Laser Cats

This is Seamus, pronounced shay-mus. We adopted this eight month old tabby last Saturday from the local humane society. We were looking at all the cats and they were all laying around and sleeping like cats tend to do, but this guy saw us coming and knew he had to turn up the charm or he was going to be stuck in that little cage. The cage had a glass door and he was rubbing up against it and you could hear him purring. The worker at the humane society opened the door for us and he and Vanessa clicked. I was happy too because I've always wanted an orange tabby kitten and I was afraid that Vanessa would want a long haired cat so this worked out for both of us. For the past few months I've been telling Vanessa that I wanted to name our next cat General Beauregard and I think Vanessa was actually convinced but when I saw this guy, the name didn't fit. Because of the orange color I thought an Irish name would work and I've always liked the name Seamus, so I pitched it to Vanessa and got the approval. Because last Monday was a holiday, we couldn't get Seamus until Tuesday. They had to neuter and vaccinate and install the microchip. Vanessa went to the humane society after work to pick him up and on the way home, noticed the paperwork said he had tested positive for either feline leukemia of feline aids. Either of which is highly contagious and drastically shortens the cats life. As soon as she got home we put Seamus in the guest room and contacted the humane society. A cat who tests positive for feline leukemia is generally put down and a cat testing positive for feline aids requires a series of medications and the people adopting the cat have to fill out special forms to make sure they know what they are getting in to. We didn't have to fill out any special forms and Seamus was alive so we were hoping it was a mistake, especially since we had already formed a connection with him. Vanessa finally got a hold of someone at the humane society and they said that it was probably a clerical error but they would have to check the test results and would get back with us the next day. Meanwhile, we were worried about Cole catching something so Vanessa made an appointment with the vet for first thing in the morning to get Seamus tested and get Cole vaccinated. He was vaccinated as a kitten, but that was ten years ago and we just thought, better safe than sorry. So I slept in the guest room with Seamus to make sure he had some company. Seamus tested negative for both conditions and the SPCA called us to confirm it was a clerical error and sent us a new copy of the paperwork with the error corrected.

Now the real test. How was Cole going to react to his new housemate. The first night was miserable. Cole slept on the bed with us and every time Seamus tried to come in the room I was awaken to growling and hissing. After a few day though, they are actually beginning to sniff each other and I think it won't be long before they are playing together. It's been a while since Cole had another cat around and he's never been the dominant one, so it's really interesting to see how he acts. Animals in nature are just amazing. They know their place. Cole knows he's senior cat and Seamus reacts accordingly. All in all, he's a great kitten and I'm really happy we got him. It's been so long since I've lived with a kitten. I've forgotten how much energy they have. It's so much fun.

Sorry it's been so long since I last posted. It seems that everyone is too busy with facebook to blog anymore. I miss the constant updates. I guess I'm actually going to have to call some of you sometime. School started this week. I feel like the semester just ended. I'm working on my next post. I think it will be my Oscar predictions tied in with my best of 2008. See you then.

Yes We Can

So Congressman Barr didn't even get a mention on the news today, but to be honest, who expected him to. I have no great dream of a strong Libertarian party but more than two choices would be nice. On the other hand, if you have too many parties, then a candidate with 22% of the vote or something could win an election. Then you get what the French had in the late 1940's with it's 4th Republic. The communist party received 25%, the socialist party received 22%, and Charles deGaulle's party (I can't remember what it was called) received 25%. These three major parties tried to rule the country equally, but of course none of them could get along so nothing could get done. So maybe two parties make it possible to accomplish more. I just wish I had more in common with one of them or that they had more in common with my views.

I'll be honest though, I'm excited at the prospect of change. I don't know that Obama is the change I was personally looking for, but he dominated the election and he's our president. All we can do is pray for the best. And in this transition time before he takes office I'll give him a blank slate. His speech last night moved me and as much I hate saying this, I'm glad that the rest of the world is approving and excited about Obama. I care about this country first but I recognize that in 2008 we live in a global society. I hope that Obama can use his popularity in foreign lands for our good instead of his personal good. I think that the republican party deserved the defeat for nominating John McCain. I'm not saying that I would rather the democrats to win, but to nominate someone like McCain was just asking for it. I think the republican party should be kicking themselves for not nominating Romney. I don't know that I would have supported him, but with the economic troubles now, I really believe he could have won.

Anyway, I just wanted to say that for now, Obama has my support as President-elect of the United States of America. I recognize the historical importance of his win and couldn't be more proud to be an American. To think that 150 years ago this great nation not only approved of but profited in the trade of human lives. To think that 50 years ago forced segregation was a reality for millions. To think that yesterday a black man was elected president of the United States. This is a great leap foward for the race and I only hope that he and the democratic majority in congress don't lead us too far towards socialism. I do believe however, that things will only get worse before our Lord returns and faced with the upcoming armageddon and the whole Earth being cleansed with fire thing, socialism doesn't look that bad.



This is my favorite thing I've read all day:
Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said Obama's victory was a landmark for equality.
"Twenty-five years ago Martin Luther King had a dream of an America where men and women would be judged not on the colour of their skin but on the content of their character," Rudd told reporters. "Today what America has done is turn that dream into a reality."

I'm confused. What year did the good Dr. King pass away?

I Love It

It's just seven minutes. Check it out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Im0Wqj3BSvU

Requiem For An Oscar

I came home from work on Friday excited for the weekend. I grabbed a snack and called for the cats to come get their supper. I poured the food and Cole came running like normal, but I didn't see Oscar, which was extremely unusual. I looked around and found him in the back closet in the corner. He looked at me a gave me an awful growl, so I apologized and left him alone. A couple of hours later Vanessa came home and it occurred to me that Oscar still had not made an appearance. This is a cat that lets you know when to feed him and he will not let up until you do. I told Vanessa to go check on him to see if he was still in the closet. She came running back into the run saying something about his legs not working. Apparently, when Vanessa came home, the cat tried to come see her. The poor thing looked so pitiful. His back legs wouldn't work and he was just pulling himself around and he was vomiting. We got the phone book out and started looking for vets. We haven't taken him to one since we've been here and we didn't know who to call. It was late so we needed an emergency room open all night. I called one and they put me on hold. Can you believe that? It's an emergency line, no I can't hold. After a few minutes Vanessa said that there was a clinic down the street so we put Oscar in his carrier and headed out the door. We called the vet from the car and they were ready when we got there. They took Oscar in the back and it wasn't more than five minutes before the doctor was ready to talk to us. He explained that Oscar had developed a blood clot and was not receiving any blood to his lower extremities and it was putting a lot of strain on his heart. He said he could try to work on him, but that euthanasia was probably the best solution considering the pain and the fact that any thing the doctor could do unfortunately wouldn't be much. So we decided to ease his pain. It was a really hard decision. It was just so sudden. I figured he just ate some plastic or something. I'm sure most of you know just how attached my wife is to her cats. As hard as it was for me, it doesn't compare to what she was going through. The vet let her hold Oscar as he injected the drugs and prepared her for what his reactions would be. As the drugs took their effect and Oscar ceased to be, the body appeared to be gasping for air. The vet assured us that Oscar was gone and it was just the reaction to the drugs. I think it was really great for Vanessa to experience that and have some closure. She had only been back in town for a few days when it happened and I'm glad she was able to be there.

Vanessa and I always joked about how spiteful Oscar was. Whenever she would go out of town, he would make sure to go number two on her bath mat. It was inevitable. So we both found it amusing how after Vanessa had handed the body back to the vet, the bladder released on the doctor. Typical spiteful Oscar. We were home in less than an hour and the next couple of days were pretty rough around here. Cole is doing well. He sniffed the empty carrier for a while and I think he knows something is different, but he's just a cat and I don't really know how much he can comprehend. I know some of you might think it silly to be so upset, and honestly, I do too. But I've never really had a pet before and I had unknowingly grown quite close to my cats. Things are getting back to normal now but it's still weird having only the one cat. I keep expecting to see his tail sticking out from under the night stand. Vanessa fed him his wet food around 8 0r 9 every night and on this past Friday, he died at 8.30. This cat lived for his wet food. Vanessa commented that Heaven better be stocked up because he's going to be ready for his treat when he gets there.

Anyway, this has gone on long enough. I wanted to tell everyone when it happened, but I'm glad I let things settle. This was a hard post to write (as crazy as that sounds). Vanessa is doing much better and maybe in a few months we'll be ready to get Cole a new friend.

I found Bai-Ling's blog when I was looking for stuff from the movie the other night. It's hillarious because her english is so bad. She's got pictures from the movie premier.

http://ling-bai.blogspot.com/

I Love Summer

Vanessa left today for a conference in Chapel Hill. I must be bored since I'm writing this. Tucson is pretty much in the triple digits everyday now. We finally turned the air conditioner on. I'm not taking any classes this summer so I decided that I will try to accomplish some goals I've wanted to do for a while now. I'm trying to get better at playing guitar so I've been practicing about an hour a day. My fingertips are pretty much wrecked. Also, I took my first golf lesson today. I just wanted someone to tell me correct form and within thirty minutes, the guy had it figured out and I was hitting straight for the first time. It's such an awesome feeling when you make solid contact with the ball. I know I'm going to have to practice a lot more to get my body used to the movements. The biggest problem is that I found out that my clubs are a little too short for me, so I'm going to have to adapt for a while.

I guess I'll go to the movies tonight. There is this new sci-fi film playing and it looks horrible. I'm a fan of really bad movies. Once they get so bad, they're just funny. Plus the main actress and the director are going to be there to present it and you get a comic book that the movie is based on. Go to you tube and check out the trailer for "Gene Generation" and try not to laugh.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aohBNKq7OPo&feature=related

I Left My Heart..... blah blah blah

San Francisco from Alcatraz

The Lower Haight

Alcatraz from Pier 39


Japanesse Tea Garden at Golden Gate Park

Anyone remember the opening to Full House

Sea Lions at the famous Pier 39

Halfway up the climb

The gates at Chinatown
Fishermans Wharf Alcatraz

Lombard St.

Vanessa and I took a long weekend and went to San Francisco. It was a last minute thing and it sounded pretty cool since neither of us had ever been there before. We had a great time. Our hotel was really nice and close right off of Union Square so all the shops and restaurants were close by, and their public transportation was the best. We didn't have to rent a car. There were cable cars, street cars and buses everywhere. We walked alot though. You see in the movies how steep some of the streets are, but you have no idea. I'm still sore. Some were so steep you had to lean forward so as not to fall backwards. I don't know what idiot decided to build on such a grade but I'm glad they did because it's beautiful. The city was clean and the weather was nice, if not cold. It was so much colder than I expected. We checked the weather forecasts and it was calling for highs in the 60's. Well, 60 in Tucson is different than 60 in San Francisco. The air was so damp and the wind was constantly blowing and sometimes, 60 felt like 30. Vanessa forgot her coat so we had to buy her a new one on the first day.

I can't for the life of me figure out how to put the pictures throughout the post so bear with me. We went to Golden Gate park where a bunch of transient hippie kids tried to sell us pot. We walked through the Haight which I imagine is a little more touristy than in was in the early 60's when the Dead rocked it. We went to alcatraz and tried out the cells. That was probably the best thing we did. If you ever get the chance, alcatraz is a great park and the mp3 guided tour is one of the best I've ever been on. You could see the holes in the wall where the three guys escaped and you could see the marks on the floor from when the marines dropped grenades to quell a riot. It was impressive. We saw Lombard St., the curviest street in the world. It was a hike, but we made it to the top. We saw Chinatown which was like being in another country, and we went to Alamo square where they filmed the opening credits for Full House. Mostly we just ate. I think I gained 10 pounds in 3 days.

It was a great trip and I look forward to going back. There is so much to see and do I feel like we didn't get to do half of what's available. I don't know if I could live there, but it's pretty awesome to visit.

Barry Goldwater

Alright, this post has absolutely nothing to do with Barry Goldwater except for the fact that I'm writing it in Arizona and I think he was robbed in the 64 election, but that's for another day. I'm writing a paper right now and I just needed a break. The topic is as follows: Discuss the choices and challenges of US foreign policy in the aftermath of the collapse of the former Soviet Union. It fascinating stuff, unfortunately I no nothing of the subject and I'm going out of town tomorrow and won't be back until it's due. So that leaves me tonight and I had a test in my history of the world wars class earlier this evening so I haven't been able to start until now. So work is going to pretty much suck tomorrow, but I can sleep on the plane. You would think that I would have some knowledge of this topic since I lived through it, but surprisingly a twelve year old boy doesn't pick up on the significance of such a historic event so I find that my only memory is watching the Berlin Wall coming down on television. Thank goodness for the internet though, and you know, it's still kind of recent to determine what effect our change in policy is having. As my professor says, you need at least a hundred years to fully determine the effect of an event. You know what else I learned in this class, John F. Kennedy really wasn't a very good president. I mean he didn't do anything. Of course he didn't back down to the Soviets and the blockade of Cuba caused them to turn their ships around, right? I'm sure us removing our missiles from Turkey had no effect on them at all. It was all JFK and Bobby and their amazing courage in the face adversity. I'm glad they were here to save the country. Anyway, I guess I'll get back to the paper. It won't write itself after all. hahahahhahahah!

At Least I Can See Snow

Here is the T.V. stand and the bookcase that I built. Vanessa designed the T.V. stand and picked out the glass doors. I think it's a nice touch. I built the bookcase too big, but luckily Vanessa is really good at filling in the blanks.

In the five years I lived in Georgia, I never saw snow once. Ice a few time, but never snow. In less than five months in Tucson, I have seen snow. The desert landscape allows you to see large distances. These mountains are not that far, but they are high. I think Tucson is between 3,ooo and 4,ooo feet in elevation. These mountain rise over 9,000 feet. Winter in Tucson is awesome. It gets down to about 35 degrees at night and can get up to the 70's during the day. Even days when it doesn't get about 60 are still nice because there is no humidity in the air. If you get cold, just go stand in the sun for a minute, you'll warm right up. We haven't turned on out heater yet and I don't know if we will this year. We have a fireplace for when it get cold at night, then we open the windows when we go to work in the mornings. It's just great.

We are leaving Thursday for Atlanta. I can't wait to get back to the South. I love it out here but it's just different. You don't get the small niceties that you do in the South. Plus, I can't wait to see all of my family. I love the holidays. It will be great to see mom and dad again. I went to the drug store yesterday to get some pepcid ac so that I will be prepared for all the great food I know is coming my way. I think we finally finished our Christmas shopping. The malls were no joke yesterday. I'm convinced that half of Sonora comes shopping in Tucson every weekend. Sonora is the Mexican state that borders Arizona. The parking lot is full Sonoran license plates and these people aren't raised with same manners as we are. It's just a different culture. Nobody seems to mind if they run into you or if the breastfeed in the middle of the mall. It's just a different culture and I can appreciate that, but it's just annoying as hell.

Thats all for now, and for everyone who reads this, see you soon.

Thankful

I know it's a little late, but I just wanted to take a minute and think about a few things that I'm grateful for. I had a really great Thanksgiving this year. Vanessa and I just sat around the house, ate pizza and watched lots of movies. It was great to relax and spend some quality time with her. It seems like it's been so crazy ever since we moved here, between work, school, and church. I'm really lucky and grateful for her. I'm also thankful for a wonderful family. I know that everything I am is because of how I was raised. I could never have asked for better parents or brothers. I'm thankful for the church and the scriptures. I'm thankful for the soldiers protecting me and my family. I'm thankful for Neal Boortz and his genius ideas. I wish he would run for president. I'm thankful to have a job and have the opportunity to be back in school so that hopefully I can one day move past the manual labor. I'm thankful for my new TV. It is so awesome. I'm thankful for Nico's super fries. Nico's is a Mexican fast food place in Tucson, but it's not like Taco Bell, it's real Mexican food. Super fries is a giant mound of french fries covered in cheddar cheese, sour cream, pico de gallo, guacamole, and carne asada. It's absolutely amazing. I'm thankful for the 1980's classic Footloose. I'm thankful for World of Warcraft, the best game ever. I'm thankful for the new Shooter Jennings cd and the new Coen brothers movie, No Country for Old Men. I'm thankful for custard filled pastries. I know that this list is getting out of hand. I don't mean to sound so materialistic, but I am thankful for everything I have and everything that makes me happy.

Now for the list of things that I'm not thankful for. The mainstream media, California (mainly San Francisco), the "hip-hop culture", illegal immigrants, noisy neighbors, Rescue Dawn (biggest waste of time), reconstruction, Islamic fascism, being awaken by cats, people at Wal-mart, France, Nickleback, onions, people at any store, Josh Groban, lies perpetrated against the South, and the color lavender.

bored

Almost cut my hair
It happened just the other day
It's gettin kinda long
I coulda said it wasn't in my way
But I didn't and I wonder why
I feel like letting my freak flag fly
Cause I feel like I owe it to someone

Must be because I had the flu' for Christmas
And I'm not feeling up to par
It increases my paranoia
Like looking at my mirror and seeing a police car
But I'm not giving in an inch to fear
Cause I missed myself this year
I feel like I owe it to someone

When I finally get myself together
I'm going to get down in that sunny southern weather
And I find a place inside to laugh
Separate the wheat from the chaff
I feel like I owe it to someone

Westward ho!

Here we are at beautiful Sabino Canyon. It's about a 10 minute drive from our apartment. Emily took this picture while she was here a few weeks ago helping us with the cats. It's absolutely gorgeous here (mom would love it). Let's back up a little bit though. About a month ago on Pioneer Day, Vanessa and I, in the tradition of the pioneers, loaded up everything we owned into a 17 foot U-Haul and said goodbye to Athens, Georgia. We didn't want to drive anything bigger, so we sold or gave away lots of stuff to make it fit. I didn't think it was going to, but the elders in Athens had a different plan. Looking back, I still can't believe that they got it all in. We pulled our Camry behind us. Neither of us had ever driven anything this big (and I know it's really not that big) so we were a little nervous. We hit Atlanta about 10:30 on a Tuesday morning. Perfect timing. Just after the morning rush hour and just before the lunch rush. After Atlanta, I was feeling a lot more confident behind the wheel. I love the way that traffic just disappears after you leave a city. One minute you're surrounded by rows and rows of cars, the next there's no one in front you you. Alabama is pretty boring. I-20W wrapped around Birmingham so we didn't have to experience that. We drove through Tuscaloosa and saw the hotel we stayed in a few years ago when we went to the University of Alabama for the Southeastern Ecological and Evolution Convention. Fun times. After Tuscaloosa, I was in uncharted waters. I had driven across the country before, but never the southern route. If Alabama was boring, Mississippi was even worse. We stopped at a gas station about mid day for some fuel and food. One word: Rough. These people looked rough. The motel with the hourly rates and the gas station with the rap music blaring so loudly you could barely talk to the woman behind the counter and the Hardees where I couldn't even understand what the woman at the counter was saying her draw was so thick, rough. The only real city we drove through in Mississippi was Jackson. It must of looked a lot nicer back when Johnny Cash was singing about going there because it was nothing to write home about. Hot and muggy and really bad roads. Then we were crossing the mighty Mississippi. It's a pretty impressive river. Louisiana is also nothing to write home about. At least not the northern part we crossed through. We stopped for the night in Shreveport. It's a lot bigger city than I thought it would be, and we couldn't find a hotel vacancy anywhere. Well, at least not a hotel that Vanessa would stay in. Thanks to our Garmin gps device, we found a holiday inn express that had a few rooms. We ordered pizza and went to bed, thus ending day one.

Day two began about the same as day one. We got in the truck and headed west. After Shreveport, the scenery starts to change. Less forests and big trees, more fields and grasslands. It makes for a pretty boring drive. Texas was next. You always hear about how big Texas is, but you have no idea until you drive across it. It's just ridiculous. We drove through Dallas and Fort Worth, which is pretty much one huge city. Bad roads and lots of traffic is all I really remember. That and my constant prayers to help me keep the truck in my lane. After Dallas, there's nothing. And I mean it when I say nothing. Gigantic expanses of oil fields and ranches. I can't explain it, but even the sky looks bigger. We had planned to stay the night in Midland, home of the current president, but all of the hotels were booked. Not to mention they all looked crappy and the lobbies reeked of cigarette smoke. Now this was my birthday. July 25 in Midland Texas looking for a hotel. It was beginning to be the worst birthday ever. It was around 5pm so we decided to just head down the road. According to the map, there really wasn't anything between there and El Paso, about 300 miles away, so I figured worst case scenario I'd have to get some energy drinks and drive straight through to El Paso. Then we saw it. About 30 miles west of Midland was a little town called Monahans. It was the kind of town where the whole town was located around the interstate, and towering over everything was a brand new Best Western. I couldn't believe our luck. They had plenty of rooms available and it was a really nice place. Since the town was so small, we decided to walk around to see what they had to eat. We found this little barbecue place with the best brisket I've ever had and then we had desert at Dairy Queen. It ended up being one of the best birthdays ever.

Day three started about the same as day one and two. We loaded up the truck and headed west. Now if I didn't mention previously, driving through Texas is very impressive, and very boring. It's impressive for the sheer size and emptiness, but it's also boring for the same reasons. We continued west and eventually I20 ended and we got on I10W. This was exciting because this is the interstate that goes through Tucson. The next large city was El Paso. It's a huge city also. I guess I just always imagined El Paso to be this little frontier town with saloons and brothels and gunfights in the streets. I was really taken aback. I guess I watch too many westerns. It was cool though because El Paso borders New Mexico and Mexico. You could literally look to your left and see signs in Mexico. And as anyone who's ever driven long distances can tell you, you live state to state. That's another reason Texas really sucks. When you get to Alabama and the exit numbers start at 250, it okay, you can do it. Just 250 more miles and we'll start a new state. But when you get to Texas and the exit numbers start at 690, it's just down right depressing. So hitting New Mexico was awesome. It lifted my spirits and put me in a better attitude. We stopped at a rest area just as we got into New Mexico and there was a plaque dedicating that stretch of interstate to my hero, Jefferson Davis. I was shocked. It was all done by the daughters of the Confederacy. I was beginning to feel that maybe the west wasn't going to be so bad.

I got a call from the Bishop. He and the elders quorum president were trying to figure out where we were and when we would arrive. I told him we were just past El Paso and he said that El Paso is only 5 hours from Tucson. I was elated. We were finally going to get out of this awful truck. New Mexico was alright. Just desert, not much to say. Then we hit Arizona, and more desert. Lots of mountains from El Paso to Tucson though, it's very pretty. We drove down into the Tucson valley about 3:30pm, took the truck to U-Haul, dropped off the trailer, then went to our new apartment. The young men from the ward showed up at 6pm and had the whole thing unloaded by 6:15. It was really impressive, and they didn't break anything.

So that's how we got here. Not that exciting, but it was a lot of fun. I recommend that everyone drive cross country some day to see this beautiful country. The words of America The Beautiful come to mind: O beautiful for spacious skies, For amber waves of grain, For purple mountain majesties Above the fruited plain! It really is something to behold. And if you can't go cross country, at least drive through Texas. It puts things into perspective.

Dr. V

She finally did it. After five long years my wonder wife is now a pHd. I am so proud of her. We flew back to Georgia last week for the ceremony. It was almost like we never left. We came back yesterday with the cats. It just might be the most miserable day of my life. The drugs didn't really work and they meowed for about 12 hours straight. Luckily, planes have so many noises you really couldn't hear them. Vanessa's sister Emily came back with us to help us out with the cats. She is awesome. To volunteer for this is very generous. I'm so glad she's here.

This post is out of order. I will tell you all about the move out here next time.
'til then.......

It's Time For A Change

In case any of you haven't heard, we're moving to Tucson. It's a pretty stressful time for us right now. Vanessa defends her dissertation next week. I'm selling my truck next week. We have to reserve a moving truck and try to find a new car. I need to register for classes for the fall. Quentin is coming down next week, it's off to the great state of North Carolina after that, then off to the great white north, and finally to Arizona. Once we get there, we have to turn around and fly back to Atlanta for Vanessa's graduation. Then fly back to Tucson with the cats. Whew! At least we have a place to move into. It is an adventure though. This will hopefully be the cross country trip we have always wanted. I just didn't think it would be in a U-Haul.


I played a Nintendo Wii tonight for the first time. I have to have one. I have a birthday next month if anyone was wondering what I might like.

Random Thoughts: I miss my DVR. Icky Thump is a really good album. I think Cary Grant has passed Paul Newman as my favorite actor of all time. I can't wait to get out of Athens. I asked Vanessa if we could name our first son Jefferson Davis Harris, and she just laughed. Then when she saw that I was serious, she became worried. I'm upset that Ron Paul was not invited to the candidates forum sponsored by the Iowans for tax relief and Iowa christian alliance. I think I volunteered myself to work at the Fair Tax booth at the fourth of July celebration in Conyers. It seems like Scrubs is always on. But that's ok because I love it.

DON'T LOOK AT ME, I'M HIDDEOUS!

First of all, I just found out that Vanessa hates that picture that I put up, so maybe this one will make up for it. You see, she loves the cats way more than me.

Now to the main course. Do you ever find yourself really enjoying movies or music that you would never tell anyone you like? Sure you have. These are the movies that come on when you're flipping through the channels and you stop, look around to make sure no one is there, and then shamefully enjoy for the next two hours. The only person I know who will come right out and say that he loves it is my father. He is the only man I know who will publically admit (and be proud of it) that he owns French Kiss and I.Q. I mean, I know Meg Ryann is hot and all, but come on. This man's courage has inspired me to share with you the films that only my wife knows I like. Pure Country. It has some of the worst acting I've ever seen but damn I love this movie. My all time favorite secret obsession, Working Girl. I will drop everything I am doing if that movie is on. Then there are some movies that you can't watch with anyone for a different reason. The unstoppable sobbing. I'll admit it, I cry at some movies. I'm actually a very emotional film watcher. The scene at the end of the first Godfather when Michael Corleone is participating in his nephews religous ceremony and he is saying how he renounces satan, but at the same time you see the hits that he had ordered. A tear comes to my eye. When Gandolf shows up with the first ray of sunlight, a tear comes to my eye. Great moments in movies can do this, but I am talking about the ugly cry. You know what I'm talking about. The two movies that I will absolutely not watch with anyone around are first, Steel Magnolias. I love this movie, but when Sally Fields is at her daughters funeral and she says that she should have gone first. I lose it. The worst though, is Terms of Endearment. Don't even get me started. When Deborah Winger dies and Shirley MacLaine stands up and says, "I didn't think it would be this hard." Well, you know.

I cannot believe I just said all of that. If you haven't seen any of the movies I just mentioned, you have got to see them. But make sure no one is around.

VANESSA'S BIRTHDAY

So today is Vanessa's birthday. As per her wishes, she got a small radio for the bathroom so that she can listen to her NPR in the mornings. She also got a rolling pin. Then for dinner, she was treated to the local Chick-fil-A. This is my wife. This is all she wanted from me for her birthday. And I know from past experiences, that when she says that that is all she wants, that is all she wants. Oh well. We are going to Charleston for a nice three day weekend in a few days, so maybe she will actually splurge a little.

I was reading Josh's 400th post today and he said he likes my blog. So I decided that I would post something. I don't do this very often because I can never think of anything to write about. My life is pretty boring. I get up at 5.00am. Go to work at seven. Get on the stage around nine. Go home around 5 or 6 or 7, and watch something. Maybe I need a new hobby. I love playing disc golf, but can only play every now and then due to the nearest course being an hour away. I watch alot of movies. Speaking of which, I watched Blazing Saddles today. I had never seen it before. That is probably one of the funniest movies I have ever seen. Stupidest, but funniest.

NPR has been great lately. I really love the pledge drives. This is what the woman said this morning, (and I'm paraphrasing) "How often do you hear someone say that they heard a great story on public radio? Without you're donations, those great, interesting stories won't be around." Are you kidding me? I like NPR, but I have to admit, it's rarely that interesting. I don't even know what it is that I like about it. Maybe it's the monotonous drone of the people or the sad wailing of the saxophone between stories. I just don't know.

Anyway, I'm ranting. George A. Romero's new zombie movie came out today on DVD. I'm really excited about it. I just haven't seen any really good movies in a while. Why don't they make good movies anymore. I don't even want to go to the theater anymore. What is happening to me. Maybe something good will come out closer to the end of the year. If anyone has seen anything good lately let me know. I'm going crazy here.

I heard Quentin has a new friend who is a girl. Or should I say GIRLFRIEND. OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! I want to meet her, see if she is good enough for him.

Happy Father's Day

First of all, I want to say how grateful I am to have such a wonderful father. And on that note, I heard that Michael Jackson was acquitted this week. Good for him. All I've heard this week is people complaining that he should have been convicted and this and that. Well, you know what, shut up already. I don't know what Michael Jackson does in his free time and neither do most people. Did he really molest all of those children? I don't know. If he did I think it's horrible and disgusting but I don't know. I'm not going to sit here and wish horrible things on a man just because he is the person the media decided to put a negative spin on the month. He might have done it. It seems unlikely that so many people have accused him just to take advantage of a strange person who the American public are already against. But from what little coverage I saw of the trial, (I tried not to watch any) it didn't seem like the prosecution had much hard evidence. And that is what you need in the country. The jury has to be convinced beyond a resonable doubt and i guess the prosecution just couldn't get the job done. So good for Michael Jackson, he beat the system, and everyone needs to get over it because that is how our system works. If you don't like it, take a bigger part in your government and try to change it. But don't sit around and complain because everyone hates a whiner. If he is guilty, he will be judged by a much higher government than the California legal system. And that's all I've got to say about that.

I saw Batman Begins this week. I know that a lot of you out there aren't excited about this movie because Joel Schumaker had ruined the good name of Batman for a lot of people. But let me put it to you this way: Christopher Nolan, director. One of the smartest up and coming directors. This man is spectacular with character development the likes we haven't seen since John Ford. Christian Bale as the title character. My personal favorite actor is the past few years (i mean that by who I am into now, not all time favorite who will always be Paul Newman). Tom Wilkinson, Ken Watanabe, and Liam Neeson as the villians. Michael Caine as Alfred. I'll say it again, Michael Caine as Alfred. Gary Oldman as Lt. Gordon.
I first learned who would be making this film about a year and a half ago, and as soon as I learned, I just knew that it would be fantastic. The writer is the guy who wrote the Blade movies, and I know that those movies are crap, but this is a guy who loves comic books and you can tell how hard he worked to get the movie right where all the others went wrong. It follows the comic beautifully of how Batman becomes Batman. I know it is a comic book movie, but it is the greatest comic book movie ever made. That is a fact. I know some of you will laugh when I say this, but this film deserves some Oscar nods. I don't think it will be nominated for picture because the snobs in the academy will only nominate dramas and movies with mentally retarded characters, but Bales deserves at least a nomination, as does special effects, sound, and cinematography. Go ahead and laugh that I'm talking about a comic book movie getting Oscar nominations, but when you see it, you'll understand.
A few months ago, Josh had a thing on his site where you could list your opinions on several different topics such as, Best Simpsons Episode, Best Adam Sandler Movie, and Best Ben Stiller movie. He had one titled Best Batman. I told everyone then that even though I hadn't seen it yet, I just knew that Christian Bale as Batman would be the best. Guess what? I was right.

Movie recommendation: Duh!!!
CD recommentation: "Get Behind Me Satan" by the White Stripes. They have taken their raw garage rock/blues sound and added a little country to it. It's mesmerizing. I guess that the work Jack White did with Loretta Lynn on her album (5 stars by Rolling Stone) last year has rubbed off on him.

10 THINGS TO DO IN ATHENS WHEN YOU'RE BORED

The answer is nothing. If you're married and don't drink, this town kind of sucks. This a town that bosts tee shirts which read, "Athens, A drinking town with a football problem." Don't even get me started on football season. I guess being from ACC country I just don't get the attraction to college football. But anyway, I've only got two more years. Then we're off to who knows where. At least it won't be Georgia. In other news, after almost three years of hard work with no recognition, I have decided to leave the giant corporation that is Lowes Home Improvement. I am moving on to a smaller operation called Dalton Carpet One. I'm very excited for a few reasons. First, it 9-6 Monday through Friday. Second, I'll be working in the warehouse so I won't have to deal with too many ignorant customers. Now that I will have the weekends off, hopefully my brothers can take time out of their busy schedules to come and visit.

My mother and law, Melinda, and her husband moved to Atlanta last summer so it's great that Vanessa has family near by. So for the next couple of weeks while the in-laws are gone somewhere, I don't know where, we get to keep one of her cats. That's right, I now have three cats in my apartment. It's not all bad though, the new cat won't come out from under the bed so I forget she's here most of the time.

I was reading in Newsweek the other day about the new pope, Benedict XVI. He seems like a pretty stand up guy except for one thing, Hitlers Youth. Now I'm sure that as a young teenager in Germany, it could be easy to get cought up in the politics of your homeland and doing what you think is right, but come on, Hitlers Youth.

I watched a movie the other night called The Motorcycle Diaries. It was a South American movie about some guy named Ernesto Guevera. So he and a friend take off on a trip around the continent on a motorcycle just to see the countries they have heard of but never seen. Along this journey, Ernesto and friend (I can't remember his name) see the troubles and segretation being brought upon the indeginous peoples. The movie did not go into his freedom fighting days and his work in Cuba and such, but it has a short epilogue which tells of his time in Cuba and it makes a point to say how he was assasinated in Bolivia with the help of the CIA. It was a very enlightening film, but I wonder just how bias it is being made is South America. Since it's really the first I've learned about Che, I just don't know. One sidenote though, the people is the movie were always drinking something called matte, at least I think that's how you spell it. I knew what it was because Quentin brought some back from Argentina.

Don't forget, Mother's Day is Sunday, May 8, and Quentin turns 24 on Thursday, May 5. If either one of you read this, I'm sorry, but your present is going to be late.

Movie Recommendation: The Last Waltz - Starring The Band. Their 1976 farewell concert filmed by Martin Scorcesse with interviews and tons of guests including: Neil Young, Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, Dr. John, Muddy Waters, and Joni Mitchell just to name a few. If you like rock and roll, you will love this.

New and Improved

So, here we are again. I thought I would take the summer off, and when I came back to my blog duties, I decided I needed a change. I was getting tired of the movie forum. Don't get me wrong, I will still be discussing my favorite obsession, but I just felt like I couldn't talk about anything else. I felt like it was a movie blog and I couldn't deviate from said course. So now I present to you Epileptic Monkeys. Those two words have made me laugh for so many years now. I can remember being a freshman in high school with my friends Jonathan Phillips and Andy Shinick talking about our band, The Epileptic Monkeys. To this day, Jon and I still talk about our band and this glorious title. And now that I am learning to play the guitar, I'm sure the dream will become a reality.

Well, lets catch up. In short, I turned 25, went to Canada for the fourth of July and Vanessa's grandmother's 80th birthday, spent a week in Marco Island, FL just before the onslaught of hurricanes, and had an operation because of a hernia. I just can't decide which part was the most fun. I got to see my niece a few months ago, that's always a delight. I finally got to meet the psycho cat named after one of the greatest video games of all time. And as for movies, I don't even want to think about how many I've seen in the past few months. Especially what with the hernia and having to lay around for a few weeks, I think I watched anything that came on HBO. Vanessa always makes fun of me, saying that I will watch anything, and it's true. I'll watch anything once. And once I've started it, I have the hardest time turning away from it until it's done. It doesn't matter how bad it is, I'll watch it. For example, I sat through What A Girl Wants a few weeks ago. This teenage comedy is about a young American girl who learns that her real father is an important barrister in London, and part of the Royal Family. So the girl goes to visit him, him not knowing anything about having a daughter, and she turns his high style fancy life upside down with her wild American ways. They of course get along great, everything is going good, then he turns on her because his political career is going down the drain, she goes back home to the good ole USofA, he follows, they make up, and then he rekindles his romace with her mother. Why did I just tell you all of this? To prove a point, I'll watch anything. It's really sad. And by the way, that movie is about the worst movie I've ever seen. Horrible acting (even from Colin Firth whose usually pretty good), horrible story, horrible ending.

On the other end of the spectrum is Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Probably the greatest movie of the year in my mind. Outstanding performances from a great cast which include: Jim Carey, Kate Winslet, Mark Ruffalo, Elijah Wood, and Kirsten Dunst. Short synopsis, the main character has a procedure done to erase all memories of a former love from his mind. Most of the movie takes place in his dreams starting with the most recent memories of her and going backward. In the most recent ones they fight alot and generally aren't happy with each other, hence the term, former love. But as the memories go back, he begins reliving the good times, and he realizes he doesn't want them gone, so he begins trying to hide in the deepest recesses of his brain to save the memories of her. The film is written by Charlie Kaufman who is the greatest screenplay genius in a long while. It's only his third film, and the other two, Being John Malchovich and Adaptation, are just as brilliant. What I love about him is his originality and his sheer imagination.

Thats all I've got for now. I'll try to keep the posts a little more current. My apologies to all my fans. Until next time, how 'bout them Sox.

Movie Recommendation: Second Hand Lions - starring two greats, Robert Duvall and Michael Caine. Oh yeah, and that annoying kid who sees dead people.