel. This is our last night on the island of Mykonos. The weather here has been in the upper 70s and lower 80s, but with winds 20-30 mph the whole time, which means it's been good for walking around the nearby town but bad for swimming in the sea.

The first night here we ate supper at the hotel, which we found to be very expensive. Since then, we've eaten most of our meals in the town. We walked around a lot and saw some local sites, including many small Orthodox chapels, and did a lot of shopping. We also spent one night experiencing the nightlife. This island is mainly for tourists (many cruises stop here) so almost everyone speaks enough English to get by. We wanted to see a small island near here called Delos that is home to many relics and ruins from Ancient Greece and the purported birthplace of Apollo and Artemis. Unfortunately the strong winds kept all boats except the large cruise ships in the harbor. We did go swimming in the sea on the hotel's private beach, which was somewhat protected from the wind.

Tomorrow we leave for Rome. The weather is expected to be hotter, but we'll manage. If we have similar internet access in Rome, maybe I'll post an update, but I make no guarantees. Goodbye from Greece!

Last Post as a Bachelor

I'm posting live from the Trost residence in New Berlin, Wisconsin with T-minus 39 hours remaining until the ceremony begins. We're finishing up the remaining details/projects for the wedding on Saturday. Most things are on track, and I'm certain it will be a great time. Kristin even made up some really cute activity books for the four little kids coming. For those who will be at the wedding, we look forward to seeing you. For those unable attend, we hope you'll be thinking of us.

So far Kristin hasn't been a bridezilla. Some computer problems made for some moments of frustration yesterday, but everyone survived. We seem to be handling the last minute stress of every wedding very nicely.

I better get to bed. We have to get up early to get more stuff done before the rehearsal (like get a marriage license). I'll post again after we get back from the honeymoon on the Mediterranean. Keep your fingers crossed that it doesn't rain on Saturday!

Répondez s'il vous plait

We interrupt your regularly scheduled programming for this important announcement from Miss Kristin Trost:

Hello and welcome. :) I haven’t accepted the whole “blog by marriage” thing mentioned in previous comments, but by posting this on David’s blog I can accomplish several things at once, 1) I can put up the post, 2) not start my own blog, since at this point I have no intention of doing so, and 3) I can continue to whine about everyone else’s lack of regular posts (except for Nikhil) without being hypocritical. That said, thanks to David for letting me use the space and enjoy. ~Kristin

Have you or a loved one recently received an invitation? Has that invitation included a request to “RSVP?” If so, congratulations! You are part of a special group. By being asked to RSVP, the hosts of the event have offered you a chance to play an active role in the event before it has even happened, so go ahead and get involved!

In the old days, receiving an invitation meant spending hours selecting and shaping the perfect quill and paper, then more hours hunched over a desk handwriting the perfect letter of response. But not anymore! Newer versions offer the card on which to respond included in the actual invitation! That’s right! No more searching for supplies, all you need is your writing implement of choice and you’re good to go!

But wait, there’s more!

Did the invitation you received also include a pre-addressed, stamped envelope to place the RSVP card in? If so, you are part of a lucky group. Now you needn’t fuss over finding the appropriate sized envelope and traveling to the post office to purchase a stamp. Sure, you’ll still need to put the card in the envelope and seal it, but everything you need is included!

But wait, there’s more!

Did your invitation include a pre-addressed, stamped postcard to reply with? If so, you’re part of a truly elite group! Your intelligent hosts obviously think highly of you. Now all you have to do is fill in the appropriate information, and drop it in the mail! That’s right, no stamps to buy, no card to wedge into an envelope, no disgusting envelope glue to lick! With just a few seconds of writing in the appropriate spaces, your RSVP is ready to go!

Some invitations even include the more technologically advanced options to call or email the hosts with your response. If you’ve received such an invitation, with just a quick call or the click of mouse, you too can be confident that you have done your part to aid in the celebration!

But wait, there’s more!

If you RSVP to the event in the next 15 minutes, you’ll receive a special gift! That’s right! By returning the RSVP, you can enjoy the warm afterglow of a job well done, free after the RSVP is sent! This gift is at absolutely no cost to you, and you may keep it as long you like. So go ahead, if you’ve received an invitation that requires an RSVP, take the opportunity to do your part in making sure the event goes well. Don’t leave that RSVP languishing on the kitchen table and or taped to fridge--send it in! Enjoy your free gift of knowing you’ve done your job, and earn respect and admiration from your event hosts. You can do it!

Partying in DC

Last weekend was my bachelor party (I know, this post is a week late, deal with it). Greg and I flew out of Omaha to hang out with our East Coast friends, namely Chris and Clarissa, Kennon and Liz, and Nikhil. Saturday afternoon was spent at a Washington Nationals game where we watched them lose to the LA Dodgers. We then traveled to a Hooters for a nice meal and wonderful "ambiance". We then ended the night at a place called Dave & Busters. Sorry, no strippers for those who were wondering. We toured around the monuments on Sunday and finished the weekend with a viewing of X-Men 3. Add in some Mario Kart throughout the weekend and it turned out to be a great time. I was happy to be able to see my friends who are no longer in South Dakota. Thank to all of them that helped put it together. I hope we can all get together again soon.