Iron Man 2

What's the Deal:  In the summer of 2008, 2 mainstream superheroes movies were released.  One the highly anticipated The Dark Knight which was about perhaps the second most famous superhero of all time fighting arguably the most famous superhero villain of all time (Batman vs. the Joker).  The other was Iron Man, which started very under-the-radar, smaller budget movie about a superhero the vast majority of the general public had never heard of.  The Dark Knight was fantasitc, as was anticipated, but the crazy thing is that so was Iron Man.

Well, because Iron Man made a bazillion dollars in 2008, you knew there was a sequel coming.  And it came out in May of 2010. 

Iron Man 2 picks up a few months after Iron Man left off.  The government/military wants Tony Stark's iron man suit and his technology for itself.  But, over in Russia, some guy whose father was screwed over by Tony Stark's father actually has the technology!  He is known as whiplash, and he builds himself a suit.  But his suit has lightning bolts that come out of the arms.  He attacks Tony Stark at the Monaco grand prix auto race.

Then Whiplash joins forces with Tony Stark's business rival to take Stark down.

What I liked:

1.  The Bad Guy:  It's very creative and he's very bad.  The fight scenes involving whiplash are cool, exciting, and well done. 

2.  Robert Downey Jr.  He's so smug, sarcastic, narcissistic, and hilarious.  His portrayal of Stark really makes this movie and the previous one worthwhile. 

3.  The Action:  It's really pretty good.  Just a very solid, summer action blockbuster where you don't have to think too much. 

What I didn't: 

1.  The obvious foreshadowing to both another Iron Man Sequel and an "Avengers" movie.  Apparently in some future movie Iron Man, his sidekick War Machine, the Hulk, and a bunch of other superheroes are going to team up, call themselves The Avengers, and fight some terrible bad guy.  This is all being foreshadowed already in this movie, and the recent Ed Norton Hulk movie a year or 2 ago.  I just kind of wish they weren't...

2.  Too much:  I guess I just miss the days of one superhero fighting one bad guy in each movie.  Nowadays they feel like they have to add multiple bad guys, sidekicks and plots to every movie, especially sequels.  That's one of the best parts of the first iron man was so great: It was one, straightforward plot.  Here, there are a lot of bad guys and a lot of sidekicks and a lot of subplots that aren't that relevant to the overall thing.  That's just a minor complaint of an overall pretty good movie. 


Funny side-note.  I loved the first Iron Man.  I really expected it to be bad superhero movie, along the lines of the Fantastic 4 or Elektra or Daredevil.  Also, I found out it was directed by Jon Favreau.  Wait, Jon Favreau?  The guy I had previously known as "the-other-guy-in-Swingers?"  Yes.  He directed Iron Man.  But when I did see it, I bought into it and it was great. 

So...Melissa and I were invited to see Iron Man 2 with my parents.  Melissa never got around to seeing the first one, so I decided to try to describe the plot of it to her so that she would be up to speed for the sequel. 

"Yeah, so this guy is super rich and his family makes weapons.  He's in the middle east on a business trip and he gets captured and kept in a cave.  While there he uses a bunch of spare metal parts to make a suit that flies and shoots flames and helps him escape.  Then when he gets back to the states, he realizes that his corporation's leadership has become corrupt by the guy that plays Lebowski.  Eventually the Lebowski guy builds an iron suit of his own and they have a fight in their iron suits.  Oh, and also the out-of-suit iron man runs on some kind of shiny battery that he puts into his chest and constantly needs recharging."   

As I continued talking, and her look got more and more condescending, I realized how silly it kind of was.  But it's still a good one. 

Green Thumb

We don't have a "front yard" or a back yard" or even a piece of good soil that would lend itself to some basic gardening. But as with my new found interest in birds, I've also found interest in gardening. 

 I'm inspired by my grandmother, whose favorite pastime is gardening, to one day have a yard as beautiful as hers. I've recognized through two of my blogging besties (Court and Gil) that I don't have to be older or a homeowner  to start my own garden. And last week, as a finishing touch,  my own Mother gave me the confidence that I can begin by growing some basic herbs.

She took me to Calloway's in Fort Worth and we purchased mint.

My Dad then helped me find a pot and plant the mint and then they gave me watering and what type of sunlight to give the plant instructions.

I hauled it back down to Waco and sat it on my front porch.

(Don't worry, the birds have not found it....yet...)

I have probably checked on the mint 18 times just to make sure it's getting enough water and sunlight. Perhaps a bit over-protective?

This weekend I'm going to pick some and drink it in my favorite beverage, iced tea with lemon and mint. Yummm.

Or maybe I'll make some mojiots to celebrate the beginning of summer.

Any other mint-inspired food suggestions?!

For the Birds

For those of you who don't know, I may have developed a small obsession with birds.

I'm not joining the Audubon Society or anything, but I LOVE bird decorations and love seeing birds outside.

Therefore, it was only appropriate that I received a birdhouse for my birthday last week. I was MAJORLY excited. I had John install it immediately.

I spent several hours agonizing over what type of birds this feeder would attract.

I want to see birds like this.

Not like this.

And I don't know if it's the birdseed or just wishful thinking that we've attracted some of the cutest birds in Waco.

I LOVE watching them eat, play and throw seed onto our window. I especially like hearing chirps throughout the day.

Just don't start calling me bird lady.

Robin Hood

What's the Deal:  We all know the story of Robin Hood, the forest-dwelling English vigilante / outlaw whose band of merry men thwarted the greedy English crown by "robbing from the rich and giving to the poor."  However, that is not the story that the current "Robin Hood" tells.  It's a shame, because that story is much better than the one portrayed in this film. 

This version tells the "early" story of Robin Longstride, the man who will eventually become Robin Hood (in a sequel, I assume). 

Here, Robin is a soldier returning to England after the crusades.  When a fellow soldier (Robert of Loxley) is mortally wounded in an ambush, his dying wish is that Robin Longstride (Russell Crowe) take his (Robert's) sword back to Loxley to his (Robert's) father.  So Robin, along with his friends Little John and Will Scarlett and some other guy take the sword back, meeting Robert's father and widow (Cate Blanchett as Marion) when they get there.  And then Robert's father suggests that Robin pretend to be Robert of Loxley who has returned home from the Crusades so that Robert's widow Marion won't get her land taken away by the greedy tax-hungry government.  What?  I know...I don't get it either.  But that's what happens.  And apparently no one remembers what the real Robert of Loxley looks like, because the whole town has a huge party to welcome him home.  Robin and his entourage also meet Friar Tuck, who, in addition to being a drunk, is also a beekeeper.  So there's that. 

Meanwhile, back at the castle, the newly crowned King John, King John's mother, some guy named Godfrey, King John's second wife, and a "chancellor" all have hushed dialogues by the light of various fires about King John's leadership and the fate of England.  Then they all double-cross one another about 50 times.  It's impossible to keep track of.  (Seriously, at one point I looked at Melissa and told her I had no idea what was going on.  She responded that she hadn't known for a long time).  But you don't really have to keep track of it, because it all culminates in a battle where Robin's side wins!

What I liked: 
1.  The very fist scene.  King Richard and his British army are "sacking" a castle (that seems to be the British word for what they were doing), and it's actually really cool to see all the different tricks they had to get up the wall and through the door.  I don't know how historically accurate it all is, but it was cool to watch. 

2.  The Archery.  There are a whole lot of battles in the movie, and a lot of them contain cool bow-and-arrow sequences.  I especially liked the close-up slow motion shot of the arrow leaving the bow.  Neat cinematography. 

3.  The idea.  The studio had a good idea with a "Robin Hood Begins" movie.  Unfortunately, I just don't think they pulled it off in this one. 


What I didn't:
1.  It's just not very original.  Sure, it tries to be, by telling the story of Robin Hood that has never been told before...but there's a reason its never been told before: it's not as good as the Robin Hood story we all know and love.  And it would be original if I hadn't seen Braveheart.  Or Gladiator.  Or Troy.  Or Kingdom of Heaven.  Or Rob Roy.  Or First Knight.  But I have, so it wasn't.

2.  The inevitable comparisons to the Kevin Costner and Morgan Freemen movie "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves".  I still think the Costner version is an outstanding movie.  As far as I'm concerned, that's the definitive Robin Hood movie, and you should rent that one again.  Plus, the Costner version was directed by Baylor alum Kevin Reynolds. 

3.  No humor.  None.  There is not a single light, semi-funny moment of comic relief in this movie.  Compare that to the Costner version, which contains brilliant lines like this one from Alan Rickman's Sheriff of Nottingham: "I'm going to cut his heart out with a spoon.  Why a spoon, cousin?  Because it's dull you idiot, it will hurt more." 

4.  The lady sitting in front of us had really, really unbelievably bad B.O.  It was hard to breathe, and may have ruined the whole movie for me.  I'm not sure.  It certainly did for Melissa. 

5.  Cate Blanchett.  I just can't figure her out.  Sometimes she's really beautiful (see Scorsese's Aviator), and sometimes she's just not.

Happy Birthday, Rebekah!

My favorite sister-in-law, Rebekah, turned the big 2-4 yesterday! We celebrated with the family at 1424 for dinner!

I'd like to offer you a snapshot of Rebekah.

1. She is hilarious. The girl knows how to make a good joke and has some of the most random/awkward funny things happen to her.

2. Rebekah is one of the craftiest/most creative person I know. She's always trying out a new style, renovating a room or making cute decorations. I wish I could channel her creativity.

3. She's an awesome sister to John and is always looking out for him. She's also got some great childhood stories that I always enjoy hearing!

4. I couldn't have asked for a better sister-in-law. Rebekah has made me feel very welcomed into the Hardage family. I look forward to lunch dates with her, catching up on Glee, sharing blogs or swapping stories.

5. Rebekah loves her family. She is loyal and and caring. She is always thinking of something fun for us to all do together and is even credited with starting the Hardage family tradition or Favorite Day.

Happy Birthday, Rebekah! Hope you had a lovely day!

Four Years

2006 was a big year. I graduated from Baylor, moved to Atlanta, started teaching fourth grade. John also graduated from Baylor, moved to Dallas and started clerking at a law firm.

And all that happened within about  five weeks of when we first started getting to know  each other/dating/going steady or whatever you'd like to call it.

I first remember meeting John around fall 2005. He "randomly" started hanging out a lot with the group of girls I lived with and the guys we hung out with. (The girls My best friends and house shall henceforth be known as The Hacienda.)

The group (The A-Team as it was later named) spent a lot of time together senior year rather it be studying, partying, pulling pranks or going on random road trips to Shreveport.

(Car ride on said road trip to Shreveport.)

(Pat Green concert at Billy Bob's)

(Agreeing to wear my alien antennaes)

Somewhere along the way, John asked me to one of his fraternity's rush events. Later he asked me to one of their date parties. Somehow we always ended up talking, riding or going somewhere together. Friends started noticing this as well and when Courtney finally asked me about it, I confessed that I did have a small crush on John Hardage.

(Circa December 2005)

But, I told Court nothing would happen. I already committed to moving to Atlanta, he secured a job in Dallas.  Chances were we'd keep in touch but we were both transitioning into the "real world" where we'd meet new people, live in different cities and have completely different lives. Right?

Wrong. ;)

The week before commencement the A-Team met at my parents house in Fort Worth for a little fajita and margarita night to celebrate the end of school! We continued celebrating at my friend Rebecca's lakehouse and it was there that sparks began to fly. John found me before I headed to bed and we stayed up talked the rest of the night. I am sure I did not sleep. I, of course, told all of my girlfriends the next morning and by that evening, John called and asked me on a date.

A date. With my crush, John Hardage. And he told me he liked me. Three days before graduation. Woah.

He picked me up at the Hacienda on May 10th, 2006 and took me to 1424 for dinner. It wasn't one of those awkward first dates. I mean, we already knew each other so well that all preliminary dating conversation was eliminated. It was just FUN. And then he planned to take me bowling and even brought an extra pair of socks for me to wear. Before the night was over, we already had another date set up the following day to watch a movie.

The next several days went like this: graduation, going to baseball games, watching movies, spending time with friends, meeting each other's parents and talking about what this relationship would look like.

The day after my 22nd birthday John asked on the front porch of my parents house if I would be his girlfriend/ go steady/ date exclusively. I remember telling him it was inconvenient that we would be so far apart, but that there's no one else I'd want to try the whole long-distance relationship with. And no one else I had ever enjoyed spending time with so much that I knew it was worth giving it a shot.

And he even offered to drive with me to Atlanta the next week.

(Stopping by the Mississippi River)

And then we got married.

Three years later.

Lots of great times and good memories in between but it's always fun to reminisce how things all started four years ago.

Tender Mercies

What’s the Deal: Tender Mercies (1983) tells the story of Mac Sledge, a has-been country music singer who finds redemption in new relationships he forms later in life. Mac is played by Robert Duvall, in, shockingly, the only role Mr. Duvall has ever won an Oscar for. (Lonesome Dove wasn’t a theater-released movie, or else I’m certain he would have for that. He might have won emmys..??). I mean seriously, he’s only won one Oscar?…this is the man that played Gus in Lonesome Dove, Bluebonnett in Open Range, Tom the Consigliere in the Godfather, and the Nicolas Cage’s mechanic friend in Gone in 60 Seconds. I’m joking about that last one.

The movie begins with Mac passed out drunk in a random Texas hotel, with no clear description of how he got there. He is broke and begins working for the hotel owner to pay for his room and the damage he has done. We eventually realize that he was once a respected country music singer, and so begins the story of redemption. He takes an ambitious, up-and-coming country music band under his wing, begins writing music again, steers clear of alcohol, reconnects with his ex-wife and estranged daughter, and then marries a new wife and adopts her son.

What I liked:

1. Robert Duvall. He’s got that I-know-more-than-you-think-I-do-grin, and he plays the lazy, hard-ass smart aleck better than just about anyone. Apparently he also traveled all around Texas to study the Texas accent, which he nailed.

2. The soundtrack. Robert Duvall sang Mac Sledge’s music himself, which is awesome.

3. Texas. It’s no secret that I love all things Texas. That the movie is set here is pretty cool. I also discovered that it was filmed mostly in the nearby town of Waxahachie, Texas. So that’s interesting as well.

4. The story. What’s not to like about a story of someone down on their luck that picks himself up by his bootstraps and finds happiness again? It’s just good stuff and pretty inspiring.

What I didn’t:

1. It is pretty dated. It’s not necessarily a bad thing, but they just seemed to make movies a little bit slower back in the early 80’s.

Happy Mother's Day!

This post is simply to wish both of our mothers a very happy day today.  I hope that you both have wonderful days with the great families you have raised.

We love you both!

Bon Voyage!

I will be here in two days.

My girlfriends and I are headed out this morning on a four day cruise from Galveston to Cozumel to celebrate finishing graduate school!

Can.not.wait. to get there. Hope to come back with some good memories and a nice tan!  And Mexican vanilla from an authentic mercado. That stuff is the best. Adios!

What a Day....

Yesterday was pretty monumental for us Hardages.

First, I completed my master's program at Baylor! I presented my final research project at the School of Social Work's Colloquium. I spent lots of hours this past year researching the question, "What communication strategies are preferred by parents in low-income communities regarding their child's educational and developmental needs."  It was a great project, has implications for many area nonprofits and will be continued in the coming years!

Mom and Dad picked up Nana and drove down for the occassion and met up with John and Megan before heading to campus. Immediately following my presentation (literally, I was still schmoozing with professors and community members that came to my session) John discovers he has PASSED THE TEXAS BAR EXAM! It's for real, you can check it out here.

I'm not sure which one of us was more relieved at that moment but we for sure could not contain our excitement. So, of course, we went to celebrate at George's! The fam decided to stick around for a little bit longer to rejoice with us and we ran into Baylor basketball star, Ekpe Udoh, and head coach (and maybe my #1 crush) Scott Drew. True to form, my Mom forced us into a picture.

(I'm always thankful later that she does stuff like this...)

We ended the day celebrating with the rest of my grad school cohort at a friend's house.  Before heading to bed, we reminded ourselves of the many blessings the Lord has given us. One of my favorite worship songs says, "Every blessing You pour out, I'll turn back to praise." And today, like many other days, is a good day to give Him all the praise for our accomplishments.

Katie's Bachelorette

Friday night a group of my grad school friends and I celebrated the lovely Katie Lauve's final weeks as a single lady. She was one HOT bachelorette.

We all met up at 8.0's on Sundance Square in downtown Fort Worth on a perfect April night.

She even jumped up on stage with 80's band, The M80's, and danced with the lead singer. He of course was wearing a great cut-off shirt and some super tight pants....

Lots of silliness ensued. Love these girls.

(Note to self: stealing other friend's facebook pictures will not suffice for future blog postings...)

Can't wait to celebrate with Katie and Timmy in Alexandria, LA in three weeks! So happy for the future Mrs. Katie Lauve Moon! (Doesn't she have the greatest hippie name ever?!)