Yeah, so, we share our most anticipated movies for the rest of the year in this week’s Dorking Out. I mean, movies other than “The Last Jedi,” of course.
We also talk about the summer movie season’s biggest winners and losers, which was really just another opportunity for me to talk about how much I love “Girls Trip” and hated “The Dark Tower.”
But wait, there’s more! We also talk about Sunday night’s “Game Of Thrones.” I try to give a good breakdown of what happened in the episode, and then Peter Brown from Assignment X and I have a really fun conversation about it. I can’t believe the season will already be over next week.
I forgot to link to the last few episodes. Sorry about that.
Episode 60: We review “Detroit,” and wonder where the next big movie trend is going to come from.
Episode 59: We review “The Dark Tower,” and discuss the controversy surrounding “Confederate.”
So anyway, you can listen to our podcast here, or you can find us on iTunes and Stitcher. If you listen to the show, I’d love to hear what you think. You can comment here, or on our website or Facebook page.
Yeah, so, we are back from our annual family trip to Santa Cruz.
In the past there was a big group of us, but this year it was just the three of us – just us MansTracys. The truth is we always end up doing our own thing anyway. My mighty, mighty good boy Calvin usually has his own autistic agenda, and it involves finding all the ceiling fans in the area. It definitely doesn’t involve going on roller coasters at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, which is fine by me. I don’t want to ride that stuff, either.
We started our trip with a stop at the Roaring Camp Railroads to ride the steam train. If you have a kid who loves trains, this is a must-do. The steam train winds its way through a redwood forest and stops by Bear Mountain, where everyone can get out and do some exploring.
Come on, ride the train.
Two bumps on a log.
When in Santa Cruz we like to stay at the Dream Inn, because we’re so fuckin’ fancy. Actually, I’m pretty sure we’re the opposite of fancy, but we do love staying there. It’s right on the beach, and it’s got a heated swimming pool. Every morning we order room service for breakfast and eat on the balcony.
Meh.
After breakfast, we usually walk the wharf, stopping into every shop and restaurant that has a ceiling fan. We usually tell the hostess, cashier, etc., what we’re doing and why. “He’s autistic, and he loves ceiling fans.” I realize that we don’t have to tell them, but I think it’s a good idea. This way, if another autistic person comes in, they will recognize it. Maybe it’s a silly thing to do, but I think it helps raise awareness.
We walked the wharf a few times a day, so all the employees in the shops and restaurants started to recognize us, and they always had a smile for Calvin. He’s really into naming shapes right now, so we walked the wharf and listed shapes: “square, circle, oval, rectangle, parallelogram, rhombus, star, arrow, heart.”
After we walked the wharf, we would go to the beach. We had a great time just playing in the waves and walking along the beach. During one trip to the beach, Calvin and I held hands and walked along the water until we ran out of beach. I got a little teary. The two of us have faced a lot of challenges in the past few years. Calvin received his autism diagnosis about the same time I was diagnosed with breast cancer for the second time. But here we were, walking on the beach together – healthy and happy.
Beach boy.
After the beach, we would head to the pool. Calvin loves to be in the water, and he’s getting braver and braver. He’s been working on his dog paddle, which he calls “dog piddle.” The Dream Inn has a nice pool. It’s packed with families, and there’s a bar (beer!) and a taco stand.
Pool boys.
One afternoon, we were in the pool, and employees came around and told us that we needed to get out because they had to clean the pool. It turned out someone dropped a turd off at the pool.
“Hmm, maybe setting up a taco stand next to the swimming pool wasn’t the Dream Inn’s smartest decision,” I told David.
“Mr. Hanky decided to go for a swim, too,” David replied. “Howdy ho!”
Some folks nearby overheard David, and they started cracking up and talking about Mr. Hanky. It wasn’t long until we could hear the Mr. Hanky impressions going around the pool.
So, yeah, that was pretty gross. And I was so, so, SO thankful our kid wasn’t responsible.
We did walk through the Beach Boardwalk one day, but Calvin didn’t like it. He thought it was too loud, which was a change from last year. He loved walking through the boardwalk last summer, looking at the lights and watching (but never riding) the rides.
This year, he was more interested in watching the boardwalk from the comfort of our room. He referred to the boardwalk as “hockey island.” “Hockey Island is too loud.” “Oh, Hockey Island is closed.” Pretty impressive “Inside Out” reference.
We also hit a few Santa Cruz breweries, including Seabright Brewery, Santa Cruz Mountain Brewing and Humble Sea Brewing Company. We got the Easy Money IPA and Blur IPA from Seabright. Very drinkable and perfect for the beach. I had the Devout Stout, because I’ve been drinking a lot of IPA lately, and I was ready for something dark. It was delicious, but the real winner was David’s Dread Brown Ale. We got a couple of growler-cans to go. On our way out of Santa Cruz, we stopped at Humble Sea. I got a stout based on Girl Scout thin mint cookies, and David got a northeast-style IPA, and both were pretty good. I was really impressed with all three places. They were terrific, comfortable spaces that were all dog and kid friendly. I’m always surprised by how kid-friendly other restaurants and breweries are outside of San Francisco. Other cities recognize that human beings have children, and that’s a part of life. San Francisco would prefer you get a sitter. Personally, I think some of the breweries in San Francisco could learn something from the ones in the East Bay and beyond. Children are a part of life. Get with the program.
So anyway, we had an awesome time on our trip, but it was nice to come home. We missed our animals. Toby spent the week with my mom. She told me that he really missed me, and he spent a lot of time staring longingly out the window. Our neighbor took care of Kubo for us. She said she’s not really a cat person, but Kubo has won her over. Kubo did the same thing with David. I think it’s her super power.
One of the smart things we planned with this vacation is we got back on Thursday, so we have Friday, Saturday and Sunday to recover. Most of the time, after a vacation, we feel like we need another vacation to recover from our vacation.
I’m so glad my double chin decided to photobomb our nice family pic.
Yeah, so, in this week’s Dorking Out we review Christopher Nolan’s new movie, “Dunkirk.”
I have mixed feelings about it. It’s visually awesome, and Nolan is so great at building a sense of dread and panic, but I had a difficult time telling some of the characters apart, which made it difficult to connect to the story. I think I might like it more if I see it again, but I don’t see that happening anytime soon.
Side Note: Why does Nolan insist on covering up Tom Hardy’s handsome face in all his movies? Rude!
In our second segment, Peter Brown from Assignment X joins us to talk about all the buzzy new trailers from Comic-Con, including “The Defenders,” “Ready Player One,” “Justice League,” “Thor Ragnarok,” “Star Trek Discovery” and more. Somehow this leads into an argument between Smith and I about which “Star Trek” movie is the worst “Star Trek” movie. I think “Star Trek Into Darkness” is the worst one, while Smith thinks it’s “Star Trek V: The Final Frontier.” Personally, I would rather watch “Star Trek V,” because I like the original cast so much. Smith thinks I’m crazy, and it turned into an entertaining brawl.
And finally, Peter sticks around for our “what we’re dorking out about this week” segment, which has turned into a “Game Of Thrones” recap and discussion. If you watch the show, and I suspect you do, then you should definitely listen. We have a lot to talk about.
You can listen to our podcast here, or you can find us on iTunes and Stitcher. If you listen to the show, I’d love to hear what you think. You can comment here, or on our website or Facebook page.
His last day is Friday. He’s been there for three and a half years. He has grown so much since he first started. He was about 2 1/2 years old, and he could barely talk. He wasn’t even diagnosed with autism. Transitioning from a nanny-share situation was tough at first. His first day didn’t go super awesome. And for months, he cried when dropped him off.
Look at that little guy!
But the preschool and the teachers were/are awesome. Kaiser, the Golden Gate Regional Center and the preschool all worked together to get Calvin diagnosed and get him the services he needs. And as his communication improved, his enjoyment level improved. Now, he loves preschool. He loves the teachers, and the other kids are really sweet to him. He is clearly different than the other children in his class, but he’s very popular. He also has specialists from Easter Seals working with him almost every day at the school, and the school has been very patient and accommodating.
It’s going to be really difficult to leave. It’s going to be sad for Calvin, sad for the teachers and sad for us. The teachers adore Calvin. He is a really good kid.
We might be in for a tough transition. We’ve been trying to prepare Calvin, telling him that his last day of preschool is coming and then he will start at a new school. There’s an episode of “Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood” about going to a new school, and we’ve been watching it a lot.
The preschool had a graduation party on Saturday. Calvin is never a fan of the preschool events, because it’s strange for him to have his parents at the school. We probably embarrass him, right?
Oh, and there’s a lot of people and commotion, and that’s not really Calvin’s favorite. Plus, there were bouncy houses, and Calvin thinks bouncy houses are bullshit. I know he would love ’em, if he would just try it, but he won’t even get in ’em for a second.
We knew that we may not get to stay very long at the party, and we knew that he may not wear the graduation robe or participate in the ceremony, but we always try, because you never know.
We were able to stay for a bit. When it came time for him to put on his graduation robe and walk with the other kids … Well, that didn’t work out. David waited with all the other parents for the photo op, and I went to the room to try to get Calvin into his graduation robe. I asked a few times, and the answer was always “No, thank you.”
I could tell he was getting agitated, so I just put it on myself. We stood in line with the other kids and did the graduation walk together.
I wanted to get our money’s worth from the graduation robe.
So, this week is going to be a little emotional for us in the MansTracy household. Leaving the teachers who have done so much for Calvin these past three and a half years is going to be a tough one. BUT, in an attempt to make the transition a little easier for Calvin he is taking a few weeks off before starting kindergarten. He’s going to spend four or five days with my parents. Then, we’re going on a family vacation to Santa Cruz, which will make us all happy.
Yeah, so, I’ve been busy with work and being sick, which are both full-time jobs, so I’ve been slacking here. My apologies. I’ve got a ton of random things to say, so let’s get right to it. Here’s six things I’m loving right now.
1. “Easy” by Sky Ferreira
I went on and on about my love for the movie “Baby Driver” on the podcast, so I won’t repeat it here. But, man oh man, I love this song so much. I can’t stop listening to it. Even when I’m not listening to it, it’s still playing in my head.
When I got a new prescription the first thing I did was start ordering new glasses online, because it’s cheaper and it’s kinda fun. I’ve decided that since I have to wear glasses every day I really need more than two pairs. Basically, I’ve stopped buying so many dresses and started buying glasses.
I have some nice glasses that I got through LensCrafters, but even with eye care insurance I end up spending $200-$300 for a pair of glasses. I love those glasses, but I want some variety, and I don’t want to pay big bucks. My buddy Jennifer introduced me to Zenni Optical, and I’ve got a few really fun pairs of glasses for $25-$35 each. Seriously!
These glasses are my faves right now. They have a ’50s look about them, and I think they are super fun.
I wore them to my parents’ house last week, and my dad said, “What the hell is up with your glasses?”
Me: “I like them. I think they are fun.”
Dad: “I guess.”
Of course, I’m not going to take style advice from my dad. If I did, I’d have to get a pair of camouflage glasses … and grow my hair out … and dye it blond.
I wore them to the Oakland office on Tuesday, and a coworker said, “Oh, new glasses. They are … interesting.”
My “Toddler Grandma Style” is an acquired taste. I get it. But the truth is, I don’t really care if people don’t like it. I like it. I describe my style now as “I wear want I want.”
So anyway, I think these glasses below are pretty OK, too. They are not flashy. They are perfectly fine, everyday glasses.
It’s tricky when you buy glasses online. I’ve uploaded a photo to Zenni, and I try them on online, but you really don’t know until you really try them on if you’re going to like them. For example, these super-thick hard-rim glasses below are kinda fun, but I’m not sure I really love them. But for $25 I was like, “Why not?” I mainly wear them around the house, which is good, because I’m always fuckin’ up my nice glasses when I’m screwing around in the house – either rough housing with Calvin or just being a spaz.
I’ve got my eye on a few more pairs of glasses from Zenni, so be on the lookout for a lot of selfies on my Instagram.
We’ve had what was supposed to be a temporary logo for a year, so I asked my friend Jeff, who is a super talented artist, if he would help a sister out with a new logo. Look how great it is! It’s soooo awesome! I love, love, LOVE it!
Also, I forgot to write a blog post about this week’s show. You should listen to this week’s show. I didn’t get a chance to see “Spider-Man: Homecoming” before we recorded, so Ben Weddell from “Big Ben’s Movie Show” sat in with Smith to talk about it. I show up in the second segment to review “Glow,” which I think is rad, and everyone should watch it.
4. Roku
We got a Roku, you guys! It’s got a really intuitive interface that kinda reminds me of Tivo. We’ve been looking to ditch Comcast for a long time, because Comcast is stupid and crazy expensive. The Comcast On Demand sucks ass, and the only reason we were holding on to it was because we wanted TCM and local baseball. Roku has both of those things, plus it’s cheaper AND it’s got the Film Struck app. So long, Comcast. You’re the worst.
I love cooking shows, but I’m so over all the competitive ones. I used to be really into “Top Chef,” but I just hate all the manufactured drama. My mighty, mighty good man David and I stopped watching “Top Chef” when we discovered “Cooked” and “Chef’s Table” on Netflix. We just want to watch people cook while they talk about why they cook. I don’t care about some perceived slight of some asshole chef in a competition show in which they are all forced to live together, too. This is why I am in love with “The Great British Baking Show.”
It’s just people baking. It is a competition show, but the bakers are not really competitive. If anything, they are competing against ingredients and time, not each other. Everyone on the show is super nice and polite. And they are not super chefs. They are not James Beard winners or any kind of baking professionals. They are just regular ol’ folks who like baking. I find it very relaxing to watch it. I find is inspiring, too. I bought a book about baking bread, because BREAD!
6. Zootopia
My mighty, mighty good boy Calvin goes through phases with movies and TV shows. You might remember that a few months ago, Calvin was all about “Pee Wee’s Big Adventure.” I never got tired of watching it. Now, he’s all about “Zootopia.”
I liked “Zootopia” a lot when I saw in the theater. I still think “Kubo And The Two Strings” was the best animated movie last year, but “Zootopia” is a solid movie. Calvin enjoyed it in the theater, too, but never asked about it again. It recently popped up on Netflix, and I thought I’d give it shot and see if he liked it. He likes it … a lot. I think we’ve watched it every night for the past two weeks.
His favorite part is always changing, but right now it’s when Officer Judy Hopps, on her first day on the police force, holds up her fist for a fist bump and asks “Are you ready to make the world a better place?” Calvin runs up and says, “Mommy, are you ready to make the world a better place?” And then we fist bump. I would be totally fine with it if he wanted to do this every day forever.
He’s also super into the Shakira song “Try Everything,” which plays in the movie and over the end credits. We’re listening to it nonstop in the car. He won’t let me sing or dance to it, though, which is a very strange form of torture. It takes all my will power not to sing or dance to it. I often fail, and he just has to deal with my terrible singing and dancing.
Yeah, so, in this week’s Dorking Out we review “Baby Driver.”
I love, love, LOVE it. I go on and on about my affection for this movie, and writer-director Edgar Wright’s other movies, including “Shaun Of The Dead,” “Hot Fuzz” and “Scott Pilgrim vs. The World.” Oh, and how much I adore his TV series “Spaced.”
In our second segment, I try to process my feelings about the new season of “Twin Peaks.” Part of me thinks I want it to be more like the original series. Maybe I like David Lynch operating within boundaries and rules, because I miss the stories and characters from the original show. However, “Twin Peaks: The Return” is crazy and weird, and I can’t wait to see where it’s going next. Like I said, I’m still processing it.
And finally, we end our show with what we’re dorking out about, and I talk about the documentary “Nobody Speak: The Trials Of The Free Press,” which is currently airing on Netflix.
You can listen to Dorking Out here, or you can find us on iTunes and Stitcher. If you listen to the show, I’d love to hear what you think. You can comment here, or on our website or Facebook page.
All week I’ve been coughing, blowing my nose and having weird fever dreams. Good times. I missed three days of work, and I had to work from home on Thursday and Friday. I need to go to see “Baby Driver” for this week’s Dorking Out, but I’m still coughing. I don’t want to ruin the movie for everyone by coughing throughout the movie. I’m hoping by Sunday morning, I’m coughing less so I can see it before we record on Sunday night.
I’m so sick and tired of being sick and tired. I have been drinking Theraflu for more than a week. I’ve probably built up a tolerance to it, and I should consider switching to a different cold med. Or maybe I should start pouring whiskey in it. I hate taking cold meds. They make me feel loopy. Theraflu is one of the only ones that works for me and doesn’t make me high.
So anyway, at some point this week, I was in the fetal position in bed, trying to fall asleep, and I started thinking about the GOP health care bill, because apparently I wasn’t already feeling shitty enough.
I started thinking about how fucked up it is that we need to have a health care bill at all. Basically we need a health care bill, because if we don’t the health insurance companies will fuck us all until we all die. That’s it, right? They absolutely won’t do anything even remotely close to the right thing AT ALL. Unless there is a law, health insurance companies will not offer us a policy at a reasonable price that covers reasonable medical bills.
Think about how fucked up that is! If you need cancer treatment or you have a baby, instead of covering your costs, which is what health insurance should do, they will find a way to screw you over and make you pay for it. They want you to pay for health insurance AND your medical bills, because if there isn’t a law so fuck you.
Health insurance companies are not just mindless robots, they are owned and managed by actual human beings with hearts and souls (in theory). I don’t understand how they sleep at night. How do they justify trying to screw people over during some of the most stressful times in their lives? “I know you’ve been diagnosed with heart failure and you’re fighting for your life, I need to make another $10,000 to throw on my giant pile of money.”
What am I missing? Are health insurance companies like sharks? Just killing machines. Sharks gonna shark. Health insurance companies gonna health insurance company.
I also started thinking about the people who work for the Predator Trump administration, because – once again – apparently I don’t think I’m suffering enough. They are just lying, awful pieces of human garbage, aren’t they? How do they even look at themselves? How do they talk about their day at work with their spouse?
Terrible person #1: “How was your day at work, honey?” Terrible person #2: “Good! I bullied the White House Press Corp turning off their recording equipment and then I accused them all of being fake news. Then I lied about Trump’s Muslim ban and the Medicaid cuts in the GOP health bill. How was your day?”
Here’s the thing: It’s not just that these “people” have a difference of opinion. They are lying, and they know they are lying. But by lying they thinking they are winning. I’m not sure what they think they’re winning.
“Today I helped the president bully a senator, who dared not to support something we wanted him, too. It’s really exciting time for us. We’re so close to stripping away health care benefits from millions of people, including those with pre-existing conditions as well as children, the elderly and people with special needs, because our most vulnerable citizens are not really Americans. Fuck those people, am I right? I mean, get a job or something. Whatever.”
I have yet to hear one reasonable argument for the GOP health care bill … or one reasonable argument for anything Predator Trump has said or done. I assume that’s because there isn’t one. All I’ve heard is a lot of lies.
I continue to be super disgusted and embarrassed by Predator Trump. I haven’t mentioned it on the blog in a while, but I’m still donating money to organizations that fight for what’s right: the ACLU, Southern Poverty Law Center and Planned Parenthood and SwingLeft.org. Oh, and I usually spend my evenings drunk dialing my reps. You should do it, too. It’s kinda fun.
Yeah, so, I’ve been so sick that I forgot to post the latest episode of Dorking Out here. In honor of our first anniversary, we’re looking back at 40 years of the show.
I know what you’re thinking, “That doesn’t add up.” Well, if you listen to the podcast you’ll get why that makes perfect sense, so maybe you should listen.
Basically, we get in our way-back machine and share with you our most memorable and most embarrassing moments of the test shows we have been recording for the past 40 years.
You can listen to Dorking Out here, or you can find us on iTunes and Stitcher. If you listen to the show, I’d love to hear what you think. You can comment here, or on our website or Facebook page.
Yeah, so, I went to Washington, D.C., to see two of my favorite people, Katie and Nathan.
Sadly, the second I walked off the plane I lost my voice, because of course I did. I fly across the country to visit one of my best friends so we can catch up, and I lose my voice. Figures.
I think being that close to Predator Trump; that much evil; my body just couldn’t deal with it. Maybe my body was trying to save me. “Oh no! She’s in the same city as that piece of shit. She’s going to say something and get us all killed, so let’s shut it down. Shut the whole thing down!”
Of course, we didn’t let my lack of voice stop us from catching up, and Katie and Nathan are awesome hosts. If you’re ever in DC, I highly recommend you stay with them. They are way better than some hotel or Air BnB.
We went to a Nationals vs. Reds game on Friday night, which was my first-ever visit to a ballpark that wasn’t A’s or Giants. I wore my Giants hat and booed Bryce Harper the best I could considering I had no voice. I also ran into some other Giants fans there, which – once again – was just me pointing at my hat and their hats and giving the thumbs up, because no voice.
On Saturday, Katie and I spent the entire day at the Newseum, because it’s my favorite. I could have spent an entire second day in the Newseum. There is so much to read, watch and listen to. There’s a really terrific exhibit now called “Louder Than Words,” which is about music, activism and politics. The Newseum doesn’t appear to be a big fan of Predator Fake News. There are a lot of stories and photos about President Obama. I think that Newseum is preaching to the choir, though. I seriously doubt Predator Trump voters are going to the Newseum anyway. Yeah. I said it.
Also, while in DC, we had lunch at a yummy vegan restaurant, Fare Well. I got the vegan Reuben and a cookie dough milkshake, and it was heaven.
We also got some beer, because – duh – of course we did. These are MY FRIENDS we’re talking about. We went to Brookland Pint, which had a great selection of local beer on tap, so I could taste them all.
It was so great to see Katie and Nathan. They are such awesome, smart people. I wish we at least lived in the same state. That would be awesome.
By the way, it’s hot as fuck in DC, and humid. Here’s actual footage of me in DC.
So, at the end of my trip, I filmed a little video so you guys could hear how awful my voice was.
BUT, here’s the thing: It actually got worse. I got sicker and sicker on the flight home. By the time I got home I had no voice at all (it was just a whisper). I was coughing and congested, and I had a fever. Wheeee. I’ve been sick for three days! I’ve been so sick that I haven’t even been back to work yet. I wasn’t even well enough to work from home, because that would have involved sitting up. Writing this blog post is the longest I’ve sat up in a while, and as you can tell by how well it is written, that wasn’t very long.
So yeah, I had a really great trip. This was my first big trip away from my mighty, mighty good man David and my mighty, mighty good boy Calvin. I’ve had an overnight trip once or twice away from both of them, and David and I have gone on trips together while Calvin stays with my mom. But, this was the first trip in which David and Calvin were on their own for four days. Unsurprisingly, they had a great time, but Calvin did come into our bedroom in the middle of the night and cry, and ask to sleep with David. He missed me.
Calvin was already asleep when I got home Sunday night, but the next morning I went into his room to say, “Good morning,” and he immediately shot up in his bed. “You’re back! You’re here! I missed you!” I almost cried. It’s nice to be missed.
Yeah, so, in this week’s Dorking Out with Chris & Sonia we review “Cars 3” with Juan Uriarte from the Instant Ramen podcast.
I’ve got a soft spot for the movie “Cars,” which many people consider a lesser Pixar movie. My mighty, mighty good boy Calvin has watched it countless times, which means I’ve watched it countless times, and it’s really grown on me. It’s no “Toy Story” trilogy, and it’s certainly not as imaginative as “Wall-E” or “Inside Out,” but it’s a nice, enjoyable movie.
“Cars 3” is more of a direct sequel to “Cars” than “Cars 2,” which is apparently more of a spy movie. I say “apparently” because I’ve never seen it. Whenever we’ve started “Cars 2,” Calvin says, “No, thank you,” and I say, “You’re right. This looks like a piece of shit. Let’s watch ‘Cars.’”
“Cars 3” isn’t as good as “Cars,” but it’s a good movie, and it’s got a few things to say about racism and sexism, which I wasn’t expecting.
In our second segment, Smith and I review “Rough Night.” Spoiler alert! We were disappointed, but it leads to an interesting discussion about the audience this movie was hoping to attract and then not giving that audience what it wants.
One more thing, this is our one-year anniversary. Let’s dance!
In honor of our anniversary, we will have a very special show next week, so definitely check it out.
You can listen to Dorking Out here, or you can find us on iTunes and Stitcher. If you listen to the show, I’d love to hear what you think. You can comment here, or on our website or Facebook page.
