Riding with the window down…

There are two seasons where you can usually count on seeing a good movie or two - the Summer blockbusters and the Christmas blockbusters. This Christmas season has provided me with two good movie outings. Both of them made me skeptical at first, but in the end, both delivered solid entertainment.

First up was Avatar - the nearly HALF A BILLION DOLLAR blockbuster by James Cameron. Visually, this film was amazing. This is another notch in Cameron’s bankability belt - when his name is on it - you’re looking at a hit. Even lame films like the last Terminator do well - because Cameron is associated with it. (Interestingly, Sam Worthington - who played the lead, Jake Sully was also in the last Terminator and will be in the remake of Clash of the Titans, he has action hero star written all over him.)

This film really had little to do with Cameron or Worthington… it was all about the CGI and in that respect, it ROCKED! Sure, the storyline was weak and a very transparent political/social commentary. Sure, the characters were as stereotypical as anything to come out of Hollywood. But visually, Avatar made you overlook all the flaws.

It was slow in the opening third of the film and predictable throughout, but you just couldn’t take your eyes off the screen. I would watch it again just for the visuals.

RATING 7 out of 10

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Next was Guy Ritchie’s interpretation of Sherlock Holmes as portrayed by Robert Downey Jr. Now you have to understand that there is likely no more important fictional character in my life than Sherlock Holmes. I have always loved Holmes, and I have seen every single incarnation available. For that reason, I was extremely nervous seeing the previews for this film as it looked to be nothing like the legend created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Downey was nothing like the Basil Rathbone or Jeremy Brett Holmes (my favorite) but not nearly as quirky as the trailers made it appear.

Yeah, he did a serviceable interpretation, but in the end, there was too much Robert Downey Jr. in the character. He was no different than he was in Iron Man - no different than he was in The Pickup Artist - no different than he has been in ALL of his roles. Face it - Downey has no range. Don’t get me wrong, I am a big fan of RDJ and I think he may have a role that he could continue for years in Holmes. This is a great character for him to play because Holmes is so cocksure, smart, and witty. The fact that so many older people have played the character successfully leads me to think that he could be doing remakes for a couple more decades without missing a beat. This is one instance when typecasting is a good fit.

Because Holmes has been such an important literary figure in my life, I am sure that I will see each and every incarnation of the famed sleuth of 221B Baker Street, and although I will be skeptical, I will give them a fair shake. Robert Downey Jr. I can get used to - Jude Law as Watson I can get used to - Rachel McAdams as his tough-as-nails female foil, uh, I guess - Guy Ritchie, MTV-generation fight sequences in a period piece like this…. that may be a little tougher.

RATING 8 out of 10

Maddi, Dawn and I climbed Old Badly this afternoon after a quick meal at Mima’s. It was a lot of fun and the weather combined with the view from the top made it well worth the climb.

We got some family photos taken shortly before Christmas and I just realized that I haven’t shared them on here. An excellent photographer and good friend, Beth Rasmussen, took the shots for us and Dawn organized the outfits etc. I think they turned out great. This first one was one of the toughest to get because someone was always blinking or turning away etc.

These next two are just gorgeous - look at those beautiful kids! The closer one does a great job of showing off those shiny eyes and bright smiles, the further out shows off what a beautiful location we chose for the session. (Gruene, Texas)

I can’t even begin to describe how blessed I feel to have all the changes that have taken place in my life recently. What a great Christmas season!

“Stop trying to BUY your dream and start focusing on LIVING your reality”

A couple of people asked what music we played at our wedding and I have to say that it was a pretty good playlist. Dawn and I both chose the selections and then weeded through some 100 tracks to find the ones that seemed to fit best. (It’s amazing how many songs you think you know by the chorus, only to find out that the lyrics say something quite different if you pay attention.)

Here are the songs we played at our reception (in no particular order.)

I Believe - Peter Searcy
Silly Love Songs - Paul McCartney
Smile - Uncle Kracker
Lucky - Jason Mraz (featuring Colbie Caillat)
I’m Your’s - Jason Mraz
I’ve Got a Great Idea - Harry Connick Jr.
Recipe for Love - Harry Connick Jr.
We Are in Love - Harry Connick Jr.
Love is the Answer - England Dan & John Ford Coley
Kiss - Dean Martin
You’re Nobody ‘Til Somebody Love You - Dean Martin
Ain’t That a Kick in the Head - Dean Martin
Then - Brad Paisley
Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It) - Beyonce
Stand by Me - Ben E. King
Yummy Yummy Yummy - Ohio Express
I Melt - Rascal Flatts
I Cross My Heart - George Strait
Your Everything - Keith Urban
If You Ain’t Lovin’ (You Ain’t Livin’) - George Strait
Can’t Stop this Thing We Started - Bryan Adams
(Everything I Do) I Do it For You - Bryan Adams
I Swear - John Michael Montgomery
This Kiss - Faith Hill
True Companion - Marc Cohn
My Best Friend - Tim McGraw
Buzz Buzz Buzz - Huey Lewis & the News
Too Marvelous for Words - Frank Sinatra
Something Like That - Tim McGraw
Love and Marriage - Frank Sinatra
Crazy Little Thing Called Love - Queen
You’re My Better Half - Keith Urban
I Can Love You Like That - John Michael Montgomery
How Sweet it Is (To Be Loved by You) - James Taylor
Head Over Feet - Alanis Morrisette
Heaven - Bryan Adams
Truly Madly Deeply - Savage Garden
Realize - Colbie Caillat
I’ll Have to Say I Love You in a Song - Jim Croce
You’re My Best Friend - Queen
Making Memories of Us - Keith Urban
You’ve Got a Friend - James Taylor
It’s Your Love - Tim McGraw
1,2,3,4 - Plain White T’s
The Way I Am - Ingrid Michaelson
Just to See You Smile - Tim McGraw
I Love the Way You Love Me - John Michael Montgomery
I Get a Kick Out of You - Frank Sinatra
Falling For You - Colbie Caillat
I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles) - The Proclaimers
I’ve Got You Under My Skin - Frank Sinatra
You’re Smiling Face - James Taylor
Another Love Song - Uncle Kracker
Your Song - Elton John
Ribbon in the Sky - Stevie Wonder
Forever and Ever, Amen - Randy Travis
That’s Amore - Dean Martin
You Are the Sunshine of My Life - Stevie Wonder
How Forever Feels - Kenny Chesney
She’s Got it All - Kenny Chesney
All I Need to Know - Kenny Chesney

Overall, its a really good mix of fun and upbeat love songs.

Who would have thunk it? This is me - the guy that spent years saying that “all women are crazy” and “you have to be nuts to get married” has gotten hitched! What gives? Did I lose my mind and drink the kool-aid?

Well, it is way too long to get into here, but rest assured, that guy has learned the error of his ways and now realizes just what a great thing marriage is. Yes, at around 1:30pm on Saturday, December 19th, I was married to my high school sweetheart - Dawn, and couldn’t be happier. Nothing has ever felt more “right” and no decision I have ever made proven to be smarter.

I officially resign my commission as self-appointed General of the Confirmed Bachelor Corps. As I say often to Dawn, “It’s a whole new life!” and it feels like this is going to be my most exciting adventure ever!

1:07

Shooting from Houston at the site of the annual Rotary Lombardi Awards

Today is a perfect example of what I mean when I say I lead a charmed life. You would think that a day that featured freezing weather in Texas, a flat tire in the car, a dead motor in the backup vehicle AFTER I was a few miles away from the house, and being stranded in the parking lot of an elementary school in my PJs would be an example of Murphy’s Law and instead be seen as a pretty lame start to a morning. I’m here to say that it was a great morning.

First, the tire went flat on the Kia yesterday and I totally forgot to run out and get it fixed (cursed?). As Dawn was taking the truck to work this morning we realized that I would have no way to drive the kids to school (cursed?) - that would leave them having to stand in the freezing cold and wait for the bus 45 minutes earlier than we normally take off. The backup car - a ‘95 Honda Civic with over 170,000 miles and a spotty record of dependability - was there and I cranked it to see if I could save them the bus stop wait. It cranked up (charmed), but didn’t sound that great and I decided to give it a shot. After dropping off Kenzie, I swung by the boy’s school and they began their morning in warmth - charmed life so far.

Before I was 20 yards away, the Honda died (cursed?). Sure, it would crank easily, but died instantly. Not only was it dead, but there were at least 40 cars lined up behind me on the single-lane, one-way loop setup for dropoff (cursed?). It just so happened, that it died at the one spot that preceded a slight downhill slope into the nearby parking lot (charmed). Usually, the cut back to the lot is jammed with cars, but for some reason there was a perfect gap that allowed me to jump out in my PJs, push it to get it rolling, and spin into a safe spot (charmed).

I then used my Blackberry for a web search on Wimberley auto shops - I found three (charmed). I called the first two with no answer (cursed?). When I called the third they said they don’t work on foreign cars (cursed?) but gave me the number of the only tow truck in town (charmed). I called the towing place and he said he couldn’t be out until afternoon because he was the only one in the office (cursed?). When prompted he gave me the name of another service (charmed) who I called and caught him in his truck just a couple miles away and he agreed to come right over (charmed).

Steve with Good Ol’ Boys Auto Recycling & Wrecker Service not only showed up in a jiffy, but is a really decent guy that runs a couple other companies as well (charmed). In fact, we intend to get together to talk about doing some other business after the holidays. Steve loaded me up and drove me and the Honda back home.

I relayed the story of the flat on the Kia during the drive so Steve popped out his battery operated air compressor and filled the tire in that while unloading the Honda (charmed).

The next task in my automotive morning was to drive the Kia to Discount Tire for the repair. The customer service rep at Discount was giving me options for a new tire in the event that it wasn’t repairable (cursed?). I told him that I wanted to wait and see what the verdict on the tire was first. Sure enough, the tech came in and said, “There was a nail in the tire. It is all fixed - no charge.”

So you tell me? Was it a cursed morning or a charmed life? I have to go with charmed - so many things happened just exactly how they needed to keep me from real trouble. Sure, I could feel bad about being stuck in the freezing cold in my PJs, but I met some nice people - shared a little holiday cheer - got a good laugh along the way - and all with no real expense or headache. Plus, it made for a great story!

There are a few things that put a guy instantly on guard when it comes to choosing a film to watch. First and foremost - is Sandra Bullock playing the lead? This is usually a sure sign that you are in for a romantic comedy complete with sappy love story and comic pratfalls. From the opening sequence of The Blind Side, I knew I was going to like this movie. It not only started off a “guy” film, but despite turning into a very touching story AND including Sandra Bullock - it kept the guys interested throughout.

Along we way, it delivered lots of fun football action, some great comedy, and good performances by Tim McGraw and Quinton Aaron. This has to be the perfect “date night” film. It had just enough Sandra Bullock and heartfelt emotion to keep the womenfolk happy and just enough football and smart @ss remarks to keep the guys entertained.

This is easily one of the top movies I have seen in 2009. When I discovered that it was based on a true story, it made The Blind Side all that much better. See it with a date and you will both walk away feeling better - or see it by yourself. Whatever you decide, just see this movie.

RATING 9 out of 10

It looks like it is going to drop down to around 27 degrees the next night or two - that combined with precipitation means we could actually get some snow. That would be cool! Don’t worry - if that happens, there will be video and photos.