you can't be safe on a skateboard

I don’t do skateboards. I never have, so to write about the safety, or lack thereof, of a skateboard might make me a little hypocritical. So perhaps I should concentrate on the “safety” and not the skateboard.

Oh, don’t worry, this isn’t going to be some PSA for wearing helmets and elbow guards and such… its just… you can’t be safe on a skateboard. Practically anything else in the world, no matter the danger, you can prepare for it, have safeguards in place to protect yourself from catastrophe… but not a skateboard. 

 One of my personal goals this year is to read 35 books. Now, I also have a goal of 125 movies as well, but I only count movies that I have never seen… if I didn’t, then watching “Cars 2”, “Rio” and “Winnie the Pooh” would undoubtedly put me over the top, mostly because 34 days into the year of our Lord 2014, I’ve already seen all three of those films at least four times each… that’s a legit claim, not an exaggeration. Its probably more, but that’s my guess.

SIDEBAR... Why? Campbell Isaiah freakin’ loves those movies… and when you stick him in our bouncy seat jumper thing, turn on one of those films, it might buy you anywhere from 20 minutes of free time to possibly the length of the movie. If you think you might get an entire movie out of it, don’t do “Winnie the Pooh”—its only 63 minutes. Pop in “Cars 2”, you’ll get a good hour and 48 minutes, plus credits. He loves credits. Something about the movement of the words from bottom to top, it mesmerizes him. 

Where was I?

Yes, with books, I count any and all books read, even with re-reads, as part of my goal… so far, I’ve downed “Harry Potter & the Sorcerer’s Stone” (a re-read)… “My Story” by Elizabeth Smart, the chick kidnapped out of her bedroom and held captive for 9 months… “Lone Survivor”, by Marcus Luttrell, the incredible story from which the movie is from… and “Live from New York”, an oral narrative on the history of Saturday Night Live… finally, the book I’m re-reading for the first time since 2009, and the 3rd time overall, is “It” by Stephen King, what I actually consider to be his total masterpiece.

I won’t go into the plotline really, as that’s not my point, but there is a scene where one of the main characters, Bill Denborough, meets a small kid on a skateboard on a random afternoon. They chat for a second, and Bill, a balding man of almost 40, asks to ride the skateboard this kid is holding. The kid doesn’t think it’s a good idea, telling Bill how he-Bill-could get hurt and that… “You can’t be safe on a skateboard.”

This line struck me. I’ve gotten another 2/3rd of the way through the book since that scene, but I keep thinking about that one line. You can’t be safe on a skateboard.

Think about it. Skydiving, which I’ve never done but want to do one day… it’s a dangerous sport made safe, or at least, reasonably safe, with equipment, with parachutes, and if you are on one of many dives in the beginning of your skydiving career, with someone attached to you that’s doing all the work.

NASCAR racing, or even stock car racing in general. Those cars ride hitting 200 miles per hour and more, with a list of deaths on the track, notably Dale Earnhardt in 2000, after going headfirst into a wall at 200 miles per hour… and Alan Kulwicki and Davey Allison, two of my favorite drivers as I was growing up…

But there are tons of safety precautions in the sport… HANS (head and neck support) restraints, roll bars, lots of electronic stuff keeping drivers in touch with their pit crews to watch for accidents and such. 

Pro football is constantly instituting more and more safety rules (many to the detriment of the actual game, but that’s another argument) to keep players from getting debilitating injuries.

But a skateboard? Strap on a helmet. Put on some knee pads, and some pads on your elbows. And then? Ride.

Put that foot on the board, and kick off with the other foot. Stay balanced. Don’t fall.

You can’t be safe on a skateboard.


But you know what you can be? Free.


I imagine skateboarding is riding free. Little restraints. Few things keeping your body from moving in any direction. The only real restriction is your experience.

Life. We can institute every precaution we can in what we do. We can have plans. And then put in back up plans. Then have a few back up plans for our back up plans…

…being vulnerable, this is me. I want to look at every possibility and have a plan for it. I want to know that if A happens, I’m ready. And if B happens, then I’m ready. And if K happens, or P happens, or maybe R happens, then let’s do it, let’s go, I’ve got this. Maybe not the outcome I wanted, but no surprises, right? Ready for anything. And this is a mistake, because I cannot predict every outcome… sometimes I can’t even predict the most logical outcome, the one that makes the most sense, the one that when it happens, I look at it and say, “Yeah, I shoulda thought of that… don’t know why I didn’t think anything else would happen.”

…but to truly do it… to truly go.. to truly move, to get our dreams on the road, to start traveling any road to any success, at some point, we have to be ready to take off the HANs device, undo the beaner holding the tandem skydiver to us, remove the football pads, maybe put on a small bit of protection with a knee pad…

And then ride the skateboard. At some point we have to go ahead, into the unknown, with prayer and hope know that God will bless the efforts and that you can and will be used for His purpose in what your dreams entail.

But its scary. You can’t prepare for everything. You can’t think of everything. You just have to put your foot on the skateboard, then use the other one to kick off.

You can’t be safe on a skateboard.

When it comes to your dreams, your goals, your passions, you should never want to be safe.

Of course, I've ridden Soarin' at Epcot many, many times... I would imagine you can't really be safe on a hang glider as well...

(ps… I am in no way condoning the use of a skateboard, especially if you are of the age when you have no business being on a skateboard… just saying)


(February words: 2,775... 12,225 to go for #15KWordsinFeb...)

2013 movies... the best part two

So, finally... after the my favorite ten movies of 2012 and before that I watched in 2013... here are my top ten films of 2013 that I saw in the calendar year of 2013... hope that makes sense...


10... Star Trek Into Darkness (2013)... Trumping its predecessor, 2010's Star Trek, (but only by a bit), this sequel jumps into action, and goes full blast nonstop til its very end. Added to the mix is Benedict Cumberbatch--which sounds like a villain's name, only he's the actor--playing Khan. And Khan is a villain... or is he? That's a good question that the movie takes its time to answer. The cast is perfect--Chris Pine as Kirk, Zachary Quinto as Spock, Zoe Saldana as Uhura and so on, the special effects are visually mindblowing and the story is solid. Loved this movie... hence, my top ten.

9... Prisoners (2013)... First... Hugh Jackman is freakin' awesome in this movie. I mean, unbelievable. He's a dad, along with a subdued, yet terrific, Terrence Howard, who's daughters are kidnapped. They find a suspect, Paul Dano, arrested by Jake Gyllenhaal, but can't hold him... so our dads kidnap Paul and torture him for information. And it tosses up the moral question of "What would you do?" that many movies ask but can't pull off--this one does, though. Its quick, its serious, and it just sticks with you... and the cast is superb, with no wasted roles, characters or scenes.

8... World War Z (2013)... Right out of the gate, WWZ tosses you right into the action... Its a not only a zombie movie, its a smart zombie movie, and Brad Pitt is great as a scientist and family man racing around the world to try and find a cure for what ails them. A smart, undead film is a rarity, and I really enjoyed this one. The shot of the zombies climbing the walls in Israel is pretty fantastic.

7... Monsters University (2013)... Being a Pixar fan, it was hard to not like this movie. While I don't consider it one of the best Pixar films around, and as time goes by, I think we'll hold the original Monsters Inc as the superior of the two, Monsters U is just really entertaining. The college aspect of it makes it a bit nostalgic for those of us who look fondly on our own college days, while the newer characters are all kinds of fun to watch and get to know. The "backstory" on some of the characters is fun to watch too, especially when you realize the relationship that Randall (the Monsters Inc bad guy) had with Sully... don't think too much, though, because some of the events here don't quite line up with the events of the first film, leaving you with a "If that is supposed to happen later, then why did they do ____ in this one?" kind of feeling.

But the animation is spectacular, and miles and miles ahead of 2003's Monsters Inc. Great movie, so much fun.

6... Gravity (2013)... There are some movies that you should see on the big screen, like "Star Trek Into Darkness" and "Monsters University"... and then there are some movies that almost require a large screen viewing to understand, to comprehend the scope and magnitude of the feature film you are witnessing. "Gravity" is one of those movies. It is epic, it is grandiose and it is harrowing.

A movie came out a few years ago that totally freaking The Lovely Steph Leann out, and made me all kinds of edgy, that being "Open Water", about two people stranding in the middle of the ocean with sharks all around. This is like that, except in space.

You see two faces, really--George Clooney and Sandra Bullock... and Sandy is the one that remains throughout the entire film. First, and foremost, its a gorgeous film... its a visual masterpiece and is so wonderfully put together. The acting is superb, the story is strong, and at 90 minutes, it doesn't keep going 20 minutes after it should have ended. It knows when its story is done. This is probably one of the top two or three BEST movies of the year--but this is my FAVE films, so its at #6.

5... The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013)... Its great when a sequel meets and even surpasses the first in the series, and this one manages that feat. Katniss is back, done so well by Jennifer Lawrence, with her co-horts, the unfortunately named Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) and Haymitch (Woody Harrelson), and through the decisions of a sadistic president of the country, is forced to once again fight in The Hunger Games... this time against previous winners. 

I read all three books in the past year, and "Catching Fire" was my favorite of the three, so it was great to see the movie follow the book so closely... for time's sake, obviously there were chunks cut out and a few things changed for time, but overall, even though I knew the outcome, I was still kept in suspense as it went on.

4... Fast & Furious 6 (2013)... One of the reasons I enjoy "Ocean's Eleven" so much is that you can tell everyone is just having a ball of fun being around each other, eating up the dialogue--which I'm sure much of it was ad-libbed... and its great that they don't take themselves so doggone seriously. Those things, plus the knowledge that you won't be winning any awards with what you are doing, is what makes the last two Fast & Furious movies a blast. 

Vin Diesel, my mancrush The Rock, the returning Michelle Rodriguez (she's not dead! Spoiler!) and the late, great Paul Walker return for some silliness about The Rock needing to stop a crime boss, so he reaches out for Vin's help and gets the gang, like Ludacris and Tyrese Gibson, back together...

But honestly, who cares? The plot is a little predictable and passable, but they know this, delivering funny one-liners and self-reverential humor... and the main star? The action sequences, which are completely absurd, are a blast. And, as I said before, the best part of this, these guys are having FUN... they know this will never be up for any kind of real award, so they wanted to make the most entertaining movie possible... and they succeeded completely. 

3... Saving Mr. Banks (2013)... In our January 5th, 2013, episode of The Deucecast, our movie podcast that I co-host, we did a "Top Ten Movies Most Anticipated 2013 Films, and here was my list: 10-Fast & Furious 6... 9-Iron Man 3... 8-The Hunger Games: Catching Fire... 7-Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues (I still haven't seen this)... 6- Star Trek Into Darkness... 5 (tie) The Wolverine & Man of Steel (meh)... 4-Oblivion (blew that call)... 3-Grown Ups 2... 2-Monsters University... and my most anticipated film of 2013... Saving Mr. Banks.

Being a Disneyphile, when I heard about the prospect of this film--Tom Hanks was Walt Disney, it was filmed partly at Disneyland, it told the story of how Mary Poppins was acquired--I was giddy, and the film that I waited all year long for, didn't disappoint.

Emma Thompson is marvelous as the unsettled, impatient PL Travers, the creator and writer of the Mary Poppins books, and rather than be mad at her for being so temperamental, the film shows her as a child, and what she dealt with that grew her up in the manner that she did.

Also wonderful in a supporting role are BJ Novak and Jason Schwartzman, who play the famous Sherman Brothers, and also someone who has gotten only a little notice, Paul Giamatti, as PL Travers personal limo driver. The whole cast is wonderful, and its a family film through and through. 

2... Frozen (2013)... Disney is on a roll. I submit to you their last three animated features.... Tangled... Wreck it Ralph... and now this one. The tale of two princesses, Anna and Elsa, the former being a goofy little girl who grows up to be a goofy, lovesick teenager, the latter being the more responsible one who becomes the queen... only she has ice powers she cannot control.

The music in this film is just tremendous, especially with the Idina Menzel's power bomb "Let It Go", but don't let that overshadow the other songs, especially Olaf the Snowman's whimsical ode to what it must be like in the summertime... and no one wants to tell him what happens when a snowman meets summer. This film is gorgeously drawn, well executed, and even its flaws can be overlooked for how great it actually is. 

1... The Way Way Back (2013)... Talk about a surprise entry outta nowhere... this is the simple story of a boy named Duncan who travels with his mom (Toni Collette), and her skeezy boyfriend (Steve Carell in a completely different, welcome, role) and sister to vacation in Cape Cod. Duncan deals with all the parts of being 15, but also the emotional abuse he gets from Trent, Mom's boyfriend, and his cold sister, plus his Mom who always takes her boyfriend's side of everything.

Friendless, he meets Susanna, a daughter of a neighboring, friendly family, and then ends up visiting--then getting a job with--the local waterpark, Water Wizz.

And this is where the movie really soars... Sam Rockwell is Owen, the guy who essentially takes Duncan under his wing, with co-workers played by Maya Rudolph, and the directors of the films, Nate Faxon and Jim Rash. 

Its a true coming-of-age story filled with fun moments, growing up, remember whens and you cheer for Duncan when his life hits the upswing, and feel for him when he gets knocked down again. And seeing Steve Carell play a bad guy is just wonderful as well.

So there you have it... my favorite 2013 films I actually watched IN 2013... So glad you stuck around, now on to other things!


(#500Words... 1670 written in February, 13,330 to go for #15KinFeb)

things carly simon made me say late at night

Its two minutes shy of 11:30. And this is what is known as writer’s block… well, maybe. Sort of. I mean, I wrote a post on Friday, so its only been a few days… I guess I should write something, working on my 20,000 words for January. I’m getting close… you might say “well, you just wrote about movies and stuff, so that only sort of counts”, but I think it counts completely. They are my thoughts, my words, and I made sure not to count anything that I quoted from my earlier posts.

Its 1131 now. Someone on Facebook made a comment about my blog, telling me “You’re so vain. You probably think this comment is about you.” We bantered about lyrics from the song. Of course, as probably 98.7% of you know, that’s where the title of the blog comes from…

 “I had some dreams, they were clouds in my coffee… clouds in my coffee and… you’re so vain…”

Of course, then I had to play the song. Put the earbuds in, turn on some Carly Simon, and type away.

Type away about what? I have no idea!!

I feel like every time I go to Wikipedia, they are asking for a little change. I always feel like I should contribute, because darn if I don’t use it just about every day, multiple times per day. When I watch a movie, many times I’ll look there and IMDb, just to read facts and such about the film… box office returns, trivia, production information. I’m really a nerd like that.

Yeah, this looks a bit dated, don't it?

“In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning”, from Carly Simon just played and ended. Now its “Nobody Does It Better” from what I’m positive is “The Spy Who Loved Me”, a James Bond film.

Never been a James Bond fan, really. I mean, I liked the Daniel Craig films… “Skyfall” and “Casino Royale” and not really sure what the heck a “Quantum of Solace” is, but I liked it. Pierce Brosnan was not too bad in “Goldeneye”. I’m sure if I saw more of the Sean Connery ones, I’d like them more.

 “I Haven’t Got Time for the Pain” is on. I don’t know the album, but its such a great song. A great, “suck it up, Im heartbroken, but I got junk to do, so I’m gonna suck it up and get ‘er done.” Boom.

Boom is a great word. Boomsauce is an even better. I use Boom randomly. I think I’ll incorporate Boomsauce in there too.

So, when I was growing up, I heard about this syndrome called Toxic Shock Syndrome. It was this thing you could get if you were a chick and you improperly used feminine hygiene products. I’ve never heard of anyone ever dying of Toxic Shock Syndrome, and I never hear about it anymore. Is it still a thing?

Milo’s chicken fingers are so good. Milo’s is the burger joint in our area that serves their burgers with this brown gravy sauce on it that I don’t like, so I always get it plain, adding my own condiments, like ketchup and mustard and mayo...

"You Belong To Me” just came on. I know it best from the credits on the late Brittany Murphy’s “Little Black Book” a great little underrated, forgotten comedy with Holly Hunter and Peter from “Office Space”, who’s real name esca… Ron Livingston! Yeah, him. Anyway, it’s a great song.

Yes, its got the same title as the Taylor Swift song, and I probably like that song a little bit better, mostly because I am on the downslide to 40 and am a Taylor Swift fan and I’m #notsorrynotsorry. As a matter of fact, I'm going to listen to “You Belong to Me” right now.

Of course, it would help if I remembered that the Taylor Swift song was actually called “You Belong WITH Me”, not “TO Me”. Not quite as possessive.

She wears short skirts and I wear t-shirts, she’s cheer captain and I’m on the bleachers… this song makes me happy. When I hear it, especially if I watch the cutie-patootie video, it makes me think of high school, and how 16 year old me was the male Taylor Swift and I was singing to Julie Wise. That didn’t work out, and that’s okay.

Wasn’t I talking about Milo’s?

Yes, their fries are good too. And they just started doing chicken fingers a few months ago could have been a year ago, and I dig them. Dig ‘em a lot.

If I quoted Taylor Swift’s lyrics above, do those words count towards my total? Okay, I’m a purist, so I’ll discount those sixteen words. Does t-shirt count as two words? Its hyphenated, so

Holy crap “Head Over Heels” by Tears for Fears just came across my iTunes shuffle…. What. This song is so good. I won’t quote it or sing it here because I don’t want to have to count the word total and subtract it from my overall total. Too much work.

That’s the hard part about Milo’s… too much work. If its too go, I have to park, and in my lap, doctor it up with the condiments, and then what do I do with the empty packets of stuff? Toss them in the bag, sure, but like, I’ve got fries in there. Chicken fingers are less messy, but I can’t eat those in the car.

I was eating something in the car not too long ago, and like, I had on a white sweater, and I dripped ketchup out. Thankfully, it landed on a napkin, and I was so pleased that it didn’t land on the right side of my shirt where I thought it did. I didn’t look at the left side until a few minutes later, and yup, there it was. A little red splotch.

Splotch. What a weird word. Makes me think of the character Elmo Blatch in the movie “The Shawshank Redemption”, literally my 2nd favorite film of all time (#TheDave500).

Anyway, this red splotch was on my sweater, and I wiped it up, or blotted it anyway, not realizing some had gotten on my lanyard that I was wearing…

My new job requires us all to wear lanyards now, and my picture is a stark reminder of the fact my face gains weight faster than the rest of my gloriously pudgy frame.

..and when I was wiping up the spot on my sweater, I was moving the lanyard which was spreading more ketchup onto my sweater. It was a nasty business.

“Sunrise” by Simply Red is on. I’m addicted to this song, don’t ask me why. I watched the video of it recently, which was a live performance of Simply Red, though I think its just one guy now, singing it. He looks reeeeeeally old, which isn’t surprising because I remember their stuff like “Holding Back the Years” from the late 80s.

Anyway, towards the end of the song, this chicks sings lines from “I Can’t Go For That (no can do)” by Hall and Oates, which “Sunrise” samples.

Sunrise samples.

Sunrise sampler.

Mmm. Now I want to go to Cracker Barrel, or Waffle House.

Apparently the Grammys were on tonight. And I so didn’t care. Pharrell apparently wore a big hat. It looked like the Arby’s hat. So.

I tried Taco Bell’s Cinnabon Delights the other day. I watched “Undercover Boss” with Cinnabon’s CEO chick, Kat Cole, who I follow on Twitter, not that that matters, just worth mentioning and when I watched it, I suddenly wanted Cinnabon… and Taco Bell was as good as any… they were so delish.

I just said Delish.

"You Give Good Love" by Whitney Houston is on my iPod now. If you don't think I'm sitting here, mouthing the words quietly so as not to wake up the family upstairs, yet doing it with over exaggerated head movements that can only come at 12:05 at night, then you are crazy. You give good love to me, honey, never too much will ever be...

My friend Michelle had a huge problem with this song, mostly because it was so grammatically faulty.

I love Whitney Houston. No kidding. I also love Cinnabon Delights from Taco Bell. And Carly Simon music. And Walt Disney World. And my Deuce buddies. And WWE Royal Rumble, which we watched tonight. I don't love Toxic Shock Syndrome. But I do love Whitney Houston.

And yet, I still said Delish up there.

Geez, its late. Crap it all.

Perhaps tomorrow I won’t have writer’s block.

(17,888 words written for #500Words... 2,112 words left in #20KWordsInJanuary)

a playlist for hustla's

My driving record is not very exemplary... actually, its kinda bad.  In the last three or four years, I've had no problems, but prior, there have been a few tickets here and there.

Maybe it was this post's content's fault.  Today, on The Facebooky Thing, I got a challenge to list my favorite "Hustle Songs"... meaning, what songs pump me up and get me moving? 

Well, when I'm writing or Pixie-deep in Magical planning and training, I seldom listen to anything, or might have some random music playing, but its more of a distraction... but when I'm working out, or running, or both (and yes, I'm starting to do this)... or when I'm in The Cabana, getting my de-clutter on in the garage or the back junk bedroom, I do have a list of music that I stinkin' love... fast paced, loud music that makes me drive fast and work hard. 

(Disclaimer... I am by no means telling you to buy these songs.  I like them, some for the songs themselves, some for the purposes of this entire post... so please do not download a hip hop song and then be offended when Luda tells you he wants to give you a hicky.)

So, here are 21 of my favorite Drive Fast Ger 'Er Done tunes...

"Bombs Over Baghdad" by OutKast... 1... 2.. 1 2 3 yeah... I love OutKast, I think Andre3000 is fantastic, and I love the Big Boi line "Have you evah seen a pimp rocka micrah-fone..."  I also love the fact his name is Big Boi... Avril Lavigne tried to use "Boi" in a title (Sk8tr Boi) and it failed miserably.  You have to be ubercool to pull off Boi, and few of us can. From the album "Stankonia"

"Heavy" by Collective Soul... I like the split audio at the beginning, so when it comes on, I hear it first in my left ear, then my right, then my left, then my right... Not a great song, but nice and loud and kinda cool.  From the album "Seven Year Itch: Greatest Hits"

"La Grange" by ZZ Top... Made famous in many movies, most notably the training scene in "Armageddon", its just cool... great guitar, great tune.  Sure, the lyrics are strange, but are fun to imitate anyway.  From the 1973 album "Tres Hombres"

"Calling Baton Rouge" by Garth Brooks... From the album "In Pieces", its a remake of the classic Oak Ridge Boys song... and only my favorite country song, ever.  I know its a remake, but its loud, and I have to sing it as such... "OOOOOOOPERATOR WON'T YOU GET ME ON THROUGH GOTTA SEND MY LOVE DOWN TO BATON ROUGE HURRY UP WON'T YOU PUT HER ON THE LINE GOTTA TALK TO MY BABY ONE MORE TIME...

WHOA OH OH... SWEET BATON ROUGE...

(in fact, I'm going to listen to it right stinkin' now)

"Miss You Much" by Janet Jackson... from one of my top 20 albums of all time, "Rhythm Nation 1814", this is a funky beat of love, missing someone and awesome.  Just as an aside, "Love Will Never Do (without you)" is by far my favorite Janet Jackson song, and I can run to it too... but it wouldn't really qualify for an open list such as this one. 



"Slide" by The Goo Goo Dolls... I looked at these lyrics not too long ago... think song might be a little more innuendous that I thought.  I don't care, its still one of the most fun songs I've ever heard... From one of my Top 50 albums all time, "Dizzy Up the Girl"

"Crazy On You" by Heart... Oh, that Ann and Nancy Wilson.  This, along with "Barricuda" and "Magic Man" make up my Heart 70s Trifecta, and "Crazy on You" is the one that gets the slight nod... so good.  From their 1976 debut album, "Dreamboat Annie"  (incidentally, this song was actually their first single ever)

"Sin Wagon" by The Dixie Chicks... Yes.  Yes.  Yes.  Absolutely yes.  Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition, give me more of that 12oz nutrition.. though, I mean, I don't know what she's talking about.  Mattress dancing?  Must be bed seizures.  Yeah, that's it.  Also, the banjo pickin in this absolutely rules.  From one of my Top 10 Albums of All time, "Fly"

The cover of the cassette single that kept me hearing--and singing--this
song for a decade or more.  And I still don't really know all the lyrics,
or at least all the right lyrics.  I kinda make 'em up.

"Real Love" by Mary J. Blige...  Probably not as loud and fast paced as the other songs on this list, but I carry a special affection for it from high school... bought the cassette single, learned every word and would walk the halls of Samson High School singing it.  The folk of the not my color would always laugh at me.  And then join in.  What can I say, I'm diverse.  From the 1992 album, "Whats the 411?"

"When I Looked At Him" by Expose. Not a workout song. Not a drive fast song. Just the song that's on my iPod at this second, and I'm quietly singing along. Just worth mentioning.  From the 1989 album "What You Don't Know"

"Some Kind of Zombie" by Audio Adrenaline... When then-lead singer's family did missions in Haiti when he was younger, they experienced the voodoo doctors that you often hear about in that area of the world.  He said they would make these potions in an attempt to make the dead move, becoming slaves to their masters, zombies.  And this song makes that comparison to our Walk... becoming slaves, zombies for Christ, ready to do His will upon command, without even thinking about it.  And this song is loud and strong and cool.  From the album of the same name.

"Stand Up" by Ludacris... if you choose to download this song, please, please, PAH-LEEZE go for the edited version.  Do NOT get the album version.  Edited.  I beg of you.  You know what, forget this one, and let's move on.  From the hilariously titled album "Chicken-n-Beer"

"You Belong With Me" by Taylor Swift... Driving to my house in the middle of the night I'm the one who makes you laugh when you know you about to cry I know your favorite songs and you tell me about your dreams I think I know where you belong I think oh its with me...



If you want to know the truth, this video depicts EXACTLY how The Lovely Steph Leann and I got together. 

Hey.
Don't judge.
I frickin' love this song, her "Fearless" album and this video.

"Crazy" by Gnarls Barkley... Everyone likes this song.  Why wouldn't you?  Cee Lo Green at his best, with Danger Mouse (who decides thats a good name?  And yet, it works!!)... the album, "St Elsewhere" isn't all that great, but this song is amazing.

"Yeah!" by Usher, feat (Lil' Jon with Ludacris)... This one of those songs (YEA-AH) that will be around forever (OH-KAAAY), due not only to its (WHAT!?) infections (WHAT!?) groove from the very beginning, its (OH-KAAY) got catchy lyrics, even if all you can sing is YEA-AH.   Its also good to go into the gym and say, "Watch out my outfit's ridiculous in the gym looking so conspicuous..."  From his album "Confessions"

"Two Tickets to Paradise" by Eddie Money... A little softer (but not by much) but a 70s classic and sa staple in my Top 50 Most Played on my iPod... and its easy to learn and sing along to, which is important when you are running and focusing.  From the 1977 album "Eddie Money"

"Shakedown" by Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band... There's a more than good chance that most of you will have never even heard of this song.  From the Beverly Hills Cop II soundtrack, its one of Bob Seger's last big hits, and its a doozy... its catchy, its fast, its full of electric guitar and 80s synth sound and yes, you will want to drive fast. 

"Fergalicious" by Fergie... Hey, we said we weren't going to judge, remember?  I mean, its not like I own her dumb CD, right, especially not the enhanced version with videos and extra tracks?  (whistles, looks away)

"A World Away" by Avalon... No, that's not a typo. From one of my Top 30 albums of all time, "A Maze of Grace", CCM group Avalon and their song about where we were in Christ, and where we are now... I love love love this song, because it speaks to me.  And for whatever reason, I love this song on my iPod when I'm on the move.  Like, I'm listening to it right now, and its awesome.  And it also helps make up for...



"Right Round" by Flo Rida... Though I've never actually heard anything else from his album "R.O.O.T.S.", (which I just found out stands for "route of overcoming the struggle... I wonder how long they spent on that acronym), I really dig this song.. mostly because he discusses "My Perelli's on hold", which is a pretty big endorsement to the high priced tire company, and then later he talks about his quantity of $100 bills, aka, "Ben-ja-min Frank-ah-lins".  That makes me happy.  If I get rich, I'm going to go into church, with a stack of $100 and make it rain, singing about my "Ben-ja-min Frank-ah-lins".  I had a Ben-ja-min Frank-ah-lin once.  I miss it.  Where were we?

At what point do I start really considering that one day, Campbell Isaiah will read some of this, possibly take my recommendations and load up Flo Rida on his own iPhonepodtouch 7.0 thing?  Hmm... let's not ask such uncomfortable questions right now, okay? Good.

"Basic Instructions" by Burlap to Cashmere... I almost finished this post, and realized I had not mentioned this tune... holy jeebers this song is great.  Make sure, though, you get the live version from the EP "Live at the Bitter End".  The album version is okay, but the live version is where.its.at... so musically talented, these guys were.  Are.  Am.  Right?  Right!

"Everything Zen" by Bush... Perhaps my favorite drive-fast song of all time.  Starts out strong, continues and finishes even stronger, with reference to Elvis, sex, violence, sex in your violence (and the fact there is none) and "my (expletive deleted) brother."  d$ digs it.  From the album "Sixteen Stone"

 Quick honorable mentions... I've said this before online, but it's worth repeating--two movie themes that I think are awesome include "Gonna Fly Now (Rocky's theme)" from Rocky, and "The Gael", which is the ending song from "The Last of the Mohicans".  Also, "Duel of the Fates" by John Williams, from "Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace", but you really want the version with the dialogue. That makes it cool. 

So there ya go.  There is a  whole host of songs I could have put on this list, most notably "Learn to Fly" by The Foo Fighters, which was on this list but came off at the very last minute to make it a nice, even list of 21, and I certainly am not going to mention Big Punisher (ft Fat Joe) and their song "Don't Wanna Be a Playa"

What do you think?  What are some of your drive fast, getcha moving songs? 

(15,101 words written in #500Word Challenge... 4899 to go in #20KWordsinJanuary)

movies of 2013... almost the best

So, there's the worst movies of the year... then there are the movies that were somewhere in the middle... now, in what's becoming a four part 2013 movie reflection (ReFlicktion?!), here are the movies that were good.. maybe really good... but just noooooot quite good enough to break my Top 10 of 2013...

And this is in no particular order...

This is the End (2013)... Raunchy yet hilarious, the ensemble cast of Seth Rogan, James Franco, Jonah Hill, Danny McBride, Craig Robinson and Jay Barachel--if you don't know all of the names, if you saw the faces, you'd recognize them from "that movie..." Kudos to Michael Cera and Emma Watson for two unbelievably hysterical cameos.

Now You See Me (2013)... Really clever premise with Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Isla Fisher and Dave Franco (James' little brother) as magicians hired to perform a few heists. Becomes a bit too unbelievable towards the end, but a strong cast includes Mark Ruffalo and Morgan Freeman.

We're the Millers (2013)... Jason Sudeikis is a small time weed dealer who is stuck owing lots of money to corporate suit Ed Helms, and agrees to smuggle a huge amount of weed from Mexico to the US, and hires on a "family" to make it look more legit. Its really funny is a wrong, Hangover sort of way, but one main reason to see this film is to really see how good of an actress Jennifer Aniston has become.

Iron Man 3 (2013)... Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr) is having an identity crisis, at the same time another global madman (this time portrayed by Ben Kingsley) is set on world destruction. A solid, fun twist in the middle gives this film some real life, as does an excellent turn by Kingsley as The Manderin. Gwyneth Paltrow and Don Cheadle are also very likable, and Guy Pearce is a good bad guy too.

 

Melanie playing a chick who is just losing at life

Hello, I Must Be Going (2013)...  I do love movies with a little quirk to them... add to the fact I'm a fan of Melanie Lynskey, and you have this movie.  She's a character actress who you would know from "Up in the Air" as George Clooney's sister, or Reese Witherspoon's hometown BFF in "Sweet Home Alabama" (she's the one with the "baby... in a bar..").  Anyway, she's a 30 something woman who is divorced, at her parents house, life going nowhere, and she develops a crush on a much, much younger dude.  Its a sweet story, I promise.

Seven Psychopaths (2012)... An all awesome, all star cast with Sam Rockwell, Woody Harrelson, Christopher Walken, Tom Waits and Colin Farrell in the lead tells this hilarious, violent tale of mobsters, gangsters, a screenwriter at the wrong place at the wrong time, and a kidnapped Shit Tzu.  I laughed alot, and enjoyed it throughout. 

The Longest Yard (1974)... Lest you think this is the tripe from a few years back with Adam Sandler, I say nay.  Oh, nay nay.  This is the 70s original, with Burt Reynolds, teaming up with some rough prisoners to form a football squad to take on the prison guards with a sadistic warden, played to the hilt by Eddie Albert.  I actually haven't seen the updated version, so I don't know how it compares, but I really liked this one.

The Magnificent Seven (1960)... Based on the Japanese masterpiece "The Seven Samarai", this one takes the story to the old west, where a poor Mexican village hires Yul Brenner to help defend them from a jerkface (Eli Wallach) who comes in to steal, pillage and plunder several times per year.  The cast is strong, with Charles Bronson, Steve McQueen, James Coburn and Robert Vaughn making up some of the Seven, and many scenes mirror the Japanese original exactly, sometimes word for word.  Great story, though a little long.

Seven Samurai (1960)... Speaking of which, I watched this one right before the Seven above, and I'm glad I did.  Though I don't usually get too enthralled with any movie featuring subtitles, I did like this alot. I can see the influence of this film on modern directors, especially Tarantino.  It is one that I probably won't watch again, but as a moviephile, am very, very glad I watched this time. 

Cabin in the Woods (2012)... From my review: "If you like suspense and scary type of films, but want something different, then check this flick out. There is a needless boobie scene in the middle, and lots of language... plus slasher violence, so get ready for that."  I thought it was creative, and the Bradley Whitford/JK Simmons scenes are funny and out of nowhere.



For me, its Amy Adams.  For all y'all, its Timberlake. Everyone wins.

Premium Rush (2012)... Perhaps the greatest bike messenger movie of all time... from my review... Joseph Gordon-Levitt is fun, Michael Shannon is a perfect creep, and the supporting cast is likable enough to keep the film going. Again, the plot is a bit far fetched, especially when you actually learn the contents of the bag, but still... check it out. PG-13 for language."

Trouble with the Curve (2012)... From my review: "It's pretty good. Slow at times, but the story in engaging, and having a grizzly Clint Eastwood, a really good Timberlake and Amy Adams, whom I'm in love with, on screen doesn't hurt."

Dredd (2012)... Great action flick. A billion times better than that Sly Stallone crap from the 90s. Violent, language, but well shot and lots of fun.  Its cool watching someone as lovely as Lena Headley play the villian, and I love the fact that Dredd never takes off his mask.  (I'm not alone in this either... its got a 7.1 on IMDb, while the Sly version is only at 5.3)

Here Comes the Boom (2012)... From my review... "DO watch this movie. Seriously. This movie is fantastic. Well, I say that being a Kevin James fan... yes, he's kinda dopey, and yes, his movies won't win any awards ("Zookeeper"? Its awful. But awesome. And I love it), but this is a delightfully fun story." (by the way, I still mean what I wrote then)

Blackfish (2012)... So, CNN picked up and showed this documentary essentially excoriating Sea World and their practices of animal captivity.  The main focus is on a killer whale named Tillicum, who was directly involved with the deaths of at least two trainers while in a show... its fascinating, its enthralling, and its almost upsetting, especially when former Sea World workers are on camera blasting the park and how it does business...

This movie would have made my Top Ten, except, like many documentaries, its stylish and well done, but much of it may or may not be exaggerated... or even false.  Many of the trainers that spoke up have come forward to say they were misrepresented (though when someone says something like "The way Sea World treats these animals is just criminal... if I had known it would be like this, I would have never gone to work there", I'm not sure how that's said misrepresented), so the truth lies somewhere in the middle.  I encourage all to watch it--but take it with a grain of salt.

So there we go... that's Part 3 of 2013 movie... coming up, finally... my favorite movies of 2013.  And because I'm awesome and so generous, you won't get a Top Ten... you will get TWO Top Tens... My 10 favorite films of 2013 that I saw in 2013... and my 10 favorite films that came out before 2013 that I saw in 2013... wait, did that make sense? 

(12,436 words written, 7564 words to go in #500Words Challenge / #20KWordsInJanuary)

movies of 2013... not the best, not the worst

Okay... so this post is forever long.  This is a prime example of not writing to be read, but writing to write, because there are 64 quick reviews below.  Yes, I said SIXTY FOUR.

I don't expect really anyone to read all the way through, but more of a perusal, stopping on certain titles they wanted to read about... but I wanted a recap of the movies I have seen for the first time in 2013... we looked at my picks for the worst viewed movies of the year... coming in a few days, the Really-Good, Almost Great Movies of 2013, then my picks for the Ten Best Films I Saw in 2013... plus the Golden Globes on Sunday Night!  Boy do you have a lot to read.

So, here's a lot of movies, and a quick word about them, written in alphabetical order for your convenience...

American Reunion (2012)... From my review: " The entire cast is back, and though its more of the
same, its fun watching the characters try and act like adults for once. Rated R for lots of bad things, like the first one."

The Artist (2011)... A "silent film", in black and white, its stylish and well done.  That said, its a chore to watch, and shouldn't have won Best Picture... I would have given it to The Descendants, or even Midnight in Paris, both superior films (I've seen The Artist once, not likely to ever watch it again)

The Bourne Legacy (2012)... I like Jeremy Renner, and he really makes this movie what it is.  Its hard to see a Bourne movie and not see Matt Damon as Jason Bourne, but Renner pulls it off (playing a contemporary, not Jason Bourne).  The addition of Ed Norton only makes it better

The Call (2013)... This is that WWE Studios film that has Halle Berry as a 911 operator and Abigail Breslin as a kid who gets kidnapped... and let me tell ya... I was expecting a pile of crap, and I got a pile of... well, decent filmmaking.  Its not as bad as you think, I promise.  I actually kinda liked it.  Probably gets my "Way Better Than I Expected" Award for 2013.

The Campaign (2012)... Its silly to say that The Campaign, with Zach Galifianakis and Will Ferrell, is silly.. but it is.  Its just silly.  There are better silly movies out there. 

Chronicle (2012)... Three students find a glowing rock from space, gain superpowers.  Its more about teenage angst with added powers more than anything... it starts strong, then kind of gets predictable. 

Coma (1978) ... Kinda creepy 70s thriller about a hospital program with sinister intentions, and the nurse that stumbles upon the truth.  A little dated, but worth a watch.

Death Race: Inferno (2012 )... Forgettable prequel to the revived Death Race franchise with Jason Statham.  Still, kinda fun, if not ridiculous in its premise.

Elysium (2013)... Sweeping and grand, its a sci/fi tale with a believable, bulky Matt Damon and Sharlto Copley as an awesome bad guy...  Jodie Foster co-stars, with some weird accent.

Everything Must Go (2010)... Will Ferrell in a semi-serious role about a guy who gets thrown out and ends up camping out on his own yard, befriend a black kid in the neighborhood to help him out.  Its a very underrated, and I'm afraid, forgotten film by now...

Extreme Measures (1996) ... Hugh Grant is a doctor who finds out that Gene Hackman, another doctor, is doing bad stuff and I don't remember the rest of it.  It's watchable, but not imperative.

Flight (2012)... from my review: "Its got language, its got tons of drug use, some boobies right off the bat, and a depressing downward spiral of a man who seems like a good man. A good man doing very bad things. Verdict? If you can handle it, its definitely worth a watch, just once. I'll probably never see it again."

Future World (1976)... Forgettable sequel to the far superior, and creepy, "Westworld" from 1973.

Gangster Squad (2013)... Good cast is wasted on what I thought was an overly ambitious movie. Tried to be more than it was. Eh.

Get the Gringo (2012)... Mel Gibson returns in this tale of corruption and so forth in a Mexican prison.  It got good reviews overall, but I personally found it lacking.

GI Joe: Retaliation (2013)... Not as silly as the first one, plus The Rock, makes it better. Not great, but passable.

Gone (2012) ... I love Amanda Seyfried, though I don't know why... her body of great work is being overshadowed by her body of crap work.  And this movie didn't help at all... and I'm really afraid to watch "Lovelace".

The Good Student (2006) ... I actually don't remember anything about this movie, or even who's in it, other than I think it was so-so

Grown Ups 2 (2013)... You really, really have to like the first one to enjoy this film. I mean, the cast is the same, save one (paging Schneider, Rob Schneider) who is not even alluded to in this one. Same
gags, same pointless storyline that goes nowhere. The first one is a guilty pleasure for me, and this one is much the same.

The Heat (2013)... Sandra Bullock AND Melissa McCarthy?  Instant classic.  In a Bridesmaids-type humor, this is a really funny flick, but full of language, 99%  of it from Melissa herself. 

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013)... Easily better than the first one, with an unbelievable dragon onscreen.  Still, its a long, long movie, and seems like it stops right as its really revving up.

Hugo (2011) ... Animated film directed by Martin Scorsese.  I wanted to like it.  I was bored. Really bored.

Intolerable Cruelty (2003) ... George Clooney and Catherine Zeta-Jones star in this Coen Brothers vehicle, probably one of their least acclaimed ones, though its kind of fun and clever.

Jack Reacher (2013)... Tom Cruise is in this phase where he is doing sci/fi action future film after sci/fi action future film... this one may not be set in the future, but its all about him being the mysterious hit man get-it-done cooler guy... and for what its worth, its pretty good.

Jeff Who Lives at Home (2011)... From my review: Expecting a comedy, I was quite surprised when I discovered it was more of a drama... a dramedy, if you will. And, I was also quite surprised how much I enjoyed this film... it all rests on the charm of Jason Segal, who pulls it off well.  Plus, its got Judy Greer, and I love me some Judy Greer.

Kick A** 2 (2013)... I liked the first one, and I liked the feel of this one... the addition of Jim Carrey was great, despite his whining about it afterwards.

Killing Them Softly (2012)... Brad Pitt is... something.  An assassin?  A hit man?   I saw this last week, and I don't remember much about it. It was that forgettable. 

The Last Stand (2013)... With Ah-nold headlining a film for the first time in forever, he really seems too old to do this kind of movie... and he kinda is.  And this doesn't work on any level.  Its stupid, its ridiculous, and its poorly written... yet, I was entertained.  Maybe its Johnny Knoxville, who knows, but I would say its worth a look.  Keep your standards low, and you won't be disappointed.

Lincoln (2012)... From my review: "Its definitely a talkie.. a lot of talking. A lot of talking. A lot. So, don't go into it sleepy, as you will lose yourself amongst the chatter of slavery and freedom and government and war. Even Danny D-Lewis' immaculate performance as Lincoln becomes secondary to the story after a while."

The Lone Ranger (2013)... A little longer than necessary, its not a bad movie... but Johnny Depp is what hurts this film the most. Here's my review from July.

Machete Kills (2013)... Takes the awesome, craptistic premise of the original and makes it more awesome and far more craptastic.

Major League 2: Back to the Minors (1998) ... Oy.  I mean... so bad.  So, so bad.

Man of Steel (2013)... Sigh. I wanted this to be so good. I wanted this to be good. I really did. Amy Adams, whom I'm in love with, is Lois Lane, and I thought this film took Lois in a terrible direction. Amy did awesome, because she's Amy, but the character was terrible. Michael Shannon, normally a sure-thing in a movie, is wooden and reading from a cue card as Zod, the bad guy. Kevin Costner is a talking 2x4. Its overly long, and the ending climactic battle is great for the first, oh, 45 minutes of it... then you start realizing that two dudes, Zod and Supes, are pretty much destroying an entire city, more than the bad guys in Marvel's The Avengers in their final battle. I wanted to like it, I really did, and I promise, you, I tried.

Me, Myself & Irene (2000) ... My friends Amarylis By Mornin' and Hurricane Rhett live and die by this movie, telling me how hilarious it is, how much they laughed, how it was the funniest movie hahaha... and... my verdict?  Eh.  I laughed here and there.  But overall, it's just a mildly amusing. 

Moonrise Kingdom (2012)... Cute, but too quirky for its own good

Mud (2013)... Though I thought Matthew McConaughey was great, I didn't find this good movie to be the great, stellar film that so many critics did.  Seen it once, I'm done.

Olympus Has Fallen (2013)... The White House was in trouble with this one and the next film listed. Gerard Butler has to save President Aaron Eckhart, and this has much more of a serious tone.  Enjoyable.  But don't miss the next film, which is...

White House Down (2013)... This time, its Channing Tatum saving President Jamie Foxx, with a predictable twist on the identity of the bad guy.  More fun, due to Tatum and Foxx's snappy chemistry, though the plot isn't as good as the aforementioned Olympus. (out of alphabetical order, but I thought it fit well here)

Pacific Rim (2013)... Big Robots battling Monsters! There's a plot here somewhere (maybe?) but who cares. You don't watch this for plot, you watch it for big robots beating up monsters.

Parental Guidance (2012)... Billy Crystal and Bette Midler keep the grandkids for the weekend.  Hilarity ensues.  Well, attempted hilarity... they do try. 

The Place Beyond the Pines (2012)... Great performances by Bradley Cooper and Ryan Gosling, but was a little long and dragged a lot.

Presumed Innocent (1990)... Harrison Ford goes to Paris with his wife, and she ends up dead--naturally, he's the main suspect.  This film is fast paced, its clever and its worth a real watch... despite its age, it holds up well.

Project X (2012)... From my review: Don't watch this movie. Its a "found footage film" about a party
that gets way out of control... and I got through the first 10 minutes of it and couldn't deal with it.  So much language, so much drinking, just too much depravity at a too rapid pace.

Rock of Ages (2012)... The attention was on Tom Cruise as Stacee Jaxx, but the story is Julianne Hough and Diego Boneta, as rock star crossed lovers-to-be... the appeal is all the 80s music sung by the cast. Pretty good, better than I expected.

Savages (2012)... This is a tough flick, focusing on drug dealers who get caught up in the wrong sort of people... but I liked it.  A little too much violence and sex, but still, I thought it was great storytelling, if not a little too gritty.

Scarface (1983) ... Heralded as one of the all time great films, I tried three times to watch it.  I fell asleep all three times.  Once, I was actually tired. 

Skyfall (2012)... Solid James Bond movie.  I have never been a huge fan of James Bond--I don't dislike them, in fact, I've liked the ones I've seen, I've just never made it a point to watch them--but Daniel Craig really shines in this one.

Snow White Movie 1: Mirror Mirror (2012)... The ONLY reason I liked this movie was Lily Collins. Full review here.

Snow White Movie 2: Snow White and the Huntsman (2012)... One of a few reasons I didn't like this movie was Kristen Stewart. Full review here.

Taken 2: Qui Gon Boogaloo (2012)... Don't see this film.  See the first one. The first one is fantastic. This is the first one, just not as good.

Ted (2011)... Ted is a pot smoking, gettin' it on, drinking, cursing teddy bear, first belonging to, then rooming with Mark Wahlberg.  In every way, its wrong... but hilarious... but I have no interest in seeing it again.

Thats My Boy (2012)... From my review: "This film is not good. It has its funny moments every now and again, and the addition of Vanilla Ice as a major character, playing a parody (though its probably close to real life) of himself, is a major plus. Maybe more films should have Vanilla Ice in them."

A Time to Kill (1996)... Somehow, I missed this film when it came out... me being a John Grisham novel adaptation fan, I was excited to sit and watch it start to finish.  Its not perfect, but its well done.

Think Like a Man (2012)... Steve Harvey introduces and narrates this tale which, while not a great, or even good, film of any kind, its light and fun enough to pass as background noise, or even one of those "okay, nothing else is on, I can do this for a while" moments.

30 Minutes or Less (2011)...  Jesse Eisenberg and Aziz Ansari co-star with Danny McBride in this comedy about a dude who gets a bomb strapped to him by two dimwitted criminals in order to rob a bank.  Lame, not funny, and you'll be wishing the movie were over in less than 30 minutes.

Thor: The Dark World (2013)... Better than the first one, which wasn't bad, but is one of my least favorite Marvel flicks.  But we all know Loki is the real reason these films work.

Triple Dog (2010)... So this was on Lifetime... about three chicks at a slumber party investigating the suicide of another chick and... well, it was on, okay?!  Leave me a alone.

2 Guns (2013)... Mark Wahlberg AND Denzel?  Gold.  This won't win any awards, but its funny, its a solid action and its got some good story to it... a high re-watchability factor.

View from the Top (2003) ... Way back in the day, Gwyneth Paltrow starred alongside Christina Applegate and Mike Myers in a film about girls going to stewardess school.  If that description doesn't grab you, nothing will... this film is a turkey.  I laughed maybe once, twice, if that... then again, maybe not. 

Wanderlust (2012)... From my review: I wanted to like this movie alot, with Paul Rudd and Jennifer
Aniston, as a couple who ends up in a strange commune in Georgia. Mildly funny, but it wasn't what
I wanted it to be. Eh.

The Watch (2012) ... An ensemble cast of Vince Vaughn, Ben Stiller, Jonah Hill and more star in comedy/sci-fi movie that had loads of potential, but seems wasted with bad jokes, a thin plot and the whole thing just falls apart as it goes along.

Wimbledon (2004) ... Paul Bettany and Kirsten Dunst, when she was relevant and awesome, find themselves in court.  In LOVE COURT.  In a love TENNIS COURT... Hey, these are the jokes.  Weak and forgettable.  The jokes and the movie.

The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)... Drugs.  506 F-words.  Boobs.  That's the entire movie.  Like most Scorsese films, I can say that I've seen it, I was entertained, it was a good enough movie... but I'll likely never watch it again.  As my friend Tommy Mac would say, "I watched American Hustle.  I was subjected to The Wolf of Wall Street."

The Wolverine (2013)... Honestly?  I liked the first Wolverine--I know that makes me in the vast minority... that being said, I thought this was one really well done... Hugh Jackman obviously loves playing Logan, as he keeps doing it... like RDJ's portrayal of Tony Stark/Iron Man, Logan is Jackman's character now...

So.... there ya go.  Did you make it this far?  Its okay if you didn't, I won't be upset... what do you think?  Disagree with anything I said? 

Keep checking back... more of the best of 2013 is coming soon, including the best movies of the year, books read in 2013, and my favorite posts of 2013...

(8,884 words so far in #500words per day challenge, 11,116 words to go for #20KinJanuary)

things we found in the garage

Today was a de-clutter day... today was the day we were going to tackle our home, The Cabana... The Lovely Steph Leann went after the kitchen, and I braved the cold weather and took on the garage....

Piled up, this was my Saturday project

Our garage is a small, two car garage that doesn't give a lot of room on either sides of our vehicles once we are both in.  Likewise, there isn't a lot of room in the front or back of our cars once in, and I always grimace in slight terror when I pull in The Lovely Steph  Leann's Honda Accord and park it, as I'm afraid the garage door will land on the trunk, or worse yet, scrape the back end bumper as it goes down to close.

Only happened once, though, I'm proud to say.  Let's move on.

We do have some shelving in our garage, though, holding mostly Christmas stuff in big plastic tubs.  Once metal shelf we bought from The Happiest Place in the Mall (aka, The Disney Store) as it closed its doors, another we bought from Home Depot, and yet another is a plastic get-up that one of us has had for a dozen years or more--though I don't know who actually brought it into our union.  Plus, the garage floor was full of leaves and dirt and grime and paper and grit and all the other things a garage door gets mired with over months of non-sweep.

And as I dug into the boxes and bags and random things piled on the shelves, things stuffed in between the plastic crates of Christmas décor and Rubbermaid tubs filled with limbs from a Christmas Tree we are trying to get ride of, I discovered... well, lots of random... crap.  I mean, some of it is good crap.  But some of it is just crap. 

What kind of crap are we talking about, d$?  Well, let me show you... crap like this...

You know... in case you need Microsoft Office.  From 2003.  With instructions.

I'd love to explain why there is a rubber chicken in our garage.  The truth is, I have no clue.  It is a keychain, probably purchased from Spencer's, cause when you are 20, Spencer's is cool. 

Yes, this is a die-cast, 30 year old General Lee.  I think this was part of a set I got for Christmas in like, 1982 or something, with Boss Hogg's Caddy, Roscoe's police cruiser, Daisy's Jeep and Cooter's tow truck.  And somehow, this one survives. 

At Starbucks, they urge you to try all the coffees, as a barista.  And when you do, you can write it in a little book called a "Coffee Passport".  In my 11 years there, I managed to fill out 4 of them... and this one here was the first.  They haven't produced either one of these coffees in at least 6 years...

What would a garage in the $ home be without a little Disney?  Like, how Mushu, Cogsworth, Heimlich and Dot randomly show up on our shelf?  I knew Heimlich was in there somewhere... had no idea about the other guys. 

My first cellphone!  I went 28 years without needing a phone... and I get married, and *boom*... get a cellphone so The Lovely Steph Leann can call me when needed.  Here's the dirty little secret, though... then, and now, she never checks hers... so she can call me and I'll answer... its much harder to call her.   As for this phone, when we got these Cingular phones, they looked just alike.  So I ended up getting a free name plate to distinguish mine.  I'm not even sure who was driving the 31 Cingular NASCAR racecar at the time...

From the category of "Forgot I even ever had this!", here's my first scarf!  Well... that's not entirely true.  My high school flame, Cindy Howell, who I was friends with in college, knitted me a scarf.  It was about 2 and 1/2 feet long, and barely covered my neck with any real purpose.  I used it when I could, but it barely qualified.  THIS was a real scarf, though... purchased from The Happiest Place in Montgomery Mall in like, 1997 or something... then again, if you remember that mall, there wasn't a lot of happiness anywhere there. You coulda got like, shot or something. 

Finally... here's a towel.  It has the name "CHAD" on it.  Neither one of us know a local Chad.  I know a Chad Ward from high school, but he's never been to any of my homes in Birmingham, and we haven't shared a towel since we had sleepovers in 6th grade.  We both know The Lovely Steph Leann's cousin Chad, but he lives in Pell City, and has never been to our house.  So... we have a towel with the name CHAD on it.  Chad, if you are reading this, and you realize you've been missing a towel, and you recognize this as your own, just send me a note soon, and we'll get this back to you.  Otherwise, its going to be donated.

 

Sharpies.  Lots and lots of Sharpies.  I breed them.  And here's a crop I forgot about... and The Lovely Steph Leann hates them all.

 

 

 

One of my Great 48 Tasks was to go through a load of pictures and get them scanned.  Well, here they are.  Though I'm considering getting a Groupon I just saw that will let some company scan over 500 pics for about $30... with my time as limited as it is, it might be worth it...

 

The Lovely Steph Leann and I honeymooned at Disney, with a few days in the park, and a few days on The Disney Wonder, cruising in the Caribbean.  And this glass is a result of one of her (few) fruity drinks she had.

 

 

So there ya go... some random crap I found in my garage.  Admit it, you found it slightly entertaining...

 
(3876 words down, 16,124 to go, on the road to 20K Words in January)



the great 48... part two

So, I posted the first 27 tasks to accomplish this year, 2014... here are the remaining 21 out of The Great 48... things to do this year:

And in no particular order...

(28) Love more.  Kinda spelled this out in my "finding my pike place" post earlier. 

(29)  Learn how to spell certain words that always screw me up... notably, "occasionally" and "itinerary"  (these words are only spelled right at this point because I used spellcheck).

Did you hear that Nicki Minaj and Mariah Carey are gone from American Idol?  Its gone from a decent show back in the day to a guilty pleasure by now, but I think we might (30) take another crack at American Idol this year.  Maybe.

(31) Give grace before its asked of me.  (32) Ask for grace before its required.

This is a big deal for those who know me personally... but I'd like to (33) take a weekend vacation trip this year somewhere besides Walt Disney World.   Yes, I'm d$, and no, no one has taken over my mind.  Just something different.



If the sight of Mickey Waffles doesn't get you excited
about your Disney Vacation, then you're dead inside.

Speaking of Disney... to promote the fact I'm a Disney Travel Planner, I had planned to (34) do a Disney Open House at my home last fall, and was unable to get it together... so this year?  I'd like to do at least two.  And that goes along with my plan to (35) be certified for Universal Parks as well.

Oh, and of course, (36) plan a lot more magic for a lot more people. 

Ah, our home.  The Cabana.  We love our home, yet like many of you who have children, we've let it get away from us here and there.  My fellow blogger and friend Jamie Harper wrote an excellent piece on "simplifying life" and much of it is all about her home.  And in fact, I was emailing The Lovely Steph Leann today about (37) our plans for a clean sweep of our house.

Let's just get rid of stuff. Sure, there is stuff we can sell, and yeah, there is stuff we can donate... but some of it?  Let's just chunk it.  If I don't miss it until I come across it, then I won't miss it when its gone.  Get 'er done.

Two main things to focus on, two main goals, with the first being (38) getting some pictures on our wall... secondly, I really want to (39) get to our garage, and a large part of that are the pictures I have in binders on shelves in our garage.  Not just any pictures, but pics from my childhood, albums I grabbed from back home after my grandmother--the woman who raised me, that is--passed on.  My goal is (40) to scan these pics, then send them to the appropriate family members so that they can do what they will with them... some of these pictures are 30, 40, even 50 years old, so I want to make sure they are preserved with me, and then passed off correctly.

(41) Do something extraordinary.  Like what? I have no idea.  But something. 

(42) Take Campbell to the park on a regular basis.  Not now, of course, but soon, when its warmer.

(43) Pay off the car.  My car.  Red Robin.  We were debt free before we signed the purchasing papers in November of 2011, and we'll be debt free again (aside from the house) as soon as we get it paid.

(44) Hand write some letters to people.  Not just email, or sign my name to a card, but hand write.  Who does that anymore?

(45) Find a few days here and there throughout 2014, and just unplug from everything, especially social media.  This dude had a remarkable 25 day fast from media... not sure I could do that... but maybe a few days? 

My tenth wedding anniversary is this year, in February.  The Lovely Steph Leann, let's (46) do something fun.  Doesn't have to be expensive, but lets make it memorable.  Whaddaya say?

And hey, (47) the podcast is coming back!  We took December off, to retool a bit, step back, reassess and all that... and if you have never heard it, and most of you haven't, its a great chance to jump onboard.  We call it The Movie Picture Show, and its three guys who love and watch movies, and we talk about them.  Sounds boring?  Nah, I think its pretty funny.  www.thedeucecast.com for info.

The Deucecast Studios, home of the Movie Picture Show

And finally... something I've always wanted to do, but just never have...

(48) I'd like to buy lunch for someone in the military.  You know, seeing someone in uniform sitting across a restaurant and tell the server, "I'd like to get theirs, but please don't tell them who.  Just tell them someone said thank you."

So there you go.  I initially said 38 things... but I found 48 things I wanted to make sure that I got done in 2014.  You are welcome to ask me about them and see where I am...

(20K words in January... total of 2,856 words down, 17,144 to go...)