Theater or NetFlix? THAT is the question!

Being a guy who derives a certain degree of enjoyment out of watching movies ,while being a guy who's pockets are not stuffed with cash, while being a father of five with not a whole lot of time, while also living thirty minutes from the nearest decent size theatre has forced me to develop a method, philosophy, or strategy dare I call it such to determining what movies to view in the theater and which to simply add to the NetFlix line up. I thought I would share it with the general public since it seems to be working pretty well for me. I should probably preface this by saying, as many of you surely already know, I have excellent taste when it comes to movies which is certainly the best tool to have in any such strategy. First I familiarize myself with the choices that are available for the upcoming movie season...I suggest buying the Entertainment Weekly Movie Guide for Fall and Summer. I then watch as many trailers as possible online. Yahoo Movies seems to work well as does You Tube. Before watching any movies I consult the critics. Now I am not saying let some stuffy critic who takes movies way to serious make your decisions for y0u but see what the critics are saying. I would recommend using http://www.rottentomatoes.com/ to do this. From here it simple. If the critics give the movie greater than a 40% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes then decide for yourself whether or not spend the cash on a $8 ticket. If it is above 85% and it is a movie you are interested in you should probably go see it. If the fresh rating is between 20% and 40% and you still are interested in watching it..save it for the Netflix line up....if the rating is below 20% don't waste your time or money. This seems to work for me..but as I mentioned earlier...I also have great taste in movies. Discuss amongst yourselves...

Music According to Gilly's Son

A recent blog post by my brother in law, a recent cd sent to me by my father, and the fact that Father's Day is just around the corner has music and my dad on my mind. Several weeks ago my brother in law Derrick had a post on his blog about pop songs. I am still a little angry with him over the whole thing as it kept me up until about 2:00 am trying to think about some of my favorite pop songs. It even lasted into the next day. I just knew that if I thought a little longer I would remember that one song that I had completely forgotten about that was in fact the perfect pop song. He had created a list at the above site of all of the songs people had named as great pop songs. This got me thinking about a recent cd that my father had put together for me that had some of his favorite music or at least artists on it. I think I was suppose to recognize a lot of the songs. While I think I did recognize most if not all of them....the one thing that stood out about it was that none of the songs on it were really the songs I would associate with growing up with my dad. This got me thinking about the songs I would choose to pull together that most reminded me of my father or held a special place in my childhood memories. So this is an attempt to do that for posterity's sake. I have fond memories of driving in the car with my father. I specifically remember driving around in an old gold Buick that we owned with music playing in the car. My dad always liked to sing and dance in the car ( as best he could) while driving. My dad was actually a great dancer in his day in fact he even won a few dance competitions with his rug cutting. He was always clapping his hands, snapping his fingers, and doing what ever else he could get away with while still keeping the car on the road. I also have memories of driving in a big silver van with two captains chairs in the front and some groovy carpet and a bed in back. Above the bed in each corner was an equally groovy lamp. We would lay in the back while on the way to places like Lampson Falls listening to Neil Diamond's Greatest Hits. My dad also liked to sing. I recall him not being that bad of a singer..I am not saying he was great or even good..but not bad. He would sing in this falsetto voice that I just recently realized may be a contributing factor in my appreciation for the fellas who can hit the high notes. Some of my favorite songs or male singers are artists who are known for their ability to hit those kind of notes. My dad had a lot of soul and rhythm as you will be able to tell when you listen to a number of songs on this list. He really enjoyed listening to Motown and R&B. I remember him telling me a story about a trip he took into New York City to see a concert. As I recall it was at the Apollo in Harlem, or a place like it, and he was one of if not the only white guy in the joint. Which today may not seem like such a big deal but probably was a little different experience at the time or at least I picture it that way. Most of the songs I have selected are the most memorable for me..but a few are just there because they remind me of my dad. Leonard Cohen would be a good example of the latter. I can't say I have fond memories of his music..but I remember it and associate it with my father. I would highly suggest when you have the time you listen to The Essential Leanard Cohen though..I was just listening to some of his music trying to find one I remember and I have to say he is fantastic. I also do not recall if my father liked the Eddie Rabbit song..but it reminds me of him because I remember him always loving a good stormy rainy night. Some of the other songs are not the first song I would have chosen by a particular artist but I think we have all heard Celebration by Kool and the Gang and Heard It Through the Grape Vine by Marvin Gay enough times so I chose other songs from them that I liked a lot. So take a listen and if I can think of any more that stand out...I will add them later.

Click here to listen: http://www.box.net/shared/x2hbxifc4g

I Love a Rainy Night -Eddie Rabbitt
Black Water -The Doobie Brothers
I Can Dream About You -Dan Hartman
Get Down on It -Kool & The Gang
I Can't Help Myself -Four Tops
Got to Give It Up -Marvin Gaye
Smoky Mountain Rain -Ronnie Milsap
Everybody Knows -Leonard Cohen
Papa Was a Rollin' Stone -The Temptations
Let's Groove -Earth, Wind & Fire
Cat's In the Cradle -Harry Chapin
Sweet Caroline-Neil Diamond

Chick Flicks for Slick Ricks

Having just got done watching The Jane Austin Book Club, a movie my wife managed to sneak into our NetFlix line up with out my knowledge, chick flicks is the topic on my mind. While my favorite type of movie is an epic period piece preferably involving some sort of war, I have on rare occasion been known to indulge my wife and sit through a movie where the target audience most likely has significantly less back hair than I. On even more rare occasion I have even been known to enjoy a movie of this genre. A fact that I blame entirely on my father. While I do not want to go into too much detail as to why I blame my father, I fear it may be entirely too embarrassing for him, I do not feel it would be saying too much to admit on his behalf that he has been known to shed a tear or two during a movie. While off the top of my head I cannot remember a specific instance of it I know it happened...and if pressured can find eye witness accounts to support this claim. It seems that I too, albeit to a lesser degree than my cry baby father, have been known to at least derive some enjoyment out of the occasional chick flick. I thought I would list a few of the chick flicks I have actually enjoyed watching and I would be interested to hear from other men as to what chick flicks they have watched that they actually enjoyed. I am not terribly interested in hearing from the chicks out there on this subject matter but would welcome it if they chose to tell me about a movie that the man in their lives liked that would fit into this genre, especially if you think they may be embarrassed by you sharing it with me. I actually am not that terribly embarrassed to admit this small thing about myself...a fact I blame entirely on my father. Here is the beginning of my list. I will add to it as I think of them and will add yours to the list if I agree or at the very least can type it without laughing at you.

Fried Green Tomatoes

Pride and Prejudice ( Kiera Knightley version)

The Notebook (Also starring Kiera Knightley..a complete and utter coincidence)

Riding in Cars with Boys
About a Boy
The Lake House

Make Tonight a Steak Night!

Having come under recent criticism for the lack of recent posts on my blog (clearly the demand for what is on my mind has been higher than anticipated). I decided to dedicate this post to one of my biggest fans and someone I consider to be one of my best friends. Mr. Travis Stokey and I have very little in common really on first glance but we share one important thing in common, a love of meat. Early in our friendship I was lucky enough to take part in one of his family traditions while my family was out of town. Every Thursday night the menu is the same at the Stokey residence! Its steak night! A secret marinate, carefully developed over years of steak grilling experience is prepared, the grill is fired up to just the right tempature, and some USDA Choice Black Angus steaks, bought on sale at a local Harris Teeter, are cooked to order on the Stokey grill. It is as predictable as the rising and setting of the sun. How thankful I am to have been able to share this tradition with his family one summer evening. We have been friends for quite a while but I was only invited that one time....but that is a topic for another post as the pain of never having been invited back is still too near to speak about. Since meeting Travis not a Thursday goes by in my life where I do not think to myself tonight is Steak Night! So do yourself a favor and make tonight a steak night in your home and when you do think of Travis Stokey, the man who started this wonderful tradition, a tradition I was only invited to share with him that one time despite our many years of friendship. And if you happen to be passing through Charlotte, NC and are looking to sample some of the best barbeque around..skip all the places you have seen on the Food Network and stop by the Stokey residence for some Boston Butt cooked on the Stokey smoker by a southern boy who knows how to cook meat. For Travis Stokey's talents do not end at cooking steak...he can also cook some of the best pulled pork around. As if bringing steak night to the people was not enough!

One of these things just doesn't belong

I had an interesting experience last night while assisting a member of my church load up a moving truck. As we were approaching the house I was warned by a friend that the house was not likely going to be very clean and that I should be prepared for that. As we arrived at the apartment complex it was clear that this was not the best part of town. As we entered the apartment, despite the warning of my friend, I was taken back by the extreme filth that I was witnessing. The floor was covered with everything you could possibly imagine and perhaps a few things you may not be able to. I have no words that could possibly describe the situation to you more adequately so I will not even begin to try. As we were in one of the bedrooms my friend and I had a private moment and he whispered to me that he thought that he may have underestimated the conditions when he had tried to prepare me for it. This was a single mom with three children, the youngest two being six year old twins. They were being evicted by their landlord for reasons that at this point are probably quite obvious. It was sad because despite ample warning the mother had failed to find another place for her children to call home. Even as we were loading the truck she was unsure where she would be staying that night. A family member had offered to let here stay for a short while but she was still considering a local homeless shelter. I felt incredibly sad for the children who were being raised in such conditions and being put in such a position by a parent. Its one of those experiences I will likely not forget for the rest of my life. As I was in the kitchen empting off a stand to be loaded onto the truck the mother was standing amongst all the filth washing the dishes. At that moment I thought nothing could possibly appear more out of place. As it turns out I was wrong. When I returned to my task of cleaning off the stand I found a copy of Consumer Reports that had just been uncovered by my efforts. It was the How to Clean and Care for Practically Anything issue.

Eye of the Tiger!

This post is perhaps 99% of the reason I decided to start a blog in the first place. I am fast approaching thirty five years of age and have been looking at my life perhaps with a bit more of a critical eye. Assessing my progress, assessing my talents, assessing whether or not in twenty years when I look back on my life I will be happy with the path I have chosen. While on the one hand I feel I have made a great deal of progress in my life considering where I once was and where I came from there is still a part of me that is not content with the person that I am. My current frustration can best be summed up by one small thing I don't like about myself. I on occassion have been known to drink a Diet Coke or two or three at work. Not a huge problem and one that I immediately felt better about after reading a few articles about people who drink a twelve pack a day. Some days go by and the Diet Cokes I drink that day may be the only liquid I put into my body. No big deal right? Diet Coke is 99% water anway! I have stepped into the ring on many occasions to put an end to Diet Coke once and for all. So many times in fact that my wife just laughs it off each time I tell her that I am done drinking the stuff.

There are two things that bother me the most about my inability to stop drinking Diet Coke and those are the health concern and the simple fact that I can't seem to do it. The health concern is probably the lesser of the two. It would be first if not for the many health benefits of drinking Diet Coke . What really bugs me the most is what it may say about me as a person when I apparently lack the will power to make such a simple change in my life. This is in part why I started this blog. I was feeling the need to do something that completely does not sound like me at all hoping that in the process I would learn a thing or two about myself and make some of those small changes in my life that I have been meaning to for years, to take a chance on my career in the hopes of doing something I am truely passionate about, to finally take action on one of the many ideas that pops into my head rather than just talking about it, to discover a new hobby and develop a new talent, or to simply become a better person. With those thoughts in mind a couple of weeks ago I once again decided it was time to lay off the Diet Coke. The rules were simple...no Diet Coke during the week. If I choose to have one on the weekend I am free to do so. 99% of the Diet Cokes I drink are at work anyway. Since the start of this latest round I have been drinking an incredible amount of water. Who knew that drinking water could make you feel so good? If someone could figure out how to bottle that stuff and sell it they would stand to make a fortune. While I have had a few slips... I am two weeks into this and it is by far my most successful attempt yet. Who will be the Clubber Lang or Rocky in this scenerio? Diet Coke or Water? It will likely come down to whether or not I have the eye of the tiger"! .

Mr. Mom 2008

For the past four and half days I have been trying to fill my wifes shoes as she is soaking up some sun on a much deserved trip to the beach. This has become a tradition in our house and it accomplishes a few important things. It gives my wife the afore mentioned well deserved time off, it totally gets me off the hook for Mother's Day, and it also reaffirms for me just how challenging a job being a stay at home parent really is. This last one is important because it seems that each year that we do this I seem to have more kids than the last time and thus any previous experiences I may have had in filling her shoes must then be thrown out the window on the basis of change in scope or scale. My wife of course conveniently failed to mention the magnitude of the change this time around until the very last minute possible. The last time I attempted this trip we only had three kids and now we have five with two of them in school and two others taking classes at Lands End two days a week.

I must admit that I actually look forward to it each year...I consider it a challenge, a test of my parenting skills, a me versus the parental elements, there can be only one survivior sort of challenge. This years challenge appears to becoming to a conclusion without any major incidents..no lost kids, missed appointments, or broken bones to speak of. Everyone got three squares a day and diaper changes within the acceptable time thresholds I have carefully developed over time. We even managed to squeeze in some fun despite the uncooperating weather. We had a great day down in Dubuque,IA at The Mississippi Aquarium followed by a five star lunch at "Old McDonalds" and the discovery of a fantastic park, The Mines of Spain, which has an amazing overlook of the Mississippi. We stopped at various playgrounds along the way home and completed the day with Devon actually using the potty instead of his pants to take care of business. An event which actually shortened our stay at the last playground when I caught him going into what can only be described as stealth mode where he disappears off the face of the Earth for a while to take care of the business and suddenly reappears when the mission is accomplished. So a great day no matter what way the media tries to spin it!

While on the one hand my kids and I are anxious for my wife to return again ,as is the case every time she goes away for more than an evening, I am at the same time wishing this years challenge could go on a little longer this time around. Having just spent four and a half days in the life of my wife I can honestly say that running this household is as difficult as any senior management job could ever be. This is of course not news to me at all..but it is nice to have myself reminded of it every once in a while. I think the real reason I want this to go on for a little while is because I have seen myself over the course of five days improve on a much needed lack of patience despite the breivity of the situation and I also got to experience for a prolonged period of time what I think may be what motivates my wife to do what she does and I just want to spend a little more time taking that in. My experiment had a start and an end date making it easy to keep motivated and keep the energy level where it needed to be but a real day in my wife's life has no such end date, at least not in the near future. The reality is that as the non stay at home parent...I will only get so many of these types of experiences in my life and I need to take them all in. I also need to convince my wife to take a few more trips to the beach which I am pretty sure will not be a problem.

Broccoli and Cow Bells

This being my first post and as much a test to see if I can actually get something to post as a sincere attempt to join the blogging community...I thought I would start with something that is near and dear to me...that being humor. I attempt being humorous on a regular basis, with mixed results, and enjoy being around people that I find to be humorous. If you don't find these next two clips to be particulary funny...this may not be the blog for you!


Chopping Broccoli:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hz2Dpb1Sdik

Cowbells:
http://video.aol.com/video-detail/more-cowbell-snl/3952822248