Year of Courage: Get a Dog

September has been the hardest freaking month to do something courage wise. This is the one month that I have constantly changed what I wanted to do. I wanted to originally adopt a dog and chose not to do that. Then I wanted to travel alone and realized I have been doing that this year already going to Oz, and Kansas so defeated the purpose. Then I was going to learn something new. Then I didn't have the time, or energy, to really read the book. Then I came back to adopting a dog. The movie that went with this is A Dog's Purpose. 

This is a movie from the point of view of a dog who found is purpose to be with his owner Ethan. When we first meet him we find that he is a puppy and trying to figure out what life is about. Then when he passes he becomes a new dog and play a different role in other people minds as he gets older. This cycle continues at the end of the time he is with Ethan and come back later as a different do to make sure Ethan is still on a good path.

So, for week I have been toying with the idea of getting a dog. The reason I allowed myself to do that was because I just started a new job in the middle of August that had me working less hours during the day. So, I would not feel as bad leaving a dog home alone for that amount of time. I started looking on Young Williams Animal Center's website to see if there are any dogs that I might love. I kept coming back to that one dog named Churchill. He is a Mastiff/ Chinese Shar Pei mix. Totally loveable, and sweet and everything. I thought I would not be able to get him because he is part mastiff. I emailed my complex and they said I could adopt him if I wanted. 

I call tell them I want to meet him, they have me take him for a sleepover at my place for a few days! 

He is the sweetest boy ever! He is adorable and I love him! He came home and we met my parents, my bother and his dog, and had a really good first day. Then I had to go to work the next day.... That when things got bad.

I spent the whole day in a near panic attack because I freaked myself out having a dog. Yeah, I know it sound stupid, and it is, but I was so scared all day long. I spent the whole day in tears not know if I should keep him or not.

To be clear I had not officially adopted him yet. He came home with me just for a few days to see if everything would work out. There was no commitment to for me to keep him. He only stayed for about 3 days. I don't want anyone to think I keeps him for weeks then gave him back up for adoption.

A long, sad, and overemotional two days later. Churchill went back to Young Williams. It was heartbreaking because I do love him and I want him to have the best home. After actually having him in my life, and knowing he would be my responsibility is when I realized I wasn't as ready for him as I thought. It's a combination of I live alone, I don't have huge amounts of money if he were to get sick, and I am out and about a lot and can't really take him with me. Also, I think his size messed with me too. He is cuddly, and wonderful but he is a big dog. I never had pets growing up. My family was not big on pets so we never got any. So, I felt like I didn't know anything and felt like I wasn't going to give him the care I needed.

I have been beating myself for the last few days and feeling totally embarrassed that I left him down. I know that I did was the right thing but it's doesn't make it any less hard. I know that I should not keep an animal that I an not prepared for. It would not be fair to any of us.

What made it all the worse was a felt like I didn't conquer a fear. Yes, originally I wanted adopting a dog to be part of this challenge this time last year. I changed that because working 10 hour days was not going to be good the for the and that why I changed my mind. All of this came back to be a part of this challenge because I thought it was the right time and the right dog. Now it seems it was the right dog but wrong timing for me. He is the perfect dog, he is the smartest dog, and he is the most loving dog. However, I know that I could not be the best human for him. It was better for him to get a better chance at life with someone I know can be that for him.

No, I did not conquer the fear of getting a dog but that doesn't mean I failed. I still pushed my boundaries and tried. That is what matter and what makes this year to be great. I learned where the line was. I learned that I am under prepared for a dog. That doesn't mean I will always be. That means that I have to come up with some tactics to get prepared. I want to volunteer sometimes to walk the dogs maybe a Young Williams and get to know dogs better in general. I can work with them and get to know how to better care for a dog. I can take my time to see if I would do better with a smaller dog, or an older dog, or if maybe a dog is something that really isn't for me? Maybe I am a better Aunt to a dog than an owner.

Failing doesn't mean that you can't do something. It just means you have to learn and grow until you know how to succeed.

Alaina's Trial by Movies: Sammy Davis Jr.

It has been a while! 

The summer has been totally crazy and wonderful and weird. It has been fun and Alaina and I have been doing a lot of fun things together but that has put these movies on the back burner a bit. Well, actually Doctor Who has put these movies on the back burner a bit. I have now watched all of New Who so we can get back to this. 

The actor that Alaina wanted to see this week was Mr. Sammy Davis Jr.

The movie that I chose for Alaina to watch featuring him is Robin and the 7 Hoods. I know that this is more of a Frank Sinatra, Bring Crosby, or Dean Martin movie but I think the Sammy Davis Jr. has a great dancing scene, great lines, and some really good laughs. I was looking forward for her to see this movie because she has actually seen it once before. Way back when we tried to do this years ago we got about one or two movies in. She fell in love with Bing Crosby the first time we saw it. So, I was interested in what she would say about this movie again.

1. What were your thoughts going into this movie? I knew that is was going to be a funny movie. However, I don't remember seeing it so I was looking forwards to watching it again.

2. What was your favorite part of the movie? When the Speakeasy that Frank's gang was running was about to be raided by the cops and it turned into a revival church. Then they started singing the song about Mr. Booze. 

3. Who was your favorite character? Robbo, Frank Sinatra's Character

4. Why? He is the most polite gangster ever. He has this whole "don't mess with me" vibe but he is totally nice.

5. What did you not like about the movie? The Marian character was evil. In most of the Robin Hood stories she is the love interest and good but in the version she was not. She wanted to revenge and it makes her a disgrace to all Robin Hood Marians everywhere.

6. What did you think of Sammy David Jr.? I loved him because he was loyal, quirky, and quiet. 

7. What do you think of the movie now that you have watched it? It was funny, classy, and entertaining. It also has some question songs.

8. Would you watch it again? Absolutely

9. Would you recommend? Yes! This was my favorite film that we have watched so far.

10. What relevance does this movie have to today? Don't be a "do Badderer" like the song say.  

Tom Hanks Hustle: Larry Crowne

Ladies and gentlemen, Larry Crowne

Larry Crowne take pride in his job. He is hoping to be promoted one day. However, when he is called to the office and is fired instead of promoted his life turns upside down. Larry decides that he is going to go back to school. Little did he know that in doing so his life would be turned even more topsy turvy, but for the better.

I have to say.... how lack luster this movie was. I was so looking forward to seeing Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts in the same movie together but really it wasn't that grand of a picture. It's an easy movie to watch and there are a lot of well known actors in the film. Yet, the film seemed to lack a real personal connection between the two main characters of Hanks and Roberts. Also, the movie was about a gang of motor scooter enthusiasts. I thought it was motor cycles but it wasn't.... it was motor scooters....

If the whole move did not have the love interest, and basically cut out Julia Roberts part all together, I think it would have been a very sweet and funny film. I think the whole love story really slowed down the movie. They finally seemed to get a groove with each other when Robert's character finally did something other than sulk. Which really didn't happen until the end of the film. 

It's a cute film but its really not something I would recommend to someone wanting to watch a Tom Hanks film.  

Tom Hanks Hustle: Toy Story 3

We come to the (almost) epic conclusion of the Toy Story Franchise.

The most recent installment of out beloved friends of the toy world has our toys growing up even in they don't grow old. Andy has gotten to the ripe old age of 17 and is off to the adult world of college, which is not place for toys. We have lost some of the friends we have grown to love along the way, but we have our faithful Woody and Buzz. When Andy is choosing to either throw the toys away or put them in the attic, a mishap happens and most of the toys are almost thrown away. That is when they decide that they are going to go to day care so they can be played with all the time. However, it's not as wonderful as they think it's going to be. There is an evil stuffed bear that is out to get them, and any new toys, so they can be a miserable as he feels. How long will our friends be able to bear this situation?

So, I say our almost conclusion because it was officially announced earlier this year the there is going to be a Toy Story 4. Yes, that is right they are not done with out heroes just yet. Before I get into that let me say my peace about Toy Story 3.

Now, when this movie was first announced I was very sad. I really wasn't looking forward to another Toy Story movie. However, I had some friends of mine ask if I wanted to go to the midnight premier of the 3rd one. I said yes and it ended up being my friend Midnight premier ever. I had so much fun. This story seemed to touch my soul a bit more than the second one. However, I only have one complaint..... Daisy

Daisy is the name of the little girl the lost Lotso and Big Baby. I will never forget sitting between my two friends in the theater and they both looked at me when they said her name. My name always seems to be apart of weird things in movies. 

Anyways, this movie does have it's own kind of charms. It's still has a very Disney feel but it's not quite the same feeling that you get when you watch the original movie. What makes this movie better than the second on is the team that we know and love is not fighting for most of the film. In the second one Woody stolen and feeling rotten that Andy was growing up and decided he didn't want to be part of the family anymore and that really sucked. This one there was a little of that with the rest of the toys but it didn't last very long. However, one of the best parts of this movie is Buzz's Spanish mode. It's hilarious to see that in that mode is can confess his love to Jessie and that makes everyone very happy.

However, I do have to give praise to not only Tom Hanks but to Tim Allen as well. This was a great movie to show how good voice acting can really be. It's one thing to act in anything live action because you have so many other things helping you to get across the true level of emotions, like facial reactions and body language. Yet, in voice acting you have to put all of that inflection into you voice and then hope you delivered to performance that lives up to the animation or the animation lives up to the performance. The scene where the toys are about to burn in the furnace really hits home with the animation and the very little that is said in that scene. 

There is one thing that I have learned watching this movie this time around. Tom Hanks is starting to become the voice of justice in my head. Every single time he said anything along the lines of "He's not worth it" or "I don't think so" I was in full support. Not just because it's Woody saying these things but because it is literally Tom Hanks. He hardly ever plays a "villainous" role so every thing I have seen him in her he always standing up for what is right. 

Now, to Toy Story 4!!!! I have no idea what I think about them doing another movie! The ended the series very well. Now, I am they are digging it back up. I am a little worried because if it goes wrong Disney could end up beating a dead horse on accident and I don't want to see that happen. What makes me worried is that there is no Andy. We know Bonnie but she is not the person we grew up with and she has he own set of toys before our heroes got there. They seem to be meshing well but you never know what the writers will decide to do. Then you have to take into the fact that the Great Don Rickles has passed away since Toy Story 3. He is the voice of Mr. Potatohead. How are you going to have a Toy Story film without Mr. Potatohead or with someone else doing his voice. It's just not right. The saving grace is that this is a Disney film. They very rarely ever have a bad movie, or a bad sequel. Also, this is a Pixar film and when both of them combine have not made a bad film yet. So, if there is going to be another film at least it's both of them and there is a very good chance that this is going to be a good movie after all.

 

Tom Hanks Hustle: Angels & Demons

We are back to another adventure with Robert Langdon

After the event that we experienced in The Da Vinci Code Mr. Langdon is actually called by the Vatican to come and help solve a mystery. Upon the Pope's death the mourning period is about to end and the election of the new Pope is underway. However, the four big hopefuls have all been kidnapped and threatened to be put to the death by the secret society known as the Illuminati.

So.... I have to say that I enjoyed Angels & Demons more than The Da Vinci Code. Yet, it was still an ok film. I knew it was going to be better than the first one because Tom Hanks' hair was so much better this time around. Thanks goodness. 

I had a hard time enjoying the first one because I didn't agree with the concept of Jesus having a wife and child. This one I go along better with because it was more of a "plausible" mystery to solve with a kidnapping involved. I think the movie is too long. The mystery was good, searching for clues was good, but it took forever to get to the point of the movie. There was a good solid foundation to the plot formed at the beginning and the end had a nice twist to it. It just took too long to get from on end to the other. The film lost me out of boredom a few times.

It's a 6 out of 10 for me. I would watch it again if someone else wanted to I don't know if I would on my own.   

Tom Hanks Hustle: Charlie Wilson's War

Political scandal turned hero...

Charlie Wilson is not the politician that you would come to for an undercover operation. He is the one the those politician who is worried only to get votes and never put anything to action behind those votes. Until he is convinced to go to Pakistan in 1980 during the Soviet Union occupation. The U.S. is basically refusing to help the Pakistani people during their time of need. When Charlie Wilson is face to face the people in a Pakistani Refugee came he decides he is going to take action for once.

Ok, This movie was very interesting one. It did a really good job of informing you about what was happening in Pakistan in the 1980s and how the US got involved. It was really good at showing how a small group of people can make a difference in the world.

Charlie Wilson was having a scandal in his career. Rumors got out that he was doing cocaine and there was an investigation launched against him for it. He was on the verge of being a disgrace, on top of not really doing anything in congress other than partying. It's really crazy to see someone transform from that into someone who cares about something so much he is willing to risk everything he has in order to make it happen.

I have to say that I really love watching Tom Hanks in this film. He did really well of staring off as someone that would be the "bad guy" and making them a "hero".