Finally! After months of anticipation and reading the series TWICE…finally! This weekend we took the boys and met some friends and watched The Hunger Games!

And apparently I’m the only person in the country that didn’t like it. At all.

I think they did a great job of utilizing commentary during the games to explain some details. I think they did a fabulous job in casting. I understand there were ratings and time and money limitations. It’s probably a great movie separate from the book. But I simply couldn’t divorce what I had visualized & the imaginatively experienced with what was floating across the screen.

The books were chock full of pain – both physical and psychological. The characters transform and regress and evolve. They suffer. They experience psyche rending horrors and joys only appreciated in contrast. They are multi dimensional and (some are) complicated and gritty.

On screen? They were flat. Colorless. Haymitch and Effie were almost after thoughts. Relationships weren’t developed. The story was watered down. The Capital was…unimpressive. Katniss and Peeta’s entrance outfits and her dress…wimpy. The arena? A vacation spot. Their “wounds”? Surface at best.

I did tear up at the beginning when Prim’s name was called and when Katniss had to say her goodbyes. There were highlights I enjoyed….Rue peeking around a tree or in the rafters. When Kat shot the apple out of the pigs mouth. Ceasar Flickerman.

Some of the changes made sense given time and were quite well done. I liked how they incorporated conversations between Snow and Seneca Crane. I really enjoyed the behind the scenes of the game-making. But some? Totally pointless. Why change how she got the pin? Why remove Rue’s role when it helped knit them together & that is crucial down the storyline? Why not incorporate Kat’s hearing loss after the explosion…another detail that is moderately important later on?

The whole thing was…anti-climatic. Truly a let down. I shouldn’t be surprised. Only LoTR and Harry Potter have come close to living up to the books. With Hunger Games the best part was when my husband held my hand.

These shoes make me incredibly happy. As does the fact that I’m wearing a shirt to match.

Home sweet home. It was nice to sleep in our bed. I planned to sleep in and I guess I kinda did. We were up and out the door by 8-8:3 all week so I was awake by 8:00.

We did so much & were so exhausted at times that I’m a bit surprised how refreshed I feel. But really, I got my vacation. I just rode in the car, enjoyed the sights, took lotsa pictures & helped wrangle boys when necessary. I didn’t manage a schedule or arrange anything. I didn’t look at a clock or finances or a website. I was minimally responsible. My husband handled all the planning & driving & money & details. I had exactly the vacation I needed. Jon…he enjoyed it I know. But it wasn’t as MUCH of a vacation for him.

I’m doing laundry today but that’s about it.  I hope to move pics to my drive & edit & just generally enjoy a day at home.

8:00am We’re off headed towards home. We originally planned to spend the night w/a friend but have decided to stop for lunch & a hello & keep going.

8:30am We were just behind a sheriff citizen patrol car. How do I get in on THAT gig?

10:15am The mountains truly are majestic.

2:11pm The green was nice but we’re back to brown hills broken by fields of…whatever. I think it has a beauty of its own but the coast was a wonderful change

4:30pm Approximately 3 hrs from home. This has been the longest leg by far.

5:20pm Under 100 miles to go. Just saw Boise on a mileage sign for the first time. I cheered. Quietly.

5/6:23pm And we just crossed the line back to MST.

6:45pm Back in Idaho baby!

7:32pm Home sweet home. Nice to walk into a clean house to a home cooked meal thanks to our friends/house & dog sitters. So incredibly spoiled.

9:15am Headed back to Seattle, this time w/the FIL, to the aerospace museum. He &hubs are both plane nerds so this is really their day. The boys will enjoy it too. Just not as deeply as those two.

12:50pm I am on Air Force One.  A former one anyway. Just visited a Concord too.

1:20pm In the flight museum gift shop. This is my husband’s favorite shop of the trip.

1:26pm I’ve decided its not so much that I dislike kids, its that I don’t like herds of children in public places. They should be limited to 3 per group.

2:10pm Late lunch of DELICIOUS seafood then headed back to FIL’s to relax/pack up. Home bound tomorrow.

3:45pm I pointed out the ugliest little dog. Jon says “Quick someone kill it!” (Seriously it looked like a rat w/fluffy ears/tail) Lilbit follows up with “Or kick it into the ocean!” Omg I laughed so hard.

5:45pm Spending the late afternoon/evening at FIL’s. Currently I’m sitting on the deck looking out over the Sound & reading. We’ve been lucky w/beautiful weather.

6:45pm A neighbour has wooden wind chimes. This is so peaceful. Great way to wrap up a great vacation.

I fell behind on my “twogging” as my husband calls it. I’ve basically been keeping a list of twitter like notes in wordpress on my phone & uploading them as I have a chance. I made note of nothing today. NOTHING. (Today being Tuesday 8/2/11). Not that we DID nothing. But we did take it a little easier.

The day dawned bright and early and we headed out to Seattle. It was just the 5 of us since the FIL had to work. First stop – WalMart! (Well actually it was Starbucks as my husband recognizes the brief window in which to get caffeine into my system before I could use the insanity defense in their murder case). I don’t think I noted – the evening of Day 1 we were standing in the surf & TheKid had his shoes in his hand. A wave was rolling in and I heard my husband yell “DON’T DROP YOUR SHOES IN THE OC…..oh……….” TheKid was so focused on rolling his pants up further, he just…let go…of his tennis shoes.  They never recovered. He’d been wearing my flip flops so we stopped to get him an inexpensive pair of shoes.

Anyway. Starbuck, Walmart, then we were off to Seattle!

We did the Space Needle thing. I mean, you gotta do that your first time to Seattle, right? It was cool. I enjoyed it and I think the boys were suitably impressed even if LilBit stood at the top and exclaimed excitedly “I FOUND MCDONALD’S!”  Yes sweetie. We drove 1,000 miles and paid ungodly amounts of money for you to find the Seattle Center McDonald’s. (Actually I did think it was rather funny).

Then we went to the science museum – Pacific Science….something. It was….my favorite. I loved it. So. Many. Cool. Things. I think we could have easily spent all day there but alas, we were on a timetable. Next time science museum thingie. Next time.

Then we stopped at the famed McDonald’s to pick up lunch and went to GasWorks Park. Another place I could’ve spent hours. We considered going to Pike’s Market but wanted to get out of town before rush hour.

The rest of the evening was spent at my FIL’s adopted daughter’s house. The boys played with her kids, we sat and chit-chatted. I’d never met her & hubs only had once when she was a kid so it was…good.

All in all, a low(er) key day. I think we’re quickly reaching our vacation saturation point though. We’re still having fun – don’t get me wrong. We’re just tired. LilBit is starting to whine in the car a little. That it took this many miles and days is quite impressive. I’m proud of the boys. They’ve been troopers.

Today’s proof of exhaustion: When I told the boys Wednesday’s plan, one asked if we were going to get back to GrandPa’s house earlier. (We’ve been getting back about 9-9:30.) I told them the plan was to be back late afternoon and spend the evening chilling. All three cheered. Our boys cheered. At the idea of doing nothing.

(Typed on my husband’s laptop)

8:45am We’re off to see the wizard. Or take a ferry to an animal reserve. Whatever. First stop though is Starbucks. I hope.

9:00am Starbucks acquired. The family can live. My FIL ordered in a bad eastern European accent & totally confused the barista.

11:23am My husband & FIL are discussing whether cows should be called a “herd of steak” or “herd of steakS”. Really.

12:43pm Just visited Ft Casey. Pretty cool. Now in line for a ferry (that our boys have dubbed Tinkerbell b/c they’re pretty much hilarious). Might not get on this crossing though.

1:30pm On THIS crossing. I’m onna boat.  :p

7:30 Had a blast at the animal place. There’s yak drool all over the van window & I took lotsa pictures. Couldn’t figure out why I was so exhausted until I realized I basically held a squat for an hr trying to get pics around the boys.

Today’s proof of exhaustion: Lilbit git out if the shower, looked at his pb&j sandwich & whimpered ‘But Im just SO TIRED!”

7:30 am Woke to drizzling rain so Jon threw everything in the van quickly & we’re off to Mt St Helens.

8:00am You know you stink when you can smell yourself. Yikes.

9:25am I did not know feet could get so nasty. TheKid’s feet…just…damn.

11:00am Oh cool. We’re in Bigfoot country. Too bad we don’t have some beef jerky to lure him out.

1:30pm Mt St Helens was magnificent even cloud covered.

1:45pm Lilbit just passed out cold. At least he got the lid back on his marker first.

1:50pm Oh! Laughing. TheBoy, who hates to sleep in cars. He’s out.

Time-no idea Traffic on I5 N? Sucked. Finally through Tacoma & moving.

Just saw Seattle for the 1st time. Le sigh. I so love actual cities

5:05pm Jon tried to tell me how many more miles to his dad’s but I have reached the point we’re either there or not. Otherwise I don’t care.

5:40pm We have arrived. Showers then dinner. Woot