It's not that my life has been dull for the past two months (Fair Day, my birthday, on-going sewing adventures, etc.), I have just been too distracted to actually sit down and write. Now, I cannot let the incredible experience of The Muppets, Jason Segel's revival of a beloved institution, pass by without commenting on it.
To say I love all things Jim Henson is such an understatement that I'm not sure there is a word that adequately describes my passion. Therefore, I always approach a new Muppet project with a skeptical eye. (Actually, I'm more disappointed that Disney fought so hard to acquire the Muppets and then essentially did nothing with them.) Enter Jason Segel and his own adoration for the Muppets. I have been anticipating this movie for at least a year when I first heard buzz that it was in the works.
The beauty behind the film is that the Muppets have fallen into obscurity and need to get back together. We get to see what happened to all our beloved faves once the world began to spin in technological circles. CGI has invaded our brains and many children no longer appreciate the skill and wonder in making a puppet ride a bicycle. How would this adventure fare?
We arrived in plenty of time for our midnight showing which was sold out:)! We got the best seats in the house and settled in for good ole fashioned chuckles. I was not disappointed! Segel knew exactly how to bring the Muppets back in a big way.
The jokes were perfect! My favorite scene involved Jack Black, "Smells Like Teen Spirit," Beaker, and an axe. That was followed closely by a cameo from Jim Parsons, a chicken rendition of C-Lo Green's "F*** You," and traveling by map. It seemed simple enough in concept, but so much more sophisticated when I thought about all the past Muppet humor that brought out the "ha-has." For instance, the Muppets stopping Charles Grodin from nabbing the infamous Baseball Diamond and a ball game breaking out (The Great Muppet Caper). Hilarious! Or Fozzie declaring, "I don't know how to thank you guys" and Kermit responding "I don't know why to thank you guys" after the Electric Mayhem "camouflages" a Studebaker to protect the travelers from Doc Hopper (The Muppet Movie).
There were also moments when The Muppets made mention of the fact they were making a movie (Fozzie commenting on the cost of the explosion of Gonzo's plumbing business) that matched a scene from The Great Muppet Caper where Lady Holiday (Diana Rigg) begins a long rant about her worthless brother Nicky and when asked why she does this says, "It's plot exposition. It has to go somewhere." Genius! Even the villain, Tex Richman, was on par with Doc Hopper when it came to his nasty-not-niceness. It was like Segel took all that was brilliant and good about the Muppets and gave those of us continuing to praise the vision of Henson an early Christmas present! (I am currently putting together a Thank You/fan letter to Segel.)
Some of my friends argued that they took their kids and were not impressed. First problem: THE MUPPETS WERE NEVER MEANT FOR CHILDREN. Henson, at one point, was even dismayed that so many people only associated him with Sesame Street which hindered his more complex comedic side he tried to showcase during the first season of SNL and throughout The Muppet Show. He fully intended to create a variety show with his Muppets that focused on humor for adults. That's more proof of the master creator Henson was because the older I get, the funnier the Muppets are. Sure my two-year-old loves Sesame Street and Kermit's banjo playing, but he won't truly appreciate the ingenuity behind the jokes until he is old. However, I believe you must train them when they are young. Otherwise, you live a very bleak, Muppetless existence, and that's just sad.
Tuesday, December 06, 2011
Saturday, October 01, 2011
The Big Apple of My Eye
Sadly, we returned from NYC days ago, but I haven't written because it also happens to be the last day of the six weeks. Therefore, I've been grading papers like a madwoman trying to get grades complete before report cards go out.
The rest of the trip went something like this:
Ground Zero was a total bust! Both hubby and I were under the impression that the fountains were complete and open to the public. As I mentioned in my last post, I was anticipating a very intimate moment with a place that held so much emotion and memories because the last time I was in that location, I was at the top of the World Trade Center. It turns out that you have to have advance passes before being aloud to go around the construction fence to see anything. Since no one told us this, here is all we got to see:
Now there was a wall across the street with a huge metal plaque that people were trying to get photos of, but that was such a mess that it wasn't worth the effort to push my way through. Talk about incredibly disappointing.
We weren't sure what to do at this point since we had anticipated spending some time here. Fortunately, it was lunchtime and there was an Artichoke's Pizza nearby. A dear friend recommended giving them a try, so that's what we did. IT WAS AMAZING! They gave us a slice of their Artichoke pizza and Margherita Pizza. The Margherita was the best I've every tasted, and the Artichoke was like taking artichoke/spinach dip and just slathering it all over a pizza crust! Dear God! It was delicious. I completely understand why someone would crave that pizza:).
We still had some time to kill before dinner and How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, so we went to one of my favorite museums anywhere: The Metropolitan Museum of Art. That place is so huge, one could visit it every day of the week and never get to see everything. Since we had a limited amount of time, we took a one hour "everything" tour which really meant seeing about 8 major pieces within a specific section, and then we saw a special exhibit on satire in art. I REALLY wanted to see the shoe exhibit in the fashion section, but it was closed and all that remained were shoe exhibit themed gifts in the Museum shop. Boo. I did at least get to see one of my favorite spots in Manhattan.
The rest of the trip went something like this:
Ground Zero was a total bust! Both hubby and I were under the impression that the fountains were complete and open to the public. As I mentioned in my last post, I was anticipating a very intimate moment with a place that held so much emotion and memories because the last time I was in that location, I was at the top of the World Trade Center. It turns out that you have to have advance passes before being aloud to go around the construction fence to see anything. Since no one told us this, here is all we got to see:
We weren't sure what to do at this point since we had anticipated spending some time here. Fortunately, it was lunchtime and there was an Artichoke's Pizza nearby. A dear friend recommended giving them a try, so that's what we did. IT WAS AMAZING! They gave us a slice of their Artichoke pizza and Margherita Pizza. The Margherita was the best I've every tasted, and the Artichoke was like taking artichoke/spinach dip and just slathering it all over a pizza crust! Dear God! It was delicious. I completely understand why someone would crave that pizza:).
We still had some time to kill before dinner and How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, so we went to one of my favorite museums anywhere: The Metropolitan Museum of Art. That place is so huge, one could visit it every day of the week and never get to see everything. Since we had a limited amount of time, we took a one hour "everything" tour which really meant seeing about 8 major pieces within a specific section, and then we saw a special exhibit on satire in art. I REALLY wanted to see the shoe exhibit in the fashion section, but it was closed and all that remained were shoe exhibit themed gifts in the Museum shop. Boo. I did at least get to see one of my favorite spots in Manhattan.
We have some Tiffany glass at the DMA, but it isn't a beautiful as this!
It was finally time to get ready for the show! We cleaned ourselves up and headed out to grab a taxi to a restaurant in the Theater District. Apparently, a cab driver can decline to take you where you want to go. FIVE cabs refused to take us to the Theater District, so we started walking AND sweating in our nice clothes. We got a few blocks in and met a pedicab guy who was willing to take us. He turned out to be a great guy and suggested that we go to Orso instead of the restaurant we were heading to. Hubby was suspicious that the guy was getting a little kick back for recommending Orso, but it turns out that wasn't the case at all. The guy Google voiced the number for the restaurant and got us in! He even told us that famous people tended to eat there.
Orso was pretty dang awesome. The Lemon Drop I had was super yummy, and I had quail for the first time ever. Then who should go walking out the door (and right past our table): JEFF GOLDBLUM! Hubby didn't see anything but his back, but I got a perfect view and made eye contact and smiled:). It was pretty neat!
The show itself was entertaining, upbeat, and fun. There was a surreal moment when it occurred to me that Harry Potter was acting, singing, and dancing on stage with a pretty darn good American accent. Then the thought was gone, and all I saw was Daniel Radcliffe and John Larroquette putting in a fabulous performance. In the end, this is as close to Mr. Radcliffe as I got:
I begged to wait around after the show to see him up close, but the metal barricades and police tape restraining 100+ teenage girls was a major deterrent for my husband.
Sunday was THE big day. We were headed to Queens to see The Museum of the Moving Image. I planned to dedicate an entire post to pictures of my Jim Henson exhibit experience, but alas, photography was forbidden. Out of respect for the Henson Legacy, I obeyed.
It was an INCREDIBLE exhibit! There were actual Muppets (Kermit, Miss Piggy, Bert, Ernie, Mahna Mahna and his crew, and more), many of Henson's sketches and ideas posted around the exhibit, costumes and items from Dark Crystal, and videos chalk full of biographical information. The Museum was pretty cool itself. Since it focused on the "moving image," there was all sorts of film stuff. I was able to play with sound effects and voice overs. There was information on the evolution of the movie industry, costumes, make-up and prosthesis from various films, etc. It was all interactive as well.
In the end, one moment remained the day's crowning glory:
I'm pretty sure my face says it all.
We ended our trip with dinner out with a former student of mine who is currently attending NYU. He's living the New York life and loving it! It was great to see him and a perfect way to end a perfect weekend.
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Wait Just a New York Minute
Being a proud Catholic, sometimes it surprises me that I would cling so steadfastly to a Hindu idea like Karma. Deep down I truly believe that the universe will right itself. If I send out negative, hateful vibes; not only will it send them back but balancing that negativity with a more optimistic outcome will eventually happen. If I was responsible for the negativity, I have to be responsible for some positivity before the cosmos will grant me that. In turn, I must be incredibly grateful when fortuitous circumstances come my way in order to avoid (or at least cope with) the not so fortunate that will inevitably follow.
My proof that this works? It isn't a stretch to consider myself a good person. Perfect? Definitely not. But being an idealistic over-achiever has its rewards: lots and lots of good karma. Both my professional and personal lives stand witness to this idea. The fact that teaching is my true calling means I get to love what I do AND be good at it. The miracle birth of my son is also testament that a lot of faith and optimism goes a LONG way. Meeting my husband was also a great moment of good Karma showing some favor.
Even with our typical married couple problems (we call it "The Divorce Log" knowing neither of us will ever really use it...or would we-he he he...), there is no doubt that we belong together. This brings me to my 6th anniversary present: A TRIP TO NEW YORK CITY!
A passion, zealousness if you will, for The Big Apple houses itself deep inside my heart. Before this trip, I had been to New York as both a freshman and senior in high school. I squeal inside at the blocks and blocks of architectural giants. I giggle a bit when using the subway (even the mama/germaphobe inside of me melts away). I appreciate the grid like layout making it enjoyable and easy to navigate the five Burroughs. If cost wasn't an option, I would move here without any regrets or second thoughts.
My husband knows this. He also knows that the Museum of the Moving Image is currently showcasing Jim Henson's Fantastic World (Henson's birthday-September 24 just happens to be our wedding anniversary-intentional?). Aside from Manhattan, another obsession of mine is all things Jim Henson. Again, my hubby knows this which is why is taking me to the museum while in New York where we'll get to meet Kevin Clash, Henson's protege! As if this weren't enough, tonight we are seeing How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying starring Harry Potter himself, Daniel Radcliffe! Everyone knows how I feel about all things Harry Potter. So what I have here is the perfect storm of an ideal anniversary present! All that preparation and hard work at the beginning of the school year (a different approach for me since I usually fly by the seat of my pants) must have stored away a treasure trove of good Karma:).
Yet the beginning of this trip has left much to be desired. New York has not disappointed. That's not even possible. The trouble started brewing at DFW Airport with the incompetent company American Airlines. Here's how it goes: it cost to take luggage, so everyone tries to fit it all in one suitcase to save money, then the suitcase is too heavy, so everyone has to open his suitcase at the weigh station to remove items. See, American did this to themselves the idiots. So even though hubby and I arrived at the airport long before our flight took off, we waiting in line to be checked in an absurdly long amount of time because E-V-E-R-Y-B-O-D-Y had to open and remove things from suitcases. The lady behind us was participating in a "bitch-till-you-drop-a-thon." All we heard about was how she was about to miss her flight because of how slow everything was. Finally we just told her to go ahead of us (clearly her intention) just to shut her up! I wasn't too upset because being kind to her just racked up a bit of good Karma for us.
We finally checked-in and the American Airlines lady told us we almost missed our check in time (another ridiculous concept since we still had about 40 minutes till our flight). Hubby very bluntly asked, "Well who's fault is that?" Uh-oh. Bad Karma. We got on the plane and wouldn't you know, our seats were the very last row waaaaaaaaaaay in the back. When I opened the window shade to at least take in our view, I only saw airplane. But then the flight attendant noticed they had two seats open up further up in the plane. Would we like them? Yes! Ding, ding, ding! Good Karma stopping by for helping that insane-o lady.
By the time we landed, we were hungry and ready to start our metropolistic adventure. Wouldn't you know, our suitcase somehow didn't make it on our flight and would be arriving with the 9:40 P.M. plane. Did I mentioned we landed at 2 P.M.? I couldn't be shaken from the high I started to feel just knowing I was in New York City! Well sort of. We had to take the train from Newark to Penn Station to Grand Central and then walk about 10 blocks to the hotel. People who know me would assume this would cause my delicate nature to rear its prissy head and insist on taking a cab for the journey. NOT IN NEW YORK CITY! If it wasn't made obvious before, I LIVE for the kind of city life that includes well oiled public transit (a major reason London is also a perfect city). However, this kind of foot travel doesn't bode well for people with 50 pound luggage. Therefore, it turns out that having our suitcase delayed was a blessing because the airport would deliver it to the hotel for us! There's that universe doing its thing and achieving balance:).
Of course the suitcase wouldn't be officially delivered until 2:00 A.M., so we just settled in for 100 Most Shocking Moments in Music on VH1, spent $104 on room service, and crashed in our clothes around midnight. Now we are up and ready to start our day. The irritating delay in receiving our luggage has reinforced in me the idea that something phenomenal will be happening to us today or tomorrow. Since I am meeting a least one of my obsessions, I hope the phenomenon is a powerfully positive one.
We're off to Ground Zero. The last time I was here, I actually looked out from the top floor of the World Trade Center. It will be a surreal experience for sure.
My proof that this works? It isn't a stretch to consider myself a good person. Perfect? Definitely not. But being an idealistic over-achiever has its rewards: lots and lots of good karma. Both my professional and personal lives stand witness to this idea. The fact that teaching is my true calling means I get to love what I do AND be good at it. The miracle birth of my son is also testament that a lot of faith and optimism goes a LONG way. Meeting my husband was also a great moment of good Karma showing some favor.
Even with our typical married couple problems (we call it "The Divorce Log" knowing neither of us will ever really use it...or would we-he he he...), there is no doubt that we belong together. This brings me to my 6th anniversary present: A TRIP TO NEW YORK CITY!
A passion, zealousness if you will, for The Big Apple houses itself deep inside my heart. Before this trip, I had been to New York as both a freshman and senior in high school. I squeal inside at the blocks and blocks of architectural giants. I giggle a bit when using the subway (even the mama/germaphobe inside of me melts away). I appreciate the grid like layout making it enjoyable and easy to navigate the five Burroughs. If cost wasn't an option, I would move here without any regrets or second thoughts.
My husband knows this. He also knows that the Museum of the Moving Image is currently showcasing Jim Henson's Fantastic World (Henson's birthday-September 24 just happens to be our wedding anniversary-intentional?). Aside from Manhattan, another obsession of mine is all things Jim Henson. Again, my hubby knows this which is why is taking me to the museum while in New York where we'll get to meet Kevin Clash, Henson's protege! As if this weren't enough, tonight we are seeing How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying starring Harry Potter himself, Daniel Radcliffe! Everyone knows how I feel about all things Harry Potter. So what I have here is the perfect storm of an ideal anniversary present! All that preparation and hard work at the beginning of the school year (a different approach for me since I usually fly by the seat of my pants) must have stored away a treasure trove of good Karma:).
Yet the beginning of this trip has left much to be desired. New York has not disappointed. That's not even possible. The trouble started brewing at DFW Airport with the incompetent company American Airlines. Here's how it goes: it cost to take luggage, so everyone tries to fit it all in one suitcase to save money, then the suitcase is too heavy, so everyone has to open his suitcase at the weigh station to remove items. See, American did this to themselves the idiots. So even though hubby and I arrived at the airport long before our flight took off, we waiting in line to be checked in an absurdly long amount of time because E-V-E-R-Y-B-O-D-Y had to open and remove things from suitcases. The lady behind us was participating in a "bitch-till-you-drop-a-thon." All we heard about was how she was about to miss her flight because of how slow everything was. Finally we just told her to go ahead of us (clearly her intention) just to shut her up! I wasn't too upset because being kind to her just racked up a bit of good Karma for us.
We finally checked-in and the American Airlines lady told us we almost missed our check in time (another ridiculous concept since we still had about 40 minutes till our flight). Hubby very bluntly asked, "Well who's fault is that?" Uh-oh. Bad Karma. We got on the plane and wouldn't you know, our seats were the very last row waaaaaaaaaaay in the back. When I opened the window shade to at least take in our view, I only saw airplane. But then the flight attendant noticed they had two seats open up further up in the plane. Would we like them? Yes! Ding, ding, ding! Good Karma stopping by for helping that insane-o lady.
By the time we landed, we were hungry and ready to start our metropolistic adventure. Wouldn't you know, our suitcase somehow didn't make it on our flight and would be arriving with the 9:40 P.M. plane. Did I mentioned we landed at 2 P.M.? I couldn't be shaken from the high I started to feel just knowing I was in New York City! Well sort of. We had to take the train from Newark to Penn Station to Grand Central and then walk about 10 blocks to the hotel. People who know me would assume this would cause my delicate nature to rear its prissy head and insist on taking a cab for the journey. NOT IN NEW YORK CITY! If it wasn't made obvious before, I LIVE for the kind of city life that includes well oiled public transit (a major reason London is also a perfect city). However, this kind of foot travel doesn't bode well for people with 50 pound luggage. Therefore, it turns out that having our suitcase delayed was a blessing because the airport would deliver it to the hotel for us! There's that universe doing its thing and achieving balance:).
Of course the suitcase wouldn't be officially delivered until 2:00 A.M., so we just settled in for 100 Most Shocking Moments in Music on VH1, spent $104 on room service, and crashed in our clothes around midnight. Now we are up and ready to start our day. The irritating delay in receiving our luggage has reinforced in me the idea that something phenomenal will be happening to us today or tomorrow. Since I am meeting a least one of my obsessions, I hope the phenomenon is a powerfully positive one.
We're off to Ground Zero. The last time I was here, I actually looked out from the top floor of the World Trade Center. It will be a surreal experience for sure.
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Lean On Me While I Stand and Deliver to these Dangerous Minds in this Blackboard Jungle*
Tomorrow will wrap up the first week of the 2011-2012 school year. This school year is my 7th teaching, and I often wonder just how far I've come in the classroom. I know that in many ways I still lack the wisdom and experience of those noble enough to stick to this for 20+ years, but I have managed to shake off the "newbie" feel and trust myself more to do what is best for my students.
I was so well prepared for this week that I have felt zero stress. Lesson plans were completed, copies were made, the classroom is sporting a brand new white board and bulletin board and hardwood stage. Much to my surprise, I even received two new computer carts filled with brand spankin' new MacBooks. Maybe 7 is the lucky number? Or maybe I've racked up a ton of Good Teacher Karma?
Teaching is truly my passion. Believers say that God has a vocation in mind for each of us and we only need to pay attention to find what that is. Well, I'm a believer and there is no doubt that the talents God gave me are meant for the classroom. When I was 8 and in the first grade, I dressed as a teacher for Career Day. Who does that? ME! I L-O-V-E everything about teaching high school (I've even come to tolerate the insane amount of paperwork)!
Perhaps this is why I shudder when I pass a classroom that is eerily silent or where the teacher is yelling at the students for not having a proper notebook organized in a desired way. I understand that sometimes "sit and get" is a necessary way to educate, but if we ever expect kids to start thinking on their own we've got to allow them to take ownership in their learning. Otherwise all they'll know is how to absorb information but never process it. Honestly, as long as a kid can produce his necessary work/supplies, I'm okay if he doesn't keep a three-ringed binder with dividers. I hated being forced to do that in high school because my brain doesn't think like that. You want to teach me organization? Let me misplace something important once, express your disappointment in me and how I've let you down, then watch as I find my own way to keep up with my work. The kids who don't care whether or not they disappointed the teacher are the same ones who aren't going to keep a notebook anyway.
What's the point? Well, I don't think anyone should be allowed into a classroom unless s/he takes great joy in helping those students reach their potentials. Only doing it for the summers off? Get the hell out because I hate you. Only doing it because you didn't get into med/law school (actual profession of choice)? Get the hell out because I hate you. Only doing it because you're lazy and figured any organization that advertises with a billboard reading: "Want to teach? When can you start?" must be promoting a job a wind-up monkey could do? Get the hell out and pray to God you never run into me in a dark alley.
Please don't misunderstand. I know that sometimes the above reasons are how people stumble into teaching and realize that they found their true calling. I am an alternative cert teacher because my major in college was not in Education (I'm a believer in secondary educators majoring in their subject matter). My beef is with the ones sticking it out for the above reasons. Life is too short and all they're doing is screwing up students. Many of my friends are passionate, hard working educators who always fight for what's best for their students (especially when the state continues to pass absurd regulations because the politicians making the decisions have zero classroom experience). It's an insult to them and to me to have to work along side people who clearly despise their job or couldn't care less about the well fare of the kids.
So in honor of my superhero teaching crew, I give you Taylor Mali. Many of you have seen this before, but please feel free to enjoy it again:
I'll continue to fight the good fight because I know I'm not alone.
*This post is dedicated to the students who are like my husband. A man who was punished in middle school for attempting to "incite a riot" with the following song:
You are the type of student that keeps me lovin' my job!
I was so well prepared for this week that I have felt zero stress. Lesson plans were completed, copies were made, the classroom is sporting a brand new white board and bulletin board and hardwood stage. Much to my surprise, I even received two new computer carts filled with brand spankin' new MacBooks. Maybe 7 is the lucky number? Or maybe I've racked up a ton of Good Teacher Karma?
Teaching is truly my passion. Believers say that God has a vocation in mind for each of us and we only need to pay attention to find what that is. Well, I'm a believer and there is no doubt that the talents God gave me are meant for the classroom. When I was 8 and in the first grade, I dressed as a teacher for Career Day. Who does that? ME! I L-O-V-E everything about teaching high school (I've even come to tolerate the insane amount of paperwork)!
Perhaps this is why I shudder when I pass a classroom that is eerily silent or where the teacher is yelling at the students for not having a proper notebook organized in a desired way. I understand that sometimes "sit and get" is a necessary way to educate, but if we ever expect kids to start thinking on their own we've got to allow them to take ownership in their learning. Otherwise all they'll know is how to absorb information but never process it. Honestly, as long as a kid can produce his necessary work/supplies, I'm okay if he doesn't keep a three-ringed binder with dividers. I hated being forced to do that in high school because my brain doesn't think like that. You want to teach me organization? Let me misplace something important once, express your disappointment in me and how I've let you down, then watch as I find my own way to keep up with my work. The kids who don't care whether or not they disappointed the teacher are the same ones who aren't going to keep a notebook anyway.
What's the point? Well, I don't think anyone should be allowed into a classroom unless s/he takes great joy in helping those students reach their potentials. Only doing it for the summers off? Get the hell out because I hate you. Only doing it because you didn't get into med/law school (actual profession of choice)? Get the hell out because I hate you. Only doing it because you're lazy and figured any organization that advertises with a billboard reading: "Want to teach? When can you start?" must be promoting a job a wind-up monkey could do? Get the hell out and pray to God you never run into me in a dark alley.
Please don't misunderstand. I know that sometimes the above reasons are how people stumble into teaching and realize that they found their true calling. I am an alternative cert teacher because my major in college was not in Education (I'm a believer in secondary educators majoring in their subject matter). My beef is with the ones sticking it out for the above reasons. Life is too short and all they're doing is screwing up students. Many of my friends are passionate, hard working educators who always fight for what's best for their students (especially when the state continues to pass absurd regulations because the politicians making the decisions have zero classroom experience). It's an insult to them and to me to have to work along side people who clearly despise their job or couldn't care less about the well fare of the kids.
So in honor of my superhero teaching crew, I give you Taylor Mali. Many of you have seen this before, but please feel free to enjoy it again:
I'll continue to fight the good fight because I know I'm not alone.
*This post is dedicated to the students who are like my husband. A man who was punished in middle school for attempting to "incite a riot" with the following song:
You are the type of student that keeps me lovin' my job!
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Finite Incantatum
And just like that, it's over.
I actually just woke up 45 minutes ago after taking a 3 hour nap upon returning home from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2. Over a decade of dedication and study. Now what am I supposed to do? What new adventure must I immerse myself in? For now...
I am so glad they decided to chop up the last film in order to really cover this epic finale. The first time I saw Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 I felt exhausted mostly because they covered 500 pages in one film. That would be like squeezing books one and two into a single film. It wasn't until the second and subsequent times was I really able to relax and take in the whole movie. I am quite happy with the result of Part 1. As mentioned in earlier posts, they never really built Dobby like they should have so his death was a hard blow only because I remembered how I felt when it happened in the novel. All his devotion to Harry outweighed his fear regarding returning to Malfoy Manor to rescue Potter and the others. It is more a slap in the face that Dobby had to die for it (at least that's how I felt). Everything else really fell into place and I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE how they told the story of the "Three Brothers" in Part 1. It is only because they were making two movies from one book were they able to do this I'm sure.
So this morning at 10:00 A.M. I took my seat in anticipation of the final piece in the Harry Potter puzzle. I don't think in 2001 I really acknowledged that this would all come to an end some day. I definitely did not realize how involved I would be with all the characters. Yes, I cried A LOT during this film and even threw my hands up and cheered multiple times. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 did it's best to give me the final installment I so anxiously awaited. The only real rub I had was Harry breaking the Elder Wand in two (which does NOT happen in the book). Now, I would have been fine if they had him do this after he repaired his original wand like he is supposed to, but they didn't. That irks me because the act of repairing his own wand and reburying the Elder Wand with Dumbledore (which IS what happens in the book) shows how mature and humble he is acting in not accepting the Elder Wand as his own therefore avoiding any temptation of greed/power. However, I can live with that since it is the only real problem I had.
Everything else went well. They didn't cover Dumbledore's life and family secrets or his relationship with Grindenwald, but really it was an okay subplot to avoid. They did keep the scene at King's Cross, and the major points were covered. They sort of blew over the death of Fred which I'm okay with because that particular scene in the novel D-E-V-A-S-T-A-T-E-D me! (Percy redeems himself a mere second before his brother is killed! WTH? Percy should have died because no one likes him anyway!) My heart broke mostly for George who would never have his twin with him again. As sad as I was about Tonks and Lupin, I think they handled that well (except for the random comment Lupin makes about his son when Harry uses the Resurrection Stone-since they didn't build that subplot up properly it was a weird comment to make in the film).
I think I cried the hardest at Snape's incredibly violent death and then his crying (like with his tears) out his memories to Harry. Honestly, I always routed for Snape even when it seemed like he had done his worst by killing Dumbledore. I was so relieved when I read the seventh book to discover that my faith in Snape was rewarded. In the novel his memories are sad in that he causes Lily to cut off their friendship after calling her a Mudblood (it would be like Ron calling Hermione one) to look tough while being bullied by James and Sirius. In the film they made it seem like their first year in Hogwarts Lily just seemed to take a shine to James over Snape. I'm okay with it but would have like to see them all as teens since that's when Snape's heart is broken for the first time. Yet, I LOVE how they show Snape discovering Lily's body after Voldemort murders her. I was a sobbing mess!
Finally, the epilogue was perfect! Now I am an adamant believer that Rowling NEVER needs to write about any of this ever again. She did a lovely job of tying up everything and showing how life goes on in her epilogue. I don't need to know what Harry's children do at Hogwarts. I don't need to see what happens directly after the fall of Lord Voldemort (The Harry Potter Lexicon is a wonderful site if anyone wants to know what happened post Voldemort). I am quite content where she's left us. My sister had commented that she wished they had put wizard pictures of the Harry/Ginny and Ron/Hermione weddings and their lives on the sides of the credits. That would have been cool, but really I'm happy. I did register at Pottermore where it looks like Rowling will be posting all her notes and back stories, etc. but that doesn't mean I want her to actually publish this stuff. I fear that if she does, she'll "jump the shark" and the original seven stories will lose their magic (no pun intended).
So good-bye for now Harry Potter at least until my super-duper mega Blu-Ray boxed set of all the films is available:). (Damn it. I'm choking up again just typing this!)
I actually just woke up 45 minutes ago after taking a 3 hour nap upon returning home from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2. Over a decade of dedication and study. Now what am I supposed to do? What new adventure must I immerse myself in? For now...
YOU GOT IT: SPOILER ALERT! IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE FINAL FILM YET (WHAT KIND OF FAN ARE YOU) YOU MAY WANT TO WAIT ON READING THIS.
I am so glad they decided to chop up the last film in order to really cover this epic finale. The first time I saw Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 I felt exhausted mostly because they covered 500 pages in one film. That would be like squeezing books one and two into a single film. It wasn't until the second and subsequent times was I really able to relax and take in the whole movie. I am quite happy with the result of Part 1. As mentioned in earlier posts, they never really built Dobby like they should have so his death was a hard blow only because I remembered how I felt when it happened in the novel. All his devotion to Harry outweighed his fear regarding returning to Malfoy Manor to rescue Potter and the others. It is more a slap in the face that Dobby had to die for it (at least that's how I felt). Everything else really fell into place and I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE how they told the story of the "Three Brothers" in Part 1. It is only because they were making two movies from one book were they able to do this I'm sure.
So this morning at 10:00 A.M. I took my seat in anticipation of the final piece in the Harry Potter puzzle. I don't think in 2001 I really acknowledged that this would all come to an end some day. I definitely did not realize how involved I would be with all the characters. Yes, I cried A LOT during this film and even threw my hands up and cheered multiple times. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 did it's best to give me the final installment I so anxiously awaited. The only real rub I had was Harry breaking the Elder Wand in two (which does NOT happen in the book). Now, I would have been fine if they had him do this after he repaired his original wand like he is supposed to, but they didn't. That irks me because the act of repairing his own wand and reburying the Elder Wand with Dumbledore (which IS what happens in the book) shows how mature and humble he is acting in not accepting the Elder Wand as his own therefore avoiding any temptation of greed/power. However, I can live with that since it is the only real problem I had.
Everything else went well. They didn't cover Dumbledore's life and family secrets or his relationship with Grindenwald, but really it was an okay subplot to avoid. They did keep the scene at King's Cross, and the major points were covered. They sort of blew over the death of Fred which I'm okay with because that particular scene in the novel D-E-V-A-S-T-A-T-E-D me! (Percy redeems himself a mere second before his brother is killed! WTH? Percy should have died because no one likes him anyway!) My heart broke mostly for George who would never have his twin with him again. As sad as I was about Tonks and Lupin, I think they handled that well (except for the random comment Lupin makes about his son when Harry uses the Resurrection Stone-since they didn't build that subplot up properly it was a weird comment to make in the film).
I think I cried the hardest at Snape's incredibly violent death and then his crying (like with his tears) out his memories to Harry. Honestly, I always routed for Snape even when it seemed like he had done his worst by killing Dumbledore. I was so relieved when I read the seventh book to discover that my faith in Snape was rewarded. In the novel his memories are sad in that he causes Lily to cut off their friendship after calling her a Mudblood (it would be like Ron calling Hermione one) to look tough while being bullied by James and Sirius. In the film they made it seem like their first year in Hogwarts Lily just seemed to take a shine to James over Snape. I'm okay with it but would have like to see them all as teens since that's when Snape's heart is broken for the first time. Yet, I LOVE how they show Snape discovering Lily's body after Voldemort murders her. I was a sobbing mess!
Finally, the epilogue was perfect! Now I am an adamant believer that Rowling NEVER needs to write about any of this ever again. She did a lovely job of tying up everything and showing how life goes on in her epilogue. I don't need to know what Harry's children do at Hogwarts. I don't need to see what happens directly after the fall of Lord Voldemort (The Harry Potter Lexicon is a wonderful site if anyone wants to know what happened post Voldemort). I am quite content where she's left us. My sister had commented that she wished they had put wizard pictures of the Harry/Ginny and Ron/Hermione weddings and their lives on the sides of the credits. That would have been cool, but really I'm happy. I did register at Pottermore where it looks like Rowling will be posting all her notes and back stories, etc. but that doesn't mean I want her to actually publish this stuff. I fear that if she does, she'll "jump the shark" and the original seven stories will lose their magic (no pun intended).
So good-bye for now Harry Potter at least until my super-duper mega Blu-Ray boxed set of all the films is available:). (Damn it. I'm choking up again just typing this!)
Friday, July 15, 2011
Let the Harry Potter Movie Marathon Begin!
Instead of writing last night over all the movies, I decided to make it an ongoing observation while I watched all the films today leading up to seeing the final Harry Potter movie tomorrow morning. My goal will be to use five sentences or less for each film. I want to cover how I feel about the movie version of each novel and what they should have or have not done. Here we go:
AGAIN SPOILER ALERT: IF YOU HAVE NOT READ OR SEEN ANYTHING HARRY POTTER (GET OUT FROM UNDER THE ROCK YOU MUST BE WEDGED UNDER) BE WARNED THAT I DISCUSS IT ALL IN HERE.
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone-this was pretty easy to translate to the big screen. I don't mean to belittle the difficulty in making the movie; I mean that it is the smallest novel so most of the story made it into the movie with a few minor details that were okay to live without. However, they placed Ron in the Forbidden Forrest when it was in fact Neville who had to accompany Harry, Hermione, and Malfoy on detention. This seems innocent enough, BUT it is a vital piece when thinking about Neville's roll later in the series. It definitely makes his courage at standing up to Harry, Ron, and Hermione a little less urgent than it actually was since in the novel he had to suffer the consequences of their negative actions.
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets-Again, the novel is small enough that nothing was really altered too much in the film. I do love Kenneth Branagh as arrogant and incompetent Gilderoy Lockhart. Yet in the end this is my least favorite book and movie. Therefore, I watch it more out of my obsession since I can't just skip it. I do wish they had showed a little more about Ginny's feelings for Harry because it would have tied in nicely in later films.
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban-My favorite film (not book). Cuaron managed to completely recreate Hogwarts by giving it a more sophisticated look and allowing the "students" to dress like actual teenagers. The cinematography is unmatched in any other film, and the Dementors are truly frightening. Of course I'm disappointed they aren't more forthcoming about who actually created the Marauder's Map (James, Sirius, Lupin, Pettigrew), but I'm okay with Harry getting his Firebolt at the end of the film instead of the middle. What I wouldn't give for a Time Turner!
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire-Here's where we start running into trouble. The novel is much larger than its predecessors; therefore, there must be decisions made for the movie. I think they did pretty well by making sure the Triwizard Tournament was enticing, but they chose to leave out a few bits I felt needed to make the cut.* Ludo Bagman would have been a great comical character to add a little dimension to wizards in general showing that they too are susceptible to something as minor as addiction. They should have DEFINITELY included Winky and the story behind Barty Crouch Jr.'s escape from Azkaban, Hermione's obsession with liberating house elves (S.P.E.W.), and it should have stayed Dobby and not been changed to Neville giving Harry the gillyweed.
*I will go into greater detail about vital story lines that were left underdeveloped at the bottom.
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix-This is the most disappointing of all the films because they cut out incredibly vital information. Naturally, I was a little more critical since this was my favorite novel, but I don't think my disappointment is unjustified. Although this film's take on the fascist-like regime of the Ministry of Magic is intriguing, I would have preferred to see St. Mungo's and the lifetime ban from Quidditch that Harry receives allowing Ginny to start forming as a solid character. This will be sentence five; therefore, I'll save my corrections that should be made for my extended explanation at the bottom.
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince-My biggest beef with this film is how they add things that don't even exist in the novel at the expense of omitting some key elements. How about instead of blowing up the Burrow we show the relationship of Fleur and Bill? Or instead of Harry watching the tube cars at the beginning we actually show Harry spending his summer with the Weasleys and getting to know Ginny a little better so that we don't have to fabricate a relationship that seems based solely on inappropriate sexual tension instead of a firmly built friendship?! I am glad they have the memories of Tom Riddle, but the really good back story (the Gaunts) they don't include. The comedy in this film was also pretty good especially the scenes after Harry takes the Felix Felicis.
Here is where I will stop examining each movie since I'd like to tackle both installments of the final film after seeing it tomorrow. Below is a quick list of things the movies didn't cover that I feel cheats the viewer and angers those of us that love the stories:
1. Neville is poorly set up in the earlier movies (remember he was left out of the forbidden forest scene), and they also neglect to show his depth at St. Mungos in movie five. Because of this, his bravery at destroying the final Horcrux (although awesome I'm sure) will be missing some of its greatness.
2. Dobby disappears after movie two and doesn't reappear until the first part of film seven. Dobby is a constant aid and support for Harry throughout the stories (Dobby gives the gillyweed, discovers the Room of Requirement, follows Malfoy around to see if he's a Death Eater, and encourages Hermione's obsession with S.P.E.W.) and isn't given his proper due. Therefore, his death in the seventh film, though sad, isn't nearly as devastating as it was when I read it. Not to mention the importance of Harry carving "Here Lies Dobby: A Free Elf" on Dobby's tombstone is completely ignored.
3. Harry and Ginny's relationship is a ridiculous and awkward one because they are trying to cram a whole bunch of feelings into inappropriate moments (bending down to tie Harry's shoe, snogging in the Room of Requirement-for some reason they gave Ron and Lavendar Harry and Ginny's kissing scene, zipping up dresses where clearly no bra is being worn). Ginny gradually rises as a strong and independent character throughout books five and six. She takes over as Seeker when Harry receives a lifetime ban on Quidditch in book five proving her athletic ability. She also becomes a key member of Dumbledore's Army showing she doesn't mind getting her hands dirty and is a powerful witch. All of these things make her a sharp contrast to the other girls in Potter's world who are focused on the lovey-dovey girly things of adolescence. Harry doesn't have time for this kind of nonsense since his whole wizarding life has pitted him against pure evil. Ginny gets that hence making her the perfect partner for Harry.
4. They should have had some form of Quidditch in movie five in order to lead to the lifetime ban to lead to Ginny's character development. They should have showed Ron and Hermione becoming Prefects and not Harry in order to show that Harry isn't always the Chosen One and how he handles that (not very well actually). They should have shown St. Mungo's in order to see the broader world of witches and wizards AND how Neville handles being the son of demented aurors. They should have made the prophecy more clear in that it only states a child born near the end of July and not specifically Harry Potter because Neville was also born near the end of July and could have been the Chosen One. However, Lord Voldemort decided Harry (the one who's ancestry was only half-wizard like his own instead of the pureblooded Longbottom) would be his equal. It's all so necessary! They should have shown Harry destroying Dumbledore's office at the end because Harry's a teenager who's been expected to act as a savior on multiple occasions and just lost the last living member of his family. He needed a catharsis and this would have shown it. Ahhh!
Regardless of my "issues," I never miss a chance to watch these films. I love when ABC Family has a Harry Potter weekend. I own most of them on DVD and have already informed my husband that I will be purchasing the super-duper mega extras included blu-ray complete set once they are all out. I just love this magical world and will relive it as often as possible.
Tomorrow's a big day, and I must prepare for it!
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets-Again, the novel is small enough that nothing was really altered too much in the film. I do love Kenneth Branagh as arrogant and incompetent Gilderoy Lockhart. Yet in the end this is my least favorite book and movie. Therefore, I watch it more out of my obsession since I can't just skip it. I do wish they had showed a little more about Ginny's feelings for Harry because it would have tied in nicely in later films.
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban-My favorite film (not book). Cuaron managed to completely recreate Hogwarts by giving it a more sophisticated look and allowing the "students" to dress like actual teenagers. The cinematography is unmatched in any other film, and the Dementors are truly frightening. Of course I'm disappointed they aren't more forthcoming about who actually created the Marauder's Map (James, Sirius, Lupin, Pettigrew), but I'm okay with Harry getting his Firebolt at the end of the film instead of the middle. What I wouldn't give for a Time Turner!
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire-Here's where we start running into trouble. The novel is much larger than its predecessors; therefore, there must be decisions made for the movie. I think they did pretty well by making sure the Triwizard Tournament was enticing, but they chose to leave out a few bits I felt needed to make the cut.* Ludo Bagman would have been a great comical character to add a little dimension to wizards in general showing that they too are susceptible to something as minor as addiction. They should have DEFINITELY included Winky and the story behind Barty Crouch Jr.'s escape from Azkaban, Hermione's obsession with liberating house elves (S.P.E.W.), and it should have stayed Dobby and not been changed to Neville giving Harry the gillyweed.
*I will go into greater detail about vital story lines that were left underdeveloped at the bottom.
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix-This is the most disappointing of all the films because they cut out incredibly vital information. Naturally, I was a little more critical since this was my favorite novel, but I don't think my disappointment is unjustified. Although this film's take on the fascist-like regime of the Ministry of Magic is intriguing, I would have preferred to see St. Mungo's and the lifetime ban from Quidditch that Harry receives allowing Ginny to start forming as a solid character. This will be sentence five; therefore, I'll save my corrections that should be made for my extended explanation at the bottom.
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince-My biggest beef with this film is how they add things that don't even exist in the novel at the expense of omitting some key elements. How about instead of blowing up the Burrow we show the relationship of Fleur and Bill? Or instead of Harry watching the tube cars at the beginning we actually show Harry spending his summer with the Weasleys and getting to know Ginny a little better so that we don't have to fabricate a relationship that seems based solely on inappropriate sexual tension instead of a firmly built friendship?! I am glad they have the memories of Tom Riddle, but the really good back story (the Gaunts) they don't include. The comedy in this film was also pretty good especially the scenes after Harry takes the Felix Felicis.
Here is where I will stop examining each movie since I'd like to tackle both installments of the final film after seeing it tomorrow. Below is a quick list of things the movies didn't cover that I feel cheats the viewer and angers those of us that love the stories:
1. Neville is poorly set up in the earlier movies (remember he was left out of the forbidden forest scene), and they also neglect to show his depth at St. Mungos in movie five. Because of this, his bravery at destroying the final Horcrux (although awesome I'm sure) will be missing some of its greatness.
2. Dobby disappears after movie two and doesn't reappear until the first part of film seven. Dobby is a constant aid and support for Harry throughout the stories (Dobby gives the gillyweed, discovers the Room of Requirement, follows Malfoy around to see if he's a Death Eater, and encourages Hermione's obsession with S.P.E.W.) and isn't given his proper due. Therefore, his death in the seventh film, though sad, isn't nearly as devastating as it was when I read it. Not to mention the importance of Harry carving "Here Lies Dobby: A Free Elf" on Dobby's tombstone is completely ignored.
3. Harry and Ginny's relationship is a ridiculous and awkward one because they are trying to cram a whole bunch of feelings into inappropriate moments (bending down to tie Harry's shoe, snogging in the Room of Requirement-for some reason they gave Ron and Lavendar Harry and Ginny's kissing scene, zipping up dresses where clearly no bra is being worn). Ginny gradually rises as a strong and independent character throughout books five and six. She takes over as Seeker when Harry receives a lifetime ban on Quidditch in book five proving her athletic ability. She also becomes a key member of Dumbledore's Army showing she doesn't mind getting her hands dirty and is a powerful witch. All of these things make her a sharp contrast to the other girls in Potter's world who are focused on the lovey-dovey girly things of adolescence. Harry doesn't have time for this kind of nonsense since his whole wizarding life has pitted him against pure evil. Ginny gets that hence making her the perfect partner for Harry.
4. They should have had some form of Quidditch in movie five in order to lead to the lifetime ban to lead to Ginny's character development. They should have showed Ron and Hermione becoming Prefects and not Harry in order to show that Harry isn't always the Chosen One and how he handles that (not very well actually). They should have shown St. Mungo's in order to see the broader world of witches and wizards AND how Neville handles being the son of demented aurors. They should have made the prophecy more clear in that it only states a child born near the end of July and not specifically Harry Potter because Neville was also born near the end of July and could have been the Chosen One. However, Lord Voldemort decided Harry (the one who's ancestry was only half-wizard like his own instead of the pureblooded Longbottom) would be his equal. It's all so necessary! They should have shown Harry destroying Dumbledore's office at the end because Harry's a teenager who's been expected to act as a savior on multiple occasions and just lost the last living member of his family. He needed a catharsis and this would have shown it. Ahhh!
Regardless of my "issues," I never miss a chance to watch these films. I love when ABC Family has a Harry Potter weekend. I own most of them on DVD and have already informed my husband that I will be purchasing the super-duper mega extras included blu-ray complete set once they are all out. I just love this magical world and will relive it as often as possible.
Tomorrow's a big day, and I must prepare for it!
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Magical Me
In three days I will see the final installment of the Harry Potter movies. This will bring to a close over a decade of adoration and adventure with a beloved book series that has been created into an (almost) equally captivating movie series. Since anyone who knows me is aware of my ability to "geek-out" when it comes to Harry Potter, I've decided to dedicate two posts to this cultural phenomenon. Tonight: the books!
As an English teacher, it is no wonder that my heart will always favor the novels. Rowling's work manages to envelop me every time I pour through the pages to experience the tale of the boy wizard. I fell in love with these during college in 2000, and continuously kicked myself for not noticing them sooner. Perhaps the reason they stayed off my radar is the same reason so many (unfortunate) people have yet to run through the barrier at King's Cross Station onto Platform 9 3/4: they have incredibly negative pre-conceived notions about who Harry Potter is.
It is not just young adult fiction. It is not just fantasy fiction. This is actual literature. Rowling manages to lay out the entire Hero's Journey across all seven novels. Archetypes pop up throughout the entire series with Potter being the Scapegoat Hero in the end. The writing advances with each book earning them upper level reading lexiles. This is genius in that the books are meant to grow with the reader. Even as an adult who reads the whole series on a regular basis (at least once a year), I try to get through the first three as quickly as possible because they are a bit juvenile They reflect the life of a 11//12/13-year-old, but by Order of the Phoenix I've escaped back into Harry's world because the much larger themes of humanity, loyalty, friendship, integrity, love, death, etc. are all present and just as meaningful to a 30-year-old as they would be to a 15-year-old reading them for the first time.
As soon as I was hooked, I made it a point to be at every midnight release for books 4-7. I did stay up through the night devouring Rowling's words much to the teasing of some of my friends. I just had to know what happened to Harry! I have a vested interest every time I read because I love the characters and feel their pain, happiness, anger, fear. Harry grows page after page and I remember being a teenager and what that entailed (two points: Harry was born in 1980 which would make him MY age and even though I was never expected to bring the downfall of an evil regime, I still had to make my way from awkward teen to responsible adult like Harry does).
One of the most beautiful aspects about Rowling's writing is her ability to weave the stories across each other. Everything has a purpose. Nothing is superfluous. If she mentions in one book that two characters have birthdays around the same time of the year, it will be important later (it could have been Neville Longbottom and the Sorcerer's Stone). That is also why re-reading them is just as entertaining and awesome as reading them for the first time. In Order of the Phoenix, Petunia makes a reference to Dementors that "that boy" told Lily about. Well naturally the reader is to assume Petunia is speaking about James. It isn't until Deathly Hallows that we learn it is actually Snape! Brilliant!
I know I keep referencing Order of the Phoenix. It's my favorite, and I'm okay knowing that I'm in the minority in that. Here is where Rowling really shows her eloquent grasp on what it means to be human especially a human teen. Harry is arrogant and angry and agitating. He has already saved his own skin multiple times and feels entitled to leadership rolls including being a full fledged member of Dumbledore's "good guys" club. As an adult, I know that Harry still has much to learn about himself and the world (I'm sure my friends in their 40s and 50s would say I still have much to learn about myself and the world). Naturally, I like watching Harry be knocked back a few pegs by not being selected as a Prefect. He may be the "Chosen One," but he's still only 15. (I teach 15-year-olds and wouldn't trust them to take down Voldemort.) He must learn to deal with not being "chosen" for once, and it is difficult for him. Everyone deals with "failure" at some point.
One of my favorite places we are introduced to is St. Mungo's Hospital where witches and wizards are taken care of by Healers when they are ill. I love that we see this side of the magical realm. Even with their abilities, they are still human and flawed. They can still be hurt and die. It also shows the wide range of careers witches and wizards enjoy (this includes all the things going on in the Ministry of Magic which we also get to know in book 5). They are people with 9 to 5 jobs and families to feed. In doing this, Rowling only makes her world and the characters within in it so much more believable. Perhaps the most poignant event is Neville visiting his parents. This gives him a dimension we have yet to see, and we understand a little more about the pressure his Gran places upon him to become the great warrior for good his parents were.
Order's greatest antagonist is not Voldemort this time, but rather a toad faced witch: Dolores Umbridge. She is the personification of all that is wrong with bureaucracy and the education system. As a teacher in a system that I feel is sometimes beyond help, Umbridge's declaration that passing tests is what school is all about solidifies my distaste and hatred for her and those/the system like her. She's the worst kind of evil because she truly believes she is doing what is right and has the powers in control supporting her!
Then there's the death of Sirius Black. He's the best link to Harry's past since he is Harry's godfather and James' best friend. My hopes where set on Harry and Sirius being a family when all was said and done. For three novels Rowling had me believe in it. It's just so upsetting I'm not even sure I can even continue writing about this...
All the books are timeless and the bottom line is these books are so much more than paper and ink! One of my dear friends loathes to read the written word, but she managed to read this entire series. I think that says a lot. I cannot wait until my son is old enough for me to begin reading to him the tale of the boy who lived!
SPOILER ALERT: IF YOU HAVE ANY INTENTION OF READING THE NOVELS (AS YOU SHOULD) I DISCUSS A FEW OF THEM HERE.
As an English teacher, it is no wonder that my heart will always favor the novels. Rowling's work manages to envelop me every time I pour through the pages to experience the tale of the boy wizard. I fell in love with these during college in 2000, and continuously kicked myself for not noticing them sooner. Perhaps the reason they stayed off my radar is the same reason so many (unfortunate) people have yet to run through the barrier at King's Cross Station onto Platform 9 3/4: they have incredibly negative pre-conceived notions about who Harry Potter is.
It is not just young adult fiction. It is not just fantasy fiction. This is actual literature. Rowling manages to lay out the entire Hero's Journey across all seven novels. Archetypes pop up throughout the entire series with Potter being the Scapegoat Hero in the end. The writing advances with each book earning them upper level reading lexiles. This is genius in that the books are meant to grow with the reader. Even as an adult who reads the whole series on a regular basis (at least once a year), I try to get through the first three as quickly as possible because they are a bit juvenile They reflect the life of a 11//12/13-year-old, but by Order of the Phoenix I've escaped back into Harry's world because the much larger themes of humanity, loyalty, friendship, integrity, love, death, etc. are all present and just as meaningful to a 30-year-old as they would be to a 15-year-old reading them for the first time.
As soon as I was hooked, I made it a point to be at every midnight release for books 4-7. I did stay up through the night devouring Rowling's words much to the teasing of some of my friends. I just had to know what happened to Harry! I have a vested interest every time I read because I love the characters and feel their pain, happiness, anger, fear. Harry grows page after page and I remember being a teenager and what that entailed (two points: Harry was born in 1980 which would make him MY age and even though I was never expected to bring the downfall of an evil regime, I still had to make my way from awkward teen to responsible adult like Harry does).
One of the most beautiful aspects about Rowling's writing is her ability to weave the stories across each other. Everything has a purpose. Nothing is superfluous. If she mentions in one book that two characters have birthdays around the same time of the year, it will be important later (it could have been Neville Longbottom and the Sorcerer's Stone). That is also why re-reading them is just as entertaining and awesome as reading them for the first time. In Order of the Phoenix, Petunia makes a reference to Dementors that "that boy" told Lily about. Well naturally the reader is to assume Petunia is speaking about James. It isn't until Deathly Hallows that we learn it is actually Snape! Brilliant!
I know I keep referencing Order of the Phoenix. It's my favorite, and I'm okay knowing that I'm in the minority in that. Here is where Rowling really shows her eloquent grasp on what it means to be human especially a human teen. Harry is arrogant and angry and agitating. He has already saved his own skin multiple times and feels entitled to leadership rolls including being a full fledged member of Dumbledore's "good guys" club. As an adult, I know that Harry still has much to learn about himself and the world (I'm sure my friends in their 40s and 50s would say I still have much to learn about myself and the world). Naturally, I like watching Harry be knocked back a few pegs by not being selected as a Prefect. He may be the "Chosen One," but he's still only 15. (I teach 15-year-olds and wouldn't trust them to take down Voldemort.) He must learn to deal with not being "chosen" for once, and it is difficult for him. Everyone deals with "failure" at some point.
One of my favorite places we are introduced to is St. Mungo's Hospital where witches and wizards are taken care of by Healers when they are ill. I love that we see this side of the magical realm. Even with their abilities, they are still human and flawed. They can still be hurt and die. It also shows the wide range of careers witches and wizards enjoy (this includes all the things going on in the Ministry of Magic which we also get to know in book 5). They are people with 9 to 5 jobs and families to feed. In doing this, Rowling only makes her world and the characters within in it so much more believable. Perhaps the most poignant event is Neville visiting his parents. This gives him a dimension we have yet to see, and we understand a little more about the pressure his Gran places upon him to become the great warrior for good his parents were.
Order's greatest antagonist is not Voldemort this time, but rather a toad faced witch: Dolores Umbridge. She is the personification of all that is wrong with bureaucracy and the education system. As a teacher in a system that I feel is sometimes beyond help, Umbridge's declaration that passing tests is what school is all about solidifies my distaste and hatred for her and those/the system like her. She's the worst kind of evil because she truly believes she is doing what is right and has the powers in control supporting her!
Then there's the death of Sirius Black. He's the best link to Harry's past since he is Harry's godfather and James' best friend. My hopes where set on Harry and Sirius being a family when all was said and done. For three novels Rowling had me believe in it. It's just so upsetting I'm not even sure I can even continue writing about this...
All the books are timeless and the bottom line is these books are so much more than paper and ink! One of my dear friends loathes to read the written word, but she managed to read this entire series. I think that says a lot. I cannot wait until my son is old enough for me to begin reading to him the tale of the boy who lived!
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Thicker Than Water
I love this song by the Laurie Berkner Band. It's a nice sentiment, isn't it? "If you're in my heart, you're in my family..." Yet I've learned that it is so much more complicated than that. I wish it were as simple as choosing who to keep in my heart therefore creating my family. That would make it incredibly easy to surround myself with "yes" relatives. Never again would I have to listen to a point-of-view that didn't coincide with my own!
Fortunately, God knows better than I and saw fit to place me in a family that is going to do what is best for me regardless of what I want to hear, see, or do. Actually, they have saved me from making a few HUGE mistakes in my life while also teaching me to step back and really look at a situation before I allow my hopeless romantic tendencies to shoot me in ridiculous directions. I can't really complain when I look at my life now and see how great it truly is. Even though it was key I make some minor mistakes while growing, saving me from the negative life changing ones is an important job for family. In the end I know that I learn from ALL members of my family whether or not I am in the mood to keep them in my heart.
If I didn't already make it clear in earlier posts, my husband's grandmother "gave" us a set of dishes that I didn't want or need. By gave I mean she conned us into paying $100 for them to get them off her hands. This angered me greatly and when they arrived it took everything in me not to kick the UPS boxes down the street. Deep down I know that marrying my husband meant the joining of our families, and if I expect him to respect my family, I should show his the same courtesy. (People can argue with me all they want, but I believe that you marry more than that one person. It's a package deal, so if the future in-laws are pains in the ass before the wedding it is probably wise NOT to get married.) I was due for Reconciliation anyway (I go once a month), so I figured I should ask for some help in handling the anger I felt towards the grandmother-in-law (GIL).
No, the priest did not guilt me into keeping the dishes. Actually, he had me laughing so hard I sort of wondered if I could be heard outside the Confessional. My favorite part was when he told me it would have been instantly gratifying to go skeet shooting with the dishes and when GIL asked how the dishes were working I could say they were a blast! However, in the long run he knew I would feel bad, since the dishes are really nice, if an occasion arose where the dishes actually came in handy. He reminded me how important it was to look at these situations in various ways and helpful if I could find a way to turn the frustration and anger into humor (he also referenced Everybody Loves Raymond in there somewhere). When I started to think about it, it was $100 that we didn't have to pay on the room where we stayed or on admission to museums or food since hubby's dad paid for pretty much everything. Do I like that I was bamboozled? Of course not, but GIL will be gone some day and those dishes might be a fond memory for my hubby if only for him to shake his head and smile/smirk about his grandmother.
Soooooo....
We have a new set of dishes:
Sunday, July 03, 2011
Have Tot Will Travel
There are a few things I came to grips with while traveling with my tiny tot. Naturally, my anxiety level shot through the roof when my hubby proclaimed we were taking a 5 day vacation out of state because that meant we would be on an airplane for hours (I don't do road trips). I remembered the days of being on an airplane with someone's kid screaming or bludgeoning the chair in front of him with a foot (I usually was in said chair as it happened). Then there was all the stuff I didn't want to forget to pack. Small children require a ludicrous amount of luggage especially if they are not potty trained yet. Since we made it back to Texas a happy family, I did a little reflection and decided to offer up some useful tidbits:
1. ALWAYS pack the stroller. Even if you have to check it at the plane. Even if your hubby says it's for lazy parents because two parents should be able to tag team and watch one kid. Even if it will cost a small fee. Just take the damn stroller. There will come a point when your little one will refuse to do any more walking (which-chances are-you already knew as an intelligent mother hence arguing with your hubby about whether or not to take it) and will need to be carried. At 30ish pounds, that little stinker can get heavy.
2. Don't worry about being judged. It finally occurred to me on the way home that the only people judging my parenting skills if my son lost it on the plane would be the ones who have NEVER had kids or been around them. Everyone else either had children my son's age or older children who were once my son's age, so they were more empathic than irritated whenever my son reared his terrifying terrible two head. (So all those people who were hacked during that less than a quarter of the flight my son cried can go do something inappropriately diabolical to themselves. He's two! He's never flown before! He was a perfect angel on the flight home.)
3. Don't pack "baby" items that you can buy at a local store. My son already required a ton of packing, so we didn't pack diapers. We had a few to keep in the carry-on for the traveling, but then hit up the Golden Eagle to buy a package of them once we got to Slippery Rock. That saved suitcase space and weight. If my son was still itty-bitty, I probably would have done the same with formula.
4. Allow others to watch your child. I'm sure somewhere someone will think I was just being lazy. However, whenever we were near family everyone else wanted to play with or watch my son. I would have simply added to the old adage "too many chiefs... ." Therefore, I sat back and let the great-grandparents and grandfather walk around and entertain my son. I felt bad the first 10 minutes but figured "oh well-they wanted to meet him so they can get to know him while I enjoy my vacay."
5. Over book the activities (but make sure to rank them in case you can't do them all). I knew that one day would be a complete family day, but that still left roughly 3 days to entertain my son and myself. I made sure to have a list of places to go and see. It turned out that my list came in handy since we did everything I suggested. The one day we didn't plan anything other than family time turned out to be a disaster.
6. Make sure all activities are appealing to you and your child. We had a blast at the Children's Museum, and my son actually enjoyed the Museums of Natural History and Art (we "rented" a stroller for that one). The zoo was the only iffy activity, but it still worked out okay for us. Nothing we did was entirely for adults or entirely for children (not even the Children's Museum).
7. Be grateful that ketchup is classified as a vegetable. I bet most mothers are concerned about making sure their children eat as balanced a meal as possible. Unfortunately, vacation means eatin' on the fly most of the time or going to restaurants that don't necessarily cater to stuffing kids full of vitamins and minerals. My son lived off of hot dogs, grilled cheese, and cheeseburgers. Most of these didn't come with a side of broccoli, so fries and ketchup it was. I figure that five days of that won't kill him.
8. Be understanding if your hubby gets a little edgy toward the end of the trip because the two of you were sharing one room with your kid. I don't think I need to explain that one any further.
I would like this list to be an even 10, but alas it looks like 8 is where it must stop. However, feel free to comment any other tips or tricks you've learned while going on holiday will the kiddos.
1. ALWAYS pack the stroller. Even if you have to check it at the plane. Even if your hubby says it's for lazy parents because two parents should be able to tag team and watch one kid. Even if it will cost a small fee. Just take the damn stroller. There will come a point when your little one will refuse to do any more walking (which-chances are-you already knew as an intelligent mother hence arguing with your hubby about whether or not to take it) and will need to be carried. At 30ish pounds, that little stinker can get heavy.
2. Don't worry about being judged. It finally occurred to me on the way home that the only people judging my parenting skills if my son lost it on the plane would be the ones who have NEVER had kids or been around them. Everyone else either had children my son's age or older children who were once my son's age, so they were more empathic than irritated whenever my son reared his terrifying terrible two head. (So all those people who were hacked during that less than a quarter of the flight my son cried can go do something inappropriately diabolical to themselves. He's two! He's never flown before! He was a perfect angel on the flight home.)
3. Don't pack "baby" items that you can buy at a local store. My son already required a ton of packing, so we didn't pack diapers. We had a few to keep in the carry-on for the traveling, but then hit up the Golden Eagle to buy a package of them once we got to Slippery Rock. That saved suitcase space and weight. If my son was still itty-bitty, I probably would have done the same with formula.
4. Allow others to watch your child. I'm sure somewhere someone will think I was just being lazy. However, whenever we were near family everyone else wanted to play with or watch my son. I would have simply added to the old adage "too many chiefs... ." Therefore, I sat back and let the great-grandparents and grandfather walk around and entertain my son. I felt bad the first 10 minutes but figured "oh well-they wanted to meet him so they can get to know him while I enjoy my vacay."
5. Over book the activities (but make sure to rank them in case you can't do them all). I knew that one day would be a complete family day, but that still left roughly 3 days to entertain my son and myself. I made sure to have a list of places to go and see. It turned out that my list came in handy since we did everything I suggested. The one day we didn't plan anything other than family time turned out to be a disaster.
6. Make sure all activities are appealing to you and your child. We had a blast at the Children's Museum, and my son actually enjoyed the Museums of Natural History and Art (we "rented" a stroller for that one). The zoo was the only iffy activity, but it still worked out okay for us. Nothing we did was entirely for adults or entirely for children (not even the Children's Museum).
7. Be grateful that ketchup is classified as a vegetable. I bet most mothers are concerned about making sure their children eat as balanced a meal as possible. Unfortunately, vacation means eatin' on the fly most of the time or going to restaurants that don't necessarily cater to stuffing kids full of vitamins and minerals. My son lived off of hot dogs, grilled cheese, and cheeseburgers. Most of these didn't come with a side of broccoli, so fries and ketchup it was. I figure that five days of that won't kill him.
8. Be understanding if your hubby gets a little edgy toward the end of the trip because the two of you were sharing one room with your kid. I don't think I need to explain that one any further.
I would like this list to be an even 10, but alas it looks like 8 is where it must stop. However, feel free to comment any other tips or tricks you've learned while going on holiday will the kiddos.
Friday, July 01, 2011
Tomorrow, Tomorrow, I Love You Tomorrow
There's a small part of me that is sad to see Pennsylvania go. It might have something to do with the fact I actually had a pretty good time this week, but mostly I think it is because the low at night has been around 50 and the high each day has only reached 75. As much as I love Texas, I do NOT love the humidity that awaits my return (neither does my hair).
Today's trip took us all to the zoo/aquarium. I don't think my two-year-old is quite ready for a zoo because he seemed more entertained by the playground within the zoo than the actual animals. Hmmm. I'll give it another go in a few weeks with the zoo back home.
This vacation has really caught up with me, so the rest of this post will be a short photo journal of my day; however, I am already compiling a "things I learned while traveling with a two-year-old" entry for tomorrow:
Today's trip took us all to the zoo/aquarium. I don't think my two-year-old is quite ready for a zoo because he seemed more entertained by the playground within the zoo than the actual animals. Hmmm. I'll give it another go in a few weeks with the zoo back home.
This vacation has really caught up with me, so the rest of this post will be a short photo journal of my day; however, I am already compiling a "things I learned while traveling with a two-year-old" entry for tomorrow:
No, no, no Grampy! Don't feed me to the tigers!
Waitin' for the tram and eatin' Cheerios.
Wow! The animals actually come out during the day at this zoo because it is ungodly hot.
No slide to big for this boy.
Holy cow! I've never seen a sign that designated someone be short.
This has nothing to do with the zoo, but I figured I should document my son's redneck tendencies.
Thursday, June 30, 2011
It's a Will-o-saurus
It is safe to say that today was infinitely better than yesterday. I believe the Cosmos had some balancing to do (or maybe I racked up a ton of positive Karma by maintaining civility towards GIL yesterday). Whatever the reason I'm incredibly grateful.
The father-in-law (we'll call him Pops) spent the day with us on our journey to the Carnegie Museums of Natural History and Art. Pops' rule is that the hubby and I pay for NOTHING while he's in town. Done and done. Trust me, I will not argue. Honestly, I think Pops sincerely enjoys having us here. He's really hit it off with my young William (then again, my son is too adorable not to love). He's even treating us to the zoo/aquarium tomorrow.
The recap for today's adventure with ole Carnegie is pretty brief because a museum is a museum. We walked around the dinosaur exhibit in the morning and then walked the few blocks to Primanti Brothers for lunch. Yum-o. If you've never had a Primanti Brothers sandwich, you are an unfortunate soul. You pick a type of sandwich (I'm a pastrami and cheese girl), and that is placed on the bottom piece of bread. Then they proceed to stack french fries and coleslaw on top of that! Heaven on Earth? Why yes it is. I have yet to be able to lift one though. I use a fork:
I know you can't tell, but there is meat and cheese at the bottom. It's a multi-course meal in between two pieces of bread! Genius!
After lunch we strolled through the Art museum, and I was actually impressed with the contemporary section (except for the piece titled "Drain"-it truly is too stupid to even explain-it was just a drain mounted in the wall). The way the museum was set-up made it easy to snake through time periods. I loved it. Pops even bought be a book of Andrey Avinoff's work because I was so mesmerized by it in the exhibit. Avinoff worked mostly with water color and charcoal, and I love it when my sister uses these mediums. I guess that is why I was drawn to him (as always-pun intended):
The father-in-law (we'll call him Pops) spent the day with us on our journey to the Carnegie Museums of Natural History and Art. Pops' rule is that the hubby and I pay for NOTHING while he's in town. Done and done. Trust me, I will not argue. Honestly, I think Pops sincerely enjoys having us here. He's really hit it off with my young William (then again, my son is too adorable not to love). He's even treating us to the zoo/aquarium tomorrow.
The recap for today's adventure with ole Carnegie is pretty brief because a museum is a museum. We walked around the dinosaur exhibit in the morning and then walked the few blocks to Primanti Brothers for lunch. Yum-o. If you've never had a Primanti Brothers sandwich, you are an unfortunate soul. You pick a type of sandwich (I'm a pastrami and cheese girl), and that is placed on the bottom piece of bread. Then they proceed to stack french fries and coleslaw on top of that! Heaven on Earth? Why yes it is. I have yet to be able to lift one though. I use a fork:
After lunch we strolled through the Art museum, and I was actually impressed with the contemporary section (except for the piece titled "Drain"-it truly is too stupid to even explain-it was just a drain mounted in the wall). The way the museum was set-up made it easy to snake through time periods. I loved it. Pops even bought be a book of Andrey Avinoff's work because I was so mesmerized by it in the exhibit. Avinoff worked mostly with water color and charcoal, and I love it when my sister uses these mediums. I guess that is why I was drawn to him (as always-pun intended):
Iridescence courtesy of the Carnegie Museum of Art
We headed back and after a bit of relaxing (hubby was in desperate need of a nap) joined Pops for dinner. Now, mother-in-law (we'll call her Patience because he has had to put up with GIL for a significant amount of time longer than I) made a simple request that we bring her some Butler BlueSox gear back. The BlueSox are the prospect baseball team for her hometown. Naturally we couldn't just walk into JC Penney and find BlueSox paraphernalia, but hubby found out that the BlueSox would be playing the Slippery Rock Sliders (a few streets over from where we're staying) this evening. Figuring it would be worth a try, we packed up the Bugster and Pops and headed to the game. The bad news is that they were only selling Slider gear, but never fear dear Patience because hubby got the direct number to the BlueSox owner and will be calling him tomorrow. Apparently all the BlueSox stuff is locked in his law office for safe keeping. Hubby fully intends to swing buy and purchase some.
A quick shout-out to my kick ass hubby because he's been so encouraging when dealing with GIL and so accommodating in managing the Bugster AND a model son to a dad he sees every few years or so.
One more day down, and one more day closer to returning home.
Left: Hubby loves the triceratops Right: the biggest turtle EVER
Brushing up on fossil finding skills
I know this is incredibly morbid, but this is EXACTLY how they had all the birds set up in the aviary section. Depressing isn't it? They couldn't be flying through the air or at least up right? My husband suggested I find a way to photoshop this poor fellow onto his tummy and put him in ridiculous backgrounds as if he were "planking." The humor helped lift the tone a bit. Also, according to their chart, I would be a Kiwi, hubby would be an Ibis, and Willster would be a Puffin based on our personalities.
This sign is in the parking lot of the ball field. I suppose prospect baseball can be dangerous.
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Is It Saturday Yet?
Well it happened. Today my visit to Slippery Rock delivered all the frustration and anger I had been dreading, and thought I might avoid, earlier in the week. See I have never been comfortable around the grandmother-in-law (GIL) because I...well I...I don't like her. Something about her just isn't right (plus she canceled all the hotel reservations for the hubby's dad and aunt and herself for our wedding citing the danger in Hurricane Rita who was suppose to hit the weekend of our wedding meaning she missed her grandson's wedding-BTW I live in Dallas which is no where near the coast-also GIL managed to fly to California to see her daughter but has never been able to make it to Dallas). The last time we visited years ago we stopped in a McDonald's to grab a bite to eat and she thought that would be the prime opportunity to trim her toenails that were bothering her in her socks right there in the middle of the restaurant! Then she had the audacity to complain about a restaurant who didn't have the proper white tea cups. Really?
Why did I expect any less this go around? Honestly I didn't which is why I was so nasty about the trip up here. As mentioned before, part of this trip was to also help ship a set of dishes that the GIL insisted we have. Actually, she was quite put out that we refused to drive up here with a two-year-old in order to take the dishes back with us. In her lunatic state, she wanted to wait till we got here to bother taking them to Staples and shipping them (another issue: she expected us to set aside an entire day for a 30 minute errand). It turns out ole GIL isn't as loony toony as I assumed. We got everything to Staples and once it was all packed up and labeled MY HUSBAND AND I WERE EXPECTED TO PAY FOR THE SHIPPING!!! What the hell?! Are you effing kidding me? I DON'T NEED THE DAMN DISHES AND WAS ONLY BEING POLITE IN AGREEING TO GO ALONG FOR THE SHIPPING EXPEDITION. $100 was spent on a set of dishes we'll never use and don't have room for. I was livid! The manipulative crone got us to pay to take those stupid things off her hands! Even if I had liked the dishes and contemplated keeping/using them, I sure as hell don't want them now!
Naturally that put me in a wretched mood. I figured whatever GIL had planned for the rest of the afternoon might take my mind off of it. NOPE. She expected us to kill 3 1/2 hours between Staples and dinner (my son missed his nap today because of her stupid plan) just sitting in the "mall" and letting Will play in the indoor playground. Ah! We could have let Will nap and then met up with them to go to Staples, and I wouldn't have been bored out of my mind. Obviously that did not improve my temper. I hoped it wouldn't get worse, oh but it did.
We got to the restaurant for dinner (I actually enjoy Eat'nPark) and Will started to whine a bit. Of course he did because he was exhausted. She started sort of whining back, "Oh are you thirsty. Do you want water?" I let her know that he would be fine as soon as the server came around and got him milk. She passively chastised me and said to Will, "You want water don't you. Yes Grammy will get you water." Then she looked at me condescendingly and with a dismissive tone demanded, "We'll have some water." Uh okay psycho. Do I look like I work here or that I'm indentured to you in any way? She actually expected me to go and hunt down a server somewhere in the restaurant and get water for my son. (I must have misheard you because you said Grammy would get the water so get your old ass up and find a server yourself!) When it was clear I was going no where because my son was just fine waiting for the server she began to holler at her husband (a total gem by the way-I like him the same amount as I dislike her) who was slowly making his way to the table, "Get the waitress. Go over there and get her!" No joke. She sat there and did everything but snap her fingers at her husband. Good grief!
I know a lot of this is probably lost in translation since you really have to experience the GIL to know what I mean. I am just grateful that we won't have another all day GIL experience while we're here.
More pics of my cutie-patootie:
Why did I expect any less this go around? Honestly I didn't which is why I was so nasty about the trip up here. As mentioned before, part of this trip was to also help ship a set of dishes that the GIL insisted we have. Actually, she was quite put out that we refused to drive up here with a two-year-old in order to take the dishes back with us. In her lunatic state, she wanted to wait till we got here to bother taking them to Staples and shipping them (another issue: she expected us to set aside an entire day for a 30 minute errand). It turns out ole GIL isn't as loony toony as I assumed. We got everything to Staples and once it was all packed up and labeled MY HUSBAND AND I WERE EXPECTED TO PAY FOR THE SHIPPING!!! What the hell?! Are you effing kidding me? I DON'T NEED THE DAMN DISHES AND WAS ONLY BEING POLITE IN AGREEING TO GO ALONG FOR THE SHIPPING EXPEDITION. $100 was spent on a set of dishes we'll never use and don't have room for. I was livid! The manipulative crone got us to pay to take those stupid things off her hands! Even if I had liked the dishes and contemplated keeping/using them, I sure as hell don't want them now!
Naturally that put me in a wretched mood. I figured whatever GIL had planned for the rest of the afternoon might take my mind off of it. NOPE. She expected us to kill 3 1/2 hours between Staples and dinner (my son missed his nap today because of her stupid plan) just sitting in the "mall" and letting Will play in the indoor playground. Ah! We could have let Will nap and then met up with them to go to Staples, and I wouldn't have been bored out of my mind. Obviously that did not improve my temper. I hoped it wouldn't get worse, oh but it did.
We got to the restaurant for dinner (I actually enjoy Eat'nPark) and Will started to whine a bit. Of course he did because he was exhausted. She started sort of whining back, "Oh are you thirsty. Do you want water?" I let her know that he would be fine as soon as the server came around and got him milk. She passively chastised me and said to Will, "You want water don't you. Yes Grammy will get you water." Then she looked at me condescendingly and with a dismissive tone demanded, "We'll have some water." Uh okay psycho. Do I look like I work here or that I'm indentured to you in any way? She actually expected me to go and hunt down a server somewhere in the restaurant and get water for my son. (I must have misheard you because you said Grammy would get the water so get your old ass up and find a server yourself!) When it was clear I was going no where because my son was just fine waiting for the server she began to holler at her husband (a total gem by the way-I like him the same amount as I dislike her) who was slowly making his way to the table, "Get the waitress. Go over there and get her!" No joke. She sat there and did everything but snap her fingers at her husband. Good grief!
I know a lot of this is probably lost in translation since you really have to experience the GIL to know what I mean. I am just grateful that we won't have another all day GIL experience while we're here.
More pics of my cutie-patootie:
Daddy bought him a Pirates baseball bat and ball. He insisted on holding it in the car.
Yea for indoor playgrounds at the "mall."
He was so stinkin' pooped that he actually fell asleep while eating dinner. My fellow mom's out there know how frustrating that is to watch your child battle both sleep and hunger.
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
A Staples Expedition
Day two of our family vacay has ended successfully. As a matter of fact, this might be a shorter entry because I'm exhausted and want to share a bunch of pictures. We spent the morning in Pittsburgh at the Children's Museum and IT WAS AWESOME! It is the coolest museum I've ever been too. I wanted to quit my job and move to Pittsburgh just so I could work there! Actually, it is so beautiful up here and the people are so nice, I gave some consideration to moving here. Then I remembered that it snows A LOT up here in the winter. I don't like snow. No...I HATE SNOW AND COLD. The thought of being snowed in or having to shovel my way out of places makes me cringe. That alone is enough to keep me in Texas (sinus issues and all).
Anyway, the museum was the perfect place for my son to run around and be all hands on with the exhibits. They have an area where kids just make various forms of art. Will painted three pictures, screen printed a picture, made paper, played with magnet art, and messed with playdoh. We killed nearly an hour in that section alone. Then we walked through the rest of the exhibits. The Mr. Roger's neighborhood was pretty cool, but a lot was lost on my son since Mr. Roger's is really my time and not his. However, everything else was beyond exciting and I had to take a few videos because still shots would not do the place justice. My plan is to make a short movie about our trip, so I'll share that when it is ready.
We did our family duties by visiting the grandparents this afternoon. They were disappointed to hear yet again (because he's said it numerous times before) that my hubby has no intentions of becoming a Freemason. They also tried to pawn more "stuff" on us but I stood my ground and might have even offended them. Then the grandmother insisted on Chris going through a small album and identifying all the relatives in it. (At one point she covertly accused me of not paying attention, but only she and Chris could see the album because it was small! What did she expect me to do?) The whole time this was happening I kept visualizing in my head this scene from Golden Girls (just the first 3 minutes-I think you'll get my point).
Finally it was time to go because our Bugster-Mugster was getting hungry and out of sorts, but not before we planned our excursion to Staples for tomorrow. I have no idea why the grandmother is insisting on this being an ordeal. We're shipping a box full of dishes not transporting Oscars. Ugh!
To maintain balance with the Force, I'll end with happy pictures from the museum today:
Anyway, the museum was the perfect place for my son to run around and be all hands on with the exhibits. They have an area where kids just make various forms of art. Will painted three pictures, screen printed a picture, made paper, played with magnet art, and messed with playdoh. We killed nearly an hour in that section alone. Then we walked through the rest of the exhibits. The Mr. Roger's neighborhood was pretty cool, but a lot was lost on my son since Mr. Roger's is really my time and not his. However, everything else was beyond exciting and I had to take a few videos because still shots would not do the place justice. My plan is to make a short movie about our trip, so I'll share that when it is ready.
We did our family duties by visiting the grandparents this afternoon. They were disappointed to hear yet again (because he's said it numerous times before) that my hubby has no intentions of becoming a Freemason. They also tried to pawn more "stuff" on us but I stood my ground and might have even offended them. Then the grandmother insisted on Chris going through a small album and identifying all the relatives in it. (At one point she covertly accused me of not paying attention, but only she and Chris could see the album because it was small! What did she expect me to do?) The whole time this was happening I kept visualizing in my head this scene from Golden Girls (just the first 3 minutes-I think you'll get my point).
Finally it was time to go because our Bugster-Mugster was getting hungry and out of sorts, but not before we planned our excursion to Staples for tomorrow. I have no idea why the grandmother is insisting on this being an ordeal. We're shipping a box full of dishes not transporting Oscars. Ugh!
To maintain balance with the Force, I'll end with happy pictures from the museum today:
We're waiting to hear from the DMA to see when this will go on display.
Making paper from colored pulp. Pretty cool.
Anyone up for joining me on a trip to the Land of Make Believe?
One step closer to a Pirate's Life!
A giant Light Brite Board! How rockin' is that?
I'll be checking back in tomorrow, and I've also been tweeting periodically (WordNerd80) if you'd like to follow.
Monday, June 27, 2011
Won't You Be My Neighbor?
It's Croupe Family Vacation Week 2011! I promised a few friends I would blog my adventure in the Keystone State so they could experience the frustration and misery I was bound to feel while here. Misery and frustration? On vacation? Yes.
I've been sort of a bad wife lately (okay I've really been a "witch with a 'b'") when it has come to planning this trip. Chris wanted to visit his grandparents perhaps because he knows this could very well be the last time he will see them alive. Plus he wanted Will to meet his great-grandparents and paternal grandfather (that's correct-Will's NEVER met his paternal grandfather and my son is 2). Therefore, my hubby booked a FIVE DAY stay in Slippery Rock, PA where his grandparents live with the expectation that his father will arrive on Wednesday of this week. Not so bad? MY HUSBAND PLANNED NOTHING ELSE FOR THE FIVE DAYS WE WOULD BE HERE.
So I'm expected to find a way to entertain a two-year-old for hours on end in a small, college town? Uh, no thank you! There are plenty of fabulous museums in Pittsburgh, so that's where I suggested we stay (mostly so we would be in my natural habit-a city) and just drive up to Slippery Rock the one or two afternoon/evenings his grandparents wanted to see us. I even looked into the various museums and noted information of two and on the zoo. I told my husband that planning three things during a five day stay was more than sufficient, and I'm confident we would be able to do all three. He disagreed. However, he did concede to the Children's Museum and EITHER the zoo or Museum of Natural History. (I have a feeling I'll win though because who wants to sit around and stare at his/her family for hours on end-why do you think mi familia brings their own alcohol to family parties?)
At 3 A.M. my husband's alarm clock rattled me out of my two and a half hour nap (I was up late celebrating my sister's engagement). Since I had showered before hittin' the hay, I just threw on my sweat pants, a t-shirt, and a ball cap. I got the Bugster dressed and we were all out the door by 3:48. Did I mention this was in the morning? Yeah, my hubby thought a 6 A.M. flight to Milwaukee then catching a connecting flight into Pittsburgh was the best way to go. I vehemently disagree. NO ONE should be forced out of bed before 6 A.M. But I digress...
It was our Willster's first plane ride, and I've spent weeks praying for a pleasant flight. He slept the first leg of the journey, and I thought I was in the clear! Boy was I wrong! (Thanks goes out to a buddy o' mine who suggested giving Will something to nibble on as the plane took off to distract from and help with the ear popping-it worked like a champ.) The last 45 minutes of the first flight were a sobbing, screaming nightmare. My son had decided, "all done airplane" and tried to remove his Cares Harness (a HUGE waste of time and money-no one checked to see that he was secure with it and it didn't really fit-not to mention the flight attendant almost made us remove when she did notice it because she didn't believe it was government approved). It took everything in me not to bawl too. I was THAT mom with THAT kid. My hubby volunteered to sit next to our son on the connecting flight; I was convinced we wouldn't be able to get my son on to the next airplane without a fight. The second flight turned out to be significantly better than the first, and we landed at 11:00 A.M. PA time (even though it was technically fourish hours-getting up so early and my son's tantrum definitely made it feel like five+ hours on a plane). We were all starving so we grabbed McDonald's because we knew Will would eat a cheeseburger and some apples. It also didn't hurt our moods to get some food in our bellies as well.
My super hubby let me doze for an hour or so when we got to the Applebutter Inn (that's correct-we are staying at a bed and breakfast not at a hotel-I had to purchase a $12 hairdryer at the Family Dollar because I never pack one BECAUSE HOTELS HAVE HAIRDRYERS). Then it was time for our first family visit which went relatively well (pun intended). Unfortunately we were handed "stuff" to pack and bring back.* Great. Now I get to figure out how some of this "stuff" won't be getting home with me or where it will go if it does finagle its way to my house. We had dinner at a lovely Italian restaurant where Will ate all of his great-grandfather's olives and croutons from the salad. I suppose I must admit that day one was pretty successful. I did apologize for being so out of sorts about all of this to my husband. In return, he is taking us into Pittsburgh tomorrow to the Children's Museum where they apparently have a replica of Mr. Roger's set-up! That adventure should definitely produce some rockin' memories.
For now, enjoy the pics I took today:
*One of the reasons for this trip is so his grandmother can ship us some flatware that she wants us to have-another thing we DON'T need that will sit in a box taking up space somewhere in our house. I know, we didn't have to come here for her to ship it, but I am trying to play nice and it is simple and lovely flatware. It could have been far worse I suppose.
I've been sort of a bad wife lately (okay I've really been a "witch with a 'b'") when it has come to planning this trip. Chris wanted to visit his grandparents perhaps because he knows this could very well be the last time he will see them alive. Plus he wanted Will to meet his great-grandparents and paternal grandfather (that's correct-Will's NEVER met his paternal grandfather and my son is 2). Therefore, my hubby booked a FIVE DAY stay in Slippery Rock, PA where his grandparents live with the expectation that his father will arrive on Wednesday of this week. Not so bad? MY HUSBAND PLANNED NOTHING ELSE FOR THE FIVE DAYS WE WOULD BE HERE.
So I'm expected to find a way to entertain a two-year-old for hours on end in a small, college town? Uh, no thank you! There are plenty of fabulous museums in Pittsburgh, so that's where I suggested we stay (mostly so we would be in my natural habit-a city) and just drive up to Slippery Rock the one or two afternoon/evenings his grandparents wanted to see us. I even looked into the various museums and noted information of two and on the zoo. I told my husband that planning three things during a five day stay was more than sufficient, and I'm confident we would be able to do all three. He disagreed. However, he did concede to the Children's Museum and EITHER the zoo or Museum of Natural History. (I have a feeling I'll win though because who wants to sit around and stare at his/her family for hours on end-why do you think mi familia brings their own alcohol to family parties?)
At 3 A.M. my husband's alarm clock rattled me out of my two and a half hour nap (I was up late celebrating my sister's engagement). Since I had showered before hittin' the hay, I just threw on my sweat pants, a t-shirt, and a ball cap. I got the Bugster dressed and we were all out the door by 3:48. Did I mention this was in the morning? Yeah, my hubby thought a 6 A.M. flight to Milwaukee then catching a connecting flight into Pittsburgh was the best way to go. I vehemently disagree. NO ONE should be forced out of bed before 6 A.M. But I digress...
It was our Willster's first plane ride, and I've spent weeks praying for a pleasant flight. He slept the first leg of the journey, and I thought I was in the clear! Boy was I wrong! (Thanks goes out to a buddy o' mine who suggested giving Will something to nibble on as the plane took off to distract from and help with the ear popping-it worked like a champ.) The last 45 minutes of the first flight were a sobbing, screaming nightmare. My son had decided, "all done airplane" and tried to remove his Cares Harness (a HUGE waste of time and money-no one checked to see that he was secure with it and it didn't really fit-not to mention the flight attendant almost made us remove when she did notice it because she didn't believe it was government approved). It took everything in me not to bawl too. I was THAT mom with THAT kid. My hubby volunteered to sit next to our son on the connecting flight; I was convinced we wouldn't be able to get my son on to the next airplane without a fight. The second flight turned out to be significantly better than the first, and we landed at 11:00 A.M. PA time (even though it was technically fourish hours-getting up so early and my son's tantrum definitely made it feel like five+ hours on a plane). We were all starving so we grabbed McDonald's because we knew Will would eat a cheeseburger and some apples. It also didn't hurt our moods to get some food in our bellies as well.
My super hubby let me doze for an hour or so when we got to the Applebutter Inn (that's correct-we are staying at a bed and breakfast not at a hotel-I had to purchase a $12 hairdryer at the Family Dollar because I never pack one BECAUSE HOTELS HAVE HAIRDRYERS). Then it was time for our first family visit which went relatively well (pun intended). Unfortunately we were handed "stuff" to pack and bring back.* Great. Now I get to figure out how some of this "stuff" won't be getting home with me or where it will go if it does finagle its way to my house. We had dinner at a lovely Italian restaurant where Will ate all of his great-grandfather's olives and croutons from the salad. I suppose I must admit that day one was pretty successful. I did apologize for being so out of sorts about all of this to my husband. In return, he is taking us into Pittsburgh tomorrow to the Children's Museum where they apparently have a replica of Mr. Roger's set-up! That adventure should definitely produce some rockin' memories.
For now, enjoy the pics I took today:
This one made Facebook: 4 A.M. start time, two flights, and one cheeseburger later...
The Applebutter Inn-we're three of 8 people staying here-too quiet and it kind of freaks me out but it is beautiful outside
I figured this is the perfect time and place to try my very first Clark bar
Tune back in tomorrow to see how we survived the museum.
*One of the reasons for this trip is so his grandmother can ship us some flatware that she wants us to have-another thing we DON'T need that will sit in a box taking up space somewhere in our house. I know, we didn't have to come here for her to ship it, but I am trying to play nice and it is simple and lovely flatware. It could have been far worse I suppose.
Saturday, June 25, 2011
The Way to THIS Girl's Heart...
If I asked a few of my dearest girl friends to pick their favorite actor from 2009's Star Trek*, they would probably fall into either Camp Chris or Camp Zachary with regret that they could only choose one. And who could blame them? I mean look:
Whew! Is it a little warm in here to anyone else? That's a whole lot o' hotness in one photo. Yet my vote belongs to the British Dish who played Scotty:
Go ahead and judge me. I don't care. See, my weakness has always been and will always be the off beat funny intellectuals/brains/nerds. If a man can make me laugh while holding an intelligent conversation, he will forever have a diligent devotee in me (just ask my husband). I thrive off geek vibes, and don't even get me started on what happens to me when I find out a fella can write code. Perhaps it is because I am finally finding my way around the nerding world.
My own geeky tendencies have always existed, but alas, I lived in a time and place where being popular was life or death and those kids (the ones who got to wear Reebok double-tongued shoes instead of the no label versions my mom tried to convince me were the exact same thing) found my habit of pretending to be Wonder Woman absurd. They certainly didn't share my elation at the discovery of The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi when I was twelve (imagine my mother holding out on me this quite vital information-she knew that New Hope VHS was wearing thin I watched it so much), and naturally the popular kids steered clear of SF and fantasy (How do you not find dragons cool?). What was a four-eyed, brace-face to do?
I shoved all these interests way down deep inside in hopes that I could better blend in with the crowd. However, what I discovered was that the intricate worlds of comic book heroes peaked my interest then and definitely now more than before, and I bemoan the fact that I didn't immerse myself into that culture when I was younger. Eagerly I await the release of the final installment of Harry Potter and Jackson's The Hobbit (don't think I'm not also keeping tabs on the Star Trek sequel). Since my passion for Jim Henson has been a constant in life, Labyrinth and The Dark Crystal rate at the top of my fave fantasy films. My two-year-old son can quote Yoda for goodness sake! Of course this also means that the pull toward the clever comic relief (most often a nerd in his own right) in films, television, and real life is too great to ignore.
With that said, I heard Simon Pegg on one of the various talk radio stations my husband insists on listening to in the car. Now, I was well aware of Mr. Pegg before Star Trek (if you haven't seen any of his other films, I'm not sure we can be friends anymore), and his interview promoting his biography only whetted my appetite for more. As of 9:30 this morning I am the proud owner of:
I can't start reading it quite yet because I have to finish a book for my book club. However, I am nearly busting at the seams in anticipation of the amount of aforementioned "geek vibes" that will pour forth from these pages and into my soul. Mr. Pegg if your book delivers like I hope it will, very shortly you will have one new loyal fan admiring you from Dallas, Texas!
*The problem with this statements is that only one of my dearest girl friends will have seen Star Trek because we are the duo of nerds in our group, and I have a feeling she too would pick Simon Pegg.
