10 Chick Flicks That I Admit to Liking...

I love movies. My wife likes movies. However, it's rare to find a movie that matches both of our tastes, so this leads to compromises. She will watch a couple of action/fantasy/sci-fi movies (as long as they aren't too gory) and I will watch romantic comedies/tear jerkers/love stories (as long as they aren't too "estrogenized".)

So in that spirit, I have compiled a list of “Chick Flicks” that I consider good (or watchable). Different movies made this list for different reasons. No, ladies, "The Notebook" is not on here. Sorry, but I have to draw the line somewhere.

1. My Big Fat Greek Wedding – My wife's all-time favorite romantic comedy. It's a funny and enjoyable movie about a Greek-American woman who goes through a bit of a rough time (the first 30 years of her life) before getting a make-over and dating a non-Greek. It's a clash of cultures when they fall in love and get engaged. And there is a sequel in the works! Oy vey. (Yes, I know that's Yiddish, but it's all Greek to me.)
   
2. Steel Magnolias – Originally a play, this movie follows six Southern women in a small Louisiana town, as they share laughter and tears (sometimes both at once.) This movie is a true tear-jerker (damn you Shelby!) I absolutely love Shirley MacLaine and Olympia Dukakis as they constantly go at each other with barbs and insults. Meg Ryan was originally supposed to play Julia Roberts part, but had already committed to When Harry Met Sally. Not to bash Julia, but I personally think Meg would have been better.
   
3. When Harry Met Sally – Speaking of Meg Ryan, she is great with Billy Crystal in this Rob Reiner rom/com. Following two people over a 15 year period from acquaintances to friends to lovers to friends to... well, just see it if you haven't. Of course the best scene is Meg in the restaurant (those who have seen it know exactly which scene) and Rob Reiner's mother has a cameo with the best line of the movie. Billy is fantastic too, with his comedic observations of relationships and life.
   
4. Sleepless in Seattle – Speaking of Meg Ryan...wait, just did that. This Nora Ephron movie follows a widower (played by Tom Hanks) as his son tries to find him a new wife. Oh yeah, the son (played by Ross Malinger) is adorable. Meg Ryan hears the boys on a call-in radio show talking about his father and falls in love. One of the best endings to a rom/com, at the iconic Empire State Building. You know, because New Yorkers are so romantic...
   
5. Dirty Dancing – Jennifer Grey and Patrick Swayze bump-and-grind there way through the summer of 1963 at a resort in the Catskill Mountains. She's the Jewish princess, he's the tough kid from the streets. Well, a tough kid who can apparently dance his butt off, because it's cool to be from Brooklyn and do the Mambo and Pachanga. If you can get over the fact she's 15 and he's in his late twenties/early thirties, this is a really good movie. Spoiler alert, in the sequel he get's 20 years for statutory. Just kidding! I never saw the sequel.
   
6. Pretty Woman – Millionaire Richard Gere falls in love with a hooker played by Julia Roberts. 'Nuff said. It made all the girls want to grow up to be hookers so they could find the man of their dreams. I just wanted to be a millionaire. Well, looks like both dreams were dashed against the rocks of life. Jason Alexander from Seinfeld steals the show as a sleezeball lawyer. Did that guy ever have hair?
   
7. Legally Blonde – Reese Witherspoon shines as a (seemingly) vacuous girl who gets into Harvard Law School so she can win back her man. Of course, along the way she discovers she really can be smart and pretty at the same time! Hey, being a lawyer is better than being a hooker (wait, strike that.)
   
8. Titanic – James Cameron could have made an action-packed thriller, but instead he turns into a love story and makes the highest grossing movie of all time. Well played, sir. Leonardo DeCaprio and Kate Winslet are the classic poor boy meets rich girl and fall in love. One of the best tear-jerkers ever made. That said, does anyone not think that Rose could have moved her fat butt over and made room for Jack? Seriously... the plank was freaking huge.
   
9. Mystic Pizza – Another Julia Roberts flick, this one follows three childhood friends (Julia, Annabeth Gish and Lili Taylor) as they find love in different ways. Julia hooks up with a rich kid, Annabeth with a married man and Lili with a fisherman. All this and Portuguese pizza too! Gotta love Vince D'Onofrio post-Full Metal Jacket and pre-Law and Order. He and Conchata Ferrell steal each scene in which they appear.
   
10. Gone With The Wind – The sweeping epic story of Scarlet and Rhett. Everyone knows the story and has seen the movie, but like Wizard of Oz, you can watch it 100 times and still love it. (Although that would be 400 hours of your life...) Of course, every time I watch it, I get more and more annoyed with Ashley Wilkes. What a pansy. The movie could have been 2 hours and had a happy ending if Ashley had “a pair.”
    
    

10 “Chick Flicks” That I Will Admit To Liking

I love movies. My wife likes movies. However, it's rare to find a movie that matches both of our tastes, so this leads to compromises. She will watch a couple of action/fantasy/sci-fi movies (as long as they aren't too gory) and I will watch romantic comedies/tear jerkers/love stories (as long as they aren't too "estrogenized".)
So in that spirit, I have compiled a list of “Chick Flicks” that I consider good (or watchable). Different movies made this list for different reasons. No, ladies, "The Notebook" is not on here. Sorry, but I have to draw the line somewhere.

1. My Big Fat Greek Wedding – My wife's all-time favorite romantic comedy. It's a funny and enjoyable movie about a Greek-American woman who goes through a bit of a rough time (the first 30 years of her life) before getting a make-over and dating a non-Greek. It's a clash of cultures when they fall in love and get engaged. And there is a sequel in the works! Oy vey. (Yes, I know that's Yiddish, but it's all Greek to me.)
   
2. Steel Magnolias – Originally a play, this movie follows six Southern women in a small Louisiana town, as they share laughter and tears (sometimes both at once.) This movie is a true tear-jerker (damn you Shelby!) I absolutely love Shirley MacLaine and Olympia Dukakis as they constantly go at each other with barbs and insults. Meg Ryan was originally supposed to play Julia Roberts part, but had already committed to When Harry Met Sally. Not to bash Julia, but I personally think Meg would have been better.
   
3. When Harry Met Sally – Speaking of Meg Ryan, she is great with Billy Crystal in this Rob Reiner rom/com. Following two people over a 15 year period from acquaintances to friends to lovers to friends to... well, just see it if you haven't. Of course the best scene is Meg in the restaurant (those who have seen it know exactly which scene) and Rob Reiner's mother has a cameo with the best line of the movie. Billy is fantastic too, with his comedic observations of relationships and life.
   
4. Sleepless in Seattle – Speaking of Meg Ryan...wait, just did that. This Nora Ephron movie follows a widower (played by Tom Hanks) as his son tries to find him a new wife. Oh yeah, the son (played by Ross Malinger) is adorable. Meg Ryan hears the boys on a call-in radio show talking about his father and falls in love. One of the best endings to a rom/com, at the iconic Empire State Building. You know, because New Yorkers are so romantic...
   
5. Dirty Dancing – Jennifer Grey and Patrick Swayze bump-and-grind there way through the summer of 1963 at a resort in the Catskill Mountains. She's the Jewish princess, he's the tough kid from the streets. Well, a tough kid who can apparently dance his butt off, because it's cool to be from Brooklyn and do the Mambo and Pachanga. If you can get over the fact she's 15 and he's in his late twenties/early thirties, this is a really good movie. Spoiler alert, in the sequel he get's 20 years for statutory. Just kidding! I never saw the sequel.
   
6. Pretty Woman – Millionaire Richard Gere falls in love with a hooker played by Julia Roberts. 'Nuff said. It made all the girls want to grow up to be hookers so they could find the man of their dreams. I just wanted to be a millionaire. Well, looks like both dreams were dashed against the rocks of life. Jason Alexander from Seinfeld steals the show as a sleezeball lawyer. Did that guy ever have hair?
   
7. Legally Blonde – Reese Witherspoon shines as a (seemingly) vacuous girl who gets into Harvard Law School so she can win back her man. Of course, along the way she discovers she really can be smart and pretty at the same time! Hey, being a lawyer is better than being a hooker (wait, strike that.)
   
8. Titanic – James Cameron could have made an action-packed thriller, but instead he turns into a love story and makes the highest grossing movie of all time. Well played, sir. Leonardo DeCaprio and Kate Winslet are the classic poor boy meets rich girl and fall in love. One of the best tear-jerkers ever made. That said, does anyone not think that Rose could have moved her fat butt over and made room for Jack? Seriously... the plank was freaking huge.
   
9. Mystic Pizza – Another Julia Roberts flick, this one follows three childhood friends (Julia, Annabeth Gish and Lili Taylor) as they find love in different ways. Julia hooks up with a rich kid, Annabeth with a married man and Lili with a fisherman. All this and Portuguese pizza too! Gotta love Vince D'Onofrio post-Full Metal Jacket and pre-Law and Order. He and Conchata Ferrell steal each scene in which they appear.
   
10. Gone With The Wind – The sweeping epic story of Scarlet and Rhett. Everyone knows the story and has seen the movie, but like Wizard of Oz, you can watch it 100 times and still love it. (Although that would be 400 hours of your life...) Of course, every time I watch it, I get more and more annoyed with Ashley Wilkes. What a pansy. The movie could have been 2 hours and had a happy ending if Ashley had “a pair.”
    
    

9 Things You Probably Don’t Know About Riding a Motorcycle

I love to ride motorcycles and have done so for a couple of decades now. Millions of people worldwide would agree that there is nothing like the feeling of riding on an open road during a beautiful day.

However, it’s not all sunshine and roses. Everything good has drawbacks. There are aspects of riding a motorcycle that non-riders cannot appreciate. Sacrifices, if you will. It’s a dedicated rider that looks past these and continue on. Me? I just like to complain…

1. Rain – Rain hurts. A lot. Do the math; if you are riding 70 miles an hour, then you are being pelted by 70 mile an hour raindrops. Equivalent to a hurricane. Throw in the fact that most glasses and visors do not come with wipers, now you’re blind too. But hey, at least you can look forward to wearing wet jeans for the next 5 hours.
2. Cold – Not as much of a factor in southern states, it’s a big factor in the rest. When riding, 70 degrees feels like 60 degrees. 60 degrees, however, feels like 40 degrees. See the way this works? Some riders wear chaps to help protect their legs. I can’t, unfortunately, as the resemblance to the Village People is too great.
3. Heat – On the other side of the coin, heat can be just as uncomfortable. When riding, it feels perfect, but in heavy traffic or long lights, your bike turns into an oven and the sun tries to bake your skull through your helmet. AC? That’s for cages! I’ll just keep an eye open for roadside sprinklers.
4. Engine Heat – This is different from outside heat. Air cooled engines on bikes are fine as long as you are moving. One you come to a slow roll or stop, it’s a different story. The heat that comes off a big engine feels like it can cook your leg right through your jeans and boots. I like mine medium rare.
5. Your hands – No one ever tells you that your right hand will constantly be numb. It usually takes about 15 to 20 minutes, but it’s inevitable. You release the throttle, shake your hand for a second, and then reapply. A never ending cycle. Thanks god for cruise control.
6. Invisibility – No one ever sees you. And if they do, you would swear they were trying to hit you. It doesn’t matter if you have the biggest, loudest and shiniest bike on the road. Grandma doesn’t see you and she’s coming in your lane. Safety in numbers is your best bet.
7. Storage – I have saddle bags on my bike, which are life savers. However, sometimes I‘ll forget I rode the bike to the grocery store and bring out 6 full bags. Then its 10 minutes of playing “Tetris” trying to make it all fit. 5 minutes of determining what can be balanced in the handlebars or the seat behind you. 5 minutes of arguing with yourself over basic safety and distance to home.  And then finally, another 10 minutes of taking things back into the store for a refund.
8. Eating and Drinking – Although extremely easy in a car, not so much on a bike. This also goes for smoking, talking, spitting, scratching, stretching and texting. Hmm, maybe it is safer in a bike…
9. Parking – Parking on a downward slope in a street side space is a mistake you only make once. It took my wife pushing from the front while I was on the bike trying to steer. “Reverse” is something you never think about until you don’t have it.
10. Radio – I’m lucky enough to have a stereo on my bike, perfect for long rides. I did not realize how loud it is. Everyone within half a mile can hear it. This directly influences what music you listen too. I learned this while riding down the road, thinking I’m looking cool because of the looks that I’m getting. Then I realized I was singing along to the song from Disney’s Frozen; much much less cool. Ear buds anyone?

Riders should get a chuckle or two from this and non-riders probably won’t understand until they climb aboard. If it looks like I’m complaining, I’m not. I enjoy riding in all types of conditions. It can be sunny, clear and 75 degrees or sunny, clear and 76 degrees, either way I’m good.