Twilight…with Cheeseburgers: A Masterpiece of Cinema!

This is about as good as it gets, folks and fanpires:

Disclaimer: I do not own this video. Found via  YouTube: theucbmidnightshow

***James is my fave. I think it’s the addition of the muffin top with the athletic prowess…

Quote of the Day, Ridiculous Acts on the Way!

Love is an energy
Love is a mystery
Love is meant to be true

Love is a part of me
Love is the heart of me

Love is the best thing we do

(A. Simpson sample of the song ‘L.O.V.E.’)

P.S. I’m trying to get ridiculous but this rain and my obligation toward wedding invitations is cramping my style!!!

Sleep deprivation continues…

So I’ve spent tons of time studying for and taking my real estate exam to renew my RE Salesperson’s License in the State of Illinois. I only have to do it every two years but whenever it rears it’s ugly head I’m reminded of what a pain in the a$$ it is. I mean, the textbook reads like stereo instructions! (Name the movie that reference is from and I’ll do something ridiculous)

So I will just have to get through the day yawning and being sleepy! Tonight I have a company dinner- we are taking our administrative professionals out in honor of admin professionals day (which was actually last week and we’re clearly a little bit behind the times so keep your judgement to yourself, thank you very much). The joke going around the office is that we will be going to Rainforest Cafe. After careful consideration, I have deemed this idea to be kind of awesome and hilarious…especially given the fact that a co-worker from Ohio chirped in with “What’s Rainforest Cafe?” and we all gave a dramatic, collective gasp. She has also never been to Disney World. I shudder to think of the glorious memories she has missed out on thus far in her 24 years of life.

On a side note, is it possible for ex-Gov. Rod Blagojevich to embarrass the State of Illinois any more then he has already? Apparently not!

Sleepy times…aaaahhhh 90,000 hits!

I’m sooo exhausted after a long, family-filled weekend…but I’m also full of love and happy memories.

Yay!

I just finished updating my eBay listings so check them out! I will add more stuff tomorrow after I get my hair cut and colored (because yes, I have gotten some gray hair, and no, it is not about to become a look that I will cultivate going forward. But thanks for asking).

Also, can I please mention how cool it is that my blog has reached 90,000 hits????? BEYOND AMAZING! I’m so grateful to all the readers that stop by and check in on my life and my writing. My 28th birthday is coming up in May…here’s hoping I can hit 100,000 before then!

The greatest of all time (or GOAT, I suppose)

So I downloaded some photos today and wow, did I forget about this photo. As soon as I saw the hat I busted out laughing. And then I noticed Erin and her fiancee Mike photo crashing behind me. I have to give some props- this picture pretty much rocks my world.

Ah siblings

My Niece Running Away From Me

This is indictative of my life in so many ways….I love this photo!!! Taken on the 8th green (a.k.a. my dad’s back yard) on Easter.

And yes, I realize that it’s impossible for there to be any more pink in this photograph.

David Slade? Yeah, I’m freaked out about that

Sooo…a director for Eclipse has been hired and announced.

Dum da da da…..it’s DAVID SLADE.

Who? (yes, this was my reaction as well)

Apparently he’s directed “30 Days of Night” (BAD reviews) and “Hard Candy” (Mixed reviews). Both are graphic horror movies which indicates that dude has promise…let’s face it, Eclipse is some scary shizz. I want to see it brought to life! Oh, and then I learned that he’s directed some music videos for Muse. Ah…the world makes sense again. See how that’s all connected?

What freaks me out is the disconnect of directors. Can you imagine someone other then George Lucas directing the Star Wars films??? I understand that Summit is trying to capitalize on the initial success of Twilight but maybe cranking out these films utilizing the Henry Ford assembly line method isn’t the best idea. Eclipse is due for release in June 2010. Um…what?! Movies take months of pre-production, months of filming, months of EDITING and post-production….so essentially, when New Moon comes out, the cast will go right into making the next flick, likely without being able to take a breath. That is worry some because I think the quality and artistic value of the films could be compromised (ah, spoken like a true vampire nerd).

Directors are all different and each has their own ‘vision’ of what these films should be and could be. These four books should equal four movies that ‘flow’ a vampire love story.

I hope Summit knows what they’re doing…in the mean time, I have some DVDs to rent. I’m doing my Slade research so I can continue my overly critical directorial analysis.

Miss California…my, my what have you done?

“Destruction leads to a very rough road
But it also breeds creation
And earthquakes are to a girl’s guitar
They are just another good vibration
And tidal waves couldn’t save the world
From Californication”

(Red Hot Chili Peppers, “Californication”)

There is so much controversy brewing over the Miss USA pageant, particularly the response of Miss California, Carrie Prejean, who was asked the following question by openly gay blogger Perez Hilton:

“Vermont recently became the fourth state to legalize same sex marriage. Do you think every state should follow suit, why or why not?”

She went on to respond:
“We live in a land that you can choose same sex marriage or opposite marriage. And you know what, in my country, in my family, I believe that marriage should be between a man and a woman. No offense to anyone out there but that’s how I was raised and that’s how I think it should be, between a man and a woman.”

Well, gollllllllllllllllly…(deep breath)

Ouch. Motherf***in ouch, Carrie.

I’ve been scratching my head about all of this and I now know what to say and how to respond. I feel bad for the fact that Carrie has come under fire- she is not the sole reason that same sex marriage is illegal. I respect the fact that as human beings, we all have beliefs and opinions. In an ideal world we all meaningfully coexist and skip through a field of daisies holding hands and singing Peter, Paul & Mary songs and none of these conflicting opinions would ever hurt feelings or cause an uproar.

But we don’t live in an ideal world, do we?

We’re split into categories: men/women, black/white, religious/atheist, happy/sad, fat/nonfat, gay/straight, republican/democrat/independent, rich/poor, young/old.

Um…are we forgetting that we’re all on the same team? This is not an issue about gay rights…this is an issue about HUMAN RIGHTS. We all play for the same team…there are no other categories. All HUMAN BEINGS deserve EQUAL RIGHTS.

This is not even an argument. This is just a given.

Saying something like “I don’t mean to offend but marriage is between a man and a woman” is the same as saying “I don’t mean to offend but naturally  black people should be slaves,” or “I don’t mean to offend but of course women shouldn’t have the right to vote.” How about “I don’t mean to offend but Judaism isn’t religion.”

IT IS IGNORANT. IT IS HURTFUL. IT IS DISCRIMINATION.

Years from now, we as a country will look back on these times in great shame, knowing we are on the cusp on greatness, yet we continue to deny our fellow brothers and sisters, our fellow HUMAN BEINGS, the very rights they all deserve.

Carrie didn’t win the Miss USA pageant. And something tells me that she is also losing at a little game called ‘life.’ Her answer to this question is a reminder to all of us that we need to stand up for the principle of liberty and justice FOR ALL (sound familiar? I thought so). Miss USA is a representative of all Americans…not just heterosexual men and women.

HUMAN BEINGS are representative of all Americans. Love knows no boundaries.

No lunch = irritability, no one surprised

SUCH a busy day at work! Would you believe that I have NOT eaten lunch yet and it’s 4:42pm???

True story. I’m on the verge of deliriousness so I best not be posting anything too lengthy as I probably won’t even remember writing it, and the possibility of falling out of my desk chair while fighting the urge to eat my own hand is strong to quite strong.

Moral of the story- I should have brown bagged a lunch!!!

Well slap me silly and call me Martha

My blog ranked #93 on the top 100 ‘Growing Blogs’ on WordPress.

One word…FABULOUS.

Carry on with your day…I’m going to skip down State Street.

New Moon stirs new excitement

So my sister is getting married on November 21st, 2009. Does that ring a bell? Mean anything significant to your schedule? Pop off a little ‘ding’ in the back of your memory?

Well ye old Twilighters…NEW MOON is set for release on November 20th, also known as the evening of my sister’s rehearsal dinner. Has she doth planned this as a means of cruel and unusual punishment? She hasn’t. She was actually my partner in crime at last November’s midnight showing of Twilight. It’s a weird coincidence but naturally I’m psyched for her wedding and thank goodness there will be something major going on to prevent me from falling into vampire fixation.

I’m pretty much going to force Fitz into a movie theater on Sunday evening (post wedding festivities), regardless of how exhausted we will be.

What has spurred my glorious excitement for this film’s premiere (still 7 months away)? That would this posting, with video clips from the NEW MOON SET! The fabulous bloggers over at the Twilight Lexicon have some awesome stuff that you should most certainly check out- especially scenes and interviews featuring Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart, and Taylor Lautner.

Enjoy! And let the anticipation begin…

P.S. I’m way ecstatic to see Chris Weitz’s casting choices- Michael Sheen will KILL as Aro. If the dude is fit to play Tony Blair opposite Helen Mirren’s Queen of England in ‘The Queen’ (which I saw and it was lovely), I’m pretty certain he can tackle this. I’m dreaming of scene stealing as we speak!

Bottom line: I love turkey sandwiches

I was just talking with a co-worker the other day regarding the fact that when I go to certain restaurants, I always end up ordering the same thing…because I know it’s delicious. For example, I brought up Jimmy John’s- my standard order would be a Turkey Tom w/ a Diet Coke. Then I brought up Subway and said that I always order up a 6-inch turkey sub w/ nonfat honey mustard. And one of my fave, under-the-radar spots, Jubilee Juice, has the best turkey burger in the city.

Then I realized that the only real statment I was making was that I love turkey sandwiches.

Groundbreaking news, I know.

Monday….BLAH

Cubs won- yaaaaaaaaaay. Weather- booooooooooooo.

Fitz and I are getting takeout from an Italian spot called Scoozi, and later on we’ll tackle a movie while burrowing in the couch, watching the rain continue to drizzle down as it creates a gray haze across the Chicago skyline.

Just a simple day. That’s all.

Bring out the Hellmans…and bring out the best, I suppose

So I’m preparing for my weekend up north in Antioch and I am really excited (seriously…though, even more then what you’re thinking. Yeah, even more than that. Double it. And add 1,000. With sprinkles on top). The past year of my life has featured incredibly high highs and devastatingly low lows- it was an emotional blender. There are no guarantees or promises in life, yet just when you think things are cruising along nicely, you are tested with something you never prepared for. It’s a slap across the face. A very brutal, surprising slap. And it’s not easy to recover from.

Well this is a holiday where we can truly celebrate the importance of family and relationships, as it represents our journey from last year. It feels triumphant. Let’s make this Easter bring out the best in eachother, and the love that we have in our hearts.

So it is my hope that YOUR Easter carries feelings of triumph as well. As for the Hellman’s reference, well, we can’t really have a holiday without it. My dad LOVES coleslaw, and my sister adds a little into her cucumbers and sour cream salad. And around 10:00pm when Fitz is craving a second round of eating, he will take a mound of either ham or turkey ‘bits’ and just dip it into a a pool of mayonnaise. Wipe that judgemental look off you’re face- you know it’s delicious! YUM!

HAPPY EASTER!!!

The Meadow Beckons Me in San Diego

When Fitz and I were in San Diego last weekend for a friend’s wedding, we made a stop in beautiful La Jolla for a little retrospective beach time. Well, let’s just say that Twilight was on my mind because I kept marveling that the meadow was showing up everywhere I looked. The shore was sprinkled with grass and colorful wildflowers and the effect was just breathtaking.

And the proof is in the pudding….er, picture.

Pull up a patch of grass