Em’s Week Adventures

This past week has been one of the most fun and nerdy ones this year. Winter is no longer keeping us locked inside and the sunny, warm Spring weather has me out and about.

Thursday AND Saturday night I saw The Avengers: Age of Ultron and enjoyed it thoroughly both times. It must have had to do with the witty, Joss Wheedon one-liners, great acting by the cast, and more Hawkeye screentime.

-SPOILERS, HIGHLIGHT TO READ- I wasn’t quite sure why people didn’t enjoy the fact that Clint had a family. Sure, I know ships were sunk, but I felt like that was a nice plot twist. Also wasn’t quite sure why people were so upset about Natasha’s story either. Yes, she was upset when she revealed to Banner her sterilization in the Red Room, but I feel like she was more upset by the fact that she didn’t get to choose if she could have a child or not.

Also, that Quicksilver ending. Chris had me believing half way through the movie the first time that Hawkeye was going to die. “They’re revealing too much of his background story.” He whispered throughout the movie. He even started grabbing my hand through the battle in Slocovia. When Ultron fired those shots from the plane, my hand was squeezed and I couldn’t help but think, ‘Oh shit oh shit oh shit.’ Quicksilver was pretty much right on the dot. I didn’t see that one coming.–END SPOILERS-

Comic Book Day 2015 Stash

Saturday, as everyone knows, was Free Comic Book Day. We went to our favorite local comic shop who was having a small event. We grabbed a few comics as well as a commissioned sketch from a local artist. I asked for Hawkeye while wearing my “Because, Boomrangs” shirt from the Matt Fraction & David Aja comics, and the artist knew my taste. I got Clint Barton AND Pizza Dog. Spot on.

Hawkeye & Pizza DogMonday AND Wednesday Chris and I were in St. Louis watching Cardinals vs Cubs baseball. Both were fun games, and we ended up evening out in the end. Cardinals won Monday, Cubs won Wednesday. I did however win the war, as Cardinals took the series. Those are my boys.

Busch Stadium

While in St. Louis on Wednesday, we stopped by a comic shop I use to visit frequently during my St. Louis living era. Star Clipper, which had closed in one area, reopened in another part of town. I of course had to check it out. While it had the same vibe as the one I had frequented before, the new one felt more… Refreshed. I also liked chatting with the staff, nice to be around friendly fellow nerds.

Star Clipper

Friday night was spent seeing Matt & Kim live in concert. If you don’t know Matt & Kim, give them a listen. If you haven’t seen them live, go do so as soon as they are close to your neighborhood. I learned about Matt & Kim while I was in college, and have continued to love them because of their upbeat and energetic tunes. Their concert is just as upbeat and energetic, and we partied (aka jumping and screaming/singing) until close to midnight. (Their opening act, Waters, was good as well with their rock/upbeat music.)

Matt & Kim

Days of Future & Past

Things have been a bit hectic in my life, but let me help bring you up to speed…

Days of Past

This winter I had been training for an event I completed two weekends ago. I completed my second half-marathon with a personal record of 2:01.

Lincoln Presidential Half Marathon

The course was slightly hillier then I expected, but the weather was perfect for racing conditions. At 7:30am when the race began, it was 37°F and at the end it was closer to the upper 40s. The Sonic in me was strong.

After that race, I began to plan for the next full marathon I’d do… However it couldn’t be too far into the year because on November 15th, 2015 Chris and I will be….

& Future

2014 Avengers Half Marathon

…in Anaheim, California running the Avengers Half Marathon. Being a midwesterner, I have only been to Disney World, so it will also be the first time I’ve been to Disney Land. We are taking suggestions on where to visit and what to do while we’re in the area.

Speaking of, Avengers: Age of Ultron is starting to show on Thursday. Already have our tickets to see the movie.

Avengers: Age of Ultron

So far from everything I’ve seen previews wise, I’m feeling like this will meet Avengers standards, entertainment wise. Looking forwards to Hawkeye having more show time being himself and kicking butt then brainwashed this time around.

Also, might I say, Black Widow is looking quite badass in her new gear.

This is quite the geek weekend, as Saturday, for those who do not know is Free Comic Book Day. Looks like there are several good choices out there for grabs. I’ve got my eyes on Boom Comics’ issue. You?

Home Improvement(s)

This past week I picked up my old copy of Animal Crossing: New Leaf with thoughts of deleting my old story (which I hadn’t touched in at least a year) and starting anew. Isabelle’s (the game secretary to your character’s mayor) frantic jibberish when I first approached the topic however made me rethink my options.

So I dove back into my old file. And I’m addicted. (Especially to fishing. Seriously, I think there should be a Fishing Anonymous out there. “Hello, my name is Emily and I cannot stop fishing on Animal Crossing.”)

My addiction to Animal Crossing however did get me thinking about home décor. My character currently has the patchwork collection going for her, while in real life… Our place is not quite as collected. What would I do if I could get furniture from neighbors and money collected from my fishing obsession?
Home Improvement(s)
I really like the urban/industrial look. Bricks, reclaimed wood, hanging lights… My house would have a lot of these traits.
Home Improvement(s)
As well as industrial décor, I would have to add in some geek elements (wouldn’t feel right without it.) I’d want to do it thoughtfully, like placing Funko POP figures in wooden frames mounted on the wall.
Home Improvement(s)
There are a lot of useful geek items too, like this R2-D2 measuring cup and Death Star cookie jar that would go in the kitchen. Books, comics, photos and my banjo would be placed on this shelving unit.
Home Improvement(s)

That’s no moon. That’s a cookie jar!

What would you add to your home (and proudly show off to your neighbors)?

5 Reasons to be a Cubs fan

  1. They are not the White Sox

If you want to root for a baseball team from Illinois, you have two options, but really only one if you have any kind of sense. Yeah, they won a World Series in 2005, but they’re still the worst. Plus they play in that prison of a baseball field called U.S. Cellular.

  1. Catchy Songs

Want to listen to multiple songs about your favorite team? Be a Cubs fan. They may not all be winners, but they’ll still get stuck in your head after a few seconds whether you like it or not. Evidence here and here.

  1. The Cubs/Cardinals Rivalry

Is there anything better than watching the Cubs beat the Cardinals? Answer: No, there is not. Count the rings all you want, there is no washing away the shame of losing 7 games to the 2012 Cubs.

  1. Young Talent

Kris Bryant, Javy Baez, Anthony Rizzo, and Jorge Soler, just to name a few. The Cubs are going to have to pay for all the damage these guys are going to cause with the long ball. ALL YOUR OFFENSE ARE BELONG TO CUBS.

  1. Wrigley Field

Clearly the best stadium in the league, and with the renovations, it will get only better. Suck it, other teams.

Comeback Series

Everyone has them. A moment you gave up on something because it left a bad taste in your mouth, and later after some kind of persuasion you give it another chance and end up going back. And no, I’m not talking about relationships.

Whether it’s been on the TV screen or in the theatres, there have been several series I have given up on due to lost of interest due to poor storyline writing or the movie/show itself is just too slow for my taste. However, there are a few that after someone or something influenced me to comeback and watch it again that have grown on me.

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Agents of SHIELD
When this show first came out, I was very excited. I am a Marvel fan, have enjoyed the movies, and the thought of a TV show based on the Marvel movie storyline was intriguing. The first episode was good, but after watching a few more episodes I was unimpressed by the ‘no-duh’ story. I could see Skye becoming a good person and falling for Agent Ward. So I stopped watching it.

Then, after being persuaded to watch a few more episodes and seeing the changes that happened after Captain America: The Winter Solider with HYDRA, I was brought back to watching (and enjoying) the show. Characters like Agent May and Coulson had depth, and the coupling Skye and Ward didn’t end up endgame either. Thank God (way too predictable for my tastes).

Just finished season 1 (favorite scene from the finale “Hey guys, I found it.”), and am gearing up for season 2. Still not sure how I feel about Skye, but I like the other characters enough to be curious as to what happens next.

Star WarsStar WarsI never originally watched the original Star Wars movies, probably due to the fact that my dad never would have taken me for a Star Wars fan? I was however taken to Star Wars: The Phantom Menace by my dad when it came out in theatres. It wasn’t horrible, but I remember Dad not being too impressed. When Star Wars: Attack of the Clones came out, we went to see that one as well. However, after watching that, we were all unimpressed (its so unmemorable I can’t remember why) and that’s where my Star Wars story almost ended.

It wasn’t until I started dating Chris that I watched the first original movie at his suggestion. Star Wars: A New Hope was good, but I also wasn’t jumping to watch the next one. After a few more months and being suggested several times to watch the fifth movie, I watched The Empire Strikes Back and latched on. Several days later, I watched Return of the Jedi and knew why people enjoyed Star Wars. The creative storyline and planet backgrounds as well as the dynamics of each individual character was much better then the movies I had seen years ago.

Hoping Disney delivers with The Force Awakens this December. In the meantime, I’ll probably watch 4-6 again as a refresher while dreaming of Ewoks.

Lord of the Rings/The Hobbit

The Hobbit

My family ended up getting Lord of the Rings when it came out on DVD for Christmas. I popped into the DVD player to watch one night, and after all of the scenery shots in the first 30 minutes and slow plot, I turned it off. I did not give Lord of the Rings another chance (much to the chagrin of many friends.)

However, when The Hobbit was released in theatres, several friends in college dragged me to see it on opening night. I’ll admit, I fell asleep at first (I honestly did in the first 30 minutes). I woke up after a few minutes though and watched the whole thing… And liked it. I liked the story of Bilbo Baggins, the hobbit who never asked for an adventure and was very realistic in terms of character (afraid of danger, stuck to his previous ways.) I loved the magic and the adventure throughout all three movies, as well as the scenery (and was thankful said background was not the main focus.) Bilbo Baggins’ evolving character was strong and well built, hats off to J.R.R Tolkien.

(P.S.- Tauriel may have been an original character to the story movie-wise, but I enjoyed having a strong female character to follow… Also could have done without the romance.)


I’m sure there will be more comeback series in the future for me with the way stories develop. What about you? Do you have a movie/TV show you grew to dislike, and then came back to enjoy?

Lets talk about baseball!

Since the Cubs have made some significant moves, I’ve been following the off-season fairly close and decided typing up a short post on my thoughts on the NL Central teams as they currently stand would be fun. Obviously, I picked that division since it’s the one the Cubs are in, which is all that matters. I’m doing it in a worst to best order as that seemed the most logical (plus we all know who is at top, and let’s avoid that for a bit shall we). Let’s do it!

NLCentral

Reds (76-86)

Honestly, I’m not sure what Cincinnati is doing. When they traded Mat Latos and Alfredo Simon, it looked like they might be starting a rebuild, but then traded for Marlon Byrd with one year left on his contract. That seems like a ‘Go for it now’ kind of move, but the other trade doesn’t make much sense in that regard. This will be an interesting year for Reds fans. Still with Cueto, Phillips, and Votto they could be surprisingly average and I would put them slightly ahead of the Brewers.

Brewers (77-85)

When I started writing this, I couldn’t think of much the Brewers had done this off-season, and it turns out there was a reason for that: They really didn’t do much. The only trade of significance was sending Gallardo to Texas, but there was no major league players in return so the help for this year is questionable. Ryan Braun might return to his previous form after dealing with injuries last season, but it’s not something I would count on. Not to mention Lucroy just went down with an injury, and if he is out a large amount of time the losses could really pile up. I fall into the camp that believes the insane start they had last season was more of a fluke than reality, so 77 wins seems about right. Assuming everyone stays healthy that is.

Cubs (84-78)

I never thought I’d be excited over a middle of the pack predicted finish for the Cubs, but after the last couple of years, it looks nice. Theo and company have added Joe Maddon as the manager, signed Jon Lester, re-vamped the catching situation with Miguel Montero and David Ross, and traded for Dexter Fowler to help patrol the outfield. It’s been an active offseason for the Cubs to say the least. Where they actually finish in the division will depend hugely on how well the young players such as Baez, Soler, Bryant, and others preform, which is why everyone should keep their expectations under control. If all the things break right for them (highly unlikely) they could finish well above this, but they could also finish slightly below this if the young players struggle. A middle of the pack finish is a good prediction, as they stand to do better than last year and this isn’t far above it. No matter what though, it’s going to be an interesting season.

Pirates (85-77)

The Pirates didn’t do a ton this off-season either, but have made the post season the last two seasons in a row, and I suspect a third trip is in order short of some disastrous outcome (Or the Cubs sneaking past them!). They lost Russell Martin to free agency, and didn’t add a catcher, so that could weaken them a bit. They added Corey Hart and Korean infielder Jung-ho Kang which will help offset some of that production loss, but it’s no guarantee. They also brought back A.J. Burnett, and while he is a bit of an unknown variable, if he returns to his previous form he’ll be more than adequate to take the mound every 5th game. Plus they have McCutchen, and good lord is that guy impressive. I’d look for Buctober to come again this fall.

Cardinals (86-76)

What can I say about the Cardinals? They’re good. They have average or better players at almost every position, and the depth to overcome injuries. The only weak spot might be their rotation, but that’s only if they start to show their age and regress, and that’s a long shot. Even if that happens they’ll probably just pick up a pitcher who has been struggling or isn’t that great, and he’ll become a Cy Young candidate. The Cardinals know how to work that voodoo magic. They picked up Jason Heyward to offset the loss of Oscar Taveras (both a really tragic and avoidable accident) and made a few other minor moves that I can’t remember. They were first last year and will more than likely be first again this year. I really hate that they are this good.

So what is the takeaway from all of this? The Reds and Brewers are going to be mediocre at best, the Cubs are a huge wild card with serious upside, the Pirates will hold their own, and the Cardinals will be good as usual. As a Cubs a fan I want to believe they will win the division as Rizzo has predicted, but it’s more likely that the young guys will have their ups and downs, and the Cubs will hopefully be competing for a Wild Card spot come September. I don’t mean that as a bad thing either, it’s FANTASTIC.

No matter what the season holds though, I can’t wait for baseball to be back and the 70° weather it brings with it. Let’s go Cubs!

P.S. I just remembered the Cardinals signed Carlos Villanueva who was a good long man reliever for the Cubs. Damn it, Cardinals.

Favorite Nerd Valentine’s Movies

Favorite Nerd Valentine's MoviesLooking for a different kind of movie to watch with a loved one, your group of friends or yourself and the couch this V-day? Here are a few of suggestions:

Scott Pilgrim vs the WorldScott Pilgrim vs The World
Comic effects + romance + fight scenes + Sex Bob-Oms = I’m in. Aren’t you? Plus I tend to find Michael Cera’s characters amusing. What happened to that guy, anyway?

Fever Pitch
Before Fever Pitchyou hit the back button, hear me out. When I mentioned nerd in the title, I didn’t just mean what often comes up on the brain when someone mentions the word ‘geek’. Fever Pitch may be about baseball, but it’s about a guy who is a complete NERD about his team, the Boston Red Sox, and his struggle to balance baseball nerding life with dating cute Drew Barrymore life. Seems relatable.

JunoJuno
Juno, the main character (hence the title), finds herself pregnant in her teenage years and we get to see this music-geeking girl live her life while trying to find a pair of parents perfect for her fetus (with fingernails) plus references to other things we 90s kids grew up with. THUNDERCATS ARE GO!

Spoiler: Michael Cera’s character is the dad. What did I say about Michael Cera and his characters?

Shaun of the DeadShaun of the Dead
A classic… But ever thought about watching it on Valentine’s Day? Shaun works to win back his ex-girlfriend, all while trying to survive the zombie apocalypse with his mom, and his ex-girlfriend’s roommates. Not to mention, you get to witness a true bromance that is Shaun and Ed. It is a powerful one.

Warm BodiesWarm Bodies
This is one of those movies where you have to take it as it is… But if you can do that, I promise you an amusing watch. You get to see life happen before R, the zombie main character’s eyes, after he eats a guy’s brains and starts falling for said guy’s girlfriend. Throughout the movie there’s record players with music that’s alive, more bromance, several good lines (“I don’t wanna be this way. I’m lonely. I’m totally lost. I mean, I’m literally lost. I’ve never been in this part of the airport before.”)… And yeah, some romance here and there too.

 

Any nerdy Valentine’s movies that you’d recommend?