I saw Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part 2.

It was terrifically awful. Why see it? I mean, I knew it was going to be awful because all of the Twilight movies are awful BUT I read the books which were not awful and I’m a persistent person. I started seeing them and I couldn’t just stop at the last movie. I’m no quitter!

The screaming little girls who kept willing Jacob to take off his shirt was the best part of the experience and also the most disturbing. More disturbing than the gross amount of beheading that took place.

There was a twist that added some good suspense. The sex scenes were, well, they were intense and not meant for the eyes of the aforementioned little girls.

Baby Renesmee was eerie.

Jacob is a total hottie. Edward isn’t bad looking. Bella is just miserable. Charlie is hilarious and I felt bad for him during the movie.

The random vampires they brought in from across the world added some needed depth to the movie. Loved the crazy Patriot who chanted “The Redcoats are coming.” as the Voltaire walked into the scene. The ladies from the Amazon were beautiful in an insane way. The Russian duo was fun to watch.

I’m glad that part of my literary and cinematic life is over.

Bring on Hunger Games: Catching Fire in November 2013.

Later y’all.

Oh, hey! The most thankful holiday EVER, Thanksgiving is upon us! Get amped.

I’m thankful for a few things today. Ahem!

1. Living in a town where I can go hear bands and develop new music crushes. I went to 3rd & Lindsley last night with a group of cool kids and we had the privilege of hearing the musical stylings of Neulore, The Last Bison, Canon Blue, and Paper Route. Yeah, I didn’t know any of these bands until a quick Spotify crash session to at least appear like I cared at the show. Verdict: Love Paper Route and the The Last Bison. Check em’ out!

2. My gym. I love Boost Fit Club. Friendly, clean, helpful, cute trainers, and the best stress relief on Earth in the form of an elliptical machine and heavy weights. I crank up the tunes and I sweat it all out. I leave it all there on the gym floor. My mind and my body feel better.

3. Back Down South – If you’ve read my blogroll before then you know that I adore this blog from Caroline Fontenot. The music, the clothes, the South, the fact that people I know and love are featured, and of course the giveways! I won! Whoop! A beautiful Diane Kelly Cork Clutch will be in my possession in the very near future. That tweet was a daychanger and a wardrobe changer.

4. I go home to VA in 4 days! Thank you Jesus! I miss me some Virginia. Break is here and me and the students totally needed this respite from each other. I love them and I’m sure they love me but we just need a break. We’ll reconcile our relationship on the 26th.

5. Kairos at Brentwood Baptist Church. Sometimes, I just need and want the Word on Tuesday night. The worship is AMAZING! The people are nice. The Word is so good. Mike brings it home in a way that I need it to hit me, which is in a fashion similar to a ton of bricks. There is something special about the experience and I got to take my new Theta Consultant friend for her first time. God is always there for me and sometimes on a Tuesday night from 7-9pm in a room full of people where I don’t know a soul (at least not that I know of) is where he is the clearest for me.

I love doing this post! Sorry, it is a day late. I’m thankful that you’re flexible.

Later y’all.

I love the movies. The movie theatre is my go-to escape destination. I go alone.  I get a Kids’ Pack. I wear a big sweater and I completely immerse myself in the movie. I cry more in the dark at the movie theatre then I will ever cry in front of people. I laugh like I am the only one in the room. I get so caught up that I can’t even sit back in my chair. I LOVE the movies! I take myself on movie dates quite often. I look forward to it and afterwards I feel relieved. It is a cathartic experience and one that in my constant state of busyness, I’ve neglected to type into my iCal. Sadness :(.

After a hiatus, I am back and I picked a gem this time around. I saw the Perks of Being a Wallflower based on the book by Stephen Chbosky. I read this book in high school and it quickly became my favorite. Charlie, the main character is a beautifully written person who feels emotions at a level that I greatly envy. I’ve loved him since the first page and I have been waiting with great anticipation for this movie to grace theatres with its prescence. You know how the movie is never as good as the book? This totally came as close as you could get to being spot on.

I cried A LOT in this movie. I think I cried for the same reason that this book resonates with me and has since I was a teenager. Charlie and I are more alike than I’ve ever cared to admit. Most people that know me would never believe that, but it’s the truth. Charlie is a wallflower and he’s finally decided to start “participating” in life. There is a twist in Charlie’s story that you don’t discover until almost the end of the movie. The twist is shocking and helps you put everything into perspective. Charlie finds a group of friends and is welcomed onto the “island of misfit toys”. His English teacher shows great interest in him and  believes in his dream of becoming a writer. He gains a girlfriend. He falls in love and not with the aforementioned girlfriend. Charlie takes life in; he “sees things and he understands.”

The actor who played Charlie delivered a flawless performance and the cast was pretty phenomenal. I hesitated at Emma Watson being cast as Sam but she fulfilled every nuance of this role. Patrick is just too much to even fit into a blog.

I loved this movie. I needed a good cry and I needed to be reassured that everything is going to be okay. Despite all that Charlie goes through in his life you leave with the highest hopes that he is going to be fine. In the same note, you also hope that you too are going to be fine.  This book coming to life before my eyes was the perfect return to the movie theatre. I saw the movie on Saturday and I honestly can’t stop thinking about it and am tempted to see it again.

Read the book. See the movie. Fall in love.

Later yall.

Overhearing conversations…

Yep, I’m a listener. I have really great hearing. It amazes me what people speak about in public places.

I’m not putting a glass to a door or planting bugs in rooms, I’m just listening intently.

Good places to listen? Airport, Starbucks, Elevator, Dressing Rooms, Public Restrooms

What do I get from it? You’d be surprised. People say things that make me think about my own life and move me to reflect on all that I have in which to grateful. Other times, I often wish that I could lean in and give them a hug.

I mean, in all honesty, schadenfreude, is alive and well. Why do you think we watched things like Ricki Lake and Jerry Springer and now indulge in tragic reality TV. The misfortune of others gives us pleasure. We feel better about our lives because at least we are not “those people”. This is not okay but it is the sad truth.

Today’s Guilty Pleasure goes to awful rap music.

I rarely, if ever, purchase rap music and I don’t often attend rap concerts. If I do, they are free of charge like the one I’m helping out with tonight at work.

However, there is something about crunk ignorant and raucus rap music. I mainly like to listen to it while working out but sometimes I just revert back to my former self and feel the need to drop it. Remind you, this is often while in my apartment, sometimes in my car, and always on the elliptical machine.

These songs are totally values incongruent. They are mysogynistic, homophobic, racist, sexist, and really just contain every problem in the world that one can name BUT the beats are amazing. Therefore, I work to block out the lyrics while I focus on the music in the background.

My latest favorites are Juicy J’s “Bandz A Make Her Dance”,  2 Chainz “No Lie” and “Birthday Song”. Go ahead and give them a listen. I dare you not to move. I also dare you not to cringe should you listen closely to the lyrics.

I’m often embarrassed when people find out I know these songs. I become concious should they come on my Spotify while I’m in the office. I just know that these songs aren’t carrying any piece of a positive message. We don’t need any additional objectification of women in the world.

Before I took a sociology class songs like these were on a regular rotation in my music collection. But, I know better and I still can’t help but TurnUp to these songs. Some people might think, “I mean, they are only songs.” However, I know that there are women and men in the world who take their cue on male/female interactions based on these songs. There are women in clubs and on stages right now with little clothing  dancing to these songs that believe this is the only way to attract male attention and that the size of their breasts and butt determine their value in society. I know that I have a Little Sister who looks at music videos and has friends in her high school who think they need to engage in sexual behavior and act like the women the men rap about in these songs. Sometimes this can lead to consequences like teen pregnancy and low self esteem.  I know so many wrongs about these songs. Why do I continue to listen?

Total guilty pleasure. Perhaps I’ll choose something different on my upcoming turn on the elliptical.

Later y’all.