Happy 4th of July

I’m off to San Francisco for a week to see my favorite Aunt Tina and her family, who will be visiting my favorite Uncle Kevin. We’re going to Sonoma and then Yosemite. It will be fun. I

I hope you get to see lots of fireworks.

Filed under: Mi Familia

Evan Almighty [2007]

Needing a break from the craziness that is life right now Tina and I went to the movies. Not in the mood to sit through three hours of Pirates 3 we opted for Evan Almighty.

I was a little leery. Everything I’ve read says it sucks. However most people I’ve talked to that have seen it said it was a fun, light-hearted, family comedy. So we went.

Evan Baxter wins a seat in Congress as a NJ representative. He is quickly wooed by a senior senator who wants him to co-sponsor a land bill. However God [Morgan Freeman] has other plans for him. He wants him to build an ark. His family just wants him to just spend more time with them. Let the animal jokes begin.

Steve Carell is more sub-dued in this film, less 40-Year Old Virgin more Little Miss Sunshine in his performance. Lauren Graham plays the supportive wife very well. I wished she would’ve had more personality in the film, she could have contributed a lot more. But the story is about Evan and God. Will he obey? Is God really going to distroy the earth, again? Can there be more poop mentions?

One thing that was just sad was the CGI. It was awful. That part was laugh-out loud funny. They were fighting for their lives in the deck of the ark (why aren’t they inside) and its just laughable, the graphics look like cardboard cutouts they’re so bad.

Overall, the movie isn’t intentionally hilarious. Well, I’m sure my nephews would double over laughing, they’re 6 and 9. But it is a heart-warming film delivering a cute, family-friendly message.

Filed under: Pop Culture

Ocean’s 13 [2007]

Last Friday Debbie and I went to the Irvine Spectrum for dinner and a movie. Wanting someting light, airy and fairly easy to digest we opted for PF Changs and Ocean’s 13. My only hope and expectation of the movie was that it wouldn’t suck like Ocean’s 12. On that front it delivered.

In this third installment of Danny Ocean’s adventures we find our hunky thieves rallying to Reuben’s aid, who fell victim to the schemes of Willy Bank [Al Pacino] and lost all of his cash. It’s just business as usual for Bank who takes delight in being a ruthless casino owner and enjoys that he put Reuben in the hospital with a heart attack. So the gang reunites for revenge to bankrupt Bank just as his spectacular new casino opens. They plot earthquakes, riots, rigged games and even join forces with former enemy Terry Benedict [Andy Garcia] to bring Bank down.

We watch Ocean and his merry band of men foil their foe with ease and without breaking a sweat. The movie hums along with its usual brand of sophistication and humor. Of course you know they’ll crack the code, steal the money, get the girl and look good doing it. I think we all either want to be Danny Ocean or date him.

I didn’t feel like Willy Bank was all that interesting of a nemesis in this film. It seems like Al Pacino’s character was written for a 1930’s gangster film. He’s cliche and trite. All he needs is a big mustache to twirl and a cackle laugh. He is so self-absorbed he doesn’t believe that Ocean can do anything to him. I’m not an Al Pacino fan so his character just falls flat for me. He’s not as fun to hate as Benedict.

Interestingly in this movie there is no real love interest. Tess [Roberts] and Isabel [Zeta-Jones] are dismissed at the beginning of the film with one flippant remark from Ocean that “this was not their fight.” Ellen Barkin plays a throw away pawn as Bank’s right hand woman. She is briefly used by Linus [Damon] but doesn’t really provide the intrigue that Tess or Isabel did in Ocean’s 11 and 12. So this is all about the boys.

In the end, its a fun tale with a predictable story. But the intricacies of the plot are not the reason you go to this movie. A little eye candy always nice on a Friday night.

Filed under: Friendshipping, Pop Culture

Mikey’s Musings on Being 9

I got the chance to chat this morning with Mikey about how he views life so far as a 9 year old.

Me: So do you like being 9 so far.
Mikey: Yea, it’s good.
Me: What’s different about it?
Mikey: I get more respect
Me: Oh really, why’s that?
Mikey: Cause I’m more mature.

So there you have it miraculous maturity happening at 9. I wonder if guys go down hill again after 9?

Filed under: Mi Familia

Class of 1997

Someone casually asked me today when I graduated from college. As I said, 1997, it dawned on me, it’s been 10 years. Wow! That tidbit of news is making me feel very weird.

A lot has happened in the last 10 years. Here are some fast facts:

– My two favorite people on the planet were born, my nephews.
– I have had nine jobs. Of those only one REALLY sucked.
– Two serious boyfriends. 1 almost wedding. Four different cars.
– Dated a bunch of guys whose name start with J. I don’t plan it that way, odd.
– I have moved 11 times (one foreign country, two states).
– Lived with nine different roommates (four of whose names start with J). In my defense I live
with two of them now and with three right after college. I’m not as flaky as it seems.
– Got my master’s degree

Yet the most significant things have been those moments and people I never expected or could have imagined. Reconciling with my mom after years of living with tension. Finally letting go of years of past secrets, hurt and shame to begin to embrace a life of wholeness. All I can say, God is good.

Filed under: About Me, Spiritual Formation

Happy 9th Birthday Mikey

Today my beloved nephew Mikey turns 9. Wow!!

He is growing into his own personality, more sure of himself everyday. He is still quite the mama’s boy but is quick to reach out and explore. He loves to draw, write stories and research. He isn’t content just to hear something from other people he needs to investigate for himself. His is an expert on the internet. He is quite assertive with his opinion and convinced he’s always right. I mean he’s researched it after all.

When his parents asked him what he wanted for his birthday he went online and began his hunt. He narrowed it down to two choices – a cell phone and a PSP. My brother thinks he’s too young to have a cell phone so a PSP it is. He was thrilled and is always trying to master his new games. I am not even sure I know what a PSP is, I’m getting old. But I listen with rapt attention to him describe it in graphic detail. I know the next time I see him I will get a chance to play.

I love him more than I ever imagined possible. He is amazing and such a gift from God!

Filed under: Mi Familia

John Mayer Rocks, Literally

There is simply nothing better than a starless night in the Hollywood Hills listening to a fantastic musician like John Mayer with two good friends.

This is the second time I’ve seen him in concert and he never disappoints. Unfortunately his set went way too quickly. The really unfortunate thing is that the Rocco De Luca and Ben Folds sets didn’t go faster. There were not that great in person. I liked it better a couple of years ago when Maroon 5 opened for him, that was a concert.

The night was still great! It’s always so much fun to people watch in LA. I forget what a plastic bubble we live in down here in So. OC. There are some real characters in LA. It was nice to visit and nice to come home.

Filed under: Living in LA LA Land, Pop Culture

Follow Me

Hope is a very dangerous thing.

It causes you to dream. It makes you wonder. It fosters expectation. It sets you up for let down. Proverbs says that “Hope deferred makes the heart sick.” We can’t live with it or without it. So what do you do when faced with deflated hope? When something you hoped for doesn’t work out? Again.

As a single person I think we’re faced with this more often than most. I think the fact that we get hopeful every single time we go out with someone new shows that we’re the most resilient, optimistic people on the planet. While we may not delude ourselves to think that everyone is “the one” we don’t rule out the possibility and we hold out some sliver of hope that it might just not suck.

I started writing a completely different post on how to deal with disappointment and keep hope alive, but it wasn’t really flowing. Then clarity came to me in a staff meeting about our church’s history. I discovered that the real lesson of hope is found while waiting for God’s best. He is always faithful and his timing is always perfect.

Our church prayed for land to build a church for over 13 years. There were mishaps, sacrifices, disappointments, delays and false starts. The pastor’s wife spoke about how God had to calm her restless heart when she began to compare their situation to other churches that could buy acres and acres without environmental hassles, without the high price tag of Southern California land and much quicker than they were even able to find property to look at.

Sound familiar? Just like the relationship roller coaster of dating. We wait, hope, pray, go on blind dates, commiserate with our friends and we try again and again hoping one day we’ll meet the right person. For some of us we keep waiting. It’s easy to compare ourselves to friends who found the right one in their early 20s, those who date often, or those who already have kids. It doesn’t seem fair.

Just as he did with the Pastor’s wife, God spoke to me through John 21:22-24 when Jesus appears to the disciples after the resurrection. He asks Peter if he loves him three times and then foretells his death. Peter is more concerned about the other disciples and if Jesus has anything for them. Jesus replied: “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? As for you, follow me.”

That’s what Jesus said to my heart, follow me. In good job and bad job, in fruitful dating and lean dry spells, in loneliness and among friends, in contentment and jealousy, in hope and despair follow me. It’s a sobering thought. I compare my life to others all the time. I was just beginning to complain to God about how the rug always seems to be jerked out from underneath me and he cut me off at the pass.

Just as the perfect piece of property became available for my church in God’s perfect timing so will the person perfect for me show up. In the mean time he is working on my heart. So I need to be grateful, keep focused, surround myself with great friends and make time to be alone with God, so I can begin to hear his heartbeat and follow him.

Does it make it easier, not really. Does it make it fun, not always. But is Jesus enough? Can I follow him with my doubts, confusion, uncertainty and pension for taking the reigns? It is my prayer that I can surrender daily to do that.

Filed under: Single Serving, Spiritual Formation

Breaking Up is Hard to Do

Finding the love of your life is hard work. Regardless of what Neil Clark Warren says there are lots of frogs and frogettes in the world to wade through before you finally find “the one.” Even when you’re match on 8,000 points of compatability if the chemistry isn’t there it just doesn’t work. So it’s a miracle when you find a relationship that mostly works.

I also think one of the hardest things to do as a single person is to break up with someone. Not only is it the end of a relationship its the end of your hopes and dreams of what could be. I think being the dumper and dumpee is equally traumatic.

Now comes the practical, brass tacks aspect of the deed to be done: how do you break up with someone? I have not always handled this as well as I could have in the past. I will admit that, back in the day, I just stopped answering the calls and emails.
But I wonder is it ever ok to send a text message, IM or email? Does it depend on the nature of the interactions and length of the relationship. For longer relationships and marriage please don’t follow the celebrity trend of breaking up via IM or email.

I’m in a situation now where the relationship is over for me, but I don’t know how to break it to him. In my mind it should be obvious it isn’t working, but it will probably come out of the blue for him. But we’ve only gone out a couple of months, isn’t it okay to do it online?

I know the emotionally healthy way is to confront the situation head on and just say this isn’t working for me. But I hate confrontation. I hate hurting someone’s feelings. I want it to be a clean break and just overwith. Then again he might google me, find this blog, read this post and find out via the internet anyway. See I am still cheating and I never advocate posting on your blog before the deed in done. So I’m breaking my own rule. How old am I 32 or 23?

Our paths aren’t going to cross. We don’t have mutual friends. We don’t travel in the same circles. My hope is that he agrees and is relieved as I am that it’s over. We’ll see.

Filed under: Single Serving

My Top 50ish Movies

Tina and Lisa are listing their top 60 movies, of all time on their blogs and invited me to join in. How could I resist? A chance to list my favorite movies, I’m in.

Then I started to think about all the movies I really love and that have impacted me in some way or another by their humor, social conscience, story or characters and I found that I could only think of 50 that I would categorize as my top movies. It just gets trivial after that point for me.

So here are my top 50 movies in random order:

1. Philadelphia Story (the 1940 version not the 1952 musical)
2. Grease
3. The Red Violin
4. Crash
5. Memento
5. Singin’ in the Rain
6. When Harry Met Sally
7. Stranger Than Fiction
8. Pride and Prejudice – the BBC and Keira Knightley versions
9. 50 First Dates
10. The Break-Up
11. Billy Elliot
12. Little Miss Sunshine
13. Princess Bride
14. While You Were Sleeping
15. Forrest Gump
16. Shall We Dance
17. Good Will Hunting
18. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
19. To Kill a Mockingbird
20. My Fair Lady
21. Groundhog Day
22. Roman Holiday
23. Emma
24. I was a Male War Bride
25. Let’s Make Love
26. Wedding Date
27. Two for the Road
28. The Shawshank Redemption
29. Gigi
30. Pirates of the Carribean I
31. The Passion of the Christ
32. Four Weddings and a Funeral
33. Sense and Sensibility
34. Amelie
35. Presumed Innocent
36. Somewhere in Time
37. Wedding Singer
38. Amadeus
39. Steel Magnolias
40. The Color Purple
41. My Family
42. Real Women Have Curves
43. Finding Neverland
44. My Big Fat Greek Wedding
45. Sixteen Candles
46. Upside of Anger
47. Under the Tuscan Sun
48. Elizabethtown
49. The Cutting Edge
50. Before Sunrise
51. Fried Green Tomatoes

P.s. I just noticed that I have five listed twice but i’m not going to fix it instead I’m going to add one I forgot at 51

Filed under: Pop Culture