Reflections

Wild year

2011-11-16T21:39:00.000-08:00

It's been a wild year. I just thought I would try to post and remind myself that I have a blog. Nanowrimo is absorbing the majority of my writing time. So far, I'm halfway finished and on track to win this year. This whole thing is a major undertaking. Someday, I hope that it pays off and I can become the author I was meant to be.

Wish me luck and prayers.

My Family

2011-07-06T06:02:00.000-07:00

So we have one girl and now a boy. That makes us official, I think. We are a family. This summer is much like all the others, with the added hiccup of added Dr.'s visits. Looking for jobs, wondering if we are going to make it through this year. Childcare is going to be a challenge this year. And not a..."Childcare is going to be stretching the budget a bit and we may have to pass on a few Starbucks" challenge but more a "Oh my God we can't afford groceries and medicines with childcare" challenge.

I'm really getting tired of these "10 things you can do to free up $1,000 in your budget." on yahoo. Believe me, we cut those sorts of things a long time ago. Sigh.

Anyway, trying to get a routine going that will get us through the summer. With the late night feedings, we've gotten quite a few movies in this summer, so that's been fun. The pool has been good, and Laurana is really enjoying it. My birthday is tomorrow, and I think we're going to go watch Transformers after a quick bite. Sounds like a good day to me.

Reviews...I'll just review the last DVD I saw...

Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer

I don't know what all the bad publicity was about. I loved this movie. It felt like the Fantastic Four to me, was really cool and had great fight scenes. Julian McMahon as Dr. Doom was super cool. If they reboot this series, please recast the man; he was perfect. I liked the humor, and the presentation of the Four as struggling with their celebrity status. And one last note. Lots of comic lovers griped about the presentation of Galactus as a cloud. I thought it was much cooler than the guy in the dorky purple outfit. At least for the bigscreen anyway. I'm bumping FF: RotSS 1/2 a star for the bad publicity it got. ****

Reboot- Again

2011-01-27T19:58:00.001-08:00

Okay, so we're going to try to pick up this blog thingee again. So much has happened and there has been so much more to worry about that ye old blog has gotten pushed far far back in the corner of my to do list. But, my insomniac derrier is up and I spotted 'blog' on the list (which has been on the rolling list since November) so hey, here we go.

Ellice had surgery on Friday and so far we think it may be successful. Time will tell. She's struggled with a stomach thing today, which we hope is unrelated. The knee itself is offering some twinges here and there, but she did have some stuff cut out, so it should probably be expected.

Um, work is a bit chaotic and I've had to take more days than I would have hoped for what with Laurana's biweekly illnesses (daycare and all) and Mommy's inability to get around as of late. The snow days have helped mitigate lost days a bit, so I'm thankful for that.

Our electric bills have been mind boggling and we are struggling financially, but then again who isn't? Just have to rely on prayer and take extra curriculars after school for more money.

On the movie front:

New Moon
Hilarious. I'm going to have to say my favorite line is, "I'm hotter than you..." from werewolf Jacob to vampire Edward. I think that pretty much sums up this goth teenage girl fantasy series in a nutshell. *

The One with Nanowrimo 2010

2010-11-01T19:19:00.000-07:00

Well, here we go again. Nanowrimo. And Melissa, you know that you wanted me to take a crack at an Eris novel? That's what I'm attempting this year. Hope you like my treatment of it. I'm excited this time around as its my first serious stab at a modern novel. Oh and Tiff, I intend to have Leanne in this one as well. Hope you all like. My daily goal is 1,667 words and the first day I hit 1781. Not too shabby. I'm going into this season with a lot of confidence as I won last year. Let's make it two in a row.

Don't watch Hot Tub Time Machine. Too much language and drugs. I was quite disgusted by it. The Blind Side was fair, but I didn't see what all the fuss was about.

Last Days of Krypton by Kevin Anderson
A fresh take on the tale of Superman's home planet. Anderson integrates most of the big story lines from Krypton like General Zod, Jax-ur, Brainiac, Jor-el, Lara, and Zor-el (Jor-el's brother and Kara's father-Supergirl for you non-DC fans). I had a fun time with this book and seeing Anderson's slant on the legend. A fun read. ***

The One after the Hiatus

2010-10-10T20:25:00.000-07:00

Okay, so it's been six months. I've been battling depression and while we can't say I've beaten it just yet, we can at least call it a stalemate. That out of the way, I'll try to get everyone up to date.

I've watched a few movies, read a few books, and seen some tv shows. Most were okay, Iron Man 2 was the best movie of the year in my book. I started out good on the reading, but have stalled mid year. I still could beat out my previous years totals on page count and book totals though. But with Nanowrimo approaching in November, I may not.

I do plan on doing Nanowrimo again this year and on the heels of last year's last minute success, I not only think and hope I can do it, I know I can since I've done it before. This year's incarnation will probably be a modern thriller instead of fantasy. Anyone reading who is interested should check out www.nanowrimo.org. It's fun and intense, but if you are of a writing bent, its worth it. Basically, you write an entire novel of 50,000 words in the 30 days of November. Has to be new stuff, and fiction; other than that, its up to you.

I'll try to keep this blog up again. Thanks for tuning in.

Brad

The Next One

2010-05-16T13:34:00.000-07:00

I couldn't think of a clever title, so that one will do. Celtics are doing well in the NBA playoffs and that's cool. I'm trying to go through the Love Dare again to help Ellice feel loved.

I've been down, but I'm really making an effort to stay positive. I've been in a fair amount of pain lately on top of the feeling down, so that's not helping.

The job situation has changed; I've been transferred to preschool, which makes little sense given my training, but the county does as they will, training and experience notwithstanding. I guess that's what I need to be doing. Ellice is on the hunt again as there was a mass pink-slipping and hers was one of the jobs to go. It will be challenging to get a position in that county, but we'll keep trying. At least we have insurance. We may not be able to afford our apartment, but we'll have insurance.

On the reading front, I've got 19 read so far this year and that puts me ahead of pace. My goal is 50 this year, though I've not cracked 40 in any year previous. Ambitious, no?

Iron Man 2
This movie was fantastic. I love all these Marvel movies and hope they keep cranking them out. Downey is spot on as the egotistical, troubled Tony Stark. Mickey Rourke did an excellent job as the Russian villain, and Cheadle stepped into the role of Rodey well. Just great stuff. Good action, interesting plot and the buildup to the Avengers movie continues with nods to the upcoming Thor and Captain America movies. I can hardly wait. ****

The One in May

2010-05-05T19:47:00.000-07:00

I'm probably going to only get one blog in this month, thus the title.

Laurana landed in the hospital last Friday with the stomach bug going around. It's Wednesday and she's just now acting like her usual adventurous, smiley self. It's good to have her back.

I think I've hit on a rhythm in writing. My goal is 2500 words/ week. That boils down to 500 per day, 5 days/week. I find that word count for a goal is better for me than a page or chapter count, especially with work and all that's going on. The 5 days/wk is to try and get me in the habit of producing like a work week. Some day we may do this fulltime, so I have to train myself. It's a dream I have.

I'll sign up for NaNoWriMo closer to this year; probably in October. I'm still hashing out the draft that I won with in November. I'm looking forward to the free professionally made manuscript that was part of the prize. I have until July to submit the draft.

Looking forward to Iron Man 2. Probably will watch it next Saturday after we get paid again.

Pray for us on the job front; we both want to keep/improve ours (just like everyone else, I guess).

Take care and God bless

Umm...Not much going on

2010-04-18T20:25:00.000-07:00

Like the title says, not much going on. I'm still writing, if not with the intensity of last November during NaNoWriMo, but at least with consistency. I don't really miss cable--we pretty much watch our normal shows online and have cut out a few in the process. Now the real trial will be during next football and basketball seasons. Not sure what we'll do then.

Haven't seen much lately.

Clash of the Titans
Good fun. Well made and different enough to be novel in its way. Graphics of course were excellent, good action. My heart however, may always favor the original. ****

The Return

2010-03-30T18:08:00.001-07:00

It has been pointed out to me that some people have actually missed ye olde blog. As surprising as it is to know that someone out there actually likes to hear me ramble on a bit, I must confess it makes me feel a little better. I've gradually slipped into a bit of a funk over the last few years, peaking over the course of these months. Forgive me if I've been remiss in my journaling.

I've lost pace with my reviews, so I'll just make a general statement about what's going on and my goals for now, and I'll pick up the reviews again in the near future. I think it's more important to get something going again on a regular basis, and then worry about the content of the blog.

Um...we started Financial Peace and its been different. We just called the cable co. and asked them to cut us off (keeping Internet of course) but they keep sending us a signal. I think it's their subtle way to try and keep us hooked. The idea was to free up about $100 a month and a large portion of free time. We are adjusting and hopefully more reading and gaming will be involved. Sounds fun to me.

One side effect is that I suspect that I'll be watching some NBA playoffs at my dad's and possibly at Gillum's in town (a great place to watch games). I've taken this year to watching games with people instead of in utter isolation. This is new to me and kind of fun.

UK had a great year but fell short of the brass ring. 35-3 isn't too shabby for my kitty cats. Let's hope they can keep up their newfound winning ways.

Well that's it for now...I'll try to see if I can review something next week. I'll probably blog again on the weekends. Ta ta.

The One in 2010

2010-01-12T09:14:00.000-08:00

New Year everybody. Baby is growing like crazy. I'm trying to get things figured out for the next year. What's my role? What am I supposed to do? We'll see how it goes. Short blog today.

Missed some days of school this last week. It was fun and great to get an extra bunch of time with Laurana. She's learning a lot. Sitting up, grabbing for things, eating dirt out of our potted plant (that happened this morning, to our surprise.)

UK is 16-0. I think its still too early to talk about running the table but it is a lot of fun.

I, Robot
Great fun. Predictable. Good acting by Will Smith; delivers his lines very well. Like this movie a lot. Very much a must see for scifi fans. ***1/2

The One long in coming

2009-12-23T21:18:00.000-08:00

Sum up...I completed Nanowrimo and won. That's why no blog in November; all I did was write. Now December has been crazy and I've been sick the whole month along with work. On top of that, Ellice has been sick with something off and on, and now the baby is really sick.

Thank goodness we're on break now, so we can take care of baby. She is in better spirits even if she still coughs and wheezes.

UK is having the best start they have had since 1977-1978, with an unbelievable 13-0 mark. Uk has its fourth bowl game in as many years this Sunday, and tomorrow is Christmas Eve. Things are okay. Money is unbelievably tight, but we have enough for now.

Merry Christmas and have a happy New Year.

The Princess and the Frog

A return to classic Disney 2D animation. This musical tale gets it right all over. I don't think they could have done much better with this one. Highest marks. ****

Star Trek: A Time to Kill by David Mack

This was book seven of nine of the "A Time to..." series.
Set before the movie Nemesis, Picard and the Next Generation crew are in the position to have to neutralize a planet's artillery and immobilize two fleets to prevent a galactic war that will probably destroy the Federation after the Dominion War has left Starfleet depleted. Good stuff, but ends as a to be continued... ***1/2

The One with the Novel in November

2009-10-25T16:29:00.001-07:00

So a lady at church tells me about Nanowrimo, which is short for National Novel Writer's Month. They are a non-profit website dedicated to helping writers write. The ghist is that you have 30 days to produce a novel-length draft of 50,000 words, or approximately 150 pages. You sign up on the website and starting November 1, start kicking out the words. This is supposed to be unedited--the key is output so put your inner critics and inner editors aside, locking them in the closet until November 30. Furthermore, it is supposed to be a new work, not that novel you've been working on for four years.

The website says that of the 100,000 last year who signed up, 15,000 accomplished the goal, so it isn't easy, but it is attainable. When you submit your work for counting purposes, there is an online scrambler that protects your content, so there is no fear of plagiarism. I'm taking the challenge, and I invite all my literary friends to do likewise. (Tiffany, Melissa, this means you!)

GI Joe

I had a lot of fun with this movie. If you are looking for a heady plot, with deep-seated emotion, look elsewhere. This was an action ride from start to finish, with a constant stream of explosions throughout. The goal of this film must have been to deal with backstory in as efficient manner possible. And it worked. ***

The One with...Um...Nothing Much

2009-10-11T20:14:00.000-07:00

I haven't blogged in a while as I've been kind of down. And that hasn't changed much. Primarily due to the job situation. I have a wonderful wife, a great healthy baby, loving family, a few good friends, and a supportive church. I need to get a second job as we can't afford to continue on with my earning an assistant's salary. Prospects creep up occasionally, and nothing has panned out as yet. I am growing steadily more discouraged. Anywho...

Wishsong of Shannara by Terry Brooks

Loved it, loved it, loved it. This third installment is an epic tale of the descendants of the Ohmsfords and the Leahs, dragged into adventure by the enigmatic Druid Allanon to once again save the world. The supporting characters this go around are really engrossing--I especially liked Slanter, the Gnomish Hunter. While the quest is somewhat formulaic, it is a formula that works. This grand adventure ends the three book generational storyline in satisfying fashion. ****

The One with the Date and Smiles

2009-08-30T08:02:00.000-07:00

Saturday Andi gave us the opportunity to go on a date. We are now second run movie people, and that's fine by us. We can exhibit a little patience, and still have just as much fun, while saving a few bucks along the way. We decided to take in a second viewing of Star Trek, and this one had just as much emotional impact with the same thrilling action. This one will stand the test of time becoming a classic. Kudoes to JJ Abrams for preserving the spirit of the franchise while injecting it with a new vitality that will carry Trek well into the next century.

Also, the little one has developed a smile that warms the heart. If you haven't seen it, its worth the price of admission (I realize there is no smile there, but still a cute picture.)

We have found a new show called "Legend of the Seeker." We love it. It's by Sam Raimi (from Hercules/Xena/Spiderman fame) and is based on the Terry Goodkind "Sword of Truth" fantasy series. Its on WGN and we don't want it cancelled, so when you get a chance, watch it.

Chronicles of Amber by Roger Zelazny

I finished up books 8, 9, and 10 of the towering saga. Books one through 5 are worth the read; 6-10 are not. The ending was very unfulfilling. Throughout the second 5 books, Merlin (no relation to the Arthurian legend) is constantly fighting people who want to kill him, and they end up being his allies. This switching is so formulaic as to be laughable. The end conflict left with a hunh? feeling as he's in the middle of the final battle and one of the great powers says, "Stop fighting, he's won" and everybody just goes okay, he's the king now, we accept this--and the book is over. A big disappointment after the first five books. Overall **.

The One with the Same Old Job

2009-08-20T16:09:00.001-07:00

Sorry so long between updates. I've kind of last track of things between baby and going back to work. The job hunt continues. Baby is prospering. Haven't been to theater much since Harry Potter, but I have seen quite a few movies at home.

Bad Company starring Chris Rock and Anthony Hopkins- Very good lot of fun***

A few books but nothing big. Trying to finish out the Chronicles of Amber series, but they've gotten super weird. Not long now though.

UK gets into swing in a few weeks, football in September and basketball in November.

Later folks.

The One with the Baby

2009-07-08T06:41:00.000-07:00

Laurana is here! After a tumultuous few weeks, I am back to blogging. There is so much to tell, that I will just sum up.

Botched amnio, baby arrived early, one week in the NICU, Baby got better, still not gaining enough weight but much happier and livelier, transitioning to life as a dad, and still need a teaching job for fall.

I'm learning to cook breakfast and it seems to be working out. Ellice hasn't complained too much, even though I've wasted a pancake or two.

My birthday was yesterday, a few friends came over, Mama Chick fixed Spaghetti (My favorite) and Mama Gullett brough some nice gifts. I can't wait to get over to 1/2 price books!

Haven't finished any books lately; kind of had more pressing matters on my hands. Did catch a few rentals though:

Bride Wars

Unnhh...it was okay. Standard fare, very predictable and passably produced. I was kind of bored. Girls seemed to like it. *1/2

Confessions of a Shopaholic

I couldn't get through this one. Very bored. Didn't like the characters. *

Dragons of Autumn Twilight (Cartoon Movie)

This adaptation of one of my favorite novels was heartbreaking. Voice acting is fairly good, and they were very faithful to the story but the animation is so horrible as to make this almost unwatchable. Extra 1/2 star for just being dragonlance. *1/2

The One with Summer Break

2009-06-12T20:38:00.000-07:00

It is finally here-summer vacation. And not a moment too soon. I wasn't sure I was going to make it this time around. This is the first summer without classes or work, so it should prove quite different this time around.

Baby is on her way. It looks like it may be June 23 as the magical date, and we feel pretty prepared. Well, as prepared as first-time parents can be.

The job front is better than in the past, but not as rosy as we imagined this spring. After multiple assurances of a teaching position next year at two different schools, I was passed over for dubious reasons. But I have my old job as an assistant if I can't get something better. It will be a struggle, but Ellice has her teaching job and well, when has it ever not been a financial struggle and God has always somehow provided despite appearances.

Ghosts of Girlfriends Past
Entertaining in a mild sort of way. Not much to say about this one. Performances are passable caricatures. There is some sense that the actors were going through the motions on this one. But the story is predictable and somewhat funny. I think they could have finessed the ending a bit to make the story arc more of a complete circle. The movie could have used a bit more development of the the minor characters and a little less on McConahey and his letcherous behavior. **

He's Just Not That Into You (DVD)
Several characters buy heavily into stereotypes. Completely predictable, with very little about these characters changing. With such a numerous cast, I would expect more than two characters to show personal growth. Three characters just made me sick. The interviews of women outside the story and in between the actual scenes of the film were by far the best part of the movie. The title is appropriate though, as I just wasn't that into this motion picture. *

17 Again
After a string of subpar movies lately, I didn't expect much here. Boy was I surprised. While the premise may be a little tired and old hat, the execution is brilliant. This movie was very funny, with a little campiness thrown in. Efron delivers an excellent performance as a younger version of an unhappy, bordering on midlife crisis Matthew Perry who gets the chance to set things right as his 17 year-old self. The show stealer however is his nerdy best friend Ned, who lives in a geek's nirvana of computer gaming, comic book loving Star Wars/Medieval Fantasy haven and has a crush on the high school principal. This movie was well worth our time, and will probably makes its way onto our DVD shelves someday. ***1/2

The One Even More Overdue

2009-06-03T17:13:00.000-07:00

A couple of rough weeks. Turns out that I didn't get any of the eight teaching positions I was up for after being assured of one for next year. And I hurt myself playing softball again, so I'm all gimpy on crutches with the same injury as last year but different side. Been kinda down lately, so you'll forgive the infrequent blogs. The kids are done at school but the teachers (and assistants like yours truly) have to go through till next week. I'm sure my outlook will improve as time marches on, the due date for baby Laurana approaches, and job prospects open up for next year. I am thankful that I at least have this job next year as well if nothing else pans out. The Lord will put me where he wants me I suppose.

Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian
This one is fairly predictable, exactly what we expect, but on a grander scale. Hank Azaria is tremendously funny as the heavy, Kahmun Ra (or something similar), the mummy from the 1st movie's older brother. Virtually the entire crew of characters from the first movie makes it into this one, along with a few new favorites that haunt the hallowed halls of the Smithsonian in Washington, D. C. The ground is familiar, almost comfortable and only rarely dips into the "oh geez, that schtick again" (I speaking here about fighting with the monkey). All in all, an amusing ride that ups the ante a bit and doesn't waste a lot of time. ***

The One Overdue

2009-05-17T17:17:00.000-07:00

I haven't blogged in a few weeks, so we have to do a little catch up.

NBA, go Boston. Patterson's back at UK to hopefully win a title. I've been pitching for co-ed and men's church softball. Work is driving us crazy, lots of pink slips and firings going around- but fortunately not us. Baby shower-lots of gifts for Laurana. Survived the tornado in Madison County. Oh, and my computer has shuffled off this mortal coil. It was eight years old, which I've been told, had about as much processing power as a modern cell phone, so it was probably its time to go. Had to get a new one-and I'm slowly growing accustomed to Vista.

Star Trek
Awesome. Recommended for trekkies and newbies alike. This one is action packed with a new look and feel. They also were very respectful of the original, but clearly indicated that they are doing their own thing with this incarnation. The new crew injects much needed life into the franchise. ****

Knowing
Very engrossing setup, slightly stilted acting. The first hour and a half were very enjoyable--the ending was laughably horrible. This felt like they had to wrap the script up overnight with too much caffeine and NoDoze (college kids will get this reference). The ending almost ruined the whole thing. *1/2 (In honor of the first hour and a half)

The One with the Overtime

2009-05-02T08:15:00.001-07:00

The last two weeks have been primarily work. That's our focus right now as we finish out the last month of school. Also, softball started and I think I may have cemented my roll as pitcher allowing only 3 runs in 7 innings. For softball, that ain't shabby. The coed team on the other hand is having trouble fielding-literally we can't field a team. We have had no more than 1 girl in all three games. Oi. At least last night we got to scrimmage, but we have had 3 forfeits. Its just sad really.

The NBA playoffs are in full swing, and there have been few surprises--with the exception of the Boston-Chicago series. With the loss of Kevin Garnett, I thought the Celtics would fall, but there have been an amazing 7 overtimes in the first 6 games of the series. This one has been a marvel to watch. No NBA playoff series has ever had more than 2 overtime games, and this one has had four. So with the series going back to Boston for a much anticipated game 7 today, I'm predicting for Rajon Rondo and the Celtics to win--in double overtime.

Star Wars: Planet of Twilight by Barbara Hambly

This is the 3rd and final installment in the "Callista trilogy." This Star Wars book was quite different than the others. The dry planet spotted with mountains of crystal has been limited in trade and reduced to a backwater world for decades as the result of a series of automated gun stations that won't let anyone close. Luke goes there looking for his love Callista (this is pre Mara Jade-Luke) and Leia gets kidnapped here as part of a plot to-you guessed it- take over the galaxy. The Planet Nam Chorios is unlike any other, infested with ubiquitous biting drochs that permeate everything and to the force-sensitive, there is an oppressive pall that reacts with lightning quakes when the force is invoked. Nam Chorios is a strange world of twists and turns, plots and feuds. Han, Chewie, Lando, and the droids spend their time trying to find Leia, and play a lesser, but no less interesting role.

I really enjoyed this book, and find myself trying to anticipate the ending. While some of it I got right, I was pleasantly surprised with the big payoff ending. ***1/2

The One with the Calm Before the Storm

2009-04-18T06:20:00.000-07:00

While this week was busy, next week is ridiculous. Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, we have PD's to go to every day. That's right, I'm an assistant who has to go to PD. The upside is I get paid for two of them, the third I'm not sure yet. Then Thursday I go to the dentist. Ellice has an appointment on Tuesday--pray that goes well.

NBA playoffs start today. Overall, I'm rooting for Kentucky players, the Rockets or LeBron. Isn't DVR wonderful? I'll be able to watch each game in under an hour.

Coed softball is a fiasco so far, as we don't have enough girls--we had to forfeit our first game. We are going to see if we can combine with a girls team--they didn't have enough for a league this year. We'll see how it shakes out.

34 days left of school, and then baby comes, so we are in full countdown mode.

Star Trek: Ghost Ship by Diane Carey

This is Star Trek Next Generation #1; Set just after the first episode of next generation (Encounter at Farpoint), this novel thrusts the Enterprise into a horrible situation, having to choose whether to put millions of beings out of their misery all while surviving against a superpowered extradimensional creature/machine. The theme here is Euthenasia and the characters get downright belligerent in their debate. Carey takes full opportunity to explore the angst, apprehension and uncertainty of this new crew and how the command officers conflict in trying to define their roles on the Enterprise. The author really delivers in the end with a powerful finale; This book feels like an edgy, slightly more raw Next Generation two-part episode. ***1/2

The One with the Changing Table

2009-04-12T14:43:00.000-07:00

We just rebooted the Friends Series, so in honor of that event I'm beginning my blogs with "The One with the..." in the title for a bit.

My parents came over for lamb on Easter Sunday, a yearly tradition. A pleasant visit and an enjoyable meal. Softball starts next week and I don't even have a roster so I can't call anybody; that's my biggest frustration right now. I need to fill out my FASFA.

The highlight of the week was getting the changing table for the baby's room. There was some back pain, some stripped bolts that wouldn't go all the way in, but all and all, its fixed and sturdy enough for its intended purpose. The room is coming together and should be mostly ready by August. She's due in July? Uh oh...

Lots of work and not a lot else. I've got no sports to blog about. I need new slippers.

Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman

This book started out funny with an excellent premise: two angels, one standard and one fallen, both friends likened to undercover agents on opposite sides of the Cold War trying to stop the Apocalypse because they enjoy the world too much to see it end. The book is advertised as in the same league as Douglas Adams's Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, and while it is zany, it is not in the same league. In fact, sometimes it tries too hard. In the first half of the book, there was an effort to explain the Britishisms found inside, but in the second half, they just quit trying. This book is funny in the way that a US marine brandishing a mackerel like a rifle is funny-- I didn't get it either. **

Spring Break comes to an end

2009-04-05T05:56:00.001-07:00

It has been a productive and restful week--I have no regrets. We could have overdone it, but we didn't. We put forth a deliberate effort to take it easy, and I think it has paid off. I got some writing done, we painted the baby's room and generally picked up a bit.

UK got Coach Calipari, and while I had some reservations going into this, I find that the more I hear from him, the better fit I think he is for the program. I'm looking forward to Kentucky's future again. Michigan State and North Carolina made the finals in the NCAA tourney; we're pulling for State as UNC is approaching Ky's alltime win total and the fewer they win, the better. What's that? Football season is approaching? Don't tell Ellice...

We've put the campaign on hold for a bit and reverted to a new module-based game. There has been a lot of consternation over this, as Ellice and I want to move forward but some people wanted something fresh. We'll see what shakes out, but in the meantime the point is to have fun.

Bedtime Stories

I'm always leery when it comes to Adam Sandler movies. The last one I saw was Zohan, and that was garbage. This one however, hits the mark. It's cute, funny and doesn't fill me with the urge to leave (always a good thing in movies). It won't change the world, but Stories is a good time. **1/2

Love Stinks (DVD)

I use to really like this movie, but our most recent viewing revealed how much our temperament has changed. The language and content of this comedy are just not for us anymore. *1/2

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by JK Rowling

The initial volume of the fantastic magical adventure series featuring the world's most famous boy wizard. It was as good this time reading it as the last. ****

Net Force by Tom Clancy and Steve Pieczenik

This is the aptly-named initial entry in Clancy's Net Force series. While a big fan of the Jack Ryan movies, I had never actually read a Clancy novel until now. I thoroughly enjoyed this adventure. It was techie, slightly futuristic with a thoroughly modern feel. Net Force basically is a department dedicated to fighting cyber-terrorism. Alex Michaels is appointed the head of Net Force when his boss is assassinated in a gangland style shooting. This is pulled off very well, and had an exciting climax that I found riveting. I plan on following Alex Michael's adventures in the future. ***1/2

Spring Break 09

2009-03-30T05:21:00.000-07:00

Not much to talk about...let's see...

Oh, Coach Gillispie got canned. I can't say as I didn't see this one coming. Personally, I could have given him another year as Rome wasn't built in a day, but his spiky demeanor and stubborn refusal to adapt to game situations was difficult. The cats were just plain old painful to watch, and I've been there through some tough seasons (89-90 comes to mind--14-14) that were more fun. Their strength of schedule was mind-bogglingly low and we are just use to better here. Hopefully, this is the best for everyone involved. I'm sure Billy G will land on his feet (the millions in buyout shouldn't hurt), and I hope that UK ends up a little better off in the end. The rumor mill is churning, and personally I'm hoping for Pitino (almost impossible) or Travis Ford (unlikely). I await with bait breath...(maybe I should brush)

Basketball Woes and the Final Throes (of Winter)

2009-03-15T05:33:00.000-07:00

It has been a disappointing few weeks, as my beloved Wildcats continue to struggle. Unfortunately, their disappointing loss to LSU in the SEC tournament seems to have sealed the deal and they are not going to the NCAA tournament, but are NIT bound. The inevitable off-season conversations can begin-will Meeks, Patterson and Gillispie stay or go? I would just like to say that I support UK's coach, no matter who it is as long as he is there, so long as he is following the rules and keeping UK's program clean. Hopefully that will put to rest any speculation as to how I feel about it. I also think you need more than two years to complete a transition, especially if the cupboard is if not bare, at least less than fully stocked with players.

That all being said, it is the most wonderful time of year, and I will be pulling for KY schools first, then SEC schools. This year, 3 KY clubs made the big dance, Louisville, a likely #1 seed, my alma mater WKU, and Morehead State from the OVC.

At our respective schools, Ellice and I have been keeping our noses to the grindstone. Ellice is preparing for Academic team regionals, and I'm just trying to hang on. We are growing ever more optimistic and fearful about the pregnancy as the threshold day gradually approaches.

We had what will probably our last snow, one final blast of winter. It was less than desired, but still a joy to watch. This has probably been the harshest winter we've had for about four years, after a series of particularly long ones. Time for spring to rear its allergy-induing head.

Race to Witch Mountain
Lately Hollywood, with an ever-growing deficit of ideas for new movies, has been reviving old movie series and TV shows. Disney is no different, so they dusted off this old, cheesy franchise, inserted a high-profile actor (the Rock, Dwayne Johnson)--and created something truly memorable. As far as family films go, this one has a bit of violence and intensity, but it is Disney violence so you'll probably be okay. I really enjoyed this film and we intend to add it to our Disney library. ***1/2

The Hero and the Crown by Robin McKinley
This is the Newbury award winning prequel to The Blue Sword. Ellice recommended this title to me and I thoroughly enjoyed it, particularly the first half. Aerin, a misfit half-witch princess who doesn't quite fit in with the rest of the royal family, cuts her teeth dragon-hunting, and eventually discovers her niche--as a great hero. Her near-fatal battle to slay the great dragon Maug leads her on a road of discovery and eventually on a search for the Hero's Crown. The quest leads her to find out about her own heritage. I found the battle scenes were where the book really soared, but found some of the book rather indulgent. There were times when it was difficult to tell what was really going on and what was in Aerin's head. I recommend the book as well, as long as you are willing to reread sections to figure out what is really going on. **1/2

Two weeks

2009-03-01T05:53:00.000-08:00

A few quick notes:

We've pretty much stuck to our schedule with work, volleyball, and Wednesday night church. There have been a few UK games: up and down as par for the course this year, a few wins a few losses. Unfortunately, the losses have put us in jeopardy of not making the tournament this year. We are in the delicate position of needing to win our next two games to get a chance at the Big dance.

We haven't seen many movies, what with American Idol, basketball, Amazing Race and Survivor. This season is more stay at home than anything. We do plan on watching Witch Mountain soon, but other than that, not much is interesting us.

Ellice's team won District in Governor's Cup! That's like UK football beating Florida or Tennessee, it has been so long for her school. I'm very proud of my wife and all the time and energy she has put into this team. She's very proud of her kids.

We have recently started the Love Dare, the marriage devotional featured in the Kirk Cameron movie Fireproof. It is fun, and sometimes a little work, but in the long run, if you don't actively focus on your marriage, you won't get as much out of it.

Tarzan of the Apes by Edgar Rice Burroughs

Yes, this is the original, and it is quite different than film portrayals. Very enjoyable if a little dated in terms of treatments of race. The story is pretty much the opening chapter of the legend that we already know of from films, with some interesting other elements. I greatly enjoyed Tarzan's rise to power among the apes and the dangers of Africa. This is an excellent tale of the struggle and ultimate triumph of man versus nature. A bit of a surprise when the characters ended up in the United States. The ending is largely unresolved; logical as this story was part of a very long series. ***

Fireproof (DVD)

This movie was hyped to us as a landmark in Christian film. While I don't think it was all that and certainly not a wonderful cinematic achievement, it was an enjoyable and enlightening movie. It is about a firefighter and his wife on the edge of divorce. Kirk Cameron's father asks him to hold off for forty days while completing "The Love Dare." The Love Dare journey leads Cameron to the Lord and ultimately saves their marriage. The story is good but the acting is very wooden (aside from Cameron perhaps.) However, the strength of the movie is its message. The film features mondo material from Christian relationship books such as His Needs Her Needs, Financial Peace, and Love and Respect. I really enjoyed seeing elements of these works acted out. I recommend this movie for any couple, purely on the strength of its message and on entertainment value. **1/2

Blood of Amber by Roger Zelazny

Book 7 of the Chronicles of Amber--will it ever end? First five books were fantastic. The next two have been just interesting enough to keep me reading; I have to find out how this series ends, even if the story is dragging and a bit on the confusing side. In this one, Merle actually has to team up with the guy who has been trying to kill him for years, and finds out that there is a greater conspiracy afoot. He's trying to figure all this out, and the reader is ever trying to figure out what he's figured out. Yes, it is that confusing. But I'm invested at this point. Not much is resolved in this one. **

Tax time

2009-02-16T15:30:00.001-08:00

We have weathered the literal storm and now it is time for the financial one. We went to H&R Block and got less of a return than we have had in the past, but it is enough to buy a few items we really need, pay off some Dr. bills, and get a couple of things we really want, so we're okay. We are paying our bills and not going further into debt, and that's a good thing.

Kentucky beat Florida on a late 3 by Meeks and then beat Arkansas down there in hog country, so UK has rebounded nicely from their 3 game slump to get back in the hunt.

Other than that, we're pushing through the dog days of winter until spring break, or the next snow day, if it comes. I was briefly ahead in the reading race for one shining moment of glory, and then Ellice read Wicked in 3 days soon to be followed by Twilight. It was fun while it lasted. Maybe I'll finish a book this week.

Powering through

2009-02-09T03:01:00.000-08:00

The work week was sporadic, what with intermittent days due to power outages. The kids were a lot wonky, as if they had never had instruction on how to behave at school. They seem legitimately surprised when they get called down for stuff. Sometimes I wonder...

UK lost yet another one. Our star players Patterson and Meeks scored 15 pts each. Meeks is the fourth leading scorer in the country and the opposition is beating the crap out of him. I'm appalled at the lack of calls. Meeks lost a tooth in the last game, can you believe that? They really are getting frustrated, you can see that on the court. The reason they are losing is they are growing tentative. Everyone but Meeks and Patterson are being left wide open and won't or can't score, they are giving up on the inside and can't grab a board, and the turnovers have steadily increased. Let's hope the coach can fix things by tomorrow with Florida coming to town.

The Savage Caves by T H Lain (Philip Athans)

T H Lain was a pseudonym used by a series of nine authors for books published by Wizards of the Coast.

This book was not a stellar work of literature by any means, but it was good fantasy adventure. This book is based on the DND game, and captures the feel and essence of a role-playing dungeon. Above and beyond that, there isn't much here. A fun book, that won't shake up the world. **1/2

Hmmm...what to blog about...

2009-02-02T06:03:00.000-08:00

How about...the worst power outage in Kentucky history?

This week featured an ice storm that trumped the storm of 2003, putting over 600,000 customers, including yours truly, without electricity in the Bluegrass. We were put up for a night by friends and then put others up for a while when ours was restored. The region has looked like the disaster area that it is, but we've held up pretty well, all things considered. Power is still a rare commodity statewide, but as of last night everyone within our circle officially has electricity.

UK has dropped a pair of games just after cracking the top 25, due to poor rebounding and turnovers. Hopefully, Billy G can right the ship before we drop too many.

The Super Bowl party was a lot of fun, with a very dramatic game. Pittsburgh came up with more big plays and showed why they were the team to beat. Arizona took the lead late, but the Steelers stepped up big time on a last minute drive to take home the Lombardi trophy for a record sixth time in franchise history. I was rooting for the Cards, in case anyone was wondering.

Wicked
The music was fantastic, the production wonderful. There were a few twists I didn't expect, and a lot of cheeky humor. I loved this musical. Elphaba was fantastic, Glinda was good, not great (I could see why she was an understudy). For any lover of powerful music and high production value, I highly recommend this play. ****

The Pursuit of God by Andrew Tozer
This was one of the more thought-provoking and inspirational religious works I've read over the past few years. The premise is that modern religion is no longer concerned with deliberate worship, but looks at church in a more passive, entertainment focused atmosphere. This was a stirring read; I recommend this author to any who feel they need a fire lit under their complacency. ***

Wicked

2009-01-25T05:31:00.001-08:00

There is a double meaning to this weeks title. One, is as in 'wicked cool'. If you were around in the 80's, you may remember this very popular expression. If not, trust me, everyone talked like they came from California for a time. The other meaning is more topical; we are planning to see the traveling Broadway musical this evening in Louisville, and my wife couldn't be more excited.

To sum up this week, I was observed on three separate occasions, students are starting to act a little wonky, Uk had a pair of tight games, and we had our first high-risk visit at the perinatalogist. Good news on several counts; UK won both games (5-0 in SEC play thus far), everything looks great, and its a...GIRL! (This is the 'wicked' cool part)

David has recovered well enough to be out and about and we had our first gaming session back-Star Wars. I had hopes of completing the adventure, but alas, the best laid plans...At any rate, we'll hopefully finish next time around and be back to the solo adventures in DND.

My reading pace has been quite good this year. I'm looking forward to my slate of reads. Right now I'm actively reading the following: Eye of the World, Treasure Island, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Star Wars: Planet of Twilight, The Savage Caves, Net Force, Blood of Amber, The Pursuit of God, The Complete Brother's Grimm Fairy Tales, and the Hero and the Crown. Wow, you put it down on paper and it looks like a lot.

Twilight
We finally took the plunge to see what all the hubbub was about. The teen-angst-ridden vampire romance was an entertaining movie. The visuals were very good at carrying the tone of the film and the story was intriguing. However the dialogue clearly marked this as a cheesy teeny tale. While market appropriate, the lack of universal appeal knocks this one down a peg or two. It has been pointed out to me that my favorites, Star Wars, featured similar cheesy dialogue. I countered with the fact that SW is space opera, and dialogue wasn't to be its strength. That all being said, I was enteretained, and plan on reading the books at some point and watching the rest of the series. **1/2

So Far So Good

2009-01-18T22:09:00.000-08:00

The year has started out relatively well. My leg is recovering and I can play volleyball again. I'm not 100% but I'm well enough to be active again. Jodie Meeks (UK basketball) has been phenomenal. This player is a once in a lifetime treat to watch play. Last week he scored 54 points in a single game breaking a bunch of UK records in the process. The previous record was 53 by Dan Issel back in 1970. He's average 25 points a game. More importantly, UK is winning in a season that many didn't expect UK to do much.

With the cold day last Friday, school was cancelled, giving us a 4 day weekend (with MLK day on Monday). Unfortunately, our neighbors pipe burst due to the cold, and I feel really bad for him. As a result, our water was turned off for a day--an inconvenience to be sure, but in the end, we have water again and don't have any damage.

David had his birthday party this weekend, and he's feeling pretty good considering the seriousness of his operation. The kidney is taking well, and we'll be gaming again come Thursday to round out this Star Wars adventure we've been on for some time.

We find out the sex of the baby on Tuesday (hopefully) and make sure that everything is allright. Ellice is emotional with the flood of hormones raging through her body, and its been a bit of a roller coaster here. Not only for her, but I've been up and down as well. But more up than down lately. Other than that, everything is hunky dory over here at the Gullett's.

Job: A Comedy of Justice by Robert Heinlein

This is one of the famous Scifi author's later works, and at one time was my favorite novel. Alexander Hergensheimer, a minister for Churches United for Decency is persecuted by some power that keeps transporting him through parallel universes where technology and customs change in the blink of an eye. His trials and tribulations are reminescent of the tests that Job underwent in the Old Testament (hence the title). His only comfort during these jumps through the dimensions is his free-spirited companion Margarethe who is along for the ride. This book is humorous in a sardonic way, and takes an outsider's perspective on social customs, morality and religion. The book is very well-written and grips you from the get-go. A word of caution; there is quite a bit of sex in this book, and is rather heretical (putting it lightly). If you can read the book recognizing its tongue-in-cheek nature and not completely drop after a jab or two from the author's somewhat skewed but humorous perspective on religion, then I recommend this read. ****

Back to School

2009-01-11T17:17:00.001-08:00

Getting back in the swing of school has been difficult. It is always hard to adjust to an artificial eating schedule. When working, very small breakfast at 6:30am in the car, then a small snack at 10:30am, then lunch at 1:15pm. By 4pm, I'm ravenous from not getting enough food through the day. And there isn't any way to adjust it; i only get a 15 min. break at 10:30am, so I can't really lunch then. Oh well, I've gotten through before and I'll do it again.

UK won the Liberty Bowl and that makes three bowl victories in a row, a record for a perennial football doormat. Kudos to the team. The basketball team lost a heartbreaker to Louisville by a last second 3-pointer by Sosa, but rebounded to defeat Vanderbilt in the SEC opener Saturday.

Other than that, I'm just waiting for a snow day.

The Totally Useless History of the World by Ian Crofton

This book has many hundreds of tidbits of useless trivia about things you don't read about in the history books. It was a fun read, but the language is decidedly pompous and pretentious (maybe intentionally so) and tended to focus on baudy humor. **

Phule's Company by Robert Asprin

This is the initial entry in the Phule series from Asprin, the other of the famous "Myth" books. Phule is the ridiculously wealthy Captain of a group of misfit space legionnaires that he brings together as a standout unit through personal charisma and a unique outlook that money changes everything. Phule is always one step ahead of the game and (almost) always ends up on top. Asprin's singular brand of comedic writing in fantasy translates well into science fiction. While not hard core scifi, it is a refreshing foray into the genre. I'm a fan and will miss the late author's works (Asprin died in 2008). ***

Good Riddance 2008

2009-01-01T06:17:00.000-08:00

Let's put 2008 to bed, shall we?

Those of you close to us know that 2008 was a rough year, but 2009 already begins with a host of possibilities. The blessings we had in 2008 we don't take for granted but we do consider them mixed. All centers around the loss of Hope. But we've tried to stay focused on God and our family on the way.

We got a new beautiful apartment, got pregnant again right away, got to go on a cruise to the Bahamas, our friend David got a new kidney, Disneyworld, Arabian Nights, King's Island, James got married, UK kept their NCAA streak and their Bowl streaks going, new nephew Hayden, Ellice got a regular teaching job that she really likes, worked the Madrigal at EKU, Ellice sang in a trio, coached the church coed softball and volleyball teams, and I got everything but my practicum done for my Masters.

On the downside, there was our loss, Ellice's surgery, weeklong stay in the hospital and subsequent recovery, my injury that resulted in 6 months of rehab (including a stint in a wheelchair), grandpa Gullett's open heart surgery, grandpa Gullett's health scare, grandma Chick's surgery, and Hurricane James (many of these were good and bad).

Okay, prospects for 09 look good. There are great financial worries on the horizon, but we are in the best position that we've been in since we got married and God has provided well for us. We are going to go see Wicked in Louisville this month, and Ellice is all a tither. Baby makes three in June, UK is looking good and I'm healing.

Movie of the Year for me was Dark Knight. Hands down, no contest.
Favorite book was Elfstones of Shannara

(Paltry) Reading list for 2008

1. SW: Republic Commando: Hard Contact (3/25) 293
2. CoA: Trumps of Doom (5/11) 121
3. Eris: Game of Pawns (6/5) 322
4. Dragonslayer (6/7) 218
5. 1001 Brilliant Chess Sacrifices and Combos (6/20) 252
6. My Utmost for His Highest (8/28) 366
7. The Case for Christmas (8/30) 91
8. The Toothpaste Millionaire (8/31) 129
9. Dark Alchemy (9/14) 292
10. EP: Lion in the Valley (9/21) 291
11. ST: The Return (9/26) 371
12. I Surrender All (10/18) 169
13. The Giver (10/27) 180
14. Elfstones of Shannara (11/15) 564
15. Mal: Guardians of the West (11/28) 438
16. The Legend of the Lone Ranger (12/5) 188
17. Phule’s Company (12/27) 232

Total page count 4617

Happy Holidays

2008-12-26T13:59:00.000-08:00

It was a Merry Christmas after all. After the typical slew of Christmas parties and gift exchanges, we received the greatest gift of all, a Christmas cold. Ellice has had the worst of it, but we are both on the mend now. The haul for me included a UK scarf, a bunch of books I've been trying to find, a WWII video game I wanted, some minis, chocolate, Outback gift card, and a new Trivial Pursuit game, all great presents.

Jodie Meeks has gone off lately, scoring 46 in one game and 32 the next. So the Cats have done well down this last non-conference stretch, which is good, since they have the joust with Louisville coming up soon (after two more warm up games).

The break has been good for recovering. Ellice's brother James brought his new wife Jasmine to stay for a few days during the Christmas break. He'll be deployed again probably in the spring, so it is good to see him. David seems to be doing well with his new kidney, and we will continue our prayers on his behalf.

No new reviews. Next week, you will see my paltry reading list for the year.

SNOW DAY!!!!

2008-12-16T02:31:00.000-08:00

We got one this time, a snow day, the best reason to go into education. Well, maybe helping kids, inspiring a love of learning, yada, yada are higher on the list---naw, snow days are the number one reason.

UK won its annual joust with Indiana, redeeming last season's blowout with one of our own. Not too shabby, but freshman Liggins's play was spotty at best. Probably why he hasn't had as much time at the point as fans have been clammoring for. The football team got its bowl bid; the Liberty Bowl, sometime in January against a 9-3 East Carolina Team. I don't know about you, but I think a 6-6 wildcat team should get a team with a more comparable record. I was discussing that very thing with a member of my Sunday School class that it is kind of disrespectful to such a good team to play a mediocre SEC team. I still hope we win to make it 3 bowl victories in a row.

David is recovering, thus far doing quite well. Ellice has been battling a tremendously taxing schedule along with exhaustion from the pregnancy. This day should be a welcome respite.

No reviews this week. Enjoy the break.

A Friend Gets a Blessing

2008-12-07T06:26:00.000-08:00

The only news really to report is one of my closest friends just got a kidney transplant when he needed it most. He is recovering and will be sequestered from most people to prevent complications and prevent rejection, but he will recover. God is great and has blessed him mightily.

The wife and I are feeling better. UK won one on Wednesday against Lamar but lost two players in a terrible head-to-head collision that sent one into the locker room for ten stitches and the other to the hospital. He is still out indefinitely with a neckbrace. UK then dropped a game yesterday against #21 Miami University (Florida). In an unusual turnaround, they play again today at home against a smaller school, Mississippi Valley State.

The Legend of the Lone Ranger by Gary McCarthy

Silver bullets, white stallions and a masked vigilante out to right the wrongs of frontier Texas. This adaptation of the 1981 film was very good and invokes traditional images of the Old West. I really enjoyed reading this one. The story is familiar to those of my generation and older, but the retelling of it brought back fond memories. The book is short, and fast-paced. There could have been more description and detail in the scenes, but as often happens in novelizations of movies, they get right to the point. There is a chase scene at the end where I could hear the pulse-pounding William Tell Overture (the traditional Lone Ranger theme) playing in my head. That alone puts this book in the good read column in my book. ***

Guardians of the West by David Eddings

Part One in the Mallorean, a five-volume series following the author's Belgariad series. I love these books. Eddings brings back the large ensemble cast years after Belgarion's battle with the evil god Torak and the restoration of the Rivan throne to confront a new evil, and another dire prophecy. This one involves Belgarion and Ce'nedra's newborn son. The story centers around his kidnapping and features more sword, sorcery and siege--what we have come to expect. The story is comfortable yet infuses more political intrigue than earlier works, a welcome addition. I'm going to notch it down a half because a lot of time (about the first half of the book) is spent on exposition (as can be expected for the 1st in a new series) and I anticipate that the rest of the series will be a more enthralling read. I love reading these books, and look forward to finishing the series. ***1/2

I am struggling

2008-11-28T04:23:00.000-08:00

Very sick this week. On top of breathing problems, Wednesday night through Thanksgiving I have had a stomach virus. I was unable to partake in the yearly feast, much to my chagrin.

On a lighter note, UK rebounded from their first two losses to defeat a pair of lesser opponents. Still a little shaky at the point, but they are improving. This weekend they will be in Vegas for a a tournament.

New shopping center in Richmond has opened, at least partially and we'll have to visit the movie theater there sometime soon. I'm on the fence whether we'll try to shop on Black Friday. We'll see. Have a happy holiday weekend.

UK is Struggling

2008-11-16T05:53:00.000-08:00

We received our tickets to Wicked for January, and Ellice is really excited. Other than that, not much is going on. We have our first Dr. Appointment in a couple of weeks. I'm forbidden from playing Volleyball until Spring, and I'm really struggling with that.

Star Wars is going well; we're having fun playing. There have been a few near-death experiences, but the crew is getting the feeling of high adventure.

UK's basketball team was stunned Friday by a hot shooting VMI team in a track meet-103-111. Poor defense and a surprising lack of effort was the reason. They tried to rely on their length and athletic ability instead of hustle. And they got the expected result. Hopefully, this highly regarded team can get it together. Tuesday they face #1 North Carolina, so we are likely going to start the season 0-2.

The Football team started out the first half against Vanderbilt with only 15 yards of offense. Needless to say, they lost, 24-31. The sluggish wildcats had a chance late, but another interception from freshman QB Randall Cobb cost the wildcats their chance at tying the game.

Elfstones of Shannara by Terry Brooks

This is the second installment of the Shannara series set some 30 or 40 years after Sword of Shannara. Wow, fantasy literature at its best. I loved this book. There was a much smaller party than the Sword, but Wil Ohmsford and Amberle have a fine adventure. Basically, the Ellcrys, a great mystical elven tree that keeps the demon hordes trapped in a parallel dimension is dying, and the pair have to prepare the next Ellcrys by bathing its seed in the Bloodfire. Meanwhile, Allanon the druid and the elven prince Ander Ellesedil have to hold off the ancient enemies in massive engagements.

I predicted the main twist in the book, but it was still way cool. Allanon delivers in his fight against the great evil demon the Dagda Mor. I just can't recommend this book enough to lovers of fantasy. They plan to make this one a movie, so get out there and read this one before the film comes out! ****

Quantum of Solace
The second Daniel Craig version of James Bond. We saw this one at Movie Tavern and the poor service was due to their being understaffed. We were both so hungry and frustrated that our opinion of the movie may have been affected. That being said, here's what we thought:
Action-packed but a bit too fast paced. We both lost track of the plot and who were good guys and bad. And we both dislike the trend in recent years of "shaky cam" featured in the Bourne movies. For some reason, this generation of directors think that the quick shaky cam is a good way to increase intensity. All it does is make me nauseous and I can't tell what is going on. But the story, from what we could tell was good, but it felt like a the second movie in a trilogy. We were expecting more after the amazing Casino Royale. This will probably be a better movie when we see it on DVD in our comfortable home. ***

We have a new President

2008-11-08T11:42:00.000-08:00

Well the election didn't go my way. Ce la vie. Hopefully, there will be a peaceful transition of power, the Dems will overstep their bounds like they did the last time they had both Houses and the Presidency, and the backlash will restore the balance of power.

One brief political note, then I'll leave it be for the time being. I am rather disappointed in the electorate for their lack of historical or political perspective. The whole campaign season has centered on Bush bashing and "Change" for change sake. But that's not what happened. The Presidency changed, but the party in power in Congress who is as responsible as the President for the current Wars we are in and the economy today (which is very little influence, actually) got further entrenched in power. To be a true change, then the party with the majority would have been ousted, but apparently the populace was spoonfed by the Media that the Republicans are responsible for everything, which is simply a ridiculous assertion. Also, the national media's love affair with Obama was rather sickening, and it shocks me that the fourth estate was able to collectively put a media darling into such a position of power with little scrutiny.

Okay, I got that off my chest. In other news, job is stressful and I aggravated my leg injury in another volleyball loss. I have been told by my PT that I am not able to play volleyball for the rest of the season to let it heal. Needless to say, I'm disappointed.

Good news is that I am in a good writing cycle thanks to Ellice's idea that I write in the morning for fifteen minutes every day before I leave for work. So far, its worked rather well. Let's hope we can keep it up.

City of Ember
This is film adaptation of the novel I reviewed in an earlier blog.
I found the movie entertaining, but a bit rushed and somewhat less enjoyable than the novel. Bill Murray plays the smarmy mayor relatively well, and I thought the underground city was well represented. I thought they left the sense of mystery that was in the book out in the expository opening of the movie, as they told everything in a matter of two minutes. Overall, I'll give it as **

All Hallow's Eve

2008-11-01T19:38:00.000-07:00

The week in review. I apologize for the length, but quite a bit happened this time around...

Babysat a couple of kids on my own for the first time, that was interesting. It didn't go too bad. Feed 'em, let them help clean up a bit, exercise 'em, let 'em watch a good Disney movie and that was about it. No hitches, no major injuries, and no real problems---this time.

I have hit a wall physically. I'm completely worn out; my leg is hurting almost nonstop. This work and exercise schedule leaves me with no energy. I feel sick and I'm not sure if it is something contagious or just severe allergies. The difference is minimal. I'm coughing sporadically, and that's never a good sign with me. I actually had to take a day off Friday as I can barely get up and down stairs. The day of recuperation seems to have helped as I seem a bit more mobile today (Saturday). Energy level is still low however.

Work is taxing emotionally as well. The teams are gradually making more demands, pushing what I am capable of providing. I have to repeat the mantra that I cannot possibly make everyone happy, so just do my best. I've been put in instructional situations more and more often with larger and larger groups of kids, not just assistance roles. I'm getting the feeling that I'm being used more like a collaborative teacher than an aide. That's fine and all, but the pay should be about 3x what I'm making. I'm feeling a bit used.

We lost our volleyball game Tuesday; very frustrating as we have some members of the team that just don't seem to put forth much effort; not only during a game but in being receptive to improve their skills. Some are and I am very pleased with the hustle and trying to make plays. Maybe I just want more for the team than they are capable of, but it is hard to be a coach and lose game after game.

After the volleyball game Tuesday night, our neighbor's tiny dog was mauled by a part-wolf mix right in front of us. It was very sad. The coy dog was acting very oddly, wondering through heavy traffic and charging other animals, and we had to call in the cops, who in turn called animal control. The little dog didn't make it, it had lost way too much blood. Weird night.

One comment on the election. Could you imagine in 1944 having a major party candiate for President named Adolf Hermann Manteufel? Or in 1960 a candidate with the moniker Nikita Brelenev? 1972 Ho Minh Cho? Think about it.

Halloween was fun; dressing up like Jedi and handing out candy. Now that we are on a major thoroughfare, we had to make Jack-o-Lanterns and the whole nine yards. I made hot apple cider and after trick-or-treat, we had friends over to play a couple of Trivia games. Lots of fun.

UK is bowl eligible after defeating Mississippi State on the road 14-13. Woo-hoo! If we can win another, we can definitely get a bowl, and there are several games left. Also tonight, we went with my parents to Rupp Arena to watch the Blue-White basketball game. Lotsa fun. They should be better than last year, I think.

The Giver by Lois Lowry

This is a Newbury award-winner that many people had recommended, so I gave it a shot. The setup of the book is great; very intriguing. Young Jonas lives in a society rather different than ours. I don't want to give too much away, but everyone follows the Rules. There are many rules, everyone is very polite, and they happily do their appointed duties. Jonas is on the cusp of his apprenticeship as a Twelve (year-old), and is eagerly anticipating his future. Then things go slightly awry.

The story pace is engaging, as one would expect from the young fiction genre. I was engrossed until the end--which threw me for a loop. I didn't like the way it wrapped up. However, as one mark of good literature is to promote thinking and discussion, I suppose I have to give it a bump in the star count for that. ***

Break is over

2008-10-25T11:15:00.000-07:00

The first week back from Fall Break is over, and this week has proven difficult. The weather changed, going from 70s and 80s to 40s and 50s rather abruptly, and my body doesn't adapt well.

We won our first volleyball game of the season rather handily. Let's hope this proves to be a trend. We had dinner guests over one night, and played Star Wars on Monday. Both were good times. Went to the Ren festival on Saturday with Andi and her fiance Vince, and we went to my brother-in-law's birthday party. We also signed up for a new insurance plan, and of course the rates are all going up, but we'll adapt.

We instituted a new workout regime including strength training. And let me tell ya, it is definitely a challenge. It's a four day-a-week plan including walking all the other days and so far we haven't seen a lot of results on the scale, but my waistline does seem to be decreasing a bit.

Since we got on a budget, we haven't gone to the movies, but we plan on watching one today. Not sure which, but probably City of Ember. Actually, our movie-going is probably more influenced by the quality of movies coming out more than anything. The big Florida game is today, so I'd like to wish the injury-depleted Wildcats good luck.

I Surrender All by Clay and Renee Cross

This book is about Clay Cross's struggles against the sinful addiction of pornography and how they went from the edge of ruin to a ministry of helping to create "Holy Homes." Clay Cross, a contemporary Christian singer, spoke at a marriage conference we went to, and this ministry really speaks to me. I've had my own struggles and with the Lord's help, we've made making our home a "Holy Home" a priority in our lives. The wife and I have started looking at our collection of books, movies and TV shows in a different light, thanks to the insights of this book. Recommended for married adults who are struggling with decisions about what media to expose their family and marriage to. ***

Fall Break

2008-10-14T07:10:00.001-07:00

I was really putting this blog off until I had something to review, whether it be a book I had finished or a movie I had watched, but I just couldn't quite get to anything or finish a book. Seeing as how this is Fall Break (ahhhhhhh) a book or two should get read this week.

The things that have happened in the interim:
Ellice has sustained a pair of injuries, one to her lower back and another to her knee. She's doing okay, but hobbling a bit and in general feeling rather sore. Pray for her recovery.

In our game we finished my character's solo, a rousing adventure that was a lot of fun and may be published someday, either as a novel, short story or module(hopefully). At the minimum, it will make on the gaming blogs attached to this one. We are switching over to Star Wars: Dreams of Destiny next week, and we're all eager for the change of pace.

UK's football team lost a pair of heartbreakers after a promising 4-0 start. The first was to #2 ranked Alabama on their field (14-17) and the second was a tight contest to South Carolina (17-24). We lost our #1 senior receiver, Dicky Lyons, JR. to a season (career) ending injury to his leg. He leaves us as an all-time top five receiver in a bunch of categories at the University. He will be missed. Our defense has been sensational, but our offense has struggled. We are hoping to win a few more games in the super-tough SEC to become bowl eligible for the third year in a row, for the first time since Bear Bryant coached here in the 1940s-1950s. Next week we host Arkansas, then we go to top ten Florida in Gainesville who Kentucy hasn't beaten in like seventeen years or so. Beth (Chick) use to go there and she says don't feel bad, they cheat :)

On another note, UK had their Midnight Madness, the first practice for the basketball team last Friday night. Everyone is fired up about this team as we have depth, a lot of height, and everyone seems healthy after the injury-plagued season last year. Ellice and I are both excited to see our Basketball team return to prominence.

Our volleyball team tries, but alas, I have led us to three straight losses. I'm working on getting more energy and enthusiasm into the games, maybe that will help. Between the losses in softball and the volleyball team, I'm starting to think that coaching may not be my thing.

Have a good week all.

A Week of Prayer

2008-09-27T21:30:00.000-07:00

Is it just me, or does it seem that virtually everyone is under duress? Most people we know are facing minor (and in some cases major) crises at this time. People can't sell their house, job uncertainties, family, finance, health issues, the list goes on and on. Ellice and I have been squabbling of late, but we've worked things out. We've prayerfully gone to God to make our relationship better and we are better off for it. Other than the bickering, this week has been pretty full with the usual stuff.

We lost our first Volleyball game this week, 2-1. I wish I could have played, but my injury from this summer is still nagging me. Believe me, I'd play if I was able. Remember I was in a wheelchair about two months ago and I'm no spring chicken.

Our car wouldn't start two times this week. Once we thought was a fluke but today we determined that the two year old car has a bum battery. Let's hope that was the only poorly made item on the Kia--stay tuned for updates. Car works fine now.

UK won its fourth game tonight against in-state rival (and my alma mater) WKU, 41-3. Kentucky holds the fourth longest active streak of non-conference victories in the nation. Something to definitely be proud of in the age of upsets. Several top teams have been inexplicably defeated early in the year this year. Early casualties of the upset bug include USC, Georgia, Maryland and I think Florida lost one already. Next week we face a ranked Alabama team at their place--probably going to be our first loss given all our injuries thus far this season.

The Lion in the Valley by Elizabeth Peters
Another installment (4th) in the Amelia Peabody series which were highly recommended by Ellice, continues her family's adventures in solving murder mysterious and foiling criminal conspiracies in early 20th century Egypt. If you are unfamiliar with these works, imagine Frasier Crane as a woman solving mysteries in a Hercule Poirot vein with the backdrop of being archaeologists. These stories are character driven with a well-supported plot. Little Ramses, the son of Amelia and Emerson, is growing ever more precocious, and the 'Master Criminal' that has been hinted at through the series finally makes an appearance. The language is sporadically thick (and a little haughty), but doesn't interfere with the flow of the story. An enjoyable entry in the series. **1/2

Star Trek: The Return by William Shatner
You read correctly--Shatner. Guess who comes back after dying on Veridian III in the Star Trek Generations movie? Well, Shatner wrote the book, so Kirk did in fact come back from the dead. While a bit of a stretch, this one is fun and with an interesting twist; Kirk plays the villain out to get Picard and his friends. It seems some Romulan and Borg collaborate to get rid of the Federation once and for all, and use a reanimated Captain Kirk to infiltrate and do the job. This one has a smattering of about everything from the original Enterprise crew, to Next Generation and Deep Space 9 to fill the pages. It was neat to have those characters interacting. Nice twists in the story (which I feel I should not give away), some unexpected cameos, and a satisfying ending make this a good one to get. ***

Money changes everything

2008-09-18T19:09:00.000-07:00

Well the Lord provided us with our first solid teacher's salary paycheck, and while we're not out of the woods, we can at least see the path that leads out. We are now on a budget which we have painstakingly created. There will be some hard choices ahead, but with the Lord's help, we'll get where he wants us to be.

Ellice is doing well in her job; I'm okay in mine. My attitude is much improved and usually go through each day with a fairly light disposition. PT is still daunting, and I've had a brief bout of illness, but other than that, we're muddling through.

UK narrowly escaped defeat this past weekend; Kentucky was up 20-14 and our opponent heaved a desperation pass as time expired 60+ yards downfield. The ball bounced around and dropped right into a receivers hands. Shades of the LSU last second miracle play some years ago came to mind, but a defensive back named McAtee made a game-saving tackle on the 1-yard line. Whew! Kentucky has started 3-0 and has a bye this week, followed by my alma mater WKU the next Saturday.

Dark Alchemy by Sarah Lovett

I found this book on a bargain table at Walmart, having never heard of the author nor the title character, Dr. Sylvia Strange. This is in the middle of a series (I believe) but reading this as a stand alone isn't a big deal. Dr. Strange is an expert in investigating serial poisoners and the novel reads much like a Kathy Reichs's Bones or the CSI series. The novel was closer to an episode of Bones than a CSI, so followers of that show would most certainly enjoy a Strange novel. I find it draggy at the beginning, which sometimes happens with unfamiliar characters, but about halfway through the book, it transformed into a real page-turner. I recommend this book to those who like a good criminal melodrama. **1/2

The best laid plans

2008-09-07T16:46:00.000-07:00

Well, I had an interview this week at a school in Lexington. I don't think anything is going to come of it, but hey, I looked good enough to consider at any rate. I'm content to be where God wants me, and if he wants me to stay where I am, I'll do my best there.

UK (football) had a pair of crushing victories the last two weekends, one expected, the other a surprise. There defense is very good, holding the two opponents to a measley 5 points combined. UK defeated archrival Louisville 27-2 and Norfolk St 38-3. Pretty impressive defense. The offense is still looking for itself (14 of the 27 against Louisville were defensive touchdowns, and another forced turnover gave UK an easy opportunity for another), but the defense seems up to the task of keeping us afloat in the meantime. Our landlord gave us tickets to the Norfolk St game, and we had a lot of fun there.

The classes I've had the last two semesters have been heavy on the workload and I haven't read as much as years past. Ellice and I keep track of our books read and have for as long as we have been together. She's done very well this year--I have not. I've only read 8 books this year, but since I have no classes this semester, I've developed an agressive reading plan. My goal is 30 by year's end. My average is about 33 a year (Ellice usually reads about the same, but her page count is much larger). She already has 30 this year, if that gives you any idea where we are.

Along with the reading plan, which is going quite well so far, I've developed a plan for my writing. Unfortunately, with the hectic pace of our lives which includes PT twice a week, I haven't had time for much in this area. But I am putting forth the effort. Once PT is over and volleyball season begins, I hope the Mrs. and I can develop a workout program as well.

The Toothpaste Millionaire by Jean Merrill

A cute story about a pair of ingenious and courageous kids who seize opportunity and turn their ideas into a booming business. This kid's story is a great approachable way to introduce the idea of entrepreneurship. Aside from that, it's a fun story. ***

A Hectic Week

2008-08-30T10:10:00.000-07:00

We are trying to establish our routines for this year and we are going through transitional pains as it were. Money is as tight as ever, but there is hope on the horizon with Ellice's new job (God be praised) and the increase in income forthcoming. As I'm not taking classes this semester, I'm going to be able to focus on my writing and church activities.

The week shakes down like this: every other Monday we'll be gaming for a few hours--if you don't keep the game up, it dies and we are having way too much fun to let that happen. Tuesdays will be volleyball, almost straight through until spring. Ellice and I have decided to take the church's sign language class on Wednesdays. Ellice has Bible study and bunco on Thursdays, and Friday is grocery night. Saturdays are resting-date days, and Saturday nights will be UK football of course. Sunday is church and lesson planning for Ellice. I'll probably be writing on Thursday and Sundays. Somewhere in there we'd like to walk and swim at the YMCA, once Ellice feels up to it. There you go, that's our week in a nutshell.

My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers

This daily devotional was intense; an uplifting read that was at times thought provoking but at others rather harsh. This turn of the century work seemed to be written from a missions perspective, with an emphasis on trusting God for everything and sacrificing self. While appropriate, the language was very dogmatic as if Chambers himself held not only the keys to life, the universe and everything (Christ of course) but also the definitive disciplines and activities that everyone should follow as a Christian. There was an awful lot of good theology here, but I found myself arguing at least once a week with his point. I guess you could say that's good, healthy, thought-provoking religious literature, and my rating will reflect that. ***

The Case for Christmas by Lee Strobel

Lee Strobel is famous for his scientific and historical analysis of Jesus the person and how we can show that he was the Christ. This book is one of his briefer works, a quick journalistic investigation into the divinity of the child in the manger. His rationale is pretty good, but a strong skeptic will not a few leaps in logic here and there. Much of what is dug up is interesting and very useful in discussions with non-Christians, but I doubt that a cynic would take the information without corobaration. In general, I found the book interesting and informative food for thought. **1/2

Whew!

2008-08-21T19:16:00.000-07:00

Working mostly, more physical therapy, lots and lots of prayer for a job for me or Ellice and health for a friend. Still up in the air whether I'll be taking more classes this semester, mostly based on whether we need the loan money. I'm done with course work and just need to get hired for my practicum. (student teaching isn't feasible at this point).

The wife and I have had a tough time of it emotionally and spiritually. But we're trying to have faith and keep praying.

UPDATE
Well, it finally happened. Ellice got an interview two days after a meltdown, and then we got the callback--she got the job as a 1st grade teacher!!!! In Clark County even, so we can carpool. No classes this semester. The Lord be praised, we get to keep our apartment... and we'll be able to eat! The only downside is I have to get up an hour earlier but hey, we all make sacrifices. Speaking of that, I better get to bed....

STAR WARS: The Clone Wars
Way cool. I was lovin' it the whole time. The movie is short but feature length. It is a cartoon in the vein of the short lived series and is a predictable springboard for the new cartoon coming out in the fall. But it was great eye candy, with a neat take on the traditional Star Wars sound on the soundtrack. Anakin is reluctantly assigned a padawan learner in the middle of a battle with the Separtists. The action launches from there with typical heavies Count Dooku and his apprentice, Asaaj Ventress. Two thumbs way up for any Star Wars fan out there. After a while, you forget you are watching a cartoon. ***1/2

Vacation

2008-08-11T19:19:00.001-07:00

Well, it has been a while since I blogged, and since then I've been rehabilitating my pulled groin muscle, working my way out of a wheelchair and off crutches.

The trip to Florida, the cruise, and the Bahamas were fun. The highlights were the Kennedy Space Center, Arabian Nights, which is a horse and dinner show, leaving the country for reef-protected beaches of Nassau, being on the high seas, and of course, the Magic Kingdom. Disneyworld was a great way to cap off the whole thing.

Aside from all of that, a lot of hobbling, job-searching and taking it easy while I heal (except for the Physical Therapy). Lots of soreness still, and we suspect there may be a hernia and/or a broken ankle involved. Only time and x-rays will tell.

Pray for us as we are having a tough time dealing with the job situations, financial responsibilities and we are still of course still depressed about Hope. Also, an unnamed friend is in need of life-saving medical care.

Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor
(Bear in mind that I was exhausted when viewing this movie from 10+ hours of driving the day before, and the review probably reflects that)

Take 3. This movie was entertaining, much like the other two. There is a tongue-in-cheek acknowledgement of the change in female leads, but other than that, the main stars have returned. This time Jet Li is the life-challenged adversary, a Chinese undead lord whose entire army was cursed into terra cota warriors. The effects are spectacular, which is to be expected anymore in this day and age; the plot seems contrived in spots, but is strong enough to propel the story forward. The newcomers take some getting used to, but the acting is passable for this kind of flick. The movie is a little slow up front, but the payoff of the climactic battle is worth the investment in time. My biggest knock is that most of the good lines for the movie were in the commercials, and I found myself waiting for them to be delivered. I really like the series, though this is most likely the lesser installment of the three. **1/2

Injury Loves Company

2008-07-20T04:53:00.001-07:00

Or is that misery?

Anywho, the week started with softball last Friday, where silly me agreed to play outfield for the men's team. I play a pretty fair pitcher and first baseman, but it ends there. Outfield is not my thang, as was evidenced when I attempted a hard throw into the infield and pulled/tore my groin muscle. (Don't know which yet, and won't know for some time). I sat out the rest of that game and iced the area in the time before the next two games (coed this time). Feeling somewhat better, I attempted to pitch, but the first batter hit it straight to me, an easily fielded ball that I could not bend over to get. Thus aggravating the injury I was done for the day, relegated to base coach for the evening.

So, armed with a pronounced limp and an inability to roll over, stand or sit without serious pain, I had friends over Saturday and King's Island on Sunday. Despite the injury, I hobbled around the park and had a good time, even with the Vortex being closed. The ensuing week involved a lot of school and Ellice's friend Melissa (a commenter on this blog) from Chicago coming down for the week. Unfortunately, I'm probably not as sociable as normal; thankfully she seems to understand. As you all know, I'm quite the socialite under normal circumstances (ahem).

Over the course of the week, my leg (and adjacent areas) have produced pronounced bruising and the pain and soreness has spread, so yesterday we went to the Instant Care Center, where the doc said crutches and physical therapy. Apparently, I've been pushing too hard by limping around, not giving anything a chance to heal. It's going to be a while until I'm fully mobile again, and longer until I'm 100%. God's way of saying, "Slow down" I suppose.

Hellboy II: The Golden Army
I enjoyed the first one quite a bit, and this one was fun too. The acting is the only downside, feeling stilted and forced, sometimes painfully. I guess it is hard to act in those costumes and all the cgi sets. I'll give them the benefit of the doubt. The plot, action and visuals make up for a lot here. For sheer entertainment value, I'll give this one a fairly solid nod ***.

Dark Knight
Awful, truly awful. Awfully....GREAT!
This movie was an absolute tour de force, the best movie of the year, and one of the best of the decade. This one is up there with Braveheart, Gladiator, LotR, Star Wars and the like in my book. Not for the squeamish nor the timid. Everything about this movie is intense, including the graphic depiction of evil. The images in this film are very disturbing, the characterizations moreso. Extremely violent. The portrayals of all three main characters are so well done that those who usually pass on violent films may want to take a look at this film.

The story revolves around a battle between Batman and the Joker for Gotham's soul. Key to this iconic struggle, good doesn't always win; both the Joker and Batman claim victories in this one which I've always argued makes for a much deeper story. Nolan's Batman series has been a gritty realistic representation of how a real-life Batman might be, and I love it. Movies like this one don't come around all that often, and it is very sad that we won't get to see Ledger's masterpiece Joker ever again. This movie is going to break some box office records. ****

The Big Move

2008-07-10T21:16:00.000-07:00

I've been a bit incommunicado lately, seeing as I had no internet for a week and a half. Between classes, Ellice's family in town (both GI James and the Austrian Momma and Papa Chicks), and moving into our new apartment, I haven't had time to dedicate to the blog. But things are levelling out now and settling into a semblance of routine.

I will explain.
Wait, there's too much.
I will sum up.

Swimming, eating out, moving, class, 36th Birthday, dust and allergies, new bikes, sore butts, new seats for the bikes, comfey butts, learning sign language and a couple of movies.

Hancock
All-in-all an enjoyable movie. The plot was good, the acting credible. This was a movie that was not quite about superheroes as self-discovery and redemption. Perhaps I'm getting a bit old and turning into a fuddy-duddy, but the language bothered me just a little. This movie had a twist that blindsided me, and I like it when they can surprise me a bit. Fun, but not a must own. **1/2

Wanted
WARNING! This movie is not for the squeamish or the young. The language is profane; the sex and violence graphic. The movie did not need the graphic depictions of either to hold up; in fact both detracted quite a bit from the experience. The main character could have done with a little less whinyness but the acting was passable. That all being said, the plot is very, very good. Coupled with the action, the movie holds up enough to be enjoyed by an informed audience who knows what to expect. We won't own this one due to its graphic nature. **1/2

4th Edition

2008-06-29T05:48:00.000-07:00

Fourth Edition. In the role-playing world, nothing is bigger than the release of fourth edition dungeons and dragons. I’m beginning to think it is no coincidence that Gary Gygax, the inventor of D&D died this same year. From what I’ve seen, I’m going to pass on this one. I’ve dragged my feet in changing over to version 3.5, but now that the series is discontinued and I no longer feel pressured to change, I’m liking it more and more. Especially in comparison to the new version. It has a very, online feel to it, and there is hardly anything in the manner of treasure in the game. I don’t know, the charm seems to be lost. I’ll be content to stick to the old game.

Sunday- Church, swimming, and a Chick family reunion at Ellice’s brother Joel’s. The Chicks brought a load of backlogged gifts for the year past, including a medallion of St. George, some blown glass cups and a whole bunch of chocolate from Austria.

Monday- Classes resume. The class I started is American Sign Language, and it is totally immersive, no voice. It is kinda cool, but it will be a lot of work and time on campus. The rest of the day was taken up by swimming and DND. A good session was had by all.

Tuesday was a little rough, parking ticket, difficulty at the pool, an emotional breakdown, and then an upturn with Get Smart at the Movie Tavern on half-price day.

Wednesday we got our birthday gift to each other, a discounted Gamecube with Ellice's favorite game Mario Kart. (I also got Star Wars: Rogue Squadron as part of the package deal). With our selling back a handful of games and movies, we made out quite well on the deal.

Thursday-bowling and Bob Evans with the Chick family. It was Bob Chick's birthday party, and the kids and momma Chick chipped in for a violin. He was really surprised and rather pleased with his new toy. I also started my other class for this summer session, and it will be another bear. The workload is intimidating, but we've gotten through the other classes, so there is no reason to expect anything different with this one. We also had a picnic lunch on the grass at EKU.

Friday was Cracker Barrel and softball. This was the last makeup game of the season. We lost miserably in the coed game, but fun was had by all. I was asked to play in the men's game too. Long story short, I scored the winning run in extra innings, 19-18. When I came to bat, there were two outs and we were down by 3; one of the guys said I was 'clutch' (I should probably add to this that the only reason we were in extra innings is because I walked a whole bunch of people and we should have won in regulation, but it sounds better to put the good stuff first).

Also on Friday, we had a new addition to our weekly writing group, Kim. We look forward to her feedback and submissions.

Get Smart

This movie was a surprise to me. The comedy was an excellently done fusion between Steve Carrell's deadpan and the shtick 'Get Smart' humor of the original series. That wasn't the surprise. The surprise was how much great action the movie had-I wasn't expecting that at all. Great fight scenes and chase scenes of the proper length. Carrell's Smart is loveable and moral; a guy you can really root for. Carrell's preservation of the character's charm is what is most impressive. Good for the whole family. ***1/2

Last week on the Gullett's...

2008-06-22T05:56:00.000-07:00

Sun- Father’s Day tears at Church because of a Stephen Curtis Chapman song, lunch at Sonny’s, Swimming at EKU with Andi, James, Evan and one of his buds, VBS carnival at church with rowdy kids, NBA game 5 Kobe’s foul and Laker win

Mon- Ellice walked with Brittany at the park while I stayed home and rested. Ellice saw that I was zonked for the day, so we stayed home. Evening time we went to the Richmond theater, David and I saw the Happening, Ellice and Brittany saw Sex and the City. After our movie got done, the mall was virtually abandoned and there was still an hour left in the gals’ movie. We saw that no one was in the Indiana Jones movie that was playing and watched the last hour of it. I felt like such a rebel, but every time I’ve ever asked management if I could watch the end of another film while waiting and my film was done, they’ve looked at me like I was wasting their time, and told me to go ahead, what do they care. Even with the poor review, I had fun.

Tue- We went to Lexington for my Doctor’s appointment. The report wasn’t too favorable, as my lung function hasn’t improved. I think I’m doing better just by the amount of activity I’m capable of now, but he was very disappointed. James tagged along as we got Ellice some much-needed clothes and shoes. We have recently discovered a fast-food joint called Culver’s in Hamburg, and we like it. Also, we took advantage of ½ price Tuesday at Movie Tavern and saw Kung Fu Panda.

Wed- A good session of DND in the afternoon, and a job interview for Ellice. We are holding our breath in anticipation. Also went bowling with James, Evan, his girlfriend and an exchange student. I bowled a 152.

Thur- A trip to the unemployment office, a cold swim, and grocery shopping. I cooked dinner tonight-Brad’s chef special (My selection of Hamburger Helper).

Fri- Our softball game was cancelled, so we had Brittany and David over for cards. I won at Hearts! A very rare event indeed.

Sat- Ellice’s parents are coming to town, so a good portion of the day will be dedicated to cleaning. In the end, we played a lot of Civ and went to Walmart for the third day in a row in our never-ending search for boxes for the move.

The Happening

This one was in a word, weird. In two words it was silly and weird. The gist of it is that people start killing themselves spontaneously. While I’m not one to give the plot away, something is causing it, and frankly we don’t really care. The suicides were numerous and bloody, bordering on grotesque. After a while, it got a little ridiculous. The movie was mildly entertaining, and disturbing enough to affect my dreams. I had a dream that we ran from this “Happening” and holed up with a dude that was living in a KFC. We had all the chicken and biscuits we wanted, but due to vagabonds and thieves, he had to hide the mashed potatoes and gravy inside the drive-thru sign to keep it safe. My dream was better than this movie. *

Kung Fu Panda

This cartoon was a real treat. The action was good clean martial arts and the comedy was golden. The villain was angry and mean, but kinda cool. Our hero was loveable and funny. This isn’t so much a kid’s movie as it is a fun flick for the whole family. Kudos. ***

Jumpers (DVD)

We missed this one in theaters, so we rented. It was entertaining. Lots of action. Plot boils down to these teleporters called Jumpers have been hunted since medieval times by the Paladins. The movie felt somewhat incompete as the characters failed to grow any. I found myself thinking that well, the Paladins may be zealots, but they have a point in trying to take down these Jumpers, who showed no moral character at all. Not much resolved by the end of the film; it felt like they were trying jump start (hehe) a movie series. **1/2

Swimming and the Big Green Guy

2008-06-15T05:19:00.000-07:00

Greetings sports fans. Another week in the books.

This week, the EKU pool opened up and we've really been enjoying that. But midweek, Ellice began feeling sick, so I played nursemaid for a day or two. She's better now, and having fun again. We went to the doctor for her six-week postop on Thursday and got the all clear for resuming normal activities.

Wednesday, we switched from playing Star Wars to DND again, at least for an adventure, and the change of pace has been welcomed by every one. I think we'll maintain the pattern for some time; it helps prevent burnout.

Plans are still a go for the big move a couple of blocks away. It looks like they will have the place cleaned up by the first week of July. We're excited.

Friday, we actually won our first softball game, 8-6 against river of life. Everyone played fantastic; and with Eric and Phyllis, we have a pretty darn good team. They played only because we had to or forfeit, but they were instrumental in our victory. The subsequent games were cancelled due to the stormy weather. We were going to meet the team at DQ afterwards, but torrential rain and flood waters prevented us from doing so. We almost got washed away in a couple feet of water, but the car made it through.

Saturday was a big day, as I had two Praxis this morning. For those keeping score at home, that's four actual hours of testing, preparation and waiting time aside. It was a long morning. Afterward, my brain was fried but I managed to take Ellice on a date to Movie Tavern to see Incredible Hulk. We had a blast.

This morning is Father's Day, and while it is a little difficult to think about, I'm going to try and focus on honoring my father and God the Father. Have a good holiday.

The Incredible Hulk
This movie was as good as Iron Man. It is hard not to make comparisons between this version and the Eric Bana Hulk from five years ago. While I thoroughly enjoyed that one as well, this film was more visceral and felt more true to the comic. Hulk had some vulnerability, the army wasn't completely incompetent, and he had a comparable villain to contend with in Blonsky's Abomination. This movie was in a word, incredible. ****

Summer Lovin', had me a blast...

2008-06-07T19:30:00.001-07:00

And for those of you musically declined, that is a song from Grease.

Anywho, first half of the week was school. Monday was the last day with the kiddos, Tuesday I spent all day breathin' in dust bunnies cleaning out the eighth grade closet. Then school was out and vacation was on. I was still sick, but about Thursday I started to recover from my bout with the crud.

Wednesday we wrapped up this chapter of Star Wars, next week it's back to DND. The change-up allows me to play both and not get burnt out on either.

Thursday we babysit for our nephew, Hayden. Mostly we played Mario Kart. We also went to the YMCA and went for a walk and a swim. It was refreshing.

Friday was grocery shopping and date night. We saw Spiderwick at the budget theater and went to Outback. Finally, we had a softball game. We actually made it to the fifth inning before they had to call it. It was fun, but unfortunately we had a player get hurt. You really don't want someone to injure themselves in a no-pressure game like this. Aaron wasn't too upset, but I felt bad for him. Prayer request time there guys, if you can swing it.

Saturday was Civ at the computer, a cookout at John and Melissa's, then Don't Mess with the Zohan.

Dragonslayer (novel) by Wayland Drew

This is an adaptation of the 1980s fantasy classic movie of the same name. The names are the same and the general plot in that there is a sorcerer's apprentice vs. a big nasty dragon who has arranged for virgin sacrifices from the wimpy King of Urland, but beyond that, the devil is in the details. It is weird that the novel differed so much from the movie, even though it came after the screenplay. Setting aside the movie departures, the book stands pretty well on its own as a short fantasy adventure. One other note, this author has done more to increase my writing vocabulary than any other, except for maybe Charlotte Bronte. I actually started keeping a definitions journal to keep up. A fair read **

Spiderwick Chronicles

Modern fantasy at its best. I was completely enthralled by this film. This movie has excellent production values, has a great story and doesn't mess around getting to the point. The pacing is excellent, the action fabulous, the visuals very good, characters, villains, you name it. I am looking forward to getting my hands on the book(s) and seeing how well they stack up to the movie. I cannot recommend this movie enough; it is a charming, thrill-filled ride. ****

Don't Mess with the Zohan

This movie was garbage. I liked the first fifteen to twenty minutes of it, but then it got down-right raunchy. Few movies fill me with the compelling urge to leave, but this one did. If we didn't agree to watch this with a friend, we would have. It was unbelievably filthy, sexist, racist and not in a funny way, but in an okay, that's just more than I can handle way. Maybe I've become a prude, but this wasn't entertaining at all. I wanted my money back.
NO STARS FOR THIS FILM

Sick again

2008-06-01T05:36:00.001-07:00

Last Friday I pitched for our softball team in the cold, rainy weather after field day at work--bad idea. I've struggled to breathe due to congestion ever since. A trip to the doctor got me some more meds (just what I need, more meds) and I eventually get a few hours of sleep every night in between bouts of wracking cough. I have a history of cough syncope (passing out while coughing) and as a result I have this rather strong prescription cough medicine that leaves me too loopy to drive, so the Mrs. has had to take me to work some this week. It has been physically demanding for her, between the drive to and from my work twice a day and her still recovering from surgery.

All of our TV shows have ended their seasons the last couple of weeks, and it is quite refreshing to have the free time again-- to watch movies! Yes, I know we have an addiction. And admitting you have a problem is the first step to recovery. That and we are running out of storage space.

Not much else to go on about, except that school is winding down here, only one day with kids and one without left. In our Star Wars game we have added a new player, Melissa. She jumped right in with some quick training from Ellice and has been a welcome addition. The saga continues...

Update

2008-05-23T03:53:00.000-07:00

Work is dragging to a halt; these last few weeks are taking forever. But we are slowly but surely getting there. It is very strange driving to work alone. Ellice and I have been riding together all year and not having her with me for that hour every day makes me lonely. However, we adapt and move on. Just seven days left (six with kids), then summer-a much needed break.

Not much but reviews at this point.

American Idol (TV)
In the 'Battle of the Davids' the right one won. Maybe the acoustics are different live, but the judges sounded like they were lobbying for the young Archuleta to win, even though he sounds dippy and weak on every song. Cook sounded like he had been doing concerts all along--a real professional. It seemed no contest to me. The three backslid from their effusive praise on the last night saying that the competition was 'a little closer than they made it sound' the night before. That makes me believe all the more that they knew who was going to win. Well, in the end, the best contestant hands-down won and they got the right result. I'm knocking down the entertainment value of the show a bit for the lack of genuineness I've perceived in the judges this year. **

Prince Caspian
The second installment delivers in a big way. Tons of action. The book was expanded upon greatly (which it needed) to fill the big screen again. This one is more for the tweens whereas the first was targeted for children. The depictions of violence warrant the rating. But I do recommend this film for most kids. ****

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
This latest (and from what I hear, not the last) installment of the Indiana Jones series lived up to my expectations. It is not as good as the originals, but is good enough to belong in the set. The inclusion of Soviet psi research (paralleling the Nazi obsession with the occult) is great. This is a subject that I have looked at quite a bit in the past and it was fun to see that stuff on the big screen. Harrison Ford delivers as the crusty, more booky, elder Jones who is still able to strap on the Fedora and bullwhip and kick some butt when he has to that I anticipated. Mutt (Shia) is a good character and acted well. Villains were classic Jones and the finale is pretty big. Only real drawback is Marion, as something was just off with her. I'm bumping this half a star because it is Indiana Jones. ***1/2

Another Week

2008-05-12T14:08:00.000-07:00

Ellice's parents came into town to help out this week, which is no small feat. Her parents live in Vienna, Austria. So the two flew in to make it possible for me to eventually return to work without worrying over Ellice home alone. They have been a huge help, physically and emotionally. Praise to God for providing transportation via the Mission.

Work was hard to face, even just the two days, Thursday and Friday. The hardest part is facing all the people. I'm not the most social person in the world, and the situation compounds my anxiety. I had to explain what happened over and over. I suppose I didn't really have to, but when someone asks, I tend to honor the question. It was exhausting more than anything. I feel like that little zoloft ball in the commercials.

Anyway, the week at home was a little better. My biggest challenge is deciding when it is best to prepare food or eat leftovers. The generous people at Ellice's work and from our Sunday School class have been providing meals, invariably more than we can eat at a sitting. Dealing with household stuff like cleaning and cooking seem meaningless, and having other people take care of those areas for a few days is a great help.

Ellice and I have buried ourselves in Civ (video game) and watching Scrubs; the combination has lightened our moods considerably on occasion. It is amazing how cathartic teaming together and beating up on the computer can be. Reading has been surprisingly difficult; concentration is hard to come by, but steadily, we are re-establishing our old routines. I find some comfort in routine, which shouldn't be surprising.

I read in some literature lately that 70% of couples have a lot of trouble including separation and divorce after something like this, but I don't fear that with Ellice. If anything, the whole thing seems to have brought us closer together.

Trumps of Doom by Roger Zelazny
This is book six in the Chronicles of Amber series. This one deals with Corwin's son, Merlin. Frankly, I miss Corwin. This book was a little weird. Merle has invented some mega machine called the Ghostwheel, and naively made it uber powerful. Lord of Amber Random tells him to turn it off so the bad guys don't get it. Unfortunately, the book was just interesting enough that I have to read the rest of the 10 book cycle. **

Iron Man
This movie was awesome. ****

Survivor: Fans vs. Favorites (TV) **1/2
This would have rated higher if the stupidest move in survivor history and a bunch of injuries hadn't affected the season. Erik gave the immunity idol away. Not the hidden one, the regular immunity idol. Of course, the four women immediately turned and voted him out. What a dolt. And Parvati won, the one I wanted to win it least (except for Fairplay). Ugh. I've been screaming for them to vote her out the whole time. Amanda came in second, two Survivors in a row.

Hope

2008-05-03T18:25:00.000-07:00

I regret to inform you that this has been a most tragic week in our household. This is very difficult, but here goes...

On Monday, Ellice didn't feel the baby move very much, and with motherly concern and intuition knew that something was wrong. We went to the OB-Gyn in Lexington; there was a strong heartbeat, but the baby responded 'sluggishly'. The thinking was that Ellice was dehydrated, and they carted her over to the hospital, 50 feet from the office. Within a few minutes of arriving in the hospital room, they did an exam and had trouble finding the heartbeat that was so strong moments before. Within minutes, chaos erupted and all hell broke loose.
People were bustling about prepping Ellice for an emergency c-section, as the baby's heart rate had fallen from 133 over at the other office to 35, and finally to nothing. A blizzard of papers were thrown my way to hastily sign, and then the question no husband/expectant father ever wants to hear, we can operate, putting your wife at risk, but even if we bring your baby back, it will have been ten to fifteen minutes without a heartbeat. The damage will be so severe to make long term survival improbable. I told them to stop.

The doctors involved were shocked at what had happened, as there was no indication of what had happened and the one who had examined her said he'd never seen the situation degrade that fast from the office to the hospital in 22 years of practice.

So, we lost the baby at 33 weeks in utero and we still have to deliver. They tried to induce for a couple of days, but Ellice's body wasn't ready. Unfortunately, the drugs caused her to 'hyperstim' (hyperstimulate); instead of regular contractions, she had grand maul 10-15 minute contractions. There also was a delay in getting the epidural. Which was a mixed blessing. Without the pain, we may not have called in the doctor for what came next. She was having complications, so, long story short, on Wednesday we have the c-section anyway. At least this time, it wasn't as hurried as it might have been. I stayed with her in the OR, through the whole thing. So the hospital kept us for another three days.

To sum up, we got a lot of visits from church, friends, family, and chaplains to help us in our hours of grief. We decided to name the baby Hope, for we have hope for a better tomorrow.
We spent some time with our daughter, watched our favorite movie, the Princess Bride. A fairy tale we treasure sharing with her forever. She was in our lives only for a little while, but she is a blessing to us. The pain is incredible, and looking down on her I could tell that she really is our child. And they were right, when you have your own, you know exactly how to hold them; it feels so natural.

The nursing staff consoled us, and gave us a memory box with pictures, footprints and locks of hair from our little Hope (and did she have some hair, let me tell you). We never found out what went wrong, but they are still running tests. We most likely will never know.

We are home now (Saturday), and have some very difficult times ahead of us. We appreciate all the thoughtful gifts, cards, support, prayers and remembrances we have received over the past week. God Bless

So close

2008-04-27T06:21:00.000-07:00

I was so close to finishing a book. Ce la vie.

It has been the usual whirlwind around here. School, work, church. Things should settle over the next few weeks. Classes are winding down; been working on final exams and finishing up the finer points of the semester. Work is extremely tense and I don't feel very appreciated, but who does? There are a lot of people's jobs on the line, so it is understandable that tensions would be high. Hopefully, we'll both be in better situations next year. Money is tight-as usual, but we are provided for-also as usual.

Softball is in full swing (ha, ha, ha), we're 0-2 but everyone seems to be enjoying themselves, and that is the most important thing. As coach, I think it is my highest responsibility for everyone to have fun. I've adopted the role of pitcher. Aaron is the best at it, but he also plays a much better shortstop. Brittany is having a blast and is responsible for one of our runs this year. She got a hit first game, and was jumping up and down with joy. That's why we play. Now, we have to find a way to have fun, and still win a game...

I'm having the best time running Star Wars, when I'm not focusing on the Mrs., work, school, softball, the baby, or my book, that's what I'm thinking of. Okay, now that I look at the list, I've got a lot on my plate. Anywho, tons of fun.

Blessings abound in our household, but we certainly have our share of concerns. For anyone praying out there, pray for Ellice's health. She's been plenty sick this weekend, including fever and severe chills. Also that God will continue to provide. Thanks everyone.

Forbidden Kingdom
Jackie Chan meets Jet Li? How could this one miss?
It doesn't. The beginning is a little weird as it starts in modern day, but once we get to the past, the movie takes on the epic quest I expected. The story is very much an old Chinese legend about the Monkey King. The cinematics deliver, taking on the air of a Wu Xia tale about immortals, magic weapons and powerful elixirs, with a major dose of Hong Kong Kung Fu action throughout. This movie delivers everything I wanted. It even holds to a traditional four-member adventuring party-the immortal, the monk, the lady warrior, and the young hero in training. Great stuff, I loved this movie ****

A little behind...

2008-04-16T10:05:00.001-07:00

Okay, so I got a little behind on the blogging. To my credit, I've had a lot going on (nothing unusual about that).

Kansas won it all in a thrilling overtime victory over Memphis. Memphis collapsed, missing 5-6 Free throws at the end of regulation and had no business losing. For a team that shot horrible FTs all year long, coach Calipari had been quoted as saying, "Why do we need to shoot free throws, when we win by 10 or more points every game?" (or something to that effect) Hmmm...

Since the end of the NCAA tournament, its all been about finances, schoolwork and work-work. And let's not forget the upcoming bundle of joy, who is playing soccer with my wife's internal organs. Really looking forward to a few things that are coming up: the baby of course; finishing my classes; getting testing over with; and summer!

I had blitz week at work, where I had to develop and execute my own lesson plans with a group of kids I'm only passingly familiar with. Now that that's over with (a good experience though), I'm back to quasi-normal. I say that because the kids and staff are slowly going insane. I can't go into any detail, but weird stuff is going on and tensions are high. Testing starts Monday.

Volleyball wrapped up with a bit of a disappointing finish. We didn't get to the championship game, but not for any lack of trying. Softball is starting Friday, and I somehow got roped into coaching. I really don't like being the point of contact for this whole thing, but I got pressured into it. (And I do mean pressured).

I finished my presentation in one class, so the worst of the Math teaching class is over; one reflection and some online discussion questions left. I've still got quite a bit left in the other, as well as take-home finals in both. That's all there is left. While I only had two classes, I've never had this much combined work (I don't think, Ellice may remember differently).

This past weekend we played a much-anticipated Star Wars game. They are playing kids in the Old Republic, about 12 years before Episode I, the Phantom Menace. The idea is for them to grow into heroes about the time the movies start. We had rounded out the first part of the DND campaign and are taking a break to play the space game. They are primarily doing it for me, as I love Star Wars as much or more than DND. But everyone loved the game session. I think variety spices things up every now and then. And after the break, we will enjoy reuniting with the old characters like meeting old friends.

I plan on chronicling the Star Wars adventures like I have the DND campaign with a blog. I'll have to get Ellice to show me how to do that again.

Ellice has been wonderful these past weeks. I haven't been a joy to live with I'm sure, but she's been great. I love her so much.

No books or movies this week, but stay tuned; I should be finishing a book or two...

Spring Break

2008-04-05T17:05:00.000-07:00

Started off the break by going to see Ellice's grandmother in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. It was a long trip (4 hours) but the two days were okay. She wasn't feeling real great so we didn't do much but make a trip to Belk's to get some baby clothes.

The week was pretty much spent up for my part working on assignments for my two classes. I have a presentation due on Tuesday, and I'm really stressing it. Also, we have blitz week, which means I have to teach a class on my own for a couple of days. As I've never had to come up with and implement lessons on my own before, it is a little new to me. I taught a few lessons with other teachers in the room before, but this is a bit different.

The basketball tournament has been a joy to watch; the finals are tonight and I'm rooting for Kansas to take it all.

I finally finsihed reading a book this week, so I have one for the year. Yeah, me.

We also were able to catch a movie, which was a good break. Today it is back to the grindstone, but once I get through Tuesday night, all I have to really worry about is getting through testing, then finals. Then we have a baby. Smooth sailing from there out.

Superhero Movie
This movie wasn't great but it made us laugh and that's all I really wanted out of it. From the people who brought you Epic movie, but this one was funnier. They completely rip on Spiderman, but this time he's bitten by a dragonfly. The comedy is a bit racey, with some language thrown in, but it looked like they tamed this one down just a little. I'd go with a little parental guidance (like the 13 kind). **1/2

Star Wars: Republic Commando: Hard Contact by Karen Traviss
The first in a four part series set during the Clone Wars.

A group of four clone commandos who all lost their units on Geonosis are thrown together on a commando mission to take out a chemical weapons plant. Good stuff. They hookup with a Jedi padawan who is working undercover who lost her master. She finds the strength to lead them and they find they are more than the ordinary clone. The leader of the base is an old school Mandalorian warrior and is a good villain. I loved this one. The climax wasn't what I expected, but I should have seen it coming. I'm looking forward to the rest of the series. ***1/2

There is little joy in Lexville...

2008-03-24T20:08:00.000-07:00

...the mighty wildcats have struck out.

Well Friday afternoon a talented Marquette team put this injury-plagued season out of its misery. With a preconference schedule that saw historic losses to Gardner-Webb, Houston and San Diego, a team that missed a ton of playing time due to injury including two starters with season-ending ones (a list to come), a remarkable SEC run to fight furiously to eke out an NCAA bid, an SEC tourney with no fans due to a TORNADO for crying out loud, this has got to be the wierdest, wildest most unpredictable premier season for any transitioning coach. My heart goes out to the Cats for a hard fought, never-give-up, never-say-die season. Senior Joe Crawford poured in 35 in his final game in a heroic effort against double and triple teams. He surely showed his true colors, a warrior to the end.

The injuries I remember were:
Ramon Harris, broken nose
Jared Carter, Shoulder
Michael Porter, Concussion, shoulder
Derek Jasper, Micro fracture surgery-knee
Patrick Patterson, Sprained ankle, Broken ankle-season
Jodie Meeks, Groin, Hip flexor strain-season
Ramel Bradley, Concussion
Joe Crawford, Plantar Fascitis (played through)

Oh, and freshman guard Alex Legion left the team because he missed his mom.

Well, even with the Cats out of the tournament early (first round loss, their first since 1987), I'm greatly enjoying the games. Western Kentucky University, my alma mater, is in the Sweet Sixteen for the first time since 1995; one game had a three-pointer at the buzzer to win in overtime. Louisville is doing well too, and I always root for state schools in the Big Dance.

I took Ellice out a couple of times to assuage the loss of her husband during this time of year, and she really enjoyed it. We seem to have found some balance for dealing with this, my favorite of holidays, the NCAA tournament. Let's see how we handle it next year with a nine-month-old thrown into the mix.

We did an Easter reading on Sunday, and it went well. Ellice may have a picture of it on her blog. Laurana woke up halfway through the production and started kicking mommy. So far she seems to like ballgames and music a lot.

Still no books finished this year, but I'm working on it.

We are reinstituting writing group, but it is just me and the Mrs., as with testing and busy schedules, it is increasingly difficult to schedule anything on a weekly basis.

On other fronts, I'm still working, spring break is coming (not soon enough for my taste), and I'm still plugging away at these classes. I'm doing more work for these two classes then when I had four a year ago. But I'm managing, with Ellice's support.

No movies to review at this time.

Most wonderful time of the year...

2008-03-15T06:18:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year...March Madness and boy is it mad. And a lot of UK fans are mad too.

A tornado struck the Georgia dome last night during the third game of the SEC tournament, and they ended up postponing the UK game (game 4 of the day). What's really wild is they had to move the UK-Georgia game to Saturday, changed the venue to Georgia Tech's campus, and are going to refund the tickets for the rest of the tournament. The only people that will be at all the rest of the games are families of players, workers for the games, media, band and cheerleaders. UK has thousands of fans there, and they are going to be uppp-set. Not only that, but the SEC tourney has to be finished by Sunday at 5:30pm because that's when the automatic bids to the NCAA tournament. That means that if UK wins at noon, they have to play again tonight at 8:30pm. I don't know if that's ever been done in college basketball, especially in the modern era. It will be surreal with hardly any fans there.

Some camera shots of the damage from the winds were pretty dramatic. CNN is located elsewhere in downtown Atlanta, and they were covering the whole thing. It was interesting to see the sports announcers turn news reporters, but it looked pretty scary. Live footage of the dome roof swaying and buckling. Creepy.

In other news, we finally got out to Movie Tavern to see a movie and I'll review that one soon. My food review is good, worth the buck. My review of Applebee's on the other hand is that they are no longer worth the trouble. They don't even include bread any more with their steaks--I'm done with them. They are overpriced, lackluster in service and have lowered their food quality.

Still no books read, but I'm working feverishly on my schoolwork. Ellice has like 8 books read already. I'm languishing here. Maybe I'll catch up this summer (yeah, right).

10,000 B.C.

This one was just good fun. Predictable but definitely has that epic feel, grand in scope and feel but not overly long. I didn't have any problems with this movie, though it didn't stand out as one of the greats. **1/2

Short blog

2008-03-04T02:51:00.000-08:00

Midterms. Ellice is feeling better. Baby Laurana is tapdancing on her kidneys, kicking all the time. She's finished 7 books already this year--my count is zero.

No movies to review.
Can't talk now, gotta run...

Sick week

2008-02-25T03:47:00.000-08:00

Well, I've been sick then Ellice got sick. I'd like to blame the kiddies at school, but we are all adult enough to realize she probably got it from me. Sorry babe. Not much to tell from besides I had a 100 degree temperature last weekend, and this weekend she cracked triple digits. The snow day and a half we got this week was a godsend, let me tell you. We can't ask for much more than that, for sure.

Other than recovering, I've been watching UK scratch and claw their way to a decent season. The recent string of victories has their name mentioned for possibly making the NCAA tourney. I say they need to just win the SEC tournament to get the automatic bid and be done with the talk. We shall see.

Lotsa homework and a few DVD movies, none to really review. We didn't get out again this week, but if we had, I would have reviewed Spiderwick, Jumpers and Fools Gold. Here are my predictions of what I'd say.

Spiderwick- Fun family fantasy, a little creepy for little kids, about a **1/2.
Jumpers- Predictably Hollywood flare and effects. The cinematography was a little drab for my taste. Reminescent of that lame Covenant movie, but much cooler plot wise. Action was fun, but once you get past the initial hook, then what--yeah, they're teleporters, we get it. **
Fools Gold-Another romantic comedy from Matt M. Not much else to say. Mildly humorous, passable.**

Okay, so my predictions aren't very positive, but I've got a lot on my plate. Perhaps I'll be suitably impressed...

Snow days

2008-02-13T05:26:00.000-08:00

Well, after a lot of near misses, we finally got a couple more snow days, a welcome break. The days delay us getting out of school until almost June, but we'll deal with that when it comes.

UK lost miserably at Vandy last night, putting an end to their five-game winning streak. Along with their victory against Alabama Saturday, that brings their record to 12-10, 6-3 in the SEC. While still in contention for the East lead, they are more likely competing for the bye in the first round of the SEC tournament (second in the east will do it). Right now an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament looks improbable. I don't know about other Kentucky fans, but there seems to be a clear message from the officials in the league-Kentukcy will not get a fair shake. The controversy really broiled over some questionable intentional foul calls aginast us a few weeks ago where they said that there was an emphasis on fouls from behind on break-aways, and then last week a player took out Ramel Bradley hitting him from behind and knocking him flat, giving him a concussion. No intentional foul. The SEC officials reviewed the call in their weekly meeting, and the head of officiating declared it a good call as the player was hitting Bradley from the side. Aside from the nature of the play and that Bliss pushed him afterwards leaving him unable to control his fall, a still shot that showed the play labeled "Exhibit A to the league officials" clearly shows that Bliss hacked him from directly behind. Well, the SEC officials are untouchable and to show that they aren't to be messed with, are giving UK no love at all during games. It's petty, and it sounds like a conspiracy theory, but they are human and in a position of power, even if it is just over a ballgame. Very frustrating.

Moreso for the players. When one team can do whatever they want and the other team can't, it leads to frustration. That frustration where one team is beating up on the other without repurcussion can only end one way--a fight. It almost happened last night between Stevenson and Ogilvy; Ogilvy in a scrum through Stevenson violently to the floor and talked trash afterward, Stevenson popped up and there was a lot of anger there. Until there is a bench-clearing brawl, the league will not clean play up. I don't want to see that happen, as such acts tarnish the game, but the officials need to step up to prevent this sort of thing.

UK is not the only victim of this trend. Other teams in the league are suffering from poor officiating and injuries are at an all-time high.

The men from our Sunday School cooked for the women, our Valentine's Day treat for them. They ate it up, literally and figuratively. This may become a yearly thing.

The snow days are proving restful and I'm getting a lot done. Last night I ran from my night class to Volleyball and we only had five players including two pregnant women (I guess that means we had 7) and an asthmatic. The frigid weather mixed with exercise usually presents problems, even with the inhaler. We were down in both games 5-10. The match was exhausting, I could barely breathe, but I played hard and we all played well, taking the match. Ellice's timeouts when they got to 10 points turned the tide in both games. Next week we have an out of class assignment, so it looks like I'll make it to our double-header.

I still haven't finished any books this year and we didn't watch any movies in the theater, so no reviews. Maybe next week.

Another week, another post

2008-02-06T19:30:00.000-08:00

Quick summation of the past week and a half...

Giants won the Super Bowl in what is arguably the biggest upset in the Bowl's history, after a drive by Eli Manning that will go down in the archives of football legend. We had a few friends over for the shindig, and it was fun. The room was split on who everyone was rooting for: Ellice and Evan were pulling for the Patriots to close out the season undefeated and Mike and I were for the younger Manning to share in his older brother's success (Peyton Manning won the S-Bowl last year) and pulled for the New York Giants. Nate, as ever, was decidedly neutral during the affair, and just wanted to enjoy the evening. Good times, good times.

Classes have settled into a constant grind, which is a little better than the mad rush at the beginning of the semester. It's not merely a matter of adjustment; both of my professors intentionally front-loaded the semester. I can only imagine it's to drive out those that don't belong.

I actually got to play Volleyball this week and we won, for once. This season we've struggled, as hardly anyone can show up due to scheduling conflicts. My class didn't meet, (we had a home assignment as the prof was out of town, I think) so I thrilled at being able to play again after almost a two-month hiatus. I wasn't quite on top of my game, but I was fair.

UK has mended their losing ways, grabbing a few more wins. They seem to have acquired Coach Gillispie's mantra of toughness, grinding out some tough SEC wins at less than 100% strength. Injuries have plagued the team. After tonight's win against Auburn (on the road, no less), the cats have crawled out of the gutter with four straight wins and brought the record up to 11-9, with a very respectable 5-2 SEC record.

The weather was interesting last night. Apparently, Richmond just had a bunch of trash cans blown around, but reports in Lexington had a fair amount of damage, as did Winchester and other parts surrounding. The storms ravaged Tennessee, and reports are there are dozens of fatalities from the winter tornadoes. Our prayers go out to those affected.

Super Tuesday, and it looks like McCain is going to pull the nomination. Sigh. Too centrist for my taste. And worse, his stance on education is more of the same; let's continue NCLB, and not fund it, driving teacher's time away from teaching and test the students to death, pushing everything to private schools, where teachers make 1/3 to 1/4 of the salary (not joking). On the other side its Hillary and (ugh) Obama. Oi vay.

We find out next week whether we're having a boy or girl; should be fun. Other than that, there is little to report. Notice there is nothing in the way of books, as I have had little time to spare finishing one. I'm plugging away at a handful, but can't read more than a few pages a night. More next week perhaps?

Whew....

2008-01-28T19:11:00.000-08:00

Baby is doing fine, Ellice has a minor stomach ailment and I'm swamped with homework. We had two snow days after MLK day last week, so that was really nice. Just enough time for me to catch my breath. One of my teachers (the online one) promised that the work would slack off after the first few weeks, so here' to hoping.

Had Mike Gabbard over to watch the Family Guy spoof of Star Wars--more on that later. Umm...Oh, I'm an Uncle and Ellice is an aunt. Hayden Blakely Chick was born last Wednesday to Ellice's brother Joel and his wife Sonya. He came into the red corner weighing in at 5 pounds 13 ounces. This is baby Gullett's first cousin so we are pretty jazzed. Actually I'm happy about it, but Ellice is positively gushing over the child. Had game on Saturday, went to Outback and movies with the Mauck's and had an absolute blast all day. Good times, good times.

Rambo
This is quite possibly the bloodiest movie ever. I really enjoyed it, but it was definitely a guy movie. Very visceral. The depictions of the inhumanity of warlords in southeast Asia was so real, you really wanted the aging special forces guy to kill them all by the end. The hook is that Rambo now lives a quiet, benign life catching dangerous snakes in Thailand, when a group of well-meaning missionaries asks to charter his river boat into war-torn Burma. Of course, bad things happen and he ends up having to help save them with the help of some mercs in the end. This film is not for the faint of heart. Think the opening sequence of Saving Private Ryan to the second power. On the plus side, and even if many may not think so, saying he is past his best years, I think Stallone can still make a good macho flick. However, I'll have to knock this one down just a peg cause it is certainly not for everyone, and the evil depicted on screen at times, while seemingly an accurate betrayal of human injustice, made even a jaded guy like me more than a little uncomfortable. **1/2

Blue Harvest (DVD)
This family guy spoof of the first Star Wars movie was hillarious. I love a parody done from the spirit of fans, as the creators of the show obviously are. If you like the Griffins and you love Star Wars, this one has to be on your shelf. ***

No Snow days

2008-01-20T05:34:00.000-08:00

Despite repeated pleadings from teachers throughout Clark County, frigid temperatures, light dustings and icy road conditions, we had zero snow days this week. Madison County did, but Clark didn't, and that can be a bummer. Its not that we feel entitled to one every now and then, just sometimes everyone feels the need for a break before testing, it would seem. The kids were stir crazy, and the teachers and administration were definitely on edge as a whole.

Now that my classes have started back up, I'm feeling the pinch and having to reallocate time. Budgeting time is going to be a challenge as Ellice needs me now more than ever with the stresses of work and pregnancy. We'll find a way with God's help.

UK beat an undefeated 13th ranked Vanderbilt team in double overtime. We desperately needed that win. Then Tuesday, we lost on the road to Mississippi State in a close one. They had 15 blocks on us. Amazingly enough, their big shot blocker only had 1 foul and 10 blocked shots. For those of you not basketball savvy, the kind of aggressive attacking the basket that Kentucky does coupled with the aggressive defense of Mississippi State should produce a lot of free throws--that simply wasn't the case. The refs really swallowed the whistle. This is a theme that is commonplace this year. See, when a team gets a reputation of not being very good, they don't get the call. It stinks, but that's the way it goes. And then there was Florida; we went down to Gainesville, and despite being down by 14 at one point, Kentucky kept battling back and took the Gators to Overtime. We fell down in overtime and never got back, but these type of losses on the road make me feel better about the team, so I'm not quite as down on them as I might otherwise be. Besides, there is an outside chance they can win the SEC tourney and get the automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.

In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale
This was just a fun movie. Good action, passable acting, intriguing special effects, and a pretty darn good story. Predictable to be sure, but there is something to be said for predictability. We are familiar with the hero's journey and it feels safe; reinforcing our world view. Ray Liotta as always plays an intense villain, and I believe him when he does whatever it takes to gain power. The magic is really cool and the fighting is typical Jason Stathem. The supporting characters hold up too. All and all, well worth the watch for any fantasy fan. ***

Happy New Year

2008-01-10T02:46:00.000-08:00

Well, this year didn't start off very well...I have been sick all of 2008. Apparently, I caught the flu at church just before New Year's Eve, and have yet to recover. As is usual for me, I ended up with bronchitis from it. But I'm getting meds now, and I am finally on the mend. This time of year it seems to be difficult seeing a doctor.

Given that, you'll forgive me if I don't blog for long. There's not much to tell really, as I was layed up for the first week of the year, and slogging through work while struggling with fatigue the second.

New Year's Eve dinner was good, as usual, but you can tell I'm starting to look a little pale in the picture (see Ellice's last blog).

DND was a bit of struggle as well, as I was sick, David was sick, Ellice pregnant, Logan and Nate had stayed up late the night before. Even with tempers short and minds wandering, we had a good time.

UK won its second consecutive bowl game against a depleted LSU team. The basketball team lost a couple, including the annual Louisville game (not an unexpected loss here).

Star Wars: Spectre of the Past by Timothy Zahn
This is the first in the Hand of Thrawn duology

Very good book. I enjoyed it a lot. Some interesting new bad guys along with some old favorites like Admiral Pellaeon, Thrawn's old prodigy. The new baddies though lack that distinctive hook you expect in Star Wars, but this is passable. The heroes are familiar from the films and earlier books, along with a Mistril warrior; she's a nice addition as well. I won't delve into the plot, but it is intriguing and worth the read by any SW fan. ***

Christmas Break

2007-12-28T07:03:00.001-08:00

It hasn't been that long since we worked and I'm already on my old stay up late and wake up at 10:00am schedule--that has to go quickly.

I'm in a rush to get my page totals read before the end of the year. I've got a hundred pages left in one book and I will have beaten last year's total. Ellice's total is hopelessly out of reach at this point, however, so no dice on the competition. I've got her on the number of books read, but that's not as big as the page total. She's beaten me every year thus far.

Saturday- UK won handily against Tennesse Tech; Legion is transferring out to Illinois. Good riddance I say--if you don't want to play for UK and can't appreciate the program, find something else. Went grocery shopping at Walmart.

Sunday- Church, Andi came over to learn to cook pork loin; good, as usual

Monday-Christmas Eve. We went to the evening service at church, then my grandparents. We got a bunch of clothes that didn't fit and a great gift card. All in all, it was fairly painless, except for the allergies. They acted up terribly.

Tuesday-Christmas Day. Evan joined us for a conference with the Chick parents, then we all went over to my parents for lunch. I got a bunch of books I liked, Ellice got gloves, a set of books and two musicals on DVD she really wanted. Not to mention we got cash, which went to buying more DVDs and miniatures. Most importantly was the family atmosphere. I don't think we were all ever so content as a family as we were this day. We prayed for the Chicks, including James in Baghdad, who is undoubtedly having a difficult Christmas overseas. We settled in and watched VH1 marathons the rest of the time.

Wednesday-Made the trip to Walmart to return gifts and went to sleep at 5:30pm. I think that's a record for us.

Thursday-Went to the Metcalfs for dinner and games. Good times, good times. Got in way too late and slept in the next morning.

The High King by Lloyd Alexander
This is the fifth and final book in the Prydain Chronicles.

Thus ends the tale of Taran, Assistant Pig-Keeper of Hen Wen, the oracular pig. This is the longest book in the series. It is geared toward a younger audience, but holds treasures for lovers of fantasy of any age. While I won't give this one away, I will say that things are wrapped up very well in a neat and exciting package. Warning-this one has several moments that may bring tears to your eyes. Old events and minor characters in the four previous installations are brought to the fore once again, and as to be expected when the final conflict comes, some characters will not survive the entire book. That the characters bring enough emotional impact that we care whether they live and die is a mark of good writing. I think it is the best book in the series, and well worth the read. ***1/2

School is out for a week and a half

2007-12-22T06:25:00.000-08:00

This was the last week of work, and the kids were insane, but I suppose that was to be expected. On Wednesday and Thursday we had shortened schedules and watched Santa Clause 1, 2, and 3. The movies actually made the day longer, if you can believe that. Ellice had a few parties this week, including bunco, to which I was not invited and I used those opportunities to sleep and play video games, as I have no more schoolwork for a time.

We have to go back on Jan. 2, but this break is most welcome.

Friday- We sacrificed the whole day Christmas shopping in Lexington. Things are tight this year (as always) and we're struggling but we are making due with what we've been graced with. We were going to get no presents, but we just couldn't do it, it didn't feel right. I blame our indoctrination into the corporate culture in this country.

While shopping, we happened by the sports art gallery place and looked around. Long story short, Cameron Mills was signing pictures with some of the proceeds going toward Cameron Mills Ministries. Since we are doing the baby's room in UK, we thought it would be appropriate. It was really cool to meet him.

After a hard day shopping, (it was Friday before Christmas after all), we rewarded ourselves with a trip to see National Treasure: The Book of Secrets (review to come) in Hamburg. This was the first non-matinee prices we've paid for some time and we were surprised--$8.50 per adult ticket. Wow! It was worth the price though as we had a great time on our date. Interestingly, they included a Goofy cartoon at the beginning of it, and it was the funniest thing I've seen in some time. I laughed so hard I cried.

Saturday-Today, Ellice brought me breakfast in bed--a special treat. We watched a little Return of the Jedi--a great start to the day. We read a little, and now I'm blogging. Later today will be a UK game against Tennessee Tech, where hopefully we'll gain some measure of redemption after our 4-game losing streak. Finally we'll do a little grocery shopping.

National Treasure: The Book of Secrets
We loved the frist one and thrilled at seeing this, the second installment. The Gates family has to redeem their family name as a new historical document has listed a Gates ancestor as a conspirator in the assassination of Lincoln. To clear the name, father and son (and estranged mother) must follow clues to discover another lost treasure. Lots of fun, adventure, and excitement; puzzles, break-ins, traps and scheming bad guys, all with a historical bent. They took the theme of using little known historical events and entangling them with secret society conspiracies and ran with it a second time--it works again! Many people don't like formulas for movies and books, but I argue that formulas work in conjunction with good writing. I think Nick Cage has really found a groove with this series. They could probably make a bunch more and I'll wind up owning all of them. ***1/2

Quick week

2007-12-18T02:46:00.000-08:00

Monday-Ellice had a bad headache. Finished my last final by staying up too late--but at least its finished.

Tuesday-Volleyball semifinals-we won. Finals against First Methodist, we lost and I took a hard fall. I beat Auburn with Morehead State on my PS2 game, a real shocker! Maybe we're turning this program around...

Wed- Sore from the fall the night before. Church, then had my presentation in my night class, and then I was done! No more school till the middle of January.

Thurs- Got home from work and was so sore I had trouble sleeping.

Friday- Skipped work and went to the insta-care center to get checked out. No breaks, but officially a bruised rib and bruised pelvis. Get set up with an NSAID and a painkiller. I'm using them sparingly as needed, primarily to make sure I can sleep.

Saturday- Had a great gaming session, even though I almost fell out of my chair and aggravated my rib. UK played better against a modest UAB team, but still lost due to a 3-point exhibition from a guy named Vaden (?!?!)--33 points, a career high for him. We may not make the NCAA here folks, just giving you fair warning. Hopefully, Meeks or Jasper will be back soon to give us some help. Then we went to the Sunday School Christmas party and had a lot of fun, even if my allergies are kicking up.

Sunday- Found out why my allergies are so bad lately; My Nasonex ran out 2 weeks ago, so I've been using an empty bottle. I know, how can I be so brain dead as to do such a thing? Just busyness. In the middle of Sunday School, I may my first pregnancy run to give my wife a fix--what is Ellice craving?---McDonald's Bacon Egg and Cheese Bagel. Andi did not come over today, Ellice had her solo as they performed their CD live at church that evening and we watched the Survivor Finale.

One final note, school is out Thursday and it can't come soon enough...

Survivor: China (TV)
An interesting season, even though Todd the flight attendant took home the big prize. None of the people I rooted for were in the top 3. That's okay, as I really liked the last two winners, so you have to have that lying jerk win once in a while, I suppose. Cool season anyway, as they had a lot of Chinese culture and China themed challenges. Looking forward to next season. **

Not quite as long a blog...

2007-12-10T22:27:00.001-08:00

Monday-Ellice was sick and missed school.

Tuesday-Ellice was still sick, even worse this day. She did start to feel better that night and came to watch me play volleyball. We lost against that really good team that never loses. I felt really sore, and Ellice really wished she was able to play. I really appreciate her support in just showing up. It wouldn't be the same without her there. Found out our Freshman guard Alex Legion is leaving UK. That really stinks, we need him.

Wednesday- Legion may be coming back, but we won't know until January. Church, then class.
Ellice went back to work, feeling better, but we're both really dragging at this point.

Thursday-Hoping for a snow day-that didn't come. (sigh). Last meeting of my Thursday night class; Final exam posted online.

Friday-After work, we went to get our free oil change at Kia. Went to the Cici's across the street for dinner, then went straight home for our date night. We had popcorn and sprite and watched the second Fantastic Four movie. We had a blast just relaxing.

Saturday- Ellice went to an academic team meat for most of the day. They came in 3rd out of 4 teams, which is about what the expected, except they had some bad judges. I played games, worked on my Final, and did some light housework. Watched the UK game against #15 Indiana, and they played miserably--blown out. This is going to be a very long season. When Ellice got home, we went grocery shopping at Wal-Mart and got our Christmas pictures made. We also prepped the house for her cookie bake day on Sunday.

Sunday- Church, Andi came over and cooked chicken fried rice for Ellice, me, and her friend Tagin. She's learning quickly and cooks well with direction. Eventually, we should cut her loose and let her decide what to cook. Then Ellice had her annual Cookie bake, while I went to hang out with David. I didn't get as much time with Ellice as I would have liked, but it was still a fun weekend. We did cap the evening off by watching Amazing Race.

No reviews as I've been concentrating on my final. Next blog should include the Survivor Finale.

Lots to catch up on

2007-12-02T18:54:00.001-08:00

It's been busy as usual, but I've been keeping notes to catch up my blog.

Okay, Thursday, more than a week (feels like a month ago)-Thanksgiving. Had Joel and Sonya, as well as Evan over. Good holiday, food and games, a good day.

Friday, Saturday and Sunday (last week): trip to Murfreesboro, TN to see grandma (soon to be great grandma) Chick. She was a little tired, I was a little sick, and Ellice was a little pregnant, so other than a foray out into town we stayed in and visited for most of the weekend. It was a nice time to relax. We watched a few movies, talked over a couple of breakfasts and she let me tape the UK football game against Tennessee. It was a lot of fun to watch it on her big TV-even though my kitty cats lost in, get this, 4 Overtimes. Ack!! We now have the dubious distinction of having the longest losing streak against an opponent who plays every year at 23 years. This happened because Navy beat somebody they never beat this year. By the way, we also have the honor of the second spot, our series against Florida who we also haven't beaten in forever. We also went to see Enchanted, but more on that below. Upon our return, we had to go grocery shopping for the week, and after the 4 hour drive, we were wiped. I stayed up and watched the UK basketball game that we had taped. UK won against Texas Southern in a lights out shooting exhibition.

Monday- Work, rest, Ellice was beginning to feel a little better, and so was I. We tried to go walking, but the track was being worked on, so no dice. We did pick up our "100-mile" shirts though.

Tuesday- We won our volleyball match in the first round of our tournament. It was close, as we lost one game. We just weren't making good plays, but we eked out a win. UK (Football is over except for the big bowl game, so any further reference is basketball) played an ugly game, barely winning against a week Stony Brook team. Freshman Patterson is our only bright spot this year.

Wednesday- As usual, Wednesdays are chock full. After work we went to Church for dinner, then Ellice went to her Women's study and I went to class.

Thursday- We are exhausted. I hung out with a friend while Ellice went to Bunco.

Friday- Payday. Budgeting day for the rest of the year was difficult. Our jobs aren't paying a whole lot, so we're tightening our belts quite a bit. We've made some hard decisions and there are more to come, but we do feel blessed with a baby on the way. We are trusting our finances to God, as he knows what we need and will provide.

Saturday- Probably the most trying day for me emotionally. After a tense Friday, I was looking forward to some gaming with friends. This didn't turn out so good. There was an incident that left tensions high and to calm things, we had to end early. Ellice has been great through it, but I haven't handled it all that well. While I am in the right in the situation, how to deal with it in the future remains to be seen. I've been praying about it, but I'm having difficulty letting go. Anyway, after that, I planned to watch the UK-North Carolina game. Unfortunately, the video went out while we taped it, and all we had was Dick Vitale talking on a black screen. Now, Dicky V talks about everything under the sun except what is happening on the court, so I had trouble keeping up. It was a rather disappointing day. Ellice tried her best to find an online version of the game, to no avail. She's a real trooper though, and I love her for trying. I did see about 5 minutes of the game, so my viewing streak should still be alive (besides, listening to Dick Vitale blather for an hour or two should count).

Sunday- Church, Ellice's mentee Andi came over to learn to cook--apparently we aren't the only ones who are exhausted. She fell asleep on our couch. I find it a compliment that she could relax enough to actually take a nap in our apartment. So they had some mentor-mentee bonding and I got to play a few video games. The games helped restore me. I guess everyone is different in what rejuvenates them. Ellice later decorated the apartment (she's great at that) I did some homework, laundry, dishes, watched Amazing Race and Stargate Atlantis (from Friday). After this blog, I plan on reading, writing, preparing for work tomorrow, doing some more housework, more homework and collapsing in an exhausted heap.

Enchanted
Liked it a lot. Disney scores on this one. Predictable, but in a good way. The music is staying with me a week later, and that's a sign of an enduring film. Good family fun. (Still, it's no Aladdin). **1/2

White Christmas
I saw this for the first time and it was cool. I'm a big Danny Kaye fan and had never actually watched Bing Crosby. He's not on screen for being photogenic--its obviously for his voice. This isn't the laugh riot I would expect from Kaye, but there's a lot of singing. The moral of the story is typically sweet and while the acting is typically "stagey" for the period, what stands out the most is the spectacular writing. The dialogue is crisp and engaging, as well as cleverly humorous. **1/2

Last Holiday (DVD)
I missed this one when it came out and didn't rush to rent it. The Mrs. told me it was good, but I had no idea how good it was. While the moral is predictable, the delivery is exceptional. I am officially a Latifah fan--even in a comedy such as this, she brings an old school glamour to the screen. This film's theme struck a chord with me, and I'll not soon forget it. A very high recommend. ***

Holiday week and a great book

2007-11-23T06:02:00.000-08:00

Sunday- Church, Ellice showed Andi how to cook stir fry, grocery shopping.

Monday- Work and took some much needed chill time with the Mrs. The strain of our schedules is showing a bit.

Tuesday- Work. The kids were absolutely wild today. Fortunately, it's the last day we work until next Monday. Went to Cici's to save time, then went to play volleyball. We won pretty handily, rounding out the season in second place. That means we won T-shirts. That reminds me, we should try to pick up our shirts for walking our hundred miles. Ironic that we haven't been able to walk since hitting that milestone.

Wednesday- It's great not to work or have classes today for a change. We cleaned up in preparation for company coming over for Thanksgiving. Tiffany came over to visit with Ellice while she baked pies, seven all told. I got the opportunity to play 2 games of basketball and 1 of football on my PS2--it was great to relax like that. In the basketball, I'm playing the career mode, where you start at a small-time college and work your way up. I started at Morehead State, and had a 10-win season my first year, and a 20-win season my second. I was offered a 2-year job at Boise State, but I decided to stick it out with my guys another year and hopefully get a better offer next year.

Also went to have dinner with the parents and enjoyed the UK basketball game against Liberty. UK rebounded from their surprising loss to Gardner-Webb with an 80-54 victory. Freshman phenom Patrick Patterson led the way with 23 points and 10 rebounds.

Thursday- Turkey Day. Great food. Joel, Sonya and Evan came over for the festivities. Got a pretty serious headache in the early afternoon though. Took some Excedrin Migraine and I felt better. I think they are called weekend migraines, people get them when they start to slow down after stressful weeks at work. Rounded out the day with some games with the in-laws. Survivor was a repeat, so we skipped it and watched two episodes of Charmed (Ellice had the double play card). For those of you who don't know, we take turns watching our shows. We also have two cards that we play when we feel like it, a Double Play card and a Random Act card. When you play a card, it goes to the other person. It's a system that has saved a lot of arguments over what to watch, we highly recommend it.

Friday- Well, I just had breakfast, and the plan today is to go to Murfreesboro to visit Ellice's grandmother; should be a nice little holiday.

SW: X-Wing: Rogue Squadron by Michael Stackpole
This is the first book in the X-Wing series of books.

This series chronicles the adventures of the Elite fighter squadron in their struggles to finish off the slowly withering Empire after the Emperor's death in Return of the Jedi. The war is by no means finished, what with the Imperial forces still holding Coruscant and many other key worlds as well as thousands of capital ships. The book focuses on the reconstitution of the squadron with elite pilots from all over- Rogue pilots tend to die quickly as they are the ones sent on the deadliest missions. Corran Horn and Wedge Antilles are the main characters in this one, with a lot of other fresh faces. Many of which, die rather suddenly, as would be expected.

I've read a bunch of Star Wars books by this point and I must say, I thought this one was extraordinary. I was surprised at the quality of the book. The book had the feel of World War II fighter pilot stories, with stormtroopers as Nazi's--and it worked really well. The starfighter sequences were fantastic. The villains were innovative, at least enough to standout and be memorable for years to come. I give this one high marks. I hesitate to give it the max, just because I would like to leave room in case one of the rest in the series surprise me again. Ah what the heck, I thrilled at reading this book. ****

Another week in the books

2007-11-17T19:23:00.000-08:00

Saturday the last- Groceries and homecoming. We went to Berea for Ellice's big day, and unfortunately fewer showed up than the year before, but we still saw some of Ellice's old buds and she got to sing with the really good choir. We went to a Mexican place in Berea that is very much below our standards here in Richmond--felt quite ill afterward. UK (football) rebounded after their tough loss a couple of weeks ago with a victory over Vanderbilt 27-20.

Sunday-Church, had lunch with Ellice's mentee Andi. We had her cook for us for a change-Spaghetti. We rested after that.

Monday- Dr. Appointment- that would be my asthma guy and allergist. Things are going as expected, keep taking the same drugs, try to stay active, which is getting more difficult to do with our time-consuming schedules.

Tuesday- Ellice's Obi-gyn (sounds like a Jedi to me) apptmt. We saw pictures of the newest Gullett. Congratulations to us, it's a little alien. Two volleyball games; won one, lost one.

Wednesday- After work paid bills, went to church, had a Final. Got my video lesson back--I got an A!

Thursday- Watched Survivor and some other TV shows on DVD. It was good to take bit of a break.

Friday- Got paid, went to Lexington for shoes, minis, dinner at Outback, and Beowulf. First actual date we've had in a while, great fun.

Saturday- Game, groceries, Kentucky got whipped by Georgia (again Football) after blowing a second quarter 10 point lead. Final, 13-24. All that's left next week is Tennessee, and whatever bowl game UK ends up with this year (two in a row, that's incredible for us!)

Beowulf
Are you the one they call Beowulf?
I know it's a CGI cartoon, but hey, so were the last two Star Wars movies, and they rocked. I wasn't overly excited to watch this one; just thought it might prove interesting. It was, and I was pleasantly surprised by it. Very graphic, rather gory, but I thought it was an excellent visualization of the epic. A few dramatic licenses here and there to keep things interesting, but for the most part, it followed the story and old world feel. I recommend this one for those of you who are none too squemish. But I mean really, how would you depict a monster that kills two dozen men without spilling a little blood...and disemboweling a warrior or two...and ripping people in half...you get the picture. The acting is good and translates to CGI well. Don't let my review put you off, it's really a cool flick. ***

Getting into that work grove...

2007-11-09T19:40:00.000-08:00

Okay, a quick recap.

Thursday (last week)- Night class that turned into a Professional Development. We went as a group to see Raef something or other talk about his experiences as a teacher. His book is called Teach Like Your Hair is on Fire. The man sacrifices every moment of every day for his kids. While it is laudable that he is so dedicated, it came out that he has health problems from lack of sleep. I think we should take what the man says with a grain of salt. Temper the positives of his style with a healthy bit of balance.

Friday- Went to Carino's after dropping by the Maternity Store in Hamburg. As a treat, Ellice let me go by Collectibles to buy some miniatures. Hey, the system works.

Saturday- D and D (another fun-filled session), cleaned for Ellice's coffee on Sunday, and UK basketball game (football had a bye, thank goodness). UK wins the exhibition over Seattle 82-63.

Sunday- Church. My parents sat somewhere different and I couldn't stand it. After five minutes, I had to move back to our normal seats. I admit it, I have problems. Lunch at Subway with Joel and Sonya. Ellice hosted her coffee, and I slept for 2 hours. Amazingly enough, there were about 20 people in our "cozy" apartment. After that, we went to Walmart for groceries. We manage to pack in a large amount of stuff each day, or so it seems to me.

Monday- Work, KFC, walk. Yes, you see a pattern. With our adjusted schedules and Ellice's pregnancy we are worn out and eating out a lot.

Tuesday- Chalk up another Volleyball win. Everyone played well, and most importantly, played well together. Ellice was on fire, putting the ball exactly where Aaron and I needed it every time, and she nailed all her serves. The three of us in a row is a good lineup. UK starts the 2k classic, an early season tournament with a victory over Central Arkansas 67-40.

Wednesday- Work, Church dinner, class. UK loses in one of the biggest upsets in college b-ball history to Gardner-Webb out of North Carolina. As a friend told me, thank goodness the football team is good this year. An inauspicious start to Billy G's coaching career here. Hey, it happens, let's just hope it doesn't happen too often. I get the impression though that Billy is too good a coach to let this sort of thing get out of hand, and will turn this embarassment into a positive by getting the players' full attention in practice. I stick with the Kittie Cats through the good and the bad though, so I watched every second of the debauchle. Gardner-Webb played phenomenal and deserved the win. G-W 84, UK 68. (Yes, and it shouldn't have been that close.)

Thursday- Work, Wendy's, Special Education Class. This night was difficult. We went over a bunch of serious health impairments in children and with Ellice pregnant, I daresay this wasn't the best time for me to be going through all this stuff, but hey, what are you going to do?

Friday- Work, Cracker Barrel. I think we ate out every day this week and that is just sad. We need help. Ellice's mentee Andi had a dance show at EKU. Let's just say it was interesting. There were 14 dance pieces with a 10 minute intermission. It should suffice for me to point out that I'm not so much into the modern stuff. The Capoiera was the best(Brazilian martial art). Others of note were a more traditional celtic piece, a takeoff on the Thriller video, and a chair dance set in high school detention, but other than that, it was mostly a bunch of new age running around and jumping with arms flailing. I like the ones that are choreographed together, not just a jumble of people doing their own thing. Anyway, I did appreciate a fair portion of it, and I'm by no means a dance person; I'm more into music.

The Courts of Chaos by Roger Zelazny
This is book 5 of 10 in the Chronicles of Amber series.
Thus ends the last of Prince Corwin's portion of the Amber Chronicles. High action for the most part in the beginning and end. Meanders in the middle though, with some philosophical mumbo jumbo which I think is supposed to serve as a contemplation on the meaning of life, but it comes across as forced and artificial. Basically, the world, or worlds in this particular case, is spiralling to an ignominious end and Corwin is trying to stop it. There is a satisfying conclusion to the Corwin cycle, and as the next five books feature his son Merlin as the protagonist, I will miss the character. **1/2

Taran Wanderer by Lloyd Alexander
This is book 4 of the 5-part Prydain Chronicles.
Taran decides he's gotta find out who he is--namely his family. His initial driving force is so that he will feel worthy to ask Eilonwy's hand in marriage. To find out the truth about himself, Dollben sends him on a quest to look in the Mirror of Llunet. The rest of the book Taran, well, wanders, as the title suggests. His quest changes over time to not find out about his past, but as one might imagine, to find out about himself as a man. Taran matures into his role as an adventurer and a protector, finds faults within himself and basically grows up. This book is almost a series of about eight short stories in a row: I could almost see it as a serial or comic book. The only downside is that while there is a connected theme, it is tenuous at times, and there is a sense of disconnectedness from one story to the next. By the end, there is a tendency to forget (as the character does) what the quest was about in the first place. The climax is good and the resolution works on many levels. I look forward to the finale of the series. **1/2

Whew.

2007-11-01T03:38:00.000-07:00

We're still on a nonstop ride. Hopefully, things will start to settle down.

Friday- Ellice went to do a recording at church, so I was on my own. I did some homework and once that was finished, I went to an EKU volleyball game. They play completely different than we do. Of course, the level of play is obviously much higher, but aside from that, the scoring changes too. It was fun (Eastern lost) and informative. Maybe I can take something away from the experience to our V-ball team.

Saturday- Ellice was worn out from days of recording. She went somewhere or other in the morning, either a coffee, a meeting, or more recording, I can't remember. These last two weeks have been a blur, so pardon me. But on the way home, she called and said that she got two tickets to the UK football game against Mississippi State. So, naturally we went. We were cold and tired but had fun anyway. UK played the worst they have all season and got slammed 31-14. I think they were beat up from playing #1 LSU and #10 Florida the previous two weeks. After the game, we went to a Halloween party. It was fun too, but we are wearing ourselves out doing stuff. I had a moderate reaction to the cat, which is a vast improvement. Yea for medicine.

Sunday- Nursery at church (a little practice you know). Evan came over for lunch.

Monday- First day on the job. The schedule is hectic, my roll is confused and I'm learning the personalities of the teachers, administration and students. The job has good hours and I'm in control of my breaks.

Tuesday- More getting use to the job. Shop for clothes, gas, then groceries. We didn't get settled in till late. The two of us are getting exhausted. I recommend we get most of this stuff done on the weekends.

Wednesday- We had Brittany and David over for dinner; due to Halloween, they didn't have the church dinner. My class was cancelled too. Good times, good times. I've been steadily catching up on homework, fitting it in where I can, and I'm closing in on finishing my assignments for the semester, but it is time-consuming.

The UK basketball team opened its season and the Billy Gillispie era last night in an exhibition match against Pikeville College. It's a tune up, and I tell you what, they might not win every game, but it will be fun basketball. Instead of playing passively on defense, these guys are in your face the whole game, and I like it. Good things to come. UK wins, 99-64. Jodie Meeks hit 7 3's and got a career high 34 points. It's just Pikeville, but it does look promising.

No reviews again. I need to get reading.

So much to talk about, so little time

2007-10-25T03:34:00.000-07:00

Okay, quick rundown.

Thursday I did my videotaped lesson, twice to make sure I got a good one, and went to my night class.

This past weekend we went to the Festival of Marriage. Fortunately, we had paid for the weekend way back in May, when we had extra funds. Even now we feel that investing in our marriage is very important in terms of time and money. I'm dedicating myself to preserving that philosophy over the next 20 years with the introduction of children to the mix. We hear so many people say how much will change, we won't get to do anything; they make it sound like a nightmare that you don't wake up from. Okay, so I recognize there will be changes, but come on. People wouldn't keep having them if it was that bad. We heard the same type of whining and complaining about marriage, and we find it a blessing in our lives. Yes there will be struggles, battles, sleep deprivation, and expenses, but I gladly do all of these things for UK games, why not for a child?

But I digress...

Where was I? Festival of Marriage. It was a good retreat, not great. The keynote speakers this year said the exact same things as last year in all 3 sessions. Even their "We weren't going to do this, but here it is..." spiel. Then why is it queued up on the monitor if you weren't going to do it? Anyway... the point is this time around the people seemed more phony. Now don't get me wrong, there was still some good relationship building stuff there, and we had a good time, but the presentations didn't have the same impact they did before. 2 of the 3 seminars we went to were good and gave us food for thought and promoted discussion. I'll remember this year's retreat by the amount of 'swing time' we had, talking and taking in the mountain scenery while sitting on an old wooden swing. That was nice.

Got back home Sunday and watched the epic battle between UK and Florida. So close. The cats lost 45-37. It would have been 38, but time elapsed and they didn't allow Kentucky to kick the extra point, as it wouldn't have made any difference. But fortunately, there is a five-way tie in the SEC East for 1st place. Whoever finishes 1st in the SEC East will play the SEC West winner in the SEC title game.

Monday was uneventful. Mostly rest for me. Ellice of course worked. I had a bit of a nervous breakdown over our finances, but felt better once I prayed, realizing that God has provided for us all allong. He knows we need money.

Tuesday- subbed. Was asked if I wanted to do an interview Wednesday for a teacher assistant position. Had two volleyball games. We won the first match after losing the first game (the matches are the best of three games). It was a good comeback. Then we played First Methodist, who I call a semi-pro team. They are so good, it's scary. Well, Aaron, Judith and Ellice and I upped our game tremendously. Roger played solid and Jordan fairly well. We gave them a good game, taking it to them every step of the way. I had 3 or 4 blocks as did Aaron. We were all over the place. I played as hard as I ever have. Ellice nailed all her serves and made a great number of plays. We actually had the edge at a few points along the way, but when 2 or 3 of us rotated out leaving us to rely on our less strong players on the front line, we were doomed. We have a few people that don't quite now how to hit the ball yet-it's their first year. Understandable as it is a church league, so I'm not making an issue of it. It still hurts though to play so hard and lose.

Wednesday- Taught my videotaped lesson as an encore to another 5th grade class- I was requested. Good experience and good for the ego. I ran some errands afterward, went to my interview and got the Job on the spot! I start Monday and I'm a little nervous, but not very. I'll be helping students with special needs with their Math skills. Church then class. I am so very sore from the grueling volleyball matches.

Thursday- Subbing again today. More sore than yesterday.

Not much in the way of reviews this week, as I didn't finish any books or watch any movies. Till next time.

The Big News This Week...

2007-10-19T02:48:00.000-07:00

Kentucky Wins! Kentucky beats #1 ranked LSU in triple overtime thriller. Ranked 7th in the BCS (which helps determine where they play in the post season) and is actually in the title hunt this year.

Oh, and there was another big newsworthy event this week...

Billy Gillispie began his tenure as Kentucky's Basketball coach with Big Blue Madness Friday night...

Okay, so my wife is giving me that look...

We (and by we I mean Ellice) are pregnant. I don't know how it happened...okay, so we were trying and I kind of have some idea. Big excitement and good things to hope for. Busy, busy week as you can imagine (hence the lateness of this post).

Tuesday-(10/9/07) Substituted, Volleyball- we lost.
Wednesday- Ate at church, class, choir for Ellice, walked
Thursday-Subbed, Cici's, class, Ellice had Bible study
Friday- Found out we were pregnant, told a whole lot of people, Outback to celebrate, I went to Big Blue Madness with Sunday School fellas
Saturday-Ellice had choir, we gamed with the guys, went to wedding and skipped the reception cause they had the UK-LSU game on TV (I have to watch the whole thing and hate to ruin it by knowing the outcome ahead of time)-My wife is wonderfully supportive about this by the way. Watched the game into the wee hours of the morning
Sunday-Church, Church picnic, more announcements about expecting

Monday- I subbed for half the day, observed at Ellice's school, helped with her academic team, and Tiffany took us out to Cracker Barrel-Fried Pork Chops, mmmm. Thanks again Tiff.
Tuesday- More Observations, Volleyball- We win handily
Wednesday- More Observations, Church, Class, Ellice choir, walked
Thursday- Video taped a Social Studies lesson I had prepared at Ellice's school. The kids loved the game I made up about the Barter System. I think the lesson went well, and I should get a decent grade. Observed the rest of the day, went to class.

Friday- We're getting ready to leave for the Festival of Marriage in North Carolina. The retreat should help the two of us recover from the last two weeks. Let's hope no one tells me what happens in the UK-Florida game this Saturday-- Shhhh! I'm taping it...

This Present Darkness by Frank Peretti
Ellice recommended this read and I'm very glad she did. Loved this book. This is my first foray into the Christian Fiction genre and I have to tell you it was a good one. Angels and devils fight it out sword to flaming sword on the astral plane, while protecting and manipulating (respectively) humans in subtle ways. The plot twists in the story were unexpected. Themes of fall and redemption are of course present, and the characters are realistic. The insidious nature of demonic influence is well represented in a believable and potentially scary way.

Warning, this is not a book for the young. There are adult themes in this book, including accusations of rape, demonic possession, and violence (including a brutal beating of a woman). The dark side of the book is well represented and is a frightening contrast to the angelic Host. And this is not a story that is just about new age angels; the angels depicted are very Biblical, calling on New Testament truths and always acknowledging that they are servants of Christ.
A very enjoyable read. ***1/2

Jungle Book (DVD)
I watched this Disney movie for the first time this week. I liked it. Among the cartoon Disney movies I'd put this one close to the top (Aladdin of course being #1). Sher Kahn was a nefarious villain; I think that element is essential in a good flick. He had a lot of build up, and when he crept on screen for the first time, I thought the characterization lived up to the billing. As far as the supporting cast goes, the interplay between Bagura and Baloo was very cool. In fact, I liked all the supporting characters; very well done. The movie was pretty short though. The fact that I wanted more says how much I liked this movie. No wonder this is a classic. ***

It had to happen...

2007-10-09T16:31:00.000-07:00

Well, Kentucky dropped one. South Carolina took advantage of four wildcat turnovers to hand our football team its first loss of the season. (Sigh). UK now hosts #1 LSU Saturday night at 7pm. It will either be the biggest upset in UK football history, or another loss. Here's to hoping for a close game.

Brief review of the week, a full week off from work for Ellice, Second Anniversary on Monday, hosted a few friends from Sunday School to dinner on Friday, went to Ren Fest on Saturday, helped put together the Chili lunch for the college kiddies on Sunday. All in all a fairly business but productive weekend.

Didn't get much writing done this week due to a heavy run of classwork. Hopefully, I'll get to do a little more this time around.

The Seeker: The Dark is Rising
Yes it is predictable. But there's a reason for these formulaic stories--the formula works. I'm just a sucker for the manchild-learns-his-destiny-is-to-save-the-world tale. Will is the 7th son of a 7th son, and there is a great burden on his shoulders, to battle the Dark, which is in case you didn't guess, rising. In a season of dull movie choices, I recommend this one. I don't want to give much away, but if you like the genre, you'll like the flick. ***

Star Wars: Attack of the Clones (book) by R. A. Salvatore
One of my favorite fantasy authors delivers in this treatment of the film. His writing embodies the character drama that encompasses the film, and his ability to bring the action to life shines in this one. Included in the book are deleted scenes omitted from the theatrical release of the film. Salvatore's writing fits well with Star Wars novels, even if he departs at times from what is seen on screen. His deviations work, though they are glaring to a Star Wars afficionado like myself. The only real glaring problem is that the ending seemed a bit abbreviated, like he was working against a deadline, but he may have been emulating the frenetic pace of the end of the movie. We'll give my man Salvatore the benefit of the doubt here. ***

No. 8?!?!

2007-10-01T04:33:00.000-07:00

Kentucky Football is ranked 8th this week after a topsy-turvy weekend that saw five of the top 10 teams in the country (including Florida) lose. Not 8th in the SEC; 8th in the country! Mind boggling.

Something big happens today--its like one of those yearly things. Something of significance. An anniversary of some type. Something important. I just can't remember. I'll just ask my wife; I'm sure she'll let me know what it is.

The week in review--ate out too much, subbed, class, midterm, papers, walked, volleyball practice. Had Andi (Ellice's mentee) and her new boyfriend over for tacos. Went to Movie Tavern with David and Brittany to see the new Disney movie. Mom took us to Cracker Barrel for our Anniversary (Evan too).

Prayer concerns-- David and Brittany, Erin, James, Brian and Amey
Praise-Ellice's job

The Game Plan
Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson's new movie is a family friendly cute Disney flick. He's an aging pro quarterback on top of the world who is just starting to realize that his all-consuming passion for the pro sports lifestyle is missing something. And then fate delivers a turn when an 8-year-old surprise shows up on his doorstep. While featuring your typically campy Disney kid humor, this surprisingly funny film is worth the watch. The Rock has a good screen presence and doesn't seem to take himself overly serious. He sings a little in this one too. **1/2

Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (book) by J. R. R. Tolkien
This is the third and final installment in the Lord of the Rings trilogy.

I must admit, I had never read these books until now. I am a big fantasy fan, but I tried to read Tolkien back in middle school and failed. He's just overly wordy and a little boring for my taste. But now that I'm a little older and have a greater command of vocabulary (not to mention more patience), I thought I would tackle the prequel (the Hobbit) and the trilogy. This installment is probably on par with the Fellowship of the Ring. I liked it but as all of Tolkien it really drags. The style harkens to classic works of the 19th century, featuring verbose, bulky writing with way too much attention to detail. There is poetry to the language which is enjoyable-but only in small doses. What lacks is flow. But when you overcome that, the story is really good. The epic tale probably peaked with the Hobbit, which I liked more than the trilogy. I'm giving this one an extra half star as Tolkien's popularity inspired generations of fantasy authors (and an awesome film trilogy). ***

Busy Week, but Good

2007-09-24T05:11:00.000-07:00

Prayer concerns: James in Bagdad, Sonya, Erin, Dave and Brittany, Jennifer's family, Brian and Amey.
Praise for health and finances holding up, John and Melissa house, Ellice's job

Things were shaping up to be pretty busy this past weekend, so Monday and Tuesday we pretty much took it easy, and just walked both nights at the YMCA. We are about 75 miles into the 100-mile club, and we are looking forward to our T-shirts, which we will wear with pride.

Tuesday we also had a writing group meeting. Which is a little funny, cause the meetings have dropped down to just me and Ellice due to busy schedules. Perhaps a few of the readers of this blog would be interested in a virtual writing group that got together once per week, 2 weeks, or month in a chat room to discuss our writing? We could submit a chapter per week/2 weeks/month by e-mail and have a blogpage for our responses. Just a thought.

Wednesday night was packed with church and class. We've started going to the Wednesday night dinner at church. I'm a bit rushed to get to class by 6pm, but we've found the dinners to be a fun bit of fellowship. The food's not bad either. Ellice then goes to a women's Bible study followed by choir. I pick Ellice up then we go walk for 2 miles.

Thursday is basically me going to class and Ellice hosting her married women's Bible study. Then we go walk. I messed up taping the Survivor premier, but fortunately they play them as webcasts, and we watched it Sunday before church. More on Survivor later.

Friday I finally got a call to sub so I worked through the day and we had Dave and Brittany over for games. Brittany won at Risk and was so happy, it was worth getting beaten. Sadly Ellice was the first to bear the brunt of her attacks, and had to watch for some time. Taped Flash Gordon.

Saturday I worked feverishly with Ellice's help on preparing for the game. I am notorious for my copious piles of loose yellow paper with notes scrawled everywhere. Ellice has been trying to get me more organized and it is starting to pay off. She's convinced me that I should go digital with everything, not only to speed play and preparation, but also to reduce clutter around the house. So we played, had a fantastic session and there was much rejoicing. Taped the UK-Arkansas game and watched it in bed while Ellice tried to get some sleep through periodic shouts and exclamations of alarm. UK, having cracked into the top 25 for the first time in 23 years now had to step up and win an SEC (Southeastern conference) game on the road against a tough Arkansas team with the best pair of Running Backs in the country. UK floundered early, and it looked like it was going to be a blowout, but they fought back twice and found victory. The announcers were stunned and said that UK actually is legit this year and is a factor in the SEC race. Next week should be easy, but then we play #2 LSU and #3 Florida. If we can grab one of those games, lookout!

Sunday--I really dragged yesterday, owing in no small part to staying up till 2am watching the UK game. Watched Survivor. After church we gave my dad the tape of the UK game, ate some Rally burgers, and went to our first Volleyball practice. We should have a decent team this year, but I don't know if we can win it all. We'll see.

In other news, Wheel of Time author Robert Jordan died, and I find myself conflicted. Is it horribly selfish of me to wonder what will happen to the 12th and final book he was working on in the series, A Memory of Light? I feel bad for him; I did when I first learned of his rare blood illness. If I had to pick a handful of influencing authors, Jordan would be one of them. I think that my wishing he had completed the last book is more of an homage to the man; a respect and appreciation for his writing talent and a feeling of loss that we won't have it around any longer.

Survivor: China (TV)
Love Survivor, but in this the season premier, there was an incident that raised some questions. The beginning of the first episode had the cast perform a ceremony in an ancient Buddhist temple. Now host Jeff Probst said that this ceremony was not worship. However, there were many prominent idols in the room and the thrust of the ceremony was burning incense to them, getting down on your knees and bowing to the largest Buddha with your head to the floor. I think this is more a sign of respect in their culture, as in my karate classes, we had to do the same bows to the teacher, who returned them in kind. One of the cast, a Christian radio talk show host, was sweating heavily and crying at the display, and could not finish the ceremony. When confronted by Probst, she said she couldn't bow down before an idol. I'm torn myself over what I would do. Even if the ceremony wasn't technically worship to them, it definitely was worship-like. Where's the line between respecting a culture and following your own beliefs? A good question. In this season, I like her and the gravedigger, a big soft-spoken black man. I hope they do well. This week, a Virginia chicken farmer was voted off--bad move guys, that guy was a common-sense driven workhorse and I'm certain he'll be missed. I think the accent hurt him. **1/2

Bluuuue....Whiiiiiiite....Bluuuue.....Whiiiiite

2007-09-18T06:51:00.000-07:00

We are settling into a groove; classes, walking every day, Ellice is working, I'm not getting any calls to sub, you know, the usual. At least I am getting good stuff done during the days I'm at home. I'm keeping ahead on my classwork, and keeping the house up. That's me, the house husband.

The big thing that happened this weekend by far was the UK victory over Louisville. (For those of you who didn't get the title of this blog, it harkens to the crowd cheering at UK games.)

We went to my parents' to watch the game and we had a blast. For a little background, UK has lost to Louisville for the past four seasons. Louisville was ranked No. 9 in the country, and Kentucky hadn't beaten a ranked team since 1977. This game came down to the wire, and was won on 57 yard touchdown pass with :28 left on the clock. My dad was sick as a dog, but when WR Johnson caught that pass and sprinted for the endzone, he shot out of his chair like he was healthy as a horse. Now UK has been in this position many times against good teams, letting victory slip away--and almost did it again. Louisville, which has one of the best quarterbacks in college football in Brahm, threw a long pass that was batted around and caught by a Louisville player at the 10 yard line and it looked like he might score, but he was dragged down by a gang of UK players who would not be denied this day. The gun sounded, and UK had pulled off the upset!

UK has subsequently been ranked No. 21 in the country, which I can't remember the last time we were in the top 25. I just looked it up, 1984. This week we play at Arkansas, another ranked team who just got beat in the last minute by Alabama, so they will be plenty sore and eager for a win. We'll need some luck there.

The Hand of Oberon (book) by Roger Zelazny
This is book four in the Chronicles of Amber series.

This episode of Prince Corwin of Amber's struggles against the Courts of Chaos and the political machinations of his siblings was wholly surprising. I mean, the twists and turns of this one turned everything upside down. While there was one major twist that I did see coming, the rest left me reeling. In fact, the way that he turned everything on its head was almost as if the author changed his mind on where the story was going, and wrote to correct it. In any event, the book was entertaining, a little better than its immediate predecessor. **1/2

Mars and Venus in the Bedroom (book) by John Gray
This is a practical guide to improving the sex lives of couples through John Gray's 'Mars and Venus' approach using communication and trust as cornerstones of a relationship. While I typically would have appreciated a more outwardly christian view of sex, the techniques presented herein are very useful. Now don't get me wrong there's nothing bad going on in that department (ahem) but if you aren't striving to improve your relationship, it is stagnating. This book is a recommend not only for couples, but also for singles, as it gives people a better understanding of the opposite sex. If you liked Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus, you'll like this one as well. **1/2

Murder Masquerade, Prayer and Star Wars

2007-09-11T03:35:00.000-07:00

Let's see, other than class, and a day of subbing, what happened?

Umm... we gamed Saturday, and then went to a friend's masquerade party. That was fun as I was a participant in the mayhem. In fact, I committed the murder, heh heh.

Since my breathing is better, we've resumed our daily walk schedule, and I'm losing the few lbs. I gained while infirmed, so that's good. Also...Volleyball! Our next season begins Monday, and other than a scheduling snafu with Ellice, we're really looking forward to it.

My brother-in-law James was deployed this week to the Middle East, so please pray for a safe tour of duty.

Now, as promised, the suggested Star Wars reads for Melissa.

If you do not care much for the prequel movies, then I wouldn't recommend the Clone Wars series of novels. I love them but they are in the spirit of Episode II, Attack of the Clones, so maybe not your cup of tea.

If you liked Episode III, then I would recommend the books Labyrinth of Evil (prequel to the film), Ep. III, then Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader (sequel).

During the Rebellion Era (original 3 movies), I'd recommend Shadows of the Empire which happens a few months before Return of the Jedi.

As far as post movie novels, Truce at Bakura takes place immediately after Return of the Jedi and is a must read start-off point. The Courtship of Princess Leia is also a high recommend. Then comes probably the best of the Star Wars trilogies, the so-called 'Thrawn Trilogy' (Heir to the Empire, Dark Force Rising and The Last Command). These books are the prototype for all the SW novels since. Following that, probably the New Rebellion (great stand alone book), the Black Fleet Crisis and the Corellian trilogy. I would term those books the 'essential' Star Wars--up to where I've read. There are many others, but you get the overall story arc with just those.

Of course, I have not mentioned any New Jedi Order books as I'm not quite there yet. But I'm working on it.

Who Wants to Be a Superhero? (TV)
This week wrapped up season 2. I wanted Hyperstrike to win; he's the super athletic acrobat (who reminds me of James, my brother-in-law), but alas, it was the Defuser. It was hardly fair, I mean, the Defuser was a cop in real life, so he already was a hero. Another entertaining season. I'm glad they had attack dogs again; that was the best part of last year's show. There was a great visual of the Defuser standing up with a massive attack dog hanging off of each arm and frankly, I think that was what won it for him. **1/2

Star Trek: Probe (book) by Margaret Wander Bonanno
This novel takes place shortly after ST IV: The Voyage Home and features the same alien probe that tried to boil the Earth's oceans because we killed off all the whales.

As far as Trek books go, this one started off slow, but once you get past the exposition it's pretty good. There is a definite feel of the original series here. There isn't a whole lot of action, but the story is pretty cool. The descriptions are very good and I could visualize practically the whole book. The sonic hologram scene was very well done. My biggest problem with the novel is the Romulan names; the phonics and similar look of the names made it difficult to tell who was who. Hiran and Kital for example. There is a also an ensign Kittay on the Enterprise. I actually had to keep notes on who was who. The author needs to realize that names need to be very distinctive, especially when you introduce a whole bunch of them all at once. **1/2

This is the week that was...

2007-09-05T07:12:00.001-07:00

Still on the tail end of the breathing problem. Almost finished with my antibiotic and I'm doing better. I'm up to walking again and with school starting back, we're trying to establish some healthful routines.

Insurance kicks in November so we are faced with some challenges till then. But we are blessed that there is an end date in sight and we won't have to make decisions like bills or medicine which would be really scary.

Ellice seems to love her new job that God has provided and we are both happy for that. She gets finished early enough that we get to see each other a good bit of the day.

All I have right now are my classes, as I'm not getting very many calls to sub as yet. The courseload is a bit daunting: the biggest thing is going to be getting field observation hours in. I went to one school and they had no idea what I was talking about and looked at me like I was an alien; this school is right next to campus, so you'd think they'd have some idea what's going on. I know that at least 20 people do this every year, and they've never heard of it??

Anyway, on with the reviews:

Balls of Fury
This is a humorous take on Enter the Dragon, Bloodsport, and a little of TV's Kung Fu thrown in, with ping pong (or as the Chinese call it, 'ping pong') replacing martial arts. Christopher Walken delivers his standard stilted form of acting as the heavy, looking as if he's never entirely comfortable in his own skin and it works to great effect. Randy, the ex-olympic washout, is a true awkward underdog who is just trying to get it right for once. George Lopez plays a movie crazy FBI guy and is probably the highlight of the film. On the downside, the jokes are predictable, and a little juvenile. Bottom line though is that I was entertained. I'd watch it again. **

Connie and Carla (DVD)
Yet another cross dressing comedy. This stuff peaked during Tootsie, or maybe even further back with Some Like it Hot. Actually this movie is more inline with Victor, Victoria, what with it being women, dressing as men, dressing as women. I didn't like that movie either. It just gets old. Gender confusion comedies just don't do it for me; they rank barely higher than racial confusion films. Aside from the plot, the dialogue was mildly humorous. I'm sorry though, drag queens just aren't that funny. *1/2

Star Wars: Showdown at Centerpoint (book) by Roger Macbride Allen
This is the third and final book in the Corellian trilogy set 14 years after Return of the Jedi.

Good story, lively action, and a satisfying conclusion to the trilogy. There is a lot of character development here for Han and Leia's kids, as well as for a few of the adults. That the author can create situations for these characters about which so much is known from film and novels and to have them grow as much as they did is impressive. In this series, we learn a lot about the Corellia system (Han's home system of planets) much of which is as surprising to Han as it is to the reader.

As far as Star Wars books go, this one is good. There are better, but those are spectacular. ***

Little Pilgrim's Progress (book) by Helen Taylor
This is young readers interpretation of the John Bunyan classic Pilgrim's Progress.

This book very cleverly introduces some pretty heavy and adult concepts including some rather difficult theology. It was a good substitute for the original, as I just can't muster the patience to go through many of the hard to read classics. This book is broken down into two to three page chapters that are ideal for bedtime reading for young ones (and adults). The book is broken down into two sections, one detailing the adventures of little Christian and the second part regarding Christiana and company. I like the first part better as there was more action. The second part got a little busy, as Christiana acquired a huge group of people along the way. The downside of the book is that it evokes some powerful emotion at times, and if you aren't for it, it can be a bit of a tear-jerker.

I recommend this book if religious fiction with powerful allegory appeals to you. I also recommend this as a bedtime reading for children who are starting to ask religious questions. **1/2

Start of Classes

2007-08-28T07:18:00.000-07:00

Not much to tell this week. Classes at EKU started, and I have some work to do including 40 hours of clinical observation. Applied for a couple of Paraeducator positions, but no word as yet.

Played DND this weekend and it was one of our better sessions. Then we went to play games at Brittany and David's. We were introduced to a couple of interesting games including Draw! and some railroad building game. Both were fun. Unfortunately that Saturday night I fell ill and haven't recovered since. Missed church the following morning and everything has been a bit of a blur since. Ellice contacted our Dr. and got some antibiotics, so hopefully that will knock it out.

No reviews this week.

A long time ago in a village far, far away...

2007-08-21T06:47:00.000-07:00

Since I don't quite have a day-by-day summary, a general one will have to do.

Steady progress on the Great Fantasy Epic. After two rewrites (in this revised draft), I have the first big fight scene more or less complete. Ellice has been a great help. The story is moving forward even if the page count isn't...

I took a shot at a paraeducator position. The job seemed right up my alley, but unfortunately, I didn't get an interview. Also tried for Barnes and Noble, but they won't even look at your application if you say you won't work Sundays. Oh well. No sub calls yet.

Took Evan to get his license and then carshopping a couple of times. Yesterday he decided on a Nissan Sentra. It is a standard, so more driving instruction is in the works. It had been 11 years since I had driven one, so getting it out of the dealer lot was a bit of an adventure, but gradually it came back to me (even if it wasn't very smooth).

The Saturday DND game was not scheduled for this week, and given how rough Friday was, four of us whipped up a Star Wars game. This was our first go with the new 'Saga Edition' and we had a blast. Definitely a welcome diversion. The group all played 7-13 year olds, and we plan on having adventures as they grow up. The setting is 8 years before Episode 1. (I know few people who read this will care a whit, but it is very fun and important to me.)

On the subject of DND, they just announced 4th edition. For those of you who don't know, 3rd edition came out in 2000 and 3.5edition came out in 2003. Wizards (the publisher) has been putting out new books with new rules every month and many gamers buy everything. What the new edition means is that all that money spent went to waste. I take a perverse pleasure in the fact that I have only the 3.5 player book (it had some good fixes in it) and did not go hog wild buying everything in sight the last 4 years. Aside from the money, the system gets unwieldy with too many rules and options. Most players don't realize how difficult allowing all these extra books can be. I have about 30 3rd edition books and a gazillion Dragon magazines with options in it. I'm pretty familiar with all that, and don't need to spend my days learning the rules from another 50 that came out in the interim. I'm fairly smart but that is just too much.

Anyway, 4th edition is on its way and gamers are livid. Unlike Star Wars, DND is not very backwards compatible. SW has pretty smooth conversion guides to update stuff. DND is way too complicated to convert and the systems are just so different. Also, compare: DND has 3 core books at $40 bucks each, Star Wars has 1 core book.

I've had a feeling that 4th ed. was coming for about a year now. What makes people really mad is that the company has been saying that 4th is a long way off, but in their latest press release they said they've had this in the works since they released 3.5. You can't really blame the company, they are in this for the money and the more money they make, the better the hobby is doing. It's a real double-edged sword.

Rush Hour 3
In the Summer of the Three-quels, this one gives us exactly what we expect. High action without belaboring the point. I contrast the chases from Bourne to this film and this one gets it right. The duo is funny as usual. The fight scenes are varied and we see stunts we haven't seen before. In most movies, Chris Tucker drifts into his annoying tone too much and you find yourself saying, "Okay that's enough," but he does so less here than previous incarnations, and this is welcome. I like the French cab driver Georges. The plot takes a backseat to the comedy and the action but if you pay attention, it is rather good. Overall, a good installment to the series with a couple of nice twists. ***

The Castle of Llyr (book) by Lloyd Alexander
This is the third installment in the five-part Prydain series, best known for The Black Cauldron, which is book 2.

This one is good, but not as good as the Black Cauldron (***). Prince Rhun is just flat out unlikable. He starts out that way, then later you feel sorry for him, but I still didn't like him. Taran has grown some and has great respect from his companions. We see the return of Achren, and she just isn't as powerful as you might expect. We learn a lot more about Eilonwy and her mysterious bauble. The climax is pretty good, and the story keeps me interested enough to keep going in the series. **1/2

Star Wars: A New Hope (Episode IV) (DVD)
Awesome. ****

Dog Days of Summer

2007-08-14T07:35:00.001-07:00

I was very busy yesterday and hence, the lateness of this blog. The week in review....

HOT, HOT, HOT
Someone mentioned in class a few weeks ago about global warming and how short our winters have been. I guffawed. It is always hot in summer. Always has been. Always will be. I pointed out that this year it snowed for Thanksgiving and Easter this year. How is that a short winter? People laughed, but I don't know if they get my point. People are very short-sighted when it comes to political issues like global warming, just popping off stuff without really thinking about it. The summers are not getting hotter; last year we cracked 90 only once that I can remember. (There I go popping off, but hey, it is my blog). In fact it was one of the mildest in recent memory. The two years before that we had water advisories and drought. And on the winters, this year had a bunch of snow days, yet the one before that was relatively mild. Anyway, I'll get off my high horse now (geez it's a long way down).

Preseason NFL--- and I find that I really don't care much any more. I'm really looking forward to UK football, but the pros have left me with a feeling of...um...so what.

Last week, I had a nervous breakdown, owing to the lack of insurance, however, my wife gave me great encouragement and I really feel the blessings God has granted us with. He's taken care of us in the past, and there is no reason to believe that he won't in the future. It may not take the form we would like, but we must have faith that things will turn out as they should.

Saw a few still shots of Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark, for the upcoming Marvel Comics movie Iron Man and I am really excited. In my opinion, the more superhero movies the better. I really can't wait till they show a Captain America movie. The old ones were fun but very low budget and I would be very interested in a modern retelling.

Yesterday I took Evan (Ellice's youngest brother) to take his driving test and he passed. It was close but he did it. Now the quest for finding a reliable used car begins...

I am instituting some new stuff to my weekly reviews. I will also be reviewing DVDs that we watched that week (DVD), books I've read that week (book), any shows that stand out (TV) and the usual films.

Flash Gordon (TV)
I've been anticipating this since I saw the commercial a few months ago on scifi channel. Or maybe it was an article on yahoo, or IMDB or something. I've been playing the "Flash" theme song recorded by Queen some 27 years ago over and over in my head in anticipation. The hour and a half premier was Friday night. Now coming in as a replacement for Stargate SG-1 is no small task so there will be a ton of pressure on the fledgeling show, but I think it may have a chance. Now when you see it, try not to think of the 1980s movie with 80s hair, bright colors and iconic Max Von Sydow as Ming (which I loved by the way). This rendition harkens to the old 1930s serial days, the 50s TV series and the comic. And most importantly it is fun. I'll be eager to see if this show lives up to its potential as the actors still need time to grow into their roles. As for the pilot, it was a nice adventure with a ton of potential, and bears watching. **1/2

Stardust
To borrow a phrase from other reviews, "Simply magical." This charming adventure feels like a Grim's fairy tale come to life. This movie on a deeper level is about thresholds. When you breach the Wall between England and Stormhold, you are not only bridging the gap between the ordinary world and a magical one, but also the boundary between mediocrity and significance, adolescence and adulthood and all of those wonderful metaphors. But most of all, the film is a joy to watch. The performances as you would expect from such a cast are magnificent and the plot is a graceful arc. The graphics are, as usual these days, extraordinary. From the previews you get the feeling that the 'Star' (Claire Danes) is a flat character, but she most definitely is not: this is a welcome surprise. I might go watch this one again in theaters. ****

Daredevil (DVD)
I've heard some bad things about this movie, from movie critics and friends, but I love it. I've seen it maybe four times or more. I was excited to hear they may make a sequel, but I was sad to see that those rumors were four years old, and Ben Affleck refuses to reprise the role, saying it was a source of humiliation. Go figure, I thought the movie was great. The soundtrack was killer, the visuals were extremely appropriate; I got a real feel of Hell's Kitchen. Unfortunately, no plans are in the works for a sequel. ***1/2

Chronicles of Amber: The Sign of the Unicorn (Book) by Roger Zelazny
This review is book 3 in the middle of a series. This series chronicles the tales of the fantastical Court of Amber.

One of Corwin's brothers is dead, and he wants to find out what happened, without the blame falling on himself. I found the book interesting but heavy, heavy on exposition. It was all storytelling, first from Random, then Corwin. A brief rescue of Brand and...you guessed it...another story. It did however, fill in a lot of the holes left in the first two books, namely, the number of siblings and their birth order. **1/2

The week in review

2007-08-06T06:57:00.001-07:00

Sick most of the week. Went to King's Island on Saturday. Tons of fun. Felt better while we were there but have since gotten more sick. Coughing less, so that's a good thing. Also saw a few movies this week and finished Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

Simpsons, the Movie
Basically a marginally more adult-oriented hour-and-a-half Simpsons episode. It was worth it, however, and I felt that it more than earned my movie dollar. **1/2

The Bourne Ultimatum
Good action, but suffers greatly in a few areas. One, shaky handcam. I don't know why directors like this technique, but it makes me want to hurl; I just keep thinking of that old bad batch of Levi's commercials--and I hated it then too. The second thing is, the film is thin on plot, as it overlaps with the second film. They tried making up for it with two extended chase scenes that take way too long, so long in fact they outlast the intensity built into the scenes, and you are left wondering when they will end. They could have combined Bourne Supremacy and this movie with little effort. **

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
Without giving anything away, this final installment delivers in every way. We wrap up loose ends, so who all lives and dies, get a grand buildup to the exciting finale we have anticipated oh these many years. And it all pays off, bigtime. One of the most outstanding books I've ever read. This book has it all. I could hear a new Hans Zimmer track playing in the background during the most poignant scene of the book, when Harry has all the answers and knows what must be done and decides to face his destiny. It doesn't get any better than this book. ****

VBS week

2007-07-30T05:59:00.000-07:00

I have learned more kids songs in a week than at any time in my life. And I can sign them now too. Well, VBS was a hit, but it wore me out. I'm glad I did it, but I'll be more so when I get over this cold that one of the kiddies gave me. My little troop that I led around for five days grew from five to eventually eight. Fortunately, I was blessed with a group of well-behaved 3rd graders who were eager to please--other crew leaders were not quite so fortunate.

Other than that we did a lot of swimming and I finished up my summer class. I completed all my assignments in good time so I expect an A in the class. Ellice read Harry Potter 7 in a day, but I have only managed to read the first 220 pages. I will finish in due time, but my wife is dying to talk to me about it. We lost our DVD player this week; I think it was strained by overuse. So we sucked it up, financially, and got a new one. We didn't go HD or anything, so it wasn't monumentally expensive.

We also tried out for Hello Dolly! at the Rose Barn theatre. Ellice sang beautifully and I acted well. My singing on the other hand was not quite where it needs to be, and they asked me back to sing again Sunday. Oh and by Sunday I was congested and could barely talk much less sing. We also gamed Saturday, followed by a trip to the new Movie Tavern in Lexington. It's where you eat your meal while watching the movie. Good times, good times.

Hairspray
As far as musicals go, one of the best I've ever seen. Unlike most modern musicals, I actually felt for the characters and their plight and was rooting for the good guys. The jokes about the way people in the 60s lived (like pregnant women drinking and smoking) were good and the ending was very satisfying. The music was catchy (I had never seen Hairspray before, so the whole thing was new to me.) Travolta was very funny as Mrs. Turnblat. I did a little research and found out that that role has always been played by a man on stage and screen (including Bob Hoskins.) ***

No Reservations
Nicely acted, nicely done. This film is romantic, cute, and somewhat tragic. It tugs at your heartstrings almost on cue however, and suffers from a distinct predictability. Throughout the movie I couldn't help but think what this movie needed was a French rat that can cook to liven it up a bit. **

Homework and VBS

2007-07-24T06:46:00.000-07:00

That seems to be all I'm doing at present as the summer session winds down. I think I'll scrape an A out of the class. Along with that, this past weekend we had our birthday party in the park, went to the Highland Renaissance fair in Eminence, Ky, and ran a booth at the pop-a-shot for our Vacation Bible School. I also volunteered to help herd kiddies all week for VBS every night this week. I lucked out and got a good group of 3rd graders. One thing; its very loud when they get all the kids together in the sanctuary, but I'll manage.

Unfortunately, there is no review this week. Maybe next week we can review Hairspray and possibly one of the other movies coming out Friday.

Classes and plays, Potter and Birthdays

2007-07-16T07:23:00.001-07:00

The week in review...

Lots of class. And homework. Got some good reading in this week though, that was fun. I'm looking forward to writing group meeting sometime this week; due to scheduling conflicts, we didn't get together this time around.

Wednesday we went to see Harry Potter in Hamburg after my class. We got there a little before 4pm to get good seats. Sat through the 20 and the previews and were about 30 minutes into the movie when the movie cut off. Unfortunately the projector was smoking and the film was broken or messed up or something, so they cancelled the show. We got readmit tickets, but the next showing that was not sold out was 8pm. So we grumbled a bit, but decided to stick it out till then. I took Ellice to Don Pablos for her birthday dinner, and we got a picture of her in a sombrero. That was fun. We also stopped by the comic store and got Ellice some X-men comics (her favorite). And I may have gotten a little something for myself (ahem). We finally got in to see the movie, which I will review later, and got home about 11:30pm.

Friday we had a cookout with our Sunday School class and Saturday was full and fun, with gaming and a play at the Rose Barn Theatre--Romeo and Juliet. Sunday was church followed by a potluck and business meeting--we skipped those because 1) Potlucks are never good for us and 2) We aren't in a position to take on any more stresses right now and what the meeting would arouse in the both of us. Instead we had lunch with Ellice's mentee Andi (who was Juliet in the play Saturday night), went swimming at EKU and had Evan over for a Spaghetti dinner. Umm...I loves me some spaghetti. To cap off the week, Ellice and I played Spades online.

All and all, a busy but fruitful week.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Great, great, great. I can't wait to see the next installment and I'm really jazzed about the final book coming out this weekend. Order of the Phoenix followed the book as well as could be expected. They left out a few minor things, but I was impressed by how much they squeezed into it. The visuals were great. The characters were as expected. New characters Tonks and LeStrange looked EXACTLY like I had imagined. The climactic scene really does a good job of approximating the vision in the book. The changes (what few there were) were artistic and well done. ****

Romeo and Juliet (Rose Barn Theatre Group)

A resident cat that typically wanders through the crowd of families in lawn chairs and blankets decided that it was his time to shine. During the famous balcony scene, the cat took center stage, stretching in the spotlight. You have to love community theatre.
This one took place in the 60's but had modified dialogue from the original play. The leads were very good. Standouts were Juliet, Romeo, and Mercutio. The best actor of the day was Friar Laurence, and I'm told he is typically a great Shakespearean actor. The stage fights were cool. A good effort overall. **

Another year older...

2007-07-10T18:29:00.000-07:00

Well, I did it. I turned 35. Have I moved on to a new demographic?

We had a family reunion this past weekend in Gatlinburg. It was cool; almost everyone from my mom's family was there. It was funny getting seating for "Baker, party of 38." On Saturday, my birthday, we had cake and went to Corky's. I enjoyed my meal, but frankly, I like our Corky's in Lexington much better. After we parted ways with the rest of the Baker clan on Sunday, my wife tried to kill me.

We decided to save money and not see any of the attractions (not to mention work off some calories from the weekend meals) and go hiking. Ellice picked a trail, Rainbow Trail, that was 2.7 miles long. We had hiked up natural bridge which was 1.5 miles, so we thought what the heck. Well this one was rock covered and root tangled and entirely uphill the whole way. An hour and 50 minutes later, we reach the falls. It was cool, about 75 feet tall, but I was drenched in sweat, and a little of the moment was lost. The return trip was a little easier, an hour and 10 minutes. After the hike, I wasn't feeling too good. I wasn't just worn out and physically tired, but I was shaky and kind of out of it. We dumped a bunch of water in me, some KFC, (we hadn't expected the hike to take so long and missed lunch) and eventually a milkshake. It was then that we saw a bank sign that said it was 101 degrees. So Ellice drove home, while I tried to recover. Ellice fared better than I did in the heat--probably her tropical upbringing. She was pretty sore though. But we did it.

Okay, so hiking was technically my idea, but she did pick the trail...

Anyway, on to the movie:

Transformers

Now I wasn't the biggest Transformers fan in the world, but I enjoyed them. The craze caught on while I was in middle school (I think) and I actually owned one (Thunderstriker, the blue decepticon airplane, not in the film.) I remember liking the cartoon movie and figured that was the end of the craze. I admit was not as excited as Ellice and several of my friends when I heard they were making a live action film. But now that I've seen it, I really liked it. Lotsa action, and I confess that I got goosebumps when we finally met Optimus Prime. I was worried, especially early on that the Transformers would be invulnerable and could only fight each other, but they weren't monolithic undefeatable foes. The plot was passable, at least what we expect. The visuals were stunning. I may be getting old, but I had trouble sometimes keeping up with the action, which sometimes went a little too fast for me to tell the different Transformers apart in the heat of battle. The spec ops team rocked, and we legitimately like the Autobots. One word of warning: this is not a kids' movie. There are adult themes; this is targetted at the adults who grew up watching Transformers. If you insist on bringing children, this is a movie for parental guidance. One last thing, Starscream rules. ***1/2 (Ellice gave it ****)

Summer School

2007-07-03T19:49:00.000-07:00

This week school started back for the second summer session. I only have one class, so it shouldn't be too bad. But there are the first day jitters and in a four week class, everything has to be done almost immediately. So, I've got my work cut out for me this month. I'll barely have time to blog about....

Live Free or Die Hard
We are big fans of the Die Hard movies, and I have come to expect a certain level of excitement, action, adventure, and general machismo. I was not dissapointed. McClane doesn't jump into this one on purpose either; once again, he's in the wrong place, at the wrong time. They even raised the bar on some of the stunts. Way cool. ***1/2

Rattatouille
I was thinking, okay, another Disney movie for Ellice. We just saw Die Hard 4 and I can watch a family movie with her, no prob. It will be mildly entertaining, and I might chuckle a couple of times. Far from it. This movie was vastly enjoyable, and downright hillarious at parts. The visuals of this Pixar movie are absolutely stunning; the motion sequences are incredible. This one is suitable for kids, but there is a lot of material that only adults will get. Only problem with this one is in the back of your mind you are thinking, it's still a rat in the kitchen. We'll get this one as well. ***

Longest Days of the Year

2007-06-25T05:20:00.001-07:00

It struck me the other day, June 20th to be exact, that it was after 9pm and still light outside. I thought, hmm, it must be near the solstice. The solstice this year I believe was June 21st (but I could be wrong, I know its around there). Ellice just looked it up while I'm blogging and most of the time, including this year, it falls on the 21st. It struck me that we usually don't notice such changes that are so subtle until they are right upon us, and they are half over. Why this is important, I have no idea.

Since my last post, we have played two games in our softball tournament (won 1, lost 1, dble elimination), went to a picnic in Winchester, and of course....Movies!!!

Nancy Drew

A very charming, campy movie. I was a fan of the Hardy Boys books when I was little, (what preteen wasn't a fan of at least one or the other), and read a few Nancy Drews. So some fairly high expectations going in, but they pulled it off. I got what I expected from this movie, and perhaps was a little surprised. This one won't win any awards and probably won't be one I remember two years from now but entertaining; a welcome refresher in the middle of Blockbuster summer. **1/2

Evan Almighty

I expected another Bruce Almighty, and while I modestly enjoyed the first, this incarnation is far and away the better of the two. It was cleaner than the first and dare I say reverent? I know that some from the Church are concerned about this one and its treatment of God. While I won't get into the plot of the movie (spoilers are no fun), let's say that there is little if anything heretical about this movie. In fact, there is some provocative theology mixed in here. While its not quite Sunday School, this is a very positive movie and I recommend it for everyone. ***

2007-06-18T05:35:00.000-07:00

Okay, I lied. We haven't seen Surf's Up yet, but we did see...

Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer

This one was, well, fantastic. Very cool. As is often the case with sequels, we didn't have to spend too much time on the origins for the uninitiated, which sometimes gives rise to a lack of plotting. But the plot of this one delivered. The first movie necessarily focused on the characterization of Ben Grim (The Thing) and how he dealt, or more appropriately didn't deal with his metamorphosis. In the sequel, everyone else gets some development while Ben has settled more or less into his role. We see Reed trying to carve out time and energy for his renewed relationship with Sue, Sue trying to get married despite disaster interrupting every attempt, and Johnny basically trying to overcome being a hot-headed screwup, and all of them dealing with celebrity. I love where Sue is watching E! and they are bashing her fashion sense.

The Surfer (voiced by Lawrence Fishburne) is visually very slick looking. The character is stuffy and reserved, which means they nailed the Surfer; it was amazing how they could get so much range out of a smooth cgi face. Finally, Julian McMahon returns as Victor von Doom, a great reprise of his villainous role. We'll buy this one the day it hits the shelf. ****

2007-06-14T05:58:00.000-07:00

The last weeks have been a bit frenzied, but loads of fun. Between a trip to Tennessee, the Beach and camping this past weekend, I haven't had the time to do the other things I had hoped for, but this week I'm starting to get into the swing of things. The next trip we have planned is an open date to go the Ky Highland Ren Festival in Eminence, Ky, and a trip to Gatlinburg. We may got to Kentucky Kingdom once this year, but that is still just a possibility at this point. But definitely nothing this weekend besides movies, reading and writing.

Since the movie reviews seem to be a good point of conversation, we'll keep them going as a regular installment. It also keeps me blogging more, so that's a plus. (Out of 4 stars)

Ocean's 13- I was pleasantly surprised by it. The second (12th?) was a bit of a disappointment, but this one actually had a 'raison d'etre.' ('reason to be' for the French impaired :) ) The plot was better, they got through the complicated exposition as quickly as possible, and get on with the characterizations which drive this movie. The clever twists and 'ah-ah' moments that we anticipate with the Ocean movies deliver this time around. The addition of Garcia's character to Ocean's crew worked. Basically, as an audience we know that the point of these movies is for Clooney, Pitt and Damon (and friends) to goof off together for a couple of hours. Their chemistry is very good; they play off each other well. I can picture that they came up to Al Pacino and asked 'Wanna do the next Ocean movie? It'll be fun.' And he said, 'Yeah, cool.' **1/2

In the next installment, Surf's Up.

2007-06-07T18:20:00.000-07:00

So much has happened the last few weeks, where to begin. Perhaps I should take this as an object lesson and blog more regularly. Here is the one paragraph summary:

School's out, helping highly stressed wife relax, got A's in my classes, started church softball league, went to Ellice's grandmother's in Tennessee with brother-in-law Evan in tow, went to Myrtle Beach in a week-long paradise-like vacation and I am going camping this weekend. Oh, and the Saga Edition of Star Wars Role-playing game came out, which I've really been looking forward to.

Okay two paragraphs. Movies we've seen and quick thoughts (Ratings out of 4 stars):
Next- Liked it a lot, Nick Cage on a good screen day. ***

Spiderman 3- Loved it, Don't know why so many people say it was "too long" or had too many bad guys. Hunh? Actually, I heard one person say there was too much action. Too much action?!?! ****

Shrek 3- Lotsa fun, probably not as good as the first, on par with the second. More of what we expect. Funny. ***

Pirates of the Caribbean 3- A little confusing at parts about who is backstabbing who, but very enjoyable. Better than the second film. Good acting, action, cinematography, etc. etc., very good movie. My wife says this is the best Orlando Bloom has looked. I can't speak to that, but Kiera Knightly did look great, so kudos to the makeup and costume people. Nice to Jack Sparrow's dad (Keith Richards). Very fun, a must own. Definitely will be a Pirates 4, so be on the lookout. ****

Knocked Up- Why in the world did we watch this movie? Horrible film. Truly awful. I have no idea why this got the reviews it did. Nothing like 40yr old virgin. All drug humor, and lame drug humor at that. The language was obnoxious and foul, and I'm not particularly sensitive to the f-word either. It was just bad. Only one character grew or changed at all. And they all needed to. I feel like less of a human being for watching this film. *