Back in The City

Here we are again in the land of honking horns, shoebox-sized living spaces and dogs that do their business on sidewalks. Here is a shot of the front seat before we got out of the car. The drive home was uneventful except for the fact that there was one more body in the car and the one with the hairy body and the tail didn't fit in the back seat, so Brett and I had to take turns crammed between the kids. It wasn't that bad but let's just say it made one very eager to get out and stretch one's legs every so often. Aside from the scary Motel 6 that we stayed in near Washington D.C. when we couldn't find even a Days Inn that was under $165 a night that took pets, everything was just groovy. We were a little sad to leave the sunshine behind--the morning we left, the kids and I bought a boogie board and had a lot of fun using it on the beach--now that the waves were back to their normal size. Jonah was very confused we weren't going back to Oregon, and Maya cried to learn it was time to leave Florida. Brett had to drive the van and boat back to Jacksonville and had some things to tend to in his company's office there, so we met up for dinner at our favorite Mexican restaurant before finishing out the day's drive near Savannah Georgia. So, to be fair, it was only two days of driving that required an adult sized rear end to be wedged in between two plastic booster seats.
We arrived home to find a cozy apartment (the radiator adjustment knob is broken and won't turn off) with no food. Also no mice, which is a positive thing, unless you are Jonah, who desperately wants one for pet. We are getting smarter about this city thing. Brett unloaded while I drove straight to a magnificent grocery store and bought all manner of large, heavy items. Then I went to Costco and bought more large heavy items. Get this: I didn't have to carry these large heavy items anywhere on public transportation or along the street. I simply unloaded them to the building. It was just magical. Then I took the car back the next day without kids in tow, which is much more pleasant after they have been spending huge amounts of time strapped in.
The week has been great...we have had several playdates, are finishing up the kids' Fall classes and have been enjoying having a stocked kitchen again after having to ration each dish and think of meals that could be cooked with one burner and a microwave in the hotel. Today we had a field trip to St. John the Divine. It is the largest Cathedral in the world, and it is only about a 10 minute walk from here. (BTW, The Vatican is not technically a cathedral, but a basilica, and yes, it is bigger). It was beautiful, and I loved it. Our guide was great, and we had a huge homeschooling group, so the kids were really into it too. I don't know how I missed history the first time around, but feel like I am learning it right alongside Maya (at a 2nd grade level). It makes the world make so much more sense.
I wasn't going to do this, but I am finding it keeps invading my thoughts, so I guess I will. I am really curious, what you, (whoever you are since I don't really know--somehow my comments remain virtually nil almost all the time--is anyone reading?), anyways, what do you think of this movie?
Zeitgeist
Before you check it out, you should know that it is about 2 hours long. It played quickly and easily on our computer, although the size of the picture was small. It can potentially be considered extremely controversial and also potentially disturbing, and also potentially construed as an extremist conspiracy theory. It starts with a bunch of fairly disturbing images (mostly of war), flashed in quick succession--this lasts the first 5 minutes, and even after knowing what to expect I can't quite watch it without crying. They are all images you will be familiar with, but put all together like that it is quite intense. Anyways, the next part is the part I am referring to...And I really want to know...What do you make of this? Those of you particularly gullible to conspiracy theories might not want to venture into parts 2 and 3. All opinions welcome, seriously, I am looking for different perspectives to discuss it with.