Crazy Stupid Love & Pizza

Happy, happy, happy, happy, happy, happy anniversary! Today marks 12 years of blissful employment with the Boss. Yesterday we celebrated with some Neapolitan pizza from Marco's Coal Fired Pizzeria in the Vallagio. The Sicilian was very fresh, wonderful crust, amazing Ricotta, can't go wrong. Two can split a pizza for about $17 and be very satisfied. Jake suggested we try the chicken wings, which were excellent. They reminded me of my mother's clay pot chicken.

Next we headed over to the sold-out Landmark for Crazy Stupid Love... a great description of why I haven't been fired yet. This movie had me cracking up right from the get-go and didn't let up. Carrel learning to become a womanizer was hilarious. And let's not forget a STELLAR performance by Josh Groban. Its sad to say, but the Boss had to point him out to me (Sorry Josh - you know Oprah and I still love you). There was a significant plot twist near the end (which I shall not give away) that had me rolling. Plus, Kevin Bacon continues to expand his empire. Can't miss with this flick for a date night.

My biggest problem with this movie is the yard work. After getting the ax, Cal still goes back to his house at night and prunes the rose garden, fertilizes flowers, aerates the lawn... at this point the Boss leans over -- "Look how much he loves her!" I admit, I completely stink at yard work. Marginal forced labor as a child with a push mower scarred me for life. And now I'm paying for it... I hate you Cal.

My Son Conquers Hanging Lake

Last Saturday I assaulted Hanging Lake in Glenwood Canyon with the Lizard, El Burr and Gator. This is a 1.2 mile hike (each way) and has a 1,000 ft elevation gain. I intended to carry the Gator to the top, however he would have none of it. And so it was, this determined MAN-CUB nearly completed the entire ascent. I was immensely proud and also a bit upset that he has stolen away so much of my life essence. To show my fatherly feelings of joy, I share the following:

Here are some pictures of the lake. Totally worth the hike, but don't be crazy like me. This isn't for small kids, especially if you don't want to carry them all the way down after they pass out from exhaustion.

2011 Summer Film Rankings

I have blown way too much money at the movies this summer. But I've had a great time doing it. Here is my ranking of the movies I've taken in thus far this summer. And don't get ticked if I give away some spoilers.

8. Green Lantern - Ryan Reynolds made this flick bearable, but the amount of CGI made me feel like I was watching a Star Wars prequel. I'm sure GL purists love the mask, but it was too much CGI for me.

7. Thor - Since I don't bat for the other team, I guess I missed out on the point of this movie. Enough said on that. The Asgard stuff was good, but the scenes on earth were just awkward. I'm still waiting for the Academy to take the Oscar back from Natalie Portman for this movie. My favorite moment? "This drink... I like it! [SMASH] ANOTHER!!" - Justified the whole $200M production.

6. Transformers - I broke my vow to never watch a movie in 3D again and paid the price. Nothing special really jumped out at me. I was stunned that most of the Decepticons were killed at the end. I was pleased this movie didn't feel like a 3-hour recruitment video for the Marines. But I did walk out the theater feeling like a 13 year-old again. For the 3rd time, a perfectly good action movie was messed up by 50 pointless body-shots of a supermodel that does not belong in such a movie.... Look at those explosions! Look at that perfect hair! The wing suits were probably my favorite part of the flick. Amazing stuff there. I'm hoping for a 4th installment so we can see the Constructicons combine to form Devastator and Battle Omega Supreme as the camera pans back and forth between epic mechanical alien battles and sweaty supermodels with epic facial expressions.

5. Super 8 - Like most monster movies, it was really great up until the monster is revealed. I want a movie were aliens either come and enrich mankind or just eradicate us by putting something in the water. This really was a great flick, if you are not prone to blowing money at the box office, its a very worthy rental.

4. Kung Fu Panda 2 - Any movie were Jack Black gets to geek out over Kung-fu works for me. The peacock villain was a great change from a typical bad guy. Lots of fun for the family.

3. X-Men First Class - The camp factor was at a minimum, which is not an easy feat for a comic book film. I think this installment is my favorite of the franchise thus far. McAvoy and Fassbender were great as young Prof. X and Magneto. Kevin Bacon extends the power of his six degrees of separation to the comic book world. Now none can escape him. Can't wait to see X and Mag mix it up in the next chapter.

2. Midnight in Paris - Loved this movie. Hemingway was HILARIOUS! - Just a sample of his dialogue for posterity:

"Yes. It was a good book because it was an honest book, and that's what war does to men. And there's nothing fine and noble about dying in the mud unless you die gracefully. And then it's not only noble but brave."

"All men fear death. It's a natural fear that consumes us all. We fear death because we feel that we haven't loved well enough or loved at all, which ultimately are one and the same. However, when you make love with a truly great woman, one that deserves the utmost respect in this world and one that makes you feel truly powerful, that fear of death completely disappears. Because when you are sharing your body and heart with a great woman the world fades away. You two are the only ones in the entire universe. You conquer what most lesser men have never conquered before, you have conquered a great woman's heart, the most vulnerable thing she can offer to another. Death no longer lingers in the mind. Fear no longer clouds your heart. Only passion for living, and for loving, become your sole reality. This is no easy task for it takes insurmountable courage. But remember this, for that moment when you are making love with a woman of true greatness you will feel immortal."

"No subject is terrible if the story is true, if the prose is clean and honest, and if it affirms courage and grace under pressure."

...Right. This comedy kept me rolling the whole time. Owen Wilson was perfect and it was great to see Rachel McAdams get back to being evil.

1. Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows Part Deux - Hollywood magic at its best. I truly forgot about life for the span of this movie. The final chapter truly did not disappoint me at all. Dare I say the film actually improved on the book with memories from Snape's tears and the memories in the adaptation make his courage and love for Lilly much more compelling than what I originally imagined in the book. The final battle was truly a spectacle. Finally a movie where Voldermort gets plenty of screen time. Radcliffe wasn't amazing, but didn't get in the way of the story either. I'm sure all of the WB execs are wishing they had chosen to split all 7 books into two movies and made $4B instead of $2B. Heck, I would have been game for it. The end is very bittersweet. I came home, looked at my black cat and started hoping it would transform into a witch. I guess I'll just have to wait for the all-mighty JK to roll out new material in the future. This is a very fitting end to a huge franchise. Must be seen on the big screen - Yes CA I'm talking to you. Set your pride aside and enjoy the moment.

BTW - The trailer for the Dark Knight Rises already has my geek-out meter on 10. Until next summer. At least TDKR it will get here before 12-21-2012.

Smoke-out

Yesterday the Boss and I hosted one of the largest gatherings we've ever attempted. Nearly 40 people in the back yard to celebrate the 4th of July with some food, the trampoline, bean bags, Eagles radio and good times. But what took it all to the next level, was not that this was a BBQ or Cookout - it was a Smoke-out.

What exactly is a Smoke-out? I assure you it has nothing to do with the tradition of slowly infusing meats with savory smoke hour after hour. Its the opposite. When you are trying to grill up 40 burgers, 15 bratwurst and 10 hot dogs in a matter of 20 minutes to feed a small platoon the grease from all that meat goes crazy. Plus when the wind carries all of that smoke right into your guests faces, you have a genuine Smoke-out.

The smoke got so thick I thought the back yard looked like a war movie set. But as I shouted out to the choking crowd for takers on two bratwurst I was informed I looked like I was having a Cheech & Chong "up in smoke" moment. As I stood over the grill adding cheese and removing burgers the tears literally streamed down my face. I wept on the 4th of July.

Finally I shut down the grill and enjoyed the fruit of our smoke. You know you stink at grilling when multiple people tell you "poor thing" as they see your bloodshot eyes. Shortly after we finished eating, the F-16s that I ordered did an impressive fly-by over the house. But that wasn't the end of my over-the-top performance. We then proceeded to the street for some crazy illegal suburban fireworks which I happened to pick up in Cheyenne last week during a work trip.

Its sad when the excitement of fireworks is based in whether or not they will burn down the neighbor's house or blow up a parked car in front of a crowd of witnesses. But I was determined to be a good host to the bitter end. Granted, we didn't lite up the rockets or M-150s I picked up (save those for camping), but there were a few fountains that defied gravity and had some serious explosive power. The first crackling fountain sent five of the girls screaming and running for the front porch. The kids also got a kick out of multiple smoke bombs going off at once, continuing the theme of our evening. Apparently, our fireworks were crazy enough to lure some kids out from down the street that were forbidden to have fireworks. I became a corrupter of youth and an enemy of the street.

After the show, our smoke infused friends departed and we headed over to our "Secret Spot" to watch the big fireworks show. I hate to say this, but without the music that goes with the show, 20 minutes of fireworks gets old. Maybe I'm not a true American anymore or I was just Smoked-out.

Lionel Richie IS THE MAN

As I relax on this wonderful holiday weekend, I turn to the great music of the past that embodies the spirit of freedom of expression through music. Although I was too macho to admit I got misty when this song came on the radio as a youth, I can now own up to it. This video is simply amazing!

No one rocked geri curls better than Lionel. The whole plot of forbidden love between a music teacher and a blind student is timeless. Name me one other video with sultry braille reading followed by a life sized bust of the singer that could double as a chia-head. The ending was tribute to the beauty and power of love to overcome all obstacles. Even blindness.

I'm disgusted with most of today's music. Where are the good times? The good feelings? Gone forever. At least we can look back and say, Hello!