RockPaperFire

So many exciting possibilities have happened in the Sniper family this weekend…but I don’t wanna jinx ‘em. So you’re gonna have to wait!

So Ben and I got invited to go rock climbing this past Friday. It sounds like something to do with good friends to get us out of the house so we decide to give it a try. The week rolls by and before I know it I’m driving home tired, hungry, and dirty. (Dirty b/c I didn’t take a shower that morning b/c I stayed up too late b/c I can NOT put down my new book series…but anyway). So needless to say I was not overly excited about our new adventure. We get to the place though and let me tell you…it’s really awesome! It’s called Stone Summit and I’m immediately intimidated as soon as I walk in the door. There are pros here and 5 year old’s that make me feel completely incompetent. So we walk up to the counter.

Jess: “Um…yeah..so we wanna climb?”

ClimberDude: “Ok…reservation or belay test?”

Jess: “Um…no, and…what?”

ClimberDude: “Do you need a belay test?”

Jess: “Hmm..I have no idea. What is that?”

Ben: “It’s the person who stands on the ground and holds the rope for the climber…”

Jess: “Oh. Um. No.”

Yeah, I’m the last person who needs to be responsible for holding someone up on that rope. I get my gear and shoes, and Bob shows me how to put it all on. It makes me feel even more out of place and awkward but it makes SB’s package look nice…so I comply. Maybe it was my hesitation…or it could’ve been me telling Kit that I’m not even sure I’m getting up ON that wall…but we head to the “training/kid/n00b” area. James shows me how to tie the right knots and gives me enough info to get started. I start to climb and I literally.petrified. The only option I have is to keep going up b/c down is not possible. (Mind you, I’m only about, eh, 5 feet in the air). BUT…I make it to the top. Letting go was the hardest. I kept telling James “you don’t know how heavy I am! Please don’t drop me”, but he lowers me down nice and easy and I’m immediately proud of myself and have a huge sense of release. We practice a few more times then head down with the big boys.  These guys were hanging from places in the wall that had me in awe. The muscle strength and balance and physics that it takes to rock climb is unbelievable. Kit, James and Bob are awesome. We all took turns and helped each other out and by the end of the night I was tired, blistered, and sore…but I felt great. It’s definitely a hobby I want to keep up! Eventually…I may even get up the guts to belay someone. Anyone want to be my first climber??!!

Tags: n00b, kit, rock climbing, friends, belay

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It’s funny to look back on my last post. It was not that long ago and since my “balance and peace” post I have been in quite a little rut. I haven’t been able to pinpoint that exact reason why I’ve been in said rut…it’s just been a long month. I do contribute a huge part of it to my 2+ hour a day commute. Despite my efforts I didn’t get a job closer to home, so we’re in the process of finding a home closer to the job. We did some house hunting this weekend and found a really awesome area and I’ve got my fingers crossed that something comes through for us. Apartment living is fun, but we’re ready for the next step. A house with a yard and neighbors and a bit more privacy is definitely a step in the right direction.

Besides the drive, I feel like I’ve been a bit overwhelmed with the weight of life. My immediate family is, I’ve decided, going to be forever a work in progress. It feels a bit like a roller coaster with them where I feel close and healthy one day, then it’s all fallen apart and drama and tears ensue by bedtime. I’m trying to just take a deep breath and do my best with them. I’m staying at my mom’s house a few nights a week and it seems to help a bit. At least until that next hill. Additionally, HBK’s dad is an idiot. And that’s putting it nicely. I try to maintain some semblance of peace with him, for my son’s sake…but the fact is he is a moron and a bigot. It’s a biweekly reminder of how much harder I want to work with Chase to be a loving, healthy, accepting person.

Thankfully, I do have a much needed 2 week break from grad school. Work is starting to level out and I have a great group of 4th graders this year. I miss last year a lot. I shared stories and laughed more and looked forward to different things when I walked into work. Life changes and babies and grade level changes have made this year much more “work” and much less “fun”. I do love having HBK with me and observing a bit of his life in elementary school. He has a “friend” he has become very fond of. His shyness about her is very sweet. Oh..and did I mention the weather? I swear this Georgia heat/humidity has added to my crabbiness. This weekend we finally got a break from it and I even felt a breeze. I didn’t sweat the second I stepped outside and maybe it’s dumb, but I know it’s helped me “cool off” some of my grumpies.

And then there were the Snipers. We had such a wonderful summer of sleeping in and road trips and vacations and relaxation. Now…we have house hunting, moving, work, and a wedding on our plate. Yikes! Oh..and did I mention the new addition? We rescued a retriever/lab mix from the Atlanta Humane Society. Her name is Jan and she gets a post of her own soon. She is an adorably sweet self made princess and she’s a LOT of work. (I know…did we really need a dog? I whined and pouted though…so he gave in). There’s been lots of talk about moving and the wedding…but tiny baby steps towards each. This is what I love about our relationship. We talk. When I’m pissy and moody and snappy about things (yea, those who know me nod in agreement) I’m just not a fun person to be around. SB is patient…and we always talk about it. I’m figuring out where these moods stem from and taking care of them on sarcastic phrase at a time.

I’m cautious about the move…and cautious about the wedding plans…and these are both a very good thing. I’m SO not good at baby steps. I like big ol’ giant leaps a lot better. But I want this next year…this life of ours…to be built with thought and analyzed with a purpose, not just thrown together. I want peace and love and seren….ah shit…did Jan just piss in the floor again? BEN!!!!!

Tags: moving, peace, balance, wedding, Jan

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Well, not realy. I’m not a critic by any stretch of the imagination. I just like to watch movies. In fact, I like to watch movies like this. For starters, let me just say that I was not a Scott Pilgrim super fan. I didn’t read the graphic novels or really know that much about the story. My friends started posting stuff about this Scott Pilgrim movie and I was like, yeah…another Michael Cera where he plays an awkward teen. Then I saw the trailer. In fact, I think you should see the trailer as well. I’ll wait below the fold for you to watch.

Click here to view the embedded video.

What’d you think? Awesome, right?! That’s what I thought. All that flashy animation and “K-POW!” and what not is actually in the movie, so don’t think it’s one of those trailer tricks where they beef it up then leave out the goods. This movie was just like a video game, only a really cool video game and not one of those crappy ones.

So you might be asking, is this just another Michael Cera movie or is it something more? Well, it is just another MC movie, but it’s also something more. The pace of the movie was quick, the dialogue was witty, there was action and even some sexy time (but not too much).

The movie was a visual feast. Every scene there was something that was animated or cartoony or something. The eye never got a chance to rest due to things being all over the screen. In addition to that the way the movie flowed was genius. A character walks into a room and the camera zooms in only to find out they are in a completely different room in a new building hours or even days in the future. No need to drag anything out, just cut to exactly what the audience wants. It was brilliant.

Having not read the books, I didn’t know how close it was to the story. Luckily I had Neal and Jude. Having read everything, they were keen to all the little nuances that were thrown in. I went back and looked through the books after the movie and yep, they stuck to the story. Unlike most movies from comics or books, this one stuck to the story pretty tightly.

I’d like to see the movie again so I can take it all in. I’m not saying it was a bit much the first time, but there’s always more you see the second time watching a movie. I give SPvTW 5 stars or coins or points or what ever form of measurement we’re using on this site. Oh, and I think I may have found my Halloween costume.

Tags: review, scott pilgrim vs the world

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I feel like I am on a journey. a spiritual, growing up, peace finding journey. Actually…once I realized this, it became clear that I’ve been on this journey for almost a year now. At times it seems crazy to think about how much life has changed in the past few years, but when I look at the changes I smile. I used to constantly fight with myself between doing what’s right…and doing what feels right.  I almost always did the latter even though I always knew better.  And I almost always felt the blow of consequences that followed. I was frequently frustrated…always confused with what I wanted. Now, for the first time ever, what I want is what’s right. What feels right…and what IS right…are very seldom two different things for me now. I can’t begin to describe to you the peace that has brought to my life.

When Ben and I met we were both extremely unbalanced people.  We were so wrong for each other and the timing couldn’t have been worse. About a year later…everything lined up. We went on a date. Started over. I wasn’t sure we would ever earn each others trust, and let me tell you it was NOT easy. But we did. We found trust, and balance, and priorities. We became a family and most importantly I learned how to put other people first. I was such a selfish person…and I’m learning how to love selflessly. I’m learning how to love the way people need to be loved. The rewards and the contentment and the….peace that comes from it is nothing like I can ever explain.

I don’t know where all of this has come from. Maybe from the awesome weekend that is ending. The weekend I so needed to relax, recharge my batteries (as Ben puts it), and reflect. School has started back and I feel the stress starting to build back up.  I don’t, however, feel that “thing” I used to feel. I used to have this little…ball of energy. Negative, confused energy. It bounced back and forth from side and side and never allowed me to just stop. and be content. and feel peace. This journey of mine has helped that crazy energy go away. I’ve finally said “this is what I want…and I am going to do what’s right to get it”. at times it was damn near impossible to see the light at the end of the tunnel…and the number of people who are no longer in my life or who are no where near where they used to be in my life is huge. but the people who have embraced the change..or have at least acknowledged the change and remained patient, i am so so thankful for. no…i can’t do this by myself. yes…i do need help. this is just the beginning ….stay tuned.

Tags: journey, peace, life, love, smile

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The best advice you will ever receive:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Predator set a new standard for violence in movies involving a group of guys in a jungle with a chick and an alien. It was a movie that scared the bajesus outta me but then made me appreciate the importance of mud and sticks in a fight against a foe with lasers, bombs, and a cloaking device. Flash forward 23 years and you get a new standard in men in a jungle with a chick…and this time 4 aliens!

Predators is set in present day on a distant planet. It opens with a scene of the main character (Adrien Brody) plummeting from the sky while attempting to open a parachute. Eventually he lands safely with all his guns and machetes and what not. We soon find that there are a few other guys falling all around. First they try and kill each other, but soon realize that they are being hunted. Sound familiar? Well, if you’ve seen any action movie that involves more than one guy, then probably so.

The rag-tag group is comprised of your usual assortment of fodder. You have the scraggly voice self appointed leader who never asked for the job. There’s the ever so doubtful chick. You’ve got the guy who’s not who he says he is but no one really cares until he’s met his demise. There’s the black guy, the comic relief guy, the Danny Trejo playing his usual character (after all, it is a Robert Rodriguez film) and a forgetful Laurence Fishburne. Each character is picked off one by one, alternating with one of 4 Predators up until the very end when you have the ultimate showdown (but not this kind of ultimate showdown). I won’t give away the ending, but let’s just say that the battle was just as epic as the original.

Now for a review of the movie overall. I mean, there were certain things that I was expecting. Like a good old fashion handshake, but the rest was there. From a mini gatling gun to a mud covered guy fighting an alien that’s nearly 8ft tall. I really did enjoy the film and will most likely buy it when it comes out. It was a great follow up to the original. There were several throwbacks and references mixed in that made it seem like a continuation. They completely dismissed Predator 2 as well as the AvP movies.

The flow of the movie was fairly straight forward and to the point. There were some down times between fights, but it picked right back up. I didn’t expect there to be any vast character development or extravagant plot lines. I wasn’t looking for the personalities of the characters to carry me through the scenes. I wanted blood (both green and red), Predators, yelling, s’plosions, fighting, that distinct Predator sound and more blood. I got everything I wanted out of the movie. If you go into this movie wanting more than that or wanting a Chris Nolan film, then you will be disappointed.

I did have a few favorite parts of the movie as well as a few parts I could have done with out. For starters the sword fight was epic and bad at the same time. I mean, you get to see a Yakuza guy fight an Predator with a sword. As good as this could have been, it left me wanting more. They pretty much just ‘cut’ the point and moved on to the next scene. Laurence Fishburne was a character that was a bit strange to me. He played a guy that has been on the planet for several “seasons” and has adapted many survival methods. One of them being going half retard (you never go full retard). I dunno, I just didn’t like him in that role. He started off strong, but then just kinda fizzled out. The last thing that bugged me about the movie was the trailer. Here watch it again:

Click here to view the embedded video.

The part at 1:28 where Adrien Brody has 10, count’em 10 Predator beam things on him is totally not accurate. For starters there are only 4 Predators in the movie and only 3 of them are hunters (the other is tied up as a captive because he’s not as cool as the bigger ones). Secondly, in the movie there’s only 1 beam thingy on him. Just one! Don’t be fooled into thinking that Mr. Brody is gonna pull some crazy stunt and get out of a massive explosion from 10 Predators, it’s just one people!

Ok, so that’s my rant/review. I really did like the action scenes and the music and the feel of the movie. It brought me back to the feeling of the original. I like the actors that were picked for the roles. The Predators looked great and true to the 1987 film. It was well paced and worth my money. I would highly recommend seeing it and at the very least you should GIT TO DA CHOPPA!!!

Tags: predators, review

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I’m engaged!!!   Here’s how it went down:

A month or so ago Ben marked a weekend on our gmail calendar as “Do not plan a thing”. Hhmm…my interest is peaked. We’re big on planning surprise trips or dates for each other, so I had a few ideas in my head. A few days prior to the weekend, I was having a crappy day. We found out that canceling our lease would require selling a kidney so my heart was sunken with the thought of driving the same commute to work until at least March. SB lifted my spirits by telling me that the weekend would involve a cabin in Blue Ridge, a hot tub, lots of food and beverages, and four of our close friends: Kit, Bob, Kim, and James. I was stoked! An adult weekend away was the best way to wrap up the summer before returning back to work!

So Friday is finally here and we got off to a late start. I dropped SniperHBK off with his dad, SB made last minute trips to the store, we finished packing, loaded up, stopped for a quick dinner, sat in traffic, sang some Eminem while driving in the rain, and finally made it to Wild Azalea! The others were there waiting and we had an awesome night! We filled the hot tub with beer and laughter and memories and woke up the next morning feeling a little…well…yeah, hungover. It was a lazy day filled with naps and eating and movies. At one point we all decided to go for a walk outside. Ben was very eager about our walk! We went down a trail to the water and by the time I made it back up I was done. Hot, tired, hungover, done. Ben suggested we go for a bit more of a walk (bless him…he was trying!)..but I needed air conditioning and a nap. After some much needed recovery, SB and I went out to the porch to enjoy the view. We both really love the mountains. Thin air, lots of green, lots of quiet. As we were enjoying the view Ben asked me an odd question…

SB: “Are you happy?”….

SJ: “Of course I’m happy…”

SB: “Are you like…the happiest ever?”

SJ: giggling…”I mean..yeah, I’m pretty dang happy”

At this point I start to notice a change. His heart literally felt like it was about to beat out of his chest. I looked up at him a bit confused and asked something along the lines of..”Are you ok?”

SB: “I need you to do me a favor…” reaches in pocket

SJ: Oh…my…God…are you kidding me?

Sweet words…a few tears…and a “Yes! I will!” later…and we were engaged! We announced the news to our friends (who had no idea it was going to happen) and we spent the rest of the weekend floating around in Blue Ridge.

So now the planning starts! We’re not typically traditional people..and this will be a second marriage for both of us, so we’ve thrown a lot of ideas and dates around. Nothing is definite yet…but Vegas in April is looking like a mighty fine idea!

Tags: Blue Ridge, ring, engaged, cabin, fiance

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Day 2 of NC was a perfect way to wrap up our family road trip!  The boys and I, along with the Bateman’s, headed off to play in the Atlantic for a few hours! After a quick stop at the “Shark Store” for a boogie board, a kite, and sand toys, we arrived at the beautiful beach! As a child, my family typically went to the Gulf for our vacations and the beaches there are gawgeous! I have to admit I was surprised to see how nice the Atlantic was how big and beautiful the waves were. Perfect for boogie boarding and body surfing. Chase had the best time playing in the waves. I was a nervous wreck as usual…thinking he was going out too far…worried about the under toe…etc., but everybody had a safe, fun time. We wrapped up the day with some fresh seafood and a great dinner. By the end of the day we were full, tired, sunburned, and happy. We had such an amazing time on our trip, but we all agreed we were ready to be home. One final night in NC and we were heading home to sweet ol’ Georgia. The ride home was nice and quiet for the most part. Chase amazed me as a road tripper and really was an awesome car rider. As we crossed into the Georgia state line we found a Randy Travis station on Pandora that brought me right back to road trips I’ve taken in my life and the trips  I took as a child in my dad’s ‘big truck’. As we listened and sang along I laughed and cried and smiled and shared stories and memories that the old country songs brought back to me. I felt lucky to have had the ‘abnormal childhood’ that I often joke about and to have such great memories connected to song…and even more lucky that my son will have his own road trip stories to tell now. This trip was my favorite part of my summer vacation…and little did I know it would soon be tied with another favorite part of the summer…just a few weeks later…

The Pics:

Tags: boogie board, beach, road trip, NC, vacation

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I am an avid list maker…which inspired to me to change it up a bit make a list of all the fabulous things we did on our first day in NC.

• Survived horrible traffic on 95South, but made it to the Camp Lejeune Inn. Nice and economical!
• Visited the “mall” on base for last minute must haves.
• Had a cookout at the Bateman’s!
• Watched the kids play in the water all day!
• Listened to Marines talk about things and acronyms I pretended to understand.
• Watched Marines grill meat!
• Met new friends.
• Drank beer and ate delicious food!
• Fashioned a homemade fly trap!
• Ate MORE delicious food. (Hey..it’s vacation!?)
• Played RockBand
• Watched three kids wrestle and tackle a Marine for about an hour.
• Sat with friends and family to watch one of the best fireworks shows ever!
• Celebrated the fourth with my two loves, and awesome friends we don’t see enough.
• Prepared for day 2! BEACH DAY!!

The Pics:

Tags: adventure, vacation, 4th of july, road trip, NC

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Despite a bit of construction traffic we arrived in Philly a little after lunch time on Wednesday. Everyone was awaiting our arrival and it felt so good to be there! I love the constant flow of visitors and family through the house and MAN did we eat! The first night my Grandmom made us the most delicious meal: Ham, beans, potatoes, rolls. It was so nice to take a break from eating out or grabbing fast food on the road. We spent the rest of the evening relaxing and learning how to play pinochle. It’s a family tradition and SniperBen fell into place so perfectly. Everyone seemed to love him and he even got in some guy time with one of my uncles!

The following day we loaded up and headed to the city. My Aunt Jackie, two of my cousins, and the Snipers all went to Ride the Ducks! We quacked through the city and learned about the history of our nation’s first capital then we quacked down the Delaware River! The kids had a great time and Chase loved spending time with his cousins. Oh! And not long after coming home to GA my aunt sent me this link. OMG! (Our favorite phrase of the week btw). I couldn’t believe just days before we were on one of those ducks! It’s a good thing we got it done when we did though…because my ass will never sit on one of those ducks again!

After the quackin’ we were ready to experience the most delicious lunch ever. We went to South Street and ordered Philly Cheese steaks from Jim’s. They were the perfect way to end our duck trip! Aunt Jackie and the kids went to Johnny Rockets for chicken and shakes. My family, the jokes, the food, the laughter, the card games…they are all such a huge part of my life that I don’t get to experience often enough. It meant so much to not only have SniperBen there with me, but to see just how perfectly he fit in made it even better. I can’t wait to go back!

The Pics:

Tags: road trip, cheesesteak, vacation, adventure, philly

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Every summer needs a summer vacation. This year our summer vacation was an epic road trip. Since Jess has family in Philly and I have some friends in NC that we hadn’t seen in a while, we figured it would be the perfect time to see them both all while visiting our nation’s capitol, especially since Jess and Chase had never been there and the last time I was there was when I was a kid.

As with every great road trip we planned it all out, got all our ducks in a row and headed out early. Our first stop was DC, approximately 10 hours away. The trip was a lot of fun. We played the usual car games of I Spy and how many different state license plates can we find (nearly 40 during the entire trip) and did some singing and all that. We made great time and arrived just in time for dinner. I had scoped out places to eat prior to getting there so we wouldn’t have to spend our time looking. First up was Matchbox DC – Vintage Pizza Bistro. The food and atmosphere were great!

After dinner we walked around a bit. We actually managed to make it all the way to The Capitol. It was MUCH larger than I imagined and quite a site to behold. We snapped a few photos with our phones then headed back to the hotel to get tucked in. After all, the following day would be a marathon of sites.

The day started off with some scrapple at Lincoln’s Waffle Shop. This little hole in the wall place was un-freakin-real. Quick, tasty, cheap, fun. Once we were done eating we headed over to Union Station to park and begin our excursion. Rather than try to find parking all over town we did a double decker tour. We could get off/on at pretty much any of the sites for the whole day. This turned out to be a genius idea.

Our first stop was The National Air and Space Museum. This place was awesome. It was huge. We walked around looking for the cool things, minding the time since we could spend all day in here, but had an entire city to see. In the end, Chase and I rode the flight simulators while Jess hung back and took pics. Even though it was first, it was probably the highlight of the day.

From NASM we headed over to the Washington Monument. I had no idea how tall or massive this thing was. You see pictures all the time, but you can never really appreciate something like this until you are right up on it. We got our necessary pictures then headed over to the Lincoln Memorial. Again, this is something you have to see to believe. Abe didn’t come alive and walk around like in the movies, but then again there were a lot of people around and he probably would have killed several of them.

It was getting to be that time when we need to not be walking for a bit, so we took a little break while waiting on our bus. Once the bus came we rode over to Arlington Cemetery, passing the Pentagon on the way. Not to sound in any way disrespectful, but Arlington is an amazing place. There is a LOT of history at that place. It was getting late in the day but I wanted to see the Eternal Flame and the Changing of the Guards. Watching the extreme dedication those men have to doing what they do is awe inspiring.

Chase and Jess were feeling a bit pooped after walking around Arlington, so we hopped on the bus and headed back in town. We still had a few more stops before we called it a day. We hit up The National Museum of Natural History. It was between this and The National Museum of American History. We wanted to see the dinosaurs so our choice was clear. The dino’s were cool, as were all the other exhibits, but we were tired and hungry. It was dinner time in DC and what better place to eat, than America. I mean, it was freakin’ AMERICA! Yet another amazing dinner in our bellies, but it was getting late and we were all dead tired.

We headed back to the hotel, got packed up, and hit the sack. It was a fun filled day with lots of sites and history lessons, flight simulators, monuments, “hollowed” grounds, ground animal parts, sunshine, and all manner of things. Our DC trip had come to a close and we had managed to cram it all into one day. It’s not something I will soon, or hopefully ever forget. Getting to be there as Chase saw all these things that make up our great nation was worth the miles of walking we did.

Next on our list, Philly Cheese Steaks. Oh and some family time as well.

The Pics:

Tags: monuments, DC, adventure, washington, vacation

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