several reasons the fourth twilight book (whatever it's called) is awful:

In the past month or so, I've had a few conversations with a few different people regarding the Twilight series. Specifically, book four. (I can't tell you the name of it without looking it up; they're all "Twilight" to me.)

I've read all the books, so I feel like I can dole out any review I see fit. And the way I see it is: the entire series is ri-dang-diculous.

I've only read them once (because reading them more than once seems like a horrible punishment). Also, I haven't read them since about a week after the last book was published. (How many years ago was that?)

I thought book one was a fun little escape from reality. Ridiculous, but entertaining.

Was it book two where Edward left and Bella became a teenage toddler? Whining and tantrumming and showing her truly obnoxious colors? (What did Edward and Jacob see in Bella, anyway? Not that either fellow was all that enticing, either.) I didn't care for book two...

Book three...I can't recall what the what happened in book three. Edward was back, right? Something about the Volturi? Or maybe something to do with a specific vampire wanting to suck Bella's blood because she smells so good? The only thing I remember about book three is that I didn't like it at all.

But did that stop me from buying book four? No, it did not. In fact, I remember rolling my eyes at myself when I stood in line to make my purchase, recalling with clarity how annoyed I was by the majority of the characters. I wasn't Team Edward or Team Jacob; I was Team Get-The-Heck-Away-From-Forks-Washington-And-Find-A-Mortal-And-Live-A-Normal-Happy-Life. 

But I bought book four the week it came out because I was morbidly curious  as to how on earth Stephenie Meyer was going to end this dang saga. 

I had no idea she would provide me with so many reasons to hate book four, but, boy, did she!

Remember, it's been a few years (four?) since I read it, so my memory is kinda spotty on some of the details. But here goes:

-Bella being a pout-face about Edward wanting to be old fashioned and wait until marriage before they consummate their relationship. 

-The fact that Edward is capable of reproducing. Seems like someone without a pulse ought not be able to reproduce, am I right?

-The way it was written, I always figured that the baby was demon spawn.

-Rosalie suddenly warming up to Bella because of said demon spawn.

-The pregnancy going so incredibly quickly; isn't it weird that the vampire sperm was the deciding factor in how quickly it went, and not Bella's mortal body? (I know this entire argument is dumb-dumb, but it annoyed me, so it's on the list.)

-Bella-the-human sucking down blood during her pregnancy. It grossed me out. Hard. Especially since, when the baby is born, they figure out baby can have regular people food or blood; seems like blood-during-pregnancy was completely unnecessary.

-Bella named her daughter Renesmee. I realize it's a combination of her mother and Edward's adopted vamp-mom, but come on. I figure if it had been a boy they should have named him Charlisle. (I know Bella had a name picked out for a boy, but I don't remember what it was. Plus, I'm funny.)

-Baby Renesmee grows, like, super fast. And I give Stephenie props for sticking to her super-fast-growing-spawn, but...I don't know. Maybe the part that annoyed me most was that Alice and Rosalie bought the kid tons of outfits for pictures to document it so that she seemed like a regular kid. Even though she's half-immortal and is anything but regular. I figure I'd document the fact that she's growing ridiculously fast, right? Because...I don't know; I've already talked about this point for way too long.

-Once Bella becomes a vampire, it's discovered that she's got ultra amazing self-control when it comes to smelling people blood and not going crazy.

-Re: the self-control: the Cullens wonder if it's Bella's new found super power.

-Why do all of the Cullens get super powers, anyway? It's supposed to be rare.

-Later we find out that it's not, in fact, her super power; she has another one! So the self-control came from her preparation? In knowing what she'd become before she turned? I don't buy it.

-Bella's real super power is a force field to protect all her loved ones. Pretty neat, huh? FORCE FIELD! My family and friends are safe from any hurtful thing that can happen to them! Yessss!

-Vampire sex is supposed to be, like, elevated from mere mortal sex. Humans just don't know.

-The entire book is anti-climactic. The Volturi come, ready to destroy the Cullens, the demon baby, and everyone who stands in their way; yet when they show up, NOTHING HAPPENS. They see that the demon baby is in fact half-immortal (not possible), which they think is pretty neat, and then they go on their merry way home. They might as well have held hands and skipped off into the twilight as they left, or flown home on unicorns. Great literature is supposed to have a climax and some sort of resolution, whether happy or sad. Heck, even crappy literature has a climax! I feel like Stephenie Meyer could’ve made this a less terrible book if she’d have even faked a climax, like they did in the movie version (Twilight four-point-two, as I like to call it. Yes, I’ve seen the movies, but that’s another story for another time).

Aaaaanyway. I'm quite certain that there are more reasons I hated the book, but, as I already told you, it's been years. And I refuse to read it again.

now say it without flinching...

I had a birthday last week. The big three-oh.

I thought I'd turn thirty with grace and poise (although I'm not sure why--I don't possess either of those qualities on even my very best days). Yes, I thought turning 30 would be easy, because I had a bit of a hard time turning 29 last year.

But the joke was on me, it seemed.

I was sitting in a church meeting on Sunday, April 22, when it hit me: I had exactly one month left of my twenties--which seemed synonymous with "the days of my youth," really.

It really was a hard month for this Ginabean! The days between April 22 through the evening of May 21, things kind of went wayward and awry and...all around not nice. And it didn't all have to do with my youth quickly scampering away; those 30 days threw some major curve balls in my direction, and it caused extra turmoil.

The greatest annoyance, of course, was that I was annoyed about a silly number to begin with! "IT'S JUST A NUMBER!" I kept chanting to myself. "You're only as old as you feel!"

Well. This could go on for a while, it seems, and I'm sure you all get my point.

May 22 arrived (with ferocious velocity), and I went about my business just like any other Tuesday.

Except I got lots of phone calls.

And lots of texts.

And people were extra nice to me.

And a handful of people said to me (on my birthday, as well as those difficult days leading up to it) that THIRTY IS THE NEW TWENTY. At first I scoffed and rolled my eyes, but the more I thought about it, the more I liked it, and it makes sense (in my old, senile brain ;) so I think I'll go with it.

I had to work from 8:00am until 5:45pm. Oh yes, and on that day, I was getting a new car radio/cd player/clock installed in my car. (No, it wasn't a birthday present to myself, but rather, Handsome Rob's original quit working the week before.) Since my car was with my car guy (Larry is his name), I got a rental.

If I wasn't feeling old when I woke up that morning, driving around that silly rental did the trick...

It truly was boat-sized. Felt like I skipped 30 and jumped straight to 70.

Anyway...I met Brooker for lunch at Jimmy Johns, were my boss Matt was having lunch with his wife and daughter...and when he saw me there, he insisted on paying for our lunches as well. (What a swell guy, eh?!)

That evening, a (very) few people went to Jami's house for cake, and it was delicious! (I love salted caramel hot chocolate, so when Jami came across a recipe for salted caramel chocolate cake while we were in California in February, she stole the recipe right out of the magazine. Then she made it for me on my big day. Isn't she a thoughtful friend?!)

The most excellent cake, wearing 30 candles.

Lighting the candles...

Yes. I am well aware that my cake became a fire hazard...

After eating the cake, we sat and visited for a while, and then my good friend Cameron sang me a song, special for my birthday!

The story goes like this: back in September (of last year), I was up in Yellowstone with Cameron (and a couple of gals); while driving through the park, we listened to some tunes on Cameron's mp3 player. One of those songs was "Hear You Me" by Jimmy Eat World. Apparently I told Cameron exactly how much I love that song, although I don't recall that conversation. (It seems legit, though, as I do love that song.) The story continues that he found the music and learned the song, then he played it at this big Halloween party. A party that I didn't actually attend. Aaaand since he supposedly learned the song for me, he held onto to it for something like 7 months, and he played (and sang) that song for me on my birthday.

Yes, my friends. I was serenaded on my 30th. (You better believe that I mentioned it on my status update on Facebook. Within moments of the final strains of the song, even!) THANKS, Cameron!

Sing to me, Cam.

Yep, This made me smile.

*Technically, "Hear You Me" is kind of a sad song--written for a dead friend--but it's still sweet, and I will always love that song.

Anyway...I've been thirty for 9 whole days now, and I can even say it without flinching. Watch this: "I'M THIRTY!"

Aaaand since I've been thirty for a while now (heh heh), I've had time to think about the whole issue of why I was dreading my birthday. I've come to the conclusion that I wasn't bummed out at turning thirty so much as I was really sad to be leaving my twenties (there is a difference). But so far, thirty feels like 29, which felt an awful lot like 24, if you must know. 

So. Yeah. I can say it without shuddering. I'm OWNING thirty, and I have a feeling that wonderful things are directly ahead of me in this new decade.

*If you have made it all the way through this post, bless your little heart. Thanks for sticking to it, and sticking with me!

I'm Not as Shallow as This Post Might Make Me Seem...

This post is about The Hunger Games.

I read the books...maybe about a year ago? (Okay, I'm looking it up on Goodreads, and it says...January 2011.) I kind of didn't want to read the books, because when they were described to me, I was slightly mortified; it sounded like Roman gladiator games for children, and I didn't want to read about such a horrific subject matter.

But then I caved; almost every person I talked to (and I surround myself with really terrific people!) recommended the Hunger Games series to me, and I caved.

Aaaand I believe I  read book one within a couple of days.

Before, during, and after reading that book, I was totally disturbed that I really enjoyed the story as much as I did. But I'll be darned if I didn't cry when Rue died. (If you haven't read or watched the Hunger Games yet, I'm sorry about that little spoiler; but you understand the gist of the story, right? LOTS of people die.)

But I digress. This post is actually supposed to focus on the movie (that just came to a theater near you a couple of weeks ago).

I had heard mixed reviews, but mostly good things.

I talked to my mama about it the day after she watched it, and the first thing she said was, "Gina! The guy Katniss leaves behind?! WOW!" Or something to that effect. So I had high hopes that Gale would be this knock out.

Anyway, I went to Utah to visit my family last weekend, and Abby and I went to Walker Cinema to watch The Hunger Games together. 

I know; it's not a terrific picture of me.
Maybe I'm trying to make a point that I'm not completely shallow.
"Look! I'm posting an unflattering picture of myself to show you
that I really realize that looks aren't what it's all about!"

So I was sitting in the theater, happily watching the movie, and do you know what? That first shot of Gale didn't quite do it for me. Please note: I know that most people in Hollywood are quite a bit prettier than me, including the fella who plays Gale. My point is that everybody had talked him up a LOT, and that very first shot of Gale made me scratch my head. Then I saw Peeta, and I was like..."Oh! That's what Mom was talking about." Because...guys, I'm totally Team Peeta; I was throughout the entire series, and I think he's one of the best characters in the books. But, that first shot of Peeta, with his hair all slicked back? It made me realize how incredibly handsome that Gale fella really is. You know?

The movie continued, and I realized that, when his hair isn't slicked back, Peeta's kind of cute, too. (For a kid, I mean. Gross. Stop judging me!)

Also, when Katniss and Peeta got to The Capitol, we were introduced to a whole new slew of characters. And then I realized...I'm actually Team Cinna...

Yes. Team Cinna, all the way.

In all honesty, I've always loved his character. Maybe it's just a little perk that he's so darn handsome in the movie...?

Anyway, I'll be back with a less shallow post nest time. Just thought I'd let you know how I feel about the men of The Hunger Games.

PS My mom may or may not have a little crush on Seneca Crane. (I'll never tell.)

PPS Donald Sutherland, from this day forward, might creep me out for the rest of my mortal life. He's such an endearing old fellow in Pride & Prejudice (Mr. Bennett), but he played President Snow a little too well. He totally gave me the heebie-jeebies.

Over and out.

This Makes Me Giggle

I first saw this book in one of the shops at Grand Central Station a couple of months ago; I skimmed through it and thought it was pretty cute.

Then I looked at the author's name. And laughed.

Todd H. Doodler.

A guy called Doodler wrote a book about animals and underpants. That's funny stuff, right?!

I totally bought the book about a week after I returned home from my trip to NYC.

I still chuckle every time I look at it...

How I Really Feel

A texted conversation between me and the only other person I know who truly appreciates Passenger...

Me: "Trying to hold a love that wants to go, it's like trying to catch a falling flake of snow. It glimmers while it can but it will melt between your hands, you know."
Wade: "Trying to keep alive a love that wants to die, teach the birds to swim and all the fish to fly.
Gills were made for water, and feathers for the sky, you know."
Me: Wade. It's nuts. I didn't know I could keep on loving Passenger more, but I do! Every time I listen to them! Especially when I really really listen to the lyrics. Dude. They're so simple yet so profound. Whoah.
Wade:I feel the exact same way. It snowballs, the love does. I've always liked the lyrics.
Me: I've always liked a wide variety of music. And I remember I've really loved certain artists and bands before I met Passenger. But all the other loves? They somehow seem so dim. How can that be?
Wade: It's the magic of Passenger. Don't fight it.
Me: Oh, I'm embracing it! But when I stop and think about it, I'm just...amazed I guess. Passenger has totally taken over my musical life. One of their CDs is always on in my car. And if I'm not listening to Passenger, I wish I was.
Wade: I could not have said it better myself.
Me: Why do they have to be in the UK? I got an email about their UK tour going on this summer and it hurts my heart that I can't afford a trip to England to hit up one of their concerts. *sigh*
Wade: I've felt this pain many times over.
Me: :) So how's life outside of Passenger?
Wade:I wouldn't know, lol!

In our first two texts, we were quoting lyrics from Blind Love. I would tell you this is one of their best songs, except that all of their songs are best.

Passenger

Well, folks, I've gone and developed a musical crush. They're called Passenger, and almost nobody has heard of them, which breaks my little heart right down the middle.

I hadn't really heard of them until my friend (Wade, The) told me about them a while back. I bought one of their albums, Flight of the Crow, as soon as I heard it. Because they are AMAZING.

Yes, Flight of the Crow is a spectacular album from start to finish. They've got a bit of an Indie/Folksy sound to them, and...and I love them. I LOVE THEM, AND I DON'T CARE WHO KNOWS IT!

I was sniffing around on Pandora, and started "Passenger Radio" where I learned they had another album called Wicked Man's Rest, so I looked on Amazon and totally snatched that CD up as soon as I found it.

I was smitten with their sound. And their lyrics.

After a few months, I thought I'd look around Google to see what I could see about this band who was slowly starting to take over my life. Do you know what I found? Not much.

Turns out there's another band out there called Passenger, but they sound like Satan. I was coming up with almost nothing, so I thought I'd make things easier on myself and I texted Wade, The. I totally made the right decision in getting in touch with Wade, 'cause he told me they actually have a total 4 albums out (including Divers & Submarines, and Eyes Wide Blind Love). I was quite certain I needed the other two albums, and quickly discovered the only place to purchase them was on iTunes. I made my purchases with a big dumb grin on my face.

Go ahead and push "play"

The one called "Walk You Home" is in reality called "Night Vision Binoculars." I suggest you really listen to the lyrics. It's quite funny...

Anyway, I want to say that Passenger is from somewhere in the UK...? What I know for sure is that they were in New Zealand a few weeks ago. I also know that Wade has messaged them, asking them to make their way to the good old USA...but they said they don't have enough fans over here.

What the what?! I've been thinking about it, and it's got to be simply because most people don't know about them. Which is a crying shame, really...

So. This is me. Sharing the love. Go ahead and give them a little listen; you will not be sorry.

Real quick: I'm not about to lie. Music videos aren't exactly Passenger's forte...but who really cares about music videos anyway? Am I right?

This is their song "Flight of the Crow"
which might be my favorite of all their songs...

Scattered Thoughts in the Middle of Winter

Thoughts I've thunk this past week:

*I've been talking myself out of eating unhealthy snacks. Sometimes my willpower wins; other times my cravings do. (My willpower, when it comes to snacky-snacks this week, is mediocre at best. Humbug!)

*I've been making myself work out more than usual this past week. (Very likely because my dumb old willpower is all willy-nilly.) Praise me! I got up early to lift yesterday morning. And I worked hard enough that I'm rather sore today! Then I went to Zumba last night where I burned what felt like one zillion calories. I sweated buckets--likely because I'm not particularly watching my carbs. I love carbs. I daresay "carbs" is my favorite food.

*I've been thinking, of late, how it would be neat to have a husband, and the reasons are twofold. (Honestly, there are a lot of reasons marriage would be stellar, but these are the two reasons that got me wishing for one this week.) 1) I could think about having babies. (There. I said it. On the interweb, for all the world to read. Gah!) 2) We've gotten lots of snow this past week, and it seems like men are naturally good at shoveling snow. (I'm not wrong, am I?)

*I've been reading Mockingjay, the final book in the Hunger Games trilogy. I read the first two (The Hunger Games and Catching Fire) in five days. Total. (I feel quite certain that President Snow is among the wickedest characters ever written, you know? He's bad news!) I'm roughly half-way through and will likely finish it this weekend.

*Lately I've been wondering about the size of my bladder. I estimate it to be perhaps the size of a walnut? (This next part is going to seem really off-topic, but hold tight; it all ties together in the end, I assure you.) Things get uncomfortable at work. For a handful of silly reasons, we moved out of our awesome building about 18 months ago and landed in...another building to pass the time. It's great, in that it has provided us a place to work with our clients...but I do not love said building, for a handful of silly reasons. And also because the bathrooms there are yucko. I avoid the restrooms at work if at all possible...which is why I've considered bladder-size of late; because these days, it seems, I've had to use the facilities at least once a day. We move back to OUR BUILDING (our lovely, glorious building!) in just over a week. My bladder and I are thrilled--for a handful of silly reasons. (TMI? Deepest apologies.)

*I've been watching LOST on DVD with the Brookes in my life. We're in season 4--and it seems that there's quite a bit I had forgotten since finishing off season 3 several months ago. But then I watched this clip and felt pretty up-to-speed. As I've been watching, I've thought (a number of times) that LOST is a terrific name for this show, because it doesn't answer questions so much as present new questions. Also, every time Jack's face appears onscreen, I think (aloud), "I want to make out with him." (Something about his rugged good looks?) Also! I've said it from the beginning when I started with season 1 sometime last year: There's not NEARLY enough hugging on that island! Of what I speak is true!

*Over the course of the past few weeks, I've pondered the awesomeness of gloves. It's no secret that I have crappy circulation and gloves/mittens are stellar little accessories.They warm up my fingers enough that frostbite & amputation aren't a real threat! (It's just too bad I've only remembered to grab a pair of gloves thrice in the past few weeks...)

*I'm still lovin' the Cheerios. Particularly the Cinnamon Burst, but also indulging in Chocolate Cheerios when the mood strikes.

It might be an obsession with me...

Over and out.

Dancing Advertisers

I'll never understand...

It seems like no matter where I go, there they are: people holding ad signs and dancing on street corners. They might be "advertising" for a pizza place, or maybe for taxes or whatever. It doesn't matter the weather outside, be it rain or shine, subarctic temperatures or scalding; these people get out there and they sell their merchandise (or services, whatever it be).

Sometimes they're dressed for the weather, and sometimes they're dressed up.

It seems like these Dancing Advertisers have been around for a long time; I recall my brother Vance saying (years ago!), "Those people are getting paid too much and not enough." You understand: the people who are paying them, well, they're certainly paying way too much for such a ridiculous service; on the flip side, these Dancing Advertisers aren't getting paid nearly enough for such a ridiculous service.

Do you understand what I'm saying?

What makes it even worse is when they're all dressed up. I've seen people dressed up as hot dogs, bananas, Uncle Sam...the list goes on.

What makes me most uncomfortable (or at least, I'd think, ought to make the Dancing Advertisers most uncomfortable) is when they are required to dress up, but they still have to show their faces. It's like, "You want me to dress as Lady Liberty and dance like a fool while holding this sign? Since I have no shame (and at the same time, no pride), I will do this for minimum wage. But please, please, please, tell me you've got a mask for me to hide behind!"

I guess I shouldn't judge; some people really like to dance. And BOY, do they get into it! They just put on their outfit, pop in their headphones, and away they go; boogyin' like it's going out of style.

And clearly, it should be out of style...

I was running an errand on lunch today when I saw this fella dressed like Lady Liberty and dancing like a fool. I want to say his sign said something about...loans?

This Dancing Advertiser was like a bad accident; so ridiculously painful that I couldn't look away.

These dancing advertisers usually make me uncomfortable, and they pretty much never make me want to patronize their specific restaurants/whateveritisthatthey'reselling...

He was really feelin' it...

I apologize if this post offends anyone...

Dancing Advertising is just something I'll never understand...

I'm Taking Recommendations...

I love to read. A lot.

But sometimes I get so busy that I don't really give myself time to read; not until I'm about to collapse in bed at night.

Some nights I'm sleepy enough that I can only read a few pages before comprehension slips out my brain...

I started reading Life of Pi by Yann Martel back in the beginning of October.

I finished reading it on something like December 28 or 29.

Clearly, it wasn't thrilling unto me; it moved rather slowly, but it was well-written, and I kept at it because I wanted to see how Pi's sorry predicament was resolved.

One evening I was talking to my good friend Keri about Pi, which she had read before. I told her of my concerns about the slow pace of the book, etc., and she said, "Just wait till you read the ending."

I finally found some time to plow through the last 75 pages or so while sitting by the fire at my parents' home over the holidays.

I finished it...and it kind of took a minute to sink in. I already know that I'm going to have to read it again; having finished the book and knowing what I now know, I have no choice but to read it again.

But I don't think I can make myself read it again for a while.

Since I finished, I treated myself to one of my all-time favorites: The Book Thief by Markus Zusak.

It's so amazing. Remember what I thought of it the first time I read it? It's a tear-jerker. And you want to know something? I cried even harder this second time around. Because I knew what was going to happen, and it hurt a little bit more. Because I really love the characters: Leisel, Rudy, Hans and Rosa (aka Papa and Mama). Max. (I cannot forget Max!)

Anyhoo...I've just begun Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut.

I know. It's about the Holocaust. Auschwitz, even, I believe. It's bound to be sad, but I'm okay with that. (My momma loves books about the Holocaust; maybe it's genetic?)

I've got a few more books perched on the shelf, waiting to be read. Still, if you've got any suggestions, I'm open.

Thank you, and good night...

P.S. My thoughts on the New Year (and possible resolutions?) are forthcoming...

Update (Jan. 6, 2011, 6:15pm)

I do NOT have the patience for Slaughterhouse Five. It's weird and kind of dirty and I can't make myself read any more, even if that means I'm sacrificing an amazing story that'll change my world if only I were to "give it time."

NO THANK YOU.

And do you know what's strange? I think I've read this book before; bits and pieces of it seem awfully familiar. The thing is, I don't know if I finished it last time...

So I'm writing it down now: Hey, Gina! DON'T READ SLAUGHTERHOUSE FIVE! Just skip it.

32* fahrenheit...

It snowed on Monday. All. Day. Long. And it was a wet, heavy snow, too. Not my favorite thing in the world. Alas...I'm not even depressed about it! (I am, however, quite cold.)

This cold front, I think, is gonna make my upcoming trip to Hawaii even sweeter. (We're just outside of two weeks away by now!)

Also: on Monday, Stephen (my personal trainer) really worked my calves. If I thought they hurt yesterday...well, today's been a special kind of torture. (Who knew that wearing heels would be the best option? I mean REALLY!) I'm okay, but just barely.

Aaaand now I'm headed to the Temple.

PS Last weekend (with the fam) was stellar! More on that later...

Location:North of Zion

la musica...

Real quick: I'm a guest blogger on over at screweduptexan.
It's true! I love this gal's blog, so I was super excited when she asked me to guest post!
Check it out, y'all!

I've been on an ABBA kick lately.

I recently acquired the vast majority of ABBA's albums, and so I've been listening to them. A LOT.

They've got some fun music. Truly, I like most of it. (Okay, so some of it's weird too, but really...)

Listening to ABBA put me in the mood to watch Mama Mia. Can I just say? I love that movie. Love it!

You heard me declare my love for the movie, but I gotta put in a little disclaimer: I love it in spite of Pierce Brosnan.

I don't have anything against Mr. Brosnan personally. I've heard he made a nice, sexy James Bond. (I do not care for Bond movies--don't hate.) I've also heard that he's pretty sexy all-around. Especially when you factor in his age and such.

The reason I say I love Mama Mia despite Pierce Brosnan is because...well...have you seen it? (Or rather, more appropriately, have you heard it?)

(Mm-kay, I found a clip on youtube, but they won't let me embed.
If you haven't seen the movie, please take 2 minutes and watch the link.)

My, oh my. Where do I begin? I guess I'll just be blunt: it hurts me. His voice, I mean. Unpleasant. His voice is piercing (heh heh!)...

The first time I saw the movie was on DVD in my own home, and I had to rewind his singing parts a couple of times. (Can you say "glutton for punishment?") Really, though, I was confused. Because Pierce is on key, and that's usually more than half the battle, isn't it?

Alas, this time, the horror comes in the quality of his voice; it's rotten is what. (Oh, and also, he looks like he is in physical pain when you watch his singing clips--a telling sign, perhaps?)

I have a rather broad (and somewhat picky) taste in music. My brother Vance introduced me to the likes of Tom Petty, Sweet, Bon Jovi, Alice Cooper, Aerosmith, The Scorpions and Royal Bliss. I grew up listening to Kenny Rogers, ABBA, and Neil Diamond (oh, how I love Neil!). And of course, I adore Josh Groban, Michael Buble, OK Go, and Needtobreathe, just to name a few. (What don't I like? Most county music, R&B, and rap.)

Back to Brosnan, though...

So he's on key, right? That's been established. But his voice hurts us. And that got me thinking...last time I listened to Tom Petty (like, yesterday), I noticed his voice. And I realized it's not pretty. But I like it.

Isn't that weird? I love pretty much everything Petty does, including his older stuff (Mudcrutch--which is jam-y and kinda different) to his brand new album (Mojo--which is all blues-y, and I don't heart the blues).

Along that same vane...I recognize Celine Dion has an incredible voice, but I really dislike her music.

Don't even get me started on Bob Dylan. (Incredible song-writer; horrible singer.)

What are your thoughts...?

be still my heart...

I just finished reading this book:

North & South
by Elizabeth Gaskell

Wow.

I mean WOW! I fell in love with the BBC movie last time I went home for a visit. (Mom and I both fell in love with it.) I loved the plot and the characters...(especially one Mr. Thornton).

And, okay, it's taken me a rather long time to read the book, but the reasons are threefold: 1-It's got tiny print. 2-I had to flip back to the index a lot to get some extra insight into the story. And 3-I haven't had tons of time to read. Those're the reasons it took me so long; this book is a delight. If you like Jane Austen, you'll pretty much love this book.

The book and the movie are the same, but so different. The thing that really got to me is that you had to wait till the very end for the fireworks; you know at the very beginning that Margaret Hale and John Thornton are going to end up together, and you agonize throughout the entire dang thing as to how the devil it's ever going to happen. And as the minutes/pages flash on by, you realize time is running out; there's not much time left for the story to fulfill its entire purpose...but then...it does! And it's magical!

I highly recommend this book.
And the movie, too. Obviously.

Ma, I'm bringin' it home with me this weekend. We shall discuss it at length when you're finished. (And I feel quite confident that you'll finish it in less time than it took me, but only because you can't put a good book down...)

olympic-sized thoughts...

Okay, my thoughts aren't exactly Olympic-sized, but I do have some thoughts about the Olympics. First, though, a song dedicated to the Vancouver Olympic Winter Games, 2010:

Isn't it, like, terrific? Oh, I love Vancouver.
(I can say that with authority because I've totally been there.)

I sort of watched the Opening Ceremonies with my Ma and last week. I say sort of because we were flipping between the Opening Ceremonies and My Best Friend's Wedding. And mostly we watched the latter. (Sorry, but the Opening Ceremonies made me feel kind of bored.)

And you know what's sad? I haven't been able to watch the Olympics very much because I've been so busy in the evenings. Lately, though, I've been coming down with some sort of head cold or something, so I've been avoiding the crowds and babying my ailing self; so after taking a hot shower and bundling up into my warm jam-jams on Wed and Thurs, I totally plunked myself down on the couch with a warm blanket, and I watched me some Winter Olympics is what!

Here's my first thought: What the Shaun White?! I swear, what that fella can do, like...defies physics. It looks impossible, what that guy can do! He totally deserved to win, and I didn't even want to like him. (And the reasons are twofold: 1. I kinda don't love that the Olympics are made up primarily of professionals any more. That's one beef I had with Shaun in the beginning. But the real reason I didn't want to like him is this (#2): His hair is prettier than mine. Much, much prettier. And doesn't that just seem wrong to you?) Anyways, when he unearthed that last flippy thing (the last trick on his last run), I was utterly amazed. I stared at the TV, all sorts of amazed, and then I did a little victory dance (from the couch; I'm ill, after all). Shaun White is AMAZING. Just sayin'...

Also, before I forget, you know what's a weird word? Luger. It's like someone is saying "loser" with a Dutch accent. ("Izsn't that veird?" Name that movie!) Seriously, though, anytime I hear anybody talking about "lugers," I am confused for a few seconds. Every. Time.

I feel quite certain that I'd die if I tried Alpine Skiing. (Isn't that what it's called what Lindsey Vonn does? The one where they go insanely fast down a snowy slope on skis?) I watched that Anya what's-her-last-name totally biff it, and I'm convinced Alpine Skiing could be the death of me. And apparently Anya wasn't the only one who ate snow that day on the Alpine run. YIKES!

I'm mystified by men's figure skating. Frankly (now don't hate), if I see a guy in skates, I want him to be in full hockey gear, beating the snot out of every member of the opposing team, you know? Having said that, I'm amazed that men can be so graceful. Maybe it's bitterness talking, because I lack grace in so many ways. Anyway, I watched the long performances on Thursday night, and I was amazed at those dudes. (My heart went out to the cute little Japanese skater whose laces broke and he had no choice but to take a 2 point deduction in order to fix his problem in 3 minutes or less!) I thought Evan Lysocek did well enough to win the gold, even if the Russians disagree. (Go USA!) Also, Lysocek is kind of (really) handsome, and more masculine than the rest. (There. I said it.)

That's all she wrote...

300...

This is my 300th post. What do you think of that? I think it's pretty spectacular. Just so you know...

Getting on with the 300...

I'm in Zion this week. I decided it was high time I took a week-long sabbatical from real life. And so far I'm loving it.

I pulled into the BC Sunday just after 5:00pm, which means that The Game (you know the one of which I speak: The Superbowl Game?) was on. Which means that Dad and Goose were boring for the majority of the afternoon and into the evening. But it was okay, because Mom, Janel and Marshall provided me with the entertainment that The Game lacked. (Sorry, people, but even the commercials were a bit of a let-down, and The Who doesn't quite do it for me. Plus, I lost count of how many times I saw the fleshy belly of the guitarist. "Dear The Who: Please either tuck in your shirt, or else wear an undershirt. Thanks a mill. The Ginabean") Anyway, I had myself a good time chatting with Ma & Janel, and playing with Marsh. Good. Times.

Me and Marsh

Yesterday was pretty great too. Really, really great. Here's why: I got to cuddle baby Jane to my heart's content. I got to relish in the deliciousness of a bucket-of-Slurpee, Coke flavored. (Just so you know, a Coke Slurpee is not a cheat; my resolution clearly states that soda is what I'm quitting: no carbonation. Judge not, people!) Also, I got to visit with my good friend Jules and her two boys, Thing One and Thing Two. It kinda sucks that I hardly ever see Jules & Co. Julia was my roommate at USU for 2 years, and we've been good friends ever since then. (Can I just say? I still love that girl to bits, and I'm super happy that she married such a stellar feller, and that they have created such outstanding offspring. Just sayin'.) Also, the weather is more mild here in Zion, and the skies are blue! Blue skies do something to alleviate stress for this Ginabean! Vance and Abby came over for dinner yesterday, which was another great part of my yesterday. Then we had a nice lesson for FHE and then watched HP and the Half-Blood Prince.

TANGENT (feel free to skip this next paragraph):

Concerning HP and the HBP...This is totally my favorite book of the HP series, and this is why: I've always loved Snape. Always. Through it all, I've always known there was more to Snape than what we were being told outright. I always liked Snape, even when so many people were out for his blood. (And although Alan Rickman plays the perfect Severus Snape--and I love that Alan Rickman with his deep, British voice--I loved Snape even before Alan Rickman's portrayal of him in the movies.) This book expanded on my beloved Severus. Plus it was just well-written and interesting. I love this book for so many reasons. As for the movie...well...I never like the movies as well as the books (except for Mr. Rickman, of course). They always take a lot of creative liberties and leave out lots of important and interesting stuff. Having said that, I still liked HP and the HBP movie quite a bit. But here's my main beef: EVERYTHING between Ginny and Harry was so awkward it was almost physically painful for me to watch. Specifically, Ginny feeding Harry some sort of Christmas crumpet, and Ginny tying Harry's shoe. Those two scenes, I swear, lasted like 8 minutes each. UGH, you know?! UGH!!!

Thing One and the Slurpee Bucket

Thing Two

(whose cheeks I kissed into oblivion)

JanieBug

/Blue skies/Smiling at me/Nothing but blue skies/Do I see/

Wanna hear about my Today? Okay, here goes...Aaron discovered my stresses of 2010 and thought he'd help a girl out by getting me a massage. Isn't that awesome of him?! That Joleen Cullen of Layton, she knows what she's doing. I practically floated out of that massage appointment, I did.

After the massage, I went to visit Aaron, Amy and Boys to say thanks and chat for a few minutes. After about 20 minutes or so, I announced I was leaving and Seth said, "Don't go! Stay here with me!" (My heart melted; how on earth could I possibly say no to such a request?) So I took Mr Sethington on a little date. We drove to a local supermarket and I told Seth to pick out a treat. We walked around that market; I found the cookies and crackers aisle and asked if he wanted either of those. He said "No." I asked if he wanted a Little Debbie cake or brownie. He said "No." He found what he was looking for next to Little Debbie. He chose Tang, of all things. I told him, "Let's keep looking." After several more minutes of walking around the store, we ended up buying Chocolate Twizzlers. It made him smile. And that made me smile.

I'm enjoying another bucket of slurpee this evening. I'm sharing it with Ma and Marshall 'cause 52oz is too much for this Ginabean all by herself. I've been visiting with Janel whilst making homemade apple-cinnamon muffins. She just left for a meeting, and Abby and Jane are on their way over. It seems like it's gonna be a good night, huh?

Action Jackson

Mr. Sethington

One more thing. Ever since publicizing my resolution to quit drinking pop, it seems that everywhere I look, there it is: Coke. It's not making the whole Quitting Thang any easier...

Pa thinks it's funny to buy Coke for himself when I can't partake...
I take comfort in the fact that it's Diet he drinks.
Always. Diet. (Way to go, diabetes...)

This stared me in the face as I did laundry yesterday...

In Vance and Abby's frigerator...

I swear, I deserve an award for my will of iron...

think.thank.thunk.

I read three books between Jan. 1 and Jan. 4. Well...2.5, really; I was halfway through The Associate when the New Year pounced...

It was an interesting book, The Associate.

Then I read two little gems by Markus Zusak (author of one of my favorite books, The Book Thief). Vance and Abby gave me the two books (Fighting Ruben Wolfe and Getting the Girl) for Christmas.

Let it be known: I love Mr. Zusak. His books are interesting, and they make you think. I like that. A lot. (I've also read his book I Am the Messenger. So.Darn.Good.)

So yeah...I like to read. (Honestly, the two Zusak books I read this year aren't long or difficult to read. But that's not my point.)

When I finished Getting the Girl I decided to pick up A Wrinkle in Time. It's supposed to be a classic, right? I'd never read it before, and I bought it on sale a few months ago at Barnes & Noble.

Now...don't judge me too harshly, please, but I've been dragging my feet with this book; it started out interesting enough, but...I'm looking for something...more?

I bought The Screwtape Letters with a Barnes & Noble giftcard I got from a client for Christmas. And I've been eyeing it longingly on my nightstand, perched right under Wrinkle. I decided that Screwtape would be my "dessert" after finishing Wrinkle, you know? But apparently that resolve was quite worthless, because I chucked Wrinkle aside and picked up Screwtape last night before bed.

What a great choice! This book is, in a word, delicious.

I've only read the first four letters so far, but I am totally enjoying it. And all the thinking it stimulates. So clever. So witty. So deep.

Where have you been all my life, Mr. CS Lewis?! (Once again, I beg you not to judge me for not having picked up any of his books before now...)

I think I'm hooked...

More thoughts on Screwtape later...

huckleberry...

When I moved to Idaho a few years ago, I learned a thing or two about this area. One of those things is HUCKLEBERRY-mania. I'd never really heard of a huckleberry before (other than the Finn variety, as per Mark Twain). Anyway...I guess huckleberries are the state fruit of Idaho. Lisa's always been big on picking huckleberries and turning them into something extraordinary. (Honestly? I don't love huckleberries on their own; they are rather tart. But put them in a buckle or add them to raspberry jam, and they are out-of-this-world delicious!)

Anyway...Lisa's always been kind enough to share a piece of her tasty huckleberry creations with me, for which I have always been grateful. But I had never gone out to the countryside to pick huckleberries for myself.

Until this past Monday.

I now understand why huckleberries cost so darn much...

Huckleberries are little and they take a while to find and pick. (I had heard about this, but now I truly understand and appreciate!) I went up near Kelly Canyon with Lisa and some of her family, and we picked and picked for about an hour and a half.

See for yourself...

Plucking the teeny berries...

You seriously have to search for the berries;
I was lucky to come across this many in one patch...

Aaand picking huckleberries stains your hands...but it's so worth it!

After 1.5 hours of picking, this is all I had...
(That's only 1.5 cups, people!)

It's very distressing when you find a "large" huckleberry and then drop it. Because there ain't no way you're gonna find it. And I'll be honest with you, if I dropped one, I dropped 20. At least. It's enough to push you to the edge of depression. (Almost.)

Anyway...I've been hording my huckleberries, trying to decide how best to use them. I made an excellent choice: Huckleberry Muffins! I have a truly terrific fruit muffin recipe that works well with just about any fruit. (My fave, up until huckleberry season, is apple-cinnamon. Just add applesauce.)

Don't be jealous...

The beautiful batter...

Pre-cooked...

The final product!
(They look kinda dark because I used wheat flour...another great choice!)

Anyway, that's what I've been obsessing over the past few days. I'm actually heading back to pick some more after work today.

Also, I really get a kick out of that word: HUCKLEBERRY...

small-town fun...

So I sponsored the softball team again this year. We've got a winning record, and technically last night was our "last game." However, since most of June was under cover of rain clouds, about 5 games were canceled. We'll be making those games up in the coming weeks.

Anyhoo, this past Monday, our game was early enough for Keree and Perry to come, so I really enjoyed chatting with Keree and going gaga over Perry. (Keree is Nolan's wife; Perry is their son.)

Look how cute this little guy is!

On Tuesday evening, Callie came over and we finally got around to watching Harry and the Hendersons. Callie gave me the DVD for my birthday, and I've been excited to watch it--if not a little nervous. (You know how you grow up watching a movie just loving it, but when you watch it as an adult, something is somehow different and you suddenly can't make yourself watch it ever again? That's why I was nervous.) ANYWAY...we watched it, and I totally love the movie still. Sure it's corny in only a way that 80s movies can be...but it's also funny and cute. Thanks again, Cal!

A few of my favorite things...
(Friends, sherbet floats, and Harry!)

And now...CALIFORNIA! I'm headed to CA with my roommates this week. Simply can't wait! I'll be sure to take pictures and let y'all know how rockin' awesome it was.

Oh yes...and HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Dad! You're aging quite graciously! :) Love, love, love you!

promises, promises...

A few things I thought I'd never do:

#1) I swore I'd never do this by myself ever again. Alas...my car needed it. It was filthy and sad; the last time I did it was roughly 9 months ago. Aaaand...I asked a certain someone for help, and he told me no. Twice. So on Saturday I broke down and waxed my car. Alone.

Fortunately, it was sunny and warm (but not hot) and it didn't take me as long as it did last July. I'm pleased with the results.

So shiny...

#2) I never want to ride a bike with flat tires. Any distance. Ever again.

Do you even recognize how difficult/exhausting it is to ride a bike with two nearly flat tires? Do you? It's been months since I last rode my bike; while it hung in the garage in the cold Idaho winter, the tires deflated some. Understandable, I suppose.

On Saturday, my good friend Brooke invited me to ride our bikes over to Tautphus Park to visit our friend Lisa at the Earth Day Celebration...thingy. I pulled my bike off the rack and hopped on, thinking I'd take off at top-speed and make it to the park in no time. Alas...it just wasn't in the cards; flat tires totally slow ya down. So I rode my bike to the nearest gas station to fill my tires with air. It's about a mile and a half to Sinclair from my place. My legs were like Jello, friends.

On a positive note, once my tires were full, riding was a breeze.

Brooke standing in front of the Psychedelicatessen
(isn't that a fun word?!) at the Earth Day thing.
PS The Psychedelicatessen bus sells uber delish bagel sandwiches.

#3) I never pictured myself bursting into a Saturday's Warrior song in the park with...anyone...to express...well...anything.

While celebrating the Earth this weekend, I saw this guy in the park who reminded me of Todd from Saturday's Warrior. You know...the guy Julie loves from the pre-existence? The guy who sings this song! I totally do NOT love this movie, but dang, this guy in the park made me think of him. (PS I looked all over the place for a clip or picture of this guy, but to no avail. Bum.mer.) Anyway...I tried to be stealthy, and I totally took a picture of Todd/park man.

Anyway, as much as I don't love the movie, I saw "Todd" and started singing Paper Dream to my friends so they knew who/what I was talking about.

A picture of "Todd."
Trust me, he looks more like the real deal in real life.
He even has a mullet!

#4) I never thought I'd care for Alec Baldwin in any way, shape or form. Something about him just rubs me the wrong way.

He's one of the main characters in 30 Rock, so I automatically wrote the show off as "not worth my time." But Vance and Abby insisted it's funny, and that Alec's character is actually pretty awesome. They lent me seasons 1 & 2. I've watched a handful of episodes, and it must be said...I not only like the show, but I love Alec Baldwin's character. I did NOT see that one coming...