When I have a bad day, boy do I have a bad day! All of my frustration today came from the patients - EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM.
My 9am didn’t show up. Whatever, no big deal. I used the time to help other people with their things and to do a few things of my own. This wasn’t frustrating until my phone rang at 1015am. It was the front office lady at the on-call doctor’s office telling me that my 9am was standing in front of her. The patient said that she completely forgot about her appointment (which wasn’t even at that office so I don’t know why she showed up there.) The patient has an appointment to see the doctor on Tuesday the 17th and the doctors WILL NOT see the patients until I have seen them first, which means that I need to see the patient before next Tuesday. Wednesdays I don’t see patients because I do advice calls all day. Thursday and Monday I am already completely booked. Friday I see patients only in the morning, and then I use the afternoon to catch up on all of the other things I have to do. So now, because this patient is irresponsible and can’t keep her appointment, I have to mess up my schedule to squeeze her in Friday afternoon.
My 10am didn’t show up until 1022am. Normally, if a patient is 15 minutes late we WILL NOT see them – I mean come on, we have our own schedules to keep. But because she had an appointment with the doctor at 11am (which is another annoying thing because the front office people KNOW not to schedule back to back appointments like that. My appointment with the patient is 1 hour long. If she sees the doctor right after she sees me, how can I make her chart and enter all of her information into the computer in time for the doctor to have it AND still see my next patient on time?) I saw her. She was very apologetic, which made up for her being late, but I still feel like I did her a disservice – she’s pregnant with her first baby, a time when she NEEDS to hear everything I have to say to her, so I hated to rush through everything. Plus, I hate feeling rushed to make a chart and enter information into the computer. I’m afraid I’ll make a mistake or forget some vital piece of information.
My 11am didn’t show up until 1117am. By now I’m frustrated because of everything that has already happened, so when the front office people come to my office to ask me if I’ll see her I tell them no. She IS 2 minutes after the designated no-show time, after all. They go back to the front to reschedule the patient’s appointment, only to call me a minute later to tell me that by the time I have another opening in my schedule the patient will already be almost 15 weeks pregnant, which is too late to be just beginning care, which means that I HAVE to see her. I go to the front to call her back, weight her, have her pee in the cup and when we’re finally sitting in my office I tell her how important it is for her to show up to her appointments on time, as we all have our own schedules to keep and if she’s late, that makes everyone else late. Her response? A blank stare… Nice. She never even apologized after that mini-lecture. And her friend who came back with her – her cell phone rang during the appointment and you know what? SHE TOOK THE CALL! She’s sitting in my office talking on her cell phone while I’m trying to get this patient’s medical history and teach her about healthy pregnancy. I finally stopped taking to the patient, looked at the friend and said, “If you’re going to continue to interrupt my appointment with this patient, I’m going to have to ask you to step out and wait in the waiting room.” She stepped out of the office, finished her call in the hallway, and then came back in. Whatever, I didn’t say anything. She didn’t apologize either…
My 130pm I knew previously that she wasn’t going to come. I called her a while ago to move her appointment time and she told me then that she was going to go to a doctor who’s office was closer to her house. Me, being the inherently lazy person I am, didn’t take her out of the computer and open the appointment for another patient. I figured I could use the opportunity to have a nice leisurely lunch, catch up on some stuff, things like that.
My 230pm showed up at 130pm claiming nobody told her that her appointment was moved from 2pm to 230pm (this is a new thing. I used to have 1pm and 2pm appointments, but since I got my office and everyone eats lunch in it, they take lunch from 1230pm to 130pm, so my 1pm appointment wouldn’t do anymore.) I indeed called this patient to tell her that her appointment was at 230pm. I remember because I made a list of all the patients I spoke to regarding this time change. I remember her specifically because the person who answered the telephone didn’t speak English, so I had the one person in the office that speaks Spanish call again to tell the patient of the time change. That’s two of us who know the patient was told. So the patient is getting her panties in a bunch because she might have to wait an hour (remember the girl at the front doesn’t know my 130pm isn’t coming.) The front office girl comes to my office to tell me this and I admit that the 130pm isn’t coming so I took the 230pm at 130pm. So much for my leisurely lunch and catching up on stuff…
So that’s my crappy day, all caused by my patients. As Manuel so wisely pointed out to me though, I’m done with them and I never have to see them again except for in passing so I shouldn’t dwell on it too much. He’s so smart. That’s why I keep him around…
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Top Five Tuesday #4
Last night, we went out to celebrate Jessica's Dad's birthday at Claim Jumpers. It was a good time, the food was good, and the service commendable. Of course, that is not always the case when going out to a restaurant. For today I thought I would do the top five things that annoy me when going to a restaurant.
#5 - Burgers that are really lacking in sauce. I didn't just order meat on bread. Pour that sauce on!
#4 - Messing up my order because the waiter or waitress didn't bother ot write it down. You don't get special kudos or tip if you can remember my order without writing it down. That doesn't impress me. Just write it down so it gets done right!
#3 - When the waiter or waitress has no personality or obviously hates their job. Dude, it's your job. If you don't like it, go find something else to do.
#2 - I hate when you get served, and then it takes too much time for someone to come greet you and take a drink order. Ok, if they seat you and it takes a couple of minutes to meet your waiter, that is fine. But when they take upwards of 10 minutes to greet you, that is not ok.
#1 - When the waitress/waiter doesn'tkeep refilling my soda at the appropriate time. I drink a LOT of soda when I am out to eat. Usually around 3-5 sodas and 2 glasses of water. I don't know why, I just get really thirsty. What annoys me the most is when they forget about me and my glass sits there empty. Just because you have given me my dinner doesn't mean you are done with me until the bill.
So what annoys you at restaurants?
#5 - Burgers that are really lacking in sauce. I didn't just order meat on bread. Pour that sauce on!
#4 - Messing up my order because the waiter or waitress didn't bother ot write it down. You don't get special kudos or tip if you can remember my order without writing it down. That doesn't impress me. Just write it down so it gets done right!
#3 - When the waiter or waitress has no personality or obviously hates their job. Dude, it's your job. If you don't like it, go find something else to do.
#2 - I hate when you get served, and then it takes too much time for someone to come greet you and take a drink order. Ok, if they seat you and it takes a couple of minutes to meet your waiter, that is fine. But when they take upwards of 10 minutes to greet you, that is not ok.
#1 - When the waitress/waiter doesn'tkeep refilling my soda at the appropriate time. I drink a LOT of soda when I am out to eat. Usually around 3-5 sodas and 2 glasses of water. I don't know why, I just get really thirsty. What annoys me the most is when they forget about me and my glass sits there empty. Just because you have given me my dinner doesn't mean you are done with me until the bill.
So what annoys you at restaurants?
Monday, April 09, 2007
The 5 Things That Pissed Me Off Last week #4
#5 - It was a work related thing, but since I am still not trying to jinx it, I won't even bring it up. A client annoyed me, but that's all you get! :-)
#4 - I won a poker tournament this weekend, but it was only 7 people and for the $100 top prize. In my big games this year(10-14 people), I have had no luck winning. Just a bunch of seconds and thirds. I am up almost $250 for the year so far, but I want to get one of the big game wins. Ehh...eventually.
#3 - I almost never expect Manchester United to lose. But when they lose twice in one week, that comes as a real shock and that just pisses me off. They look pretty tired right now from all the games they are having to play.
#2 - Last week at the gym, I locked my keys in the car. I got slightly distracted by a cell phone call as I was getting out of the car and left my keys on the seat. Luckily, there was a locksmith in the same parking lot. Unluckily, it took like 45 minutes for her to get it open. She tried forever to get the door open and when they didn't work, she got the trunk to open. Frm there, she pulled the emergency latch to lower the seats into the car. She then looked at me as if to say, "You can go ahead and crawl into your car now and unlock it." I just kept staring back at her as if to say, "Look at my size and now look at your size(she was about 4'10" and 85 pounds)." Without any words spoken, she said to me, " I guess I am better equipped to be the one to crawl through." Damn right, girl! You read my mind.
#1 - On Friday we went to go see Grindhouse at the drive- ins. The film itself didn't piss me off and you can read my review below. It had been many years since we had been to a drive in, but we thought it would be fun. Unfortunately, the screen sucked. It was way too dark a screen and there were times where you oculd barely make out what was going on on the screen. I will definitely not be going back again. The price is right, but just not worth it.
#4 - I won a poker tournament this weekend, but it was only 7 people and for the $100 top prize. In my big games this year(10-14 people), I have had no luck winning. Just a bunch of seconds and thirds. I am up almost $250 for the year so far, but I want to get one of the big game wins. Ehh...eventually.
#3 - I almost never expect Manchester United to lose. But when they lose twice in one week, that comes as a real shock and that just pisses me off. They look pretty tired right now from all the games they are having to play.
#2 - Last week at the gym, I locked my keys in the car. I got slightly distracted by a cell phone call as I was getting out of the car and left my keys on the seat. Luckily, there was a locksmith in the same parking lot. Unluckily, it took like 45 minutes for her to get it open. She tried forever to get the door open and when they didn't work, she got the trunk to open. Frm there, she pulled the emergency latch to lower the seats into the car. She then looked at me as if to say, "You can go ahead and crawl into your car now and unlock it." I just kept staring back at her as if to say, "Look at my size and now look at your size(she was about 4'10" and 85 pounds)." Without any words spoken, she said to me, " I guess I am better equipped to be the one to crawl through." Damn right, girl! You read my mind.
#1 - On Friday we went to go see Grindhouse at the drive- ins. The film itself didn't piss me off and you can read my review below. It had been many years since we had been to a drive in, but we thought it would be fun. Unfortunately, the screen sucked. It was way too dark a screen and there were times where you oculd barely make out what was going on on the screen. I will definitely not be going back again. The price is right, but just not worth it.
Sunday, April 08, 2007
Grindhouse: The Manuel's View Review
Jess and I saw Grindhouse on Friday night. We actually saw it at the drive-ins here in town to add to the appeal and style of the movie. As I said before, I am a HUGE Tarantino and Rodriguez fan. So what did I think of the film - or actually the two films since it is basically two films in one? I liked it, but I wasn't in LOVE with it. I did like that there were homages to many of their past films, from the pack of Red Apple cigarettes to the main character in one of the films being named El Rey, to both films having Sherrif Earl McGraw again. Let me review each film seperately.
First was Planet Terror , by Rodriguez, which was a pretty typical zombie film. As I LOVE most zombie films, this was fun. It was bascially a low budget, campy, sci-fi channel type horror film. It was cool seeing Tom Savini, Michael Biehn, and Naveen Andrews getting such cool roles. There were some cool deaths and if you like blood and guts, you won't be disappointed.
Next was Tarantino's Death Proof. Basically, Kurt Russell plays a killer who likes to murder women with his car. The movie can basically be summed up like this. 4 women just talking about random things for about 30 minutes, followed 15 minutes of the main character, then 30 minutes of 4 new women talking about random things, and ending with a 15 minute car chase scene. So, basically, a LOT of talking. But you know, I still liked it. However, if you are not a HUGE Tarantino fan and are not used to his style of movies, I can see you getting bored. It is typical Tarantino style dialouge. In fact, many people drove off(remember, we are at the drive-ins) during the middle of the movie.
There were also some cool fake trailers by some guest directors made for the movie as well that were fairly entertaining. My favorite was for a movie with the always great Danny Trejo called Machete. In fact, Rodriguez, who directed the trailer, said he might consider making this one into a movie on its own. That would be awesome simply because the tagline was, "They just fucked with the wrong Mexican!" Classic!
So overall, I liked the movie. I'll buy the movie. But not my favorite. I liked Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, Jackie Brown, and the Kill Bill movies better than Death Proof. I liked Desperado, Once Upon a Time in Mexico, and of course, From Dusk til Dawn better than Planet Terror. Disappointed that this is the case? Slightly. But I still enjoyed them and that is all that matters.
First was Planet Terror , by Rodriguez, which was a pretty typical zombie film. As I LOVE most zombie films, this was fun. It was bascially a low budget, campy, sci-fi channel type horror film. It was cool seeing Tom Savini, Michael Biehn, and Naveen Andrews getting such cool roles. There were some cool deaths and if you like blood and guts, you won't be disappointed. 
Next was Tarantino's Death Proof. Basically, Kurt Russell plays a killer who likes to murder women with his car. The movie can basically be summed up like this. 4 women just talking about random things for about 30 minutes, followed 15 minutes of the main character, then 30 minutes of 4 new women talking about random things, and ending with a 15 minute car chase scene. So, basically, a LOT of talking. But you know, I still liked it. However, if you are not a HUGE Tarantino fan and are not used to his style of movies, I can see you getting bored. It is typical Tarantino style dialouge. In fact, many people drove off(remember, we are at the drive-ins) during the middle of the movie. There were also some cool fake trailers by some guest directors made for the movie as well that were fairly entertaining. My favorite was for a movie with the always great Danny Trejo called Machete. In fact, Rodriguez, who directed the trailer, said he might consider making this one into a movie on its own. That would be awesome simply because the tagline was, "They just fucked with the wrong Mexican!" Classic!
So overall, I liked the movie. I'll buy the movie. But not my favorite. I liked Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, Jackie Brown, and the Kill Bill movies better than Death Proof. I liked Desperado, Once Upon a Time in Mexico, and of course, From Dusk til Dawn better than Planet Terror. Disappointed that this is the case? Slightly. But I still enjoyed them and that is all that matters.
Friday, April 06, 2007
Fat Friday #9
Well, after no weight loss last week, it was good to get back on the right track this week. I lost another 1.5 pounds which I am really happy about because I had a none too healthy few days last weekend. But, I worked my butt off atthe gym a few times. So after 9 weeks, I am down 6.5 pounds. I wanted it to be 9 pounds after 9 weeks so I am not too far behind.
I am really looking forward to Easter this Sunday as I get to play Guitar Hero with my cousins for the first time. Should be a good time. I hope I don't humiliate myself. The video below is the song that is my favorite to play on the game. The band cracks me up because it has lyrics like this....
She's a dwelling place for demons.
She's a cage for every unclean spirit,
every filthy bird and makes us drink the poisoned wine to fornicating with our kings.
Fallen now is Babylon the Great.
The day has come for all us sinners.
If you're not a servant, you'll be struck to the ground.
Flee the burning, greedy city.
Lookin' back on her to see there's nothing around.
I don't believe in fairytales and no one wants to go to hell.
You've made the wrong decision and it's easy to see.
Now if you wanna serve above or be a king below with us,
You're welcome to the city where your future is set forever.
...and the video has tons of images of people doing immoral things being punished for their actions; and yet, they said they are NOT a religious band by any means. Huh?!?! You could have fooled me! Anyways, regardless, I love the song especially the guitar solo in the middle of the song.
Have a good weekend everyone!
I am really looking forward to Easter this Sunday as I get to play Guitar Hero with my cousins for the first time. Should be a good time. I hope I don't humiliate myself. The video below is the song that is my favorite to play on the game. The band cracks me up because it has lyrics like this....
She's a dwelling place for demons.
She's a cage for every unclean spirit,
every filthy bird and makes us drink the poisoned wine to fornicating with our kings.
Fallen now is Babylon the Great.
The day has come for all us sinners.
If you're not a servant, you'll be struck to the ground.
Flee the burning, greedy city.
Lookin' back on her to see there's nothing around.
I don't believe in fairytales and no one wants to go to hell.
You've made the wrong decision and it's easy to see.
Now if you wanna serve above or be a king below with us,
You're welcome to the city where your future is set forever.
...and the video has tons of images of people doing immoral things being punished for their actions; and yet, they said they are NOT a religious band by any means. Huh?!?! You could have fooled me! Anyways, regardless, I love the song especially the guitar solo in the middle of the song.
Have a good weekend everyone!
Thursday, April 05, 2007
Trivia Thursday #3
Here is your weekly trivia. Remember, there are no prizes so no looking on the internet for answers and no looking at other people's answers for clues. Just have fun with it. Good luck!
1. What is the only mammal that can fly?
2. Elvis Pressley made one commercial in his life selling what kind of food?
3. What is the only US state that grows coffee?
4. What is the only metal that is liquid at room temperature?
5. What is the only rock that floats in water?
6. The most common first name in the world is what?
7. What does a sphygmomanometer do?
8. 50% of all bank robberies are on what day?
9. What can live up to a week without a head?
10. What animal is responsible for the most human deaths each year?
1. What is the only mammal that can fly?
2. Elvis Pressley made one commercial in his life selling what kind of food?
3. What is the only US state that grows coffee?
4. What is the only metal that is liquid at room temperature?
5. What is the only rock that floats in water?
6. The most common first name in the world is what?
7. What does a sphygmomanometer do?
8. 50% of all bank robberies are on what day?
9. What can live up to a week without a head?
10. What animal is responsible for the most human deaths each year?
Wednesday, April 04, 2007
Tuesday, April 03, 2007
Top Five Tuesday #3
This is a top 5 I have been looking forward to for a couple of weeks. In honor of the Quentin Tarantino/Robert Rodriguez movie "Grindhouse" which comes out Friday, I am doing two top 5s dedicated to their movies. Some of my very favorite films are by these great directors. I wanted to honor the great characters they have in their films, but since there were so many, I couldn't put them in just one top 5 list. I had to make 2:
Top 5 characters in Quentin Tarantino films:
#5 - Marcellus Wallace (Pulp Fiction) - The first time I had ever heard of or seen Ving Rhames. "I'm going to get medieval on your ass!" is one of the best lines of all time!
#4 - Vincent Vega (Pulp Fiction) - Travolta's comeback. How cool is he in this film? Anybody else dancing like that would look just plain silly.
#3 - The Bride - (Kill Bill I and II) - Uma Thurman does and awesome job here as a lady out for revenge. And boy does she get it!!
#2 - Mr. Blond (Reservoir Dogs) - Michael Madsen does an awesome job here as a sadistic criminal. The ear scene is disturbing and awesome all at once!
#1 - Jules Winnfield (Pulp Fiction) - He's a Bad Mutha Fucker. If I have to say anymore, you haven't seen the movie!
Top 5 characters in Robert Rodriguez films:
#5 - Sex Machine (From Dusk Til Dawn) - Tom Savini as one of the guys stuck killing vampires. He carries a whip and has a gun come out of his crotch. He belongs on this list!!!
#4 - El Mariachi (Desperado and Once Upon a Time in Mexico) - Antonio Banderas in his best role. You have to include him - he has a guitar case full of guns!
#3 - Marv (Sin City) - Mickey Rourke is just total badass as a man out for revenge.
#2 - Agent Sands (Once Upon a Time in Mexico) - Johnny Depp is amazing in this film and somehow, even cooler in this than he is in Pirates. If you haven't seen this movie, see it just to see how freakin' cool Depp is here!
#1 - Seth Gecko (From Dusk Til Dawn) - George Clooney at his absolute best. My favorite movie of all time. "Everbody be cool. YOU, be cool."
Top 5 characters in Quentin Tarantino films:
#5 - Marcellus Wallace (Pulp Fiction) - The first time I had ever heard of or seen Ving Rhames. "I'm going to get medieval on your ass!" is one of the best lines of all time!
#4 - Vincent Vega (Pulp Fiction) - Travolta's comeback. How cool is he in this film? Anybody else dancing like that would look just plain silly.
#3 - The Bride - (Kill Bill I and II) - Uma Thurman does and awesome job here as a lady out for revenge. And boy does she get it!!
#2 - Mr. Blond (Reservoir Dogs) - Michael Madsen does an awesome job here as a sadistic criminal. The ear scene is disturbing and awesome all at once! 
#1 - Jules Winnfield (Pulp Fiction) - He's a Bad Mutha Fucker. If I have to say anymore, you haven't seen the movie!Top 5 characters in Robert Rodriguez films:
#5 - Sex Machine (From Dusk Til Dawn) - Tom Savini as one of the guys stuck killing vampires. He carries a whip and has a gun come out of his crotch. He belongs on this list!!!
#4 - El Mariachi (Desperado and Once Upon a Time in Mexico) - Antonio Banderas in his best role. You have to include him - he has a guitar case full of guns!
#3 - Marv (Sin City) - Mickey Rourke is just total badass as a man out for revenge. 
#2 - Agent Sands (Once Upon a Time in Mexico) - Johnny Depp is amazing in this film and somehow, even cooler in this than he is in Pirates. If you haven't seen this movie, see it just to see how freakin' cool Depp is here!
#1 - Seth Gecko (From Dusk Til Dawn) - George Clooney at his absolute best. My favorite movie of all time. "Everbody be cool. YOU, be cool."
Monday, April 02, 2007
The Five Things That Pissed Me Off Last Week #3
Hello, c'mon in. Welcome to another of my weekly rants. Hope you enjoy the show!
#5 - My number of comments has gone way down. I think I need to go out and get some more readers. I love posting, I would love more people to read what I am writing about...
#4 - There is a lady at Jessica's work who I actually despise. She is a know it all, I've done everything, let's make everything out to be way bigger than it needs to be type of person. Jessica comes home with stories about her and I just boil. Friday I met Jessica for lunch and then went back to her office to help her set up her new office. I had to talk with this lady. Multiple times I wanted to strangle her.
#3 - I didn't lose any weight last week. I guess I should be happy that I didn't gain, but it still would have been nnice to lose more weight.
#2 - Ok, yesterday I went to GameStop to trade in 2 of my PS3 games. They had a deal where if you trade in 2 used PS3 games, you can get a new one. So I walk in and this is the conversation:
Me: Hey, are you doing the trade in 2 PS3 games and get a new one deal?
Clerk: (Hesistating slightly as if he is not paying attention) Ummmm....yeah.
Me: Ok, then I want to trade in these 2 games and get Oblivion.
Clerk: ........................................(What the hell? Why is the clerk just staring at me?)........................(10 FULL seconds later)....I like your shirt.
Me: (What the hell? Where did that guy just disappear to at that moment.)
Literally, it was as if the guy's brain just show down for a second and it was just a lifeless corpse in front of me. I wanted to slap him during all that and say, "Dude, you still with me here?"
#1 - Getting that mammogram last week. It didn't hurt quite as much as people were telling me, but it did hurt more than I expected. Not a terrible experience, but not one I would want to do on a daily basis for sure. In the end, the doctor said it was some hormal thing, looked perfectly ok, and that it should go away. If it is still there in a few months, come back. I can live with that fro now.
#5 - My number of comments has gone way down. I think I need to go out and get some more readers. I love posting, I would love more people to read what I am writing about...
#4 - There is a lady at Jessica's work who I actually despise. She is a know it all, I've done everything, let's make everything out to be way bigger than it needs to be type of person. Jessica comes home with stories about her and I just boil. Friday I met Jessica for lunch and then went back to her office to help her set up her new office. I had to talk with this lady. Multiple times I wanted to strangle her.
#3 - I didn't lose any weight last week. I guess I should be happy that I didn't gain, but it still would have been nnice to lose more weight.
#2 - Ok, yesterday I went to GameStop to trade in 2 of my PS3 games. They had a deal where if you trade in 2 used PS3 games, you can get a new one. So I walk in and this is the conversation:
Me: Hey, are you doing the trade in 2 PS3 games and get a new one deal?
Clerk: (Hesistating slightly as if he is not paying attention) Ummmm....yeah.
Me: Ok, then I want to trade in these 2 games and get Oblivion.
Clerk: ........................................(What the hell? Why is the clerk just staring at me?)........................(10 FULL seconds later)....I like your shirt.
Me: (What the hell? Where did that guy just disappear to at that moment.)
Literally, it was as if the guy's brain just show down for a second and it was just a lifeless corpse in front of me. I wanted to slap him during all that and say, "Dude, you still with me here?"
#1 - Getting that mammogram last week. It didn't hurt quite as much as people were telling me, but it did hurt more than I expected. Not a terrible experience, but not one I would want to do on a daily basis for sure. In the end, the doctor said it was some hormal thing, looked perfectly ok, and that it should go away. If it is still there in a few months, come back. I can live with that fro now.
Sunday, April 01, 2007
Go see 300!!!
I finally went and saw 300 last Saturday(yeah a little late in the review here)with my dad at the IMAX theater here in town. What an amazing piece of filmmaking! I mean, this is easily now one of my favorite movies of all time. Why? Let me list the reasons:- The story is wonderful! I was so enthralled with the story and deeply cared about the characters.
- The characters themselves. King Leonidas. The Queen. Xerxes. The 300 soldiers. I thought they were all well written and will go down as some of my favorite group of characters in film.
- Action. Lots of action! I like all kinds of films, but like most guys, I like a movie with just tons of action now and then. This movie did not dissappoint. The blood and the gore were off the charts and I loved every minute of it!
- The visuals. This movie looked amazing. The majority of the film was filmed on green screen which allowed the filmmakers to make some amazing scenery post production. It is just amazing to look at.
- The score. Powerful, powerful stuff. The music is spectacular. It really does a fine job of complimenting the story.
I am sure there is more. Overall, just an amazing film. Can't wait until it comes out on Blue Ray. If you haven't seen it yet, go see it!
Friday, March 30, 2007
Fat Free Friday #8
BOOOOOOOO!!!!! Well, I didn't lose any this week, but then again, I didn't gain any this week either. I guess I have to be happy for that as well. So, 5 pounds still lost in 8 weeks. At this rate, it will be 10 pounds in 16 weeks, which is below my goal, but 10 pounds is a lot. We'll see.
I'll have the answer to the trivia later tonight. Good job everyone. My review of the movie 300 also tomorrow!!!
I'll have the answer to the trivia later tonight. Good job everyone. My review of the movie 300 also tomorrow!!!
Thursday, March 29, 2007
Thursday Trivia #2
Some random trivia questions for you today. Take a guess:
1.What bird's eye is bigger than its brain?
2.Who is the first character to speak in Star Wars: A New Hope(the first one released)?
3.Who portrayed the first openly gay main character on tv? What tv show?(hint 1977-1981)
4.The first interracial kiss ever on tv took place on what show?
5.What, now despised person, was Time Magazine's man of he year in 1938?
6.Who bought the first ever Hummer made for the general public?
7.What are bills made of in the United Staes?
8.Most car horns honk in what music key?
9.Fish scales are in ingrediant most of the time in what common beauty product?
10.What was the first product to ever have a UPC code?
Good luck...
1.What bird's eye is bigger than its brain?
2.Who is the first character to speak in Star Wars: A New Hope(the first one released)?
3.Who portrayed the first openly gay main character on tv? What tv show?(hint 1977-1981)
4.The first interracial kiss ever on tv took place on what show?
5.What, now despised person, was Time Magazine's man of he year in 1938?
6.Who bought the first ever Hummer made for the general public?
7.What are bills made of in the United Staes?
8.Most car horns honk in what music key?
9.Fish scales are in ingrediant most of the time in what common beauty product?
10.What was the first product to ever have a UPC code?
Good luck...
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
ASSHOLE!!!
Not even 4 days ago did I post about how proud I was to have beaten Manuel's top score on Misirlou in Guitar Hero. He can't even let me have that for a week... Jerk...
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Top Five Tuesday #2
I am not a huge candy person. I never really crave it. I am not going to deny that I like the occassional candy now and then though. Sometimes I am in the mood for something chocolate. Sometimes I am in the mood for something fruit flavored. If I had to choose my top 5 favorite candies, here is what they would be:
#5 - Kit Kat - Some people like to eat a Kit Kat piece by piece - i.e. - licking off the chocolate first and eating the wafer last. I eat it all at once to get the whole flavor.
#4 - Twix - When I buy a Twix, it truely is, "Two for me, none for you!"
#3 - Reeces Peanut Butter Cups - I usually don't like peanut butter in anything but a sandwich, but the combination in this candy is perfect.
#2 - Green Apple Jolly Ranchers - Not all Jolly Ranchers. Just this flavor. I can eat these like they are M'n'Ms. By the handful!!
#1 - Starburst - It doesn't really matter what flavor they are, I LOVE Starburst. So juicy. So flavorful! So perfect!
#5 - Kit Kat - Some people like to eat a Kit Kat piece by piece - i.e. - licking off the chocolate first and eating the wafer last. I eat it all at once to get the whole flavor.
#4 - Twix - When I buy a Twix, it truely is, "Two for me, none for you!"
#3 - Reeces Peanut Butter Cups - I usually don't like peanut butter in anything but a sandwich, but the combination in this candy is perfect.
#2 - Green Apple Jolly Ranchers - Not all Jolly Ranchers. Just this flavor. I can eat these like they are M'n'Ms. By the handful!!
#1 - Starburst - It doesn't really matter what flavor they are, I LOVE Starburst. So juicy. So flavorful! So perfect!
Monday, March 26, 2007
The Five Things That Pissed Me Off Last Week #2
#5 - I have job news, but I can't tell you yet for fear of jinxing it. Don't worry though, the news breaking is close. It pisses me off that I can't tell you yet.
#4 - More Kings crappy play this week. I tell ya, it is good the season is almost over. Pray for a good draft pick.
#3 - The Kings had a big win yesterday. Wait a second, why is this on the list if they won? Simple - it shows what they are capable of from time to time. Where is this play on a game by game basis? It was exciting, but painful to watch at the same time!
#2 - I played some great poker at my house on Saturday night and then just got unlucky at the end. Yeah, I got 2nd place and got $70, but the $150 first place was mine!!!
#1 - I went to the doctor's last week because I discovered a lump in my breast a couple of weeks ago. I wasn't too worried as the lump hurt and cancer generally doesn't hurt, but I went anyways. The doctor decided it wasn't anything to worry about, but he still ordered a mammogram. No, not an ultrasound. A MAMMOMGRAM. Damnit. Anyways, I take that test today. Wish me luck.
#4 - More Kings crappy play this week. I tell ya, it is good the season is almost over. Pray for a good draft pick.
#3 - The Kings had a big win yesterday. Wait a second, why is this on the list if they won? Simple - it shows what they are capable of from time to time. Where is this play on a game by game basis? It was exciting, but painful to watch at the same time!
#2 - I played some great poker at my house on Saturday night and then just got unlucky at the end. Yeah, I got 2nd place and got $70, but the $150 first place was mine!!!
#1 - I went to the doctor's last week because I discovered a lump in my breast a couple of weeks ago. I wasn't too worried as the lump hurt and cancer generally doesn't hurt, but I went anyways. The doctor decided it wasn't anything to worry about, but he still ordered a mammogram. No, not an ultrasound. A MAMMOMGRAM. Damnit. Anyways, I take that test today. Wish me luck.
Saturday, March 24, 2007
Guitar Hero
I know we've mentioned this game before. We're still playing - it doesn't get old, especially when we compete against each other. We have 2 guitars, see, so we can play the same song at the same time. Without fail, Manuel is better than me. The score is usually 7 him, 3 me or 10 him, 5 me, something like that. And there are certain songs that he ALWAYS beats me at - I tell him he owns those songs. No matter how much I practice, no matter how many times I play them, I can NEVER beat his high score.
One such song is Misirlou by Dick Dale. Some of you may better know this song from the opening credits of Pulp Fiction. It's one of the harder songs in the game - the further down the list of songs you go, the harder they get. This song is third from the bottom. He was a Misirlou master.
What was that? Did I say was?
You're damn right I did! Not only did I beat his high score, I didn't miss a single note!
Looks like there might be a new sheriff in town...
Friday, March 23, 2007
Fat Free Friday #7
The downward spiral if weight loss continues. I lost another pound this week. That makes it 5 pounds lost in seven weeks. I actually had some pretty big dinners this week, but I balanced that out with absolutely no in between snacking all week long. I have been so busy with some work stuff(more on this in a week or so), I haven't been able to get to the gym in nearly 3 weeks. That's killing me because I know that will make my weight loss even more significant! GRRRRR.
Anyways, have a good weekend. I owe some of you responses on comments so I will get to that sometime today. Oh yeah, and I will include the answer to yesterday's trivia in the comments to yesterday's post as well later today...
Anyways, have a good weekend. I owe some of you responses on comments so I will get to that sometime today. Oh yeah, and I will include the answer to yesterday's trivia in the comments to yesterday's post as well later today...
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Trivia Thursday #1
So everyone knows the nursery rhyme of Little Miss Muffett and how she got herself in a little predicament with a spider while eating her curds. But did you know that the nursery rhyme is actually based on truth and Little Miss Muffett was actually a real person? Without researching, how do you think this came about, i.e. , how did Little Miss Muffett wind up in this situation???
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
Thanks For Your Input
A while back I asked your for opinions on which tattoo I should get. I listened and took your ideas to heart. While I didn't go with the one that got the most votes, I went with the one that I REALLY wanted.I am IN LOVE with it and am SO pleased I went with my gut. Besides, I can always get the Pisces sign in 10 years when I'm ready for another tattoo...
So thank you guys again and make sure you check out the Top 5 below.
Top Five Tuesday #1
For my first Top Five Tuesday, I have decided to go with an easy category - the top 5 game shows of all time. Everyone has seen at least one game show in their life. Many of us have seen many different game shows in our lives. I myself have seen a bunch because of my love for games. I especially love the ones where I can participate. I am exclduing reality game shows such as Survivor and Amazing Race and competiton shows such as Idol and the Dancing Stars. So without further ado, here is my opinion on the top five game shows of all time
#5 - The Weakest Link - I love this show for one reason. It is just a constant barrage of trivia questions in a rapid fashion. The great thing about the trivia? The questions for the most part aren't really that hard. You just have to be quick to get the answer before time runs out. Very addicting.
#4 - American Gladiators - Physical game show, but a game show nonetheless. This was an awesome show. Watching ordinary people go head to heard with muscle bound freaks in all kinds of athletic competitions! Awesome stuff. I could never get enough of this show.
#3 - Family Feud : So simple to play yet so fun. My favorite part of the show might actually be listening to the tremendously dumb answers that people give sometimes. It is fun to just roll your eyes and wonder how they thought that was a good answer. Don't forget the Fast Money round which is the best part of the game!
#2 - Jeopardy : I LOVE Jeopardy! Why? I just love trivia. Anytime I just get to answer a bunch of random questions about a variety of subjects, I am happy. And you know what, I actually do pretty well with the questions on the show. I don't think I am good enough to go on the show, but I answer my share of questions. One day Jess will be able to beat me when we watch.
#1 - The Price is Right: This is not really my favorite game show now, but over all, this is what I believe is the best game show of all time. Why? Anyone can play. For the most part, it is a realy simple game. Even as a young child, you can sit down and understand what is going on. Plus, you have to give it credit for its long life.
#5 - The Weakest Link - I love this show for one reason. It is just a constant barrage of trivia questions in a rapid fashion. The great thing about the trivia? The questions for the most part aren't really that hard. You just have to be quick to get the answer before time runs out. Very addicting.
#4 - American Gladiators - Physical game show, but a game show nonetheless. This was an awesome show. Watching ordinary people go head to heard with muscle bound freaks in all kinds of athletic competitions! Awesome stuff. I could never get enough of this show.
#3 - Family Feud : So simple to play yet so fun. My favorite part of the show might actually be listening to the tremendously dumb answers that people give sometimes. It is fun to just roll your eyes and wonder how they thought that was a good answer. Don't forget the Fast Money round which is the best part of the game!
#2 - Jeopardy : I LOVE Jeopardy! Why? I just love trivia. Anytime I just get to answer a bunch of random questions about a variety of subjects, I am happy. And you know what, I actually do pretty well with the questions on the show. I don't think I am good enough to go on the show, but I answer my share of questions. One day Jess will be able to beat me when we watch.
#1 - The Price is Right: This is not really my favorite game show now, but over all, this is what I believe is the best game show of all time. Why? Anyone can play. For the most part, it is a realy simple game. Even as a young child, you can sit down and understand what is going on. Plus, you have to give it credit for its long life.
Monday, March 19, 2007
Don't Piss Off THAT Guy...
I was driving around today and I saw a red Mustang with "Slut," "Bitch," and "I (heart) cock" spraypainted on the sides of the car in giant white letters.
I guess the title of the post says it all...
EDIT: There seems to be some confusion. While I never saw the driver of the red Mustang, I too would assume it was a woman. By the title of the post, I meant not to piss off the guy SHE pissed off, lest we all drive around with spray painted cars.
I guess the title of the post says it all...
EDIT: There seems to be some confusion. While I never saw the driver of the red Mustang, I too would assume it was a woman. By the title of the post, I meant not to piss off the guy SHE pissed off, lest we all drive around with spray painted cars.
The Five Things That Pissed Me Off Last Week #1
I am going to call this #1 even though a while back I did a bunch of these. This is a new beginning. Plus, I don't have time to go back right now and count how many I have done. Maybe I will do that later today and edit this. Here we go...
#5 - After giving me some hope the previous week, the Kings went back to their old ways of suckery last week. They were close to getting in a playoff spot, but they unfortunately blew it. Thing is though, the other teams are so bad that after losing 5 in a row last week, they still are within 2 games of a spot. In years past, poor play of this nature would be much higher on the list, but losing comes to be expected nowadays. Oh well...
#4 - We bought new sofas, but since they didn't have our color in stock, we have to wait 10-14 weeks. I mean, it really isn't THAT big of a deal because we are in no rush, but it sure would be exciting to have them. Still, it is cool to know that our sofas will be specially made for us. When they come in, I'll take pictures.
#3 - The lady last week who called my wife a whore. At first, I was just so shocked that I didn't say anything. Now that I think back, I wish I had said something back. Like Sonja said in the comments, I should just feel sorry for the lady because she probably is just a really miserable person.
#2 - I was really excited to get a new racing game for the PS3 called Motorstorm. I downloaded the demo and it was AMAZING. Then, the day I was going to buy it, I found out that it is only a one player game. Yes, you can play it online with buddies, but you don't have the option to play at home against your wife or friends. How do you not have a 2 player option on a racing game?!? Poor decision. Especially because the graphics and dynamics on this game are outstanding. Oh well... Saved myself some money.
#1 - What happened to all the Fat Free Friday participants? When I first talked about it, everyone was excited. Now there is barely any participation. Did most people give up? It's cool, I guess people aren't as comfortable with showing the highs and lows of weight loss as I am. Sometimes I have a hard time owning up to you all that I have not been quite as good as I wanted. But I am still reporting every week. Why? By owning up, maybe that will be the only thing that keeps me on track. At least keep reading it that way I know I am owning up to someone.
#5 - After giving me some hope the previous week, the Kings went back to their old ways of suckery last week. They were close to getting in a playoff spot, but they unfortunately blew it. Thing is though, the other teams are so bad that after losing 5 in a row last week, they still are within 2 games of a spot. In years past, poor play of this nature would be much higher on the list, but losing comes to be expected nowadays. Oh well...
#4 - We bought new sofas, but since they didn't have our color in stock, we have to wait 10-14 weeks. I mean, it really isn't THAT big of a deal because we are in no rush, but it sure would be exciting to have them. Still, it is cool to know that our sofas will be specially made for us. When they come in, I'll take pictures.
#3 - The lady last week who called my wife a whore. At first, I was just so shocked that I didn't say anything. Now that I think back, I wish I had said something back. Like Sonja said in the comments, I should just feel sorry for the lady because she probably is just a really miserable person.
#2 - I was really excited to get a new racing game for the PS3 called Motorstorm. I downloaded the demo and it was AMAZING. Then, the day I was going to buy it, I found out that it is only a one player game. Yes, you can play it online with buddies, but you don't have the option to play at home against your wife or friends. How do you not have a 2 player option on a racing game?!? Poor decision. Especially because the graphics and dynamics on this game are outstanding. Oh well... Saved myself some money.
#1 - What happened to all the Fat Free Friday participants? When I first talked about it, everyone was excited. Now there is barely any participation. Did most people give up? It's cool, I guess people aren't as comfortable with showing the highs and lows of weight loss as I am. Sometimes I have a hard time owning up to you all that I have not been quite as good as I wanted. But I am still reporting every week. Why? By owning up, maybe that will be the only thing that keeps me on track. At least keep reading it that way I know I am owning up to someone.
Saturday, March 17, 2007
The Gameplan
I'm the kind of guy who likes to have order and some sort of gameplan at all times. The blog has been the exception as posts and the topics I write about have always come on random days. Then I started doing Fat Free Friday and it felt good. It felt good to turn on the computer on Friday and KNOW that I have something to write about. I would like most days to be like this. I want to continue this tradition with other days. So, I am going to try and create some kind of schedule for my weekly postings. Here is what I have so far:
Mondays - Long time readers will recognize this. I am bringing back, "The 5 things that pissed me off last week." I did this for a little bit a while back and then suddenly stopped. I had fun with these so I am bring this back.
Tuesdays - I am going to start a column called Top 5 Tuesdays. On these days, I will think of a random topic and try to come up with a top 5 list. Some local DJs do this and it is always fun. I'll be looking for any agreements or disagreements on each topic.
Wednesdays - I am stealing this from Sonja. Wednesdays will be Wordless Wednesdays. I'll have some kind of picture that will be funny/pretty/random/etc. Just a picture.
Thursdays - Thursday triva. Some trivia questions for all of you. Won't necessarily ALWAYS be movie trivia so don't worry.
Fridays - Fat Free Fridays
Saturday and Sundays - No idea yet. I could take the weekend off or I could be open to suggestions. Let me know if you have any.
Now, if I also have other things to talk about or Rich or Jess want to post on one of these days, that is fine too. So, if something interesting happens to me on Tuesday, you get 2 posts for the day. But I like having a schedule. It keeps me on track. Let's see how I do....
Mondays - Long time readers will recognize this. I am bringing back, "The 5 things that pissed me off last week." I did this for a little bit a while back and then suddenly stopped. I had fun with these so I am bring this back.
Tuesdays - I am going to start a column called Top 5 Tuesdays. On these days, I will think of a random topic and try to come up with a top 5 list. Some local DJs do this and it is always fun. I'll be looking for any agreements or disagreements on each topic.
Wednesdays - I am stealing this from Sonja. Wednesdays will be Wordless Wednesdays. I'll have some kind of picture that will be funny/pretty/random/etc. Just a picture.
Thursdays - Thursday triva. Some trivia questions for all of you. Won't necessarily ALWAYS be movie trivia so don't worry.
Fridays - Fat Free Fridays
Saturday and Sundays - No idea yet. I could take the weekend off or I could be open to suggestions. Let me know if you have any.
Now, if I also have other things to talk about or Rich or Jess want to post on one of these days, that is fine too. So, if something interesting happens to me on Tuesday, you get 2 posts for the day. But I like having a schedule. It keeps me on track. Let's see how I do....
Friday, March 16, 2007
Fat Free Friday #6
6 weeks down and it was actually a pretty good week. I lost 2 pounds this week bringing my grand total to 4 pounds lost in 6 weeks. Not the 6 pounds I wanted, but I think that is pretty good progress. Jess is gone most of the weekend so I know that means unhealthy food, but what can you do?!?!
Be sure to read Jessica's posr below if you haven't already.
Be sure to read Jessica's posr below if you haven't already.
Thursday, March 15, 2007
Whore
Manuel and I were out and about the other day. For one of our errands, we parked the car in a parking structure. After we were done doing whatever it was we had come to do, we took the elevator down to the level where we parked the car. In this particular parking structure, the elevator is separated from the cars - it's in it's own room. So we exit the elevator and I open the door to go to the car. As I open the door, I hear the tell tale whack of someone on the other side of the door. OOPS! I didn't open the door all crazy like either, just a normal opening of a door. But I'm a good person, so the following conversation took place:
Me: Oh my goodness! Did I hurt you?
The lady (with her son): No no no. It was my fault.
Me: I'm so sorry though. Are you sure you're ok?
The lady: Yes. It's ok.
And I went toward the car while Manuel held the door open for the lady and her son.
After they went inside, Manuel catches up to me and says, "Oh my God, babe! That lady called you a whore!"
Apparently, after I went out of my way to make sure she wasn't hurt and apologize, after she assured me it was her fault and that she was fine, once I was out of ear shot, she felt the need to insult me. What the hell?!
1) What kind of person does that? I could understand her calling me that if I hit her with the door and kept going, but no, like I mentioned above, I was really nice to her.
2) What kind of mother speaks like that in front of her son? Why is she teaching him that that is acceptable behavior - a) to call nice people bad names and b) to call women in general whores?
3) Why didn't my husband defend my honor? I'm not asking him to get into fisticuffs with the woman, but he could have said something like, "Excuse me, that's my wife." That would have put her on the spot and made her embarrassed at least...
What's that saying - no good deed goes unpunished? Seems appropriate for this story...
Me: Oh my goodness! Did I hurt you?
The lady (with her son): No no no. It was my fault.
Me: I'm so sorry though. Are you sure you're ok?
The lady: Yes. It's ok.
And I went toward the car while Manuel held the door open for the lady and her son.
After they went inside, Manuel catches up to me and says, "Oh my God, babe! That lady called you a whore!"
Apparently, after I went out of my way to make sure she wasn't hurt and apologize, after she assured me it was her fault and that she was fine, once I was out of ear shot, she felt the need to insult me. What the hell?!
1) What kind of person does that? I could understand her calling me that if I hit her with the door and kept going, but no, like I mentioned above, I was really nice to her.
2) What kind of mother speaks like that in front of her son? Why is she teaching him that that is acceptable behavior - a) to call nice people bad names and b) to call women in general whores?
3) Why didn't my husband defend my honor? I'm not asking him to get into fisticuffs with the woman, but he could have said something like, "Excuse me, that's my wife." That would have put her on the spot and made her embarrassed at least...
What's that saying - no good deed goes unpunished? Seems appropriate for this story...
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
My cousins
The other day I was visiting my Grandma and Grandpa when my Grandma brought out an old newspaper she had found buried under a bunch of stuff. The newspaper was dated December 14, 1978. She opened it up to show me this picture of me and my cousins. There are six total cousins in the family, but my younger sister was obviously not born yet as I am not even 6 months old here. The article was on meeting Santa, but as the article made no reference to any of us, I did not scan the article as well. I thought it was pretty cool though because I had never seen this picture before. I showed it to my mom and dad and they didn't remember the picture being in the paper either. The things you come across sometimes. If any of you family wants me to email this picture to you, let me know! Enjoy!
EDIT: Val's comment made me remember to write something. They have my name and Mike's name switched on the picture. Mike is the one in the middle. Oops!
Sunday, March 11, 2007
Why my sister shouldn't have moved out.....
So my sister movied out of my parent's house yesterday. Her fiancee and her got a duplex together. This is the conversation my wife had with her yesterday as we were all moving her in and setting things up.
Wife: Do you have a phillips screwdriver I can use?
My sister looks through her new toolbox and says: All we have are Stanley screwdrivers. Is that ok?
Oh boy. Good luck......
Wife: Do you have a phillips screwdriver I can use?
My sister looks through her new toolbox and says: All we have are Stanley screwdrivers. Is that ok?
Oh boy. Good luck......
Friday, March 09, 2007
Fat Free Friday #5
Where the hell is everybidy?!?! The comments have been scarce as all get out!!! Anyways, I lost a pound this week. Yeah me. So after 5 weeks, I am down 2 pounds. Yeah, I intended to be down 5 pounds at this point, but I AM going in the downward direction. Big picture Manuel, big picture. Have a good weekend everybody...
Wednesday, March 07, 2007
Civil War finale
It's been about 2 weeks now since the Civil War storyline has come to an end. Search back in my archives for the previous parts of the story. When I last discussed the story, the heroes oppossed to registration were invading the base of the heroes on the side of registration for both one last battle and to free their captured friends.
The majority of the final issue basically focused on the final battle. Heroes battling heroes in an epic battle. In the end though, it came down to the battle between Iron Man and Captain America, the leaders of the respective sides. I have scanned quite a few pages so make sure to click on them to see them bigger so you can actually read the text.
First, the final battle between Cap and Iron Man. Cap was able to get the upper hand after getting fellow hero, Vision, to disable Iron Man's powers.
Out of nowhere, citizens hold back Captain America, the symbol of freedom and show their displeasure with him for what he is doing...
Captain America takes a look around and sees that all he has accomplished is destruction....
In a shocking move, Cap surrenders.......
With Cap defeated, the Registration side claims victory and most heroes end up giving in to the demands of the Registration law. All heroes except a small group who continue to fight for what Captain American originally believed in. Cap meanwhile is sent to prison.
Part of the first part of the initiative is to place one superhero team in every state. It would be foolish to think that there isn't some kind of homage to the current situation in our country being made here.
Today, a comic came out where the unthinkable happened. You may have already heard this because it has been on various news sites. Today, in an issue of Captain America, Captain America was to stand trial for his resistance in Civil War. But on the steps of the courthouse, while handcuffed, Captain America was shot by a sniper and another assailant on the ground. He died on the way to the hospital. Today, Marvel Comics decided to kill off Captain America. It is truely a sad day. I'm speechless.....
The majority of the final issue basically focused on the final battle. Heroes battling heroes in an epic battle. In the end though, it came down to the battle between Iron Man and Captain America, the leaders of the respective sides. I have scanned quite a few pages so make sure to click on them to see them bigger so you can actually read the text.
First, the final battle between Cap and Iron Man. Cap was able to get the upper hand after getting fellow hero, Vision, to disable Iron Man's powers. 
Out of nowhere, citizens hold back Captain America, the symbol of freedom and show their displeasure with him for what he is doing...
Captain America takes a look around and sees that all he has accomplished is destruction....
In a shocking move, Cap surrenders.......
With Cap defeated, the Registration side claims victory and most heroes end up giving in to the demands of the Registration law. All heroes except a small group who continue to fight for what Captain American originally believed in. Cap meanwhile is sent to prison.
Part of the first part of the initiative is to place one superhero team in every state. It would be foolish to think that there isn't some kind of homage to the current situation in our country being made here.Today, a comic came out where the unthinkable happened. You may have already heard this because it has been on various news sites. Today, in an issue of Captain America, Captain America was to stand trial for his resistance in Civil War. But on the steps of the courthouse, while handcuffed, Captain America was shot by a sniper and another assailant on the ground. He died on the way to the hospital. Today, Marvel Comics decided to kill off Captain America. It is truely a sad day. I'm speechless.....
Tuesday, March 06, 2007
A Real Hero
Have you all been watching Heroes? Great show right? Too often in the real world, the word "Hero" gets tossed around. Someone hits a game winning shot? Hero. But how many true heroes are out there. How about a hero that actually seems to have a super human power of some sort? Then again, maybe this guy just has nine lives.
I first became aware of Rulond Gardner in the 2000 Olympics. I love the Olympics and try to watch as much as I can. I didn't see the match live unfortunately, but the news spread all over Olympics. In the gold medal match of Greco-Roman wrestling, Gardner was able to defeat the big Russian, Alexander Karelin. Why was this such a big deal? Karelin had not been defeated in 13 years!!! In fact, nobody had even scored a SINGLE POINT on Karelin in 6 years!!! Talk about domination. Gardner was not given a chance in hell to defeat Karelin, and with a record like that, why would anyone think otherwise? It was truely a remarkable event.
After the Olympics, Rulon got the usual winner's welcome back in the country. It was then that we learned that Gardner had survived an arrow accident as a child. An arrow from his bag had gone into his abdomen while bent down to pick up another loose arrow. But that alone would not be his last brush with death. 2 years later, in 2002, we learned that Gardner became lost in the snow while on a snowmobile trip. He was stranded overnight in the freezing cold, and once he was rescued, he had to have a toe amputated. After being in the cold all night without a coat, he is lucky that is all he lost.
Despite the loss of a toe, Gardner was still able to qualify for the 2004 Olympics. He couldn't repeat his performance, but he did earn the bronze medal. The tears after his final match , his retirement match, became one of the most emotional moments in sports I had ever seen. He did not leave the spotlight though. Soon after the Olympics, Gardner was involved in a motorcycle accident after a car hit the motorcycle he was riding. Despite being thrown from his motorcycle, he lived. I figured that would be the last brush with death that Gardner would ever have to endure. I'd forgotten all about Gardner when I saw his name in the paper again last week. Unfortunately, he was involved in aother life threatening incident. Gardner was riding in a small plane with 2 friends when the plane they were riding in crashed into an icy lake. They all survived the crash, but had to swim over an hour in 44 degree water. Over an hour in almost freezing water. But did they get rescued right away? Of course not. Probably because of his experience with being stranded in the past, Gardner had his friends help him with building a shelter after first helping them calm down. Luckily, after surviving sub freezing temperatures in the night, they were spotted by a fisherman in the morning and were saved.
I listened to an interview with Gardner on the radio the other day and it was truely inspiring. I fully believe he helped these men live. Is this guy just lucky? Is fate keeping him alive? I am not sure of these answers, but I do believe that by calling this man a hero, I would not be too far off.
Sunday, March 04, 2007
It's just like, it's just like....
I usually don't like to steal posts from other bloggers, but Jerry posted this video a month ago and it is STILL in my head. This commercial is a riot! Try to sit through the whole thing and I promise you, this song will get stuck in your head too....
Friday, March 02, 2007
Fat Free Friday #4
Well, it still is Friday for a few more hours. No weight loss this week. I stayed the same. In fact, I really didn't try to hard. I was only able to make it to the gym one day last week so that is also a factor. I need my exercise in order to lose weight with the lack of salad in my diet. So, 4 weeks down, one pound total lost. I guess it could be one pound gained right?
So did you enjoy that video I posted this week with the really deep lyrics? Then check this out for sure!!! Be sure to give the music time to load.
http://ualuealuealeuale.ytmnd.com/
So did you enjoy that video I posted this week with the really deep lyrics? Then check this out for sure!!! Be sure to give the music time to load.
http://ualuealuealeuale.ytmnd.com/
Thursday, March 01, 2007
My ever changing legacy
Say hi to Ryan Athony DiBona, My cousin Casey's new son. Guess that makes Ryan my second cousin or something?
Pressure writing. Time to try something new. Lots of noise and no calm.
I was thinking the other day about the people I meet on a daily basis. I started to wonder about these encounters and how they would be remembered. I have plenty of people in my life that see me fairly regularly, so they have a solid idea of what I am as a person. My legacy in their eyes is pretty much set in stone. I started to wonder about how people see me. From the one-time meetings to the daily encounters there would be something different to all of them. What a lovely kinda freedom in that knowledge. Here is what I mean.
The random female who is driving her escalade down the freeway late on a Friday afternoon. It's raining outside and visibility is less than perfect. I get a call on my cell phone as I attempt to maneuver around a big rig truck. I do all the instinctual things that come with being a professional driver to make this move go smoothly. Somewhere between my turn signals and my merging and my getting the news that it would cost more to fix my lovely mazda protege I may have cut this escalade driver off. I still can't picture doing it, but the phone conversation was distracting enough that I have no clear image of seeing her vehicle as I merged right into the freeway exit lane. I got to then be on the receiving end of a furious exchange of bird flippings and yellings through her window. She did have a cell phone in her ear as well, so perhaps she wasn't as focused on the road either. I could only smile as the 10-second rant came and went. She pulled off the freeway and I will never see her again in my life. I am forever implanted in her head as an asshole driver who almost killed her. I am sure the rest of that day I was the brunt of her anger as she explained the details of our almost meeting to all within earshot. My legacy was set and I could do nothing to change that. With that incident came this.
SO WHAT!
I will never see her again. I won't be able to fix any of my mistakes or alter her perception of me. And I am comfortable with that. I will hundreds of people like this in my life. Maybe not in this manner, but there are countless people I will never see again. This allows me the freedom to say that for some instances in my life I have no consequences to my actions. I can behave as I wish and it will not come back to bite me. How peaceful.
Now as far as the longer legacies I will leave it always seems to come back around to something that is slightly morbid. What will they say at my funeral? And who will actually be there?
To me, I have a slightly negative view of this scene. I find myself being described through the life of someone else. My title might be so-and-so's brother, or a fellow co-worker as opposed to simply being defined by my own name. My legacy will be the same to everyone and that kinda bugs me. Nice, descent, caring...........There are tons of people like me out there. There may be scenes in my life that stand out to others that help define me to them, but it's no more of less different from any other young male walking round the world at the moment.
This makes me wonder how I can change that legacy with all of these people. And if I go about making this change just for this sole purpose of giving them something more interesting to remember me by am I somehow completely ignoring my present-day life. I know this can get into the more philosophical way of thinking about life, but just a thought I had. It's probably cause I had some moments happen recently that altered how I see people around me on a daily basis. Some things changed for the worse. Others improved my POV on them. And at those funerals I will now say something a lil different about them. So think about that sometimes and go in peace my friends. Legacies will always be changing. It's very fluid. Rabble Rock!
I was thinking the other day about the people I meet on a daily basis. I started to wonder about these encounters and how they would be remembered. I have plenty of people in my life that see me fairly regularly, so they have a solid idea of what I am as a person. My legacy in their eyes is pretty much set in stone. I started to wonder about how people see me. From the one-time meetings to the daily encounters there would be something different to all of them. What a lovely kinda freedom in that knowledge. Here is what I mean.
The random female who is driving her escalade down the freeway late on a Friday afternoon. It's raining outside and visibility is less than perfect. I get a call on my cell phone as I attempt to maneuver around a big rig truck. I do all the instinctual things that come with being a professional driver to make this move go smoothly. Somewhere between my turn signals and my merging and my getting the news that it would cost more to fix my lovely mazda protege I may have cut this escalade driver off. I still can't picture doing it, but the phone conversation was distracting enough that I have no clear image of seeing her vehicle as I merged right into the freeway exit lane. I got to then be on the receiving end of a furious exchange of bird flippings and yellings through her window. She did have a cell phone in her ear as well, so perhaps she wasn't as focused on the road either. I could only smile as the 10-second rant came and went. She pulled off the freeway and I will never see her again in my life. I am forever implanted in her head as an asshole driver who almost killed her. I am sure the rest of that day I was the brunt of her anger as she explained the details of our almost meeting to all within earshot. My legacy was set and I could do nothing to change that. With that incident came this.
SO WHAT!
I will never see her again. I won't be able to fix any of my mistakes or alter her perception of me. And I am comfortable with that. I will hundreds of people like this in my life. Maybe not in this manner, but there are countless people I will never see again. This allows me the freedom to say that for some instances in my life I have no consequences to my actions. I can behave as I wish and it will not come back to bite me. How peaceful.
Now as far as the longer legacies I will leave it always seems to come back around to something that is slightly morbid. What will they say at my funeral? And who will actually be there?
To me, I have a slightly negative view of this scene. I find myself being described through the life of someone else. My title might be so-and-so's brother, or a fellow co-worker as opposed to simply being defined by my own name. My legacy will be the same to everyone and that kinda bugs me. Nice, descent, caring...........There are tons of people like me out there. There may be scenes in my life that stand out to others that help define me to them, but it's no more of less different from any other young male walking round the world at the moment.
This makes me wonder how I can change that legacy with all of these people. And if I go about making this change just for this sole purpose of giving them something more interesting to remember me by am I somehow completely ignoring my present-day life. I know this can get into the more philosophical way of thinking about life, but just a thought I had. It's probably cause I had some moments happen recently that altered how I see people around me on a daily basis. Some things changed for the worse. Others improved my POV on them. And at those funerals I will now say something a lil different about them. So think about that sometimes and go in peace my friends. Legacies will always be changing. It's very fluid. Rabble Rock!
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Forever Stamps
Yesterday, the Postal Service announced that they were going to be raising the price of stamps once again. No big surprise really. They seem to do it every year now. The interesting thing they said is that they will unveil what will be called "Forever Stamps." These Forever Stamps will be able to be purchased at whatever the prevailing rate is for stamps. When stamps rise to 41 cents, you can buy Forever Stamps for 41 cents. The interesting thing comes when they raise stamps again next year. Rather than having to purchase a one or two cent stamp to combine with your leftover stamps, you can continue to use whatever Forever Stamps you have until they run out without having to use extra postage. In other words, you shouldn't have to buy the one or two cent stamps anymore as long as you buy Forever Stamps. After you are out of those, you can buy more Forever Stamps at the new rate.
At first I thought this was pretty cool. I said to myself that I would just go out and buy hundreds of Forever Stamps that way I can save money when the next raise comes. But how much would I really save? Let's say the average house uses 200 stamps a year. If, when the stamps rise to 41 cents, I wanted to buy 200 stamps for every year for five years, it would cost me $410. A lot of money to spend at once. What if, instead, I don't buy them at once and stamps rise 2 cents every year for 5 years. How much would I spend over 5 years on stamps? $450. But buying 1000 stamps all at once, I would only save myself 40 bucks over 5 years. Not really enough of a savings to justify spending $410 all at once on stamps.
How about over ten years? It would cost me $820 to buy them all at once, but $1000 to buy 200 stamps every year for 10 years; assuming they go up 2 cents each year. An average savings of 18 bucks a year is not enough to make me buy $820 worth of stamps in May. But people might not see this long run prognosis. Is the postal service doing this to make some quick money and hope that people will buy more stamps than usual? Are they hoping for a quick profit? We'll never know. But it is something to think about. I wouldn't put it past them. But those are the statistics if you are interested.
At first I thought this was pretty cool. I said to myself that I would just go out and buy hundreds of Forever Stamps that way I can save money when the next raise comes. But how much would I really save? Let's say the average house uses 200 stamps a year. If, when the stamps rise to 41 cents, I wanted to buy 200 stamps for every year for five years, it would cost me $410. A lot of money to spend at once. What if, instead, I don't buy them at once and stamps rise 2 cents every year for 5 years. How much would I spend over 5 years on stamps? $450. But buying 1000 stamps all at once, I would only save myself 40 bucks over 5 years. Not really enough of a savings to justify spending $410 all at once on stamps.
How about over ten years? It would cost me $820 to buy them all at once, but $1000 to buy 200 stamps every year for 10 years; assuming they go up 2 cents each year. An average savings of 18 bucks a year is not enough to make me buy $820 worth of stamps in May. But people might not see this long run prognosis. Is the postal service doing this to make some quick money and hope that people will buy more stamps than usual? Are they hoping for a quick profit? We'll never know. But it is something to think about. I wouldn't put it past them. But those are the statistics if you are interested.
Sunday, February 25, 2007
Saturday, February 24, 2007
Fat Free Friday #3
Yeah, it's Saturday, but I got too busy to post yesterday. I lost another half pound this week. Yeah, it wasn't a large number, but I had a bad weekend and I never got a chance to go to the gym all week. So despite that, I think I did fairly well. The rest of the week after the weekend, I cracked down on what I ate. So yes, I have only lost 1 pound in three weeks, but I always try to look on the positive side. I am one pound lighter and that is always better than one pound heavier. Baby steps.
Thursday, February 22, 2007
Tattoo Stories
I got my first tattoo about a year after I graduated high school – it was probably 1997 and I was 19 years old. The story behind it? I wanted a tattoo, but I wanted something original. I didn’t want a butterfly or a flower or any other stereotypical girly-type tattoo (no offense meant toward anyone who has a tattoo like that – it’s just not me.) I was at the tattoo place one night, flipping through the thousands of suggestions they have and I saw it - completely original and completely me - eggs and bacon in a happy face. I love to smile and be happy, I love food – it was a perfect combination of the two, and I probably safe to assume nobody else had it. So I had it done on the outside of my right ankle, and there it still sits. Sometimes it even surprises me when I see it because I forget it’s there, but it makes me smile each time I see it.I have the urge to get another one, this time on the top of my left foot. I don’t want anything that takes up the entire top of my foot; probably no more than 2 inches square, right above my pinkie toe area. This time my dilemma is different though. I have 3 ideas but cannot decide which one to get. This is where you guys come in – please help me decide which should be my next tattoo.
Choice #1 – Chinese/Japanese symbol for “laughter”Pros: I like this because laughter is very important to me. I like to do it and try to do it often. I really believe it is good for your health.
Cons: It seems lots of people are doing Chinese/Japanese symbols lately. I don’t want to do it because it’s a “fad” or it’s “popular.” Also, with it being on my foot, do I orient it so that I see it the correct way, or so that someone looking at me sees it the right way?
Choice #2 – Zodiac sign (Pisces)
Pros: I like this because not only do I think the symbol looks cool, but it’s what I am – a Pisces. My sign will never change. Plus, it's the same either way you turn it.
Cons: It seems lots of people have these as tattoos.
Choice #3 – Dog paw printPros: I am very much a dog person. I have loved each dog I have owned with all of my heart. I don’t see this changing – I plan to always own a dog and to always love it.
Cons: We have a friend who has this exact tattoo on her foot – it’s how I got the idea. We don’t see her often, so it’s unlikely she would see it and know that I stole it from her.
There are my options. Please let me know what you think. Thank you in advance for your input - let the voting commence!
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Joy
Any day where Manchester United wins.....
...and Arsenal loses is a good day!!!Tomorrow, Civil War #7, the conclusion to the series hits the newsstands. There is a good chance I will be at my local comic store the minute it opens tomorrow. I can't wait!
Monday, February 19, 2007
Best Picture Reviews
Ok, we just got done seeing the last of all the the Best Picture nominees, so here are our reviews. I'll (Manuel) go first, ranking them from my favorite to my least favorite. I will try to keep spoilers to the absolute minimum in case you plan on seeing some of these films.
#1 - The Departed - This was the only movie that I saw prior to the nominations coming out and I loved it. After seeing all the movies, this is my favorite. I had a really hard time deciding between this movie and the next movie, but this one came out on top because I enjoyed it more. It really is our kind of movie. Great acting, great story, lots of drama, and a good amount of comedic moments thrown in. It was a gangster/mafia/crime drama at its finest. Every actor did an exceptional job and it keeps you on the edge of your seat from start to finish.
#2 - Letters From Iwo Jima - I had a hard time deciding if this would be my #1 movie or not. Truth be told, this was an even better movie than The Departed. This movie is outstanding. But, I enjoyed The Departed a little more. There is really nothing about this movie that is bad except for the fact that it is not uplifting in the least. This movie deserves the award more than The Departed. It is spectacular. I just don't think I could watch it over and over. If it wins, I won't be disappointed at all.
#3 - Little Miss Sunshine - This movie is a riot. I don't enjoy comedies this much that often. The family all does a spectacular acting job and it has some really great feel good moments. I wouldn't really consider this an Oscar type movie, but sometimes comedies get their due and get nominated - like The Full Monty or Sideways. Does this deserve to win over The Departed or Iwo Jima? No. But if it ended up winning, I wouldn't be disappointed.
#4 - Babel - This movie was decent. It had a good story and some of the acting was extraordinary. However, I felt that some parts could be cut out and were unnecessary to the story. It wasn't bad by any means. I just don't think I got as emotionally attached as I was supposed to. It is worth at least one viewing. I appreciate the hard work that had to go into making a movie of this caliber, but despite all of that, I didn't think a lot of it was extraordinary. Regardless of my feelings, this is the movie that I think is going to end up winning. It's an Oscar type movie, just not for me.
#5 - The Queen - This is ranked last, but I actually liked this movie. In fact, I saw it with three females and liked it the best out of all of us. I thought Helen Mirren did an excellent job, the story was very intriguing, and I was never bored. But it was just a movie. I don't think it was Oscar caliber. I would still recommend this movie to people as a decent little flick, but if it wins, it would be a travesty.
Now for Jessica's comments:
#1 - The Departed - This was our kind of movie - action, plot twists and turns, suspense, foul language, comedic relief. It was a great story with great acting. In fact, we own it, so that says something.
#2 - Little Miss Sunshine - The definition of a dysfunctional family - and I loved every second of it! The story was good, the acting was good, I laughed very hard in some parts, I cared about the characters. It was a feel good movie. Not a typical Oscar Best Picture nomination, but enjoyable nonetheless.
#3 - Letters From Iwo Jima - Of all of the nominees, this is the best movie. Why is it #3 then? I can recognize a well made film but like lesser films better, if that makes sense. The story was good but it was very depressing. Very good, but very emotionally taxing.
#4 - Babel - I can appreciate the undertaking it must have taken to make this movie. I liked the story of the housekeeper and the children the best. I agree there was one storyline that was completely unnecessary. I'm just a little tired of seeing the bad things people do to each other. It was good, but too similar to Crash, which won Best Picture last year.
#5 - The Queen - I liked this movie, it was entertaining, but it gets 5th place because I just didn't care. When Princess Diana died, I didn't care much about it then, and I still don't care now. I thought it was interesting, but who knows how much of it was true?
I think Babel will win, but I would be pleasantly surprised if The Departed or Little Miss Sunshine won. I would not be disappointed if Letters From Iwo Jima won, because it is an extremely well made film. I would be disappointed if The Queen won. We'll see what happens on the 25th!
#1 - The Departed - This was the only movie that I saw prior to the nominations coming out and I loved it. After seeing all the movies, this is my favorite. I had a really hard time deciding between this movie and the next movie, but this one came out on top because I enjoyed it more. It really is our kind of movie. Great acting, great story, lots of drama, and a good amount of comedic moments thrown in. It was a gangster/mafia/crime drama at its finest. Every actor did an exceptional job and it keeps you on the edge of your seat from start to finish.
#2 - Letters From Iwo Jima - I had a hard time deciding if this would be my #1 movie or not. Truth be told, this was an even better movie than The Departed. This movie is outstanding. But, I enjoyed The Departed a little more. There is really nothing about this movie that is bad except for the fact that it is not uplifting in the least. This movie deserves the award more than The Departed. It is spectacular. I just don't think I could watch it over and over. If it wins, I won't be disappointed at all.
#3 - Little Miss Sunshine - This movie is a riot. I don't enjoy comedies this much that often. The family all does a spectacular acting job and it has some really great feel good moments. I wouldn't really consider this an Oscar type movie, but sometimes comedies get their due and get nominated - like The Full Monty or Sideways. Does this deserve to win over The Departed or Iwo Jima? No. But if it ended up winning, I wouldn't be disappointed.
#4 - Babel - This movie was decent. It had a good story and some of the acting was extraordinary. However, I felt that some parts could be cut out and were unnecessary to the story. It wasn't bad by any means. I just don't think I got as emotionally attached as I was supposed to. It is worth at least one viewing. I appreciate the hard work that had to go into making a movie of this caliber, but despite all of that, I didn't think a lot of it was extraordinary. Regardless of my feelings, this is the movie that I think is going to end up winning. It's an Oscar type movie, just not for me.
#5 - The Queen - This is ranked last, but I actually liked this movie. In fact, I saw it with three females and liked it the best out of all of us. I thought Helen Mirren did an excellent job, the story was very intriguing, and I was never bored. But it was just a movie. I don't think it was Oscar caliber. I would still recommend this movie to people as a decent little flick, but if it wins, it would be a travesty.
Now for Jessica's comments:
#1 - The Departed - This was our kind of movie - action, plot twists and turns, suspense, foul language, comedic relief. It was a great story with great acting. In fact, we own it, so that says something.
#2 - Little Miss Sunshine - The definition of a dysfunctional family - and I loved every second of it! The story was good, the acting was good, I laughed very hard in some parts, I cared about the characters. It was a feel good movie. Not a typical Oscar Best Picture nomination, but enjoyable nonetheless.
#3 - Letters From Iwo Jima - Of all of the nominees, this is the best movie. Why is it #3 then? I can recognize a well made film but like lesser films better, if that makes sense. The story was good but it was very depressing. Very good, but very emotionally taxing.
#4 - Babel - I can appreciate the undertaking it must have taken to make this movie. I liked the story of the housekeeper and the children the best. I agree there was one storyline that was completely unnecessary. I'm just a little tired of seeing the bad things people do to each other. It was good, but too similar to Crash, which won Best Picture last year.
#5 - The Queen - I liked this movie, it was entertaining, but it gets 5th place because I just didn't care. When Princess Diana died, I didn't care much about it then, and I still don't care now. I thought it was interesting, but who knows how much of it was true?
I think Babel will win, but I would be pleasantly surprised if The Departed or Little Miss Sunshine won. I would not be disappointed if Letters From Iwo Jima won, because it is an extremely well made film. I would be disappointed if The Queen won. We'll see what happens on the 25th!
Death of a Legend
It has been a few days now, but we lost a very important person last week. Last week, Robert Adler passed away at the age of 93. Who is Robert Adler? What did he do? Well, he made things easy for almost all of us. You could also say though that he has contributed to a few extra pounds on each of us.
Rest in peace Robert Adler - inventor of the TV remote control. What would I have done without you.
Have a good week everybody.
Rest in peace Robert Adler - inventor of the TV remote control. What would I have done without you.
Have a good week everybody.
Friday, February 16, 2007
FUCK!!!!!!!!!
This is just an update to my Babel story from Wednesday. We were pissed because we had to pay the high prices for it because it was gone from theaters as of yesterday. We had to see it before the Oscars on the 25th! So we saw it. Our review will come later. But guess what, I just realized that it comes out on DVD Tuesday. We could have just rented it! FUCK!!!!!
Weight loss post below.....
Weight loss post below.....
Fat Free Friday #2
Oh, it was not a good week. In my weekly battle with blubber, the fat won out this week. I'm pissed, but this is why I started this weight thing on the blog, so I can own up to it after the fact. I gained a pound and a half this week bringing my weight loss total after two weeks to only half a pound. What went wrong? It's fairly simple. I am not going to make excuses, I will just show you the facts:
Friday night: We went to a concert so that means we went out to dinner first and I had a big hamburger.
Saturday night : Once a month, Jessica's family has a gathering of around 15 people for a big dinner. Steak, mashed potatoes and rolls. Uh oh.
Sunday night: Can't remember
Monday night: Jess decided to try a new recipe - Chicken and rice casserole. Had tons of cheese and wasn't the healthiest thing on the menu. VERY yummy. Very fattening.
Tuesday night: Jess and I were shopping all evening. Of course that means eating out because we get hungry. Burrito at Chipotle.
Wednesday night: Valentine's dinner. Taquitos and chicken nuggets. Don't ask. It's a long story.
Last night: I made tacos. I only had a couple though as I knew the rest of the week was bad. I could have eaten more, and I did go to bed a little hungry, but I figured I had screwed up enough.
Plus, there were tons of leftovers of that caserrole that I finished for lunch over the week. Well, obviously, we see what that all adds up to. I did make it to the gym three times this week, but it didn't really matter when you eat that much. I mean, what are you going to do? I'm not going to eat something I barely like when I go out to eat just because it is better for me. I can't jusify spending money on something I won't enjoy at a restaurant just to save some calories. I just have to suffer the consequences. Oh well. Technically, I am still down in weight so I guess I can look on the bright(okay, slightly illuminated) side of things.
I am scared though because I think this week will be just as hard. Tonight, we are making home made pizza at Jessica's Dad and stepmom's house. Then, Jessica's mom and stepdad are coming for the weekend which I KNOW will include lots of unhealthy food. It always does with them. Okay, so I can be REALLY good Sunday night through Thursday afternoon. Why not Thursday night, right before my weigh in the next morning? Well, it's Jessica's birthday on Thursday. Who knows what the calorie monsters will bring then. Maybe if I can break even this next week, it won't be a total loss. Wish me luck.
Totals: 2 weeks down, 1/2 pound loss
Friday night: We went to a concert so that means we went out to dinner first and I had a big hamburger.
Saturday night : Once a month, Jessica's family has a gathering of around 15 people for a big dinner. Steak, mashed potatoes and rolls. Uh oh.
Sunday night: Can't remember
Monday night: Jess decided to try a new recipe - Chicken and rice casserole. Had tons of cheese and wasn't the healthiest thing on the menu. VERY yummy. Very fattening.
Tuesday night: Jess and I were shopping all evening. Of course that means eating out because we get hungry. Burrito at Chipotle.
Wednesday night: Valentine's dinner. Taquitos and chicken nuggets. Don't ask. It's a long story.
Last night: I made tacos. I only had a couple though as I knew the rest of the week was bad. I could have eaten more, and I did go to bed a little hungry, but I figured I had screwed up enough.
Plus, there were tons of leftovers of that caserrole that I finished for lunch over the week. Well, obviously, we see what that all adds up to. I did make it to the gym three times this week, but it didn't really matter when you eat that much. I mean, what are you going to do? I'm not going to eat something I barely like when I go out to eat just because it is better for me. I can't jusify spending money on something I won't enjoy at a restaurant just to save some calories. I just have to suffer the consequences. Oh well. Technically, I am still down in weight so I guess I can look on the bright(okay, slightly illuminated) side of things.
I am scared though because I think this week will be just as hard. Tonight, we are making home made pizza at Jessica's Dad and stepmom's house. Then, Jessica's mom and stepdad are coming for the weekend which I KNOW will include lots of unhealthy food. It always does with them. Okay, so I can be REALLY good Sunday night through Thursday afternoon. Why not Thursday night, right before my weigh in the next morning? Well, it's Jessica's birthday on Thursday. Who knows what the calorie monsters will bring then. Maybe if I can break even this next week, it won't be a total loss. Wish me luck.
Totals: 2 weeks down, 1/2 pound loss
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
Makes no sense!!!
Today I decided to go on Fandango to see what times Babel would playing on Monday. Being a holiday, Jess and I, along with her stepmom(who also sees every Best Picture nominee with us) were going to see it during the day. Much to my chagrin, I found out that tomorrow is the last day it will be in theaters. WHAT?!?! How can they take a movie out of theaters, a movie that is the favorite to win Best Picture, a week before Oscars? Don't they think people will want to see it the week before. Now granted, it is not being take out of every theater.....just every theater withing 100 miles of Sacramento! What the hell? So, unexpectedly, we have to go see Babel tonight at 8:00 PM. I mean, I want to see it, but when you suddenly HAVE to see it at this one time, it makes it a little less convenient. It better be good! I hate going to the movie at night. I don't like to pay the non-matinee prices and we avoid it usually at all cost. Oh well, at least we have a plan now for when we will see each movie. Friday night, we are going to her dad and stepmom's to make pizzas and then watch Little Miss Sunshine. Monday during the day, we will see Letters From Iwo Jima. Expect a review of each movie by Monday night.
Happy Valentine's Day to you all!!!
OHHHHHH...in other news. I forgot to mention last post but this blog has now hit the 400 post mark with that last post! Thanks to Rich and Jess for helping me reach this number!
Happy Valentine's Day to you all!!!
OHHHHHH...in other news. I forgot to mention last post but this blog has now hit the 400 post mark with that last post! Thanks to Rich and Jess for helping me reach this number!
Monday, February 12, 2007
The tax man cometh....
...and I taketh away! I tell ya, is there anything more nerve wracking than doing taxes? We had the tax guy come this evening and even though we were pretty sure we would get money back because I didn't make much $$ in Real Estate last year and we pay so much interest on our house still, it still makes us nervous. No worries though as we did quite well this year. I am not going to say how much we are getting back, but it could probably be enough to buy a KIA with cash. Not that we want a KIA; just trying to give you a point of reference. We won't go crazy with our return, but we will probably make one sizable purchase - a new mattress. Yes, we will finally ditch our mattress that is no joke, over 30 years old. We bought it at an estate sale when we first moved in together and couldn't afford much. Hell, we got a whole bedroom set AND two sofas for around $150. It's been comfortable for the most part, but it is now starting to give us pain every morning. It' pretty much a necessary thing. So hopefully, soon, we will be getting the new matress we have been waiting for.
Friday, February 09, 2007
Fat Free Friday #1
So, how did you all do? I know many of you said you were in for the challenge, so here we go with week one. I was a little worried at the beginning of the week because, well, I pigged out at the Super Bowl party. Who doesn't pig out at a Super Bowl party?!?!?! Regardless, this week I worked my ass off at the gym, ate a little less than usual(kind of), and stepped on the scale this morning.
Drum roll.....
After one week, I am down 2 pounds! One pound ahead of my goal! Woohoo! Now let's keep it up next week. How about you guys?
Tonight Jess and I get to go see the Blue Man Group. We LOVE them. If you have never seen them before, they are an amazing act. This will be the third time we have seen them after seeing them off Broadway in New York and when they cam for a tour here a few years ago. They put on an amazing show and we can't wait for tonight! Have a good weekend everyone.
Drum roll.....
After one week, I am down 2 pounds! One pound ahead of my goal! Woohoo! Now let's keep it up next week. How about you guys?
Tonight Jess and I get to go see the Blue Man Group. We LOVE them. If you have never seen them before, they are an amazing act. This will be the third time we have seen them after seeing them off Broadway in New York and when they cam for a tour here a few years ago. They put on an amazing show and we can't wait for tonight! Have a good weekend everyone.
Wednesday, February 07, 2007
Wednesday night is alright for fighting
Sorry for no post yesterday. I had gone over a week without missing a post, but yesterday, I both had nothing to talk about and was busy. We saw The Queen last night, one of the nominees, but I will save our review for the end when we have seen all of them.
Wednesday is fast becoming my favorite night of the week. Why? It's clan night!!! Now, before you think I have gone psycho, let me explain. As you know, I play my PS3 online in a game called Resistance: Fall of Man. Basically, you kill everyone around you. Here is a view of what I see in the game(This isn't me, just some random video I found on YouTube. It's a little blurry and more hectic than most games, but you will get the idea):
It's a fun game, but there are a lot of annoying kids who do nothing but swear and talk trash the whole game. It's just random, "You're so gay,", "You suck," etc, on the headset. Wanting to play with a more mature group, I joined a group, or clan, to play with people who are just there to have fun. Many of my "teammates" are very good, but don't have that stupid cockiness. Anyways, my clan, OTD or Older Than Dirt, meet on Wednesday nights to play together. It's fun because we can create rooms where we just play against ourselves and don't have to worry about annoying kids. In fact, I am tied for the youngest in the group along with another girl. After we have played a while, we compete against other groups just for fun. I don't know how long they play every Wednesday because I usually only play an hour or close to two before I have to eat dinner. But it's fun and it is nice to play with a group of people who share the same outlook on gaming. Here is the banner for the message board we have.
Yes, nerdy, but you know I couldn't care less....
Wednesday is fast becoming my favorite night of the week. Why? It's clan night!!! Now, before you think I have gone psycho, let me explain. As you know, I play my PS3 online in a game called Resistance: Fall of Man. Basically, you kill everyone around you. Here is a view of what I see in the game(This isn't me, just some random video I found on YouTube. It's a little blurry and more hectic than most games, but you will get the idea):
It's a fun game, but there are a lot of annoying kids who do nothing but swear and talk trash the whole game. It's just random, "You're so gay,", "You suck," etc, on the headset. Wanting to play with a more mature group, I joined a group, or clan, to play with people who are just there to have fun. Many of my "teammates" are very good, but don't have that stupid cockiness. Anyways, my clan, OTD or Older Than Dirt, meet on Wednesday nights to play together. It's fun because we can create rooms where we just play against ourselves and don't have to worry about annoying kids. In fact, I am tied for the youngest in the group along with another girl. After we have played a while, we compete against other groups just for fun. I don't know how long they play every Wednesday because I usually only play an hour or close to two before I have to eat dinner. But it's fun and it is nice to play with a group of people who share the same outlook on gaming. Here is the banner for the message board we have.
Yes, nerdy, but you know I couldn't care less....
Monday, February 05, 2007
More useless laws
I read this weekend about a new law that is being proposed into state legislation this week here in California. As you might recall, a few weeks ago, I wrote about California considering putting a ban on spanking. Now, a law is being proposed that would require all high school seniors who are 18 at the time of graduation to be forced to register to vote in order to get to graduate. I think this is ludicrous. Do I think more people should vote? Of course. However, I think that making them register is just a waste of time. There are tons of people who are registered who don't vote. I don't think it will cause some dramatic rise in the number of people who will be voting. Voting is a very important right and I think everyone who qualifies should do it. I just don't think this is the way to accomplish it.
Sunday, February 04, 2007
Drunk friends are crazy
Just got back from a great Super Bowl party with my friends. As with pretty much any time you get my friends together, there was a good amount of drinking. I don't really drink much, but I am still able to enjoy myself because they are all fun when they drink. After a few or more beers, the crazy gamblibg began. Did we bet on the game? A little. However, it got really crazy when we started doing one dollar bets with each other. Here is a small sample of what my friends and I were betting each other on:
-rocks, paper, scissors
-odd or even dice roll
-high card out of a deck
-will the next card out of a deck be red or black
-if we drop a card from really high, what side will it land on
You get the point. But truthfully, when a bunch of drunk guys get really excited and scream when a playing card lands face up, how can you not have fun?!?!?
By the way, I ended up even for the night. Not bad. No wait, I did end up ahead for the night. Up 37 cents to be exact when I made a bet for a friend's last 37 cents. So overall, a profitable night! Have a good week everyone.
-rocks, paper, scissors
-odd or even dice roll
-high card out of a deck
-will the next card out of a deck be red or black
-if we drop a card from really high, what side will it land on
You get the point. But truthfully, when a bunch of drunk guys get really excited and scream when a playing card lands face up, how can you not have fun?!?!?
By the way, I ended up even for the night. Not bad. No wait, I did end up ahead for the night. Up 37 cents to be exact when I made a bet for a friend's last 37 cents. So overall, a profitable night! Have a good week everyone.
Saturday, February 03, 2007
The Walking Dead
Recently, I started reading a series of comics called The Walking Dead. The series, done in black and white except for the covers, is brilliant. To an outsider, it looks like a basic zombie story: something happens to turn most of the population into zombies and the rest of the people have to struggle to survive. I started reading it because I love zombies. However, as I got farther and farther into each comic, I realized just how good the story really is. Yes, there are zombies in the story, but the core of the story is the human interactions between all the suvivors. The zombie infestation is solely the backstory. The main story is how a small group of suvivors band together to not only fight zombies, but create a new society. The results are not always pleasant. Not only is this easily one of the best comic series I have ever read, this is one of the best stories I have read/seen/heard. Ever. So far there have been 34 issues released and I could not stop reading them. Comic after comic had to be finished. Not that I am caught up, it is absolute torture waiting for the next issue to come out. Think of your favorite show ending with a cliffhanger every episode and then having to wait for a month for the next show every time. This series comes highly recommended. You can get collections of the comic in trade paperbacks, collecting 6 issues at a time. Also, the first 24 issues were recently released in a nice hardcover edition. Maybe you can even check it out from your local library. I couldn't recommend this series any more highly.
Today when I was at the gym, there was a couple in front of me using the bicycles. Normal, except for the fact that they were pedaling slowly..........and drinking there huge cups of Starbucks coffee. Nice...
Friday, February 02, 2007
Fat Free Friday #0
Did you all weigh yourselves this morning? Today is the official start of the Fat Free Friday challenge. I couldn't really call it #1 because it isn't the end of the first week. I went with #0 because that is what they do in comics sometimes. A series starts with #1, but if they have a backstory to tell so that you understand everything else, they sometimes call that issue #0. A little comic lesson for you all. You are all that much nerdier now!
So, if you didn't do it already, remember to weigh yourself today. We have a good number of people participating which is wonderful. Good luck to everyone!
Thursday, February 01, 2007
How many of you?
Sonja talked about this on her website a while back and Kelly also brought it to my attention somewhat recently. This website shows how many other people in the country have the same name as you. It also lists how popular your first and last names compared with all other names.
Here is some info on my first name:
There are 271,472 people in the U.S. with the first name Manuel.
Statistically the 231st most popular first name. (tied with 2 other first names)
More than 99.9 percent of people with the first name Manuel are male.
Names similar to Manuel:
Emanuel
And my last name:
There are 20,998 people in the U.S. with the last name Valle.
Statistically the 1664th most popular last name. (tied with 279 other last names)
And when you combine my two names(with link just for you):
Pretty fun huh? Give it a try and let me know!
Did you know: The large majority of the time, I respond to your comments. Be sure to go back after you comment to see what I wrote back to you....
Here is some info on my first name:
There are 271,472 people in the U.S. with the first name Manuel.
Statistically the 231st most popular first name. (tied with 2 other first names)
More than 99.9 percent of people with the first name Manuel are male.
Names similar to Manuel:
Emanuel
And my last name:
There are 20,998 people in the U.S. with the last name Valle.
Statistically the 1664th most popular last name. (tied with 279 other last names)
And when you combine my two names(with link just for you):
Pretty fun huh? Give it a try and let me know!
Did you know: The large majority of the time, I respond to your comments. Be sure to go back after you comment to see what I wrote back to you....
Entertainment
It comes in many forms. More than likely it is of the audio/visual variety.
ENTERTAINMENT!
As usual I have to relate it to myself in order to attempt to relate it to other folks. Finding ways to entertain my self has led to many things in my life. And I was intending to list them all and show the many ways I entertain myself. I have been sidetracked though and find a deeper meaning through all this jumble in my head. A reason as to why I watch TV or go to the movies. A motivation for my late night trips to a basketball court or a visit to the world wide web. A purpose behind checking for my latest friend approval on MySpace.com or seeing if I got an email from someone real and not just an advertiser.
I don't want to think about it.
The "IT" has changed over the years, but my methods of getting away from it haven't. I just never considered the way I handled it to be that big of a deal. I assumed that other ways to mask memories were more severely harmful to myself and others around me. I believe at the moment I am wrong. While drugs, alcohol, and sex are the more widely spread versions of what I am talking about, it appears that I just invented my own way to accomplish the same thing. In the process I made myself feel better about what I did cause it wasn't as bad as those other vices. I have entertained my life away. I am full of useless knowledge and I can apply at any given moment. I.....................oh blah blah blah. I can feel myself slipping into a melodramatic event already. Ya know after a full energy drinks, too much sugar and an entire night spent entertaining myself thanks to the magic of a DVR I am just not going to bore the rest of you. There is no real poignant moment here. I just finally get it now and sometimes it helps to clarify. I find clarity through an empty house and a TV. And a blank computer screen that needs filling. Perhaps this is a chance to have a positive spin on what was always a negative for me. All that time spent entertaining myself was not a waste of time if it becomes useful. If I can apply it somehow in my everyday life and make it valuable. Then that would be turning a frown upside down.
Point being we all hide in a way. We all find a way to deal or cope or move on. Guess it's time to find a new hobby. Perhaps base jumping.
OH yeah! Almost forgot. Cassie, you already know where I live. You didn't need to have me give your brother my address. You will feel better once you stop hiding and live honestly and openly with everyone. I know a while back I told you about the Pride Fighting company cause of your being a UFC fan. Well two of it's well-known products will be on display Saturday Night. I am going to make you a promise. Quinton "Rampage" Jackson and Mirko "Cro Cop" are going to knockout the two men they are facing this weekend. Guaranteed. Rabble Rock!
ENTERTAINMENT!
As usual I have to relate it to myself in order to attempt to relate it to other folks. Finding ways to entertain my self has led to many things in my life. And I was intending to list them all and show the many ways I entertain myself. I have been sidetracked though and find a deeper meaning through all this jumble in my head. A reason as to why I watch TV or go to the movies. A motivation for my late night trips to a basketball court or a visit to the world wide web. A purpose behind checking for my latest friend approval on MySpace.com or seeing if I got an email from someone real and not just an advertiser.
I don't want to think about it.
The "IT" has changed over the years, but my methods of getting away from it haven't. I just never considered the way I handled it to be that big of a deal. I assumed that other ways to mask memories were more severely harmful to myself and others around me. I believe at the moment I am wrong. While drugs, alcohol, and sex are the more widely spread versions of what I am talking about, it appears that I just invented my own way to accomplish the same thing. In the process I made myself feel better about what I did cause it wasn't as bad as those other vices. I have entertained my life away. I am full of useless knowledge and I can apply at any given moment. I.....................oh blah blah blah. I can feel myself slipping into a melodramatic event already. Ya know after a full energy drinks, too much sugar and an entire night spent entertaining myself thanks to the magic of a DVR I am just not going to bore the rest of you. There is no real poignant moment here. I just finally get it now and sometimes it helps to clarify. I find clarity through an empty house and a TV. And a blank computer screen that needs filling. Perhaps this is a chance to have a positive spin on what was always a negative for me. All that time spent entertaining myself was not a waste of time if it becomes useful. If I can apply it somehow in my everyday life and make it valuable. Then that would be turning a frown upside down.
Point being we all hide in a way. We all find a way to deal or cope or move on. Guess it's time to find a new hobby. Perhaps base jumping.
OH yeah! Almost forgot. Cassie, you already know where I live. You didn't need to have me give your brother my address. You will feel better once you stop hiding and live honestly and openly with everyone. I know a while back I told you about the Pride Fighting company cause of your being a UFC fan. Well two of it's well-known products will be on display Saturday Night. I am going to make you a promise. Quinton "Rampage" Jackson and Mirko "Cro Cop" are going to knockout the two men they are facing this weekend. Guaranteed. Rabble Rock!
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