The Dark Knight

Well reader, I finally did it. I watched the Dark Knight. I was terrified to watch it because Batman Begins gave me nightmares, but I'd heard so much hullaballo about the dang thing that I sat down and watched it (with promises from Sarah that if I got too freaked out we could turn it off and she wouldn't make fun of me). I didn't really get scared. I don't like clowns so that bothered me a little, but I didn't really get freaked out. Some of the actions were a little...graphic for me. I have two general things I'd like to comment on though. Why do people quote the "Want to know how I got these scars?" line? It's a catchphrase of the Joker's and I understand that, but seriously, it's disgusting. Both stories he tells (particularly the first) are horrific and I don't like that people quote that ALL THE TIME. Secondly, I like the idea of social experimentation. I find it fascinating to see what people will do, but there's a limit. Sometimes, even here in the real world, these limits get tested. I don't remember the name of the guy who conducted the study (but if anyone is interested, drop me a line and I will make sure to find it for you), but he wanted to see what putting people (who are generally good) in a position of power (that of a jailer) does to them. So, he put out an ad and found a group of college age boys, in good health, willing to participate. Some were made jail guards and some prisoners and were to role play. The experiment was to last six weeks. If I recall correctly, the project had to be shut down after less than two weeks because of how horrific the actions had gotten. This is a real world example that goes too far. I think the use of the idea of social experimentation in the Dark Knight was very good. It makes the viewer question what they would do in the situation and what is good. That being said, overall I found the movie good enough, but I still don't understand quite why everyone loved it SO much.

A sidenote: If you enjoyed this movie, I am in no way condemning you or putting you down. Diff'rent strokes for diff'rent folks.

Of Finals, Reading, and Friends

I've been doing a lot of reading on other blogs lately (ok, one other blog mainly) and neglecting my own. I apologize to those of you who may happen to think the things I say are interesting. I just realized, while typing this, that I am writing in a way more congruent with the way I have been reading things rather than the way I write. I don't know if that made sense to anyone or not.

Finals are coming up. I took two today. One went really well, and the other...not so much. I really don't mind finals as much as a lot of people do. Particular tests will stress me out, but the experience as a whole I find rather soothing. I'm a pretty good test taker and I love the hustle and bustle of all the studying and the cramming and the late nights. Oh, I'm insane.

I have been dying to read. Almost literally. It has been such a long time (summer) since I've read anything at all that wasn't required or online amusment. I want to pick up a book and read! A really good one. For some reason I'm feeling a desire to read some sort of weighty classic (and that basically never happens). I need intellectual stimulation. Maybe I'll go tomorrow and get a library card at the Provo library.

I try not to make this a blog about my friends. That is more of what I use livejournal for. Being all angsty or adoring or both. I am confused, however, as of late. I have been trying really hard to make friends in my ward. To my delight, it is working! It started with knowing and talking to only a few people, and now they are just piling up. The problem comes when I try to balance my time between the friends I already have (those four girls who I love) and the new people. It seems like I overbalanced to the ward side and now I'm having trouble getting re-involved in the loop of the others. Sometimes, I actually feel quite out of the loop. I do not know what to do about this.

I don't want to end this blog on kind of a sour and whiney note, so I will go on with two happy things.

Marriage prep is over for the semester. I'll be honest, sometimes I thought it was boring and the topics were rather pointless. Now that it's over, though, I realize how much I really have learned and grown. At the beginning of this year, I didn't see marriage in my near future at all. I was planning on going on a mission and that was that. I didn't even have a real desire to get married and frankly, the whole idea scared me. I wanted it to happen someday, but someday could wait. Sometime during the semester, the idea of a mission started to feel uncomfortable and not sit right with me. I'm not saying no one should go. I admire you if you do go, it just started not feeling right for me. Now I've reached a point where the idea of being married is so amazing and wonderful to me. I want it more than I ever have wanted anything in my life. It will all happen in the Lord's time, but I have grown! (Possibly more on this at another time).

My family went to a Christmas parade in downtown Fredericksburg, Virginia (about 10 minutes from home and where my sister is currently living). Because I love my family and think they're beautiful (my family), I decided to share the pictures that my sister Laurel took.

This is Gabe who is thrilled, despite being frozen to death.

He got to stand on one of the floats, which he loved. Have you ever seen a more handsome little boy?

Gabe (who is my 3 year old nephew for those who don't know) catching snowflakes.

Destiny (my 4 year old niece) being gorgeous as usual.

My mom looking like a chemo patient (she hates the cold).

My momma and daddy. Like I said, Mom hates the cold.

Gabe on Glenn's head. (Glenn is my 11 year old brother)

A Crisis on the Homefront

I woke up this morning. I showered as normal and blow dryed my hair. After I got cereal, I sat down at my computer to check my facebook. Then all of a sudden, CRISIS. A guy in my ward (Ben Crowder) had posted a news item on facebook. Apparently in the Northern Virginia area (and spreading all around), the oak trees are not producing acorns. Squirrels are starving. If the squirrels starve, I will not get to eat them. Also, squirrels are one of the things I miss being out here. I never see squirrels out here. If the squirrels die and I don't get to see them at home, I do not know what I will do.

If you're interested, you can read the article here: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/11/29/AR2008112902045.html.

It's Supposed to Be Christmas-Time

I kind of like Provo. Provo is a good place. Why, you may ask? Well, it starts snowing early in november and doesn't completely let up until the end of April. What a beautiful and wonderful thing, right? Wrong! It is now December 1, 2008 here in good old Provo, Utah. Is there snow on the ground? No. Are we supposed to even have any days when the weather is below 40 degrees in the ten day forecast? No. What good is it to be in Provo in the winter if I don't get a whole ton of beautiful snow and get to see the lights and temple square all pretty and icy? Fail. Fail sauce.




This is a picture from about this time last year that I took with my FHE group. Look at all that snow!

Thanksgiving

I am lacking inspiration in things to write about lately. I thought I'd follow the trend it seems like everyone is taking and write about Thanksgiving. The day before and Thanksgiving day I was able to spend several hours at Aunt Cris's (she's Sarah's aunt) house. It was so much fun. Sarah, Caroline, and I played around a little, but were also able to spend time with the rest of her family. I really enjoyed it. There were games and piano playing and fun conversation and food and movie watching. There is no way for me to show or express how greatful I am that I had that family to be with during Thanksgiving.

As most of you know, my dad is a hunter. when he was out the morning before Thanksgiving he shot a turkey just for fun. At home they were planning on just eating lasagne and pie, but then Destiny drew a picture of herself with tears and counted them out. When they asked why she had drawn the sad picture she said it was because they were not getting to eat turkey for Thanksgiving. Needless to say, that turkey dad shot was cooked up before you could say gobble gobble. I miss Destiny and Gabriel. They are so cute.

Happy news for me, the situation with my sister's boyfriend has blown over. They broke up again (it probably won't last) so he didn't get to draw names with us and I'm very glad that the tradition can be kept within the family. I'm sad to not have a real tree in my apartment for Christmas. I want that smell very bad. Enough rambling about the holidays. For now, I just want snow!

I Used to Think I Was an Artist

For a few weeks I've been wanting to paint again.

When I was little I used to think I was an artist. Not even when I was little. Up until I was probably 15. I thought I was pretty good, and no one told me otherwise. I knew I couldn't draw people, but that didn't matter. People are boring. I took private professional art lessons for awhile. I really thought that art (watercolor painting specifically) was something I would do for the rest of my life. I loved it. Then I got to high school and there were so many people in art classes and I couldn't fit them into my schedule. When I saw what everyone was capable of, I stopped considering myself an artist. Occasionally I'd try something, but never very seriously. I didn't want to call myself an artist and then have people laugh at me.

Last night I took some time and picked out a picture. I cleared my desk and taped down my paper. I got out my palette and paints. I set out my paintbrushes and pulled out a pencil. I started some music and got to work. I sketched out the picture then started painting. It was so comforting! Like putting on your favorite pair of pajamas, or cuddling up in your bed after a trip away. I sat and painted and painted and painted. I fnished the picture and it's not perfect, but I enjoyed it. It was the process I enjoyed the most. Now I'm trying to figure out what I want to paint next. I think I'm becoming reacquainted with an old friend. Painting Ginger may be someone who is here to stay. I sure hope so.



This is the picture I painted from. If you want to see the painting you'll have to come visit me.

Because...

This is simply because the previous post would not have been complete without this

Sports Junkie

I am becoming a sports junkie. It's really kind of a problem. Now that I think about it, this may have started during the summer when I was watching the olympics. I watched almost every Michael Phelps race, of course. That wasn't all, though. I watched track and field events, gymnastics, diving, women's swimming, and volleyball. I was hooked! That kind of let off at the end of the summer, but I'm not sure the idea faded completely.



Starting this football season, I've gotten really into it. I've watched most of the away games and paid very close attention to the home games. I am working on learning more specific rules and how and why they work the way they do. I have learned the names and numbers on the football team and what positions they play. I even have come to recognize a few specific plays.

Then I started watching women's soccer. I'll go ahead and admit that I came in late in the season and not purely for the love of the sport (but that's a whole different story). Now, though, I'm once again learning what some of the plays now and felt truly sad when we lost to number 10 USC in the second round of the NCAA tournament.


Basketball season just opened here at BYU and I'm already loving it. It's a fun game to get into. I'm getting down some of the names already. There's Lee Cummard (definitely our all-star for the home opener and number 30), Jonathan Tavernari (number 45, pretty much a stud, and who I have secretly nicknamed J-tav), Jimmer Fredette (somehow I've forgotten his number), Chris Miles (number 54, he's in my mythology class), and others who I can't think of at this exact moment. I have this year's poster on the wall by my bed. I love it.

I'm not saying I already know everything, but I'm learning and this is definitely a love I don't see going away anytime soon. Not to mention the fact that I've been having this strange desire to play touch football. I know, I'm freaking myself out too.

Silly Christmas Wishes

Ok, I know this is kind of silly, but it's something I've wanted to do for awhile. It's very detailed and the details are specific and important to me. I want to go on a sleigh ride. Not sledding, a real sleigh (like Santa Claus except drawn by horses). I would like there to be an attractive boy and cute winter clothes - a hat, a scarf, gloves, a cute sweater, and a nice coat. There also should be a nice wool blanket. One of those really heavy ones just to lay across your lap. I want there to be snow on the ground and a light snow falling and a thermos full of hot chocolate. I just want to ride in the sleigh and hold hands and cuddle and converse. That is all.
Now, isn't that silly?

I'm Back!

Hello everyone and welcome to my blog. I left the blogging world for awhile (as some of you may have noticed), but I decided to come back. It feels good. In case you didn't notice, I'm already very excited for Christmas. I usually am excited for Christmas, but this year it's out of control. When you're little the excitement is for presents and Santa Claus, but now I'm excited to decorate and buy gifts for people and be in the malls and stores with the decorations, the music, and the thousands and thousands of frenzied shoppers. For some reason, even when I have no need to shop, I find it very cathartic to be among Christmas shopper's in that sort of setting. I'm weird. You'll learn that (if you don't already know). I'm in Provo, Utah right now. This time last year we had plenty of snow, but it's been strangely warm (in the 50s!). In one way, I like it. In another way, I'm ready for sweaters and scarves and wonderful things like that. I love winter clothes.
Next time, I will tell you about my silly winter desire.