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I saw the actor, Donald Sutherland at Lutsen Mountains today. I thought I recognized him when I walked in the Mountaintop Restaurant for lunch and confirmed it really was him as I walked past for a soup and salad.
He looked bigger than life with huge white hair and a full beard. In fact he looked like a Biblical patriarch who could part the Red Sea with a mere glance. Finishing lunch, I thought about telling him just that as I neared him to put away my tray.
I noticed he and his entourage of acolytes were not sitting off to the side or in a corner, but right in the middle where he’d be seen. By the way it’s a testament to dumb Amerikans and their TV and movie addiction that no one greeted or seemed to even notice him in real life, at least while I was there.
Also, by the way, if you haven’t seen him play an irreverent Jesus Christ in the anti-war movie “Johnnie Got His Gun”, you don’t know what you’re missing.
I’ve always enjoyed his acting. Then I remembered that the few actors I’ve known were unmitigated, self-centered A**holes. I looked at him again. He caught my eye. I smiled, turned and left.
Now, I’ll never know. But, I did not ‘remove all doubt’. Now I can continue to enjoy his acting. Some things are better not known.
I carved a few more runs. The recent thaw and re-freezing left the slopes icy so I had to ride the snowboard technically perfect until my legs were tired. The forecast is for more melting later this week, which means this could be my ‘last hurrah’ for the season.
I realized that I hadn’t wiped out – not once – all season (hardboarders don’t really wipe out; we do body slams). So I called it a day and left early with a perfect season record.
Maybe I’m finally getting to be a wise guy. I refused to push my luck twice today.
Life is good.
Gerold
March 16, 2012
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Gerold's Blog 
I remember him as Vernon Pinkley, shot three times in the back in 1967’s The Dirty Dozen. Probably because AMC or some other channel I’ve flipped past has played The Dirty Dozen about 5 times this winter and I somehow keep catching parts of it.
Also remember him in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Fallen. Haven’t yet seen Mash or Johnny Got His Gun – maybe movies I should put on my to-see list.
Oh, and noticed he stared in Fellini’s Casanova – have to wonder if it is as crazy as Fellini’s Satyricon? Saw parts of it in a film class back in my university days; remember it being quite strange/mind-boggling.
Onto China collapsing…
-GBV
Been so long since I saw the Dirty Dozen, I don’t remember him being in it.
And yeah, he did a great irreverent job in MASH the movie.
– Gerold