Happy 1st Anniversary!

Today marks the one year anniversary of "Thought of the Jay!"  Thank you everyone who has followed or stumbled upon one of my posts over the past year.  It has been a really good year for me!

"Life isn't a matter of milestones, but of moments." ~Rose Kennedy

From the beginning, the purpose of this blog was to help me prioritize my many completing priorities and to find ways to improve my life.  Over the past year, my life has improved across the board. 

"It's when ordinary people rise above the expectations and seize the opportunity that milestones truly are reached." ~Mike Huckabee

My family life took a major step forward as my wife and I welcomed a beautiful baby girl (aka - Tiny Hiney) into the world to complete the perfect pair.  The boy continues to grow and add daily excitement to our routine.  He's about to finish his first year of preschool and has developed greatly as a result.  And my wife... pretty as ever!

"If the family goes, so does our civilization." ~Ronald Reagan

This past year has also been good for my career.  My hard work was recognized and I received a promotion within my department.  My new position offers greater responsibility and potential to get involved in new initiatives.  I was also named Committee Chair to our regional Program Integrity Committee.

"Hard work spotlights the character of people: some turn up their sleeves, some turn up their noses, and some don't turn up at all." ~Sam Ewing

I'm still breathing, so my health and fitness can't be too bad.  I've done a good job at keeping consistent in my efforts as opposed to extreme peaks and valleys.  While the "page views" for Thought of the Jay! have been fairly good my fitness and health posts have been the most well received.  My Run til you're tired.. then keep running! post has by far been my most viewed post.  Next month I'll be competing in my second Tough Mudder so I expect to have a post shortly after to discuss the experience.  I've also given up sitting at work - adding a little more activity to my day.  I also plan on doing a post about my standing cube in the near future.

"It is health that is real wealth and not pieces of gold and silver." ~Mahatma Gandhi

Finance wise, I've managed kept everything in order.  Most of my saving is done automatically, through ShareBuilder and my work TSP plan, so I just have to sit back and let time take care of its self and hope that nothing interferes with my ability to continue making contributions.  But on a more interesting subject, I'm planning on purchasing a new home in the near future.  I'm sure that process will result in some sort of post or two.

"A big part of financial freedom is having your heart and mind free from worry about the what-ifs of life." ~Suze Orman

Well... Thanks again for following the Thought of the Jay!  Be sure to follow me on your social platform of choice: Google+, Facebook, Twitter, etc. because this next year I expect things to only get better!

My Netflix Movie Review: Drive

"Drive is a quiet film. Yes, there are intense action scenes that push the R rating toward an NC-17, but the overall vibe of Drive is one of silent menace. And although the film centers around a mechanic/stunt driver/getaway driver, high speed car chases aren't what Drive's all about. There's so much going on under the surface of Drive's unnamed main character (played with simmering intensity by Ryan Gosling) and so much left unspoken - when other directors would have chosen to fill the air with dialogue - that Drive does something films rarely do: it makes audiences think. Who is this strange man who parcels out his words as though he's being made to pay in blood for their usage? So much is left up to the audience to interpret that Drive is less a film you passively watch and more of an experience you must engage in."  ~Rebecca Murry, About.com


General Movie Info:
Genre:  Crime, Drama, Thriller
Plot:  A quiet Hollywood stuntman, mechanic and getaway driver finds trouble when he assists his neighbour's convict boyfriend. 
Rated:  R

My thoughts:
Overall the movie was just not very good.  The styling and music was very 80's (and not in a good way).  Ryan Gosling is a good actor, but in this role his character was not very believable.  Since the movie has an odd quirky quality, I'm sure some people will love this movie but if you ask me... I'd skip this one.

Check out the official trailer:

My Netflix Movie Review: 50/50

"Part of me doesn't even want to tell you that 50/50 is a comedy about a guy with cancer. Chances are you'll groan and stop reading. That would be a mistake, because 50/50 is not infected with the usual TV tear-jerking and bogus uplift. It's actually hilarious, heartfelt and acted with such no-bull audacity that you'll hate yourself for just thinking you'd hate it." ~Rolling Stone

General Movie Info:
Genre: Drama, Comedy
Plot: Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Seth Rogan star in this dramedy inspired by a true story. 50/50 follows the relationship of two friends after one is unexpectedly diagnosed with cancer. 
Rated:  R

My thoughts:
Since cancer isn't exactly a knee slapping topic, I wasn't expecting this movie to be the most enjoyable movie experience.  Joseph Gordon-Levitt does a compelling job portraying a young man facing his mortality.  While Seth Rogan adds just enough humor to keep the movie moving along without ever getting too dark and sad.  Overall, it is a pretty good movie.  As long as you are aware the movie is about cancer and not your average Seth Rogan joke-fest, I would recommend adding it to your queue.

Check out the official trailer: