August 2, 2006

Leaving Teton Village.

Time to hit the road again, checking out of the posh hotel I will now identify: the Jackson Hole Four Seasons. (Hey, it's 35° here!)

I'll drive most of the day, positioning myself for a quick tour of one last national park before driving the rest of the way home tomorrow. Enough driving already. The mental picture of home has gotten achingly clear.

Feel free to use the comments section here as an amiable coffeehouse. An amiable coffeehouse where everyone's obsessed with Mel Gibson. No, really, give it a rest. Surely, there are lots of other things to talk about, from light -- Is Heath Ledger a good Joker? -- to heavy -- Is Israel winning?

UPDATE: I'm still laughing about something Bissage wrote in the comments: "'the Jackson Hole Four Seasons.' Isn't that, like, you know, three different music groups?" Sippican adds:

jackson hole four seasons

Anyway, I'm pining for the Four Seasons, as I've reached today's destination, the worst of the four Holiday Inn Express motels I chose for stepping stones on the way to my two posh hotels. I picked Holiday Inn Express because of the clarity of their internet access promise. I was going to give the brand the Althouse seal of approval, but this last one had a busted ethernet wall jack (and a broken telephone), and when I went down to the lobby to say I needed another room, the desk clerk did not take me seriously -- he sniggered at my problem! He also asserted that there were no extra rooms, but obviously, since I'm posting, there was another room. I won't recount the hassle I went through after a long day's drive, but all I'll say is: Holiday Inn, protect your brand! Two of your motels were first rate. One was very slightly off. But this fourth is rather sleazy.

And I just wanted to add that I've seen all the "Batman" movies. And I watched the TV show when it was originally on and a big craze.

59 comments:

Maxine Weiss said...

Mistake #1: Taking your own car.

You never never never take your own car on a cross-country road trip.

It just isn't done.

What if you get tired of driving, want to ditch the car, and fly home?

When you rent a car, you can do that.

Plus, I wouldn't want to put unnecessary mileage on my own car.

Peace, Maxine

tiggeril said...

Polar Bears:Fuzzy snoogy-woogies or a threat to our national security?

Bissage said...

the Jackson Hole Four Seasons.

Isn't that, like, you know,
three
different music groups?

Tibore said...

Okay, anyone who can fit Michael, Tito, Jermaine, et. al., Courtney Love, and Frankie Valli into a post about a hotel clearly wins the free association prize for the day.

----

"Hey, it's 35° here!"

Not falling for it this time; I know you're not in Madison right now. :)

(It's not like you're in St. Cloud, Minnesota, let alone the Yukon!...)

SippicanCottage said...
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Icepick said...

Was there some sort of referendum taken, or some sort of religion founded, or some other cultural imperative I've missed that requires that Batman be remade every 45 days?

No, it's just understood to be the case.

And forget Heath Ledger, they should have hired Mark Hamill for the part. He's already done the role, and better than Jack did, too. But then, they refused to hire Clancy Brown for Lex Luthor, and hired Spacey to ham it up instead.

And Maxine, nice hair!

Laura Reynolds said...

Bissage: brilliant!

Maxine Weiss said...

Thanks Icepick!

That hairdo took all day to achieve.

A wash-n-set.

Sat under the dryer for hours.

Peace, Maxine

joeschmo1of3 said...

Sippican: I believe its penance for making Batman & Robin and that freak show Batman Forever. They've made a good start with Batman Begins, but there is still so much to do.

Honestly, to turn Bane, who in the comics broke Batman's back and was, arguably, the best new villain of the 90's, into a stooge for a plant lady. ...Shudder...

I agree with icepick, Mark Hammill would be great because of his voice work in the cartoon, but he's too old: this is an origin story. Not exactly like Jack Nicholson's case, which was an interesting turn on the Joker story, but it looks like we're getting back to basics with the new set of movies.

Heath Ledger has done funny before, but I would have been happier with a Ryan Reynolds, or even a Sean William Scott, to bring the whimsy and physical humor of Joker back into the movies.

Jennifer said...

Another Batman movie? And with Hobo Heath?

Sigh. Thank heaven for Netflix and Independent movies.

Jennifer said...

Some of the cheesiest bars I've ever been in were in Jackson Hole. Man, I love that place. I'm so jealous that you were just there.

stephenb said...

Yeah, Maxine. Nice hair.

And thanks for the tip. I've never thought about ditching the rental car midway through a trip. I'll have to keep that in mind.

Maxine Weiss said...

Jackson Hole?

What a horrible name for a resort.

I don't want to stay in a place named "Jackson Hole".

They need a prettier name.

Something like "Platinum Heights", or "Sun Valley".

"Lake Success".

Peace, Maxine

KCFleming said...

Heath Ledger as Joker, and no-one's said it yet? Really?

Brokebat Mountain!

Sorry. I'm so ashamed.

Icepick said...

Maxine, your description of your hair routine reminded me of my favorite Bette Davis line: "I'd love to kiss you, but I just washed my hair!"

Icepick said...

Pogo, you should be ashamed for that!

(I'm ashamed that I didn't think of it first.)

Maxine Weiss said...

Bette's got to have a better line than that !

Icepik:

1. How many hours does your hairdo take?

2. How long do you sit under the dryer for?

3. Who does your comb-out?

Peace, Maxine

Ruth Anne Adams said...

Did you luxuriate in the extra-deep tub? Was it worth the $ spent? Did you make a fire? Would you stay there again?

knox said...

Our challenge in casting the Joker was to find an actor who is not just extraordinarily talented but fearless

I love me some Heath Ledger, but please....


I have come to believe the Batman franchise is just a vehicle for all the big stars to really ham it up in the villain roles.

(Michael Keaton will always be my favorite Batman)

Beth said...

I'm obsessed with 35 degrees. Why do we have all the missing degrees down here? Where can I ship you some of our extra degrees?

Nasty, Brutish & Short said...

Aren't you worried about disclosing the name of your hotel? What about the swarms of groupies, pelting you with undergarments and requests for tips on how to increase their own blog traffic?

MadisonMan said...

Erizabeth: If youl rind is flom the south, those extla deglees ale arleady being shipped nolth.

Sorry -- I just watched a favorite Monty Python.

The Drill SGT said...

I liked Maxine better yesterday when she was in her Free Love period. Now she's back in Peace mode.

The Drill SGT said...

MM,

Are you a touch typist? had too much to sip? or like me, have a wireless keyboard that drops letters?

Beth said...

Drill Sgt, I'm always typing in a paragraph without looking at the screen, only to find I've positioned my hands off by a key. If I were a programmer, I would write software that could take a chunk of text and shift it one key to the right or left on the keyboard.

But I think MM's got something else entirely going on.

Brent said...

Wow, a post where some familiar commenters on Ann's site, many of whom argued back and forth before (and undoubtedly will again) are hangin' on the light side -

Cooool.

It's kind of like bein in a club . . .
the Cool Ann Club . . . c'mon in and grab something to drink and chill awhile.


I thought I read recently that Jack Nicholson thought that the Joker was one of his two finest roles.

And, though I cannot stomach George Clooneys politics, I LOVED him as Batman . . . was I the only one on the planet?

Tibore said...

You know Brent, I thought Clooney could pull it off too, with a better script. He could play the jocular, superficial playboy and hide the anger underneath, although from his other works, I'm not sure he could force the level of dark anger the comics display. But he could force enough anger to be interesting.

But that script... blarf!

I knew the movie was in trouble when Shumacher said he wanted to return to the "sensibilites" of the 50's series. Sensibilities... meh. I mean, I like camp as much as the next guy, but when you forget to include the tongue-in-cheek, or when you don't pull it off properly, it's ain't camp. It's junk.

As for the new Batman... Christian Bale's working out better than I thought he would. Which is excellent.

Anonymous said...

"Batman Begins" was great and Christian Bale is a great Batman.

Heath Ledger as the Joker? Maybe. We'll see. What's funny is that the suits at Sony seriously considered Ledger for the role of Spider-Man. But you know what's really funny? Their dream choice was Freddie Prinze, Jr.! But Sam Raimi, who was actually familiar with this obscure bit of arcana known as Spider-Man, (Legend has it he even read the comic!) fought for Tobey Maguire, and pulled off the most perfect bit of superhero casting since Christopher Reeve.

Who's excited about "Ghost Rider"? Nobody? How can you not be excited about "Ghost Rider"? Don't you have any interest at all in D-list, bench-warmer superheroes?

On "Entourage" the idea of an Aquaman movie is a joke because, as everyone knows, Aquaman sucks. But I'll bet you seven bucks they actually do it some day.

Eli Blake said...

Interesting political point about Jackson Hole: It's where Dick Cheney, when he decided to run for Vice President, bought a house so that he could legally do it (since he was previous to that a Texas resident and the law requires that the President and Vice President be from different states.) In 2000, Teton county like every other county in Wyoming, voted Republican. In 2004, the rest of Wyoming stayed red, but in Jackson Hole they'd had enough of Cheney and they voted for Kerry, mostly out of spite (though cuts in the national parks budgets may have contributed to the switch too.)

XWL said...

What, no post about the sexualization of scenery suggested by naming the mountains Grand Teton?

From the Wiki

"The origin of the name is controversial. The most common explanation is that "Grand Teton" means "large teat" in French, named by either French-Canadian or Iroquois members of an expedition led by Donald McKenzie of the Northwest Company.[1]"

Now, that origin for the name is disputed, but it wasn't when I visited in the early 80s.

SippicanCottage said...
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Anonymous said...

I will pay seven dollars for a poster of that. And I will pay for shipping and handling.

Ann Althouse said...

Hi, everybody! I'm back! Check the update.

I have photos of the "Big [Teats]" ... just wait.

Ann Althouse said...

I may make "coffeehouse" posts a regular feature. It's fun to see "the regulars" free associate.

SippicanCottage said...
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SippicanCottage said...
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Anonymous said...

Sippican: Ha!

Regarding Holiday Inn Express. I stayed in one once. My memories of it are fond because the breakfast buffet was good. Other than that I don't remember anything. Except: there was some kind of Christian group there and it had a nice atrium.

The best hotel in the world? I can't say. The coolest hotel I ever stayed at was in Orlando, and I don't remember the name. But the pool was supercool.

Brent said...

Johnny Nucleo,

Was it the Hyatt Grand Cypress?
That pool was awesome.

I just emailed my company's travel dr to see if she can change our conference stay in Jackson Hole next April to the Four Seasons.

Anonymous said...

I think you're right. It could be. I'll have to check my archives. That pool was freakin awesome. It had waterfalls and caves and fake rock.

girlfriday said...

There were other reasons to stop in Idaho. Jonah Goldberg was here.

Ron said...

Sippican -- What might I get from Courtney for $7? And can it be cured with an injection?

SippicanCottage said...
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XWL said...

I can't believe noone else has done this yet, and I can't believe I didn't do it along with my earlier post about 'tetons'.

Prof. Althouse mentioned, "Anyway, I'm pining for the Four Seasons"

beats, pining for the fjords.

(I'm a nerdy-geek, and I'm OK, I blog all night and sleep all day . . .)

CCMCornell said...

On "Entourage" the idea of an Aquaman movie is a joke because, as everyone knows, Aquaman sucks. But I'll bet you seven bucks they actually do it some day.

That reminds me of a joke Dave Chappelle used to do a few years back. He even used the joke when appearing on Dr Katz. Youtube.com to the rescue.

XWL said...

I should read the comments more closely before posting, speaking of turning joke Aquaman, into real Aquaman. . . . . . . .

Also, to Brent who loved Clooney as Batman, maybe you should read this post, and visit this message board topic.

Jennifer said...

XWL - I have a t-shirt from Teton Liquors with quite the illustration involving the Grand Tetons and an awfully naughty cloud man.

I am not a t-shirt person, but I could not pass that up.

Tibore said...

Hey, I hear they're gonna cast Mel Gibson in the new Batman movie!

(*Snickers... ducks...*)

Gordon Freece said...

Is that some kind of weird Rickenbacker?

Beth said...

Anyone else ever encounter this phenomenon? In my experience, small boys go into a Batman phase right around 3 years old, up to and including the point of introducing themselves as Batman, and demanding to be called Batman. This can go on a couple of years. Later, as they develop a little irony and rebellious streak, they shift to a Spiderman obsession, say between 5 and 7. This includes Spidey sheets, at least one Halloween appearance, and lots of leaping.

When I got a small, two-door, black car with a spoiler and vroom vroom, I went way up in value to my 4-year-old nephew. I even got called Batman a few times. "Let's ride, Batman!"

My favorites have been Clooney and Bale, but nothing beats the Batman in my mind.

Jennifer said...

Elizabeth - my son is three and he alternates between Batman or Spiderman depending on his current mood. Mostly Spiderman, though. He has the Spidey sheets, has already done the Spidey Halloween and leaps like a fool. Does this mean he's especially ironic and rebellious? Lord help us.

SippicanCottage said...

At three? The first one was Dash Riprock. The second one is Bam Bam.

I don't know. You figure it out.

Laura Reynolds said...

Several years ago when my kids were yound, we were at Six Flags kiddie area and there was this boy about 3-4 wearing a Robin oufit. While I tried to not pass judgement, my 3 year old daughter was creeped out by him always being near her on the little rides.

Maxine Weiss said...

"I liked Maxine better yesterday when she was in her Free Love period. Now she's back in Peace mode."---Drl Sgt

Drl Sgt: I used the word "love", never said a thing about "free".

Love = yes
Free = never used that word!

Peace, Maxine

Ron said...

My best friends child, at 4, calls himself PacMan and leaves room at the dinner table for the four ghosts to sit next to him...see, we can all get along...

Beth said...

Dash Riprock?? What a cool kid. Bam Bam was one of my TV crushes, back in the day.

I myself, as a wee tot, liked to wear a bath towel safety pinned around my neck as the little girl of steel. They caught me with a breadknife once, at age two or three, trying to break into the TV, while Superman was on. I wanted in on that adventure.

Specifics aside, Spidey and Batman seem to be the big archetypes these days for little guys. I stick by my belief that Spidey's an expression of their rebellious, at least wisecracking, side.

I can't figure out this Robin kid. Why be the sidekick? I bet he grows up to be Arthur, the Tick's Mothly sidekick.

SippicanCottage said...
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Maxine Weiss said...

Residence Inns (Marriott) ....Best conventional ovens, for all your heavy-duty cooking needs!

Peace, Maxine

Beth said...

Sippican, thanks!

But I can't tell: am I looking at a sweet symmetry, or a sly juxtaposition?

SippicanCottage said...
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