A Wedding to Remember Part VII: The Prequel

Or, why didn't I start with Part IV.

So, I just realized I hadn't covered how the love of my life and I had met. It occurred to me, out of the blue, when someone asked how we met. Ok, that's not quite out of the blue, more like out of the aqua marine, or out of the turquoise. The tale of my bride to be and I meeting goes way back.

Queue the wavy flash-backy lines.

It was back in late August, when my room mate was talking about how he was going to hang out with this girl. I, at the time was going through this rather vicious stretch of lonely. I hadn't had too much luck when it came to the feminine persuasion. So, there I was, playing video games, looking like a bum when this girl came into my house. She was beautiful to say the least, and introduced herself and sat down. Once I realized how beautiful my roommates friend was, I got a bit embarrassed over how bad I looked, and the fact I was just sitting there, playing video games.

So, we had dinner, and we talked. It seemed like everything we talked about, she was saying just the right things. I felt myself get excited every time she spoke. It was weird, she was fun to talk to and hang out with, yet she was gorgeous. Umm, universe, it isn't supposed to work that way. Women can't be cool and beautiful. How would we resist them, eh? When I thought it couldn't get any better, we fired up the old game console and played Mario Kart. Yeah, you heard that right, our first meeting and we played video games. She talked about how my ass would be red from the beating she was about to give me, and we sat down and played. She won a game or two, but I still left with my pride intact (the sign of a really smart woman).

I had to see her again, but it was a week or so before I was able to. I saw her for a brief moment before she went out with some friends to a baseball game. I wanted to go, but I knew, given the crowd, we wouldn't be able to talk, so, I waited. Fortunately, we started texting back and forth. We talked about simple things at first. Ya know, work, and movies, and stuff. But we texted a lot. It was amazing, because I was starting to think this incredible woman was actually into me.

Next, came our first planned outing together, commonly referred to as a date. Now, I had been on many first dates, and sadly, not quite as many second dates. So, you would think I would handle it like a pro, but you would be wrong. We were supposed to go to a baseball game, but it was sold out. So, we ended up going to dinner at a local Italian restaurant. Nothing fancy, but it was tasty. There, we talked about everything, like we were old friends. To my future wife's credit, she made me feel perfectly at ease. We then did the double-dip and went to a movie. It was a scary movie (yeah, it's stupidly cliche'd, I know) and had a great time. I didn't kiss her that night, even though I wanted to more than anything. It was a great first date.

And then came the e-mail.

After a few outings together, it was clear I had fallen for this woman. She really liked me too, which was a bit puzzling. Here is the gorgeous woman with absolutely no flaws, interested in me. She sent me an e-mail one morning, basically saying that she liked me more than just a friend. She talked about how she liked hanging out with me and then quoted Star Wars. I know! This girl would have to be mine! I responded immediately. I knew I should wait, and let myself calm down, but I didn't care. I was looking to adjust the "YES" font size bigger than 78, but it wasn't allowed. So, let's just say I let her know I wanted to be more than friends too. Life was good.

The board game of doom.

We hung out one time after this e-mail, and things were going along swimmingly. Things felt like I had known this girl for years, and not the weeks it actually was. She had blown me away, going to a movie screening with me, and it was time to chill out at my house, and meet my friends. Yeah, the friend meeting is a right of passage for any woman. My friends are easy to get along with, but it's still a requirement. So, a board game was the activity of the evening. It's simple, quaint, and fun, right? Wrong! My room mate, in an obvious attempt to snuff out any romance, brought out the game of doom, also known as Quelf. This game started off by her drawing a card that required her to kiss me (while a truly pleasant thought, an awkward moment to say the least) followed up by a card that made her put ice down her pants, and my friend make a pillow fort. I was forced to make up a song and dance and another friend was forced to hum music.

The most amazing part about all of that? She came back! That's what all of this taught me. Either it didn't bother her, or she cared enough about me that she would endure it, or both. Either way, I had someone obviously very special on my hands, and if I was smart, I wouldn't let her go.

After the game, she surprised me on my birthday with a great card, and a cake, and her and I would become inseparable in the coming weeks. We would do everything together, hanging out, going to dinner, or playing video games, it didn't matter, we were together, and looking down on cloud 9 and laughing.

Looking for the rest of the fun tales, or as I refer to them "The Chronicles of the Wedding to Remember: The Directors Cut?" Well, here you go:


Part 1: A Wedding to Remember


Part 2: Secret of the Booze


Part 3: Revenge of the Colors


Part 4: The Voyage Home (Suck it Star Trek)

Part 5: Show Me the Money

Part 6: Phases Take Manhatten

Doctor Who Web Series is all kinds of Win

I love Doctor Who. For those of you who don't know, Doctor Who is the longest running Sci-Fi show of all time. It is made by the BBC and has a wonderful history. It was rebooted back in 2005, and since, has seen one of my favorite shows on TV. The Doctor has regenerated for a third time, leaving actor Matt Smith at the controls of the TARDIS, and leaving me blown away.

So, after all that, we are waiting for April, until the show comes back. Fortunatley, show director Stephen Moffet wrote a small little web series, designed to hold us over, and raise money for a worth cause. It's a perfect, quick example of a Doctor Who episode, and totally worth your time. Check it out!!!

Movie Review - Paul - Starring Nick Frost & Simon Pegg

Movies like Hot Fuzz and Shaun of the Dead have been heralded as geek masterpieces and have found their way to be pop culture icons in themselves. So, naturally, when a new project of Simon Pegg and Nick Frost hits theaters, it's going to cause some excitement. But, is the latest worthy of comparison to their previous movies? Sure, why not.

Paul is a movie about two nerds (Pegg and Frost) straight out of Comic-Con. They encounter a fowl-mouthed alien and attempt to help him get home, resulting in a cross-country trip, dodging and evading federal agents who want their alien back.

It's a pretty straight-forward description, isn't it? That is because the movie is very basic. The storyline uses basically an E.T. type format and modernizes it, adding two love able characters in place of the annoying little kid. The film even jokes about E.T. in several spots that are hilarious.

The execution on this film more than makes up for the simplistic script. Pegg and Frost are perfect, as always in this film. They both have a child-like wonderment upon seeing Paul for the first time, and the trip, and the characters themselves seem very authentic. It looks like all the actors were having a great time filming this movie, and seeing that just puts a smile on your face you won't be able to remove throughout the film.

This film is for movie geeks. I don't think it ruins the experience if you're not, but you will miss the many, many movie references littered throughout. I loved the Star Trek fight scene with the Gorn they reenacted, or how Paul asks for Reeses Pieces, or the brilliantly timed line from the bad guys lips towards the end, and especially the comic-con experience they showed at the beginning, which looked very authentic.

The movie was a little weird for me, in that except for the over-the-top fowl language, it was pretty much a family movie. The characters were sweet, and cute, and fun, and the language and a scene involving drug use is what pushed this to the R-rating, and it wasn't really necessary. Sure, it added some funny gags, but it could've been toned down to a PG-13 rating and lost maybe one joke, in a movie full of them.

Overall, it was a fun movie to watch. It won't be knocking off Shaun of the Dead as the top movie for Simon Pegg, but it does add to a widening collection of great movies churned out by the actor. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a simple, fun movie to go see, and it goes double if you're in to movies.

Is learning to be a Jedi really a good idea?

Before you say anything, the answer is a resounding "YES!" Of course it's a good idea. What kind of stupid question was that? Who doesn't want to be a Jedi? Well, like some kind of geek heaven that just appeared, /Film is talking about a school down in Chile for Jedi's. You heard it, a Jedi Academy. They have kids from 6 to 12, and they're about to get a late 20's addition as well, if they ever pick up their phone! Anyway, is this too much?

While I really want to be a Jedi, there is a small part of my brain that is saying "ok, really? Is this smart parenting?" I have this fear that this academy, while providing real world knowledge of meditation and martial arts just enhances peoples inability to determine reality and fiction. After going to this academy, you may actually start to think you're a Jedi. Especially if your 6! (Yoda at least won't see you're too old to train). Is that really bad?

Alright, so if you look a bit deeper into a Jedi religion, you see that it's a fairly positive religion, with a crazy amount of followers. There is no singular God, just a believe in midichlorions, or some sort of being that lives in all cells. It's a belief in being neutral and passive, so you can be one with the universe (similar to that of Budha's Nirvana). It also states that you can't become attached to anything, and have no emotional attachments, from people to objects. Is this an interesting idea? Sure, in a movie, but real world applications are a tough sell. No love, no house, you can't own anything. It does seem less complicated, but it's tough to truly achieve.

So, what do you think? Good idea, or teaching kids a bad lesson? I still don't know when you get a lightsaber. That's all I care about!

Movie Review - Buried - 2010 - Starring Ryan Reynolds

There is only one star in Buried, and that's Ryan Reynolds. Not because everyone else is new to acting, it's because there is no one else. There aren't any beautiful backdrops or extras or CGI, there is simply Ryan Reynolds in a box. For an hour and a half. Such a gimmick can't work, and even if it could, Reynolds couldn't hold a film, right? Maybe not.

Buried starts off with about a minute and a half of total darkness. We hear Reynolds character wake up, as he shares the horrifying realization he has been buried alive. The audience instantly feels the horror as the camera is right there with him as he goes through different stages of paranoia. He eventually finds a cell phone, and a lighter, and with those few things, must try to get out before his air runs out, or worse.

The movie is really hard on the nerves from the very beginning. The camera never leaves the box, which gives us a very real experience of claustrophobia. If you have a problem with enclosed spaces, you will hate this movie. I found myself unnerved and I am not even bothered by such things. Every once in awhile, the camera likes to do something tricky and try to show off his emotion, which was inventive, but I preferred it just staying on the star.

The cell phone is an absolutely brilliant device in this film. It's the only contact with the outside world, and it enhances the frustration beyond all reason. Besides hearing a voice on the other side of the phone, you experience frustration as Reynolds character tries to get a hold of someone who can help him. 911 offers no help, as does a family member, an annoying voicemail, and more. All the while, it made me want to scream, just like the character in the film. By the end, I was gritting my teeth, and on the edge of the couch the whole time. I was breathing hard, and wanting to get out of the room I was in, and at the end, I was exhausted.

Holding a movie on your own is tough. Few actors can headline a movie with a couple of supporting actors, and even fewer can handle a movie all on their own. Will Smith in I am Legend and Tom Hanks in Castaway come to mind. Reynolds deserves to be on that short list. He went through the gauntlet of emotions, and was being filmed in a box. He put himself into this character and it truly showed, giving the audience a very real experience.

I loved this movie, but as I said, it will leave you claustrophobic, and rather upset someone could get buried, like our beloved character. It was a nerve-wracking movie to say the least, with an ending that left my jaw on the floor, and my hands shaking. I really recommend this movie, but it may be better to watch it with someone. And maybe with some alcohol. And a dog.

A Wedding to Remember Part VI: Phases Take Manhatten

The Honeymoon Phase, The First Act, the cute Phase, there are so many different terms for that cute, flirty time in a relationship when you're nervous, and trying to figure a person out. In this phase, the person could tell you they've killed more men than Cecil B. Demill, and it wouldn't matter. No flaws are visible at this time, and this phase is responsible for more illnesses in others than even the pig flu. It's a great time, but why is it that when you exit phase one, and head to phase two, that the cute names, and the perception of fun end? Poor phase two! It didn't do anything to you!

My amazing fiance actually wrote a blog about when you know when the honeymoon phase is over. But, after phase one is over, and it's agreed upon that you are entering phase two, and possibly flirting with the nigh-unobtainable phase 3, I'm wondering why more people don't have cute names for it. Ya know? This should be the fun phase! Maybe that's what I'll call it.

We were talking the other day, and we both love the fact we haven't lost the fun and excitement and cutesy-ness of the honeymoon phase as we transitioned into the fun phase. But I was told the fun phase is harder, because that new-ness isn't there anymore, and some of the cute-ness is dropped, as you get more comfortable with each other, consider and look at phase 3 (it apparently doesn't have any nicknames). They said most couples throw in the towel in phase 2, because you're in the process of being together, and merging souls. Or at least bank accounts.

It left me wondering what, exactly was so hard about the fun phase. I would say, I am pretty well in the fun phase. My better half has moved in, we've gotten engaged, and combined bank accounts. The moment I truly knew there was no question we were in the fun phase, however, came one day when she was folding my unmentionables. I didn't even know the laws of physics would allow you to achieve such a feat, and as I sat and contemplated this universal change, I realized we were clearly in the fun phase. Any woman that folds unmentionables for me is way past any type of honeymoon. However, I realized this fun phase is the best part so far! Shut up! It isn't because she folds my laundry, it's because I now know this truly magnificent woman and get to spend my time with her. I'm not scared on looking stupid anymore, I'm not scared she will find out some dirty secret, I just get to enjoy her company. Besides, after living together, most dark, dirty secrets come out.

In the fun phase, you learn way more about a person. You learn all the little things you try to hide in the honeymoon phases, and you learn all the little things about a person that makes them unique, and the love of your life. I hate it when people say you learn someones flaws. That's so stupid. I think that's something I brought over, carry-on style from the honeymoon phase. I refuse to acknowledge flaws. I think you accept the whole person, and for me, when I decided on doing that, the flaws just became part of the woman I love. So, I recognize things that make her the love of my life, and someone who is unique, not a list of flaws.

I love getting to go places and do things with your significant other that are uncomfortable in the honeymoon phase, like spending weekends in hotels, or even just relaxing over at a family members house. All are more relaxed and entertaining when you know she's comfortable there, and you're not worried that she secretly hates your family and just want to get out of there. By this time, you've talked about things you like and dislike with your partner, and so you know, without a doubt, you both are having a great time. The fun phase allows you to leave the worrying and doubt behind, and just enjoy the time you have.

Two nights ago, the amazingness of phase two hit me. I was cooking her dinner, trying to do half as good a meal as she so frequently makes for me. My gorgeous fiance was helping me cook bacon as I got different components together, and as we prepared to sit down to a movie and dinner. As we were getting things ready, she extended a friendly touch, as we expertly navigated through our home, tasked with only trying to make each other happy and not burning the bacon. I stopped, as the realization that this was the life I was in hit me. I smiled, and kissed my beautiful fiance and said that this moment was what I had dreamt about, and without me knowing it, it had happened, and we were together. That's what phase two is about.

So, I have honestly no idea what phase 3 is about. I guess it starts with "I do" and continues on from there. I hope to take some things from phases one and two, though. I want to take the excitement from phase one. I want to be able to continue getting nervous and anxious right before she walks through the door, or when I kiss her. I want to take the ability to relax, and be myself, and enjoy my beautiful love from phase 2, along with the notion that are lives have combined into something incredible and very special, and whatever phase 3 is, if I have those components, I say "bring it on."

Looking for the rest of the fun tales, or as I refer to them "The Chronicles of the Wedding to Remember: The Directors Cut?" Well, here you go:


Part 1: A Wedding to Remember


Part 2: Secret of the Booze


Part 3: Revenge of the Colors


Part 4: The Voyage Home (Suck it Star Trek)

Part 5: Show Me the Money

What do you do? How do you take the journey of 1000 miles?

"A Journey of 1,000 miles starts with one step". I think Buddha said that, or maybe Lawrence Fishburne, or maybe I just saw it on a fortune cookie. Either way, it's great advice, especially when you're starting a blog, or a book, or any other writing adventure. But, the first step is a tough one. How do you start off?

Some of my blogs can be easy. They just flow, from beginning to end. I could close my eyes and open them up five minutes later, and viola, a blog! The quality is debate able, but it's there for better or worse. Sometimes, however, that first sentence kills me. I simply can't get through it. Usually the worst is when I have a big project to start. For instance, I have a screen play to start, and a book to work on. Knowing the colossal undertaking I plan, it turns that small ant hill of a first sentence into a giant mountain.

So, what are some techniques you use to get that first step done? I used to type up five or six openings and just move on, returning to decide which one later. I also will just type something stupid, just to get into my thought, and once I have something, go back and properly introduce it. It doesn't work with big projects, though. So, where does your start come from?

I've tried everything for this book I'm starting. Nothing seems to work, and without a good opening, I can't seem to get my thought process in gear. As a famous director said, it's like building a house, if you don't have a good foundation, then you're screwed. He also said something about windows, too, but I wasn't paying attention.

So, give me your thoughts! Your tips! Your discussion!

A Wedding to Remember Part V: Show me the Money

So, my fiance and I are doing great. We got her stuff moved into our new home, and we got everything cleaned. We even combined closets to make things more "us" as opposed to her and I. Things were going so smoothly. We were even rocking on the wedding planning. She found a dress, and while I haven't seen it, I can only imagine it's Heaven in a dry-cleaning bag. So, the next fun thing we get to do is work on our money. Yep, it's the old case of man vs. Benjamin. I wasn't looking forward to the issue, but I figured "how bad could it be?"

Let me start off by saying my fiance is nothing but brilliant, and she isn't one of those women you have to hide money around. She's smart about her dinero. I'm no slouch, either, but it's mainly because after I pay my bills, I have just enough for a pack of skittles. But that's my money. I've never been responsible for someone else's money. What if I screw up? What if I think we need something, and she doesn't agree? Oh God, what is she sees the 57 McDonalds charges from last month? It can be a stressful time. (Yeah, I'm worried about McDonalds charges, not porn, or strip clubs, but Big Mac bills. Whatever. Shut up!)

So, I wanted to combine checking accounts. It just seemed easier for paying bills and such. My fiance was nervous about doing it, because it requires more trust and communication, and it's nerve-wracking dealing with someone else's money, but I told her it's "our money" now, anyway. Besides, I promised her there weren't too many DVD's I had to buy coming out this year so far, so we are good. She said she would cut back on the shoe shopping, and life would be merry.

My attempts at checking unification weren't helped by the fact many people had told us to keep things separate, that having our own money, never meeting is safer, and less drama. While I agree with that, I refuse to even think about the idea that she could be broke, while I could have plenty of money, or, more than likely, the other way around. Besides, it doesn't feel right. We both had said, she's not a roommate, or just a friend. She's my future wife. Our lives are shared, our money should be too.

The day came. We met up at the bank, both nervous, wondering if we were sealing our financial doom. She would see my McDonalds spending spree, and the time I spent $60 at Movie Stop, and she would see that I am a ridiculously poor man. All my secrets would be laid on the table. As we walked into the bank, my palms started sweating, my stomach started to tie itself up, and some customer service lady offered to help. It was all like a John Woo movie.

We had set things into motion. Our money, or lack thereof, was now in each others hands. It doesn't matter how much was there. It's the fact that it was one less thing that was mine or hers, and it joined the lengthening list of things that are ours. She had already become a part of me, and I felt like we were already inseparable, this just made it financially official.

The down side is that we both realized how poor we both are. Sure we get by, and sure the bills will get paid, but nothing says "rough times ahead" like a double-digit bank statement, and it showed that the journey we were on wouldn't be completely smooth, but we both agreed being together is way more important than being rich, so we were OK. We had each other, that's all that mattered. I still wouldn't mind if she won the lottery, though. I'm just saying.

It may seem like a trivial thing, but not to me. The ring, and the house were all huge things, and this is just a matter of paperwork, but it's still putting my money in our hands, along with her money. It's a scary thing because there is just so much more to mess up now. But, as we await our debit cards, we discuss dinner plans, and what to buy for grocery shopping, I look at her and know, without a doubt, things will be fine. That being said, we don't seem to pass by as many McDonalds's as we used to. Weird.

Looking for the rest of the fun tales, or as I refer to them "The Chronicles of the Wedding to Remember: The Directors Cut" Well, here you go:

Part 1: A Wedding to Remember

Part 2: Secret of the Booze

Part 3: Revenge of the Colors

Part 4: The Voyage Home (Suck it Star Trek)