Aliens and Americans

Four movies to review today, but the first two really differ from the second two as far as cinematic integrity goes.  We have two really average movies followed by two movies that are outstanding works of art so it makes this review quite interesting.  Enjoy!

Movie Review #7 - Alien: Resurrection
The fourth and final movie in the Alien Quadrilogy is not great by any means, but it really isn't a bad movie either.  But after two outstanding movies and one pretty decent third film, the fourth film in the series is a giant letdown and probably shouldn't have been made.  I would say, "Why did this even get made," but we all know the answer is money.  I'm going to be talking about some spoilers from the third and fourth film so if you haven't seen these films and still plan to, you should probably skip to the last paragraph of this movie. 

For people who have seen the third film, we know that Ripley died at the end and yet, she is in the fourth.  How?  Well, Ripley in the fourth film is simply a clone.  And you know what, that sucks.  Ripley is probably my favorite female character in all of film and you can't just kill off a character, bring her back in another form, and expect me to like the character just as much.  And if that wasn't enough, the Ripley clone doesn't even act like the original Ripley.  If they had tried to make the character act exactly the same as the old one, perhaps I would have grown to like this character a little more, but being that she even has a completely different personality, I felt zero connection to her.  It might as well have been an entirely different actress.  So, the main reason for liking the first three films is not even a part of the fourth film despite the actress still being in the film. 

And secondly, the last 15 minutes of the film are just disastrous.  It gets REALLY weird, and downright silly with some convoluted plot about a half alien/half human spawn that thinks of the clone Ripley as some kind of mother figure, blah, blah, blah... it sucks.  When I rewatched this film the other day, I had actually forgotten that the film has some good parts because the ending is what stuck in my head above all else and it just ruined it for me.

But like I said, this film DOES have some redeeming qualities that do make it watchable and at least worth one viewing for fans of the first three films should they desire to give this a shot.  It has some great action scenes that are really well done.  It also has some really cool new characters led by Ron Perlman who is always a baddass.  Warrick from CSI (well, before he got kicked off for being a druggie), also has a pretty cool role.  So maybe give it a try.  It isn't SyFy channel bad, but it doesn't live up to its predecessors.  Two and half cheeseburgers out of five. 

Movie Review #8 - Alien v Predator
Two of my favorite movie monsters in one movie going against each other?  Yes, please.  Ever since the end of Predator 2 when when saw an Alien skeleton, people have asked for a movie combining these two characters, me included.  But it took years to get this off the ground and finally made.  So what is worth wait?  Um, pretty much. 

The film, truthfully, is pretty darn goofy and is just one step above a cheap SyFy movie.  I honestly believe my devotion to these two characters kind of clouds my judgement of this film because deep down, it is really nothing spectacular.  There is some really bad acting, corny lines, ridiculous storyline, and the fact that they made the absolutely horrendous decision to make this film PG-13 instead of R all contribute to it being nothing but silly.  But I got out of the movie what I truly wanted: I get to see Aliens and Predators kicking the crap out of each other.  And when they do that, it is really awesome.  I couldn't give two shits about any of the human characters in this film, but seeing this dream match up is exactly how I wanted it to appear on film.  But truthfully, if you aren't as devoted to the Alien and Predator characters as I am, it probably is best to stay away from this film.  Two out of five cheeseburgers

Oh, and I know that there is another Alien v. Predator film after this one, but I tried to watch it once and only lasted about 45 minutes before I had to turn it off.  So yeah, I don't own that one.

Movie Review #9 - American Beauty
American Beauty is easily one of my favorite films of all time.  I don't think it would crack the Top 10, something very hard to do, but I could see it being in my Top 20.  From the amazing script to the amazing acting, I never get tired of watching this film and feel it has a little something that anyone watching it could relate to.  It definitely deserved the Best Picture Academy Award it won. 

The thing that touches me about this film is that it could happen to anybody.  Hell, anyone you know could be going through the same kinds of things that are going on in this film and it really gives you a lot to think about.  And it really makes you step back and realize that you have to enjoy your life as much as you can.  You never know when things are going to take a turn for the worst so just enjoy what you can for as long as you are here.  Sure, there are many other themes throughout the film, but this is what I take most from it and the thing that affects me the most.  I honestly feel like this movie deserves more of a write up, but honestly, the film renders me speechless.  As it is, it took me a half hour just to write these two paragraphs.  In short, I think it's a perfect movie. 

Movie tidbit - all the overhead views of the neighborhood were filmed here in town!

Five out of five cheeseburgers

Movie Review #10 - American History X
While also a perfect film, in my opinion, I definitely have a lot more to say about this film than the last review.  I'd have a hard time coming up with another film that was more powerful than this.  In fact, one of my lasting memories of this film was when I saw it in the theater.  You know how after a movie, whether good or bad, you hear everyone talking about it on the way out to their cars?  Well, after this movie, it was DEAD silent.  I am sure everyone, including me, was just taking it all in and trying to comprehend the emotional wreck that concluded the film. 

I think the use of black of white for all the scenes in the past was an excellent decision.  It was not only aesthetically pleasing, but a good way to distinguish between the two different parts of Derek's life.  His white supremacist life was a part of his old life and putting it in black and white was a great choice.  And speaking of Derek, Norton is friggin' amazing in this film and truly deserved the Best Actor nomination he got.  He's a great actor, but I am not sure I have ever seen him better than he was in this film.  He is downright scary when he is in his old life and the compassion he shows in his new life it truly believable. 

The movie really makes you think about race and race relations in a way that very few films can.  I think the movies that touch on this subject do their best job when they are making you feel uncomfortable.  If it is making you feel uncomfortable, it is because it is striking a nerve and this a movie that definitely does that.  Why does it do that?  Because we KNOW that things like this go on in every day life.  There IS hate like this that still exists and the movie does not hold back.  And it doesn't blame one side or the other.  It shows everyone is to blame, but that change is always possible.  Of course, you have to do it before it is too late.  This movie is not easy to watch and many people can't see it more than one time.  It's a great film, but not something you just pop in to the DVD player because you feel like watching a good movie again.  It's emotionally draining, but a film that should be seen by all.  Five out of five cheeseburgers

Movie Reviews: Sigourney Weaver Edition

Three more movies are under my belt in my movie viewing project.  The last couple of days, I have tackled Alien, Aliens, and Alien 3.  There are definitely worse movies to have to sit down and see. 

Movie #4 - Alien
What more needs to be said about this sci-fi horror classic that hasn't been said before?  I am a HUGE fan of the Alien franchise, especially the first two films.  As this movie came out when I was only a year old, I wish I could pinpoint when I first saw this movie, but I know it had to have been at an early age.  Despite this, I don't remember ever being afraid while watching this film.  I can totally see why it does creep some people out, but I was never affected by it.  Instead, I just sit back and enjoy the film. 

It really is a brilliant film.  It has horror qualities, but it doesn't follow the horror structure that many people might be used to.  Hell, we don't even see the actual Alien until halfway through the movie and even then, we barely see him.  What we get in the first hour is a slow build up that sets the claustrophobic tone of the film.  You feel like something dire can happen at any moment, but tease after tease almost sets you at ease before things really get out of hand.  By now, everyone knows about the chest burster scene, but can you imagine seeing that for the first time and not knowing what would happen?  I would love to be able to experience that for the first time again.  Hell, not even the actors knew the full details of what would happen in that scene when they filmed it and that is why you really get some genuine looks of fear and disgust when you watch that movie.  As the scene was filmed in just one take, you really are seeing the full surprise of the actors. 

I have a hard time believing that a movie like this could be made nowadays.  Today's horror films often feel the need to show too much too fast and the slow build up would probably not be too popular.  And let's not forget that the film cast a bunch of adults in the film.  They make this movie now, the alien would be picking off teens or very young adults one by one over the course of 90 minutes.  It really is a unique and special film.  I give it 4.5 out of 5 cheeseburgers. 

Movie #5 - Aliens
It's Sci-Fi action, but I consider this one of the top 2 action films of all time.  You really have to hand it James Cameron for not messing this movie up.  Ridley Scott's Alien was such a suspenseful, slow moving (but awesome) thriller and to turn around and make the sequel an action film took some guts.  But it worked.  And it worked well. 

Now, despite me considering it one the top 2 action films of all time, there really isn't any action nor do we really even see the aliens until an hour into the film, much like the first film.  The first hour is necessary to the whole plot though, and really does a good job of making us like all of the characters.  And that is one of the main reasons why the movie is so enjoyable - the characters in this film are so fun.  And with these great characters comes great lines.  Just say one line from the movie around people and you'll instantly be flooded with many more memorable quotes.  It has to be one of the most quotable movies out there. 

And once the action starts, it is almost nonstop save for a few scenes.  And despite not being in a closed area like the first film and despite there being Marines with guns, the situation still fears just as dire as the first film.  A special nod to Sigourney Weaver for being so excellent in the role of Ripley that she was nominated for an Academy Award and to James Horner who also garnered an Academy Award nomination for his amazingly memorable score.  I can watch this movie over and over and despite Alien being a classic, I prefer this film because it combines everything I would want in a movie - action, suspense, humor, horror, and drama.  It really is a perfect movie.  5 out of 5 cheeseburgers!

Movie Review #6 - Alien 3
The Alien franchise could have ended after the first two films and I would have been happy.  Sure, I would have craved more films, but at least it could have ended on a high note and had no other films come along to tarnish the legacy of two great films.  Alien 3 doesn't necessarily tarnish the legacy, but it does start the downward spiral.

It really isn't even that bad of a film and I quite enjoy it but after two spectacular films, this was a step down.  I am sure that the main reason for this issue has to be with the developmental hell that this film went through prior to its release.  The storyline and script changed numerous times.  At one point, the film was going to be set on Earth.  At another point, the film wasn't even going to focus on Ripley but instead focus on Bishop and Hicks from Aliens and allegedly, this script is far superior to the one that was finally used.  Different directors came on and then left before David Fincher finally came aboard.  And after the film, he was at such odds with the studio, he was often not talking to them and editing went on for over a year.  This film was almost doomed from the beginning with all these issues and despite this, they were able to come up with a coherent storyline that stays fairly loyal to the story from the first two films.  The tone is much more similar to the first film than the second, but something about it has always seemed a little off to me.  It's a bit...preachy?  I don't know, when I watch the film, I do enjoy it, but if it didn't exist, I also wouldn't complain.  But it did get made and I am actually quite happy with how it ended.  It was a great ending and that last lines are absolutely perfect.  This is something they got totally right.  If only they had stopped there.  3 out of 5 cheeseburgers.

Animals, Airplanes, and Alice

I watched three movies during work yesterday to begin my movie watching project.  Don't know what I am talking about, well then check out this post.

Movie #1- Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls
I know there was just a collective groan from the audience thinking, "Really, THAT is how you start off this project?!?"  Truth be told, I was kind of thinking the same thoughts when I put the movies in alphabetical order and realized that this was going to be my first movie.  I hadn't seen this movie in YEARS and am not sure I really had any desire to.  Why do we even own this movie and why don't we own the first Ace Ventura?  Well, it is actually pretty simple.  Back when Jess and I got married in 2002, Jim Carrey was still one of the most, if not the most, popular comedians in Hollywood and we loved his movies, especially once he strayed from just slapsticky comedies and ventured into movies with a little more depth like Truman Show.  Since we were such big fans, we got the idea that it would be fun to own all his movies.  To mix it up a little on our Wedding Registry (we aren't the register for fine china type of couple), we put a ton of his movies on our wish list and we ended up getting this one for our wedding.  I am not sure that we have seen it more than once since.

So I went into this movie with low hopes as my tastes have somewhat changed since I last saw it.  It really takes a lot to make me laugh (I've been called a comedy snob) and I was afraid I would just find this movie stupid.  When the opening scene came on the screen, it mimicked the opening scene from Cliffhanger and I instantly wished I was watching that movie instead.  But by 10 minutes or so into it, I was smiling and chuckling.  I had forgotten how funny Carrey could be with his facial expressions alone.  His ability to contort his face into the most awkward of positions is funny enough on its own, but you add his silly humor to the mix and you have something you really don't see in comedies anymore as almost everything is just raunchy, R-rated humor.  Not that I mind that, but you don't really see what Carrey did back then anymore.   The plot is pretty dumb and outrageous, but he makes the movie good.  I didn't really laugh out loud...well...until this scene which I had completely forgotten about.


A couple of other random thoughts while I watched the movie:
-Mr. Eko from Lost was in this movie.  I had no recollection of this.
-Even though I really remembered nothing from this movie, I have never forgotten one main thing: Guano.  The plot of this movie revolves around guano, or bat droppings, and I have always remembered that word since then.
-Tommy Davidson has a funny role I had forgotten about, but most of you who just read that probably forgot who Tommy Davidson even is/was.  Poor guy, he was pretty big in the mid 90s.

Overall, not a bad movie, especially considering the fact that I expected this movie to be pretty horrible.  It isn't great by any means, but it reminded me just how funny I thought Carrey was back in the day.  I give it two and a half stars out of five.

Movie #2 - Air Force One
I REALLY used to like this movie.  When I first saw it in the theaters back in 1997, I found it to be one of the best action movies I had ever seen.  In fact, after seeing it, it still is a pretty damn good action film, but what I didn't seem to notice the first time I saw it is just how cheesy the movie is.  I mean, it borders on an action film parody with how cheesy it can be during some of the scenes. Harrison Ford is his usual awesome self that he is in all action movies, but without the charm of a Han Solo or Indy Jones.  The supporting cast is pretty good with a who's who of character actors.  Although, there is one particular scene where Glenn Close does some of the worst acting I have ever seen, something you wouldn't expect from her.

So if it is still a great action movie, what is so goofy about it?  It really is hard to pinpoint, but something about it just seems off.  The little jokes seem inappropriate for the dire situation.  It actual really doesn't take a nosedive until the final act.  The scenes become too overly patriotic while the special effects become downright atrocious.  When American fighter jets come to the aid and start declaring that the good guys are here, it just becomes laughable.  And by the end, when the fighter jets escort the plane that Ford escapes to and the happy score plays in the background, I half expected the clouds to turn a shade of red, white, and blue.  And let's not forget the horrible special effects in this movie.  Hell, this scene below as the plane crashes is as bad as it gets.  It looks like something from a SyFy channel movie.



Don't get me wrong, I can still enjoy this movie for what it is, a no-brainer action film, but it isn't quite the complete action epic I thought it was back in the day.  I give it three stars out of five.

Movie #3 - Alice in Wonderland
I truthfully can't remember the last time I saw this 1951 Disney classic.  In fact, when I was watching it, pretty much nothing seemed familiar to me.  So what did I think of it being a big Disney fan?  I hated it.  I mean, this movie was just weird.  Ok, ok, I know the whole Wonderland is kind of supposed to be weird, but this movie just seemed off.  The plot just seemed to be all over the place.  Granted, I haven't read the books and it is probably how the books were written, but I had trouble staying interested because of the plot line and how it almost seem to feel like they were just winging it as the movie went along.  And rather than finding the iconic characters cool, I actually found most of them to be pretty damn annoying, Alice included.  I'm actually quite disappointed.  I wanted to really like this movie, but I just couldn't get into it and by the time it was over, I was convinced I wouldn't be seeing the film again for a very long time.  The only things I took from the movie are that I think I need an unbirthday party every day of the year that isn't my birthday and that Sega seems to have stolen the idea for Sonic the Hedgehog from the hedgehogs that are in the croquet scene.  I give this film 1 out of 5 stars.  

Shrinking Away

One thing I forgot to mention in my last update post is actually big news in our household.  Since November, but really since the beginning of the year (because who can diet in November and December?), Jess and I have been dieting and exercising.  We really wanted to make a change and we have been pretty damn determined and the results show.  We reached a low of around 48 pounds lost combined before a week of bad that included my birthday weekend and a trip to Vegas had us gain back some of the weight.  I do anticipate we'll be back around that 48 pound weight loss combined by the end of this week.  We've been doing Weight Watchers as well as going to the gym and this past week, we started doing the p90x program as well.  It's been so fun seeing our progress and despite a few setbacks here and there, we are really sticking to it.  Since we have lost nearly 50 pounds combined by the middle of the year, could 100 combined by the end of the year be in our future?  Well, that is quite the lofty goal, but you never know!  Wish us luck!

As I have mentioned here recently, it does become more and more difficult to think of things to write here on the blog when I already talk so openly about my life on Facebook, something every reader of this blog already has.  Well, pretty soon I will be having a new feature here on the blog that will keep me writing here as simple as it may be.  As you all know, I work from home.  Well, last week, I added a TV to my office, mostly so I could add Directv and watch soccer during the day instead of having to take breaks to go to the living room.  But now that I have a TV in there, I'm going to do something I have been wanting to do for a while.  As you know, Jess and I have a pretty extensive movie collection.  We buy a LOT of movies.  Some we see over and over and some rarely get seen.  Heck, I am sure there are a good handful in our collection that I have not seen since we first bought them.  I want to change that.  I want to make buying these movies worthwhile.  So, I have decided to I am going to take advantage of having a TV in my office and gradually make my way through our entire collection of movies... in alphabetical order.  It is a massive undertaking and will take forever to do, but I want to undergo that challenge (Hell, it can't be harder than weight loss), and see it through.  On days when I work long hours and there isn't a soccer game on, I can knock out 3 or 4 movies so it won't be as bad as it seems. 

A few rules:
-Movies will be seen in alphabetical order
-If a new movie is purchased and I have already passed the letter it begins with, I need to watch that movie first before I move on
-Movies in a series will be seen together even if they start with different letters.  Example: "Live Free or Die Hard" will be seen as if it is just called Die Hard 4.  I'll decide the best way to classify a series name (First Blood or Rambo?)


How does this relate to the blog?  Well, I'd like to review these movies.  I think it will be fun to write down my thoughts on each movie, maybe find some trivia about the movie, etc.  We all know I like Star Wars:  A New Hope, but do I like it as much as you think I like it?  It will be fun and it will keep me writing.  And I get to watch my movies!  This will get a slow start at first because Euro 2012 is on until the end of the month and the Olympics start in July, but look for this gradually to become a fixture here on the blog.  I hope you enjoy. 

A Needed Update

Over three months since my last blog post in a year where I promised to write much more.  Sounds like I told you all a little lie.  It's not that I didn't think of blogging.  On the contrary, I often thought about writing a post only to run out of time, be too tired, be too busy, or simply be too overwhelmed to catch up on everything that has happened.  At this point, catching up is impossible, but I will hit some of the highlights:

Jess has been back at work full time for a while now, and for the most part, is doing much better with her knee. It still aches her, but she has shown a remarkable difference between pre and post surgery.  No longer does she come home every single day from work and pop a pain pill.  No longer does she come home and cry from the pain.  Is she pain free?  No, absolutely not.  But for now, it seems tolerable and she can continue with her job.  Neither of us, as well as her doctor, think she can keep this job forever, but at least we have a nice cushion until she has to make another decision. 

In other great news, we finally refinanced our house.  A couple of years ago, we attempted to do a loan modification with a company that had a pretty great track record.  We had been on a 5 year loan since we bought our house and wanted to lock in a 30 year loan so we could be comfortable knowing what our payment was going to be for the next 30 years.  We paid them around $4,000 to help negotiate a loan mod with our mortgage company and it ended up being one of the biggest mistakes of our lives.  Not only did our mortgage company end up screwing us (LONG story), but the loan mod company ended up going out of business and taking our $4,000 with them.  So now we had no load mod, issues with the mortgage company screwing us, and were out of that money.  It sucked BIG time.  For the last couple of years, we have been on a one year locked in loan, but who wants that kind of uncertainty?  Finally, a program came along that we qualified for, a program that rewarded those who had never fallen behind on payments, and last week, we finally closed and have that 30 year loan we have been seeking.  Peace of mind at last.

In other great news, my photos are going to be on display at an art gallery in November for Second Saturday.  This is beyond exciting.  That someone thought enough of my photos to ask if I wanted to display them in their store/gallery is the ultimate compliment.  Again, I do this whole photography thing for fun.  I don't want to make a career out of it.  I do it because I enjoy it and and well, people seem to like what I do.  This is absolutely a hobby so to be taking this next step is more than I ever expected.  I am both excited and nervous at the same time.

With that, I will leave you with a sample of pictures I have taken in the last few months.  Enjoy!

Oh, and if you haven't gone and seen Avengers yet, what the heck are you waiting for?!?  It was everything I wanted and more...

Back To Normal

I can't believe the time is finally here, but Jess is finally going back to work on Thursday.  Yes, after seven and a half months of being off while she recovered from surgery, she has to return to the work force.  Usually, a return to normalcy is a good thing, but in this situation, it is pretty depressing.  We got to spend so much time together in the last seven and a half months and I can't say that I ever felt like I needed a break from her.  In fact, I think I am going to instantly miss her and you wouldn't expect that when you have spent so much time together.  Luckily, she is going back to work during my busy time of the month at work so I'll have plenty of other things to concentrate on.

What's amazing is looking back and realizing how much has happened in our lives during the recovery time.  Let's see what has happened since the moment Jess went under the knife: she almost died, our nephew was born, her mom passed away, we took two trips to Disneyland, one of my pictures ALMOST made it on the cover of a phone book, and we took trips to Reno and Tahoe.  All of this while recovering from surgery shows we did more than just sit at home for the last seven and a half months.  Can the next seven and a half months, with a HEALTHY Jessica be as eventful?  If it is, and hopefully we can avoid the deaths and near-death experiences, then we have exciting times up ahead in our lives!

In the end, this break from work was for recovery and as Jess goes back to work, I pray, cross fingers, think good thoughts, etc, that this surgery was successful and she will be able to work pain-free or at least mostly pain-free while she does her job.  Her job as a nurse is taking care of people and making sure they are comfortable.  It is only right that as she does her job, she is comfortable as well.  Now we see if it was all worth it.

The Agony of the Feet

As mentioned in the previous blog post, this past weekend included an overnight stay in Reno for us and group of friends.  We had SUCH a great time (as I typed that, a friend just texted me asking me when we were going again) and will have plenty of stories to tell of the trip for years to come  We didn't come home with gambling winnings as we had hoped, but hey, you can't win every time!  Because of the wonderful creation of alcohol, even though almost all of us were losing money, we were happy the whole time.  Some of the guys were drinking this:



Now, I am not much of a beer guy, but that has to be the coolest name for a beer ever!  But still, I'll stick with tequila!  Jess looked amazing (like always), but absolutely destroyed her feet with the heels she wore around the casino and walking out on the town.  By the end of our great trip, her feet were covered in cuts, blisters, and sores.  This was her the next day, poor girl.




Monday was a release for a new Vinylmation series, Furry Friends.  Her feet hurt so much that she had me go on my own.  I am sure that saddened her!  I didn't get the ones I was looking for, but I did luck out and get the rare one (called a chaser).  That one alone made the trip worth it and even though I am not keeping it (I have actually sold it already), it made for an awesome picture!





If we're going to talk about Furry Friends though, nothing compares to the one I picked out a little over 9 years ago.

Love that girl. 

Contrast

I survived another first week of the month, generally my busiest time of the month.  Thankfully, I actually got a LOT done and look forward to hopefully having a somewhat relaxing January so I can complete some other projects I have been putting off because I have been so damn busy.  Now that Jess is self-sufficient, I don't have to worry about splitting my time between my work and what she needs so time has become more readily available.  I think we'll celebrate with a fun night in Reno with friends tonight.  Yeah, that sounds like a plan.

I took two pictures this week that are so incredibly different.  That is what I like about this project, I get so many different shots and from one day to the next, you can get something totally different 
from the day before.

On Wednesday, I took this shot of this mandarin orange on our tree.  So much color and life in this shot even though it is just a spot of color surrounded by the muted green.




The following day, I took the following shot and it couldn't be any different: dark, black and white, and grainy.  Everything in the shot was intentional as I wanted a dirty, grungy look to go with the theme of the picture.




I didn't set out to make the two back to back pictures have such a contrast, but when I realized it, I was actually super happy.  I mean, at this point I am happy when I can think of something different to photograph after all this time, but when it is something I really like and am proud of, it makes it that much better.

Yesterday, I went with something new again.  Like I said, it is all about creating new ideas.  When I created the Star Wars scene in the last post, I thought to myself how fun it would be to create other shots from movies in my photos.  For some reason, I instantly thought of Kill Bill and thought it would be fun to create a scene inspired by the movie.  I came up with this...




Kind of fun, kind of silly, I kind of need to shave more often.  In the end though, I am really happy with how this came out. 

2012?

So we made it to 2012, so now what?  Well, if you're a crackpot, you answer that question by saying, "Who gives a crap, the world is going to end in December anyways!"  But since we are mostly all rational human beings and don't fall for crazy things like that, we can actually look to the future with some sense of hope.  After a couple of years of misfortune for Jess and I, we are looking at 2012 as a chance for a new beginning and hopefully, nothing but good news.  Sure, we had many great things happen in the last two years, but it was countered by so much grief that we want a year full of happiness.  Hell, we don't want to be greedy, we'll go with mostly all happiness.

Enough of being all moody and philosophical for a while.  The "now what" also applies to my photo a day project.  I just finished up my second year of Project 365 and I just can't bring myself to stop.  Sure, it is a pain at times and can be pretty stressful trying to think of something to photograph, but if I didn't do it, I might go weeks or even longer without picking up my camera and that is just no good at all.  I'm excited to start working on my coffee table book of the second year of pictures, while simultaneously trying to keep year 3 just as fresh.

Like I said though, keeping it fresh and trying to come up with a new picture every day IS the hard part.  Since I work from home, there are numerous days when I don't leave the house at all.  Add that to the fact that I often work all day, then eat, then rest, and finally think of something to take a picture of, and I run out of things to take a picture of at 10pm.  That is what last night's pic came down to - what can I see to take a picture of on the way to bed?  I ended up with this:




Now, I lucked out because I really like this pic.  It's simple, but I love all the lines, the black and white tone, etc.  But for every one of these, there are 5 pictures of forks or a pair of shoes that are cool, but nothing special.  This could be a problem this year, but we'll have to see how it goes.

Today I took this:



Now, I could take a ton of different pictures like this with all kinds of cool characters and funny scenes, but besides amusing me, I think this would bore the general population pretty quickly.  Year 3 is going to be pretty damn hard.  But let's keep our fingers crossed that the picture a day is the biggest thing I have to stress about this year.  

2011

2011 - Disneyland and a nephew.  Death and surgery.  How will I look back on 2011 years from now?  Pretty tough to say right now, but I think I captured it all in one simple picture.  Here is to nothing but happiness in 2012. 

7 Years

“If you keep a thing seven years, you are sure to find a use for it”
- Sir Walter Scot

I can't believe it, but my blog has hit the seven year mark today.  Seven years.  When I started this blog seven years ago, I never would have imagined that I would keep this blog this long.  Hell, I personally can't even recall why I started the damn thing in the first place.  Truthfully, I don't recall reading blogs before so what would possess me to want to start one of my own?  I am guessing I just wanted an outlet to write shit and figured people would just flock to it and respond back.  Because that is how the internet works, right?  You just write whatever and people will just show up and write back?  Ha!  I was so wrong and I know it took a while to get a decent group of readers.  I never did get a huge following, but I think I topped out at one point at getting 10-12 comments per post.  That's really awesome, actually.  It's great to know that people have something to say about something you wrote.  Nowadays, it has really died down and I only get a couple family members to comment plus one or two others.  I have considered quitting because really, who wants to write if there is no audience?  Well, some people might enjoy that, but not me.  But still, I find myself continuing to write in hopes that one day it will pick up again and frankly, I just can't give this blog up.

A few years ago I actually did write a post that said I was quitting.  Guess how long I was away from the blog before I returned?  TWO WEEKS.  Yes, I could only stay away for two whole weeks.  Shoot, this year I went two months without blogging and had no desire to actually quit the blog.   If you have been keeping track of our lives the last 6 months, I was just tired.  And sitting down and writing, even if it was just a quick note seemed like it would take too much out of me.  But no, the desire to quit never popped in my head and I feel fairly renewed again and know that 2012 will be a good year for blogging, comments or not.

It is crazy to think of all that happened in our lives since the advent of this blog.  Hell, when I first started this blog, I was still teaching.  Remember those days?  It's been a while but I sure as hell still do.  Then there was the foolish move of jumping from teaching into the real estate field.  Ok, leaving teaching wasn't really foolish as I didn't enjoy it and I knew I was already burnt out.  Getting into real estate wasn't even foolish.  I really wanted to do it, I thought I would be good at it, and the market was good.  Then right when I started, the market took a gigantic dump of epic proportions.  How was I supposed to know that?  And I did plenty of blog posts in that year that expressed my disappointment on how things were going.  It was actually a pretty damn depressing year and I bet there are some pretty solemn posts from that year.  So I flamed out at real estate, but if I hadn't taken that risk, I might still be teaching instead of the home business I own now.  Funny how things work out.   

It's been a good seven years, but thinking back, I can only think of sad posts I have written instead of happy posts.  In those seven years, I had to write about our infertility problems, the heartbreak of a miscarriage, the job issues, and the loss of both of Jessica's mothers.  I am sure there was more, but what amazing things happened to us to counterbalance these awful things?  Or is it more of a situation where we were consistently happy and there were just various tragedies that interrupted our lives?  Tragedies that we will never forget and will affect us constantly, but speed bumps in our usually happy lives, nonetheless?  I feel almost guilty for not being able to think of all the amazing things that I may have written about, but do fun vacations, good movies, cool photography, and winnings at poker make up for the bad stuff?  They must because even though we had all these things happen, even though I can't think of something that made me as happy as the other things made me sad, I still feel blessed and happy with life. 

Kind of ranting now, but this has been out last seven years and in that time, I am glad I had the blog to write it all down and record it.  Before Facebook was created, this was THE place where I could share and you could find out what was going on in my life.  Now that myself and all my readers have Facebook, nothing on this blog is really a surprise or breaking news.  Why blog that I won $340 at the casino today when you already saw it on Facebook?  Why post a new photo on here when you already saw it AND commented on it on Facebook?  Maybe this is why my blog readership has gone down, you already know what is going on in my life?  Regardless, this blog is a journal of my last 7 years and even though you already know what is going on in my life before you come to the blog, I have no intention of stopping now.  I have to blog at least 7 more years so that I can post the Guns n Roses song, "14 Years."  We'll see how it goes.  Thank you to all...

Christmas, the Reason for the Insanity

Not really sure what to blog about today, but wanted to get a blog post in. Being that it is the Christmas season, I think a holiday-themed post would be perfect.  But this won't be a typical, God-bless everyone, things are awesome holiday post.  No, this will be the opposite end of the spectrum, the Bah Humbug, You're a mean one, Mr. Grinch, type post.  Now, don't think that this means that I am not a fan of Christmas.  I LOVE Christmas.  I love what it represents.  Many a good things happen during the holiday season and it can bring out the best in certain parts of humanity.  However, like most things, there is always a flip side.  Here are the reasons why I hate the holiday season:


5) Christmas Music - I know I am WAY in the minority here, but I cannot stand Christmas music.  In fact, while it soothes many people and brings a smile to their face, it actually makes my blood boil.  There is just something about it that is just fake and frankly, almost depressing to me.  The fact that we have to hear the same songs OVER and OVER again every single year probably adds to the madness.  I'm just over these songs and I do whatever I can to avoid them.

4)Wrapping presents.  Why?  Just watch this video and it should explain my wrapping skills and why I try to avoid it at all costs. 





Yes, that is pretty much how all of my wrapping looks.  I never really became a good wrapper of presents, and frankly, I don't care to.  I rush when it comes to most things and the time and dedication that it takes to make a present look nice is just something I am not interested in.  Oh I'll still wrap instead of gift bags because I know it is more fun to open presents this way, but I won't enjoy wrapping it and it sure as hell won't be pretty!

3) Having to create a Christmas list.  I hate having to think of things I want.  Of course, it may sound kind of selfish that people want to buy me things and I can't take the time to think of things for them to get me, but when you are put on the spot and asked what things people should buy me, it is hard.  I think the main reason is that because of financial situation we currently find ourselves in, if there is something throughout the year that I want, I usually just go out and buy it.  I don't see something in June and think to myself, "I want it now, but I'll hold off for 6 more months so somebody can get it for me."  If it something rather expensive that I haven't bought myself, chances are, it is too damn expensive for anyone asking for my list to buy either.  But still, I come up with a list every year even if I feel like I am scraping.  The more aggravating thing is when I finally come up with a list and someone else can't return the favor with one of their own!

2) Setting up and taking down for Christmas.  Ugh.  It's like moving, but having to do it twice in the span of the month.  You have to put your normal stuff away, the set out your Christmas stuff, then put your Christmas stuff away, and then finally, you put your house back to normal.  Even  if Jess does most of it, it's still horrendous.  I mean, I do like the house decorated and I know that it is a necessary evil, but that doesn't mean that I have to like it.  Hell, I hate putting my own clothes away when they are washed.  You think I enjoy all of the above steps?  Hell no. 

1) An easy #1 choice is the shoppers.  Christmas shopping brings out the worst in people.  Hell, this would be #1 if all Christmas shopping was done on Black Friday alone.  That day is full of people harming other shoppers, harming employees, and pretty much being despicable human beings.  But that is just one day and it continues for a month.  Instead of being happy for the season, everyone shopping seems in a bad mood, thinks they are the only important  people out there, and are generally just inconsiderate of anyone else.  There is pushing and shoving.  There is craziness in the parking lot.  There is yelling and screaming  It is really just an unpleasant situation and it is no surprise that internet sales during the Christmas season are getting bigger and bigger.  Great prices, the convenience of shopping home, and all without having to deal with the madness of these crazy shoppers?  Count me in!  Plus, I get to avoid hearing the same Christmas songs on the overhead speaker in every store. 

Merry Christmas.  ;-)

Body Art

Tomorrow I am going in for yet, another tattoo.  For those of you who don't know (who am I kidding, all 4 of my readers know), I am doing a complete sleeve on my right arm full of nothing but movie-inspired tattoos.  So far, I've gotten tattoos on the arm based on Alien v Predator, 3 Amigos, Karate Kid, From Dusk til Dawn, Indiana Jones, Star Wars, and Ghostbusters.  Tomorrow I will be adding a Lost Boys tattoo and be one step closer to finishing this art project that I started early in the year.

I truly mean it when I use the word art to describe my tattoos.  My tattoo artist is truly gifted and he uses a canvas just like every other artist.  His canvas just happens to be my skin.  I love that the stereotype of people with tattoos is quickly fading away and more and more recognize tattoos for the amazing works of art they are.  Sure, there are still crappy tattoos out there - tattoos done by inexperienced inkers, tattoos done just to make a quick buck, and tattoos that really have no thought put into them.  And this isn't even mentioning all those simple tattoos - somebody's initials, a little heart, etc.  No, what my tattoo guy does as well as everyone in the shop, is art at its highest level.  It takes a special talent and I am a walking canvas.

Deep down, I wonder if my friends and other people around me think.  Yeah, tattoos are way more accepted now, but looking at how many I have now, do people think I have taken it too far?  Am I now that freaky tattoo friend in the group or that guy with all the awesome tattoos?  I guess I could be the freaky friend with all the awesome tattoos, but usually it is one or the other.  I remember back when I was 18 or 19 and I got my first tattoo, a simple soccer ball, my mom gave me a death stare.  Now she loves mine, can't wait to see what I get next, and even has one of her own.  What changed?  I think it really is the art involved in it all.  One can appreciate it when you think of it that way instead of just simple ink on my body.  It really is an art movement and I am proud to be part of it.

Unknown Pain

One of the sad things about having a pet is that when they hurt, often times you have no idea what is wrong.  The difficult part is that your pet really can't tell you where or why they hurt.  Last night, Jess had unbearable pain and although she was able to tell me where she hurt, I had no idea what it was or what I could do to make it better.  In a way, I felt just as helpless.

So last night, about 11:30, after dealing with some severe abominable pain, we went to the ER.  One of the problems with the ER we go to is that part of the clientele that it serves is very poor without insurance and many use it as a walk in clinic.  It seems like every time we use the ER's services, the place is jam packed with people, many looking like they simply have a case of the sniffles.  This led to last night's trip being over 6 hours long.  And we were given somewhat of a priority too.  When we left around 6am, there were people in the waiting room still that I recognized as coming right after we did.  I don't know how some people do it. 

So what was wrong?  Well, like I said, They give us a little bit of priority because lower right ab pain could me appendicitis and that isn't something you really want to mess with and take your time on.  But still, we had labs drawn as well as an ultrasound and a CT scan and although the doctor originally thought we were on our way to having the appendix removed, it ended up not being that.  He was actually confused at the end with what it could be and gave us several ideas.  Since Jess was starting to feel better by the end of our stay, he didn't seem too concerned.

This afternoon, after getting a few hours of sleep, we did get a follow up appointment with her OBGYN and he seemed pretty convinced it was a paraovarian cyst.  His explanation seemed pretty believable so that is what we will go with.  After she posted about it on Facebook, others chimed in on having had that and how horrible it was, one friend even saying it hurt more than pregnancy contractions.  Now, I have heard labor pretty much sucks on the pain scale so I can't imagine that this hurt even worse!  Hopefully, this doesn't happen again, but if it does, I know she'll be able to handle it being the awesome trooper she is!

Another Month

Another month gone, another month that went without a blog post.  The good thing is, the bug to blog is back.  It might start off a little slowly, but I think you'll start seeing more and more blog posts now.  And life is almost back to normal now.  Jess is walking more and more now and is making great progress  She won't be going back to work in December as we first anticipated, but we think she'll be good to go by the end of January.  We'll see.  There is a big difference between walking around the grocery store and working for 12 hours and doing the things that a nurse needs to do. 

Other than that, life is pretty much what it was a month ago. My nephew still is a cutie, we're going back to Disneyland in a couple of weeks, and I did another successful photo shoot.  My second year of the photo a day year project is nearing the end.  I have started to get questions as to whether or not I will do it for a third year.  I am THINKING I will do it, but the only reason I hesitate is that it is getting harder and harder to come up with things to take pictures of. I enjoy the project, but there are many days where I don't leave the house and I am running out of household items I can take pictures of when I don't venture out of the house and I certainly don't want to fill an album of just pictures of me, Jess, and the dogs.  Well, maybe of Jess, but I don't think she would like that.  So, we'll see.  Again, I am leaning towards yes, but it is still a we'll see. 

Confession

Forgive me father for I have sinned, it has been 2 months since my last blog confession. Seriously though, it HAS been that long.  Wow, I suck.  I guess I am just having too much fun.  So what have we been up to?  Well, we took another trip to Disneyland, our third trip this year.  This time, we splurged a little and stayed 5 nights at the luxurious Grand Californian.  It was an absolutely marvelous trip despite me getting sick on our last day in the park.  We went on tons of rides, ate great, and bought a TON of Vinylmations.  Oh, and of course, I took pictures.  Lots of pictures.  Here are a select few:



 





While in Disneyland, I received AWESOME news that didn't up working out, but was cool nonetheless.  The Valley Yellow Pages contacted ME and told me they loved one of my photos and wanted to have it for consideration as their next cover.  One of MY photos on the cover of a phone book distributed to thousands of people!  And guess what?  They DID choose it!  But here is the bad news, the location that I took the picture of ended up not allowing the Yellow Pages to use the picture because of some contractual issue with their own advertising firm.  So I was picked, was going to be on a cover, and it all came crashing down because of a technicality.  I was so close to really achieving something cool with my photos, but it just wasn't meant to be.  Oh well, what can you do be happy with knowing that they DID pick me and it just didn't work.  Here is the picture:



Besides those pictures, I also did two other photo shoots.  For some reason, I haven't uploaded them to Flickr so I can show you, but both came out great, Jessica's coworker's 4 month old and my lil' nephew at a pumpkin patch.  I actually have to stop and think of how many photo shoots I have done now so I must be doing something right.  I've even got more inquiries on my prices as well as selling a few pictures of the last couple of months.  Feels pretty good to have fans like this!

On the home front, things are good.  Jess is improving day by day and although she can't go too far, can now walk without a cane.  It is a little less than 2 months until she goes back to work so time to step her rehab into high gear and make sure she is ready for those 12 hour days!  I did another 5k and although my time was bad due to a lack of not being ready for it at all, I enjoyed it and am now training for another one at the end of February.  Jess and I also just joined Weight Watchers so the hopeful weight loss coupled with the running should hopefully get me in some kind of better shape. 

Other than that, life is good, work is work, and I keep on taking daily pictures of the whole experience!