The best movie of all time?

I'm going to call it. Best movie. Hands down. And yes, it's an animation.

It's true, though. Pixar has given us another gem that is not just clever, not just creative, but pure genius. The movie has so many meanings on so many levels that it's something you can turn over again and again in your mind and find a new nugget to consider. On the surface, the movie is about a robot that follows his love to explore new things. But there are so many other things that it touches on - mainly a call to take our heads out of the sand and make a change. That change can be to reach out to humanity or reach out to our planet or discover a world outside of the one we know.

And it's moving - after the movie was over, not one moviegoer left their seat. We just all sat there, taking in what we just saw. Who would have thought that the greatest love story this year would be between two robots? And that that love could be conveyed with only three words spoken between the two (Wall-E, Eva, Directive)?

The animation is incredible - the moment the movie started, I forgot I was watching a cartoon; everything is so realistic. I can't believe that the animators can create humanity in a pair of two-dimensional robot eyes.

So if you're looking for a good place to plop down $9 this summer, go see Wall-E. It's an incredible movie and you won't be disappointed.

It's a girl!

Meet my new baby. She's a girl and her name is Weber. Isn't she beautiful?
Ever since our yard was landscaped, complete with a real live back patio, I've been wanting a grill. The debate was between a gas and a charcoal grill. I have a few reasons against gas grills:

• Back in high school, I had a scary encounter with a gas grill that landed me in the emergency room. My tip to all gas grill owners: always open the cover of the grill when you turn on the gas and attempt to ignite it. Fortunately, that encounter left me with no permanent scars, except for a general skittishness around gas.


• I have a problem leaving a gas tank outside of my house. Granted, this is a very safe neighborhood, but there's something unsettling about harbouring a large tank of fuel that could burn down your house.

But I think the biggest reason of all - and, ultimately, the reason that I prevailed in my campaign for Weber - is the taste. What you gain in the convenience of gas you lose in flavor. No matter what you do, you just can't replicate the charcoal taste. Food is just so much better on a charcoal grill.

Tonight Weber got her first test run - turkey burgers, corn on the cob and roasted tomatoes. Man, that girl can cook! I'm in love with my new baby.