A Bit of Happiness

Fresh cut flowers from my garden (and a few wild sunflowers from a field) make me happy.

Going on bikes rides with my boys in tow makes me happy.

A new season of Vampire Diaries makes me happy.

Life is good.

The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, and Mockingjay, by Susanne Collins

Because I know not everyone has had a chance to read this trilogy, I am not going to go into great detail, nor will I give away the end to any of the three books.  But I want to jot down my impressions of the series before they completely escape my brain.  Before I tell you what I think, here's the main idea behind the books:  America has been destroyed, and in its place is a nation that is divided into 13 districts and is ruled by The Capitol.  After an uprising from one of the districts, The Capitol has instigated a yearly reminder that The Government has supreme control of the nation in the form of what is called The Hunger Games.  All children from age 12 to 18 are eligible to be chosen to participate in a competition in which a boy and a girl from each district fights to the death.  It is brutal, violent, and cruel.  The books follow the story of one of the participants, and the effects the games have on her and those around her.  I am not going to say more, because if you've read it you already know the story, and if you haven't, I don't want to ruin it for you.  I think best in lists, so here are my basic reactions and thoughts in list form:

1.  I spent the entire first book angry.  The book is written in first person, allowing you to see into the mind of one of the victims of The Capitol's cruel treatment.  Collins' writing engages you and brings you into the world she's created so successfully that you find yourself wanting to fight The Capitol and everything they stand for.  You feel deeply for each of the characters, and want to jump in and save them from the cruelty they are sure to face.  And these feelings carry you through the second and third novels as well. 

2.  I love fluff books.  Anyone could tell you that if they've seen my bookshelves.  But it was good to read young adult fiction that had some depth to it.  Every night after I read, I found myself thinking over what I'd read.  There's not a lot to think about when you're reading about vampires or a 14-year-old British girl who's obsessed with kissing (which is part of the appeal), so my rusty brain was happy to be put into use as I read these books.  I think I will be rereading them in a month or two, just so I can process them again.  They address topics such as grief, war, compassion, and humanity. 

3.  One word for Mockingjay.  Wow. 

I seldom spend the cash on hardback books that I haven't read yet, but these books were all the rage, and I figured they were a safe bet.  I am so glad I invested in them, because I will be reading them again and again, and if you haven't tried them yet, let me know and you can get in line for my copies. 

Saving the world again, puppets, and super techno girl

Let's just get to it.

I finished watching the entire series of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.  You know I like lists, so here's what I loved about the series:
1.  It was really funny.  That Joss Whedon has one crazy sense of humor.  For example, the episode "Once More, With Feeling."  Imagine a demon who can make people burst into song and dance any time, and also burst into flames when they can't stop dancing.  I've heard this episode referred to as "Buffy the Musical."  It is hilarious.  Another illustration of Joss Whedon's wacky sense of humor is "Hush," in which creepy evil floating guys suck the sound out of Sunnydale, which makes the whole episode silent, until Buffy screams and one of the best endings to an episode occurs. 
2.  Spike, also known as William the Bloody.  There is just something about a vampire with peroxide hair and a long leather jacket who has a chip in his head that prevents him from harming humans that is very appealing.  I don't know if it's that he tries so hard to be bad, when hes really kind of a nerd, or if it's that he is desperately in love with Buffy and tries so hard not to show it.  He's funny, interesting, and a little sexy. 

What I didn't love about the series:
1.  The smut factor.  Ick.
2.  The whole Willow/Tara drama.  I got tired of all that.  Read into it what you will. 
3.  Faith.  She was obnoxious.  And slutty.  And annoying.

Moving on.  I also finished watching Angel, and I have a few things to say about it. 
1.  I could have skipped the whole Cordelia/Connor what-have-you.  It was gross.  Connor looked like he was 14 years old.  And Cordelia looked like his mother.  Ick.
2.  The puppet episode:  Best. Episode. Ever.  So funny.  You can skip the rest of the series if you want, but you really should watch that one.
3.  I heart David Boreanez. 

And now, I have an announcement to make.  Tim and I have moved forward into the world of technology.  After 6 years of having our sad little low-tech tracfones, we have finally entered into the world of contracts and smartphones.  Here's my new baby:

Isn't it pretty?  It has a real keyboard (like I want to push a number 3 times to get one letter), GPS, wireless, 3G, a fancy calendar, all the scriptures and manuals for church, etc.  My favorite is that I can do Sodoku and crossword puzzles on it.  Plus I can add my songs on there and use them as ring tones.  If you have a request for the one assigned to you, now's the time to do it.  I swore I was never going to be a cell phone person, but I totally am.  I love it!  All that's left to do now is buy a cute cover for it!

That's it for now.  Peace out.

Drum Roll Please...

...but first, some before pictures.

And I wish I had one of the kitchen pre-painting, but I can't find one. 

And now...

TA DA!!!

A Visit from Flat Rachel

I'm pretty sure a lot of the people who read my blog also read Rachel K's blog.  If you do, you know that she has been sending a flat version of herself to friends around the country to visit and enjoy the summer.  She drew my name out of her sombrero, and last week it was my turn.  Flat Rachel will now be returning to Rachel K. in California, and being shipped off to her next destination. 

Here is an illustrated narrative of her visit:

Flat Rachel arrived while we were on a week-long trip in Kansas.  She spent who knows how many days on my neighbor's counter sitting under a pile of junk mail.  Imagine her joy when she was finally released from her paper prison:

After her ordeal being trapped in her mailing envelope, she was exhausted, so she collapsed next to Jacob and had a nap on the couch.

Flat Rachel was cooped up so long, we headed to the park for some fresh air.  Jacob and Flat Rachel became the best of friends.  They ate lunch together and played together. 

We needed a little girl time, so we ate Starburst and watched Buffy the Vampire Slayer together. 

Knowing that Rachel K. has excellent taste in handbags, I knew Flat Rachel would be equally helpful when I went to buy a few summertime totes.   She came along and helped me pick out these cute bags:

It was time to head to Costco with the whole family to get a double jogger/bike trailer and some lights for the bathroom, and Flat Rachel decided to come along and risk her well-being by sitting by Tyler (or as we sometimes call him, Tyler the Destroyer).  She survived the trip, and helped us find some lovely bathroom light fixtures.

It was time to try out the new double jogger.  We walked all the way to library, which I wouldn't have done without Flat Rachel.  I know she loves books.  You know Tyler's up to no good.  Rachel tried very hard to stick with Jacob and be safe, but...

...there was a bit of an incident, and we had to perform emergency surgery.

Post-op treat of caramel cake:

After Flat Rachel's painful ordeal, I thought she deserved a night out, so we went to Eclipse together:

and then we blogged about it together:

Flat Rachel wanted to sit in on a flute lesson, so she listened from the piano:

As our week together drew to a close, we had a barbecue and some pool time to celebrate Flat Rachel's visit.  Flat Rachel sat under the umbrella with a smoothie instead of hopping in the pool (no matter how much Jacob begged for her to join us), because she didn't want her adorable top to smear.

And today, with tears in my eyes, I will bid Flat Rachel a fond farewell and send her back to the loving arms of Rachel K., who thanks to the curse we have (see #2 on her list), has been sick with the stomach flu.  Thanks for the good times.  Rachel K., get well soon.

The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner, The Movie

Just kidding.

This post is really about Eclipse, of course. I've seen it twice now.  I figured after I had to redo my New Moon review after I saw it the second time, I should probably just see it twice in a week and get it over with so I could do one review instead of two.  I'm going to break it down into categories so I can gather my thoughts.

First, let's start with the Stuff that bugged me:
Edward's Grey V-neck.  Yeah, I know that seems petty, but that shirt exposed his chest hair and gave me flashbacks to that one scene in New Moon.  I won't make you suffer that picture again.  The good news is that that plunging V is all we had to see of his pale hairy chest.  But let's put some nice crew neck shirts on him. 
Could Jasper Relax his Eyes?  Have you seen Edward Scissorhands?  Great movie.  Amazing, really.  One of my faves.  So you'd think that the fact that Jasper seems to constantly be channeling Edward Scissorhands' wide stare shouldn't bother me, right?  But oy!  There has to be a different way to convey his special power.  I think instead of bugging his eyes out, he needs to master the smize.  I'm sure with their bigger budget they could hire Tyra Banks to coach Jasper. 
Bella's hair.  Tangle much?  Wiggy?  It's all about the hairline.  Most people's hairlines aren't a perfect straight line.  Anyway.  It bugged me.  Everyone else's hair looked fine.  More about that in a minute.
Victoria.  I have new info on the reason Rachelle LeFevre was canned.  Apparently she wanted more money.  Poo on her for messing things up.  She had the perfect evil sneer, I loved how she delivered her lines, and I was extremely disappointed by her departure from the series.  Bryce Dallas Howard isn't a bad actress.  She looked the part, red hair and all, she tried really hard to be evil, but she wasn't as good as Rachelle LeFevre.  She didn't look evil enough.  She was missing the attitude. 

Stuff that pleasantly surprised me:
Riley.  There have been questionable casting choices with this series (Rob Pattinson comes to mind), but give that casting director a raise for hiring on Xavier Samuel as Riley.  In the book, there's really not a lot about him.  He makes an appearance at the end for about 2 pages, and isn't described in much detail.  However, the screenplay included bits from the novella, "The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner."  You catch a glimpse of Riley before he is changed, and he is a sweet, young college student.  The next time you see him, he is a blood-thirsty, angry vampire.  The transformation is convincing and complete.  I don't know where they found him, but two enthusiastic thumbs up.
The music.  Sorry to keep comparing this movie to New Moon, but the orchestral music in New Moon bugged the heck out of me.  The orchestral soundtrack is meant to enhance what is happening on the screen, not distract you from it.  So FAIL on that account for New Moon.  But obviously, the success from the first 2 movies have helped boost the budget enough that they could hire Howard Shore (Lord of the Rings music guy) for Eclipse.  Nice call, people.  I admit, the second time I went, I paid more attention to the music and couldn't believe I hadn't realized it was his music the first time.  Definitely similar to LOTR stuff.  I loved it.
Edward.  I know I have already mentioned his yucky shirt and hairy chest.  Those were Edward moments I could live without.  But there were moments that I understood the whole teen craze over Rob Pattinson.  I don't know if it was that they finally figured out that unruly hair, or got the light angles right, or put on just the right amount of makeup, but there were moments he was actually quite attractive.  One of the reasons he was more attractive was that he actually smiled.  Convincing smiles.  Maybe he found a happy place in his life.  Or maybe the director told him to stop looking crazed. 
The dialogue.  These movies are based on romance novels.  So there was potential for a LOT of gooey, sappy, lame dialogue.  And there was some of that, of course.  But there were some great moments, like Charlie trying to give Bella "The Talk," and Edward and Jacob's conversation in the tent ("You know I'm hotter than you."), and so on. 
Rosalie.  Finally, Rosalie had a decent wig.  It didn't look overstyled.  Her hair was sleek and shiny, and when it was pulled back I wasn't distracted by the hairline too much.  Her makeup was a bit excessive, for sure.  Whoa on that eyeshadow.  But she looked beautiful and I think they finally got her near the description Meyers gave her in the book. 
Jacob.  Still hot. 
The Action.  I LOVED the fight scenes.  They were fun, action-packed, and exciting.  I loved the impossible spinning leaps of vampires over werewolves, the crunch as vampires collided, and Edward pounding a tree down with Victoria in it.  Good stuff. 

So, what's the verdict?  Best of the three, hands down.  Others may disagree, but that's my take on it.  I didn't feel like giggling when I wasn't supposed to (except at one spot that I'm sure teenagers thought was totally swoon worthy, but was a bit ridiculous to a 32-year-old housewife).  It was one I look forward to buying and watching with my friends more than once.  Two thumbs up. 

Movie Time (and a little TV, too, because, why not?)

It has been a busy time.  Birthday parties, weddings, Fathers' Day, house guests, and all the clean-up that goes into those activities has kept me off the blog for a while.  As a result, you get blurbs about a bunch of stuff I wanted to mention.  Here goes:

Alice in Wonderland Meh.  I remember walking out of a movie last year and seeing a giant poster of Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter, and I was disappointed to find out that I had to wait almost a year to see him in Alice in Wonderland.  When Tim Burton and Johnny Depp joined forces for Edward Scissorhands, it was genius.  They have a history of creativity and quirkiness that I was looking forward to in Alice.  However, I was disappointed.  The story wasn't all that compelling, the girl that played Alice was kind of blah, and I found both queens really annoying.  So, thumbs down from me on that one. 

Toy Story 3 Maybe I was disappointed with Alice in Wonderland because I had just seen this movie.  Wow.  I feel like where Disney is involved, they are fortunate if a sequel isn't super duper awful.  And I made the mistake of watching The Little Mermaid III, which was not only awful, but barf worthy.  So thank heavens for Pixar.  Toy Story came out when I was a freshman in college, and, like the rest of the world, I fell in love with Woody, Buzz, Ham, Potato Head and Slinky Dog.  Toy Story 2 was a pleasant surprise, and endeared me to Jesse and Bullseye as well.  After 2 extremely successful movies, I was skeptical that the third would measure up.  I worried that the writers would just recycle the last two movies and it would end the trilogy in a huge let down.  NOT SO.  Not only was it just as funny (if not funnier) as the first two, it was sweet and heart-warming and original.  It had my 5-year-old laughing hysterically, my mom rolling in the aisles, and me giggling quite a lot.  And it had me getting a little misty.  Okay, a lot misty.  At least 3 times.  It is one of those movies I'm not dreading to watch 500 times when we get it on DVD for the kids.  Two enthusiastic thumbs up.  Fine summer fun.

The Buffy/Angel Vampirepalooza It's summer.  Summer=crappy TV.  I have one TV show recording on my DVR right now that's not for Jacob.  Ugh.  So hooray for Netflix streaming.  I was browsing the Netflix instant selections on the website and came across the TV show Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and, on a whim, added all 7 seasons.  And for good measure, I also found Angel and added all 5 seasons.  So now I get my David Boreanez fix.  I decided to watch Buffy because I remembered being in college when it came out, and I'm pretty sure it was on a night I was out playing with my friends, so I missed the whole phenomenon.  Here's what I think so far:  Creepy demons with extra cheese is just what this summer ordered.  The first 3 seasons of Buffy are her high school years, and mostly consist of a Great Evil threatening the annhilation of mankind and Buffy and her pals kicking evil's butt.  Angel, a vampire with a soul, skulks around and gives the gang little nuggets of information that is usually the key to vanquishing the demons.  Plus he's Buffy's boyfriend, except when he turns evil and kills and tortures her friends.  Then Buffy goes to college and Angel leaves for LA, because things just aren't working out with the Buffster.  (Can we say spin-off?)  The college years are a bit skankified on Buffy, but Spike enters the scene and provides hilarity and amusement.  As for Angel, the series, I'm thoroughly enjoying it.  It's a little more dark and brooding, but has great story lines and fun characters.  All in all, it's making my summer a little more fun.  Whee!

That's it for now.  Time to hand off the computer to my hubby.