The Holidays, New Blog site, Movie Reviews

The so-called holidays are kind of a pain in the butt for me, but they always have been so I don't associate it with my new advanced age of still in my sixties but so close to the seventies. When I was a kid, and yes I still remember that time, Christmas was a very difficult time for me and it just made me sad. Don't really know why this happened since I had great parents who did everything they could to assure me that there was a Santa Claus. I remember one year when my sister and I were about 4 for her and 6 for me, we came into the living room in the early morning to see what Santa had left and it seemed that the room overflowed with presents. My sister looked at my mother and dad and said, "I know there is a Santa now because we are poor and he had to leave this stuff." Fairly bright statement for a 4 year old but I learned later in life that she got the material things idea faster in life than I did. Regardless it was a very memorable Christmas and I will never forget it. I also remember as we got older, now in our early teens, she got a real nice, low mileage, sexy black Fairlane two door hardtop(term used then, but not now, to describe a two door car that would be a convertible if it didn't have a hard top). After my dad gave her the keys she went out to look at it and came back with the proclamation that she didn't like black. Oh well, guess Santa Claus just forgot to ask. But, I do remember that that honey of an automobile didn't stay around very long and was soon off to the used car lot it came from(of course replaced with one that was the correct color). So, I have made it through 68 Holiday seasons, helped raise 7 children(mine and theirs), now have 15 grand kids(mine and theirs) and still can't figure out why I dread this time of year. From what I can gather I do know I don't like the commercialization of the season(even though I am sure it has always been this way since to give something of value you have to go buy something of value, since just a hand shake and verbal expression of love and peace just doesn't get it), and I don't like the idea that you can't get any valuable business done in the last two weeks of the year. I really feel that in the USA we should declare the last two weeks as a two National Holiday and be done with it. No one, except retailers, want to do any business and the excuse is, "just come back to see me after the first of the year and we can talk." In the mean time I sit around planning my business for next year, twiddling my thumbs, writing blogs, but not really feeling that I am doing any business. So, let us all push for a two week National Holiday the last two weeks of December and call it "The Greerman Holiday"-since it is my idea and I am getting to the point of life where something should be named after me. I can see it all now, say in year 2050, "well where are you folks going during Greerman this year?" Oh, our newest space ship is not ready so we won't be going to Mars but maybe a closer planet. Since we have a whole two weeks of pleasure I am sure we can go to Venus or some place closer. We are so glad that the Greerman set up this time off for us, what a guy!!!

My new blog site was kicked off this week and the name is: http://www.maturefitness.blogspot.com/, and guess what it is about? Yep, you guessed it, mature(senior) fitness is an idea close to my heart and I hope to unleash lots of good stuff. Now for you triathlete faithful readers you may find it boring since you are already on the fast track of fitness, so be patient and tell your mature friends about the site.

The first ever true motorcycle rally for Lubbock is now on the fast pace of planning and doing. The name of the rally is: The Giant Side of Texas Motorcycle Rally, http://www.giantsiderally.com/, August 22-24, 2008. Planning is going fast and furious and even through the holidays I was able to get a lot done. It is happening!!!

Movie Reviews: "Charlie Wilson's War", *****, This is a five star movie without question. The odd thing about the movie is that it is a true story. This guy is a congressman from East Texas(I never heard of him before this movie) and he is persuaded to do something really good and out of the hands of the Congress or Executive branch of the government(meaning, fund a covert military operation in Afghanistan to save them from the daily attacks of the Soviet Union). Good time Charlie, as Charlie Wilson was called(he loved booze, women, and a good party) in the Congress is played by Tom Hanks and what a job he does. The wealthy Houston socialite that puts in the initial bucks and is a communist hater is played by Julia Roberts. She uses all of her financial assets and physical assets to get the job done. The renegade CIA agent that gets it done in the field is played by Phillip Seymour Hoffman and he delivers in this part as none before. This one will win some awards, a must see(and not because I am from Texas). Rated R for strong language, nudity/sexual content and some drug use).

"National Treasure: Book of Secrets", ****, A very good four star movie, but not one to gather awards and trophies for the actors. Nicolas Cage again plays historian Ben Gates, Diane Kruger plays Abigail, and Riley is again played by Justin Bartha. It involves the possibility that Gates' grandfather might have been involved with the assassination of President Lincoln. So, the family must set out to prove this wrong. It is a well done movie and has some entertaining twists along the way. Prime time viewing is worth the money. Rated PG for some violence and action.

"Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story", ***+, Many will think I have lost it for giving this movie that high of a score but it is really a sometimes serious, sometimes stupid, sometimes funny, sometimes sad, sometimes unique in presentation, sometimes just weird. So with those thoughts, this movie is about a rock and roll singer whose songs may change a nation. The singer is played by John C. Reilly and he does it well. This movie has some throw back stuff to the movies about Ray Charles, and Johnny Cash. If you have not seen either of these movies you won't get it. But if you have, you will see what I am talking about. It is an interesting approach with off beat script. I recommend going to this movie with a real relaxed laid back attitude. Rated R for sexual content, graphic nudity, drug use and language. Note: It has been nominated for some Global awards I notice.

"The Golden Compass", Ho-Hum, This is a perfect movie for insomniacs. Boring, boring, boring, boring, did I say boring? The only thing to stay awake for is the outstanding animatronics and visual effects. The acting is good, but the whole plot is very boring, did I say boring again?Possibly a 10-13 year old would like this but I am not sure. Go at your own risk and do not pay full fare. It is not worth it. Rated PG-13 for sequences of fantasy violence. Note: This is also the movie that the Catholic church was against( again why I don't know or couldn't figure out, plus would that be like the kettle calling the pot black, with all of the sexual molesting law suits "the" church has gone through in the last 10 years?), so who are they to be calling some fiction, fantasy movie by Disney, bad??

greerman, during the Holiday Season

Yoga drop out, Wondering, Movie reviews

A post or two back I mentioned that I had decided to re-do my mind and body with the little thing called Yoga. It sounded good and everyone who knows anything said it was a good thing for me to do, and I would enjoy it. Well I got news for them, I am just too wound up mentally and physically to possibly enjoy such a tranquil thing as Yoga. I have watched these guys at the pool do the Yoga stretch stuff and put their hands out in front of them in kind of a split your legs type look. While they looked a little comical to me I thought, why not big boy, stretch and think a little even though you come from the hit get hit sport of football, the ram your body against the wall handball, the run, run, swim, swim, bike, bike of Ironman training, the run sprints till you drop track, and then my beloved bowling. So, why the hell do I need such a thing as Yoga that stretches your body for the good, and allows your mind to meditate for the good? Guess it just wasn't meant to be for this life time anyway, on the other hand I might order one of those do it in your living room area and not be a spectacle in some class with a kung fu woman smiling at me and saying, "lean to the right, lean to the left, lean forward, lean backward, etc., sounding more like a ruptured country and western song with no music. But since I had been out of town for the past 3 weekends and the class was on Friday's I had a good excuse for missing. How do you attend a class in Ransom Canyon when you are sitting in Alabama or Florida? The answer is simple, you can't and so Yoga has become history for a while anyway. Will report back when I make the come back. Bowling is tomorrow night so I have to make sure I am ready to help my team stay in 3rd place out of 16 teams. Not bad if I do say so myself. Will also report back on this athletic venture.

Sometimes I wonder about things that are not worth wondering about, but I do it anyway, for example: Why is it when I am in a hurry all of the signal lights turn red and seem like they stay red for 30 minutes? Why is it when I go into a convenience store, in a hurry, and try to buy one item(gum) and there are 7 people ahead of me buying money orders, buying lottery tickets, etc., it takes the convenience out of buying in these stores? Why is it that when I go into a retail store that has 20 check out stations(used to be called cash registers) only 1 of them are manned and there are 15 people in line to be checked out? Why is it when I go to Wal Mart and I walk up to the self-check out station, "a dummy is approaching the station" and the alert signals go off and there is no way I can make this thing work? Then the little lady comes up to me with her blue vest on, smiles and then gestures that this is the way to do it stupid. Then I comment that it is amazing that Wal Mart pays $50m for one of these self check out things, then has to have a $50m a year person to work it for you. I said this to her and she says, "your right, except I don't make $50m." Why is it that the toilet paper in service stations is now 4" wide instead of 6" wide? Why is it that when you go into a service station rest room it has the latest model electric towel dispenser, but it doesn't work and the paper towels are all over the sink? Why is it that a major university like Texas Tech University can pay their football coach $1.5 million per year, escalating to $2 million in 2010, but they can't keep toilet paper, paper towels, soap, or hot water in their Aquatic Center swimming area? Why is it that Christians get so upset at a funeral for one of their loved ones when they are taught that when you die you go to heaven and that is the most glorious place you can ever expect to be, looks like to me they should rejoice? Why is it no one ever says anything bad about a person after they die? I bet there were some good things even said about Al Capone at his funeral, something like, well at least he didn't die of syphilis until he got put away to jail, or maybe he was a good family man, just a little misunderstood. Why does everyone ask you after you finish a triathlon if you had a good race? Why is it that when people hear you have done a triathlon they always ask, "have you done the Ironman,"(no not Ironman Florida, but THE Ironman in Kona you dummy you)? Why is it the same when they find out you have done a marathon, "you guessed it, have you done Boston is the next question?" Why is it that when I want to pull onto the loop the cars won't let me in? Now you get the drift and I will be back soon with other, "why questions, since inquiring minds want to know?"

Movie reviews: "No Country for Old Men" *****, This is truly a five star movie, but some are going to see it and say, nope but at least ****. But, it reveals a new screen villain played by Javier Bardem who plays a stone cold killer and never uses the traditional things to kill, like a gun or knife, but a high pressure air hose that makes a perfect hole through the head or gut, and leaves very few traces. Not that this guy seems to care about hiding what he is doing or why he is doing it. On the other hand we have Tommy Lee Jones playing an old worn out sheriff ready to retire and wondering what is wrong with this modern society. Josh Brolin stands out as the antihero on the run(and for good reason I can't reveal) while old Texas Tech alum Barry Corgin delivers one of his own strongest performances in support of this rowdy, mean, cruel group of men. He is only in the movie for a few minutes, but it is time well spent. The ending is different and will leave you thinking for a while. Rate R for strong graphic violence and some language.

"Fred Claus" ***, If you still believe in Santa Claus or ever believed in him you will enjoy this extremely harmless movie. Santa Claus agrees to bail out his brother(Vince Vaughn) from debt, if he will come to the North pole and help get the presents ready for delivery to all the kids in the world. That is all you need to know to stir your interest. Go see but not in prime time. Rated PG for mild language and some rude humor(harmless).

greerman