Cristiano Ronaldo's "Improbable" Goal

First off, I will say I am NOT a Real Madrid fan or a Cristiano Ronaldo fan. I think he's an amazing player, but I can't stand his arrogance and well, I can write about my thoughts about him for pages.

Now, despite my feelings for him, I do appreciate good soccer, regardless of who was involved. If it is my team Barcelona, it only makes it that much sweeter. Either way, check out this seemingly impossible goal.

#CrazyGood

#NotBetterThanMessiThough

#LOL

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Husky's Poetry Corner: Me, Thee & "HE"

I find myself at wits end at times

At times my rhymes don't have the chime

I have the groove, I have the move

I have the mood to be that dude

The thing is to be that he, I speak to thee

As if there's more than me, It's like I speak of three

Ah, but it is I who tries to feat the lies

My mind tells this guy, leaves me asking why?

You see, I see, I need to free 

The inner me - who spends too much time being my enemy

I'm stronger than it, I've got the strength to succeed

I need to feed positive in my life, that's what I should heed

Thus, I will abide by my plan, ergo, abide God's plan for me

Positive daily is what I vow to be

#PositiveFTW

(Image found at www.inktattoopics.com)

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'Act of Valor' Mini-Review (4 of 5 Dog Paws)

First off, I would like to thank all the men and women who are in the military; I am one citizen who understands that it was your choice to defend our country, but I am also somebody who understands the great responsibility and sacrifice which comes with that decision.

#Hoo-Yah!

Now, after watching this movie tonight, from the jump it was obvious that one glaring intent of the film was to open our eyes and to give us a more intimate look at exactly how our military defends our country. To be specific though, the Navy Seals are highlighted in this film. The thing is, the previews were very transparent in telling us that many real Navy Seals were used in this film; therefore, I knew the "angle" was going to be one which would be evident from the beginning of the movie - which by the way - it was. I will say though, they did a great job of narrating this movie. Also to be noted,  they did a great job of giving us a taste of situations and tactics we otherwise may not have been privy to from previous movies. One thing that stood out to me was the fact that they added a sense of realism which I can honestly say I did not expect. I definitely expected it to be Hollywood from beginning to end; luckily, it was not - and that was and is a good thing.

Without giving away too much though, I will not elaborate any further on this film.

#AlmostSpilledItThoughNotGoingToLie

Let me break it down for you this way:

• Visual Effects - 7/10
• Sound - 10/10
• Plot Development & Delivery - 9/10
• Action - 10/10
• Drama - 10/10
• Acting - 6/10
• Overall - 8/10

The aggregate ultimately, in my opinion, lands this film a 4 out of 5 "Dog Paws", which means it is worth watching. 

In closing, it was a very inspirational film packed with everything you would expect from this type of movie. There definitely were plenty of "Damn!" moments and a few "WTF" moments sprinkled in as well. In the end, it was entertaining and I felt like I got my money's worth - after all - isn't that all that really matters?

That's my $0.02.

***Note***

Just to give you some insight on my ranking/rating system, a 5 out of 5 is the only film which will be a MUST SEE. This film is close, but let's face it, despite the fact that women are affected by those in the military just like men are affected, when it comes to films like this, women just aren't as eager to go see it and quite frankly, the films are innately tailored towards men. If I felt it was a MUST SEE film, it would be one either sex should go see. 

For your viewing pleasure, below is the trailer for the movie.

(Image found at screenrant.com)

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Chili Cook-Off with "The Mamas"

First and foremost, I would like to Congratulate Zak Bushey on his 1st place victory (a tie) in the Chili Cook-Off, which was held in Glendora CA tonight. Zak is a good friend of mine and I can assure you that he is not really used to winning. There is no Charlie Sheen in this man and quite frankly it remains a mystery how he scored and landed the beautiful wife that he has. Suffice it to say, this is a big night for him.


#LOL

(A picture of the winner can be found below)

Now, the event itself was one reason why I had a great time tonight; the second reason is because of the two lovely ladies you see in the picture above. They are, The Cake Mamas (left Fabiola, right Janelle) and recently they were the winners of The Food Networks' Cupcake Wars. The best part about this story - for me - is I used to go to school (High School) with Fabiola. The craziest part is I saw her on KTLA (Channel 5) a few weeks back when they were on in the morning and I knew she looked familiar, but I wasn't sure. I mean, I was in the middle of ironing, it was early, I was groggy, running late, I was hungry, I was parched - I just wasn't sure okay!?!

#EmoMode

So, after tasting some really good chili beans - which by the way, Zak, your recipe was pretty damn delicious - my mother, her friend and I entered The Cake Mamas' establishment. Immediately, upon entering we were hit by the exquisite aroma of sugar, spice and everything nice. It definitely was titillating to the nostrils in a Ron Burgundy Sex Panther-esque kind of way (but 100 x better). Once we laid our eyes on the various cupcakes and amazing pictures of the cakes they have made which were on the walls, I knew right then that a few of those bad boys (cupcakes) would be coming home with me. What I did not expect was to see Fabiola working there, as partial owner no less. Her partner Janelle, I had never met her before tonight; however, in a story scattered with a "delicious" assortment of ironic implications, there was a "6th degrees of separation" moment with her as well. That though is for another day. I can say, Janelle did an amazing job assisting with the Chili Cook-Off outside, as did Fabiola and Janelle's beautiful children.

While the Cook-Off was the main attraction, I drove away with more than I ever could have expected. My memories of Fabiola are spotty, but of course I could never forget that smile of hers and her skills on the court. That's right people, if you did not know, she was quite the basketball player. I cannot take credit for her skills; however, by proxy (she must have seen me play) I will humbly take some credit.

#LOL

The buy-in to taste all the chili by the way was $10, yet I left feeling like I got more than what I invested.

On a side note, I am really proud of both Janelle and Fabiola for following a dream and seeing it through. We should all be so lucky to be blessed with such motivation/ and determination. The fact that I know "Fab" only makes the success story that much sweeter.

Thank you Zak Bushey for the invite and for the shameless, yet efficient promotion on Facebook; as well as a thank you to The Cake Mamas for being so kind to my taste buds.

**FYI**

I ordered 4 cupcakes (Red Velvet, Cookies n' Cream, Mint n' Chip & Churro Flavored) and I've only eaten the Cookies n' Cream cupcake and I can honestly say it was worthy of winning an award. It was moist, the wrapper peeled off effortlessly - no sticking - but, most of all, the frosting on top was really, really good. On cup cakes, the frosting can truly be hit or miss; on this cupcake it was a home run. I'm also being completely honest, I have no incentive to lie, so please take my word for it. I highly recommend that you try their cup cakes. If their cup cakes are this delicious, I can only imagine what their cakes taste like. I will add that to my bucket list for sure.

Now, for your convenience, I've posted a link to their web site below. Check it out and read their story how they came to be. It is inspiring to say the least.

The Cake Mamas

As promised above, below we have the man of the hour. When he is not helping people with their short sales, helping people buy homes or taking pictures of food in front of his beautiful daughter, Zak can be found in the kitchen making chili beans.

2012 Chili Cook-Off Winner 

I guess Zak does have a bit of Charlie Sheen in him after all.

#JudgingByTheShirt

It's my turn to add some shameless promotion for my good friend. Ladies and gentlemen, if you or anybody you know lives in California and is in need of a Realtor, I can honestly say, Zak Bushey is the man for you. Take a look at his web site.

http://www.realtorzakbushey.com/

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Out of Shape - But NOT Out of Mind

Lately, I've been trying to get back into basketball shape; but moreover, I'm trying to get back in shape - period. By the way, this isn't solely based on a resolution, the new year and new resolutions just happened to be the final straw.

(I am doing the Wayne's World wavey things with my hands right now to signify that I am taking you back in time for a moment.)

A couple weeks ago I went to L.A. Fitness, shot around a bit and even played a half court game of two-on-two. I actually played quite well. Unfortunately, later that day I caught a bad cold and spent the next two-weeks getting over it.

#BeforeThatItHadBeenAMonth
#BeforeThatItHasBeenYears

Which brings us to today and the lovely shot you see above, which I took inside the Brea Community Center in Brea, CA. On a side note, it's a pretty nice gym. But, I digress. I showed up and I played with several co-workers who needless to say are in much better shape than I am. They're a bunch of spry thunder-cats I tell you. I mean, they play in leagues and when not playing in leagues, many of them play recreational ball often; these dudes play full court every time to boot.

Maniacs I say!

Any how,  I definitely was not and am not in shape to run full court, but hey, give me some credit - I try/tried. Either way, I'm paying for it now with sore knees, a sore ankles and overall a sore body. At 33 years old, I definitely am not a young buck. It's honestly very frustrating. You see, I was an avid ball player and not to toot my own horn (but I will), but I was pretty good in High School and years after. It wasn't until I got into a serious relationship that I slowly but surely got caught up in the relationship and played less and less until it had been years since I had touched a ball.

#YesIRegretIt

So, today I ran up and down, made some good passes, hit a few shots - but I was beyond winded and I missed shots I used to make with ease due to my legs being just way too tired. Therein my friends lies the frustration. You see, I've got this image of how I used to play and it's not jiving with my body and how I play now. The two are not bff's (best friends forever) and it frustrated and still frustrates the heck out of me. I will say though, I had a blast and I guess as long as I make time to hit the gym, do some cardio and play ball, in no time I should somewhat get back to what I used to be. Father time won't allow me to fully return to form, but anything even remotely close to what I was will be just fine with me. Of course, it is easier said than done.

If I had to grade my performance, I will be honest and say I was a D+.

Let us asses further, shall we?

I handled point, I did not have any turnovers; however, due to my lack of stamina, my all around game was affected - especially my defense. Ugh. That was an epic fail if ever there was one on the court. It's okay though, I'm here to tell you that I am determined to improve my diet immediately, while increasing the frequency in which I work out and play ball and/or shoot around. I intend to bring you updates with updated grades on how I did. Stay around and read long enough and you WILL see me get an A+. I promise you that.

That's all I've got, if you have any comments or tips, as always, please do share.

Thank you for taking the time to read my post and blog!

#TimeToIceTheKnees

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Teacher/Preacher - Either One Lately - It's All Bad

Lately, it seems like I cannot turn on the news without seeing new molestation allegations against a teacher. I can honestly say for the last 3 weeks, there has been at least one new name and one new teacher in the news being accused of molestation charges with an underage kid.


#LookButDontTouch

These teachers are with these children far more than their own parents are with them. That is the scariest part to me. It makes me wonder, is that the problem? Are they spending too much time with the children? Or, is there just something going on in their brains that justifies their actions? I definitely dare not play Dr. Phil and I am not going to sit here and try to psychoanalyze why this is happening. I mean, the charges in most cases are not that extreme, but in other cases they are severe and quite frankly, I consider myself to have an open mind, but damn, the allegations are so crazy, even I am thrown back that someone thought of and did such things with a kid. I can honestly say, even having an open mind, I couldn't conjure up such sinister and disgusting things.

#ThatsSayingALot

At this time, I'm not even going to touch on (no pun intended) the whole Catholic Priests thing; however, I will say, while that was surprising - somewhat - the teacher allegations is far more alarming. Even the Jerry Sandusky (Penn St. Coach) case is intriguing, alarming, but still, there are just far more alarming factors surrounding the current string of allegations against teachers that worry me more than the aforementioned cases.

Moving on...

I would like to know what your thoughts are on everything going on. For those of you who have children, has this given you an awareness that you otherwise, maybe took for granted? Has it prompted you to have intimate and personal conversations with your children about all that is going on with the intent of opening the communication channel with your loved ones?

Hopefully, you've answered "yes" to the questions above.


#LetsHearYourThoughts

(Picture was found at menteach.org)

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