***OUR FAMILY PORTRAIT SPECIAL YOU’VE BEEN WAITING FOR IS AT THE END OF THIS POST ENJOY!***

The summer is over before it began it seems like. This summer I think our main activity for fun was seeing movies…lots and lots of movies. So, just for fun, here are a few of my thoughts on what we saw over the passed few months.

1) FRIGHT NIGHT

I’m not gonna lie, I enjoyed the heck outta this movie for some reason. Maybe it’s because I genuinely enjoy horror movies or maybe it’s because the 1985 original Fright Night holds a special place in my subconscious or maybe it’s because I have a secret man-crush on Colin Farrell (don’t tell my wife…meh! Go ahead and tell her. She loves the man more than me anyway. 🙂 ). I just can’t put my finger on it. The more I think about it, the more I think it’s because the movie had a good atmosphere due to the music. I actually love movie soundtracks and I really love when a movie has good music with an actual theme to it. Over the past few years, movies seem to have gotten lazy with their music and the majority of them just have filler music that is just noise in the background, never meant to be enjoyed on its own. Ominous tones, bass and lack of unique style from the composer is all movies have offered lately. Fright Night, however, had an enjoyable theme that built up tension. I enjoyed it quite a bit.

2) CONAN THE BARBARIAN

Wow, two remakes in a row! I went and saw this one having the intention of laughing at every dumb line, cheesy battle scene and ridiculous special effect the show could throw at me. I ended up surprised at how much I was entertained. Was it the best movie ever? Absolutely not! What it did do was show a lot of fighting and a lot of action. Why else would anyone go see it? It could have done without the nudity and sex scene and this gem of a line: “I live. I love. I slay. And I am content.”  Really? That is easily the dumbest line I’ve heard in a movie this year but my wife and I both agreed that we could take the idea and run with it by selling new craft decorations for home. At long last, the “LIVE. LOVE. LAUGH.” crafts that adorn every home we visit now have some friendly competition. Just look how Kendra and I have changed up our own home! 🙂

3) Rise of the Planet of the Apes

One might think that the apes taking over the world idea would be old by now but then again, vampire movies are still around so what is wrong with an old idea? This movie was well done. Good acting. Good effects. The only thing I can never get passed with the “apes” movies is that no matter how smart those apes could possibly be, humans have weapons and lots of them. POW POW POW, the apes are dead and mankind keeps eating chimp burgers. Total movie time: 10 minutes. Good movie though. 🙂

4) We also saw X-Men, Captain America, Cowboys and Aliens, Horrible Bosses, Bridesmaids, and a few others. The end… oh what?! Like you were gonna read all these reviews! 🙂 

Ok, now to the good stuff! Our early bird family portrait special1 See below! Give us a call! (702)809-9763.

Nate

TNGphoto.com <- Main Las Vegas Photographer Website

TNGseniors.com <- Las Vegas High School Senior Photos. Seniors, go here!

SOME EXCITING PROMOTIONS ARE COMING UP NEXT MONTH FOR FAMILY PORTRAITS! I WON’T SAY WHAT THEY ARE YET BUT I’LL PUT IT THIS WAY: IT PAYS TO BE EARLY! MORE INFO COMING SOON!

I was thinking about writing out an entire narrative leading up to what I’m about to say. This narrative would have included action, drama, suspense, humor, humour (for my British friends), quirky dialogue and an unbelievable climax to the story but I’ll save all that and just say what I came here to say….

KENDRA’S HAVING A BOY! THE GRANT NAME WILL LIVE ON! 🙂

As I write this, my wife is on the phone telling all her friends and family just how well endowed our 20 week old unborn son is. She’s already becoming a competitive soccer mom. 🙂 I was hoping for a girl but I’m still happy. In fact, I think knowing my son is, well, a son, has raised my excitement level about this baby up several notches. Since I was hoping for a girl, when the ultrasound-tech pointed out that it was a boy this morning, I entertained the thought of running through a wall leaving behind a puff of smoke like in a Bugs Bunny cartoon…

…but that would be ridiculous. Send me some name suggestions!

Has anyone else noticed just how fashionable little kids are these days? It sure makes them adorable but looking back on photos of myself as a child, I was always in ratty t-shirts, sweat pants or shorts that used to be sweat pants. Maybe every time my photo was taken back then I just happened to hop into a puddle of mud or coincidentally had been rolling around in a sandbox. I’m not complaining, I’m simply practicing becoming a grumpy old man who hates everything. 🙂 Thanks for reading everyone! Give us a call anytime! (702)809-9763

Nate

TNGphoto.com <- Main Las Vegas Photographer Website

TNGseniors.com <- Las Vegas High School Senior Photos. Seniors, go here!

I have quite a competitive side to me. I don’t [always] let losing get to me but I do enjoy winning. The funny thing is my family isn’t very competitive so I must have acquired this trait from the friends I’ve been lucky to surround myself with. Kendra is very competitive too so tonight we were in need of something to do. Our other plans didn’t quite pan out so we hopped in the car (Totally unrelated but who came up with this phrase? Hopped into the car? I only know one person who hops anywhere and that’s Tigger but I digress…) and drove down to the Fiesta on Lake Mead and 215. We parked on the top level of the garage, made our way down the elevator, avoided any slot machines and headed to the arcade where the real fun awaited us. Our destination? The air hockey table!

We played six games tonight and I defeated my wife 5 games to 1. I didn’t have my camera with me tonight but here is basically what this all looked like in person:

My confidence was high with victory and we thought our fun was done for the night, when another challenger emerged! A rather unassuming boy, around 9 or 10 years old, named Jesús entered the arena, “I wanna play you,” he said.

I didn’t even care that this battle wouldn’t get to air on pay-per-view and I’d miss out on all of the buy rate commissions, “I am invincible!” I thought to myself. Our match began with a flurry and I found Jesús fighting dirty, hardly waiting for me to take hold of my striker/paddle/mallet/whatever that thing is called before launching his first attack. Our skills were evenly matched throughout and limitless  heart was displayed. Our scores fell on 5-5 when Kendra, my adoring wife, was still wroth with her defeats from earlier.

“Go Jesús!” she cheered!

What betrayal! Could my own wife be turning against me? Here we are, knowing nothing of this boy except his name and here she stands, rooting for a stranger! A few bad strikes and a few mistakes later, the humming of the air holes stopped on the table. 7-5 flashed repeatedly on the air hockey table’s display. Nate Grant was defeated…soundly….to a 10 year old boy. Had the torch just been passed? I smiled, played the adult and smiled and et tu Kendra and I exited the arcade. The competitor within raged, “BEST OF 3! BEST OF 5! STOMP THIS KID 10 TIMES IN A ROW FOR THIS DEFEAT! NO ONE DEFEATS ME!!!”

I kept walking. I kept smiling. I kept hoping to meet Jesús again and avenge my loss and still, I kept walking…

I guess that’s self control.

Here’s something that’s weird about the competitor in me. I always want to find a funnier YouTube video than my friends. This was one I found this week. I hope you enjoy it

Nate

http://www.TNGphoto.com  <- Las Vegas Photography Web Site

http://www.TNGseniors.com <- Las Vegas Senior Photography Web Site