This is graduation week in so many places and I am reminiscent of this time last year when we celebrated two in our house at the same time.

It’s that time of the year again, summer blockbuster time. Don mentioned it last week when he wrote about seeing “Jurassic World.” It’s that time when the huge movies are released. They are meant to totally captivate you and bring you into their world. And for two hours you’re transplanted to somewhere else and your sense of what’s going on in your world disappears.

Thank you "Hard Hitting" Don Bernstein for relinquishing your prime time Sunday spot, but the following just bubbled up and would not wiait until Friday.

Is a vacation about a place or is it really a state of mind?   Today marks the end of a week's vacation (well almost...it was 6 days). My first in about 7 years. I'm fortunate to have gone away at all considering the last couple of months and I'm very grateful to those individuals who have made this possible (you know who you are:)  

I spied the above photo recently on Facebook. It rang true. What could be better than a picture of an Oracle dispensing his hard earned wisdom: I'm suspicious of people who don't like dogs, but I trust a dog when it doesn't like a person. I am a reformed dog hater. My reformation occurred upon the advent two years ago of our wonderful Schnoodle Charcoal. Her only problem is that she loves everyone. I wonder what Bill Murray would say about that?

Flo's mom passed away last week. I liked Sue, and I think she liked me about as much as she liked anyone who wasn't directly related to her by blood. Sometimes it was hard to tell, because Sue suffered from Alzheimer's for most of the years that I knew her. Sue was a private person. Her family was IT -- the beginning and the end. If you were let in, you were blessed, if you weren't, you had to deal with it.

Last Saturday, I saw a really good movie about Brian Wilson. His story is rather miraculous. Full of triumph, inspiration and humour. Most importantly, the power of one person to make a difference and I don't mean the extremely talented Mr. Wilson, though he is rather amazing. Great cast, acting, direction. And basically truth. No spoilers here. We can change the world if we want. The New York Times liked it too: This movie, a smart, compassionate, refreshingly unconventional biopic directed by Bill Pohlad, explores the mental world and the artistic method of a great artist. A. O.

  With graduation season upon us, I wanted to comment on a phenomenon that is getting some press. It seems that some schools are having trouble deciding upon a single valedictorian so instead, the entire set of top students gets to hold the coveted title.