Remember Me

Remember Me is a new movie that just came out featuring Robert Pattinson. And all I really have to say is... GO SEE IT! You'll be glad you did. I mean I laughed. And then I cried. Well, more like balled. And the ending took me completely, I mean completely by surprise. And even now, after the movie, I can't decide what to do. Laugh. Or cry.

This dramatic movie is about two young lovers who are both struggling with the loss of a loved one and the difficulty of living with people who don't understand. It's based around a quote by Mohandas Ghandi: "Everything you do in life will be insignificant, but it is very important that you do it." I had never really heard this quote before tonight, and this film has truely made me believe it.

It's hard to tell you much more about the movie without giving away the ending, and I really don't feel like my words would do it justice anyway. But to give it a try, because it is entirely worth it... The movie, Remember Me is about pain and heartache and exhausting anger... and somehow, the movie is about hope. It's amazing work, and I applaud the writer, Will Fetters, for this marvelous and inspiring work. I am jealous of this story and the mind that created it.

P.S. Robert Pattinson: I like you better with a little more color in your face... :)

What I Read & What I Thought

I read: Are we not aware that God does not act according to human expectations? He always surprises us.

I thought: He always surprises me. Be patient, he says. I'm trying.

I read: The Son of God was sent to earth to lead us back to God the Father. God, please do not abandon those who have abandoned you.

I thought: I have gone astray. Be patient with me, Lord. I'm trying.

Hello to a Skinnier Me!

Tonight, after gorging out on a very unhealthy supper of chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes, brown gravy, and BBQ baked beans from Hickory Park, I decided to start an online calorie counter journal. I feel that I might be apt to eat less if I can actually see how many calories I am taking in each day. I just feel so plump since Spring Break, that it is really lowering my self-esteem. Plus there is this constant struggle with being out for college track and whether or not I should be working out to get stronger or working out to get toner. Strength makes me a better athlete, while toning allows me to look skinnier, get a strong core, and feel better about myself. Oh, what to do?

So I decided my first step is to start watching what I eat. And yes I've said this a million times and have yet to change anything about my eating habits. So I thought signing up for an online calorie counter might push me to keep going with this goal. Wish me luck! And I'll keep you posted!

Home Sweet College

Yes. I am home. Back from warm temps, white beaches, Waffle Houses, Whataburgers, waves, and my whimsical life in Florida. Although I am sad to have left, it feels so good to be home, back to my warm bed, college life, my boyfriend, my family, and my planner. Iowa's not so bad...right? I am still collecting photos from the trip... so stay tuned to see my Spring Break trip through the eye of a camera lens. :)

Spring Break Extravaganza 2010!

This will probably be my final blog before I leave for Florida tomorrow! And even though I am reluctant to postpone my blogging until I return, I am so excited for a week long exciting adventure with my friends in which I refuse to be restricted by technology.

As of now, we don't have a lot of plans, which is probably why I am so stoked. We don't have to hurry to do anything or get anywhere, we are just going to travel by the seat of our pants (or rather the seat of our bikinis)! I am even leaving my planner at home, and I haven't even worried too much about how we are going to get there yet, even though that is something we should probably figure out before we leave (the GPS isn't always correct, you know!).

Hopefully the weather will cooperate and be nice and toasty for our visit to the panhandle, so we can actually where those bikinis. Either way the trip will be tons of fun, and I hope to have many great pictures and stories to blog about when I return!

Happy Blogging! :)

Words of Wisdom

A few words that were spoken to me concerning my current job search:

If you trust in the Lord, how dare you worry about finding a job. If you devote yourself to prayer and trust that God already has a path laid out for you, how dare you doubt him or his ways. Things don't just happen when and where you want them to; we are all on God's clock.

You Go Girl: James Cameron Ain't Got Nothing on You!

I'd like to dedicate today's blog to Director Kathryn Bigelow.

I don't know how many of you out there in cyber world watched the 82nd Annual Academy Awards last night, but Kathryn became the first female director to win an Oscar for her work in The Hurt Locker. I've not yet seen this movie, but it sounds like it's a must see, for the film also won Best Picture! The film had a total of nine Oscar nominations and won six.

Congrats Kathryn for continuing the legacy and goal set by women before us: TO CONQUER THE MALE SPHERE AND ULTIMATELY, RULE THE WORLD!

Fruits vs. Vegetables

On Saturday, I was having a supper of pizza and beer with some cousins of mine after we had won a volleyball tournament. And realized that my cousins have some strange beer concoctions: one putting green olives in his beer while the other adding tomato sauce. Kinda of weird, I know! But the bowl of green olives that was brought by our waitress for the beer sparked some interesting conversation. I having never tried a green olive was interested in tasting them and learning a little bit more about them.

If someone were to ask me whether I thought an olive was a fruit or a vegetable, I would have said a vegetable. But on Saturday I concluded that an olive is the only vegetable that I could think of that grew on a tree. So is an olive really a vegetable? Or is it a fruit? I wasn't sure. So we discussed.

"Isn't the difference between a fruit and a vegetable only the fact that fruits have seeds?" Well that's what I always thought.

"Um, I don't know about that, but I remember hearing that the difference between a fruit and a vegetable is that a vegetable fully ripens on its vine or plant, whereas a fruit does not fully ripen till after it is picked." Which was my cousin's two-cents worth.

"Oh like a banana," I commented. "It doesn't really ripen until way after you buy it in the store."

"Exactly!" he responded. Interesting information, I thought.

"But an olive grows on a tree right?"

"Yeah, because there's all this talk about olive branches..."

"Oh yeah that's right!"

But does an olive, black or green, fully ripen on the vine or after it's picked!? I still don't know! So after accessing Google and then the beautiful source of Wikipedia, I now know that the olive is a fruit... Who knew?

Another source says a fruit comes from a flower, much like apple trees have blossoms and tomato plants have flowers as well, but vegetable do not. But it seems like every source has a different answer, so who really knows the actual truth!?

Besides, if my brain is only so big and can only hold so much information, this is probably not something to waste that space on! And this is probably way too intellectual of a conversation to be discussing over pizza and beer!

"How 'bout them Hawkeyes, huh?"

Spring Break's a Coming!

One week until Spring Break! Yay! That is one thing I definitely will miss once I graduate: long, relaxing breaks for weeks at a time!

This year, my senior year, I am going on my first ever Spring Break trip. Yes, four of my friends, one sister, and I are packing our bags and road tripping to Florida. I've never been to Florida before so I am pretty stoked to go! Not to mention most the trips I have taken as of now have been with my parents, so it will be quite different to be states away on my own.

I am sure you all will here more about the trip as I count down the days, but for now I just wanted to say that at this time next week, I will be on my way to blue skies, warm beaches, and sunny weather! Well, at least we hope so... Please God, let it be hot when we go!!

Stay tuned for more!

Children's Books

Today, I bought three children's books on BarnesandNoble.com (Remember my shopping problem.) I purchased The Tale of Three Trees by Angela Hunt, Giraffe and a Half by Shel Silverstein, and Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault.

And yes, I probably didn't need them, but what sparked this purchase was #1: a coupon to get one children's book at half price, if you buy one at full price (go figure); and #2: I read to two elementary classes on Tuesday of this week, and it just reminded me of all the great children's books out there. There are a few books that I can remember being a huge part of my childhood, bringing back so many memories. The three I purchased are a part of that few.

And there is just something about a new, freshly printed, never opened, hardcover book. The smell of it. The perfection of it. The history behind the story in it. I know that sounds weird, but I love the tangibility of books. The fact that the story I hold in my hand will probably last for centuries past my death. The fact that I own a piece of history. It gives me chills just thinking about it.

Not to mention, I want to have a large library one day, like the one in Beauty and the Beast, with gliding ladders and shelves upon shelves of literature. I want to be surrounded by all of the great writer's before me, hopefully inspiring greatness in myself and in my own writing. wiht my stories, I want to altar history, affect it somehow, in someway. I want my stories to be written down and then cherished by someone who loves the smell of books, and the perfection you can find in them. Someone who wants to own a piece of history. Someone with a shopping addiction and a coupon.

The Whisk: A Luxury Item

There is just something about a whisk... you know the kitchen utensil, traditionally made of wire, you can use to "whisk" ingredients together like scrambled eggs, muffins, or cake batter. It's just a fun utensil, isn't it?

But the truth is, a whisk is actually an unnecessary object. You could blend scrambled eggs, muffins, or cake batter easily with just a regular kitchen spoon, wooden spoon, spatula or even a fork. So in that sense a whisk is a luxury item, a utensil invented to make life easier when life was already pretty easy. Mixing was already pretty easy, because we already had spoons and spatulas and forks.

So in purchasing items for the kitchen in my new apartment, a whisk could probably be something I should just scratch off my list and simply do without. But where would the fun be in that? For a mere $7.99, I can enjoy the luxury of soft, fluffy pancakes and perfectly scrambled eggs; finely-whipped, whipped cream and gently churned brown gravy; and smooth, velvety blueberry muffins and professionally blended cake batter. Who wouldn't want that? Sounds like I need to get myself a whisk; sounds like I am going to be living a life of luxury!

Old Water

Does water get old? Is there an expiration date on bottled water?

It's just a funny thing to think about, considering when I have a glass of water sitting out for days at a time, it somehow tastes different when I go to drink it later. Or if I find a water bottle full of water that's been in there for awhile, it for some reason really grosses me out to even think about drinking it.

But I am sure that there are droplets of water that have been in the ocean for centuries, water that has been trickling down mountains since the beginning of time, maybe even water that has stayed within our bodies since the day we were born. Does that mean water doesn't get old?

I'm not sure really... Just a thought I had today as I stared at a water bottle full of "old" water that's been sitting on my desk for what seems like weeks. What to do you think?

He Picked Who?

I am happy for Vienna...

But I just feel that Jake only chose the girl he was most physically attracted to, just like all men, always do! But hello, Tenley was the complete package! She was smart, sweet, and had an amazing body! So I can only wonder where that leaves me and all the women who are smart and sweet, but not a bodacious babe?

Yes, you guessed it... Jake proposed to Vienna. I wonder how his family feels about that one. They really didn't like Vienna at first, and I can't believe their opinions have completely changed. But whatever... Tenley for the next Bachelorette?

But I guess it's time for the next season of Dancing with the Stars... and Pamela Anderson, really? I mean come on!