My Thoughts On: Harry. Harry Who? Do You Even Need To Ask?

Harry Potter...of course! I love him...obviously, since I keep writing blogs about him.

So, check out my blog post on www.literaturelife.com and see what I said about him...besides that I love him. He's a fictional character. So, it's ok. I think. Maybe.

Click here for the blog.

My Thoughts On: Fire!!!!

My razor camera phone doesn't take a bad picture...the fire today in the hills around Hollywood.

For those of you in Los Angeles today, the hills were ablaze - the hills holding up the Hollywood sign to be exact.

My friend IMed me from her office in the valley - "Did you hear there's a fire in Universal City?" My response was "Really?!?!?" Yes, I like exclamation points and question marks and anything that helps give you a sense of emotion in IM.

A few seconds later, I saw a TV go on across the office, showing a raging fire - the raging fire in the hills. A few minutes later, half the office was gathering around the television, intrigued. That is, until it went back to it's regularly scheduled programming - identical twins who can predict the past, present, AND future!!!! More exciting than the fire in the hills? I think not.

Later, some people went outside...and you could see the smoke rising into the sky over the Hollywood sign. The sky was tinged orange creating a very strange atmosphere.

The excitement quickly died down and people went back to work like it was a normal, typical day.

I still find this very strange. People don't get alarmed and flee...they just seem to wait and watch. It's crazy - besides SEEING the fire from a distance, you can smell it. And, yet, it's "normal." It's very strange to live in a state where you just wait to see how the fire plays out and it's thought of as - "Yeah, there's a fire." instead of "Ohmigawd, there's a fire!?!!?!?"

It makes sense in a lot of ways. I mean, what good would it do for the whole city to stop and go crazy!?!??! Especially in Los Angeles. So, it's good it works out this way, but it's still very surreal.

My Thoughts On: Running

Look at what I've gotten myself into - this is the map for the course of the Camp Pendelton mud run.

I have never been a runner, but I have never really tried either. In junior high and high school, I have vivid memories of that time of the year, where in gym we had to run the mile. They aren't fond memories. I hated it and I definitely strived to come in just under the 12 minute mark. If you didn't you failed. I wasn't going to fail, but I wasn't going to try hard to run the mile either. I think I usually came in somewhere in the 11 minute mark. I never ran otherwise. It was torture.

So, I never thought much about running except for gym class...until now, when I've taken on the Camp Pendelton Mud Run.

For those of you not in the know - here's how they describe it: The Mud Run is a challenging 10K run with hills, tire obstacles, river crossings, two 5-foot walls with mud on both sides, tunnel crawl, slippery hill climb, and the final 30-foot mud pit. Along the course there will be 6 water points with personnel staged at each. This is the most fun you can have running a 10K!

Suddenly, I need to start running....a lot.

And, I have been. At first it was here and there and now, I've tied myself down to running at least 3 days a week. I only have a little over 2 months left...I need to get a move on!

I was running 2 miles for the longest time. Ok, let's be honest, I was running 1.5 miles and walking .5 miles, but that's if you're being technical. I still went 2 miles! And, then this past week, I had a burst of energy and ran 2.5 miles...walking the last .5 mile...to make 3 miles. I was pretty excited. The energy had come out of nowhere. I just knew I could keep on going. It was an amazing feeling.

Up until this week, running had gone something like this for me: I get to the gym, walk a couple laps, and psych myself up - ok, you just have to make it around the track 16 times. You can do it! And, then I think about how big the number 16 is and quickly try to push that out of my mind, as I force myself into a run. The first few laps feel really painful and I find myself thinking - if I can make it just one more time around...that's good enough - I will have run enough and it's okay if I walk a little bit. Then, suddenly, I hit some weird kind of stride where I'm okay for a few laps thinking - this isn't so bad. See? Maybe I really can do this. And, then I think my head gets me because I start thinking about which lap I'm on and go, wow, I've run THAT far...that's insane! I should be really tired. And, by that time I stop and walk the rest.

This week, though, instead of thinking "I'm really tired. I can't do this anymore," I thought - "I have energy! I'm going to go further! I know I can do it!"

And, I did.

So, maybe running is just as much about the mind as the physical ability. Maybe more.

On that note: Here's to staying at 3 miles and quickly moving up to 3.5!!!!

Movie Reviews: Imagine Me And You, Notes on a Scandal

My Movie Reviews

It's been a British movie week for me....

Imagine Me And You: Two friends highly recommended this film to me. I think perhaps I had walked by it in the video store and passed, but since it came recommended I decided to watch it. The basic premise of the story is this: A man and a woman are getting married, but as she walks down the aisle, the woman catches the eye of another woman - and it's love at first site! So, the romantic triangle between man-woman-woman begins. It reminded me a bit of Kissing Jessica Stein, although maybe it's just the idea of the woman who doesn't consider the idea of being a lesbian...until it sort of falls upon her. What did I think? Well, it was a cute movie, but it's only on my okay list. I think I liked Kissing Jessica Stein better if you compare similar movies. Still, there were a couple of REALLY funny jokes. One involved a lesbian porn video title based on the name of George Bush. I about died laughing. I'm still smiling thinking about it, maybe because it was so unexpected.

Notes on a Scandal: This film was nominated for some Oscars. It stars Judi Dench and Cate Blanchett. I had some friends tell me that this was a movie to see as well. I wasn't much interested otherwise. The basic premise is this: A teacher (Cate Blanchett) has an affair with a student and a fellow teacher (Judi Dench) finds out, but uses it to her advantage, to get closer and start up a bizarre obsessive friendship with the other woman. Okay, interesting premise, but not necessarily my type of movie. In the first five minutes, I changed my mind - Judi Dench was amazing! The story itself was typical, but she was so good at being subtly creepy in the film that I really enjoyed it. I'd recommend the movie, just to watch her act. She was great!

I Must Be Feeling A Little Motivated Today

I must be feeling a tad motivated today - I posted not one, but two blogs - the second one is on the Literature Life site - click here to read it.

It's about temptation to cheat on the Reading Challenge with an amazingly tempting book. Did I cheat? Will I still? Read and find out!!!!

Be Bold And Try Something Out Of The Ordinary...Even If It's Only Un-Ordinary For You

So, I don't have the talent to be a famous artist...but I still had a great time painting!

I haven't painted anything since art class in 8th grade! That's a long time ago now. And, then, I painted a black cat - after a cat I owned then - Chauncy. I don't know why I remember it, but I do. I do draw from time to time, but rarely now, unless I make greeting cards for relatives. Yes, I still draw cards for my mom. I'm sweet like that.

So, what made me decide to paint? A friend had given me some paints that had been sitting in my room for a few months and I finally decided to put them to use. I went to the art store last weekend and bought some brushes and this weekend I decided to take the plunge. So, I took a couple hours out of my day yesterday and sat down and painted.

And, you know what? It was so much fun! I already had some general concepts in my mind of what I wanted to paint and then it was a matter of just choosing the colors and figuring out how to put them onto the page. It was extremely relaxing and yet it also made me feel extremely giddy. Maybe it was the paint fumes, maybe not.

Regardless, an hour into painting, I was thoroughly enjoying myself. The paintings I had made weren't quite what I saw in my mind, but I was happy with them. It was fun seeing them transform onto the paper. Maybe they look like kid paintings to anyone else, but to me...masterpieces! Well, maybe I'm exagerating...a little.

It even inspired me. As I was cleaning up the painting supplies, I wanted to write and do more creative things. I wanted to keep on feeling that giddiness!

So, will I paint again? Definitely. It was fun. And, I highly recommend an activity like painting or taking up something new or something that it's been eons since you've done. It can turn out to inspire and brighten your day!

So, go with your heart and try something new!

What IS the difference between gelato and ice cream?

Coffee and Coconut Gelato - am I weird or what?

I STILL don't get the difference between gelato and ice cream even after checking out gelato on whikipedia - click here to take a look for yourself at the definition of gelato.

Or, well, perhaps it's Friday night and I'm feeling lazy and you clicking on whikipedia to see for yourself makes it just a whole lot easier on me.

And, on that note - simply, it's just Italian ice cream, made the italian way and I stand by that definition! And, it sure is yummy. I got coffee gelato and coconut gelato...weird combinaton, but I was feeling a little adventurous. The coffee one was heaven. The coconut one was just okay.

Okay, I can't take it - I'm going back for a little more of heaven and, maybe I'll try a different weird combination - coffee and rasberry? Coffee and lime? Coffee and strawberry? C-r-a-z-y, right? Yeah, that's me.

How do you eat your fortune cookie?

Do you believe in the power of a fortune cookie?

I am sitting here feeling full after a plate of thai food - chicken curry to be exact. I am gazing at my fortune cookie...preparing to eat it. Does anyone else have a method for eating their fortune cookie?

Somewhere in my childhood I got it into my mind that I had to eat the entire fortune cookie before I looked at the fortune. If I didn't eat the entire cookie before I looked at the fortune, my fortune wouldn't come true. I'm sure it's from a book or a movie...but I can't remember which one.

It's a thing that I always do - one of my quirks. I'll have people ask me what my fortune is, as I crack open the cookie. I just smile and continue eating and until I'm done I won't tell them. It works for me.

Another oddity - I tend to save my fortunes too and put them in scrapbooks as added decoration. I have no idea why I do that. Maybe to see years later if they came true? Or to see how many times I've eaten Chinese food in my lifetime?

Who knew I had a weird method for the eating of fortune cookies?

Ah, and onto today's fortune (I've just eaten the cookie, of course!)...more of a piece of advice, really: "Now is a good time for a new collection or hobby."

Interesting. I just bought some painting supplies, actually. They are sitting in my bedroom. Besides watercolors as a child or an art class in 6th grade, I have never painted. I have never thought much about taking it up until the last few weeks when an idea popped into my brain and has since refused to leave. It has since become two ideas. So, I went with it and bought some supplies last weekend. I am hoping to try them out this upcoming weekend. Who knows? Maybe I can paint.

And, just think - then I can say - well, a fortune cookie predicted it. :)

Gloomy Days...in California? Yes, they do happen.

What do they say? When you have nothing to discuss, discuss the weather. I'm a little tired today, so discuss the weather I will.

Today is one of those California gloomy days where the sun is refusing to peek out from behind the clouds. It doesn't happen all that often in California...well, except maybe in June when it's known as June gloom.

I suppose it adds some flavor to the otherwise endless sunny days California seems to have. I mean, how else would you appreciate the really beautiful days if there weren't any gloomier ones with which to compare it?

And, I just glanced out the window - it has been raining. Another rarity in California - rain. Actually, I like rainy days. They make me want to snuggle under the covers with a book and a hot chocolate or a cup of tea and read all day.

Still, today, I must be at work and ignore the gloom and the rain. I suppose another way to look at it is that perhaps this increases my chances of an amazingly beautiful weekend. I think that works. Either that, or I can ditch work, go home and read a book. Hmmm....

Movie Reviews: Dead Silence, Zodiac, The Illusionist

My Movie Reviews (week of 3/11/07-3/18/07)

Dead Silence: Thank goodness I didn't pay for this movie. In fact, the best part about it was actually the drunken brawl I saw while waiting to get INTO the movie. I'm kidding....well, kind of - there was really a drunken brawl of sorts as I was waiting to get in. At least this movie was not the Toys or Batman and Robin kind of bad - as in those are the only two movies I've been tempted to walk out of a theater while watching them, they were so bad. Dead Silence was like a made for TV horror movie. Now, for those of you NOT in the know - it's about this woman puppeteer who was killed and her puppets come to life and kill people...but only if you scream. Do I need to say anything more? The horror scenes were creepy in that make you jump scary grossout kind of way and well, puppets CAN definitely be creepy, but yeah...still not good. I felt myself wanting to giggle at the acting in regular scenes...it was just so TV movie. I think perhaps that this movie would have been better if it had been campy and ridiculous, like The Bride of Chucky....that movie was hillarious!

Zodiac: A GOOD movie out in theaters now. Well, after I saw Dead Silence, I was worried. Kidding...maybe. Back to the movie, I didn't want to see this movie at first despite the fact that it stars Jake Gyllenhall...who I used to have a movie star crush on. Then I kept hearing how great the movie was from various friends. This intrigued me, so I went to see it. It's over 2 hours long...maybe bordering on three, but it kept me interested. It's all about the true-crime case of the Zodiac killer that terrified California in the 1960s and 1970s. I had it in my head that it was going to be a sort of horror movie and there were killings shown, but it was more of a detective movie and it was fascinating to watch the clues unravel. I too would highly recommend it and keep the "Go see this movie!" chain rolling.

The Illusionist: I can't keep this movie and The Prestige straight in my mind because they both came out last year and are both about magicians. This one stars Edward Norton and Jessica Biel and from what I have heard is supposed to be the lesser movie of the two. I like Edward Norton, though, so I was still willing to see it. And, it was nominated for a few Academy Awards...or was that The Prestige? Probably both. It's about a magician played by Edwared Norton, who has a forbidden childhood friendship/romance with Jessica Biel. Ten years later, they run into each other again as she assists him on stage with a magic trick. It goes from there. Overall, I would say that I enjoyed watching it...once. I would not watch it again. The look of the film was interesting and that I liked, but overall, it didn't grab me as much as I had hoped. If illusions/magicians interest you, I could recommend seeing it. I just wanted it to be better. I guess I can try The Prestige.

Internet News: The Gambian President says he has discovered a cure for AIDS

I just read an article from cnn.com entitled "AIDS cure or sick joke by African president?" Click on that link and read it.

It sounds insane. Basically, the president of Gambia is claiming to his people and the world that he has dreamt the cure for AIDS. His ancestors told it to him in a dream. They are giving this herbal concoction to the people as THE cure.

I'm having strange contradicting thoughts.

One, if it IS true that he has found the cure for AIDS...that is AMAZING and maybe I should believe in the power of dreams. I'd love to believe that he dreamt a real cure.

BUT, that's quickly followed by rational thought - are you serious!?!?!? These people are going to stop taking medication that is actually HELPING them for a herbal concoction that most likely isn't doing anything to them at all. And, their president is leading the way to their deaths.

It's insane that one person with power can affect so many other people's lives with the contents of a dream...real or not.

Green Eggs and Ham

Would you try green eggs????

Green Eggs and Ham always reminds me of the Dr. Seuss book where Sam tries to get his friend to eat green eggs and ham and his friend refuses, adamantaly and profusely. It was one of my favorite Dr. Seuss books as a child. I thought it was funny. I knew I had no plans to ever eat green eggs...yuck!

Little did I know that on this, the eve of St. Patrick's day, I would get a chance to change my mind. I work in an office, where food is readily available...including meals. In honor of St. Patrick's Day the foods of choice are everything green: green fruit, green bagels, all the way down to green eggs...and ham.

Now, unlike the book - the ham wasn't green, but the eggs were! I think that's still pretty weird and repulsive and I can completely understand why Sam's friend was so reluctant to try them.

I heard people in the office discussing the strange green foods that were available. So, I ran down to look at them. I actually thought that I might like to try some. I mean, I've never eaten green eggs!?!?!? So, I looked and I stared at the eggs and thought - can I really stomach GREEN EGGS and ham? And, then, without thinking anymore, I was spooning a scoop onto my plate and reaching for the ham. I only had to eat a bite, I told myself...just a bite and I could admit to having eaten green eggs and ham. So, I also added normal eggs and bacon and corn beef hash...just to balance things out.

I walked back up to my desk and stared down at my green eggs. Ok, I just had to take one, teensy weensy little bite. It's only food dye, I told myself. They're going to taste just like the normal eggs that they're sitting next to. One bite and a piece of ham and you will have done it.

No, I don't normally need to give myself a pep talk before I eat breakfast. It's just that they eggs were...well...GREEN!!!!! And, there's something that feels so wrong about that. But, I wasn't supposed to think about that and I pushed the thought away thinking - I HAVE TO DO THIS. I don't know why, but I need to try green eggs.

So, I stabbed a piece of green egg with my fork and brought it up to my mouth...and forced myself to taste it instead of just swallowing it like you would a pill. And, you know what? It was ok! It did kind of taste like regular eggs. I decided to take a second bite. Yes, they were definitely ok. I cut myself a piece of ham.

So, there I had it - I had officially eaten green eggs and ham! And, I actually think they're okay, Sam I Am!

You Want To Talk About Video Games? Well, Let Me Tell You Something...

One of the best games EVER as far as I'm concerned.

It all started with a coworker showing me a scene from Final Fantasy Advent Children - one of the latest in the Final Fantasy series of movies. It does look amazing, as far as graphics go, by the way.

Now, I had seen the first Final Fantasy movie. I remember being disappointed in that it was only okay because I had been very excited about it coming to theaters. The reason for my excitement was because I was completely hooked for a time on Final Fantasy IV for Super Nintendo. Now, when I say hooked...I was completely and utterly absorbed and fascinated by this game. I spent hours, weeks, etc. in front of my televison playing this game until I beat it. And, then I wanted more. If the next one had been out, I would have been off and playing Final Fantasy V and so on...but it wasn't, so I fell out of playing it. There was something about the adventure and being on a quest that I totally and absolutely loved about that game. It was like being part of a story in progress - very cool.

Now, thinking of Final Fantasy IV - one of those great games of my teenage years, immediately made me think about other video games that have fascinated me. As a note, I have not played a video game since...well, since I was in my early twenties. And, it's not that I haven't wanted to - heck, I had a cousin email me a couple months ago telling me that she was playing the new Zelda game for the wii. At that moment, I had a very deep urge to leave my job without a word, go to Best Buy, hold it hostage to obtain a wii and a copy of Zelda, lock myself in my apartment and start playing until I beat it. Yes, it is insane, but anybody who has played a good game can tell you that, that was a completely understandable thought. I loved the Zelda games that much. Zelda (for Nintendo) was the first video game that really grabbed me because unlike Mario Brothers - it had a freaking awesome story and it let you explore a world and figure things out for yourself. It was the first of an obsession for me in that line of games - ones where you were a part of the story and not just shoot em up, beat the boss sort of games that were otherwise all the rage.

From a snap-second thought of Zelda, my mind immediately jumped to thinking about Monkey Island - it's a Lucasfilm game that I played on the computer in the early 1990s. The basic story is this: Guybrush Threepwood.... I have to stop here and say: how much more awesome of a character name can you get?!?!? Again, the premise is this: Guybbrush Threepwood wants to be a pirate. That's it. He has to drink some grog, learn how to sword fight and give good insult, and get a ship. It's a hilarious, fun filled, drive you crazy, and all the while you're laughing and having the best time of your life sort of game. Think I liked it much? It's a phenomenal game. Anyway, I beat it and subsequently made all of my friends play it until they won. I had slumber parties where the whole slumber party was sitting in front of the computer trying to figure out this game. By the way, by slumber parties, I mean a group of at least ten girls and no boys. So, it must have been a good game. Yes, I was that much of a geek, but ask any of those girls what they thought of that game and I'd bet you hands down that it's one of their good memories from childhood. My sleepovers were legendarily awesome.

And, funny enough - back to Monkey Island now - my coworkers response to my mentioning that game was literally - "I know that game! ANYONE who played computer games when they were a kid knows that game." Cool - I was part of a hot geeky trend. And, it was an awesome game. I'm just thrilled people played it - that's how much I enjoyed it. I want people to share in that awesomeness. Yes, I sound like I've reverted to age fourteen, but it's just how I feel about these video games.

After finding we had Monkey Island in common, my coworker mentioned that his favorite game from that time of his life was Indiana Jones and The Fate of Atlantis. How weird?!??! I had played that game too! Who doesn't love Indiana Jones?!?!?!! And, the video game was actually good! I attempted to beat it for a long time up until and I vividly remember this - this area where you're in a hot air balloon and for the life of me I couldn't fly the stupid thing. I spent hours on this, until I gave up. I passed that one along to people too. I love Indy - he's a great character. Gawd, I hope they're making that new film they've been talking about and that Harrison isn't too old.

And, back to topic...

Now my mind was racing to the other games that were a part of my life at that time - like Maniac Mansion and it's sequel Day of The Tentacle . Maniac Mansion, the original and the one that I spent the most time on, was about a guy named Dave whose girlfriend Sandy was kidnapped by a mad scientist. Dave and his friends set out to save her from the "Maniac Mansion." Let me tell you there are a lot of weird things in that house - like tentacles, crazy nurses, a super secret lab... They were both so, so funny and fun and I never ever beat them, but they were great all the same. I would STILL love to know the ending on Maniac Mansion. I feel like I spent years playing that game only to never beat it. Why!?!?! Why!?!?!? And, they say video games don't affect you. Hah.

Wow, I feel exhausted, kind of like I've just spent some time playing some of these games. And, yet, I want to go and dig up my old video game systems, dust them off and give some of these games another play. They may never have been real, but they sure have given me some fantastic memories.

NOTES: Whikipedia is a fantastic resource for looking up all of these games, by the way!

Because I Have To Talk About This Book Again: Julie and Julia

Such a good book!

I finished the book - Julie and Julia by Julie Powell, very appropriately, at lunch while I was at work.

It was a phenomenal book and totally something that I needed to read at this point in my life. It was perfect. I recommend it heartily - especially to women in their late twenties who wonder exactly where their life is headed.

For those of you not tuning into the podcast who have missed Caroline and I raving about how much we loved Julie and Julia and just in case you haven't read my OTHER blog about it (that's right, I liked it so much I wrote two blogs about it), here's what the book is about: It's a true account of how 29 year old Julie Powell, a secretary who didn't know where she wanted her life to go, decided to cook all of Julia Child's recipes from Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Volume 1 within a year. That's 524 recipes in 364 days. It's a lot of cooking and kind of an insane project. She kept a blog about her endeavor and eventually got this book published.

Her account of this seemingly insane undertaking is inspiring. It makes me want to cook! I am not a cook at all and now I find myself longing to go and make something a little more difficult than plain pasta and olive oil. Even more, though, it makes me want to do something that insane - something where people go - are you feeling a little crazy, Milda? It just sounds like so much fun! And, maybe...maybe I'll get something real out of that undertaking - some sort of truth about life. Somehow, in reading Julie and Julia, I felt a little closer to some sort of truth that I haven't uncovered yet.

Now, I don't think I would ever be able to go through all the recipes in Julia Child's cookbook - especially in doing things that Julie did like slicing a live lobster in half or cooking brains. Yeah...um...yuck. But, it would definitely be fun to do something. I've already written a novel in a month with nanowrimo, which was totally insane and a lot of fun. I'd heartily recommend doing that. I will probably do it again this year, in fact. And, I seem to have a lot of little insane projects....just no big one...yet. So, until I find the big one, I too am looking for a Julie/Julia type project. Unless, my project is all the little ones put together - the mudrun, the reading challenge, the podcast, the blogs, the writing... We'll see. I'm still going to keep my ears and eyes open for insanely crazy fun endeavors that outwardly may look just a little insane, but inwardly might really mean something.

READING CHALLENGE: Book 2 - The Golden Compass

Ok, so I took this off Amazon.com....but it's STILL the cover of the book.

BOOK #2 finally! Yes, it's taken me eons. I must have been in a coma or something. Well, not really. Life just got in the way, mostly. I plan on going full force now and will be posting book challenge books religiously from now on. I swear. I may even take Caroline up on the make a spreadsheet thing to motivate me. Read Caroline's blog about that on the Literature Life site. Speaking of which, I did read a few other books in the downtime, mostly for the podcast for that site....so I'm not a complete reading failure...just a little behind in the reading I said I would do this year when I said I'd do the challenge.

The Golden Compass by Phillip Pullman (His Dark Materials, Book #1)

Caroline's been telling me to read this book for awhile. I had randomly had it on my shelf as a "should read" for a long time. Then one day, soon after we first met, Caroline and I ended up spontaneously talking about it as we discussed young adult novels. She said that it was fantastic and I just had to read it! She was emphatic about that. So, it jumped to the top of my reading list.

So, what did I think? I liked it!!!! There's something about children's adventure stories involving a child fighting evil that really gets me. I can't help but like those stories. And, this is a good one. Plus, Lyra is kind of an orphan in a lot of ways and she's definitely left to her own means and I, for some reason, have a thing for stories with orphans. I don't know why.

I don't want to give too much away because you should go out and actually read it, so I won't delve into too many details. The Golden Compass is a take on Paradise Lost, which I have not read, but have definitely heard about and I thought it was quite interesting that this is supposed to be a children's book. It is about a young girl named Lyra who grows up amidst scholars, living in Oxford college. An interesting note about humans in this book is that they all have daemons - which are best described as physical animal versions of that human's soul. Children start disappearing and in the midst of some tension at the college, Lyra gets caught up in an adventure involving murder, a mysterious particle called Dust, kidnappers, gypsies, armored bears, and witches. That's pretty much a logline of the book and it is so much more than that.

It's a good children's adventure story. It's also very dark - like children die dark. But, in a real fight against evil there would be those consequences and that just makes it all the more suspenseful to the reader. I feel like this book is setting up things for future books and can't wait to see what's in store. There's two more books following this one and I will definitely continue on with them because now I need to know what happens!

So, my next book for the challenge will be The Subtle Knife by Phillip Pullman (His Dark Materials, Book 2). I can't wait to see how the adventure continues!

As a note: I can't wait for the movie version of The Golden Compass. It comes out in December of 2007. Yay, December!!!

The Paley TV Fest and "Prison Break"

Yes, another slightly dark picture - those darn dark red curtains!

I went to a second Paley TV Fest this past weekend - for Prison Break.

I actually had tickets to this one before I got there and I arrived just as they were about to start. When I walked in, you could see many of the actors still in the press line. Of course my eyes went straight to Dominic Purcell (Lincoln Burrows).

Now, although I enjoy Prison Break, I am not an avid fan. That is mostly because I haven't seen all the episodes. I am stubborn when it comes to dramas where one episode leads into the next - once I miss an episode I don't like to watch any of the rest until I can watch them in order. When Prison Break aired, I caught the pilot and the next week, I missed an episode. Now, don't shoot me - I work in production and as a rule, it can be hard to catch TV when you work in TV. Since then, I actually have caught an episode here and there, mostly because my mom is a huge fan and I wanted to see what I was missing. What I have seen, I have liked and will now be borrowing the season 1 dvds from a friend who went with me to Prison Break and was appalled at how far behind I was in seeing the episodes.

Back to the Paley TV Fest: They kicked it off by showing the pilot. It definitely made me want to watch the series again. It's an excellent pilot.

After it was over, the moderator came out and introduced the cast, creators, and producer. The only sad aspect of all this was that Wentworth Miller (Michael Scofield) was a no-show. I always enjoy the discussions about the behind the scenes aspects of the shows and this one was no exception. The creator talked about his struggle as a screenwriter transitioning to television and followed with the hoops he had to jump through to get Prison Break made. To me, an aspiring writer, it was all pretty fascinating. As a note, Steven Spielberg was once attached...did you know that?

Then the moderator moved onto the actors and had each of them talk about how they were cast in the show. Robery Knepper (T-Bag) applied to be a national park ranger because he needed money and wanted to do something with nature...just before he got the part. It was a pretty funny story, actually. Sarah Wayne Callies (Dr. Sara Tancredi) left the audition only to realize she had locked her keys in her car and was still waiting for AAA when she got the call that she got the part. Those were the two that stuck in my mind, although they were all interesting and funny.

Then it was time for audience questions. There were the typical - what will happen in season 3 questions to which the creator only hinted at 3 distinct filming locations. Oh, wait, and one more thing. How can I forget to mention that they also said that not all of the people up on the stage were going to be making it out of the season? Exciting! And, the ending question was perfect. It was to Sarah Wayne Callies (Dr. Sara Tancredi) - "What's it like to kiss Wentworth Miller?" to which she told a story about how during a kissing scene with him, she could feel morning sickness coming on...

As soon as discussion was closed, the fans did as they always do and ran for autographs and pictures. I didn't push or shove and I didn't go for Dominic Purcell (Lincoln Burrows) or Sarah Wayne Callies (Dr. Sara Tancredi) because they were immediately mobbed. Instead, I got pictures with Wade Willaims (Captain Brad Bellick) and Rockmond Dunbar (C-Note). Wade Williams did something really nice as I was waiting to get a picture with him. A teenage girl, about 16 maybe, in front of me was waiting to get an autograph from him and she was so excited to be there that she was shaking. As he signed an autograph for her and as she took a picture with him, she was talking and mentioned that she had flown in to come to the Paley to see them and it was her birthday and she was so excited and the next thing you know, Wade was taking her over to meet Dominic Purcell and some of the other cast (by way of the stage). She came back as I was waiting for a picture with Rockmond Dunbar (C-Note) and she was really shaking by then and beyond excited. It was just one of those heartwarming moments because you could tell it meant so much to her.

And, that was the Prison Break Paley TV Fest. I highly recommend going if your favorite new show of the year makes an appearance. It's well worth it.

As a note: Kristen from E! and Watch With Kristen did a post about the Prison Break Paley TV fest as well - check that out if you want video and more detail - E! - Watch With Kristen.

Nothing Can Replace A Best Friend

I talked to my friend Linda on the phone last night. Now, this is not normally a statement that I would say is the catchiest thing with which I could start a blog.

But, it's important to the story because as I was talking to Linda on the phone and we were having one of our usual conversations about life and it's inane moments, I couldn't help but repeatedly think - "Thank God I still have Linda in my life to call and talk to."

Now, Linda and I talk daily some weeks and other weeks maybe only once or sometimes not at all. We don't live in the same city or even state anymore, but we've managed to remain close friends nonetheless...even if we only see each other a handful of times a year.

Now, you might think that I am prolific like that and that I appreciate my friends that much to have a thought about how thankful I am to merely talk to them on the phone, but there's a little more to it than that. I do appreciate my friends and I care about and love them very much. Linda is the best of my best friends and perhaps it's because I have known her the longest - having met her on my first day of sixth grade at a new school. But, my reason for thinking that way, has a lot more to do with the fact that Linda was in a major car accident a few weeks ago.

It was on Valentine's Day, actually. She was driving to see her boyfriend when a snowplow swerved into her lane and hit her. The driver had fallen asleep at the wheel. The next thing Linda knew, her airbags had deployed, glass from the windshield was everywhere, and her car had stopped...and caught fire. She managed to get out of the car with a witnesses' help. People who saw the accident thought she had been killed and nobody except for the sole woman even went to the car to look, even as it started to burn. She spent a long week in the hospital, but even though she's still recovering, she's doing well.

Still, it makes you realize...no matter what age you are, you should hold the people that are in your life and precious to you very close. Make it a point to see them or even just to call and talk to them, if like Linda and I you don't live in the same state, because one day you might call and there will be no answer ever again. It's a very scary thought, especially when it's the person you call whenever anything big happens in your life.

So, take a moment and call your best friend or friends - even if it's just to say a simple thing like, "Hi!" Or, at least email them.

The Forgotten Candy

Yummy candy...what would you choose?

I am sitting here, pining away for lunch, when I thought I'd get a snack. It would tide me over for the half hour I had to still wait to eat. Of course, when I thought of "snack," I tried to think healthy - like fruit. Instead, upon walking into the kitchen, my eyes lit upon a bowl full of candy. I'm gone, once I see something like that. Then, in particular, my eye was caught by some in individual golden wrappers...they were - Rollos. Remember them???

I feel that Rollos are a forgotten candy. I know I never think of them normally. If given a choice, I go for a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup or Butterfinger. Sometimes I'll even go for a Kit-Kat or Twix. I would never think - "I want a Rollo." I just don't think about it.

BUT - Rollos are quite yummy - small bite-size chocalate pieces with chewy carmel insides. YUM. I bypassed the Twix, Kit-Kats, Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, and even the Butterfingers for them today. In fact, I think I'll go get a few more right now. Hey, I need something to tide me over for 20 more minutes!

They're a little taste of goodness...until I forget about them again.

The Paley TV Fest and "The Office"

No, it's not a good picture, but it's the best one I got. I tried.

The Paley TV Fest seems to be becoming a well known yearly event. Tickets seem to sell out only minutes after they are released. It's getting to be like buying happening concert tickets. And, yes, I know "happening" is such an old phrase. It's just the one that came to mind as I was writing that.

But, anyway...

For those of you not in the know, The Paley TV Fest (which is done through the Museum of Television and Radio) tends to happen around the beginning of March and is held, at least the ones I've been to, at the DGA. Basically, for two weeks, every night - there is a different television show showcased and sometimes, particular people are chosen to discuss their lives - this year it is George Lucas. The cool thing about the television shows being showcased is that they show an episode and then members of the cast, writers, producers, etc. come out and discuss the show itself. It's an interesting look into the world of television AND you get to see the star you crush on every week. You can't lose.

Last Friday, I happened upon going to see them discuss The Office. A friend of mine decided to wait in line early for tickets. This is an option if you don't get tickets through regular means, but be forewarned get there VERY early....like hours early if you even want a chance. For Lost, I got there at noon for a 7 pm start time. That was on a weekend, during the week around 3/3:30 pm would probably be ok, but don't quote me on that...there are some rabid fans out there who might decide to sleep inside the DGA awaiting their favorite TV stars.

I am not the most rabid of The Office fans. In fact, I've only seen a few episodes and those have been recently. BUT, I really enjoyed them! And, I hope to see more. Maybe I like them because I work in an office and although it's not quite the same, there are definitely some things I can really relate to in my life and that makes me laugh. I have not caught the British version yet. Yes, I know I am deprived, but I do plan on catching it eventually. And, regardless, I do like the American version. Yes, I know there are rabid British fans who would shoot me for saying that.

Onto the Paley TV fest and The Office. My friend got in and I was left in the standby line for tickets. Don't feel too bad for me. I got to watch as almost the entire cast walked by the press. So, I saw everyone and if I was just there for stargazing that would have been plenty AND it was free. In fact, Rainn Wilson (Dwight) waved at us. And, on a trip back from the bathroom, Jenna Fisher (Pam) and Angela Kinsey (Angela) saw us pathetic stand-by-ers and came over and talked to us!!!! Sure, it was just to say "hello" and that they hoped we got in, but how nice of them to walk over and talk to us!!! I was impressed that they took the time to do that - really nice and very cool for anybody who likes being a little star-struck.

Anyway, I was the first in the stand-by line for awhile, which means I was basically the poor sap who ALMOST got in...until about 40 minutes or so in when a seat miraculously popped up and they allowed me to buy a ticket. So, I did and got treated to a sneak peak at a new episode, which was already in progress when I came in. I don't want to give too much away, but it's about Steve Carell (Michael Scott) asking for a raise and it's very funny. Then some of the writers, the director, the producer, and pretty much the whole cast except for John Krasinski (Jim) came out onto the stage and talked about the show. It was about 18 people total, most of them cast members. It was funny and entertaining and definitely worth the trouble of trying to get in, if you are any sort of fan of the show. One highlight - Steve Carrell (Michael Scott) did a replay of kissing scence with Oscar Nunez (Oscar). And, then they talked about that scene for a little while and how it wasn't originally supposed to play like that. It was pretty hilarious. The whole hour of discussion was fun like that.

And, as with all of the Paley TV events I have been to - once the discussion closes, there is a momentary calm before the storm and then people rush the stage in hopes of autographs and pictures with the stars. I usually have gotten at least one (I have an awesome picture somewhere with Matthew Fox from Lost), this time I didn't, but I didn't try as hard - it was COMPLETE insanity. It didn't matter. I still had a good time.

And, that was my night with The Office. I would highly recommend checking out The Paley TV Fest.

A FEW LINKS TO CHECK OUT:

I know Watch With Kristen on E! Online did a little profile of The Office from the Paley TV fest, where the press was talking to the actors (because I saw Kristen there, when Rainn Wilson (Dwight) looked over a second time at our standby line and waved to us...getting us all on E! tape stock. We didn't actually air, but anyway...) - if you want to check that link out - Watch With Kristen - The Office.

And, of course, you can check out the Museum of Television and Radio's site which will let you see what's at the Paley TV Fest this year. Also, it will let you check out the MTR itself - which is pretty cool. They have a huge database of old shows that you can go in and watch, if you feel like reminiscing to some tv days of old:
http://www.mtr.org/index.htm

Movie Reviews: Disturbia, Children of Men, Someone Like You,Two Weeks Notice

My Movie Reviews (week of 2/26/07 - 3/4/07)

Disturbia: This movie isn't even out yet. It'll be out in April 2007. I happened to see it at a free screening...which is one of the reasons I love LA...the easily available free movies, many times weeks before they are out in theaters. The movie is basically a teen movie remake of Rear Window starring Shia LeBuff as a kid under house arrest who spends his summer watching the neighbors through binnoculars. He starts to wonder if one of his neighbors could possibly be a serial killer and it goes from there. It wasn't the best movie ever by any means, but I enjoyed it. It isn't a gross out horror movie, but more of a suspenseful teen movie. I don't want to give anything away, but I was definitely at the edge of my seat in the third act when things were getting tense. It was a fun movie! Then again, I also like teen movies, in general.

Children of Men: I didn't want to see this movie from the preview of it I saw, but then I kept having people repeatedly tell me it was a GREAT film. So, I got interested. And, then it was nominated for a few Academy Awards and I got more interested. So, I finally got to see it and you know what? It was a GREAT film. I HIGHLY recommend that people go see it. I know that most people did not see it. It was beautifully shot (with some extremely long takes!) and the story was intriguing. I don't want to give anything away by telling too much of the story, although if you see the preview, enough is given away. It stars Clive Owen...for the women, who might otherwise not see this film. And, it's set in the quite near future, where it turns out women have become infertile and there have been no babies born anywhere in 18 years. It goes from there and is a fantastic film. GO SEE IT!!!!!

Someone Like You: I didn't mean to watch this movie. I was flipping channels and something about it caught my attention and an hour and a half later I was watching the end credits roll. I've seen this movie before, probably in 2001 when it came out. I remember I was a little bored then, but this time around, I enjoyed it a little more - maybe because I'm about 6 years older and the topics are a little more relateable. It's about a girl (Ashley Judd) who is dating a guy (Greg Kinnear), who has a girlfriend at first, but breaks up with that girl a few months into his new relationship with Ashley. At this point, I got a little bored because "happy" in movies tends to get boring and went to put some laundry in the dryer. So, I got back and Greg had broken up with Ashley and left her devistated. So, she moves in with Hugh Jackman...platonically, of course, as she tries to get over Greg Kinnear. Hmmm...Hugh Jackman or Greg Kinnear?? Tough pick, huh? :) I'm sure you can guess what happens. But, it was a good Saturday afternoon chick flick to watch while doing laundry. And, for that I would recommend it.

Two Weeks Notice: Someone had mentioned this movie recently - I think when I went to see Music And Lyrics and ever since then it's been in my mind to watch it again. This weekend, I finally got my chance. This 2002 movie staring Sandra Bullock and Hugh Grant was fun when I first saw it and it was perfect movie candy this time too. Sandra's a Harvard lawyer who is in it for the good of the world and she ends up getting a job with Hugh's company - which is the definition of corporate mentality. Sandra ends up more of Hugh's personal assistant than anything else and typical romantic comedy ensues. I was thinking as I watched it that there are just some actors I can sit down and watch in any romantic comedy - it's almost always a good bet that it'll be a fun two hours - and Hugh Grant and Sandra Bullock are easily two actors in that vein. So, yes, it's a fun chick flick!

And, that was my week in movies...

Having Minutes Of Fun At Work

When the closest thing to a vacation is your desktop picture, here are some ideas for a little office fun.

Sitting in the office at your desk every day can be extremely draining. And, yet, in between getting work done everyone has small opportunities to have a little office fun.

Now, I'm not talking about quickly checking your personal email or responding to your latest match on match.com or even sneaking in some myspace and youtube time. Although, those are fun endeavors and definitely worth the time wasted.

I am talking more about group office fun: one which involves your co-workers and helps office morale. Some of these are fun things to do when all the while you also appear to be working...and might even be actually doing work!

One such endeavor is: group conference calls....where everyone is sitting at their desks within eyesight of one another in the office. I just had one of these. And, it was technically about work. But, what is ridiculous about it is that except for one person because she was sitting around the corner, I could SEE everyone else sitting at their desks talking into their phones. It would have been much easier to meet in a group in the middle of the office and discuss, but it was more fun to stage an impromptu conference call because it was completely ridiculous. It also creates a strange echoing effect that adds to the fun.

Another such endeavor is: instant messaging. Now, again, I'm not talking about instant messaging your friends over at their offices across town. I'm talking about inter-office messaging people within one's own office, when you could easily a. walk over and talk to them or b. pick up the phone and call them instead. Somehow instant messaging someone within your office is more fun than either of those. Perhaps it is the advent of the smiley face :) which I personally find so much fun that I tend to pepper emails and all sorts of written correspondence with it. Or, it could be that instant messaging looks so much like you are typing a memo for work (unless someone is actually looking at your computer screen). And in actuality, you could be talking about a. work, but on a more fun note, you could be discussing b. the crazy outfit someone in the office is wearing - even as they walk by your desk, or c. anything else more exciting than the work you are supposed to be doing.

A third endeavor is not technological, does not resemble work in any way, and may require a quick trip to the store, but it's all in good fun. Well, and you may need a pretty lax office atmosphere to get away with it, but it's definitely worth it if you can. I'm talking about things like marshmallow guns and anything nerf that you can shoot at one another. It's basically about being a kid for 10 minutes of the work day with the rest of your co-workers and having a marshmallow or nerf war. Yes, I am talking about being 11 again. It gives you something you can chuckle over at your desk as you sit and go over mundane paperwork because believe me - you will. That and you might be planning your revenge.

And, as an ending note - someone with an office that has a TV, could bring in their or their kid's Nintendo wii (or any video game system going back to the now ancient Atari)...and the good times will definitely be on! Bowling, anyone??? Talk about office competition!!!!

And, that is my thoughts on how to have a few minutes of office fun at work, all the while bolstering office comraderie and morale. :) <- See, I totally love the smiley face.

Too Many Blogs, So Little Time

I'm trying to motivate myself to write daily blogs. Sometimes I succeed, sometimes I don't.

In the vein of succeeding, I DID write a real blog today, but it'll be posted on the Literature Life site - www.literaturelife.com - it's me reminiscing about my first steps into the reading world when I was six.

Check it out, laugh a little, and enjoy! And, while you're there try listening to a podcast - it's an adventure!!!