Thursday, April 30, 2015

N.R. Today

The past several weeks when it hasn't rained I've taken Scarlett on walks. Sometimes we go to the school and 'pick' Ryan up and enjoy our way home. It's nice to get out of the house and get a little needed exercise and sun. For real on the sun becuase my potassium levels are still low from being sick. Scarlett is getting a little tan going on and I try and not scare the neighbors going shirtless. JK

But today, for whatever reason, I witnessed a lot of things that made me shake my head.
Now I don't know protocol, maybe they are supposed to keep their vehicles running, but their was a police car running with nobody inside for the two blocks that I walked by. It was beautiful today so I'm not sure if the A/C or heat was running, but that seems like rather extreme and a waste of gas.
I don't know about delivery drivers parking rules either, but I saw a truck park on Main Street where it was clearly for no parking. There were three open spots right in front of where he parked.
Later sitting out on my deck with Scarlett I watched four kids about 12/13 years old go by, 3 of them were on bikes and the 4th was walking. At least one said to two younger boys 'scooters are for pussies.' Makes me sad and angry at the same time. Wish I knew any of them. 4 older kids make fun of two younger ones while they are all outside having fun.

Puts a damn frown on my face after a a great walk!

But, sounds like another nice day tomorrow and hoping for a better experience!

PS - People are really nice at crosswalks when you are pushing a stroller :)

Sunday, April 19, 2015

What if Hulk could fly, and had a lightsaber. Me like.

Attention geek alert status!!
I'm not sure I've ever been more excited about three movies than I am currently.
The 2nd Avengers.
The new Star Wars.
And Batman vs Superman.

     Not much else can top these movies as far as how much they have shaped more than just my movie going experience throughout my years, but si-fi fantasy and my all time hero's as well. I mean I'm really big into sports, many kids, and I have my favorites, but these three films have basically it all for me. Not to take anything away from other movies I love such as Dumb and Dumber, Happy Gilmore, The Matrix trilogy, Braveheart, Gladiator and many, many - many others, but overall I like the idiot proof, good vs evil, hero movie as I'll always be a kid at heart about this and can relate with my brother and my son indifferent yet covers similar ways. I turn 40 this summer and feel I can relate to several movies of each decade of my life. Yes I would have been too young to remember the movies of the 70's other than on TV, Spectrovision, or Beta and VHS, how can I not remember some great boy-type classics like Rocky, Star Wars, and Superman. The 80' had more of each of these, plus newbies like Indiana Jones, Goonies, Top Gun and Terminator as well as cartoons like Transformers, He-man, and tons of superheroes. The 90's and since we probably can all relate as they started getting into more computer graphics and such but still have tons of kick ass entertainment. One more thing, I know there are comic books that have been around a lot longer than I have, and many of them base what movies are going to be about. While I love the comics and have read some, I'm not a comic book (magazine) lover, critic, snob, or expert. Theses are my thoughts and take on what I know from growing up, watching, reading, believing, or expecting from everthing I've enjoyed relating to this post. Ok :)
     I'll start with the new Avengers. First off, the bad guy (Ultron) is voiced by James Spader, who happens to be the main character to one of the few shows I actually watch on television: The Blacklist. He's been around quite awhile as an actor and it still seems strange having him play a basically bald guy, and a terrorist, but I think he's plays the role great. This new movie is adding a couple new characters who I'm not sure if they mutants or not, but I think they must be related some how to the X-men characters which happens to be another comic series that I really enjoy. These movies have what I've liked since I was a boy, lots of action and sweet fighting and battles, some humor, and basically no brain entertainment. I don't need to get a headache thinking about thinking about too much for 2 1/2 hours and can just enjoy the show. I'm planning on renting a few of the Marvel movies that relate to this because, sadly I hadn't seen every one. Plus it has Samuel Jackson and he's terrific. I believe his first movie role was in Eddie Murphy's "Coming to America," which is a hilarious movie.
     Batman vs Superman. OK, this one is over a year away from coming out I guess, but I see some stuff on it here and there when I troll around and geek out to topics, conversations, and pictures about this movie. This is the 2nd movie with this Henry Cavill actor guy who plays Superman. I actually rather enjoyed the first one although I don't think it got the best reviews. (And to be fair I actually like the previuos Superman maybe ten years ago where Spacy plays Lex..) Then Batman is going to be played by Ben Affleck of all people. He's an interesting actor, and after the success of the Christian Bale trilogy before him, I think he's up to some definite scrutiny, but hey, it's Batman and he's already better than Kilmer and Clooney. Has to be. Plus the early picutres look great. Now about the movie and the plot: Well I have no idea the plot, I'm not sure why they will appear to be fighting, or how.  It must have something to do with Kryptonite or else this wouldn't be a fight. How could it be, I don't care how smart, skilled, rich, and batmanish Bruce Wayne is. I have a short story in process about my take on the movie. Basically, Supes flies into the Batcave at nearly light speed, lands behind Bats walking to his Batmobile, taps him on the shoulder and as he turns around he cracks his neck, game over, Batman dead. I know, (becuase like I said I've trolled) this would piss many Batmananiacs off becuase of the love of Batman or hate of Superman, but come on, he's freakin Superman, i.e. Rotated the earth backwards fast enough to get homely Lois back to life. Bats has cool shit and is way more of a human bad ass, but how can he out fight the man of steel. Either way, I'll be attending this flick and enjoying a an extra large box of popped corn. Don't care who wins, and probably don't care why. I have my suspicions and own ideas of how this will play out.
     Star Wars... really? Wow how outstandingly awesome is this! The movie could suck ass and I'd still love it and probably go back and see it the next day. No real idea of what this one (first of the next three) is really about, but I know enough about it to get super, ΓΌber-nerdish excited for, I was 2 years old when the original movie came out, and by the time the 2nd one, 'Empire' did, I had probably watched the first one 50 times and I think I'm still mind-screwed about who Darth Vader was. Now in this one, we already know Luke is a bad ass Jedi mo-fo, and it's got the greatest space smuggler in the history of movies and the universe, in Han Solo. Not to mention the Millenium Falcon. I know my wife will read this and think I fell off my rocker, but that makes it all the more fun, and I just simply can't wait for this movie. There is no way my boy and I will not have a flashlight light saber battle. I'm going to wake Sarah up some morning breathing through an oscillated fan saying something randomly stupid and hilarious. It may result in a quick nut kick, and her slightly terrified of wtf I'm doing, but it totally will be worth it.
   P.S. If Transformers somehow sneaks in here in the next year as well I will probably need medical attention.

Monday, April 6, 2015

More than just the Badgers to me...

I don't consider myself all that superstitious but over the last couple weeks watching these young men from Madison play an inspired game I found myself following my own game day rituals. Not so much wearing similar clothes for each game or sitting in my same chair (although I tried),  but more for remembering last years run to the Final Four. Or... Not remembering it. See, last year I got sick before St. Patty's Day, went into a coma and missed the Big Ten tournament, missed selection Sunday, and missed every game they played in the tournament. I never knew, nor have ever looked since to see how they fared in the Big Ten tournament, seeds they were or how each game went. All I know is they lost in the Final Four to Kentucky. After I got out of the hospital a couple of friends mentioned they recorded the games for me because they knew how much I love my Badgers. It truly meant a lot. But last summer I didn't really know much that was going on, heck I even had to ask my source of normally-useless-knowledge, Eric Meyer about who won the Masters, who was in the Final Four, who won it, who the Packers drafted and if in fact the Brewers not only won ten games in a row, but we're in first place. His response was, of course, well the Gophers won the N.I.T.
     But, back to Badger basketball. I didn't know if I was actually ready to re-live that time, even if it was just a game and I actually turned down invites from these friends to re-watch the game. Each game I felt more and more the sense of not letting my team down this year. Dumb and senseless I know, but I kept holding off on this story in hopes of the season continuing. And they kept wining, and winning. Then the past couple weeks it really started to set in how amazing two things were; both of how the Badgers were playing - including how they took down and revenged their loss to 'unbeatable' Kentucky - but more amazingly how these friends of mine remembered last year for me. Thank you Pete Rohow for the FB message after Saturday's win and all those other friends involved. I showed Sarah the message and I teared up. She didn't know what to say either, other than taking words that I don't use out of my mouth like, 'that was so sweet.'  Wasn't even sure exactly why I did, but it really meant a lot to me, and for I guess to how far I've personally come. Thank you to Scott Dreier and Jeremy Staple for giving me continued all-in-fun hard times that if the Badgers started playing poorly that maybe I should take one for the team and 'take a long nap.' Hey, it's ok now :)    
    Sarah isn't much of a basketball fan to say the least but she was really happy for the Badgers, but more so for me becuase of how much I was enjoying watching these grown kids play. I did our laundry on Friday and set out my favorite Badger shirt for Saturday's game, and then she came downstairs wearing it. I looked at her and said, you know if they win tonight you have to wear that shirt again on Monday. She laughed and said ok. I said, I'm serious and it can't be washed!
     I tried staying away from commenting much anywhere about this years tournament as I was just happily, and thankfully enjoying the ride as a fan. I honestly don't really feel like I missed out on last year, it was a great ride for everyone else, I just had a different path at that time. I mean I love sports, but my family and my health was and of course is more important.
For as much as I wanted the Badgers to win, and not just because I hate Duke, and it would have been great for the University and the Big Ten, but becuase I felt like I personally made it through something special, although unrelated, this winter/spring along with them. I'm very proud of their season, their team, the great fans, and their coach. I wish they would have won tonight, but this post would have been the same (since I started it after the UNC game:)
As I try and fall asleep tonight, I will have many tears in both eyes, some from the sadness of losing the game, some just from being proud of [my] team, and the others from the happiness of my life. Congratulations Wisconsin. Packers and Badgers may have temporarily broke my heart, but never my spirit. They have made me, for one, proud.


-Cheek

Thanks you for those unnamed who've supported me, and my sport addiction! πŸ‘πŸ‘
P.S. I better not get sick this fall,
Packer season 😎

Oh, double P.S. The FB post I'm referring to right after the Kentucky win simply said, "Cheek Moore
this is for you!"
☺️

Wednesday, April 1, 2015

Olivia Munn (kinda)

I cannot for the life of me understand all this stress over Aaron Rodgers attending Badger games. I know most of it is from national press outside of our state/fan base but it's everywhere I see. So he didn't go to college in Madison, big deal, he's from California, not many students from that state would. How many players on the Packers roster, past or present have? Not many! Only one currently actually. Rodgers grew up a Niner fan, no surprise, and he thought they may draft him, nobody seems to hold that against him. Lucky for us!
Ok, so the 'big problems' are: that he is attending games but doesn't wear Wisconsin Badger colors and that he isn't supporting his alma mater of the University of Cal. So we as Packer fans shouldn't support Andrew Quarless from Penn State, Mike Meal from Purdue, Corey Linsley from Ohio State, Brian Bulaga, Micah Hyde and Mike Daniels from Iowa because they played against Wisconsin in the Big Ten? B.S. This is why, to me, why college and pro sports is completely differnet. I look at Russell Wilson who played (only) one wonderful year for Wisconsin but now plays for our current biggest rival in the NFL, but many still cheer for him because his loyalty to the Badgers. He seems like a nice guy, but I for one do not cheer for him in the pro's. Sure, succeed and be a fine player, but not at the expense of MY team. Plus I may still be a little bitter that we lost to Andy Dalton in the Rose Bowl that year lol. JJ Watt played his entire career in Madison, has a brother on the team, and is another supporter of them still, but Green Bay seldom plays his pro team so he's in a much different situation than Wilson. Watt, played 4 years for Wisconsin and is now on an AFC team vs 1 year and on an NFC newly hated rival with Wilson.
The University of Cal's basketball team season has been over for more than two weeks, it's the NFL offseason and he was watching his decade plus home state Basketball team try to get to its second straight Final Four with his famous Girldriend. Who knows, maybe the two were visiting his family for the first time as well. Doesn't matter. Rodgers was also sitting next to ex-PGA player and current golf analyst Andy North who happens to be a huge Badger supporter and alum. Is Magic Johnson getting the same heat from Laker fans because he was at Michigan State games and not UCLA games? I don't know, but it's a similiar situation in my opinion. Apparently Rodgers has befriended the team, but it has been well before this past weekend. Him and Bo Ryan are friends and he has been joking around with some players including Sam Dekker on Twitter and in person who says he wants to play him in a one-in-one basketball game. I know Rodgers doesn't need my support but I think it's a joke on how the media is making a big deal about this. As long as he rocks the green and gold during the season, he can support what ever college team he wants, it's just much more awesome that that team is our own Wisconsin Badgers. Oh the problems of being rich, famous, a champion and MVP :)
Keep it up Rodgers and keep it up Badgers!
Maybe if he marries Munn her bridesmaids will wear red, then I'd have another story to write about.😎

-Cheek