R - Road Trip!

This post is a part of the A to Z Challenge. This year I have decided to go themeless. Each day I will post about whatever topic pops into my head. The result of this spontaneity is anyone's guess. Thanks for coming along for the ride.

Road Trip! It's been a while since we've taken a decent road trip anywhere. Most of the trips we take with all four kids is to Branson or Springdale, Arkansas, or Dallas/Ft. Worth. All places that are within a few hours of home. This summer we're going to break that trend. We're road tripping from Oklahoma to Jacksonville, Florida. Over 16 hours of family fun. Remember yesterday's post about quiet? Yeah, I don't see much of that on this trip. I think it's going to be an adventure we'll remember for quite some time. This will the first time any of the kids have ever seen the ocean. We'll be in a church conference for three days (with my wife running the children's program) followed by fireworks over the river on July 4th. It's going to be great.

Anyone have any great family road trip stories? Let me know in the comments.

R - Plenty to Choose From

Welcome to day eighteen of the A to Z Challenge. If you're here for the first time or if you've forgotten already, this year's theme is movies! I am posting a quote, a character or two, and a brief synopsis of a movie for each letter. You then get to guess the movie in the comments. Answers will be revealed in the following day's post.

Answer to Q: Quigley Down Under

It's time for R in our marathon of movies. There are a ton of movies to choose from for today. I finally got it down to one. This is one of my favorite comedies. Totally unexpected when it came out, it produced two sequels and became an instant classic. Don't think this will be the hardest one of the month.

Quote
"DO YOU UNDERSTAND THE WORDS THAT ARE COMIN' OUTTA MY MOUTH?"

Character
Detective Inspector Lee - Kung fu master, top cop, and funnier than he has any right to be, Lee begins as the proverbial fish out of water in LA. By the end of the movie, he's still half of one of the funniest buddy pairs in recent movie history.

Synopsis
This movie combines the buddy comedy, cop movie, and kung fu into an unforgettable adventure that's more than worth multiple viewings. This is another of those movies that I have to watch every time it comes on TV. It's a can't miss. If you haven't seen it, you owe it to yourself.

R - Red sings... what again?

I've only got a few minutes to get this one written, so no detailed intro. Let's get started.

Love
Red - Red is one of the few Christian bands these days that really know how to rock out. I prefer hard rock and metal, so I have trouble finding a lot of Christian music I can really jam to. Red knows how to bring the hard stuff but stay on-message. I like that about them. What is my favorite song by Red? I have no idea. I can't name a single song of theirs. I'll know it when it comes on the radio, though. They rock.

Hate
Ricky Martin - Livin' La Vida Shoot Me! It was a fun song when it first came out. It had a good beat and you could dance to it. Then the radio DJs killed it. And the video VJs. And everyone at the mall singing it 'cause it was stuck in their head. This may be the most overplayed song of all time. I'm pretty sure it was talk radio!

Hate to Love
Rammstein - As I said, I love heavy metal and hard rock. So it stands to reason I would really dig German industrial music. Well, I don't know about that, but I do love Rammstein's music. Why do I hate that? Because they make Queen look normal. These guys are insane. But I guess I should expect that from German anarchists.

Who do you love, hate, and love to hate (or hate to love)? Let me know in the comments.

R - Rabbits

Rabbits are evil. I know most people have this idea that rabbits are cute and cuddly little furry bundles of happiness. Wrong! Anyone who lives on a farm or has a garden can confirm that rabbits are spawned in the abyss and claw their way through into our world to devour all that is green and useful and wreak havoc and destruction. As the owner of a plant farm, I know first-hand the extent of their ravenous appetites. There are few things more infuriating than spending an entire day planting dozens of trees and shrubs, only to come out the next day and find them gnawed down to the ground. Cute and cuddly? I don't think so.

Granted, there are a few exceptions. Hare Ouigeaux, Bugs Bunny, and Jessica Rabbit come to mind. They are all tolerable for various reasons. All others call for the full-on Elmer Fudd treatment. Lock and load, Baby, lock and load!