December Debrief

December was pretty much defined by Christmas. I had the most time off during Christmas since graduating from college, and it was pretty nice. I’m pretty proud of myself for hanging on to that vacation time all year. The very first thing I did when I got back to work was put in a vacation request form for the entire week of Christmas in 2011. Let’s see if I’m able to do it again.

December Running Totals
4 workouts
1:54:23 duration
12.79 miles
8:56 per mile average
1,443 calories burned

Books Read in December:
The End of Reason: A Response to the New Atheists — Ravi Zacharias

Movies Watched in December:
Tooth Fairy – 2/5
From Russia with Love – 2/5
Austin Powers 1 – 3/5
Pet Sematary – 3/5
The Marc Pease Experience – 4/5
Scott Pilgrim vs. The World – 5/5
Restrepo – 4/5
Short Circuit – 4/5
RoboCop – 3/5
A Fish Called Wanda – 3/5
Lucas – 5/5
GoldenEye – 4/5
The Trotsky – 4/5
Moonstruck – 4/5
Elsewhere – 3/5
Mallrats – 3/5
Yogi Bear – 2/5
The Rundown – 3/5
The Graduate – 5/5
Tron: Legacy – 4/5
Thunderball – 2/5
True Grit (1969) – 4/5
Mission: Impossible – 4/5
Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me – 3/5
Gulliver’s Travels – 3/5
Almost an Angel – 4/5
After.Life – 2/5
Four Christmases – 3/5
The Other Guys – 4/5
The Fighter – 5/5
Christmas Vacation*
Jingle All The Way*

Filed under: 2010, Books, December, Movies

2011 Movies

I love movies.

Here is a down and dirty list of some of the movies I’m looking forward to in 2011. (Release dates subject to change per Hollywood’s discretion.)

JANUARY
14 – The Green Hornet
14 – The Dilemma
21 – No Strings Attached
21 – The Way Back
28 – The Mechanic

FEBRUARY
4 – Sanctum
11 – Gnomeo and Juliet
11 – The Eagle
11 – Mars Needs Moms
11 – Just Go With It
18 – I Am Number Four
25 – Hall Pass
25 – Drive Angry

MARCH
4 – Rango
11 – Battle: Los Angeles
11 – The Adjustment Bureau
18 – Paul
18 – Red State
18 – Limitless
25 – Diary of a Wimpy Kid 2

APRIL
1 – Source Code
8 – Your Highness
8 – Hanna
15 – Rio
15 – Born To Be Wild
15 – Scream 4
15 – Margin Call
22 – Water For Elephants

MAY
6 – Thor
20 – Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
27 – The Hangover 2
27 – Kung Fu Panda 2
27 – The Tree of Life

JUNE
3 – X-Men: First Class
10 – Super 8
24 – Cars 2

JULY
1 – Transformers 3
1 – Larry Crowne
8 – Zookeeper
17 – Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows pt. 2
17 – Green Lantern
22 – Captain America: The First Avenger
29 – Cowboys & Aliens
29 – Horrible Bosses

AUGUST
5 – The Smurfs
12 – Mr. Popper’s Penguins
19 – Fright Night

SEPTEMBER
16 – Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy

OCTOBER
7 – Real Steel
21 – Contagion
21 – Paranormal Activity 3

NOVEMBER
4 – Tower Heist
11 – Jack and Jill
18 – Twilight: Breaking Dawn
18 – Happy Feet 2
23 – Arthur Christmas

DECEMBER
9 – The Factory
9 – Hugo Cabret
16 – Mission Impossible 4
16 – Alvin and the Chipmunks 3D
16 – Sherlock Holmes 2
28 – War Horse

What am I missing?

Filed under: Movies

November Debrief

Talk about a boring month. That was by design I suppose. After training so long for that Grand Rapids Half Marathon, I decided to take November off from running which allowed for a lot of nothingness. Which I enjoyed greatly.

November Notables:
• Conan returned to television
• Daylight Savings Time ended
• Learned how to play Whirly Ball
• Sparky Anderson & Jim Daft passed away
• Thanksgiving is still my favorite holiday
• Finally watched a lot of the Bond films
• Michigan lost to Ohio State, again

Novemeber Running Totals
Nada

Books Read in November:
Manhood for Amateurs: The Pleasures and Regrets of a Husband, Father, and Son — Michael Chabon

Movies Watched in November:
Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole – 3/5
RED – 5/5
Halloween II – 4/5
Alien vs. Predator – 4/5
Megamind – 4/5
Ghandi – 5/5
A Nightmare on Elm Street – 3/5
The Town – 4/5
Splice – 4/5
Leaves of Grass – 4/5
Goldfinger – 3/5
Jackie Brown – 4/5
Owning Mahowny – 4/5
Winnebago Man – 4/5
Die Another Day – 3/5
The Running Man – 2/5
Skyline – 2/5
Daredevil – 3/5
The Thomas Crown Affair – 5/5*
Grown Ups – 4/5
Dr. No – 4/5
Brooklyn’s Finest – 4/5
Big Trouble – 3/5
You Don’t Know Jack – 3/5
Superman – 5/5*
Aliens vs. Predators 2 – 2/5
Tomorrow Never Dies – 3/5
You Only Live Twice – 4/5
Saving God – 3/5
The Last Airbender – 2/5
Raw Deal – 3/5

Filed under: 2010, Books, Movies, November

October Debrief

October, how I love you.

You bring with you the bright colors on my trees. You bring cooler weather, and a new wardrobe. You bring new menu’s full of comfort food. You bring a slew of once-a-year movies to watch, and an excuse to dress up and collect candy. You bring the baseball playoffs, and new television premieres. And you bring an appreciation for the sun we’re about to lose for the next few months.

This year you also brought my second Half Marathon.

But I suppose the biggest thing to remember about October 2010 is that I finally crossed the threshold of watching “scary” movies. I’ve avoided them all my life, but I’m finally over it and made a pretty huge dent in the classics this month. I’ve come to the conclusion that Halloween series is far superior to Nightmare on Elm Street and Friday the 13th, and that Texas Chainsaw Massacre is c-r-a-z-y (although not very scary). I have a couple more to wrap up here in early November, but I’m looking forward checking out a bunch more next October.

I’ve also plowed through every single episode of Dexter this month. I haven’t been that hooked on a show since discovering Arrested Development.

October Running Totals
7 workouts
6:21:16 duration
44.6 miles
8.33 per mile average
5,054 calories burned

Tweet of the Month

RT @joelklampert Take God out of that box you put Him in and embrace the mystery of our faith. #fb
— @mudpuppy October 28, 2010 9:32:17 AM EDT

Books Read in October:
Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter — Seth Grahame

Movies Watched in October:
Letters to Juliet – 2/5
The Good, the Bad, the Weird – 3/5
Dexter: Season 2 – 5/5
MacGruber – 1/5
Alien – 3/5
Predator 2 – 2/5
Dexter: Season 3 – 5/5
Aliens – 3/5
Friday the 13th: Part 2 – 4/5
Friday the 13th: Part 3 – 2/5
Dexter: Season 4 – 5/5
Friday the 13th: Part 4 – 3/5
Predators – 3/5
Jonah Hex – 3/5
Texas Chainsaw Massacre – 3/5
A Nightmare on Elm Street 2 – 3/5
Candyman – 4/5
Halloween – 4/5
A Nightmare on Elm Street 3 – 3/5

Filed under: 2010, Books, Movies, October

September Debrief

Easily the quickest month this year.

No doubt it went so quick because Tanner started school, a new paper route, Fall soccer, and flag football this month. I’m not sure how people with more than one kid do it. This kid keeps us plenty busy!

Michigan football returned in September, and I attended two games for the first time in over three years. For a while there I had season tickets, so it was nice to get back to the Big House and enjoy a good brat early in the morning. I’ve missed that. How about that Denard Robinson!

Three of my favorite television shows returned this month—Community, The Office, and Big Bang Theory. It’s nice that they are all 30 minute shows because they don’t take too much time to get through. I started watching Dexter as well, and I’ve already plowed through all of Season 1 and seven episodes of Season 2 as of today (I started five days ago).

The Clinton Fall Festival came and went as usual. I didn’t know if Clinton would pull it off with all the construction, but it wasn’t too bad. The biggest excitement of the weekend was the three foot sinkhole that dropped in my yard. It’s creepier the more I think about it.

My running got more intense this month as I am in the final stages of preparation for the Grand Rapids Half Marathon. The miles are really starting to pile up. Speaking of running, it became official that I’ll be running in the Traverse City Full Marathon in 2011 with my buddy Brandon. That should make the next seven months… interesting.

Bring on Fall and all its colors, smells, and sweatshirts!

September Running Totals
13 workouts
9:12:59 duration
64.72 miles
8.33 per mile average
7318 calories burned

Tweet of the Month

RT @superman1224 “Awesomely horribly unsurprisingly not english.
— @mudpuppy September 28, 2010 2:27:27 PM EDT

Books Read in September:
Outlive Your Life: You Were Made to Make A Difference — Max Lucado

Movies Watched in September:
Blow – 4/5
Harry and the Hendersons – 5/5
Nanny McPhee – 3/5
Nanny McPhee Returns – 2/5
Tyson – 4/5
Furry Vengence – 2/5
Killers – 3/5
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo – 4/5
Twisted – 3/5
Desperado – 4/5*
Gone in 60 Seconds – 5/5*
Assassins – 2/5
Kalifornia – 3/5
Prince of Persia – 3/5
Big Fat Liar – 3/5
Universal Soldiers – 2/5
Carlito’s Way – 4/5
A Perfect Getaway – 3/5
The Manhattan Project – 4/5
Vince Vaughn’s Wild West Comedy Show – 4/5
Dinner for Five – 3/5
Bigfoot – 1/5
Dexter: Season 1 – 5/5

* Not the first time watching.

Filed under: 2010, Books, Movies, September

August Debrief

August has always been my favorite month.

13 - Softball Tournament (5th place)
27 - Birthday (35 years old)
26-29 – Mancation (Road trip to Traverse City + Fantasy Football Draft Party)

August Running Totals
8 workouts
5:24:47 duration
36.39 miles
8.39 per mile average
4018 calories burned

Tweet of the Month

Having a hard time figuring out why the whole world is actually taking Favre at his word this time. September 9 is when we’ll find out.
— @mudpuppy August 3, 2010 11:54:01 AM EDT

Books Read in August:
Broken Record: Enjoying the Music of Relationship Through the Hisses, Pops, and Scratches — John Voelz

Movies Watched in August:
Encounters at the End of the World – 1/5
Old Dogs – 3/5
Point Break – 4/5
The Ghost Writer – 4/5
Brewster’s Millions – 3/5
The Hangover – 4/5
The Exorcist – 4/5
Arlington Road – 4/5
Dead Man – 3/5
The Whole Nine Yards – 3/5
Paycheck – 3/5
Zach Galifianakis: Live at the Purple Onion – 3/5
Pirates of Silicon Valley – 3/5
The Expendables – 3/5
Pirate Radio – 4/5
Poltergeist – 4/5
Cop Out – 2/5
Art & Copy – 5/5
Summer Rental – 2/5
The Losers – 3/5
8 Heads in a Duffel Bag – 2/5
First Snow – 4/5
Four Rooms – 3/5
Bella – 4/5
The Burbs – 5/5
Repo Men – 3/5
Romulus, My Father – 2/5
Lord, Save Us From Your Followers – 5/5

Filed under: 2010, August, Books, Movies

Movie Review: Art & Copy

I went to college to get a degree in Business Management. One of the required classes was Advertising. It turned out to be one of my favorite classes during all my years in that Business building (I still have the book to this day).

Before heading off to college, I worked a few years doing prepress for a local print shop. It was my first introduction to the Macintosh work environment, but it was love at first sight. When I started, Freehand and Quark ruled the day and Photoshop 2.0 was all the rage. As a result I was also there at the ground level when Illustrator and InDesign came around. A coworker and I would come in early and do the tutorials just to learn what was possible. At the time I wasn’t even a designer, just a production artist.

Back to college. It was my Senior year and I was doing interviews with companies that came to campus. During every interview I can clearly recall thinking to myself, “What am I doing here?” One company flew me down to Dallas for a next level interview, and it was the last time I ever interviewed for a Management position. It was an extremely beneficial experience, but when I returned I immediately signed up for another couple of years of college. I needed to add a minor in Graphic Design to my degree. It only took me four years, but I now knew that my life’s calling involved a Macintosh computer and some Adobe programs.

Flash forward to today. I now work in the Marketing department for an international organic food company doing graphic design and social media. I’ve been able to design everything from a frisbee to trailer graphics, and everything in between. Advertising is part of my everyday thought process. So it was with great anticipation that watched Art & Copy recently, and I wasn’t disappointed. Much like Helvetica before it, this documentary tickled my funny bone and reminded me why I made that decision back in college to get into this industry. Advertising gets a bad rap most days, and with good reason. We are inundated with horrible and constant advertising. But advertising will always be a part of our life, and when it’s done well it can change the world. Literally.

Art & Copy is a powerful new film about advertising and inspiration. Directed by Doug Pray, it reveals the work and wisdom of some of the most influential advertising creatives of our time. These artists and writers all brought a surprisingly rebellious spirit to their work in a business more often associated with mediocrity or manipulation: George Lois, Mary Wells, Dan Wieden, Lee Clow, Hal Riney and others featured in Art & Copy were responsible for “Just Do It,” “I Love NY,” “Where’s the Beef?,” “Got Milk,” “Think Different,” and brilliant campaigns for everything from cars to presidents. The social and cultural impact of their ads are brought to light in this dynamic exploration of art, commerce, and human emotion.

I think it’s ironic that the movie I watched right before this one was Pirates of Silone Valley, a docudrama about how Steve Jobs got his start. Sandwiched together they gave me a renewed sense of purpose regarding my future.

Some of my all time favorite ad campaigns are covered in this documentary, such as Nike’s “Just Do It” campaign. Pictured below is an ad from that campaign that I could look at every single day. I still have a cutout of the original ad laminated at my house.

What are some advertising campaigns that have moved you?

Netflix Rating: ★★★★★

Filed under: Advertising, Movies, Reviews

July Debrief

As taxing as June was, July was the exact opposite.

On the 3rd we hosted our 2nd Annual Kenya Dig It 5K & 10K. Tanner smoked his previous PR with 27:24 in the 5K—not bad for a 6 year old.

On the 10th Tanner played in his last baseball tournament of the year. Travel ball was a lot of fun, but it sure can be a time-suck. Bittersweet memories.

On the 12th Tonia had knee surgery to repair some cartilage and a torn meniscus. As a result, she’s been off work and at home all month. Having her and Tanner at home during the day has been really nice! I’ve even been riding my bike to work, 6 days straight as of today.

On the 23rd Tanner turned 7. Crazy how fast time flies.

Most of the month was unscheduled and relaxed. We spent a lot of time at home, getting a few things done around the house but nothing too taxing. July actually felt like a summer vacation.

July Running Totals
8 workouts
3:37:24 duration
25.65 miles
8.29 per mile average
2903 calories burned

Tweet of the Month

That was a fun morning. Raccoon falls out of tree right in front of me. I watch raccoon for an hour. Dad kills raccoon w/ baseball bat.
— @mudpuppy July 24, 2010 12:38:26 PM EDT

Books Read in July:
N/A

Movies Watched in July:
Remember Me – 4/5
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly – 3/5
Jaws – 5/5
American Zombie – 2/5
Magnum Force – 3/5
I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry – 2/5
Legion – 3/5
Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead – 4/5
Michael Jackson’s This Is It – 5/5
Under Suspicion – 4/5
Hearts in Atlantis – 3/5
The Karate Kid 2 – 3/5
Extraordinary Measures – 3/5
The Outlaw Josey Wales – 4/5
Toy Story 3 – 3/5
Inception – 5/5
The Sorcerer’s Apprentice – 3/5
The Proposal – 3/5
The Vanishing – 3/5
Green Zone – 4/5
Surrogates – 3/5
Instinct – 4/5
Airheads – 3/5
Karate Kid 3 – 3/5
Despicable Me – 3/5
Fright Night – 2/5
Youth in Revolt – 2/5
Gamer – 1/5
So I Married An Axe Murderer – 3/5
Amreeka – 4/5
Manhunter – 3/5
The Wraith – 3/5
Pale Rider – 4/5
The Bounty Hunter – 3/5

Filed under: 2010, July, Movies

Movie Review: Inception

I need to begin this review by revealing my man crush on Leonardo DeCaprio. He might just be my favorite actor. Every movie he makes is automatically added to my must-see list, and almost always receives 4 or 5 stars. I am incredulous that he has yet to win an Academy Award.

From Wiki:

Inception is a 2010 science fiction action film written, produced, and directed by Christopher Nolan and starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Marion Cotillard, and Ellen Page. The film centers on Dom Cobb, an “extractor”, who enters the dreams of others to obtain information that is otherwise inaccessible. His abilities have cost him his family and his nationality, but a chance at redemption and regaining his old life is promised when Cobb and his team of specialists are hired to plant an idea in a target’s subconscious. This process of planting of an idea, known as “inception”, is less familiar and far more difficult than Cobb’s usual job of “extraction”.

Inception is not for those wishing to go to a movie theater and leave their brains at home (see: A-Team). No, this movie will have you thinking from the onset, and without ceasing throughout. It will have you discussing it afterwards, and looking up things on the internet for the next few days. You might hear griping about the ending because it wasn’t tidy, but that’s what sold it for me. We are left to determine for ourselves how it ended. Couple that with the underlying theme surrounding dreams and reality and you’ve got a perfect ending in my opinion. And although I feel like I grasped what was going on, I’m looking forward to watching it again to see what I missed and how my perceived interpretation might be altered.

I think Christopher Nolan is a mad genius and a force to be reckoned with in the future. He opened our eyes with his masterpiece, Momento, but he truly became a household name after reimagining the Batman franchise. With Inception, a movie he has been working on for the last 10 years, we now see that he is only getting started. July 2012 can’t get here quick enough!

Netflix Rating: ★★★★★

Filed under: Movies, Reviews

June Debrief

June was taxing.

Technically we were still in Traverse City when June began, but later that same week my sister-in-law got married, and all three of us were in the wedding. The following week we celebrated our 11 year anniversary by camping at the Silver Lake Sand Dunes with Tonia’s family. The next weekend we celebrated Father’s Day with more camping in Chicago, and running in the Warrior Dash. Just for fun, the following week Tanner had 2 nights of 2-hour baseball practices, 1 scrimmage, and a weekend tournament.

Somewhere in the midst of all that Summer officially began.

Running Totals
3 workouts / 1:48:48 duration / 13.68 miles / 8.41 per mile average / 1608 calories burned

Tweet of the Month

Tonia and I dated for 6 years + married for 11 on Friday = 17 years together. I’m currently 34 years old. #dothemath
— @mudpuppy 3:44 PM Jun 8th

Books Read in June:
N/A

Movies Watched in June:
A Fistful of Dollars – 4/5
Defendor – 3/5
It’s Complicated – 4/5
Sleepless in Seattle – 4/5
The Three Musketeers – 3/5
Thunderbolt and Lightfoot – 2/5
The 11th Hour – 3/5
Edge of Darkness – 4/5
From Paris with Love – 2/5
Benny and Joon – 3/5
Invictus – 4/5
The A-Team – 5/5
The Karate Kid – 4/5
For a Few Dollars More – 4/5
Knight and Day – 3/5
Amadeus – 4/5
Kelly’s Heroes – 4/5
The Twilight Saga: Eclipse – 3/5

Filed under: 2010, June, Movies