Well we celebrated the wife's birthday last friday. It was great, we went to Provinos and got a good free meal, well mine was good her's wasn't that great. I got the manicotti, and it was manilicious. Wifey got chicken marsala and i'm convinced the only good chicken marsala in the world is at carabas. I've gone to rather fancy places and got the chicken marsala and its been bad, but Carabas is always good.
I got the wife a few trinkets for her birthday, nothing stupendous I must confess. I think I went all out on Christmas and ran out of ideas for her birthday. Though I got a nice pair of shoes, some perfume, and some good smelly soap. So nothing too glamorous, but I gave her love and affection, and a big bottle of wine at dinner. Oh and on a side note Provinos had way better calamri than Tony's, it was pretty good for a half way decent italian place. ALso i was told the rolls at Provinos were like the ones at brick oven, this was a lie, the roles at provinos are a lot better and not swimming as much in butter... salad was good too.
But then we just sort of hung out the rest of the weekend. I was sick most of last week and sort of took saturday to enjoy being healthy and went for a jog and played some metroid 2 (now on hard mode). I think I really missed jogging and wanna try to get back into it. Its a lot more rewarding than biking but i still want to bike. I just want to get in shape via running, and bike on weekends or a particularly beautiful day.
A lot of stuff is in the works in our lives, but a lot of it i don't want to communicate via blog so if you're super interested email me or wife and we'll give you the 4. 1. 1... whatever that means.
I watched the oscars last night, not sure why though. We went to the thompsons, and had some good food, a little monopoly action, which i lost, and watched people win golden statues. The only movie I've seen that was nominated for an award was the Incredibles, so to say the least I couldn't care less who won, lost, or had a skanky dress. On a side note I think that Cojo guy should be shot, he's dang annoying, either shot or have the dog Cojo go after him. Yeah, I managed to see all the big block buster films of the year, which apparently aren't good enough to win oscars... go figure. I guess the new norm in Hollywood is unsuccessful movies are oscar gold now. So there's hope for Gigli 2 to maybe win an oscar in the future. No, i'm sure the movies that won are good, some of them at least. I just find it funny how they're really not the popular movies. And I dont' think the oscar contest should be a popularity contest, though by all means its been that in the past. And I don't contest any oscar that was won. I'm just blabbling on because Hunt yelled at me and told me to blog more.
We saw the Crabbs this weekend, and Crabb and I used the time to go see a movie our wives would never dare see: Constantine. Now for some reason I'm still trying to figure out why I like Keanu Reeves. Call me crazy but he's just this bad actor that strikes the nail on the head for me. I won't ever say he's a Hanks, Pacino, or Ernest Borgnine but he's dang good in what he does... for the most part.
The whole movie I was squirming a bit because with a movie that is about heaven and hell and in a very real sense salvation, one wrong step can send you down the blasephamous road. I don't think this movie was blasephemous, well I mean it was wrong, and heretical as all get out, but as a work of fiction I thought it was good story. I don't know, you can debate that more if you want to.
The plot was one that has sort of been done, a rogue Angel thinks God is being too gracious and takes the matter into their own hands. Now that might sound pretty bad, but through the story you do see some interesting takes on Christianity. For instance, Keanu's character has been condemmed to hell, predestined in a way. Though he knows this fact, he hopes by sending demons to hell he can buy his way into heaven, even though the angel Gabriel explains to him that it is not by our works that we go to heaven. Constantine (keanu) says he knows this, and Gabriel retorts, "Yes but you don't believe." The movie portrays the truth that its not by works but by faith that we are saved and that was a pretty good little beacon of truth in the movie. That and holy golden "brass" knuckles give one mean knuckle sandwich to demons. Overall, Crabb and I were disappointed with the weapons as they were kind of hokie. They could have pulled a more historical approach to the weapons and said, "This sword is the ancient sword that was used by Peter to cut off the ear of the soldier and can smite any demon..." They did that with a few of the weapons but I don't recall any legends of the "Holy Brass Knuckle." Also I was sort of disappointed with the lack of a good old fight scene. I guess coming off the Matrix's I was expecting a decent good vs evil fight scene.
Overall the movie had an interesting plot and some bits of common grace. Some might find it blasephmous though it could be argued either way. I respected the fact God was never portrayed in the movie, which to me kind of steers it away from the B word. But overall the movie was interesting, and it challenges you as a Christian to really engage the movie and see what its being said and question the movie. If anything its a movie, like the Matrix, that can be disected on a few levels.
Well we're done watching the rugrats (actually on Wednesday we were done). It was good, but its better to be back to normalacy. We had a lot of good times with the kids, learned interesting things about kids, and even things about ourselves. Like we learned that are dog is a dog, one of the wisest things said by the kids. "Copper is a dog..." how true how true. It was a great trip we got to eat Lupis, meet bubbles the clown at Moes Burritos out at hamilton place, and watch Balto 2, which apparently isn't as good as Balto 1.
A picture of the cuteness we were up against, it was a hard battle.
I mean how do you tell kids' this cute to "go to bed," or "to eat your veggies or else!" I tell you it was tough. Then they'd go and say something cute. Even their insults are cute, "Butt brain" i mean come on that's so pathetically cute.
The wife and I celebrated Valentines early this year, well we did last year too. Every year around this time some friends of ours that live on the Mtn got to a law conference and we watch their kids and house. Its a good gig as the kids are fun and usually good and they have cool Star Wars toys. But since we'll be with three children 3, 6, and 7? we figured we should do Valentines on Friday (last night). We went to Tony's up in the art district. Its not that great of a pasta place but its cheap and you leave the place full. Plus they have a nice atmosphere and if you want desert they have Rembrandts next door. We got the Calamari there, and I had forgotten that their calamari is pretty below par. Its kind of reminds me of fried clam strips from Captain D's. Its not that bad but that's what it looks like and the taste doesn't do much for the palate.
Another thing about Tony's is the menu isn't very big and I've already had most of the stuff on the menu, either there or somewhere else. The baked Penne is ok, thats what the wife got. Its crammed with Tomatos, Sausage, and cheese and is pretty good but a little heavy on the tomatos for me. I've also had the Chicken Tetrazini, and that is ok too, but I like my mom's version better. Last night I went for Ravioli. Its hard to screw that up, at least I've never had a bad ravioli experience at a restaurant. The only other time however I've gotten Ravioli is at Carrabbas and everything there tastes good. But I got Tony's Ravioli and it was dang good, a great tomato cream sauce topped with cheese, it was definately worth the price of admission, not really worth the indigestion I had all night, but tasted great. The bread at Tony's too is not my favorite, Wifey likes it but I more of Niedlov bread man myself. But despite my critiques it was a lovely dinner and good food. I'm just picky and I can have a great experience and still critique the meal. I guess that's the food snob in me that comes out every time I eat out.
Wife and I just felt that the baked penne wasn't too hard to make, something she could have whipped up, the Ravioli though that would be harder. We then went to Rembrandts but were so full we didn't stay long. Then we were going to take some pictures with the digital but the batteries were dead and thus no cute pictures of us on the blog.
Now we're watching the kids and I'm about to head out and watch some 6 year olds play basketball, not sure that is supposed to happen but it should be funny.
So, I try to give George Lucas the benefit of the doubt. In some ways I think he has the right to make his movies the way that he sees fit even if it is in a terrible fashion. But we finally finished the new Starwars Trilogy, the old ones that are now on dvd that is. But we finished Return of the Jedi and I must say the last scene really ticked me off. We all know in the last scene Luke looks in a corner of the party with the Ewoks and sees Obi Wan, Yoda, and his Father who has been in a sense redeemed. Well in the old version it was the old man we knew as Anakin, where Luke takes off Vader's helment and sees his father for the first time, this old bald man. Though it was never very empressive, it was humbling in a sense to see this withered old man who we all thought was this one Bad dude for three movies. We realize he's a shell of his former self and quite pathetic under his hard hat.
Well in Lucas's desperate attempts to connect his two trilogies he replaced the old man with Hayden Christianson (or whatever the kid's name is) aka the new Darth Vader/Anakin Skywalker. It was possibly the dumbest thing and makes me mad. I mean there's the whole logic of why is Obi Wan still old? If Anakin's younger shouldn't we be seeing Ewan McGregor playing a young obi wan ghost? I mean thats just stupid, and it didn't have to be done at all!!! Plus I've never understood the whole ghost thing. I think if Lucas was going to stick with the ghost thing than Qui Gon Jin should be ghost to Obi Wan, I mean why isn't he a ghost?? Not Jedi enough? I mean its typical Lucas obnoxiousness. So thats right I'm now of the opinion that Lucas is an idiot and has gone mad with old age.
Wife and I went to this dinner/fund raiser tonight for an abstinence program that teaches abstinence to kids in public schools. It was a pretty cool little program and we were pretty impressed with it. If we had money we probably would have given them some but we don't so we don't feel too bad. What was more interesting though was seeing the greater Chattanooga Christian community. I mean it was a pretty diverse group as far as the make up of it. I saw people I work with, people I went to school with, and people I thought didn't even live here anymore.
The wife and I drove seperate cars, I went strait from work to the convention center, so we were driving back when I took some back roads that were quicker. Well I got way ahead of her, but realized I hadn't bought her anything for Valentines. And since we're babysitting on Valentines we're doing Valentines on this Friday. So I ducked into the local convience store to get a small little something for the wife. I was going to call her but I had left my cell phone in her purse, so I figured I'd just make it quick. Well I didnt, I was in there a good long time as I'm pretty difficult at buying gifts when a price limit is involved. So I mulled around the store and finally ended up with some stuff I thought would do the trick and buy her love for me. Well I drive back up the Mtn and get to the homestead and the house is completely dark and there's no sign of the wife. I get a little nervous and walk in and turn on some lights and go strait to the phone and call her. She's in tears wondering where the crap I am. All I hear though is, "MAAMAAAMWAAH (that's her crying) where are you mwaaaa???"
I reply, "I'm at home, where are you??"
"I thought you were dead mwaaaaa so i went looking for you mwwaaaa!!!"
"Well I'm not so you can come home now...."
I wasn't that cold but i did find it kind of funny. Just another example of why I hate cell phones, they're never around when I need them.
I'm starting to think my computer's cursed. First my MP3 player stopped working with the computer and now my MD player is on the fritz. Its working, but not recording via the computer. I think it has something to do with the microsoft junk. I think Gates is not happy with something with my computer. Oh well. The comp's not working well, and hasn't for some time but I can't afford a new one. I may return the MD Player as I have the warranty on it, but I may just make due as if I take it back I'm w/out a portable media device. I'll probably keep it for a while and then get rid of it in a few months.
My dad's been in and out of chatty this week. He came in monday night and we talked and had a nice home cooked meal. He then went down to Atlanta and came back tonight and took us out to the Chop House. It was a pretty good, pretty dang good meal. Wife and I got the filets and they were some amazing meat. The mashed taters were good as well as the mushrooms on top of the steak. It was good all around, not too much different than Outback in my opinion, I think steak is hard to make that much better, it all just depends on the cut. But it was a great meal.
We had some mozzeralla cheese sticks there too. I kind of consider myself a coniseur of Mozzeralla Cheese sticks, though my wife likes to point out I've never tasted true European cheese sticks, I feel like I have a good grasp on the Chattanooga variety. So far my favorite has to be Pickle Barrel's. I don't care if that place fails its health inspection every time, I'll still go for a good cheese stick. The worst Cheese stick has to be O'Charleys, or as I call it "OH CRAPPIES!" The wife and I generally find O'Charleys to be the most offensive eating establishment that is a semi-successful chain. I'd rather eat pretty much anywhere than there, even OCB or Golden K Ral. The cheese sticks at O'Crappies aren't even called "Mozzerella Cheese Sticks" as they aren't even mozzerella. I think its a cheese wiz of sorts and basically tastes equivalent to expired silly putty. I don't think I've ever had one good eating experience at O'Charleys come to think of it.
I also consider myself a coniseur of French Onion Soup and Calamari. French Onion is harder to find but my basic rule is if a restaurant serves it, I must eat it. Oddly enough, Panera has some of my favorite. I worked there for off and on about 3 to 4 years in highschool and college and never grew tired of the FOS. The trick to ordering it there though is to get the bread bowl and ask for swiss. Swiss is the proper cheese, actually its a different type of cheese like Loraine or something, but the closest common variety to it is swiss. So next time you're at the Pantera get the bread bowl of FOS and ask for Swiss instead of that other junk the put on there. Then you'll be cool like me.
As far as Calamari, the best I've ever had was at La Dolce Vita or its later name Luciano. The worst is Japanese restaurants, its Calamari tempura and is basically rubber. Macaroni Grill has some rubbery stuff too that leaves much to be desired. Carabbas's Calamari is decent and worth the price of admission.
Hmmm.... food. Actually I think if I ate another bite I might blow up.... oh look a piece of chocolate.. .
BOOOOOM!!!!
Dangit!
Sometimes writing a blog is like shouting at the top of your lungs and no one listens. Oh well...
Not much to say so I thought I'd share my view of the world for 8 hours of the day.
Its amazing how much pictures of the wife can help me get through a bad day. That and my Chick-filet Cow.
Last night the wife and I watched Garden State with some friends. I was looking forward to the movie as a lot of friends and co-workers expressed to me their love of this movie and how they thought it was one of the better to best movies of the year last year. I must give it credit it had some good/interesting themes. The idea of going through life completely numb to it is not something incredibly foreign to me. Whereas Zach Braff's character was numbed by prescription drugs, I feel at times my life has been numbed by video games, television, and movies and like his character I feel like much of life has passed me by (Pretty much my Jr. High to Highschool life, I still remember college). I thought the movie had a good social critique of the prescription drug era we live in and how the zolofts and prozacs don't really make us happy or feel better. Rather these pills in one powerful stroke make us numb to pain, happiness, and joy. I've heard testimony from friends and what not that these pills didn't make them feel better but rather made them feel "blah." They didn't feel highs or lows, which life is about highs and lows. So in that aspect I thought the movie had a little common grace to it.
But put these common graces aside and this movie was filled with fowl language and a pretty graphic few minute sex scene that had me looking at my wife instead of at the TV. And I realize that Zach Braff is by all accounts not a believer, and that a movie that was more pure in its portrayal of his character's life should not be expected. But myself as a Christian I can't help wonder why I should subject myself to a movie that has so much filth for so little common grace, because in the end the grace was rather common and I am left with dialogue in my head that is improper by all acounts.
Everytime an "F-bomb" was dropped I cringed as it reached my ears. It is a word that is so crass and so negatively powerful that it hurts to hear it. It takes one of the greatest gifts God has given us and turns it both into an insult and an explitive. It degrades the sexual gift, a special bond that unites a man and woman in marriage, and makes it the most terrible word in the American vernacular.
What is possibly even more sad is how this word has slipped into my own vocabulary. I will admit that when I hit my head or drop a cinderblock on my foot the word comes to mind and sometimes to tongue. Not proud of the fact, and it usually frusterates me that I don't have better reigns on my tongue and keep those words from coming to mind and tongue. Working in the environment I do I have become increasingly more cogniscent of what I say and how I act. Everything I say and do is witness and testimony to God's relationship with me. If I say I really liked this movie or any other movie with objectionable/offensive material in it, what does this say to me as a believer? A fellow believer might realize I just liked it because it had an interesting story with neat themes. But a non-believer might be sent astray, might see this movie, see the sex scene and be cast into sexual sin. Or they might start using explitives in their daily vernacular in attempt to be cool and accepted. Or see the drug scene and fall back into a drug addiction they were close to beating. I think we too often don't realize what we do, say, or even recommend affects our Christian Witness. I don't think the believers take into account how fragile and important our witness is. I've seen great evangelistic opportunites/conversations gone astray with one misplaced joke. How an hour of witness and teaching can be cast asunder by crass joke.
Part of me knows what people will say, "Just focus on the common grace element" or "But there's so much good stuff in the movie ignore the bad stuff." But I kind of think of it as this way: the movie's common grace is like a hundred dollar bill stuck in a pile of manure. To get that money I have to literally dive into the poo and wallow in it to try to find that 100$. Then once and if I find that 100$ I will be soaked in manure and so iwll 100$ bill. The analogy is not that great, and is sort of borrowing from a Krabendam one, but I take a different stance on common grace. I don't think we can be these scientists that view movies and pefectly cut out the common grace of culture and leave the reminent trash behind. I think when we pull out common grace from movies, music, books, etc we're pulling out some good things but we're also pulling out a lot of trash and consuming both.
But anyway, I would not recommend this movie. I think the interesting ideas and "good" aspects of the movie can be found in better areas. The story is interesting but in the end I think you consume more trash than anything when viewing this movie. At least I don't want anyone to watch this movie on my account.
Its been a real lax day today. I went for a bike ride but my lungs possibly colapsed so it was a short one, but never the less an effectively butt kicking one. The mother in law paid us a visit last night. It was good to see her and she brought us a roast and some ham. People that bring food are alright by me, hint to anyone coming to my house. I think I might start charging people food to stay at my house. I think its fair, I mean you're using my prescious heat, my prescious electricity, and are getting to enjoy not only my wonderful company but also the company of possibly the coolest dog in the world, COPPER! Plus if you bring food my wife can cook it and make it taste good.
In other news there is some sort of Super Bowl thing tomorrow where to teams play a game. I don't really care one way or the other. Professional football is kind of not as interesting as it used to be for some reason. If the patriotics don't win I will be severely shocked, and apalled, shocked and apalled.
In a brief video game update, I've beaten Metroid Prime 2. It was quite the battle with the head of the Ing, the Ing Master. But I did prove to be too much for his dark powers. After defeating three versions of the ING Master, a octopus, ball, and then a bug formation, I made my way out of the dark world as it was colapsing in on itself. I was about to make my jump into the light world when I was accosted by my alter ego Dark Samus. I had to battle with him a bit as the timer ticked down to total destruction of the Ing world. I made it out in the nick of time, returned the light suit to the Luminoth, and got out of dodge on my space ship. It was truly a hard day at the office. One thing that annoyed me was you get points for scanning things in the game, its hard to explain but basically I was one scan short and its a scan I can't go do so basically I'll have to hit up the next time I play.
I hope they make another sequel for the game though three games for one system would be a shocker in this every changing system environment. I've already heard rumors of the new nintendo system. Nothing substantive just that they're working on it and shooting for 2007 I believe.
Now if you're still reading this after that nonsense I salute you and wonder why you don't have something better to do.
I really hate white houses with black shudders. Every other house on this mtn seems to be a white house with black shudders. Why not paint the shudders a different color, make it more lively and less normal.... stinking richies.
I haven't had much mood for bloggin in a long time. Mainly cause times have been tough at the holton hood. Its been a bit of a rough time financially and as money worries consume about 99% of my thought life, its been hard to think of anything else to blog about. I realize I'm not the only one with money problems so I'll stop there and move on to something more interesting and less "woe is me"--esque. The pitty party's over holton!
I've tried getting back into mtn biking. 50% out of desire to lose weight and 50% out of guilt of owning this bloody expensive bike. So I went out three? maybe two times last week. The first time was a joke: I made it possibly 10 paces before my body screemed in agony and revolted against its master. I seriously thought I was going to die and only rode about 15 minutes. My legs were thankfully still in relatively good shape, though scared out of their wits for being used. They were like, "WHAT THE HECK?!?!? I THOUGHT HE WAS DONE WITH US??!?!?!" Mostly my lungs were the worst meaning I'm severely out of shape. Which looking at my blubbery body is not a shock or surprise. I recouped the next day and went back out on thursday. This time I felt better but the cold weather got the best of me. I made it farther than I did the day before but my hands and face were so cold that I wimped out and turned back. I didn't have any sort of special biking winter gear, just a thermal long sleeved t shirt, shorts, and a long sleeved t shirt. I haven't been this week mostly cause of the cold weather. I figure if its too cold in my house its probably too cold outside. I may go saturday as its supposed to get up to 60.
My feet are cold, so I think I'll leave it at that. But let me leave you with this parting wisdom:
A wise man once said, 'If you go for a long walk, make sure you know how to get back. Otherwise you may have to stop and ask for directions... and that's just plain embarrassing.'