Happy Mother's Day

I know I usually do reviews, but I thought I'd do something special for Mother's Day.

So, as you may not know I am getting married soon, moving out and just got a new job. There are a lot of things I am going through that have either drained my funds or energy. And this isn’t to shine the light on myself but just another example of how all the mothers in my life have been there for me in so many ways. Not only have they all talked me through what’s going on in my life right now, they've also been there for me through support and pride which is the greatest thing I could ask for, besides their love.

I just wanted to let all the mothers in my life know how truly special you are to me:

Happy Mother’s Day to All the Mothers in My Life

A mother is someone who not only gives birth to you but someone who is there throughout your entire life.

A mother is someone who takes over responsibility for you when your birth mother works her whole life to provide for her children who she loves very much, or falls ill to a very tragic car accident.

A mother is someone who teaches her children about God and what is right and wrong.

A mother is someone who protects her children even when the worst things seem to always happen, never even thinking of putting herself first.

A mother is someone who packs you your favorite sandwich in a little brown bag, drawing a smiley face on the bag, the napkin, and with the mustard on your sandwich (which you used to be embarrassed about, but later you’d secretly smile when no one was looking).

A mother is someone who stands by you no matter what decision you make or who you become and completely supports you along the way.

A mother is someone who is there for her little boy when he scraps his knee or his heart is broken.

A mother is someone who doesn’t have enough money to pay the bills but always finds money to send her son to school, the daycare and buy him toys and clothes, so he rarely has to want for anything.

A mother is someone who is there for her son when he loses his dad and thinks the world and God have done him wrong. Not understanding, but mom is there to help.

A mother is someone who not only thinks about her son in every decision, but would drop everything she’s doing in case there is an emergency, physically or of the heart.

A mother is someone who takes care of her sister when her mom isn’t able to. Who helps her grow and becomes her best friend.

A mother is someone who accepts a new woman into the family as a daughter-in-law and loves her as if she were her birth mother.

A mother is someone who not only invites this daughter-in-law to come over anytime she wants, but to every special occasion and holiday. Getting her just as many presents and spending just as much time with her as the rest of her kids. Making it feel like every holiday is something exciting to look forward to. It’s greatly appreciated.

A mother is someone who helps her daughter-in-law plan the most exciting day of her life and not even hesitate to take on a task to help relieve the stress.

A mother is someone who doesn’t make her daughter-in-law even feel like a daughter-in-law, but a daughter - and very much loved.

A mother is someone who has Alzheimer’s but still remembers her niece’s birthday, and about every detail of what’s going on in her life.

A mother is someone who not only calls or texts EVERY DAY, but genuinely cares and wants to know what’s going on in her niece’s life.

A mother is someone who offers to take care of her niece at the drop of a hat, always making sure she has food in her pantry, clean clothes and a person to talk to.

A mother is someone who put her own issues and struggles aside to focus on her niece and help her through her own battles.

A mother is someone who even through she’s exhausted from the day and just wants to go to sleep, invites her niece into her California king-sized bed for a midnight chat.

Most of all, a mother is someone who is there for their daughter, sister, daughter-in-law or niece no matter what she is going through. No matter how hard things get, these special woman are there for this girl and support her every step of the way.

I am so very blessed to have all of these great woman in my life. I cannot even express to you how much you all mean to me.

I know that every line starts with  “A mother is someone”- but isn’t that the point? Shouldn’t we be appreciating our mothers more than just once a year. “A mother”, what a powerful woman. Helping all their children turn into great moms and dads themselves. Being there every step of the way. Everything starts and ends with, “A mother”.

New Republic Tattoo, Foo!

Have you ever walked into a tattoo and/or piercing shop and thought, 'Did I just walk through a hole in the wall and end up in a dumpster?' Then all the artists stop what they're doing to look up at you and make you feel extremely uncomfortable and out of place. There almost seems to be a glint of crazy in their eyes, as you feel the floor start to open. That’s NOT what you’re going to find at Donny Manco’s New Republic Tattoo.

The tale of this beautiful friendship began only a couple years ago.  I was searching the world’s wide web to shed some light on the whole “tattoo” thing, which I knew nothing about. I was extremely timid about the idea of having goo-gone resistant ink on my arm. As I explored my Google searches with much trepidation, among the shops found I discovered New Republic Tattoo. They not only had no counts against their shop for cleanliness issues, they have also been awarded with the Fort Wayne Reader’s Choice Best of Tattoo Shops for three consecutive years, claiming the title for 2011. This intrigued me to say the least. I knew with the plethora of tattoo shops sprouting up all over Fort Wayne that I had to approach the experience of my first tattoo with some thoughtful consideration.

I called their shop for general information and to set up an appointment - they were super nice. I decided it was time to visit the shop to allow the artist to get a better idea of what I was wanting. As I walked inside I was greeted right away and didn't feel as out of place as I was expecting to feel. I sat down with Donny, the owner, and talked with him about my tattoo ideas. He not only took note of what I said but made suggestions that I didn't even think about. To this day I still get compliments on my wolf tattoo. Since then I have returned to their shop for three more tattoos: a cupcake, a half-sleeve Marvel tattoo, and an Underoath symbol done by Zeke. All of which I LOVE and constantly have admirers for. Donny Manco's New Republic Tattoo is my first, no, make that only place to get tattoos. In fact, I have quite a few additional tattoos planned out, it's just finding the time and money.

Now this post isn't to say that any of the other tattoo shops are mediocre, I just wouldn't go anywhere else to get more work done. I love going into New Republic Tattoo and getting some permanent ink put on my skin, and having fun just hanging out in the mean time. All the guys there are great and I'm a long term customer, and friend to their shop. So, if you're in the area and looking for a great tattoo shop, check it out!!

"Mirror Mirror" by Tarsem Singh

I'm what you'd consider as your typical Sci-Fi and fantasy movie lover. So I jumped at the opportunity to watch Tarsem Singh's newest film "Mirror Mirror" with one of my comrades. After a quick run to Wal-Mart for an assortment of chocolate, chips, and 16oz. milk jugs, we were ready for the silver screen. As the introduction of the movie progressed, I nearly tore my armrests from their fastened structure. The credits along with the narration were incredible, to say the least. The animation was great and the story seemed to be off to an intriguing start. However, things slowly began to fall to shambles as the movie went on. The acting was mediocre as well as the entirety of the film. I can't describe the disappointment I felt after seeing such a mind-blowing introduction.

Upon seeing trailers before viewing the actual film, I was eagerly anticipating this movie's release. It's a fairly typical interpretation of Snow White's story. The one aspect I did enjoy the most was the exaggerative elements to the film, such as a normal bow on a dress would be the scale of the character's entire body. The costume design along with every scene's environment was eye-catching - it's too bad the acting and movie's progression had to fall short. So, props to the cinematography but that's about it. They could have made the parts with the queen more frightening and also your mood didn't change with the environment that each character was occupying.

Overall, it's worth watching the film, but I wouldn't pay money to see it in theaters, Redbox or your local movie store is a better bet.

Re-Discoverd Little Wheel Post!!

I found this treasure hidden in one of my older blogs and have re-surfaced it for your reading enjoyment (circa...a while ago.):

I am what you would call a "casual gamer". But this is somewhat of an understatement. I'm not into long drawn out games unless I get to hit enemies with blunt objects repeatedly (swords are fine too). I play casual games quite a bit, breaking the mold of a "casual gamer". Upon my search for the next flash game to give me my fix; I found a game called "Little Wheel" by Fast Games. I love point-and-click games so I figured this was a good fit.

The introduction opens with the story of how all the robots within the world were just going through their daily routines and then their main power source was unplugged by a clumsy worker robot. This power source not only operated the world but every robot within it. As everyone loses energy, it seems that there is no hope left for these poor robots. Without energy to function, they cannot live. Lightning strikes one of the patrol towers where a single robot happens to be asleep. The lightning re-energizes the patrol tower and awakens the robot. After 10,000 years of sleep, the fate of the entire robot world is now in the hands of one lucky robot.

As you click your way through the world you can admire the slow-paced music, imaginative scenery and interesting characters. The robot also gives you some comic relief throughout the game in his own clumsy way. I cannot get over how amazing the world is in this game. I love everything about it: from the single-wheeled robots, to the architecture, even the colors add to the world's charisma.

I suggest this game to anyone who loves casual games like I do. It is cute and is a lot of fun. You may even find yourself playing it more than once.