April 30, 2004
Nostalgia is funny
I was driving into work this morning listening to the all 80's Friday on the Rose. A song came on the threw me back to high school with some serious force. "Life in a Northern Town" by Dream Academy, if you remember it. After having just seen a movie this week that was somewhat nostalgic, and digging through stuff for my yard sale that was nostalgic, it made me wonder, what is so great about nostalgia?
We can't sit around pining for the past, can we? Let's face it, puberty was painful, both in the growing up sense, and the mocked by your peers sense. High school had its fun moments, but there was the pressure of who you were dating, would you get into the right college, etc. etc. And don't even get me started on college with the major selection and career pressure!
I guess nostalgia is remembering the good stuff. It wouldn't be nostalgia if it wasn't, although, I just read the definition of nostalgia at dictionary.com, which defined it as "a severe and sometimes fatal form of melancholia, due to homesickness." Hmmm, maybe we are better off living in the present and looking to the future. Anyway, I guess taking life in stride and keeping things in perspective is the best way to live. Carpe Diem!
Posted by karen at 01:08 PM | Comments (1)
April 29, 2004
Return of the Book Sale
Yesterday was the longest day of the week. I guess Wednesdays tend to be that way, but it seemed longer than usual. We were all a bit antsy here. We're waiting for the boys to come back from GMA in Nashville, and the phones have been slow, and I REALLY didn't want to get started on assigning staff for Creation. Alas, I started it anyway. And so it begins.
On the bright side, Trish and I returned to the book sale yesterday for half price day. By the time we got there, they were down to 75% off the "nicer" books, and fill a bag for $2 for the others. My purchases ended up being $.13 per book. Not bad, I say. Plus, I didn't get stuck in the mud this time. Bonus!
Today is another beautiful day outside. It's almost painful to sit in my office and look at the green trees and grass and sunshine out the window. I'm praying the weather holds out for my yard sale this weekend. That's right, don't forget, yard sale! This Saturday, May 1, the Heatherfield development in Willow Street from 7am - noon! Come on out! One person's junk is another's treasure.
So my last thought, is that I think the O.C. is a ridiculous show, but I watch it anyway. It's a prime time soap opera along the lines of 90210 or Melrose Place or Dawson's Creek. Some of the story lines just drive me crazy! I realize it's just a TV show, and I don't have to watch it, and maybe I shouldn't. It's not that big a deal. I'd like a nice sudsy show somewhere between Seventh Heaven and the O.C. Is that too much to ask? Everwood was there for awhile, but then that got too crazy, too. Gilmore Girls isn't too bad. Maybe I should stick with that. Oh my, I'm ranting about television...I must go now. Until tomorrow! Enjoy the sunshine!
Posted by karen at 10:45 AM | Comments (0)
April 28, 2004
Not so Deep Thoughts - 13 Going on 30
So, we went and saw "13 Going on 30" last night. It was a fun movie. It did inspire one Deep Thought, and then I will move onto my not-so-deep thoughts. The moral of the movie seemed to be that we need to examine where we are in life, and make sure that we are happy with where we have ended up from where we began. If we somehow, suddenly, were shot 17 years in the future, would we be happy with where we were and who we had ended up becoming. When I look back at myself at 13 or 14 years old, and even who I was in high school, I think I am at a much better place now. I am a better person, closer to my parents, happy with my friends, and in a worthwhile job, so...yay.
Ok, onto the not-so-deep-thoughts inspired by the movie. How in the world did I miss "Razzles?" I remember Pop Rocks and all of the various Willy Wonka candies, like Nerds, but I really have no recollection of Razzles. They were referred to as a prominent piece of the story line in the movie, and I just don't remember those at all. Little help? Anyone else know about them?
I, too, wanted a Barbie Dream house. Jenna, the main character, was given a dream house as a gift in the movie, not of the Barbie variety, but a very cool gift nonetheless. But, yes, I wanted one of those. I never got one, but I made due, and was never emotionally scarred by the lack of one. I had PLENTY of other cool Barbie toys to play with. I had the pink Barbie Corvette, after all.
Ah, nostalgia, I had a casio keyboard, too. It was really a fun movie to turn back the clock and just enjoy, for us thirty-somthings. It was perfect. So, if you'd like to see a cute, fluffy, not-much-thinking, romantic comedy, this movie is DEFINITELY for you. Enjoy!
Posted by karen at 11:47 AM | Comments (2)
April 27, 2004
What's with today...today?
The title of my entry is a line from one of my favorite movies, Empire Records. It's such a silly movie, and is so fun and features some early work from some of today's hot actors. Just as a reference point for my opening thought.
So, our internet service went down for a couple of hours today. It's funny how much we rely on the internet nowadays. I sat here staring at the blankness of my browser pleading for the content to come up so I could get my fix of current events and entertainment news and nothing was coming up. I didn't know what to do, so I wandered over to the other office suites, and found others staring blankly at their computers, too. We're a computer driven society. It's frightening to admit, but it's true. I'm am not as dependant as some. I have no PDA, and I only speak into my cell phone...I don't text message. I have no computer at home, only at work, but the times, oh yes, the times they are a-changing.
Tonight is another trip to the movies. The girls are having a night out to see "13 going on 30." I'm a fan of Alias, which features Jennifer Garner, the star of 13 going on 30, so I'm thinking I'll like the movie based on seeing her in something COMPLETELY different. Plus, it looks like a cute girly movie. After seeing The Punisher I'm up for something a littler more calm.
I'll give my movie report tomorrow!
Posted by karen at 01:33 PM | Comments (1)
April 26, 2004
And so it begins...
What a weekend and beginning of a new week!
It all began on Friday night with a great game night at my friend Lyle's house. We learned a new game called El Grande. Quite fun. I didn't play too badly for the first try. We also played Metro, Stacey's new game, Fish eat Fish, which I did REALLY badly at this time, Medici, which I fared fairly well (it's an auction game, I usually don't do too badly at those) and Carcassonne, Hunter's and Gatherer's. It was a evening full of fun and food and friends (I was going for an alliteration there).
Saturday was much more laid back, not much going on, pretty much just yard sale preparation. That's a YARD SALE, folks, next Saturday (May 1) in Willow Street, the Heatherfield neighborhood, from 7am - noon. Come one, come all!
I did get to see Master and Commander on Saturday night after church. I highly recommend this movie. Though I am not a huge Russel Crowe fan, he is a good actor, and I LOVE Paul Bettany. The movie was exciting and emotional and just dragged you into the story! It's hard to believe most of the movie takes place on a ship, and it didn't even bother me. I'm very claustrophobic, for those that don't know. I can't watch submarine movies at all. I start hyperventilating. If it hadn't been for Return of the King, Master and Commander would have had my vote for Best Picture for this year's Oscars. Go see this movie if you like adventure films!
Finally, this morning was the biannual book sale at the Overlook Roller Rink in Lancaster to benefit the Lancaster County Library. I walked away having spent $15.37. I got a few more sets of the Lord of the Rings trilogy (I collect them). One hard cover copy of Fellowship of the Ring, a second edition US printing. Very cool. And a bunch of sci-fi books, Asimov, Bradbury, etc. Sci-fi is my genre of choice this year. Pretty neat stuff.
My car got stuck in the mud in the grassy area as I was trying to exit the sale with Stacey and Trish in the car. Some nice Mennonite farmer ladies were kind enough to help push us out. Stacey helped, too. We were all fairly mud-covered, my car came out fairly unscathed. Thank goodness for kind, strong Mennonite ladies and my friends! That is the moral of this story. Oh, yes, and don't park in the grass when it's been raining for hours...unless cheap books are at stake.
Posted by karen at 10:35 AM | Comments (0)
April 23, 2004
Free Popcorn!
Ok, so I saw The Punisher last night. The good news is, I got free popcorn because it was Thursday, PLUS, I got free popcorn because I had earned enough Regal Crown Club points to earn my first reward. Woo Hoo! On the downside, the movie was not the best piece of film I've ever seen. Thomas Jane, "The Punisher", was not bad to look at, but aside from that, it wasn't that great, unless you're into horrible death and vengence. The tagline for the movie is "It's not about vengence, it's about punishment." Not true. Some of it was painful to watch, and I suppose that was the point, but it was a little too much for my taste, and I have a pretty good tolerance for make believe. Oh well, it wasn't a total waste, free popcorn and all, and there were some amusing moments in the movie to balance out the horrific violence. I think I've learned my lesson. I hope to rent Master and Commander this weekend and post a little review on Monday. Stay tuned!
Posted by karen at 12:51 PM | Comments (2)
April 22, 2004
Birthday Party
Well, today we got to celebrate Fred's birthday at the office. I love birthday's at the office. Not only do we get to celebrate somebody's birth, we get a free lunch! Today we had food from the outstanding Cravings Deli...yum! I had a delicious, and healthy, charbroiled chicken salad. It was the best salad I've had in a long time. Kristi, Stacey and I were discussing the highlights of our salads. Fresh lettuce, juicy tomatoes...it was all wonderful. Plus, to top it all off, we got to have cake! As those who know me well know, Cake is my favorite food of all time. It is followed closely by popcorn.
I will also get to enjoy popcorn tonight because it's Thursday. Thursday means free popcorn at Regal Cinemas because I am a member of the Regal Gold Crown Club. Last week I used my membership for the first time to see Hellboy. Great movie...I loved it. Tonight, I will see The Punisher. I'm not as driven to see The Punisher as I was to see Hellboy, but I hope it pays off. Free popcorn, after all. I love movies.
So, I'll give my report on The Punisher tomorrow. I'm also looking forward to renting Master and Commander this weekend. Stay tuned!
Posted by karen at 09:53 PM | Comments (0)
April 21, 2004
My First Entry
Well, here it is, my first blog entry. I'd like to take a moment to thank my friend Brian for setting it up for me, and I'd like to thank the country of New Zealand, just for the fun of it. I'm excited to have a blog, because now I can share all of my fun new gaming adventures like my other gaming friends who have blogs, like Stacey, Lyle and Brian.
In other news, I slept until 11:30am yesterday because I accidentally turned my alarm off and only woke up when my neighbors slammed their door REALLY loudly as they were leaving their house. Good thing, too, or I may have never woken up. It was a long weekend, with two concerts, and the second taking until 2:15am while tearing down the stage from the show. I'm not one for too much physical labor, so I'm still a little sore from the lifting and such. It's a good sore, though. I couldn't leave my friends to do the work themselves. It would have been mean.
The last part of this entry is dedicated to weather. I love the spring. Second only to the fall. God is really great for creating the seasons. As much as I sometimes complain about the cold in the winter or the heat in the summer, it's the changing of the seasons that makes living in Pennsylvania the coolest thing in the world. Everything comes to life in the Spring. New beginnings can be just around the corner...it gives me hope.
Posted by karen at 04:44 PM | Comments (1)