- My brother-in-law got Loren and I an iPod touch for Christmas (primarily to use as a simple way to video chat with him Colorado) but I downloaded Tetris for it. I have since become clinically addicted to Tetris. Moreover I've discovered that I am very good at it. Why are all of my skills completely useless?
- Music I've been listening to lately: Lauren O'Connel, The White Stripes, and some old Scout and Tsunami Bomb records I haven't touched in years.
- Lyric is on the precipice of crawling. All of the pieces are there, she just can't seem to put them together in the right order. She gets up on her hands and knees and lunges forward with her legs, makes it a few inches, pushes up again and repeats. She can army crawl and role like there's no tomorrow. Also sometimes she pushes up without touching her knees or calves to the floor... just her feet and hands, forming a sort of triangle. In this position she sort of leans forward trying to make herself go. Like I said, all the pieces are there, she just can't figure out what order to put them in.
- Also new to Lyric's list of talents and abilities is clapping. She loves to clap which is nice since I can just pretend that she's applauding everything I do. Also on the list is a new face. We call it her angry face because when she's cranky or upset she'll scrunch up her nose and lips and snort in and out through her nose really loudly like a bull. I think it has the opposite effect of what she intends it to because it's just adorable.
- I've spent the last two Sunday evenings at a bar in my hometown of Davison called Mo Joe's doing karaoke and drinking with my best friend Michael Walters. I seriously wish that I could do karaoke every single weekend, I don't even need the beer, just the karaoke. I may not be a good singer by any stretch of the imagination but I love to sing. Sitting and watching people doing their songs and getting up there myself is better than therapy or medication. Also the bar has the best wings I've ever eaten.
- In a blog a while back I wrote that I was close to recording and finally putting together an album. That has yet to happen what with the baby and lack of motivation but I'm giving some serious thought to maybe picking up the guitar again and getting something down before I'm too old and jaded to care. Who knows.
- I'm an extremely sarcastic and often cynical person. It's my way of coping with life, which often gets to be too much for me just because of the way that I'm wired. I'm often very self deprecating and I tend to make fun of my own friends sarcastically. Most people close to me know that I'm joking and the subject matter is usually so outlandish that they know there's no possible way it could be in earnest but occasionally my jokes hit a sore spot and I've gotten into some pretty big fights over it. I'm not a mean person. I just deal with things in the way that comes easiest to me. If I have ever offended anyone with something I've said sarcastically I am truly sorry but I'm not going to change who I am. If what I'm saying is bothering you, say something and I'll stop. This has been a public service announcement.
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Doing This Brian Style
Today's blog will be brought to you in the trade mark Brian Buckley style of a random bulleted list.
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
This Is the New Year
It's officially 2011 and everyone's making their new year's resolutions. I've already been plugging away at a diet for about 5 weeks now so I guess I could throw that on there. I', resolved to start being a better person all around (grades, parenting, cooking, cleaning) but that's pretty much a standing resolution, I think if we ever stop plugging at that one there's a problem.
I guess if I'm going to come up with something original for the new year it's going to be: Blog more (because people need and want to know my thoughts, dammit), make time to hit the gym a couple times a week, spend less money, read more (I keep an Excel spreadsheet of all of the books I have to read and it's getting ridiculous, especially since I got some more for Christmas) , and try to get some order back in my thoughts and life. I feel better when things are in order. It's a disease and a gift at the same time.
Those are some of my superficial and non-superficial goals for 2011. It's going to be a good year. 2010 wasn't bad (my daughter was born so it was sort of a banner year) but I have a really good feeling about 2011.
Things I'm looking forward to in 2011:
1. Green Lantern: I have high hopes for this movie. Don't get me wrong, I really like Ryan Reynolds a lot, but I was skeptical about his casting. He's known for being more of a comedic actor, even in his action roles, and the character of Hal Jordan is a staunch, military man. From what I've seen of the trailer it doesn't look like he's playing the character as Hal Jordan, what he's playing is Kyle Rainer (geeks will understand this). I think it really is a toss up, I'm not a huge fan of the Green Lantern mythos because it all tends to be very cosmic and I'm more a fan of street level super heroes but I've read enough and I know enough to know what I'm talking about. I think if they do it right and build enough of a story around the character Reynolds is playing, I will definitely like it as will most average, non-comic book readers, but I have a feeling the Green Lantern fans and purists aren't going to like it.
2. New Swellers Album: The Swellers announced fairly recently that they will be releasing a new record in 2011. Nick and Jonathon are good friends of mine but moreover they are and always will be my favorite band. I am EXTREMELY excited.
3. New Blink-182 Album: There was a time when I would have apologized for being a Blink fan but that time isn't now. I'm an adult and I'm too old to give a shit about labels and cliches in the music community. I like what I like and I have a wide pallet when it comes to that. Word is that the first album since 2003 (and since their reunion) is going to drop this Summer and I'm excited to hear it.
4. X-Men: First Class: Okay, now as far as movies go X-Men Origins: Wolverine was a solid C+ in my opinion. It was a bit of a mish mash of various things and more than a little hackneyed but it was fun. X-Men III: The Last Stand was a fucking train wreck for fans of the comic. It took 20 years of comics, bits and pieces of this and that, and mashed it together into one mess of a movie and Brett Ratner should be ashamed of himself. I have a feeling that X-Men: First Class will be more in the vein of the former. I'm expecting a lot of fun but I have my expectations low on substance. There are two things that are a light in the tunnel of hope for this with me and they are: Matthew Vaughn and James McAvoy.
5. Captain America: The First Avenger: Pretty much everything I said about Green Lantern applies to this movie as well. Seriously, just read that and substitute Chris Evans for Ryan Reynolds and Captain America for Green Lantern.
6. Cowboys and Aliens: Are you picking up the theme yet? I am a fan of comic books and graphic novels and this is going to be a big year for them. As for this one I have two words: John Favreau. He has proven that he knows what he's doing in this area and I'm going to put my faith in him. I have a bad feeling it's going to tank though.
7. Thor: I'm on the fence with this as to what to expect. I just hope they find away to minimize the Thor-speak.
8. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II: Ten years, some of the greatest pieces of contemporary fiction that exist, and a 12 year old boy inside me that Can. Not. Wait.
9. I Am Number Four: I'm curious.
Now I know that this is essentially a rhetorical question since very few people actually read my blog but after all that self indulgence I feel obligated to ask: What are your resolutions and what cultural events are you looking forward to in 2011?
I guess if I'm going to come up with something original for the new year it's going to be: Blog more (because people need and want to know my thoughts, dammit), make time to hit the gym a couple times a week, spend less money, read more (I keep an Excel spreadsheet of all of the books I have to read and it's getting ridiculous, especially since I got some more for Christmas) , and try to get some order back in my thoughts and life. I feel better when things are in order. It's a disease and a gift at the same time.
Those are some of my superficial and non-superficial goals for 2011. It's going to be a good year. 2010 wasn't bad (my daughter was born so it was sort of a banner year) but I have a really good feeling about 2011.
Things I'm looking forward to in 2011:
1. Green Lantern: I have high hopes for this movie. Don't get me wrong, I really like Ryan Reynolds a lot, but I was skeptical about his casting. He's known for being more of a comedic actor, even in his action roles, and the character of Hal Jordan is a staunch, military man. From what I've seen of the trailer it doesn't look like he's playing the character as Hal Jordan, what he's playing is Kyle Rainer (geeks will understand this). I think it really is a toss up, I'm not a huge fan of the Green Lantern mythos because it all tends to be very cosmic and I'm more a fan of street level super heroes but I've read enough and I know enough to know what I'm talking about. I think if they do it right and build enough of a story around the character Reynolds is playing, I will definitely like it as will most average, non-comic book readers, but I have a feeling the Green Lantern fans and purists aren't going to like it.
2. New Swellers Album: The Swellers announced fairly recently that they will be releasing a new record in 2011. Nick and Jonathon are good friends of mine but moreover they are and always will be my favorite band. I am EXTREMELY excited.
3. New Blink-182 Album: There was a time when I would have apologized for being a Blink fan but that time isn't now. I'm an adult and I'm too old to give a shit about labels and cliches in the music community. I like what I like and I have a wide pallet when it comes to that. Word is that the first album since 2003 (and since their reunion) is going to drop this Summer and I'm excited to hear it.
4. X-Men: First Class: Okay, now as far as movies go X-Men Origins: Wolverine was a solid C+ in my opinion. It was a bit of a mish mash of various things and more than a little hackneyed but it was fun. X-Men III: The Last Stand was a fucking train wreck for fans of the comic. It took 20 years of comics, bits and pieces of this and that, and mashed it together into one mess of a movie and Brett Ratner should be ashamed of himself. I have a feeling that X-Men: First Class will be more in the vein of the former. I'm expecting a lot of fun but I have my expectations low on substance. There are two things that are a light in the tunnel of hope for this with me and they are: Matthew Vaughn and James McAvoy.
5. Captain America: The First Avenger: Pretty much everything I said about Green Lantern applies to this movie as well. Seriously, just read that and substitute Chris Evans for Ryan Reynolds and Captain America for Green Lantern.
6. Cowboys and Aliens: Are you picking up the theme yet? I am a fan of comic books and graphic novels and this is going to be a big year for them. As for this one I have two words: John Favreau. He has proven that he knows what he's doing in this area and I'm going to put my faith in him. I have a bad feeling it's going to tank though.
7. Thor: I'm on the fence with this as to what to expect. I just hope they find away to minimize the Thor-speak.
8. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II: Ten years, some of the greatest pieces of contemporary fiction that exist, and a 12 year old boy inside me that Can. Not. Wait.
9. I Am Number Four: I'm curious.
Now I know that this is essentially a rhetorical question since very few people actually read my blog but after all that self indulgence I feel obligated to ask: What are your resolutions and what cultural events are you looking forward to in 2011?
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