Wednesday, February 22, 2012

A History Lesson for Life


Last weekend I watched a movie with my wife. It was a movie I had seen before and I had rated it up in my Top Ten favorites. Well... after watching it again I now rate it #1....I know...Im selling out on my old favorite "Armageddon". But it touched me this time more than it did before when I watched it. You may have seen it too..."Pay it Forward"  About a 7th grade history teacher who challenges his students to find something that will change the world...and then act on it. One of his students starts the idea of Paying it forward....meaning that you do something for three people (it has to be something that they cant do for themselves) and they in return do something for three other people and so on and so on. The actors are Kevin Spacey, Haley Joel Osment and one of my all time secret crushs...Helen Hunt. (dont tell Kim...its a secret ok) And no...that is not why its my new favorite...its the concept and the ending of the movie is why it my new favorite. And no I would will not tell you the ending just in case one of my readers havent seen the movie. (one of the six)  :) But if you havent seen it and your a dreamer like me...I would highly recommend it.

What if?....thats the question I keep asking myself. What if this concept actually took hold in this world?
Can you imagine the good that could come out of it. Every day we could hear about the good things people are doing for other people on the news. Read about the wonderful things that have happened to people in the newspaper and magazines. Our lives would be filled with wonderful news and feelings that would cultivate even  more love and generosity in everyone. Look, I know its a bit far fetched because lets face it...people arent always nice and dont always take the time to help people who are in need. I also know it was just a movie...but just...What IF? Sometimes its the small things that can make a huge difference in this great big world we live in.

So I guess now I must find three people to Pay it Forward.
Three people that I can help.
And Kim .....dont get any crazy ideas...sorry.....your still doing the laundry.


Sunday, February 19, 2012

Living the Dream

We lost one of the great singers of my era with the death of Whitney Houston. At one time I thought she was the best ever and there would not be a a better singer ever to come around. (Ok ...I was in my own little world when I thought that) But needless to say...I was very sad to hear of her passing. Music is such a vital part of our society that its hard for me to think of a world without it.
 Micheal Jackson brought me so much love and joy through his music, and it still brings me joy even today. I don't worry about their private life with what type of trouble they have been in or any accusations that were brought against them or even if they did drugs or not. None of that matters to me....I don't judge them as a person at all. I only judge their music on whether or not it moved me. There have been quite a few musicians in my life that have touched me deeply with their music. These are my favorites ...in no particular order...

BJ Thomas
Commodores
Steven Curtis Chapman
James Taylor
Shaina Twain
Faith Hill
Journey
Christiana Aguilar
Whitney Huston
Maria Carey
Boys 2 Men
Kenny Rodgers
Linda Ronstadt
Michael Jackson

There are probably a few more that should be on that list but growing up in the 80s era wont let me remember. :)   But all those above have produced music that moved me in ways that the other musicians didn't. Aside from a few when I look at the list...I can definitely say that I am a official SAP. I am a sucker for the ballads and Love songs. I think that is because I am a Pisces...as I said before..Pisces are Dreamers and I am no exception. When I listen to a good ballad, I am taken away to a place that only it can take me to. I cant go there with just my imagination. (mainly because it wanders to much)
I will admit though...I always wanted to become one of those people on my list.  But reality sets in at some point in those of us who know they don't really have what it takes.  But it doesn't stop me from dreaming about it. And that's what those people brought to me. A dream that is close to my heart.
 A dream that puts me on that stage and touching people with my music.  A dream that lets me have that power in my voice to move people to tears.

Have you ever listened to Whitney Huston's "Star Spangled Banner" that she sang at the Superbowl?  It was such a moving experience for all who watched that day. I still get goosebumps when I watch it....it was absolutely amazing. For that and her other great songs she sang....I will be forever thankful for her and the others on my lists.  Not just for being  Great Singers and musicians...but for the joy and dreams they bring me.


She not only touched me that day...she touched a country !! What a dream this one is !!


Sunday, February 12, 2012

Chef Clell

Every other weekend we bowl with our partners Mike and Suzie. We also have dinner with them afterwards. We used to go out to a local restaurant but this year we started to have dinner at their house after we bowled. I am not sure how it happened but the deal was that Suzies Mom would make dinner and it would be ready by the time we got to their house. (And she is a great cook by the way) My end of the deal was that I was to make dessert. And being the fine chef that I am (Chef Clell is what Kim calls me when I am cooking) I was all about that.

I started with apple pie and I did that for a couple weeks...Suzies dad loves apple pie...and I was all about pleasing his pallet. I wanted to change it up so I made a Chocolate tart with raspberries and almonds. The next week I made a Lemon meringue pie. And this week I am making chocolate and vanilla pudding. And I must say....the chocolate tart turned out very well...but the lemon pies crust that I made seemed a bit salty when tasted by itself. (Thanks for pointing that out in front of everyone Kim) But I couldn't disagree because I tasted it too. Come to find out...I added to many Graham cracker crumbs to the crust. (I didn't follow the directions well) (Its a man thing) But I learn from my mistakes.(usually)
I was more worried about the meringue turning out than I was the crust. Looks like every detail counts. (who knew)

I heard a good analogy about cooking the other day...I heard a chef say...recipes are like a map....it will get you to where you want to go but if you want to live a little...go off the map a little bit and do your own thing. Kim also heard this and she said..."See...that's what I do"....and being the sarcastic ass that I am... I said..."Yes honey...but you get lost and never make it to your destination" "You start out going to Maine and end up in California"
I could tell by the look on her face that if I wanted my next meal cooked by her ...I was going to have to wait a loooong time.  Good thing my wife has a sense of humor about her. :)

Sorry for the bad Photos...Kim still hasnt got me my dream camera yet
(hint hint)





Saturday, February 4, 2012

Movie Night


I saw my first 3D movie last night. It was so very COOL. My wife doesn't get to wrapped up in movies but she absolutely loved the Underworld movies. So when she suggested we go see a movie and we saw that the newest Underworld movie was still playing....it was a no-brainer. (for me anyway...I try to keep momma happy) I saw that it was in 3D and I was a little apprehensive at first thinking..."do I really want to watch a movie with glasses on the whole time?" (after all...that's why I had Lasik surgery so I wouldn't have to wear glasses.) I am usually not a fan of "going to the movies". I think I can count on one hand the number of times I have went. I would much rather sit in the comfort of my own house and watch one. Whats a movie experience without having your dogs and cats and bird to bother you? (insert sarcastic smirk here)

The movie started and I was instantly amazed at how everything was in 3D ..even the previews. My eyes were in sensory overload mode. It reminded me of the first time that I looked into one of those 3D viewers as a kid. I didn't want to put it down and I remember feeling as if I was right there in the picture next to the Disney characters I was viewing.
 During the movie we even jumped a few times because your eyes are so impelled in watching the screen that when the sounds increase in volume it startles you out of your seat. (I think I even was startled so bad a couple times that I made sounds...like "whoa" and "ahh" (I played it off like it was Kim but no one was buying it)
It was an action packed movie so there was plenty to keep my eyes busy. Not to mention that Kate Beckinsale kept my eyes busy as well. But I found the whole experience to be much more intense than watching it in 2D. I almost felt like a kid again.....that was until I tried to get up out of the seat and my body instantly reminded me that I wasnt a kid no more.
 I really cant wait to see another movie in 3D. Who knows..... maybe by then they will have come out with a 4D, 5D or even 6D movie.   (ahh ...to be a kid again and dream)


Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Its Just a Name


        Today I had a something funny come to me via email. I had requested a new person be sent to the shop to start on 3rd shift. I received an email from one of persons from the staffing company (whom I adore every one of them there) anyway...they stated that they found a person for me and he will be starting tonight. (No that's not the funny part) The funny part was the name of the person who they were sending. Well the first name I was given was "Snow Storm" but then another emailed followed saying "oops I mis read the name...its really Storm Snow" (I know...not much worse than the first in terms of thinking funny things to say about it.)
       All I could think of was "Why in the heck did they name him Storm?" Out of all the cool names there are to choose from...they picked  Storm (which is a cool name too...unless your last name is Snow")
       I am really eager to meet this guy and see what kind of sense of humor he has....and no...I would never tease him about his name...I'm sure he has had plenty of that already. And as they say on all infomercials " but wait theres more"....I also found out that...get this...he went to White Cloud High School and lived in White Cloud Michigan. (oh the irony)
I just cant help but wonder...if the parents were being cruel or funny. I would like to think that they were being funny....but how cruel is it to be so funny ? If you look up funny names on the Internet....you will see that Storm Snow is not as bad as some of those on the lists.

       I suppose all kids get made fun of at sometime in their lives about their name. You can make fun of just about any name if you want to be cruel...and most kids are cruel at some point during adolescence.
      I was called Ranshog when my name was Ranshaw....I was called Clellbert because my middle name is Clell. (Named after my grandfather Clell Ranshaw) I was even called Lyin Ian even though I never Lied...besides a few times that I was trying to protect the innocent....me.

     When naming our kids ...I know that I thought of how kids would make fun of the names we picked out. So I tried to rhyme them with other words and if I found one that I thought that kids may think of...it was ruled out. (can you say "over protective father") But at least I had their best interest in mind. We named Taylor after my all time favorite musician James Taylor. I always had the hopes that she would learn to play guitar so I always left my guitar out and one day she picked it up and it was "game on"....she learned quite fast and still teaches me things to this day.
Timberly was named because all we had were boys names picked out....and Kim picked the name and ... after I said to myself.....Timber Timber bo bimber banana nana fo fimber fe fi fo fimber Timber. " I Love it " I said.

      Having children is a blessing that some people in life don't get to experience....so picking out a name should not only be a honor to do so...it should be a honor for the child to have that name. So the least we can do as parents is to put some thought to it. I really hate to criticize...and far be it from me to criticize other people (I do not live in a glass house)...but if you really look up "funny names" you will see that there are some parents who really do need  some criticizing"