Jurassic Park, Moonstruck, and a Nice Weekend

In the hope of shaking things up a bit, I will be discussing a book, movies, and do a journal post! I'll try keep it as short as possible (I know, I can drone FOREVER)
: P

I finally finished reading Jurassic Park after years of watching the movie (and being ordered by my brother to read the book at some point in my life, lol). Before I begin my review, I just want to say that I LOVE the movie and I've watched it way too many times to count. I had very high expectations for this book.

I enjoyed it, sure, but I couldn't help noticing tiny differences between it and the movie during the entire book. Usually I HATE it when a movie don't stay true to the book that it's based on, but in this case I preferred many of the changes that the movie made to it. The movie had more drama, of course, but it also had a few connecting factors that made the story flow better in my opinion *Shrug*

One of my favorite aspects of this book were the characters that Michael Crichton created. My all time favorite character in the story would have to be Ian Malcolm, hands down. He blatantly states his opinion without the slightest care for how his peers view him. Also, he might be an arrogant man, but his theory was right in the end. So brilliant. So blunt. So Malcolm. ^_^

Here's a good example of Ian Malcolm in the book:

"I'll make it simple," Malcolm said. "A karate master does not kill people with his bare hands. He does not lose his temper and kill his wife. The person who kills is the person who has no discipline, no restraint, and who has purchased his power in the form of a Saturday night special. And that is the kind of power that science fosters, and permits. And that is why you think that to build a place like this is simple."
"It was simple," Hammond insisted.
"Then why did it go wrong?"

They changed Malcolm in the movie. They made him out to be kind of silly-ish, and his thing in the movie was "life will find a way." In the book, Malcolm pretty much preached the Chaos theory to anyone who would listen. He predicted every twist and turn that the park took, and he was never surprised when he was proven correct. He's such an awesome character : )

Malcolm wasn't the only character that the movie changed, pretty much every character was altered in the movie and it would take way too long for me to go through it all. Another example is Dr. Grant: In the book, he loves children and willingly risks his own neck for them without any motivation but their safety. In the movie, they made it kind of a journey for him. He started out with a strong dislike for children, but by the end he had unwillingly formed a strong bond with Hammond's grandchildren which altered his view of kids.

Another large difference is the endings. In the movie, they leave with with the heartwarming scene of Dr. Grant, Dr. Sattler, Hammond, etc. flying peacefully off into the sunset in a helicopter while the grandchildren are fast asleep in Dr. Grant's arms. Dr. Grant smiles at Dr. Sattler (they sort of have a thing going on in the movie, but she's just his student in the book) and it is a very touching smile, full of promise.

In the book, they pretty much are flying away as fast as they can while the island erupts in violent explosions in the background (there's no volcano, they're bombing it). Dr. Sattler is comforting one of the sobbing children as Dr. Grant is a bit disappointed/relieved that he'll never get to study the dinosaurs as much as he'd like.

Yeah, it leaves you with pretty different feelings, doesn't it?

Also, the book makes you really think about science as a whole rather than just genetics. It's a very interesting read, but I'm not left with a great respect for the author. He's ideas are fantastic, his writing. . . . . . not so much. Still, it's a great book for any sci-fi lovers out there.

Now, time for a movie review. Moonstruck came out in 1987, so of course I didn't go seeking this one out. My friend Bubbles has awesome parents, and they forced us to watch it with them (despite our protests). I didn't expect to like it, and I didn't. I loved it.

This movie is great. I wouldn't exactly call it a romantic comedy, it's more dramatic than that. It is hilarious, though, and the romance was the central plot. It's also about family loyalty, so it's not ALL lovey-dovey.

The actors did a great job. It stars Cher and Nicholas Cage, and they sure played their parts with commitment. I was truly blown away. Oh, and just to clarify, it's not a musical. I know that the picture I posted makes it seem like it is, but it's not. That's the best picture I could find for it, so don't be fooled.

Anyway, if my recommendation isn't enough for you, it won three Oscars, fifteen other awards, and eleven nominations. Yes, it is that good.

However, I suggest that kids only 13+ up watch it. There is some adult content. Not a lot, though, just one scene really. *Giggle* It got awkward with Bubbles, me, Tay, Devin, and Bubbles's parents all watching that together. Anyone else out there feel weird when everyone in the room is turned on by the same scene? : P We all avoided eye contact for a while after that part. . . .

Now for my last topic: my vacation-ish weekend (which was last weekend, I know I'm slow to post). I went to my friend Bubbles's riverhouse with her, Tay, Devin, and Matt. It was quite relaxing, and surprisingly warm too. We did some hiking, went in the water, played rummy, watched Moonstruck, and ate good food. It was great : ) Her riverhouse is awesome; I totally loved the bunkbeds. It was like a giant sleepover at night (with me, Bubbles, and Tay of course. Devin was in a different room and Matt slept at his dad's house).

Bubbles and Tay are some of my wildest friends, and I love them to death. My only complaint is how they pressure me when it comes to NHC. They don't really mean to, but they pry about him too often. I trust them and everything, but sometimes I want to tell them to butt out. *Sigh* They help me, though, considering they have WAY more experience with guys than I do. Telling them to butt out is not smart, especially since I need their advice sometimes. . . . .

Lol, I think Bubbles and Tay should write a book together. They know a LOT about guy's heads, if you ever need to figure out whether a guy likes you or not, go to them. They know exactly how you can test to see if he likes you or not, how much, and whether he'd go out with you. All without the dude having a clue as to what you're doing. They've been very helpful over the years : P

Anyway, they pressure me more than they realize. I know they don't really mean to, but it's still annoying. They tell me to do these physical things with NHC that I know neither of us are ready for/want to do. They mean well (they claim that he might get bored with me if I don't 'make some kind of move on him' or something like that) but they really don't know what they're talking about in this situation. NHC and I are at a very good place in our relationship (in my opinion at least, I can't exactly speak for him) and there is NO way that I'm going to change things when it's going so well. I'd be SO uncomfortable if we went any further at the moment, and I don't see how that would accomplish anything. So Bubbles and Tay will just have to deal with it, 'cause I'm definitely not listening to them this time.

I do hope that I can revisit Bubbles's riverhouse soon, it was incredibly relaxing. . . . . *Dreamy Sigh* I wonder what it'll be like during the summer when the water's even warmer. . . . .

~Peace out, my wonderful readers : )

A New Home, Flashback, and My Valentine's Day

I meant to do this post days ago, but I got loaded with a bunch of unexpected homework (which seems to be going around, my friend Alanna has the same problem apparently. . . . .) This one is just a journal post (I haven't quite finished reading Jurassic Park) and just as a warning: it'll probably be fairly long. Ready? Excellent, 'cause here I go : )

I visited Maddie's family at their new home and was pleasantly surprised by what I saw. It's a cute place, they all have their own bathroom now, and they all seem to be very happy with it. They're not far, and I WILL make an effort to go visit them after all (take that, stupid dream!).

We all (Maddie, her little sisters, and I) ran around outside chasing each other and various dogs until it grew dark, upon which we went inside and played card games/watched wrestling (Jesse and Lily are MAJOR tomboys. . . .). It was great fun, being with them always brings out the little kid in me ^_^

*Sigh* Maddie's little sisters still beg us to pick them up and carry them on our backs, though. Maddie and I used to do this a lot when they were younger, but now they are just too darn heavy. *Shrug* Maybe they'll find some big people with stronger backs to pick them up, but I sure can't do it anymore.

Anyway, during one of these painful incidences, I set Jesse down and she looked up at me with an anxious expression in her eyes. I wondered if she had gotten hurt or something, but then she asked me if NHC ever told me that he loved me. I laughed and told her no; Maddie explained that people tell each other that when they're very serious, like thinking about getting married and whatnot. Hearing this, Jesse frowned like she was thinking about something very hard. That's when I grew suspicious and asked her if a boy told her he loved her (she and Lily are in 5th grade, by the way). Jesse nodded and Maddie seemed a bit shocked (to say the least), but I felt a strange feeling when she nodded. Very strange, I felt like I needed to protect her. I'm not sure why, but I wanted her to forget about boys and just keep thinking that they're icky for another three years or so. I'm fairly justified, though, I'd say. 5th grade is pretty young for kissing and saying "I love you" and all that jazz.

Anywho, this brought up the flashback that I mentioned at the top, which I'm going to explain now.

A few years ago, I was eating dinner with Maddie and her parents one night. Her mom (who's a nurse) was describing a patient of hers to Maddie's father, Maddie, and I. I don't remember the exact details of why he was in the hospital, but I do remember that he did many terrible things in his lifetime, such as rape innocent women. Maddie's mom admitted that she didn't treat this patient very well, and that she felt fairly guily for treating him badly. At the end of the day, she told us that she was very surprised when the patient threw his arms around her and whispered that no one had ever treated him the way she did. She found this puzzling, considering that she had treated him with almost no respect whatsoever. When Maddie's mom told us at the dinner table about the patient throwing his arms around her, Maddie's dad immediately looked up and wrapped his hand around Maddie's mom's wrist almost without thinking about it. This wasn't what caught my attention, though.

He had a fierce expression in his eyes; it was very different from the usual love and tenderness that he looked at Maddie's mom with. The look in his eyes was enough to make Maddie's Mom, Maddie, and I all freeze in the middle of dinner and stare up at him. He gazed very seriously into Maddie's mom's eyes and simply said, "Don't let him touch you ever again." Maddie's mom just nodded slowly, Maddie's dad dropped her wrist, and we all started eating again.

I was dimly aware of Maddie tapping me knee and whispering something under her breath, but I was gone, lost in another memory (yes, I'm about to describe a flashback during a flashback). I could immediately identify the strong expression in Maddie's dad's eyes due to a similar look that my brother had once given me.

I was about seven years old when this happened, so my brother (Jake) was about ten or eleven. We were at the beach one afternoon, and my mom gave me some exciting news: Jake had a new boogy board, so I would finally get to use his old one and boogy board with him and the other big kids. I only had one major rule that my mom gave me, which was to stay with the group (Jake, Christian, John, and Elizabeth) at all times. I, of course, agreed, and set out to learn how to boogy board.

My brother and his friends were all very nice, giving me pointers to help me catch waves, but I just watched them for the most part. I was just overjoyed to finally have my own boogy board (admittedly, it was my brother's old one, but it was now mine nonetheless), so watching and occasionally attempting to boogy board was great fun for me.

I was sitting on my board when a sudden movement in the distance caught my eye. Jake and the others were all focused on the waves, so no one else noticed it. My little kid brain imagined that the movement was a pretty dolphin swimming around, and I wanted to swim out farther to see what it was. Forgetting about my rule to stay with the group, I started paddling toward the spot where I had seen the movement. It was a longer distance away than I had thought, and I turned around to see how far from the shore I was. I was really far from the shore now, and my little rebellion made me feel sneaky. I paddled out even farther.

I saw the movement again, a splash that made me feel sure that something was in the water. However, the splash was going away from me this time, and I stopped paddling knowing that I wouldn't see whatever had caused the splash. That's when I spotted something floating in the water roughly where the splash had been. Curious, I paddled toward it. Once I got close enough to see what it was, I froze.

It was a fish, about a foot long, and it was grotesquely mauled. I won't go into the details, so I'll just tell you that it was torn, dead, and bleeding. I couldn't move or take my eyes off the fish, even though my mind made the connection that whatever had swam away was probably eating the fish (with, from the looks of it, very sharp teeth) and I should paddle back to shore as fast as I could. Despite this connection, I still couldn't move. I felt my stomach turn and things started to spin sickeningly (I realize now that I had been dangerously close to passing out in the middle of the water at the time) when his hand closed around my wrist. I finally tore my gaze away from the half eaten fish to look at my brother. Jake's eyes had the same fierce glint in them that Maddie's dad had, which is why I had this memory during dinner. His gaze wasn't angry or fearful, the best word that I can think of to describe the look they had isn't even an adjective. Protection.

He had paddled after me when he realized that I wasn't going to turn around, and he now told me slowly that I was too far away from the shore and that whatever had attacked the fish might still be around. It wasn't his words that snapped me out of my shock, but the strong look in his eyes. We both paddled back to shore with all the strength we had, and I stayed out of the water for a good amount of time after that.

Anyway, the point to all of this is that most of us will do a lot to protect the ones we love. It's odd, but I had that feeling when Jesse told me that a boy said he loved her. I guess I love Maddie, Jesse, and Lily. I underestimated the bond that I have with them, I know now that them moving away won't change anything, really. I'll just have to make more of an effort to see them, that's all.

It's this revelation that inspired me to believe that my strange bridge dream was wrong. I WILL stay in touch with Maddie, and we will not drift apart. Maybe my interpretation of that dream was wrong or it was just a random dream, but I refuse to accept that it means that I don't want to keep in touch with Maddie anymore. So there.

My last topic is how my Valentine's Day was. I didn't think that I'd get to see NHC on Valentine's Day, but he dropped by and we exchanged chocolate ^_^ It was another pleasant surprise, (last weekend was way better than I thought it'd be. . . .) which is weird, because I don't usually like surprises. *Shrug*

After NHC left, I headed for Bubbles's house and hung out with her and Tay for the rest of the day. We had a HUGE dinner with Bubbles's family, which was beyond delicious (and we helped to make parts of it, even though I can't really cook). I'd say that it was the best Valentine's Day I ever had.

Before I end this post, (which I warned was going to be long!) I just want to mention that it'll probably be awhile before I post again. I'm heading out of town on Friday, and I'm not sure whether I'll get to post while I'm there, I'll probably be quite busy. . . . .

~I hope that post wasn't confusing or boring! Or both. . . . .

The Adoration of Jenna Fox

I'm just going to do a quick post about a book that I recently finished, that's all. No journal post today (I'm sure you're all VERY heartbroken about that, lol)

The Adoration of Jenna Fox was okay, but I wouldn't recommend it. It's not that it wasn't good, but there are better things out there to read. I suppose that this is a good one for you if you're a reader who enjoys deep books that make you think, but there's not much excitement in the story. I personally picked it up for the sci-fi, but I was disappointed. The story is set in the future, but that's about it. The whole plot is centered around Jenna Fox, the technological advances are just background information.

The writing style was great, though. I couldn't stop reading it after the first chapter even if I wanted to. I guess I'll give a short synopsis and wrap this up. . . . .

The main character, Jenna Fox, has just awoken from an eighteen month coma. She has absolutely no recollection of who she was before the coma, and she doesn't even remember the basics (walking, talking, etc.) Things slowly come back to her, like her memories, but they come slowly. Before long, Jenna discovers something pertaining to the reason of her coma (I'm being vague to avoid ruining the book. . . . .) that'll blow your mind. The author is very creative, I'll give her that.

To sum my opinion up, I liked it okay, but I've read better. It's a short book though, so if you decide to read it after all, it goes REALLY quickly.

~My next book post will be about Jurassic Park, and I'll have a LOT more to say about that!

Identity

What is it exactly that makes us who we are?

Is it the little things? The way Nikki will laugh at anything, even if it isn't funny? Alanna's hand gestures when she's passionate about something? The way Synfan will blatantly state her opinion about certain things and not care what anyone else thinks? The way Maddie's eyes sparkle when she plays the piano?

Or is it the bigger details of our personalities that make each of us who we are? Nikki's faith? Alanna's spirit? Synfan's heart? Maddie's beauty (inside and out)?

It didn't used to bother me that I couldn't answer questions like these. Now it does. I want to know.

Is there even a real answer to questions like these?

Inkdeath and My Strange Homeroom Situation

Whew! I've finally completed the final book of the Inkheart trilogy, and it was a very good read. If I had the choice, I would've read it all in one sitting. The storyline is so intriguing, it's one of those books that you just HAVE to know what happens next.

I won't go into detail of the entire plot, but I'll give a brief overview: Mo was the main character in this book (at least in my mind, maybe others have different opinions) so I'll focus on him. He's got this deep inner battle about who he wants to be, Mortimer or the Bluejay? Who is the Bluejay, you might ask? The Bluejay is the hero of Fenoglio's "Inkworld", he's destined to kill the Adderhead, who is the evil ruler of the Inkworld. At the end of Inkspell, Mo was actually forced to bind the Adderhead a book that would make him immortal. Kind of the opposite of killing him, really. However, he did sort of curse the book (what he really did I don't feel like explaining) so there's still hope that he can kill the Adderhead. All he has to do is write heart, spell, and death in its pages. That's why the series is Inkheart, Inkspell, and Inkdeath.

But Mo is not just the Bluejay, he's also a husband and a father. His wife, Resa, wants him to return with her to our world (she's expecting his second child and wants a normal life for their baby), and he's not sure if he wants to go back. Mo does some pretty incredible things in this book, ranging from bringing a man back from the dead to surviving horrible, deadly torture. I won't tell you if he winds up being Mortimer or the Bluejay, you'll just have to read it and find out : P

Now, for my opinions: I had a few minor complaints, but my biggest one was the point of view. The story was told in third person limited point of view, and it would switch among several different characters: Mo, Resa, Meggie, Farid, Fenoglio, Elinor, Orpheus, Dustfinger, Violante, the Adderhead, Jacopo, etc. I don't mind when the point of view switches from different characters, but too many switches can make things confusing.

All in all, I highly recommend the Inkheart trilogy to anyone who enjoys fantasy books! They are very captivating books; I found it difficult to put Inkdeath down!

Now, for my journal portion. Something odd occured in my homeroom class, and now everyone in my class thinks I'm crazy/weird. *Sigh*

About two months ago, I stood up in my homeroom class to say the pledge of allegiance like any other day. However, something that would seem fairly normal happened to catch my eye. Across the room (and my homeroom is in my school's auditorium, so she was pretty far away) I saw a girl clutch at her stomach when she rose to say the pledge. What seemed odd to me was that she didn't grimace in pain or anything, she just put a hand on her stomach. While I listened to the school announcements, I tried to think of reasons that a person would grab their stomach if they weren't in pain. The only logical thing that I could come up with was that she was pregnant.

I know, that sounds incredibly weird, but I couldn't shake the idea from my mind. I leaned over to Jenna and whispered, "Does that girl look pregnant to you?" I probably should've whispered more quietly, because everyone in my homeroom turned to look at me like I was nuts. Jenna asked me which girl I was talking about, and I described to her where the girl was sitting. My homeroom class all looked at her, and looked back at me again like I was even crazier. I was feeling pretty embarrassed at this point, and Jenna said "Nooooo," like I was some kind of idiot.

I tried to forget about this incident, hoping that people would forget about my brief moment of oddness. However, last Wednesday (a few months after the incident), Veronica leaned over to me and whispered, "That girl IS pregnant!"

My homeroom (including me) all turned in shock to peer at the girl. Sure enough, there was a small but definite bulge on her belly. A part of me was amazed that I was right, but another part of me really wished that Veronica hadn't said anything. Now my homeroom class thinks that I have some freaky sixth sense about knowing when girls are pregnant. I tried to explain that I had just noticed her grab her stomach, but they still think I'm weird. Next time I notice odd things, I should just keep my mouth shut. . . . .

That's about it for now. . . . Oh, I'm proud of GOS for moving on from loser-boy!! *Round of Applause* She no longer feels anything for him, and now she has a new (and FAR better) crush! Bubbles and TQ are still pointedly giving each other the silent treatment, though. In result, I don't get to talk to TQ anymore, which sucks. I really wish that they hadn't broken up, but that's life. *Shrug*

Also, (I can't believe I'm admitting this) I miss NHC. I know that doesn't sound bad, but it's extremely sad how badly I miss him. I really shouldn't complain (he's beyond a great boyfriend, he calls me to keep in touch 'cause we go to different high schools) but I can't help it. If I could just stop thinking about him until I get to see him again, maybe it would be easier. Haha, easier said than done. I can't get him out of my head, it's hopeless to even bother trying. I also really hate dreaming about him, it's just torture. I'll wake up and then remember that I still can't see him for a while. Honestly, I just don't see how long distance relationships could possibly work. I'm having trouble just being away from him for more than three weeks, how could couples possibly work if they hardly EVER see each other??

I know that I can last another two weeks, though, so I'll just have to deal with my pathetic-ness for now.

~I hope this post wasn't boring (not that anyone's said that my blog is boring, lol *Shifty Eyes*)

Evolution of Dance, An Answer, and Loneliness

I thought I'd start my incredibly long posts (or so Alanna tells me) with something funny for a change! My brother and I watch this video together sometimes for a good laugh, but maybe we're both just crazy : ) If you watch the video, please comment and tell me if you find it hilarious or stupid. It's just an entertaining video of how popular dances have changed over time, and the dude who does it is hysterical (or so my brother and I think). Also, I believe (correct me if I'm wrong) that this is the most popular video on youtube. Isn't that weird? It's gotten 112,438,476 views at the moment. Crazy, huh? Anyways, watch this is you're bored!



My answer that I mentioned at the top is about the dreams that I was having. I haven't had the dream about the bridge for several nights now, and only one thing changed in them that seemed significant before they stopped. I saw my friend Maddie on the other side of the bridge. She didn't walk by it like all of the other people in my bridge dreams did, she stopped and looked at me from the other side.

When this happened, I was confused. I still couldn't move at all, and Maddie didn't come to the other side to me, she just looked at me from across the bridge. My dream continued like that until I woke up, and I wondered if the same thing would happen the next night. Oddly it didn't, I couldn't recall my dream at all the next night. Since then I've had my usual strange dreams, but no more bridge dreams. Apparently Maddie was the key element, and I think I might finally know the reason behind my bridge dream.

Maddie has lived next to me for as long as I can remember. We've been friends since the age of three, according to our moms. You'd think that because I've known her for so long that we'd be inseperable friends. We're not. We were closer when we were younger, but as we grew older we fought more. There were often periods of time that we wouldn't speak to each other at all. I'd see her often, but I didn't miss her when I didn't see her for a long time.

I guess you could say that our personalities were never very compatible. You could also say that we just never clicked. I know this sounds very harsh, but I'd always wondered whether I would like Maddie or not if I hadn't grown up next door to her. A small part of me wonders if she would be the kind of girl that I'd dislike if I hadn't grown up next door to her.

Maddie's family is moving at the end of February. It's official, they've sold their house and have found a new place to live. They recently had a garage sale to sell some things that they won't be taking with them. They're not moving out of the town, but they won't be within easy walking distance anymore. I think that my subconscious mind was bringing up a hard question that I'd rather not ask myself through my dreams.

Will I try to make the effort to remain friends with Maddie? I think deep down I know the answer, even if I don't want to admit it. If I barely make an effort to see her now, when it's so convient, will I even bother when it's not convient? However, maybe her moving away will make our friendship stronger, because who knows? Perhaps we will try to see each other. I doubt it, though, and I feel heartless for having so few feelings for someone that I've known for such a long time. Does that make me a horrible person? In a way, I think it does. I really wish that they wouldn't move, but that's life. Things change.

My topic of loneliness is very pathetic, and I probably shouldn't bore you readers with it, but this is my blog so I'll just write how I feel regardless.

Alanna and Nikki both go to a different high school than me, and I knew that would be hard. It used to be easier when Synfan went to my school, but she switched schools halfway through the year. At least back then Alanna and Nikki had each other, and Synfan and I had each other. It was an even split. Without Synfan, I miss Alanna and Nikki more than ever. Even though I've made new friends, I feel lonely. I feel pathetic for admitting it, but without those three I feel almost like part of me is missing. Does that sound sad or what?

I hate feeling lonely, I really do. I can feel it changing me slowly, and I don't like it. I've been more prone to stupid insecurities lately, which sucks. I've also had more bad moods than I care to mention, and I wish that I could just suck it up. It's hard, though, and I think the only way that it could get easier is if I distance myself from Alanna, Nikki, and Synfan. There is no way that I'm willing to do that, though, so I'll just have to continue to feel lonely. I don't know what I'd do if GOS or Bubbles left my school, they're the closest friends there that I have left. My new friends are great too, but no one can ever replace Alanna, Nikki, or Synfan.

There's also this thing with NHC, but it's only temporary (I think). I saw him last weekend, which was kind of bittersweet, 'cause I won't get to see him at all until the middle of February. It'll be a lonely Valentine's Day : (

He's been ultra busy for FRC (another robotics thing) and his only free days are Mondays and Thursdays. Obviously I can't see him on school nights, so I'll just have to be patient. *Sigh* I don't think I should go on about how badly I wish that I could see him, 'cause that might get mushy. . . at least he calls me, so I'm not deprived of certain things like the sound of his laugh. . . but that still doesn't compare to actually being with him in person.

I guess I'll just have to suck it up and try to be less pathetic.

~Comment on video opinions!

The Hobbit, Angry Chocoholism, and Strange Dreams

Hmm, it's hard to know where to start with this post. . . . it's been a strange week. I guess I'll start with my review of J.R.R. Tolkien's book, The Hobbit.

It took me a while to get through this one due to a combination of reasons that I won't bore you with. This book was tough for me to get into, and I'm not really sure why. I guess I'll just be vague and say that different books grab the attention of different readers for different reasons. The Hobbit never really captured my interest the way other books have, but that's perfectly okay. I'm very glad that I read it; I hate how some people never venture outside of their comfort zone, and I was long overdue for trying something new.

The story itself was actually interesting to me, but I didn't like the author's style of writing. Again, maybe it fascinates certain people, but it didn't do much for me. One of my biggest complaints about this story is the lack of female characters. To me, there wasn't much definition between characters either, but between the types of people. Like, "all Goblins are cruel" and general stuff like that. Maybe I'm just complaining about small details, but that's just my opinion. However, now that I've gotten into the story, I'll probably have to read The Lord of the Rings eventually. When that time comes, I'll compare my opinions of those books to The Hobbit, because I've heard several people argue that they liked the others better than The Hobbit and vice versa. *Shrug* I'll just have to see for myself I suppose.

Now, I'll explain my "angry chocoholism" topic. This goes back to the personal issues (and believe me, there are many) of my friend GOS. As I've discussed, my poor friend has been having some boy troubles. I must say, I've underestimated what a jerk loser-boy is. Days after he broke up with GOS, he called her (quite a few times as a matter of fact) and lied to her about going out with two other girls immediately after breaking up with her. He told her that he hadn't asked anyone else out since they broke up, but he'd already gone out with at least one, maybe two other girls!! Then, once she discovered the truth, he told her that breaking up with her was the "biggest mistake he's ever made in his life." Uh huh. Anyone else sensing a lie here?

When GOS told me of all this, I'll admit it, I exploded at her. I yelled for a good ten minutes about all of the reasons that she shouldn't care about loser-boy anymore, and she argued back that he needs her (apparently he's cutting himself again) so between the two of us, we didn't make much progress. I think I made my point, though, that she deserves far better than a lying, emo, and possibly cheating jerk (I can't prove that he ever cheated on her while they went out, but I have strong suspicions).

Now, what does all of this have to do with chocolate? Well, after my loud and angy discussion with GOS, I stamped downstairs and downed three mini reese's cups. I know that's not a lot, but that's not what scares me. I didn't even notice that I was eating something until I threw away the three wrappers. I was so caught up with my anger about GOS's lame ex boyfriend that I didn't even realize that I was eating chocolate. Is that weird or what? I've heard of girls eating and not noticing it when they're really sad, but when they're angry?? It's definitely new to me. I'm going to have to be more careful from now on about being around food when I'm ticked off. . . . . .

Okay, I'm down to my last topic! I've tried talking to Alanna, Nikki, and NHC about the strange dreams that I've been having lately, but so far I'm still coming up blank. Well, first of all, I should explain that strange dreams are normal for me. Ever since almost as long as I can remember, I've always been able to recall most of my dreams without any trouble. It's pretty rare that I wake up and can't remember what I'd been dreaming of. In fact, when I go downstairs to eat breakfast, my mom sometimes asks me what I dreamed of the night before because I've got a funny look on my face as I think of it. My dreams aren't scary for the most part, just weird. I'm also one of those people who can sometimes be aware that I'm dreaming during a dream, and on those rare occasions (this is a theory that Alanna and I read about, it's called lucid dreaming if you're interested) you're supposed to be able to alter your dream to your liking. It's incredibly hard, though, and I can only think of two possible instances when I might have had some influence on my dream during the dream.

Okay, I'll stop ranting about dreams (which have always intrigued me) and get on to my point. I've had a reoccuring element in my dreams lately, and it's really bugging me. Until I can figure out what this means, I'll probably keep having this dream night after night, which gets extremely boring. I'm literally desperate here, I've even resorted to looking it up in a dream dictionary (which was absolutely no help at all).

Here's my reoccuring dream: I'm facing a bridge, and I absolutely can't cross it. I want to, but my feet just won't move. The dream varies sometimes, but the bridge seems to be the key element. Sometimes there are people on the other side (my friends, actually) but the people never notice me. Sometimes the bridge is over water and other things like steep ledges, but mostly there's just a bridge, surrounded by nothing at all. In my dream I'm not afraid of crossing the bridge, but I still don't want to. I'm not sure why I don't want to, but it's not really fear. I get the sense that there's something that'll have to happen if I cross it that I'm not willing to do. I'm not really sure. . . . .

One thing that's always the same is that the bridge is old. If it's metal, it's rusted. If it's wooden, it's half rotted. Maybe that means something, I don't know. At this point, I'm open to any suggestions.

Alanna and Nikki both agree that the bridge must be a symbol for a decision that I'm subconsciously trying to make, which makes sense. The thing is, I can't think of any big decision that I'm avoiding, or any "big steps" that I'm afraid of taking. That's another reason that I'm so obsessed with these dreams. They don't make sense, and I really want to know why I'm having them. Maybe it's just random, but I don't really think so. *Shrug* Maybe I'll have better luck tonight. All I really know is that the dream probably won't end until I either A) Cross my dream bridge or B) Figure out what it symbolizes. I know that you readers can't help me cross the dream bridge (which I've tried to do, but it's almost like I physically can't make my dream feet move) but maybe you could give me some new ideas about what it's supposed to mean? I'd appreciate that. . . . .

~Thanks for reading, and please comment with ideas!

Moonlight Mile and Snow Days

Wow, it's been an interesting couple of days (to say the least). We got about four inches of snow, and it only snows about once every few years where I live. Even then, we hardly ever get a lot of snow, so four inches is amazing to us. Everyone takes advantage of it when there's enough to play in, which is exactly what I've been doing for the past few days : )

But first, I'd like to talk about Moonlight Mile. I've discussed in previous posts about my love for Jake Gyllenhaal, how I pull out random movies simply because he's in them. This was the case for Moonlight Mile, if Jake Gyllenhaal weren't in it there's no way that I'd have picked it up.

Actually, there were many famous actors in this film. Dustin Hoffman, Holly Hunter, Susan Sarandon, and Ellen Pompeo also starred in Moonlight Mile. Needless to say, the acting was phenomenal. The characters really came alive, thanks to the wonderful acting.

However, the acting was the ONLY redeeming quality in this film. The story didn't capture my interest at all, and the plot went absolutely nowhere for the longest time. It was slightly better towards the end, but for the most part there was a giant question mark present in my thoughts while I watched this one. I don't recommend Moonlight Mile to anyone who wants to be entertained. This movie was a joke next to other movies that members of that cast have been in. All in all, don't watch Moonlight Mile. Ever. End of story.

Now, I'll do a journal dicussion of my treasured snow days ^_^

I was woken at about 9:00 by the kids in my neighborhood knocking on our front door. I wasn't ready to come out, of course, so I told them (in my pajamas, which was slightly embarrassing) that I'd eat breakfast and catch up with them later. While I ate, GOS and NHC both called me to talk for a bit, which was nice of them. I'm a pretty slow eater, though, so it was about 11:00 before I finally walked out the door. My first order of snow business was to play with my dog, Hershey. She LOVES the snow, she frolicks through it like a puppy : )

Eventually, three of my neighbors came by and brought their dog, Sandi. We all ran around in my backyard (which is pretty large, and fenced in. Perfect for doggies) throwing snow at each other and our insanely happy dogs. We soon left, though, eager to do some sledding before we made the walk to Bubbles's house.

There is a small-ish hill by the creek down our hill which is good for sledding. . . . . as long as you don't run into trees. Haha, that sounds funny but it really is a pain dodging trees all the time. I live in a very foresty neighborhood, some of my friends joke that I live in the middle of the woods : P

We were met up at the creek by Will, (finally, I use an actual name!) another neighbor of mine. Together, the five of us walked to Bubbles's house towing two plastic sleds.

When we got there, they were of course playing my most hated game. Football. It was Bubbles, Joey, Door (THAT'S a nickname), Jake, Walter, me, Will, Maddie, Jesse, and Lily (who are Maddie's little identical twin sisters). Just my luck, some idiot decided that we should play guys against girls. Maddie, Jesse, and Lily can't play football to save their lives. So basically it was Bubbles and I against five to six (Hunter joined us a little) guys. I got tackled a lot. Mostly by Will, who was covering me the whole time. We held our own, 'cause Bubbles is good and I can catch pretty well (I fell down a lot, though. . . . .). It quickly turned into a snowball fight before we could finish, which was WAY more fun!

However, the snowball fight was also guys versus girls. We were more evenly matched for that one, though, 'cause Maddie and her sisters (Jesse and Lily) didn't have any trouble with THAT game! Muahhahahahahahaaaa, it was revenge time.

Both teams got each other pretty well, but the guys ultimately won. Even though we lost, it was a great fight, we went at it for quite a while before we were called in to watch Obama's inauguration. We all clumped into Bubbles's house and took off our outer layers of clothing. We tossed these by the fireplace, and made TONS of hot chocolate for everyone. We all gathered in the living room to watch Obama be sworn in, sipping our cocoa as he gave his acceptance speech. It was a great moment, though I had to shush Maddie's little sisters often for their impatient whispering. We didn't stay in for long after his speech, just long enough to warm up a little more and throw on our outer layers and boots.

Next on the agenda was more sledding. Not just any sledding, however, this is what we'd all been waiting for. This was what the twins (Jesse and Lily) had been bugging me about since the start of autumn. Dare Devil Drop.

There are some advantages to living in the woods, and I consider Dare Devil Drop to be a HUGE asset of my neighborhood. If you hike a bit into Bubbles's backyard, you come to a steep (almost a 90 degree angle- no joke) hill which we call Dare Devil Drop. From the top of this GIGANTIC hill, you can see much of the snowy forest. I wish that I'd taken pictures of that view, it was breathtaking.

Now sledding down this hill takes some major guts. Not only is it incredibly steep, but the creek is VERY close to the bottom. If you're not careful, you might just slide right into the creek, which is not only freezing in this weather but we've also seen many snakes in the creek before. Even in the winter, we've seen the occasional snake slithering by.

Walter is the greatest daredevil, he's always the first to try everything. He bounded forward, slammed his sled down and we all watched him fly down Dare Devil Drop at an alarming speed. It truly is frightening when you try it for the first time, but we've all done it before so it wasn't as intimidating as it used to be. The biggest pain is climbing back up the stupid hill. It takes tons of leg strength, and even with incredible power it's easy to slip and fall all the way back down. It's very tiring, and Joey had the worst time getting back up. He was stuck at the bottom for quite some time, so the other guys all laughed and threw snowballs at him from the top of the hill.

I went down mostly on my butt, I'll admit it. There's less dignity in it, but it's a little slower, which makes it easier for those of us who are terrified by heights. I don't have much trouble getting back up, but it didn't take before we all sat at the top panting, just enjoying the view.

The hike back was fairly uneventful, but it seemed much longer than the journey there. It probably just seemed that way because we were all muddy and sore. Even though Dare Devil Drop is frightening and messy, it's by far our most anticipated snow activity. Words can't describe how exhilarating it is to sled down that hill, it's one of my most cherished memories.

That was pretty much the end of day one, 'cause after that we just huddled inside Bubbles's house playing poker and other card games. There were only a couple of casualties that day, one fist fight between Door and Joey was the worst of it. Oh, and we played basketball in Jake and Hunter's snowy driveway, which Bubbles and I killed at. Whenever she didn't win, I won >: )

Day two of my snowy days was far less eventful, the snow was all melted for the most part of it. I did a little more sledding on the smaller hill by the creek with Maddie and her sisters, and I had a couple more snowball fights. It was still fun, though, and I'm glad that we finally got some snow. It's been long overdue, even if it is at the most inconvient time for me.

The snow just HAD to come during exam week *Sigh* Oh well. It's pushed everything back, but I'm not really complaining. I'm just glad that we got the snow. I'll maybe post a few pictures later, but no guarantees.

~Enjoy our new president, everybody!

Another Breakup

This is a journal post, just warning you guys. *Sigh* Poor GOS. Well, it's not like we didn't see this coming. She and loser-boy are over, he broke up with her this morning. He told her that he thought he was falling for another girl. Can you imagine how painful that must be? Why would he feel the need to destroy what little of her heart that he's leaving by telling her that? She also happens to be friends with the girl that he now likes. Gr. Anyone want to help me egg loser-boy's house?

I'm not sure if I had some random precognition of this happening, but I had been out getting my hair cut today, and I decided to stop by Blockbuster on the way home. Lol, I got two chick flics and a random movie that I just picked up because Jake Gyllenhaal stars in it. When I got home there was a message for me from GOS. She was crying, and told me that I needed to call her back as soon as I could. I could guess at what had happened, so I immediately walked my dog, finished up a few other little chores, and left for her house half an hour later armed with the chic flics that I had picked up on a whim.

I spent most of the day at GOS's house, attempting to console her. She's doing pretty well, considering the circumstances. Her self esteem has taken a major blow, but it could be worse. It really ticks me off that loser-boy is doing the exact same thing to GOS that Bubbles did to TQ, just leaving her like she's some sort of broken toy. Even if they don't necessarily like their ex's anymore, can't they muster up a little sympathy for their feelings? Ugh, sometimes people (even my friends in Bubbles's case) disgust me.

GOS deserves a guy that really cares about her, not some creep looking for a brief change in partners to make out with. I really hate how some people rush things, just because they want a boyfriend/girlfriend. It's not a race or anything, people should date because they actually like the other person for who they are, not just for the thrill of having a boyfriend/girlfriend.

I won't pretend that I know everything there is to know about relationships, (quite the contrary, actually) so more than likely I'm just ranting about something that I don't know anything about. I know that they are extremely complicated, and I don't underestimate how complex relationships can get. I do believe that if the people are truly meant to be together, that it'll all work out somehow. Wow, that sounds incredibly cheesy.

Talking with GOS about her breakup all day got me thinking a lot about NHC. Can you blame me, though? Seeing the effects of GOS's breakup sent a shock of fear through me. Is that what it'll be like for me if/when NHC and I break up? I know that I'd be devastated, but NHC is ten times the guy that loser-boy is. If he ever did want to break up with me (which I REALLY hope won't happen, but today has made me a bit more pessimistic about relationships than usual) he'd probably do it honestly and try to spare my feelings as best as he could.

But maybe I'm worrying about nothing. NHC and I currently have a great relationship (at least I think so) and I shouldn't worry about if/when it'll end. I really hope it doesn't, but what do I know? I'm just another hopelessly infatuated teenager, right? *Sigh*

~Hopefully my next post will be more cheerful.

Inkheart, Bride Wars, and Taylor Swift

I feel slow. I just discovered yesterday that Inkheart has been made into a movie!! o_O Wow, I am seriously out of it. I blame exam week.

Inkheart, Inkspell, and now Inkdeath as well are a series written by Cornelia Funke, and they are quite an interesting series. I actually just got my hands on a copy of Inkdeath today (after a few months of being on the wait list at the library, I might add) and it's taking all of my will power not to start on it this very second! *Deep Breath* I'm determined to finish The Hobbit before I pick up anything else, so I'll just have to wait a little longer.

I won't bore you readers (haha, all four, maybe five or six of you) with the details of Inkheart. Basically, it's a wonderful fantasy book with many twists and turns, there was hardly a boring moment in this one. When Meggie, the main character, reads books aloud, she can magically read elements out of the story and into real life. Pretty cool, huh? Imagine if you could read, let's say, your favorite Twilight character out of the story and into your life. I know that I'd certainly enjoy that power!! : )

Not only is the Inkheart series (or trilogy? I'm not sure if there will be another book after Inkdeath) a great read, but the movie will have Brendan Fraser in it!! : D He'll be playing Mo, Meggie's father (who also has the magical ability to read things out of books) and I can't think of an actor that could be more perfect for the role. This upcoming movie (releases this month, as a matter of fact) is definitely a must-see for me, and for my friend Nikki as well.

Speaking of movies, one perk of exam week is that school gets out much earlier than usual, at 11:30 AM. This leaves plenty of extra time to study (haha, right) or goof off with your friends!! : ) GOS, Nikki, and I went and caught a 1:10 PM showing of Bride Wars. Lol, many adults asked us if we were skipping school, and there was hardly anyone else there! x D

If it were up to me, we would NOT have watched Bride Wars! Not usually the type of movie that I'm drawn to *Shrug* but I was impressed. It was funny, it held my interest (which is difficult to achieve), and I actually liked the ending! Overall, an awesome movie for a girls night out (or afternoon, in our case).


I am a fan of Taylor Swift, and I am proud of it. Don't think of me as an all out country girl, but I do enjoy certain coutry-ish music. I love Taylor Swift's songs, I think that they are amazing. They make me want to throw my head back and sing right on with her, which is fun for me, but painful for my family : P

I don't have many allies. All of my friends are pretty extreme about their opinion of Taylor Swift, they either love her or they hate her. GOS and Kelpo love her, Alanna and Synfan hate her. Lol, Nikki is fairly indifferent, and I'm pretty sure that Bubbles is indifferent too.

My favorite songs of hers are Picture to Burn, Should've Said No, The Way I Loved You, You Belong With Me, Love Story, and I'd Lie. I'm very addicted to her songs, I'll admit it : )

~That's all for now, wish me luck on the rest of my exams!