So, another semester has come and gone, and with only one more to go, my days in Indiana are rather numbered. I could probably do some math and figure out just how many days, but I'm not that motivated. Anyway, during my last year at BYU I found myself taking note of all my last times for things...last Fall Fling, last time seeing the tree in the Quad, last pumpkin thing at Jamba Juice (what was that name?), last time smelling those crazy trees that I love* and the like.
So, around October this year I started doing the same thing here. Last fall scenery at Brown County, last Halloween with Ferskner, last December breakfast for the program (mm, bagel), last work shift with Marcue and such. Basically I am being preemptively nostalgic half the time and the other half of the time I'm counting down days until things like Friday, the day I go home, Christmas and oh yeah, the 26th. Not to mention things way more in the future like the day I graduate, the day I get my tax return and the day I finally see Half-Blood Prince.
I can't really remember the point of this post except to say that it's hard to be full of anticipation for the future while still reveling in the moment and all the while sighing over things I'll miss in six months. Even though I'm excited about the future and all of those plans, I'm already getting sad to move. At least I will have plenty of time in the car to cry my eyes out with only a small audience.
*Bradford pear trees! People think they stink, and maybe they do but I love that smell. They're my favorite part of spring at BYU. I want to inhale the smell right now, but all I can smell is my bagel.
Thanksgiving is good for a lot of things--family gatherings, good sale prices, sweater weather. It's also good for a few of my favorite foods. Are they favorites because I only eat them 1-3 times a year? Perhaps. Either way, all I know is that I talk about them a lot and hound my Mom about it every year. "And yams? We're having yams right? You got the marshmallows? And the beans? Did you get the right beans? They have to be the right beeeeeans!"
So, as that may have tipped you off, two of my favorite T-Gives foods are green bean casserole and yams. And of course, the T-Gives Food Crown goes to pumpkin pie but that one is so expected I decided to focus more on the others because they are tasty.
I love these yams so much. They are pretty traditional and maybe boring that way but seriously, if it's not Baroque broke, why fix it?I know some people like big chunks of yams and that is good too, but these ones just melt like delicious yam-tasting butter.
Ahh...forkfuls of delicious creamy, crunchy beany goodness. First I have to explain something here. I always always always always make this with French cut frozen green beans but apparently Wal-Mart didn't want to please me because I couldn't find a trace of them. So I had to settle for the pedestrian cut green beans, which are not as good I realized. I like the slivers of green beans better than fat hunks of them. Anyway, it's still delicious and I wound up eating 75% of it myself. Also, cream of mushroom soup is the best thing Campbell's ever invented.
In summary: Thanksgiving foods are delicious and delectable.
I wasn't going to blog about this, but now that I'm sitting here with little to do with even less confidence in myself to do my work well, I think I will.
I saw Twilight last night at midnight. I wasn't planning to, but having two little roommates that hadn't experienced a midnight show gave me a reason. I'm all about sacrificing so others can have good experiences in life, you know? Anyway, that part of the adventure was fun. We all made shirts and got there an hour and a half early, just in time to nab the last three seats at the rail. There were about four guys in the theater and there were lots of Twilight shirts. I'm sure one girl made her face vampire pale (aka "pale white"). There were fewer tweens than I expected--most of the crowd was 18 and up. So I despaired a little less for the younger generation. The lowest point of the night was trying to get out of the parking lot via the one little exit. Luckily Erasure was handy.
As for the movie itself, well, I was overall pleasantly surprised. It wasn't a work of art, but as far as book adaptations go it succeeded for two reasons. First, it was faithful to the book where it counted. The story moved along in the same fashion, the characters were generally true to their paper and ink twins. The second reason is that the movie either improved on some things or at least avoided some pitfalls of the book. Part of that is because Bella isn't narrating the whole time so you get less "Edward's face was like a white sculpture, except the sculpture was so beautiful no human could ever have made it." Movies also make it easier to summarize things and so a lot of things were abbreviated and summarized (like the meadow and pretty much every Bella and Edward conversation). The movie also made their attraction to each other a little more normal and less "You're so hot and mysterious" and "I'm addicted to your smell."
As for the actors, I have no real complaints. I actually thought Kristen Stewart was a good match for Bella, if a little lifeless (which...again, good match for Bella). RPattz was fine. His hair looked good for the most part. I still struggle with Peter Facinelli aka Carlisle and it seemed like he was using a weird accent. I liked Charlie. But I always like Charlie. He's almost my favorite character.
Oh, and Jacob. His hair in his first scene was so so bad. I literally shrunk into an awkward fetal position with embarassment. Luckily he wore a hat in all his scenes until his last one at the prom and, thank goodness, his hair looked like it might have really been attached to his head. Besides that, I liked him. I think he'll grow on me the more I see it, and my palms are sweaty with New Moon anticipation.* He still doesn't match Jacob in my head but he has a nice smile and I enjoy that.
After all that lukewarm praise I now have to say there were lots of silly things, some I expected and some unexpected gems as well. I laughed at a number of inappropriate moments, and other times I just stifled myself with my scarf. Sparkly Edward? No thanks. The Cullens hunting in their 1920's Sunday best? Priceless. James wearing a zipped up leather jacket with no shirt underneath? Strangely disturbing. Stephenie Meyer's cameo? Painfully awkward. Eric's hair? Distractingly bad.
Overall I'd give it a solid B. I have a feeling I'm going to be reading New Moon soon and Jacob will break my brain all over again.
*This is not true. Except that I'm anticipating it. Without sweaty palms.
Last Saturday I got up bright and early-ish and headed off to Kroger with my roommate to enjoy the promised (free) bounties of their grand re-opening. Also, I needed conditioner. I got lots of free food, and it was a tasty food too but it was all rather salty. Corned beef? Pasta sauce? Sea salt potato chips? You get the idea. So it was very exciting to see a nice middle-aged man at an orange juice station. "I love orange juice!" I said to myself and made a beeline for it.
"Hi!" I said brightly to this nice man in a Santa hat. He greeted me similarly, and, eying my snappy brown hat, said, "I like that hat. I like your style." "Well," I said very cheerily, "you have a very nice hat too."
At this point he just started looking at me and smiling while I stood waiting for him to pour that dratted orange juice. "Well I just like your style!" he enthused. "Um, thanks," I said. Give me the orange juice. "What's your name?" he asked, still beaming at me relentlessly. I tell him, hoping it will get me the orange juice faster. Although at this point I was very ready to go get the egg nog a few steps away.
"Well, Miss Julie, I just got to ask for your number!"
...
Give me the orange juice!
"I...don't think my boyfriend would appreciate that..."
"Probably not, I'm sure you've got two."
"At least!"
Finally he pours me the most measly amount of orange juice ever, wishes me a happy holiday then looks me up and down before his parting words: "Why...I...I just like how you walk, I like your style!"
Yeah, okay, sir, thanks for giving me a creepy thing to associate orange juice with.
2008 has been a pretty eventful year for a lot of reasons. One reason 2008 has been cool is the number of things in my life that have been upgraded from okay things to way better things. To illustrate what I mean, I will show you some of my favorite upgrades. My old brush. Do you like how it's completely split open and a bunch of the plastic brush parts are missing? Yeah. The new one is not only intact but also has this crazy gel handle that is all squishy and cool. It's so cool that hair kind of sticks to it a little bit but we're coping.
Speaking of hair, it's been just over two years since I whacked my hair off (temporary insanity?). There were a few cuts in between then and now, just to avoid the mullet look, but now I can say that I'm never going short again. Check out this upgrade: I still have that ponytail of hair in my bathroom drawer back home. I always said I would keep it until I had that much hair on my head again and--hallejuah!--it's about to that point. Next! I rode that bus pretty much everyday the last school year. It was okay, but I'm happy to not do that anymore ever again. Plus now I get to do fun stuff like pay for gas. Just kidding, little Leeloo car, I don't mind. I don't have before and after pictures of my legs. You will all just have to believe me when I say my legs look way better than they did a few months ago when I didn't run regularly.
This is my favorite one. Well. Maybe after my hair...
Next on my list: bagels and cream cheese to replace my toast and jam.
A couple months ago I saw this meme all over the place, and I always did it in my head but that was it. Now I'm sitting at work with three periodicals to keep me busy for the next seven hours. So I think I'll do this now. These are all pretty much the worst names ever:
1. Rock Star Name (first pet, current car): Jingles Corolla (or Jingles Co'olla)
2. Gangsta Name (favorite ice cream flavor, favorite type of shoe): Blue Ribbon Chocolate Cake Cute
3. Native American Name (favorite color, favorite animal): Pink Cat
4. Soap Opera Name (middle name, city where you were born): Ann Lake Arrowhead
5. Star Wars Name (the first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 of your first name): Chrju
6. Superhero Name (2nd favorite color, favorite drink): Red Water
7. NASCAR Name (the first names of your grandfathers): Jay Doug
8. Stripper Name (the name of your favorite perfume/cologne/scent, favorite candy): Aqva Pour Homme 3 Musketeers (oy!)
10. TV Weather Anchor Name (your 5th grade teacher's last name, a major city that starts with the same letter): Fredericks Fresno
11. Spy Name (your favorite season/holiday, flower): Spring Morning Glory? Halloween Snapdragon?
12. Cartoon Name (favorite fruit, article of clothing you're wearing right now): Peach Hoodie
13. Hippie Name (what you ate for breakfast, favorite tree): English Muffin Weeping Willow
Seriously, those are the worst names ever! Red Water???
Before you read this, the final chapter, I just would like to say that it is supposed to be silly and poke fun at Stephenie Meyer. I didn't write it because of my all-consuming love for Twilight or whatever. I was just bored and feeling clever. Just to clarify.
Chapter Three: INTENSE
"Thanks, Jacob!" I said brightly, setting the last bag on the seat with relief. The plastic straps of the bag had been rubbing into my hand and left angry red marks. It was as though even the bag was mocking my weak human state.
Jacob didn't notice how the thought panged me, reminding me of Edward and the inequality of both our love and our species. Instead he just looked at me with his black eyes, a smile still on his face. He could smile; he wasn't separated from a vital piece of himself, waiting for that piece to finish eating a bison.
I stood with Jacob at the end of the truck as he was turning to go. There was a sudden roaring sound as an old truck sped around the corner near us. It was heading straight for one of the large, perpetual puddles of rainwater in the parking lot.
Without warning I was swept up, off my feet and into the air. I shut my eyes in fright automatically, but I knew, without opening them, who had picked me up. I could feel his hard, cold arms holding me, and when I opened my eyes I saw his beautiful stony face. His burning, liquid-gold eyes stared into mine for only a moment before he set me down on my feet gently and he turned to Jacob.
"What were you thinking, dog?" he said angrily.
"I was going to save her," Jacob replied, looking defensive. "You just beat me to the punch is all, leech."
"Save me?" I asked. I'd been so distracted by Edward's appearance it took a moment for me to realize what was happening. "What are you talking about, Edward?"
"Didn't you see that truck?" he asked, swiveling to face me. He looked me over for a minute, as if checking for injuries. "The puddles...you would have been drenched. You could have caught a chill, developed pneumonia and died, Bella. Do you understand me? Died." He smoothed my hair with one hand. "You're fragile, my love."
"Oh come on!" Jacob protested. "I was going to block the water. She would have been fine. I had it all under control, bloodsucker."
"Don't argue with me about this, mutt!" Edward turned back to Jacob, his soothing tone gone. "You don't appreciate how delicate humans are, how delicate Bella is. I never should have left her.... This is the last time you'll put her at risk, hound."
Jacob scoffed. "I'm the one who was here to help her with the groceries. And I'll be here to help her next week too, mosquito." He gave me a last look and smile and turned away, hot dogs in hand.
As soon as Jacob had pulled out of the parking lot, Edward wrapped me in a tight hug, saying in a low voice, "What was I thinking? How could I leave you so defenseless?"
I was filled with a sudden irritation. I wasn't so fragile. I never caught colds. If getting wet made me sick, I would have colds every other day in Forks. Why did he think I was so defenseless? "Edward," I said crossly, "it's just water. You didn't have to come back and save me from splashing water."
"Poor Bella," he said, giving me a sad smile. "You just don't appreciate how fragile the human body is. One day, you'll understand."
With those words, my anger melted away like a fine mist of steam coming off asphalt streets. I sighed contentedly and thought of how soon I would be asleep and he would be there, watching me sleep.
Looking into his honey-colored eyes, I said, "Let's go home."
As some of you know, I recently finished a book called Tantalize by Cynthia Leitich Smith. I read it because even after the failed endeavor that was Vampire Academy I still wanted to test the Twilight-knockoff waters. I just can't be satisfied knowing there are a bunch of super awful vampire books out there, I have to read them. One of them.
Anyway, so I found this book while I was shelving and did some more research on the handy dandy Internet. It look promising! The author was know for her realistic fiction, the premise sounded interesting-ish, and it wasn't part of a series. Yeah, the cover is dumb and completely uninformative, but I was willing to overlook that. After all, there was a hunky half-werewolf love interest involved.
Spoilers ahead. I don't think you'll care.
So yeah...this book was kind of weird. The basic idea is that the main character, Quincie, is renovating her dead parent's restaurant along with her uncle to give it a vampire theme. After their chef is murdered, Quincie has to find a new chef. She's also trying to get her werewolf hybrid best buddy to make out with her. So...in the end she's turned into a vampire by the chef, who is a vampire (as is her uncle, but his girlfriend is a Cat...a werecat) and he makes a lot of the restaurant guest vampires too by feeding them baby squirrels (in a honey cream sauce!). Oh, did I mention that the hunky werewolf hybrid (Kieren) is hardly in this book? In the end he has to leave to be with his wolf pack, and Quincie has to suck his blood to save his life from the chef.
The book takes place in Austin, Texas, but apparently there are were- animals all over the place. And not just cool animals, mind you! Oh no, Kieren/Hunky Werewolf Hybrid's best friends are a "werearmadillo" and a "werepossum." You never get any sense of the scope here though. You just have to infer everything, and that makes me crazy.
OK, almost done. This book also has details of the most random things. My favorite is how Quincie wears a dark blue lace dress. With "a beige thong." This thong is mentioned throughout the rest of the book. We are told repeatedly that it is "still in place."
To sum up, my favorite sentence.
"[Kieren] even knew when I started my period, and not just because he could smell it."
Fifteen minutes later I was pushing the shiny metal cart down the bread aisle. Wheat, whole wheat, butter-top, potato...what did it matter? Wasn't all bread really the same? I sighed heavily and thought of Edward as I picked up a loaf of honey wheat. Honey. The color of his eyes. I stared at that loaf of bread for a long moment, trying to see his face in the cheap plastic bag. If I squinted and turned my head just right I could almost imagine his face. I sighed heavily and tossed the bread into the basket. I continued down the aisle in search of oatmeal, and glanced up at the florescent lights, thinking of how superhumanly attractive Edward always looked beneath them.
I stood in front of all the oatmeal varieties. Did Charlie like apple cinnamon or was it peaches and cream? It was hard to remember facts not related to Edward. In the end I picked bananas and cream. Surely Charlie liked bananas since he had painted my room yellow all those years ago.
The work of grocery shopping alone was torture. Finally, next to the spaghetti-o's I almost fell to my knees and sobbed as my loneliness threatened to engulf me in sorrow. I gripped the red plastic handlebar of the cart, willing myself to stay conscious. Soon I would be with Edward again, soon I would bask in his glorious beauty and stroke his perfect hair--
Suddenly I heard a voice behind me say my name. It wasn't the voice I longed to hear but I looked up anyway. "Are you okay?" I looked up to see Jacob--tall, strong, masculine Jacob with his shiny black hair and russet skin.
Everything fell apart when I saw him, and I nearly threw myself at him in relief. "Jake!" I whispered hoarsely as I clung to him. "I can't believe you're here, just when I needed someone!"
"Woah, Bells," he said, sounding surprised. "What's wrong?"
"Oh, Jacob," I sniffed. "I was shopping and I...I just...I couldn't deal with it. Edward is--is--" I caught Jacob's hopeful expression and said, "He's not here!"
"Jerk," he said scathingly. "He should know better than to leave you on your own. I'm glad I needed some more hot dogs."
I hugged him tightly, appreciating his muscular shoulders as I did so--in a purely friend kind of way, of course, since Jacob and I would never be more than that. Still, I told myself, I would be a poor friend indeed if I couldn't appreciate his good build.
I took several deep breaths and tried to collect myself. "Will you help me finish the shopping, Jake?" I asked tentatively. "I just...I don't think I could do it alone. Not tonight."
"Sure, sure," he said, throwing a pack of hot dogs into the basket. Suddenly everything was all right. I had Jacob--my Jacob--to help me through the rest of the grocery shopping. We spent the next hour laughing about cow tongues, store-brand cereal and a display of Butterfingers. Before I knew it, the groceries were loaded into the truck.
Last Tuesday I found myself stuck in a crowded computer lab. I felt kind of bad being on Facebook when there were people wandering around looking for open computers. So in an effort to at least look like I was doing something academic, I opened Word and started writing. And what did I write? A Twilight story! I'm posting it in three parts, just because the whole thing would be a big old post. So, for your enjoyment, here is my story, which takes place in a kind of grey area of between New Moon and Eclipse. I guess? I don't know.
Chapter One: VICTUALS
It was a gray, drizzling day in Forks, Washington. Or to put it another way, it was a normal day in Forks, Washington. I automatically pulled the hood on my rain jacket up as I started across the parking lot to the rusted metal monster that was my truck. It was Tuesday, and that meant it was grocery shopping day. For two people, Charlie and I seemed to eat a lot of food--I only had to go grocery shopping every other week when I lived in Phoenix.
As I was putting my hand in my pocket to fish out my car keys I realized Edward had already unlocked the door and was holding it open for me. Was I ever going to get used to his amazing superhuman speed? I spent a moment thinking of how his bronze hair would look so windswept when he moved so quickly. One day, after he made me a vampire, I would be able to see it for myself and I knew that it would be more incredible than anything my weak human imagination could dream of.
"Your door, m'lady," he said chivalrously as he held the door open. There was a faint smile on his perfect marble lips and a light in his topaz--wait, his eyes were coal black today. How did I not notice sooner? Hadn't I spent all of lunch staring into them, losing myself in their depths? I had barely even noticed the taste of my chocolate cherry cheesecake. I remember thinking that I may as well have been eating dirt for how much I noticed.
"Edward!" No matter how many times I said his name, it was still like verbal magic. "Are you coming to the store with me?"
"Sadly no," he said, attempting to pull a face. It didn't work--how could it work on a face with his perfection? "I'm going hunting with Jasper. He wants something exotic today so we're going to find some buffalo in Montana." It was my turn to pull a face. "I'm sorry, my love. But if I don't eat soon, I may eat Charlie. I think we would both regret that later."
"But if it meant you could stay closer to Forks tonight..."
He shoook his head nobly and flashed one of my favorite crooked smiles, showing off his gleaming white teeth. It was amazing how his teeth could look so white, even next to the snowy whiteness of his skin. I could tell he was trying to be more optimistic for my sake as he said, "It's better this way. You take care of Charlie, and I'll be back tonight."
Taking a small section of my boring hair on his stunning hand, he twisted it around his finger lightly. It was a perfect metaphor for our relationship--he, the dazzling, beautiful one with my breakable, boring self wrapped around his little finger. If only I could be a vampire today, then we could both be beautiful and I could rid myself of my weak human body.
My expression must have turned slightly more crestfallen because he gave me another crooked smile and said soothingly, "I'll be back before you can miss me."
We both knew that was false. But he was gone before I could reach out and grab him. How was I going to face the grocery store alone? RiteAid would seem just as boring and drab as me without him walking down the paper goods aisle. Still, Charlie and I had to eat, and even if I didn't care if I ate dirt, Charlie did. So I climbed into my faithful truck and headed for the store.
I know, I know, I can hear you now. Another list of random facts about myself? But you know...this one is different and plus, I was tagged so I *have* to do it. Technically you don't *have* to read it but you'll be glad you did! Also, I tag any of you who haven't done this yet--which is most of you--and I double tag Ferskner to give her extra motivation.
i am - working at the library.
i think - too much about little things.
i want - a rabbit named Pancakes.
i have - more posters featuring Orlando Bloom than anyone needs.
i wish - my ankles were thinner.
i hate - those goofy gift books that are just cozy pictures and sappy quotes.
i miss - people.
i fear - nighttime intruders and having no bat to beat them with.
i feel - pretty good.
i hear - shhh, it's a library.
i smell - books.
i search - as ever, for Peter Pan and...I mean,I search for ways to integrate movie quotes in my conversations.
i wonder - why thinking about things makes your insides react when, technically, they aren't involved.
i regret - stuff.
i love - lots of stuff!
i care - too little sometimes.
i always - make my bed.
i am not - as smart as I like to think I am.
i believe - I can touch the sky.
i dance - rarely and poorly.
i sing - along with instrumental music.
i don't always - say the right thing.
i write - silly stories and fanfics sometimes. What?!
As some of you know, I got a nifty new camera in April. In addition to being red and small, my camera also came with the nifty panorama feature. To sum up, it helps you take overlapping pictures and comes with a program that stitches them together. Neato, right?
I've used it a few times, starting in Logan, Utah, in May. We were staying on the side of the mountains so it, to say the least, a great view. Check it out!
The tricky thing about panoramas is that you want them to be big enough to see the details but the bigger it is the longer it is and the more you have to scroll. Which is maybe why I'm partial to the last of the Logan panoramas.
I tried to get a panorama of Disneyland from the hotel but it was night and it just didn't turn out. One more thing to try again when I go back! Anyway, so on that same trip I got a 360 degree of BYU on the south border. It's super long. In more pedestrian panoramas, this is the luxury pond at my old apartment complex. Why I took a panorama of it, I couldn't say. And finally, in August we went to the art museum in St. Louis, which is in Forest Park. And Forest Park is so lovely I had to take a picture of it. Look at all that lovely Missouri-ness! A few weeks ago I stumbled on this gorgeous nighttime panorama of Paris. Unfortunately I don't have the URL and I have no idea who did it, but luckily I saved a copy. So look at it and imagine a photographer and a website and say "Wow, imagined photographer, you got mad skills!" Wait a second...I'm supposed to be doing homework right now. My bad.
Don't worry, I did not have another run-in with the maintenance man. The blog title just refers to the fact that I stole the entire construction of this post from Drew. Because he is more creative than me.
Three things I'm looking forward to this year:
Halloween! Because I always look forward to Halloween
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood...DANG IT, WB!
Quantum of Solace
Three joys in my life:
The fam.
Books!
Friends! And emails from friends far away.
Three movies I've watched multiple times (recently):
Last of the Mohicans
The Dark Knight
Penelope
Three fears:
Being scolded by an authority figure
Nighttime intruders
Dinosaurs suddenly appearing in the area, forcing me to use one of my many thought-out evasion tactics.
Three favorite foods:
Mom's lasagna
Ice cream
Portobello and mozzarella panini from St. Louis Bread Co./Panera
Three goals I've set for myself:
Get up on time on a semi-regular basis
Draw better
Go running on a semi-regular basis
Three TV shows I watch:
The Office
Project Runway
Battlestar Galactica
Three current obsessions:
Becoming Ferskner (Facebook will provide evidence of my success...very soon)
Snickers (the candy bar)
Unlocking King Boo on Mario Kart (it's all for you, Ferskner!)
Three places I've visited:
Disneyland!
Chicago
Phoenix
Three places I'd like to visit:
ENGLAND
Disneyland
Disneyworld
Three random facts about me:
I like lists
I love the sound of train whistles at night
I wish I knew the constellations better
Three embarrassing facts about me:
I fell on a treadmill once
I have a weakness for a few now-defunct British boy bands
I think a lot about what I would do in completely impossible situations (see #3 in "Three Fears")
Another thing I should have put on my 100 Things List is that I like recommending things to people. Some people might call it "forcing" or "pushing" or "harassment."
That said I have two recommendations for you all, my lovely faithful blog readers. Your reward is to hear about two food things that are simply divine. Almost as divine as the Fleur de Sel ice cream I recommended way back (anybody ever follow through on that one? You're missing out if you haven't). Or are they diviner? It really all depends on which one I'm eating/drinking at the moment. But I digress.
Recommendation #1: Imo's Pizza. For those of you who live outside Middle Kingdom, you probably haven't heard of Imo's. I hear you saying "It's just pizza. Pizza is pizza." But this pizza is extra special. First off, it's thin crust. I don't like thin crust but I love this thin crust. It's thin, without being crunchy or overly crispy. Second, they use Provel cheese, which is a blend of three cheeses that I can't remember (provolone, swiss...cheddar?). Thirdly, they have some kind of extra special sauce too. It's sweeter without being gross or weirdly sweet. Fourthly, they don't shirk on their fine-quality, varied toppings. And finally and fifthly, on Monday after four, their pizza is half price. At at least one location.
Recommendation #2: Gatorade Rain lime flavor. Here is the trick, people, Gatorade RAIN. Do not make the mistake of picking up regular lime or lemon-lime or strawberry lemonade or strawberry kiwi. Gatorade RAIN. I have only recently come to appreciate Gatorade, but this kind? I love it. I will chug it because it tastes so good. If you came to my house, I would give you some. But those of you who live in my house already had some, and the rest of you live elsewhere. So go buy some!
I know this was a random topic for a blog, but these are the things I think about at night. And day.
In an effort to 1) read a YA book 2) explore the vampire fiction world beyond Twilight 3) read something current 4) read something easy 5) read something I think will be awesomely bad I am about to start reading Vampire Academy. Vladimir's Academy, to be precise. It's located deep in the heart of the dark woods in...Montana. And these are the first few sentences:
"I felt her fear before I heard her screams. "Her nightmare pulsed into me, shaking me out of my own dream, which had had something to with a beach and some hot guy rubbing suntan oil on me."
As some of you know, this semester I'm taking Materials for Youth. That basically means we read at least 40 picture books and 30 novels with a variety of plots, authors and reading levels. We have to keep track of these books of course and to do this I started another blog, which I am pleased to say is called Books and Cleverness. Today I added the books I read this week so if you're interested, you can check those out. Also, if you have any recommendations for me of either book type, let me know! 50% of my books have to be written in the last 5-7 years so keep that in mind.
Books I am intending to read are: Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, The Tale of Despereaux, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (sneaky!), The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Six More, Fairest, The Wolves of Willoughby Chase, Inkspell, The Golden Compass and something by Vicki Grove. I need some more "real life" books and I need more books directed at boys, but really I want to hear any and all recommendations.
And thus concludes the book portion of today's blog.
Last night I watched Son of Rambow, and overall, I liked it pretty well. It went a little long, and sometimes I get a little impatient with movies only about and only featuring kids. Now that I sound like an ogre, I have one more thing to say about this movie. OK, for those of you who don't know the premise, the main character is a little boy who never watches TV (his family is very religious) but he's extremely creative. He happens to watch First Blood at a classmate's house and loves it. So, long story short, he and this friend are making a sequel to First Blood where the little boy has to save Rambo(w) from the Evil Scarecrow.
So, I did really love something about this movie and that was how magical Rambo was to this little boy (William?). He started wearing his tie around his forehead and ran everywhere, jumping on things, and fist fighting with the air. It wasn't that he turned violent or mean at all, but it just excited him so much and he was so exhilirated. I started wondering how often that happens now. It seems like everything is so well advertised and easily accessible, that it would be hard to be sort of hit over the head by something now. I mean, we hear about movies months before they're released, we see the trailers and the stills and merchandise. The only experience of mine that I can equate to the First Blood experience is seeing Return of the King for the first time. In that case, I hadn't read the book yet, I didn't watch the trailers, I didn't see any stills, I read no spoilers whatsoever. Of course, this led to me having minor nervous breakdowns in the theater but it was so worth it to be completely blown away. But even then, I'd seen the first two movies so I had some idea of where it was all going.
Anyway, I liked that Son of Rambow really captured this little boy's experience of seeing something thrilling for the first time and having it really work on his imagination and change his life. Plus the movie that sparked all this was First Blood, which is totally unexpected but it works so well! So, long story short, I would recommend it because, in addition to all that stuff I rambled about, it's also well made, quite funny, creative and the cast is all very good.
The other day I was walking home from class and talking to my Mom. I get to the building and I go up the stairs when I see that the front door to our apartment is open. And this is the part where I will interrupt myself and say that breakins/burglars/thieves/nighttime intruders/etc. are pretty much terrifying to me. Not that other people don't find that terrifying but I use a lot of mental energy thinking about them and making plans of how to escape or hide or call 911.
Anyway, so I see the front door is open and my heart starts hammering and I say "My door is open!" My Mom, she's so nice, she says "Oh that's good." While I was explaining this, I hear someone inside rustling around, and I wondered if Vera had already been stolen. I didn't go in of course and instead I ran back outside.
As I'm standing there, dying inside, I hear sirens and I think "Somebody already knows! They're coming to save me!" I was also wondering if you had to pay for the police to come save you from burglars.
And then...I see an ambulance drive by and bypass the complex.
And then...I look up and I see someone at the window!
And then...I realize it's the maintenance man fixing the blinds in the living room.
So...I go back inside and the very nice maintenance man apologizes for scaring me.
I bet you're all thinking that I'm such a dingdong because I wrote "summery." But what you don't know is that this is my report on summer! See what I did there? Oh ho ho! Tricky me.
It's September now. That means school, jackets, leaves falling, real shoes and apples. It also means that, once again, summer is over. It's always a sad thing to see summer go because lots of wonderful things happen in summer and only summer--although, isn't that true of all the seasons? I had a lot of fun this summer. Here are some of my favorite summery things that I did:
Went to Disneyland for the first time
Went to In-N-Out Burger for the first time (on the way to Disneyland!)
Went through Las Vegas for the first time (on the way to Disneyland!)
Ate lots of barbecued tastiness
Ate tomatoes right off the vine
Went nightswimming--with a frog!
Played MarioKart on the Wii
Bought a car (maybe one day I will be able to register it too)
Went to Utah
Set off and watched fireworks
Watched a movie in the park
Saw blockbuster movies
Caught fireflies
Went outside in a thunderstorm
Listened to the bugs at night
Stayed up too late
Read books outside
Of course, some of these things will still be possible in the lovely season that is autumn, but some things, like barbecues, aren't the same in chillier weather. Luckily every season has its own attractions so now I'm looking forward to fall things such as:
Apple cider. Or as I like to call it: "nectar of the gods"
Sweaters! Boots! Jackets!
Colorful leaves, and walking through them on the sidewalk
All the colors of fall: brown, red, gold, dark green
Halloween!
Going back to Hogwar--wait...
OK, I promise the next time I blog I will actually write something instead of making a list. Have I mentioned that I like lists? Maybe I should have added that to my 100 things list...
Today I was at a loss for a blog topic, and Ferskner was helpful enough to give me a suggestion. So today I'm going to admit to liking some things that I'm ashamed to like. Actually, let me correct myself: I'm not ashamed of anything that I like. So today I'm going to admit to liking some things that I'm not ashamed to like but perhaps should be.
Knee socks. I love knee socks. I mean the preppy kind, not the fancy kind kids these days are wearing. (Example from the mall last week: grey knee highs with multi-colored hearts, coupled with super-short gym shorts.)
"We are One" from the Lion King sequel. I just listened to that song about five times in a row.
Van Helsing. There are so many things to love about this movie I don't know why it's not more popular...except for all the obvious reasons.
Charlie and Lola. I haven't read any many of the books, but I love this show. It's so cute and English. "Cha-lie!"
"Leavin'" by Jesse McCartney. I KNOW.
Pirates of the Caribbean techno remixes.
Vienna sausages.
It was hard to think of this list because, to quote Marcue: "You like cool things. HP, Pirates, the Office. All cool." She also accused me of secretly liking Strutz, which, if true, would be cause for some serious shame on my part.
And now, gentle readers, I encourage you all to comment with your own lists so that I can mock read them.
So I was sitting in Sunday School today and I happened to look around and what did I see? Fleece blankets. I've seen this a few times in my home ward, but I didn't know that it had spread to the far eastern borders of the Middle Kingdom. So what's the problem with fleece blankets? Let's examine the evidence:
It's August.
They are called nylons.
Fleece blankets are often loudly patterned. I have seen plaids, dogs, tie-dye and stripes. Thus, they are exceptionally distracting.
Who wants to carry a blanket to church anyway? A binder and scriptures are plenty for me.
One expects church buildings to be cold, it is the Mormon way, and one must plan ahead. I guess some people think bringing blankets and hoodies are practical, but don't sweaters and nylons work? That is the whole point of sweaters and nylons after all.
I realize this is kind of a ridiculous thing to complain about, but isn't it kind of like wearing flannel pajama pants to school? And let's not get started on texting or Gameboy playing during church.
So, just because, I'm going to list 100 things about myself. Are there 100 things I could say about myself? I'm going to find out, and if you want to find out really quickly you can scroll to the bottom and see the last number. And don't blame me if halfway through things start to get really random like "I like peanut butter" and "I stayed up too late last night."
(I stole the idea for this post from Drew. Some of my items are in response to things on his list. Just in case you were wondering. I don't know why anyone would be wondering about that.) 1. My favorite color is pink! It wasn't always (it's so girly) but I had two pink-loving roommates in a row. I guess it rubbed off on me. But pink is just so pretty, am I right? Pretty!
2. I finally caved and bought the more expensive Venus razor this past weekend. I'm sad that it's blue and not pink. (EDIT: Just kidding! It really is pink.)
3. My not-so-secret dream job would be to make dioramas for a museum. I get very excited when I see a diorama. I might even flail my arms about.
4. One of my favorite dioramas is at the Bean Museum at BYU. It's at one of the entrances and it's got an iceberg and, I think, a whale.
5. I think of myself as being pretty emotionally lazy as far as negative emotions go. Once I get worked up, I can't maintain it very long because it takes too much effort.
6. One of my favorite belongings is a replica of Sally's Deadly Nightshade jar from Nightmare Before Christmas. My brother got it for me at Disneyland.
7. The smell of corn tortillas makes me gag, but I'm trying to like them.
8. I have always wanted to go to Maine, ever since I read Miss Rumphius in the second grade.
9. Lupins were my favorite flower for a long time, after I read Miss Rumphius in the second grade.
10. I didn't get a cellphone until about a year ago. I still don't feel hugely dependent on it, besides the fact that I store numbers in it, and, you know, it's how I call people.
11. I've never had a boyfriend. Come to think of it, I've never had a second date. Why am I admitting that to the Internet?
12. I love the Oscars, even though what I root for doesn't win often. It's still fun to watch and debate about.
13. I wrote nine missionaries for their whole missions. (No Johns involved)
14. I've spent a lot of time lately trying to decide what I like better: cilantro or basil.
15. I don't like little dry, woody things in my food. 16. I have a rough relationship with oregano (see #15).
17. I still have all my wisdom teeth, but three have fillings and one had a root canal and a filling. Why didn't they just take them out?
18. I didn't realize my wisdom teeth were, in fact, wisdom teeth until about two years ago. I never noticed when they came in and I always assumed everyone had 4 extra molars.
19. I've never broken a bone or had any really big injury.
20. My favorite kind of ice cream is Dreyer's Blue Ribbon Chocolate Cake. Sadly, they haven't made it for about three years.
21. I play a lot of things close to the vest.
22. My shoe size is 10-11. I call them my hobbit feet, but they are not hairy.
23. My music tastes are all over the map, and I'm not sure what they all have in common. I just like what I like.
24. I don't really like listening to "girl music." (Music performed by women) There are exceptions, but I'd rather listen to a guy singing anytime.
25. I don't care for reality tv, except for competition shows on Bravo. I eat those up like candy.
26. I got glasses in fifth grade. They were green, because that was during my green phase.
27. I had a gerbil named Yakko, who turned out to be a girl. She was lovely.
28. I had a mouse named Wakko, but sadly, he/she did not live long.
29. I spent a lot of money collecting Lion King trading cards. I got almost the whole set, besides some of the special ones, and I still have them.
30. I was a complete slob until I was 14 or so.
31. I make my bed every day.
32. I put too much a lot of thought into organizing my DVDs and books.
33. Sometimes I buy things, like socks, that I don't ever wear because I don't want them to wear out.
34. My jewelry box has Hedwig on it.
35. I am 5'5", making me the shortest person in my family.
36. I am very fond of my hands, hair and feet.
37. I didn't get sick once the last school year but I have had 3 colds this summer.
38. After I saw The Little Mermaid I drew nothing but merpeople for about three years.
39. I like interiors that are beachy (northern beaches). Beaches have a nice aesthetic.
40. My favorite painting is Attachment, by Edwin Henry Landseer. It's probably the first painting I ever saw that blew me away mentally.
41. Some of my absolute favorite artists are Caravaggio, David and Bernini. I love the drama!
42. I have random taste in comedy. I love wit, like Oscar Wilde and Jane Austen. But I also love spoofy or totally absurd comedies like Mystery Men or Dracula: Dead and Loving It.
43. I'm not really into romantic comedies. I would rather watch Die Hard than Sleepless in Seattle.
44. My favorite rom-coms are: While You Were Sleeping, You've Got Mail and Just Like Heaven. I think antagonistic or buddy relationships becoming romantical ones appeal to me more than the "soul mate" idea. I have a lot more thoughts on this but I will save it for another post.
45. I struggle with procrastination.
46. I try to not think about anything I've done before the age of 15-16 because everything before then embarrasses me. Because I was dumb.
47. I've never thought of myself as a sci-fi geek but somehow I wound up loving Firefly, Battlestar Galactica, Star Wars and I still have a soft spot for Star Trek: the Next Generation.
48. The only pure fantasy books I can read are by Tolkien.
49. When I was younger I used to wake up early on Saturdays and read fairy tales.
50. I loved Disney movies when I was little, but I think I got too good for Disney until a few years ago. Now I love Disney stuff (that love has yet to extend to their live action movies or live action anything).
51. I didn't like Enchanted and I don't understand why other people do, even when they explain it.
52. I didn't go to Disneyland until I was 25, and if it takes another 25 years to go again...well, I just don't know how I'll survive those 25 years.
53. My favorite movie is The Nightmare Before Christmas, followed by The Fifth Element, Edward Scissorhands, Dracula: Dead and Loving It and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.
54. I love Lord of the Rings so much that I don't include them on any lists. They are above the lists.
55. I read the first four Harry Potter books twice before I ever even started to really like them.
56. I was a custodian at BYU for four years.
57. I want to work in an art library or a good public library eventually.
58. I drew people out of my head until I was 15 or so. When I was 22 I tried it again and was rubbish at it. I've been trying to improve ever since.
59. I love dressing up in costumes, especially ones that involve corsets.
60. My favorite season is spring, then summer, fall and winter, but I like all of them.
61. I always doodle with a Harry Potter mechanical pencil I bought before my last year at BYU. The design rubbed off long ago, but it's still an HP pencil!
62. I've had my own computer for a long time, and it kind of weirds me out to think of sharing one again.
63. I absolutely, definitely, for certainly must go to England and I absolutely, definitely, for certainly must run about on an English moor.
64. I was scared of thunder in my early years, but I love thunderstorms now, even though they still make me cower a bit.
65. I buy too many DVDs. I know this, but I keep doing it.
66. I took two semesters of Japanese in college, and it was awesome. Sadly, I've forgotten most of it.
67. I have a whole folder of anime music on my computer. I'm listening to it right now.
68. I was big into musicals in my teenage years, which has soured me on them a bit now (see #46). Soured isn't the right word but...yeah.
69. I think Daniel Day-Lewis's character in Last of the Mohicans is the manliest, most attractive man in any movie ever.
70. I love tomatoes and mushrooms. At restaurants, if these ingredients are a prominent element in dish, I will order it.
71. My favorite book is The Silmarillion, but I love a lot of books.
72. I really want pink hair. That has been on my wish list for a long time.
73. I don't play sports, particularly team sports. I especially don't play basketball or baseball, thanks to my fourth grade gym teacher.
74. I played soccer for two seasons or something like that. Sometimes I wish I had kept that up so I could have runner legs now instead of reader legs.
75. I love English literature, especially Dickens, Austen, the Brontes, and Hardy.
76. When I was spotlighted in Relief Society recently, the one thing I wanted everyone to know about me was that I was right about Severus Snape.
77. My favorite HP characters are Harry, Hermione and Lupin. Lockhart was also a favorite for a long time.
78. At BYU, a roommate and I started a "Wall of Men" with all our favorite celebrity guys on it.
79. My favorite celebrity guys (not always based 100% on looks!): Orlando Bloom, Gerard Butler, Hugh Jackman, Gary Oldman and Johnny Depp.
80. I am a mix of girly and non-girly elements: I like pink and flowers and kitties and boys. But I also like action movies, comic books and dogs. Also I have never had a manicure, pedicure or massage. And I know I just implied only guys like dogs, which is totally false.
81. I'm not really into old movies or older music. Most things that I like of either type are newer than 1980.
82. I love American history, pre-1800 in particular, but the Civil War is also fascinating.
83. I really like video games, although I'm not good at most of them.
84. I am perfectly content being alone and entertaining myself.
85. I have never left the United States, but I've been to (or driven through) a lot of the states.
86. My insect nemesis is the camel hopper (real name: camel cricket). I have many thrilling tales about them that involve heavy objects and jumping.
87. I don't really consider myself shallow, but I have a hard time with guys with small hands. It weirds me out.
88. My siblings are my best friends and favorite people. (Oh yeah, my parents are okay. No, just kidding, Dad. You're totally cool. You too, Mom! Except you don't read my blog. What's up with that?)
89. I didn't get my ears pierced until a few years ago. I finally did it after seeing Game of Their Lives at the...Jordan Commons, I believe.
90. Sometimes I like to think I'm a grown up. Then I moo at cows on the side of the road.
91. I enjoy following rules and having things just so.
92. I like classical music, and I recognize a lot of it, but I never remember the names.
93. I think I come off as a snob to a lot to people I don't know, but it's just because I'm intimidated by, um, everyone.
94. I hate doing things wrong. I remember crying in kindergarten because I colored two red stripes next to each other on the American flag.
95. I was in the Illustration program at BYU for a year before jumping ship to Art History. That was the only year I called myself an artist, otherwise I call myself a doodler who draws stuff.
96. I've been known to find animated characters attractive. And by animated I mean animated and not human. (Adult Simba, I'm looking at you!)
97. I wish I cooked more.
98. I have crazy dreams! And I have dreams about everybody, which makes me sound like a stalker.
99. I think I'm pretty cool. Does that make me a real snob?
100. One day I would like to go to the Oscars.
Whew! Hey, that wasn't so hard. I guess I know myself pretty well. Anybody still awake?
(Song for this post: "Hogwart's Hymn")
