The Weekend Grab-Bag: The XL Version

Hey all - -

What a Saturday/Sunday! I couldn't possibly have had two more polar opposite days! I'm completely fine with it all too. I certainly earned my Sunday. But you'll see. . .

So I fell asleep on Friday night/Saturday morning around 0200. I was up doing nothing productive - basically, I was just up. I was sleeping great until I heard my phone buzzing. Someimes, vibrate is worse than ring! So, I answered it half-consciously, thinking it was my Heather with a morning call. Instead, I heard, "Hey Justin, it's Jennifer from Johnny Carino's." Jennifer is one of my managers, and one of the 2 that I like. She's really kick-back and quite funny. Well, apparently they needed me to come in to host at 1100 for one of the other hosts who called in sick. Jennifer suggested that I work in the morning instead of night (which would have been just dandy with me) but I told her that I was bussing instead of hosting. You see, Charlie (the big GM) is having me table tend on Saturday nights to test me. For me it's cool, cuz it's an extra $70-$80 that I can live on. So I told her that I'd work a double shift if that was ok. She agreed and I was into work at 1100. I hosted til 1615 and then got a 45-minute break, during which I ate a free Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo (my second favorite dish of ours). I came back on the clock at 1700 and bussed my tail off til 2300. For those of you who have issues adding (hey, it's ok) that would be 11 1/4 hours! The last 3 hours are overtime, which is time-and-a-half. Overall, it was a busy busy day, but one that will be worth it in the long run.

Because of my long day, I slept in a bit. I woke up around 1100 this morning and puttered around the house for most of the morning/afternoon. I enjoyed Lunner with the family around 1300 before my dad headed off to work. Then it was time for SUPER BOWL XL! The mucho-anticipated game that you watch even if you don't like football. The following is 2 paragraphs, one for the sports fan, and the other for the commercial fan: Enjoy!

- The game was slow. There were exciting moments, sure, but overall, the game was kinda disappointing. I was rooting for the Steelers (the eventual victors) so that was an added pleasure. I really like Bill Cowher, the head coach of the Steelers, and I was rooting for him to win his first ever Super Bowl ring. I think that the Steelers played a bad game and that the Seahawks played a worse game. Seattle had very poor clock management and they often looked like they just wanted to go and play out in the snow outside of Ford Field in Detroit. Congratulations Pittsburgh on winning the franchise's 5th Super Bowl. A Super season, indeed!

- Quick comment on the Halftime Show: The Rolling Stones are OLD!!!

- Now, the part that most viewers of the Super Bowl truly care about: Commercials. Well folks, you have a special treat in store for you, because I, the Rambler, took a running diary of all of the commercials that made me laugh, think, oooh and ahhhh, and also the ones that left me dumbfounded. And it was all done out of love. . .

There were no real stand-outs this year when it came to the commercials. That is to say, there were no cat-herders or talking frogs/lizards. However, the winner of the night in my mind was, and without a doubt, Bud Light. They had 4 commercials, all in the first half, and they were all touchdowns! They ranged from "Hidden Beers in an Office" to a "Magic Fridge" (my favorite of the evening) to "The One where a Bear Chases Guys" (remember?) to finally one where "Husbands Do Rooftop Chores". All of these made me laugh and I take my hat off to the advertisers who came up with these great commercials.

Honorable Mention: Ameriquest, ("Don't Judge Too Quickly") Michelob (the one with the couple playing football - I loved when the guy tackled his girlfriend! It was hilarious!) and Nationwide (anything with Fabio in it rocks!).

There were 5 moments that made me think, "What the crap?!?" thus we call the following commercials the "What the Crap Commercials"! (Enter Theme Music - preferably awful-sounding) WTC Moment #1 took place at the very beginning of the game with a terrible Burger King commercial that featured women with costumes ranging from lettuce to onions to burger patties. Together, they made a WHOPPER. Together, they were an awful commercial. WTC Moment #2 was the 2 Diet Pepsi ads with Jay Mohr as an agent for a Diet Pepsi can. The first featured P. Diddy and the second, Jackie Chan. Neither was any good. WTC Moment #3 was when FedEx's commercial featuring cavemen made me actually cock my head to the side cuz I was so dumbfounded. Just ridiculous. WTC Moment #4 was the godaddy.com commercials featuring a buxom woman making an elderly man go into shock/respiratory arrest. Apparently it was a play on last year's commercial. Apparently, both were just that forgettable. And the granddaddy of them all, the WTH (that would be Hell - cuz crap just didn't cut it) Moment #5 was the horrid Hummer commercial. What began as a wannabe-Godzilla trashing a town ended up with a pregnant monster via a giant robot. I wish I was making this up. It culminated in the birth of a baby Hummer (red, in fact - get the symbolism?) and it drives off. I will not buy an H3 not only for this commercial alone, but also, the fact that I couldn't afford an H3 maybe ever.

Irregardless (ha ha) it was just a "Meh" SUPER BOWL. But Congratulations again to Pittsburgh!

There were also movie TV spots during the Super Bowl. Usually, studios take this time to unleash the first look at their big summer blockbusters. Not this year. I did rate the following TV spots out of 4 stars; no stars meaning "You won't catch me watching this film. Ever." and four stars meaning "Why can't this come out tomorrow?" Get it?

- Mission: Impossible III **** - Tom Cruise might be off his rocker, but this flick looks so incredibly awesome, that I am just beside myself with excitement. May 05, 2006 is the day after finals. It's also the day that I buy a movie ticket.

- Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest **** - Johnny Depp. Giant Octupi. Sword-fighting. Sequel to giant film of a couple of summer's ago. No more words needed.

- V For Vendetta *** 1/2 - This film, having already been delayed several months because of last year's London bombings, looks gritty and really cool. Plus, a masked Hugo Weaving (Agent Smith, y'all) and a bald Natalie Portman (she's still good looking somehow) just peaked my interest. Let's just hope the Wachowski brothers don't screw this up like they did the Matrix sequels.

- Cars *** - Looks entertaining. All Pixar movies are entertaining. I just wonder if any of the Pixar guys have seen Larry the Cable Guy's routine. . .

- Shaggy Dog ** - Could be funny. Tim Allen is due for something funny after a losing streak.

- Poseidon * 1/2 - Another unfortuante remake. The cast is cool and the effects could be nice to look at, but the effects were cool in THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW. And that really sucked!

- Running Scared * 1/2 - That's what the audience will be doing. Two words: Paul Walker.

- The World's Fastest Indian * - Huh?

- 16 Blocks (no stars) - Sorry Bruce Willis. No dap here. Plus, you gotta get rid of the mustache!

(Whew, I'm tired. . You're welcome by the way)

Now, and finally tonight, your Entertainment Preview for the month of February:

MOVIES:

- FINAL DESTINATION 3 (Opening 02/10): Yes! Cy and I are huge FD fans, and this one we have been waiting for (and pretending to write) for several years now. We thought of a theme park before this film was even greenlit, so we feel like we deserve some of the money from this film. Either way, I made a deal with him not to see it til he gets back from the Philippines in March. It'll be a long wait! (http://www.comingsoon.net/films.php?id=7302)

- SOMETHING NEW (Opened 02/03): Don't ask why I'm interested. I just am. Now leave me alone about it. (http://www.comingsoon.net/films.php?id=9503)

- DATE MOVIE (Opening 02/17): Could be funny. I'm intrigued. (http://www.comingsoon.net/films.php?id=10674)

- EIGHT BELOW (Opening 02/17): This is NOT (read: NOT!!!!) for me. Heather loved the trailer and so I will be seeing it. Hopefully, it features more of the dogs, and less of Paul Walker. Can you tell I really despise that man? (http://www.comingsoon.net/films.php?id=9089)

Honorable Mention:

- CURIOUS GEORGE (Opening 02/10): Meh (http://www.comingsoon.net/films.php?id=4909)

- FIREWALL (Opening 02/10): "I'm Harrison Ford. I'm mad. Hear me yell." (http://www.comingsoon.net/films.php?id=11574)

DVD:
- SAW II (Released 02/14 - no joke): Great follow-up to a great horror film. I'm gonna hold off buying so that I can buy the trilogy set after SAW III takes us by storm this Halloween
- THE WEATHER MAN (Released 02/21): Underrated Nicolas Cage film. Funny. Heartbreaking. Interesting. AND NIC CAGE!

. . .

Well folks, I'm exhausted and it's now after 0200 on Monday. Hope everyone has a great Monday! Take care and drive safely - - -

Goodnight (finally),

JUSTIN