Holiday Traditions - The Cinnamon Bear

     In 1937 radio was the entertainment method of the day. Transco (a radio transcription company out of California) developed a fantastic story of two children who are sent to find Christmas decorations and find themselves in a land of make-believe to air in the Portland, Oregon market area. "The Cinnamon Bear" is designed to be listed to six days a week in the weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas. 

      After several years financial difficulties prevented Transco from releasing new transcriptions of the series, though some stations played previously released transcriptions. In the 1950s the program was picked back up and has been aired in Portland and Eugene, Oregon, as well as the Chicago, Illinois, area. 

     Through the broadcast, twins Judy and Jimmy are sent to the attic in search of the family's silver star for the top of the Christmas tree. There they meet the Cinnamon Bear Paddy O'Cinnamon and travel into Maybeland chasing after the Crazy Quilt Dragon who has stolen their star. Along the way, Judy, Jimmy, and Paddy O'Cinnamon are captured by Ruthless Ink Blotters, befriended by Pirates, encounter a Giant, threatened by a Witch, helped by the Queen of Maybeland, foiled by creatures great and small, and they meet Santa Claus. But will the twins make it home with their Silver Christmas Star?

     I grew up listening to the Cinnamon Bear broadcast each year on the radio. The show is short and sweet with twists and turns as the children chase their star across Maybeland. They're interrupted and helped in turns as they adventure back to the attic and family tree waiting for the Silver Star. "The Cinnamon Bear" has inspired a cult-like following of people whose lives have been touched by the story. 

Flaming Geyser State Park

     This past weekend, for Father's Day, my dad decided it would be fun to take the dogs and go exploring at one of the Washington State Parks in the area. It sounded like fun - (non-sarcastic) yay hiking! So my mom, being the over-prepared mother that she is, looked up a few parks and decided on Flaming Geyser State Park near Auburn and Black Diamond, Wash.
     The park surrounds the Green River and has some pretty neat features including a playground, remote-control airplane areas, and picnic areas, along with the geysers and hiking paths. Some of the reviews we came across described these paths as relatively flat with some challenging options.
     While that is true of the short jaunt up to the Flaming Geyser, the main River Trail which goes down along the river is both gentle and challenging. It goes up and down along the hills the river snakes through, and if you're planning on going down to the river there are several places where you'll want to take your time on the steep inclines.
     The trek up to the Bubbling Geyser is much more challenging. It does have the convenience of several flights of stairs, but they are steep and the wooden treads have gouges behind them where people have walked away the dirt of the hillside. At the crest of the hill, before you'll go down to the actual geyser, is a bench and sort of platform which (when we went in late June) is made of a slick shifting dirt. Our dogs seemed to handle it fine, but the footing was not exactly comfortable for people.
     There is another set of trails, called the Ridge Trail, which goes around the office buildings and park ranger station. These trails were our first foray around the park. They are not meant for the faint of heart: the entrance goes straight up a hill for about 75 - 100 yards, the rest of the trail jogs up and down along the top of the hill until it begins a steep switchback to lead down to the main picnic areas. The duration of the trail was probably only about a mile, but the grade at the beginning and toward the end made it one I do not plan on trying again for quite some time.
     Flaming Geyser was an enjoyable park, fairly close to the Seattle Metro-area and with sights to interest various levels of outdoorsman.

Book Challenge

The Challlenge

Earlier this year I attempted a "Daily Challenge" on Twitter; while wandering around the internet I found an image of a Book Challenge and thought I could manage to send out a tweet each day for 18 days. Needless to say, I did not take into account the fact that I'm terrible at keeping track of days--I managed to only go two days in a row without a post for the entire month I attempted it. I came across the image and thought I'd try it again, only this time in a more extensive setting.
     I'll post my answers from Twitter along with either an explanation or updated answer. If I succeed in this challenge I may even add covers of the books I'm referencing.

                               Stephie

Cribbage

     When my family gets together we're the usual giant family that you see in movies--loud conversation everywhere, kids running pell-mell through the house, snagging food on the way through the kitchen, and videos or games after dinner. Mostly that's when everyone gets together, when Gra'ma comes to visit we do pretty much the same stuff: television in one room, stories and conversation in another, and after dinner card games or dominoes.
     Gra'ma came to visit last week arriving in the late afternoon and proceeded to teach my brother and me to play Cribbage. It's not a difficult game once you've got all the rules down.

• Sum of 15 gets 2 points
• Sum of 31 gets 2 points
• Doubles get 2 points
• Runs of 3 or more get 1 point per card
• Face cards are 10
• Aces are always low (1 points of value)

Then are the more confusing rules: 

• If you draw a Jack from the pile you get 2 points
• If a Jack in your hand matches the suit of the card drawn you get 1 point
• Last card played gets 1 point (if it's not 31)

     The game starts with a deal: five cards each with four people, five each and one in the kitty with three people, six each with two people. Everyone puts a card into the kitty (which goes to the dealer at the end of play) to equal four. Then the person to the left of Dealer starts. 

     Each person plays a card in front of themselves, hoping to peg points. As you go when a person or team (usually when you have four players you play teams of two) gets one of the things I listed (drawing a Jack you get the point right away, matching the draw you wait until the end) you move your peg in the board. Everyone goes around until there are no more cards. 

     When everyone's hand is gone (the Kitty is still face-down and untouched) you count your cards. If you can make sets of 15, runs, any of those things I listed at the top, you get points and you peg those points on the board. This includes all possible combinations between your hand and the draw on top of the pile. So if you have three fives, a Jack, a Queen, and a King is drawn you get 2 points for each combination: K5, K5, K5, Q5, Q5, Q5, J5, J5, J5, 555, two points for each double (6 in this case because you have three of a kind), and three points for your run of three (assuming your Jack doesn't match the king, if it does you get another point). This would count: 15-2, 15-4, 15-6, 15-8, 15-10...15-20, triple for 26, run of 27, 28, 29, and Jack for 30. Such a hand is nearly ideal and if you got it take pictures--it rarely happens.      After everyone has pegged their hand, starting with the person to the left of the dealer and ending with the dealer, the dealer counts the kitty. You count it just like you count your hand and Dealer gets the points. The deal rotates and you continue until someone pegs into the final hole.
     The standard board has 120 points on the track and when it comes to winning and counting your wins there are two things you should keep in mind. 1: If you are behind the Skunk line the win counts for two games 2: If you are behind the Double Skunk line it counts for four games. The Skunk line is usually at 90 points--thirty points back--and the Double Skunk is at 60 points--halfway around the board.
     I'm sure some of the rules we play with are wrong, but it's a fun game once you've figured out the strict rules and regulations. I am still learning and I've been slowly learning off and on for years. Good Luck & I hope you enjoy your game!

Stephie

Ancient Aliens

     I absolutely love listening to people talk about the "what-if". I got hooked on the History Channel show Ancient Aliens and it now feeds my hypothetical frenzy. There is also the one speaker (Giorgio A. Tsoukalos) and his crazy hair that makes me laugh because he's so passionate about his subject and doesn't notice his unruly hairdo. He's probably my favorite character to listen to on the show.
     I think it's funny how Ancient Aliens looks into the mysteries that abound throughout history and draw conclusions that point toward not only the existence of aliens but their interference as well. Images that could be anything from misshapen clouds to glow sticks become batteries and electric light bulbs, cogs and joints become technology beyond comprehension, gods and mythical creatures become alien life forms: things we would brush off as something someone ahead of the time created become things humans couldn't have developed without assistance.
     While I won't discount the possibility of advanced life forms interfering with our development, I think when people believe these developments came from elsewhere we're discounting the ingenuity and creativity of the human race. Who is to say we couldn't develop these magical inventions? Even if the ancients had alien assistance, more modern times have created those things we compare the mysterious images to.
     Ancient Aliens is a fun show and I enjoy it because it poses some entertaining theories to the questions in our world and, despite sometimes depressing me with their portrayal of the human race's potential for creativity, I come away from each episode considering how we got to where we are and what would have changed had one thing gone awry in the path.

Just a thought...
Stephie

Night Before Christmas Surprise!

     One of my favorite holiday traditions is the Christmas Eve gift. My parents have been doing this since I was born and it's a little odd to think it might be ending soon.
     Each year Mom and Dad will pick a present for each of us to open. When we were little my sister, brother and I were super-duper excited about it because it was the one time we got to break the no-presents-until-Christmas rule and we never knew what it would bring. Now that we're older and have had many years of this same gift we know what it will be, but we're still excited to follow through on the tradition.

Aren't these guys just rockin' the pjs?!

     So what was the gift? Pajamas! Well, one year they were robes (bath robes not wizarding robes) and another they were slippers, but the Christmas Eve gift is always something comfortable we can wear when we open our gifts.
     I think the excitement now isn't so much that we don't know what we'll get. I think it's more that we can still feel like little kids getting to open that one present when all the others are forbidden. I'm sad to see the tradition fade, but it definitely will be something I start with my children.

Merry Christmas!
Stephie

Samhain

     A few years ago a friend asked why I'm so okay with all the "devil worship" of Halloween. I was really confused what she was talking about so had her explain. She was taking the Christian perspective of the holiday while I had already integrated my Celtic background into my Christian faith. Somewhere along the line All Hallow's Eve became a day to be feared because the dead were walking the earth.
     Halloween started out as the precursor to All Saint's Day, November 1st, when all the souls of the dead from the year wandered the earth in hopes of finding rest. Then, on All Saints Day they would travel to the next realm, whether that was the realm of the good (heaven) or evil (hell). We wear masks so that the evil spirits cannot recognize our human souls and therefore take us with them or manipulate our souls after they've gone on.
     Samhain itself is about the transition from summer into winter. It is the time when livestock is brought back from summer pastures and people prepare for the winter. It is one of four holidays in the Celtic calendar, resting almost halfway between the Autumn Equinox and the Winter Solstice. During the festival bonfires are lit as protective measures against spirits and fairies, but the souls of lost loved ones are welcomed to eat at the table with the living. Samhain pre-dates Christianity, and when the Christian All Saint's Day was moved to November 1st the two began to meld and became something like modern Halloween.
   The holiday is called by many different names and celebrated with different practices
, but most have some connection to the rebirth and celebration. It isn't about terrifying children, or about demons wandering the planet; it's about remembering the people we've lost and indulging in the "what if".

Old Family, New Friends

     I love it when I can visit with family. It's been a long and frustrating few years since we all lived close to each other and gas prices made it easy to just plan a trip for the weekend. When we were little it was easy because our family lived in Portland, Gra'ma and Papa lived in Central Oregon, and out of my seven aunt-uncle sets the furthest lived in Central California. Since we moved everyone else has moved too, but it seems we're moving closer together.
     What is it about Central Oregon that draws us all back? Is it that my parents' generation grew up there, or is it that all of our best memories are there? I don't know, but for me it's that my family is mostly close by no matter where in Central Oregon I am.
     I came down to Madras to visit my aunt and her kids. I wasn't expecting to see much of my oldest cousin, but I've been given the opportunity to meet his children and I absolutely adore them. The older two are girls and sweethearts. They're brilliant for a nine and seven-year-old, they love to cook, they're outdoorsy, and we all get along so much better than I'd have thought with our age differences. The youngest is a four-year-old boy who looks just like daddy. Their boy is a ladies man, as young as he is, and I can't sit in a room with him without him curling up next to me.
     My cousin's kids are wonderful, so is his wife, but I'm most glad I got to know him again. He's several years older than me and when the family started going its separate ways he was just starting his family. Now that we're adults it's great to become friends as well as family. There is something to be said for creating friendships with family, even the ones you don't see very often.

Just thinking...
Stephie

Vacation Time!

     This September I've been away in Wisconsin. My grandmother and I went to visit her third husband's cousin's wife (very complicated, I know) in Madison. It was a wonderful trip and we got to see a lot of different places and sights. Some highlights were the American Players Theatre production of Hamlet, the Mid-Continent Railway Museum, the Wisconsin Big Cat Rescue, and spending a week in the Northwoods.
     Hamlet was a stunning production. The American Players Theatre is centered in Spring Green, WI and has both an indoor and outdoor stage. This summer the woman my Gra'ma and I were staying with, we'll call her Mrs. Lucas, went to see APT's production of Hamlet. She absolutely loved it and insisted we go to a production. I have seen a couple different versions of the play, including Kenneth Branaugh's movie and Laurence Olivier's performance, and I wasn't expecting to be impressed, let alone blown away. Matt Schwader as Hamlet was stunning. I absolutely loved it! Mrs. Lucas also took Gra'ma and I to The Night of the Iguana, a Tennessee Williams play, and I was still spinning from how completely the cast of Hamlet took me from my here and now and transported me into the story like only a good book does.
     I think my favorite part, however, was that afterward the audience was given the opportunity to speak with the actors and have questions answered. I learned that Eric Parks, Laertes, attended my Alma Mater and I got to speak with him about that as well as the play itself. A bonus was that one of the women in the audience also attended Pacific Lutheran University, and her son roomed with Matt in college. Not only was the experience amazing theatrically, but it was driven home to me how interconnected the world can be, and how influential collegiate connections can be.

     Over the course of my four weeks in Wisconsin, Mrs. Lucas did not have internet. This is understandable: she gave up her computer when her husband became ill several years ago and there was no reason to continue paying for internet when she had no ability to use it. This did make for some complications though. You'd never realize how much we depend on the internet, or any of our other electronics, until they are taken away completely. I learned this when we trekked into the Northwoods for a week. It was a wonderful week full of visiting with friends and exploring the beauty of Autumn descending on the Midwest, but it was also a week without television, internet, cell phones, or even a landline! The next nearest neighbor was ten minutes down the road, and the nearest internet connection was an hour into town. In contrast I got a lot of reading done, wrote about the books I'd read, and just relaxed. With Gra'ma and Mrs. Lucas reminiscing about everything and anything they could come up with, it was nice to have some time to myself. Especially in such a beautiful setting.
     In our last couple weeks in Wisconsin, Mrs. Lucas wanted to expose both Gra'ma and me to as much of the area as possible. We started with a trip to the Overture Center where we had a beautiful dinner atop the building at the rooftop restaurant Fresco. Then we explored a Swiss town to the south west that didn't seem much different than any Midwest town I'd been to, but it was some sort of tourist spot. Next Mrs. Lucas took us to Baraboo and the surrounding area where we went to the Railway museum and rode the train.
     The Mid-Continent Railway Museum is in North Freedom, Wisconsin, and houses several steam and diesel engines. They both restore and run the trains that are donated to the Museum. All the work is done by volunteers, with some experts called in for specialty work, and the only paid workers are the ticket agents and the gift-shop employees. It was a wonderful place, the people were friendly and wanted to share their love of railways with everyone. The train rides are over three miles of track owned and operated by the museum and its volunteers. The rides run over the summer, ending the third week of October each year, with special events in November and February.
     We got to ride the train first class in the dining car. It was exciting; I've always loved trains and getting to visit the Jamestown, California, train museum made this trip no less exciting. Trains on the west coast are different than trains in the Midwest, though most people wouldn't think so. Gra'ma kept telling us about her experiences on trains when her father was a roundhouse foreman. She even knew the name of a particular train when no one else did! It was interesting to see such a vibrant recreation of the past in a small town in Southern Wisconsin.
     On the way back from the Railway Museum, we stopped by the Wisconsin Big Cat Rescue. They have twenty-nine cats that have been donated, rescued, or born at the rescue. We were there around naptime so the cats weren't very active, but they were beautiful! It was a nice foil to a small zoo we visited in Baraboo, WI. The zoo wasn't anything near what I've always considered a zoo, only three or four acres. They had some pretty cool animals, most of which are from North America. They had a bear, a couple wolves, deer, llamas, and a couple golden pheasants. I wasn't too impressed, but it was in a beautiful park and it was a free zoo, so I'm surprised they had so many animals from outside the area.
     I had a great time in Wisconsin; caught up on reading, explored the area, and had fun with family. I missed my parents, and especially my dog. But It's always fun to get away from daily life. I hope everyone gets a chance to do something like my trip, something out of the ordinary, and something to simply get away.

Stephie

Graduation!!

      Yesterday was Graduation Day for my university! On one hand I'm ecstatic to be finished with my undergraduate years, but on the other I'm going to miss all the friends and the experiences and I'm terrified of the "real world." These last four years have been some great times, starting with my freshman year and learning how to function again after tearing my knee apart and having surgery to fix it and finishing with this last year and the insanity of Capstone and preparation for today--my first day as a college graduate.
     There's that worry and stress about "What are you going to do after college?" Well, apparently I'm going to sit on my computer and talk to the world... I don't have a long-term job lined up like some of my classmates, but I'm positive about discovering what I enjoy and working toward the goals I've set for myself. I'm willing to let those goals change, and move with where the world flings me. I'm not exactly just letting it happen, as my family thinks, but I will look around and maybe do something a little unconventional for a while.
     What will I do after college? I will have fun, make people smile, read for pleasure, do my own research on topics that fascinate me, and I will cultivate the relationships my undergraduate years have allowed me to develop. But I will start all of that by packing up my apartment and moving back home until I have that semi-permanent job and can afford my own place.

     I want to say "Thank You" to all of my wonderful friends, my crazy family, and the myriad of professors, mentors, fellow students, and other people that have supported me, pushed me, and been the person I prove wrong when I accomplish the impossible--you have helped to create the person I am today.

Just a thought...
Stephie

The Universal Unit System

     This semester I took a Ballroom class at my university and it was fascinating. Not only did we learn the dances (Country Two-Step, Cha Cha, Waltz, Tango, Nightclub Two-Step, and some others) but we learned about the Universal Unit System which is a way that you can measure music to make it easier to learn. It was designed by Skippy Blair and it is a pretty awesome way to learn difficult dances. 

     We had to write a paper to show we understood the concepts from class, here's some of it: 

     The Universal Unit System is designed to describe the weight changes in dance. Each two beats of music is one unit and the weight changes can be described in three ways: single, double, and triple. A single unit is one where there is only one weight change in the two beats. A double is two weight changes in those two beats, and a triple is three weight changes in two beats of music. There are two different types of single unit: a standard and a delayed single. A delayed single differs from the standard or regular single in that the weight change is on the second beat of the unit, rather than the first. There is also an empty unit where the dancer does not have a weight change.

     How these measurements appear on paper is with dots and slashes. The single unit will have either a dot and slash or a slash and dot—the dot is a weight change while the slash is a hold of some sort: a tap, ronde, or some other movement that does not shift weight from one foot to the other. The double unit will have two dots for a single unit, and the triple will have two large dots with a smaller one in the middle. This smaller dot means the triple step is syncopated: it doesn’t have an even distribution of the time between steps. The steps are placed against cards measured for the beat of the song. In the case of a Country Two-step, the dance is set to 4/4 time (4 beats of music with the quarter note determining the beat) and the steps are single, single, double. It looks like:  The “&a” between each count is how the space between each beat is measured. How 

this is counted is a “slo-ow, slo-ow, quick, quick, slo-ow, slo-ow, quick, quick” saying each syllable on a beat. The difference in the notation between a slow in Country Two-Step and a staccato dance like Tango is a smaller dot below the dot like musical notation has a small dot to indicate staccato.

     I really enjoyed the class and this system is something I think I'll be able to use in the future when I try to learn new dances.

Just a thought...

Stephie

Rediscovered Love

     This evening was a night out of a dream. I've always enjoyed music and the call from my mom about tickets to the Tacoma Symphony Orchestra came as a wonderful shock. My first worry was that I wouldn't be able to convince a friend to go with me (there were two tickets and I didn't want to take the opportunity form someone who could find a friend to go with) but it wasn't that big of a deal: my roommate decided to postpone her date night and join me.
     We dressed up in our finery--can I just point out that something like an orchestra concert should be attended by people in their best dress not jeans and a t-shirt, even if it's your kid's elementary school production, show you appreciate the time the musicians have put in and put on something that takes effort--our outfits weren't superbly formal, but tasteful dresses with reasonable heels for walking around downtown Tacoma were still a lot dressier than what we wear to school and work every day. We arrived in time for the show, but parking was terrible and I made it from the car just in time to take my seat before the introductory remarks began.
     One of the directors of the Orchestra introduced their sponsors from a local university and the conductor. The sponsors had their gratitude and fund-raising spiels, then the conductor got up to the microphone. The TSO had a guest conductor for the night: Paul Haas. Haas has an interesting background, but that's not really what I'm concerned with--he is hilarious! He directed a surprise for the audience; a piece he'd composed himself based on a of classic pieces he'd heard, then proceeded into the expected program.
     First was a piece by a local composer: Alexandra Bryant. It was beautiful, wavering back and forth between smooth, typically orchestral phrases and staccato sections that each draw the attention to the differences while allowing the listener to sink completely into her work. The piece, called Strange Attractors, was varied and showcased what a symphony orchestra is capable of.
     Next was Beethoven. Piano Concerto No. 3 in C minor, Op. 37 was fun to listen to: the pianist was also a guest--Stephanie Leon Shames--and the interplay between the piano's line and the orchestra's began to sound like a call and response. The part that surprised me most about the pairing was Ms. Leon Shames's lack of score. She didn't use music at all during the entire half-hour concerto, playing from memory. I have been part of a choir for over ten years and still have trouble with pieces longer than eight minutes, and the piano requires more effort to make sure to hit the right keys and put the harmonies are in the right places. I enjoyed the faster pace of the piece, it seems like people like to play classical music that drags on and the Beethoven piece didn't feel like it took half an hour.
     After intermission the final piece was Brahms's Symphony No. 4 in E minor, Op. 98. Everyone (Haas and the program notes) commented on how sad the piece was, and I could see it, but what drew me was the constant movement and the joy that permeated the piece. Even in the slower portions, the melancholy was interlaced with a joy that drew the sound higher. It was as if Brahms was portraying the search for something lost--once it is found the searcher is glad, happy, joyful, but until then the searcher is upset with a hint of joy to come. The piece's premier was Brahms's last performance in Vienna as he died from late-stage liver cancer in the late nineteenth century and there is some of that ending feeling. However, the farewell is a goodbye based in shared experiences and the happiness of the memory together. It was my favorite piece of the night.
     I have not been to a professional symphony in many years--probably since middle school--and tonight was an opportunity to rediscover a love for classical music and the pomp of going out to the theater. I hope to continue the practice in the coming years.

Just a thought...
Stephie

Heroes

     When it first started on television, I wasn't all that interested in watching Heroes. Since, I've started to see the various shows that have similar theories behind them like Eureka and Warehouse 13.  There is something behind the idea that humans have the power and ability to achieve more than we think we can.

     It's kind of entertaining how strongly we cling to this idea that we can be more than the average person. Escapism culture has taken on a new element--not only can we escape whatever events in our lives are bothering us, but we can start to escape from the elements of ourselves that have negative connections. By knowing or thinking that we can achieve more than the average person - that we each have some sort of magical super power - there is no longer that moment of looking at the self and criticizing it. Instead we each look at the self and only see the superpower--the positive side of it. 

     There are so many different powers in this show - a teen-aged cheerleader who is indestructible  an underachieving Japanese man who can bend space and time, an american who can fly - his brother is running for Senate, and the brilliant Indian biologist who ties them all together. The characters haven't had many adventures yet, I've just started watching Heroes, but they're just learning that they have powers. I'm excited to catch up with the show and all its spin-offs. 

Just a thought...

Stephie

New Obsessions: BBC America

     This last week was Spring Break for my university so I've had some free time on my hands, actually I've had a lot of free time on my hands. I started watching Doctor Who this evening--it's the first new episode since Christmas--but got caught by the new shows that followed.
     Orphan Black and The Nerdist were interesting: Orphan Black is about a woman who watches someone who looks just like her jump in front of a train. She takes on the woman's identity and strange things start to happen in the dead woman's life. The Nerdist is about all things nerdy. The host, Chris Hardwick, described the show as a place where any thing that people can obsess over, talk about, argue about, then talk about more can be explored and talked about. I thought it was an accurate description of being a nerd; it's also a description John Green used when talking about nerds and nerdiness in his vlog. But it's also an accurate description of Tumblr, so The Nerdist is Tumblr in a television show.
     It looks like we, as a society, are becoming more interested in talking about our interests in an informal and impersonal manner. What happened to book clubs and other organizations where people meet up in real life and talk about things?
     I know I'm a culprit of this same anti-social mingling; I am, after all, talking to you from my computer while you're out there on your computer or smart phone, but what happens outside of these glowing boxes? Will we revert to finding meeting places and talking about things just as people have started writing letters again? Or will we stay tethered to the magic box that allows us to travel to an alternate world where all the other people are traveling to talk about their obsessions.

Just a thought....
Stephie

Lizzie Bennet Diaries

     Lately a lot of my friends have been talking about several different vlogs, my favorite has been the "Lizzie Bennet Diaries" which is produced by Hank Green. (I'm fascinated by pretty much anything Hank or John Green make--even though I haven't gotten to the books--right now.) The premise is that Elizabeth Bennet is a graduate student making a video diary of her life, it essentially follows the arc of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice in the modern communications field.
     The episodes are between two and eight minutes long and a new one comes out each Monday and Thursday morning. Recently they released the 94th episode, but there are rumors going around that the series will end on the one-hundredth episode. One friend and I are following the story pretty closely and we are a little confused how so much of the book will be squished into only six episodes. Yet, if they boil it down to the essence of the story, all they'll have to do is get Lizzie and Darcy together, and they'll be done.
     I'm super stoked about the next few episodes, but will be sad to see such a good show go. I wonder if the producers will be willing to continue with other classic books?

Just a thought...
Stephie

A Compliment a Day...

     So today was not a good day; I planned to get up early, finish my homework, clean my apartment, maybe go to my parents' and play with my dog. None of that happened: I slept much later than I had hoped, managed to spend the entire day washing dishes, feeling all alone, and discovered that my roommate's boyfriend had left egg all over the lid to one of my pans. After an hour of scrubbing it is still not clean. To say the least I was not in a good mood.
     But then I checked my Facebook. I attend Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, WA and recently a student (at least I assume it was a student) started up a Facebook page called Pacific Lutheran Compliments where students may anonymously submit compliments to the administrator and they will appear on the page. I've been following it since its founding and it's been wonderful to see several of my friends complimented, and to just see how kind everyone is, but I was starting to feel left out when today a friend tagged me on a compliment. Needless to say my entire day turned around. It's wonderful how something so small could make my entire day better.

Just a thought...
Stephie

Movie Night!

     A few of my friends were lamenting the fact that I hadn't seen several of their favorite movies--Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Fight Club--so they all but blackmailed me into watching them.
     Star Wars was entertaining: a few of us got together and watched the more recent trilogy. I really enjoyed them, but there seemed to be a bit of disconnect between the original trilogy and the newer set. Not in the storyline, but in the technology that was used to create the story. The computer generated images seemed out of place: there was too much color and the style--shapes, patterns, blends and contrasts--was completely different from the original trilogy. Why wouldn't the artists look at the original concept art and work form there? It seemed like they watched the movies, but then, instead of continuing in the pattern already established, the artists branched out and introduced something completely new. In some places this worked, but when they went back to places where the first trilogy took place it looked completely out of place and as if they'd photo-shopped something in that wasn't supposed to be there.
     I'm interested to see what Disney does with the new trilogy. I hope they add more congruity and can bridge the first and second trilogies together.

Just a thought...
Stephie

"Are You Mad?"

     I went bowling with some friends tonight. It was a great time and I spent time with some people that I haven't seen in a long time, plus some people that I see on a regular basis. It was a great night, but I'm getting over a cold and the late night started taking its toll. We all walked from our apartments to the bowling alley and bowled several games, then about 1:00 am we walked back home. The entire way home I was coughing and wheezing, I just put it down to the massive change in temperature: mid-80s Farenheit to low-30s is a huge drop for my already overworked lungs.
     We got back to our complex and I noticed that my car was parked in a manner that would make leaving tomorrow difficult, so I took five minutes to clear it out and move it. During that five minutes I spent moving my car and preparing for tomorrow one of my friends--Peter--was bothering Lucy, another of our friends, about whether or not I was mad. My question is "what would I be mad about?" We all had a great night, made some good memories, and no one got hurt. When I got into the building it was my turn for the inquisition and he insisted on examining every part of the evening until I told him; I'm not mad, I'm sick, tired, and in pain from moving in and out of the cold. He then wanted to go into whether or not I was mad because Calvin came, I was excited Calvin decided to join our group and that I got to spend more time with him, why would that make me angry? In the end Lucy and I just sent Peter to bed and resolved to talk to him later.
     It gets me thinking though, why does Peter think I'm so angry? I might be disappointed something didn't turn out as I wanted, but when I retreat into my own world it doesn't mean I'm angry, rather I probably need a few minutes to myself and to react to large groups of people. As outgoing as I am with my friends, I really am an introvert and I do need those moments of relaxed alone time.

Just a thought....
Stephie