Movies & Yard Work

Song of the Week: To prepare for next weeks concert: Killin' Time by Diamond Rugs

Tuesday March 24th, practice was cancelled, so I was able to finish up my Free Ireland photobook from Shutterfly. Only Barcelona & Paris left to make! Not bad! Rachel made an amazing spaghetti dinner for us which was so tasty. Worth noting not only because I always talk about food, but because I usually don't like spaghetti, but this was delicious! We watched that weeks Better Call Saul and then I played some Call of Duty. Another note, this is COD MW2, old school, and for the computer. I was playing and recently prestiged for the second time when I landed in a hack server with people flying around. Needless to say, I was blessed by the hacker with an upgrade to level 70, all weapons, all accomplishments, all flair. Pretty awesome. I did some editing later that evening.

On Wednesday March 25 I had some leftovers for dinner and also had a late practice since the weather is still not cooperating. That night I watched the movie Mr. Nobody with Jared Leto. Interesting movie about the last mortal on earth who is recollecting the "multiple" lives he lived. Kind of confusing and weird, but provided me with this quote. "You have to make the right choice. As long as you don't choose, everything remains possible." Think about that and if you have an extra 2 hours, check out Mr. Nobody on Netflix, I give it a 6.5/10. 

Thursday March 26th began with my usual pre-game meal, McDonalds. McChickens and McDoubles of course. We pulled off a nailbiter of a game against NC with a score of 7-6. It was an old but classic case of keep it in the box for the last two minutes of the game that my players, like always, seem to think means go out of the box. I have never screamed so much as I did in those last two minutes, but the goalie came up big and we got the W. 3-0 start! Once back at home that evening I did a good amount of editing and finished the NIU 2014 video. Check it out below!

Friday March 27th, after work, Beth and I started to watch James and Giant Peach. What a great movie. Watch it! My dad picked up Rachel from the train and then had some buttered noodles for dinner. That night Rachel and I went over to Gio and Kelly's and hung out with Gio for a couple of hours, enjoying Lou Malnati's thin crust pizza and salad, as well as having some beers. Later in the evening Kelly got home with a friend and we danced to some classic 80s jams. Party time.

Saturday March 28th I had to work and then headed over to Danny & Sarah's after to meet up with Beth & Rachel. We had some delicious grilled burgers and brats for dinner to go with some made potato fries that Sarah made. Tasty! Danny and I also started to work in their yard earlier in the evening before it got dark. It was great see Sophia, Nicky, & Buffy too. We finished the night off watching Night at the Museum 3. It was pretty good and Robin Williams last film! Rachel and I headed back to the city afterward. 

On Sunday March 29th, I finally had a day off after pretty much having to coach every day for the past 4 weeks. I did some editing and enjoyed Mac n' cheese and pizza bites for lunch. Rachel and I then took a nap much longer than we wanted, perhaps 3 hours? After the nap we walked and got some Jimmy John's for dinner, I went Country Club (I think). Rachel put a little face mask thingy on me. We then watched The Walking Dead series finale. At least we thought it was the series finale, but just turned out to be the season finale. Which made a lot more sense since we didn't understand how a series would end like that. Great end to the SEASON though! After the Walking Dead we then loaded up Academy Award Nominee Foxcatcher. The movie was very slow and had a really good ending, considering it was a true story, but we did not enjoy the movie overall. Just too slow and boring I guess.

On Monday March 30th I was supposed to wake up and leave my apartment by 6 am to go work in my brothers yard again. Unfortunately I woke up way too late and got stuck in a ton of traffic, so I didn't get there until about 9:30am, giving me a solid 2 hours to work. Sarah made us a tasty breakfast casserole and then we started to dig and do some yard work while watching Sophia run around and eat dirt. Buffy also escaped at some point and we found her 3 houses down. I then headed to work and got Steak n' Shake for dinner after work. Doubled up on fries because I am a greedy boy! I headed back to Danny and Sarah's to spend the night with another morning of yard work headed our way! Beth also met up with me there and we called it an early night.

Movie of the Week: Throwback to a great childhood book made movie: James and the Giant Peach

Video of the Week: New Disney Movie Trailer - Bambi

Thanks for reading.

HUGE concert coming up in a couple of days. Diamond Rugs at Lincoln Hall baby! If you're not there, I dunno where you are!

Josh

2-0 Start

Song of the Week: My Type by Saint Motel - pretty good jam I heard on the radio the other day

Tuesday March 17th, Happy St. Patrick's Day. First lacrosse game of the 2015 JV season. On my way to the game I see a girl drive directly into the back of a car that was sitting at a green light. It was almost like she was mad and said, screw this guy, and just gassed it. The game went very well, as we pulled off a 14-3 convincing win against Hinsdale Central for the first victory of my young highschool JV coaching career. Rachel, Beth, & my Dad were all nice enough to come cheer me on at the game. We had some delicious chicken and rice at my parents place for dinner.

Wednesday March 18th was Aunt Elaine's wake and funeral. Good to see family members, but always a sad time with the passing of a close relative. After practice that night, I watched The Walking Dead. I also watched part of More Than Honey, a bee documentary.

On Thursday March 19th I finished another book in the Ender Series, Shadow Puppets by Orson Scott Card. After work, I took the L downtown to meet up with Rachel. She treated me to a tasty dinner at the grill room. Rachel and I split some BBQ pork sliders and a hamburger. We then strolled across the street to the Bank of America theater to see The Book of Mormon. The musical was absolutely hysterical. My favorite songs were the intro/outro (Hello, My name is Elder Josh....the song similar to hakuna matata.... and the Mormon hell song. Had me giggling in the back of the theater the whole time. After the show we took the bus home, singing Hello, my name is Elder ____! the whole time and called it a night.

Friday March 20th I picked up some McDonald's on my way to my second game of the year. We dominated the game, even though my team did not play the best, we won 10-0, not allowing Wheaton Warrenville South a shot on goal. Pretty impressive defense I guess. Go Team. I finished the More Than Honey bee documentary that evening. I headed over to John's house for a little bit. He hooked me up with an awesome Elephant from India, and I hooked him up with some Diamond Rugs tunes. He was headed to Colorado in the morning, so I left after about an hour. I then watched another documentary called Dear Zachary. This was a crazy story about a terrible woman named Shirley Turner who ended up killing her child and the father of her child. Insane and sad, but recommend the viewing if you are in to true life stories like this.

On Saturday March 21st, I picked up some Wendy's (2 chicken sandwiches and 1 burger with a small frosty) after work. Once I got back to the city, Rachel and I walked over to The Pony to meet up with Matt, Colin, Sarah, & Caitlin for some drinks and dinner. I got a grilled chicken sandwich and we watched the wrestling championships on the TVs while enjoying our meal.

When then headed over to Torie's for her 25th B-day party. Rachel and I split a fifth of whiskey to go along with some ginger ale. We finished the fifth which means I drank way too much. We met up with Makey, Jackie, & her new fiance Tyler at Sheffield's bar. After having a drink with them, Rachel and I cabbed it home. It was a fun night of seeing and catching up with friends I had not seen in a long time since I have been busy with work and coaching.

Sunday March 22nd, I woke up and ate a McDouble that Rachel had picked up for me. It was one of tastiest ones I have had in a long while. I then spent 3 hours outside in the bitter cold coaching the kids. They were so cold they all decided to lay on the ground, I just let them go with it. After practice I picked up some essentials from Jewel. Once home, Rachel and I made a huge tray of chicken nachos for dinner. We watched the second to last episode of the Walking Dead as well. The show is getting crazy! Can't wait for the finale next week!

Monday March 23rd. It decided to snow about 3 inches outside... wow! Outdoor practice was cancelled so I had a few extra hours at our place to get some things done. Finished my blogs and watched the movie Sabotage with Arnold, a decent action film, nothing spectacular but a solid flick. Had some soup for lunch and I then watched the movie Jaws, classic. Rachel and I had left over nachos for dinner while watching the Better Call Saul episode from last week. After, I headed to coach and spent the evening in Naperville working on a free photo book that Rachel had got an email about the other day. Late night working on it! Worth it!

Video of the Week: Awesome Lego Jurassic Park video put together by a father and daughter. Sweet.

Movie of the Week: Jaws - Dun Dun, Dun Dun, Dun Dun Dun Dun Dun Dun Duhnnnnn

Check out these quick Netflix Movie Tip Links

Top Netflix Films by Rotten Tomatoes

IMDB top movies on Netflix

Season is off to a great 2-0 start. Our third matchup coming on Thursday. Stay tuned.

YaBoy Josh

Long Way Down, Spider Friend, & Lego Sprinkles

On the 22nd of July, after work I headed over to my cousins house to hang out. I arrived around 5:30p and jumped in the pool with Beth, Emma, & Anna and a couple of their friends. After having some water fights, doing some cannon balls, and starting a whirlpool, I got out. I was the last in and first out by the way... oo I am getting old. We had some homemade spaghetti and meatballs for dinner, along with some bread that we dipped in some olive oil dish, quite a tasty meal! Thanks Aunt Jan! We had saved a little room for dessert, so I drove Anna & my aunt over to Andy's to get some frozen custard. While looking at the menu, I saw a custard that involved putting any type of topping in the middle of your custard. Okay I am just going to call it ice cream because custard sounds weird and it tastes like ice cream anyway. So I had the brilliant idea to jam pack the middle of my ice cream concrete with sprinkles. A dream come true for a young lad like myself. Once I decided on having sprinkles, I then decided on what ice cream I would have around my sprinkles, with the help of my Aunt I chose cookies & cream. A great choice. While eating our Andy's we played a little bit of Wheel of Fortune on the Wii. Afterwards, we loaded in The Lego Movie. I had only heard great things about this movie so I was excited to watch. Laying in between all of Anna & Emma's legos, Anna and I got comfy and began to watch with a bag of popcorn on hand. The movie was fantastic as expected. I came to the conclusion that I, just like the main character, was just an ordinary lame boy who followed the directions as a child. I was no "Master Builder." The movie also made me realize that it is okay to let go of some things, and not have them be "perfect" forever. Things that we buy or use are intended to be used and worn, they can't stay new forever and we shouldn't stress over that.

After the movie, and a little bit longer of hanging out, I headed home. As I was driving I realized that there was a spider web on my side mirror. As I picked up speed, I realized there was a spider clinging on for life, I slowed down a little and he was able reestablish himself behind the mirror, safe and sound for the night.

Wednesday the 23rd of July, my parents wedding anniversary, started the same way the previous night ended, me observing my spider friend who survived the ride home and was busy spinning a web together. For work, I created an amazing goalie save video from earlier in the year. The save is pretty awesome, partially luck, partially skill, and a whole lot of awesome. It got some internet traction, so check it out! That evening I continued to go through some old items in my room, getting rid of some stuff and boxing other things up. Preparing for the move and being inspired a little by the Lego Movie, some things just have to go!

A freshly spun morning web

Spider on the move while I am on the move

Thursday July 24th, 2014 was the best day of spider activity so far. As I was driving to work, the spider had successfully spun up a great web. You know when you pull up to a stop sign or a light and all those gnats fly around your side mirrors? BAM. My spider friend had pulled off the perfect execution. At least 6 gnats flew right into his web. I was actually in awe as it was happening and stayed stopped at the stop sign for a good minute. Watching him quickly crawl across his web from gnat to gnat, spinning a web around each of them, securing them into place. I was witnessing natural murder, and it was incredible. This spider had really impressed me the last few days just by staying on my side mirror, but now he was doing work. As I picked up speed going down the road, getting to 50 mph, one or two of the gnats flew off, but the rest of them stayed nice and snug. A tasty meal for my spider friend. As sad as it sounds, I was becoming attached to this spider and thought of him as my pet. I enjoyed seeing him in my mirror and look forward to seeing him day in and day out.

When I left work that afternoon, all of his food had been eaten and he was still there, just sitting in his web. What a bro. After work I took a few photos of some pretty flowers in my yard, and watched a handful of episodes of The Long Way Down. Part 2 of Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman's travels. This time they are going from the top of Scotland and traveling south to the bottom tip of South Africa. Oh and all on motor bike, just like last time. I also played in men's league that night as well.

On Friday July 25th, I headed into work and was greeted with a donut. Then I had some little caeser's pizza for lunch. A pretty solid day so far. When I got home from work around 5pm I had some Jack's pizza, pizza for lunch, pizza for dinner. I then began to put some work in on my Prague photobook. I am making a photobook for each of my cities I visited in Europe, this is my 5th of 9 book I am doing. They are full of great pictures and great memories. I am only making them when I have free photobook coupons, but should get ahead and do some prior when I have the time. That night I got a fire going in the back yard, started it with some lint. Man does that stuff burn up quickly. I barely hit one spark from a sparkler to it and it went up in flames, should be good starter material when in Colorado. John came over to hang out by the fire, and we put in my 2nd failed bag board, and burned it right up. After our fire we went inside for a bit and found my old gas mask I had bought from some reason a long time ago. It will be a great addition to the Colorado trip. Ya never know?!

Saturday July 26th started with an early morning so I could work on and finish my Prague, Czech Republic photobook. I then headed to work and then drove to Rachel's after work. Once in the city, I was craving some soup, so cooked up some Mrs. Grass soup for lunch. Despite Rachel criticizing me for wanting to have soup in the summer, she also had a bowl and was far from disappointed, as she went back for more. Told ya so! We pretty much decided to have a lazy Saturday by watching an episode of Breaking Bad, a few episodes into season 4 now, and The Long Way Down. We rolled through a few episodes of Long Way Down and took a quick nap. After our nap for about an hour, we drove over to jewel to get some ingredients for our dinner, which was going to be..... Buffalo Chicken Dip. I had to shred some chickens, and the dip turned out to be delicious and we enjoyed it with chips and celery. See the steps and cooking process to the dip in the photos below. During dinner, we streamed some music through youtube and played Taboo with Sarah and Colin.

On Sunday, July 27th, we woke up and watched a couple of episodes of The Long Way Down, just leaving one left. In the afternoon Rachel and I met up with her friend Becca to play some volleyball at the beach. Brian ended up coming as well and we had some fun playing beach vball. Reminds me of senior year of highschool when we played at commissioner's almost every day of the summer. After volleyball Brian and I took a dip in the water, which was actually not too cold, and then we headed home. On the walk home, we came across a chair that sat probably 20 feet high. I stared at it and wondered, hmmm, is this art? or is this a challenge? I got about halfway up before I decided it was probably best to go back down. Some friends came over and we had a little BBQ, while we were outside, the apparent founder of Goose Island Brewery leaned over the fence and gave us a 6 pack of Endless IPA. This guy has lived next door for almost 10 months, and now decides to give us a 6 pack and "welcome" us to the neighborhood? I can't figure out if this guy was genuine or him and his wife would think it was funny to tell us this small white lie. Anyway, it was the talk of the BBQ. After downing a couple of hot dogs, I headed over to the softball fields with Rachel and the rest of Aly's team. Rachel isn't usually on the team, but was filling in. I had the benefit of not having to play, so dipped into a few more drinks that I probably should have for a Sunday, but what the heck. I was getting into the UMP a little bit, trying to get calls to go our way, but was unsuccessful as the team fell by 8 runs or something. After the game, which flew by, we headed home and planned on watching the last episode of Long Way Down, but instead I fell asleep almost instantly.

Monday, July 28th I woke up and drove home, then ordered my Prague photobook and headed to work. After work, I was tricked into attending one of our Speed & Agility classes, and boy was it tough. I am so out of shape and it was a great workout, especially for my hip flexors. I feel like I have always had weak hips, so I kind of wish I had this type of speed training back in high school or college. Guess I wouldn't have paid for it though... so whatever. After work I finished up The Long Way Down, what another great series and successful trip for those guys. Pretty awesome, gave me a great perspective of Africa and gives me the desire to travel, I love it! Thanks to Phil K for the original suggestion of Long Way Round & to Netflix for having Long Way Down as well and hipping me to it.

I also put a bunch of movies on hold from the library for the weekend coming up. A few Star Wars movies, some Christian Bale movies, and some others. Next week should be a good one that will end with a trip to Michigan and a hangout with Nolan.

See ya next week!

Josh