Riding with the window down…

“Why be a workaholic when you can be a workafrolic? Same amount of work - just a hell of a lot more fun!”

Mackenzie (the one with the big grin and top hat) and her friends from the Katherine Anne Porter School (KAPS) put on a Valentine’s Day dance the other day that not only delivered good music, good food and lots of fun for the kids, but collected much-needed food for the Hays County Food Bank. This dance kicked off their annual campaign to raise food for HCFB. I went along to take some photos at the dance and snapped this one for the press release going out the next day.

I just noticed that one of the local online papers ran their photo along with the press release explaining their good deed. They may not look like Fortune 500 or Captains of Industry, but they had a fun evening and did some good at the same time. Way to go!

Okay, they didn’t solve hunger or do anything to promote world peace, but Dr. Pepper did their part today by doing the right thing - no matter how small it is.

I have been playing “Twist a Pepper” for years - you know the bottle of DP with “Sorry Try Again” or “Free 20 oz Dr Pepper” written on the underside of the caps. Advertisements on the bottles claim a 1 in 6 chance of winning. This promotion has been delighting prune juice fans for years.

Lately however, something has changed about the promotion - namely that retailers refuse to accept the bottle caps. Yes, the last dozen times I have tried to turn one in at a convenience store, the clerk has said something along the lines of, “oh we don’t accept those anymore.” These are the same stores with their shelves loaded down with the Twist a Pepper bottles!

I called Dr. Pepper’s customer service today and they first tried to stonewall me. “I’m sorry, but that is a local promotion, we don’t handle those.”

After a few minutes the rep was able to find out that Coca-Cola was the local bottler for Dr. Pepper in this part of Central Texas. Seriously? Okay. She was unable to provide any contact information for the Coca-Cola bottler running the Twist A Pepper promotion, but then offered, “I would like to send you out two coupons for a free 20 oz Dr. Pepper and apologize for the inconvenience.”

I am not sure what I learned from this other than, even if you won something, it doesn’t mean you can collect. Or maybe it is that the Cola Wars are as made up as the drama on reality TV shows. Coke bottling Dr. Pepper? Perhaps it is just that despite marketing once again promising great things and not delivering, you really can get people to do the right thing - if you’re willing to gripe a bit.

Dawn and I went to see Valentine’s Day on… uh, yeah - you guessed it - Valentine’s Day. My overall view of the film was good (for a chick flick.) It had some good comedy, some sappy romance, and even a cameo by Director, Garry Marshall.

Okay, naming a cameo by Marshall as one of the top things is a little harsh, I mean - it was fun. I think Dawn said it best when she mentioned she liked it better when it was called He’s Just Not That Into You. Seriously, both of them had a cast chock full of stars - each of their stories were intertwined - some turned out devastatingly bad, others turned out amazingly well.

The main thing that annoyed me about the film was the sheer number of long-haired, skinny brunettes. I couldn’t tell them apart! Trying to keep a story as intertwined as this one straight when four of the leads look so much alike was tough.

So overall, there is nothing great about the film - but nothing bad either. The fact that a couple can watch it and both walk out without being pissed is a big plus. Great date movie. Geez, it’s almost as if it was planned that way.

RATING 6 out of 10

Now if you want great family fare - Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief is the movie for you! It has something for everyone.

First off, who doesn’t like a good adventure film? Uh, nobody! I was really not expecting much more than a quick flick created to take advantage of a popular book series (can anyone say New Moon?) This film stands by itself even if you have no association or interest in the Percy Jackson book series. The writing is good, the acting is above par, and the special effects are very solid.

I loved the fact that Kevin McKidd appeared as Poseidon and Pierce Brosnan did a great job as Chiron. Logan Lerman made the transition to leading man very well as Percy Jackson and should do a fine job in the sure-to-come sequels.

If you enjoy mythology, this is a cornucopia of fun characters with lots of fast-paced action and witty banter to keep you entertained throughout. This may even be worth a second viewing.

RATING 8 out of 10

Back in 2005, I railed against Ashlee Simpson as the perfect example of what is wrong with the music industry.  It has been my contention that the big record labels had long ago lost touch with good music in favor of cute teeny boppers that could become a brand for movies, tv shows, perfume, lunchboxes etc. (I’m talking to you, Miley.)  That was part of the reason that podcasting exploded in popularity - people were fed up with being spoon fed no-talent hacks that looked good in their headshots.

Look at all the crossover that happened in the music scene thanks to talented artists jumping on the podcasting wave - Ingrid Michaelson, Death Cab for Cutie, and on and on.   Just when I was starting to think that labels were finally “getting it,” out pops Taylor Swift.

Sure, her music sounded great on the radio.  It was full of catchy lyrics, seemed very contemporary, and her voice was one that you didn’t mind hearing every twenty minutes across the Clear Channel stations.  I can’t say I was ever a fan, but even I almost fell for the marketing.

First the fact that she was so overplayed annoyed me nearly as much as the lyrics that sounded like they came from the latest tweener vampire romance.  The repetition did its job and I found myself singing along to songs I detested.  Next came what was Ashlee Simpson’s big downfall - Saturday Night Live.  For Taylor, it played out much better.  She came across as a happy, fun-loving jokester that really got into the “other side” of her marketing machine.  I almost got sucked in off the SNL appearance alone.

In the end, the true test of any singer is…. well, uh - singing.  Can you say “EPIC FAIL?”

Swift’s live performances on the Country Music Awards, quickly followed by live performances at the Grammys were horrendous!  I cannot stress enough how badly she sucked.  To say she couldn’t carry a tune in a bucket is an insult to that old saying.  I have heard tomcats having makeup sex that was easier to listen to.

Ecclesiastes 3:1 says “To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.”  I have to trust that is true, but I can’t for the life of me figure out what purpose Taylor Swift’s music has - unless it is to encourage people once again to turn off their radios, stop ‘drinking the kool aid,’ and discover the great music probably right under their nose at local gigs.

The family and I took a trip North of Fredericksburg Saturday to climb Enchanted Rock.  This makes my fourth trip up the huge slab of granite and it was an absolute blast.  First, it looked like bad weather was going to blow in and ruin the day, but I held firm to my belief that the sun would come out and it would turn out fun.  It did!

Every other time I’ve climbed the rock, it was sweltering heat and this time was a welcome change from that.  It was super windy and quit chilly at the start, but by the time we were halfway up, the sweat took over.

Here the kids pose for a family picture.

We then headed to the Auslander restaurant because we heard it was decent German food. I have to say that for $70 (without drinks,) it was NOT worth the value. Oma’s Haus in New Braunfels is MUCH more authentic and MUCH tastier.

Dallin and I took a timeout to record a quick video:

As the chill rolled into the town, the kids found the fireplace at the Auslander a welcome discovery. As it turns out, it is much closer to home than I realized and it looks like we may be going back to the area more often. Fun stuff!

I guess when you are trying to sell books, you need to say things that grab attention. I think that when you are selling self-help books however, you need to tone down the hyperbole and focus on facts.

Suze Orman was on the Today Show stating information about information for women related to money in her book Women & Money: Owning the Power to Control Your Destiny. She stated that, “Women need to learn to put themselves first. They spend their money on their kids first. Men spend their money on themselves first.” While I agree that you need to take care of the source of the income first, there is nothing wrong with spending your excess on your children. More importantly though, she is male bashing. “Men spend their money on themselves first?” Come on.

She could have said that they “feel it is important that their children learn to manage money themselves,” or that they “feel their kids should learn that money is something that you have to earn,” but to paint all men with the blanket that they “think of themselves first” is a bit disingenuous.

Good luck to Suze on her book sales as I am sure that 90% of the content is solid information that is very useful - just take it easy on the man-bashing.

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

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!