The 12 Gifts of Pop Culture Santa

No secret, faithful blog readers: I am a bit of a pop culture junky (a word which spell check does not acknowledge, oddly enough). And Pop Culture Santa has been good to me this year. So, to spread some Christmas cheer, I present the 12 gifts of Pop Culture Santa (I was going to dole one out each day for 12 days...but that seemed like a lot of work).

1. Caroline Forbes, aka Vampire Barbie, The Vampire Diaries. How did a super annoying, super needy, kinda bratty cheerleader become the absolute most awesome thing on an already addictively awesome show? By becoming a vampire. Normally the kiss of death (ha!) on this show, Caroline has become an undead sensation! Seriously, I'm considering naming some kids after her.


2. We Are in a Book by Mo Willems. Gerald and Piggie are back, and this time, things are getting weird. The two friends realize that they're actually part of a book! That someone is reading! Right now! The inevitable stages (fear, panic, messing with the reader) occur, and they're sublime.


3. Zachary Levi's new haircut, Chuck. I approve!

Sure, he's kind of a hairy beast in this picture, but focus on his hair! High five, Chuck's new hair!

4. Cake Wrecks Guaranteed to cause inappropriate amounts of giggling at work!

5. Avatar: The Last Airbender, not to be confused with Avatar or The Last Airbender. I'm talking about the cartoon that lasted 3 awesome seasons and inspired the not so awesome movie, The Last Airbender (what does Avatar have to do with this? Nothing). Funny, exciting, touching, with some excellent voice work and plobnrg art. Watch it, folks. It's the quenchiest thing I've seen in a long time.


6. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins. I loved every sentence of the final book in The Hunger Games trilogy. Plus, now I don't have to keep wondering what's going to happen!


7. Troy and Abed in the Morning. If this fake morning show from Community was actually shown on TV every morning, I'd get up and watch it. That's how serious I am. And how awesome it is.


8. Bollywood. Not a genre that I had previously watched, but it's pretty fantastic. The colors, the clothes, the music, the dancing. The guys who look like this, singing and dancing. What's not to love?

This is Shahrukh Khan, super prolific (and dreamy) Bollywood actor.

9. Forever Young Adult Another guaranteed to make you laugh at work. But this time I can justify it as professional development! You probably can't, but hey, I don't know your life. Warning: some of the writer for FYA are...swear-heads. Be vigilant!

10. Zachary Levi's singing voice (as heard in Tangled and that song he sings with Katharine McPhee). Seriously, could I love him any more? He's tall, charming, funny, has that great new haircut (see #3), is cuter than a basket full of puppies, and he sings!

11. Frankenstein by Rick Walton with pictures by the illustrious (ha!) Nathan Hale. Good news/bad news: The bad is that this most excellent parody of Madeline is no longer available online. The good news: that probably means someone wants to publish it! Huzzah!


12. Jane Austen Fight Club. If only this were a real thing. But perhaps it's more magical in snippet form.



13. Robert Roldan, So You Think You Can Dance. Haters be gone! Robert is the business! He kept me running home two nights a week all summer long. He's adorable, he loves his mom, he dances like a fiend (in a good way), and he has that hair. Ack! That hair! Plus, this pictures cracks me up.

Well, there you have it! I know what you're thinking: "Wait, that's 13 things!" I never claimed to be an expert at maths. But I can alphabetize with the best of them. Plus, I couldn't bear to cut any of these little gems out.

Merry Christmas!!! Love,
Your own Pop Culture Santa

Sing it, Bing!

In honor of one of my favorite holidays, a few things I'm thankful for this year.

1. A job! Aren't we all, right? But this year, I'm especially grateful for a job that I (usually) like with people who are fun and nice.

2. Having my car registered in MD!!! Getting it done was annoying, painful, and time-consuming, and it made me question the sanity of the people running our fair state. So mostly, I'm thankful that it's done.

3. Pie. This is self-explanatory.

4. Friends. Also pretty self-explanatory, but still true. I'm always amazed that I have friends all over the country! Not that I'm so popular, just that people are cool!

5. Family. So far this year, I've gotten to see almost everyone, whether they've come here or I've gone there. And in another month, I'll get to see a whole bunch of the family for Christmas! Yay! I'm also grateful that Maren, David, and Grace live so close by!

6. Church. I've just started a stressful calling, but it's actually kind of awesome. Plus, without church, I'd have far fewer of # 4.

7. Harry Potter! I know I've talked about it before, but seriously, y'all HP is back and better than ever! Except for the books, of course. The books are still better than the movies could ever hope to be, but I enjoyed The Deathly Hallows-Part 1 immensely.

Take it away, Bing Crosby!

Revisiting the hallowed halls and sacred tv shows of my childhood

Earlier this year, my friend Kelly and I were talking about our awesome childhood's in the 90s. So of course, we ended up talking about Ghostwriter. For those of you not in the know, Ghostwriter was a mystery show for kids that was on PBS from 1992-1995. It's about 5 (or 6) kids and their "friend" who we would now totally not trust because of excellent advice that we learned from Mr. Weasley-never trust something that thinks for itself if you can't see where it keeps its brain! Luckily, we were then ignorant of this important magical rule. Also luckily, Ghostwriter really is a friend and not an evil product of dark magic.

After our talk, I found out something marvelous: Ghostwriter season 1 is out on DVD! Bazinga! So I took it upon myself to rewatch that season, to once again see if my childhood innocence could stand up to evil, nostalgia defeating reality. The results? See for yourself.

Let's talk characters. We'll start with Jamal. Oh, Sheldon Turnipseed. You have the most awesome last name ever! And your dad was played by Samuel L. Jackson in a couple of episodes. Street cred! Anywhoodle, Jamal is the first person to see Ghostwriter and also the one to utter the immortal line, "He's a ghost, and he writes to us! Ghostwriter!" In retrospect, Jamal tries waaaaay too hard sometimes to be cool, and it really seems like he might be overcompensating for something. What? I guess we'll never know, because the show has been off the air for 15 (!) years.

Next up, Lenni. I feel bad about this now, but before Kelly and I had our conversation, I didn't remember Lenni at all. She did not really leave much of an impression on me. But I have no idea why! Of the girls on the show, Lenni is by far the doofiest dresser. The sartorial horrors perpetrated by Lenni are now so firmly burned into my mind that I couldn't forget them if I wanted to (but I don't. It's much too funny to forget). Plus, Lenni is a rapper! Way hardcore.

Then we have Alex. Oh, Alex. So cute, and for a junior high student, quite the womanizer. All those penpals and all of them girls! And yet he's totally creeping on a 5th grader! Sure, Tina's smart, but she's still in elementary school! I think the warddrobe department must feel the same, because there's no other explanation for the fact that Alex finishes neck and neck with Lenni in the doofy outfits competetion. His aren't necessarily as fundamentally hideous as hers, but they look more like the warddrobe of a middle aged cat lady than a cool, confident ladies' man (boy).

Keeping it all in the family, let's visit Gaby! My favorite character for most of the series, in large part because she's pretty much the best actress. She's able to pull off dorky (witness her desperation to star in Tina's videos) and cool (then see her totally dominate when she and Tina do their anti-violence dance), as well as the fine balancing act of bratty but ultimately caring sister to Alex. In all honesty, even though the untimely cancellation of Ghostwriter was a tragedy, in a way it was also a blessing, because it meant we only had to live through two mysteries worth of new Gaby, who was a poor substitution. I don't know why OG left, but I felt the sting of it even in elementary school.

On to Tina. In direct contrast to Lenni and Alex, Tina is by far the best dressed of the characters. Kids today might not be embarassed to be seen in some of Tina's outfits. Unfortunately, she's a terrible actress. Could not act her way out a paper box. Yikes. Still, she really is too cute, and I always admired her for getting an older boy to like her (one as cute as Alex, even!), so it evens out in the end.

Last, but certainly not least, we have Rob. Rob wasn't an original member of the Ghostwriter Team, nor did he make it all the way to the end of the series (his family moved to Australia in season 2-sad face), but I still thought he was dreamy. Next to Tina, Rob would definitely be least embarassed to be seen in today's society wearing his Ghostwriter outfits. Plus, he was a writer! And he was friends with homeless people! And could skateboard! And although he was a little bit sexist in that one episode, he totally changed his mind after being knocked out and tied up by a female stunt double. Seriously, such the crush on Rob.

Of course, we also have Grandma Jenkins, who is the lone grown-up in the cast. Now that I think about it, I think she and Alex might have been sharing a warddrobe (zing!!). Not really sure why she's a main character, since she doesn't appear to be in the show any more frequently than any of the other adults, but there you go.

And let's not forget Ghostwriter himself. He can't talk. He's not an alien. We think he might be a ghost! I always thought he looked like a snowball wearing a winter hat. I don't know who designed him, but that's awesome. Nonsensical, but awesome.

As for the rest of the show, the mysteries were reasonably clever, but easy enough that kids who paid attention had a chance of solving them along with the kids. The diversity of the cast is impressive, even if the acting isn't, and the very special episodes actually do address important topics that kids should be aware of. All in all, I know why I loved this show so much as a kid, and even though I mock now, I totally do it out of love. Thanks for the memories, Ghostwriter! And thanks for being still awesome enough to enjoy but also dorky enough to make fun of!

Pictured, from left: Alex, Tina, Jamal, Lenni, Gaby, and Rob. Ghostwriter's in the "O." See what I mean about the snowball and the hat?

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

Love, Harry "Zefron" Potter, Mad-Eye "Pumpkin" Moody, and Meredith

Yeah, that's right: Skinny Jeans can kiss my foot!

I think the cast of So Random with an assist from Chad Dylan Cooper said it best.




You can't deny it--they look pretty comfortable. And jaunty!

My Mouth Hurts

So, yeah, I went to the dentist yesterday. I needed to get a crown replaced, which to my way of thinking is one of the worst things to have a dentist do. Here's why:

1. It's not my fault. If I had a cavity, it would probably be because I hadn't flossed enough or brushed enough. But I didn't put in my first crown, so the fact that it's faulty definitely lies with some sort of dental professional.

2. I have already paid for this crown! Twice. The first time, I had to get a root canal, and the second time, I had to get it glued back in because it fell out while I was eating fruit snacks (apparently, not good for crowns). The second time was relatively cheap, the first time was quite expensive, but either way, significant amounts of money have been shelled out on this tooth, and I am sick of it.

3. It still really hurts. No cavity or root canal, but I still had to get numbed up and drilled a bit. I tell you what, my mouth hurts a lot more today than it did yesterday before I went to the dentist.

4. Speaking of getting numbed up, I had stroke face for like 6 hours after I left the dentist yesterday. It was very undignified. And I could hardly eat. I had mashed potatoes and a milkshake for dinner! While I very much love both of those things, a dinner they are not.

So basically, I just spent a lot of money to have people do very unpleasant things to my mouth. Not cool, dentist. Not cool.

Speaking up

I don't normally do this kind of post, because I'm not this kind of blogger. But I'm sad and mad, so I thought I'd share.

Last Christmas, I read the book Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson. It's not the type of book I normally read (realistic fiction), and it's certainly not the type of book I normally read when I'm on vacation (depressing). But I had heard wonderful things and I wanted to try something new, so I picked it up. I wasn't sorry.

For those who haven't read it, spoilers: the main character in this book gets raped at a party right before she starts high school. What follows is heartbreaking, hilarious, frustrating, empowering, and hopeful by turns. It's the type of book you wish no one ever had to read (or write) because surely, nothing that terrible ever happens in the world. But let's be honest. The world is full of terrible things and terrible people. Luckily, the world is also full of wonderful things and wonderful people, including Laurie Halse Anderson, who wrote such a powerful book on such a tragic but important topic.

So why do I bring this up now? Because Wesley Scroggins (who?), an associate professor of management (what?) at Missouri State University, recently wrote an opinion piece in his local paper that refers to Speak as soft porn. Because of rape scenes. It's honestly hard for me to wrap my mind around this. Has he read the book? Does he know what rape is? Or porn? If the answer to any of those questions is yes, then my only conclusion is that he must be seriously disturbed. The original article is here, but be warned: don't read it if you don't want to be filled with righteous indignation.

Censorship is ugly, and it's happening right here in the USA. I firmly support people's right to read what they want. Or not read what they don't want. Have there been books that I've set down because the content bothered me? Of course! Lots! But I would never presume to say that a book that bothers me wouldn't be your new favorite or vice versa. So I'm speaking up (and planning a totally rockin' Banned Books Week display).

If I were a superhero, I'd be Mouse-Woman

Or Mouse-Girl, I suppose, but that's offensive. As long time readers know, I am afraid of mice. No amount of rational thinking has been able to cure this. I know they're small. I know they're cute. I even like them in cartoons. Maybe if they wore little outfits in real life? But I think they are evil and creepy. So, imagine my horror when I discovered that my new library branch has at least 1 (but I'm thinking 2 is more realistic, since I've seen one upstairs and downstairs) mouse. Insert full-body shudder here. And not just any mice. These mice are crazy bold. C'mon, mice! What ever happened to being afraid of people?

You'll all be pleased to know, however, that I am much, much braver than I used to be. Although I have seen mice several times at the library, not once have I screamed, jumped up on my desk, and started shaking and crying. Progress! Once I did have to go outside and quietly freak out, but that's not too bad. Anywho, I still hope that we can someday get rid of the evil things. I'm thinking we should get a library cat. It would be cute (we could name it Patches!) and at least if I saw a mouse, I could say, "Well, that's Patch's lookout."

P.S. Bonus point to whoever knows what the title of this blog refers to.

My new favorites: the best books I've read this year (so far)

I love books. I know, you'd never guess! But it's true! And in true share mode, here are some of my recent favs:

1. Marcelo in the Real World by Fransisco X. Stork. I can't think of another character in literature that I love as much as I love Marcelo. I can hardly think of people I know in real life that I love as much as I love Marcelo. Just kidding. Kind of. A teenager with Aspergers (or something similar), Marcelo has to learn how to function in "the real world" when his dad forces him to get a summer job at a law firm. Kind of heartbreaking as he learns just how terrible the real world can be, but totally and completely amazing, and ultimately hopeful.


Who should read it: older teens and adults. There's some bad language of the kind one unfortunately hears in the real world, but nothing gratuitous.

2. Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan. I know, I know, I'm behind the times with these. But I really did read the series for the first time this year, and it blew my mind. Figuratively. A lot of Harry Potter comparisons have been made, which I can see in a way. After all, it is about a young boy who realizes that the world isn't quite what he always believed and that he has cool powers. And it's also awesome, which it has in common with HP. The movie version was a big disappointment, but this adventure series not only kept me breathless with excitement, but it made me want to learn more about Greek myths. Quite an accomplishment. Plus, I loved watching Percy and friends grow up.


Who should read it: Anyone who loves fantasy, adventures, and kids discovering their true potential.

3. When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead. What do I really need to say about this book? After all, it won the Newbery this year! But in case that's not enough to sway you, here's some more. There's mystery. And friendship. And $20,000 Pyramid. And it felt like a book that I might have read when I was in elementary school. By which I mean only good wonderful things. Can you feel nostalgic while reading a book you've never read, set in a decade before you were born? Apparently!


Who should read it: Everyone!!! Also, people who love A Wrinkle in Time, which gets referenced several time in the book.

4. Troll Fell and sequels by Katherine Langrish. An excellent example of the importance of good covers. I picked this book up on a whim because I liked the cover illustration, and I quickly devoured the trilogy because I loved the story. Peer and Hilde are likable, the setting is vivid, and the villains are creepy. The second book in particular gave me the creeps (in a good, kid-friendly way).


Who should read it: People who love folklore, especially of the Scandinavian variety. Vikings. Anyone who likes to shiver a bit when they read their fantasies.

5. The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall. A book about friendship, family, and growing up. I laughed out loud many times while reading it, and I fell in love with those darn Penderwick girls and Jeffrey. Another book that reminded me of my childhood. I would not be surprised to learn that I read and loved this growing up, even though it was only published a few years ago. Also check out the sequel, which, in spite of a fearful lack of Jeffrey, was still totally enjoyable.


Who should read it: People who have friends. Or siblings. Or pets. People who want friends, siblings, or pets.

6. Heist Society by Ally Carter. It's no secret that I love Ally Carter's Gallagher Girl books, which are about a private girl's school: for spies! And now it's no secret that I love this book, too. And that I want to be a cat burglar. I don't actually want to steal anything, but would it be fun to know I could!


Who should read it: People who also aspire to sneakily steal. People who like Ocean's Eleven but wish there was there were less swears.

7. Bella at Midnight by Diane Stanley. Based very, very loosely on Cinderella, this book really rocked my socks. I loved the magic, the romance, the religion, the different viewpoints.


Who should read it: People who love fairy tales but want something a little different.

8. Once upon a Marigold by Jean Ferris. Another twist on fairy tales, although it's in a very different vein from Bella at Midnight. It's a smiler, as in, I smiled the whole time I read it. Recommended to me by my lovely niece, Abby.


Who should read it: People who are in a good mood. People who are in a bad mood.

9. Love Among the Walnuts by Jean Ferris. It seems a little cheaty, but even though they're both by the same people, the only thing that Walnuts has in common with Marigold is the smile factor. More smiles=more good books. Or something like that.


Who should read it: See # 8.

10. A Countess Below Stairs by Eva Ibbotson. My dad and I listened to this historical fiction/romantic tragicomedy while driving from Utah to Baltimore. I can give it no higher praise than this: We wanted to get back into the car to find out what happened.


Who should read it: Everyone who wants me to still love them.

Honorable mention: Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins. Only an honorable mention since technically, I haven't read it yet. But if it's even half as engrossing, exciting, and thought-provoking as The Hunger Games and Catching Fire are, even on second and third readings, then it will be a winner.


Who should read it: Do you even have to ask?

Now, go! Get reading! But first, stop by the comments and recommend something good for me! You can never have too many books.

At last, my house

I know, I have made you wait forevah!! But at last, here are a few pictures of my house in B-more.

The outside:
As you can see, it's very red. We call it the red house. Clever, eh? You can also see a glimpse of the alley, with the non-finished side of the house. Good times. You can also see that it's quite a tall house. And skinny.

The back:
As you can (kind of) see, it's very overgrown, but excellent for escaping fires!

My room (on the third floor). First, the wardrobe:

There's an entire fantastical world in there! Or at least all of my clothes, shoes, and bags.

My bed:
And my dresser. It's nice and big, which I appreciate.

At last, but not least, my desk area:
It's a nice room, although it's a bit hot. And dark, because someone, in their infinite doofishness, painted the ceiling the same color as the walls. It's a nice wall color, but I could wish they had left the ceiling white. If I live here long enough, I might paint it white myself. We'll see.

If we ever get the rest of the house organized enough to be picture worthy, I'll take pictures of that and update you!

Harry Freakin' Potter!

Many things are happening this weekend: Mom's birthday, friend Niki's birthday--you're both awesome! Maren and Dave's anniversary: Many happy returns! Baltimore's birthday: it's old! National Dance Day: I refuse to celebrate this holiday, in spite of my love of SYTYCD! But I always kind of think of this as Harry Potter weekend. We are celebrating the birth of Neville Longbottom, Harry Potter, and J.K. Rowling! How awesome for everyone else to have birthdays/anniversaries at such a cool time!

Lately, I've been feeling very nostaligic about HP, so here, in tribute, is my Harry Potter timeline of awesome.

1999: Daddy brings home Harry Potter and the Sorceror's Stone from school. I read the first 3 books, and a love affair is born. Oh, Prisoner of Azkaban. You are so wonderful!

2000: I stay up late into the night reading Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Many tears are shed, and my feverish wait for book 5 begins.

2001: My thirst for Harry is somewhat abated by the release of the first film. It's no HP book, but the three main kids are cute and a half, so I can't complain. More movies are released over the years. Number 3 is the most excellent.

2003: We host our first ever Harry Potter party with only a hour or two in preparation. It's totally awesome, and ends with Chelsea being crowned Harry Potter. Lucky! I also read Order of the Phoenix and am slightly daunted by Harry's bad (but understandable) attitude.

2004: In a fit of insanity, Annalee and I decide that two family weddings are not enough to keep us busy in the summer, so we plan an epic HP party, complete with invitations sealed with wax, Diagon Alley, potions class, and a backyard Quidditch match.

2005: While waiting with a large group of adults (all of whom are wearing cloaks and carrying wands) to pick up Half-Blood Prince, some haters drive by and yell, "Harry Potter sucks!" Without losing a beat, we raise our wands and in unison yell, "Crucio!" We all feel guilty for using an unforgivable curse but agree that it was justified.

2007: The end? After attending an excellent costume party and reading in a feverish rush, I finish the final Harry Potter book. I cry. A lot.

2009: After two sad and lonely years, A Very Potter Musical is posted on YouTube by Team Starkid. Bless them. Tap-dancing Voldemort, guitar-playing Harry, Rumbleroar, a boss Zefron poster. More wonderfulness than can be told in just one blog post.


2010: Team Starkid does it again with A Very Potter Sequel. While it's not as good as the original, it provides many laughs and inspire my current quest: reread all the Harry Potter books! And later this year, the first half of Deathly Hallows is coming to theaters! Signs point to excellent!

Thanks for 11 great years, Harry Potter! Here's to many more!

I am tired of it being so hot!

True story, guys. My room is on the 3rd floor, so even though we have central air, it still gets pretty hot up there. Last night, I had a dream that it was so hot in my room that my shirt was smothering me, and I had to take it off. And when I woke up this morning? I was not wearing a shirt. Honestly, it was crumpled up at the foot of my bed. But I wasn't hot, so that's something. One more reason to look forward to fall, I guess. I can start wearing pjs again!

Why Libraries (and BYU) are Awesome

Just a little something to brighten your Friday. As a refresher, that excellent Old Spice commercial:

Look again! The commercial is now diamonds! Or, in other words, it's this excellent library parody of the Old Spice commercial, from, you guessed it, BYU. Go Cougars!

That vampire movie (you know the one): my review

It's true, friends, I have seen Eclipse, and I have thoughts to share!

First of all, it's my favorite of the movies so far. It's also my favorite of the books, so there might be a correlation there. However, I also think they did a grood job on this movie, which is the most important thing for me.

Here, in no particular order, are my thoughts whilst viewing Eclipse.

Why on earth do they insist on calling this movie The Twilight Saga: Eclipse? Do they think people won't know what it is without "The Twilight Saga" tacked on the front? Because, news flash, everyone in the world knows what this movie is.

Hmm...Jasper's hair is different, but still somewhat ridonkulous. This incarnation is the best yet, because it's not out the realm of possibility that someone in the world might have this haircut, esp. when Jasper became a vampire, but it's still not hot. If you're going to change a vampire's (supposedly) unchangeable hair, why wouldn't you make it hot??? Honestly, hair people, why you gots to mess with my favorite character's image like that?

Speaking of hair, I greatly appreciate that I cannot see Rosalie's roots in this movie. Next time, bleach her eyebrows, and we're in business!

Very nice with the vampire makeup! I actually thought these were pale, other-worldly beings, not weirdos with mime face.

Nu Victoria does not look the same as ye olde Victoria.

Oh, Charlie! Love him.

Kudos to Jasper for making the most of his opportunity to act in this movie. My roommate accused him of being a mumbler, but I think I have become immune to mumbling because of the library, so it didn't bug me.

Action, Action, Action!!!! Loved the fight scenes, the chase scene, etc. More action=more fun! Do you think the wolf pack felt bad that the vampires got to do their own stunts, while their stunts were performed by giant, computer generated wolves?

Here are the thoughts of others in the theater, vocalised whilst viewing Eclipse.

Everytime Jacob appears shirtless: "He's so cute!" Giggling.

When Edward asks whether Jacob owns a shirt: "Shirts are lame!" Giggling.

When Jacob (shirtless) carries Bella up the mountain: "Sigh." Giggling.

When Jacob (SPOILER ALERT!) kisses Bella: "I'd change my mind!" (from Edward to Jacob) Giggling.

When Mike Newton is on screen: "Team Mike!" with fists uprasied in triumph. Oh wait, that was me. In my house. When I watched the first two movies in the series. But I thought it during Eclipse. Giggling.

Happy America, Everybody

Hey all, I know it's been awhile. And I have great plans to pick it back up and post more often from now on. And let's kick it all off with my tribute to America, Americans, and that great holiday, Independence Day (also known as the 4th of July, for reasons that are unfathomable. I mean, no one calls Halloween the 31st of October. Well they might, but they certainly don't say "Happy 31st of October!" No, they say, "Happy Birthday!").

So what will I be doing this 3-day weekend (Thank you, USA!)?

1) Dramatic reading of the Lane Smith classic, John, Paul, George, and Ben. No, not about the Beatles. It's the other Fab Four (five if you count Tom): the Founding Fathers!


2. Twilight movie marathon! Not patriotic, you say? Well, take this: paying to see Eclipse will stimulate the economy! Bam!

3. Watching this patriotic video:




4. Not working on Monday! Huzzah! Have a great Independence Day!

Austen, Austen, and more Austen!

I don't think I need to explain my love for Jane Austen. Mansfield Park aside (he is her cousin and it is creepy!), I super love all of her books. I often say that my favorite Jane Austen is Persuasion, but oddly enough, one of my favorite books of all time is Pride and Prejudice. What does this mean? I do not know. But I do know that I don't really trust anyone who doesn't like Jane Austen.

In my current Austen celebration, I've been taking super scientific and edumacational quizzes that determine which Austen heroine I am. The results? Mixed. It turns out that I'm either Elizabeth Bennet or Elinor Dashwood. They're pretty different from each other, but I like them both!

I've also been listening to Pride and Prejudice in my car lately. And it has really held up. I just want to hug Austen, and then name all of my kids after her. She's just that great.

In closing I'd like to leave you with this awesome version of P&P done with emoticons, as well as my favorite line from the LDS version of P&P. Mr. Collins, talking about Lizzy rejecting his proposal from the pulpit in church, says, "I had a kind of... funny... encounter with a girl in this congregation, who will remain anonymous, but for the sake of the story, let's call her... Elizabeth B. No, E. Bennett." Good times.

Nostalgia takes a hit!

It's true. I took the plunge and rewatched The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe (BBC '80s version). Gah. In no particular order, some thoughts I had while watching this movie:

No wonder Edmund is such a little jerk. He's bitter about being an uggo!

Well, then why is Lucy so chipper? She is also an unfortunate looking child. Someone get that child some braces! And a different hair cut. And a longer dress.

Susan's cute. But still a little boring. I bet that's why she became lame in the books. Her character was dull, and she was sick of it! She wants lipstick!

Why are all of these kids the same height? Are they quadruplets? All I can say is, Lucy doesn't seem all cute and innocent when she's just as big as everyone else. She seems slow.

Seriously, Turkish Delight? Is gross. How on earth can this be what Edmund wants? This has always bothered me, actually.

Augh! The Beavers! Run away! I can't believe this didn't give me nightmares as a kid.

Edmund is schizophrenic! That's it! And his other personality is a buzzkill!

Well, okay. I don't see the point in switching from an actual wolf to a person in a (totally freaky) wolf costume, but considering the other special effects in this movie, that was pretty nifty!

Gee, White Witch. You look hungry. Would you like more scenery to chew?

Is that a full sized lion puppet? Or a lion costume? Either way, I want one.

Gosh, BBC, you couldn't even spring for one "lion's roar" sound effect? I could make a more realistic sounding lion's roar than that.

It's a good thing that the White Witch's army is totally incompetent. I could defeat Peter and his minions with a water gun!

Wait, when you become a king or queen of Narnia, you wear a night gown? Rip-off! but hey, at least Peter isn't wearing those awful shorts anymore.

I guess that's it. I'll not lie. I still enjoyed it immensely. It's hilarious! And I can see why I liked it as a kid. But it's no 2000s The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe. And it's certainly no original written masterpiece. I do have to wonder about the grownups who made this movie though. I know why I liked it. I was little! I didn't know any better! And I realize that there were limitations of price and technology, but some of those special effects hurt me a little bit. And the beavers? C'mon. That's just wrong.

I feel like Barbara Manatee!

In that I feel like singing, "Will you take me to the ball?"

That's right, friends, we are almost at the end of Fairy Tale Festival month, and it has been pretty awesome. It's times like this when I really am glad that I work as a children's librarian. Last week at our library, we had the fairy tale ball. What a swell event!

First of all, the whole staff got into it, even the people who weren't coming to the ball. Here we all are in our finery, hours before the whole thing started.


The ball started off with storytelling (Rapunzel!), and then went on to the dance portion of the event. The kids were so adorable! We had live music (a string trio), and the kids twirled in circles for about 15 minutes. The little boys weren't as into it, but almost all of the girls were wearing princess costumes. The boys who came claimed not to be princes-they were knights or wizards.

We also had crafts for the kids to do. I was in charge of making crowns, which seemed like it would be easy, but it was really quite stressful. Good times. They could also make a wand and decorate a shield, but my table was the most popular (yeah, I'm cool!). Or maybe mine just took the longest and so it looked the most popular. Either way.


Then, our piece de resistance! We were visited by actual royalty! Princess Presto from Super Why! I didn't actually know what this was, but most of the kids were very excited about it. I actually looked her up, so as not to betray my ignorance. And I must say, anyone who is on PBS is okay by me! So, I got my picture taken with her!


The kids were so excited when she came out, except, of course, for the two who got really freaked out. Well, she was really big. That can be a little scary!

All in all, it was a lovely and tiring way to spend a Saturday morning. And honestly, any excuse to dress like this at work is okay by me! I am a fairy princess!

Truths I have learned at the library (today)

1. It is much harder to discipline a child who is being loud and/or naughty when their parents are right there with them. Not providing the discipline. And being a big part of the problem.

2. The last hour of work goes through phases: the long phase (when people are still around, using the computers and making messes. This is also know as the phase we don't like) and the short, but not nearly short enough, phase, once the computers shut down and the people start to leave. I call this one sweet freedom! And if I can last for 10 more minutes, it will be mine!

3. If I eat breakfast at 10, have a snack at 2, and eat "lunch" at 4, then by 7:15, I'm hungry enough to eat a small library patron, although I do not endorse cannibalism. Here's the real question. If I eat a snack at institute at 8:30 and get home at 9:15ish, is it too late for dinner?

4. When everyone in the Children's section is speaking Spanish (except you), you really start to reevaluate your decision in junior high, high school, and then college to take French as your foreign language. How could you have made this mistake 3 times? You console yourself by realizing that even if everyone in Children's was speaking French, you still probably would have no idea what they were saying.

Nostalgia:1, Ignorance of Childhood: 0!

Last night, Maren and I convinced Dave and his mom to watch Young Sherlock Holmes with us. I have extremely fond memories of this movie from when I was little, so I was excited, but somewhat nervous about watching it again.

Why was I nervous? Because one of the things I hate more than almost anything else is when a fond memory from childhood turns out to be really lame! For example: my favorite part of Mr. Rogers was always, always the Land of Make Believe. But when I was watching Mr. Rogers a few years ago, the Land of Make Believe was not fun. It hurt my heart.

Or, two years ago I bought some jelly shoes, remembering how pretty they always were, and how cool I felt when I wore them. But lo and behold, when I tried on my new pair, they hurt something fierce. I could hardly walk in them. Farewell, jelly shoes.

But luckily for us, Young Sherlock Holmes is still really sweet! Exciting, scary, tragic, and mysterious. Huzzah!

Now, the question is, what other excellent things from childhood will hold up well? I've been eying the BBC versions of the Chronicles of Narnia on the library shelf, but I'm afraid. What if they're not good anymore?!?!?! Not only will it be disappointing, but it will prove that I had bad taste as a small person! I'm not sure I can handle that again. I might just have to watch them by myself, so if they do turn out to be lame, at least no one else ever has to know.

I'm alive!!!!

Yes, blogging public, it's true. I have not blogged since December! However! I am, in fact, still among you, and hopefully, will one day soon return to you more wordy and long-winded than before.

In my long absence, I have made many changes. I moved back to Maryland and started a job. Huzzah for not being unemployed! I am determined that this experience will be more betterer than the last. So far it's at least very different, which I think is an encouraging sign.

Oddly enough, that's all that I have to say at the present time! So farewell, but not for long, I'm sure.