In Which Chelle Finds Yet ANOTHER Obsession

Because, really, I don't have enough of those right? Let's just have a quick refresher course on my obsessions, shall we? Harry Potter, YA Lit, Maureen Johnson, Vlogbrothers, YouTubers/DFTBA artists, too many classic rock bands to list, books, Project Runway, America's Next Top Model, nail polish, Twitter, Food Network, movie dates with the cousins, the list goes on and on. So, with all that you would think I would have no time to be obsessed with anything else, right? Apparently not. Today I watched my first ever Doctor Who episode. Actually, I watched a few. Now, I know I came into this a little late to the game, but I'm glad I finally showed up!

My dad, who has greatly influenced both my musical tastes and my love for science fiction/fantasy books and movies, has been a Doctor Who fan from WAY back in the day. He watched the older episodes when they originally aired and then a few years ago when we got BBC America he quickly became hooked again. However, due to my insane work schedule at a previous job and the fact that I moved in with my grandmother when I left The Job From Hell, I had never watched a show with him. Currently my grandmother governs a lot of what I watch on TV, and I spend a lot of time watching shows on my computer, because she doesn't really enjoy aliens or medical dramas. So Doctor Who has continued to take a backseat to things like Andy Griffith and Hallmark movies. Which is cool, I love the time I spend with my grandmother just hanging out and watching cheesy movies and shows.

So for the past year or so my dad has been trying to convince me to watch Doctor Who. The only problem is that I am slightly crazy and I have to know EVERYTHING that is going on, so I was worried about just picking up mid-series. My dad continuously told me that there was no need to go back to the episodes that aired in the early 1960s, but I remained unconvinced. I continuously assured him that ONE DAY I would get around to watching the show, but that I wasn't really in a hurry. After all I had eleven Doctors worth of episodes to watch.

THEN it turns out that like EVERYONE I follow on Twitter is a Doctor Who fan, and I'm just like "seriously?" So, today while I am recuperating from my Summer of INSANITY, I decided to just man up and watch the first episode. And well, we know how that turned out, don't we? I cannot believe that I waited SO long to start watching! Complete insanity. Actually, I can believe it. I also didn't watch LOST, House, or Bones when they first came out and eventually I ended up being completely addicted to them as well.

My main conclusions from the first two and a half episodes that I watched today is that Amy Pond is CRAZY pretty, and that Matt Smith is SLIGHTLY insane, and by slightly I mean COMPLETELY bonkers. Now, my dad assures me that the crazy is caused by the fact that Matt Smith's Doctor isn't completely formed, so that is good, I guess. I kind of like his marginally insane gaze! I am still trying to work out everything and am wondering just how important everything that came before really is. However my dad hasn't misled me in the past, so I am trusting in his assurances for now.

If any of you are HUGE Doctor Who fans, please feel free to tell me how silly I am for not watching before now. No spoilers PLEASE though! Right now I am on the "Victory of the Daleks" episode.

IT'S OVER!!!

Today was the LAST day of summer program! I am so thankful/relieved/ready to pass out from exhaustion. The main reason I'm relieved it's over is that I feel like all I have done is complain and it seems like I hate my job. And I really don't. I love what I do. But this summer man...it has been ROUGH! And now we are just hanging out for a few days and we have to go back on Wednesday, and then school will start a week after that. I am ready for school to start.

So in the next few days I am just chilling out, hanging with the cousins, maybe having a movie date with them. I really want to watch LOTR before school starts, but that is a lot of movie time to fit in. I hope to finish Sea by Heidi R. Kling, re-read Shiver, and then read Linger. So far I am about halfway through with Sea and I am LOVING it so far. Also, there is talk of buying a bookshelf before I go back to school, which will be LOVELY since I don't currently have one and instead just have books stacked on every available surface in my room! This is especially bad because I just ordered MORE books (damn you Barnes and Noble) and have NO MORE ROOM IN THE INN!!!

I realize that this has been a short entry where I have rambled about ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!!! However, I am going to my uncle's house to play board games, so I must go! Hopefully tomorrow I will have a blog post with CONTENT!

Christmas Shopping

Obviously I'm getting desperate for blogging ideas*. Maybe the reason I am so bad at updating this blog is because I run out of ideas about what to blog about**. Anyway, tomorrow is the last day of summer program and I have a few child-free days before school starts. Maybe I can finish a few books in that time. It would be nice since I just bought MORE books! I honestly have a problem! I have ordered more books in the past few months than I have read this year! I blame Barnes and Noble for their bargain sales and also for the save ____% on your next order coupons they send me. Also, I blame authors for being fabulous and writing wonderful books that I read over and over again!

Anyway, on to the Christmas portion of the blog! So, I love Christmas like a lot. I don't usually buy a ton of gifts, mainly because a few years ago my family decided that adults should draw names, because it is difficult to buy gifts for 30+ people. I love this, and my only complaint is that we don't draw names until later in the year. I honestly do not know how many times I have found great gifts for one of my relatives and just walked away because I'm not sure if they would actually like it or not. So the people I always buy for are BFF1, BFF2, my parents, my brother, my Maw-Maw, my cousin's fiancée, and BFF1's little sister.

The problem I run in to is that I always wait until the last minute to buy gifts! Every year. So, this year my quasi-New-Year's-Resolution was to buy stuff a little at a time so that I don't end up spending hundreds of dollars in December. So far that has not been working! However, since I have discovered Etsy.com things have become so much easier. My town is TINY and there are NO unique stores around here to shop at. BFF1 and I usually end up going to the mall in NC to shop for gifts, but it is really hard to buy gifts for someone who is glued to your hip. For the last few weeks I have been scouring the various categories of gifts on Etsy and making note of various gift ideas. I'm so excited because I feel like for the first time in a while that I will actually get my shopping done early, I will be able to get unique gifts, and I don't have to worry about my friends or family already having the gifts that I purchase for them!

*If anyone has a topic they would like to hear me ramble on about, feel free to leave it in the comments! I am always looking for suggestions!
**Tomorrow we are taking small children to a horse farm, so I feel confident that I will have some quality thoughts and feelings to share with you all =)

Choose Your Own Adventure

BEDA Day 4, so far I'm doing pretty well. Of course, I wrote three blog posts this weekend and scheduled them to post, but that's beside the point. I'm not really sure what to blog about today...honestly, I feel like this summer has resulted in my IQ dropping several points, my brain melting and running out of my ears, and my stress level to skyrocket. I hate it, mainly because i don't want to whine and moan all the time. I mean, I have a great job, I get to work in my chosen field, I never work weekends, and I get to improve the lives of children. Those are all fantastic things! All those things make me INSANELY happy. So why do I feel like doing nothing but whine and complain? I'm just tired and in desperate need of a break, which I won't get until CHRISTMAS! So, instead of dwelling on all of the things that make me want to curl up in a ball and cry, I'm going to take a page out of my therapeutic manual and focus on things that make me HAPPY instead.

So what exactly makes me happy? Well, there are things I've talked about on here before. Generally my job makes me happy. Not this summer, but during the school year I absolutely love what I do. My family also makes me immensely happy. Whether it is watching Jeopardy with my grandmother, walking with my aunt, or hanging out with my cousins, I always enjoy the time I spend with my family. I went on vacation with my auntie, The Clone*, and Jerry this year. We went to Nashville, and the trip consisted of a seven hour road trip. We sang High School Musical songs, we played car games, did a scavenger hunt, and played a version of "Name That Tune" with the radio's scan button. It was one of the best things that happened this summer.

Other things I enjoy, things that can make me happy regardless of what is going on in my hectic crazy life? There are several things. Never fear faithful readers, I will list them for you!

1.  Harry Potter. Oh, Harry. You are always there for me. When I feel down-trodden or lonely or I need someone to share my joy, I can ALWAYS count on you. Need to be reminded why friendship is worth it in the end? Harry has the answer, be it trolls, merfolk, or Dumbledore's Army. Wonder if the fall into love is worth the pain that may follow it? Harry can answer that too**. Need to know what the ultimate weapon is? Clearly, Harry has taught us that the weapon is LOVE, whether it is familial, friendly, or romantic...love makes the world go 'round.
2. Books. I have a sick obsession with books. I love holding them and owning them and going to a bookstore and just looking at them. They fascinate me. I love the way the smell, the way I can loose myself in a story, the way my heart races when I read a book description that I just KNOW I will love. I just LOVE books.
3. Reading to Doodle, reading with Erin, and sharing books with The Clone. All female cousins ages 2, 8, and 13 respectively. I share my absolute love of reading with these girls. To see them pick up books, to hear them ask me to read to them is a wonderful feeling. With The Clone it is a whole other story. With her it is the "OH.MY.GOODNESS!!!! WHEN DOES THE NEXT BOOK COME OUT??? ARGH!!! I NEED IT NOW!!!!!!" phone calls that really make my day. Talking about books we love, or even just books she is required to read for school is so awesome. Watching her blossom into a critical reader, who will say "this book was great, even if it was just fluff, it made me feel good" is so fantastic. After all, we don't have to just read Hemingway now do we?
4. Baby Neville. This is BFF2's new baby. He's all tiny and sweet. I am his godmother, which is a scary amount of responsibility, but Auntie Chelle is so ready for it. Just seeing him makes me all tingly and gooey inside, so he is definitely on my "happy list."
5. My pals. BFF1 and BFF2 make my day. Whether it is discussing Harry Potter*** or trying on nail polish. Watching Disney movies or riding around town. Talking about serious world issues like poverty and war or trying to figure out if pink eye shadow makes you look diseased. No matter what we do spending time with one or both of them is relief for my soul. We can have total snark sessions or laugh until we cry. BFF1 and I are in almost constant communication with each other. We have worked together for the last four years, and it has been great, even if the last year we have been in different buildings. This summer has been so much fun, and I will really miss her when school starts again. Which is silly because she is the first and last person I talk to each day. We have an almost unhealthy attachment. =) 
6. Anything John Green has written. Alaska when I need strength and renewal, Paper Towns when I need to remember it is okay to be different, Let It Snow when I need to remember not to let the asshats get us down, and Katherines and WG/WG when I need a lighter reminder that things turn out okay. John Green's books are similar to HP in that they teach me, renew my spirit, and make me a better person for having read them.

There are so many other things I could add to this list. The bottom line is, the good always outweighs the bad. Even when it seems like all I get are lemons, I just have to remind myself how good lemonade really is! I know that things suck sometimes, but honestly, dwelling on the bad just makes it worse. Some days I can't help but get bogged down, but I am trying my very best to stay on top of my game and remember all of the good things I have to look forward to. Such as Jeopardy with my Maw-Maw!

*As usual all nicknames in this blog are a direct result of Twitter. Feel free to follow for bursts of randomness in 140 characters or less!

**I'm not going to lie...even Harry isn't enough to make me risk heartbreak like I dealt with after the Big, Bad Breakup...but it does give me hope. Which is almost as important as love.

***All roads lead to Potter.

Harry Potter Meme

I found this at Bart's Bookshelf and I can't resist a meme or Harry Potter, so here goes!

What house do you claim to?
Ravenclaw!

Why?
Because I am a hardcore nerd! Also, because this really complicated quiz said so!

Who are your favorite characters?
Neville Longbottom (BAMF) is my favorite, along with Luna, the Weasleys, Remus Lupin, and the Golden Trio of course! Hermione is my favorite of the Trio.

Which characters do you think you would befriend?
Hopefully Hermione, Luna, Harry, Ron, and the rest of the Weasleys.

Who are your least favorite characters?
Umbridge and Lucius Malfoy

What would your patronus be?
An otter or a giraffe.

What would your favourite class be?
I have to pick one? Can't I go all Hermione and pick them all? Herbology, Runes, and Transfiguration would all be fun I think.

What would your least favorite class be?
Flying or Divination

Who would be your favorite teacher?
Sprout!

Least favorite teacher?
Snape!

What wizarding career would you choose for yourself?
Maybe working in a shop in Hogsmeade or Diagon Alley. Florish and Bots or the apothecary.

What kind of wand do you have?
Hmmm, no Unicorn hair core, that's for sure! Maybe holly with dragon heartstring and relatively short, maybe 9-10 inches?

Any pets (owls, cats, toads)?
An owl for sure.

Favourite magical item?
A pensive, it would be awesome to preserve your memories and go back to look at them later.

Favourite magical candy?
Sugar Quills and Chocolate Frogs

Magical drink of choice?
Butterbeer

Favourite store in Hogsmeade?
HONEYDUKES!!!

Favourite magical creature?
Nargle

Scariest magical creature?
Acromantula...GIANT spiders? Thanks, but really, NO THANK YOU!

Who would you ask to the Yule Ball?
A Weasley Twin! Preferably Fred!

Favourite magical location?
The Three Boomsticks

——-

How long have you been a fan?
1998

How did you first become introduced to Harry Potter?
I don't really remember. I know that I read the first book when it came out, but I don't know if my parents just got it for me or if it was a birthday gift. All I remember is that I fell in love with everything Harry Potter.

How do the movies compare to the books for you?
They are okay...they could be better of course, I hate wimpy Hermione in HBP, but over all I have to keep all book/movie pairs separate in my mind in order to enjoy the movies.

Do you play any of the video games?
Nope.

Favourite book and why?
I love them all, and it is hard to pick just one. Sorcerer's Stone always holds a special place in my heart because that is where it all began, Prisoner of Azkaban is nice because that's where we meet Lupin, but I really like Goblet of Fire is my favorite. That's where all of the action really starts, and we see how our characters are going to respond.

Least favourite book and why?
The Order of the Phoenix. I was so disappointed to see Harry suffer even more. Sirius, Dumbledore becoming distant, seeing the few memories Harry had of his parents become smeared, Umbridge. I knew it would be darker than the previous books, but I didn't expect it to not have some lightness.

Favourite film and why?
I love Goblet of Fire, just because I love the way that the Durmstrang and Beauxbaton students are portrayed, how the challenges are shown, and the feel of the film itself.

Least favourite film and why?
Order of the Phoenix. I hate, hate, HATE it. I feel like they change so much, and they never explain so much of the important things that did happen in that book. While I don't enjoy the book, I do feel like important information was revealed in the book that was ignored in the film.

Listen to the audiobooks?
I listened to the first one and have plans to listen to them all sometime soon.

Listen to any podcasts?
Pottercast sometimes

Favourite aspect of the Harry Potter community?
That it is a community. That no matter where in the world I am, I know I will have a friend if only I can find another HP fan. I'm never alone in this epic love affair I have with Harry Potter.

Favourite ship(s)?
Changes all the time, but I have ALWAYS been Team Luna Longbottom! In fanfiction I don't like to read any cannon ships, which I admit may be odd.

Do you do any Potter related art/music/writing, etc?
Nope

Ever cosplayed or dressed up as a character?
No, but I really want a Ravenclaw scarf and tie that match the books' version of the house colors.

How many midnight releases have you made it to?
None.

List some favorite Potter-related memories?
There are too many to list.
*The fact that BFF2 and I frequently have conversations that revolve around nothing but HP, including "is Draco really evil," "Why we love Snape," "Was Ron REALLY the best choice for Hermione?" and so on.
*Going to see HBP and running out of gas with BFF1 and calling my dad saying "Don't worry, someone is coming to get me so I won't be late to see HARRY! I just need you to bring some gas and then take my car to the theater. PLEASE DADDY! I can't miss HARRY!!!" And that is what happened. BFF2 came and got us, my dad brought me gas and drove my car to the theater, and we watched HBP and loved it.
Giving the first book The Clone this summer and watching her fall completely in love with the Weasley's, the Wizarding World, and all things Harry.

Ramona and Beezus

For the past week three of my cousins- The Clone, Doda, and Jerry- have been in Alaska. They went on a missions trip and arrived home Wednesday just in time for Family Dinner Night. Needless to say, Erin (the forth member of our quintet) and I have been REALLY lonely. Since I work all the time poor Erin has really been left alone a lot. I love to do things with my cousins, either in a group or individually, so I decided that Erin and I should have a Girl's Night Out and go to the movies. She has been really looking forward to the Ramona movie, she's a HUGE Selena Gomez fan and I have recently introduced her to the books. So off we went on our epic adventure*!

I have to say, I am cheap (especially when I am playing for multiple movie tickets) so I love going to the movies on Tuesdays in town, because it is "Family Fun Night," and all tickets are matinée priced. However, Ramona was good enough that I would have paid full price to see it on opening night.** On top of a wonderful movie (my Top Ten to follow) there were a lot of really good previews. I was nervous at first, because I am doing everything I have to avoid the HP7 trailer, but luckily it wasn't included. There are so many great movies coming out and I am really looking forward to seeing them with The Fantastic Four in the fall and winter. Movies are usually a guaranteed option for quality time for us once school and sports start. Erin was captivated by Ramona, and I remained teary-eyed throughout the entire film. Overall I say that it is a great family option. It is funny enough that boys will like it, there is enough sugary sweet romance to appeal to teen and tween girls, and the warmth of the family bond between the Quimbys translates well during the movie. So! Without further ado, here is my (and Erin's) Ramona Top Ten!

Top Ten Reasons YOU Should See Ramona and Beezus

1) Joey King aka Ramona. I cannot wait to see her in more films in the future. We thought she was so funny and believable. I wanted to cry when she cried, I laughed when she laughed, my heart broke for her when she tried hard to make something work but it just failed. She brought Ramona to life for me.

2) Selena Gomez is amazing. I love that she is young and plays a teenager. I am consistently surrounded by younger kids, and I cringe when I hear them talk about their role models in Hollywood. Selena Gomez acts her age, isn't trampy, and sets a good example. She also did a really great job as Beezus.

3) Mr. and Mrs. Quimby. Best parents ever? Probably not, but the sure do try hard and it is obvious that they love each other and their family. Even when things were bad for them (no job for dad, the possibility of moving away, Aunt B's love-life stress) they were still aware of what was going on in their life. I thought that the Quimby's were a realistic representation of a family-not everything is always perfect, but when your family loves each other then you will be okay.
4) Aunt B. She is the perfect auntie who is always fun to be around. Not to mention Ginnifer Goodwin is adorable.

5) The scenes where Ramona is imagining herself in different situations are INCREDIBLE. The audience is transported into her imagination and it is really lovely. She is navigating a canyon when she is on the jungle gym, when jumping on her bed she goes to Outer Space, and the film makers do a great job of showing the imagination of a nine year old girl.

6) I loved that even though it is really hard for Beezus and Ramona to get along, they will band together when times get tough. Pretty accurate for siblings of those ages, but it is still heartwarming to see.
7) Joey King's facial expressions!***
8) Josh Duhamel is REALLY dreamy...*sigh*...and so is John Corbett, even if he is playing a dad. Erin was a big fan of Henry (Hutch Dano), she thought that HE was dreamy...*baby sigh*...

9) The entire film seemed really natural. I honestly felt like a guest in the Quimby home. The cast did an excellent job of portraying the situations that they encountered.

10) It was really funny. I thought that the comedic timing was spot on, and it didn't seem like the cast was TRYING to make the funny parts funny.

So there ya go. A few reasons why we loved Ramona and Beezus. If you have seen it feel free to let me know!

*Okay, not that epic, the movie theater is only 12 miles away.

**My hindsight has ALWAYS been 20/20

***YES! This does need it's own number! If you have seen the film then you will understand, that girl is HILARIOUS!

BEDA=Blog Every Day in August

BEDA! Will I manage to blog every day in August? I hope so, but who knows. I should have a lot of subject matter, what with school starting and a few days off work which will be spent with The Fantastic Four. Hopefully I will be able to read a book for a change and then I can post a review or two. I'm glad that I didn't set this up to be a book review blog...because that would be a massive fail. It's more like my personal blog, where I talk about a lot of random things. And I do mean a lot of randomness! As I type this Erin is hanging over my shoulder, reading everything, as we watch Olivia on Nick Jr. Here's the thing about Olivia the TV show...I really love that they take great children's books and make them into TV shows, but I am afraid that in the long run kids forget about the books. I just asked Erin if she had ever read the Olivia books and she looked at me like I had suddenly sprouted wings. Oh well, I guess it's the former children's librarian (and full time book lover) in me. However, short as this post is...I will hopefully be around for you to stalk throughout August. And since it only takes 21 days to form a habit, maybe I can get back in the habit of blogging more frequently.