21 Jump Street

Yes, I saw 21 Jump Street and yes, I want my money back. It was stupid. 

OK…it was my own fault that I went to see it just to hang out with some friends, but still…there should be a law on how stupid a movie can actually be. And 21 Jump Street was quite stupid (not the stupidest movie I’ve ever seen…but still stupid). Sure, there were some funny parts in the movie (not many, but a few) and sure, Channing Tatum is absolutely lovely to look at (yes, he is oh so dreamy in this movie)…however, the rest of the movie was quite awful. 

How is it that Schmidt (Jonah Hill) and Jenko (Channing Tatum) were high school enemies who barely spoke to each other and on opposite sides of the popularity scale…however after a blink of an eye in the police academy, they are all of a sudden the best of friends? And all this happens in the span of the first 10 minutes of the movie. It left me scratching my head because the movie transitions were not explained and made no sense. Things happened…but you didn’t know why. I didn’t like that. 

Anyway, the movie went on and on…but didn’t really evolve very well and (again) the transition scenes left a lot to be desired. Nothing was ever really explained or developed. And again, I don’t like that. Oh and Mr. Ice Cube, you’re a really bad actor. Like…really, really, really terrible. I just thought I should tell you in case no one else has. 

By the end of the movie, I was ready to claw my eyes out and have the movie be over and done with. So by the time they were rolling the credits of the movie and were leaving the door open for a sequel to the movie…I promptly got up and left the theater. I have mentally slammed the door shut to the idea of a sequel and will forever mourn the loss of the two hours I spent watching this movie.

Friday

It's finally Friday...and it's gonna be a gorgeous day!

Happy Friday to one and all!!! :-)

Lock Down

I am officially on lock down. Not only have I been spending waaay too much money these past couple of weeks, but with some super cool vacations coming up and some big purchases on the horizon, I can only imagine that the spending is gonna get completely out of control. When I get my credit card bill for this month, I might actually have a heart attack because it’s so high. So if you see me passed out on the floor…now you know why. 

Typically, I’m pretty good with money and am able to put away a good chuck of change. However, like everyone else, I do have my vices. I don’t need the latest gadgets, I don’t notice trends or labels and I really don’t care about jewelry or any type of bling. However, you can sum up my vices with 3 words…food, vacation and sports. I love to travel. I love to eat. And I love me my sports. Combine those 3 together and it’s a dangerous combination. So the question of the hour is…what am I going to do about it? 

The most immediate solution that I have is to put myself on lock down. That means no shopping (I don’t know how much this will help since I’m not a big shopper to begin with…but I still have to put this out there), less eating out (yes, I go out a lot…and will try to cut back) and, in general, less fun to be had (no more spending, no more spending, no more spending). Ugh. This is really gonna suck. 

So people, my bottom line just isn’t cutting it anymore and if you guys wanna hang out, we’re gonna need to find some creative (and cheaper) ways to hang out in the coming weeks. Sorry.

Another Day

The last couple days/weeks, I've been so crazy busy that it's been hard to keep everything straight and organized.

However, sometimes all it takes is that little bit of good news to make someone smile, put things into perspective and brighten up life.

I'm glad to say that I will live to see another day.

Late

My biggest pet peeve…by far, is tardiness. I hate people who are late. Absolutely hate it and can’t stand it. Barring a grave emergency, there is no excuse for it and it’s totally uncalled for. For those of you who know me at all have undoubtedly heard me rant and rave about how much I can’t stand people who are late. I think you can sense that I’m about to go on a tirade right about now…. 

Personally, I can’t be late. I mean, I’m almost never ever late. I always leave with more than enough time to spare because I’m so afraid of being late. However, I know that sentiment is not shared amongst the majority of people in the world. Why? Because most people are fine at making plans but totally inadequate at managing their time…and then end up being late. I hate people who are late and keep other people waiting. Not only is it rude and inconsiderate…but it’s a waste of time. And I hate wasting time. 

So people…if you have a chronic tardiness issue, please don’t make plans with me. Save us both some time and make plans with someone else…and keep them waiting. They probably won’t mind as much as I would. That would be much appreciated.

American Reunion

Over the weekend I saw American Reunion and…I gotta be honest and say that I actually kinda liked it. I know, I know, I said it…and I did actually kinda like it. OK…well maybe it’s just because it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be…and because I know it could’ve been so much worse. Haha. 

The plot of the movie was simple…the entire American Pie cast is back in town for a “Class of 1999” weekend reunion…Jim, Oz, Kev, Finch and Stifler. The gang escapes their everyday lives for the weekend reunion…they get into trouble, they cause some mayhem and they have some fun…but more importantly they are there for each other and realize the importance of their longtime friendships. There were some pretty funny moments in the movie and I did find myself laughing. Overall, I’m glad I saw it. 

I did like American Reunion but I think I’m biased to it. I graduated from high school and was part of Class of 1999. I remember when American Pie was released and seeing it with all my high school friends right after graduation. We had some fun times and this movie, in and of itself, brings back good memories. So I think this movie was more nostalgic than anything else. I mean, not only are the songs from my high school past instilled in the movie, but the movie addresses the difficult transition of growing up, living life and moving on from your school days without leaving a trail of broken friendships behind. Trying to maintain (and foster) friendships with the friends from your past while living life and growing apart…is not always the easiest thing to do. However, it’s those deep, long-lasting friendships that always mean the most in the end. 

Anyway, American Reunion was just the movie I needed to see…it was light, it was carefree and it was stupidly entertaining.

Earth Day

Is it bad that I’d rather talk about Earth Day than sports right now? Yeah, that tells you how this past weekend has been in terms of my teams. The stupid Sharks are out of the playoffs and the Giants have been struggling. It’s depressing.

As for the rest of my weekend, despite a few health related hiccups and having to wait a couple more days for my test results to come back…I’ve been keeping myself pretty busy. I don’t know if you noticed, but the weather was absolutely gorgeous this weekend. Not only did it kill my dreams of being able to head up to the mountains for one last snowboarding trip of the season, but it made it almost impossible not to enjoy the outdoors. So I spent a fair amount of time enjoying the sunshine and fresh air…and have the gnarly farmer’s tan to prove it.

Happy Earth Day! I hope everyone has found an appropriate way to celebrate the holiday and pay homage to Mother Earth. Hehe. ;-)

Fasting

In light of all my medical screenings and tests coming up, I will be on a water only fast starting later today. I know, I know…it’s crazy but I'm gonna do it. Although...how am I suppose to enjoy myself at the Sharks game tonight without being able to eat or drink?!?!? Ugh. Color me depressed. I'm probably going to be drinking gallons and gallons of water over the next couple of days so please excuse my crankiness. :-/

Anyway onto a much lighter note…has anyone been to the new Virgin America Club Level part of the ballpark? Anyone? Oh wait…I have. Haha. Not only is it Club Level…but its Virgin America Club Level. Wooow. Haha. For those of you who have been to Club Level before, it’s not too much different minus the nice “Virgin America” mood lighting and the pretty airplane decals. I provided a few pictures below:

Welcome to Virgin America Club Level.

Virgin America airplane window decals.

Our beloved trophy.

Train

I went to the Train concert last week and had a super awesome time. I wish the pictures and videos that I took actually turned out so I could post them…but they weren’t all that clear and they’re probably not worth sharing. So you’ll just have to take my word for it and know that the concert was really cool.

This was my second Train concert and hopefully it won’t be my last. I’m not much of a concert go-er in general, but I definitely can appreciate the songs and artists that I do like. And I do like Train and Pat Monahan. Pat's got an amazing voice and seeing him live was really really cool. He sang a few songs acapella…and I couldn’t help but admire the strength of his voice.

Anyway, they played a couple songs off their new album…and I’m on the fence as to whether I liked them or not. However, their new album drops today and I’m probably going to pick it up and check it out.

Bad Timing

As most of you know, I’m on a mission. In my quest to test my willpower and whip my body into better shape, I’ve implemented a self-imposed rule of abstaining from alcohol, soda and any candy, cookies, chips and cupcakes (i.e. basically all those excess sweets that are not good for you) for the entire month of April. And if you know me but at all…you have been feeling my pain and sensing my withdrawal symptoms.

The purpose of this “cleanse” is purely for my own benefit and…in a sense just to prove that I can do it. I want to be more aware of the things that I’m eating and more vigilant of the dietary changes that I’m willing to make. For example, having to give up meat and carbs…is completely off the table and not even an option for me. You might as well just shoot me now because I would never be able to do it. I love me my rice and red meat and absolutely refuse to live in a world where I’d have to give it up. But hey, outside of that…I’m willing to make some concessions.

Let’s start with the alcohol. I’m by no means an alcoholic. However I am a social drinker…and I do love to socialize. Haha. So I've wanted to see if I could go a month without drinking just to see if I can. Along those lines, I’m going without soda too. To tell you the truth, soda is an easy one…I’m not really a soda drinker. The only reason why I’m doing away with the soda…is because I’m doing away with the alcohol…and I just don’t want to substitute one for the other, so I’m doing away with both. I’m going bare bones and sticking with just water for the entire month of April. I’ve been the person at the bar…ordering a regular virgin tonic. Haha.

As for sweets…where should I start? I’m not a huge junk food person per se…because I can do without the chips and cookies and fast food…however, I do acknowledge the existence of a pretty demanding sweet tooth. When in dire need of a pick me up, I can often crave jelly beans, chocolate and cupcakes. Ooo…cupcakes…Haha. So I've wanted to be able to go an entire month ignoring my cravings and challenging my willpower to become stronger and more resistant to everyday temptations. So I gave up the artificial sugars for carrot sticks, sugar snap peas and granola. Awesome. Haha.

Anyway, with all that being said, I could not have chosen a worse time to implement this self-imposed fast from all the delectable goodness. Why? Let’s just say that with the couple weeks that I’ve had…I could use about 3 straight up shots, a case of beer, a liter of Coke, a bag of Doritos, a tub of jelly beans…and about a dozen cupcakes. Yeah, it’s just been that bad. :-( But...I'm exactly halfway through the month and despite all you fools trying to tempt me off the wagon...I'm still holding strong.

New Watch

For the past year or so, I haven’t been so inclined to wear a watch. After the battery in my old beloved analog watch died last year, I didn’t see a point in replacing the battery and wearing a watch anymore. I mean, I basically have a cell phone glued to me at all times, so why would I need a watch? Well…now that I find that I’m trying to wean myself away from my cell phones, I still need to know what time it is. Yes, it is still extremely important to know what time it is so that I’m never late.

Anyway, I got a new watch last week and I have to say that I absolutely love it. Unlike my past analog watches, my new Timex Ironman watch is so badass that I don’t know how I have lived my life without it. Haha. OK OK so I’m exaggerating....but it is super cool. This watch has so many functions to make my life easier that if I wanted to get rid of my cell phone, I totally could. Not only is it equipped with the time and date, but it has a timer, 4 alarm settings, a lap management system, split recall and time settings, a lap memory recall function…and a super nice indiglo night mode. Ooooh. And this past week, I spent time testing the lap management and recall settings while I was at the gym and I had so much fun with it…I kept running laps just to see if the settings would update itself. Haha. I know, I’m such a dork.

So you see, short of making me breakfast, this watch is nearly perfect. Oh Mr. Timex Ironman, where have you been all my life?

Hunger Games

I saw Hunger Games over the weekend and thought it was…ok. Hunger Games was not on my list of movies to see (it is by no means on the same list as The Avengers or The Dark Knight Rises) but I found myself in a situation where everyone else wanted to see it…and I just wanted to hang out with everyone else. So…I saw it.

Considering I haven’t read any of the books and didn’t know anything about the movie, I didn’t have any expectations going into it and I don’t feel like I missed out on anything by just watching the movie. My problem with the movie wasn’t with the characters or the young cast…but with the actual storyline. It was hard to get behind a story that revolved around kids battling to the death in this “hunger game” scenario. I mean, the movie seemed to lay out everything pretty well and I think the movie was good enough to justify my money…but there was just something very disturbing about the story itself. And yes, I know it’s a movie and I’m suppose to get lost in it and just be able to enjoy…but it was difficult.

But aside from the storyline, I must say that it was impossible not to root for Katniss Everdeen (the main female character played by Jennifer Lawrence). Even when Katniss encounters hardships, betrayals and injuries…she pushes through and finds a way to make the best of the situation. She has a very badass quality that you just can’t help but admire. I think her character was very well written and portrayed very nicely. And considering this is a tween movie (there were plenty of teeny boppers in the theatre with me), having Katniss as a role model would not be the most terrible thing for this generation. Her character displays courage, sacrifice and a sense of moral grounding that seems to be lacking in today’s society.

Anyway, I don’t think I’ll be watching any of the sequels (there’s suppose to be two more right?) and will just be satisfied and content with this movie and its ending. And as for the next movie I see, it needs to be much lighter and happier.

Winning

After an extremely emotional roller coaster of a week, I'm glad to report that my weekend was actually quite enjoyable. I spent some quality time with some friends/family (it's always nice to hang out with my peeps), enjoyed a bunch of good food (and ate waaay too much) and took advantage of the nice weather to enjoy some time outdoors (played some tennis and did some running around). This weekend was just what I needed to restore my faith in friendships and...I'm starting to feel better. Anyway, I took a bunch of random pictures which I included below.

Oh and another thing, as sad as it was that I didn't win the lottery jackpots last week (damnit), after last Monday's March Madness championship game, the scores are in, the tally is complete and it's official...I swept all 4 of my March Madness pools and get to collect the big money. Oh yeah...can you believe?

Props to Kentucky for a landslide of a game. They clearly were the better team and had no trouble defeating Kansas. I look forward to throwing a celebration and toasting Kentucky for helping me achieve a winning bracket this year. And I must say, it’s an oddly unsettling feeling to know that my pick actually made it all the way (granted, the eastern and western section of my bracket died a very early death) but still...I'm proud. I don’t know how I achieved so much with knowing so little this year. But who am I to complain? Haha. So to wrap everything up....for all you fools who owe me money...it's time to pay up! Again, who doesn't love the Madness that IS March Madness? Haha. It's pretty awesome.

Happy Easter! :-P

Korean BBQ buffet. Yum.

Nerdy shirts are cool.

Homemade pizza.

I'm checkin' in at Google.

Goodbye To You

Weekend Wedding

I've spent the last couple weekends organizing, uploading and captioning pictures. As much as I typically enjoy doing that...I now find myself faced with more pictures from my weekend to sort through and...just being too tired to do anything about it. Sooo...I've posted just a few pictures from the wedding this past weekend:

Me.

The wedding cakes.

The family all dressed up.