You like a quickies?

I fought traffic to rush home from work last friday to bike around the bowl. It was dark. I did it anyway. I did it in 31:78 for an average pace of 13 MPH. Too slow. It was way too dark to do it again.

I'm working on a new BLOG. Blogger.com doesn't have much of a choice of templates and I want something new. So I'm looking into WordPress. Here's how my new one is looking. (The Hungry Writer). I'll keep you updated.

I bought some Tri-gear on Sunday. More about that later. Jake helped me make the final decision.

Battlestar Galactica is probably my most look forward to show of the week. You should watch it.

Season One is on DVD which includes the mini-series from 2003.

Season Two is also out - the first half that is. I want both! The second half of Season Two is now on Friday Nights on The SciFi Network.

It's one of the best shows on TV. Trust me!

There's nothing up my butt!

I woke up today to Donna saying, “Just give her an enema and send her to the hospital.” She was asleep. Thank goodness she doesn’t sleep walk or do one of those hands on things while dreaming or else I may have woken up with something up my butt!

I had a pretty restful night. But I heard noises in the corner before I went to bed. It could have been outside of the house, but I swear it was inside. So I got my Kendo Shinai and poked around (which is by my bed for protection).

I found nothing. But during my sleep I kept thinking that there might be a mouse running around. I heard the noise on two different occasions before going over to check it out. And then in my sleep I began to think it could be a snake. So we have a snake or a mouse in the house. Or maybe nothing at all.

Other that, I slept pretty well. Although my restful sleep was filled with dreams of swim stroke technique and my bike pedal RPMs. I have to figure out how to know my pedal RPMs. And it might not rain today, which means I can figure it out sometime today.

You know, all week I’ve been thinking, I got to get some laps in at the pool. So I figure Saturday would be perfect. As Saturday approaches I start making excuses of how it's too cold, I’ll get sick, I was shivering last time in the pool despite the it being heated. But I set a time – 3:00PM. Well, the kids didn’t wake up from their nap on Saturday till around 3:00 so I was thinking its getting too late I’ll just do it tomorrow (Sunday/today). Finally I get out of the house to drop them off with my mom at my sisters house but it was a struggle and anything I could think of to keep me from going kept popping in my head. It’s too cold. It’s raining. I need a rest. The football game is on. I need goggles that don’t make me look like I should be snorkeling. I’m hungry. It was easy to come up with one. I stopped at Big 5 and got some cheap goggles and an energy bar. I ate while I drove to the gym and finally got into the pool.

But before that I walked in a really old man laying on the floor of the men’s swim locker room. He said he got dizzy and fell so I ran upstairs to get help. After about 20 minutes of commotion and him taking forever to dial his wife on his cell phone because his glasses were fogging up, he laid on the floor - with Speedos on - and told his wife what had happened. Several of us helped him get back on his feet and he sat down on the bench and got dressed. He said he was okay and one of the staff said he’d check up on him – yeah right. The 24 hr fitness guy disappeared and I never saw him come back down. After the locker room cleared he told me his wife was a retired nurse and would come pick him up. I asked him if his chest hurt, if he blacked out or had any numbness. He said no but he had a pace maker. He just felt dizzy and fell back. For the second or third time in my life I wished I was a doctor. I had no advice for him. So I gave him well wishes and went to the pool.

His wife showed up about fifteen minutes later and I saw her lay him back down on a bench and take his vitals. I kept thinking about life and the future and old age and love. That was true love. Unconditional love. I mean, you stay together and in the end here you are a wife taking care of your husband. I look at that couple and thought of my relationship with Donna right now is probably going to last longer than theirs. One of them isn’t going to make it much longer in life. It could have been him. Dying on the floor of the mens locker room. Just like that. Over. His wife could have been called for a different reason. Instead, she was there to help him sit on the bench, take his blood pressure, and get him home.

I finished the rest of my fifteen laps (750 meters – which is the most I’ve done), got dressed and went up for weight training. I wanted to say something to the couple. To tell them how I marveled at their relationship longevity. To wish them many more years together. The old man was nice to me. Hopefully his wife was the same. She didn’t look like a hard-ass. She looked very calm and caring. Like a nurse should be.

If I see him at the gym again, I’ll make sure to say hi.

So 750 meters. That’s 50 meters short of a half a mile. I used short fins but really didn’t focus too many laps on my kick. I focused on my arms. I tried to remember more technique that I read online – pressing my chest and face into the water, keeping my butt up, turning my head and body instead of lifting my head out of the water. For the most part, I think I have the stroke down. I need to really focus on it doing it slower and really gliding through the water. Last night was the first time I felt like I actually did glide through the water! It was a good swim. 15 laps in 30 minutes. But I take tons of breaks in between. Once to run to the bathroom and pee.

The kids are awake. It’s 6:45.

My weight training was pretty good as well. I increased the weight by ten pounds to some of my sets. So hopefully it shows I’m getting a little stronger. I also lost 9 pounds since November. Being sick helped. LOL.

Okay, time to start the day. Its cold out there.

This makes me sick!

SF Cyclist Killed In Hit And Run

POSTED: 4:28 pm PST January 12, 2006

(From the bayinsider.com)

SAN FRANCISCO -- Police were looking for witnesses in a hit-and-run crash that took the life of a San Francisco bicyclist Thursday.

Sarah Tucker, 26, of San Francisco, was heading down Polk Street at about 2 a.m., according to Inspector Pat Tobin with the department's hit-and-run detail, when she came to a green light at the intersection of Geary Street.

A motorist driving a black Honda CR-V sport utility vehicle west on Geary apparently ran the red light, entering the intersection just before Tucker, who crashed into his passenger door.

"She sees him coming, she yells 'Hey,' that's what made some of the witnesses look up," Tobin said today. Tucker apparently did not have enough time to stop before slamming into the door of the Honda.

Tucker was catapulted off her bicycle, according to the Police Department, and landed in the street. She was taken to San Francisco General Hospital where she died at 9:46 a.m.

The driver of the Honda is described as a black male, according to police. He apparently did not have any passengers with him. Damage to the door will be obvious, Tobin said.

"All the witnesses said the passenger door had marked damage -- very noticeable," Tobin said. "All the witnesses got good looks at his face."

Any witnesses to the event itself or those who have spotted a black Honda CR-V with damage to the front passenger door are encouraged to call Tobin in the hit-and-run division at (415) 553-1641, or call the department's confidential tip line at (415) 575-4444.

Please don't rain!

I WANT TO RIDE THIS WEEKEND!

I took a day off from my workout on Wednesday. My body was telling me to rest... So I did. I pushed myself a little too hard on Tuesday after going 18 days without a solid workout. So Wednesday I was really worn out.

I didn't have any motivation to go to the gym last night but I did. I skipped the swimming and went with an easy 30 minute run. I don't understand why my heart rate is so high at a pace I could have done all day. It was in Zone 5 for 27 of those 30 minutes. I wasn't labored, my breathing was easy, and after my run I was absolutely fine. My ave HR was 168 bpm at a 13.82 mile pace.

Should I be worried?

If it rains - I'll have to go swimming and run at the gym. Which is fine. But I want to bike! Three weeks to go till my first TRI!!! I NEED MILES ON THE BIKE!

If it does rain I"ll have to be forced to play alot of Call of Duty 2: The Big Red One!


But then rain is a DAMN GOOD EXCUSE to stay home all weekend and watch the playoff football games!

My predictions:
Skins over Hawks
Bears over Panthers
Pats over Denver
Indy over Pittsburgh


The Redskins will win the Super Bowl against -

- the Pats

Confused isn’t what Confucius says. It’s what Glenn is.

What day is today?

Wednesday morning?

It’s only Wednesday. Or should I say, “Only Wednesday?!?”

Whew. I’m just a little confused today. I thought it was Thursday. I kinda wish it was Thursday. But there’s one reason why I like that it’s still Wednesday - It gives me a few more days this week to workout. Tonight and tomorrow night.

And there’s one reason why I hate that it’s still Wednesday - I still have three full days before hitting the weekend.

Jake has baseball practice on Saturday. And hopefully either Saturday or Sunday I can do some serious biking. I need to log like thirty miles on my bike this weekend. I also need to do my ‘long’ run sometime this weekend. ‘Long’ meaning time – like an hour straight. But it’ll be like ten to fifteen miles on the bike and maybe thirty minutes on my shoes. But you know what Confucius says…

“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”

So ten to fifteen miles and thirty minutes is just the beginning of my journey.

Oh… do you know who Confucius is? It's easy to be confused about Confucius (Originally ‘Kong Fuzi’ or more specifically, ‘K'ung Fu-Tzu’). He was a was a thinker, political figure, educator and a Chinese Philosopher and NOT a Chinese Comedian!

There’s a lot of play on words that turn out to be ‘Confucius Says’ jokes. They are funny, pithy, but hold a grain of truth. Like…

“Man who stand on street corner with hands in pockets, not feeling crazy, feeling nuts.”

Yeah, that was a joke. Funny, but true. Or…

"Always looking backwards for guidance give a person more than a pain in the neck."

Speaking of ‘pithy’… I like the word ‘pithy’. It’s probably a rarely used word. ‘Pithy’. I mean, when do you really use it in everyday convo? I think the word pithy is probably a word many people think is something other than what the definition really is. It means, “concise and full of meaning.” (from: www.dictionary.com) I bet people would interpret the word ‘pithy’ as the opposite of that definition. It’s the best word to use to describe Confucius sayings.

And back to Confucus … Here’s one saying I should have learned back in the early years of my life…

“Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.”

And yes… Confucius said that (supposedly). Of course translated to English. And oh so true.

So much for the brief history lesson on Confucius. As you can see, I had nothing really of value to write about today.

"If speech is not clear, then what is said is not what is meant. If what is said is not what is meant, then what ought to be done remains undone."

It remains that my work is yet to be done.

Confused yet?

If you want to read about what happened to my paint markers on Paintball Sunday: ”Down goes Frazier”. It ain’t good – the marker situation that is. I might have to retire from Paintball for a long while.

I didn’t want to sleep last night…

I began a short script yesterday. I was going to finish it last night. But first I needed to work out. When I got home I talked to Dale about a script I am supposed to send out today (or soon). It got me motivated. I really need to get back on the writing track once again and pump things out like I use to. It used to be easy. Now it’s a struggle.

I was so tired though. I finally made it to the gym last night. Every weight felt heavier than normal. All my sets were a struggle. And it was one of those nights where I just didn’t have any motivation to go. Especially to get in the pool, get out, dry off, change, then run and do weights, etc. It was too much of a hassle. But I did.

I got out of the house at 8:15 and got in the pool around 8:30. I swam an all time high – 14 laps. Twelve of them with training fins and the last two without. That’s 700 Meters. Almost half a mile! It took 22 minutes and 40 seconds. Of course with several rest breaks. I got dressed as fast as I could then did an easy 20 minute run for 1.78 miles. I didn’t push myself too hard because it’s been more than two weeks since I’ve workout. Then I did weights for thirty minutes.

So yeah… I was tired.

But I didn’t want to sleep.

After my shower I managed to play FIFA 06 for about twenty minutes while drinking this god-awful ‘recovery’ drink by APEX. It was like drinking sugar water. I also had Dale on the phone as I tried to score some goals on FIFA. I was multi-tasking! The game is awesome by the way. But damn hard.

I slipped into bed around 11:45 and watched the Battlestar Galactica episode from Friday night. Wow. This show is edgy. They don’t hold back. They don’t do the pretty thing. They get down and dirty and they cross the line I’d say. The characters are heroic yet flawed. It’s definitely not for kids in my opinion. I mean, would you ever hear Lorne Greene (as Adama) of the original series tell Starbuck to put a bullet in Cain’s head? Uh… no! But Edward James Olmos (as Adama) did! Wow. Good stuff.

And like I said, I didn’t want to sleep. But I did.

And I had to get up three times to pee, I had to get Bella out of bed at 3:00 because she was coughing and needed water, and in between that I had restless night. I asked Donna to do it but she didn’t budge. So I got up and got her. Originally was going to just give her water but then she said, “Can I come sleep your bedroom?” At 3 AM I can’t argue. And I love it when she puts her head on my shoulder as I carry her to our room anyway. It was a rough night. So yeah, I didn’t want to sleep, and when I did, it wasn’t restful at all. I should have stayed awake.
What else? What else what else?

Oh yeah. Jessica called me on Sunday and said, “Guess what Papa. I got a PSP!” I asked her if her dad got it for her and she said no. She thought she was getting it for Christmas but didn’t. So she used her money she got from Christmas - $250. I was like, “Awesome! What games did you get?” She was like, “None. I didn’t have enough money!”

NONE? How do you have a PSP without games? How sad. Poor girl. I told her to email me a list of games she wanted. Of course she didn’t hesitate and a few minutes later I went to Target and got her Need for Speed – which was on the top of her list.



And of course I couldn’t resist and bought some games for Jake, Donna and myself.

For Jake:
He picked it out. I wanted him to get Spiderman or Fantastic Four or even The Incredibles. He, of course, chose another Star Wars game.

And for me…


I couldn’t resist.

And that’s about it I guess.

Kaden Rae

My neice... Kaden Rae Larkin: Born 1/5/2006 at 1:27 PM.

Both Liza and Kaden are doing well! Kaden likes to keep Steve and Liza up from 1 AM to 4 AM. So if you want to visit, that’s the best time.

Colby loves his little sister, Hailey. Yes, you read that right. According to Colby, Kaden’s name is Hailey. And apparently, most of the family thinks her name is Hailey.

It’s quite apparent that Bella loves ‘It’ as she calls Kaden. “It’s” crying. I want to kiss “It”. Can I sleep with “It”?

Jacob’s been through four births already so he’s not that into ‘his baby cousin’. He’s just marveled at how ‘soft’ the water is when he washes his hands at the hospital. And he’s right. It is silky soft!

And Kenna… Well… who knows what she’s thinking.

Without further adieu, here’s Kaden Rae.









And if you want to see a few more pictures of Kaden Rae, click [HERE]

Finally... The weekend!!!

Weekend Bliss…

Finally. The week is over.

My sister had a healthy baby girl.

I got on my bike and rode on the trainer.

And I’m feeling bettIer every day.

So this weekend I have a lot planned. I’m going to visit my new niece, I’m getting a much needed haircut, I’m going to bike around the Rose Bowl a couple of times (at least twice to do 10 miles), I’m going to swim, run, go to Jacob’s baseball tryouts, play paintball and just try to have fun!

I just got finished playing Greg Hasting’s Max’d Paintball game on the XBox. Time flew. I played for an hour and a half!

Now I’m going to sit back, relax, and watch some episodes of Battlestar Galactica on TiVo.

Back on the saddle… Literally.

Yes! Finally! Its over! There’s still a lingering cough but for the most part I’m ready to get back on the Tri-training and put my sickness behind me. With a month and 7 days to go before my first sprint triathlon, I need to get on the bike, get my swimming technique in check, and run some serious miles. So I got on the saddle – my bike saddle that is. No, I didn’t bike anywhere except for my garage. Maybe six or seven miles going twenty minutes on the bike trainer, I maintained a target heart rate within zones 4 and 5. It was quite a sweat, my legs were wobbling after I got off the bike, but during the 20 minutes I really wasn’t gasping for air or fatigued. I was going to go for a run – hill training – before I headed into the shower, but wanted to rest a little before heading to the hospital.

It feels good to get my heart rate going, to sweat, and to do something other than lay in bed and watch TV.

I started to feel like there’s no way that I’ll be ready for the July 12th Triathlon. Especially because I haven’t even spun the wheels of my bike. But now, the goal of accomplishing this Tri is as real as the USC loss to Texas. They did lose didn’t they? I have no doubt I can finish this Tri. The question is, will it be an absolute struggle? Torture? Hell on earth? In a way I’m glad it is a backwards Triathlon. Run 5k first. Then the 10 mile bike. And an easy 100 yard swim. Even if I have to hold on to the wall, at least its in a heated pool! I’ll need a tri-suit so I don’t have to worry about changing in the transition areas. I can go straight from my run, onto the bike, then into the pool. If this was a swim in the ocean I’d have second thoughts about ‘triing’ this too early. Get it? TriIng? (It’s funnier when you say it in your head as you type – trust me.)

I’m supposed to go riding on Saturday afternoon. Its finally the time to fine tune my bike fit. I think the seat needs to be moved forward a skosh and I may need tighter shoes and a bigger helmet. Other than that I’m good to go.

Well, I’m off to see the birth of my niece or nephew in a few minutes.
New long term goal: To complete a Triathlon with Jacob someday. And then with Bella.

Someone's birthday is today...

But I don’t know who.

My sister Liza is scheduled for a c-section today which means I’ll be the uncle of a niece or nephew once again. She does not know the sex. All we know is that he or she will be born to us today, January 5, 2006.

Just think… Six years ago there were no kids in my immediately family. My parents weren’t grandparents. Today there will be FIVE. FIVE KIDS?!?

It’s a good excuse not to go to work. But I did get my month end done by yesterday 2PM. There was a revision that needed to be done yesterday but I had left work already. I left at 2. I didn’t see the request till 6:30 this morning. So I did it with both kids hanging on me, sneezing, pooping and crying. It took about forty minutes but it was done and sent. Whew.

Anyway… I’ll be off to the hospital around 10. I hope everything will be fine. I hope the baby is well. I hope my sister will do great.

Everyone send your thoughts her way!

Go Pac-10!

No - I'm not a big USC fan (GO UCLA!). But I am rooting for the Pac-10 to kick ass today. It's all about the conference baby.

My prediction...


USC 42


Texas 28

BET THE OVER!

Horrible News

How in the world do they report 12 miners found and alive? And then they report three hours later that they are dead?

This is miscommunication at its absolute worst.

TALLMANSVILLE, W.Va. - In a stunning and heartbreaking reversal, family members were told early Wednesday that 12 of 13 trapped coal miners were dead — three hours after they began celebrating news that they were alive.

I’m saddened at the news. I’m also angered at the miscommunication.

I watched a woman interviewed on the news at the mining site after the report that 12 miners were found alive state, “This proves that God as our creator provides miracles.”

Chaos broke out in the church and a fight started. About a dozen state troopers and a SWAT team were positioned along the road near the church because police were concerned about violence. Witnesses said one man had to be wrestled to the ground when he lunged for mining officials.

These are the same people of faith that were hugging and kissing and rejoicing and praising God for a miracle three hours before.

It’s a complete one hundred eighty degrees from their thanks to God for a miracle. You thank someone for giving you a gift. Do you blame the same person for taking it away?

I don’t blame them for their reaction.

I’m shocked.

I’m upset.

I heard myself say after the good news, “Thank God.”

Now I’m speechless.

Blah blah blah...

One of those nights where I have nothing to say. So here's a bunch of ramblings...

XBOX 360 - Do I really want one?

A blank stare swept across his face. And I’m not talking about George W.

My neck hurts. Bad.

I bought a bike trainer today. It keeps my bike company in the garage.

Is USC really going to win? I thought UCLA would give them a run for their money.

I hated Kobe Bryant. Then I started to like him. Now he’s just a stupid idiot.

I’m thinking about getting a tattoo. Donna suggested we get ducks. Uh. No. Snake maybe. But not a duck.

I didn’t eat very good today. And now I’m craving a Tommy Burger.

They found 12 of 13 miners alive!!!!!!!

I’m going to play paintball on Sunday. That is if I’m not sick.

You can own the 2006 Rose Parade on DVD. Why would you do that?

Bella is coughing.

Good night.

Crashing and burning...

Just the thought of going back to work tomorrow is making me sick. Literally. It’s all psychological. But I’m feeling woozy. I'm depressed. I'm feeling stressed. I really feel sick. Really sick! I can’t stand it. I spent a whole week and then some with the kids which was way better than going to work.

In the past three days they did some water color painting. We made gross drinks with the Dr. Dreadful Demented Drink Lab. Bella drank anything we made. Jake was a little picky. I thought they were all gross but I had to try all the experiments. We watched A Shark’s Tale, Shrek 2, Toy Story 2, Sandlot and the Rose Parade. We played video games and ate tons of cereal. It was awesome. Most of the week I was sick. Thankfully the last three days I had enough energy to keep up so-to-speak.

Today I woke up with a really bad neck ache so I went to the Westfield Mall (known to us as Eagle Rock Plaza) to get a massage from the Chinese Masseuse soliciting their services in front of Target. It was awesome. But it didn’t solve the problem. I was good to go for about three hours before my neck started to ache again. I doubt I’ll get a good night’s sleep as I dread my alarm clock going off in the morning. It’s horrible.

I guess this whole vacation is coming to an end. With no real highs, except for Christmas, and the really big low and my crash and burn come tomorrow morning as I make my way in the rain, on the 101 freeway, to my dreaded job. Oh well.

C'est La Vie -

One more day off!

I called my boss last night and asked if we had to be in today. Apparently nobody is. Which means - I’m not! So one more day off to rest and get well. Actually, yesterday I was feeling better. I still have a cough, a little fatigued, but for some reason I was feeling like I was on the road to recovery.

Last night I tried to watch Amelie. I got through about 45 minutes and couldn’t watch anymore. Everyone I’ve talked to has loved it. I was a little on the ‘when is something going to happen’ side. It just never really clicked. Yes, its cute and all, but it wasn’t such a big deal. People have said this is my kind of movie, something I’d like. I’ll have to give it another shot. It could be my mood last night. It was around 9PM, I watched for 45 minutes then tried to watch some other shows I had stored up on TiVo. From ‘Everyone Loves Raymond’ to old episodes of ‘Wings’ and last week’s episode of ‘Will and Grace’. Nothing seemed to entertain me so I just fell asleep with the TV on.

Maybe tonight Donna and I will watch Amelie.

The kids and I woke up this morning to a huge storm in So Cal. It hasn’t rained on the Rose Parade in like 50 years! Well… today it did. We watched the bands, the Rose Queen, the floats and spectators get soaked in the rain. Donna had to drive quite a distance to get on the freeway in order to get home from work. All the roads were closed but she eventually fought the rain drenched freeway and traffic and got home around 9:00.

Happy New Year everyone!

Glenn's Year End Video Game Review - Straight from the sick bed!

I haven't really done a Video Game review in quite a long time. Since maybe April or May of this year I reviewed a baseball game and some others here and there. Here's a full blown review as I sit in bed watching Toy Story 2.


Star Wars Battlefront (XBox)
My Rating: 10/10

So what do you do on vacation when you’re sick? You watch movies and play video games ALL DAY LONG with your son. Bella has like three doll houses and a tricycle to keep her occupied which gives Jake and I some uninterrupted gaming during the day. And from Saturday thru Thursday what did we play? Star Wars Battlefront. It’s fairly a new game for us. We bought it a few weeks ago but didn’t get much time in on it. I don’t know why. He was more into some other games. But once both of us started playing we were hooked. Seriously hooked. And we ended up completing the game as we improvised our way from planet to planet. Finally I got serious one afternoon while he was taking a nap and got through single play all the way through. It was pretty easy. But easy didn’t mean fun. It was hella fun! It has to be ranked as one of my favorite video games I’ve ever played.

We were getting a little tired of the same old thing. In one week’s time Jake and I pretty much completed the game and most of everything it has to offer. There wasn’t much of a challenge anymore. So I decided to splurge and buy some new games on Friday…


Greg Hastings' Tournament Paintball MAX'd
My rating: 9/10 (XBox)

This game should have strong appeal for Paintballers. For players who haven’t actually played the game with real Paint Markers and paint, they might get confused by all the equipment, game play and action. Especially if they are used to first person shooters.

Jake and I have been hooked. We got it on Friday and spent the afternoon playing pro teams and shooting cool markers. When I get a chance to play alone, I play in “Career Mode” and play tournaments all across the world and build up my gear bag with better markers, barrels, gloves and other equipment. It’s fast paced – a game can literally last 10 seconds – and it’s pretty accurate as far as real on the field play and video game play is concerned. I’m totally hooked on this game!

Unfortunately the graphics are mediocre and the trigger on the controller isn’t like the real thing, but you get what you get. And its pretty awesome.

I didn’t think Jake would be able to play as it is a little confusing. But he’s been wanting to play real paintball but has to wait like 10 years and he’s just as hooked at this game as I am. It didn’t take him long to figure out how to hide, snap shoot, nail the opponent and capture the flag! He even shoots as fast or even faster as his old man! A chip off the old block!


Star Wars: Battlefront II (XBox)
My Rating: 8/10

Another game we bought on Friday was Star Wars: Battlefront II. I can’t give this a fair review since I haven’t spent much time on it yet. It does seem a little bit more scenario oriented as its predecessor but the graphics are awesome and the controls are easy to use. It might be a harder game to play for Jake even after he’s mastered Star Wars: Battlefront. This one just might be a little bit too hard. But he surprises me so we’ll see.

One feature he loves is you can actually play a Jedi with a lightsaber. Its not as awesome as you might thing. Its just one of the Jedi running around wielding a lightsaber and destroying things. Personally, I like sharp shooting or blasting things with a sniper rifle or cannon.


Lego Star Wars (GBA)
My Rating: 9/10

Okay, I splurged on video game purchases on Friday. I bought three. I would have bought more. I would have. But I didn’t.

Again, I can’t give this a fair review since I haven’t spent much time on it yet. And probably won’t. Jake got a Game Boy Advance (GBA) from his grandmother (Donna’s mom) and got a mediocre driving game with it (Crazy Taxi). Graphics are bad and game play is below average. So I decided to get him another game. I let him pick and he picked this.

I played a few minutes and immediately was turned on by the graphics! I never liked hand held games due to poor graphics and eye strain, but this one made me want to get a PSP. The advance on these game models is unbelievable. I just might want a PSP for my birthday in fact. Anyway, this game looks and feels pretty close to the XBox version (which Jake loves) and is something that will keep his attention in the car on those days when he has nothing better to do.

One thing good about buying at Electronics Boutique is that you can buy pre-played or used games. And with your membership card you get additional savings. Unfortunately the Greg Hastings Paintball game was new so they didn’t have a used one. But the other two we got a pretty decent price.

My video game want list is here! Not that I’m a huge gamer, but these are what I’d like to play.


Call of Duty 2: The Big Red One


Star Wars: Republic Commando


Forza Motorsports


Prince of Persia: Warrior Within (XBox)


Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones


FIFA 06


Halo 2 (I still haven’t gotten this!)

“You’re killing me Smalls!”

Sandlot (1993)
My Rating 10/10

“You’re killing me Smalls!”- Tom Guiry plays Scotty Smalls. A kid who knows NOTHING… and I mean NOTHING about baseball. But this summer, he gets into the biggest pickle he’s ever been.

I think I may have said that this may be the best baseball movie ever made. It sure captured some of my childhood which makes me like it even that much more. Yes, there’s Major League and Bull Durham and Field of Dreams… But this has it all. Action, suspense, cute lifeguards and baseball at its purest. The kind you don’t play anymore. The kind played in… a Sandlot.

Having nothing better to do this morning and still feeling the effects of a long night with Bella, the kids ate cereal and we cuddled up in bed to watch Sandlot. This is around 7:00 AM. Yes, this is when my day starts – actually it starts around 5:30 – 6:00 when they wake up. Jake, for some reason, claims he’s ‘scared of this movie’. Apparently he’s seen parts of it but has never seen the whole movie. I knew once it started and he saw the kids throwing and hitting the ball around it would catch his attention.

You see, he’s afraid of the whole “Beast” thing. Especially when the kids are in the tree house telling the story. Bella… didn’t phase her one bit. After that, it was fine. And both of them, even Bella, enjoyed the show.

This is a great family movie. Tried and tested by yours truly. For those who don’t know anything about baseball, you don’t need to. Just enjoy the show.

Hot showers at 1:00 AM

So here’s how my movie night ended up the night before New Years Eve…

I slipped in a movie called “Cavite”. An independent film that is getting some serious attention lately. The filmmakers just got signed and we met with the person who actually signed them. And she liked us as well. But to my dismay, my old DVD player didn’t read the disc so I ended up watching something on TiVo.

But before I get into my review, here’s what happened in the middle of the night.

Donna worked last night so it was just me and the kids. They went to bed around 7:30 and I did the usual things around the house. Dishes, picked up a little in the living room, played XBOX and then crawled into bed to watch a movie.

I was extremely tired after the movie and hoped for a good night’s sleep. But I woke up to the sound of Bella’s cough. I went in to check on her and she started to gag and cry and was really congested. So I carried her to the bathroom, closed the door and turned on the hot water in the shower. The steam seemed to help after about five minutes and I decided to let her sleep in bed with me. She fell asleep on my chest and after I while I laid her on her back.

So much for my good sleep. Bella, the princess that she is, decided the Queen sized bed was all hers and found many positions on the bed to sleep in. We ended up in a “T” position in the morning with her feet on my chest.

Poor Bella. My cough is bad. But her cough seems to be worse. I hate to start the New Year with both of us sick!

Anyway, here’s my movie review for the day…


In Good Company (2004)
My Rating: 8/10

I’ve been giving a lot of 8/10 ratings lately. I’m usually more ‘hard to please’ when it comes to movies. But I didn’t find anything real bad with this movie. Topher Grace was good in his first movie role since quitting “That 70s Show” and Dennis Quaid was… well, Dennis Quaid. Scarlett Johansson, who looked great in this film and did a good job, played a major role in Topher Grace’s character arch. But I’m not so sure it was such a great role. It was almost second nature to the whole film. Like she didn’t even need to exist really. I don’t know how to describe it. Her character was just there to fuel the plot and wasn’t really a redeeming character at all. But that’s just a minor concern of mine. Again, I can’t really describe it so forget it.

Overall, this film was pretty solid. It came and went in the theaters and I think people missed a pretty decent film! It’s not much of a romantic comedy or drama, or even a real comedy. Just a slice of life with some laughs. It’s just a basic ‘buddy-buddy’ relationship movie with an ending I actually liked.

Rent it some time when you want a light movie to watch.

So what do you do when you are all alone in bed with your wife?

Stuck in my sick bed, but this time with Donna, I was able to watch another movie.


The Notebook (2004)
My Rating: 8/10

Donna read this book when it first came out. And it was hard for me to sleep on those last few chapters where she cried and cried and cried and I tossed and turned and sighed myself to sleep. Finally, the movie came out and a year later (last night) we watched it.

I don’t know if 8/10 is such an honest rating. Could be lower to be honest. But I’m swayed by emotion of both my wife’s feelings and of being sick. LOL

Anyway, the movie was enjoyable. I especially loved the love story and of course the acting of Ryan Gosling and Rachel Adams. I’d like to see both of them in more roles. I’ve never seen so much kissing in a movie. Ever. And kudos to both James Garner and Gena Rowlands for adding more character to the characters.

The whole ‘twist’ if you can call it a twist I could have done without. Very creative, yes. And it added to the whole love story. But for me, eh. I just hate knowing ‘the end’. And that was basically what the whole movie led to – if that makes any sense. (remember I’m sick).

This was a chick flick to say the least. But if you’re a guy, in touch with your chick side, then sit back and try to enjoy the romance, the kissing, the twist and all that emotional stuff.

I did.

And after the movie… We didn’t just fall asleep. If you catch my drift.

Guess what’s on now?

Titanic.

On HBO. Damn HBO is forcing this movie down my throat and taking advantage of me while I’m sick. Ahh… NFL Live on ESPN. Now that’s more like it.

But what else did I watch on my sick vacation? A Tom Hanks slash Steven Spielberg movie! Sounds like a great combination right? Well… read on.


The Terminal (2004)
My rating: 6/10

Yes, 6/10. The combo of Hanks and Spielberg seems like a no lose situation. I mean, c’mon! But even this duo couldn’t save a premise that should have been shelved before coming out of someone’s mouth. That is unless it was pitched as a slapstick comedy like “Police Squad” or “Police Academy”. What can you do with a story about a foreigner traveling to the US who is forced to stay in the International Terminal for nine weeks? You’ll have to suspend disbelief in a big way to really accept the fact that some head of Homeland Security at JFK airport wants to one: keep Tom Hanks in the Terminal and two: not allow this harmless person to enter the United States. Yes, it’s a slam on our current Administration and their policies on Homeland Security but is that enough to sustain this storyline? Uh, nope. It was presented as too real a situation with serious actors and a serious director (whatever that is) when this movie should have been cast for someone like Jim Carrey or Will Ferrell. And these two comedic geniuses are too good for this movie. It’s almost like Hanks and Spielberg were taking a “Police Academy” script and replacing the cast with uh, good actors. Seriously. This movie would have been perfect for the cast of “Police Academy”!

It’s perfect I say!
Steve Guttenberg as Tom Hanks’ character.
Kim Cattrall as Catherine Zeta-Jones’s character.
Bubba Smith as Chi McBride’s character.
George Gaynes as Stanley Tucci character.

Etc., etc, etc…

Overall, the movie was mediocre entertainment for even a sick soul like myself. If you were able to accept all the impossibilities – and there were more than a handful – maybe… just maybe it will entertain you.. And here’s one for ya… Speilberg decided to do away with a traditional “Hollywood Ending” in favor for something more, can I say, meaningful and heartfelt. Like that saved the movie. Yeah right. Give me the girl at the end. At least there would be some salvage to this mess.

I gave it a 6/10. I was sick while watching if that says anything good or bad.

Not even a rental. Catch it on TV when there’s absolutely nothing else on to watch.