Just A Peck 0031 // Deliverance, Dial M, Sanibel

Just A Peck

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JOURNAL

Last Sundy, we wrapped up our visit with the kids by having the first of our monthly Family Movie Club discussions. (We discussed Jay Kelly. Spencer joined via Zoom.)

Family Movie Club

And then we tried Elizabeth Hargrave’s new board game, Sanibel. It was a Christmas gift for Kelsie who grew up collecting shells on the beaches of Sanibel. (We like the game quite a bit.)

Sanibel Board Game

On Monday, I went to see one of our favorite local bands, Four Mile Portage, playing at Bent Paddle.

Four Mile Portage at Bent Paddle

On Thursday, Kaylee and I went to see our talented friends in Dial M For Murder at the Playhouse.

Dial M For Murder

The stacked ice broke apart this week, forming awesome icebergs of glassy shards.

Ice shard icebergs

I found out that my friend Phil was going to be in from out of town, playing a concert for kids at the Spirit of the Lake Community Arts Center, so I dropped in to watch him work his magic. We got to chat a little bit too, which was lovely.

Phil telling a story to a group of children

Our book club gathering is today (we’ll be discussing Deliverance) and it’s my turn to present options for next time. Here is the stack I’m considering. Now I just need to whittle it down to five options for everyone to vote on. (I will be reading all of these, regardless of how the vote goes.)

Book club options

What I watched this week:

  • No Other Choice (2025). My friends and I meet sometimes for a Secret Movie Night, where we take turns picking a movie for the group. We watched No Other Choice this time, which was a rewatch for me, but still highly enjoyable.
  • Deliverance (1972). Nowhere near as good as the book (or Boorman's Point Blank for that matter), but Ned Beatty is fantastic, and the duet with the kid on the banjo rocks. Also, some of the worst day-for-night shots I've ever seen.

What I’m reading this week:

Ghost Town Run
FINISHED: Ghost Town Run, by Luke Moravec. I wouldn't normally pick up a middle-grade book about foot-races and spooky monsters, but the author is a good friend, so I gave it a shot...and wound up enjoying it! There were some legitimately scary sections, and the concept was original and very, very Luke.
Deliverance
FINISHED: Deliverance, by James Dickey. This was our pick for book club this month. It felt like I should read this as a mass market paperback, and I was able to find the perfect used copy. What I wasn't prepared for was how outstanding this book was. Incredibly well written, lyrical yet tense. I guess that's what happens when a poet laureate writes a thematically rich thriller. Seriously great.

In Progress:

MEMORIES

Five Years Ago:

I got my first haircut after many months in lockdown. That was the longest my hair had been since college.

Justin with long hair

Also, I took this picture of a sunrise over a sea of ice.

Sunrise over ice

Twenty Years Ago:

Kaylee helped to build this snowman in the backyard at our Spooner house.

Kaylee and snowman

And Spencer’s first cat, Aslan, got his head stuck in a chip bag.

Aslan with a bad on his head

WHAT I'M EXCITED ABOUT

LOON Soiree
This Saturday, we'll be at the LOON Opera's Valentine's Day Soiree, dressed in our table's theme (Saturday Night Fever) to support Duluth's own opera company. (Yeah, that's right. We have an opera company here too, and it rocks.)

MY FAVORITE QUOTE OF THE WEEK

"Make no little plans; they have no magic to stir men's blood and probably themselves will not be realized. Make big plans; aim high in hope and work, remembering that a noble, logical diagram once recorded will never die, but long after we are gone will be a living thing, asserting itself with ever-growing insistency. Remember that our sons and grandsons are going to do things that would stagger us."

-- Daniel Burnham

That’s it for this week. Stay safe, friends. Thanks for reading!

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