Year in Review

Another year has come and gone, but I can't believe its already gone! So much has happened in 2010....

-Started this blog
-Fell for Odyesseus
-Met poet Paul Muldoon
-Taken some amazing classes with amazing professors
-Met some wonderful people
-Written a truck-load of poetry
-Lost several family members
-Attempted to go vegetarian on a bet
-Attempted that ridiculous "fruit fast"
-Seen a TON of movies
-Got my driver's license
-Dressed up like Sweeney Todd
-Had a frog-faced guy call me a lumberjack
-"Fell in love" with Hannibal Lecter
-And most importantly............

I'VE MET ALL OF YOU WONDERFUL, WONDERFUL PEOPLE! THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT! IT'S BEEN AN AMAZING YEAR. HERE'S TO 2011 BEING EVEN BETTER!!!

Keeping in Touch?

Today, I sent out two emails to old friends that I haven't heard from in the longest time...I do this once every two/three months or so. The hardest part is that I NEVER heard back from them. EVER. It's frustrating, because I really miss them, but I feel like they don't care enough to respond, since its been at least two years since I've heard from either of them. I know I shouldn't be petty about this, so I just keep on emailing them. Do you think I should just give up?

One is my friend from fencing club. He was going through a really rough time in his life, and more than anything, I wanted to be there for him. I had the biggest crush on him when we were still in contact, and I even asked him to go to prom with me. Things fell apart, and not only could he not go to prom with me, but he transferred at the end of the school year. I called him once, in the summer, and he said he was in school and had to go. He was supposed to call me back, and I never heard from him. I'd love to call him, but I'm scared to, because I don't even know what I would say to him.

The other friend went to high school with me. We hung out in the same group and had a lot in common. However, she went off to med school, and disappeared from the face of the earth. Even her closest friends have not heard much from her, and in general, we've all given up. I used to send her letters at college, but stopped when I never heard from her.

So, what do you guys think? What should I do?

Christmas Aftermath

Christmas was very nice this year, with wonderful quality time spent with family, and lots of nice gifts. The most memorable, though, I'd have to say is the Lon Chaney biography my parents bought for me. I'm a huge Chaney fan, and getting to read all about the "Man of a Thousand Faces" will be an extra special treat :) (Steven, don't worry; I didn't forget about your story; that was the other memorable gift of the year. Thank you again!!!)

The other wonderful surprise was being able to have a nice one-on-one conversation with two of my cousins who are also in college. They're always so busy or so quiet I never have time to talk to them. So, that was very, very nice.

So, did all of you do fun things for Christmas? Did you get any nice gifts? Do you have any fun stories to tell? Please share :)

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas, guys :) I hope you all have a wonderful, wonderful holiday! (I'm sure that I won't be able to post anything tomorrow; I'll be too busy) :P

Its been almost a year since I started this blog (February 22, 2010), and I want to thank you all for putting up with me and sticking around this long, especially Javmango, who was my first follower (besides a couple of friends I ASKED to follow me). And now, nearly 250 blog posts and 21 followers later, I'm still going :)

So, for all of you who have been so devoted to this rambling bookworm, Merry Christmas!!! And thank you :)

A Hundred Dollars

We celebrated Christmas with my mom's side of the family today (since my aunt and uncle were in town). On Christmas itself, we'll see the other half of the family. But, anyways, my grandma was passing out envelopes with money inside, and my little cousin, opening hers could not contain her shock at seeing a $100 bill. Her reaction was priceless:

"Mommy! Mommy, I got a hundred dollars! I'm going to go to the Dollar Store and buy a hundred things!"

Alice Cooper: Is Santa Real?

Is Santa real? The science behind Santa according to rock sensation Alice Cooper:

Finals Week....

Finals week is almost at an end....FINALLY. I'm very lonely here, though, since most of my friends went home, and those who are here are busy studying for finals. I'd call one of those who went home (I actually have a certain professor in mind), but I don't want to come across as that lame, clingy person who calls as soon as you leave because she misses you. It's just that I'm lonely and want someone to talk to...is that so bad? :(

Luckily, before she left, the wonderful Roomie gave me cookies made of sugar, butter, and pure joy, which have been a life-saver :P

Practical Gifts

Today, the Wonderful Roomie and I learned an important lesson. When guys don't know what to get you for Christmas, unlike girls, they won't ask seventy million people what to get you. Instead, they go for something more practical. The Roomie and I stressed out about what we were going to get for Professor Thomas and Matt for Christmas. In the end, we got them fun stuff that we knew they would like: a Jeff Dunham DVD & Pepsi for the Professor, and a Mario t-shirt for Matt.

The guys got the Roomie two boxes of Lucky Charms cereal (since it's her favorite and they don't have it in the dining hall anymore), and got me a no-slip mat to go under the rug in our room, since they know I risk my life on that rug every single day. It may not be the craziest or most fun thing ever, but its still practical and thoughtful. Thanks guys :)

The Most Awesome Inside Joke Ever

Finals Week

Sorry I haven't been very dedicated to posting lately. I've just been very busy with stuff, and now, I'm in the beginning of finals week. I don't have any classes today, which is nice, but even so, I'm a bit overwhelmed with stuff. It's snowing like the Dickens outside, and I don't want to leave my nice, warm dorm room, even to go get food.

I have two finals tomorrow, and the one is seriously going to kill me. Its about the Roman Empire, and I have to memorize so many dates and random facts about emperors and architecture! Here is just my emperor list:

Augustus (27BC-14AD), Tiberius (14-37), Gaius "Caligula" (37-41), Claudius (41-54), Nero (54-68), Vespasian (69-79), Titus (79-81), Domitian (81-96), Nerva (96-98), Trajan (98-117), Hadrian (117-138), Antininus Pius (138-161), Lucius Versus (161-169), Marcus Aurelius (161-180), Commodus (176-192), Diocletian (284-305), and Constantine (306-324).

I hope I'll have more fun things to post as the week goes on, and especially over the break. Right now, I'm just trying to keep my head above water. I don't want to mess up this final. Wish me luck, o faithful readers! ;)

Oh, and I got the most awesome inside joke for Christmas this year! Thanks, Roomie! :D

A Modern Parable

There once was a man whose faith was very strong. One day, a horrible, horrible storm hit his city, to the point where it got so bad that the streets were flooding. As the water rose higher and higher, he eventually had to climb up on the roof to avoid being swept away. However, he was not worried, for he believed that God would provide for him.

As the water was sloshing about his ankles, a man in a rowboat paddled over to him. And he said, "Brother! The water is rising! You better get in this here boat!"

But the man shook his head and smiled. "Thank you, but I'll be fine. I know the Lord is going to save me." And the man in the rowboat paddled away.

The water kept on rising, and soon, it was up to the man's waist. At this point, a man in a motorboat steered over to him. "Hey, Brother!" he said. "The water is rising; you had better get in this here motorboat!"

But, the man smiled and said, "Thank you, but I'll be fine. I know that God will take care of me." And so, the man in the motorboat drove off.

The storm was fierce, and soon, the water was at the man's chest. But, he was not worried, because he believed that God would save him. Finally, a helicopter flew by, and a rope ladder droped down to him. A voice from the helicopter called out: "Brother! The water is rising! You had better get in this here helicopter!"

But, the man smiled and said, "Thank you, but I'll be fine. I know that God will deliver me." And the helicopter flew away.

Finally, the water was up at the man's neck, and rose higher and higher until it covered his mouth and was getting into his nose. And as the man was drowning, he looked up to the heavens and cursed God. "God! All my life I have trusted you and in your divine powers! Why then didn't you save me from drowning in this horrible flood?"

And a voice from the sky called down to him. "You fool!" it said, "I sent you a rowboat, a motorboat, AND a helicopter! What more did you want??"

Smosh: Vader and Me

I want one!

Christmas is Coming....

And today, I get to wrap presents with the Wonderful Roomie! ^_^

Next weekend we celebrate with the group ;)

I Love Hannibal Lecter!

Thanksgiving Break has been a wonderful chance for me to catch up on some much-needed reading time, and so far, I've been able to polish off nearly two books this week! (more than I expected, seeing as I only really read one or two books a semester during school!)

For those of you who follow my movie blog, Cinema Sweetheart's Film Reviews, you'll know that I recently watched the amazing Jonathan Demme movie The Silence of the Lambs. I loved it!!! So, over the Thanksgiving Break, I curled up on the couch with two Thomas Harris novels: The Silence of the Lambs and Hannibal Rising. Mostly, my desire to read these books comes from my fascination with the creepy psychopath Dr. Hannibal Lecter.

I have favored movies and books that have interesting characters verses those with 2D characters and a really fast-paced plot. For me as a reader and amateur writer, the whole story really is about the characters. A plot is nothing without characters. While watching Silence, I found myself totally fascinated by the characters of Hannibal and even, to a lesser extent, Buffalo Bill. Basically, its not that I would want to hang out with these guys, ask them over for dinner (especially not Hannibal, lol), or really ever have any real interaction with them, but the character of them, the essence of these characters really intrigues me. I love to think about what makes these people tick, and for Hannibal at least, an answer is given in Hannibal Rising, where the reader literally sees what makes the infamous cannibalistic psychiatrist exactly what he is later in life.

So, far, I've finished The Silence of the Lambs, and I'm almost finished with Hannibal Rising. True, I'm reading the books out of order (the proper order being Red Dragon, The Silence of the Lambs, Hannibal, and Hannibal Rising), but this is one series when that works out. Silence can be read on its own or in the context of the other books, and chronologically, Hannibal Rising takes place before the first book. I plan on reading the others as soon as I can acquire a copy ;)

N.B. Picture credit goes to Zzoi-Goi @ Deviant Art. You can find a link to her profile HERE.

Lackadaisy

This is one of the most interesting online comics I've seen! Lackadaisy is a 1920s story about an "underground" bar during Prohibition. All of the characters are portrayed as anthropomorphic cats who not only dress accordingly for the time period, but also have the slang down perfectly. It's a wonderful treat that I strongly recommend. You can check out the comic HERE, or browse Tracy's Deviantart site HERE.

Alice is Dead

Just wanted to post a little something for those of you who are fans of both Alice in Wonderland, and point and click Internet games. This is a wonderful gem of a series that I've been playing for the past six months or so: ever since game 1 came out. I was thinking about it today, and decided it might be enjoyable if I were to post them online for all of you guys to find right here on the site! Hope you like them!

Also, I would like to quickly state that these games aren't for everyone. First, they are very dark, and sometimes, disturbing. THESE GAMES CONTAIN GRAPHIC CONTENT THAT IS NOT SUITABLE FOR YOUNGER VIEWERS. If you're a fan of the classic Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass, and don't really care for the newer adaptations like The Looking Glass Wars, then I would say to just stay away from this. It turns Wonderland totally on its head and gives you a very different version of the story.

A quick teaser: You wake up in a dark pit of sorts in Wonderland with no idea how you got there, or for that matter, who you are. All you have to work with, for a start, is the skeletal remains of Alice lying in front of you, and a note in her pocket that says "Kill the Rabbit". Quest onward my dear friend; discover your identity and find out what happened to Alice!

And if you liked the music from Alice is Dead 3, you can find the downloadable version at Newgrounds HERE.

Alice Is Dead Episode 1 - Get out of Wonderland and figure out who you are

Alice Is Dead Episode 2 - Things aren't getting any easier for rabbit

Alice Is Dead Episode 3 - Find the answers you've been looking for

The Date

Thank you all for waiting so patiently for this post! I know it has been a long time in coming :P

Okay, so the date went very well. He was a sweet, pleasant gentleman, who paid for my sandwich and let me give him a tour around the campus. There's actually not a ton to say about what we did, but I will say that he was very sweet, has an adorable smile, is short like me (which I actually kind of loved) and was pleasant to talk to, even if he was a little quiet. Before he left, he told me we should meet up again, and so it looks like there's going to be a second date in the works :) My only issue was that he was awfully quiet, and usually, when I pursue someone, they're a little more outgoing, so this was a real change from what I was used to. I think he's just shy, so I'm going to cut him some slack ;)

So, will this lead to anything? I can't say. And what is his name? Sadly, I have yet to find a literary character who matches his personality, so I'll have to withhold that information for just a tiny bit longer :P

My Apologies.........

....to those of you who were hoping for an update on my dating scene this weekend. I'm afraid I have to postpone it until later. You see, we didn't actually meet up today. Last night, I got a text from him saying that he had gotten food poisoning, and this morning, he was still not feeling much better. So................We're meeting up on TUESDAY. And this time, I promise I'll have gossip for all of you; good or bad.

What Do You Get...

when you set off a fire alarm in a college dorm, bring three friends together, and add about $20 between them?

Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream run!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

There is something wonderful about Ben and Jerry's Phish Food at 11:00 at night..... :")

Monty

So, Monty is a friend of The Roomie's who I've had a crush on for a few months now. Its sort of an on-and-off thing, mostly because well....Monty can be somewhat creepy. Not going to lie; he's very cute, and looks good in all his quirky outfits, but he's pretty strange most of the time, which I guess is what I liked about him-- he was different. (Although, I don't really see myself dating someone who orders chicken and rice as "Can I have some rice and a piece of animal?")

Today, I caught him staring at me from across the dining hall. It was very strange, since he barely talks to me, and really has no reason to be paying me any attention at all. So, I look over, and he's staring at me. I look away. I look back, and he's still staring at me. This time, he squawks "Hello" just like one of the Pepper Pot ladies in Monty Python's Flying Circus. I kinda jump, and turn beet red; he really startled me!

The best part is that Kiity and I were very aware of the awkward interjection (to the conversation over at our table), but the Roomie kept on talking, not realizing what had happened. :P Perhaps she's just used to him by now. haha

(For the record, he sounds more like Graham Chapman's character Marge--the one in the tan coat on the right.)

Galileo

Galileo from Ghislain Avrillon on Vimeo.

Lumberjack

A random memory comes to mind:

I was walking with Odysseus after class one day, and he decided to deviate from our normal path, and go through the residential areas beside our campus. There are rows of thick bushes that surround camps, and instead of looking for one of the path breaks between them, he decided it would just be easier to walk through the bushes. (Yeah, easier for him, but I was carrying a heavy bag of books, and my purse!) So, he pushes through, and asks me if I need any help. I didn't, so holding aside the branches, I climb through the hedges, too.

And he turns to me and says, "That was awesome! You're like my little lumberjack!"

Um.... o.O

I'm Always With People........

But, right now, I feel very alone............I really need a hug.

Stranded....In the Pouring Rain....And the Shuttle is Late

Kiity, the Roomie, and I took the school shuttle/van up to the craft store this evening to pick up some last minute things for our door decorating contest. It didn't take us that long, and soon we were waiting for the shuttle to take us back. The shuttle is supposed to come every fifteen minutes. After waiting at least half-an-hour in the pouring rain, Kiity gets a call from her mom and says she's going to be getting a ride. She then walks off and leaves us (don't worry; she comes back). She ends up calling the Roomie to tell her that she'll give us a ride, and while they're on the phone, I'm approached by an adorable little old Jewish couple who offer me a ride. Say they live just a street away from the campus, and they could take us back. You have no idea how good that offer sounded....BUT, cute little old couple or not, I watch America's Most Wanted, and...well, you never know. I really appreciate the thought, though, and if they happen to be reading this, I want to say thank-you. Its nice to know that there are still good people in the world who are willing to help someone in need. God bless.

Door Decorations Update

Our Sweeney Todd door is slowly coming along. We've had a few slip-ups along the way, though, including printer failure, lack of a glue stick, the need for creative picture editing, paper deficiency, and me hitting my head on the cinder block wall (I have a nice goose-egg now; tender to the touch, but at least it doesn't hurt as much anymore)...We still need to complete the signs, buy more paper for the windows, and edit the pictures we currently have to make them work. (We had a dress up day as Sweeney Todd and Mrs. Lovett, which was epic!) My favorite picture would have to be either the one where Sweeney (moi) is going to slit Mrs. Lovett's (the Roomie's) throat with his razor (construction paper and painters tape), or the candid shot of an injured Sweeney holding a cold can of Orange Crush to his head, while trying to open a bottle of Tylenol with one hand. I have the cap from the bottle in my mouth, and I'm attempting to pour the pills into my hand. Frustrating at the time, but oh-so-funny now :)

Halloween Door Decorating Contest

My floor has a door decorating contest going on in the dorm, and I decided to enter. Since I'm a total history buff, I decided to base the designs off of the historical Sweeney Todd's shop. I have signs for his shop and Mrs. Lovett's shop (although I still have to glue everything on) and I'm going to be making windows, and perhaps a barber pole (if I have time). Right now, I'm working on the signs. We used the Cricut to make the letters in card stock, and the signs themselves are construction paper. I'll be posting pictures very soon. :)

And since we have the BIG CORNER room, we have lots more wall space next to us that we can use to further our design (that's where the windows and pole will be going.

I really hope we win....the prize is a gift card to Target!

Emmy's ABCs

A little shout out to Robby who tagged me for this on his blog :) Basically, this is just a little "get-to-know-me" thing. Hope you enjoy!

A- attached or single: currently single ;)
B- best friend: the brother
C- cake or pie: Pie. Especially fruit pie.
D- day of choice: I love Thursdays. Really don't know why, but I love them :)
E- essential item: a book..........obviously :P
F- favorite color: pink (but for clothes, I love to wear brown)
G- gummy bears or worms: worms. I somehow don't feel as bad about eating them. And I REALLY hope you meant GUMMY worms....
H- hometown: those who need to know already know ;)
I- indulgences: root beer, books, dark chocolate, the daily newspaper comics, old movies
J- January or July: July. I hate the cold :(
K- kids: maybe someday. Not really ready for that just yet.
L- life is incomplete without family, friends, and a really good library
M-marriage date: someday!
N- number of siblings: just one: the awesome brother! But, I do have a friend who is a brother to me as well....so, I guess you could say....two? Or one and a half :P
O- oranges or apples: apples. When I made that awful attempt at an all-fruit diet, it was a damn orange that did me in!
P-phobias: spiders, being upside down, drowning
Q- quote: "Books...are a kind of magic" (Jasper Fforde)/ "Time is an illusion. Lunchtime doubly so." (Douglas Adams)
R- reason to smile: knowing that there is so much more to life; so much that we can learn and so many ways we can make ourselves better
S-season: fall :) I love the leaves, the clear skies, and the sweaters and jeans!
T-tag (please fill this out, too...but only if you want. No pressure ;) Tom, Evan, Oldfool, Mrs. B, Steven Thanks guys :)
U- unknown fact about me: I collect Phantom of the Opera mask pins; so far, I have two :P
V- vegetarian or oppressor of animals: I love animals, but I think I would die if I couldn't have a good chicken sandwich every now and then.
W- worst habit: I crack my knuckles. Also, I hang out on the Internet when I should be doing homework.....And I'm constantly correcting people's grammar.
X- x-rays or ultrasounds: um.........x-rays? O.o
Y- Your favorite food group: chocolate and coffee. (if caffeine isn't its own food group, something is wrong!)
Z- zodiac: Libra!

The T-Shirt War

The T-Shirt War from Ibrahim Nergiz on Vimeo.

Les Dangereux

Les Dangereux from Daniel Klug on Vimeo.

A Date or Not a Date: That is the Question

Okay, so yesterday, I posted to tell everyone about my potential romance and how we're meeting up before the end of the month. I also said that this was not a date, just a meet n'greet. My friends don't agree. So, wonderful followers: you tell me. Is this a date or not? Here are the details:

I started to email him.

HE asked to start texting.

WE had planned to meet up sometime in the presence of a common friend.

HE asked to meet up sometime soon.

I suggested we meet up just one-on-one.

I also suggested some days we could go and several places to go.

HE chose two of the places he would like to go to.

HE's taking off a day of work to meet up with me.

I don't know who is going to pay.

Is this a date? Personally, I think that making it a date raises the stakes a bit, and also, I've honestly never really been on an official date before, so this makes me a bit nervous. Please give your opinions wonderful readers! Thank you :)

I Has a Happy

So.........For those of you who don't know, a few weeks back, a friend from high school texted me to say that she wanted me to meet her boyfriend's best friend. She said that we would be perfect together. And of course, I was excited, but I had my reservations. I mean, it just seemed too good to be true. But, one thing I will say about this friend is that when she tells me I'm going to like something, she's always right, even when I don't believe her initially. She's caused me to fall in love with countless musicals and books in the past, and even though the stakes are raised in this event, I'm still looking forward to giving this guy a try.

He sounds like an absolute darling. We've been emailing and texting for several days now, and I'm starting to get a feel for what he's like. Obviously, the best way to get to know him is to just meet him in person, and if all goes well, I'm going to be meeting up with him for lunch before the month is over. I'm excited. It's not going to really be a date, just a meet-and-greet and meal, but even so, its going to be fun.

I've been holding off telling too many people because I wasn't sure what was going to happen, but since I have now made contact with him (instead of using my friend as the go-between) I'm a bit more confident. Once there are more details, I'll be sure to post. :)

A Question for My Gentlemen Readers

I honestly don't understand men sometimes....like, Professor Thomas has been acting so strange lately, and its really confusing to me (or perhaps, I'm reading too much into this, and if that is the case, please tell me as much). I really don't want to talk to him about it right now, so I was hoping that all the guys who read this post would be able to give me some insight.

1. Professor Thomas is very laid back. And if something is bothering him, he usually won't say anything. Last week at dinner, the father of a classmate made some comments about him which I found to be very rude, and I said as much to the Professor. His response was to turn to me and retort angrily that if it bothers me so much, I should say something. (And please bear in mind that he DOESN'T snap at people like that. I don't think he's ever talked to me that way before). And I was just defending him. I didn't comment in front of anyone-- just me and him. Did I somehow offend him?.

2. He touches me a lot. Pinching, poking, grabbing my arm, touching my hair, even when I show that I don't like it. (Nothing inappropriate, but its very consistent).

3. A really cute guy said "hi" to him at dinner tonight (it was a guy from his dorm), and I made a comment that I thought this guy was cute. He offered to introduce us, and I said no. He then proceeded to bring the guy over AGAIN and embarrass me in front of him. Like he invited him over with the sole purpose of killing any interest between the two of us. And he did this before with another guy.

Am I totally reading too much into this? I just don't understand guys sometimes and I'd really appreciate your help on the matter, gentlemen. (And ladies, if you have boyfriends/guy friends and you recognize any behavior or have any advice, please feel free to comment as well)!

Did Any of You Watch "The Office" Tonight?

I normally don't watch The Office, but my family does, and they told me that this episode was going to feature the musical Sweeney Todd, which is an opportunity I couldn't bear to pass up! I just adore the musical, although I haven't seen the Tim Burton movie version. Personally, I'm a huge fan of the George Hearn/Patti Lupone duet.

So....Sweeney Todd on The Office....It. Was. Amazing! I loved it! For all you Office fans who missed it, Andy was playing Anthony the sailor who Sweeney befriends early on in the play. He did a wonderful job! I was so impressed :) I wish they would have shown more of the play, but obviously, with time constraints (its only a half hour show) and such, they did the best they could. I was very impressed with the quality of the music. For such a small portion of a musical, they really gave it a lot of effort, and the result was chilling and wonderful, just like Sweeney should be.

For those of you who have not seen Sweeney Todd yet, I highly recommend it. However, I would advise against the Tim Burton version unless you are a hard-core fan of the musical. (Its very dark, very bloody, and they take out almost all the humor from many of the songs). As I said before, the best version is the one with George Hearn and Patty Lupone, which you can find on Youtube, although its also available on DVD (Sweeney Todd in Concert).

And a quick synopsis.....

Sweeney Todd is the dark story of a man seeking revenge. After he is wrongly imprisoned for life by a corrupt judge who wishes to seduce his wife, Benjamin Barker returns to London under a new name: Sweeney Todd. He joins forces with a pie maker, Mrs. Lovett to kill all those who wronged him. Sweeney, a barber, slits the throats of his victims while shaving them, while Mrs. Lovett turns the bodies into meat pies to hide the evidence. Gruesome, yes, but also amazing. The music is fabulous and the plot starts to blur the lines between hero and villain. This musical is actually based off a true story about a madman who killed people to be made into pies (although there is no love and revenge in the true story; just murder and meat pies).

It's Been a Looooooonnnnnnnnnng Day........

Yeah...A very long day:

Wake up...

Four classes (my busy day)...

Film Club (had to skip...needed a few minutes to myself before service)....

The van to service was late....

Tutor little kids for two hours....

Dinner with my guy friends (one of whom couldn't keep his hands off me--AWKWARD, and I HATE being poked)....

English Club....

A little TV time before starting homework....

Homework....

But, on the flip side, the Wonderful Roomie made me cookies; which totally made my day! :")

Blarg....

Last week, I barely slept at all, so of course, this weekend, I got more than enough sleep and was happy. The issue? I've screwed it up all up again. I couldn't fall asleep last night because I wasn't tired (go figure :P) and as a result, slept through my alarm. I freaked out this morning, because I woke up to the Wonderful Roomie's alarm, which is set to go off an hour after mine. I couldn't believe it when I made it to class on time!

And when I get there, I run into a few of my classmates in the lobby and we start talking....

And one of the Freshman in our class comes from the classroom and walks over to us and is like "Class is canceled?" and they're like "Yeah" and I'm sooo mad that I rushed to get ready on time, because I could have had a nice long shower, and slept for about half an hour longer than I did. And because I rushed, I have a headache. Not a cool way to start a Monday, am I right?

Walking

Walking with you,
Your arm around me, and your hand on my arm.
I lean my head on you
and you lay your head on mine.
My hand is on yours
and I feel so complete.

Thank you.

Weekly Wodehouse #30

Memories are like mulligatawny soup in a cheap restaurant. It is best not to stir them.

~P.G. Wodehouse

Weekly Wodehouse #29

"A spasm of Napoleonic energy seized Sam. He dropped silently to the floor and concealed himself under the desk. Napoleon was always doing that sort of thing."

~P.G. Wodehouse

Unferth and Grendel on Heros (Grendel)

"Go ahead and scoff," [Unferth] said, petulant. "Except in the life of a hero, the whole world's meaningless. The hero sees values beyond what's possible. That's the nature of a hero. It kills him, of course, ultimately. But it makes the whole struggle of humanity worthwhile."

~Grendel by John Gardner

Rowen Atkinson's Guide to a First Date

The Hug

I hug you, because we're friends,
but when I go to pull away,
you still hold onto me.
And I'm trapped for a second
in the gentle warmth of your embrace.
That one second felt like an eternity
because I sensed something from you
that I could not feel in myself.
But even so...
I think I'd still hug you again.

OMG!!!!!! 200 blog posts! :D

Thanks, everyone, for sticking around this long :) Especially want to say thanks to my most devoted followers:


-Javmango
-Steven Cain
-OldFool
-The Soviet Chairman
-Chester
-Sarahkasper
-Robby Spratt


You guys are all awesome! :) *Warm fuzzies inside*

The New Blog

Hey, guys! Here's the link to my movie review blog...

http://www.cinemasweetheart.blogspot.com/

You don't have to subscribe if you don't want to...this is mostly just for people who are really interested in learning about new movies. Currently, I just have an introduction post, but I'm going to have movie reviews up very soon, so check in ;)

Don't worry...Ramblings isn't going anywhere...Cinema Sweetheart is just a side project that I wanted to work on since I joined my school's film club.

Have a good night, everyone!

Movie Blog

Thanks to a display of interest from several of you, I've decided to do the movie blog. I just have a few questions for you guys...First, do you have any ideas for blog titles? And also, do you have any ideas for profile names? I was hoping for something catchy, like a cooler version of "Movie Girl" or "Film Fan". Any ideas?

Another Blog?

I'm thinking about starting another blog...this one completely devoted to movie reviews, trivia, clips, and publicity stills. The question I have is this: how many of you would subscribe to this new blog? (Don't feel bad if you wouldn't; that's completely okay, I'm just asking). The only thing that would be different is that I'd control this blog via a different account, so I could give out the link to more people I know (I kinda like the anonymous quality of this one...you all know this is Emmy, but just Emmy...and most of the people I write about don't know that this is me. I'd like to give out a link for a movie blog to some of the people in the Cinema Society I belong to, but at the same time, I don't want all of them to know about what I write here....does that make sense? I'm not sure if it does or not...if it doesn't, please tell me (or tell me if it does, too :P) But, please, either way, let me know if you'd be interested in a movie blog. Not sure yet if I'll do it, but wanted to get some feedback on it all the same.

Weekly Wodehouse #28

If I had to choose between him and a cockroach as a companion for a walking-tour, the cockroach would have had it by a short head.

~P.G. Wodehouse

A Girl's Night Out

The wonderful Roomie and I have been stuck in classes all week, and finally decided that we needed a break. So, when the school offered a trip out into the world beyond the campus for dinner and a late-night showing of Easy A, how could we resist?

The dinner was at a local restaurant/bar, which was either full of smoke (with the doors closed) or had the doors open and was freezing cold. The chicken fried rice was amazing, and I almost learned how to use chopsticks--ALMOST.

Easy A was really funny. Starring Emma Stone, its a hilarious chick flick loosely based on Hawthorne's Scarlet Letter. Olive Pendergrast, wallflower, finds herself suddenly in the center of attention at her high school when a rumor gets out that she slept with a college student. Soon, gay guy Brandon asks her to pretend to have sex with him so that people will stop picking on him because of his sexuality. And the rumor starts to grow out of control, as Olive pretends to sleep with guys for gift cards, and begins to wear a red letter "A" on all of her tops in her slutty new wardrobe. But, when she realizes that her life is falling apart, is it already too late to change things? Watch the movie and find out :P

I had a wonderful time tonight, but the strangest thing was this: when I left the movie, there were two guys in my head. One you might have heard about, I won't say for certain...the other one...well, I KNOW I've never mentioned him before. It's going to be interesting I guess. Well...I'm tired; g'night!

Is It Bad...

That I grab the daily paper every day after classes, but only read the comics?

Hrothgar--Where is Grendel's Mother (Beowulf)

"A few miles from here
a frost-stiffened wood waits and keeps watch
above a mere; the overhanging bank
is a maze of tree-roots mirrored on its surface.
At night there, something uncanny happens:
the water burns. And the mere bottom
has never been sounded by the sons of men.
On its bank, the heather-stepper halts:
the hart in flight from pursuing hounds
will turn and face them with firm-set horns
and die in the wood rather than dive
beneath its surface. That is no good place.
When the wind blows up and stormy weather
makes clouds scud and the skies weep,
out of its depths a dirty surge
is pitched toward the heavens. Now help depends
again on you and on you alone.
The gap of danger where the demon waits
is still unknown to you. Seek it if you dare.
I will compensate you for settling the feud
as I did the last time with lavish wealth,
coffers of coiled gold, if you come back."

How Beowulf Should Have Ended

Today is President Taft's Birthday...

He would have been 153 years old today. And I've been wanting to post this video for a while...Enjoy!

Fruit Fast (I'm sorry)

I know that everyone was curious about how my fruit fast was going to go, but I'm sad to say that after one day, its off. Sadly, as a college student, I don't have the funds to buy truckloads of fruit. The fruit fast is an interesting idea, but I have to pay for a ton of fruit, because I'm hungry if I don't. You actually have to eat double your usual meal amount in fruit to compensate for the lost calories. I've been starving all day, and I'm so sick of apples! We have like no fruit...just apples and fruit salad and some really nasty looking oranges. Yes, I know its only three days, but I have had such a craving for like everything besides fruit that its not even funny. Ironically, I've fasted before; no problem. I'm Catholic, so I fast at least twice a year. However, fasting was easy compared to this. Its strange; you wouldn't think that it would be so hard to go a whole day and only eat fruit...but strangely enough, it leaves me hungrier than when I pretty much starve myself. Huh. Maybe after I graduate and have the time and money to try again, I will. Just, not for right now.

Fruit Fast Update

Okay, so today is the first day of my "fruit fast" which, for those of you who didn't read yesterday's post, involves going three days eating nothing but fruit, and drinking nothing but fruit juice and water. I'm going to post a day to day "log" for the next three days, detailing to everyone what I eat, how I feel, and if I'm satisfied with the results of the experiment. The fast is supposed to help improve your skin, eyes, hair, and just about everything else. Its sort of a "body cleanse" and the body is supposed to have an easier time absorbing the nutrients from the fruit since there is nothing else in the stomach to prevent this. Also, I want to give a quick "shout out" to John Romeo Alpha for requesting the results of my study.

The results of Day One will be posted later tonight, just before I go to bed, so I can give you a complete listing of my results. :)

Fruit Fast

Today I got an email from my dad about the benefits of fruit. Stuff like "eat fresh fruit on an empty stomach" and how fruit has been shown in some studies to cure cancer. Toward the bottom of the email, was a detailed little bit about a "Fruit Fast," which basically involves eating nothing but fruit (fresh, not canned) and drinking nothing but fruit juice (again, fresh) for three days. I'm going to supplement it by also drinking water, but apart from that, I'm going to be eating nothing but fruit. From the email...

But eating a whole fruit is better than drinking the juice. If you should drink the juice, drink it mouthful by mouthful slowly, because you must let it mix with your saliva before swallowing it. You can go on a 3-day fruit fast to cleanse your body. Just eat fruits and drink fruit juice throughout the 3 days and you will be surprised when your friends tell you how radiant you look!

So, today I stocked up on some Red Delicious Apples and fruit juice. Of course, the dining hall has fruit, so this is just stuff is just for breakfast and perhaps a snack. I'm going to start as of now, I think. I'm very excited. Its going to be a little over three days (three days morning to night plus one afternoon/dinner) but I think it'll have the same effect. After my fruit fast is over, I'll be able to tell you all about how it turned out :)

What a Night!

Okay, so the wonderful Roomie and I are just chilling in the dorm, trying to do homework (or not) and I was swatting away at the occasional midge from in front of my computer screen or flicking it off the pages of my book, when suddenly, I decide to turn around and simply look at the wall above our beds. I don't know what provoked me, but when I did look, I really wish I hadn't. There were about a gazillion of these nasty little bugs, all midges like this:

all over the walls and ceiling! (Now, of course, this picture is greatly magnified; they aren't super huge bugs, but still, they're disgusting, and they were crawling on the walls and ceiling, and some were in our beds! So, the Roomie and I did the only thing we could think of. We went to the neighbors and asked to borrow a vacuum.

Hmmm...Apparently, the vacuum doesn't solve this problem; we were welcome to use it, they said, but they tried yesterday, and it didn't do to much. So, being the wonderful neighbors that they were, they threw of pack of Lysol wipes at us and said good luck.

When we got back to the room, we set to work attacking the nasty little pests with painters tape, simply sticking it to them as we smashed them into the wall. We climbed on beds and desks to reach all of them, and then afterwards, we used hairspray and a blow-dryer. It was the insect equivalent of the Battle of Thermopylae; we were the Persians beating the shit of the insect Greeks.

To celebrate our victory, we went into the lobby, each with a can of Orange Crush. And we were having a pleasant time, too, talking to some of our neighbors from down the hall, when the fire alarm went off for the third time in a week! The first time was dust, the second time was (and I quote) "a dust," and this time was some idiot who didn't realize that you don't cook popcorn for FOUR MINUTES! We had to stand outside without coats in the chilly weather, the Roomie in her pajamas, and me in a low cut tank top. I felt kinda skanky.

I can't believe what a night this has been! AND, I still need to do my homework....ah well, Beowulf can wait until tomorrow, I guess.

A Poem in Old English

N.B. Please pardon my grammar; I'm sure that its not correct, although I've tried to translate to the best of my ability using an online dictionary and an online translator. So, please don't smite me down for improper grammar, word order, cases, or whatever else should earn me a prompt smiting. Mostly, I wanted to write a poem, I wanted to write it in Old English, but, I haven't taken the Old English Language course yet....Oh well...Enjoy the poem :)

Ic i wéne sum cniht

eac wyrtgernang meolc æðm,

eac pylecan brúnne feax

ond déop brúnne heáfodsiéna;

ond twelf Johnny Depp rósan.

Of Mice and Men Fan Art

Is It Enough to See You?

I saw you from a distance, walking the edge of the beach.
Your men were nearby, and yet you were not with them.
I was scared, but I approached you anyway,
My gut clenched into too many knots, because I feared what would ensue.

Your whispered name escaped my lips,
And you turned to me at once...
And you smiled. You smiled at me!
I never expected that.

You were kind in your words, gentle, even
And I admit that I was blown away by this reception.
My heart was beating too hard, pounding in my chest
So hard that I thought it bruised my ribs.
You bruised my ribs; bruised my heart.

Nectar lost its sweetness tonight,
Ambrosia tasted like sand in my mouth.
But it was enough to see you,
Your eyes the green of the ocean
And your hair dark with the spray of the sea
And when you looked at me, you consumed me
Body and soul, if only for a second.
I guess I should say thank-you
Because this gave me closure.

And most of all, you remembered me,
Remembered whispered secrets I had given
And you had kept them all this time.
Thinking of that now, I almost want to cry
Because all I could remember is the deepness of your eyes
And the touch of your hand.

I remembered your body
But you remembered my soul.

~Calypso

Weekly Wodehouse #27

“He felt like a man who, chasing rainbows, has had one of them suddenly turn and bite him in the leg.”

~P.G. Wodehouse

Lennie and Crooks

Crooks scowled, but Lennie's disarming smile defeated him. "Come on in and set a while," Crooks said. "Long as you won't get out and leave me alone, you might as well set down." His tone was a little more friendly.

~John Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men

George and Lennie

"Guys like us, that work on ranches, are the loneliest guys in the world. They got no family. They don't belong no place. They come to a ranch an' work up a stake and then they go inta town and blow their stake, and the first thing you know they're pounding their tail on some other ranch. They ain't got nothing to look ahead to."

Lennie was delighted. "That's it--that's it. Now tell how it is with us."

George went on. "With us it ain't like that. We got a future. We got somebody to talk to that gives a damn about us. We don't have to sit in no bar room blowin' in our jack jus' because we got no place else to go. If them other guys gets in jail they can rot for all anybody gives a damn. But not us."

Lennie broke in. "But not us! An' why? Because....because I got you to look after me, and you got me to look after you, and that's why!" He laughed delightedly.

~John Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men

Curly & Curly's Wife

Of Mice and Men Cover Art

Thanks, Ash!!!!!

I'm sure some of my early blog readers remember my slight obsession with Mr. T, as I had pointed out back in March. Well, wonderful friend and reader Ash found a little something to feed my obsession...Introducing: MR. T!!

And yes, that is orange Vitamin Water...

Lennie and the Rabbits

A "Of Mice and Men" themed song; I really like how this sounds :)

Weekly Wodehouse #26

"The voice of Love seemed to call me, but it was a wrong number."

~P.G. Wodehouse

John Steinbeck Reads "Of Mice and Men"

5 Life Lessons from Steinbeck's "Of Mice and Men"

1. Sometimes, the people we tend to overlook have more character than the people we revere and put on a social pedestal.

2. If you have to make a difficult or life-changing decision, don't let anyone else decide for you. It's your life. Don't let anyone "shoot your dog" for you.

3. Sometimes, you have to sacrifice everything for the well-being of someone you care about.

4. Even though they don't always show it, the people who really care about you are the ones who stand by your side no matter what you do, and are always there to get you through your mistakes. Sometimes, too, they are the ones who look up to you, and follow you--not with blind eyes, but with trusting hearts.

5. Sometimes, dreams are not meant to be attained, but they are still meant to be strived for.

Of Mice and Men

The Brother has just started reading Of Mice and Men for his Honors English class, and since I've missed writing all my posts about books that I was reading for classes, I thought I would talk about this one. First of all, its one of my favorite books. I just love it! So, of course, when I learned he was reading it, I could not be happier. (And of course he was rolling his eyes: Oh dear, Emmy's all excited about my stupid classes again...) But, still...I'm really pumped :3

So, to help him supplement his own reading, and of course, to help build up your knowledge of these books, I'm going to try and post a little at a time about each of the books he reads as they come up. Honestly, I don't know if this is going to work out or not, so please bear with me.

Have any of you already read it? Did you like it or not so much? I'd love to hear your opinions on this!

Castle Season 3

Everybody get out your calendars and save the date of September 20th! That night, season 3 of Castle officially starts! I can't wait! It's totally my favorite show, and the brother and I watch it every Monday night :) I seriously can't wait until then! If you haven't seen Castle yet, you can check out episodes and other information on

ABC.com

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the series, basically, its a crime show/comedy. Richard Castle is a mystery writer who gets pulled into an investigation when a series of murders are conducted that mirror the unusual murder methods in his books. He quickly falls for the tough-as-nails female homicide detective Kate Beckett, and follows her around as an unofficial partner to help him gather information for his next mystery series. Definite chemistry starts to arise between the two of them, but neither one has expressed their feelings.

As a promotional item, Castle's book, inspired by Kate, was actually published and sold in stores. It's called Heat Wave, and star Detective Nikki Heat. The second book in the series is currently in the works: Naked Heat.

A Little Bit of 300 Spoofing

I've never actually seen the movie 300, but I've seen my fair share of its spoofs and parodies. Currently, the Brother and I are watching Meet the Spartans, a full-length movie spoof, and that inspired this post. These are some of my favorite 300 parodies...hope you enjoy ;)

Used Books at the Library

Finally! For the first time, I've actually been able to check out my library's little book store. Its just a small room off to the side, filled with all kinds of books...donations, cancelled library books, some old and worn, some barely touched. The best thing was that everything was very, very cheap...you could get a DVD for only $2.00, or a paper back book for 50 cents! I bought three things and only paid $2.00 for them!

First, is a paperback copy of Ragtime, which was recommended to me by my friend Jenn back in high school. When she was reading it, it was all she would talk about. And experience has shown me this: if Jenn tells me I'm going to like a book, then she knows I'm going to like that book. This wonderful little find was only 50 cents!

I also found a musty copy of Death of a Salesman, one of my all time favorite plays (50 cents).

Finally, I purchased a hardback copy of The Old Man and the Sea ($1.00) which I found (to my great excitement) was full of notes that the previous author annotated it with. That's really why I love old books...there is so much history behind them. I wonder who this man was who wrote all over this book, lovingly leaving his mark on the pages.

Am I going to come back for more books? Oh yeah! There is just something wonderful about library book sales...the books are inexpensive (used book stores often make you pay through the nose) and more often than not, the books are in wonderful condition. What a perfect way to find new treasures to read!

Do You Kindle/E-Book/etc.?

Perhaps I'm the only one, but doesn't it bother you that more and more people are reading books online or on their iPods, Kindles, iPhones, iPads, laptops, and e-readers? And that less and less people are reading actual books?? I've often considered the allure of the kindle, the e-reader...buy one online, and your cost of books plummets. Its cheaper, its smaller, and you can carry around about a gazillion books on it. Everyone is doing it...you can even get a game for the Nintendo DS that contains about 200 books.

Although I've considered it, I can't succumb to it. There is no way a battery operated piece of plastic, metal, and wires could replace the wonder that is a book. There is nothing more wonderful than opening up a book, inhaling deeply, and just savoring that musty smell of old tomes, or the fresh smell of paper and ink in new ones. Also, books don't run on batteries, so they don't need to be charged. Plus, each book is an individual. There really is something wonderful about a book. Please, don't boycott the book for the fancy digital stuff. A book won't break on you, a book doesn't need a warranty, and a book will probably be around when all of us are dead and gone...unless we give up on them now. It doesn't need stuff loaded onto it, and its a perfect gift to give without breaking the bank. Consider this: if books have been working just fine for us for centuries...why should we change that now?

If you like your Kindle/iPhone/iPad/iPod/e-reader, etc., I'm not telling you to get rid of it, not at all! I'm just saying to please keep the book in mind. Its a wonderful thing and should be cared for, cherished, and most of all respected and enjoyed.