I saw this movie yesterday. I know... I know... it's been out for a while. However, I figured I'd avoid the crowds. Not a chance - I still had to sit on the top row! However, it was well worth it.
If you're going to see this movie, know this: It's VERY good. The acting is top-notch, and the writing is even better. While I'm always a little leery of people who portray "Texans," I did think that Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts were a little "over the top" with their accents.
If you don't know the story, you'll definitely leave with a great appreciation of what was done to stop the Soviets in Afghanistan. I remember Charles Wilson during his reign as a congressman from Lufkin. However, I didn't know how much he really accomplished until after seeing this movie.
Tom Hanks did a fantastic job portraying him. This is the 2nd "real lifer" that I can think of that Tom Hanks has portrayed - the first being Astronaut Jim Lovell in Apollo 13. He showed depth to Wilson, which I don't think many people thought he had if they had known him. His passion and devotion to helping the Afghans was incredible.
Roberts and Philip Seymour Hoffman did a good job, too. Roberts did a good job showing what a Houston socialite looks like (at least in my eyes), and Hoffman was hilarious as a gruff CIA anaylst.
For those who may be a bit on the conservative side, just know that there is quite a bit of language in this movie... Oh, and the opening scene is an eye-opener. Ha!
Overall, it was a really good movie. I'd probably give it 4 stars out of 5. Now, if you're wanting to see one that is better in my eyes in theaters, go see Juno! That one is excellent!
Sunday, January 20, 2008
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Gardening: Let's create some free mulch!!!
There is a show on HGTV called "Gardening By The Yard." Basically, it's a guy who shows you projects that he works on throughout the year in his yard. He also has guests on to discuss easy things each of us can do to make our yards shine year-round.
One thing that I've always been a big fan of is composting. I have a compost bin on the side of my house that stores "green" waste. This includes things like leaves, kitchen scraps (vegetables, coffee grounds, etc.), ashes from my fireplace, soil from unused pots, wood chips, and even manure. Yes... manure. Ha!
I use my compost throughout the year. It goes into my garden, my flower beds, and even pots outside the house (because of the manure!). Giving back instead of throwing away is the mark of a green thumb! It's pretty easy to start one up... I'll probably write a topic about that in the near future.
Back to the show: One of his topics was how to create some mulch without a lot of work. The goal is to make it now so it'll be ready in the spring. Here's what he said...
Ever walked through a forest and seen how rich the soil is? Ever notice what is on the ground during the fall and winter? Leaves! Leaves are nature's "natural" mulch. When a tree drops its leaves, the leaves fall to the ground and begin to decompose. Most of this decomposition is due to the wetness of the leaves and the mold that breaks it down. The leaves will enrich the soil and provide nourishment for the trees, as well as to seal in the moisture in the ground.
He recommended an easy project that could help in the spring. First, take a garbage bag and gather up a bunch of leaves from your yard. Stuff that bag as full as you can make it. I actually gathered enough for 3 bags. Next, seal up the bags and punch a bunch of holes in each of the bags. This will allow oxygen and water to enter/exit. Finally, spray water on the bags. I stuck the hose in one of the holes, too, to put more water in each bag. When finished, just place the bags outside so they'll capture water when it rains. I placed mine on the side of my house near my greenhouse.
The goal is for the next 3 months, the leaves will break down and you can add the decayed remains to your flower beds/garden. One thing of note: If you live in a particular cold part of the country, he recommends covering up your trash bags with leaves or placing it under a bush so the freeze doesn't kill the microbes that are destroying the leaves.
Well, good luck and happy mulching!
One thing that I've always been a big fan of is composting. I have a compost bin on the side of my house that stores "green" waste. This includes things like leaves, kitchen scraps (vegetables, coffee grounds, etc.), ashes from my fireplace, soil from unused pots, wood chips, and even manure. Yes... manure. Ha!
I use my compost throughout the year. It goes into my garden, my flower beds, and even pots outside the house (because of the manure!). Giving back instead of throwing away is the mark of a green thumb! It's pretty easy to start one up... I'll probably write a topic about that in the near future.
Back to the show: One of his topics was how to create some mulch without a lot of work. The goal is to make it now so it'll be ready in the spring. Here's what he said...
Ever walked through a forest and seen how rich the soil is? Ever notice what is on the ground during the fall and winter? Leaves! Leaves are nature's "natural" mulch. When a tree drops its leaves, the leaves fall to the ground and begin to decompose. Most of this decomposition is due to the wetness of the leaves and the mold that breaks it down. The leaves will enrich the soil and provide nourishment for the trees, as well as to seal in the moisture in the ground.
He recommended an easy project that could help in the spring. First, take a garbage bag and gather up a bunch of leaves from your yard. Stuff that bag as full as you can make it. I actually gathered enough for 3 bags. Next, seal up the bags and punch a bunch of holes in each of the bags. This will allow oxygen and water to enter/exit. Finally, spray water on the bags. I stuck the hose in one of the holes, too, to put more water in each bag. When finished, just place the bags outside so they'll capture water when it rains. I placed mine on the side of my house near my greenhouse.
The goal is for the next 3 months, the leaves will break down and you can add the decayed remains to your flower beds/garden. One thing of note: If you live in a particular cold part of the country, he recommends covering up your trash bags with leaves or placing it under a bush so the freeze doesn't kill the microbes that are destroying the leaves.
Well, good luck and happy mulching!
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Ch-Ch-Changes...
Now that my focus is not on running, I'm going to change this blog up a bit. I have been wondering how much interest there is in my blog now that people aren't following my daily running routines. One major question is this: should I keep this thing going?
This past week, a friend of mine (Mike) started a blog. His mission: To write about the technology that impacts everyone. Specifically, he wanted to answer questions from people who had general "tech" questions. So far, someone has written him asking about their iPhone. Another curious lad (ahem) has asked about HDTV. Check out his blog:
www.techinlaw.com
Well, I guess it hit me. If people ask Mike a lot of tech questions, why not talk about a few things that I know or am learning about? Right now I'm learning a lot about HDTV and reading up on what might be best for me. Why not share that? A lot of people ask me questions thoughout the year regarding general yardwork or gardening... why not talk about that? Movies... heck, I see quite a few and I've always got an opinion. Sports... cooking (yes... I'm serious... I'm a pretty serious cook!)... maybe even some cool places to take a visitor here in Dallas. I've traveled quite a bit, too. I could even recommend some cities.
Where do you play in this? Send me questions or ideas. Help keep my list growing... I'm sure I'll need more topics!
Thanks for reading this, and I hope we can grow together!
This past week, a friend of mine (Mike) started a blog. His mission: To write about the technology that impacts everyone. Specifically, he wanted to answer questions from people who had general "tech" questions. So far, someone has written him asking about their iPhone. Another curious lad (ahem) has asked about HDTV. Check out his blog:
www.techinlaw.com
Well, I guess it hit me. If people ask Mike a lot of tech questions, why not talk about a few things that I know or am learning about? Right now I'm learning a lot about HDTV and reading up on what might be best for me. Why not share that? A lot of people ask me questions thoughout the year regarding general yardwork or gardening... why not talk about that? Movies... heck, I see quite a few and I've always got an opinion. Sports... cooking (yes... I'm serious... I'm a pretty serious cook!)... maybe even some cool places to take a visitor here in Dallas. I've traveled quite a bit, too. I could even recommend some cities.
Where do you play in this? Send me questions or ideas. Help keep my list growing... I'm sure I'll need more topics!
Thanks for reading this, and I hope we can grow together!
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Talk about BAD LUCK...
A few weeks ago, I was speaking with my cousin Joey regarding his string of bad luck with automobiles in 2007. I did a little research, and found the actual story (including pictures). I'll link it here so you can read it and see the pictures...
Story
Now, if that's not shocking, there's more...
Two weeks after that crash, he and his wife took the insurance money and bought her a brand new car. He lives in an area of Norman where a lot of college kids are starting to rent houses. Across from him is one of those houses. After purchasing the car, he was sitting in his hot tub that night when he heard one of those Ninja motorcycles going up and down the street. His neighbors were having a party. Before he could call the police, they had moved it inside so he let it be...
Around 1 AM he heard that Ninja going up and down the street again. He called the cops and told them to shut the party down. Well, a few minutes later he heard that Ninja "skipping." The driver had lost control, and then it smashed into the back of his wife's new car. It nearly killed the driver. An ambulance was called, and then the entire party came outside to see what was going on.
If that wasn't bad enough, it gets worse. While the paramedics were working on the kid, a car decided to go around the baracades. In so doing, the driver almost hit the crew working on the kid... not to mention the kid. When the police tried to stop the driver, he pulled out a knife... which caused them to draw their guns on him!
After a few minutes, they were able to get him out of the car. Turns out the guy was higher than a kite, and they discovered he was driving a mobile meth lab! So now they had another crime scene to block off... and they had to bring in the HazMat Team!
Well, Joey told me that every story has a silver lining...
A few months later, he knew he had to buy a new car for his stepdaughter. She's a senior at Southeastern Oklahoma in Durant. He said she's smart as a whip, but a terrible driver. He thought about how the driver that crashed into his house walked away from the wreck. Therefore, he bought her a Honda Civic.
Not long after she had the car, she was coming home from college when a truck ran her off the road. She slammed into a highway bridge going 70 MPH! Guess what? She walked away... he said had she been driving her other car, she wouldn't be here today.
What a year... let's hope Joey and his family have better luck in 2008!
Story
Now, if that's not shocking, there's more...
Two weeks after that crash, he and his wife took the insurance money and bought her a brand new car. He lives in an area of Norman where a lot of college kids are starting to rent houses. Across from him is one of those houses. After purchasing the car, he was sitting in his hot tub that night when he heard one of those Ninja motorcycles going up and down the street. His neighbors were having a party. Before he could call the police, they had moved it inside so he let it be...
Around 1 AM he heard that Ninja going up and down the street again. He called the cops and told them to shut the party down. Well, a few minutes later he heard that Ninja "skipping." The driver had lost control, and then it smashed into the back of his wife's new car. It nearly killed the driver. An ambulance was called, and then the entire party came outside to see what was going on.
If that wasn't bad enough, it gets worse. While the paramedics were working on the kid, a car decided to go around the baracades. In so doing, the driver almost hit the crew working on the kid... not to mention the kid. When the police tried to stop the driver, he pulled out a knife... which caused them to draw their guns on him!
After a few minutes, they were able to get him out of the car. Turns out the guy was higher than a kite, and they discovered he was driving a mobile meth lab! So now they had another crime scene to block off... and they had to bring in the HazMat Team!
Well, Joey told me that every story has a silver lining...
A few months later, he knew he had to buy a new car for his stepdaughter. She's a senior at Southeastern Oklahoma in Durant. He said she's smart as a whip, but a terrible driver. He thought about how the driver that crashed into his house walked away from the wreck. Therefore, he bought her a Honda Civic.
Not long after she had the car, she was coming home from college when a truck ran her off the road. She slammed into a highway bridge going 70 MPH! Guess what? She walked away... he said had she been driving her other car, she wouldn't be here today.
What a year... let's hope Joey and his family have better luck in 2008!
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
New Year... New Possibilities???
Well, here I am... on the back end of my vacation. Yep... today is the last day of my holiday vacation. I'm going back to work tomorrow. "OH THE HUMANITY!!!"
Overall, it's been a good holiday. I've been off since December 21. I've never taken that much time off, but it's been awesome! For one, I've enjoyed the extra sleep! Christmas was great, too. Spending time with my family and friends was special. I received some nice gifts, and hopefully everyone enjoyed the ones I gave.
As you can see in the previous blog, my cousin Angie passed away on December 24. It was really sad, but she had been in the hospital for a lengthy illness. But through her funeral I was able to reconnect with family members I haven't seen in a long time. We're hoping to all get together again this summer.
New Year's was spent in Stillwater, OK. Chandra and I went up there to visit our friend Laura. I think Laura believes she "bored us" or something, but it was really great. We didn't do a lot and ended up watching the ball drop in the comfort of her living room. I had a ball... literally... she has a dog named Pete that LOVES to play fetch. So whenever he got the chance, he'd bring me his ball (or jump on me to go get a ball) and we'd throw over and over and over. Ha!
So as this new year begins, I'm left with this: What are my resolutions? Last year, as everyone knows, I made a bold statement: 2007 is the year of running! I was VERY careful not to make any such such declarations this year. Chandra wants to run a half marathon again... so that might be manageable.
Well, the one thing that has been eating at me is this: I want to write a book. I've been told by numerous people throughout my life "you're such a good writer." I appreciate that compliment. However, it has always made me wonder: Could I write a book? I'm a big believer in that whatever you put your mind to, you can accomplish anything. So, that's what I want to put my mind to this year. I have an idea on a story... actually, I have several ideas on stories. I just need to organize "the one" and get busy.
Back to the running... I think my goal will be to be "fit." I'd like to continue to utilize my gym and be in a condition to run a half marathon, whenever and wherever that may occur. But again, it will take some dedication and commitment.
So there you go... a few of my goals and a mini-recap of my vacation. I'd be interested to hear some of your goals... maybe we can inspire each other!
Overall, it's been a good holiday. I've been off since December 21. I've never taken that much time off, but it's been awesome! For one, I've enjoyed the extra sleep! Christmas was great, too. Spending time with my family and friends was special. I received some nice gifts, and hopefully everyone enjoyed the ones I gave.
As you can see in the previous blog, my cousin Angie passed away on December 24. It was really sad, but she had been in the hospital for a lengthy illness. But through her funeral I was able to reconnect with family members I haven't seen in a long time. We're hoping to all get together again this summer.
New Year's was spent in Stillwater, OK. Chandra and I went up there to visit our friend Laura. I think Laura believes she "bored us" or something, but it was really great. We didn't do a lot and ended up watching the ball drop in the comfort of her living room. I had a ball... literally... she has a dog named Pete that LOVES to play fetch. So whenever he got the chance, he'd bring me his ball (or jump on me to go get a ball) and we'd throw over and over and over. Ha!
So as this new year begins, I'm left with this: What are my resolutions? Last year, as everyone knows, I made a bold statement: 2007 is the year of running! I was VERY careful not to make any such such declarations this year. Chandra wants to run a half marathon again... so that might be manageable.
Well, the one thing that has been eating at me is this: I want to write a book. I've been told by numerous people throughout my life "you're such a good writer." I appreciate that compliment. However, it has always made me wonder: Could I write a book? I'm a big believer in that whatever you put your mind to, you can accomplish anything. So, that's what I want to put my mind to this year. I have an idea on a story... actually, I have several ideas on stories. I just need to organize "the one" and get busy.
Back to the running... I think my goal will be to be "fit." I'd like to continue to utilize my gym and be in a condition to run a half marathon, whenever and wherever that may occur. But again, it will take some dedication and commitment.
So there you go... a few of my goals and a mini-recap of my vacation. I'd be interested to hear some of your goals... maybe we can inspire each other!
Thursday, December 27, 2007
My Cousin Angie...
Angelia G. BakerBAKER, ANGELIA G., Born September 16, 1962 and passed away surrounded by loving family on December 24, 2007. Angie was a gentle, caring soul with the ability to show love and compassion to all she encountered. She was a woman who greatly treasured the simple things in life such as a good book, music, a home cooked meal, trips to the beach and spending time with family and friends. Angie was also a passionate animal lover who never met a four- legged critter, big or small, that she did not immediately want to adopt. The word "stray" was not in her vocabulary She is survived by her husband and soul mate, Jeff Baker of Plano, mother; Mary Gagliardo of Garland, father; Wayne Dunn of Mesquite, sister, Lorrie Followwell of Sachse, stepfather Ed Gagliardo of Garland and stepmother, Alice Dunn of Mesquite as well as innumerable extended family and friends. Angie positively affected many lives in her time with us and will be greatly missed by her husband, family and friends. Visitation will be held from 7 p.m. to 9p.m. on Thursday, December 27, 2007. Services are scheduled for 1 p.m. on Friday, December 28, 2007, under the direction of Ted Dickey Funeral Home in Plano, 2128 18thSt. Dignity Memorial Ted Dickey 2128 18th Plano (972) 424-4511
Friday, December 21, 2007
And a Merry Christmas to all...
Ok, if you haven't noticed, I've been very much the "slacker" when it comes to updating my blog. It was much easier when I felt that I had something to talk about: Running! Even though I was running constantly, I still found the time to update this thing.
But after the running (yes, sad to say, I haven't run in over two months) you'd think I'd have more time. I guess that time is now "lazy time." It sure is nice to come home and not feel the pressure to go crank out 8-10 miles. Instead, well... I relax. I take it easy. All the while catching up on my TV shows. But now that the Writer's Strike is continuing on, I'm running out of new shows to watch. There are WAY too many Reality Shows on the air these days... so with that, I'm sure I'll be looking for something else to occupy this space.
Running? Hmm... probably not. I'll leave my 2008 resolutions to a future blog. I've been watching a lot of movies in the evenings, as well as Christmas shopping. By the way, I figured I'd take this time to list my top 5 Christmas movies that are "must sees" for me each year:
5. Love Actually (good soundtrack and message)
4. Scrooged (Has a great ending)
3. Miracle on 34th Street (Both old and new versions)
2. Christmas Vacation (I've seen this at least 20 times and it still cracks me up!)
1. It's a Wonderful Life (I really identify with George Bailey...)
So Merry Christmas to everyone! I hope you all have great memories spending time with the people you love!
But after the running (yes, sad to say, I haven't run in over two months) you'd think I'd have more time. I guess that time is now "lazy time." It sure is nice to come home and not feel the pressure to go crank out 8-10 miles. Instead, well... I relax. I take it easy. All the while catching up on my TV shows. But now that the Writer's Strike is continuing on, I'm running out of new shows to watch. There are WAY too many Reality Shows on the air these days... so with that, I'm sure I'll be looking for something else to occupy this space.
Running? Hmm... probably not. I'll leave my 2008 resolutions to a future blog. I've been watching a lot of movies in the evenings, as well as Christmas shopping. By the way, I figured I'd take this time to list my top 5 Christmas movies that are "must sees" for me each year:
5. Love Actually (good soundtrack and message)
4. Scrooged (Has a great ending)
3. Miracle on 34th Street (Both old and new versions)
2. Christmas Vacation (I've seen this at least 20 times and it still cracks me up!)
1. It's a Wonderful Life (I really identify with George Bailey...)
So Merry Christmas to everyone! I hope you all have great memories spending time with the people you love!
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