Out to the Movies: Juno

I've been wanting to see this movie since I first saw the trailer. I was disappointed when it first came out in limited release and Santa Barbara was not one of the locations, and then basketball season got in the way for the past week or so. Well, I finally made it to the Theater to enjoy this cinema event.

I was not disappointed! The humor was smart, funny, and unique. Ellen Page was damn near sublime in her portrayal of a pregnant teenager. In other words, I really enjoyed this movie! It may not be for everyone, but I feel it is worth the price of admission.

Cute and Cuddly Sunday

And contrary to some people's belief I am not doing this to torture my parents.

Reading Corner

In the quickest cover to cover read in my history I finished reading "The Kite Runner" late last night after beginning it on Wednesday. "The Kite Runner" has been by far the most interesting book I have read in a really long time. I found myself so engrossed in the story that I didn't want to set it down for a second. For anyone who is looking for a great book to read I strongly recommend "The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini.

Next up is "Auschwitz: A New History" by Laurence Rees.

The Simple Pleasures

I miss a lot of things about living in Ohio and Oregon, but the sound of rain is the one thing that doesn't find it's way to Santa Barbara very often. I've been fortunate this week in that it has rained 2 of the last 3 days helping me unwind from some pretty disheartening and irritating days of work. It's been nice and relaxing coming home, reading my book and listening to the rain outside.

Before I Die: Alaska

In the spirit of "The Bucket List" set to release in a week or two I've decided to share with all of you in weekly installments things and places that I would like to see and do before I die. Up first is the state of Alaska!

Ever since I was a kid I've had two obsessions; Marine Life and Nature! Afterall, I initially wanted to be a Marine Biologist till I watched Jaws thirty times and Discovery Channel's Shark week. It was at that point I decided I couldn't handle the whole shark aspect of the job, and thus moved onto Architecture and then Athletic Training.

Alaska has always fascinated me and I find myself envying people who grew up there. The beauty of the landscape, the diversity of wildlife, the miles of uncharted wilderness, and of course the Huskies! Here's a taste of what I find so enticing about Alaska:









Ultimately I am hoping one day to be able to afford a vacation to this great state and experience all it has to offer!

Reading Corner

I have to admit that I've been slacking on my reading here lately and only reading when on the road with the basketball team.
I vow to be better! I finished "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom this past weekend while I was in Spokane, Washington. This book was a fairly easy read; this most likely was because I ended up getting the Large print edition in which anyone 10 feet behind me could have also read the words with ease.

"The Hiding Place" is a true story about the ten Boom family during the German occupation of Holland in World War Two. The family; particularly Corrie joined the Dutch Resistance and aided Jews into hiding and stealing ration cards to allow passage of Jews to homes in the country and attempt to save them from persecution. Things were going well for the ten Booms till one day their home got raided and each were imprisoned. Most of the family was later released, except for Corrie, her sister Betsie, and her Father who died a week after being incarcerated. Betsie later died after her and Corrie where transported to a concentration camp in Germany.

Overall the book was good and right up my alley. I truly enjoy reading books about true life events and thinking about if I was placed in the same position would I have the same courage to do what they did. I like to think that I would, but I don't think any of us truly know what path we would take until confronted with the situation.

Next on the list:

"The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini

Happy New Year's

The ball has dropped, people have been kissed, and resolutions have been made; it is officially 2008! In true New Years fashion I have come up with a list of some resolutions; I guess these would be more like goals than anything else, that I hope to attain and work toward this year. My hope is to use this blog as a way to measure my progress in achieving the results that I want to get out of my resolutions. The progress may not always be pretty but I hope that this year helps me grow as a person.

So with no further delay here's the list:

Number 1: Reach target weight of 160lbs and/or waist size of 32.
a: Eat Healthy
b: Exercise at least a hour 5 days a week.

Number 2: Be Better at keeping in touch with past, current, and future friends.

Number 3: Reconnect with my brother

Number 4: Buy a bed

Number 5: Be more honest and stand up for myself at work

I know there is a lot of things that should probably be on my list of resolutions (goals), but I think this a good list to start with.

To everyone who reads my blog I would like to wish you all a very Happy New Year and that 2008 treats each and everyone of you with respect and honor.

Happy New Year!