Movie Buffs

GEDs and LBJ Sighting

Published on by Lisa

Nick has decided to do some volunteer work.

You know, for people like Nick, for people who already work in faith-based ministry, people who spend at least 8 hours of everyday working for the betterment of someone’s spiritual enlightenment, doing volunteer work may fill a void to actually DO something for other people.
[in case you missed it, there is a heavy dose of sarcasm in opening paragraph]

So, Nick is volunteering for a catholic center helping folks earn their GED. He decides to do this on his day off.

The other day, I could have sworn there was a brief sighting of a golden halo rounding his head. I blinked and it disappeared. Oh, my generous life partner…when will you do something, I don’t know, selfish? Like, go buy yourself something. Oh wait, he hates to shop. Maybe go buy a steak dinner. Oh wait, he prefers to eat at home. Perhaps get yourself tickets to a huge sporting event. Mhm…now there’s a possibility.

Bottom line is, Isaiah is taking more and more energy out of me and there are days when I feel like lying on a couch and staying hydrated is enough work for me. Next to Nick, these days, I am feeling grossly unproductive.

And when I wail and cry that I am not participating in helping humanity achieve a greater sense of authenticity, Nick will put his arm around me and remind me, “Remember, you’re doing the most important part for us – making sure Isaiah is good and growing.”

Ah, yes, our son.

And I straighten my shoulders and quickly feel better. YES, I am pregnant and have Big Foot Borchers practicing karate kicks and swim flips inside me.

So, while Nick is off educating the world into better human thinkers, I am working full time and counting the weeks left of my second trimester. It’s gone so fast!

In other news, last night, Nick, myself, Books, and his girlfriend Janet scored major seats at the Akron premiere of “More Than a Game,” the documentary about the friendship and legacy of the basketball team at Akron’s St. Vincent/St. Mary that Lebron James was a part of. Nick and I had front row seats, which was a little close for the movie, but came up HUGE after the movie when we were about 9 feet from Lebron and his teammates featured in the documentary. It was awesome! I stared at big LBJ for 25 minutes, barely believing I was so close to the Cavs King.

The documentary comes out in October and right now is on a tour throughout the world. One of our friends is a big wig for all movie features that come through NE Ohio. When Will Smith comes to town, we get a phone call. A documentary where LBJ will be at? We get front row seats. Pretty sweet deal.

Yeah, we’re important.

4th of July Weekend Recap!

Published on by Lisa

Our 4th of July weekend was terrific. It was terrific in a kind of firecracker way, not big boom fireworks kind of way.

Nick came back from his week long service trip Friday afternoon and we both needed a quiet evening at home before a long weekend of activities. So we made dinner and rented Revolutionary Road and invited our friend Alexis over who brought three boxes of ice cream to share. We feasted on just mint chocolate chip and gave the movie a B rating for compelling themes but mediocre acting. Nick, who obviously read the book, kept commenting how much one loses in cinema as compared to literature. He likes to rub it in that he’s such a book worm.

That night, I think I fell asleep face down in my pillow. I was exhausted.

Saturday afternoon was spent cleaning up the house, running errands, and enjoying the beautiful weather. I know my energy level is depleting as my pregnancy marches on when I have to take a 1 hour nap after mowing the lawn. Apprehensive as my Dad on prom night, Nick wondered if it would be safe for me to mow the lawn. I assured him that as long as he can rev the motor up for me, I can take care of the rest.

The jittering and jostling may have taken more out of me than I would care to admit, but I laid on the couch afterward and fell asleep. Snoring as loud as the mower itself.

Then we headed off to Christina and Brian Emerson’s for a BBQ. Nick dominated at cornhole while I ate a hamburger like I’ve never eaten before. My appetite, to put it lightly, fluctuates. Somedays I can barely swallow three grapes without feeling like a stuffed cabbage. Other days I feel like eating a rhino would not suffice. Saturday was a rhino kind of day.

Then we watched the fireworks and I got all sappy and happy sitting on the lawn and thinking how by next year, we’ll have a little live firework in the flesh of our own.

Sunday afternoon was spent in Canton, Ohio where Nick and I went to a baptism reception. My highschool friend, Becca, married and now lives in England but her son, Logan was baptized here in her hometown and had a gathering to celebrate the little tyke’s induction to the holy Kingdom. I saw a bunch of highschool buds and it was great to catch up after so many years.

And that was our weekend.

Upcoming weekends are going to N-U-T-S.
July 11-15 Borchers’ family vaca to Charleston, SC
July 17-19 Russia bound for Staci Condon’s wedding
July 24 -26 Russia bound for Abby Cordonnier’s wedding
July 31 – Aug. 2 Cincy bound for a wedding I’m shooting (like, for money!)

And if you’re wondering how everything else is going — all I can say is the God honest truth: splendid.

Nick is wonderful.
I am wonderful.
Baby is wonderful.

(You are wonderful, too, in case you need a pick me up.)

Missing Nick and Michael

Published on by Lisa

Photo taken 6/21/09, Filipino Festival in Cleveland

It’s amazing all that can happen in 10 days when you don’t blog.

In addition to Jan and Rog Borchers coming to visit us in Cleveland, Nick and I attending the Cleveland Filipino Festival, my friend Alexis who I worked with in Boston last year moving to Cleveland last week, having 10th row at a New Kids on the Block concert!, seeing the movie “State of Play” (mildly good, entertaining, nothing great), attending our nephew Zach’s 4th birthday party, watching fireworks in Massillon, having another ultrasound (Baby Plum is no longer a plum and is growing quickly!) on Wednesday, hosting Kelly Borchers Norris this weekend on her way to Abby Cordonnier’s (cousin of Nick and Kelly) bachelorette party, and seeing Nick off for a week long trip to Kentucky — even with all of that going on, what I just can’t believe is that Michael Jackson is dead.

(I’m listening to “We Are the World,” as I write this.)

Trumping MJ’s cardiac tragedy, the biggest heartache is being separated from Nick for a week. Now, I know how that sounds — I was gone for 2 months last summer and globe trotted my heart out — but I’m pregnant now and that means two things: 1) I get to say whatever I want without feeling bad and 2) I’m uber emotional

(My MJ music marathon continues. Now on my ear “You Are Not Alone.”)

Nick will be back Friday afternoon and that seems like eons away.

Sometimes when Nick is gone, I feel like this blog becomes the soggy pillow where I consistently weep into with my sadness that he’s not around telling me a corny joke or trying to work some miracle with our shower’s water pressure.

*sigh* It’s going to be a long week.

(last song for tonight’s MJ’s dedication is Nick’s favorite MJ song: “Man in the Mirror”)

Movie Review: Vantage Point

Published on by Lisa

Nick and I just returned from a late night movie, Vantage Point, that opened this weekend.

It was crowded and we sat in decent seats, a bit close for my general liking, but I thought to myself, “As long as there isn’t any home videos or car chasing scenes, I should be alright.” The shaky cameras and fast action tend to mess with my head.

Vantage Point has the longest car chase scene in cinematic history. And Forest Whitaker’s role in this movie primarily features him taking home video footage with his camcorder. Nice.

No Advil on hand either. Drat.

Nick gave it a rating, “Entertaining, but by no means great.”

The plot grows from 8 or so different perspectives who experience one act of terrorism. What Nick found so annoying is that the audience grew unsettled when the storyline kept repeating itself to reveal more details of the plot. Anytime another character’s story began to tell a different angle of the story, the audience started moaning like it had one collective belly ache. Dude, the movie is called VANTAGE POINT.

As Nick mechanically munched his way through a large over-buttered popcorn bag and I slurped the Sprite and darted my eyes away from the screen every 10 minutes to avoid a massive headache, Dennis Quaid [WARNING: SPOILER IN THE NEXT FEW WORDS] comes up huge in the end, of course.

Another wonderfully overpriced Hollywood blockbuster.

Factora-Borchers and Borchers give this 2 thumbs pointing sideways. It scores a B- for originality, overall guessing game, and relevance to current events and political climate. Recommendation: worth a ticket at the discount movie theater or DVD rental in 9 months.