UGA Parents' Weekend 2015

The day started out rainy, but the skies cleared before kick-off. Great win by the bulldawgs and then a nice visit with Anna, our senior in college. God is really blessing her! Always a great time when we visit our girl!

Movie Review - Spare Parts

George Lopez fans will be delighted with this wonderful little film costarring Marisa Tomei, one of my favorite actresses. Based on a truth, the story is a classic underdog tale set in the Hispanic community of Phoenix, Arizona, where the hard life of immigrant families provides a gloomy backdrop.

Lopez portrays Dr. Fredi Cameron, an unemployed engineer with a broken past who lands a job as a temporary science teacher at Carl Hayden Community High School. Jamie Lee Curtis, the school’s principal (Karen Lowrey), is a hilarious, scene-stealing, no-nonsense administrator who rules with an iron fist, softened by a dry wit and spunky attitude. Even though Cameron isn’t technically qualified for the job, Lowrey gives him a chance to prove himself. Under her limited guidance and with the friendship of Gwen Kolinsky (Tomei), a fellow faculty member, Cameron settles into his new life as a lonely school teacher.

Separate from Lopez’s story is the heart-breaking saga of four Hispanic boys trying to survive in a world where poverty, abuse, harassment from immigration authorities, and stifling generational convictions threaten to hold them down. First, there is, Oscar Vazquez (Carlos PenaVega), a gung-ho ROTC student who dreams of being in the US Army. When his illegal status renders it impossible for him to enlist, he changes course and determines to compete in a underwater robotics event which attracts top colleges from all over the country—most notably, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). With Lowrey’s blessing, Cameron agrees to be the faculty mentor and advisor, and the two set out to add three more students to the team.

Enter Lorenzo Santillan (Jose Julian), a mechanics whiz who, unfortunately, uses his expertise to break into cars and other nefarious crimes, Cristian Arcega (David Del Rio), an electronics nerd always on the run from school bullies, and Luis Aranda (Oscar Gutierrez), a gentle giant with a quiet intellect. With a bit of creative persuasion, Cameron convinces the boys to come together and prepare to make a serious effort at competing, despite their lack of family support and financial means. They agree, and the battle begins. Limited funds require resourcefulness which result in the boys coming up with unusual materials to build their machine, hence the title, Spare Parts. This obstacle in the story provides for several funny scenes that make the movie sweet and endearing. In addition, the chemistry between Lopez and Tomei adds a nice bit of levity to the drama.

** SPOILER ALERT **

The main plotlines weave through the lives of Vazquez and Santillan. Vazquez feels like a colossal failure, and therefore, lies to his mother regarding his military enlistment. When he isn’t on the run from rogue immigration officers, he nurtures a fledgling romance with the beautiful Karla (Alexa PenaVega), which provides some hope of happiness. However, without a dramatic turn in his circumstances (such as winning the robotics competition), the viewer is aware Vazquez’s future in the US is very bleak.

Santillan’s story is more heartbreaking because of the blatant unfairness of his circumstances. His alcoholic father, Pablo (a great performance by Esai Morales), prefers his wayward son over Santillan, thinking the younger child’s legal status will guarantee success and thereby raise the family above its dismal situation. In an effort to preserve this plan, Santillan is charged with the duty of being his brother’s keeper, which proves to be an impossible task. His brother’s arrest causes turmoil between father and son, and Santillan is forced to quit the robotics team. Sadly, Pablo is blind to Santillan’s intellect and frequently reinforces his lack of faith in that regard. It is an all too familiar, sad story of a child not receiving the unconditional love of a parent.

Cameron’s cold heart slowly melts as he learns the plight of these four young men and how the unfairness of life threatens to kill their dreams of success. Just as he begins to operate more as loving father than mentor, he gets spooked and considers quitting and taking an engineering job. The boys are devastated but are still determined to compete in the robotics competition. Little do they know, but Cameron is harboring his own tragic loss that has gone unspoken for a very long time.

Eventually, Vazquez and Santillan work through their family woes, and the team becomes more focused than ever. Seeing their newfound commitment, Cameron turns down the engineering job and accompanies the boys to the competition. With the assistance of Lowrey and Kolinsky, the Carl Hayden robotics team makes a momentous entrance into the world of competitive robotics; despite the odds of success, their make-shift contraption built on spare parts and a shoe string budget outshines the state-of-the-art machines entered by top tier schools. Like other great underdog stories, perseverance and faith win the day, and the team is victorious, defeating the figurative Goliath of the competition, MIT. And as an extra bonus, Santillan has the unexpected pleasure of having Pablo attend just in time to see the top award delivered. Definitely a hanky moment!

Spare Parts is an enjoyable, entertaining flick that makes one laugh and touches the heart as well. A fresh side of the immigration issue is shown which sheds some light on the stress illegal status places on good, hard-working families. While the film doesn’t make a political argument per se, the topic was presented, leaving the viewer compassionate for the innocent victims.

Memorable and touching, this gem of a movie is highly recommended for family audiences! Available now at Redbox.

Becoming an Empty Nester

Becoming an empty nester is a truth all of us parents know we must face some day, way off in the future. While changing diapers, preparing meals and snacks, loading grocery carts to the gills, and running the carpool, one never really thinks about life with an empty, quiet home that awaits in 20 years time. But as the clock ticks down, the day finally comes. 

The busy season that preceded it, filled with graduation, orientation, shopping for dorm room decor, and updating the college wardrobe kept this Type A first-born mama's mind at a whir, so that when the quiet came, it seemed abrupt and cruel. Now what to do? The rooms are clean, no need to stock the fridge, the basement is straight, the yard taken care of. . . Time to realize one has entered into a new chapter of life.

There is sadness in leaving the old chapter behind, because I now realize motherhood was my 24/7 job that I loved and am really good at. I know I'll still be called upon from time to time when my kids need help or advice, etc., but it won't be the same. Once you've gone from one life chapter to another, there's no going back.

So I've decided to be excited, thrilled, elated. No more mandatory weekly grocery runs, no more cooking every night, no more incessant laundrey piles, messy rooms, basement furniture covered in snack crumbs, no more dealing with Cobb County schools (which I am grateful for all they did for our kids, btw), no more weekend scheduling around sports games and competitions. Bill and I can go whenever and wherever we want without announcing our departure. We can eat leftovers for days, and we can head off for the weekend at a moment's notice. And we will do it! 

We already have our list of places in the Atlanta area to explore, one being the Marietta Diner. Amazing place. But that's just a small beginning. There's lots more to come - the Lord will lead and guide us into new ventures and callings and wonderful family reunions with our children. I'm beginning to see that the best awaits us!!

Here are some pics of my birthday celebration, Braxton's Marching Chief attire, Rachel with her UK friends, and Anna at Dragon Con. And of course, the wonderful Marietta Diner!!

Yellow Out for HLH in honor of Cara Seckman

Last night Bill and I were back at Raider Valley watching Walton High beat Lassiter in the second home game of the season. We had just completed a 12 hour car ride where we brought Rachel and two of her UK friends from Lexington, KY to Marietta for the weekend. As a graduated cheerleader, Rachel had the privilege of being out on the field with the current Walton cheer squad to honor Cara.

Still a heartbreaking reality that Cara is gone from this world, but we know that she is with the Lord and that brings us great comfort. She may have tasted an earthly death, but her life did not end in death - it is hidden IN CHRIST!

Being an empty nester is much harder than I expected. Confession: occasional bouts of sadness will overwhelm me, probably because I know a chapter of my life has come to an abrupt close. Every parent realizes that this change is looming before them on the horizon of life, but when it actually happens . . . well, let's just say experience brings with it a fresh dose of revelation!

Last night's game was an emotional time of highs and lows. New chapters in life are always exciting but a little unnerving, especially for type A first-borns such as myself!

Here are some pics from the game last night. I know Cara had a big smile on her face. ☺☺

Movie Review - Undefeated

I am amazed at the number of excellent documentaries available today, particularly ones that are as entertaining as a stellar Hollywood film. Most recently, my husband and I discovered a jewel at Redbox, entitled Undefeated, which won the 2012 Oscar for best documentary feature. We were enthralled with the true story of Coach Bill Courtney from Memphis, Tennessee, whose mission is to coach a group of ragtag inner-city kids from Manassas High School to success.

The year is 2009 and Courtney, bearing a strong resemblance to Philip Seymour Hoffman, is a loud-mouthed, potbellied, freckled-faced Ole Miss graduate who loves football. He is white and affluent, but every one of his high school players is African American from an impoverished area where sports is a potential golden ticket to a better life. Courtney is married with four children, runs a successful business, but every free moment is spent volunteer coaching his team to a possible state playoff game, something that has alluded the school since its inception in 1899. He sacrifices the pleasures of life with his own family to serve his players, and he does it with drive, passion, and joy.

The odds are stacked against Courtney and the frustration level is high, but this only makes him work that much harder. More mentor than coach, he teaches these young boys what it means to be a man and “dig in,” work hard, and persevere when life’s obstacles seem insurmountable. It is clear his commitment comes from his own broken childhood of having a father leave him at the age of four. His heart is swollen with compassion for these kids who have grown up with similar disappointments and rejections. Most of them are fatherless, like Courtney, being raised by a single mom or grandmother, most have at least one relative who served time in prison, and most have no means of attending college upon graduation, short of receiving an athletic scholarship.

Courtney’s compassion in no way diminishes his aggressiveness in motivating his players. Time is spent checking up on grades, monitoring unruly behavior, breaking up fights, guarding against truancy, and maintaining order. And he does it loudly and forcefully, as one would expect a good coach to do, complete with glistening eyes that reveal a river of love flowing underneath the harshness. He is a Christian man, one of God’s heroes, even though a few curse words leak out every now and again (to which he laments that he will need to go home and pray for forgiveness). He is on a mission to serve, and his story is remarkable.

The three stars of the story are Chavis, a hot-headed delinquent with a penchant for violent rages, OC Brown, who is blessed with physical prowess and skill, and my favorite, Montrial aka “Money,” who is sweet and intelligent with a big heart. The viewer feels the greatest connection with Money, as does Courtney in my opinion, because his story is particularly heartbreaking. His father was killed at a young age, he is bright but has no means of paying for college, and a torn leg tendon midway through the season keeps him sidelined from playing. We watch Money go through the emotions of realizing his dream of a football scholarship is forever crushed, leaving a future that seems very bleak. I shed tears along with him at the unfairness of life.

*** SPOILER ALERT ***

But fortunately for Money, Courtney’s tirades emphasizing character, “manning up,” doing the right thing when the wrong thing seems easier, never quitting, and staying focused and vigilant pay off tremendous dividends. In a stroke of fortune, an anonymous benefactor learns of Money’s story and agrees to fund a four year scholarship to the college of his choice. To Money and Courtney, this gift is as wonderful as hitting the Powerball lottery;  when Courtney gives him the news, the emotional reaction sent my husband and me grabbing for the hankies! It is a powerful cinematic moment that many Hollywood filmmakers long to capture in their films.

As for Chavis and OC, they both find success, like Money. Chavis wins the team’s “Uncommon Man” award, which he dedicates to Money in a touching speech, and later becomes captain of the defense his senior year. OC is picked to play football for Southern Miss, expressing his desire to be a coach like Courtney—a tremendous honor for a simple man who is now a national hero. Courtney’s book, Against the Grain, is destined to be a bestseller, his business has grown into a multi-million dollar company, and a Hollywood rendition of this documentary is in the making.

The film builds to the playoffs, where Courtney achieves his goal of taking the team to its first game. They perform well but tragically lose by one point, ending Courtney’s six year run at Manassas. He makes the hard decision of spending more time with his own children, in particular coaching his little boy’s football team, lest he continue the cycle of  paternal rejection. The emotions displayed on the field after that final playoff game are gripping. It is a lesson to us all that miracles can happen in others’ lives if we are willing to give of our time and passions.

The filmmakers, Dan Lindsay and TJ Martin, have done an excellent job telling a compelling story about the power of love and commitment. I watched it a second time before writing this review and cried the same tears. If there were more men like Bill Courtney, our country would be in much better shape!

Undefeated is on Netflix streaming now. Watch it and enjoy!

University of Kentucky - Go Big Blue!

Rachel is all settled into her fabulous dorm in Lexington with her good friend, Stacy, from Marietta. We spent all day unloading, decorating, shopping, eating, organizing and fighting fatigue, but we got it all done. Bill and Anna and I have worked so hard to get two kids settled into college digs, and we are tired! Now to UGA Athens tomorrow and then Bill and I are done...for now. LOVE our kids! We are blessed!

Florida State University - Go Noles!

Braxton's new digs in Tallahassee. West 10 is a great complex with wonderful pool, workout facility, tanning beds (Florida!), gaming room, study center, etc. And a super Walmart just a mile down the road! Gonna be a great year! Notice...the flag collection from his past year's European travels.