Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Christmas Day Collage
Christmas was wonderful. I was very spoiled - thanks for the new couch, teddy bear, necklace, ear warmer, and book, hon! Some of my other favorite gifts were a phone from Santa, a pair of knitted fingerless gloves and a beret from Sarah, a sweater from Daniel, a bike lock from Mary Alma, a painted nutcracker from Hannah, and a very nice collection of four Jane Austen novels from Matt's parents, the Covingtons. I also have a ton of new books to read (they're not all mine, but that won't stop me) and movies to watch.
I also have lots of pictures of these cuties:
Edward got lots and lots of books from Grandma and Grandpa Miller, a stuffed dog from Aunt Ruth, and mittens from Aunt Sarah, but he seemed more interested in stealing the presents of others and in giving out hugs.
Dad got a replacement addiction for the Waltons - it took him nearly 30 years, but he has finished seeing all of them :)
A rare photo of three people actually cooperating with the cameraman with smiles and poses.
Daniel being besieged by hug-givers.
I spent some of the afternoon with the Covingtons, where Matt received this adorable sweater:
And I got a new snuggling buddy, handsomely wrapped in a suit of paper and carrying another present for me in his hand.
Robert, meanwhile, got to PLAY WITH A CHAIR.
Teddy got more excitement than he could handle in the morning and became unresponsive after 10:30.
Christmas dinner: The best one yet, thanks to the amazing skills of Grandma/Mama!
I love you, Christmas.
I also have lots of pictures of these cuties:
Edward got lots and lots of books from Grandma and Grandpa Miller, a stuffed dog from Aunt Ruth, and mittens from Aunt Sarah, but he seemed more interested in stealing the presents of others and in giving out hugs.
Dad got a replacement addiction for the Waltons - it took him nearly 30 years, but he has finished seeing all of them :)
A rare photo of three people actually cooperating with the cameraman with smiles and poses.
Daniel being besieged by hug-givers.
I spent some of the afternoon with the Covingtons, where Matt received this adorable sweater:
And I got a new snuggling buddy, handsomely wrapped in a suit of paper and carrying another present for me in his hand.
Robert, meanwhile, got to PLAY WITH A CHAIR.
Teddy got more excitement than he could handle in the morning and became unresponsive after 10:30.
Christmas dinner: The best one yet, thanks to the amazing skills of Grandma/Mama!
I love you, Christmas.
Saturday, December 25, 2010
Christmas Kiddies
The older you get, the more you appreciate the gifts that can't be wrapped at Christmas. Things like time off from school and yummy traditional foods and Christmas songs and seeing family. Especially when family = an adorable little chubby-legged 6 mo. old nephew named Robertickus Floof.
In addition to my own cute nephews, this year I got to share Matt's adorable niece, Aimee Hales, who is definitely on her way to being a model. Possibly a comedian. Look at that face!
She tried to give me a serious face once, but it turned out to be too difficult for her not to crack herself up.
If you look closely in the background, you can see Aimee's little brother, Brian, snuggling with Matt's older sister Katie. Brian is a month older than Edward, but a great deal less talkative. He is, however, extremely focused when it comes to blowing out candles and opening presents.
Such confidence! Such silliness! Brava!
Though the focus of the night was on baby Jesus, it was hard not to become entirely absorbed in the gurgling grunts of baby Robert throughout the night.
To say nothing of that little ham, Edward, who went about dispensing Christmas cheer through hugs and flung jingle bells.
"I give hugs!!!??"
Yes, Edward, you give hugs.
Except to Aunt Mary Alma, who ended up getting a tickle partner for the rest of the night.
And the cutest shot of the night goes to..............................................................
In addition to my own cute nephews, this year I got to share Matt's adorable niece, Aimee Hales, who is definitely on her way to being a model. Possibly a comedian. Look at that face!
She tried to give me a serious face once, but it turned out to be too difficult for her not to crack herself up.
If you look closely in the background, you can see Aimee's little brother, Brian, snuggling with Matt's older sister Katie. Brian is a month older than Edward, but a great deal less talkative. He is, however, extremely focused when it comes to blowing out candles and opening presents.
Such confidence! Such silliness! Brava!
Though the focus of the night was on baby Jesus, it was hard not to become entirely absorbed in the gurgling grunts of baby Robert throughout the night.
To say nothing of that little ham, Edward, who went about dispensing Christmas cheer through hugs and flung jingle bells.
"I give hugs!!!??"
Yes, Edward, you give hugs.
Except to Aunt Mary Alma, who ended up getting a tickle partner for the rest of the night.
And the cutest shot of the night goes to..............................................................
Such expression! Such emotion! Such natural grace and poise? Oh Robert, how will I live when you are too old to be squeezed and kissed mercilessly?
Of course, I would have to give the runner-up to this one.
Merry Christmas, everyone!
Merry Christmas, everyone!Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Once Upon a December...
Here are some goings-on in December that I have been meaning to write about, but haven't:
1. I got an internship with the Church Publications department in Salt Lake City for next semester, meaning a) I'll be paid and b) I'm moving to Sandy in a shared house with four other girls for four months (but will drive home on the weekends).
2. I got a new car! Pictures, name, and part to fix the engine still to come, but thanks to my car-wise relatives (and boyfriend), I know it's a 1996 Subaru Legacy Outback. And it's RED. Forgive me, BYU. Which brings me to....
3. I graduated! Well, at least I finished all of my finals - the last one was a pizza party ;) Ah, college, I will miss you.
4. I became addicted to "Whose Line is it Anyway?" No regrets.
5. I became addicted to Wendy's small vanilla frosties. Regrets.
6. I finally got a paper published in the Americana Student Journal (been waiting on it since last year...) and got another paper (the "I Am Legend" one I wrote for my Gothic class) accepted for a conference in April, and finished grad school applications (all except for the one to BYU's master's program).
7. I went with Matt to his work party. It was at a HUGE resort place, in somewhere like Alpine, and it was a bit like a Christmas village with all the decorations and little shops and great big fancy buildings. We got to watch ComedySportz (they're really good! I kept meaning to go see them while I was taking my class on comedy, but never did - but should've) and there was also a magician (good; funny) and a hypnotist (we heard he wasn't that great and so stayed away to watch more ComedySportz) and lots of food (the lemonade was quite good; Matt only had one spicy bean/salsa/peppery thing to eat and for the rest of the night he smelled like that one thing - yuck).
8. December 10th was a special day. Besides being Sarah and Hannah's 17th birthday (!!!!!!!), Daniel had organized a Christmas choir to put on a concert of some original songs and a few arrangements. Sarah played the harp (one song), Matt sang, Mom sang (one song) and there was a fairly good crowd of people in attendance.
My best friend from Georgia, Emily Niedfeldt Smith, was able to come with her husband, Weston. It was very fun to visit with them and see them for the first time since the wedding.
This is the only good shot we got of the four of us together. The camera was unhelpfully dying every ten seconds or so, despite the fact that I swear its batteries had been changed between Thanksgiving and then. SIGH. One more thing to have to carry around in my purse.
After taking Emily and Weston back to Provo, Matt and I went home to take some family pictures while we were still in our Sunday best. Here's one of the five thousand that I thought decent enough to post:
Another one of the children.
Three wise - well, handsome at any rate - men.
I love this one! It's my new desktop picture (I'm actually starting to get used to looking at our red eyes, but I'm not so desensitized to it that I won't make a New Year's resolution to actually get these photos fixed when I have access to a computer with Photoshop on it).
He looks so cute that you wouldn't imagine he was really forcibly restraining me from grabbing the camera to delete the last five pictures taken in this pose, which I found a little too awkward-looking.
This, on other hand, is a keeper. Possibly my favorite picture yet of me and my sweetie.
This is one of my favorite pictures of the three of us together. Too bad Mary Alma wasn't there to complete the circle of sisterliness.
On the other hand, maybe she should be grateful she passed on the photo-op in this one.
1. I got an internship with the Church Publications department in Salt Lake City for next semester, meaning a) I'll be paid and b) I'm moving to Sandy in a shared house with four other girls for four months (but will drive home on the weekends).
2. I got a new car! Pictures, name, and part to fix the engine still to come, but thanks to my car-wise relatives (and boyfriend), I know it's a 1996 Subaru Legacy Outback. And it's RED. Forgive me, BYU. Which brings me to....
3. I graduated! Well, at least I finished all of my finals - the last one was a pizza party ;) Ah, college, I will miss you.
4. I became addicted to "Whose Line is it Anyway?" No regrets.
5. I became addicted to Wendy's small vanilla frosties. Regrets.
6. I finally got a paper published in the Americana Student Journal (been waiting on it since last year...) and got another paper (the "I Am Legend" one I wrote for my Gothic class) accepted for a conference in April, and finished grad school applications (all except for the one to BYU's master's program).
7. I went with Matt to his work party. It was at a HUGE resort place, in somewhere like Alpine, and it was a bit like a Christmas village with all the decorations and little shops and great big fancy buildings. We got to watch ComedySportz (they're really good! I kept meaning to go see them while I was taking my class on comedy, but never did - but should've) and there was also a magician (good; funny) and a hypnotist (we heard he wasn't that great and so stayed away to watch more ComedySportz) and lots of food (the lemonade was quite good; Matt only had one spicy bean/salsa/peppery thing to eat and for the rest of the night he smelled like that one thing - yuck).
8. December 10th was a special day. Besides being Sarah and Hannah's 17th birthday (!!!!!!!), Daniel had organized a Christmas choir to put on a concert of some original songs and a few arrangements. Sarah played the harp (one song), Matt sang, Mom sang (one song) and there was a fairly good crowd of people in attendance.My best friend from Georgia, Emily Niedfeldt Smith, was able to come with her husband, Weston. It was very fun to visit with them and see them for the first time since the wedding.
This is the only good shot we got of the four of us together. The camera was unhelpfully dying every ten seconds or so, despite the fact that I swear its batteries had been changed between Thanksgiving and then. SIGH. One more thing to have to carry around in my purse.After taking Emily and Weston back to Provo, Matt and I went home to take some family pictures while we were still in our Sunday best. Here's one of the five thousand that I thought decent enough to post:
Another one of the children.
Three wise - well, handsome at any rate - men.
I love this one! It's my new desktop picture (I'm actually starting to get used to looking at our red eyes, but I'm not so desensitized to it that I won't make a New Year's resolution to actually get these photos fixed when I have access to a computer with Photoshop on it).
He looks so cute that you wouldn't imagine he was really forcibly restraining me from grabbing the camera to delete the last five pictures taken in this pose, which I found a little too awkward-looking.
This, on other hand, is a keeper. Possibly my favorite picture yet of me and my sweetie.
This is one of my favorite pictures of the three of us together. Too bad Mary Alma wasn't there to complete the circle of sisterliness.
On the other hand, maybe she should be grateful she passed on the photo-op in this one.
Monday, December 13, 2010
November 2010 Media Inventory
I'm a bit late with this post - but never fear, I didn't forget you, November!
Movies:
Hitch: A fun and feel-happy comedy/romance that teaches some pretty . . . interesting things about dating, love, family, and the hotness of Will Smith (see how I told you nothing there by using the word "interesting," Hum 201 students?). Now I've made it sound dirty, which it really isn't. I would recommend it, if you don't mind some general silliness and cliche cuteness.
I Am Legend: Will Smith? Is that you? Didn't I see this movie already this year? (Answer: Yes) Like in July or something? (Answer: August) Why would I see it again so soon? (Answer: Gothic class) Am I done with this movie yet? (Answer: No) Why? (Answer: Because you're writing a paper on it that's due Thursday) Ugh.
Inception: I also already saw this movie this year (or did I?!?), but as my professor said, "you can never talk about [this] movie too much." If you haven't seen it, YOU MUST.
Night of the Living Dead: 3 in a row! I've seen this one before too! It was grosser than I remembered! But I am still writing a paper on it!
Miracle on 34th Street: Finally. Something new. This was the 1994 version, which I'd never seen before, so it technically counts, right? On the plus side, it was sweet and creative and Christmasy and IN COLOR!!!! On the downside, there was no Mr. Sawyer, (insert annoying voice) the book was better....., and the little girl had a couple of violent mood swings that made me want to hit her with a candy cane.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: I saw this with Matt, his brother, his brother's girlfriend, and his sister within 24 hours after it was released. We sat high up in the theater in the middle of a row. It was the first time I had seen the theater fully packed. We even had security guards walking through the halls! I was so excited I couldn't concentrate on the movie! Ok - just kidding. I actually thought the movie was fairly well done. I hadn't read any of the books and I was able to follow along just fine after a 15-20 min. briefing from Matt on the essentials ("WHICH ONE IS HARRY!?!???"). Matt was disappointed. Probably because he thought (insert annoying voice) the book was better.....
How the Grinch Stole Christmas: Another old/new one! The Jim Carrey version that came out so long ago which I still never got around to seeing until now! I enjoyed parts of it, especially cute Jack and the Grinch's phone message machine and the fudge tasting contest, but OVERALL...the book was better.....
Charade: Matt's first time seeing this movie! Fortunately, we both agreed it was wonderfully awfully dreadfully terribly awesome. We especially enjoy quoting the cheesiest parts to each other now (E.g. "Do you know what's wrong with you? . . . Nothing.") ("You should see your face." "What's the matter with it?" "It's lovely." etc).
The Polar Express: It's a tradition to watch this every year now and rip it to shreds. Those poor, miserable, brainwashed-into-believing children.
Stalking Santa: Another holiday favorite. I can't believe it's been five years since I took TMA 101 from Chris Clark. He gave me my first college lecture. Wow. And showed the trailer for this film in his class, as I recall. If you haven't seen it, YOU MUST.
The Shop Around the Corner: I always always always always always ALWAYS fall asleep before this movie ends, and this time was no exception. In fact, I have conned myself into thinking that the movie actually ends at the part where the owner decides to share Christmas dinner with the errand boy, because that's where I start to drift off. Until that point, though, I'm riveted. It's a lovely little film with an excellent plot, characters, and dialogue. I think it would make a fantastic play.
Theater:
The Scarlet Pimpernel (A MUSICAL!!!): My sweet boyfriend bought us tickets to this long, long ago (back in OCTOBER, for crying out loud) and we were not at all in the mood for it. I would give it a 10/10 rating because I enjoyed the evening so much, but I'm afraid my response was rather biased. Very, particularly favorite parts included Chauvelin's singing voice, the "And That is Why the Lord Created Men" song, the very creative way of making characters appear to be bouncing and jostling around in a carriage (ala Jane Austen style) without using horses or having to walk in circles around the stage, and the costumes - sooooo lovely. Less wonderful parts? I thought it a tad long. Also, our seats weren't the best - we never got to see anyone's head get chopped off when they all surrounded the guillotine.
Stage Door: Very fun - yet serious - drama which made me really interested in seeing the movie adaptation . . . someday. I really enjoyed the "black and white movie from the 30s" design as well, not just because it was different and kind of interesting, but because I got to dress like an usher from the 1930s - I had a little cap and jacket and everything! And an old man complimented me. It was just like the '30s, y'all!
Romeo and Juliet: I really enjoyed this. And not just because I was texting my own Romeo all through intermission ;)
South Pacific: Saw this at Mountain View High School with Matt's family. Our seats were terrific and it was lots of fun seeing Matt's little sister Crissy showing off what her momma gave her onstage. The songs/choreography were all well done, and I was impressed with the talents of the cast. I did become somewhat distracted in the second act, but it was more my fault than the play's.
Book:
In Cold Blood: A tragic book, horrifyingly blunt and detailed, but I couldn't put it down either. The story is extremely sad and frightening, but very insightful and thoughtful as well - hardly gratuitous. Don't expect a typical murder mystery or crime novel.
Well, folks, that's it for November. I'm surprised that I've done so little this month (ONE book? What was I DOING on all those bus trips!?!?!?), but promise to try to get in more - including as many Christmas classics as I can - for the next monthly post. I'm very excited about seeing "The Voyage of the Dawn Treader" at the theater as well, though I'm fairly certain that the book is better......
Movies:
Hitch: A fun and feel-happy comedy/romance that teaches some pretty . . . interesting things about dating, love, family, and the hotness of Will Smith (see how I told you nothing there by using the word "interesting," Hum 201 students?). Now I've made it sound dirty, which it really isn't. I would recommend it, if you don't mind some general silliness and cliche cuteness.
I Am Legend: Will Smith? Is that you? Didn't I see this movie already this year? (Answer: Yes) Like in July or something? (Answer: August) Why would I see it again so soon? (Answer: Gothic class) Am I done with this movie yet? (Answer: No) Why? (Answer: Because you're writing a paper on it that's due Thursday) Ugh.
Inception: I also already saw this movie this year (or did I?!?), but as my professor said, "you can never talk about [this] movie too much." If you haven't seen it, YOU MUST.
Night of the Living Dead: 3 in a row! I've seen this one before too! It was grosser than I remembered! But I am still writing a paper on it!
Miracle on 34th Street: Finally. Something new. This was the 1994 version, which I'd never seen before, so it technically counts, right? On the plus side, it was sweet and creative and Christmasy and IN COLOR!!!! On the downside, there was no Mr. Sawyer, (insert annoying voice) the book was better....., and the little girl had a couple of violent mood swings that made me want to hit her with a candy cane.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: I saw this with Matt, his brother, his brother's girlfriend, and his sister within 24 hours after it was released. We sat high up in the theater in the middle of a row. It was the first time I had seen the theater fully packed. We even had security guards walking through the halls! I was so excited I couldn't concentrate on the movie! Ok - just kidding. I actually thought the movie was fairly well done. I hadn't read any of the books and I was able to follow along just fine after a 15-20 min. briefing from Matt on the essentials ("WHICH ONE IS HARRY!?!???"). Matt was disappointed. Probably because he thought (insert annoying voice) the book was better.....
How the Grinch Stole Christmas: Another old/new one! The Jim Carrey version that came out so long ago which I still never got around to seeing until now! I enjoyed parts of it, especially cute Jack and the Grinch's phone message machine and the fudge tasting contest, but OVERALL...the book was better.....
Charade: Matt's first time seeing this movie! Fortunately, we both agreed it was wonderfully awfully dreadfully terribly awesome. We especially enjoy quoting the cheesiest parts to each other now (E.g. "Do you know what's wrong with you? . . . Nothing.") ("You should see your face." "What's the matter with it?" "It's lovely." etc).
The Polar Express: It's a tradition to watch this every year now and rip it to shreds. Those poor, miserable, brainwashed-into-believing children.
Stalking Santa: Another holiday favorite. I can't believe it's been five years since I took TMA 101 from Chris Clark. He gave me my first college lecture. Wow. And showed the trailer for this film in his class, as I recall. If you haven't seen it, YOU MUST.
The Shop Around the Corner: I always always always always always ALWAYS fall asleep before this movie ends, and this time was no exception. In fact, I have conned myself into thinking that the movie actually ends at the part where the owner decides to share Christmas dinner with the errand boy, because that's where I start to drift off. Until that point, though, I'm riveted. It's a lovely little film with an excellent plot, characters, and dialogue. I think it would make a fantastic play.
Theater:
The Scarlet Pimpernel (A MUSICAL!!!): My sweet boyfriend bought us tickets to this long, long ago (back in OCTOBER, for crying out loud) and we were not at all in the mood for it. I would give it a 10/10 rating because I enjoyed the evening so much, but I'm afraid my response was rather biased. Very, particularly favorite parts included Chauvelin's singing voice, the "And That is Why the Lord Created Men" song, the very creative way of making characters appear to be bouncing and jostling around in a carriage (ala Jane Austen style) without using horses or having to walk in circles around the stage, and the costumes - sooooo lovely. Less wonderful parts? I thought it a tad long. Also, our seats weren't the best - we never got to see anyone's head get chopped off when they all surrounded the guillotine.
Stage Door: Very fun - yet serious - drama which made me really interested in seeing the movie adaptation . . . someday. I really enjoyed the "black and white movie from the 30s" design as well, not just because it was different and kind of interesting, but because I got to dress like an usher from the 1930s - I had a little cap and jacket and everything! And an old man complimented me. It was just like the '30s, y'all!
Romeo and Juliet: I really enjoyed this. And not just because I was texting my own Romeo all through intermission ;)
South Pacific: Saw this at Mountain View High School with Matt's family. Our seats were terrific and it was lots of fun seeing Matt's little sister Crissy showing off what her momma gave her onstage. The songs/choreography were all well done, and I was impressed with the talents of the cast. I did become somewhat distracted in the second act, but it was more my fault than the play's.
Book:
In Cold Blood: A tragic book, horrifyingly blunt and detailed, but I couldn't put it down either. The story is extremely sad and frightening, but very insightful and thoughtful as well - hardly gratuitous. Don't expect a typical murder mystery or crime novel.
Well, folks, that's it for November. I'm surprised that I've done so little this month (ONE book? What was I DOING on all those bus trips!?!?!?), but promise to try to get in more - including as many Christmas classics as I can - for the next monthly post. I'm very excited about seeing "The Voyage of the Dawn Treader" at the theater as well, though I'm fairly certain that the book is better......
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Socks for Christmas
For the past ten years, I have had only one pair of very soft, warm socks. This pair came to me during a YW activity in Georgia; we were playing a white elephant Christmas game at Sister Combs' house after going caroling, and I ended up with a pair of red socks with white snowflakes on the soles. I was a little disappointed at the time to end up with socks for Christmas ("A Christmas present should be a book or a toy or something good"), but over the years I came to love and appreciate them for their warmth and Christmasy-ness. 10 years later, they are frayed and worn, but I have continued to wear them because I am too lazy/neglectful/miserly/poor/indecisive to get a new pair. This does not stop me from complaining about the dearth of comfortable socks every year. It's practically a tradition.However, this year, when I started to get out the red socks and begin my annual lament, darling Matt immediately offered to take me to Macy's and buy me not one, but TWO lovely pairs of perfectly beautiful socks. One is many different shades of red; the other has purple, pink, lavender, violet (and other shades of that variety) stripes. I wear them (well, the red pair - I am saving the other pair for Christmas) every day and at night. I would wear them everywhere except I don't want them to get dirty or torn. In the meantime, my feet are in heaven. Thank GOODNESS my boyfriend not only knows how to shop, but actually likes doing it and does a good job.
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Bragging
It may interest you all to know I have a new desktop picture for my computer:
Look how cute we are! (And please ignore for now the fact that we have red eyes - I'm working on it)
And now for the photos that did not make the cut:
I like my hair in this one.
Look at that mischievous smile! Adorable! He looks so much better when he doesn't have to compete with me in the same picture, yes?
Because face it, how you gonna compete with THIS!?!??!!!?
Oh, and did I mention Hannah got bangs?
Cause she diiiiiiiiiiiiiiiid!
Look how cute we are! (And please ignore for now the fact that we have red eyes - I'm working on it)
And now for the photos that did not make the cut:
I like my hair in this one.
Look at that mischievous smile! Adorable! He looks so much better when he doesn't have to compete with me in the same picture, yes?
Because face it, how you gonna compete with THIS!?!??!!!?Oh, and did I mention Hannah got bangs?
Cause she diiiiiiiiiiiiiiiid!
Monday, November 15, 2010
Reasons Why I Love my Boyfriend, Part 1
Being "that couple" who manages to show teasing acts of flirtatious affection even in the most inappropriately public of situations, I was not surprised when my boyfriend, exhausted after completing his workout of the morning, fell on his knees in front of me in the weight room.
"Are you going to shower now?" I asked, since it was about that time and I didn't recognize this strange collapsing motion as part of the usual workout.
"Well, actually, I was going to ask you to marry me," he responded. "But yes."
I laughed/snorted and shoved him in the Elaine Benes 'get out' fashion.
**************
"Keys?" I asked Matt in the car later that morning, signaling that it was time to hand over my keys so I could get in the house and he could get to work.
"What, kiss?" He responded, leaning in. (On the cheek, if you're wondering...)
What followed next was a lot of LOL-ing.
*************
Sunday, getting out of the choir room and to the car:
"How do you intend to open the door for me while holding my hand in one hand and all the choir books in the other?" I smirked, fully intending to demonstrate my feminist "girl power" by opening the door all by myself.
"I'll manage," he grunted, twisting to one side so he could free two fingers.
"You're going to have to take off your shoes if you're planning on using your toes," I said.
Suddenly the door flew open.
"Quick! Run through! Hurry!" gasped Matt, ready to throw himself into the path of the door to prevent it from closing but chivalrously forcing himself to hold back until I walked through.
"Someone's holding it," I said, still surprised. My surprise increased when I found that no one, in fact, was holding the door, a fact which Matt realized more literally than I.
"I pushed it open - didn't you see?" Matt gave me a funny look.
Friday, November 5, 2010
October 2010 Media Inventory
So, a lot went on this October. I did homework, took the GRE, and went to Texas, among other things. Among the things that I did not do this October were watching a lot of movies and reading a lot of books, apparently. I'm pretty sure this is the shortest media post to date.
Movies:
Emma: Here I was, at age 22, thinking that I had seen every version of Emma ever produced, including Clueless, and up pops another one! A four-hour one with extended scenes of romantic goings-on and witty exchanges for the entire family to enjoy! I had a little bit of Emma-fatigue after seeing it, I'll confess, but it is a worthwhile version, particularly if you have a couch and someone to cuddle with while watching it.
What's Eating Gilbert Grape: There are some fine performances in this film which deserve to be commended. The story is also touching, mostly due to a quality of realism which you don't get too often from films. The resolution is a bit perplexing and ultimately, I feel, regrettable. But so is life sometimes, right?
Oscar: A comedy gangster film. Had some really funny moments and quotable lines, but I felt it would make a better stage play than a movie.
The Nightmare before Christmas: I've been meaning to see this for SO long, and it was fun to see it just before Halloween. The dark humor can make me cringe at times, and I got a little tired of the characters breaking into song every 1.5 minutes of film, but these things didn't keep me from enjoying this creative and quirky film.
Arsenic and Old Lace: I know I already saw most of it on TV a month or so ago, but I just have to reiterate that it is. Freaking. Hilarious. And so much more fun to see when one is in the Halloween mood.
Failure to Launch: I lost interest somewhere in the middle, and now I can't even remember how it ends. Probably the usual way. They fight, make up, kiss, whatever.
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers: Love, love, LOVE this movie! I started out just humming the theme one day, then I had to satisfy an urgent craving to watch the barn dance, then I just couldn't stop thinking about anything else until I watched it. I did skip the winter scenes, but c'mon, I've paid my dues.
Prince Caspian: I am now in the mood and thoroughly excited to see The Voyage of the Dawn Treader!
How to Train Your Dragon: I enjoyed seeing it for the first time better - everything seemed a little less obvious and prototypical. But it's still a good movie.
The Making of All the Pretty Horses (a documentary): Saw this at the McCarthy conference (more to come - promise!). Mostly comprised of interviews with cast members and major crew members. It was fun to see how much thought, effort, and detail went into acting and directing the film, and the interviews were very entertaining and enlightening even from a scholarly perspective. And now, I've really GOT to see No Country for Old Men and The Road!
The Gardener's Son: The story is pretty straightforward McCarthy realism and harshness (without as much complexity or ambiguity as some of the later works, in my opinion), but my greatest impression after watching the film is that Brad Dourif is a really incredible actor. Every time I see him in a new film, he's playing someone who is the complete opposite of his last character. And EVERY TIME HE'S PERFECT.
The Court Jester: Funniest movie I've seen in a while. Great songs, great story, great cast, great quotes (heavens! The quotes!). I want to see it again in slow motion so I can catch all the details.
Books:
Tales of H. P. Lovecraft: Lovecraft isn't my favorite horror writer by any stretch of the imagination, but I did learn a lot of interesting stuff and picked up some cool references to throw out while we were visiting a haunted house ("Oh look - Cthulu!" "Wow, this room is so abject!").
The Haunting of Hill House: Say what you want, but I think Shirley Jackson is an incredibly talented writer with a lot of interesting, insightful things to say. I almost felt the book was too simple, but the more I read it, the more I see how subtle and complicated her characters and themes really are. Fascinating.
I Am Legend: What a horrific, depressing, frightening, exhausting book this is! And yet it's probably one of my favorite things I've read all year (and not JUST because he named the next-to-only sort of sympathetic character Ruth, either). We read the graphic novel instead of the actual novel, and I'd highly recommend the experience. Just be prepared for some really powerful, upsetting, deep stuff.
Movies:
Emma: Here I was, at age 22, thinking that I had seen every version of Emma ever produced, including Clueless, and up pops another one! A four-hour one with extended scenes of romantic goings-on and witty exchanges for the entire family to enjoy! I had a little bit of Emma-fatigue after seeing it, I'll confess, but it is a worthwhile version, particularly if you have a couch and someone to cuddle with while watching it.
What's Eating Gilbert Grape: There are some fine performances in this film which deserve to be commended. The story is also touching, mostly due to a quality of realism which you don't get too often from films. The resolution is a bit perplexing and ultimately, I feel, regrettable. But so is life sometimes, right?
Oscar: A comedy gangster film. Had some really funny moments and quotable lines, but I felt it would make a better stage play than a movie.
The Nightmare before Christmas: I've been meaning to see this for SO long, and it was fun to see it just before Halloween. The dark humor can make me cringe at times, and I got a little tired of the characters breaking into song every 1.5 minutes of film, but these things didn't keep me from enjoying this creative and quirky film.
Arsenic and Old Lace: I know I already saw most of it on TV a month or so ago, but I just have to reiterate that it is. Freaking. Hilarious. And so much more fun to see when one is in the Halloween mood.
Failure to Launch: I lost interest somewhere in the middle, and now I can't even remember how it ends. Probably the usual way. They fight, make up, kiss, whatever.
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers: Love, love, LOVE this movie! I started out just humming the theme one day, then I had to satisfy an urgent craving to watch the barn dance, then I just couldn't stop thinking about anything else until I watched it. I did skip the winter scenes, but c'mon, I've paid my dues.
Prince Caspian: I am now in the mood and thoroughly excited to see The Voyage of the Dawn Treader!
How to Train Your Dragon: I enjoyed seeing it for the first time better - everything seemed a little less obvious and prototypical. But it's still a good movie.
The Making of All the Pretty Horses (a documentary): Saw this at the McCarthy conference (more to come - promise!). Mostly comprised of interviews with cast members and major crew members. It was fun to see how much thought, effort, and detail went into acting and directing the film, and the interviews were very entertaining and enlightening even from a scholarly perspective. And now, I've really GOT to see No Country for Old Men and The Road!
The Gardener's Son: The story is pretty straightforward McCarthy realism and harshness (without as much complexity or ambiguity as some of the later works, in my opinion), but my greatest impression after watching the film is that Brad Dourif is a really incredible actor. Every time I see him in a new film, he's playing someone who is the complete opposite of his last character. And EVERY TIME HE'S PERFECT.
The Court Jester: Funniest movie I've seen in a while. Great songs, great story, great cast, great quotes (heavens! The quotes!). I want to see it again in slow motion so I can catch all the details.
Books:
Tales of H. P. Lovecraft: Lovecraft isn't my favorite horror writer by any stretch of the imagination, but I did learn a lot of interesting stuff and picked up some cool references to throw out while we were visiting a haunted house ("Oh look - Cthulu!" "Wow, this room is so abject!").
The Haunting of Hill House: Say what you want, but I think Shirley Jackson is an incredibly talented writer with a lot of interesting, insightful things to say. I almost felt the book was too simple, but the more I read it, the more I see how subtle and complicated her characters and themes really are. Fascinating.
I Am Legend: What a horrific, depressing, frightening, exhausting book this is! And yet it's probably one of my favorite things I've read all year (and not JUST because he named the next-to-only sort of sympathetic character Ruth, either). We read the graphic novel instead of the actual novel, and I'd highly recommend the experience. Just be prepared for some really powerful, upsetting, deep stuff.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
The Great and Amazing Bike Ride of 2010
Last Saturday was QUITE A DAY, my friends. Maybe the most eventful day of this year since the one where I spoke in church, played the organ, gave a lesson, and ate ice cream. There were ups and downs, there were pliers and chainsaws, there was crying and laughing and screaming and breathing. Lots of breathing.
It all began with a curious itching of mine to go for a bike ride with my new dashing boyfriend, whom I shall refer to hereafter as any one of several names beginning in M. Mitch and I set off bright and early, after packing our bags and eating some waffles and making fun of each other's helmets. We also checked our tires briefly for any potential "flats," but that didn't stop Matthias from getting a puncture when we were about half-way to our destination. Fortunately, Mordecai was proficient and experienced in the mechanics of bike repair, a fact which I surmised immediately when he refrained from cursing or throwing rocks and instead detached from his bike a repair kit that had been invisible to my eyes until this point:
Being the supportive and loving girlfriend I am, I stood well away from the grunting, sweaty display of manliness before me and offered encouragement along the lines of "Now what are you doing?" and "I don't see anything small and black - what are you talking about?"
I also got out the camera and took pictures.
When I showed these to Mortimer for the first time, he said in surprise, "I actually look buff!" Such is my skill with the camera, folks.
Now, naturally I already believe my Maxwell is already the epitomy of hotness, but can I just say that there is something incredibly, undefinably attractive about a guy who can fix a flat tire? I think I sort of swooned while taking the next picture.
After around fifteen minutes of this, Michael fixed his tire and we took off again, chatting and teasing each other in between huffing and puffing as we went up the path into the Provo Canyon. It was a gorgeous day for biking - sunny but cool and breezy - and there were a lot of people taking advantage of the weather and giving us many interesting things to talk about (e.g. "Can you believe how many people are walking dogs?" "Hey, that person isn't wearing a helmet!") as we focused on other interesting pastimes, which included me trying to steal his pen from his back pocket (so it wouldn't poke him when he fell off! Honest!), me threatening to kick over his bike (I'm not really a violent person, I'm not), me laughing at him for signaling on the bike path when he passed ME (he claims he was just waving his arm, but YEAH RIGHT), and of course, our mutual quest to discover a means of holding hands while biking uphill. Downhill was much easier.
We soon arrived at Bridal Veil Falls and, after locking our bikes, stayed for several minutes under the falls to shiver and thus have an excuse to get warm by cuddling. The sun was not touching this part of the mountain at all and it was still pretty breezy, so we were getting cold by the time we decided to go back down the path to a park to have the rest of our breakfast.
Then tragedy/fate struck. My bike lock WOULD NOT WORK. The numbers had previously slipped on me before, but I tried every possible combination I could think of, and still had no luck.
In the end, despite Mark's valiant efforts to break the lock with his bare hands, I had to give up. Red and tearful, I turned to Merlin, blubbering through chattering teeth, "I don't know what else to do!" He gave me a hug and assured me everything would be fine, and then suggested that he call one of his family members to bring something to cut through the chain. I helpfully sniffed in agreement and wiped my nose on his shirt.
Since I had brashly managed to convince Methuselah beforehand that jackets would be unnecessary ("It's still October! We're young and hot-blooded! This is Utah, not Alaska!" etc), both of us were trapped in short-sleeved shirts at the still-shaded, now-freezing Bridal Veil Falls. We didn't want to move out of sight of the bikes, so we went to the nearest bench under a shaded pavilion and clung to each other for warmth. Fortunately, Micah had had the presence of mind to bring a small gray blanket that barely covered both of us. Armed with that and the natural hotness that exuded from Martin, we endured the next twenty minutes together in a fairly stoic fashion. At first I was quite miserable, being depressed and embarrassed about the ordeal; however, Malcolm was very sweet and cheerful throughout the whole thing, explaining that now we had something to remember the outing by and even going so far as to tease me that I must have arranged the whole thing on purpose just to extend the length of the time we spent together. He also pointed out that all the people passing by must think we were super cute, and I had to agree after seeing a sweet-looking older lady give us a huge fond smile. By the time Malvolio's handsome older brother arrived (I'll just refer to him here as "Hero"), I was feeling considerably better.
Hero was carrying a humongous set of plier-ish looking thingies, which he used to make a very satisfying crunching sound on the detestable chain which held my bike prisoner. We cheered, then made him repeat for the camera:
Then Hero insisted that I too take a crack at the bike chain, which I was happy to do (though slightly less happy when I realized that I had lost all feeling in my arms and the pliers turned out to weigh more than my bike):
It all began with a curious itching of mine to go for a bike ride with my new dashing boyfriend, whom I shall refer to hereafter as any one of several names beginning in M. Mitch and I set off bright and early, after packing our bags and eating some waffles and making fun of each other's helmets. We also checked our tires briefly for any potential "flats," but that didn't stop Matthias from getting a puncture when we were about half-way to our destination. Fortunately, Mordecai was proficient and experienced in the mechanics of bike repair, a fact which I surmised immediately when he refrained from cursing or throwing rocks and instead detached from his bike a repair kit that had been invisible to my eyes until this point:
Being the supportive and loving girlfriend I am, I stood well away from the grunting, sweaty display of manliness before me and offered encouragement along the lines of "Now what are you doing?" and "I don't see anything small and black - what are you talking about?"
I also got out the camera and took pictures.
When I showed these to Mortimer for the first time, he said in surprise, "I actually look buff!" Such is my skill with the camera, folks.
Now, naturally I already believe my Maxwell is already the epitomy of hotness, but can I just say that there is something incredibly, undefinably attractive about a guy who can fix a flat tire? I think I sort of swooned while taking the next picture.
After around fifteen minutes of this, Michael fixed his tire and we took off again, chatting and teasing each other in between huffing and puffing as we went up the path into the Provo Canyon. It was a gorgeous day for biking - sunny but cool and breezy - and there were a lot of people taking advantage of the weather and giving us many interesting things to talk about (e.g. "Can you believe how many people are walking dogs?" "Hey, that person isn't wearing a helmet!") as we focused on other interesting pastimes, which included me trying to steal his pen from his back pocket (so it wouldn't poke him when he fell off! Honest!), me threatening to kick over his bike (I'm not really a violent person, I'm not), me laughing at him for signaling on the bike path when he passed ME (he claims he was just waving his arm, but YEAH RIGHT), and of course, our mutual quest to discover a means of holding hands while biking uphill. Downhill was much easier.We soon arrived at Bridal Veil Falls and, after locking our bikes, stayed for several minutes under the falls to shiver and thus have an excuse to get warm by cuddling. The sun was not touching this part of the mountain at all and it was still pretty breezy, so we were getting cold by the time we decided to go back down the path to a park to have the rest of our breakfast.
Then tragedy/fate struck. My bike lock WOULD NOT WORK. The numbers had previously slipped on me before, but I tried every possible combination I could think of, and still had no luck.
While I fought the cold and my increasing panic over not being able to free my bike, Mickey resorted to taking humorous pictures to cheer me up:
In the end, despite Mark's valiant efforts to break the lock with his bare hands, I had to give up. Red and tearful, I turned to Merlin, blubbering through chattering teeth, "I don't know what else to do!" He gave me a hug and assured me everything would be fine, and then suggested that he call one of his family members to bring something to cut through the chain. I helpfully sniffed in agreement and wiped my nose on his shirt.
Since I had brashly managed to convince Methuselah beforehand that jackets would be unnecessary ("It's still October! We're young and hot-blooded! This is Utah, not Alaska!" etc), both of us were trapped in short-sleeved shirts at the still-shaded, now-freezing Bridal Veil Falls. We didn't want to move out of sight of the bikes, so we went to the nearest bench under a shaded pavilion and clung to each other for warmth. Fortunately, Micah had had the presence of mind to bring a small gray blanket that barely covered both of us. Armed with that and the natural hotness that exuded from Martin, we endured the next twenty minutes together in a fairly stoic fashion. At first I was quite miserable, being depressed and embarrassed about the ordeal; however, Malcolm was very sweet and cheerful throughout the whole thing, explaining that now we had something to remember the outing by and even going so far as to tease me that I must have arranged the whole thing on purpose just to extend the length of the time we spent together. He also pointed out that all the people passing by must think we were super cute, and I had to agree after seeing a sweet-looking older lady give us a huge fond smile. By the time Malvolio's handsome older brother arrived (I'll just refer to him here as "Hero"), I was feeling considerably better.
Hero was carrying a humongous set of plier-ish looking thingies, which he used to make a very satisfying crunching sound on the detestable chain which held my bike prisoner. We cheered, then made him repeat for the camera:
Then Hero insisted that I too take a crack at the bike chain, which I was happy to do (though slightly less happy when I realized that I had lost all feeling in my arms and the pliers turned out to weigh more than my bike):
Now thoroughly happy, we bid farewell to Hero and pedaled to the nearest sunniest spot we could find with a table, where we enjoyed a delicious breakfast/lunch of grapes, cheese, peanut butter, bananas, dirt (silly Manfred kept dropping things on the ground and then eating them!), and water. We also played Catchphrase, I stole his pen again (and "let" him get it back) and we experimented again with the camera:
Aw. Notice we still have the blanket on our backs.
Aw. Notice we still have the blanket on our backs.
As you can see, Monty ended up keeping his pen. But I will get it from him one of these days :)
We biked by Miles's workplace at Ancestry.com to get home and he showed me a neat little bike path that takes you through a more gradual incline to get from Provo to Orem. Plus lots of cute houses and fenced-in neighborhoods, which I love.We arrived home in time for Marshall to get to choir practice and for me to get in some GRE studying before I went that night to my very first haunted house ever (that's where the screaming and chainsaws come in). But more on THAT experience later. It was already a full and perfect day in my book.
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