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!