Science museum scavenger hunt champions!

Scavenger hunt champions!

Scavenger hunt champions!


Thursday evening the family and I signed up for the first ever scavenger hunt in the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences. The Natural Science museum has been our favorite family museum ever since we had kids. We know it very, very well, so when the opportunity came up to participate in a scavenger hunt we were ready!

A couple dozen families showed up for the hunt, each one given a small booklet with the clues in it. The teams had one hour to complete the hunt, with the organizer saying he would be surprised if anyone did complete the hunt.

But the Turners, competing as the “Absolute Zeros,” did complete the hunt, getting most (if not all) of the answers correct (we were not allowed to keep our booklet so that the answers might be used again in a future hunt). At the end, we were awarded a prize for one of the most creative team names (we wanted the coolest name we could think of) and the grand prize for being scavenger hunt champions! That included museum water bottles, free tickets to the Dinosaurs in Motion exhibit, tote bags, and a sweet backpack donated by Great Outdoor Provision Company (which retails for $100).

Regardless of whether we won or lost, though, we had a blast exploring our favorite museum in Raleigh. We hope to participate again in the future!

Game Change

Game Change

Game Change

Over the weekend I watched the HBO movie Game Change, based on events in the MaCain-Palin presidential campaign of 2008. I expected to be bored with it, already knowing the outcome and that we’re already one election removed from it. Instead, I was absolutely captivated. The acting was superb, with Julianne Moore’s depiction of Palin especially noteworthy. Moore brought Palin to life, depicting a very complex character with skill and pity. Woody Harrelson’s performance was also strong, as was the supporting cast. Ed Harris gave a very convincing performance as McCain as well, though the story centered around Palin’s evolution as a VP candidate.

If you want a fascinating view into the world of presidential campaigning, rent Game Change. Just don’t turn up the sound too loudly as the dialogue is about 30% profanity (acceptable in the context, however).