rapsodyltd

Yeah been waaaaaay too long since I last posted.
Lately -- I've been obsessed with Hulu, Wil Wheaton, The Big Bang Theory, Nathan Fillion, Castle (Nathan's show), The Guild, Leverage (tv show), Subeta, Gaiaonline, DeviantART, Starbucks... and suddenly I'm craving funnel cake!

Halloween was alright. Kids dressed up and we took them to get 'candy from strangers' LOL
Gary and I were pretty beat that day so we didn't go to as many houses as the kids would have liked. And they've already consumed all their loot! *faints*

We went to an all day school harvest fair the day before so they got lots of candy from that too. Johnny especially! He was running around (dressed as a Man in Black) playing all the booth games and jumping in jumper.

More random thoughts... I tried the Mini Sirloin Burgers from Jack in the Box. Tasty! I really like them and I tried their Southwestern bowl? the other day when I was driving the girls back from theater class. Also tasty! Normally though we're not a 'fast food' family, just too costly really. I try to budget for a week of groceries/meals and stick with that. But when we are out a lot I'm not as prepared. Speaking of, tomorrow is Theater class again and Friday is their other classes/workshops. Johnny really likes karate and Naomi of course loves Scrapbooking. The girls aren't as fond of Pilates but I'm glad to have something so convenient for them to do for PE and just something to keep them fit.

Hmmm. Finally saw Monsters vs. Aliens-- funny stuff! Looking forward to seeing Planet 51. Gaia's been advertising it a lot and offered a virtual promotional item or two. Most movies they showcase there I end up seeing... except the lame or horror categories.

Just wanted to post something. Felt like talking to someone but thought this random expulsion might help quell my need.

Yes. Funnel Cake.

Yep... it's Friday again. So crazy! It flies by sometimes...
I'm starting to feel kinda icky, like an achy cold. Ugh! bad timing. Naomi has a feis tomorrow. Means a long day out doing very little but trying to stay on top of where she needs to be or getting results.

I just pray it all goes well and there's no delays and she has fun. ^_^

Took the girls out shopping the other day for dresses for the Twilight Prom event. Omg... I mean I knew our kids were growing up but nothing says just how much until you see your daughters in a dressing room trying on gowns. Wow... they look so grownup! Then later they went to show them off to a neighbor who I guess has a stash of jewelry? LOL and she let them try on some items and whoa! They looked even more grown up. Of course they all wanted some high heels but only the older two has them. It'll be fun! They get to dress up and pretend. What girl doesn't like that? I think that's why cosplay is popular. ^_^

I'm rambling... nothing new to report. Trying to get some art done for people, been a little frustrated in that area. Too many of my tools have issues... the laptop is the major one which affects everything else. *sigh* And I had an artist's block for awhile... stress I think. People think you can just churn out art with no complications. Sometimes your head's just not in it, sometimes your body isn't either (cramping hands, illness, etc) and most often it's just time!

Ok... that's enough for now. Lots of movies I want to see but haven't yet. This has been a very busy non-movie Summer- kinda sucks.
OH! I did see Nim's Island (did I report that before?) It was very cute :D I loved all the performances and who doesn't like to look at Gerard Butler? ^_^

Went with the family and our church to the beach for an event yesterday. GORGEOUS weather for it, perfect beach day in my opinion! Wasn't feeling too great though to begin with... but enjoyed myself anyway. Dragged myself down to the water for a bit and boy, am I glad I did! There were dolphins! The tide was starting to rise, the sun was going down and the kiddos (and big kiddos ^^) were in the water in front of me and behind them waves were rolling up and breaking and all of a sudden we saw two fins in the break and then as the water rose again we saw more! A whole pod! It was amazing and so awesome! ^_^

Other news: I reserved a copy of Breaking Dawn (by Stephenie Meyer, the next... last? in her Twilight series) and four tickets to the prom they're having at Vroman's are coming in the mail soon as a gift to Sarah. ^_^ She turned 16 on Friday... wow, where does the time go???
It should be fun, I don't really care to go... but chaperone/chauffeur that I am. ^_^ The girls are really eager to find dresses and really get into the event.

My grandmother passed away most peacefully on November 10th
I was a little sad but also somewhat relieved and grateful because she was gone from this realm and no longer suffering in her earthly body. She was 97 years old. It's adjustment... her absence. The funeral was postponed two weeks to accomodate the many relatives coming from out of state.

***

It's been awhile since my last post... since Eclipse I've read another incredible novel "Testament" by John Grisham. Someone I normally would not pick up but my mom insisted it was worth it and wow, it was! I should know better her recommendations are always sound.

***

I was just getting into my Wacom when my pen was broke. *sniff* but a friend said he had the same model as mine and he never uses the pen tool so I'm eagerly waiting for that awesome package. ^_^

***

I'm sitting here waiting for a maintenance person. It's an all day appointment. Blah.

"Me? I'm scared of everything. I'm scared of what I saw, I'm scared of what I did, of who I am, and most of all I'm scared of walking out of this room and never feeling the rest of my whole life the way I feel when I'm with you."

One of my favorite lines from the movie 'Dirty Dancing'. I love that movie. Not for just the obvious reasons... but lots of personal, nostalgic reasons too. Well I'm not old enough to fully relate to the character-- but as a girl, relating to innocence, first love, redefining oneself, etc. People think it's all about the dancing. ^_^ And Patrick Swayze

OCTOBER by A-ha

Dawn awaits a sleepless, English town
Of coloured gray
Here I roam the streets without you
As summer fades away
...down in the city at nights
The cold wind blows

Wherever you may be right now
It must be getting late
You're probably asleep already
I am wide awake
...down in the city at nights

"Don't be lonely"
so you've told me
But don't you worry now
Loneliness can be ignored
And time has shown me how
... down in the city at nights
I'm missing you so much

Down in the city
Down in the city...

The weekend is over. 'Oh noes! Waaaaaah!'

I'm in the middle (literally) of reading 'Eclipse' by Stephenie Meyer
The third book in a series about... teenagers, werewolves and vampires, oh my!
I picked it up Thursday night and Sarah read it first. ^_^ She breezed through it rather quickly from late Thursday evening and Friday evening ( we were out all day, and she still read some in the car!) and finished Saturday afternoon (it's 629! with prelude, epilogue and a few lengthy explanations of character histories and events) so I started it Saturday night but really delved into it Sunday.

I have to share this: http://silentearsofhope.deviantart.com/art/Bella-Jacob-and-Edward-58657863
It's my new favorite fan-compilation image. ^_^ That's Steven Strait from left, as Jacob Black and then the actress in the middle as Bella is 'unknown' and then Hayden Christensen as Edward Cullen at the right. YOW! I love that combination.

At the author's official site, Mrs. Meyers has commented that she thinks Steven is getting too old to portray Jacob but I don't think she's as knowledgeable about films as she is about writing. ^_^ Quite often actors in their 20's-30's portray characters in high school years. They're the pretty people! They can usually pull it off.

Ho-hum
back to the grind

I am in a state of melancholy. After that being said... so here reads the definition

Main Entry: 1mel·an·choly
Pronunciation: 'me-l&n-"kä-lE
Function: noun
Inflected Form(s): plural -chol·ies
Etymology: Middle English malencolie, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin melancholia, from Greek, from melan- + cholE bile -- more at GALL
1 a : an abnormal state attributed to an excess of black bile and characterized by irascibility or depression b : BLACK BILE c : MELANCHOLIA
2 a : depression of spirits : DEJECTION b : a pensive mood

BLACK BILE???? WTF!? LOL!
Ok, I've always thought of it as the 'pensive mood' defiition. Never anything so bad as actual depression. I've always thought of it as something much milder. I need a better word I guess. ^_^

*catches activity in corner of eye, blinks* OMG! a gnat just fell in my coffee LOL! ugh... oh well, protein. ^_^ (j/k) Ew... now I have to get another cup.

Aren't you happy you read my journal today? ^_^

... that I am posting twice in one day!!! Run for the hills!

Ahem. ok. Well, I'm hungry and broke... so I got a Maruchan Insta Lunch (ramen noodles) shrimp flavor... and I had to comment on a couple things
1) tiny freeze-dried shrimp look remarkably like caterpilars ... ewwww!
2) there's a warning on the side of the carton that says "CAUTION: HOT! Handle with care, Especially when serving children" Whoa... now you know how the warning system works yah? It had to happen first IRL to be printed on the product. Ouch!

***

OTHER NEWS:
Does anyone watch that show SHARK? Starring James Woods as a criminal attorney
I was watching a repeat last night (no doubt new episodes are soon arrive-- most are advertising the week of Sept 21-27) I really like this show, I hope it survived. James Woods is awesome!
I was watching and thinking 'where have I seen the actress that plays his daughter?' then it hit- OH YEAH! she's the 'nature girl' Layla from 'SKY HIGH' ^_^ (family favorite- the film) her name is Danielle Panabaker she's actually been in a lot of things I've seen.

Which got me thinking about Steven Strait again... naturally. ^_^
I kinda do wish that they'd put him in the 'Twilight' film as Jacob Black, plenty of 'older' He's only 21 now and for example, Jason Behr played the hot Max in high school in 'ROSWELL' and he was 26 at the time. I think Steven could pull it off nicely. ^_^

I digress... my cup o' noodles is empty.
Back to work

At work... kinda blah- ok but not fabulous
Greatest desire at this moment... to be home in bed, comfy with some good eats and maybe a venti peppermint mocha latte- and reading 'Eclipse'. ^_^
(No, I haven't read it yet... so please no spoilers. I don't have the money to buy it, so I am waiting impatiently on our local library)

I'm so happy though it's starting to feel like Autumn! (aka the season of Fall) It was actually chilly at the beach last night! BTW, update... it was a nice 'beach thing' ^_^ Hot dogs over the firepit, and lots of other goodies then more play in the sand and water (not me, I was just enjoying the day from my beach chair) then smores! then sing-along ^_^

ok, back to the grind...

I dunno why I am kinda down... aside from being excited about some charms I just bought ^_^ I feel really moody... I wish I had some cash to get out for a bit.

I don't want to give details to the reasons for not being able to do the things I had planned today. Just glad the day is over which is sad because usually Saturdays are my fave.

Tomorrow is Sunday. In the morning there's church then we are having a beach thing. The last hurrah of Summer - BBQ, smores, songs around the fire. Should be nice ^_^

Ok... now to bed.

Monday = Ney Ney

I'm definitely like my favorite animated cat, Garfield... in that Mondays are not my favorite day, unless it's a holiday ^_^

MOVIES:
Meet the Robinsons
It was cute, and fair story, awesome animation... but I kept dozing off! LOL The kids seemed to like it, especially the boy (5yo) that's a big plus to me.

Nancy Drew
I really liked this! I took the girls and a neighbor friend. It was a girls night! :D And we had a very nice time! I could see it being a series, either in film or tv. I realize there's probably a lot of opinions about it but I thought it was fun. ^_^

Ugh... must face the day.
Onward and upward!

Omg! I can't believe it's July!!!
Time just flies... and today is special. ^_^
It's my mum's birthday. :D Happy Birthday, Mom!

It's my father in law's b-day too, how ironic is that?
Happy Birthday, Brad! ^_^

I wish I had to day off today... I really don't like mid-week holidays. It's cool, I get Wednesday off. But I prefer longer weekends. Have to drag myself through two days of work THEN get a day off. LOL Ah well

Probably going to go see a pyro show on Tuesday evening. My man will be working the field. (hey, baby!) Those shows are always great. ^_^

He'll be workin' though, and the 4th so that's always a downer for me... guess I'll take the kids to the grandparents' to have some food and watch some neighborhood displays. Only thing is I really don't like traveling that night, with all the crazies out litering the streets with their celebatory (sp?) doodads.

I really wish everyone a wonderful holiday, be safe!

I've been watching a lot of John Pinette (stand-up comedian) vid clips at YouTube lately. He's so hilarious! One catch phrase he has is 'ney ney' a negative response to things he dislikes. ^_^

Movies...
after Spidey 3

Shrek 3
Not as good in story as the first two but the animation was WOW
Still fairly entertaining especially the princesses ^_^

Surf's Up
Very cute animated film - penguins that surf (it takes some literal jabs at 'Happy Feet') Voice actors are great and the story is fun. It's like Happy Feet meets North Shore LOL

Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer
It's campy of course but I (in the minority apparently) liked how they portrayed Galactus and I thought the surfer was well worth the admission.

Rentals...

Bridge to Terabithia
Very sweet story, likeable characters, great performances based on a novel

*** Otherwise--
I've been watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer, season 7
a neighbor has it on DVD so I've seen it from episode one/disc 1 thru disc 5 so far. Interesting observation, a comparison between this last season of Buffy and the last season of Angel... Buffy is far more serious and sad, Angel that season was one of the funniest ever! Interesting.
Oh sure there's a few funnies in the Buffy season it doesn't compare.

I saw the movie and I was a little confused by a few things but I'm not going to bash the movie. I had fun ^_^

But I am going to quote someone else's opinion on the film, etc because I really agree with what they said:

"...Somewhere along the line, I remembered who spiderman was, and i remembered that he is a kids hero, and that this movie is meant for the young, and the young at heart alike.

The only reason older people go to see these movies is because they grew up with the guy, they love seeing that hero and experiencing it again no matter what.

But the truth about it, is that it's not supposed to relate to us as much, it's just supposed to be a fun movie to go to, and it's supposed to be cheesy for the kids.

When I realized this, I suddenly became very open to it, and I just had fun with it.

Yes, it was long, and yes they put alot of things into it, but it was still a good movie in its own right.

I admit, the emo peter parker was a much better look for the guy, and I didn't think of him as much of a dork anymore throughout. He just needs to lose that goofy expression and we'll be good.

No, it wasn't spectacular, and I know they can do better.

Hell, in the history of the fanchise, this one might be one of the worst, but I don't regret seeing it.

I didn't expect much, I only wanted to see how things played out, and now that I have, I'm glad I did.
It was fun, they deserve that much." ~ ValkyrieAngel at DeviantART

Today when I got up it was somewhat overcast and not all the impressive, plus I was running late to work so I didn't take notice of much. I've been in my cubicle and/or in the print room until just a bit ago when I took a break to get a bite to eat (and a tasty pom/blueberry drink of course!) and as I exited the building I was struck by what a gorgeous, postcard perfect SoCal day it had become! Waaaah! and I am stuck in my cubicle until later this afternoon ... I feel cheated! ^_^

Ah well. I hope it stays like this for awhile, at least until it's officially Summer because the only thing I like about SoCal summers is going in the pool. ^_^

I hope everyone else that's in So Cal is able to enjoy this day!

(WARNING!- I'm lazy. If you read my journal at DeviantART of the same title, don't bother, I copied it. ^_^)

OMG! The special screening of 'Once More with Feeling / Smile Time' was a blast! (I took our eldest daughter, she had a blast too ) It was freezing cold that night though, Friday after the storm we had most of the day when I was running (driving) about. But it was pretty warm standing in a very boisterous line of Buffy/Angel fans.

It was very well organized by the Whedonopolis.com peoples -Kudos to them! They were even selling little goody-prop bags at the line (which included a kazoo, plastic vamp teeth, bubbles, a parking ticket and a glow stick- also a program that explained some key moments to use said props ) and raffle tickets for some really great stuff from a collection of people (including an Angel puppet and other toys from Sideshow Collectibles, and things from IDW comics and a few others and even some stuff from the Whedon himself! who was invited but could not attend)

The projectionist used a DVD and set it for captions and we all sang, quoted lines and talked back to the characters. It was so much fun! The fans in this group were a very hearty, happy bunch. I'd love to go to lots more events like that one.

I regret, I did not have a camera to capture the moment.
but I will try to link any photos I find from the group at a later time.

I'm back! Decided to leave Lj for awhile but I'm back. I hope to stay on top of things here. Especially now that I've joined the SoCal Browncoats community here. Yay! :D

OMG! I'm so excited about tomorrow night... I'm going to the benefit screening of 'Once More with Feeling' / 'Smile Time' It sounds like such a blast! ^_^
I hope to have photos and a report on it.

Agh! I didn't do so well that 12 Days of Christmas idea-- bad me.

Ah well.
Had a nice holiday ^_^ verging on another (New Year's) This one is usually quiet for us. We stay in, do a little celebrating and sometimes make it to midnight ^_^ Too crazy to be out at some of the big events with people shootin' off guns, etc.

It's COLD! I like it ^_^ I like wanting to go home and snuggle under a blankie.

Been renting movies again- and some games (we only have GameCube)
Movies:
Fearless- it was pretty good. Fairly typical martial arts film. Was it just me or was this not advertised as Jett Li's last film?
Lady in the Water- I love M Knight films! I liked this one a lot. I enjoy the snail's pace, the puzzle to be solved, etc.
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest -I'd already seen this one but most of the family had not (I'd gone alone with our oldest) It's a fun romp with Jack, Lizzie and Wil ^_^ - again
Devil Wears Prada- pretty predictable but fun to watch ^_^ I adore Anne Hathaway

More to come---

Other DVDs:
Rented- Nip/Tuck season 3 (disc 1 and 3- wtf?!)
I was very disappointed that Hollywood Video had lost their disc 2- so now I have to hunt down a copy to get back on track. Otherwise I'll try to continue watching. LOL! I love this show, it's so-- naughty
Unfortunately the surgery scenes are way too realistic for me.
Looking- I didn't buy the 1st season of 'Young Riders' as I wanted. I hope to soon. Or- I might have to go back to NetFlix ^_^ I could always drag myself to Blockbuster, although I hate that their due dates are so immediate.

Games:
Bought- Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker
we had rented it when it came out and I saw it on the shelf before Christmas at a nice discount and the kids like it, and I have a wish to own all the Zelda games ^_^
Rented- Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
WOW! I like this one! But haven't had a lot of time to try it. (kids have quite a bit ^_^)
Rented- Happy Feet
Still haven't seen the film but this game is pretty, 'eh' It's ok, it's cute, but not really good material for great gaming. It'd be better for say- Dance Dance ^_^

On the second day of Christmas my true love gave to me
two Nano iPods
and a way over-priced PS3


** Well I haven't started shopping yet though I have to tonight but for a specific gift exchange tomorrow evening.
Oh but I did participate in an ornament exchange a week or so ago and someone gave me a very pretty ornament as
a thank you gift. ^_^

Haven't decorated either-- yes, I suck. My kids think I do too. LOL No- we've just been too busy. Maybe this weekend.
(sigh) I'm beat. For Christmas I'd really like some more rest. Yeah, rest.

On a final note, my husband and I were watching tv together and there was one of those MANY diamond commercials
and I turned to him and said "honey, even when/if we hit the lotto or come into lots of money or whatever-- don't buy
me stuff like that. Get me a laptop or an iPod or gift certs for clothing or a lifetime of Starbucks-- Diamonds are not
this girl's best friend." Oh how the times have changed. ^_^