Memorial Day

With the help of all the packs in Santa Clarita Saturday, everyone who fought for the United States (over 5000) got a flag placed at their grave marker

Kevin Placing a flag commemorating a Veteran

Garrett chats about Books

Since getting the Kindle...I have been tearing through books like never before (and that's saying something) And that has put me in a mood to lay out my impressions of my favorite authors (these are all pop fiction authors...not highbrow lit)

Stephen King: The master of the storyteller....incredible imagination...if anyone has not I suggest you pick up, Carrie, The Shining, The Stand, It, The Dead Zone...just for starters..he is still going strong having recently completed his magnus opus "Dark Tower" series...Kings book are big and long...you never get cheated

Dean Koontz: Also very good but has slipped in the last ten years as he is obsessed with his "odd thomas" character....formulaic...in every book there is always an autistic hero..and a magic dog.

Michael Crichton: I still can't believe he is gone...nobody could teach and entertain like crichton did......it's such a part of our culture now we forget just how perfect a story "Jurassic Park" was..

Nelson Demille: Fun, Fun author, great first person storyteller...makes you feel like you are on a fun journey in his stories

Tom Clancy: When he put out a new Jack Ryan book it was an event! huge thousand page political and military thrillers...he helped create a genre...sadly he doesn't put anything of note out anymore.

Michael Connelly: I picked up "The Black Echo" and immediately stopped everything and read all his books in order...Connelly is like that, you have to keep reading...and you love the world of Harry Bosch. When I met Connelly I said to him, " I can't help looking for Harry's house everytime I drive down the 101 and look up into the hills"

Lee Child: On par with Connelly, I could not stop once I picked up the first "Jack Reacher" novel...I am reading his 15th book right now, this is my break time to do this. Great character, great world.

Vince Flynn: Slightly less fun to read then Child or Connelly, but very entertaining books starring CIA hero "Mitch Rapp" (Why won't the suits just let him torture terrorists?)

Greg Iles: Probably my favorite combination of an author with a beautiful command of language, a great ability for suspense and character development...Greg Iles books are all incredible.

James Michener: Hawaii, Alaska, Chesapeake, The Source, The Covenant, Centennial, The drifters....etc etc.....A sweeping epic storyteller he takes a certain piece of geography and tells the entire history of it and it is fascinating and entertaining each time.

James Patterson: The master author for those who have short attention spans...each one of his books (he now has people write them for him) are divided up into about 130 4 page chapters......He is the opposite of Greg Iles in that he has no gift for language...but he is entertaining I must admit...(sometimes you're in the mood for a guilty pleasure)

Dennis Lehane: His Kenzie/Genarro mystery series is fantastic...from there he switched to standalones like "mystic river" and "shutter island" both phenomonal books. Lehane has also written for "The Wire" arguably the best television drama ever made.

So tell me folks....what kinds of books do you read...or do you read at all? Grabbaggar wants to know!

Snakes!!!!

Here are Tasha and I posing with a cool BOA constrictor that they showed at Cub Scouts tonight

Garrett's Oscar list

OK folks since I don't like going to movie theatres anymore...all the nominated films are now out on video and I have now seen them all...All five films nominated for best picture are very very good and each one is absolutely worth seeing...Here now is how I have them ranked...

5. "Slumdog Millionare" very good film...was the actual best picture chosen
4. "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" very good had it moments....sit back and enjoy this long film
3. "Frost/Nixon" Outstanding the way this movie was done...very very good on so many different levels
2. "Milk" very very close to my pick for best picture...Incredible film

And my Best Picture is

"The Reader" Prepare to be dazzled folks...this movie takes you on a fanstastic ride.....true greatness

JT and Samberg Strike again

Had to post it guys...So wrong yet so Hilarious

Why am I so sore from playing Softball?

I played Softball Saturday with my Neighbors Mormon softball league (that's right kids) I'll be playing on Saturdays now going forward but I am wrecked today!!! I'm thinking I can play as hard as I want now that I am in better shape, so I am swinging the bat as hard as I can, and was sprinting around the bases. The third base coach sent me home on a close play I was barely tagged out on and I was running as fast as I could. I can remember when I could do stuff like that with absolute ease and never be sore...but no longer!

Even in pretty good shape at age 35 I've got sore biceps hamstrings, back and don't even get me started on my Quads. Wow getting old is fun!!!! Someone get me some Boli and HGH (:

Happy Mothers Day Mom!!

Manny is suspended for PEDS

"PEDS" =Performance enhancing drugs

Nightfall...Griffith Park....a sudden electrical storm ignites the area around the observatory...suddenly a figure appears...Naked.....he raises himself up slowly..the camera pans to his incredible physique...superhuman...beautiful...powerful.....The Terminator has arrived.....And it is all thanks to PEDS......

Miles off the coast of east africa...a ship captain held at gunpoint by three skinny desperate pirates...lying prone on an aircraft carrier is an elite SEAL sniper team..the best in the world....but even for the best they need chemical help...coursing throughout their bodies are powerful beta blockers..which slow the heart rate...mitigating the adrenal push that can account for the tiniest of twitches...they only have one shot...and they performed expertly...and it is all thanks to PEDS

Thursday April 30th..Dodger Stadium...a laid back dreadlocked slugger with seemingly effortless hitting mechanics and lightning quick hand eye coordination laser beams a double into the gap..hitting it so hard Matt, my dad, and I (sitting only yards away) think it may hit the outfield wall on the fly......and it is all thanks to PEDS

3 examples but the results of all three was happiness...shivers down my spine...endorphin release....joy.....

Silence of the Lambs quotes I use all the time

In honor of the Blu Ray release.....here are some of the obscure and non obscure lines I use all the time from the quintessential masterpiece

"Yessss" Hannibal

"Ham Handed" or a "Ham handed segway" Hannibal

"Great big fat person" Jame Gumb

"Courteous and receptive to courtesy" Hannibal

"You look like a rube" Hannibal

"It rubs the lotion on its skin" Jame Gumb

"It places the lotion in the Baaasket" Jame Gumb

"You fly back to school now Starling...Fly fly fly" Hannibal

"Caterpillar into Crysallis or Pupa" Hannibal

"Oh wait" Jame Gumb

"Have the Lambs stopped screaming?" Hannibal

"Please tell me the newspapers won't say" Hannibal

"Love your suit" Hannibal

"Don't you hurt my dog!" Jame Gumb

"Say are you about a size 14?" Jame Gumb

"Sounds charming" Hannibal

"Tell me and Don't lie, or I'll know" Hannibal

"What is your worst childhood memory" Hannibal

"Quid Pro Quo" Hannibal

"Would You?" Jame Gumb

"Pity about poor Catherine though, tick tock tick tock" Hannibal

"What does he do this man you seek?" Hannibal

The State of Grabbaggar and why I deleted my last post

Allright I posted some old pictures of myself when I was heavy..I then checked myself reflected and thought about the state of the blog going forward. Those of you that know me know, how heavy I was and I don't need to dwell on the past. So that topic is pretty much in semi-retirement...Relgion is still my favorite thing to talk about learn about and think about....but I am all alone on this. So who knows how much I will write in the future. Suffice to say I am more convinced of my stand today then when I had my "de conversion" two years ago. But I digress................

I also have to keep in mind who could be reading this blog when I write it....I thought about re instituting the "login" parameters but that would piss off too many people ...so there are certain things I would like to write here but will not.

Here is one rule that I would love to institute but is impossible to enforce...In Chuck palanuck's "Fight Club" There is a rule...."if this is your first time to fight club, you have to fight" So if this is your first time to the blog....you have to comment!!

So I'll try to keep it interesting..I hope you like it..and thanks for reading

Yeah so I'm on Twitter..Whoopdeee doopdee

Twitter is basically a simple version of Facebook. It takes out all the tickle fights and snowball fights and "so and so wants you to become a fan of cat juggling" And just focuses on the updates...quick and simple...and it is tied to your phone..Do I want to get out a message in five seconds that Tasha's MRI was today and she doesn't know the results yet and will tomorrow...and it goes right here on the blog in the left hand corner...So check the blog often for my updates...some will have pictures taken with the Iphone.......If you want you can follow me on Twitter as well...or tie me to your phone so you get my texts....The updates are quicker and easier to do than e-mail..blogger...Facebook...myspace....so there you have it folks...Enjoy!