Half-assing it doesn't count :(

27. Host a holiday family dinner

Okay, so Miller & I didn't actually host the holiday dinner, but we did do all the cooking! Either way, the goal wasn't completed so it stays on the list. The food was still great. The turkey was fried, the casseroles were baked, all in all it was a great Christmas. Pictures will be posted as soon as my dad figures out how to upload pics to the internet. It might be awhile.

I walked away with some cool booty to take on my trip to Tanzania next week....I CAN'T BELIEVE I LEAVE IN 6 DAYS!!!

I have way too much to do. Hope everyone had a great holiday!

52. Watch the entire list: AFI's 100 Years...100 Movies

It was a pretty busy movie-watching weekend for me. I was stuck spending another weekend in Houston & I had some of my trusty Netflix by my side so I decided to go ahead and knock a couple out of the park.

#1 on the AFI list is Citizen Kane. It's been long heralded as the greatest movie of all time. Honestly...it didn't do much for me. I completely understand from a cinematic/technical point of view why it is so well regarded; the picture quality (for a movie from the early 1940's) is absolutely amazing and it's completely unlike any other movie from the time. The story, on the other hand, was completely boring to me. I've never really cared for movies that jumped back and forth between current & flashback story lines. One or two times is fine to make a point, but for the entire movie? Geez.... Sorry AFI, I don't agree with this movie being numero uno.

Casablanca was much more my speed of a movie. I basically knew the story line already and had seen bits/pieces of it before when flipping channels, but I never had the opportunity to watch the entire movie start to finish. I loved the story and Humphrey Bogart was such a classy actor...they just don't make 'em like that anymore. Good stuff, good stuff.

98. Watch a new movie each month (December)

So, I was stoked to spend a week at home last week. It was awesome to be "normal" and cook dinner, clean the house, play with the dog, etc. Miller & I decided to take advantage of our time at home together so we took in a flick at Alamo Drafthouse.

No Country for Old Men was one of those movies that I had read about. It got great reviews online & in all the magazines I read so I was interested to check it out despite the fact that I'm not a fan of "western" movies. At all.

I think this movie reiterated my feelings about western movies...there's usually too much back-story for me to follow along and I guess I just can't get past the fact that these people are running around playing Rambo in the middle of nowhere.

From as objective a point of view as I can....the acting was so-so for me. I was really bummed out that Tommy Lee Jones's character wasn't more fully developed during the course of the movie because he really is such a talented actor. On the other hand, Javier Bardem was seriously the most disturbed, scary person in a movie since Jigsaw in the Saw movies.

I have, however, decided that I want a cattle gun. I think it was the coolest use of random weaponry in a movie in quite some time. Do you think I can get one at Academy or something? Can someone look into that for me? Thanks.....

Overall grade: B- (only because I didn't "get it.")

77. Have a spa day

Last weekend, the Miller's & the Mehis' went to New Orleans. Jen had never been to N.O. before & Brekke's birthday was Monday so it just seemed like a natural migration across the state line. I hadn't been to New Orleans since my bachelorette party (pre-Katrina) so I was really looking forward to visiting again & giving back to the community in the form of payment for alcoholic beverages.

Jen, Michelle & I spent the afternoon on Friday at the Ritz Carlton Spa. Holyshit it was fantastic. I honestly don't think I've been that relaxed since my honeymoon. Getting pampered is always fun...especially when you spend the afternoon lounging around in a robe. I think massages & spa days should be a weekly occurrence. Miller...make that happen.

The rest of the weekend was pretty much spent doing what you do in New Orleans: drinking, eating, drinking, gambling, drinking, gambling & drinking some more. I honestly couldn't tell you how many hand grenades I had over the course of the weekend. Since Jen had never been to New Orleans before, she had a "list" of stuff that she wanted to get accomplished during her visit. One of the things on her list was to chestbump the blow-up grenade outside Tropical Isle. Lucky for her (and for everyone on the interweb), I was able to catch it on video. Seriously...it's hilarious.

Anyways, the rest of the weekend went pretty much as you would expect it to. There are lots of fuzzy memories left over. Thank gawd for digital cameras.

Good times. Good times.

83. Get Riley neutered

Bob Barker made me do it.

Yesterday Miller & I dropped Riley off at the vet's office to get his boyhood chopped off. The house was so empty/quiet without him around and I was so concerned that he would hate us when we went to pick him up this morning.

We went by this morning & he couldn't have been happier to see us. He's surprisingly in good spirits (considering what just happened to him) but he's definitely sleeping a lot more than usual. I'll just keep telling myself that it's because of the anesthesia and not because he's depressed.

Anyways, I'm glad it's over with...I feel like such a responsible pet-owner now. (: