Christmas 2011 at the Burkey's

The Dark Knight Rises Official Trailer

Finally the new Batman movie has a full length trailer, and I'm more than excited about this! And yes, that is Hines Ward out running the exploding football field! Haha, it looks so great. Check out The Dark Knight Rises first full length trailer!

2011 Holiday Christmas List for Geeky Dads

Are you wondering what to get me for Christmas or my birthday? Yeah, that’s right, you’ve probably forgotten that my birthday is coming up as well since it is between Xmas and New Years, it’s ok I’m used to it ;). Or are you just wondering what to get your husband, son, boy friend? This is the best gifts to get a man like me on that special day in December.

Get ready to get your mind blown with great ideas.

Amazon’s Kindle Fire - $199.99

Tablets are like the new black aren’t they? Well, this one is the real deal for an amazing price. Especially if your dude uses Amazon services already for music and movies, this will allow him to access all his files already on his Amazon account, plus FREE CLOUD STORAGE. If you don’t know what cloud storage is, just know that it is AWESOME and your man probably knows what it is. For the price (less than half the price of an iPad), this thing will be a REALLY popular gift this year. Especially paired with some Amazon Gift Cards.

Flat Screen HD TV - $300-$4,000

Quite a large price difference here eh? Well, it all depends how big of a TV your man is wanting to watch football on. An acceptable size around 32" could be around $300 while the new 80" can be in your living room for a whooping $4,000. Actually the 80" would be more like your living room is in your TV. Any who, there can never be too many televisions in the house, right guys?

Video Games - $30-$60

You know you hate Video Games, but men love them. There are TONS of games out right now that I’m sure you can find something just right. Games from Modern Warfare 3, Battlefield 3, Elder Scrolls Skyrim, Madden 2012, Legend of Zelda Skyward Sword, Uncharted 3…I can go on and on here. If you aren’t sure what game to get him, just grab a gift card to Gamestop or Best Buy and let him go nuts!

Manly Movies - Die Hard or Rambo - $10-$20 each

What guy doesn't love the classic action flicks where things blow up and guys rule all? The Die Hard series is amazing, the first one being the best and should be in every guy's collection. Sylvester Stallone takes everyone to guy heaven in the Rambo movies. Either one of these series is a given for every guy to own or to have at least seen.


Manly Shows - The Walking Dead or The Game of Thrones - $35-$50 each

The Walking Dead and The Game of Thrones cater to two different types of guys, or the same guy in my case ;). A zombie Apocalypse or a medieval political war drama? Both filled with amazing characters and storylines, both filled with tons of blood, sex and survival. What more could a guy ask for? If your dude owns these the Game of Thrones book series or the Walking Dead graphic novel might be a great addition!

Star Wars Ultimate FX Lightsaber - $30

Ignore the kids in this video. Raleigh and I are buying each other these for Christmas so we can flip around like a Jedi. These have to be the coolest toy lightsabers made and at a wonderful price. Don’t  lie, your dude is a kid at heart and when he picks this up he will feel the force coursing through his veins.

Most Anticipated Movies of 2012

The following are trailers for some movies that I’m looking forward to. Even though I’ve become more of a TV show watcher, I’m excited to see what 2012 brings to the big screen.

February

The Woman in Black

This movie looks so creepy! You know me and my family are all really into creepy ghost stories. Not to mention Daniel Ratcliffe starring in it (Britt, Raleigh and Brooke are HUGE HP fans).

Anticipation Level: Pretty excited

March

The Hunger Games

Probably one of my favorite book series I’ve ever read. The movie looks to be following the book very closely and the casting has been mostly spot on! This will probably be the most anticipated movie for me in 2012, because I’m such a huge fan of the books.

Anticipation Level: SKY HIGH!!

May

The Avengers

Come on, I have to see this even if I’m not sure how well it will be handled. I have a bad feeling that having so many superheroes in one movie might make it a little cramped. But Robert Downing Jr.’s Iron Man is still great, even with Captain America and Thor stealing some screen time.

Anticipation Level: Looking forward to it

Men in Black 3

Another movie I have to see just based on the title! Come on, Men in Black! I loved the original as a kid and can’t wait to see how they handle the third. Will Smith is the man and to me, will never be overused. WHAT’S THAT STAND FOR MEN IN BLACK!

Anticipation Level: Excited!

June

Snow White and the Huntsman

I’m actually very excited about this version of the Snow White story. Coming off the heels of ABC’s Once Upon a Time, this fairy tale story seems to be getting re-done in a number of different ways. This one looks like the most promising. (Twilight fans will go nuts for Kristen Stewart.)

Anticipation Level: Very Intrigued!

July

The Amazing Spider-Man

Rebooting the Spider-man series so soon? Usually I’d be irritated by such a quick reboot, but I saw the trailer and honestly I’m more excited about this movie than the original Spider-man with Tobey McGuire. They seem to be sticking to the very cool storyline to the new animated show. Hopefully they do this right.

Anticipation Level: If they do it right, I’m really excited!

Batman: The Dark Knight Rises

Ok, now…I’m going to try and contain my excited for this as much as possible. AHHHH! I can not wait for this movie to come out. The Dark Knight has to be one of my favorite movies behind The Lord of the Rings. This would be the only other movie that would compete with The Hunger Games for most anticipated movie.

Anticipation Level: FREAKIN’ STOKED!

Not much going on between July and December (as of yet).

December

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

A prequel to my favorite movie series ever release? Oh yes please. I believe this takes on a more family friendly environment than that of Two Towers or Return of the King, but I can’t wait. Legolas cameo in the works as well? Uh, no brainer.

Anticipation Level: VERY EXCITED!

No Official Trailer out yet for the Hobbit!

Order of Excitement:

1. The Hunger Games

2. Batman: The Dark Knight Rises
3. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

4. Men in Black 3

5. The Amazing Spider-Man

6. Snow White and the Huntsman

7. The Woman in Black

8. The Avengers

Life Quote #4

"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that." - Martin Luther King, Jr.

Favorite Movie of all Time: The Lord of the Rings

"I made a promise, Mr Frodo. A promise. "Don't you leave him Samwise Gamgee." And I don't mean to. I don't mean to."

Recently, Brittany, Raleigh, Brooke and I have started to watch the Lord of the Rings movies. Brittany has never seen these amazing films and we set out to show her what she was missing. She actually loves it so far, that’s how awesome my wife is. It didn’t surprise me though, since she liked movies like Harry Potter and shows like Game of Thrones.

Why have these movies become my favorites? I honestly have to say the characters. There are so many wonderful characters that you follow with multiple different storylines that all lead to the same thing. The fellowship has sworn to protect little Frodo Baggins as he treks across the world of Middle-Earth, defending against orcs and evil wizards. Who would not like this? Well, most women and men with letterman jackets, that’s who. But that isn’t surprising.

Any ways, the characters and story just leave me wanting more when the story finally concludes. Frodo, Sam, Pyp and Merry all hit special heartstrings throughout the conquest. The slow transformation from happy-go-lucky Frodo to dark-ring-possessed hobbit is one of the saddest stories in the series. Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli all bring the hardcore moments, namely Legolas who has to be the coolest of all the characters. Then, there is Gandalf, the wonderfully powerful wizard who takes on a Balrog head on screaming one of the most recognizable quotes in movie history, “YOU SHALL NOT PASS!”

Oh man, just got goose bumps.

In just about everything I watch I need great characters that I care about. Lord of the Rings is by far one of the strongest showings of characters in anything I’ve ever followed. The journey to Mordor is one of the most compelling stories told and Legolas taking out orcs with his bow made me stand up and cheer.

If you haven’t watched The Lord of the Rings yet, please take a night to try out the first movie. I know it’s not for everyone but it is definitely worth giving a try. 

What Everyone's Talking About: Jake Locker

Going into this Sunday’s game neither one of my teams had a favorable game. The Titans were taking on the New Orleans Saints and the Redskins had to deal with the New England Patriots. Both games I thought would be a blow out and I’d be disappointed. However, I was proven wrong in both matchups.

Well, I was disappointed but it wasn’t because it was a blow out, they both had a chance to win the game in the final seconds! But, my biggest surprise was the young rookie QB for the Titans who stepped up for an injured Matt Hasselbeck.

It seemed as though Hasselbeck was going to come back in after aggravating his calf in the first quarter, but even so I got a little nervous seeing a rookie QB come out against one of the league’s best. There was no way that a rookie could come in and lead a team against the super bowl champs from a few seasons ago.

My apologies Jake Locker, I stand corrected.

J-Lock was phenomenal in several areas of his play this past Sunday. But this wasn’t the first time we have seen him play this well, several weeks ago he almost led the team to a win in a 23-17 game against the Falcons. When he came into the game it was 23-3 and toward the end of the third quarter.

Yesterday’s game only adds to that success. In three quarters Locker was able to pop up several great plays, including a touchdown run that only Reggie Bush could mimic (video and picture in this post). He got hit at about the 4 yard line but was able to stretch the ball out over the goal line as he was propelled out of bounds. The ball crossed over the top of the pile-on and it was his first rushing score. This wasn’t a ginger push out of bounds either, it was a hard hit and it only showed the toughness of the young and thirsty Locker.

On the next drive he lofted a picture perfect pass to Nate Washington (who has been having a breakthrough season of his own) for a long touchdown. By picture perfect I mean it couldn’t have been any better.

The Saints answered back though, so Locker was working on a game tying touchdown drive with only a few minutes left in the game. Locker took a tremendous hit and was on his back for several minutes. He was taken out for one play while the hobbled Hasselbeck threw an easy screen pass to CJ, then the tough rookie came back onto the field for more.

They didn’t score on that drive, but they did get led right back down the field by Locker to the 5 yard line with only seconds left. Locker scrambled and mistakenly took a sack instead of trying to throw it out of bounds or go for points. Time expired and it was a heartbreaker in Nashville. The Titans were only 5 yards from taking the game into overtime.

I’m not blaming Locker at all for the loss, if anything he was the reason we were in the game. If there is any bright spots from yesterday’s game it was that J-Lock has a promising future for the Titans. He is the hope that Nashvillians have wanted since McNair departed.

Go get ‘em #10!

Weekend Grade: Micah's Birthday Weekend!

How would you grade your weekend? I would have to grade mine a big fat A+. This was one of the best weekends I’ve had in a long time and it was mostly lived through my little man’s excitement. Micah is now 7 (almost – his real bday is Wednesday). SEVEN freaking years old! Where has the time gone? I can’t believe he is that old.

I remember the first time I met the little guy, he was only 2 and was really shy to come down the steps at Kim and Randy’s house to say hi. Little did I know that he was so full of personality!! Hah. I love this little guy and I was so glad to hear him say things as “This is the best day of my life!” or “I wish this day would never end!” It made Brittany and my weekend to hear the little dude say those things. So glad he had a blast!

Now, you might be wondering what we did? WELLLLLLLL. It started on Saturday, we went to Chuck E. Cheese and had a blast with all of his friends and family. Then, came back home and opened all of his wonderful presents and within an hour we had a houseful of kids! We played Beyblades, video games and had an epic nerf sword and gun battle.

The next morning the kids woke up and played more video games and beyblades, we cooked them a feast of a breakfast and tried to recover some of our strength. Then, we took Micah and Penny to see the Christmas lights at Opryland Hotel and went out to eat at the Old Spaghetti Factory. We finally got home around 9 and gleefully fell back into our beds in excitement that the kids had such a great weekend.

So glad Micah had such a great birthday weekend before heading off to his Dad’s for a week and ½, next time we see him more excitement will ensue on Christmas Eve!

Weekend Grade: A+ with no hesitation.

Life Quote #3

"Little Ham 'n Eggs comin' at ya, hold on people hope ya got your griddles..."- Ron Burgundy

Time for a Standing Desk?

Via: Medical Billing And Coding

It's Been A LONG Time

I dunno how long it has been, but I know that I got the craving to post again. Something in my body said, POST IN YOUR BLOG. POST NOW. So, here I am.

Hi.

What am I posting? I dunno. I didn't think that part out.

Just expect some updates soon...while I think about that.

Family Updates

So Spring is right around the corner, tons of cool stuff to do and fun to be had! It also means a very busy schedule that we have to prepare for, which is both good and bad. Anywho, let’s see what is happening with me and my family lately.

Micah has started up spring league Hockey this week. He is doing so much better this season than he did in the fall. He is skating so much better and really getting better handling the puck. Now that he is skating so well we can really focus on the aspects of hockey now, woohoo! He is about to finish Kindergarten this year and start 1^st grade…wow…that is so unbelievable. Of course he is still playing video games and is starting his obsession with Pokemon way earlier than I did.

Brittany is getting back into the swing of photography and is already getting booked up for spring pictures. Not to mention all the weddings she is getting booked for – we have two destination weddings this year – so excited! I’m really proud of how successful she is getting. She is in the middle of reading The Hunger Games book series, which she says is amazing. Of course she still is watching all her crazy reality television shows, Bachelor is about to finish, Teen Mom 2 and Celebrity Rehab all control the television lately.

Penny is now seven months old…holy cow where does the time go? She is constantly talking, saying Bo-Bo (Micah’s nickname is Bro-bro with her), Ba-Ba (for bottle), Ma-ma and Da-da-da-da-da-da-da. I personally love it when she says the last one J. Not only is she talking but she is also crawling around now AND pulling up on things. She is growing up so fast it isn’t even funny. I can’t wait to have our first conversation together.

I’m gearing up for my spring softball league to start up next month, hopefully we can get a practice together soon. Also I’ve jumped back into reading and have finished the third book in George RR Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series. Before I start the fourth book I’m trying out The Hunger Games, but big news on the fifth book in the series was just released so I’m fighting the urge to start the fourth. I’ve also gotten back into writing the book I’ve been working on for the past five years. That helps get some of that creativity out of my system, in case you want news and updates on that please follow me under my pen name on twitter, http://twitter.com/sawyerperry - just don’t tell anyone that’s me ;)

Life is good right now, and I thank god for that.

We will keep you updated with all the awesome spring activities we have coming up.

F is for Friends Who Do Things Together

I’ve found that I’m updating my blog about once every couple of weeks, so I’ll try to stick to that plan, haha. Alright, let’s dive right into the topic of this post. It has something to do with Spongebob and the word FUN. You put them together and you get the FUN song.

Just about every day for the past week I’ve woken up, picked up my guitar and randomly started singing this to Micah to start out the day. He usually sings Plankton’s part while Brittany and I sing Spongebob’s. It is random, but it really seems to kick off the day right.

Today I didn’t have time to jam this song out and the morning was kind of hectic. So enjoy, learn the words and sing it with your family – because it works!

U is for uranium……..bombs!

Dreams Turned to an Afterthought

Ten years ago I was in high school. TEN years ago, wow. I was a fifteen year old little dude trying to be cool and getting excited about girls, driving, friends and more importantly music. I was a freshman and had been thrust into a friendship with a guy named Chris Vest. Many of you probably know the name, he is the drummer for well-known band Framing Hanley. Our friendship started in gym class with the words “Dude, nice shoes,” as he referenced the ever-sweet flames on my shoes. Oh yes, I was one of those cool kids, haha.

After conversation Chris and I realized a common interest, music. I played guitar and he played drums so it only made sense to form a band. This had been a dream of mine since I was a little kid and I watched my dad play his guitar in our basement. My dad was in a band as a teenager and he taught me everything I know on the guitar, so I wanted to follow in his footsteps.

In 2001 Chris and I were probably trying to figure out our band name, trying to find members. Nevertheless, as the years went on Chris and I finally formed a stable band named Embers Fade. My dreams of being a rockstar were even bigger now, we were playing shows and were gaining some respect from the local Nashville scene. I couldn’t picture anywhere else I would want to be when I was putting on a show on that stage.

Each show my dreams wanted more, I wanted to tour the nation, I wanted to sign that record deal. I wanted it all. But, my realistic side of my brain kept me in college…and that ended up getting in the way of the band. Basically life got in my way, and I knew that I needed to part ways with the band, as much as it killed me. It was more of a mutual departure, save for Chris who actually threatened to leave if I did. I knew I couldn’t be the reason for him leaving and missing out on such an experience so I talked him out of that.

So that was it, I was no longer a musician. I was just a college student with a part time job. I felt lost. My dreams were broken as the band progressed.

The band, some other friends and I experienced a tragedy the year I left the band. Chris’ long time girlfriend/fiancé ended up dying in a car accident, everyone was devastated. However through all the grief came a band named after her, Framing Hanley, which was a supped-up version of Embers Fade.

Within months they got signed and started touring the nation. Chris and the band continues to rock stages all over the world. He continues to live his dream – and I am in total support of him and the band. I’m glad they get to experience that, I’m glad that my issues didn’t cause Chris to miss out on all of it. I love him, think of him like a brother and hope for their continued success.

Now what about me? Well I soon realized that my dreams weren’t broken or stolen. My dreams in high school slowly started to become an afterthought. I met Brittany while struggling in college and struggling to find myself. Her and her then 2 year old son, Micah, guided me into the right direction without her evening knowing it.

Brittany and I stayed together for a while, and soon I found another band to play with. This band felt more like a family affair, and I loved playing in it. Eventually Brittany and I got married which made me realize my new dream, while being a rockstar started to become more bland. I wanted a family, I wanted to be a dad to Micah, I wanted more children, I wanted to graduate college and I wanted to start my career to start supporting my family.

It is funny how quickly your childhood dreams can fade away when you start growing up and meet certain people. The question is are your adult dreams sweeter than what you yearned for as a child. I can say with no hesitation that mine is much sweeter.

I want to thank my beautiful wife, Brittany for finding me when I needed her to. It felt as if we were meant to find each other when we did. I want to thank Chris for helping me reach what I did with Embers Fade as a kid. I hope that he continues to do well and that all of his dreams are met. Because I know that my dreams have come true as I look around at my life and at my lovely family. I love you Brittany, Micah and Penny. You are my world, my everything.

Toys 'R' Us Kids

You remember that jingle: "I don't wanna grow up, I'm a Toys 'R' Us kid"

Yeah that one, well I think it's safe to say that I'm way past being a Toys 'R' Us kid...but man...I really don’t want my kids to grow up.

Penny is growing by the second, she is 7 months old already. She is rolling over, trying to crawl and talking and spitting all the time.

Micah is just huge now. I have no idea when he hit this big growth spurt but he is such a big kid now. Listen to this, he went into Wal-mart with like $50 for doing chores around the house and left over xmas/birthday money. He only spent like $20 of iy and said he will save the rest for later. That’s when I knew that he had grown into a big kid and wasn't a toddler any longer.

Life just goes by so fast, I just wish I had more time to cherish what I have at home. I wish I had more time to play with Micah or teach things to Penny. Life is crazy, but without those two and my wonderful wife I really don’t know where I’d be.

Taylor Swift isn’t one of my favorite artists live, I think she sounds horrible. However her writing is amazing and her record voice is definitely more than tolerable. This song is just so true to how I am feeling right now.

My Love, My Wife

Forever can never be long enough for me to
Feel like I've had long enough with you
Forget the world now we won't let them see
But there's one thing left to do

Together can never be close enough for me to
Feel like I am close enough to you
You wear white and I'll wear out the words I love you
And you're beautiful

Promise me
You'll always be
Happy by my side
I promise to
Sing to you
When all the music dies

Christmas Pictures

Here are some shots from our Christmas, before everyone got the stomach virus!

Dance Central Video Remix

"There's Always Next Year"

Those famous words muttered by every Redskins fan, every time the season comes to an end. :( It's been an interesting season, to say the least.

2011 New Year's Resolution: Weight Loss

Everyone's favorite resolution!

I want to get rid of the extra weight that I’ve put on over the past couple years.

Looking back at some pictures of when Brittany and I first met I noticed just how much I’ve added on. I can definitely feel it when I’m playing with Micah or trying to play flag football. I’m slower, I get winded a lot easier than I used to and overall I just feel unhealthy.

Not to mention half my clothes don’t fit correctly anymore, and I like a lot of those clothes.

So I really feel like it is time for a change. It’s time to better my body and mind, time to get back into shape. Not just for me, but for my family as corny as that sounds.

Brittany is also on board with this, I can’t speak for her but I believe she feels the same way I do.

So, maybe you are asking, “What is your goal?” Or, “How are you going to do this Mike?”

Well the answer is simple, Brittany and I are going to eat smarter, which I think is the main problem. Personally, I’m guilty of overeating at just about every meal and I’m guilty of eating a lot of junk food. Fast food is another demon I must conquer, and if I do end up at a fast food joint I must remember to eat as healthy as possible…if at all possible.

Secondly, we are going to be alternating days between some sort of cardio workout and strength training. I don’t really mind jogging outside, but cold weather kind of hinders any type of enjoyment I might receive from that. So, at least for the winter, Brittany and I are doing cardio while we play a video game. That’s right. Dance Central has a workout mode on it, it tracks how many calories you are burning and how long you have been dancing. Plus, it comes with a perk – I get to shake my white booty. Surprisingly enough it really does make me sweat and I’m a little sore from my first day of doing it.

The strength training will be done at home, using everyday essentials you can find around the house. Brittany explained most of that to me and it sounded like it would be easy enough to keep up with, however I don’t remember everything she mentioned. Tonight is the first night we do the strength training, however I might also do more cardio as well – I’m not going to lie it is fun!

Lastly, I’m going to be posting my progress on my facebook page as well as this blog. I don’t know if I’m going to do pictures yet, because I’m not sure if people want to see my hairy squishy pecs. I will do some numbers though:

Currently I weigh: 237 lbs.

I want to weigh: Between 195-205 lbs.

Wish us luck!