My New Moon experience

Yes, I am joining the blogsphere in including my New Moon experience. I feel somewhat cliché, to be honest. But my story is rather funny/ironic, so why not!

This movie, my friends was my most anticipated movie of the year. I’m not ashamed of it. I’ve been a loyal fan since the second book came out, and the second book was one of my favorites. Ever since the second movie was announced, with its director, better budget, and awesome new cast members (who doesn’t LOVE Michael Sheen?!), I was excited.

The pre-show entertainment

We arrived at the movie theater about 45 minutes early. Jason was not too pleased by this, but I was determined to get a good seat. We joined the 20 or so people in line, and enjoyed the 15 minutes or so of a regular, waiting-in-line experience. Then a theater worker came up. I’m convinced she felt the need to display her “authority.” Not only did she force everyone to clump closely together instead of staying in line, she moved people from the back of the line to the front numerous times. And she wouldn't allow anyone to sit. Amid the 10-15 minutes of shouting pointless instructions about theater line etiquette, I was getting pretty annoyed.

By the time we were entering the theater, I think everyone was about ready to hit this lady. She stands in front of the door, lets the first wave of people in, and then practically jumps in front of the line, arms spread out, yelling, “Stop! I will not have running! Everyone needs to wait until the other people are seated.” At this point, Jason and I were in the front of the line. Jason was holding a water cup. She saw the water cup in Jason’s hands, and this is what followed:

(Storming up to Jason…)
Crazy Theater Worker: “Sir, is that alcohol you’re holding?!”
Jason: (Rather taken aback, giving her an odd look) “No…it’s water.”
CTW: “Oh, well, I have the right to ask, sir.”
Jason: “Ok.”
CTW: “Sir, it is my right to ask about the alcohol, it is my right as an employee here.”
Jason: Silence.
Kristin: Noticing Jason is not paying attention, therefore nods fervently in acknowledgement of her comments to get her to let us into the DARN THEATER!
CTW: Looking at Jason, who is still not paying attention. “I’m sorry sir, but it is my right to ask if that is alcohol, it is my right.”
Kristin: “We understand, no worries.” (All while nudging Jason, whispering, “She’s talking to you!”)
CTW: Gives me a strange look, then proceeds to let the people at the back of the line INTO THE THEATER BEFORE US! Luckily, another usher came up and said something to her, so she stopped that part of the line and let us through. Crazy, power-trip woman.


Our very own Statlers and Waldorfs, in the worse kind of way

We proceeded to the very back of the theater, mainly because of the view – I like being able to see the entire screen. Bad move on our end. Right before the movie starts, a large group of teenagers come over and sit by us. They are talking through all the previews. I didn’t mind. I was convinced that, once the movie started, they would all be quite. And of course, going to the movie opening night, I expected teenagers screaming whenever the leads came on the screen (which happened in abundance, might I add). What neither of us expected were the male hecklers. They would not SHUT UP! No matter how many times they were sshhed, glared out, or asked to be quite, they would not stop. At almost every dramatic moment, they made some comment that the entire theater could hear. The problem for us was that, from where we were sitting, we couldn’t hear any of the dialogue when they yelled stuff out. We were both extremely annoyed. So, halfway through the movie, Jason and I both agreed that we should move. We got up and moved to the front of the theater…


A live Picasso painting

The only available seats were the ones in the very front, to the far right. While the movie experience was much better (the hecklers were still going strong, but at least we could hear the movie!), the image was completely distorted. Bella had one eye at her chin, the other on her forehead. Jacob’s nose looked 2 times larger than it really was. It was rather bizarre to watch. And we saw a lot more detail than was probably planned for the average viewer. The funniest thing about our position was watching Edward take his shirt off in Volterra. Here is what happened:

Edward proceeds to step down the steps, taking his shirt off. Silence in the theater (which was strange, because every time a werewolf took his shirt off, girls screamed like crazy.)

Random girl in the audience: “Ew!”
Theater: chuckling
Kristin to Jason: “No wonder she is saying that. Edward has one nipple that is 2 times larger than the other!”
Jason: “That’s because of where we’re sitting”
Kristin: “Oh, right…”
Jason: “But what is up with all the hair around the nipples? That deserves an ‘Ew’!”
Kristin: “Agreed! Who was in charge of the Edward chest?”

*I must add that I told one of my co-workers about Edward’s poorly done chest. She saw the movie this last weekend and informed me that he DOES has a nipple that is bigger than the other. Who would have thought?*


The last straw

I left disappointed. Not in the movie. Overall, I loved the movie. It followed the book incredibly well. But the atmosphere was horrible! And the parking was the last straw…

One of the joys of living in a city and driving to these places is that you have to pay for parking everywhere, since it is so scarce. We weren’t worried though, because the theater validates the parking, so it only costs $2. What we didn’t know was that it only validates parking for 3 hours. We were there for 3 1/2, which, we learned, totaled $11!

Clearly, the fates were working against us. Looking back, it is rather funny and ironic that almost everything bad thing that could happen, happened. And we’re still laughing about it, 2 weeks later!

Dear Facebook

Dear Facebook Users,

I, like you, have enjoyed the many perks of using facebook. I have reconnected with old friends. I have stayed in touch with people I probably wouldn't have otherwise. I have stalked people I never talk to but can't help snooping into their lives. It has been a source of hours of entertainment. But I do have some complaints.

First, I am begging you, PLEASE stop playing the FarmVille/Town/whatever-it-is-called application! I don't know how much more I can handle of lost sheep needing a home, beginning farmers moving up to Grape Master or Livestock Lord, or ugly ducklings turning into beautiful swans, all appearing on my update feed. I am tired of looking at my photo gallery, only to find half of the photos of updated farms. Aside from the fact that it is a horrible waste of time (because being on facebook itself isn't a waste of time), you're not learning any real skills, as you're probably not going to become a farmer soon, so please stop!

Second, please DO NOT have dialogue with people in pictures/updates who 1. are too young to even open an account 2. have a facebook, but also happen to live with you. For example:

1. (Caption on a photo) "Me with my cutie Maggie. She's a year today! Isn't she growing up so fast?! Mom and Dad love you, Maggie, and we are so proud of you!" I'm sorry, is 1 year old Maggie going to read the captions on your facebook photos? No. She can't read. Is she going to read them 4 years down the road when she learns how to read? No. She won't comprehend anything. Is she going to read it 10 years down the road when she can understand it? No. Because facebook will probably be an archaic form of a networking site that only your generation will remember.

2. (Status update) "I sure love you George! I can't wait to get home and snuggle with you tonight!" I'm sorry, has George been out of town? Has he been in the hospital? Is there some reason why you've been separated for so long that you have to let everyone on facebook know what you are going to do in the privacy of your own home? No? Then pick up the phone and call him! Or email him. Or text him. Because we really don't care or want to know what you do in your private time with your significant other.

Third, can you please learn the proper way to update? I am mainly speaking to you, 40-years-and-up facebook users. The update feature is similar to twitter. Not sure what that is? Perhaps this is the problem. The update feature is meant for brief, one or two sentence updates, if that. What I see more of is as follows:

"Had a GREAT day! Lunch at Olive Garden (outside! It was a beautiful day!) with my hubby, babysat my grandbabies for a few hours, shopped with my girls, ran to Costco for some essentials (and yes, I bought their AMAZING cookies!), and now relaxing, catching up on my TVO'd shows! (I've already watched Grey's Anatomy twice!) What a day! Tomorrow won't be nearly as fun. I am sure grateful for my amazing husband, kids, grandkids, and friends who made it so much fun an successful!"

I hate to be the one to say it, but facebook, my friends, is not a journal. If you're looking for an electronic form of tracking what you do every day, welcome to the world of blogging! (Or Microsoft Word...)

If we can all follow these basic guidelines, I assure you facebook will continue to bring joy in online networking for years (or months? Who knows how long these things will last...) to come.

Sincerely,

Disgruntled facebook user who should probably get off facebook because, clearly, she has spent too much time on there to actually notice these things.

For all you Twilight fans

I found a couple clips from New Moon that have come out this week. Sadly, I could only embed one. The other two are links. In case you haven't seen them, enjoy!

TV spot - many werewolf scenes, which look pretty good!


And my FAVORITE. The Volturi encounter. I love Michael Sheen!

The new Rick Steves?

I've been reviewing past posts, and I've noticed a trend - I'm turning into a blogging tour guide! That was expected when we were in Europe. All of my other "tours" are limited to D.C. for the most part. I can't help it, I get so excited to explore/experience new things, I feel I have to share! Perhaps I missed my true calling in life?

Our most recent activities have involved more of Georgetown. How I love Georgetown! We've spent the past couple weekends exploring this area of the city, trying the amazing food, and taking in the culture.

This year, we made it to Taste of Georgetown. Taste of Georgetown was a perfect way for us to finally try food from some of the restaurants we simply can't afford. Our favorites (for anyone looking for a restaurant in D.C.) were Bangkok Joe's thai noodles, 1789's duck with cranberry sauce and apple dumplings, and Bourbon Steak's shrimp wraps and butterscotch pudding. Doesn't it all sound amazing? It was!

The venue. It was cold and raining, which we thought would mean less crowded. No such luck. Maybe it would have been worse if it hadn't rained?



Eating the shrimp wraps, in the drizzle/rain. Amazing!




A massive amount of baked beans. There really is no point to this picture, other than I've never seen such a large amount of baked beans before!



We've also enjoyed the glory that is Baked & Wired (amazing cupcakes - I'm pretty sure I had taste bud overload when I tried their chocolate and peanut butter cupcake!), J. Chocolatier (their hot chocolate was the most mouth-watering, rich, creamy hot chocolate I've ever had), and Surfside (a tropical Mexican restaurant. Probably the best way I can describe it. Their shrimp taco with pineapple salsa - to die for!)

We've walked around Georgetown some more and have run into...

Beautiful churches



Peaceful gardens




And the C&O canal. This canal runs all the way to Harpers Ferry (where the John Brown raids occurred) in West Virginia! We stumbled upon the park rangers running the ferry through the lock system, which was actually very neat to watch. (It was like we were at a mini Eerie Canal!) I have put this on my list of things to do in D. C.






Until the mules could be tied up to pull the ferry, this woman pulled the entire boat! I was impressed.



Walking along the mule path. The leaves were just beginning to change color. It was beautiful!



Our Georgetown excursions have been a treat. We've had some bad luck in other explorations, though...

Like Meredian Hill Park, for example.



We went because I read/heard a couple of great reviews about how beautiful this place is, a true "gem" in the District. While this fountain was incredibly impressive, especially for being in D.C., we were not too impressed with the park. It was rather run down. I'm starting to wonder if we've been spoiled by the UK/Paris parks. The walk we took to get to the park also wasn't in the greatest part of the neighborhood.

But, it's the beauty of exploration, right? I love it! We've got 2 more years here, and I feel like we've barely scratched the surface!

A summer of reading

Yup, I'm giving you all a review of what I've read this summer for 2 reasons: First, it has been an AWESOME summer of reading for me. Honestly, I couldn’t ask for a better selection of books. (Probably because I was rather indulgent, which you'll notice by all the YA books) And because I love recommendations, I'm giving you all my recommendations. Second, because I don't have too much to blog about at the moment. So, in order to post SOMETHING, you all get to read about the books I loved :)

On Hitler’s Mountain: Overcoming the Legacy of a Nazi Childhood, by Irmgard A. Hunt



I read this for a book club I occasionally go to out here, and it did not disappoint! It was a moving, riveting, revealing story about the author, who grew up in Berchtesgaden during WWII, where Hitler kept his Eagle's Nest retreat and the Nazi leadership had villas and chalets. I felt I understood why the Germans were so willing to follow Hitler almost blindly, which was rather eye-opening for me. (And actually sparked a lot of discussion with Jason and his uncle while we were in London about war. Honestly, this book made me reevaluate war in general. I love books that make you rethink ideas/issues/etc.)

Little Dorrit, by Charles Dickens



I saw the Masterpiece Theater adaptation and fell in love. The book was just as good as the mini series! Loved the characters, the eccentricities of their personalities and situations, and so much more. I've never read a Dickens book that I didn't enjoy, but I especially loved this one. And the film adaptation really is fantastic.

The Mortal Instrument Series, by Cassandra Clare



This was probably the only series I stumbled upon without some sort of recommendation (sort of. I still read the reviews and summaries before I delved into it.). There are 3 books in the series, and it was a wild ride of mythical creatures, Biblical tales, romance, action, and so much more. The author’s world was creative, wild, and fun! And probably my most indulgent read of the summer, but I loved it!

The Girl Who Could Fly, by Victoria Forester



This was another recommendation, and it was just precious! I read a review after reading the book that best described it as “Little House on the Prairie meets X-Men.” It was heart-warming and left me smiling at the end.

The Graveyard Book, by Neil Gaiman



This book I jumped into without a recommendation, simply because Neil Gaiman never needs a recommendation, in my opinion. (Honestly, have you read any of his books? Fantastic stuff, people!) This story was inventive, original, quirky, touching, and fun. Just think of The Jungle Book, but taking place in a graveyard instead of a jungle. (Hence the title!) I loved the story. I love Gaiman!

Gone with the Wind, by Margaret Mitchell

(This was the cover of my book. If you didn't know this classic Gone with the Wind picture, it could look like some trashy romance novel!)

Not only have MANY people recommended this to me over the years, but I’ve been meaning to read it for years. It is one of my favorite movies (since I was 8, I might add), so really, it is a crime I haven’t read it before now. And it did not disappoint! I loved every page! I read it in London, and I took it everywhere with me. Whenever I had to wait for anything (sitting on the Tube, waiting in line for food, etc.), I pulled it out. It was an amazing book, and I cried just as hard at the end of the book as I do in the movie. (Yes, I cry every time I see the movie, as I have done since I was 8.)



A Year in Provence, by Peter Mayle



Another recommendation that was a treat! The story is about the author’s first year moving from England to Provence. The story made me want to move to Provence! The culture, area, and people sound like an adventure that I would love to experience.

The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins



This book I can hardly stop raving about to anyone who asks me. This was recommended by quite a few people, but it wasn’t until I read a review from a literary critic I rather enjoy that I decided to read it. This book was fantastic. To give you an idea of how good this book was, I always tell Jason about books I read and enjoy. And I always try to get him to read the book. The most I can get out of him is maybe reading the first chapter, but that is it. He never reads the books I recommend. Granted, he is a VERY busy guy and has much more important things to read (like, his assignments for law school, for example), but still, he has never read I book I suggested he read. Until this book. And he loved it too! Our one disappointment is that it was a young adult novel. If it had been an adult novel, we both felt they could have delved more deeply into the MANY moral issues the characters faced, which really would have deep consequences, and probably wouldn’t have resolved as quickly. Also, I have read the sequel, and it was FANTASTIC, but I didn't read it over the summer, so no review for now.

I love books, and this summer was just a blast for reading. Which then leads me to how much I LOVE Goodreads. I joined last year, and I am loving having one place where I can keep track of all the books I want to read, and all the books I've read. I also love reading about what other people read. If you haven't joined Goodreads and love reading, join!

So there you have it. My book post of 2009. An update will follow soon!

I'm back in the real world, and I don't know how I feel about that...

Yes, getting back into a routine after London has been rough. I miss getting up whenever I want, doing whatever I want, being wherever I want - the freedom! It's amazing how much I don't feel free anymore. Obviously, I choose what I do. As in, I have chosen to work full time, keep my house clean, exercise, etc. I was free to make those choices. But part of those choices are out of necessity. If I didn't do that, we'd have no money to live on, we'd reside in a pigsty, and I'd blind little children with my Relief Society arms (seriously, I have a fear people!). Of course, I LOVE my life, am grateful for my job, and am so, SO happy we went to London. But it spoiled me, I'm not going to lie!

The nice thing about coming back home (among many other things) was that one of my best friends came to visit for 4 days! It was the perfect transition from London - I still got to play, but in the United States. We had a blast! Here are some of our many adventures:

The National Cathedral. Has anyone noticed that this is probably the 4th or 5th time I've posted about this? Clearly, it is our must-see stop for visitors. Few people have been there, and it is such an impressive building. We feel it is our duty as tour guides to make sure people see what is a must here in the District



Annie causing trouble!


(The sign says "Clergy")

We stopped off at the house where Lincoln died. Also the name of the house, as you can see below. Did this house really not have a name, or were National Park Services just lazy?



The room where Lincoln died



Ford's theater. The history nerd I am, I told Ann to take a picture of me on the same stairs upon which Lincoln walked!



This was probably one of the funnest things to visit. They have an exhibit you can go through for about an hour before going into the theater, describing the history of the time, the day, and items left over from the shooting (like the suit he wore, someone's handkerchief that had his blood on it, etc.). The exhibit was fantastic. And the theater portion was enthralling! The park ranger went through a play-by-play of the day Lincoln was shot, both about what Lincoln was doing, and what Booth was doing, and he did a great job. I was on the edge of my seat when he was describing the 10 minutes leading up to it. Who would have thought park rangers had such good acting skills?

The balcony where Lincoln was shot. They don't allow anyone to use it. (It is still a functioning theater) I tried opening the door, but not luck!


(Oh, and for those of you who don't know, Ann is holding Jorge, who has traveled with Ann for many years!)

Our next big adventure was a tour of the West Wing! My good friend I met out here, Lilia, joined us. I never realized just how pale I was until I saw this picture...



Sadly, no pictures inside the actual West Wing, so we hit up the outside.





The press room!



Jorge



The EEOB building



Leaving the West Wing



It was such a fun trip! I LOVE this girl, loved all our talks, and loved that she took time out of her busy schedule to see us! It was a great couple of days.

And, as a random shout-out to Paris, we took a picture of our Paris loot. Our souvenirs were all food!


(from left to right: A sampler of 6 different mustards, a large jar of our favorite mustard, white balsamic vinegar, and 2 different kinds of olive oil - one from France, the other from Italy.)

And, finally, it was also my birthday right when we got back. Jason asked me what I wanted to do, and I asked that we order pizza and stay in. I didn't realize how worn out I was from 5 weeks of touring! Jason brought me awesome cupcakes from a new cupcake place we discovered in Georgetown, Baked & Wired. My mouth is watering just thinking about them...

Goodbye London

How do you say goodbye to the most exciting, enjoyable, spontaneous, adventurous, amazing 5 weeks of your life? You:

Visit one more estate. (Chiswick House, a summer retreat from London for one of the wealthy!)













Enjoy the many street performers at Trafalgar square, which included artists



Visit Westminster Cathedral



Visit Grovesnor Square (AKA American center. This is right next to the American Embassy, is where John Adams lived when he was the Ambassador to the UK, and is basically dedicated to America. All the sculptures in the park here involve some American or American event. The one you can see is of FDR.)



Visit the largest toy store in London - Hamleys!





Go see a play while Jason studies for finals. I went to Phantom of the Opera! (Amazing people! And no worries, Jason had already seen the play and didn't mind missing out.)



See another play to celebrate the end of finals. The Lion King was feast for the eyes!



Run through the fountains at the Somerset House (The fountains are the lights on the ground - kind of hard to see)



Eat at a great Brazilian restaurant



Visit our favorite park (Regent's Park!) once more



Have a final run through the fountains



The pictures do not include the final shopping, amazing gelato, visits to favorite spots, and many other things we felt were a must before heading back.

This trip was truly unforgettable! It has been 2 weeks since we've been back, and we both still talk about how much we miss it. Life seems so normal now. We have finally gotten back into a routine and I must say, I miss the spontaneity!