Midtown Crossing Holiday Lights

A sample of the 15-minute holiday lights show at Midtown Crossing.

Last year, Midtown Crossing launched a nightly lights show in the former Turner Park area. We enjoyed it and thought we would return again this year.

What we didn't know is that things are a bit more extravagant this year. They have added smoke and spotlights to the 15-minute show. It was pretty nice, especially since the weather was fairly mild (mid-40s).

These lights on the building looked pretty cool.

The periodic smoke is new this year.

There are also spotlights this year.

Music And Lights At Midtown

It's a festive scene in the vast courtyard at Midtown Crossing.

Omaha's Midtown Crossing is stealing a bit of thunder from the Gene Leahy Mall light display – in more ways than one.

For starters, Midtown Crossing's display is already in place – and has been for nearly a week. The "million lights" display downtown won't "go live" until Thursday night.

But even more impressive is the nightly lights-set-to-music show at seven o'clock. It's about 10 to 15 minutes of holiday music with a choreographed light display that spans the buildings, as well as the trees in the park. Throw in the glow from the fire pits of a couple restaurants in the complex and it's quite the event.

She's No Lady Gaga

This is what happens when Veronica stays up past 1:30 a.m.
(Thanks, Bob Cullinan, for helping make a not-so-quality photo a little better.)

In Case You Missed It: BTTF

Veronica got a "boost" at the movies.
Not mentioned in my earlier post about our trip to Midtown Crossing to see "Back to the Future" last Friday was the "boost" Veronica got that night.

When we arrived, it was quickly clear that Veronica's swivel chair at the theater left her a bit shy of seeing over the tall counter in front of her. So we contacted the wait staff by pressing the call button (pictured at right) on the counter. The traditional "taller" tool – a phone book – was a no-go, we found out. (Do they still print phone books?)

But the server didn't give up. She returned a few minutes later with a plastic cover used to keep food warm. The three-inch boost it gave Veronica was just enough to do the trick.

This plastic cover gave Veronica's butt a boost.

A Trip Back In Time

The post-movie shenanigans.
It was July or August of 1985 when I last saw "Back to the Future" on the big screen. The movie premiered in July and was a huge hit of what was a blockbuster year at the box office. Consider some of the other long-standing flicks (that I like) which debuted that year: "Fletch," "Rocky IV," "Spies Like Us," "Jewel of the Nile" and "Witness."

Having seen "Back to the Future" countless times since that summer – but always on a small screen – I jumped at the chance to see it in a movie theater. The timing was perfect, too, as the girls would be with me on the 25th anniversary of the date Doc and Marty went back to 1955 (Nov. 5). The only questionable part was the showing time: 11 p.m.

I laid out a plan that would involve the girls taking a nap from 7:30-9:30 p.m. and even bought the tickets in advance (it ended up being a sellout). Bridget (pictured at left) and Jon also got tickets – and I ended up selling the extras to five UNO students who were waiting outside and not thinking they would get in.

Only Lauren and Emily didn't take naps. Julia told me taking a nap "was fun" and only Veronica had a hard time waking up. But once we were out the door and headed to Midtown Crossing, they were all wide awake and ready for the flick. Midtown Crossing has "CineDine" - which is a great way to eat "real" food while you watch a movie.

Olivia and Julia ordered funnel cake sticks while Lauren opted for a small popcorn (which looked more like a large). Veronica had cookie dough candy and pop. The 45 minutes we waited for the movie to start went by quickly and soon the ticking clocks that open the movie were up on the silver screen.

I noticed quite a bit of things and sounds that I didn't catch on to when watching the DVD (or, in my case the VHS) copy of the movie on my TV. The girls loved it – and all five of the girls stayed awake the entire movie.

On the way home, we drove by "Brite Ideas" – which has a very colorful showroom that's lit up with tons of Christmas lights and decorations. All the girls thought it was cool that they were awake at 1:15 in the morning. When we got back to my apartment, they popped in "Back to the Future II." But only Olivia made it to the end. She said she went to bed after 3 a.m.

Getting Veronica to bed afterward was easier said than done.

Lauren said she was getting tired toward the end.

Race Across The Sky 2010

The second edition of "Race Across The Sky" premiered tonight.

It's not easy making a documentary about the same subject two years in a row. In the case of "Race Across the Sky," the top competitors are usually the same, the course is the same, the weather was the same (in 2009 and 2010), etc. So I was expecting "more of the same" when I went to see this year's edition of the movie.

The great thing about seeing "Race Across the Sky" was the fact that my mom won tickets from BicycleRadio.com. She says she never wins anything. But that wasn't the case this time. We enjoyed the movie at Midtown Crossing (I saw the first "Race Across the Sky" at Film Streams this summer) with about two dozen others.

Another neat thing about seeing the movie "live" was the pre- and post-show panel moderated by Dave Towle. When he first appeared on the screen, my mom asked me if I knew him. (Of course!)