I love rain. I love green. I love Virginia. I've been home about three and a half days now and it's rained 60% of the time but it's amazing. Everything is far greener and more beautiful than I remember which is a wonderful surprise.
I don't have pictures because I don't have my computer/ camera connector chord thing so you'll just have to use your own imagination. Summary: East coast kicks West's trash, easy.
I flew in on Saturday last and promptly drove to NY where I saw my little sister star in her summer theater camp's performance of "All Shook Up." Pretty much, Hannah rocks it. People sitting around me were commenting on how good she was and I felt a little tingle up my spine. I'm afraid it was pride but don't tell her. I can't be getting soft in my old age.
We spent time in Liverpool (no, no Beatles. Apparently they only hang out in English Liverpools, not American ones...), Syracuse, and Binghamton until finally making out way to the city. The big NYC! We did some shopping, putted around Times Square, and saw "Lion King." Shopping was pricey and fun, "putting" was enjoyable as usual, but Lion King was pretty much incredible. I've seen it in London's West End (man, don't I sound like a rich spoiled snob?) but the American Broadway rendition was much better. Call me uncultured, but I prefer to hear Simba sing "Just Can't Wait to be King" with an American accent. Don't actually call me uncultured, please, you'll hurt my feelings.
The highlight of the trip, however, was the journey from the theater to the parking garage to get our car. We left the theater singing Circle of Life, wiping the emotion from our eyes into a clear, hot night. We had gone maybe a block when the entire city is lit up with the biggest and scariest lighting blot I've ever seen and followed promptly by an ear splitting thunder clap. This, of course, was joined by a downpour of rain so tremendous that vision was unclear ten feet in front of you. We ran another block or two but decided it was probably more dangerous to run in those streets than to jump in any little dive so we dove under the first awning we saw. (Awning? is that the right word?)
To our luck and delight it happened to be a fire station and the boys were gracious enough to allow my family and a few others to hang out with them and their fire trucks for a while. Very nice guys (no, I didn't get to try on a coat, or play with a dog, or get pictures with them) but they kept getting calls to leave and would have to get in the truck and get ready to leave then they'd get called off. We stayed with them for about 20 minutes until it let up and we finished the two block jog to the car. Firehouse 54 was one that was right there on 9/11. There was a beautiful memorial in the station with copper plaques and pictures honoring 15 men who died that day. It was a sobering moment of tenderness in the raging thunderstorm around us and I'm grateful for it and for those brave men.
It even mellowed my dad out enough that he didn't get angry at all during the traffic out of the city. NYC rocks. It smells, but it also rocks.
I'm now in Lynchburg where I've been hanging with the family, catching up with old friends, and helping to put the finishing touches on my parents awesome cabin. (it's so cute.)
So get ready for a ton of pictures when I get back to Provo and I apologize for the grotesque length of this post, but I commend you for reading all the way through it. I also commend you for skipping most of it and reading the end because I know some of you did that too.
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Monday, August 10, 2009
whY hike? because: it's awesome.
Saturday night was full of adventure. It all started when Desiree and I decided to walk to Rachel's house to get my car. You see, our parking lot was being re-paved and my car was in the way. On the drive there, D-Ray and I decided that we were going to practice our British accents. It was all her idea. So I grabbed a Real Estate guide and we began to read aloud from it as if we were British. Desiree, I love you, but British and Southern aren't exactly the same thing. While on our walk, however, we received a text. The text was in American so we could understand it quite immediately. This text was also unexpected, surprising, and downright shocking. No, not really. It was just an invite to hike the "Y" with Laura and some people from the ward.
Of course we accepted because anyone who knows me or Desiree knows that we are big outdoorsy, physical activity, hot and sweaty and dusty loving types of people. Also, we had nothing else to do. So we got all ready to go with our basketball shorts and grungy T's and tennis shoes. Having a camera with me at all times is fantastic because I am excused from many of life's unpleasantries: No one pushes me in the pool, no one thrown water balloons at me, and no one gets mad if I stop at a switch back to "take pictures." I'm pretty sure everyone else needed a breather too so they were just grateful to use me as an excuse. You're welcome.
We made it to the top of the Y just as the sun was setting and I got to physically watch it go down. So neat. I took a bajillion pictures which, of course, never turn out as good as I think they are going to, but it was still an amazing view. We finished up the night at Burgers Supreme where I had a pretty bombing cheeseburger for $1.90 and then watched "Mean Girls" again. All and all it was a fantastic day.
Today was the last class of the summer and we watched another Martial Arts Hong Kong film. "The Iron Monkey" which I enjoyed quite a bit. It was way better than any more neo-realism. If I have to watch one more movie about the slums of Rome I swear...
enjoy some pictures (in reverse order) while I purge my mind of all thing "New Wave."
Kick A sunset, no?
We were a little scared we were going to fall off.
Awwe, roomies.
I'm not even sure who that is, or if it's more than one person, but that sunset!
My favorite.
The whole gang!
Of course we accepted because anyone who knows me or Desiree knows that we are big outdoorsy, physical activity, hot and sweaty and dusty loving types of people. Also, we had nothing else to do. So we got all ready to go with our basketball shorts and grungy T's and tennis shoes. Having a camera with me at all times is fantastic because I am excused from many of life's unpleasantries: No one pushes me in the pool, no one thrown water balloons at me, and no one gets mad if I stop at a switch back to "take pictures." I'm pretty sure everyone else needed a breather too so they were just grateful to use me as an excuse. You're welcome.
We made it to the top of the Y just as the sun was setting and I got to physically watch it go down. So neat. I took a bajillion pictures which, of course, never turn out as good as I think they are going to, but it was still an amazing view. We finished up the night at Burgers Supreme where I had a pretty bombing cheeseburger for $1.90 and then watched "Mean Girls" again. All and all it was a fantastic day.
Today was the last class of the summer and we watched another Martial Arts Hong Kong film. "The Iron Monkey" which I enjoyed quite a bit. It was way better than any more neo-realism. If I have to watch one more movie about the slums of Rome I swear...
enjoy some pictures (in reverse order) while I purge my mind of all thing "New Wave."
Kick A sunset, no?
We were a little scared we were going to fall off.
Awwe, roomies.
I'm not even sure who that is, or if it's more than one person, but that sunset!
My favorite.
The whole gang!
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Lot's of blood, shooting, and nuns
Being a film major gives me the incredible opportunity to write off my laziness as homework.
For example: "I watched four movies today! Don't worry, I'm a film major." What I'm really saying is, "I don't have a car right now, all my friends have jobs or class, and I'm bored so I wasted my day watching movies, again." Everyday I convince myself that I will at least get out of the house and go for a walk or something but then I step outside, realize that it's a billion degrees, and turn right back around. I've been working out a lot so that's nice, but even with the promise of physical activity I avoid being out of doors. I walk to my car then from the parking lot to the gym, then back to my car and back to my apartment. I'm just too dang used to air conditioning.
I do strive to attend outdoor activities: picnics, ice-blocking, bonfires, etc. But they don't happen every night and if I have a choice between hanging out and sweating or hanging out and, well, not sweating, then I will choose the latter.
On a lighter note, I saw some noteworthy movies as of late!
"Doubt": Meryl Streep and Amy Adams are so amazing. Philip Seymour Hoffman was incredibly creepy and unnerving which was great for the role, and the whole story made me shudder but I couldn't tear my eyes away. I'm so impressed with Meryl Streep in everything she does, it was weird to watch "Devil Wears Prada" just a few days before seeing her in this. I was definately pleased by the lack of graphic-ness involved in a story such as this one. I guess that's what makes it so creepy is that you really don't see anything so you don't know if there is anything to see. So good. See it. Now.
"Taken": I hadn't seen it until about an hour ago which is a huge surprise to even myself. Desiree and I had been wanting to see it for months but we just never got around to it and finally Russ rented it for us! For violence, two thumbs up. For Liam Neeson, three thumbs up. For character development and good writing, meh. It was advertised as an action film and that's exactly what it was. Editing was good, camera work wasn't so shaky that I got sick or anything, and Liam Neeson kicked some major trash. I liked it a lot for what it was. Not a favorite, but not a dissapointment either.
"300": Wow. I think I've seen my fair share of blood whether CG or not. Gerard Butler is a hottie and his abs go on forever but what's more, it was a pretty enthralling (and disturbing) story. I had no idea what to expect except for a bunch of really ripped guys in loincloths and capes (of which there was a plethora [300 to be exact]). But I got a story, a protagnist, and a goal that I cared about. I was rooting for someone and found myself hoping that this charcter would live, or that one would die. Awfully gruesome images but overall very entertaining and oddly inspiring.
I also watched the Season premieres of "Monk" and "Psych". It's "Monk"'s last season which makes me kind of sad but I'm looking forward to having some questions answered. "Psych" was a little disappointing seeing as Cary Elwes from "Princess Bride" was in it and I love him. But still some fun dialogue.
Other than that, I have no plans whatsoever today and it feels good. Maybe I'll go for a walk but I guess we all know the drill there...
For example: "I watched four movies today! Don't worry, I'm a film major." What I'm really saying is, "I don't have a car right now, all my friends have jobs or class, and I'm bored so I wasted my day watching movies, again." Everyday I convince myself that I will at least get out of the house and go for a walk or something but then I step outside, realize that it's a billion degrees, and turn right back around. I've been working out a lot so that's nice, but even with the promise of physical activity I avoid being out of doors. I walk to my car then from the parking lot to the gym, then back to my car and back to my apartment. I'm just too dang used to air conditioning.
I do strive to attend outdoor activities: picnics, ice-blocking, bonfires, etc. But they don't happen every night and if I have a choice between hanging out and sweating or hanging out and, well, not sweating, then I will choose the latter.
On a lighter note, I saw some noteworthy movies as of late!
"Doubt": Meryl Streep and Amy Adams are so amazing. Philip Seymour Hoffman was incredibly creepy and unnerving which was great for the role, and the whole story made me shudder but I couldn't tear my eyes away. I'm so impressed with Meryl Streep in everything she does, it was weird to watch "Devil Wears Prada" just a few days before seeing her in this. I was definately pleased by the lack of graphic-ness involved in a story such as this one. I guess that's what makes it so creepy is that you really don't see anything so you don't know if there is anything to see. So good. See it. Now.
"Taken": I hadn't seen it until about an hour ago which is a huge surprise to even myself. Desiree and I had been wanting to see it for months but we just never got around to it and finally Russ rented it for us! For violence, two thumbs up. For Liam Neeson, three thumbs up. For character development and good writing, meh. It was advertised as an action film and that's exactly what it was. Editing was good, camera work wasn't so shaky that I got sick or anything, and Liam Neeson kicked some major trash. I liked it a lot for what it was. Not a favorite, but not a dissapointment either.
"300": Wow. I think I've seen my fair share of blood whether CG or not. Gerard Butler is a hottie and his abs go on forever but what's more, it was a pretty enthralling (and disturbing) story. I had no idea what to expect except for a bunch of really ripped guys in loincloths and capes (of which there was a plethora [300 to be exact]). But I got a story, a protagnist, and a goal that I cared about. I was rooting for someone and found myself hoping that this charcter would live, or that one would die. Awfully gruesome images but overall very entertaining and oddly inspiring.
I also watched the Season premieres of "Monk" and "Psych". It's "Monk"'s last season which makes me kind of sad but I'm looking forward to having some questions answered. "Psych" was a little disappointing seeing as Cary Elwes from "Princess Bride" was in it and I love him. But still some fun dialogue.
Other than that, I have no plans whatsoever today and it feels good. Maybe I'll go for a walk but I guess we all know the drill there...
Thursday, August 6, 2009
"(500) Days" to 5 days
Although I saw it a week ago, I feel compelled to share with all of my loyal blogites (which is what I'm calling my army of blog stalking minions) how much I loved the movie "(500) Days of Summer." It got marvelous reviews and the previews were catchy and entertaining so as a result I had super high expectations which, surprisingly, were exceeded! I had to go to Sandy to see it but it was worth every mile. The soundtrack, which is just as important as the film itself, is so good I'm considering buying it on iTunes instead of finding various songs for free here and there. Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who I'm in love with, was fantastic and super adorable in his role opposite Zooey Deschanel who was, as usual, awesome. She has a few songs she performs and her voice is one of my favorites. Overall, I highly reccomend it to anyone and everyone.
On a side note, I'm super torn about the next 5 days. On Monday I will attend my last class of TMA 292: Film History II. I'm pretty freaking excited about that. No more depressing movies, no more uncomfortable chairs, no more getting up at 7am. But with the end of summer school comes the end of summer. I've had so much more fun this summer than I expected to and I dread it's conclusion. On the other hand, the end of summer means I get to go home for two weeks and have free laundry, free food, and get to hang with the family. On the other hand, the end of summer means that all my roommates move back in and instead of two of us living here there will be six. That's a huge increase in our apartment's population. On the other hand... there is no other hand! I don't want summer to end, the end.
It's been an awesome summer and I will now post a bunch of pictures of the adventures I've had. Just imagine it's the series finale of a cheesey show and they do the flashback episode:
Beautiful sunsets
Iceblocking
Chinese Mystery Dinner
Pool parties
Boating
Wakeboarding
And bonfires
It'll be sad to see it end, but at least I have snow to look forward to!
On a side note, I'm super torn about the next 5 days. On Monday I will attend my last class of TMA 292: Film History II. I'm pretty freaking excited about that. No more depressing movies, no more uncomfortable chairs, no more getting up at 7am. But with the end of summer school comes the end of summer. I've had so much more fun this summer than I expected to and I dread it's conclusion. On the other hand, the end of summer means I get to go home for two weeks and have free laundry, free food, and get to hang with the family. On the other hand, the end of summer means that all my roommates move back in and instead of two of us living here there will be six. That's a huge increase in our apartment's population. On the other hand... there is no other hand! I don't want summer to end, the end.
It's been an awesome summer and I will now post a bunch of pictures of the adventures I've had. Just imagine it's the series finale of a cheesey show and they do the flashback episode:
Beautiful sunsets
Iceblocking
Chinese Mystery Dinner
Pool parties
Boating
Wakeboarding
And bonfires
It'll be sad to see it end, but at least I have snow to look forward to!
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Welcome to Blog-land, Amy!
I'm very hesitant to begin my life as a blogger. For one thing, who cares what I'm doing or what I have to say? Obviously you do because you're reading this, but I could recommend many other things you could read instead that are far better than this. For another, I'm afraid that I don't have much to say which often turns into saying too much about nothing. Use your own judgment in how much nonsense you will put up with from me.
It's the wee hours of the morning of August 5th in the year of our Lord, 2009 and due to a very sugary and caffeinated Slurpee that Carl owed me I'm still wide awake and creating a blog. Today was a good day as far as Tuesdays go. Class, movie, swimming, spinning, Slurpee. Summer has been treating me well. This weekend holds the promise of not only the ward's closing social that involves a ropes course, but also the season premiere of "Monk" and "Psych"! With less than a week of classes left, I'm actually starting to worry about my final. What's that all about? I better start watching some of those wonderful Italian neo-realist films from the 40's that make me want to gouge my eyes out that I accidentally slept through last month.
Movies I've Seen Recently:
* "My Brilliant Career": meh. I'm so sick of these women-don't-need-men movies. She was in love with him and she threw it all away to live with her family on a farm and write? No reason she couldn't have done that with a hubby.
* "Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian": Finished reading the book so I had to re-watch it. "The Call" by Regina Spektor makes the movie. At the end I feel like laughing and crying at the same time.
"Phoebe in Wonderland": Fantastic. I'm not at all skilled at describing what it is about a movie that makes it good or bad I just know that this film made me think about TONS of things that have probably never even entered my mind before. It asked questions, hard questions, but answered enough to keep my interest and respect. Watch it!
It's the wee hours of the morning of August 5th in the year of our Lord, 2009 and due to a very sugary and caffeinated Slurpee that Carl owed me I'm still wide awake and creating a blog. Today was a good day as far as Tuesdays go. Class, movie, swimming, spinning, Slurpee. Summer has been treating me well. This weekend holds the promise of not only the ward's closing social that involves a ropes course, but also the season premiere of "Monk" and "Psych"! With less than a week of classes left, I'm actually starting to worry about my final. What's that all about? I better start watching some of those wonderful Italian neo-realist films from the 40's that make me want to gouge my eyes out that I accidentally slept through last month.
Movies I've Seen Recently:
* "My Brilliant Career": meh. I'm so sick of these women-don't-need-men movies. She was in love with him and she threw it all away to live with her family on a farm and write? No reason she couldn't have done that with a hubby.
* "Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian": Finished reading the book so I had to re-watch it. "The Call" by Regina Spektor makes the movie. At the end I feel like laughing and crying at the same time.
"Phoebe in Wonderland": Fantastic. I'm not at all skilled at describing what it is about a movie that makes it good or bad I just know that this film made me think about TONS of things that have probably never even entered my mind before. It asked questions, hard questions, but answered enough to keep my interest and respect. Watch it!
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