The Next Chapter

My family and I moved this past week. It closed a large piece of my life. From the day we closed on buying our condo in 2009 to the day we closed on selling it recently, it was six years and one day. Seriously loving the poetic bookends of that time frame.

The last six years had their ups and downs. We had some good times and some difficult times. Even some scary times. But now that part of my life is closed and gone. There is definitely some sadness. Despite how difficult it seemed to feel a part of the ward community I was in, it definitely was very sad to leave the friendships I built my last couple of years there.

But now it's time to start anew. I think there are some TV shows that do this concept well. Arrow being at the top of my list. For the first three seasons, there was an overarching story. When it was done, the story moved on. Characters developed and they went with the story line.




Eureka was a show I felt did this really well. With its five seasons (two of which being split into two halves), it constantly would tell a different story. As one of my favorite shows, the characters grew and fell. It was both awesome and heart-wrenching when the 4th season premiere undid some of the character developing (Mostly with Zane) in an awesome "butterfly effect". And by the time the show ended, it had a great story from beginning to end.

Other TV shows have done this and just let the viewers down. Heroes and, to some extent, Alias both did this. Yes, each season had a good overarching story. For Alias, it's first two seasons were awesome. Then they did season three, rich with time frame errors and ending with an awesome cliff hanger only to have a disappointing opening for its next season that didn't fit what Sidney learned.

Lost took its sweet time telling its story to the point that people "Lost" interest. Its fantastic first season was followed up by a decent second season. My interest dropped in the third season. There was a statement made that the writers knew where they were going with the story. Then I found out, the only thing that meant was they knew how they were ending it, but not how to get there and how to answer the still 4,000,000 unanswered questions in the show.

Even comedies have told stories in a season. Friends probably did this strongest from season 1's story of "Ross likes Rachel, so what?" to season 4's "Ross and Rachel have moved on, maybe" to the combo of 9 and 10 for "Ross and Rachel and how do they deal with being a parent to a rarely seen baby."Not the same season arcs that Arrow, Eureka, or even Lost told. But still an arc nevertheless.

Well, now my 6-year arc is over in one home. Yes, I hope to see the people I became friends within that time frame as often as possible. For me, a lot happened in those years. I feel like I grew a lot in that time. But now it's time for the next chapter or season or book in my life. Between earning my CMA, LDStorymakers, and moving, this year has already been extremely full.

And the nice thing is, for the first time this year, I may actually have free time to write. Maybe I'll be able to work on my drawing skills some more. Hopefully we'll get caught up on the last 8 episodes of The Flash (DON'T JUDGE ME!)

Okay, enough rambling about writing. Time to actually write something other than a blog post.

Alien abductions are involuntary, but probings are scheduled.

T.J.'s Sci-Fi Faves

Yeah, I have a cold. I've had one since Saturday. So why am I blogging about it? I'm not....I'm just being whiny. Sheesh, calm down.

And I'm finally steering away from religious posts (for now) and talking about something geeky.

I'd like to think I watch a lot of TV (maybe that's not as positive as I think it should be). Then I talk to a co-worker and realize I really don't. Over the last few years, actually, I feel like my television watching has gone down.

But today, I'd like to go through a list of TV shows in the sci-fi realm of things (includes non-animated comic-based shows) that are my favorites. I'm going through my top 8. So a shout out goes out for Lost and Sliders. I have never seen Firefly for fear of disappointment that it doesn't continue on. Gotham is too dark for me and I can't decide if I want to continue watching it. And I haven't watched enough of Farscape or Fringe or Warehouse 13 to give a fair comparison.

7T. Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Out of the three 24th century Star Trek series, DS9 was sometimes hard to follow. Not to say I didn't like it. There were some great episodes (Bada-Bing, Bada-Bang has to be one of my favorites). There were also some less than stellar ones (The Visitor bugged me.) DS9 was a good space opera full of a few good continuing storylines. My problem with it is its ending. Sisko deserved better.

7T. Star Trek: Voyager Yes, they made it home. The "happily ever after" concept was met. Which is why I liked Voyager better than DS9. But marginally better. It has a lot of issues that bugged me. How many times can Janeway go against the Prime Directive in one episode and then follow it to a T in the next? It's hard to decide between DS9 and Voyager. One day I'll do a better comparison between the two. But for me, it's easier to call it a tie.

6. Batman (1966) Holy classic television, Batman! Campy style. Awesome (not really) puns. Many, many near-death-experiences-that-are-solved-by-employing-deus-ex-machina. When I was a little kid, this show was barely 20 years old when I was watching it. It's been almost 30 years since I became a fan of the dark knight and boy wonder, but in that time, this TV show still holds a place in my heart.

5. The Flash (2014) To be honest, I'm two episodes behind and will probably be three by tomorrow night. But that doesn't mean my wife and I don't intend to get caught up soon. The Flash has been the "calmest" show in the current wave of comic-based shows. It's got a great episodic feel with an overarching storyline that isn't too frustrating to follow. Grant Gustin's Barry Allen is well-written. Iris? Not so sure. But we'll talk about my favorite CW DC character in a few.


Now....2-4 (or 4-2) are hard to compare. And sometimes, it'll depend on the day. There's nostalgia, storytelling, characters, Emily Bett Rickards, Felicia Day....Anyway...all I'm saying is that it's hard to decide between Captain Picard, Felicity Smoak, and Dr. Holly Marten....

4. Eureka Do you know what TNG and Eureka have in common? Wil Wheaton. Where I wondered when Wes was gonna blow chunks when he was tired, I loved the "villain" he portrayed in this under-loved show. Its 5 seasons weren't enough, but the show did a great job in tying up its loose ends and giving the audience a well-rounded sci-fi story full of mystery, romance, and humor. There were many times I hated this show (Season 5 Episode 2) and still loved it (You're mostly forgiven, but that was awfully mean!) Eureka is classic show that just couldn't stand well on a station that I question what it's doing.

3. Star Trek: The Next Generation These are the voyages of the Starship Enterprise....to watch Tasha Yar die unnecessarily, to see Musical Engineers followed by Musical Medical Staff, to see Tasha somehow change history, to meeting the failed Ferengi (they were meant to be a vicious race, but greed wasn't vicious enough), to see them replaced by the Borg (they may sound Swedish, but they're not), to see two spin-offs, to finally see it end in the way it began, with one of the best villains in Q. I was addicted to this show and somehow I don't feel like I've seen every single episode.

2. Arrow Yes, I jumped on this bandwagon. And no, I'm not sorry. Arrow is a great show. Its acting can use some help, unless we're talking about Felicity, maybe even Diggle. Stephen Amell is fun to watch when he's kicking butt, but when he's delivering lines to Laurel...or she's saying them back....blah. Not that I'm an acting expert. But I just don't believe the characters sometimes. Still, Deathstroke and Malcolm Merlyn have been awesome villains for the show. Add in Ra's Al Ghul this season and I gotta say that Arrow's villains are what has made this show great.

1. Doctor Who Am I referring to the modern Doctor Who with David Tennant and Matt Smith? Yes. Am I referring to classic Doctor Who with William Hartnell or Tom Baker? Yes. I love this show. Old. New. I don't care. For a while, Patrick Troughton was my favorite doctor. After watching more of Tom Baker, though, Troughton has slipped to 2nd. Sorry....would you like a Jelly Baby? And I must say that Clara is probably my most favorite companion. Sarah Jane gets second. Only being a Whovian for 15 months doesn't mean I know nothing about the show. Believe me, Wikipedia, Netflix, plus many many websites and of course, fellow Whovians give me enough knowledge to go for a bit more than your average "Tenant's the best" fan.

Okay, there's some reminiscing geekiness for you.

Alien abductions are involuntary but probings are scheduled.

Dynamic Duos

With a title like that I could go so many different directions. I could talk about. And initially, I was gonna take this to a certain set of movies. Instead, that'll be a later post. Today, I'm gonna talk about some of my favorite dynamic duos from TV shows and movies.

Before I go through my list, I had to make a difference between two similar ideas. That's Dynamic Duos and Bosom Buddies. There's a difference to me. There are some relationships on here that are both. But there's a difference between them. A Dynamic Duo have two (from duo) distinct (from dynamic) personalities. Where Bosom Buddies are BFFs who play off one another, Dynamic Duos use their separate ideas and concepts to battle for something else. Dynamic Duos can easily be Bosom Buddies, but these concepts aren't the same. Power Couples are also considered a different category. I highly anticipate blogging about both those other similar ideas later, and probably some crossover from post to post.

Without further garbling, here are my top 10 dynamic duos

10. Frodo & Sam (Lord of the Rings): I wasn't sure I was going to put them on this list. There's something about Frodo & Sam that classify them as Bosom Buddies. However, they have a cause that they collectively fight for, which makes them a Dynamic Duo. Frodo is charged with taking a powerful ring to Mordor. Sam is charged with keeping Frodo safe. What makes them Bosom Buddies is that they went through their own personal hell in order to get there. So they're Dynamic Duo trait comes from the time they leave the shire to the time they get back. They have to fight and survive a lot in order to accomplish their goal.

9. Shawn & Gus (Psych): Shawn is a dork. Gus is a nerd. They're definitely BFFs, but they also work well together to solve mysteries with Santa Barbara's finest (or not finest) detectives. Shawn does all these quirky, over the top performances to prove the guilt of murderers, and Gus is there to make sure Shawn doesn't go too far into it. Also, Shawn is like the world's worst wingman for Gus.

8. Robin Hood & Little John (Robin Hood): Go on...you know you want to sing it. "Robin Hood and Little John walkin' through the forest, laughin' back and forth at what the other'ne has to say." Or there's the other one..."We're men. We're men in tight, (high voice) TIGHT, tights." Whichever one you want to go with, Robin Hood and Little John are a powerful duo. They know what they're doing and work off one another's strengths quite well.

7. Cobb & Arthur (Inception): My wife still hasn't seen this movie and to be honest, it is one of my favorites. It is said when Christopher Nolan wrote this script, he created a character for a different part in filmmaking: Cobb was the director and Arthur was the producer. And after reading that, it made even more sense. You have to have a director to lead, but you need a producer backing up the director. Even though Cobb is interested in his freedom and Arthur is wanting the money (but also technically to not die as well as help his friend), they're aim of implanting an idea is consistent. They work as a team and definitely use one another's strengths as well as challenge one another in their job. I like their friendship, it's professional, yet personal.

6. Kirk & Spock (Star Trek): It would be illogical for me to not include this great duo. Kirk was the emotional leader with Spock keeping him grounded. Both in the original Star Trek series and through the movies, Kirk and Spock work/fight together in order to accomplish mutual goals.

5. Gilligan & the Skipper (Gilligan's Island): After a sucky 3-hour tour, all they wanted to do was get off an island. Instead, they kept getting stuck there. Whether a stupid mistake or someone else's greed, they were just stuck. Gilligan & the Skipper are almost the antithesis of a Dynamic Duo, but they still work together to get themselves off the island.

4. Carter & Henry (Eureka): Not the most popular show. And some people would argue that these two don't classify as a Dynamic Duo, but I say they do. Henry and Carter are best friends, but they're more than that. Carter is the dumbest person in a town full of geniuses. But what Carter lacks in intelligence, he more than makes up for in wisdom. Henry is not only one of the smartest, he is also one of the wisest. Without Carter and Henry, the town of Eureka would probably have been destroyed by a nuclear bomb.

3. Batman & Robin (Batman Franchise): Oh duh! Like I would omit THE Dynamic Duo. Yeah, there are 2 I rank higher than the "original". But I definitely gotta pay respect to good ol' Batman & Robin. Robin defines sidekick. He is the person that Batman needs to help him through most situations. Without Robin, Batman is a solitary dark knight, which fits the persona just fine. But with Robin, Batman becomes a team player who sees his weaknesses from being alone. Or you can disagree with me like Joe probably will.

2. Picard & Riker (Star Trek: The Next Generation): These two are actually a reversal of Kirk & Spock in a way. Riker is the emotional/lady chaser and Picard is the stiff "by-the-books" leader. But as a team, they've always got one another's backs. Picard trusts Riker to do the right thing, and vice-versa. Picard picked Riker to be the commander on the Enterprise. Riker chooses to stay despite being offered a ship multiple times throughout the show.

1. Leonard & Sheldon (BBT): Yes, Big Bang Theory is one of my all-time favorite TV shows. These two...like Gilligan & the Skipper make an anti-Dynamic Duo. But they are still a team. Their cause is science. Or maybe it's to get the audience to laugh. But honestly, Sheldon calls Leonard his best friend, mostly because a) it's a logical choice and b) Sheldon probably wouldn't survive without Leonard, even if he won't admit it. But what makes this one of my favorite Dynamic Duos is that they are exactly that: dynamic. Their personalities collide and Leonard just gives up because he knows it's not worth fighting someone who, as he put it, is "one lab accident away" from being a supervillain.

And remember: Alien abductions are involuntary.

My Preshuss

As you more than likely don't know, unless you're my Facebook friend, I recently found my lost wedding ring. It'd been missing for almost three months. These past three months, ironically enough, have been some of the most trying. Even having issues within my marriage. Not because my ring was missing, but somewhere, in the back of my mind, I hoped that if I'd find it, that all I was going through would be done and I could be happy again. Gotta be honest, finding my ring was one of the happiest moments I've had.

And to be honest, I kept thinking to myself, I should pray to find it. Well, of course I should have done that. But instead, I told myself two lies: 1) It's already gone, there's no hope in finding it. And 2) Heavenly Father just doesn't care. Good thing I was wrong. I finally decided to pray this Monday and ask for it to be found; I just wanted it back. While cleaning up something, I went to retrieve some items which had fallen between my nightstand and the wall. This wall has a nice hole in it (with a cover that never seems to want to stay put). Well, when I removed the fallen items, I saw in the hole, and lying there was my ring. I was so excited, but my arm was too fat to reach. So I called my wife into the room, told her to look into the hole and she was happy to see what I'd seen.

So, there's the "Mormon" part of the post. Now to geek it up some.

I was trying to think of some places where rings are prevalent to a plot in all of Geekdom. But then I somehow started thinking of an episode of a television show where a necklace had something special about it. So I'm going to go from a ring to a necklace.

One of my favorite TV shows is Eureka. From its humorous look at sci-fi to its point that knowledge and wisdom are not the same thing, Eureka was a very well-rounded show. About halfway through its run, one of its main characters (Nathan Stark) was killed off saving the town, something that redeemed his obnoxious character.

But the day he died was the day he was supposed to get married to Allison Blake.

Shortly after his death, Sheriff Carter gave Allie a present Nathan wanted to give her on their wedding day.

This necklace, though seemingly just a symbol of their love blah blah blah, it was also empowered with a special diamond. When Allie touched the necklace Nathan would appear and speak to her. For her, this was a way to say goodbye (as she was not around when he died).

This necklace was special as it gave Allie a piece of Nathan and a reminder of the love they shared. Yeah, kind of a mushy tale, but you know what, finding my ring again put me in that kind of a mood.

Alien abductions are involuntary, but probings are scheduled.