Sunday, January 30, 2005

My Favorite Movie

Since it's snowing like crazy outside it's not like I'm goin' anywhere. At this point I'm hoping that it stops real soon cuz I'mma have a lotta work to do to clean my car whenever I do decide to roll outta here. I'm tired of surfing the net and watching ESPN so what else is there to do?

*bright light comes on*

I started digging in plastic storage bins under my bed in search of my favorite movie. I know that it's in here somewhere and I'm determined to find that VHS tape if it takes me forever. The problem that I have when looking for tapes is that I never label anything. So I go through the ritual of popping in tape after tape after tape. I got old Def Comedy Jam tapes, some episodes of Living Single, Dallas Cowboys games and of course those vintage NahLaterz home movies. I had gone through about 40 or so (out of about 120) VHS tapes when I came across the one thing that I had been looking for... Moving starring Richard Pryor. Now one may think "He went through all that trouble for that???" and I'll tell ya "Ya damn skippy I did!" I've loved that movie since it first came out in 1988. I was 16 at the time and I used to sit in the house and watch it over and over and over again. I loved that movie so much that I made VHS dubs for all of my friends. Really, Moving is my all time favorite comedy.



Richard Pryor does a fabulous job as Arlo Pear, the ultimate victim of cruel and unfortunate circumstances. He lives with his wife Monica, his daughter Casey and his twin sons Randy and Marshall in New Jersey. He's a transportation engineer who ends up getting laid off. One day, Arlo receives a decent job offer from a transit company. The job sounded great, except it was in Boise, Idaho. Randy Quaid is humorous in two roles as the psychotic neighbor(s) Frank and Cornell Crawford who constantly hound Pear by cutting the grass with a gigantic lawn mower tractor. A very young looking Stacey Dash plays their teenage daughter Casey, who pulls pranks in attempt to keep them from moving to Boise. If I recall she had blue eyes in this movie... still tryna figure that one out. *scratches head* Anyway....... Eventually she runs off to get married to Rudy played by Morris Day. If you've seen this flick you'll remember that former WWF wrestler King Kong Bundy was one of the movers named Gorgo. Dana Carvey is also great as Brad Williams, the man with multiple personalities. When the Pear's arrive at their new house in Idaho, they find it half empty. It's missing the stairs, the kitchen, doors and pool. To make things worse, the movers just happened to have taken a wrong turn and end up in New Orleans for Mardi Gras. Pear goes on a rampage to get his stuff back from the movers and engages in a showdown. This is prolly one of the funniest scenes that I can recall watching. He was doing stuff to those moving cats that would put Steven Seagal, Jean Claude Van Damme and Jet Li to shame. He was straight kickin' azz and takin' names!!! There's one quote that I will never forget from this movie. When he came home with all their furniture, he hollered to his wife "Look honey, I found our shit. I brought our shit home. This is our shit!" I dunno why I laugh so hard everytime I hear him say that, but it's embedded in my brain like the Gettysburg Address.

If you love comedies, Moving is just one of those movies you gotta have for your collection. I actually found a website that still has a link to the trailer for the movie. Moving starring Richard Pryor

Thursday, January 27, 2005

Aiight Aiiight...

So I've been kinda lazy the past week or so and just didn't feel like writing much of nothing. I mean, I did work some OT last week to try and catch up on summa these medical bills. Okay, okay I didn't work extra hours to pay no medical bills, I did it cuz that's what my job asked me to do. Anyway as far as medical is concerned... I FEEL GREAT! Seriously, I haven't taken one pain pill since the operation. Not one Vicodin, not one Percocet, nothing. I couldn't have dreamed it any better than it is right now. To wake up in the morning and not expect the worst is kinda strange. For the past 2 yrs or so I've conditioned myself to accept the fact that I was in pain and just grin and bear it. Remarkably the miracle that occurred last month is one that has changed my life. I am happier than I've been in quite some time. I can sleep peacefully without the need for medication or supplements. I can get through an entire day of work without wincing in pain to the point where I have to get down on one knee in unbearable pain. I can't stop smiling right now, I just feel so good!!! It's so amazing how the removal of nagging pain can change a person. I honestly feel like I'm a much nicer person and I'm sure everyone around me is thankful as well. If you're one of those folks that I cussed out during one of my episodes of pain, I'm deeply sorry.

For the most part everything is going well. Of course each day I get the mail it's another medical bill. But that's aiight, I'll survive the onslaught and manage to squash these bills within the next few weeks. The weather is the DC area is gettin' on my nerves, but it could be worse. I'm not one for all the snow and cold weather so I tend to stay inside more when it gets like it's been lately. One day I suppose I'll actually watch summa these movies in my collection. I'm that dude who will go to Best Buy and buy DVD's and then never watch them. Hell, a rack of em are still in the plastic. I just don't have the concentration to sit and watch movies anymore. I always seem to fall asleep. I can't even remember the last movie that I saw in the theatre. I think it was back in July or August.

Well, the Eagles are in the SuperBowl and I'm not much of an Eagle fan. In fact, I don't like em!!! Of course you wouldn't be able to figure that out from my national TV appearances right? However, I'm a die hard Cowboys as most people (who really know me) are aware of. However, I'm sick and tired of seeing Tom Brady and the Patriots, so I'll root for McNabb and the Philly squad come Feb 6. I don't think I can take another year of my roommate (a Philly native)throwin' a tantrum or my man JD JohnDoughDC.com cuttin' his phone off for a week when the Eagles lose. Then again, if they win I know I'mma hafta hear their mouths forever!!!!

Wednesday, January 26, 2005

Caught on National TV



I've been emailed a number of times about this particular event. A lotta my friends and family members have teased me over the years about this, so I figured I'd go ahead and share it with the world.

2 1/2 years ago I was at the Redskins/Eagles Monday Night Football game at FedEx Field. Being that I'm jive spoiled, I always get tickets at or near the 50 yard line. Now anyone who knows me knows that I'm diehard Cowboys fan. On this particular night I happened to be sportin' a Randall Cunningham jersey. Now I could easily lie and say that it was a throwback joint, but if you look closely you'll see that it looked kinda 'young' on me. So you could say that it was a vintage joint that had been in the closet for a long long time. Anyway, Dorsey Levens of the Eagles ran for this long touchdown and as usual I went into my 'antagonize the Redskins fans' mode. Unfortunately, the ABC cameraman decided that I was the one that they wanted to capture at that particular moment. Don't worry that wasn't the only time in that game that I was caught on camera. Part II coming soon.....

Monday, January 17, 2005

Celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Thursday, January 13, 2005

Reality Sets In

So I’m feelin’ all good after having this surgery and all right? Of Course!!!! But I tell ya, these hospital bills are coming in daily and it’s getting on my nerves. I’m sayin’… I know that having a $4000 procedure wasn’t gonna be free, but damn! Every penny counts ya know? I’m tryna continue to save my dough, but I’mma have to squash these medical bills before these fools start ringing my phone off the hook. Ya know what I’m talking about. The calls that you get 5 minutes after you come home from a long day at work. The “Hello Sir… you owe us $ _______ for a medical procedure that was performed” type phone calls. Why is that you always get some smart azz on the phone that wants to talk to you like you’re in kindergarten. Just once I wish that the chump on the other end of the phone would think about talking that craziness in my face. Bill Collectors are the biggest jerks after dealing with insurance people.

Everyone has had a moment in their lives when they wanted to strangle their car insurance rep. Especially after an accident or an incident like having your car stolen or broken into. Them folks don’t ever try to pay up. Aiiight aiiight… I’m starting to rant here. This is more than just some regular medical bills to me. I know I gotta pay, but I feel like if the doctors had diagnosed me properly way before now, then I wouldn’t have paid all those other bills for procedure that didn’t really improve my health. I guess I’ll have to chalk this one up and start writing checks. But I think I’mma do it next month, cuz they’re some Wizards games I wanna check out within the next month. I’m addicted to sports and if the Wizards need my support, then the medical bills can wait. Ghetto mentality… Yes! Will I lose an minute of sleep knowing that I’ll pay these hospital bills when I’m ready… No!

Tuesday, January 11, 2005

Double Standards



Why is that when a Black athlete or entertainer does something, the media blows it up like the world is coming to an end? Yes, what Randy Moss did was stupid and ignorant, but no need to call in the National Guard for the situation. He's not the first athlete to celebrate in unconventional ways and he won't be the last. He didn't actually pull his pants down did he? You'd a thought that he actually showed the world his Plumber's crack the way that summa these folks are reacting. He scored a touchdown and he decided to give the Lambeau faithful a dose of their own medicine. He's constantly criticized by the media for the smallest things that he does anyway, so I'm not suprised by this sudden outcry to give him the death penalty. I mean, it's not like he did a Jake Plummer and gave the fans the middle finger right? Seems to me that telling your own fans off is a lot worse that simulating pulling your pants down in tribute to the opposing teams fans. But of course, Jake is a good fella and doesn't hold the reputation that Randy does so his discretion was a small blip on the radar screen. All this nonsense condeming Randy is just that... nonsense! I'm tired of hearing Black reporters decry his actions as if he is a disgrace to every African-American alive. He's a kid that plays football, not Jesse Jackson who got his mistress pregnant. Let's keep this in perspective for exactly what it is. He's not Charles Manson, he's not Scott Peterson, he's not Suge Knight. He's Randy Moss, a kid that is a talent on the football field and one who could use a few more dance lessons.

Thursday, January 06, 2005

Uncle Greg



One of the most enjoyable things in my life is the time spent with my nieces. No matter what day of the week I go over to the house to see them, they make me smile. It seems like yesterday when they were all infants and could barely walk and now they're taking the world by storm. At the tender ages of three, two and one (Lord I don't know how my sister does it) these beautiful young ladies provide so much joy into my existence. Whether they're climbing on my back, stepping on my feet, feeding me fruit snacks or just giving me a big hug and kiss, I never get tired of spending time with them. Over the holidays I sat back and watched home videos that I shot of them when they were 'babies' and it almost brought tears to my eyes. I cannot believe just how much they've grown!!! I compiled a lot of footage and made a DVD for the family for Christmas. I've taken so many pictures of them with my digital camera, that I cannot even begin to sort through all of them. Whenever I walk through the door of the house and I hear the holler of "Uncle Greg", a smile instantly comes to my face. When my days are long and hard and I feel like I'm ready to punch a hole in the wall, those are the days when seeing them cheers me up the most. It seems as though I'm always seeing something that they'll love to watch or play with. If it aint the Care Bears, it's Scooby Doo or Spongebob. Those girls never seem tired of watching movies and videos of their favorite characters. Uncle Greg does however struggle to stay awake during some of those kiddie flicks. Anyway, my nieces are on my mind a lot today and I'm not sure exactly why. Well... Yes I do. I wonder if they really know just how much Uncle Greg loves em!!!!