Many people equate the sequence of events in last Sunday’s Super Bowl to the city of New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Things started off very slowly with much uncertainty, slowly gaining confidence and then finally victory could be claimed.

Such was the case with the Saints who, in their first appearance in the Super Bowl, were determined to bring joy to a city that has brought so much joy to visitors for decades. I can’t imagine that there was a dry eye left in New Orleans after the final whistle blew.

But, of course, what would the Super Bowl be without the clever commercials?

For me, the most original commercial was the one from Kia where the toys are partying in Vegas. The images of the sock monkey jet skiing, bull riding and getting a tattoo are going to stay with me for a while. Also worth a good chuckle was the Cherry Dr. Pepper ad featuring “Little KISS” and the Hyundai ad featuring Brett Favre in the year 2020 debating whether or not to retire.

It was also fun to see the Griswalds resurrected in the Home Away commercial.  I’m surprised their kids weren’t recast for the fifth time. Is it possible that Rusty and Audrey finally grew up?

True to form, we had Go Daddy pushing the boundaries of the FCC’s rules for decency; so much so that they could only show the set-up for the commercial on national television and invite the audience onto the Internet to watch the sordid conclusion. Also vying for that demographic was Motorola with their commercial featuring Megan Fox in a bathtub.

I like the commercials that are broadcast in a series and build to a plot over the course of the Super Bowl. Unfortunately, we didn’t really see any of that this year but there were plenty of spots that repeat the same theme in different settings.

Exhibit A, the chickens in the Denny’s commercials. Exhibit B, the Bud Light commercials where parties randomly break out in just about any location ranging from homes built out of beer cans to the scene of a plane crash.

My favorite Super Bowl ad series is an old staple, the talking babies from E-Trade. You just can’t go wrong with babies delivering adult dialogue. My favorite was the video chat between our protagonist baby and his girlfriend where he is denying involvement with an infant named “Lindsey” who is characterized as a “milkaholic.”

However, the single best commercial of the night blended the elements of originality, humor and action without resorting to the easy route of cute talking babies, expressive animals or half-naked women. That honor goes to Snickers, the very first big commercial of the night starring Betty White and Abe Vigoda playing football. It set a high standard right away that no other ad matched the rest of the night.

FILM COMMISSION MIXER

The Smithville Film Commission held a mixer at Pocket’s Grille last Thursday night to gather folks that are interested in the film industry so they could locally register to be a part of the labor bank for future projects.

About 30 people attended the event, representing skills such as costume-making, hair and make-up, and of course, actors and writers. Also represented were downtown building owners who are frequently approached for filming locations.

Film Commission co-chair Sheila Tamble welcomed the crowd to Pocket’s, gave an update on some upcoming projects and introduced the screening of the first installment of the web series “The Cell” which debuted on kolcast.com on Feb. 3.

The rapidly-growing Smithville Film Commission will be holding more events like this in the future. If you are interested in becoming a part of this burgeoning sector of Smithville, consider attending the next monthly meeting of the Film Commission on the third Tuesday of each month at 10 a.m. at Pocket’s Grille.

Smithville Film Commission member Adena Lewis (far right) greeted several guests at the group’s recent mixer, including, left to right, Roxanne Shell, Mike Shell and Peter Mackenzie. Mackenzie is currently developing a project to be filmed in Smithville later this spring.

AUDITIONS THIS WEEKEND

Don’t forget that “Under the Western Sun” will be auditioning for all types of extras for their project which starts filming Apr. 7. This feature-length independent film, inspired by Smithville, will be casting this Saturday, Feb. 13 at City Hall, 317 Main St., from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Interested parties are asked to bring a headshot and resume to the audition.  Minors will need to be accompanied by parent or guardian.

SWEETS FOR YOUR SWEETIE

There are two upcoming bake sales happening in Smithville just in time to pick up something for Valentine’s Day weekend.

Smithville Regional Hospital Auxiliary’s bake sale will be open for business tomorrow from 8 a.m. to noon or until they are sold out. The selection of goods will be on display in the hospital’s conference room right next to the Bistro.  Proceeds from the sale benefit nursing scholarships.

The second bake sale is being sponsored by the Bosom Buddies Relay for Life Team. They are setting up shop in front of The Pickett Fence on Saturday morning, Feb. 13, from 8 a.m. until sold out. Items for sale will include fudge, cookies and cakes.

COSTA RICAN ADVENTURE

Locals Joanna and Mike Morgan and Earl and Mary Ann Walborg, along with two other couples, spent 10 wonderful days in Costa Rica recently. Three of the eight people on the trip were bird watchers and the rest of the group quickly became fans as well. Aside from the many rare and beautifully colored birds, the group was treated to sightings of huge alligators, active monkeys and beautiful flora.

Of course, like all good Smithvillians, they took along a copy of The Smithville Times, specifically the edition with Mike Morgan on the front page.

All in all, the group had a wonderful experience at a very reasonable price. As Mary Ann reported, the most pleasant surprise of the trip was that the tap water was potable!

FOR THE LOVE OF THE SPOKEN WORD

Spoken Word is doing something special this month in honor of Valentine’s Day.  They are hosting their monthly event at the Arts Cottage at the Rock-C Ranch on Sunday, Feb. 14 at 6:30 p.m. The theme is, of course, romance.

For more information, visit http://cottageofthearts.com/ or just show up for the event at 1620 FM 535 just outside of Smithville. For directions, visit www.rock-c-ranch.com/directions.htm or call 512-360-5123. If you haven’t visited this facility, it’s worth the drive

HIGH TECH MEETING

If you consider yourself “high tech” and would like to network with others who share your interests, jot down this date on your calendar:  Thursday, Feb. 18 is the next meeting of the Lost Pines High Tech Consortium.  The meeting will begin at 7 p.m. at Bastrop Workforce Solutions (next to the new Goodwill) at 53 Loop 150 West in Bastrop.

UNTIL NEXT WEEK

Happy Valentine’s Day and happy birthday to my sweet little guy, Trent, who is turning 11 years old on Feb. 17.