Page 12 November 2012 it in color. Just as well, the details of the setting that are tailored for the time it’s set in are a treat. Frankenweenie gets 3 stars, and I advise viewers to watch the original short fi lm. Hotel Transylvania Director: Genndy Tartakovsky Starring: Adam Sandler, Andy Samberg and Selena Gomez If you’re in need of a little vacation from life, Hotel Transylvania is the way to go. Founded by Count Dracula (voiced by Sandler) himself, Hotel Transylvania is where monsters can fi nd safe refuge from the dangers of humans. Many of them are gathering for the 118th birthday party of his daughter, Mavis (Gomez), who’s more excited about her new-found freedom to see the world and meet humans than her party and its guests. Until a human (Samberg) accidentally stumbles into the hotel, putting everything at risk. Now Dracula has to keep the young man under the radar of all his guests until he can get rid of him. However, the human’s motive to leave starts dissipating as he and Mavis fall for each other. The movie manages to grab and hold your attention the entire time, despite a couple of immature jokes it would have been just as good without. The main characters are extremely likeable, particularly Dracula and the human, Jonathan. The love story between Mavis and Jonathan isn’t overwhelming, but actually quite sweet. As a nice change, it doesn’t move too fast, rather waits to fl esh out the characters more. A fun fi lm with a cute story to it, Hotel Transylvania is a 3 ½-star place to stay. It even has a pool. Julie Demetros turns 17 this month and is a homeschooler from Arcadia who writes about movies and books at julieatthemovies.wordpress.com. Movies Continued from page 10 a a l Garden • Arcadia High • Peo op p p p s o o • St. Theresa • Basketball • Ki id d ds i se e eu ums • Softball • Shemer Art • Ch hr r ri r Vo o o ol lleyball • Neighborhood News • Sp po o or N te e e er rtainment • Ingleside • Football • N N N a en n n nt ts • Squaw Peak • Recreation • Dram m m ma a d Da a an nce • Church News • Hopi • Arc ca a a n l lt t th & Fitness • Arts & Entertainme e en n a s s • Hopi • Football • Desert Botani ic c c ca S a ad d d dia High • People • Phoenix Zoo • S S le • Ph a as s sketball • Kids • Tavan • Museums s • Tav h h er A l w w w Peak • Recreation • Drama • Baseb ba a a hu u ur rch News • H i Follow the Titans. Visit Sports at l h h hem em emer er er er A A A A Art rt rt rt rt • • • • Ch Ch Ch Ch Chri ri ri ri rist t st st st L L L Lut ut uth he he her ra ran n • • V Vo V l ghborhood News • Sports • Arts & Ent ngleside • Football • Neighborhood w w Pe Peak ak • • R Re ecr t ti i w Peak • Recr ti hemer Art Ch i orts • A l • Nei V rts & En ghborh h he A l l hemer Art • Christ Lutheran • Vo e d d w w Pe Peak ak • • R Rec ecre reat atio ion • D D l d ARCADIADAILY COM i i i i i i i i ig g g i i i i i i i i i i i ig g g g All Saints’ Episcopal Day School is holding an Open House at 9 a.m. November 7. Campus tours led by Parent Ambassadors include an opportunity to meet admission of fi cers and division heads. RSVP to 602-274-4866, ext. 220. With rates at historic LOWS, NOW is the perfect time to upgrade to a larger home or refinance the one you’re in. Call me today before rates climb! at historic LOWS, ct time to upgrade to me or refinance u’re in. Call me re rates climb! today befo re r y www.NovaHomeLoans.com/Jason.Wojtyna JASON WOJTYNA “Your Local Arcadia Lender” 602.568.8221 NMLS# 259199 / BK0902429 / NOVA NMLS# 3087 Visit us and see the many ways we can care for your family. Dr. Rob Mirabelli and Dr. Jen Mirabelli Board Certified Pediatric Dentist Board Certified Orthodontist i PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY & OR THODONTICS www.camelbackpedoortho.com 44th Street & Camelback Road 602-595-3531 Your dream kitchen awaits you... ... or bath, home office, closet system, flooring, granite or entertainment center. We do it all! $250 CREDIT TO AMEROCK HARDWARE WITH THIS AD! With the purchase of a kitchen remodel 602.653.7446 3523 E. Broadway Road • Phoenix ROC# 258859 Licensed Bonded Insured www.CoventryKitchensandClosets.com

Page 13 November 2012 by Greg A. Bruns [With Patagonia in our current issue of Arcadia Home & Design, it seemed fi tting to dust off this fan favorite about my time as a hot-shot park ranger with a badge. Enjoy. - GAB] For a while there, I was only known as “13.” Oh, sure, they all knew my actual name, but it was way more fun to mess with the newbie and call me by number. Plus, it sort of freed them from any internal restrictions they may have had about abusing people since I was, after all, only a number. This was my fi rst real job out of college and I was determined to put the brain cargo I had amassed to work. It was time for me to start a long and glorious career as a Park Ranger. I was certain that I would be the fi ne example that all other rangers would be judged against. I was going to blaze a trail and show the visitors of Patagonia Lake State Park the splendid beauty and intriguing history of their protected treasure, all while gently reminding them of the rules and responsibilities that come with such a perfect paradise. I would be the modern-day version of Teddy Roosevelt, a conservationist – a pioneer in the fi eld, and they would likely build monuments of me, and people would name entire colleges – or at the very least, library wings – after me. I lasted four months. It was August when I realized I was hired only because I looked hardy enough to dig ditches in the blazing heat of the southern Arizona summer. I recall being asked in my interview – in March – about working in the heat. As a cool, lake breeze wafted through the head ranger’s of fi ce I proudly told him about my experience working in the fi erce Arizona summer. I regaled him with the story about working outside as a landscaper (fancy word for grass cutter) in the summer of 1990 – when the temperature climbed to a brain-swelling 122 degrees. Our employer’s truck had died – so we had to walk two miles to get back to the of fi ce. This seemed to impress him and in a couple days, I received the phone call con fi rming that I was hired. When I showed up at the park on my fi rst day I was given my badge and walkie-talkie. Whoa – no one said anything about a badge. The shiny shield on my puffed chest meant I had – nay, commanded authority! Respect! Dignity! Honor! Code of the gladiator! “What kind of weapon will I carry?” I asked, pinning the badge on my uniform, my eyes tearing up a bit at the responsibility – the sober faith – that was being instilled in me. “If you mean your shovel ,” I was informed, “you can pick that up at the work shed.” I then spent over an hour learning proper walkie-talkie etiquette. Seems there are an awful lot of retired people who visit the park, and they all have scanners. We were to assume that our mothers were listening at all times. There would be no usage of fi rst or last names or any other identifying characteristic – only the ranger number. And that’s how I became Thirteen . The fi rst couple months weren’t too horrible, although I was cleaning toilets more than anything else. I noticed that I wasn’t the only ranger participating in this humbling activity – everyone did potty duty. Even the guy who had been there twelve years was scraping kidney juice off the urinals. I fi gured he must be an ex-convict or just amazingly stupid. As it turned out, he had a degree in Environmental Science from Clark University – one of the best “earth schools” in the country. Hey – wait a minute – I’ve got a degree in the earth sciences too… as I was mulling around the word prognostication, the water main on the east side of the park broke and spouted a geyser in the middle of the road that was just skimming the troposphere. The whole park went berserk. My radio was squawking. Park dwellers were howling about the sudden lack of water pressure. And just like that, Thirteen was suddenly the only one around. It was August, it was hot, and apparently I was the only person who was stupid enough not to fi nd a reason to get in a truck and bail to Nogales for “supplies.” All fi ve of the other rangers on duty were smoking tires toward the border in a King Cab Chevy before I even got to my weapon of choice, which would turn out to be a blue trenching shovel. Three record-temperature days, ten bloody blisters, and six feet of compacted desert soil later, I found the water main. I had dug what I thought was a huge trench on one side of the road where the water had surfaced. I was still the only one up there digging, and the other rangers were marveling at the red-faced Thirteen , who was unable to lift a canteen of water to his lips without crouching, due to the muscle failure in my arms. Once I found the main line, I called down to the base to let them know. “That’s good,” said ‘ One ’ (the lead ranger), “now we need to dig out the other side of the road to isolate the pipe.” I wiped the salt crystals from my face (heat exhaustion had rooted) and laughed. We? What we are we talking about? And that’s when disappointment and aggression and every fi lthy word in my newly-educated vocabulary poured straight out of my mouth and right into the radio. I started the transmission by using the word “mother” in conjunction with another word and rattled off a tirade of expletives and complaints that lasted a good 30 seconds. Then I held down the transmit button, jamming the entire channel. I held that puppy down until “ One’s ” truck came barreling around the corner at a rather astounding rate of speed. As he skidded up to my location, I could see the radio in his hand and the fury in his scowl. He started to say something, but I had no intention of listening to anything but the sound of my car throttling into passing gear as I screamed up the highway back to Phoenix. Then I delivered what would be my fi nal transmission: “ Thirteen , out.” Reach Greg via e-mail: greg@arcadianews.com. One appointment. Expert doctors. Convenient services. 4350 E. Camelback Rd., Ste F100 Phoenix, AZ 85018 602.955.8700 • FPSAZ.com Because caring for your health has always been our passion, we’ve made the following services conveniently available in our office. • Excellent care for all ages • Same day appointments • On-site clinical laboratory and X-rays • Dermal fillers Perlane and Restylane • Botox and Obagi skin care now available Celebrating 43 years of family care Mark A. Wyse, M.D. Ira H. Ungar, M.D. Karin O’Clair, D.O. M.D. Allan Goldman, D.O. David Francyk, D.O. T.E. McCauley, M.D. Kate Montgomery, FNP Heidi Ungar, D.O. John Stathakis, D.O. (Dermatologist) Charles Levison, M.D.