Things that bother me #4

As the whole world knows Amy Winehouse passed away the other day. And while I unfortunately cannot say I was shocked it is still tragic and sad. She was a very talented singer and songwriter who couldn't escape her demons like so many other celebrities. Regardless of how it is determined she died it doesn't change that fact that she was troubled and no one was able to save her.

What really bothers me is how sales of an artist spike after they have died. I will never understand why people who don't already own the album run out to buy or download the music. I can understand the spike in radio play but if you didn't listen to them when they were alive why change you're opinion of them when they pass away. 

If they are doing it to remember someone there are better ways. Donate to a charity in their name. In the case of Amy Winehouse why not help fund a rehab center or volunteer at a youth center to help keep kids away from the dangers of drugs and alcohol. 

There's so many other ways to try to honor someone instead of buying music you would never buy if she was still alive. Music that you'll forget about in a month when they next tragic story hits.

It's a shame she passed away. I wish someone could have found a way to save her. But there are still so many other people in the world that need our help. I just wish people would spend their money more wisely.

Quick Take: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 2

***Some spoilers below***

I finally made it to the theater to see the last Harry Potter film. Nessa and I decided to go see it in Real 3D and I think I am done with 3D movies. I don't think it adds that much to the movie and I felt the glasses were very distracting when you have to put them over another pair of glasses. I just don't think 3D is worth the extra money for a ticket.

I'll start with what I didn't like which wasn't a lot of things. I didn't like that they didn't show Fred's death. I really liked the way JK Rowling wrote the scene in the book and was disappointed that it happened off screen in the film. It was still emotional seeing Ron breakdown when he found out the news. I also would have liked Lupin and Tonks to have death scenes but I had the same complaint in the book. I know that it's a war and with so much going on with Harry you can't give everyone a proper send off but as a fan I just wanted to see those scenes done. While I'm stating minor dislikes I would have liked to see Neville's Gran but that complaint is minor.

The other thing I was disappointed in was the Harry/Voldemort ending. It was done well but I liked the way it was written in the book with Harry and Voldemort talking it out before the final moment. The dialogue was done so well in the book and I would have liked to see the actors deliver the lines. 

What I liked about the film was that other characters got a chance to shine. I liked that they gave Neville and Snape more to do then what was in the book. The added scenes didn't disrupt the film and fit in nicely. Alan Rickman is such an amazing actor and he has done so well with the Snape character that he deserved to have his moment. As for Neville I think Nessa said it best when she leaned over and whispered that "Neville got HOT!" I loved his scene on the bridge as it blew up and the monologue he got to deliver near the end of the film. Other characters that got to have enjoyable moments were McGonagall, Luna, and Mrs. Weasley who got to deliver the best line of the series, "Not my daughter you bitch."

Things I loved about the film were many. I won't list them all but I'll go over a few. I loved the Ron and Hermione kiss scene. It was slightly different then how it happened in the book but it worked well within the changes made in the script. I also liked the little moments that they gave Harry and Ginny. I liked the little humorous moments that were added to lighten the mood in such a serious movie.

The scenes I loved the most where the ones with Snape's memories. They were acted so well and although didn't play off the way I imagined from the book, it was really well done. Again this is owed to the awesomeness that is Alan Rickman.

I also liked that they pretty much stayed true to the book when doing the scenes from when Harry walks into the Forbidden Forrest right into the King's Cross scene. In that King's Cross scene I liked that the piece of Voldemort that was under the bench looked like a bloody version of the way Voldemort looked before reforming in Goblet of Fire.

Overall it was a fantastic ending to a a great movie and book series. I was late to the party but it is one of the many things I will always have Nessa to thank for. Without her I'd probably still think Harry Potter was overrated garbage. I'm glad I was proven wrong.

Tuesday Top Ten: Movies based on Books

 Since I'll be going to see the last Harry Potter film this afternoon I thought it would be a good time to list my Top Ten movies based on books. I'm posting this quick so I can get a few things done before the movie so let's jump right in.

10. The Outsiders
Book they are based on:  The Outsiders by SE Hinton

This first thing I always remember about this film is how many future stars were in the film. This movie was packed with young stars who went on to have great movie careers. Except for the poor kid who played Ponyboy. Talk about being remembered for the wrong reasons, especially since he had the main role in the film.

9. High Fidelity
Book they are based on: High Fidelity by Nick Hornby

One of the few movies that could make americanize a British book and still succeed. It's a good story that translate easily from page to screen. Also one of the few films that I enjoy Jack Black in.

8. Lord of the Flies
Book they are based on: Lord of the Flies by William Golding

I watched this movie before I read the book. Most of the time when that happens I end up starting to dislike the movie but this film bucks the trend. The children in the film and book always seemed real and I imagine if this happened in real life it would play out almost the same way.

7. The Green Mile
Book they are based on: The Green Mile by Stephen King

One of three Stephen King's stories to make my top ten. Another story that makes well as both a movie and a book. The acting in the film is amazing and Stephen King books translate to film better when they have emotion elements rather then straight horror novels.

6. Forrest Gump
Book they are based on: Forrest Gump by Winston Groom

  This movie ended up higher on the list because I liked the movie so much more then I liked the book. Tom Hanks is great as Gump. I also loved the above clip I found for the film. 

5. Friday Night Lights
Book they are based on:  Friday Night Lights by HG Bissinger

Most of the time I dislike Billy Bob Thornton as an actor but in a few films he is such a great actor. This is one of those films. The movie gets extra points because it inspired Friday Night Lights the TV show which is one of my all time favorite TV shows. The film is so much more then just a football movie. It's a picture at how we let sports control our lives and how it can shape a town. 

4. Field of Dreams
Book they are based on: Shoeless Joe W. P. Kinsella

I got this movie as a Christmas gift when I was younger. We ate a lot of McDonalds and the restaurant was during a Christmas promotion selling Heart touching movies for cheaper with the sale of a Value Meal. That Christmas I got Back To The Future and this film on VHS. I had never seen the film before but watched it twice that Christmas day. I loved the story and became a huge fan of the way James Earl Jones spoke. I'll still watch anything he's in just to hear him talk.

3. Stand by Me
Book they are based on: The Body by Stephen King

I always liked this film because it always makes me think back to my childhood when things were simple and I had little to nothing to worry about. When I could just pack a backpack and walk the 20 KM to Matepedia with Ryan to visit friends.

2. Harry Potter Series
Books they are based on: Harry Potter series by JK Rowling

Regardless of how people feel about the changes made from the books the series is among some of my favorite books and movies. Sure I wish the movies included more of the novels and kept some of the less important story lines but if you watch the movies as a separate entity they are quite enjoyable.

1. Shawshank Redemption
Book they are based on: Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption by Stephen King

One of my all time favorite movies. I didn`t love the novella it was best on and the movie follows the novella quite well. What makes this movie is the acting. You can also say that the movie had fantastic writers and a fantastic director but without Morgan Freeman and Tim Robbins this movie could have easily fell flat.

It's a great story of friendship and redemption and I thank TBS for making it such a popular film since audiences skipped it in theaters and it was overlooked for awards by Forrest Gump.

Music Monday: John Hiatt - Have A Little Faith In Me

When the road gets dark
And you can no longer see
Just let my love throw a spark
And have a little faith in me
And when the tears you cry
Are all you can believe
Just give these loving arms a try
And have a little faith in me 

Ever since the first time I've heard this song it's been a favorite of mine. It's a song that could mean so much to so many people and can mean something different to each person. 

For some it's a declaration of love. The need to have someone love you so much that they can have true faith in you and trust you with all of them. It's means a lot to have someone be able to trust you that much and it all starts with having a little faith in someone. It's the ability to look past their faults and have faith that they will in turn love you regardless of your faults.

For others its the mark of true friendship. Having someone who you can count to always be there no matter what. For those lucky few who have been able to grow up with a best friend they had to take that first step and have enough faith in that person to plant that first seed that can grow a beautiful friendship.

And for the lucky few, the song is both love and friendship. Those lucky enough to be in love with their best friends. Someone they have totally faith in and try to never let them down. In our world you hope that when people have someone that shows that much faith in them that they never let them go. Sadly some people are just too stupid to appreciate what they have. 

I'll just have a little faith that someday they smarten up.

Reaction to Emmy nominations

With the list of this year’s nominations it just reinforces my belief that Emmy voters don’t really watch TV. They just latch on to shows that critics like and keep nominating the same things over and over again every year. It’s not a bad thing when shows deserve it. I wouldn’t call myself a fan of Mad Men so I can’t really argue that it doesn’t deserve the Emmy love but other shows did not deserve all the love.

Firstly Glee was bad this season. It was disjointed and often times was boring. The same could be said for The Office and the nomination for Steve Carrell for Lead Actor in a Comedy. If the show fails to live up to prior seasons then the Emmy’s need to recognize that it wasn’t as good and stop themselves from following old habits.But it was nice to see Johnny Galecki and nominated alongside Jim Parsons.

I do think Modern Family is funny but do you really need to award every single actor in the show and call them a best supporting actor. Apparently the show does not have a lead actor. Honestly one of the spots should have gone to Neil Patrick Harris who is hilarious as Barney on How I Met your Mother.

I wanted Fringe to get a Best Drama nomination but can’t really argue with who was nominated especially since Friday Night Lights finally got a Best Drama nom but John Noble should have got into the Best Actor from a Drama race. He was outstanding playing two versions of Walter all seasons and should have been awarded. Not really surprising since I don’t think Emmy likes Sci Fi shows but disappointing none the less.

I was very glad to see Connie Britton and Kyle Chandler get nominations again. I know they won’t win but still nice to see those two get recognized. They played such a realistic married couple for five seasons and deserve the love. I also liked seeing Matt LeBlanc nominated for Episodes which is an under rated comedy and should have been nominated over Glee.

Even through I am still upset with how the ended the season I can’t deny that Mireille Enos and Michelle Forbes deserved nominations for The Killing. The scene where Michelle Forbes finds out her daughter was killed should win her the Emmy for Best Supporting Actress and that was just from the pilot. Both actresses carried the season.

It looks like The Walking Dead will join a long list of shows that are great but get no Emmy love. Gilmore Girls, Everwood, Bones, and Southland.

But at least Cat Deeley finally broke into the list for Best Realty Show host. How she has never been nominated before I will never understand but better late then never. She makes the show and should easily win the award if voters are smart even through I’ll still accept Jeff Probst winning because as much as Cat Deeley makes So You Think You Can Dance, Jeff Probst is Survivor.

I was surprised there was no love for Grey’s Anatomy. They usually grab at least one Supporting Actress and this year got nothing. I was glad to see Loretta Devine get a Guest Star nom for ths show because she is amazing in everything she does. The rest of the cast not being nominated doesn’t bother me because the show is so hit or miss but shocked me because it went against the grain of Emmy rewarding the same old thing even if it’s not as good as it once was. Nice to see some things change.

Love Letter to my Wife

There was once a boy that was lonely. No one realized this cause he didn't share the feeling. To outsiders he was a happy go lucky kid. He danced like there was no tomorrow and sang songs badly just to make people laugh but at the end of the night when he went home to be by himself he wanted more.

But then he met this girl who was beautiful. He had known her when he was younger and now he wanted to get to know her better, He wanted her in his life everyday but he took his time. He was shy and he was scared because he didn't think someone like her would want him. People told him to not bother because he wasn't the type of guy that she dated in the past.

He told himself not to bother even though he couldn't keep her out of his mind. She had been his first crush. He remembered he had written her a love letter and had planned to leave it in her mailbox but chickened out and instead ripped the letter so that it could never be read.

Here he was with a second chance. Could he really let her get away again without even trying. He build up the courage and started slow. He asked her to dance and she said yes. It wasn't anything really special but to him it was one of the first victories he had. It opened a door.

Then a few weeks later he just went for it and kissed her. He had always been a romantic and thought first kisses should special but this time he just went in for it. It was the best kiss he ever had even though it was probably a sloppy kiss since he had a few drinks that night. Regardless she agreed to watch a movie with him the next night and slowly he fell head over heels.

But just a week later he took a trip with some friends. It was a first test and it showed him that he needed to be near her. He spent the whole week wanting to be home by her side and the night he got back he asked her to be his girlfriend and to his great joy she said yes.

The time past and they grew stronger. Eight months later she already told him yes to marry him and three years later she became his wife.

It's been three years since we said "I Do" and I'm not that lonely boy anymore. I'm a man who is lucky enough to be married to the love of his life.

Happy Anniversary Nessa ... I'll love you always,
Eric

Tuesday Top Ten: Anniversary Special

Since today is my anniversary I've decided that instead of posting my weekly pop culture top ten I'd post moments in my relationship with my wonderful wife. All these moments are special to me and I just thought I'd share them on this special day.

Deanna Carter: Strawberry Wine

The first song we danced to. We use to go to Taps every Wednesday for karaoke and some woman was singing this song and I took a chance and asked her to dance. It was the first step that lead to a wonderful relationship

Creed: With Arms Wide Open

So I could drunk and decided I was gonna go for it and kissed her. I'll sure it was a horrible sloppy kiss but she kissed back and from that point forward I always wanted to be around her.

Ocean's Eleven

Our first time hanging out together without a group of friends. We decided to watch Ocean's 11 and I had the Wide Screen version. Nessa couldn't see the TV and needed the Full Screen version or would need to sit in another sit away from me. I couldn't have that so I ran upstairs to Al's DVD collection and grabbed his copy. It was the start of me being whipped. I was also worried because my friend Troy told me she falls asleep during movies and that would mean she wasn't really interested. I grew to learn that she falls asleep during everything.

Meeting her family

Nessa is really close to her family so I was nervous to meet them. She had told me that her aunt wanted to date Troy so I felt a little awkward because I am a very different  person then Troy. Also the first time I met her Memere she called me fat in the sweetest way possible. Luckily her family is awesome and seemed to like me.

 Brian McKnight

When we first started dating I made mix tapes for Nessa (Yes I know how geeky it was). This was one of the songs I placed on the first CD I made and we listened to is a lot and we would sing it as it played. At least Nessa sang it, what I did can't be called singing.

Fifth Wheel/Blind Date

Also when we started dating we stayed up almost all night just talked. We also watched Blind Date and Fifth Wheel. It was extremely geeky but for some reason we loved the shows.

Cue

Whenever I went to visit Nessa her cat would run and hide from me. He's very anti social and doesn't like to meet new people. It probably didn't help that the first time I slept over I accidentally sat on him.

 Zack and Mocha

Our first pets as a couple. We got Zack first and babied him so much that now he latches onto us in an annoying way and makes it him alone. hard to leav. He also barks at all other dogs which makes it hard to walk him. 

As for Mocha, Nessa heard a friend of hers was giving away kittens and she wanted one. She even let me chose which one and I chose the mocha colored one. Of course I had to chose the devil. He treats everything like it's his and will lie across everything from sandals to the plug for my laptop. He's a menace but he's our menace.

Vegetables/Spices/Other really great food I would have never tried

I grew up in house that didn't really try new things. My mom never cooked with spices and other then the standard fruits like apples and oranges. I remember one of the first times I cooked for Nessa and I made noodles and sauce and used this no name sauce my mom always bought and Nessa hated it. She slowly got me to eat more adventurous foods and I learned that there was a lot of foods I loved. Like sushi and dragon fruit. I would never have tried them without her.

Patti Griffin: Heavenly Day

Nessa walked down the aisle to this song and I remember watching her walk down the aisle and not being able to believe how lucky I was as she took each step toward me. That was the happiest day of my life and I'll never forget how beautiful she looked in her wedding dress.

Halifax

 

We spent our first vacation together in Halifax and loved it so much that we joked about moving there. We then decided to spend our honeymoon here and did everything we didn't have time to do the first time we were here. 

After that Nessa got into university at St. Mary's and we packed up and moved here. It's where we are spending our third anniversary today and we'll be spending at least the next few years as Nessa finishes her schooling and we decide what happens next. As long as we are together we'll be fine.

Music Monday: Chantal Kreviazuk - Green Apples

You're toast and jam
And you are cotton candy
You're double rainbows
Beside a settin' sun
You're wood burnin' outside
There's a fire glowin'
You're sweet as green apples
You must be the one

When I first heard Chantal Kreviazuk's debut album I fell in love with this song. It expressed so much in such simple lyrics. But that was the point. Loving someone should be simple. Love is all the small things that we take for granted everyday. I always wondered what it would be like to have someone who reminded you of all the small joys in life. 

Right after I graduated from university I moved to my hometown of Campbellton and had planned to stay just the summer to make some easy cash and then head off to the rest of my life in Toronto or Halifax. But like most things in life plans change. It's like in romantic comedies when the main character realizes that what they want is right in front of them. I reconnected with someone I once had crush on and realized I still liked her. Luckily for me she felt the same way and we began dating.

I first realized I could be in love when I was in Montreal with some friends and a lot of little things made me think of her. I was there for a week and from the moment I left I just wanted to be back home spending time with her. 

This song always made me think of her and when we were engaged I wanted it to be our first dance but had to convince her. Luckily for me I got that chance. Nessa went to a girl's night with some friends and they were discussing each couple's song. Nessa had said we didn't have a song and when she told me the story I told her I considered this song to be our song. I told her how the song reminded me of her and how she reminds me of all the small things I love like standing in the wind and watching fireworks. Of course she rolled her eyes like she always does when I say sappy things but she also smiled her wonderful smile and agreed to let it be our first dance.

And since tomorrow will be three years since we first danced to this beautiful song as Mr and Mrs Mitchell I thought I'd share this song.

Here is an extra for those that are able to watch videos posted to my Facebook.

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=578290178#%21/video/video.php?v=64254405286&subj=515077335

Tuesday Top Ten: 90's Albums

It started in the 90's. You'd rush to the store to buy a CD and then rush home while trying to rip off the wrapper that was placed on really tightly that it seemed like you were trying to break into a vault. You would get home and put the CD into the stereo (or CD Walkman) and realize the CD sucked. Sure there was that one really good song that was played on the radio and Much Music but the rest of the CD had maybe one or two other good songs worth having. It become quite depressing realizing that buying music was becoming a chore. You couldn't just rely on the fact that your favorite artists would put out good CDs. You had to do research. I subscribed to magazines like Entertainment Weekly and Rolling Stone to read album reviews before buying. I still got stuck with a lot of bad CDs but I was a kid in a small town that had nothing better to do with his money and didn't want to turn to drugs. Those were my choices: CDs or Drugs. Extreme but sadly true. I'm not always sure I made the right choice.

So with that long winded blurb done here are my favorite ten albums from the 1990's:

10. Smashing Pumpkins: Siamese Dream

Best Song: Disarm

Other Highlights: Today, Cherub Rock

Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness sold a lot more albums and rocketed them to fame but track for track this is a far better album.   From start to finish the CD is great and while Mellon Collie had some tracks I liked better it was a double CD with a lot of filler that I always skipped over. Plus Disarm is one of my all time favorite songs so this ones out for that song alone. 

 

9. The Fugees: The Score

Best Song: Ready or Not

Other Highlights:  Killing Me Softly, No Woman No Cry, How Many Mics

One of the best Hip Hop albums ever. There styles blended so well and it's a shame Wyclef and Pres ended up hating each other and Lauryn Hill went crazy. 

 
 8. Nirvana: Nevermind 

Best Song: Smells Like Teen Spirit

Other Highlights: Come as You Are, Lithium, Polly

I was never as big a fan of Nirvana as a lot of other people. Personally I always thought they were a little overrated and liked Dave Grohl better in Foo Fighters. But I can't deny that this was a really good album.

 7.  Live: Throwing Copper
 

Best Song: Lightning Crashes

Other Highlights:  Selling the Drama, I Alone, Iris, Waitress

I remember seeing the video for Lightning Crashes and being moved by the concept of it. I bought the album based on that song but the other tracks on the CD are just as well written and Ed Kowalczyk has such a haunting voice that really gets you into the music and words.

 

6. Alanis Morrisette: Jagged Little Pill
 

Best Song: Ironic

Other Highlights: Hand in Your Pocket, You Oughta Know, You Learn

I didn't buy this album until after she had released four singles. By the time the album was released I had learned to wait until after several singles were released or I borrowed it from someone else to give it a listen. Although Ironic is my favorite track on the CD it was You Learn that convinced me to buy the CD. I liked the message of the song and even spent extra money on the CD because Zellers was sold out and Music Dick over charged for all their CDs. 

5. Lauryn Hill: The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill
 

  

Best Song: Everything is Everything

Other Highlights: Doo Wap (That Thing), Lost Ones, Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You

Even though this is a great CD it is sad to think how much talent seems wasted by Lauryn Hill. She could have had such an amazing career like Alicia Keys and she just seems to have thrown it all away. 

4. Bush: Sixteen Stone

 

 Best Song: Comedown

Other Highlights: Glycerine, Everything Zen, Machinehead, Alien

I bought this CD when they were Bush X in Canada and I remember when I sold the CD I was able to get $50 for it on ebay. I wasted that $50 on rum and pepsi at my university bar. I still listen to this album all the time on my iPod so it was stood the test of time.

3. 112: 112

Best Song: Only You Remix

Other Highlights: Cupid, This Is Your Day,  I Will Be There

I found this CD by accident. I had filled out a form for Columbia House and had wrote the wrong number for a CD I wanted. This was before they had the brilliant idea to use stickers.  Anyways I received the CD and had no clue who the band was. Columbia House made it so expensive to replace CDs that I ended up keeping it and was thinking of just saving it for a birthday or Christmas present for my friend Jen but ended up giving it a listen and loved the album. I ended up getting Jen a copy of it anyways and we then proceeded to listen to it all the time and ensured that Cupid and Only You would be played at all Escuminac school dances. 

2. Pearl Jam: Ten

Best Song: Jeremy

Other Highlights: Alive, Even Flow, Oceans

I always liked Pearl Jam better then other grunge bands. They were the first concert I ever went to. This first album was amazing and was always made better because my sister Tara hated it so I would blast the volume when our mom wasn't home to annoy her.

 
 1. Oasis: (What’s The Story) Morning Glory

 

Best Song: Don't Look Back In Anger

Other Highlights: Morning Glory, Wonderwall, Champagne Supernova, She's Electric

Sure the lead singer was kind of an asshole but it doesn't take away from the fact that they were a great band before they let egos kill them.

"Don't Look Back in Anger" and "Champagne Supernova" almost sound like updated songs that could have been on The Beatles catalog and although I always thought Wonderwall was an overrated song it is still better then most songs released in the 90's. 

Music Monday: Coolio - Gangster's Paradise

 

Power and the money, money and the power

Minute after minute, hour after hour

Everybody's runnin, but half of them ain't lookin

What's goin on in the kitchen, but I dont know what's cookin

They say I got ta learn, but nobody's here to teach me,

If they cant understand it, how can they reach me?

I guess they can't; I guess they won't

I guess they front; that's why I know my life is outta luck, fool!

  Dangerous Minds has to be the only movie I've ever gone to see just because of a song on the soundtrack. I loved listening to this song and bought the soundtrack even through I knew I wouldn't like any other song on the CD. It makes me realize how much technology has improved life especially when you lived in a city that didn't sell songs as singles and had no choice but to buy the entire CD or call the radio station and request the song. You would then need to quickly press record on the cassette deck to have the song. Now when I want to listen to it I just look for it on Youtube.

Anyways I listened to this song a lot. I remember driving around in Ryan's jetta blasting the tune and trying to rap along to it. We were horrible at it but it was fun anyways and in a town like Campbellton who cared how weird you looked because there was always someone weirder sitting on the corner by the movie theatre or in front of Tim's. 

No matter how weird we looked it could always have been worse.

Current Five (July)

It feels like June flew by so quick. I'm not quite sure where it went. It reminds me of a great quote from Ferris Bueller's Day Off: 

That movie also reinforces that John Hughes was a genius who got what life was really about.

Now it is July and time for another Current 5!

1. 3 Year Anniversary:

 

On July 12th it will be three years that I've been married to the most wonderful woman I've ever had the pleasure to know. My life has become so much better since she decided to love me forever. Just leaving out the fact that she makes me a better man I'm pretty sure she extended my life by having me try more fruits and vegetables and helping me discover that there is more to food then McDonald's and Diary Queen. 

2. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2:

It seems like I've been waiting forever for this film and now it's only two weeks away. It's hard to believe that at one point I had vowed to never watch a Harry Potter movie. Luckily for me I'm a whipped man who dropped that vow when Nessa said we should watch at least the first movie. That night she fall asleep halfway through the first and I watched the first three then download the fourth movie that had just been in theaters.

If I was younger I'd probably be lined to see it for the midnight showing on July 15th but alas age has made more inclined to wait a few extra days to avoid long lines and I'll probably go see an afternoon matinee. I feel so old some times. 

3. The Millers visit:

Sorry wrong picture ... 

Due to my love for my dog I won't be making a trip to where I grew up this year but at least I'll get to see some of my favorite people in the world. I've known Amy since elementary school. We weren't always good friends but I remember seeing her at Zellers in the Movie Section and nodding to each other while we looked through the aisles for our next buys. Still not sure how it happened exactly but I came home one Christmas from University and she magically become friends with some of my friends. From there our friendship grew and I met Miller while getting drunk at a bar called Taps. I'm pretty sure he was one of my biggest fans when I sang karaoke. They then had little Landon who is one of the coolest little kids ever. Long story short I get to spent three days seeing them when they head down to Halifax to visit at the end of the month. 

4. Summer Reality TV:

The better of the two reality shows starting this month is Hell's Kitchen. It's something I can watch with my wife except she'll probably watch it while I'm talking to iPad customers. Regardless it's the one she'll watch and not make fun of me for liking. 

The real guilty pleasure is Big Brother. Not sure why I like it but I guess I just like seeing people embarrass themselves in Banana Suits and pretending to fall in love on a reality show that lasts two months. I can already see Nessa roll of eyes as one of the contestants do something stupid.

5.Summer:

By far my favorite season. I can leave the house in shorts and a t-shirt. I can wear sandals and not have to worry about having to tie my shoes. I can enjoy the sun and take long walks to look at tadpoles with my wife. Also movies and music are always more exciting in the summer so there's more entertainment to be excited about. You can always go and listen to older music that were past summer hits and its acceptable to listen to them. 

Well almost acceptable to listen to them but I'm corny so I'll listen anyways.