Avatar

Saturday we went to see Avatar in 3D. We’d heard good things about it, and one friend was ready to pay for our tickets he was so insistent we see it in theatre. The 3D took a little to get used to. At first I was all too aware of the effects. But once I got into it, boy was I in. Wow. I love how James Cameron used the 3D to create immersion rather than to go out of the way to throw things at you. What a stunning world he created. I want to live on Pandora!

In addition to a beautiful setting, I thought the rest of the world building was amazing. How the entire world was networked, the culture, the symbiosis, the bioluminescence, the avatar system. The Na’vi looked amazing. This is the first movie we plan on spending the extra money and getting the blue-ray version. The graphics are that good.

The story itself may have been predictable, but most are. It’s not about the ending, its about the journey itself. And this one had me caring and fully immersed. Absolutely loved it.

Some high-jacking, rambling, fun

 

And yes, Dr. Horrible won!

 

5,000 Questions... My answers so far...

 

671. If you saw The Queen of the Damned did you want to be a vampire/Goth afterwards? Haven't seen it. But now that I've looked it up, I'm interested in seeing it.

672. If you saw SLC Punk did you want to be punk afterwards? Haven't, and probably not.

673. What is your favorite zombie movie? ooh, tough question. I love the Resident Evil movies, my favorite of which is Resident Evil: Apocalypse. Zombies on a Plane was hilarious. 28 Days Later and sequel 28 Weeks Later are great ones focused less on the chasing and eating and more on the personal/society horrors of a zombie apocalypse.

674. Best kids birthday party: ceramics, chuck-e-cheese, roller rink, bowling, sleep over, movie theater. sleep over. never heard of a ceramics party.

675. What were your parties like when you were a kid? due to so many kids, we only had birthday parties every four years: ages 4, 8, 12, and 16. Mom always made the cake herself. We got to choose a theme, and it was a big deal. The other birthdays were celebrated as a family.

 

676. Best teen (about 15-16) birthday party: ceramics, chuck-e-cheese, roller rink, bowling, sleep over, movie theater, house party, catered in a hall, restaurant, family trip, concert. concert would have been awesome

 

677. What are/were your 15-16 year old parties like? I had a murder mystery party with a small group of friends.

678. Best 18th birthday party: ceramics, chuck-e-cheese, roller rink, bowling, sleep over, movie theater, house party, catered in a hall, restaurant, family trip, concert, club, pool hall, college party. restaurant with a few close friends

679. If you are 18 what was your party like? I didn't have a party.

680. Best 21st birthday party: ceramics, chuck-e-cheese, roller rink, bowling, sleep over, movie theater, house party, catered in a hall, restaurant, family trip, concert, club, pool hall, college party, bar, Atlantic city/Las Vegas trip. I was five months pregnant at the time. I was happy going to a nice sit-down restaurant.

681. If you saw The Craft were you interested in wicca/paganism/magic afterwards? haven't seen it

682. What are your top 3 priorities? relationships, making sure I have time for myself, and the written word

683. If you saw fight club did you want to get into a fistfight afterwards? dumb question

684. What is your favorite smell? the smell walking by The Body Shop. I don't know what it is, but it's rejuvenating.

685. Give everything below a humor rating (1 = laugh your ass off, 2 = lol, 3 = smile, 4 = lame, 5 = not funny, 6 = offensive): going to do this a little different than asked for, and group them into three categories: offensive, not funny, and potential for humor (can be anywhere from 1-4 depending on the joke/situation)

People falling: not funny
Rape jokes: offensive
Sarcastic comments: potential
Blonde jokes: potential
Dirty jokes: not funny
God/religion jokes: potential
Long-ass jokes: potential
Death jokes: potential
Pain/sickness jokes: not funny
Animals doing cute stuff: potential
Bodily functions: potential
Knock jokes: potential
Ethnic jokes: offensive
Puns: potential
Ironic situations: potential

685. If you saw Cruel Intentions did you want to have lots of meaningless sex afterwards? getting tired of these questions... especially as I've never seen these movies.

 
686. Do you get at least three hugs per day? yes. my husband, my son, and I are all physically affectionate.

 

687. What should someone never say to you/call you if they want to remain on your good side? Don't ever call me "Doll."

688. If you saw Trainspotting did you want to do drugs afterwards? not applicable

689. Do movies have a great influence on you? At last! the basic question these were leading up to. They have an emotional influence, but not a lifestyle one.

690. Do you have a favorite reality TV show? The Colony. What an interesting social experiment. We discovered the show when we saw it available to purchase on Xbox Live, and have been watching it on Discovery Channel's website ever Thursday. The Colony replicates a post-apocalyptic world. How would ten people survive? They have to scavenge for their own food, find ways to get and sanitize water, create electricity, and ensure their survival.

 

691. Are there certain roles that people are pressured to play in society or can they basically do whatever they want? In these days, you can basically do what you want. But some paths have more challenges, and all choices have consequences.

692. How does the 2004 Dawn of the Dead remake compare to the original movie? I didn't see the original. I thought the remake was well done.

693. Have you ever held a magnifying glass over an insect to burn it? No.

694. Have you ever pulled the wings off a fly, butterfly or any other insect? No. I don't torture insects. And I only kill them if they are inside the house.

695. What would you think of a guy (if you're into guys) or a girl (if you're into girls) who wanted to take you to the park to feed the birds and look at the turtles and fish in the water on a date? I think that would be cool. I like parks.

 

696. Do you use public pools? Yes. Been a long time since I've been swimming though.

697. Do you use public bathrooms? yes. out of necessity.

698. Do you use public showers? only after using the public pool. swimsuit still on.

699. How old will you be in 17 years? 43. Wow.

 
700. Would it affect you at all if you knew that a very large meteor was headed towards earth that would impact in 17 years? I would hope that I'm already making the most of my life. Is this a kill everyone meteor, or a create a post-apocalyptic world, or merely cause much devastation? If it's not guaranteed death, I'd start doing better on my food storage.

Weekend Report

I had a spectacular weekend. Cirque Du Soleil: Saltimbanco was absolutely amazing. Breathtaking. The singer was incredible, as was the live band. And the acts! The duo trapeze artists about gave me a heart attack when one caught her partner’s feet with her own. The biggest surprise, and the most fun, was Eddie. A jester, a clown, a master of sound effects. I laughed so hard! One of my favorite acts, though, had to be the boleadora duo. Very cool. The show was definitely worth the ticket price. If they come again with a different show, we will buying tickets without hesitation. And this is coming from two people who rarely go to events, not wanting to pay the high ticket prices. Cirque Du Soleil is worth every penny.

 

Olive Garden was a great follow up. I’d only been there for lunch, or had their soups. This was the first time I had one of their specialty dishes. I had the Chicken Scampi. Oh my gosh, was it good. Exquisite. I couldn’t finish it all, but not for lack of wanting. My husband had the Grilled Steak Crostada, which he enjoyed. I have finally seen the why Olive Garden gets the praise it does. It’s not worth it to go for the chicken parmesan, or spaghetti, or lasagna. Get something specialty rather than generic Italian. It’s worth the extra cost. My leftovers even heated well.

 

After such a filling dinner Friday, we decided not to eat out at Mimi’s on Saturday, saving our gift card for a future date. We still went to a movie. We saw The Perfect Getaway. Thoroughly enjoyed it. It wasn’t an action-packed horror, or gore fest. Yay! Lots of suspense, and wondering who was the killer. With a killer twist in the second act.

 

Sunday was nice, not having to pick up B until the afternoon. This was the first time he’d spent two nights away from us. He did just fine, and had a fun time with his grandparents. Saturday he got to play for five hours with one of his cousins. He loves playing with other kids. We’re both looking forward to school starting soon.

 

With B gone, we took advantage of uninterrupted game time and opened up one of our unplayed board games: A Touch of Evil. We had so much fun, we left it out and played it again the following morning. I have yet to be disappointed by a Flying Frog Productions game. Next time we need to play with the soundtrack.

 

Conclusion: Awesome weekend!

Busy Weekend

I’ve got a lot to do this morning, to get chores and preparations out of the way. After lunch, we’re dropping B off at my in-laws. He’s staying through Sunday. (Woot!) Husband and I will then go see an afternoon showing of Cirque Du Soleil: Saltimbanco.  So excited!

 

After the show, we’ll be eating out, using a gift card to Olive Garden that was given to my husband by a friend.

 

Then tomorrow, extended date time! My husband’s five year anniversary for working at his job came up this week, and they gave him a gift certificate to Mimi’s, and a gift certificate to the movies. So we’ll be going out to dinner again, and seeing a movie.

 

So, I need to give B a bath, get laundry done, plan meals for shopping Saturday, get B’s weekend bag together, and hopefully fit in some writing.

 

What are your weekend plans?

Personality (quiz result, plus 5k Q)

You Are a Pond

You are modest, pleasant, and reliable. You are content and confident. You are harmonious and caring. You truly like other people for who they are. You are a very genuine, humble person. Because of this, you're very approachable. You are soft-spoken and a bit sensitive. Your mild personality is a refreshing change for people.

What Body of Water Are You?

 

I've always enjoyed personality quizzes, such as above. I'm going to start putting one at the beginning of each 5k Q post, as they are all about getting to know me.

 

5,000 Questions... My answers so far...

 

601. Do you have a lust for life? using as a definition: a strong determination to enjoy life as much as possible. No. I worry too much.

602. Do you want to get more out of life? absolutely

603. Would you want to learn to:
Convert to Buddhism? no

Cure a hangover? no
Lie persuasively? no. I'd be way too tempted to lie more often.

604. What character from a movie is most like you? Alright, I'll resort to another personality quiz. I am...

Dorothy Gale

You are always daydreaming of far-off places. A bit naive sometimes, you have a vivid imagination and your heart is pure. And you know that there is no place like home.

 

605. Are you comfortable with the idea of your own death? no. It would devastate my family, and I'm certainly not ready to die. But what scares me more than actually dying is the pain that would most likely precede it.

606. How do you feel about arranged marriages? They can work, but the key there is work. I think a person has a better chance finding a compatible match on their own, than being arranged by parents or some other party. Chemistry is something that cannot be predicted. The "perfect match" on paper does not always work out.

607. What do you hate that everyone else seems to like? shoes

608. What do you like that others seem to hate? dandelions

609. If you had to be named after a month, which month would you pick? June. Not as common as April, but not as strange as November.

610. Is time more like a highway or a meadow to you? Mostly a meadow. Living in the now, able to observe both ahead and behind. Occasionally, the highway will barge through and drag you along, giving you no choice but to keep eyes on the road ahead and keep moving so you don't become road kill. But the meadow moments are definitely preferred.

611. What is your favorite movie? Robin Hood Prince of Thieves

612. Which would you choose to be back in the day: a warrior, an alchemist, a minstrel, a bard, an oracle, a peasant, or a merchant? a bard

613. What is your favorite song lyric? "for the good of all of us/ except for those who are dead". from Still Alive, the Portal credits song. So awesome. And I can sing it on Rock Band. Even more awesome.

614. What will you never run out of? dreams

615. If you could force someone to fall madly in love with you, (anyone you choose) would you do it? No. For a couple reasons. One, if it's forced then they don't truly love me for me. Two, the 'madly' part could have unwanted consequences. They may end up completely possessive (see the movie Prom Night), or protect me in ways I don't need or want (as in Terry Goodkind's The Sword of Truth series (haven't read the books myself, but heard about them, and watched some of the tv series based on it, The Legend of the Seeker)).

616. Have you ever seen the Disney movie The Black Cauldron? yes

617. Have you ever read The Black Cauldron by Alexander Lloyd (or any of his other books in the Prydain Chronicles)? yes. Loved the books. Movie seemed strange; been too long since I read the books to say how accurate it was.

618. Have you ever written a paper the night before it was due? yes.
How about the day it was due? yes. as well as after the due date...

619. Is there a movie you have watched so many times that you can quote it line for line? No. I may be able to quote some lines, but my memory doesn't hold the bulk of a movie like that.

620. What is your favorite season? Spring. I love the blossoms, the rain, the warming days, with nights still cool enough to snuggle down under the blanket. The promises of new life, new beginnings. The world is so fresh.

Judging, Genetics, and such

5,000 Questions... My answers so far...

 

381. Do you sometimes do risky things? Yes.

 
382. Could just about anyone hold your interest in a conversation for at least ten minutes? Could I listen to someone that long? sure. Would I actually be interested? not necessarily.

383. Are you self-conscious? About my looks, not much. About my performance, absolutely. This is why I cannot accompany on the piano.

384. What would be your ideal destination for a Saturday afternoon? On a nice day, the zoo. On a hot or cold day, a nice afternoon at home.

385. Does anyone have a video tape of you doing something embarrassing? Not that I know of. If anyone else does... give me a call and we'll work something out. ;-)

386. What is Kevin Smith’s best movie? Do minor acting roles such as the diner clerk in TMNT count? Or the forensic assistant in Daredevil? Cause I am not a fan of his directed movies or main roles. I have seen Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back and did not enjoy it at all (unlike my husband, who was still talking about the movie when we went to bed). I admit to not having seen his other movies, but if the humor is the same then I shall gladly pass.

387. Where do you like to go on Friday or Saturday nights? going out to see a movie is always nice.

388. Do you like your friends to act the same way all the time or do you accept their moods and changes? I am very accepting. :-)

389. Do you often feel like other people are judging you? Sometimes. But I think most of it stems from me judging myself.

390. What do you think other people judge you to be like? I don't know. (Yes, a cop out.) Do you judge others? What are your impressions of me?

391. Are you quick to judge others? We all judge without thinking, imprint on own experience on others, create first impressions. I may be quick to judge at times, but I take my time in creating a "final verdict". I am always open to be swayed from my judgment.

392. When you have a fight with someone do you want to talk about it right away or calm down first and then talk? Calm down first. No one wants to hear the initial argument that boils in my head.

393. Some say love is a river (according to the old song). What do you say love is? Love is a complex equation. It may take proofing to understand, but somehow all the unrelated pieces work together to create wonderful results.

394. What is the worst fault a person can have? complete selfishness, a disregard for fellow man.

395. Do you have it? no. if I did, maybe I would understand all the crime, war, abuse.

396. Which do you think has more impact on a person’s character, genetics or environment? aah, the age old question of nature vs nurture. Genetics is the clay, the base of a person. Environment helps to hone and shape what is already there.

397. Who was your first best friend? Alexis, back in kindergarten.

 

398. If you are not best friends anymore, what came between you? She moved after first grade, but we wrote letters for many years, seeing each other occasionally. It wasn't until I moved to a different part of the state in 5th grade that we finally lost touch completely. We hadn't been real close anymore, and I lost her address.

399. Who have you read a biography about? Mary Queen of Scots.

400. What would your own autobiography be called? I hate this question! I suppose I could go with my first blog's title: "Discovering Me". Or the planned title of my poetry book, "My Letter to the World". Maybe I would use one of my other poem titles: "More than what you see" or "See This Woman." Not that my life is interesting enough for an autobiography.

Entertainment + other misc. QA

5,000 Questions... My answers so far...

 

Short(er) batch this time. There are a lot of related questions coming up and I want to keep them together.

 

274. Do you believe celebrities when they are endorsing a product? I consider them models or actors in the situation, paid to promote or use a product. I tend to look more at the product and user reviews than who is promoting it.

275. What kind of movies do you wish were made more often? Movies that give closure to canceled television shows. There are a lot of tv shows I've heard are great and would get from Netflix (or even buy if they're good enough), but don't want to try out because of the plots left open ended, sometimes with big revelations that open up many questions. Like "John Doe". So many questions that need answering! And if you saw the season finale, all the last minute did was show you how much you didn't know. No closure whatsoever, just flipping everything on its head.

276. Does fashion matter to you? Comfort and price trump fashion.

277. Should politicians be held to the same legal standards as everyone else? Absolutely. Same legal and moral standards.

278. What do you get in trouble for the most? Not thinking.

279. Should parents spank their kids? It's a parenting technique that works for some and not for others. I don't judge. For serious matters, we do spank our son. For example, this week he went outside by himself for the first time. To emphasize our displeasure and the seriousness of the situation, he got a major spanking and got sent to his room until dinner. He doesn't understand the reasoning behind the rule yet, so we have to have some other deterrent (spanking).

280. What is your worst daily habit? Sucking on my teeth. I hate my teeth…

281. If you had your choice which one TV show would you have canceled? Monk. Watched the first three episodes when it came to network TV, thought the character was way over the top, annoying and not funny. Actually, I realized that's why I don't like House – the over the top character, to the other extreme. A doctor that hates his patients, will refuse to treat some, yet will kidnap others to "save their life"??? His arrogance is too much for me. But just because I don't like these shows, doesn't mean anyone who does like them is stupid. Just different tastes. Which is why I am not in charge of these decisions. I can also accept that not everyone liked Firefly. Though I do not understand them, it is their opinion.

282. Do you like the taste of sweet or salt? Both. But not together. In Kingdom Hearts II (video game) there is Sea Salt Ice Cream – salty sweet. The thought is just 'eww'. *shudder* Also, too much of one or the other is not good. Eat too much candy, and some salty potato chips will taste like heaven.

Tuesday Tally for a less progressive week

EotF Update

total words to date: 89,801

pages: 397

chapters revised: 0/21 (draft 4)

 

T.C. Status

word count: 1471

 

Previous Goals:

• pick my next targets for poetry submission - to do 
• write WDC Fantasy Newsletter - submitted
• mailings for EotF - to do
• get research books from library - something!
• 2000 new words in T.C. - none... :S

Goals for next week:

• carry over unfinished goals from last week 
• get butt in gear        

 

My chapter seems to have been overlooked at Crapometer. Was hoping for some feedback. Anyone is free to go read and comment on chapter one of EotF.

 

We saw "The Seeker: Dark is Rising" over the weekend. It wasn't bad. I was disappointed though - they took out Jonathan Jackson's character! The Netflix movie sleeve still listed him in the cast, as well as a lot of the movie sites, and they even did an interview with him about his character, but I waited and waited and there was no Jonathan. :-( They didn't even have any extras on the disc with deleted scenes.

 

In a completely different realm of news (well, not completely, still media-ish), guess which music group is getting back together after 14 years?? New Kids on the Block! They're not so new, and certainly not kids, but I'm interested in hearing their new stuff. I have one of their early CDs. :-)

Politics, Jacuzzis, and Life

5,000 Questions... My answers so far...

 

 

122. How do you feel about women in politics? I have no strong feelings for or against. There are definitely women that make good politicians, and others that don't. Same as men.

123. Would you rather have an indoor Jacuzzi or an outdoor pool? I'd make more use of an indoor Jacuzzi.

124. What things are you interested in that you study or read about on your own? mythology, wonders of the world (Stonehenge, Easter Island, Chaco Canyon, Bermuda Triangle, etc.)

125. Would you consider yourself to be intelligent? no. my IQ is good, but my common sense is … lacking. I definitely have my blonde moments.

126. Would you consider yourself to be wise? no. I don't think things through enough.

127. Have you ever given or received a lap dance? yes. not a professional one though

128. Have you ever spoken to a homeless person? not that I can recall

129. Would you ever creep into the subway tunnels to go exploring? before I was married, I'm sure the answer would have been yes. I was much more spontaneous and exploring when I didn't have a son and husband to worry about me.

130. If you could add 70 years to your life but only by making some random person die 70 years sooner would you? 70 years is a long time. I don't want to live an extra seventy years (assuming we are adding it to the average seventy year life span).

131. Can you finish any of the following lyrics?
A: Nothing to kill or die for... clueless
B: Late comings with the late comin' stretcher... ??
C: I could make a film and make you my star... what are these songs??

I guess that makes my answer "no."

132. Were you ever with someone while they died? only a character in a book

 
133. Would you rather be a world political leader or a rock star? rock star. much easier decisions.

134. Have you ever given someone a love letter that you wrote? yes

135. Have you ever sent someone a surprise though the mail? yes

136. Are you looking forward to any concerts right now? I'm looking forward to the Celtic Woman concert coming here next month, but doubt I will be going. :-(

 

137. Of all animated movies, which is the best one you've ever seen? I've seen so many good animated movies. I don't think I could label one as the best. TMNT was great, but so was Shrek, Titan A.E., Quest for Camelot, Spirit… I have lots of favorites. Ooh, I was wrong. There is a best. Just reminded by a look on my shelf: Over the Hedge. That movie is awesome! Great humor, great music, and such a true look at human life. One of the few movies I haven't tired of after B watched it frequently.

 

138. What are the best bands or songs to listen to while driving? NA, don't drive

more Qs

5,000 Questions... My answers so far...

45. Word association
What is the first word that comes to mind when you see the word:
Air: flight
Meat: steak
Different: Sesame Street song, "one of these things is not like the other…". wait, that's not one word. umm… ok, first single word to come to mind: weird
Pink: tutu
Deserve: earned
White: angel
Elvis: rock
Magic: madness (I'm sure Justine Larbalestier would be glad to know my automatic association was because of her book. before even my own magic-y writing!)
Heart: love
Clash: cymbals
Pulp: fiction (though if asked the definition of pulp fiction I would have to look it up)

46. If you could meet any person in the world who is dead who would you want it to be? Nefertiti

47. What if you could meet anyone who is alive? Melanie Rawn. though I have no idea what I'd say! I'd be so nervous…

48. Is there a movie that you love so much you could watch it everyday? Hmm. There are movies that I love, but every day…. I know what it's like to watch/hear a movie every day (thank you B), and no matter how much you love something, that wears you down. I think emotional movies in particular would lose their impact. Is there one that could survive that? Possibly The Mask of Zorro. Great music and actors, lots of action.

49. You are going to be stuck alone in an elevator for a week. What do you bring to do? A week??? There better be zombies or an apocalypse outside, or I'm breaking out. If for unknown reasons I planned this and thus could bring whatever I wanted, I would bring a laptop, Civilization 4, a stack of books, lots of food, and Cocoa (to be used for comfort, cuddling, and pillow). I would foresee lots of napping between reading and Civ playing.

50. Have you ever saved someone's life or had your life saved? no. thankfully haven't had any near death experiences.

 

51. Make up a definition for the following silly words...
Fruitgoogle: Vending machine that produces the fruit you want at the type of the word
Ambytime: time measured by how much you didn't get done

Asscactus: inexplicable butt pain

More answers! Politics and Evil (though not connected. this time.)

5,000 Questions... My answers so far...

 

37. What country do you live in and who is the leader of that country? USA, President George W. Bush

If you could say any sentence to the current leader of your country what would it be? "I respect you and your position, don't envy your decisions, and know you are doing the best you can with the present situations."

 

38. What's your favorite TV channel to watch in the middle of the night? does Netflix count? We don't have satellite or cable…

39. What Disney villain are you the most like and why? Completely clueless on this one, I took a few of those fun quizzes: "Which Disney villain are you?" (cop-out? maybe. evil, ain't I?)

Your Score: Hades!

You scored 30 evilness!

Ok, so you're a fun person. You really enjoy life and enjoy your schemes, but you're just not that evil. You tend to rely on henchmen to do all the dirty work while you sit back with a glass of Tequila, enjoying the moment. Occasionally, you will lose your temper and do something truly evil, but will then crack a smart joke and have your subjects laughing again. No real evil there. When you're defeated, you don't even die. You're somewhat evil, but your fun loving, quick wit gets in the way.

Link: The What Disney Villain are you Test written by tangodelmar on OkCupid Free Online Dating, home of the The Dating Persona Test View My Profile(tangodelmar)

Not bad results.

Ok, ok, honest answer (after research to refresh my memory). I'm more like Maleficent (from Sleeping Beauty). I'm only to be worried about when I'm insulted/thwarted, and don't get invited to the party. And hey! magic, power, evil henchman to do the dirty work, shape-shifting into dragons, purple clothing accents… how can I go wrong?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maleficent

 

40. Have you ever been a girl scout/boy scout? I've been a Girl Scout. My mom was troop leader. It was a lot of fun until we moved and didn't know anybody in the new district. (forgive me if I'm slaughtering all the technical terms. been many years)

41. If you were traveling to another continent would you rather fly or take a boat? By fly, I assume it's meant in a plane. I think that would be preferred. Though I would like to take a cruise. That would be the exception to the boat travel.

 

42. Why is the sky blue during the day and black at night? Because God made it that way.

43. What does your name mean? …. …. bitter ….

44. Would you rather explore the deeps of the ocean or outer space? outer space. less sharks

Will Smith in "I Am Legend"

Last night we saw "I Am Legend". We would have seen a second movie, but we didn't want to wait over an hour for the next shows to start.

 

Will Smith is one of my favorite actors. He is incredibly talented. I first saw him in Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, which I enjoyed for the comedy. For a long time I considered him only a comedy actor. Then I saw "The Legend of Bagger Vance" and learned how amazing he is in an inspirational role. No matter what type of film he's been in - comedy, romance, inspirational, action, post-apocalyptic - he portrays the part. He really knows how to show emotion. Just his facial expressions convey so much. I haven't seen a movie with him in it that I haven't enjoyed. He was perfect in "I Am Legend". I don't know how many actors could pull off that role.

Freedom Tonight

Tomorrow is our wedding anniversary. This afternoon we're dropping B off at his grandma's house to spend the night. Yay! The plan is to go out to dinner at Chili's (paid with gift card), then go see a movie (also paid by gift card), maybe two if the timing is right and we're up to it. There are so many movies out right now that we want to see! AVP: Requiem, One Missed Call, The Water Horse, National Treasure: Book of Secrets, Alvin and the Chipmunks, I am Legend, Atonement, The Golden Compass, and Enchanted. Most can wait until they're out on Netflix. The ones we really want to try for are I am Legend and National Treasure. Looking forward to a good time tonight. :-)

You've Got Mail

Last weekend we watched The Postman - a post-apocalyptic show with Kevin Costner. After finding undelivered mail, one man delivers some in exchange for food and lodging. But what started as a con becomes a quest to return hope through restoring postal service. Very good show. It made me grateful for the communication lines we currently have in place. It would be difficult going back to a time with no internet, no mail, no tv. No way to know what's going on in the world. Each city would be an island.

 

I love mail. My daddy is a postman, currently a supervisor at a post office. But I didn't really appreciate mail until we moved when I was in fifth grade. Letters were my link to everything and everyone I knew. I'd rush to be the one to check the mail each day, even going out barefoot in the snow. Getting a letter would make my day. It was a rush. Though it's rare for me to get an actual handwritten letter anymore, what with everyone having e-mail, there's still that little thrill when I hear the mailman come. And sometimes it pays off to be the one rushing out to get the mail. Yesterday my Christmas gift to my husband came. I had to hurry and hide it in the closet before he got a look, especially since the name on the package is his (his name on the card and Paypal account and all).

 

E-mail is equally addicting, especially with the speed of sending and replies, but I do miss the feel of writing a letter.

Tuesday Tally and Many Thanks

Status of my novel

total words to date: 86,050

pages: 376

completed chapters: 18

Last week's goals:

• finish chapter 18 - yay! one step closer to The End!
• clean up email inbox of 2nd hotmail account - was fairly uncluttered. 3 more emails to go through

Goals for this week:

• finish first draft 
• clean up excite email inbox
• send out another wave of invites to join my website mailing list

Extra thanks today because I didn't write down my thoughts over the last few days.

 

I am grateful for entertainment. We saw Stardust on Saturday. So glad we did. I could find no flaws - a perfect five star film. Humor, adventure, romance, fantasy. Truly enchanting. It ranks up on the classics with Princess Bride. My type of movie. We will definitely be picking it up on DVD. Yay for movies, books, and games that free us from life's stresses. We finally grew tired of LOTRO and have returned to EverQuest2 after an absence of a year and a half. New expansions have come out, and a lot of other changes have been made - definitely for the better. We did enjoy Lord of the Rings, and stayed there longer after maxing out our characters than we have any other MMO, but we reached a point where we could no longer progress and are tired of running the same instances every week. EQ2 is familiar yet new. When I wasn't writing this last weekend, I was reacquainting myself with the game.

 

I am grateful for pants that fit. Before seeing the movie, I used the early birthday money from my in-laws to go shopping for new pants. I was lucky to actually find two different styles that fit well. It's hard to find pants that work with my big bony hips and long legs, and aren't low-riders (hate those - feel like they are going to fall off). Love the new Wrangler Aura. Would have bought more of those, but only had one pair the right style and size.

 

I am grateful for major appliances: dishwasher, fridge, microwave, stove, washer & dryer. Fairly self-explanatory. Less work for me. More time for other things. Definite benefits to living in this day and age.

 

I am grateful for WRITING. It's the most incredible feeling to get immersed in writing. I love when the rocky struggle finally hits that smooth flow. It reminds me why I love to write and leaves me on a "high" for the rest of the day. I know a lot of my rough draft is just that - rough. But when I reread my work, there are certain scenes where everything shines and it makes me all excited to read more. Hopefully with enough work I can get the whole thing to shine. I need to dig through this chunk of rock to find the gem hinting from within.

Home, sweet home; plus PTC update

I am grateful for a home. We may be in an apartment, but it's not a bad complex. I've seen so many things in the last few months that have reminded me how worse off we could be: the 30 Days episode on Minimum Wage, the movie Pursuit of Happyness, and the movie Newsies (the WGA strike inspired me to watch it again).

 

I forgot to mention the Parent Teacher Conference. School has been going for about six weeks. B has made sufficient progress in most of his goals, and completely met two already (matching basic shapes and colors). We made some goal updates and they talked about a few more things they can do to help his communication. His teacher and speech therapist both think he's a sweet kid. B "attempts to communicate with words, however, he is usually very difficult to understand." The teacher mentioned how excited she was when he first said "bye" for her, as it was the clearest thing he'd said.

 

Lately I've realized he's saying actual words more than I thought, but they haven't been recognizable. He's getting better. When he repeats phrases back at me it's sounding more like what I said instead of incoherent babble.

 

After the conference, we stopped at the school library for the Scholastic book fair (always loved those as a kid). We let B pick out one book. There were a few he looked at, seemed to get excited about, but when we asked if he wanted it he said "boo"(his way of saying no) and shook his head. He finally found one on his own, the topic not surprising:  Mega Wheels: the most exciting cars in the world! He got excited when we bought it. As soon as we got home, he opened it up and we heard "car, vroom, vroom" for the next half hour or so as he pointed to all the pictures. He's my little car fanatic. :-)

Tuesday Tally plus non-writing thoughts

Status of my novel

total words to date: 61,975
pages: 269
completed chapters: 12

Last week's goals:

• keep working on 100 day challenge - almost missed a couple days, but I got the writing in
  
• finish chapter 12 - Yay! Eight more to go. Tempted to skip ch. 13, I'm so excited for 14... but I'll use that anticipation to write me to it.
  
• finish storyboarding ch. 13 - very sketchy, but done
  
• plotboard Mirror - not as unbalanced as I thought, but pace needs fixing. made lots of notes
  

Goals for this week:

• keep working on 100 day challenge
  
• write Fantasy newsletter (due Monday, still need a topic!!)
  
• make revisions to last section of Mirror
  
• write at least one scene in Emergence
• make up new word (for contest with uber prizes)
  

My son starts school tomorrow. He'll be going to preschool for two hours, twice a week. I'm really looking forward to having the time to myself. Not that it will be fully to myself. He has class in the morning, and Mondays I babysit, Wednesdays my husband works from home. Still, I look forward to a break from my son, especially now that he's only napping a couple days a week. We met his teacher last Friday. She seems very nice. The class is small, only eight children. I hope he communicates with the other kids and teacher. His vocabulary is up to a couple dozen words, but I have yet to hear him talk in front of someone other than family (with the exception of "hi" and "bye").

Exercising is going well. I did miss one day last week, but didn't let it stop my routine altogether. I knew if I missed a second day it would be easier to skip it the third... and so on. Still waiting for the boosts of energy, as working out has been completely wearing me out. Only been two weeks though.

My husband surprised me Saturday by taking me out to eat (that was my down day, not feeling good and didn't exercise). We walked to The Training Table across the street. My husband had eaten at one before, but it was a first for me. The setting was unique - no servers. There's a phone by each table/booth which you use to order, then it rings when your food is ready to be picked up at the counter. My first thought was the menu is a bit pricey for hamburgers, but they are specialty burgers. I got the Verde Smothered Burger - extremely messy, but so good. Definitely worth the price. Their specialty dipping sauce is hickory sauce and mayo, also surprisingly good. We'll have to go back some other time.

We've been watching a lot of movies from Netflix lately, especially with network TV mostly between shows right now. Bridge to Terabithia had me crying, but I read the book so knew what was coming. I was afraid the movie would deviate too much from the book, as the previews show all the fantasy aspects, but it's NOT a fantasy. It's about the imagination, and friendships. Thankfully they stayed true to the book. Great movie, but don't go watching it expecting another Narnia. It's more of a My Girl if you want to compare movies. Other movies we've seen are 300, Casino Royale, and DejaVu. All good. So far the only movie I've been disappointed with
lately was Pom Poko. It's from Studio Ghibli, who did The Cat Returns, Nausicaa, Howl's Moving Castle, etc., so I hoped for better. It was too crude and narrated for my liking. I got bored instead of drawn into the story.

I've had some other thoughts and emotions stewing, but that's enough for today. I'll let these stew some more, address them Thursday (hopefully more coherently than if I wrote them now).

Have you watched any movies lately you'd like to recommend?

River of Tears

I am easily emotionally moved by books and film. The tears flow so easily that my hubby fondly calls me his crybot. Though it's one thing he'll never make fun of. Even a Pokemon movie has made me cry. But two shows stand out in my memory that really opened the flood gates. The first is The Notebook. I think I sobbed for an hour straight after that one. The second movie is Premonition, which we watched last night. Both had engaging characters and heart-wrenching endings, that may not be happy but were right for the story. I don't think these movies would have affected me as profoundly if I wasn't married. I can better relate to the characters and can imagine being in their shoes - thus the tears. The wonderful thing is, these shows have more than emotional impact: they make you think. I would definitely recommend seeing them.

Celebrating

Last weekend was a good one. My husband's birthday was Sunday, so we celebrated mainly on Friday. I made a spice cake (lasted through yesterday). We dropped the boy off at his grandma's for the night, then went to Chili's for dinner. We ate fried cheese as an appetizer while waiting for our meals: deliciously spiced steamed broccoli, loaded mashed potatoes, and Monteray Chicken. Mmm. We even splurged and got strawberry lemonade to drink instead of the water we usually ask for. Afterward, we visited Gamestop, where I bought him two new video games (Quake 4 and Prey), and we lingered until we didn't feel quite so full. We ended our outing with a game of miniature golf at Boondocks. For the first time we didn't tie - hubby won by five points or so. It was a lot of fun. We slept in the next morning, ate breakfast at McDonald's (sausage McMuffins), and got our errands done in leisure before picking up our son. Sunday we ate dinner at his parents, then came back home to watch Mission Impossible: III. Great movie. I enjoyed it more than the first two. It had more of a plot line and character growth. It was great spending the quality time with my hubby.

Spring Flowers and Love Languages

Last Wednesday was the first day of Spring. I love Spring. So beautiful, lots of rain, all the symbolism of new life... just have to survive the allergies (thank goodness for medications). Anyway, on that first day of this new season, my husband surprised me with flowers! Very lovely, and very sweet. I'm not big into gifts, but what girl doesn't like the occasional flowers, especially when it's unexpected (not for Valentines or anniversaries).

What I do need to feel loved is Quality Time and Physical Touch. What makes it so perfect is that my husband has the same love languages! We make an effort to have date nights. Our next one is April 6. We're going to watch TMNT, then eat out at Chili's. We rarely see a movie when it's brand new in the nice theaters, so this will be a treat.

Happy Spring everyone!