Call of Doody

Does anyone else find it funny that the most popular video game is called, "Call of Doody?" How great was it when they came out with "Call of Doody 2" hahahaha! What's even better is when you start giving them subtitles like, "Call of Doody: Modern Warfare." That sounds like some killer doody. My students walk in with blood shot eyes...dragging their feet...and their excuse? "Up late with Call of Doody." I'm like, "Daaaaaang that must have been some wicked Taco Bell to destroy your body like that." Oh and what about, "Call of Doody: Black Ops?" Sounds like they've got waaaaay too much fiber in that diet. hahahaha.

My name is Justin Reeves,

I have 2 kids

I have 2 Jobs

I have 2 Graduate Classes

and I haven't blogged in a long time.
Tonight I'm dropping by to tell you that "Doody" is hilarious- JR

Blogging in the spaces inbetween

Hi all,

Remember when I used to blog a lot? Yeah them good old "pre-grad school" days. I had a life back then :) I'm doing my best to hop in and say hello right now. Ashley and I went to the Pumpkins concert in Vegas last weekend. It was an awesome show. I've now seen them 5 times, and Zwan (Billy's other band) once. The setlist was a mix between early stuff and brand new songs. Best part was that after the show, instead of looking all over the Internet for expensive crappy bootlegs, I just purchased a USB drive with the whole concert uploaded on it. THAT is technology folks.

My trip to Vegas was an eye opener. This was the first time I've really BEEN to Vegas. Last time I stayed off the strip and went to a Football game, before that I was with my family so I didn't get to experience the ummm "stuff."

Frankly I'm appalled at the world. Humanity is just plain weird and vile. I'm walking hand in hand with my wife down the strip and countless trolls keep trying to hand me flyers with naked chicks on them. I've got a wife guys...does it look like I need prostitutes or strippers? NOPE! It's sad how many people probably take advantage of those ads. It's sad to think that those are people's daughters. In order to get to our room in the Planet Hollywood Hotel, we had to walk through, "the Pleasure Pit." This consisted of a bunch of card tables with scantily clad girls dancing by them while you gambled. Really? I mean I had to sit back and laugh. What is up with people?

We went to a club where my wife wanted to meet a D list celebrity from one of those Bachelor shows. It was her Birthday. Well we got in there and there were all sorts of scantily clad girls whipping each other and pole dancing...ummm...bad club. We stayed for ten minutes and bolted. I got to watch the ground a lot.

I also got to see how humans meet and court now adays. Wow...clubbing has got to be the most pathetic thing I've ever seen in my entire life. Group of girls shows up, drinks in hand, and then groups of guys show up, drinks in hand, they all get sloshed and start grinding on each other like baboons. It was all very "primal." I was surprised that the males didn't compete for the females by throwing feces at each other. Is that really how people meet now? I go, I drink, I grind, I wake up next to her, and then I move on to the next female? Check yourselves guys...this belonged on National Geographic. Kind of fun to witness though. With the loud club music people try to posture themselves as being total bad asses when in fact they look ridiculous and embarrassing to the human race.

Well that's my rant for the day. I try to steer clear of politics on here, but one last note: The other night I went to use the restroom at my work, and it was "Occupied." It was lame. I get that you want to Occupy Wall Street, but leave my restroom be, I really gotta go!

What is and what could have been...

First off,
I like where I'm at,
I love who I'm with,
I love my life, it freaking rocks.

But...
I had a thought the other night whilst watching the first game of the NFL season.

I still feel like a little kid... (this is obvious to all who know me...I'm almost 30 and I go to the Comic Book Store weekly to Geek out). So it's weird when I'm watching the NFL and it says, "he's an NFL veteran, he's 30 and has been in the league 8 years..." I'll be 30 in December.

So let's turn the clock back to the early 90's... I believe it was 5th grade when the original x-men animated series started airing on Fox. I was already a huge Star Wars fan and loved sci fi stuffs. Let's say I never got into that stuff and I spent every waking moment in the gym. I was 6'3 and 156 lbs when I graduated. What if I'd put on a ton of muscle and was 195?

What if I'd played football all through Jr. High and made it onto the high school team?

What if I'd been really good? I seem to do ok at the Turkey Bowl every year so maybe I have skills?

What if a college had picked me up? What if I'd actually played college ball? 6'3 195lbs is a pretty good size for a quarterback. What if I'd played for some Jr. College and then transferred to BYU or U of U or Utah State?

What if I was good enough and got picked up in some late round draft pick?

What if the starting QB was awful, the 2nd string got hurt, and they had to throw me into the game?

What if I'd replaced Drew Brees in San Diego instead of Phillip Rivers? We're the same age right?

What if I was currently a starting quarterback in the NFL? Could I have done it? I mean there's got to be a chance that somewhere along these "what if" questions there is a scenario where I'm making millions of dollars and throwing touchdown passes like a champ right?

What if I was a top tier fantasy draft pick?

What if ESPN loved me and Jim Rome booked me often?

What if...

What if I hate lifting weights, was too skinny to play ball, and was more interested in photography and reading. What if I went to school and found that I loved teaching English at my alma matter high school for slightly less than millions a year. What if the only person who wants me on their fantasy team is my wife cause she loves me? What if I "watch the Superbowl from my house on a Sunday, go to school the next mornin drive off in a Hyundai?"

I can barely afford to buy tyco with my money...
Still too skinny to buy lipo with my money...

My thoughts on 9/11

I promised my good friend Dave that I'd blog about what went down that day since we were together when the $#it hit the fan. 9/11 is always in the back of the minds of those who witnessed it, and once a year the History channel and others show us documentary after documentary with that footage that stirs up the feelings I had that day. Not sadness, not remorse,....but anger.

I was ticked off.

I was serving as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in Columbus, Ohio on September the 11th. I was "stationed" in the suburb of Gahanna, Ohio. There were four of us in the apartment. Elder Bradford, and I were one set of missionaries. Elder Hall and Elder Bunting were the others. On that particular morning we got up, read scriptures, ate, and decided that Elder Hall and Bradford would go help with some service at a member of our congregation's house, meanwhile Dave Bunting and I would go knock on doors. Dave recounted to me that he remembers that morning being very quiet...which wasn't the usual case seeing as how we lived 2 blocks from the airport. Nothing was taking off....

Hall and Bradford took the car and we set out on foot. Before we started knocking doors, we stopped at the bank on the corner so Dave could make a deposit or something. We walked in the door and saw about a dozen or so stunned people gathered around a little tv that had been set up on a folding card table. I asked what happened, and a gentleman said, "awww they're crashing planes into the Trade Centers." I didn't know who "they were" and I had assumed they meant small planes (like everyone else did I'm pretty sure) . Just then a woman next to me broke out into hysterics screaming, "my sister is New York City Oh my God! My Sister!" While someone helped comfort her I recall the news reporter saying, "we can see building one and there is a lot of smoke. Reports of building two falling are unconfirmed but...."and then Tower 1 fell... "Ladies and gentleman the other tower is not standing, they are both down...at any given time there are 20,000+ people working in those buildings...." At this point Dave and I left. It was only two blocks to our apartment, but I stopped at a radio shack on the way back and bought a small black and white tv. Missionaries don't watch t.v. or listen to the radio while in the service, however one of the last things the newsman had said was something about a grounded flight at the Columbus airport (2 blocks away) that might have a bomb on it. Plus Bradford was from DC so we figured we needed to know what was up.

When we got back and got the tv working, Bradford and Hall came in. We had learned about the Pentagon moments before.

Strange thing about that day was the "WHAT!?" moments that kept coming up. First a plane hit and there was fire and people were concerned. When the 2nd plane hit..."WHAT?!" that's when we knew it was terrorists. When the tower fell...."WHAT!?" we thought it was just a fire. When the news broke of the Pentagon..."WHAT!?" struck again.

Bradford was crying because he knew people who worked at the Pentagon. I remember him saying, "pack your bags guys, we're going to war...."

I remember that the news showed a lot of images that day that for years have not been shown. Most notably...the people jumping. I'll never forget that sight.

That afternoon we went to the mall to try and escape the emotions we were feeling. The WHOLE mall was closed.

A mission buddy of mine later recounted his experience that day. He was standing in a Walmart, watching the screens, and noticed a few people dressed in their traditional Muslim clothing. He said that the women were pointing at the screen, laughing, and giving each other high fives.

It's a good thing that I wasn't at that Walmart....that's all I'm going to say there.

Some people were scared...
Some were confused...(Heck I'd never really heard much about this Bin Laden fellow)
Some were personally affected...

I was just plain ticked off. I'll never forget that feeling, because every time I see a video of those planes hitting or people falling...those feelings of anger come back.

I take comfort in knowing that Bin Laden spent the 10th anniversary as a bullet riddled corpse that has probably become fish excrement at this point.

When the planes hit, and the fires started, the people ran out...
The fireman and first responders ran in...
That's heroism at its finest.
I'm proud to be an American- JR

Too old for rock concerts? nah

So last night my brother and I took our wives to our yearly dose of 311. This year was a special treat since they had Sublime opening. Sublime has been dead since their singer died in the mid 90's however they got a new guy that sounded just like him and it was boss.

Things to check off my bucket list?
How about hearing: Santeria, Wrong Way, Garden Grove, April 26th 1992, What I got and Date Rape all performed live? CHECK!

After the show we were discussing at what age it becomes pathetic to show up to a concert like this. For example, there was a lady in her mid 40's behind us that was so hammered she didn't even make it past the opening act. She spilled beer all over us and was incredibly embarrassing. It's been a couple of years since I've purchased GA (that's concert goer speak for General Admission) to a 311 show. I'm presented with a choice, I can either stand by my wife in good seats and make out during the slow songs, or I can battle it out with drunken shirtless dudes in front. Both are great options, however last night was perfect because it was just Ash and I. (Although her constant asking of, "when will Nick Hexum (lead singer) be taking his shirt off?" got a little old haha).

The setlist was solid last night, but I must say there was a blaring omission in that my brother Cody was not there to dig it with us.

I got home and felt really old because I was so wiped out from the show. Concerts take a lot of energy and at 29 in grad school and working 2 jobs I don't have much of that. So I guess I'll take it easy for a while. No more big shows for me....oops just bought tickets to The Smashing Pumpkins on October 8th in Vegas. Clinging to youth my friends... To quote said Smashing Pumpkins, "Youth is wasted on the young."
Feel free to enjoy 98% of the song "Down"

Summer Wrap Up...sorry I've been busy

The Summer of 2011 will go down in history as one of my best and one of my worst. It started off innocently enough with me teaching summer school for extra moneys. Grad school started on the third week in June so I was just biding my time until it started. Well one Monday evening after work, some friends and I went to Super 8 (so good). I sat down, kicked my feet up and then I started getting light headed. I felt like I was going to pass out...which I didn't because I rudely grabbed my cousin's soda and started drinking to keep conscious. I thought nothing of it and went on with my life. The next day at work though, I got really light headed again before I started my class. So light headed that I called a sub and made my way down to the office before I nearly blacked out on the nurse's bed thing. EMT's were called, vitals were taken, and they said I was fine.
I took it easy for a day and then one night went on a drive with my wife, suddenly my right leg felt like it was going numb. I panicked, ran to the ER, almost blacked out again, feared a blood clot, did tests, freaked out etc...nothing came back positive.
What the Hell was wrong with me? Doctors kept saying, "stress, it's stress," which is usually the answer they give when they don't know.
I had just finished a hectic school year, I was teaching summer school, prepping for (and dreading) grad school, and all of this had...I guess...caused a short circuit of sorts. Yep...I was stressed.
Well I quit summer school and waited for grad school to start. It started and lo and behold my teachers were quite awesome/chill. I was still getting tests done for the "just in case" idea that had formed in my mind. I got an MRI on my brain (insert empty x-ray joke) and did this really cool nerve test that they called the torture test on my leg. They basically "tazed me bro" for an hour and stuck me with needles. In the end they said negative on everything, including MS. SO....apparently when I get stressed it causes my right leg to get a numb feeling which causes my brain to think I've got a life threatening clot which causes anxiety which leads to...whatever.

I got to go on my yearly de-stressing trip to Cave Falls which is located in the southwestern corner of Yellowstone National Park. Fishing, hiking, camping...it relaxes me like crazy while simultaneously stressing out my wife. The water was really high this year so the mosquitoes were biblical plague levels. Instead of camping in the normal spot and getting eaten, we stayed in a nice spot by a golf course at the mouth of Cave Falls road. No skeeters, grass instead of dirt, it was soooo nice.

The only problem with the trip was that the high water made the river nearly impossible to ford. (I say nearly impossible because I got really ticked off and forded it just to say I did) In a summer where I'd realized my own limitations (I'm mortal? What!?) I was sad to see that my yearly shot of confidence (conquering nature all over the place) was not going to happen. The river had the best of me...the fish weren't biting for me...ugh.

I started tying my own flies this year and hoped beyond hope that I'd be able to catch a fish with a fly of my own making. This would truly make me a man...well since all of the fishing holes I usually wade out to were now abysses that could in fact contain rogue Russian submarines, I couldn't even get a bite.

Well standing the river, mentally cursing the stupid water level and my stupid stress levels and this and that, I looked to the heavens and said, "God, this summer has been lame. I know this is a dumb request, but I really need to catch a fish on this here fly that I tied else I'll go home with my head hung low."

God blessed me with 2...

He also blessed me with the Captain America movie when I got home. It was incredible. So grateful for my friends who selflessly waited a week for me to get home to see Cap with me...sacrifice ladies and gentlemen...that's what it's all about. Cowboys and Aliens along with The Rise of the Planet of the Apes rounded out the summer nicely.

Right before I posted this I sent my final term paper to my professor. I'm done with this round of classes. I've got 2 weeks til school starts so I'm relaxed and a little busy.

311/Sublime concert on the 17th
Fantasy Football Draft at the end of the month
Life is good. I appreciate all who have supported me this summer. God Bless You All.

Harry Potter vs. Lord of the Rings

I know that everyone is super excited for the last chapter of the Harry Potter franchise to hit the big screen. I know it's a cultural phenomenon and everything but let's just hang on a second here. Harry Potter (whose name Rowling ripped off of the movie "Troll" from the 80's-look it up) as far as a film series is concerned, has been one of the most boring wastes of time in the history of cinema.

Is it just me or did most of the movies consist of that red haired weasel kid whining and brooding about something while adolescence did cutesy magic things and went to dances? This is a franchise that liked to throw around kick butt phrases like, "defense against the dark arts" and "death eaters." (Death Eaters a name given to Taco Bell addicts)

So in the 6th movie, nothing happened. Nothing at all. If I recall it was more like a British romantic film with the "who's snogging Ginny" bit being the most important. Then at the end some guy dies and then instead of having an epic fight scene like the book portrays, they just let the bad guys go. LAAAAAAME. Let's see some of that defense against the dark arts used against the death eaters eh? naaaah that'd be too cool. Instead we should just wrap it up and watch the money roll in.

Lord of the Rings needs no defense. I just finished watching extended trilogy on Blu-Ray and I saw major action sequences in all 3 films. The locations changed at a rapid pace as opposed to the first Deathly Hallows film which pretty much took place in an acre of forest over and over and over again.

Do you know what I DIDN'T see in Lord of the Rings? Robert Pattinson....Game Set Match.

I'll give Harry Potter credit on this one item: the 3rd film was actually fairly well done. It had decent characters in it and so I was a bit more interested. Harry, Hermione, and Ron are all pretty lame characters. Snape, Sirius, and Belatrix are pretty much the only cool parts of the series.

Villains?
Right...Voldemort is REALLY scary. His only frightening feature was the lack of a nose. What, did he do something really evil one day and his nose just popped out of existence? I suppose the dementors are pretty cool, or at least they would have been if they hadn't already shown up in Lord of the Rings riding on really cool looking black horses or dragon things.

The makers of Harry Potter are pretty stupid. The biggest complaint from fans is that the books are all better than the movies. The movies just have to pack way too much in so things get left out. Ummmm excuse me? You think you could make a Potter movie 4 hours long and people wouldn't have gone? Of course they would have. Lord of the Rings was incredibly long, and then extended to even longer...and IT WORKED! Then again Lord of the Rings extended and added scenes of action and plot thickening events. Harry Potter would just add scenes of kids eating puke jelly beans, full quiditch matches, and Moaning Mertle practicing for synchronized swimming.

Let's face it, no matter how cool the final battle between the good wizards and the bad wizards is in this new film (which I'll eventually see and give a fair chance to) it will never EVER stack up to the goblins in the Mines of Moria, the Battle of Helms Deep, or The Battle of Pelinor Fields.

You know your story has issues when I find myself kind of hoping that Voldamort pulls off a victory and shuts those whiny teens up. How great would it have been to see the witch king wraith guy swallow Harry's Patronus and crap it out onto the battle field?