On June 6th I went to church as usual. This particular Sunday was the first of the combined services. Normally, there is a 9:30 AM and 10:45 AM service. In an effort to reach a median service that combines the best of both services (generally one for the older, more traditional audience, and another for the younger generation), Castle Hills decided to create a 10:30 AM service. Since this was the first Sunday on this schedule, some folks didn’t know of the change. One of those people was my ex-girlfriend. I noticed when she sat down on the other side of the congregation…and wondered to myself, “should I talk to her after the service?’ Sure, I had gotten rather negative about that whole situation, but who wouldn’t after not speaking for 9 months and not seeing one another for nearly a year? In the end I thought it would be ungentlemanly of me to not at least say ‘hi.’

After the service I sauntered over to the other side of the sanctuary, though I had already gone outside of the exit doors. In what seemed like an eternity, Kristen finally walked out. I couldn’t help it…I gave her a big hug. For months I pondered and dwell on what I would do or say if I saw her again. Well, that would be my answer. A hug. A really…big…hug. I believe we both sort of got emotional. Anywho, we talked in parking lot and then met up later that evening to discuss things. We met up the next night. We talked more…and more. Kristen was still living in Austin, but was hoping to get a job in San Antonio any day. Kristen made it known to me that she regretted us not getting married back when I wanted to. Eventually we decided to give a relationship a go, and even realized we should consider marriage. Shortly after this time Kristen got a good job in town, and began moving her belongings into storage; all while living with her mother.

Back to marriage. We decided on a date, but shortly before this time we realized things were a bit rushed and some details weren’t ironed out. We basically moved everything to two weeks later, since our marriage license would expire just a few days later. With our current schedules it would be difficult to obtain new ones any time soon. To just shut up and tell the point of this story…we got married on Friday, August 13th. Yes, Friday the 13th. It took us being apart to realize how much we truly loved one another. Since we felt it would be wrong to only invite a few people here and there (I wanted many folks from back home present if we went the traditional route), we decided a private ceremony with just us, the minister, and photographer would suffice. It was really special. We had the ceremony at San Pedro Park…then scurried up the interstate to Fredericksburg to the cottage I had reserved. It was a very short honeymoon, but we are set on a bigger trip in the upcoming year. I’m thinking Italy and Greece….or something similar.

EDIT: We decided we would reserve another cottage in Fredericksburg for this weekend as well…just for the extra ‘us’ time we really need away from good ‘ol SA.

While in Fredericksnurg, we went to the new Stagecoach Movie Theater to see Eat Pray Love. Seriously, this movie was quite boring; not to mention it is over two hours long. The book would probably be more worthwhile. I give it 2.5 stars.

That about sums up what has been happening….more to come….

First of all, well I guess second of all since this is not the first sentence of the post, the Spurs went on (after defeating the Mavs in 6 games) to be swept by the Suns. It was very disappointing, but the way they played, they didn’t deserve to advance. Here’s hoping 2010-11 is better to the ‘milk and cookies.’

I’ve only seen two movies since my last post. I saw “Get Him to the Greek” and “The A-Team.” I enjoyed both movies, but feel the reviews for “The A-Team” are a bit inflated. Being a fan of the television show of the 80s, I felt the film was a bit cheesy and overdone in some instances. Then again, the actual show, like much of the 80s, was pretty cheesy.  Both films deserve a solid 3 stars.

Life has changed some since I last posted. More info regarding specifics to follow in a future post(s).

I’m very excited about heading back home to visit my family for the 4th….this time for a week. I haven’t seen them since Christmas.

Last Thursday I saw the Spurs close out the Mavs in six games. Talk about exciting. The AT&T Center was going nuts and Mark Cuban was so ashamed that he was out of the arena before anyone could catch him. Be a man and be a good sport. Unfortunately it’s now round 2 and the Spurs find themselves in an 0-2 hole heading to San Antonio tonight to take on the Phoenix Suns.

Last Sunday I saw “Death at a Funeral.” Just like any re-make, it has mediocre reviews. Since the original was British, it doesn’t help in its public welcoming. I thought it was rather funny since I enjoy slapstick comedy from time to time. I really enjoyed James Marsden’s character….completely stole the show. This flick is a solid 3 stars.

I worked over at work the other day and turned to get a very light part from a box…maybe 2 lbs. at the most, but my body didn’t want to turn in that manner. End result? I have what the physician calls a thoracic sprain. I am returning to work on light duty and will begin physical therapy next week. I wish I could begin today and get this to feel better much faster. It’s really annoying.

Last week I took advantage of one of the “rain check” movie passes I had by seeing “The Perfect Game.” Simply an amazing movie. It’s great for the whole family and it’s based on a true story…and it’s a baseball flick. Been a while since a gem such as this has come around. I loved everything about this movie…everything. This movie wanted to do some filming at Duncan Park in Spartanburg, SC, but the city refused. What a shame. Duncan Park is as historical field as they come, and should be enjoyed by viewing audiences worldwide. I give this movie 5 stars.

Last Friday I finally saw my first Spurs vs Mavs game, which just-so-happened to be the 3rd game of the first round of the NBA Playoffs. What an environment to enjoy a classic rivalry. In Texas this is known as the I-35 Rivalry. It was a chippy game in which the Spurs won, but nothing compared to what I would experience for game 4 on Sunday. That was an even more chippy game that San Antonio also won, but the finish was much more exciting. A win in game 4 gave the Spurs a 3-1 series lead; needing only one more win to advance. The Spurs went to Dallas to play game 5 and were unfortunately beaten quite heavily. There was no sense of urgency to close the series out. Now it comes down to game 6 in San Antonio on Thursday. I took advantage of the pre-sale special and will also attend that game.

I am excited about going back home for the 4th of July…been far too long since my last visit.

Last Sunday I saw “Date Night.” Absolutely loved it. It was very funny and brought endless action. 4 stars.

Yesterday evening I was doing a little shopping and received a call from my buddy Joe…asking if I wanted to see “Kick-Ass” and grab a bite to eat with he and his girl. Since I wanted to see the movie, I decided to take him up on the offer. It’s a great flick…though a bit out there, it’s still very entertaining. I’d like to get the little girl from “Kick-Ass” and the little black kid from “Role Models” in the same movie…I give “Kick-Ass” 3.5 stars.

I went bowling with another friend after I saw the movie last night, or early this morning, and I still suck. I haven’t been since last December or so and my scores were 149, 150, 154, and 133. I don’t try. I just walk up and roll…I crack up at people studying everything and still doing worse than my crappy self. My philosophy is all about using power. One day I will take it seriously, but I’m afraid that will be the day it becomes less fun.

On Tuesday I get sets 6 and 7 of my Invisalign aligners…making more and more progress.

On Friday I purchased a playoff ticket for the first round. The tickets went on sale on Saturday, but I was able to take part in a pre-sale (with discounts) thanks to a friend in the organization.

Today was bath day for Bowen. I give him one each month. He hates getting them so much, but the shampoo, which kills fleas and ticks for 30 days, makes him so soft and fresh smelling.

Last Sunday I saw “Hot Tub Time Machine.” That movie, simply put, is hilarious. If you like stupid guy humor, you’d probably find it rather amusing…if not, I’d pass. I enjoyed the small part Chevy Chase played, though I hate to admit he’s lost his touch over the years. Maybe it’s time for another ‘Vacation’ reunion. I absolutely do not mean the Cousin Eddie crap either. I give “Hot Tub Time Machine” 3.5 stars.

The orthodontist has now put me on two weeks per aligner rather than three, and also is giving me two sets with each visit. At this rate I will be finished with my regular aligners by early September…I began in late January. After this, I believe the refinement period begins.

This past Friday, my friend and I went to see the Spurs take on the Orlando Magic. It was a great game with many ridiculous calls. Early on Timmy had three fouls and sat the majority of the first half, while the fans chanted, “refs you suck!”…I admit I joined in a bit. With just a couple of minutes left in the game, Dwight Howard (one of my fav non-Spurs players) fouled out. This pretty much sealed the game since Marcin Gortat is the closest thing Orlando has to offer when it comes to an inside presence. Simply put, he can’t do squat about whatever Timmy wants to do in the paint. Big win for Spurs.

After the game we stayed for some of the OVERTIME concert featuring Rotel and the Hot Tomatoes. Yes, you read that right. No, I was not ready for what they had to offer. Was it entertaining? Oh yes. Was it really strange and just a freakin’ tad over the top? You bet. It certainly was something else.

On Saturday night I checked out the new D-Box seats at the Santikos Silverado 16. Wow. I really believe I could watch nearly anything while sitting in those seats and be thoroughly entertained. I saw “Clash of the Titans” in 3D…and D-Box of course. I read many reviews that said the 3D version was no good and actually ruined the movie. What? I didn’t see anything wrong with the 3D quality…in fact it’s on “Avatar’s” level as far as I’m concerned. The D-Box seating pushed it over the top. I can’t wait for a movie with car chases and racing to arrive at Silverado 16 in D-Box. My only complaint regarding the 3D version of  “Clash of the Titans” is the bulky XpanD glasses. I give it 3.5 stars.

I also finally made it to The County Line to try their Chicken Fried Steak. Not bad…not Wade’s either, but not bad. I really need to get some of the crew together to head to Throwdown Thursday put on by KTFM. Muchos especiales de bebidas.

On Tuesday night I saw “Dear John.” I really enjoyed this movie. It seems that most girls have read the book, but you know me…I’d rather take a couple hours and see a movie than pick up a book. Fortunately for me, any inconsistencies with the written version don’t matter since I never read the book anyhow. 3.5 stars.

Friday night was Spurs night. I saw the Spurs take on the Golden State Warriors. What a blowout by the boys in black and white. The best part was seeing the younger guys get a chance to play. Unfortunately Mason went 0-3 on 3-pointers, so no hip-slaps.

Spurs vs Warriors (3/19/10)

On Saturday afternoon I saw “Alice in Wonderland” in 3D. I am absolutely not a Johnny Depp fan, but was this flick ever good.  I believe there would be no one better to fit this role than Depp…just his obscure sort of specialty. Not quite on par with “Avatar” in my opinion, but worth watching. 3.5 stars.

Yesterday I went to see “The Bounty Hunter.” I was sort of torn between that and “Repo Men.” In the end comedy won out. This is one of those movies that seem to show many of the good parts in the trailer, however it does have a decent plot and nice, scattered humor. 3 stars.

On Wednesday I get my 4th set of Invisalign aligners. So far it seems things are moving as they should…

So far I’ve had a great weekend. On Friday night I went to the San Antonio Rampage (AHL..hockey minor league team for the Phoenix Coyotes) game with Joe, Liz, and Sid. We had a great time. I got the tickets from work and, as usual, sat by the glass. Funny thing about the game…no fights! The last game I went to in November had three brawls…not fights. In fact one brawl took place after the game. Oh well, at least I finally saw the Rampage win. After the game Free Reign performed in the Overtime Pavilion. Free Reign is a heavy metal band made up of three Dallas Cowboys linemen (Marc Colombo, Cory Procter, and Leonard Davis). The show was great…and the drink specials were nice too.

On Saturday I saw “She’s out of my League.” It was pretty darn funny. I admit it is a borderline chick flick, but I think it’s one of those rarities that can easily appeal to both sexes. It has all the raunchy humor guys find funny, mixed with a little mushy romance. I’d definitely see it again. The film does a good job of showing why one shouldn’t judge how they feel about themselves based on how they see others. There was one spot in the movie that sort of brought up the past for me. Kirk (main character) broke up with his gf, yet she still hangs around the house with his family, along with her new boyfriend. Not to reveal too much, but eventually Kirk realizes that he is worth more than he originally thought, since he was only going on what others made him believe. He eventually understands that he deserves better than his ex and that she never deserved him in the first place. Let me get an AMEN from the congregation.

Well, I hope this evening goes as well as the rest of the weekend has gone. Time for a new week…yay.

On Sunday I saw “Brooklyn’s Finest.” I was slightly disappointed with how the storyline jumped around, but overall I was pleased. I was in the mood for a shoot-em-up, and the movie satisfied at least this much. The reason the plot seemed to jump around is because there are three small stories about three different NYPD officers. I found this a bit confusing at times, but it did tie together decently at the end; though I sense the ending was a bit rushed to get the movie released, as well to not make the picture run any longer than it already did. If you like violence, you’ll probably be content with this flick.