Random Thoughts 8

An awful lot of super hero movies out these days, eh?  Most of which really aren't that great.  We saw "Thor" a while ago, it was good.  Not great.  It's really just a setup movie for a bigger one called "The Avengers", which is a group of heroes:  Iron Man, Captain America (his own movie out soon), Thor himself, Nick Fury and maybe the Hulk, though Hulk might wind up being the villain.  Maybe I forgot one or two or more.  Anyway, I don't like the idea of a bunch of heroes in one movie.  I like them to be in their own 'universes', so to speak.  The reason I like the last couple of Batman movies so much is because they're plausible, if not necessarily probable.  Batman himself has no powers.  He's just a very rich guy bent on avenging the death of his parents by trying to wipe out the mob, and other weirdos pop up along the way.  Of course, the writing, acting, directing, cinematography and soundtrack make it a stellar film, my most favorite ever.

If you're wondering why Charlie Brown is on my facebook profile picture these days, it's because I identify with the fellow.  He's always looking for a break but can't quite seem to get one, but he forges ahead anyway.  There are a lot of nuances to that character that I completely am in synch with.  God bless Charles Shultz.

On the way home from work tonight, we heard a song on the radio that jarred our memories, one that we hadn't heard in probably at least 20 years.  I forget the name of it now... but it's amazing how some songs take you way back and transplant you in another frame of mind.  THIS ONE takes me back to October 1986, when a girlfriend left me and I was in a dreadful tailspin.  They say the first cut is the deepest.  I got together with someone else right afterward and THIS SONG reminds me of her.  And this WEIRD FUNNY ONE brings me back to a train trip me and some friends took in '88 to Toronto to see KISS.  I could go on and on with a nostalgia trip here but then it wouldn't be just Random Thoughts anymore.

Seek out Breyer's Banana Cream Pie All Natural ice cream.  Man alive that stuff is wicked!  Real bananas and graham cracker pie crust pieces in it make this one a whole new reason to keep hitting the gym.

The warmer weather and longer days can only mean one thing... cottage time.  Looking forward to whooping it up another summer with the fam.

Speaking of summer, it looks like a staple has made its way into our fridge in the form of Moose Light Ginger.  We've gone through almost three 12 packs in three weeks!  I don't binge though.  That stuff is very smooth and tasty for beer.  I love my ML Lime too, but this one I think I like even more.

"Super 8" is coming.  Been waiting a long time for this one.  I hope it's good.   Roger Ebert gives it 3 1/2 stars out of 4, or a thumbs up.

My Red Sox have hit their stride in the last few weeks after a rocky start, but I knew they'd come around.  I'm loving it too.  I remember how they lost a bunch of games to start the season and the haters were writing them off already.  I was saying "just you wait".  The wait is apparently done.


Looking back, I realize I feel like I've grown as a person since I started attending St. Bernard's parish a few years ago.  I see things differently and just feel better in general.  Father Carroll is a really good guy whom I've learned a lot from, from his weekly sermons, which are more often than not short but to-the-point offerings on how we can get closer to God.  I love doing readings at the masses I get to do, too.

I find it amusing hearing all of the backbiting going on regarding the Vancouver vs Boston battle for the Stanley Cup.  "Bring the Cup back to Canada!" one faction says.  "There are more Canadian players on the Bruins than on the Canucks!" says the other.  Me, I don't know, I don't care much.  But here's what I think about that dilemma:  I understand both sides.  I get that Canadian hockey fans want the cup to 'belong' to Canada again.  And I get the whole Boston homeboys thing too.  I mean, Canucks is a euphemism for Canadians anyway, so I get the whole bring-it-home thing.  But let me say this... I get railed at for being a big Boston Red Sox fan in baseball while turning my back on the Toronto Blue Jays.  Fact of the matter is, the casual fans may look at it as a country or province or state loyal thing, while the hardcore fans will appreciate a team for their characters and history.  I got into baseball back in the late 70's when my friends around the neighbourhood were Boston fans before I got into it, so I got to know the team through them.  Around here, we got a lot of Boston coverage, so that was the team people around here gravitated to, and for me, it stuck.  I see a lot more Red Sox shirts and hats than any other team, then it's the Yankees, then the Blue Jays.  Die-hards don't care about geography, they care about the team they like.  Where I'm just a casual-at-best hockey fan, I guess I might side with the Canucks, but I sort of like Boston because of the Maritime connections and they're brothers to my Red Sox.

Our Prime Minister Stephen Harper showed up at one of the games in Boston... via a government jet.  That's your tax dollars hard at work, ladies and gentlemen, getting the country's boss to hockey games with his family, 'stick'ing it to us.  He's gonna get called for misconduct in the House of Commons I hope.

The U2 show is edging closer and closer.  It's gonna be one hell of a blast, and if you're reading this and you're not going, or you're on the edge (pun intended), lean toward going, because you'll regret missing out on this, even if you won't admit it.  This is the most successful tour in history, being seen by over seven million worldwide, with the biggest stage show ever produced.  But there's more to it than that.  U2 puts on a very involving show, one like you've never experienced.  If there were no theatrics at all, you would still get treated to a spectacle and be left with a show to be talked about endlessly.  We saw them in Montreal in '05.  We know.

With the post office strike in full swing at the moment, my wife is wondering about her future where she works.  She's not employed by the post office, but by Shoppers Drug Mart, but she loves what she does as manager of the outlet.  The future is somewhat uncertain and I can tell it worries her, but I know she'll be okay.  She's one of the smartest people I know.  I can only dream of being half as smart as she is.

The KFC Double Down is coming back!  I've tried them in the States and here in Moncton, and I could swear that the ones we have here in Moncton are at least twice as good.  Hey, so maybe we should call it the Double Double Down eh?  Or the KFC 3D Sandwich.

With all due respect to other Shoppers Drug Mart stores, I have to say that our cosmetics department has THE hottest looking babes working there of all of them.  Although at Janice's store, there is one ... I'm talking about YOU JJ ... that would fit right in there amongst the beauties.  I feel blessed every time I get a cosmetics order in receiving and have to walk it to the makeup counter.

I guess that's all I have to say for now.  Have a good summer folks... I'll be back plenty of times throughout.  And I genuinely say, Thank You for reading.