Oh Yeah, I Have a Blog (Mischief Managed)

     So here's my obligatory "Oh shit, haven't posted in this thing in over a week' article.  I swear I have a good reason!  This past week has been...hectic...to say the least.  I was originally dealing with some pretty significant and draining emotional/personal problems (problems that have since been resolved, it's amazing what you can get done in a week)  Then on Tuesday, I went in for an MRI on my back (an MRI given to me because I have right hamstring problems and the doctors wanted to see what the fuck was wrong with me) and they discovered I had an extremely significant herniated disc in my spine...

   The problem was so prominent that it required emergency surgery THE NEXT DAY.  So Wednesday morning, I woke up started getting ready at 6 AM running on no sleep and headed off to the emergency room.  By noon that day, I was under the knife.  I was able to go home on Thursday, confined to bed rest and the occasional (as I call it) cripple exercise where I walk up and down the hallway of my house 5 times.  It was pretty scary stuff in the hospital.  The first thing the surgeon told me when I went into the hospital on Wednesday was that he was amazed I was even walking.  He showed me my MRI results on my back and holy shit, it was gnarly.  I'll probably take a picture of it and post it on Twitter and this blog so people see how much of a nut I am, considering I've been living with it since around late 2009.  It's also a bit ridiculous when you consider that since I got this herniated disc, I have gone to Florida twice (once by airplane, once by driving) walked around Islands of Adventure twice, Disney World, Sea World, and also Six Flags Great America here in Illinois.  I also went to Warped Tour this past Saturday which was a 10 hour concert, majority of it standing up in a pit.  The problem had gotten so severe, the doctor told me if I lived with it for another year, it would have spread to my left leg (he was actually surprised it hadn't already) and that I would have probably lost function of both my legs, thus leaving me paralyzed from the waist down.  I have no clue how I managed to do it.
   
     It's been a rough recovery, to say the least.  I've been, for the most part, confined to a bed and drifting in and out of sleep.  I'm currently taking 2-3 Vicodins a day for the pain and also a muscle relaxer.  The first 2 days home were a nightmare.  My back was in excruciating pain and simply sliding across the bed was a difficult task.  Getting up was a 5-10 minute ordeal and I just felt utterly pathetic.  I have since begun to feel a bit better, like my mobility is slowly returning.  I cannot even begin to explain the gratitude I feel towards my father who has been there for me the past couple days.  My mom left Thursday afternoon in tears because she had already made arrangements to go to Las Vegas with her friends (I made her go) but she comes home later tonight and I'm sure she'll go into full-time mommy duties and make sure I'm okay 24/7.  My dad has been amazing and the outpouring of support I received from friends & family on Twitter/Facebook has been overwhelming.  I should also mention that my bestest and closest friend in the entire world, Maggie, has been nothing but a God send during this entire thing.  She's visited me multiple times and brought me delicious food and has really taken care of me.  She doesn't take any of my "I can do it myself" bullshit.  She is really the ideal person to have around in a time like this.
   
     Yesterday I went to the movies to see Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows 2.  I've been a Harry Potter nut for close to a decade now and I was quite excited to see the final installment of the series of my generation.  This isn't a movie review, but I will say that the movie was utterly fantastic.  Any Harry Potter fan should go out and see it, although I'll assume you already have.
   
     So what exactly is the point of this blog entry, besides a long essay letting the 2 people who actually read these articles why I haven't written?  Well, I wanted to do a simple quick post of my entertainment collection last week. Obviously, unforeseen circumstances delayed that, but I'll do it now.  I'm not posting all of this to brag about my entertainment collection, but rather have some place to document for ME to look at and be a bit proud.  I have my MAIN collection, which are all my DVDs I have collected over the past several years.  Then I have the 'supporting cast,' as I would like to call it.  VHS movies or sports DVDs that I wouldn't necessarily display prominently in my room, but I still appreciate them for the entertainment they once gave me.  A lot of them are children's movies/TV shows, but it's also nice to have a nostalgiagasm and look through them every once and while.

So yeah, there's a picture of all the movies/VHS tapes I have collected over the past 2 decades of my life.  Those stacks include...

Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (VHS)

Accepted (DVD)

Airheads (VHS)

Airplane! (DVD)

Aladdin (VHS)

Alice in Wonderland (VHS)

All Dogs go to Heaven (VHS)

Almost Famous (DVD)

Alvin and the Chipmunks: Love Potion #9 (VHS)

American Pie (DVD)

Amityville Horror (DVD)

Amityville Horror (2005) (DVD)

Angels in the Outfield (VHS)

Apollo 13 (VHS)

Armageddon (VHS)

Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (VHS)

Back to the Future (DVD)

Back to the Future Part II (DVD)

Back to the Future Part III (DVD)

Bambi (VHS)

Be My Valentine Charlie Brown (VHS)

Beauty and the Beast (VHS)

Beavis and Butt-head - The Mike Judge Collection, Vol. 1(DVD)

Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon (DVD)

Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure (DVD)

The Bernstein Bears Christmas Tree (VHS)

The Bernstein Bears Cupid’s Surprise (VHS)

The Bernstein Bears Play Ball (VHS)

The Blair Witch Project (DVD)

Billy Madison (DVD)

The Brave Little Toaster (VHS)

Bruce Almighty (DVD)

Cars (DVD)

Casper (VHS)

Cat’s Eye (DVD)

Charlie Bartlett (DVD)

Chicago Blackhawks – Great Moments and Classic Games (DVD)

Chicago Blackhawks – 2010 Stanley Cup Champions (DVD)

Chicken Run (VHS)

Child’s Play (DVD)

Child’s Play 2 (DVD)

Child’s Play 3 (DVD)

The Bride of Chucky (DVD)

The Seed of Chucky (DVD)

Chip ‘n’ Dale Rescue Rangers: Danger Rangers (VHS)

Chip ‘n’ Dale Rescue Rangers: Crime Busters (VHS)

Cinderella (VHS)

Clerks. (DVD)

Clerks II (DVD)

Clerks: The Animated Series (DVD)

A Clockwork Orange (VHS)

Clueless (VHS)

Creepshow (DVD)

The Dark Knight (DVD)

Dazed and Confused (DVD)

Dennis the Menace (VHS)

The Devil’s Rejects (DVD)

DodgeBall: A True Underdog Story (DVD)

Dogma (DVD)

Drawn Together – Season One (DVD)

Dreamcatcher (DVD)

DuckTales the Movie: Treasure of the Lost Lamp (VHS)

D2: The Mighty Ducks (VHS)

Eight Crazy Nights (DVD)

An Evening with Kevin Smith 2: Evening Harder (DVD)

E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (VHS)

Family Guy, Vol. 1: Seasons 1 & 2 (DVD)

Family Guy, Vol. 3: Season 4 (DVD)

Field of Dreams (VHS)

Fight Club (DVD)

Final Destination 3 (DVD)

The Flinstones: Little Big League (VHS)

Forgetting Sarah Marshall (DVD)

The Fox and the Hound (VHS)

Freddy vs. Jason (DVD)

Free Willy (VHS)

Friday the 13^{th (DVD)}

Friday the 13^th (2009) (DVD)

Funny People (DVD)

G.I. Joe: The Movie (VHS)

Get Him to the Greek (DVD)

A Goofy Movie (VHS)

The Grudge (DVD)

Halloween (DVD)

Halloween II (DVD)

Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers (DVD)

Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers (DVD)

Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers (DVD)

Halloween H20: 20 Years Later (DVD)

Halloween: Resurrection (DVD)

Halloween (2007) (DVD)

Halloween II (2009) (DVD)

The Hangover (DVD)

Happy Gilmore (DVD)

The Haunting in Connecticut (DVD)

Here Come the Teletubbies (VHS)

Home Alone (VHS)

Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (VHS)

Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey (VHS)

Honey, I Shrunk the Kids (VHS)

Honey, I Blew Up the Kid (VHS)

How I Met Your Mother: Season One (DVD)

i, Robot (DVD)

Inception (DVD)

Independence Day (VHS)

The Indian in the Cupboard (VHS)

Inglourious Basterds (DVD)

Iron Man (DVD)

It’s Your First Kiss Charlie Brown (VHS)

Jackass: The Movie (DVD)

Jackass Number Two (DVD)

Jackass 3 (DVD)

Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back (DVD)

Jeepers Creepers (DVD)

Jetsons: The Movie (VHS)

Jumanji (VHS)

The Jungle Book (VHS)

Jurassic Park (VHS)

Knocked Up (DVD)

Lady and the Tramp (VHS)

The Land Before Time (VHS)

The Land Before Time III: The Time of the Great Giving (VHS)

The Last House on the Left (DVD)

Like Mike (DVD)

Little Monsters (VHS)

The Lion King (VHS)

Little Big League (VHS)

Little Mermaid (VHS)

Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland (VHS)

Little Nicky (VHS)

The Longest Yard (DVD)

The Longest Yard (2005) (DVD)

Lost in Space (VHS)

Major League Baseball – All Century Team (DVD)

Mallrats (DVD)

Mars Attack! (DVD)

Mary Poppins (VHS)

The Mask (VHS)

Men in Black (VHS)

The Messengers (DVD)

Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers: Alpha’s Magical Christmas (VHS)

Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers: Day of the Dumpster (VHS)

Mighty Morphin’ Power Ranghers: Green Ranger Mini-Series (VHS)

Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers: High Five (VHS)

Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers: The Movie (VHS)

Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers: No Clowning Around (VHS)

Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers: Offical Fan Club Video (VHS)

Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers: Putty on the Brain (VHS)

Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers: The Wanna-be Ranger (VHS)

Miracle (DVD)

MLB: Baseball’s Greatest Rivalries (DVD)

MLB: The Ultimate Blooper Collection (DVD)

The Monday Night War (DVD)

Monsters, Inc. (DVD)

Mrs. Doubtfire (VHS)

The Mummy (DVD)

The Muppet Movie (VHS)

My Girl (VHS)

NBA Dynasty Series: Chicago Bulls 1990’s (DVD)

The NBA’s 100 Greatest Plays (DVD)

Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy (DVD)

The Nightmare Before Christmas (DVD)

A Nightmare on Elm Street (DVD)

A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge (DVD)

A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010) (DVD)

The Nutty Professor (VHS)

Old School (DVD)

Oliver & Company (VHS)

Orgazmo (DVD)

Orphan (DVD)

The Pagemaster (VHS)

Paranormal Activity (DVD)

Paranormal Activity 2 (DVD)

The People Under the Stairs (DVD)

Pet Sematary (DVD)

Peter Pan (VHS)

Pinocchio (VHS)

Planet Terror (DVD)

Platoon (DVD)

Pokemon: The Great Race (VHS)

Pokemon: Primeape Problems (VHS)

Pokemon: Psychic Surprise (VHS)

Prince of Darkness (DVD)

Pulp Fiction (VHS)

Punk Rawk Show, Vol. 2 (DVD)

Remember the Titans (VHS)

The Rescuers Down Under (VHS)

The Return of Jafar (VHS)

The Ringer (DVD)

The Rise and Fall of WCW (DVD)

Robot Chicken: Vol. 1 (DVD)

The Rookie (DVD)

The Rugrats Movie (DVD)

Rugrats: The Santa Experience (VHS)

The Sandlot (DVD)

Saw (DVD)

Saw II (DVD)

Saw III (DVD)

Scary Movie 3 (DVD)

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (DVD)

Scream (DVD)

Scream 2 (DVD)

Scream 3 (DVD)

Scrubs: The Complete Third Season (DVD)

Scrubs: The Complete Seventh Season (DVD)

The Serpent and the Rainbow (DVD)

Shocker (DVD)

Shrek (DVD)

Shrek the Third (DVD)

Signs (DVD)

The Simpsons Movie (DVD)

The Simpsons: Political Party (VHS)

The Sixth Sense (DVD)

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (VHS)

South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut (DVD)

South Park – The Complete Tenth Season (DVD)

South Park – The Complete Eleventh Season (DVD)

Christmas Time in South Park (DVD)

Space Jam (VHS)

Spider-Man (DVD)

Spider-Man 2 (DVD)

Spider-Man: The Ultimate Villain Showdown (VHS)

SpongeBob SquarePants – Sea Stories (DVD)

Star Wars Episode I – The Phantom Menace (VHS)

Starship Troopers (VHS)

Stripes (DVD)

Stuart Little (VHS)

Superbad (DVD)

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (DVD)

Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (DVD)

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (VHS)

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Animated Series (DVD)

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze (VHS)

Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation (VHS)

They Live (DVD)

The Thing (1982) (DVD)

This Old Cub (DVD)

Timmy the Tooth: “Lost My Brush” (VHS)

Tom and Huck (VHS)

Toy Story (DVD)

Toy Story 2 (DVD)

Toy Story 3 (DVD)

Trick ‘r Treat (DVD)

Tropic Thunder (DVD)

Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie (VHS)

The Urethra Chronicles (DVD)

The Urethra Chronicles II: Harder Faster Faster Harder (DVD)

Village of the Damned (1995) (DVD)

Viva La Bam: The Complete First Season (DVD)

Waiting… (DVD)

WALL-E (DVD)

Wayne’s World (VHS)

The War of the Worlds (DVD)

WCW Mayhem (VHS)

Where the #$&% Is Santa? (DVD)

Winnie the Pooh and Christmas Too (VHS)

The Wizard of Oz (DVD)

Wrigley Field: Beyond the Ivy (DVD)

WWE Bloodbath - The Most Incredible Cage Matches (DVD)

X-Men (DVD)

You Don’t Mess with the Zohan (DVD)

Zack and Miri Make a Porno (DVD)

28 Days Later (DVD)

The 40-Year-Old Virgin (DVD)

61* (DVD)

101 Dalmatians (VHS)

101 Dalmatians (Animated) (VHS)

     There are the list of DVDs/VHS tapes that make up my entertainment collection.  The funny thing is, this time next week, I could add another 5 DVDs to that collection.  It grows constantly, I absolutely adore buying new movies.  There are so many more I wish to obtain and I will never stop adding on to this collection.  When I was a kid, I would always walk into my sister's room and just stare in awe of her movie collection.  I was so jealous that she had accumulated so many interesting and badass movies for her to watch whenever she wanted.  I told myself that one day I would have a collection like that, I believe I do now.  Do I have a movie collection filled with award winning cinematic masterpieces?  No.  That doesn't make me any less prouder of these movies, those are the movies that I enjoy and love and that's all that matters to me.  That's the thing about movie collections, though, they're never really eve finished are they?  There's always another movie to go out and buy...