Saturday, August 27, 2011

Neglect


FOUR POSTS and not a PEEP from ANY commenters? What's a girl got to do around here to get a little attention!?!? Hike Stewart Falls!?? Cause I did that this morning. Watch Rocky IV? Did it last night. Play "Come, Rejoice" AND "High On The Mountaintop" on the organ on the same Sunday? Coming up tomorrow. AND start graduate school  next Monday? Check. Seriously, people, where's the love/nosiness/need to write things on the Internet for me to read?!?!?!?!?!?!??!?!?!? Et tu, Hoosier?

Monday, August 22, 2011

L.O.L.

While wandering through the Internet one day, I came across an author discussing books that had literally made her laugh out loud.

This made me wonder - how common a thing, really, is it that we come across something SO funny that we HAVE to laugh? I'm a pretty fun-loving person, but I still would assume that it would be pretty rare. After all, laughing is exertion and we humans are notoriously lazy. Furthermore, as we perhaps learned from being exposed to our sullen, too cool, impossible to impress peers/friends/enemies somewhere between the age of 6 and 16, laughing out loud is dangerous for one's reputation. It can be interpreted as annoying, juvenile, immature, self-absorbed, sucking up, and over-the-top. Over time, we train ourselves to respond to humor with a slight, low chuckle, a raised eyebrow, or a clever half-smile of appreciation. But secretly, I think most of us miss and long for those moments that result in our laughing out loud. I know I do. Here's the result of me racking my brains to recall what has actually made me laugh out loud:


 Peter Pan

I watched this movie a ton when I was little, but don't recall anything special about it until I was 15ish... Then, for some reason, I saw this scene and burst into a fit of raucous laughter. I couldn't control myself for a good five minutes. From that day, even thinking about that scene - particularly the part where Hook comes out of the water and pulls his hair out of his face... is enough to give me a case of the giggles.


Summer of the Monkeys

I first read this book when I was 14, in the basement of our first small rented home in Orem. I had already read and been brought to tears by Wilson Rawls' Where the Red Fern Grows, but his Summer of the Monkeys had  me in tears even quicker and for much longer. The basic plot is about a boy who discovers a lot of monkeys hiding in his woods, and he sets out to capture and bring them in for a much-needed cash reward. However, things get complicated for the boy when the leader of the monkeys turns out to be a rather formidable opponent. Reading about how one of the boy's schemes backfired on him in an extremely embarrassing way, I can remember rolling over, laughing helplessly, trying but failing to read past a certain page without collapsing again into another fit. This book is amazingly funny, but also very touching - I talked my mom into reading this book to the rest of the kids at lunch, and the finale is really a (non-funny) tearjerker. Seriously. Read this book if you haven't.


Eric D. Snider

I was introduced to Eric D. Snider in 2005 when he came to my TMA 101 college class at BYU to talk about writing movie reviews. I looked him up online, found his website (www.ericdsnider.com), and have relied on him ever since for funny links, great writing, excellent movie reviews which I typically agree with, and of course, to make me laugh hard enough to snort milk out of my nose. I can still remember the very first column of his that made me laugh - it's a little piece called "I've Been Weight-lifting for a Girl Like You," and it's hilarious. I had to read it to myself at least three times before I could calm down enough to be able to read it out loud to whoever was in my house at the time.


When I'm trying my hardest not to laugh

It never fails. You're in a situation where laughter would be inappropriate. There are probably a lot of people there, being reverent or quiet or respectful. And then... something funny happens. At first, you try to stifle your reaction. You put up a valiant struggle, but your mind will go back to the incident and it is just SOOOO FUNNY. Then, inevitably, someone next to you will be fighting the same battle, and either you or your friend loses it for a second. Immediately, the contagion spreads -one tiny explosion leads to another one - until you know you're fighting a losing battle. You get scolded by someone - a leader or parent - but that only makes it worse because you really are trying your hardest to stop, but at the same time, the knowledge that you CAN'T laugh out loud makes you need to do it more than ever. This is pretty much exactly what happened to me during a flag-raising ceremony at Camp Shalom when I was a 4th-year. I don't even remember what happened, but I do remember sitting next to Marie Gerke, both of us trying as hard as we could to rein in the little explosions of laughter until the ceremony finished. We failed. And we were scolded.

My sister Hannah

All of my siblings are capable of making me laugh, but no one can match Hannah for pure comedic value. Those of you who haven't seen this side of her yet (it's more difficult now because she's 17 and she's super-sophisticated and mature and all-knowing when it comes to hair, makeup, fashion, and boys, yada yada yada) are MISSING OUT. Because my sister Hannah is absolutely freaking crazy funny. Like "have her own comedian show" funny. The characters, the voices, the faces, the quotes, the memories... aaah, there's just too much about her to tell that has sent me into hysterics for the past 17 years. But a few pictures might help you catch the vision:






Anybody else got any memories of laugh-out-loud moments? I wanna hear 'em!

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

That Post with Letters to Everybody

I've been seeing this type of post going around for a while, so I thought I would give it a whirl.

Dear Summer, 

If you and I were in a relationship on Facebook, it would definitely be labeled "it's complicated." I love my short hair which you encouraged me to get; I love going barefoot all the time; I love the sudden burst of coolness when I jump into the pool after sweating in my car to get to the gym; and I love having all this free time to read books, watch movies, clean my apartment, and spend time with my husband. BUT.... Why do you have to be so hot? Why do you have to send mosquitoes my way every time I step outside and flies every time I'm inside? Worst of all, why do you have to end JUST as the weather is becoming tolerably bearable enough for hiking/running/being outdoors?

Dear Husband,

I'm sorry for keeping you up every night. I never knew that sharing a bed with someone would make sleeping so difficult! But I love that you still want to cuddle with me even when it's too hot for either one of us to be comfortable for more than thirty seconds. Thanks for all the help you give me in cooking and cleaning up around the house. I wish you were here more often, but I love spending every second with you that I get. You're my favorite person in the whole world!

Dear Self,

Stop panicking. So you're going back to school for another two years. It's not the end of the world. It will probably be good for you, and maybe your last chance to experience what having a career/social life is like. You just need to take each day at a time and everything will be okay. Also, please remember to check that the door is locked every night for your peace of mind the next morning. Don't forget to return the library books, practice the organ, and go to the gym this week.

Dear Housefly that I Killed Yesterday with our Kitchen Spatula,

It was nothing personal. Sure, I locked you into a room, barricaded all the exits, and then devoted twenty minutes exclusively to hunting you down, but I believe we could have been friends if you would only have lived outdoors, stayed away from my ears and my food, and practiced a life of celibacy. Anyway, sorry for the poor taste I demonstrated in dancing in triumph at your funeral. Thank you for finally provoking me into getting a real flyswatter.

Dear Body,

I know you're a little upset with me. I've done a lot of cruel, unusual things to you after the past few months, and for that, I apologize. Would a run, a hot shower, and a well-balanced meal help to smooth things over between us? It's hard for me to be happy when you aren't. Thanks for staying well for as long as you have, especially during that month of great stress when I got married.

Dear Everyone on Facebook who is Posting their Zombie Apocalypse Team,

Please make it stop.

Dear Blog,

I'm sorry for not writing in you more. I feel like a bad writer. I have plenty of time to write right now, but not a lot to say. Sadly, when school starts, I will likely have a lot to say but no time to write. Still, I will try to be better about that.

Dear New Employer,

I am undecided. On the one hand, I like you and I like the job and I like the money and I like that you promoted me to be able to work between 10 and 20 hours. On the other hand, I am not exactly thrilled about the fact that I will be required to dress up for a job which will require sitting in an office by myself for the majority of the time. Also, I wish the money was a little better. And the hours don't exactly fit in with my schedule. But thanks for hiring me and for saying that I was obviously the best qualified applicant. That made me feel good.

Dear Marianne Dashwood (aka Mrs. Brandon),

After reading the book, I feel much sorrier for you than I did when watching the movie. You really shouldn't have been forced to marry Colonel Brandon, you know. Not only did you not seem to love him with a romantic attachment, but the man was nearly 20 when you were born!

Dear Elinor Dashwood (aka Mrs. Edward Ferrars),

I do NOT envy you your in-laws. But I suppose we can't all marry like Emma. Funny, isn't it, how she was the only wealthy Jane Austen heroine?

Dear Dad,

It occurred to me that both of us forgot "Mansfield Park" when we were talking about the well-known Austen novels.

Dear Teddy,

Sarah and Hannah are coming home soon, I promise. Stay alive.

Love, Ruth.

Monday, August 8, 2011

Meet the Covingtons...

Our little family started out quite simple, with Matthew and me.


Behold the first known picture taken of the two of us together. Blech.

We were pretty happy, just the two of us, until December 2010, when I was lonely at the thought of having to spend five nights a week in Sandy for the next four months. So, for Christmas, we adopted Teddy.


The present in his paw turned out to be a heart-shaped necklace :)

From sleeping buddy to movie-watching partner to super cute conversation-starter, Teddy soon became an invaluable member of the Matthew and Ruth Covington family. We even "buckled him in" in the backseat of Matthew's little Honda each weekend when he drove me between Sandy and Orem.

In June, our family expanded to include Webster when we needed a fourth player for UNO.

I am intentionally leaving out Popcorn, who regretfully only lasted a week before it became clear that we could never just be friends.

While Webster was a great UNO and Rummikub player, he never quite fit into the family the way Teddy did. We were intimidated by his aura of wisdom, his perfect posture, and his bookish personality (WINK WINK).

Then Matthew's sister, Crissy, went to Europe and managed to acquire two new family members for us from England!


Meet Tess and Pip


Rosie and Tony!

After only a week or two, these two lovelies have clearly become the new family favorites. Being English, they don't speak a lot, but there's really no need for them to with their vibrant clothes and cuddly fur.

Since their arrival, we've made an effort to do more family-like things.

Like making fruit dip and eating it for family home evening.


I believe this is the first time we've had strawberries since our wedding. Such extravagance!

Or going on a picnic to Kiwanis Park.


Pardon me, but do we have any crumpets?

And don't forget lots of picture-taking.





We are a happy family.

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

May/June/July Media Inventories: The Lazy Version

May

Movies:
Hercules
The Twilight Zone
The Fifth Element
Firewall
Mr. and Mrs. Smith
Saturday’s Warrior
Bewitched
Big Fish
While You Were Sleeping
Fiddler on the Roof
Kungfu Panda 2
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
Rocky

Books:
He’s Just Not That Into You
The Tales of Beedle the Bard

June

Movies:
If Only You Could Cook
My Sister Eileen
My Sister’s Keeper
Avatar
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
Too Many Husbands
Rango
The Singles Ward
Seven Pounds
3:10 to Yuma
Knock on Wood
Where Angels Go, Trouble Follows
The King’s Speech
Firefly
Quantum of Solace
The Andromeda Strain
LOTR: The Fellowship of the Ring
Post-grad
Jurassic Park

Books:
About six different books of short stories by Patrick F. McManus

July

Movies:
Secret Window
Sherlock Holmes
Rear Window
Angus, Thongs, and Full-Frontal Snogging
The Blind Side
The Ring
Night at the Museum 2
The Singles Ward 2
Tbe Pink Panther
The Pink Panther 2
Memento
500 Days of Summer
Kate and Leopold
The Fugitive
Pom Poko
The Cat Returns
Princess Mononoke
The R.M.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Ghost
Ocean’s Eleven
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants
Jason and the Argonauts

Books:
The original Warriors books: Into the Wild; Fire and Ice; Forest of Secrets; Rising Storm; A Dangerous Path; The Darkest Hour
Percy Jackson 1-5
Pure Drivel