Ok, I was reading my friend Tiffany's blog and loved what she did that I wanted to do the same!
Dear 10 year old Casey:
You have enjoyed going to gymnastics and competing on your Mom and Dad's trampoline team. However, your competing days are coming to an end. When you are attempting to learn how to do a backdrop pullover, you will get the wind knocked out of you. This will scare you to the point where you stop practicing that night. Then you stop practicing all together. When you are in your teens and start working at a gymnastics facility, you will wonder if you made the right decision at the time. You will think you missed out at first, but then realize all the wonderful things you were able to experience since then. So don't worry, just enjoy the time you have now because you have no idea what's in store for you.
Dear 11 year old Casey:
When it's close to your twelfth birthday, you are going to get some life-altering news. Your days living in Grandview will be coming to an end. You are not going to be happy with this decision because everything you love in life (family, friends, social activities) are pretty much in the same town. Don't be upset with your parents. Moving to Lees Summit will be one of the best things that will ever happen to you. You are going to make some really awesome friends, get involved in so many new activities, and discover your ultimate goals and dreams. As for your Grandview friends, you will lose touch with them, but when you are in your mid-twenties, you will be able to reconnect with them through the Internet on a website that allows plenty of social interaction and networking.
Dear 14 year old Casey:
Your love for the Backstreet Boys is in full force now. Hearing their music is going to make you wish you had a boyfriend. Don't worry... that wish will come true this year. His name is Ben and your first date will be the 8th grade spring dance. It will take you guys about six months before you have your first kiss, but you make up for lost time pretty quickly. He will break up with you twice (first time for less than 24 hours, then for good a year later). It takes you a very long time to get over him... for one, you and him never stopped hanging out, and two... he cheated on his next girlfriend with you. When you finally get over him, your relationship turns into a lifelong friendship. You even attend his wedding when you are in your twenties. So when you feel heartbroken at 16, just know that everything turns out fine in the end.
Dear 17 year old Casey:
You are going to make some weird and stupid decisions between junior and senior year. You have a blast spending time with your friends, especially Katrina. You and her will have so much fun that summer. Your curiosity about sex will reach new heights and before you know it, you are set up with a guy and you lose your virginity. You will get mixed feelings about what you did. You will be happy that you had sex but you will also feel guilty that this was a no-strings attached approach to getting what you wanted. Don't sweat it... you've got a bright future ahead and will be busy finishing high school and starting college before you know it!
Dear 19 year old Casey:
Wow... the wild, fun side of you explodes! You are spending a lot of time with your friends, dancing at bars/clubs, and meeting a lot of new guys through the Internet (two of those guys will still be friends with you years later). You also are feeling rebellious against your parents and are seeking out to be more independent, away from them. You will meet a guy named Brian who will get you away from your family. He will be very sweet, take you to really nice restaurants, and will want to spend every free moment with you (in a borderline obsessive way). I wish I could say that this "honeymoon" type of relationship with Brian lasts... but you have no idea what's in store for you in the next 4 1/2 years.
Dear 20 year old Casey:
You've found out some really deep skeletons in Brian's closet, but being who you are, you will be willing to overlook those things since he has convinced you he is a changed person. You will also have financial struggles, which leads to a decision where you stop using birth control... and immediately become pregnant. You are elated to find out that you will become a mom. You and Brian both want to have a boy, and get your wish. When picking out Truman's name, neither of you can decide between which Grandfather's middle name to use, so you compromise and do both. You will give birth via c-section a couple weeks before your 21st birthday. It will take you a while (and random fits of vomiting) to get used to changing his poopy diapers, but you instantly fall in love with taking care of your little boy.
Dear 23 year old Casey:
Remember that warning I gave you in that letter when you were 19??? Yea... the one that you didn't want to believe until after you went through so much bullshit? Now don't you wish you had listened (not only to me but to your family and close friends)??? Don't worry about it too much. Right after Truman's 3rd birthday you seize the opportunity to leave Brian. You were just going to stay at your parents for a couple days so you both could cool off, but then a phone conversation with Brian completely changes that. This is one of the best decisions you will ever make in your life. It's going to be emotionally hard for you for the first couple months, but once 2008 rolls around, the dark and depressed you that emerged when with Brian will disappear and be replaced with an even happier, more optimistic personality.
Dear 26 year old Casey:
It's been close to three years since you left Brian, and look at how much you've done since then. You have done an amazing job raising Truman on your own (with help from your parents and sister). You have reconnected with so many people that you thought you had lost, also turning a lot of acquaintances into new found friendships. You have done a lot of self discovery and soul searching and can say that you definitely know who you are and what you truly want in life and in love. You have broken out of your own comfort zone and experienced a lot of new things. You finally started writing again... and actually surprised yourself by opening a Pandora's Box of creativity. You are at an awesome place in life right now, where you have no idea what is in store for the future, but you have endless possibilities and a HUGE smile on your face!!!
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Friday, October 15, 2010
From Pages In A Book to Pictures on the Screen
I admit it, I am a bookworm. I have been since I learned how to read. Ok, maybe not so much in junior high and high school, but once I hit college I got back into it... tenfold. I just love getting so wrapped up in a book that before I know it, hours have flown by. So when some of my favorite books are adapted into film, I'm ready to see how well they portrayed the story. I have the preconceived notion that books are ALWAYS going to be better than their movie counterparts... and I'm pretty much right. But, there is the occasional instance where I am pleased with how accurate a movie portrays the book. I would like to share with you some of the best (and the worst) book to movie adaptations I have seen.
*I warn you... there will be SPOILER ALERTS, especially with the ones I thought were the worst adaptations.
Let's start with the worst ones, shall we???
#1- Angels and Demons by Dan Brown- I have never been so disappointed in a movie... EVER. The book read like a movie plot so I figured Ron Howard wouldn't have a problem adapting it to film. Um, yea... he did. He omitted SO MUCH out of the book. The biggest part of the book... the arguments of science vs. religion was barely touched. Then, the character Maximillion Kohler wasn't even in the movie at all... he was a supporting character but played a key role in the film. I really wanted to see him in the film (and wanted to know who would have played him). One of my favorite parts of the book was also not covered in the movie: the realization that the carmelengo was the son of the Pope (yes Pope's cannot have sex or reproduce, but by the power of science, aka sperm donation, it was possible). For those who haven't watched the movie.... SKIP IT. Read the book.
#2- The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot- Disney has a huge reputation for "sugar coating" films. As a parent, I do understand why they do this but when they base a film on a book series, I want to see accuracy. Ok, for one... the books have Mia and her mom living in SoHo, not San Francisco. Mia's father isn't dead... he had testicular cancer and can no longer produce heirs to the throne (which is why Mia found out she's royalty). Oh, and the best part of the books??? Mia and her friends are obsessed with The Rocky Horror Picture Show!!! There are several parts in the series where they bring it up... and go to the Midnight showings. Even though I was raised a Disney Brat... seeing the "sugar coated" adaptations make me sorely disappointed in the company. You gotta admit... it would be amusing to see the "Time Warp" in a Disney film... hehehe.
#3- My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult- Ok, this one could have avoided being on the worst list if they didn't change the ending. I was fine with them omitting one of the characters... Julia, the guardian ad litem. I was also ok with the fact that they didn't cover much of Jesse's delinquent acts to get attention. But, to completely change the ending was just wrong. The movie ended where Kate died. In the book, Anna is granted medical emancipation and is on her way to the hospital to tell her sister. But Anna and her lawyer Campbell are involved in a car accident, leaving Anna brain dead. Her parents decide that Anna would have donated her kidneys to her sister Kate. So Kate receives both kidneys, and the book goes foward 10 years where Kate is still alive and has been in remission since the donation. I heard a lot of people didn't want to see the movie at all because they knew the ending was changed... and I don't blame them at all.
Ok, now to the "Meh" List!!!
#1 The DaVinci Code by Dan Brown- Compared to Angels and Demons, Ron Howard did a lot better turning this book into film. It flowed very well, you were able to follow the movie with ease (just like you could in the book), and there was no major omission of characters. I understand why some scenes were lightly touched, especially the ones with the ritualistic sex. Even though the readers were fine with it, many probably would have felt uncomfortable with visuals. They would have lost some of their audience. Oh well... I wouldn't have minded.
#2 The Harry Potter Series by JK Rowling- My favorite books!!! They are not in the best list for one major reason: a lot of fat had to be trimmed to get them adapted to film. Each movie averages about 2 1/2 hours. Some kids (even some adults) can't stand to sit through lengthy films. If all of these movies were dead on accurate to the books, we would have seen them converted into a miniseries. I still wish that Peeves the Poltergeist would have made the movies... you just gotta have someone constantly wrecking havoc on the students for their own personal amusement!!!
Finally... the ones that pleased me in their adaptations... in reverse order :-)
#4 Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice- This book was a very heavy read for me. It took me a while to read it and I caught myself nodding off a lot in the process. Once I finished the book, I realized that the movie was very accurate. Anne Rice definitely has a talent with description, sometimes in a long-winded kind of way. But that's ok in the literary world, since you want the reader to get a detailed picture. This is one of the few times where if you don't necessarily want to read it, I would say that you were fine just watching the movie. But I would recommend reading the other books in the Vampire Chronicles. I have only read one other book, and that is The Vampire Lestat. Much more interesting than Interview and a lot more fun!
#3 The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks- This was just really easy to adapt, I mean, it's a love story! The book focuses primarily on the reunion of Noah and Allie, but in true form of movies, they have to expand the other parts to get a complete, beautiful story for their audience. Any woman out there will tell you that this is one of the best chick flicks out there, and a heartwarming book. I would have to agree. This book/movie also hits me on a personal level, since when I look at the relationship between Noah and Allie, all I see are my Grandma and Grandpa Savory. When you can get a story to relate to you or to people close to you, it just makes it more beautiful.
#2 Twilight, New Moon by Stephanie Meyer- *Sigh* Yes, I just went there... the Twilight Saga. And I admit they did a damn good job in adapting the books. I know a lot of it had to do with the hardcore fan base. They were not going to settle for any derivatives and fought hard for it (believe me I read the random articles saying so). I wish that the Harry Potter fans were more hardcore like the "Twihards," so the Harry Potter movies would be on the Best List. For the record, I'm still not the typical female who is obsessed with these books/movies. My curiosity of the saga was fulfilled when I read the books... that's it. My heart is still with True Blood and Interview with the Vampire (REAL vampires).
#1 Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events- I watched the movie before I read all 13 books. With that said, the personality of the movie was DEAD ON to the books. Realizing this made me feel like I was a kid again, just the awe and the excitement of a really great story and seeing that your imagination is in sync with what you see on the screen. What I am sad about is that they only made one movie (based on the first three books). I wanted more! At least I have all the books sitting on my shelf... and my very creative imagination.
Wow... this blog was a lot longer than I had anticipated. I was going to add videos and pictures, but I think my extensive amount of words is plenty :-)
I may do another one of these blogs.... there are a few books sitting on my shelf that have been made into movies. I just have to watch the movies so I can compare/contrast them!
*I warn you... there will be SPOILER ALERTS, especially with the ones I thought were the worst adaptations.
Let's start with the worst ones, shall we???
#1- Angels and Demons by Dan Brown- I have never been so disappointed in a movie... EVER. The book read like a movie plot so I figured Ron Howard wouldn't have a problem adapting it to film. Um, yea... he did. He omitted SO MUCH out of the book. The biggest part of the book... the arguments of science vs. religion was barely touched. Then, the character Maximillion Kohler wasn't even in the movie at all... he was a supporting character but played a key role in the film. I really wanted to see him in the film (and wanted to know who would have played him). One of my favorite parts of the book was also not covered in the movie: the realization that the carmelengo was the son of the Pope (yes Pope's cannot have sex or reproduce, but by the power of science, aka sperm donation, it was possible). For those who haven't watched the movie.... SKIP IT. Read the book.
#2- The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot- Disney has a huge reputation for "sugar coating" films. As a parent, I do understand why they do this but when they base a film on a book series, I want to see accuracy. Ok, for one... the books have Mia and her mom living in SoHo, not San Francisco. Mia's father isn't dead... he had testicular cancer and can no longer produce heirs to the throne (which is why Mia found out she's royalty). Oh, and the best part of the books??? Mia and her friends are obsessed with The Rocky Horror Picture Show!!! There are several parts in the series where they bring it up... and go to the Midnight showings. Even though I was raised a Disney Brat... seeing the "sugar coated" adaptations make me sorely disappointed in the company. You gotta admit... it would be amusing to see the "Time Warp" in a Disney film... hehehe.
#3- My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult- Ok, this one could have avoided being on the worst list if they didn't change the ending. I was fine with them omitting one of the characters... Julia, the guardian ad litem. I was also ok with the fact that they didn't cover much of Jesse's delinquent acts to get attention. But, to completely change the ending was just wrong. The movie ended where Kate died. In the book, Anna is granted medical emancipation and is on her way to the hospital to tell her sister. But Anna and her lawyer Campbell are involved in a car accident, leaving Anna brain dead. Her parents decide that Anna would have donated her kidneys to her sister Kate. So Kate receives both kidneys, and the book goes foward 10 years where Kate is still alive and has been in remission since the donation. I heard a lot of people didn't want to see the movie at all because they knew the ending was changed... and I don't blame them at all.
Ok, now to the "Meh" List!!!
#1 The DaVinci Code by Dan Brown- Compared to Angels and Demons, Ron Howard did a lot better turning this book into film. It flowed very well, you were able to follow the movie with ease (just like you could in the book), and there was no major omission of characters. I understand why some scenes were lightly touched, especially the ones with the ritualistic sex. Even though the readers were fine with it, many probably would have felt uncomfortable with visuals. They would have lost some of their audience. Oh well... I wouldn't have minded.
#2 The Harry Potter Series by JK Rowling- My favorite books!!! They are not in the best list for one major reason: a lot of fat had to be trimmed to get them adapted to film. Each movie averages about 2 1/2 hours. Some kids (even some adults) can't stand to sit through lengthy films. If all of these movies were dead on accurate to the books, we would have seen them converted into a miniseries. I still wish that Peeves the Poltergeist would have made the movies... you just gotta have someone constantly wrecking havoc on the students for their own personal amusement!!!
Finally... the ones that pleased me in their adaptations... in reverse order :-)
#4 Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice- This book was a very heavy read for me. It took me a while to read it and I caught myself nodding off a lot in the process. Once I finished the book, I realized that the movie was very accurate. Anne Rice definitely has a talent with description, sometimes in a long-winded kind of way. But that's ok in the literary world, since you want the reader to get a detailed picture. This is one of the few times where if you don't necessarily want to read it, I would say that you were fine just watching the movie. But I would recommend reading the other books in the Vampire Chronicles. I have only read one other book, and that is The Vampire Lestat. Much more interesting than Interview and a lot more fun!
#3 The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks- This was just really easy to adapt, I mean, it's a love story! The book focuses primarily on the reunion of Noah and Allie, but in true form of movies, they have to expand the other parts to get a complete, beautiful story for their audience. Any woman out there will tell you that this is one of the best chick flicks out there, and a heartwarming book. I would have to agree. This book/movie also hits me on a personal level, since when I look at the relationship between Noah and Allie, all I see are my Grandma and Grandpa Savory. When you can get a story to relate to you or to people close to you, it just makes it more beautiful.
#2 Twilight, New Moon by Stephanie Meyer- *Sigh* Yes, I just went there... the Twilight Saga. And I admit they did a damn good job in adapting the books. I know a lot of it had to do with the hardcore fan base. They were not going to settle for any derivatives and fought hard for it (believe me I read the random articles saying so). I wish that the Harry Potter fans were more hardcore like the "Twihards," so the Harry Potter movies would be on the Best List. For the record, I'm still not the typical female who is obsessed with these books/movies. My curiosity of the saga was fulfilled when I read the books... that's it. My heart is still with True Blood and Interview with the Vampire (REAL vampires).
#1 Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events- I watched the movie before I read all 13 books. With that said, the personality of the movie was DEAD ON to the books. Realizing this made me feel like I was a kid again, just the awe and the excitement of a really great story and seeing that your imagination is in sync with what you see on the screen. What I am sad about is that they only made one movie (based on the first three books). I wanted more! At least I have all the books sitting on my shelf... and my very creative imagination.
Wow... this blog was a lot longer than I had anticipated. I was going to add videos and pictures, but I think my extensive amount of words is plenty :-)
I may do another one of these blogs.... there are a few books sitting on my shelf that have been made into movies. I just have to watch the movies so I can compare/contrast them!
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Epic Failures and Embarrassing Moments, Part II
Since my last blog on this subject was entertaining, here are some more stories of the moments in my life that made my cheeks redden.
-I went to prom junior year with my friend Kress. We had a blast that night. The after party was at the Eastglen 16 theaters in LS. Kress, his friend Brent, and I decided against watching a movie (yes, big shock... I passed on watching a movie). Why? Karaoke. Kress and Brent did a bunch of rock songs (Korn, Limp Bizkit, and others). Then they decided it was my turn and they already told the karaoke dj what song I would be performing. Great. I have no idea what I'm about to sing. It turns out that it's Britney Spears "Oops... I Did It Again." Of course they would pick one of her songs for me. I think I did a decent job, and I recall laughing a couple times.
So about a week goes by and I find out that the karaoke company posted pics on the website of the after party. I decided to browse the site and... found myself mid-performance. This is the moment when I remember the company was taking pics of everyone that participated. I decided not to share this site with anybody, which back then was easy to do since this was before the days of Facebook and MySpace. But maybe I need to look up this company... they could be using my pic. Yikes!
-I hated gym in elementary school. It was just not so fun for me... especially since our coach made us run when we were not listening. But, I had a rather clumsy incident in the 3rd grade. We were dribbling a basketball across the gym and back, first with our right hand, then with the left hand. Although I am a lefty when I write, I'm a righty when it comes to playing sports. I lose control of the basketball when dribbling with my left hand and start to chase after the ball. I end up slamming into the concrete wall face first. My glasses get bent at the bridge. I think I was sent to the nurse's office since I had a little cut by my right eye and it was bleeding a little. No stitches... it wasn't that bad. I think I just bruised my ego more than anything that day.
-In the 7th grade, I was sitting in English class when I notice that a few of my classmates are talking about drinking beer. I try to act cool and involve myself in the conversation. I remember my classmate Jothan asking me how much I've had to drink and I think I told him like one or two beers, but that I wasn't an alcoholic or anything. For the rest of that semester, he would tease me about being an alcoholic... and every time I had wished I kept my mouth shut.
-Ah, freshman hazing. I was a victim of this rite of passage. I was in English class when a senior (Matt Brown, I believe) was delivering things to my teacher. He decided to pick a few of us freshmen to stand in front of the class. We had to sing and perform "I'm a Little Teapot." It was kind of fun but the entire time I was thinking "I hope he doesn't have a camera so this shows up in the yearbook or newspaper."
-Growing up, my Mom bought clothes for me that I didn't alway like. Back in the 5th grade, she found this polo shirt that was white with maroon, green, and orange leaves all over. It ended up being the shirt I wore on class picture day. Well... weeks after school pics, I'm wearing the shirt again. To my horror, a BOY in my class was wearing the same exact polo. This, to me, is way worse than showing up at some party where two females are wearing the same dress. I think this was the moment that I decided I needed to take an active role in what clothes I wore.
-In 2006, Brian (ex-husband) and I owned two cars; one of them was a Chevy Cavalier with a manual transmission. I wasn't a master at driving a car with a stick shift, but there was one particular day where I decided to take the Cavalier to work. The drive to work normally takes less than 15 minutes, and I left early in case I was going to have trouble on the way (mainly because it had been a couple years since the last time I had driven a stick... which was when I was first learning to drive such a vehicle). Yes, I killed it basically every time I had to stop. That I expected. What I didn't expect was for a few of my coworkers witnessing me killing it at least 3 times from entering the Home Depot parking lot to my final stop in a parking space. Yea, that day at work was fun since my coworkers seemed to enjoy my parking lot adventure.
-In English class freshman year, we read Romeo and Juliet. I was always one of the first to volunteer to read a part and ended up reading as the Nurse the entire time. So one day, my teacher, a few classmates and I were discussing dressing up for our roles for fun. My teacher, Mrs. Hall, looked at me and said I was perfect for the role of the Nurse since I had the bosom for it. Wow... my teacher is discussing my big boobs nonchalantly. After the initial shock of hearing this at school, I thought about it and would seriously audition for that role if given the opportunity!
-I went to prom junior year with my friend Kress. We had a blast that night. The after party was at the Eastglen 16 theaters in LS. Kress, his friend Brent, and I decided against watching a movie (yes, big shock... I passed on watching a movie). Why? Karaoke. Kress and Brent did a bunch of rock songs (Korn, Limp Bizkit, and others). Then they decided it was my turn and they already told the karaoke dj what song I would be performing. Great. I have no idea what I'm about to sing. It turns out that it's Britney Spears "Oops... I Did It Again." Of course they would pick one of her songs for me. I think I did a decent job, and I recall laughing a couple times.
So about a week goes by and I find out that the karaoke company posted pics on the website of the after party. I decided to browse the site and... found myself mid-performance. This is the moment when I remember the company was taking pics of everyone that participated. I decided not to share this site with anybody, which back then was easy to do since this was before the days of Facebook and MySpace. But maybe I need to look up this company... they could be using my pic. Yikes!
-I hated gym in elementary school. It was just not so fun for me... especially since our coach made us run when we were not listening. But, I had a rather clumsy incident in the 3rd grade. We were dribbling a basketball across the gym and back, first with our right hand, then with the left hand. Although I am a lefty when I write, I'm a righty when it comes to playing sports. I lose control of the basketball when dribbling with my left hand and start to chase after the ball. I end up slamming into the concrete wall face first. My glasses get bent at the bridge. I think I was sent to the nurse's office since I had a little cut by my right eye and it was bleeding a little. No stitches... it wasn't that bad. I think I just bruised my ego more than anything that day.
-In the 7th grade, I was sitting in English class when I notice that a few of my classmates are talking about drinking beer. I try to act cool and involve myself in the conversation. I remember my classmate Jothan asking me how much I've had to drink and I think I told him like one or two beers, but that I wasn't an alcoholic or anything. For the rest of that semester, he would tease me about being an alcoholic... and every time I had wished I kept my mouth shut.
-Ah, freshman hazing. I was a victim of this rite of passage. I was in English class when a senior (Matt Brown, I believe) was delivering things to my teacher. He decided to pick a few of us freshmen to stand in front of the class. We had to sing and perform "I'm a Little Teapot." It was kind of fun but the entire time I was thinking "I hope he doesn't have a camera so this shows up in the yearbook or newspaper."
-Growing up, my Mom bought clothes for me that I didn't alway like. Back in the 5th grade, she found this polo shirt that was white with maroon, green, and orange leaves all over. It ended up being the shirt I wore on class picture day. Well... weeks after school pics, I'm wearing the shirt again. To my horror, a BOY in my class was wearing the same exact polo. This, to me, is way worse than showing up at some party where two females are wearing the same dress. I think this was the moment that I decided I needed to take an active role in what clothes I wore.
-In 2006, Brian (ex-husband) and I owned two cars; one of them was a Chevy Cavalier with a manual transmission. I wasn't a master at driving a car with a stick shift, but there was one particular day where I decided to take the Cavalier to work. The drive to work normally takes less than 15 minutes, and I left early in case I was going to have trouble on the way (mainly because it had been a couple years since the last time I had driven a stick... which was when I was first learning to drive such a vehicle). Yes, I killed it basically every time I had to stop. That I expected. What I didn't expect was for a few of my coworkers witnessing me killing it at least 3 times from entering the Home Depot parking lot to my final stop in a parking space. Yea, that day at work was fun since my coworkers seemed to enjoy my parking lot adventure.
-In English class freshman year, we read Romeo and Juliet. I was always one of the first to volunteer to read a part and ended up reading as the Nurse the entire time. So one day, my teacher, a few classmates and I were discussing dressing up for our roles for fun. My teacher, Mrs. Hall, looked at me and said I was perfect for the role of the Nurse since I had the bosom for it. Wow... my teacher is discussing my big boobs nonchalantly. After the initial shock of hearing this at school, I thought about it and would seriously audition for that role if given the opportunity!
Monday, October 11, 2010
My "Must Watch" Halloween Movies and Specials
Last night, I really got into the Halloween mood. It was clouding up outside, the temps were dropping, and I popped in a horror movie. Today, I was going to go outside and decorate the front of the house with Halloween stuff, but it's been raining all morning (and part of the afternoon). So instead, I decided to come up with several of the movies and specials that I try to watch each year to keep myself in the Halloween mood for the rest of the month. Maybe I can get a few others to get bitten by the "Halloween spirit," hehe.
Michael Jackson's Thriller
You can't have a proper Halloween without Thriller. Seriously. Words cannot even come close to the love and bond I have with this song and video. I listen to it all year round just for it's pure awesomeness. Oh, and you have to love Vincent Price's rap. Bravo for MJ for getting him involved in this song... it wouldn't be the same without him.
Garfield Halloween
As a kid, this was the scariest Halloween program ever. Even today, I still get a little bit of a chill when watching it. You can't get programs like this nowadays (believe me, I know... I am a parent after all). This is why I feel blessed to be a child of the 80's.
The Nightmare Before Christmas
Wow... a movie you can watch at Halloween and at Christmas (not to mention one of the few Tim Burton films WITHOUT Johnny Depp). I just love the beauty of this film; it mesmerizes me every time I see it. I do catch myself humming or singing the songs from time to time (and recently fell in love with the Fall Out Boy version of "What's This"). I also had the opportunity to meet Ken Page (the man who voiced the Oogie Boogie Man) when going to college in St. Louis. He was an alumnus of Fontbonne and came back to direct Godspell that fall. Very cool guy.
Beetlejuice
Ok, I know. Another Tim Burton film. But come on! It's an awesome one... one that I catch myself watching every time it's on television. I can't look at minature models of towns without referring to this film, lol. I honestly wish Tim Burton would go back to the late 80's/ early 90's and realize that his films had a lot more quality back then, and then get back there (except that Big Fish and Sweeney Todd were excellent recent films of his). Oh, sorry I got the Banana Boat song stuck in your head...
Roseanne: Halloween Edition
A couple birthdays ago, my Mom gave me a Roseanne DVD with all of the Halloween episodes. I love it! This is what you call a creative family! Watching these always inspire me to go all out when decorating for Halloween. Whenever I become a homeowner, I will have my dining room and living room completely decked out for the entire month of October. I also try to "think outside the box" with costumes like they do. I can never get a good enough idea, but one of these days I will.
Casper
I still remember sitting in the movie theater watching this for the first time. I wanted to live in a house like that (and would probably jump at the opportunity even today). I was a preteen then, and Devon Sawa was one of my first celebrity crushes. The dancing scene still makes me smile. You also have to appreciate the Ghostbuster's cameo in the beginning :-)
It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown
Ah, the Peanuts gang. You cant have a holiday without them having a special. This one isn't my favorite Peanut's special but still enjoyable for the season. Poor Charlie Brown, he got a lot of rocks in his bag. And seriously... who has rock lying around for kids??? Strange people....
Everybody (Backstreet's Back)
This one should not be a suprise to anyone that's known me since I was in junior high. The Backstreet Boys were my boys back then... and seeing this for the first time was one of the most exciting things for me as a teen. I can still do (almost) all the dance moves in the video, hehe. *As I am typing this, I am putting my copy of the CD single in my DVD player to blast loudly*
I know there are some of you reading this wondering "Where are all the slasher flicks and horror movies? There are none on here!" That list I am saving for another rainy day....
Michael Jackson's Thriller
You can't have a proper Halloween without Thriller. Seriously. Words cannot even come close to the love and bond I have with this song and video. I listen to it all year round just for it's pure awesomeness. Oh, and you have to love Vincent Price's rap. Bravo for MJ for getting him involved in this song... it wouldn't be the same without him.
Garfield Halloween
As a kid, this was the scariest Halloween program ever. Even today, I still get a little bit of a chill when watching it. You can't get programs like this nowadays (believe me, I know... I am a parent after all). This is why I feel blessed to be a child of the 80's.
The Nightmare Before Christmas
Wow... a movie you can watch at Halloween and at Christmas (not to mention one of the few Tim Burton films WITHOUT Johnny Depp). I just love the beauty of this film; it mesmerizes me every time I see it. I do catch myself humming or singing the songs from time to time (and recently fell in love with the Fall Out Boy version of "What's This"). I also had the opportunity to meet Ken Page (the man who voiced the Oogie Boogie Man) when going to college in St. Louis. He was an alumnus of Fontbonne and came back to direct Godspell that fall. Very cool guy.
Beetlejuice
Ok, I know. Another Tim Burton film. But come on! It's an awesome one... one that I catch myself watching every time it's on television. I can't look at minature models of towns without referring to this film, lol. I honestly wish Tim Burton would go back to the late 80's/ early 90's and realize that his films had a lot more quality back then, and then get back there (except that Big Fish and Sweeney Todd were excellent recent films of his). Oh, sorry I got the Banana Boat song stuck in your head...
Roseanne: Halloween Edition
A couple birthdays ago, my Mom gave me a Roseanne DVD with all of the Halloween episodes. I love it! This is what you call a creative family! Watching these always inspire me to go all out when decorating for Halloween. Whenever I become a homeowner, I will have my dining room and living room completely decked out for the entire month of October. I also try to "think outside the box" with costumes like they do. I can never get a good enough idea, but one of these days I will.
Casper
I still remember sitting in the movie theater watching this for the first time. I wanted to live in a house like that (and would probably jump at the opportunity even today). I was a preteen then, and Devon Sawa was one of my first celebrity crushes. The dancing scene still makes me smile. You also have to appreciate the Ghostbuster's cameo in the beginning :-)
It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown
Ah, the Peanuts gang. You cant have a holiday without them having a special. This one isn't my favorite Peanut's special but still enjoyable for the season. Poor Charlie Brown, he got a lot of rocks in his bag. And seriously... who has rock lying around for kids??? Strange people....
Everybody (Backstreet's Back)
This one should not be a suprise to anyone that's known me since I was in junior high. The Backstreet Boys were my boys back then... and seeing this for the first time was one of the most exciting things for me as a teen. I can still do (almost) all the dance moves in the video, hehe. *As I am typing this, I am putting my copy of the CD single in my DVD player to blast loudly*
I know there are some of you reading this wondering "Where are all the slasher flicks and horror movies? There are none on here!" That list I am saving for another rainy day....
Monday, October 4, 2010
Harajuku!!!
I have this guilty pleasure that originates back to 2004, and it's all Gwen Stefani's fault!!!
Not only was the song awesome, but the music video left me wanting more. This is where the Harajuku Girls came into play. Gwen had recruited four Asian women to be part of her solo image, aka the Harajuku Girls. Each girl had a nickname: Love, Angel, Music, and Baby. Their image was what I considered to be modern, fun Japanese fashion. Turns out that my thoughts on that was pretty damn accurate.
In Tokyo, Harajuku is referred to an area around Harajuku Station where young people gather to socialize and dress in many different styles, including gothic lolita, cosploy, punk, hip hop, among others. It is also widely known as the fashion capital of the world and many fashion designers started their careers in that area. As for fellow Americans like myself, the term "Harajuku Girls" was created to refer to teens that dressed in the fashions in Harajuku.
Going back to Gwen's Harajuku Girls. They were such a hit that they developed their own following, shortly picked up by the retail world. Gwen had her own fashion line established, but added the "Harajuku Lovers" line. It included clothing, dolls, cameras, cell phone charms, and fragrances.
When I saw this ad for the first time in 2008, I was jumping up and down with excitement! I *** HAD *** to have the collection! So naturally, I ask for it for my birthday/Christmastime. I did not recieve them, but that's ok. When working at Cargo Largo, I came across some of them and ended up purchasing one of the scents for less than ten bucks. Shortly after, a Harajuku Lovers watch. I now own 3 of the 5 scents, thanks to Target picking up the line and then clearancing out a couple of them (I thrive on finding stuff on clearance... hey, if I can save money then that's an added bonus).
This summer, as I was taking my son school supply shopping at Target, I come across an amazing find:
Harajuku Lovers school supplies??? NO WAY!!!! Of course, this was before I was hired at my current job so I could not splurge :-(
However....
Several hours ago, while just walking around at the Target on State Line, I found some of the supplies on a clearance endcap. Yes, I bought them. Did I need them? No, but I wanted them. Besides, I spent less than $3 so I don't feel that was worthy of feeling guilty about my impulse purchase.
I am just in love with the whole Harajuku phenomenon (for the lack of a better word). One of these days, I will actually dress this way, to make myself look good and (yes I admit it) to make some of my close guy friends drool, hehe. I also would like to go to Tokyo someday and venture around the Harajuku area.
I heart Harajuku!!!
Not only was the song awesome, but the music video left me wanting more. This is where the Harajuku Girls came into play. Gwen had recruited four Asian women to be part of her solo image, aka the Harajuku Girls. Each girl had a nickname: Love, Angel, Music, and Baby. Their image was what I considered to be modern, fun Japanese fashion. Turns out that my thoughts on that was pretty damn accurate.
In Tokyo, Harajuku is referred to an area around Harajuku Station where young people gather to socialize and dress in many different styles, including gothic lolita, cosploy, punk, hip hop, among others. It is also widely known as the fashion capital of the world and many fashion designers started their careers in that area. As for fellow Americans like myself, the term "Harajuku Girls" was created to refer to teens that dressed in the fashions in Harajuku.
Going back to Gwen's Harajuku Girls. They were such a hit that they developed their own following, shortly picked up by the retail world. Gwen had her own fashion line established, but added the "Harajuku Lovers" line. It included clothing, dolls, cameras, cell phone charms, and fragrances.
When I saw this ad for the first time in 2008, I was jumping up and down with excitement! I *** HAD *** to have the collection! So naturally, I ask for it for my birthday/Christmastime. I did not recieve them, but that's ok. When working at Cargo Largo, I came across some of them and ended up purchasing one of the scents for less than ten bucks. Shortly after, a Harajuku Lovers watch. I now own 3 of the 5 scents, thanks to Target picking up the line and then clearancing out a couple of them (I thrive on finding stuff on clearance... hey, if I can save money then that's an added bonus).
This summer, as I was taking my son school supply shopping at Target, I come across an amazing find:
Harajuku Lovers school supplies??? NO WAY!!!! Of course, this was before I was hired at my current job so I could not splurge :-(
However....
Several hours ago, while just walking around at the Target on State Line, I found some of the supplies on a clearance endcap. Yes, I bought them. Did I need them? No, but I wanted them. Besides, I spent less than $3 so I don't feel that was worthy of feeling guilty about my impulse purchase.
I am just in love with the whole Harajuku phenomenon (for the lack of a better word). One of these days, I will actually dress this way, to make myself look good and (yes I admit it) to make some of my close guy friends drool, hehe. I also would like to go to Tokyo someday and venture around the Harajuku area.
I heart Harajuku!!!
Monday, September 27, 2010
Tanning is Awkward
Celsius Tannery is my go-to place right now. My sister is getting married in less than 2 weeks and I need to get rid of my farmers tan. I'm not a "fake baker" but I am more than happy to do this to look good in my strapless dress.
However, the awkwardness crept up pretty quick.
The first time I went (last Friday), I went in for six minutes. It was just a normal tanning bed... florescent bulbs above and underneath you. As many of you know, I am not skinny. So the part of the bed that you lay on sometimes settles under my weight. Every time I heard the bed shift under me, I had a mini heart attack. It wasn't just about my weight. It was also about a stupid movie.... Final Desination 3. For those who havent seen the movie, there is a scene where two of the girls meet their doom inside a tanning bed. The room gets way too hot (the girl's fault) and the glass breaks, causing them severe burning and their eventual death. So this mini heart attack is a reminder of that very scene. What would have made me jump out of the bed and run is if the song "Love Rollercoaster" played on the radio.
Other than that, it was a normal tanning experience.
Then, tonight happens....
Mom tells me to go use the high pressure bed so I can get my tan done faster and get instant results. And this tanning bed has you sit on a mattress. Ah... sounds like something I'm going to really like. I get in my room and instantly love it. I get all cozied on the mattress and get ready to lower the top of the bed. Hmm... it doesnt move. Maybe it will lower as soon as the timer starts.
Nope.
So I say screw it and do my 15 minutes on my back, then my 15 on my stomach. Holy crap! That tanning bed is extremely hot! It made me think of the part in Breaking Dawn (yes I made a Twilight reference, back off!) where Bella is going through her transformation... the fire hot pain she had to endure. Yep, I can totally relate now.
While I was laying on my stomach, I got extremely relaxed... enough to nod off at least 3 or 4 times (pretty impressive in a 15 minute time span). So when my session was over, I got off the mattress and looked at the mirror to see how much I tanned.
Uh-oh.
My front and back are tanned, but not my sides.
Oh... what's that on the inside of the tanning bed??? Up and down buttons. I try them. Oops... that's what I was supposed to do to lower the bed closer to me. Guess I'll be going back tomorrow to fix my error.
Wow.... do I feel stupid.
However, the awkwardness crept up pretty quick.
The first time I went (last Friday), I went in for six minutes. It was just a normal tanning bed... florescent bulbs above and underneath you. As many of you know, I am not skinny. So the part of the bed that you lay on sometimes settles under my weight. Every time I heard the bed shift under me, I had a mini heart attack. It wasn't just about my weight. It was also about a stupid movie.... Final Desination 3. For those who havent seen the movie, there is a scene where two of the girls meet their doom inside a tanning bed. The room gets way too hot (the girl's fault) and the glass breaks, causing them severe burning and their eventual death. So this mini heart attack is a reminder of that very scene. What would have made me jump out of the bed and run is if the song "Love Rollercoaster" played on the radio.
Other than that, it was a normal tanning experience.
Then, tonight happens....
Mom tells me to go use the high pressure bed so I can get my tan done faster and get instant results. And this tanning bed has you sit on a mattress. Ah... sounds like something I'm going to really like. I get in my room and instantly love it. I get all cozied on the mattress and get ready to lower the top of the bed. Hmm... it doesnt move. Maybe it will lower as soon as the timer starts.
Nope.
So I say screw it and do my 15 minutes on my back, then my 15 on my stomach. Holy crap! That tanning bed is extremely hot! It made me think of the part in Breaking Dawn (yes I made a Twilight reference, back off!) where Bella is going through her transformation... the fire hot pain she had to endure. Yep, I can totally relate now.
While I was laying on my stomach, I got extremely relaxed... enough to nod off at least 3 or 4 times (pretty impressive in a 15 minute time span). So when my session was over, I got off the mattress and looked at the mirror to see how much I tanned.
Uh-oh.
My front and back are tanned, but not my sides.
Oh... what's that on the inside of the tanning bed??? Up and down buttons. I try them. Oops... that's what I was supposed to do to lower the bed closer to me. Guess I'll be going back tomorrow to fix my error.
Wow.... do I feel stupid.
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Exercise? Yes Please! Motivation? Where the Hell Are You?
I love the fact that I'm not a skinny, beanpole girl. I'm proud to have curves. But, I also dont like that there are areas of my body that I just cringe at when looking in the mirror (my upper arms, my stomach, and my upper thighs). I want to do something about it, moreso in the past two years. The problem is, I have no motivation to exercise on a regular basis and it pisses me off at times. Now that I think about it, being pissed off and not actively trying to change that is passive agressive behavior (something I unfortunately have been doing a lot lately... grrr).
I have yet to lose the weight I gained when I was pregnant with Truman six years ago (33 pounds, in case you were curious). Part of that has to do with the fact that food was a comfort to me when I was in my marriage to Brian. No, I wasn't binge eating (based on what my friend Tiffany wrote on her blog, I have never done that in my life), but I was eating all the wrong foods (sweets, lots of soda, fried foods, and a lot of fast food). It is very easy to fall into that kind of eating habits, especially when you are on the go and just want something that's quick to make and eat.
2008 was a very crazy year for my family. My dad had his unexpected bypass surgery that May, as well as finding out that he is diabetic. Both of those things can be affected by weight. I noted that I could be a borderline diabetic and must start taking action... and didn't. Then, in October, my Mom had her gall bladder removed. Another thing affected by diet, but also can be hereditary (my aunt had hers removed and my grandma may have to get rid of her's soon). I remember looking at my cousin Katy and saying "We could be next" in a half-joking, half-serious manner. Again, I didn't do anything about taking care of myself.
That Christmas brought the Nintendo Wii. Sweet! A video game system that makes you physically active at the same time! Yep! I am sure to easily lose some weight doing this. Um... no. I dont break a sweat bowling, or playing Guitar Hero. Fail.
I'm not going to talk about 2009 at all, except that when my sister got engaged, that made me think that I have plenty of time to lose weight and look good for the wedding.
New Year's 2010... I made a resolution to get more agressive with exercising and be more aware of the food I was eating. So in January, I got out Billy Bank's Tae Bo workout videotape (yes, you heard me correct, VHS not DVD) and starting doing it everyday. That lasted about a week and a half. In April, Mom send me to Target to get Just Dance for the Wii. For those who aren't familiar with it, Just Dance is a game where you learn the dance moves to a variety of songs. I really enjoy playing this. By the time I'm on the 3rd song, I'm breaking into a sweat. By the 5th or 6th song, I am done. That's about a 20-25 minute workout. The problem is, I don't do it regularly.
Back in late-July, I decided to do something that I never imagined I would resort to... Hydroxycut. I took them twice a day, as said on the bottle. I converted to drinking mostly water, with the random glass of milk or juice. I combined that with doing Just Dance workouts. I felt them working. It was curbing my appetite, I wasn't eating nearly as much as I normally did, and I had energy.
Three weeks later, I stopped taking the pills. I thought I could try without and see if I can keep up with the routine. Slowly, I was back where I started.
Last week, I weighed myself for the first time in years (228.8 pounds). I realized that I am at the heaviest I have been in my life. Two days ago, I did it again and realized I lost almost 3 pounds (225.6)... without exercising and without watching what I have been eating. You want to know my secret??? My job requires me to do a lot of walking. I get paid to give customers their food AND get an unexpected workout 4-5 days a week! I just have to watch out for snacking on fries and tortilla chips while waiting for orders to be ready.
Now, I mentioned my sister's engagement. Her wedding is in 13 days and my goal was to lose 60 pounds over the past year. I wanted to go into the bridal shop and be able to get my bridesmaid's dress taken in a lot due to my impressive exercise regime. That plan shot to shit, but the few things I have attempted to do this year is more than I have ever done at any given time. So on that note, I am proud of myself for making those attempts, even if they were short lived.
Based on my height, experts say that 135-140 is an ideal weight. I don't want to be ideal so I set my goal to be about 150-155 lbs. As long as I get to keep my curves I will be happy.
Walks to parents bathroom and weighs myself
226.8 pounds
Dammit.
Oh well, it's a new week... I'll make it go down!
I have yet to lose the weight I gained when I was pregnant with Truman six years ago (33 pounds, in case you were curious). Part of that has to do with the fact that food was a comfort to me when I was in my marriage to Brian. No, I wasn't binge eating (based on what my friend Tiffany wrote on her blog, I have never done that in my life), but I was eating all the wrong foods (sweets, lots of soda, fried foods, and a lot of fast food). It is very easy to fall into that kind of eating habits, especially when you are on the go and just want something that's quick to make and eat.
2008 was a very crazy year for my family. My dad had his unexpected bypass surgery that May, as well as finding out that he is diabetic. Both of those things can be affected by weight. I noted that I could be a borderline diabetic and must start taking action... and didn't. Then, in October, my Mom had her gall bladder removed. Another thing affected by diet, but also can be hereditary (my aunt had hers removed and my grandma may have to get rid of her's soon). I remember looking at my cousin Katy and saying "We could be next" in a half-joking, half-serious manner. Again, I didn't do anything about taking care of myself.
That Christmas brought the Nintendo Wii. Sweet! A video game system that makes you physically active at the same time! Yep! I am sure to easily lose some weight doing this. Um... no. I dont break a sweat bowling, or playing Guitar Hero. Fail.
I'm not going to talk about 2009 at all, except that when my sister got engaged, that made me think that I have plenty of time to lose weight and look good for the wedding.
New Year's 2010... I made a resolution to get more agressive with exercising and be more aware of the food I was eating. So in January, I got out Billy Bank's Tae Bo workout videotape (yes, you heard me correct, VHS not DVD) and starting doing it everyday. That lasted about a week and a half. In April, Mom send me to Target to get Just Dance for the Wii. For those who aren't familiar with it, Just Dance is a game where you learn the dance moves to a variety of songs. I really enjoy playing this. By the time I'm on the 3rd song, I'm breaking into a sweat. By the 5th or 6th song, I am done. That's about a 20-25 minute workout. The problem is, I don't do it regularly.
Back in late-July, I decided to do something that I never imagined I would resort to... Hydroxycut. I took them twice a day, as said on the bottle. I converted to drinking mostly water, with the random glass of milk or juice. I combined that with doing Just Dance workouts. I felt them working. It was curbing my appetite, I wasn't eating nearly as much as I normally did, and I had energy.
Three weeks later, I stopped taking the pills. I thought I could try without and see if I can keep up with the routine. Slowly, I was back where I started.
Last week, I weighed myself for the first time in years (228.8 pounds). I realized that I am at the heaviest I have been in my life. Two days ago, I did it again and realized I lost almost 3 pounds (225.6)... without exercising and without watching what I have been eating. You want to know my secret??? My job requires me to do a lot of walking. I get paid to give customers their food AND get an unexpected workout 4-5 days a week! I just have to watch out for snacking on fries and tortilla chips while waiting for orders to be ready.
Now, I mentioned my sister's engagement. Her wedding is in 13 days and my goal was to lose 60 pounds over the past year. I wanted to go into the bridal shop and be able to get my bridesmaid's dress taken in a lot due to my impressive exercise regime. That plan shot to shit, but the few things I have attempted to do this year is more than I have ever done at any given time. So on that note, I am proud of myself for making those attempts, even if they were short lived.
Based on my height, experts say that 135-140 is an ideal weight. I don't want to be ideal so I set my goal to be about 150-155 lbs. As long as I get to keep my curves I will be happy.
Walks to parents bathroom and weighs myself
226.8 pounds
Dammit.
Oh well, it's a new week... I'll make it go down!
Friday, September 24, 2010
Sesame Street Antics
In the past 24 hours, I have watched quite a bit of Sesame Street. No, it's not because I secretly miss my son at home and watching his shows fills the lonely void. I'm a sucker for pop culture references... always have been. That's probably why I love South Park and the Powerpuff Girls so much. Sesame Street does not disappoint with their plethora of pop culture-ness. Even when I was little, I got excited seeing movie stars and musicians with Big Bird and Cookie Monster.
I have noticed, compared to the days that I was little, that there has been an increase of using celebrities and public figures in segments and songs on Sesame Street. It kind of makes me sad that the more memorable songs have been accompanied with someone like the Goo Goo Dolls or Chris Brown. With the new season of Sesame Street starting up soon, the company has released some teasers as to who to expect to see with Elmo, Cookie Monster, and the rest of the gang. Plus, a certain celebrity that we thought we would see:
Some of you have noticed, either yesterday or this morning, the controversy of this Katy Perry clip. It will never be aired on Sesame Street. Why? Her supposed lack of clothing, revealing cleavage. I have read many comments on Yahoo and news websites about how this was completely inappropriate. I have also read from friends on Facebook and Twitter that a lot of people are making too big a deal about this.
To me, I don't see anything wrong with the clip. I wouldn't mind my kid watching this video. For one, he is/was a huge fan of Elmo. He also loves Katy Perry's music (maybe more than me, lol). This video would make his day.
There is another clip I came across yesterday that I don't see as much of a shock factor as Katy Perry's clip:
Wow... Sesame Street did a True Blood parody. Dont get me wrong, I love this. I thought they did a great job. But for people to attack Katy Perry's clip over cleavage and not make a big deal that they parodied a show that has a lot of violence baffles me. Where are the people who are angry that this clip made it on the show? Oh, right. This provided more entertainment value. Violence is more damaging to a kid than sex. I would much rather have my kid witness an act of love instead of an act of hate.
*Shrugs*
There's my rant for the day. Now I'm just going to sit back and enjoy the simpler days of Sesame Street.
I have noticed, compared to the days that I was little, that there has been an increase of using celebrities and public figures in segments and songs on Sesame Street. It kind of makes me sad that the more memorable songs have been accompanied with someone like the Goo Goo Dolls or Chris Brown. With the new season of Sesame Street starting up soon, the company has released some teasers as to who to expect to see with Elmo, Cookie Monster, and the rest of the gang. Plus, a certain celebrity that we thought we would see:
Some of you have noticed, either yesterday or this morning, the controversy of this Katy Perry clip. It will never be aired on Sesame Street. Why? Her supposed lack of clothing, revealing cleavage. I have read many comments on Yahoo and news websites about how this was completely inappropriate. I have also read from friends on Facebook and Twitter that a lot of people are making too big a deal about this.
To me, I don't see anything wrong with the clip. I wouldn't mind my kid watching this video. For one, he is/was a huge fan of Elmo. He also loves Katy Perry's music (maybe more than me, lol). This video would make his day.
There is another clip I came across yesterday that I don't see as much of a shock factor as Katy Perry's clip:
Wow... Sesame Street did a True Blood parody. Dont get me wrong, I love this. I thought they did a great job. But for people to attack Katy Perry's clip over cleavage and not make a big deal that they parodied a show that has a lot of violence baffles me. Where are the people who are angry that this clip made it on the show? Oh, right. This provided more entertainment value. Violence is more damaging to a kid than sex. I would much rather have my kid witness an act of love instead of an act of hate.
*Shrugs*
There's my rant for the day. Now I'm just going to sit back and enjoy the simpler days of Sesame Street.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
25 Random Facts about Myself
1. As a kid, I had a fear of clowns. Not the kind that were at birthday parties (those I could handle). The scary ones. It started with an episode of "Are You Afraid of the Dark?" To this day, I have no real desire to watch Stephen King's It.
2. After failing my driver's test twice in Lee's Summit, I went to Raytown and passed.
3. I could have easily taken all the advanced placement courses in junior high and high school and had a 4.0 GPA but chose not to. Why? I wanted to have a social life, a job, and date. No, I do not regret doing this.
4. I have a major sweet tooth, always have. Especially if chocolate is involved.
5. Out of everything I obtained from Kindergarten through Senior year, I have saved my artwork and my writings. That's what was important to me.
6. If I am in a park and see an unused swingset, I jump at the opportunity and swing.
7. I make sure that I always have gum. When I see gum on clearance, I stockpile, hehe
8. My dad competed in swimming and diving in high school and college, and is a swimming and diving coach. I don't know how to swim... just a little ironic, don't you think?
9. My greatest fear is to be diagnosed with dementia or Alzheimer's. I thrive on my photographic memory so much that I cannot bear to imagine not having the ability to use it.
10. One of my favorite things to do is go to Borders or Barnes and Noble and spend hours just walking around looking at books.
11. When the day comes that I am about to become a homeowner, I would rather have an older house opposed to a new construction one. Why? Houses nowadays have less character and I want to be able to pick out and work on the home improvements.
12. I have posed a few times for art projects. One time I posed in the nude.
13. I have always wanted to have a social group much like on the tv show Friends. One where you all live near each other and have a "spot" that you frequent many times a week.
14. I am proud to be left handed.
15. I feel sexiest when wearing red undergarments. When I have days where I don't feel so good about myself, I will put some on to give myself a boost.
16. I want to witness an EF-4 or EF-5 tornado someday... from a distance, of course. Watching video on YouTube doesn't count.
17. Whenever there is a new dance craze, I'm usually one of the first people to learn it.
18. In the past year or two, I have become a major recycling nut. I get annoyed sometimes when I find things in the trash can that should actually go in the recycle bin.
19. I have a bag of fabric remnants in my room. I plan to make a quilt someday.
20. When I was younger, I loved going up to Jamesport, MO with my grandparents. My Grandpa Savory would participate in the craft show and my Grandma would take my sister and I around the shops to look around. I was fascinated at how the Amish lived without technology.
21. With the exception of 4 months in Fort Scott, Kansas... I have lived in Missouri my entire life.
22. When home alone, I love blasting music really loud and dancing. Sometimes this involves standing on my bed. Other times I actually change clothes while pretending that I am performing in front of people.
23. I think about sex a hell of a lot more than many women I know.
24. I had a slighty traumatizing incident with a cat when I was 11. I was bitten, then I passed out and had to go to the doctor to get a tetanus shot. I really haven't like cats since.
25. My favorite painting is "Starry Night" by Vincent VanGogh.
2. After failing my driver's test twice in Lee's Summit, I went to Raytown and passed.
3. I could have easily taken all the advanced placement courses in junior high and high school and had a 4.0 GPA but chose not to. Why? I wanted to have a social life, a job, and date. No, I do not regret doing this.
4. I have a major sweet tooth, always have. Especially if chocolate is involved.
5. Out of everything I obtained from Kindergarten through Senior year, I have saved my artwork and my writings. That's what was important to me.
6. If I am in a park and see an unused swingset, I jump at the opportunity and swing.
7. I make sure that I always have gum. When I see gum on clearance, I stockpile, hehe
8. My dad competed in swimming and diving in high school and college, and is a swimming and diving coach. I don't know how to swim... just a little ironic, don't you think?
9. My greatest fear is to be diagnosed with dementia or Alzheimer's. I thrive on my photographic memory so much that I cannot bear to imagine not having the ability to use it.
10. One of my favorite things to do is go to Borders or Barnes and Noble and spend hours just walking around looking at books.
11. When the day comes that I am about to become a homeowner, I would rather have an older house opposed to a new construction one. Why? Houses nowadays have less character and I want to be able to pick out and work on the home improvements.
12. I have posed a few times for art projects. One time I posed in the nude.
13. I have always wanted to have a social group much like on the tv show Friends. One where you all live near each other and have a "spot" that you frequent many times a week.
14. I am proud to be left handed.
15. I feel sexiest when wearing red undergarments. When I have days where I don't feel so good about myself, I will put some on to give myself a boost.
16. I want to witness an EF-4 or EF-5 tornado someday... from a distance, of course. Watching video on YouTube doesn't count.
17. Whenever there is a new dance craze, I'm usually one of the first people to learn it.
18. In the past year or two, I have become a major recycling nut. I get annoyed sometimes when I find things in the trash can that should actually go in the recycle bin.
19. I have a bag of fabric remnants in my room. I plan to make a quilt someday.
20. When I was younger, I loved going up to Jamesport, MO with my grandparents. My Grandpa Savory would participate in the craft show and my Grandma would take my sister and I around the shops to look around. I was fascinated at how the Amish lived without technology.
21. With the exception of 4 months in Fort Scott, Kansas... I have lived in Missouri my entire life.
22. When home alone, I love blasting music really loud and dancing. Sometimes this involves standing on my bed. Other times I actually change clothes while pretending that I am performing in front of people.
23. I think about sex a hell of a lot more than many women I know.
24. I had a slighty traumatizing incident with a cat when I was 11. I was bitten, then I passed out and had to go to the doctor to get a tetanus shot. I really haven't like cats since.
25. My favorite painting is "Starry Night" by Vincent VanGogh.
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Epic Failures and Embarrassing Moments. Wait... Aren't Those the Same Thing??
-One particular day in the eighth grade, my friends and I were enjoying lunch as usual. My friend Shannon starts laughing at something, which caused her to wave her arms up. As she does this, she hits her can of Sunny D in the process. It spills out and some of the liquid lands on my white South Park t-shirt... right at crotch level. I never realized that the color consistancy of Sunny D is very similar to urine. Fortunately, tying a plaid shirt around your waist was still a popular trend at this time, and my friend Kathryn was willing to save me from further embarrassment outside the lunchroom.
-I was kind of a tomboy in my elementary school days... climbing trees, jumping fences, and practicing wheelies on my bike. So there was one time, when I was about 12, where my friends and I were jumping over a fence. I was pretty confident climbing up the 4 foot chain link fence and sat on top of it to jump down. As I start my jump, I realize my pants are stuck to the fence. It was too late. My pants ripped on BOTH back thighs and left some pretty big holes. To this day, I have avoided sitting on a fence, maybe even jumping them too.
-When I was 19, I spent a lot of time hanging out with my friend Robin. One day, we were leaving our friend Maria's house in her car. We were near the bowling alley when I noticed a massive puddle of water that had formed from a wave of recent rainshowers. I realize Robin is getting dangerously close to it and start freaking out. I shout "PUDDLE!" kinda loudly. She drives through it anyway and, to my realization, knew it wasn't deep at all. Epic fail. Ever since then, every time we see each other and there is a puddle around, she makes sure to point it out to me (or randomly brings it up on my Facebook).
-In May of this year, I was on my way home from the I-70 Drive In with Truman. I was going through Raytown when I notice a police car pass me, turn around, and then pull me over. Apparently I had my parking lights on, but not my headlights. Ok, no big deal. So I retrieve my license and insurance information for the officer. As I am doing this, Truman starts talking to him. I glance back at Truman through the rearview mirror. To my horror, he is holding his extra pair of Transformers underwear and showing them to the officer. I couldn't look at the officer for the rest of the very short time left with him.
-This one is very cliche, but it does happen. Case in point... I was about 10 or 11 and a lot of my extended family from St. Louis was in town to celebrate Christmas at my grandparents. I don't remember if it was from my Mom or Grandma, but to have to show everyone the 3-4 pairs of underwear, especially in front of my cousins Scott and Jason (who were teens at the time), was not something I expected to do that year.
-I had worked at Pizza Hut in the short time that I was living in Fort Scott, Kansas. There was a family of four that ordered two pizzas. As I was walking to their table, one of the pizzas started to slide off pan. When I was less than 10 feet from their table, the pizza lost the battle with the pan. It crashed to the ground. I hastily get the other pizza to them while apologizing like crazy for them having to wait while the kitchen started making a new, floorless pizza.
-I was at a party with the Home Depot crew back in 2007. There was an awesome turnout and a few drinking games were in action. I decided to try my skills playing Jerry's Kids. [Basic rules: you have 3 shots to drink while someone rolls a pair of dice. If they roll doubles before you finsih the shots, you have to refill the shots and drink again... a total of six shots] We were using Bud Light that night. As I assumed, I lost and had to refill. Being new to drinking games was not helping me, plus the fact that the beer was foamy. I was trying to drink them way too fast, and immediately regurgitated the liquid. My skills have greatly improved since then, thanks to many beer pong games.
-I attended the annual carnival at my junior high with a few of my friends. When it was over, we were all standing outside waiting for our parents to pick us up. For some reason, I was feeling a little hyper. I jumped around a little and ended up bodyslamming my friend Eric. Neither of us crashed to the ground, but we made sure to keep a safe distance from each other.
-From the age of 14 to about 17, I was overly confident when walking outside in winter. I cannot tell you how many times I have slipped on ice and landed on my butt. Many of those times were in front of my house. Those two steps from the front door to the sidewalk were missed many times. And no, I have never broken anything in the process.
-I was 19 and having a low key Saturday afternoon. I didn't have to work so I thought I would watch a few of the free rentals I got as a benefit to being a Blockbuster employee. I made raman noodles and was carrying them out to the living room. The bowl was hotter than I expected. I naturally let go and it landed on my right foot. Searing hot noodles and boiling water. Major ouch. I ran to the bathroom and stuck my foot in the sink while blasting cold water. The evidence of my foot burn lasted a couple weeks, but at least I didn't cause any permanent damage. *smacks forehead
-For 2001 New Years, I joined my sister and her youth group for a night of fun: Sports City in Blue Springs, bowling, roller skating, and a movie in one of the churches in Lee's Summit. When we went to Landmark to go skating, and I was pumped! I hadn't gone roller skating for years at that point and was ready to have some fun. I was trying to stop the skates while turning at the same time. It doesn't work. I landed on my tailbone. I stopped skating for the night. About three weeks later, sitting in one of my classes, I finally notice that my tailbone stopped hurting.
Note to self: Overconfidence causes pain and embarrassment... must remember that to prevent more moments like these!
-I was kind of a tomboy in my elementary school days... climbing trees, jumping fences, and practicing wheelies on my bike. So there was one time, when I was about 12, where my friends and I were jumping over a fence. I was pretty confident climbing up the 4 foot chain link fence and sat on top of it to jump down. As I start my jump, I realize my pants are stuck to the fence. It was too late. My pants ripped on BOTH back thighs and left some pretty big holes. To this day, I have avoided sitting on a fence, maybe even jumping them too.
-When I was 19, I spent a lot of time hanging out with my friend Robin. One day, we were leaving our friend Maria's house in her car. We were near the bowling alley when I noticed a massive puddle of water that had formed from a wave of recent rainshowers. I realize Robin is getting dangerously close to it and start freaking out. I shout "PUDDLE!" kinda loudly. She drives through it anyway and, to my realization, knew it wasn't deep at all. Epic fail. Ever since then, every time we see each other and there is a puddle around, she makes sure to point it out to me (or randomly brings it up on my Facebook).
-In May of this year, I was on my way home from the I-70 Drive In with Truman. I was going through Raytown when I notice a police car pass me, turn around, and then pull me over. Apparently I had my parking lights on, but not my headlights. Ok, no big deal. So I retrieve my license and insurance information for the officer. As I am doing this, Truman starts talking to him. I glance back at Truman through the rearview mirror. To my horror, he is holding his extra pair of Transformers underwear and showing them to the officer. I couldn't look at the officer for the rest of the very short time left with him.
-This one is very cliche, but it does happen. Case in point... I was about 10 or 11 and a lot of my extended family from St. Louis was in town to celebrate Christmas at my grandparents. I don't remember if it was from my Mom or Grandma, but to have to show everyone the 3-4 pairs of underwear, especially in front of my cousins Scott and Jason (who were teens at the time), was not something I expected to do that year.
-I had worked at Pizza Hut in the short time that I was living in Fort Scott, Kansas. There was a family of four that ordered two pizzas. As I was walking to their table, one of the pizzas started to slide off pan. When I was less than 10 feet from their table, the pizza lost the battle with the pan. It crashed to the ground. I hastily get the other pizza to them while apologizing like crazy for them having to wait while the kitchen started making a new, floorless pizza.
-I was at a party with the Home Depot crew back in 2007. There was an awesome turnout and a few drinking games were in action. I decided to try my skills playing Jerry's Kids. [Basic rules: you have 3 shots to drink while someone rolls a pair of dice. If they roll doubles before you finsih the shots, you have to refill the shots and drink again... a total of six shots] We were using Bud Light that night. As I assumed, I lost and had to refill. Being new to drinking games was not helping me, plus the fact that the beer was foamy. I was trying to drink them way too fast, and immediately regurgitated the liquid. My skills have greatly improved since then, thanks to many beer pong games.
-I attended the annual carnival at my junior high with a few of my friends. When it was over, we were all standing outside waiting for our parents to pick us up. For some reason, I was feeling a little hyper. I jumped around a little and ended up bodyslamming my friend Eric. Neither of us crashed to the ground, but we made sure to keep a safe distance from each other.
-From the age of 14 to about 17, I was overly confident when walking outside in winter. I cannot tell you how many times I have slipped on ice and landed on my butt. Many of those times were in front of my house. Those two steps from the front door to the sidewalk were missed many times. And no, I have never broken anything in the process.
-I was 19 and having a low key Saturday afternoon. I didn't have to work so I thought I would watch a few of the free rentals I got as a benefit to being a Blockbuster employee. I made raman noodles and was carrying them out to the living room. The bowl was hotter than I expected. I naturally let go and it landed on my right foot. Searing hot noodles and boiling water. Major ouch. I ran to the bathroom and stuck my foot in the sink while blasting cold water. The evidence of my foot burn lasted a couple weeks, but at least I didn't cause any permanent damage. *smacks forehead
-For 2001 New Years, I joined my sister and her youth group for a night of fun: Sports City in Blue Springs, bowling, roller skating, and a movie in one of the churches in Lee's Summit. When we went to Landmark to go skating, and I was pumped! I hadn't gone roller skating for years at that point and was ready to have some fun. I was trying to stop the skates while turning at the same time. It doesn't work. I landed on my tailbone. I stopped skating for the night. About three weeks later, sitting in one of my classes, I finally notice that my tailbone stopped hurting.
Note to self: Overconfidence causes pain and embarrassment... must remember that to prevent more moments like these!
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