DTC Celebration Dinner!

Fellow adopters Brian and Carolin Hunter treated Rick and me to a DTC Celebration Dinner this weekend. We're pictured here at a Chinese restaurant in Middletown with Brian, Carolin, and their daughter, Emma. (Their son, Ryan, was at a friend's birthday party). One picture shows Emma cheering for us and our good news. (Well, actually, she was just showing off for the camera, but I like to think it was a cheer for Elianna's impending arrival!)

Paper Pregnancy Begins!

As of Friday, March 16, 2007 we are officially DTC! DTC stands for Dossier To China. We now wait for our dossier (all of our piles of paperwork) to be logged into the Chinese database. That day will be called LID. From the LID date (hopefully sometime in mid-April), we wait for our referral of Elianna. The latest referral wait from LID has been approximatley 17 months. Then the wait is just a couple of months from then to travel to China to pick up Elianna.

Elianna Update: DTC countdown

Right to the Point Movie Reviews

The Illusionist - Highly Recommended

Wonderfully intriguing story line with a superb cast (Edward Norton, Jessica Biel, Rufus Sewell--always a great bad guy!). Kept me hooked from the beginning to the surprising ending twist. Nominated for an Academy Award (cinematography). Described as "drama/suspense/romance/thriller" at Internet Movie Database. Indeed it is all of these!


The Prestige - Highly Recommended

Christian Bale, Hugh Jackman, Michael Caine, Andy Serkis (Golem from Lord of the Rings), and David Bowie (in a surprising role), make this movie one of the best suspense/mysteries I've seen recently. The opening line uttered by Michael Caine: "Are you watching closely?" sets the stage for a twist and turn Victorian era rivalry between master illusionists. Like the other movie about magicians that came out about the same time (The Illusionist), this one is perfectly cast. Nominated for two Oscars: Art Direction and Cinematography.


Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan - NOT RECOMMENDED

Obscene. Crude. Stopped watching less than half way through. I cannot believe that this movie has made the money it has and has become so popular. The movie is a sad commentary on the tastes and morality of today's movie-going public.


Norbit - NOT RECOMMENDED

Obscene. Crude. Heck, just read the above review of Borat


Ghost Rider - Highly Recommended

This movie has all the elements that I look for in entertainment: a super hero, justice, romance, action, Nicolas Cage. I cannot imagine another actor pulling off the role of Johnny Blaze, the Ghost Rider. Nicolas Cage gives the role the right amount of edge, depth and humor to make the character one with whom the audience can identify. I like it when the devil gets his due. Ghost Rider provides that and more.