Sunday, February 8, 2009
Skinner Family Original Movie "The Hunter"
The kids and I decided to make a little movie called The Hunter. They were so cute. We drew a story board out and everything. This is what life is all about and why I look forward to my weekends so much. They are so funny.. they crack me up.
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Monday, January 12, 2009
Book Review - The Electric Church by Jeff Somers
I really enjoyed this book. I haven't come up with a rating system yet so for now, if you like fast-paced action techno thrillers, read this book. This is set in the not so distant future with a corrupt government, one bad ass gunner and a mad scientist. Sounds like a cheesy hollywood movie but it's actually very well written. 
The Electric Church is an organization that was created to give people eternal life. This is done by removing your brain and placing it in a cyborg body. Sounds blah but these cyborgs are also monks and try to convert people into the electric church. As you can imagine, they get over zealous with their conversion tactics and someone has to stop them.. in steps Avery Cates, gunner dude. This book is an easy read and very enjoyable. I've kind of been on a scifi / action kick lately and this book definitely hit the sweet spot.
The Electric Church is an organization that was created to give people eternal life. This is done by removing your brain and placing it in a cyborg body. Sounds blah but these cyborgs are also monks and try to convert people into the electric church. As you can imagine, they get over zealous with their conversion tactics and someone has to stop them.. in steps Avery Cates, gunner dude. This book is an easy read and very enjoyable. I've kind of been on a scifi / action kick lately and this book definitely hit the sweet spot.
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Chinatown SF
It has been quite an adventurous afternoon here in San Francisco. This morning we woke up and ate at the infamous Sear's Famous Foods. The wait was long but the food was delicious. Ally and I try and eat there everytime we make it up to the Bay Area. Some of the best breakfast in Cali. After breakfast we did a little ice skating across from Macy's. 
So much fun. The girls have never tried it and they had a blast. A few spills and wet jeans but nothing to worry about. 
An hour and a half later it was time for a few street dog and pretzels, then head back to the hotel to change. This would have been a full day right then, but we decided to go to Chinatown and spend the rest of the day. What a great adventure. To get there, we could have walked less than two miles, but what fun would it be to be in SF and not ride the trolly cars? 
When we arrived, we had more fun in Chinatown than we have had on the whole trip. Our first stop was one of San Francisco's oldest chinese fortune cookie shops. It was tucked in a back ally and we wouldn't have even known it was there but a local stopped us and told us we would really enjoy it. The shop was tiny and the entire production line was right there. 
The owner of the shop invited us in and took good care of the girls ensuring that they were able to sample hot fortune cookies right off the line. It was a fun experience. One they'll remember. Later we stopped and had Dim Sum. This was the first time the kids have had this kind of chinese food and I was very impressed with their willingness to try a little of everything. 
After buying everything from lucky cat's to jade buddah's, it was time to head back home. Tonight is new years eve and I would assume the kids will be out before 10pm. We'll see. We have a long drive home tomorrow (7 hours) and I wouldn't mind the little buggers sleeping in the car the whole way home. So if they can stay up until midnight, more power to them. 
We'll post some additional info on our trip in the next few days of our little adventure and I'm sure they'll be more stories to tell from New Year's Eve tonight. We are now getting ready to go and get some food downtown. King Thai Noodle or Lefty's.. should be fun!. Happy New Year Everyone.
So much fun. The girls have never tried it and they had a blast. A few spills and wet jeans but nothing to worry about. 
An hour and a half later it was time for a few street dog and pretzels, then head back to the hotel to change. This would have been a full day right then, but we decided to go to Chinatown and spend the rest of the day. What a great adventure. To get there, we could have walked less than two miles, but what fun would it be to be in SF and not ride the trolly cars? 
When we arrived, we had more fun in Chinatown than we have had on the whole trip. Our first stop was one of San Francisco's oldest chinese fortune cookie shops. It was tucked in a back ally and we wouldn't have even known it was there but a local stopped us and told us we would really enjoy it. The shop was tiny and the entire production line was right there. 
The owner of the shop invited us in and took good care of the girls ensuring that they were able to sample hot fortune cookies right off the line. It was a fun experience. One they'll remember. Later we stopped and had Dim Sum. This was the first time the kids have had this kind of chinese food and I was very impressed with their willingness to try a little of everything. 
After buying everything from lucky cat's to jade buddah's, it was time to head back home. Tonight is new years eve and I would assume the kids will be out before 10pm. We'll see. We have a long drive home tomorrow (7 hours) and I wouldn't mind the little buggers sleeping in the car the whole way home. So if they can stay up until midnight, more power to them. 
We'll post some additional info on our trip in the next few days of our little adventure and I'm sure they'll be more stories to tell from New Year's Eve tonight. We are now getting ready to go and get some food downtown. King Thai Noodle or Lefty's.. should be fun!. Happy New Year Everyone.
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Love you long time
My wife asked me if I would like to come with her while she was getting her toe nails done. Now the obvious answer that any man would say is no, however I am working on being a more "involved" partner so I agreed to go with her. I thought I would at least have an opportunity to be a people watcher, sit back and take in the various elements of Orange County women discussing their lives.
Well I got a little more involved that I thought. I understand that many of my male readers my believe that my manhood has been knocked down a few notches and I'm ok with that... but I did get a pedicure, foot and hand massage and my eyebrows waxed. 
Did I just say that? Funniest thing you've ever seen. The greatest aspect was looking at all of the vietnamese workers laughing at me when they pulled the wax off my eyebrows. It actually was a very fun experience. My wife sat next to me and we laughed and laughed. I had a great time and it actually felt kind of nice to be pampered. Although I didn't get a Christmas tree painted on my big toe, I did enjoy the foot spa. (I can't believe I just said that). It was worth the hour (and 50 bucks) that I was there simply for the comic relief. He,he!!!
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Holidays - Bliss or Blues?
Christmas is an interesting time of year for me. Interesting because of the fact that I play both sides of the field. On one hand I love to give. Not getting a big head, but I put a lot of thought into buying presents for my family and spend a considerable amount of money each year. Enough that my wife and I save money each month starting in January so we can have a pleasant holiday. We also have some great traditions that we have started with my family.. Each year I rent a limo and we get dressed up and go to a fancy restauraunt. The kids look forward to it every year and I'm sure that they will have fond memories of this when they are older. Now the grinch side.. 
Sometimes I consider myself a perfectionist in many ways. I'm far from perfect but sometimes get frustrated when things don't turn out exactly the way I plan. There is so much planning and preperation that goes into a holiday.. Weeks of shopping, planning, spending, cooking etc.. all for one day. I hold a lot on my head to ensure that day is great for me and my family. Instead of getting excited about xmas day, occasionally I find myself worrying because this year, there are already things that don't fit in with my perfect Christmas. Uggh. I'm such a whiner. Many people get the holiday blues but I'm unsure if they have the same feelings as I have. I am being a negative nelly right now and I'm sure this will change based on my mood tomorrow.. but I thought I would throw this out there to capture my immediate thoughts so I can look back later and determine what a jackass I am. I will definitely plan for a positive time but will need help from family, God and some meds. Maybe that will help so even I can enjoy the holiday season.
Sometimes I consider myself a perfectionist in many ways. I'm far from perfect but sometimes get frustrated when things don't turn out exactly the way I plan. There is so much planning and preperation that goes into a holiday.. Weeks of shopping, planning, spending, cooking etc.. all for one day. I hold a lot on my head to ensure that day is great for me and my family. Instead of getting excited about xmas day, occasionally I find myself worrying because this year, there are already things that don't fit in with my perfect Christmas. Uggh. I'm such a whiner. Many people get the holiday blues but I'm unsure if they have the same feelings as I have. I am being a negative nelly right now and I'm sure this will change based on my mood tomorrow.. but I thought I would throw this out there to capture my immediate thoughts so I can look back later and determine what a jackass I am. I will definitely plan for a positive time but will need help from family, God and some meds. Maybe that will help so even I can enjoy the holiday season.
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Book Review - The Shack by William P Young
I picked this book up about 6 months ago while Ally and I were browsing at Barnes and Noble. It was in the top 10 books and it had an interesting cover so I thought I would pick it up and at least read the back to find out what it was about.
The back briefly mentions a story about a man dealing with "A Great Sadness". This man lost his daughter to a sexual predator in the past and obviously has had a very difficult time dealing with this unfortunate event. He receives a letter in the mail inviting him to come back to the shack. The shack is where the authorities found the last pieces of evidence regarding his daughters kidnapping. Ok, let's stop there for just a minute. This captured my interest because I do enjoy a good murder mystery novel. I thought if it was in the top 10 it had to be decent. I picked it up and started reading it that night.
Wow is all I can say. I had no idea that this was a book about the relationship between the trinity, God's relationship with men and one man's view about life after death. This book was so well written that I have recommonded it to two of my close friends. One of these individuals hasn't finished a book since high school. Not a big reader but he called me a week later to talk about this book that he just had finished.
This book really does give a very unique perspective on God, Jesus and the holy ghost. Regardless of whether or not you are a spiritual individual, this book is a fantastic read and has you at the edge of your seat the entire read. The ending.. Oh man.. worth the entire read. Very surprising and makes you really think about the book, your life and how you behave. I could go on and on, but I think you have a pretty good understanding on how I feel about this book. Pick it up and read it.
The back briefly mentions a story about a man dealing with "A Great Sadness". This man lost his daughter to a sexual predator in the past and obviously has had a very difficult time dealing with this unfortunate event. He receives a letter in the mail inviting him to come back to the shack. The shack is where the authorities found the last pieces of evidence regarding his daughters kidnapping. Ok, let's stop there for just a minute. This captured my interest because I do enjoy a good murder mystery novel. I thought if it was in the top 10 it had to be decent. I picked it up and started reading it that night. 
Wow is all I can say. I had no idea that this was a book about the relationship between the trinity, God's relationship with men and one man's view about life after death. This book was so well written that I have recommonded it to two of my close friends. One of these individuals hasn't finished a book since high school. Not a big reader but he called me a week later to talk about this book that he just had finished.
This book really does give a very unique perspective on God, Jesus and the holy ghost. Regardless of whether or not you are a spiritual individual, this book is a fantastic read and has you at the edge of your seat the entire read. The ending.. Oh man.. worth the entire read. Very surprising and makes you really think about the book, your life and how you behave. I could go on and on, but I think you have a pretty good understanding on how I feel about this book. Pick it up and read it.
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Friday, December 5, 2008
The kids have a blog
Hey family and friends. I thought I would write to you all and introduce to new blogs that we have in our family. Now that soccer is over, Francis and Maggie have both decided to create their own webpage to occupy a little of their time. While Dad helped a little bit with the layout, both kids know how to post messages, video and pictures. I'm excited to see if they stick with it. (It always helps with a little reminder from Dad.) You can access their sites by clicking here for Francis and here for Maggie. I know they would appreciate any positive comments you have for them.!
Thursday, December 4, 2008
sladen singing and dancing
Here is a performance from Sladen. The most impressive aspect of this river dance is the diaper and sneaker combo. It just adds something a little special to this entertainment piece.
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