Returning to the Blog & DKR Videos

Honestly, I'm kind of trying to figure out how to restart this.

The past twelve weeks (or so) have been pretty eventful for my family. It was a terrible emotional roller coaster and ended with an unexpected crash. I never blogged during that time partially because I was gone a lot and partially because I absolutely didn't know what to say. Silly, mindless posts seemed so ridiculousy unimportant and thoughtful posts would've taken way too much... everything?

Now silly posts seem even less important, and yet oddly somehow, important anyway. Maybe important is the wrong word. Maybe a little needed.

This is going to be (eventually) a sillier post.

I would like to filter out some thoughts onto here about some of the past week....I think.  Maybe sort some things out. Maybe not. I just don't want to ignore the fact that something heavy has happened. But for right now, I just kind of want to get restarted. Reboot. Take a breather and figure the rest out later. And with that in mind, I present to you:

Batman Maybe
(If you haven't seen the movie and are avoiding spoilers, please avoid them now for the video and rest of the post.)



It's been stuck in my head. I think its pretty hysterical. And the costumes are awesome. (Thanks for showing it to me, Holly!)

My favorite line: "I know you're Batman... so STOP BEING LAZY."
BWAHAHHAHA!


That's all.

My absolute favorite Dark Knight Rises video on the internet right now comes from the Nostalgia Critic himself in his Bum Review:
(You canNOT possibly avoid spoilers in this one. Every spoiler is dropped. Avoid, avoid, avoid if you haven't seen it.)



"Uh, yeah...."

I love it. I can't tell you how many times I've watched it. So funny. If you have time, I recommend watching his Bum Reviews. They're usually four or five minutes (DRK is easily the longest) and incredibly funny. But full spoilers are involved in each one, so just beware that if you're wanting one saved.

Also, supposedly HISHE will have theirs up in a couple weeks as well. We'll see what they decide to do with that.

Catching Up: Class, Tonys, Articles and More.

Let's play catch up!

The Wedding Class....
....is mostly why I've been away. It was a wedding intensive class that began this past Sunday through Wednesday (where I graduated to Pomp & Circumstance, ha) and lasted from 8:30 - 5:30 every day in the city. And paranoid me left at 6:30 every morning to ensure I would beat traffic and make it to class on time.

And while I was rather terrified to go through the first hands on experience (since this was my first time around other designers) everything went okay. I learned a lot and it was really kind of nice to have a four-day designing focus, rather than multitasking computer, order taking, satisfying customers, etc. Not that those things are bad. Just that it was nice to strictly soak up some design wisdom and let some of it gel in my head a little better. Especially for wedding work.

I did solidify a few styles (one of which we just used today in the shop) and learned a few crazy things as well. For one, I never thought I'd be able to complete a composite flower which is several flowers put together to form one large bloom. So she showed us how to make a glamela (glad blooms) and we completed one and then she quickly showed us a composite rose. And it looked easier than I expected. So while we had some extra time on our hands this morning I wanted to make one while I could still remember how: 

 

In this picture it kind of looks like one giant bloomed-out rose, but that's kind of the whole point too.  That's actually three roses put together. I would love to make more of these, I think they're really beautiful. (And I was so excited to make one.)

Anyway, I essentially was coming home, eating dinner with grandma, rewriting my notes and crashing.

But I saw some awesome girls....
.... and had a chance to spend the night with them before my class started.  :) I spent the night with the Puckett family and played games and sang karaoke and had a general blast. Maybe I can sneak over there one more time before summer is up. ;)

Did I mention the Tonys are this Sunday?
Oh wait, I haven't.
Um.
I'm just not excited this year. I'll watch them (and blog inner-monologue style) but I'm just not anticipating them this year. I wasn't really last year either and they pleasantly surprised me and gave me lots of hope, but look at this years Best Musical lineup:
Once
Newsies
Leap of Faith
Nice Work if You Can Get It

Now. Not that I'm not excited for Newsies to finally be on Broadway (although, honestly, I'm not all that crazy about some of the new music I've heard) and not that I don't think Once can do well there (although, honestly, it is pretty slow in some places.) But the top three are all based off movies and the last one - while it has a new story - is essentially a Gershwin review. Where's the originality? It's nowhere. At all. And it just kind of depresses me a bit.
Okay, so it was a slow season for new stuff. How about the revivals?
Evita
Jesus Christ Superstar
Follies
Porgy & Bess 

I am VERY excited to see Porgy performed because it features none other than Audra McDonald and Norm Lewis (ahh!) but I've also heard amazing things about the supporting cast as well. That one, I'm stoked for. But the others? How many times has JCS been revived recently? Evita? Nothing new. Follies? Great show from what I've heard (my shame, I don't know that one as well), but again, played a lot.

And I'd tell you about the plays, but sadly I know nothing about them. So consider the rest of it strictly referring to musicals, because I'm telling you up front I just haven't kept up with the plays. 

This article that was posted today makes me sad: For Broadway Fans, A Moment in the Sun. It mostly discusses how nice it is for Broadway to be mainstream for a little while (and it is) and how shows like Glee, Smash and High School Musical have been the main backbone for that happening.
While I haven't been able to get into those shows, I don't have a problem with them. In fact, I like that Glee does pull a lot of old showtunes and breathes new life into them for a new generation. My problem with the article is not that our "moment in the sun" is because of these television shows. My problem with the article is when you continue reading it gives the impression that Broadway is gleaming right now with success. Newsies is finally on Broadway. This is the highest grossing year ever. We are awesome.
I'm really frustrated with this. This is a terrible year for musicals. We've been in an originality drought for awhile now, but really? Not a single show? I mean, at least in the past we've had Memphis (that's a joke.)

I'm not upset with the television shows that the article claims: "I trace this surge in popularity back to 2006's "High School Musical." Sure, I despised it (and the endless sequels) with a fervent passion, as any true musical nerd would. It turned our beloved world into a pop singer-filled, Disney Channel-style, teenybopper show." but within our own community. Why aren't we encouraging and supporting good, original art and pushing for it to be on the Great White Way where there's a better chance a larger community will see it? Why aren't we calling foul for this? Why aren't we helping promote or demanding a higher quality? Why isn't someone at least trying something instead of just rewriting movies with songs?
Probably for the same reason I haven't raised a fuss this year. Because we have in the past and now we're tired and a bit jaded with the whole thing.
I do realize there is a lot happening in smaller venues now, off-Broadway and way way off-Broadway and that's great. But I also wish we could open back up that larger market where the creative shows could potentially gain more attention and maybe one day create more of a demand for thought provoking and high quality work.
Ah well, a girl can dream.

And let me reiterate - turning a movie into a musical isn't bad in and of itself. I just wish it wasn't seemingly every show right now or that they would do something new with it. Lion King is the perfect example. Its a movie to a musical and while it's not a perfect overall show, it is excellent in so many capacities. Puppetry work? Absolutely worth the hype. The opening number? Outstanding and worth every laud. Scenery? Music? Lovely. This is a great example of breathing new life and making something truly theatrical from something that's been done before. I realize that kind of brilliance can't happen every time - that's why its so special - but its an excellent description of what I hope for in movies turned musicals and why they can be good. 

Actually, I think I hate that article. I think its dumb. And seriously, how does an article entitled "Broadway's Moment in the Sun" not include....

....the upcoming Les Mis movie.
The Les Mis trailer is still gorgeous and I'm still a bit shocked it looks so perfect. This would be such a hard show to get right and I'm so excited by all the pictures! December seems just around the corner.

And yet, there's one nail biter beforehand. 
The Dark Knight Rises marketing keeps throwing me from one side to other. I thought the Catwoman poster was stupid, yet I love all the tv spots I've seen lately. So I'm hoping its actually awesome and the marketing team has just been confused this whole time. Or if not awesome, at least solid. Please, Nolan, I want a solid ending to a good trilogy. Pleeeeeease.

However, my boss is awesome and when I begged to please, could we please be done with the wedding work by 7:00 so I can go see this movie, please oh please she laughed and said of course. So Dark Knight Rises opening weekend, here I come. Mwee!!

Let's make up for that last article.
I can assure you, this one will do it. This is a story about how a five-year-old boy and his mother got onto the Avengers set, was able to take pictures with some of the cast and how awesome they were treated by all the cast members and crew. I love it. It's super cute, really heartwarming and very "aww" worthy.
The picture of him with Loki alone is worth it. (It's at the top, I won't spoil it.)

Have you heard that saying about the thunderstorms being a good omen for Thunder?
Cause I'm sure sick of it. EVERY. WEATHERMAN. EVERY. FORECAST.
But I am glad they won, I'm thrilled for them and I'll watch the finals. They actually make watching the game fun and intense to watch, which isn't saying I usually say in context with basketball. Ever. I think these are the first full games I've ever watched where a family member wasn't playing in them. So go Thunder! You are awesome. You actually have made me enjoy basketball.

That's the majority of what you've missed. We are launching into wedding season now which will keep me busy, but not like this past week. Hurrah! I should be as back as I ever am.

Dark Knight Rises Trailer!!

The New Dark Knight Rises trailer is here!

DUN DUN. DUN DUN.

This makes me excited.

I love how - especially since they're coming out in the same summer - this is a very different film from Avengers. Both hopefully awesome, but in very different ways.

SO EXCITED. JULY 20TH.

Dark Knight Rises Poster Reveal & Progression

 

 Seriously.... my breath caught tonight when I saw the DKR poster for the first time. Epic.

And hope still flies.

Shh.... I'm supposed to be sleeping.

Do you realize how much exciting entertainment news has occurred this week? (Okay, only two pieces, but they're extremely exciting to ME.)

First off, Dark Knight Rises announced a few amazing spoilers that I'm extremely excited about. (They're minor spoilers really, but since I've already spoiled it for one person, you're going to have to click on the link to see if you want to. Ha! :) Also, new photos on that link.) 

That first paragraph? That's what I'm excited about. I think its unexpected and brilliant. (Oh, it makes that trailer make SO much more sense now! How heartbreaking!) I have to admit: I was getting nervous and skeptical seeing some of the recently released pics and confused by the trailer. But this one piece of news has excited me so much I have to say: BRING ON THE GOGGLES, BABY.

Rumor has it an updated trailer will be released with Sherlock Holmes 2.

And then, my favorite dead band Five Iron Frenzy has been making noise for months now that they'll release huge news on the day of their break-up anniversary. And it's just been building and building hype and so tonight they finally announced it: they're not only getting back together, but they've already been working on a new album and have released one of the songs. (Hear it here.)

They were trying to raise $30,000 by January 21st, 2012 since they're doing all the releasing and recording themselves and avoiding a record label.

They reached their goal in 55 minutes total.

And as of now, four hours after the announcement? They're at $66,744.

I'm so excited for this, their new song sounds wonderful and those instruments are oh so crisp.

I'm supposed to sleep tonight, but that would mean I'd have to stop playing the new song and Batman trailer first.

"This is why we don't attack people with guns."

Tonight I was keeping Brad company when he offered me the chance to play Arkham City for the first time. Yay!

Also: Ahahaha! Oh dear. 

Listen, I'm just terrible at these games. I grew up on all the Nintendo sidescrollers. I never played Final Fantasy or, well, anything else. I did play Link to the Past. That's the only one I can currently think of where you actually go out and explore. Oh, and SMRPG. But Players Guides were my best friends. So the first time someone tried to teach me Kingdom Hearts it was a disaster. I didn't make it OFF THE BEACH. Y'know, that intro section?

"You have to find eggs. Where would eggs be?"
"I have no idea! I'm on a beach!"
"....how about a tree?"
"...."

That's pretty much how it goes most of the time. It's kind of sad.

This is my method for these types of games: Wander around. Eventually something will trigger the new scenario.

And it's not that I don't like those games! You just have to be very patient with me. Which Brad is. And so, even medicated, we sat there and he would calmly say "Sherri, didn't you just come from that direction?" And I would affirm that and he would reply "Then that's probably not the direction you should be going."

Also, I was learning the controls. So when I would go to "silent takedown" someone, I would actually leap up and attack them causing gunfire to come from everywhere. Batman died. A lot. Because I did that exact same button confusion. A lot. AT THE SAME FIGHT. It was awesome.

(I did, for the record, eventually manage to get past it, but it certainly wasn't because I completed any silent takedowns there.)

That being said, it's a really, really incredible game. (Even if you're lost and just grappling from platform to platform for awhile for fun.) The design elements are perfect, the storyline looks like an absolutely fantastic setup, and I feel like once I got used to the controller the controls would be a lot more intuitive. And gliding?! Gliding is the best.

Hm...maybe if I got an X Box....

Goggles & All

So let's talk Catwoman.

Since I first heard they were bringing Selina Kyle into the Nolan verse, I was a little nervous. Of course, if anyone can pull her off in a solid way its Nolan and his team. But since Catwoman is always done, I was just hoping they would pull another character in.

But! It was still okay.

And then they cast Anne Hathaway, and it was still okay. I thought it was weird, but hey! I trust them. They've done excellent so far.

And then came the goggles. Oh, the goggles.

I was sad. Just...sad. The rest of it was fine...but the goggles. Eh.

But truth is, I have no context for the goggles. How does she even get them? Does she steal them? That would work. Does someone give them to her? Does Batman give them to her?
As long as she doesn't make the goggles, it works.

Yay! We're okay again!

And here's the deal: I LOVE her look as Selina Kyle. And this latest pic? Wow. Wow, wow, wow. She looks awesome.

Less than a year to go.

Dark Knight Rises Teaser Trailer: It's the bat-man....

This was not what I expected.



Mind you, I don't think its bad or disappointing. It just blew me away on the grounds that I didn't see this kind of trailer coming at all.

Well, what did you expect then?

Eric had actually given me a heads up the day before the opening of Harry Potter that the trailer had been leaked and that he had seen it and it did include new footage. So I knew to no longer expect just a voiceover over the logo like they did for Dark Knight.

So. I expected the now iconic shot of Bruce Wayne climbing the mountain from Begins and a few shots from Knight, etc. etc and then flash-bang quick action shots with a resounding boom as the title screen appeared and Bane's famous "I will break you."

That's exactly what I expected.

So. The opening footage rolling by, there's the mountain as anticipated, the cave, things are moving along --

Whaaaat? Gordon!? GORDON!? Is that GORDON?! On a HOSPITAL BED?!

Mind. Blown. I was so stunned that at the end of the trailer I had no idea how to intially react - and apparently no one else in the theatre did either because an eerie quiet came over. (I've read reviews of the teaser that mention the same response happening in several different theatres. Mind you, it also didn't help that it was difficult to understand what Gordon was saying.)

SO. This puts an entirely different feel than I was anticipating for the next movie and I'm excited by this because I now feel that same sort of Dark Knight curiosity, "How are they going to manage to work all this into one film? And where on earth is this going?" And GORDON!

Only 364 days away.

Speaking of trailers, and because I love them, here's a couple more you might have interest in.

The Amazing Spiderman



The Woman in Black

Movies: The Beginning & The End

Are you ready for the Dark Knight teaser?
Of course. I mean, that's why we're here, right?
Yes. We paid $7.50. To see a teaser. That's probably 30 seconds long.
It's a minute and a half.
It's a teaser!
It's a minute and a half!
So. A minute and fifteen of old footage. And $7.50 for 15 seconds of new.
Yes. But it will be fifteen seconds of awesome.

Oh, you know I would've been there for Harry Potter 7.2 with or without the teaser. Still, it made it even sweeter.
No spoilers here, folks. Not until its (officially) hit the internets.

Harry Potter....review? Thoughts? Farewell? Forthcoming!

Anticipation

I dozed on and off most of the afternoon. It was delightful.

Also, it officially reached 110 today according to weathermen. By our thermometer at home it reached 113. Woo! We're breaking records!

Also also, I've managed to destroy the clip on my ethernet cord so now if I move it falls out. I apparently should not be allowed hear computer devices at this time. Sigh.

Okay, so it's no surprise I hope to see Harry Potter 7.2 this coming/opening weekend, but with this you know I can't wait. I had heard rumors about it appearing before the movie all along, but its still exciting.

So it's only a minute and a half? True. But the one for Dark Knight was only a minute long and hearing Ledger's fantastic voice and laugh was gold. So I'm hoping something - even along those lines - will be revealed. Plus, it's only a teaser.

BECAUSE THERE'S STILL A YEAR TO GO. (Woot!)

Summer Movies: "Mermaids, Jack."

This post has started out in many ways.

First off, it was going to be all about Pirates 4: On Stranger Tides which I just saw tonight. So let's start with that.

When I first heard they were going to make a fourth Pirates, I thought "You have got to be kidding me. This is ridiculous. I'm done."
Fast forward: somehow I end up watching it on opening night in 3D Imax? (Sigh. Trailers. You can get me every time.)

That being said, it's fun. Its a standard Pirates movie. Action-adventure, quips, lots of sword fighting. I enjoyed it. And the visual effects are really outstanding - the Fountain itself & the mermaids are top notch.

Which is also what drew me in. Mermaids.

Its still not too far off the mark sometimes, but when I was little I was obsessed with fantastical. Girly fantastical. My playhouse was lined in unicorn wallpaper. Fairies conspired in trees. And when I grew up I wanted to be a mermaid. Now unicorns are still beautiful and fairies are still things of wonder - but mermaids, ah. Mermaids are still my deep-seated favorite fantastical creature. Good, evil - whether being lovely or dragging men to the bottom of the sea, somehow they still capture my attention. And I was glad to see them used in the Pirates lore and handled so well.
--------------------------
By the way, I think its terrible to have the headline Spiderman Writer signs on for Carrie remake on Playbill and not have it be referencing the musical version. That's unfair.

Apparently, there's a movie remake of Carrie in the works. Sigh.

Also, aren't the Tonys sometime soon? Anyone know anything about them this year? All my knowledge includes is that The Book of Mormon gathered the highest praises and most noms. Anything else?
-------------------------
And then: such excitement.

(Note: Potential spoilers included in the link.)

I settled in at the house for a standard flip through the web. Email. Facebook. CNN. Superherohy--.

FIRST LOOK AT TOM HARDY AS BANE?! Whaaaaaaaaaaat??

I mean, we've been getting lots of news. They announced more casting tonight and that production had officially begun. The first photos of filming have been leaked.
But this? This is a whole another level of awesome. I wasn't expecting to see this yet. I couldn't believe I had missed this until midnight.
(I'm just now beginning to think I might get some sleep tonight.)

So its good to know the viral campaigning for the final movie looks to be as awesome and spot on as the first two. I can't wait for July 20, 2012. I'm hoping to relish all the tidbits they drop throughout the year.

And its also good to know my happy dance still involves lots of bouncing up and down. Because happy dances can evolve over the years and you never know until you have need for one.

I would love to have a real update for you.

I know you could say, and it may be true, that he has to say things like this to promote the movie, but still, I love this interview.

"It's a great, great story," says Oldman, though he confirms that he hasn't read the full script yet, "You look at 'The Dark Knight' and you think, 'How's he going to top it?' But I think he has."

Oh yes. That's what I like to hear.

In other news, rumors are a big annoucement will be coming tomorrow regarding Spiderman: Turn Off the Dark. Expected changes are giving the cast a break for a time, revising the show and opening much later, potentially after the Tonys in June. There are even murmurs questioning if Taymor will stay on as director. Curious, curious.

Several of you have asked me for an update on Tate. They seem to be doing great. Tate has discovered bubbles it seems, and its awfully cute. I love this laugh! He's quite the ham and we think he's lovely! :) Thanks for asking!

Apparently I'm now three posts away from one hundred. Hmm...

July 20-12! July 20-12!

I have no idea how all this is going to come into play, but I'm wildly excited. Characters announced!!

Anne Hathaway & Tom Hardy Join Dark Knight Rises

C'mon Marianne... (Edited)

Man. Most of my friends have had a lousy week this week. Crossing my fingers things lift next week. I'm so sorry guys.

Dropping off a few links:
D'aaaaw.... I love these two. Check out this cake by Charm City Cakes.
Wall-e & Eve Cake

Great Big Sea is offering a free Christmas download from their website for the season. :)

An old classic video I felt the need to reshare for amusement:
My Name is Potato

And of course, Batman 3 interviews (spoilers):
Eckhart Interview on DKR Rumors

Mm... I'm not entirely sure why my blog earlier decided to smash two posts together. But I was rushing anyway and had no chance to fix it. Sorry for any confusion. It apparently was against my posting Batman news.

I got a brand new pair of rollar skates.

I'm stealing this from Will who stole it from someone else. Bwahaha.

Top 5 Movie Theater Experiences

5) Alvin & the Chipmunks 2
Ha! Did you expect this one? :) If I remember right it was very last minute. My family had discussed possibly seeing Alvin the next week. The girls had wanted to see it. And suddenly one day I received a call. We were going at 4:00. Could I make it?
I was off that day, and I have no idea why now. I remember being really excited that it worked out. And I think almost the entire Plumb/Puckett side of my family went. Spread out all across a row, my cousins, their kiddos, aunt and uncle... It was pretty awesome. :) The movie theater was filled with kids. Our kids loved it. It was great.
Hey guys, we should do that again. ;)

4) Phantom of the Opera
Oh, my masked men. Three of the movies on my top five contain you. Will, Holly, Brad & I drove to Wichita's Warren Theater to see this one in style. :) Lovell joined us along the way and we decided to stop off at the Wichita Zoo first. The reason we stopped at the Zoo first was because it was winter and since it was so cold out it was $1 for all visitors.
It. was. winter. It was around 30 degrees. We were beyond shivering. We were losing feeling in body parts. The indoor Rainforest exhibit saved us.
And then we saw the movie that was directed by a director I had a, um, distaste for because he had previously destroyed the Batman (and superhero) franchise with Batman & Robin. Oy.
But running around like crazy people at the Zoo with friends and topping it off with one of my favorite musicals makes the list. :)

3) Batman Returns
I was seven when this came out and my dad actually took me to see it in theaters. I watch the movie now and wonder if mom knew he was going to take me. ;) But all I really remember from being seven was that Catwoman knocked out her "Hello There" sign to read something entirely different and that Penguin ate a raw fish. And I was really disgusted by the eating of the raw fish at seven.
But my dad took me and he loved Batman. We had Batman posters up all over the garage (he even had one for the Animated Series). I loved Batman. I had all the toys. They were my favorites. In fact, in my room today, all my Batman Returns toys remain out on a shelf. His Batman & Joker from the 1989 movie sit on a shelf opposite of them. Brad & Regina last year bought the Joker from Dark Knight for my Christmas gift that hangs out with them.
So while I may not remember much about the actual viewing itself Batman Returns is on my list because I'll never forget how cool it was to go see it with him.

2) Chicago
I want to say it was May, but now that I see the release date was January, I'm not sure that's right. But whenever it was, I was really struggling. It was my first year of college, nothing was going right and I was nearing some major tests and had a paper to write. Stress. And then out of the blue Will & Holly kidnapped me. I had no idea where we were going.
They were kidnapping me to go see Chicago which at that point I still hadn't seen and was out of almost all the theatres. But they found it still playing a late showing at Quail Springs Mall. When we arrived, however, the showing time had been wrong. It wasn't starting for another 45 minutes. I still had a paper to write. Could we wait that long?
Absolutely. I was so overwhelmed with their kindness and so happy that they even considered this (plus, I had really been wanting to see the movie) that we stayed. We ate Sonic and listened to FIF while we waited. We got home late. It didn't matter- my paper was suddenly no big deal. Because my friends are awesome.


1) The Dark Knight
"And here we...go."
I know. You're shocked. But there's a reason it's so obvious, because this one takes the cake.

I have never, ever in my life been so excited about a movie or even a show. It was July 18th, 2008. I was useless at work. The hype had been building for months. Batman Begins had been awesome. The potential of having a wonderful Batman trilogy was within reach. But I knew it would all depend on the second one, because the second movie in a trilogy is usually the weakest. If this one could be good, then I knew we could make it.
Then there was Heath Ledger. Oscar talk had been rumored since even before his death and after his death things just exploded. No one knocked his performance an ounce. It was brilliance they said. And I was getting really worried that the hype had gotten so out of hand that he would never be able live up to it. I expected his performance to be good, but the expectation was now so huge, his performance would have to be mind blowing.
It was a constant topic among my friends. The lines from the trailer and viral marketing constantly ran through my head. Why so serious? Where is she? Here's my card.

And then finally the day came. And I was a basketcase at work. And five minutes till Bobby closed up early so I could take off. And I did too, because prior to going to the movie, I also needed to make Kelly's bridesmaid dinner at Zios.
And this is how awesome Kelly is: This was days before her wedding and I'm at her dinner for all her bridesmaids checking my watch. And she still loves me. :)The dinner was delicious, the company was wonderful and then I was on my way again to rest of the way to Quail Springs Mall. Shaking. And then suddenly it hit me: What if I don't like this? I actually hadn't considered that possibility before. What if I don't like this? What if this isn't that good? What if this fails miserably? I know it sounds overdramatic to describe "terror swept over me" about a movie, but really, I was almost sick.

I should insert here: Will had already seen the movie hours earlier at Disneyland. And what message does he send me?
"AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!"
Twitch. "What does that mean?! Good, bad?!"
"AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!"
....
So not only was I waiting but now I had that in my head and I had no idea what it meant.

Quail Springs Mall parking was packed. I had to park way out in the middle of nowhere. All I could remember was it was near Sears, but it didn't matter, because the goal was just to get inside. Most of my friends in the area were there. I saw the same sick worry I had mirrored on Eric's face. Jesse let me play on his iPhone until the previews started.
And then...it began. And of course, if you've seen the movie, you know it never really stops until the end. Suddenly I realized why Will just sent me a screaming text message. Because your brain is constantly trying to work to process everything going on the first time you watch it.
One particular favorite memory is when Gordon goes into Dent's office for the first time and Dent asks him what the cops call him behind his back. And Eric & I suddenly jolted at the same time, realizing what was coming.
And then there's Ledger. Who is indeed truly mindblowing and probably the only performance I have seen that I can say has ever lived up to the massive hype.

The show finished and we sat frozen in our seats. Then I couldn't find my car. Jesse had to drive me around until we found it because it was late and I was tired and had no idea where my car was. And then I drove home, drained from the excitement and crashed. And I still get jittery when I talk about it because I know how incredibly hard it will be for anything to top it. It was such a wild ride from the beginning rumors to the final credits.

And now I'm just waiting until July 20th, 2012 for The Dark Knight Rises. ;)

Where hydrants are open and cool breezes flow.

Here are some meandering discoveries around the net for you.

I was so sad to read first thing this morning that In the Heights was closing. What a beautiful show and even though it had a good run, I still feel like it's closing so soon. Miranda will be returning to the show to finish out its run. Wow.
Hey! Miranda, we want to see a new show in the works from you as well.
"I illuminate the stories of the people in the street. Some have happy endings, some are bittersweet, but I love them all and that's what makes my life complete."

Um...really? "Fermilab is Building a 'Holometer'"
Researchers at Fermilab are building a “holometer” so they can disprove everything you thought you knew about the universe. More specifically, they are trying to either prove or disprove the somewhat mind-bending notion that the third dimension doesn’t exist at all, and that the 3-D universe we think we live in is nothing more than a hologram. To do so, they are building the most precise clock ever created.

This is absolutely gorgeous. An astrophotographer calculated where and when the sky would be the very darkest (he chose Atacama desert, Chile) and went there to snap photos of what it would be like. The images are breathtaking.
The Darkest Sky: 360 panorama of the Milky Way
The rim of light surrounding the full-sky views isn’t sunlight or light form nearby cities, but actually the galaxy itself. Guisard also took measures to time the photo so as to minimize this light as well.

Apparently NASA & DARPA are planning a hundred year starship which would "send astronauts to Mars with the intention of staying for the rest of their lives, as trailblazers for a permanent Mars colony....they would get periodic supply missions, but they would be expected to fend for themselves for water, shelter, nutrients and mineral/chemical processing. They would be expected to develop some kind of homegrown Martian industry, which could ultimately serve as a hub for an expanded colonization program."

Whaaat? Paul the Octopus is dead?? I loved you Paul! Rest in peace my crazy octopus friend.

Thanks to Will I've discovered the word mamihlapinatapai! (mah-may-la-pin-ya-tah-pay, if I got it right, according to this song.) It's from the language Yaghan in Chile.
It is "listed in The Guinness Book of World Records as the 'most succinct word,' and is considered one of the hardest words to translate. It describes 'a look shared by two people with each wishing that the other will initiate something that they both desire but which neither one wants to start.'"
Supposedly, the Yaghan language is only spoken by one person left in the world, an elderly woman in Chile. Amy, I expect to see this in your homeschooling lessons this week.

Now the exciting part: BATMAN NEWS!
Honestly, this title kind of surprises me, but I'll warm up to it. Quite frankly, I'm so happy that I might finally have a complete, fantastic Batman trilogy that I could live with whatever the title may be. I'm also surprised he's revealing it so early. But there's some more exciting news revealed in the article as well. No spoilers here, click if you're interested. I'm so excited! The movie's not out until July 2012, so will someone have an early marathon with me?
Nolan Reveals Title of Third Batman

Update on Tate: My cousins are still in Ethiopia, but Sunday morning I had an opportunity to Skype with them! I had never Skyped before, so it was really interesting. It was also wonderful to meet Tate as well as see and hear Brian & Shannon and what they think of Ethiopia. They mentioned the marketplace and suddenly I was flooded with memories! :) Please keep them in your prayers as they wait for their embassy date.

Bat-Man-3! Bat-Man-3!

Sleepy. Playing Harvest Moon. Not going to edit.

I know. I know. It's been a little while. But I have something muy important to share today.

Batman 3 updates!!

Filming Start Date?

Christopher Nolan Thinking Batman 3

Closest thing I'll probably get to a confirmation that he's directing until they start shooting. I'm okay with that.

Also, I went to visit the First Baptist Church of Wellston tonight. Our drama team is planning on going to perform there and I wanted to do some scouting of what we would be working with ahead of time. Considering I was walking in by myself, and only found out the day before that I would also be eating dinner with them, my little social anxiety driven self was twitching.

But I have to say, they're incredibly, incredibly nice people. The youth jumped at introducing themselves, they're youth pastor (who I've been working with) was so flexible and showed me all around the place and is excited and although it's always a little stressful for me during that whole meeting-new-people issue, it was all good. Because they were awesome people. It was so much like being at Hilltop.

"I'm chatty, it's part of my charm."

"Can you ever once just say Let's get in the car? Is that so hard?"

I wasn't sure what I made of Red Hood until the end, but I really liked it. I can assure you I never thought the line "Can it be a sleepover? I'll pack my toothbrush" could be quite that creepy. Thanks Joker.

Also, the fight scenes were really knockout. Anytime Batman & Nightwing fly together is really beautifully done. The whole thing, I thought, was really well put together.

And while I'm normally not a big fan of Batman with a sidekick, it works well here. Nightwing is a wonderful foil. (Neil Patrick Harris, thumbs up choice.) Good stuff, good stuff.

"Did you know he could fly?"

I am watching Batman: Under the Red Hood.

And we all know how well I can blog and watch a movie. Or do anything else and watch a movie.

(I can't.)

But I thought I would try.

Also, I just about made myself sick eating two giant bowls of Cheerios. Mmm. Cheerios.

And OH WOW that first Batman/Nightwing fight was awesome.

Never mind, I'll be back.

Birthdays!

Do you realize there are four, count 'em, four birthdays in my family this week?
September through May we have lots of birthdays among family and friends. Whoohoo!

So to my loved ones who had birthdays throughout the week:

Carson: My favorite webslinger, dragonslayer, prince and friend of all things imaginary. Whether I'm the troll under the bridge or the kidnapped princess, watching you build dreams and believe in them never fails to make me smile. You are my superhero and I can't wait to watch you fly.

Grandpa Kime: Grandpa would have been 80 this year and his birthday would have been this past Tuesday. We clashed sometimes, but I never doubted he loved me and knew he was always teaching me what was good and right. Whenever I envision my "cloud of witnesses" I know he's one of my loudest supporters and on some days that is what keeps me going. His strength in the face of adversity lifts my feeble arms and strengthens my weak knees (Heb. 12:12).

Grandma Kime: My lovely, lovely grandma whom I love dearly. You are beautiful and you have always carried yourself with a grace and kindness that I can only pray & hope one day I can mirror. Thank you for all your love, all the tender care you've poured out on others over the years and, of course, all your cookies that sweeten the day. :) I love you.

Phyllis: How wonderful is my Phyllis? My Phyllis who, whether she realizes it or not, inspires me to let go and lets God as she practices it herself, who encourages me to stay on the straight and narrow and who never fails to let me know she loves me. I continually watch you lift up others and carry their burdens and I am honored to be your niece. I love you and I cherish whenever we get to chat. Thank you for always thinking of me and answering your phone when I call, even when you're almost asleep. ;)

Yay! Birthdays! I hope they were all wonderful. :)

While I'm here: look, links!

This is a photo of a baby seahorse. You should look. It'll make you smile. (Thanks Will!)

This is one of those things I'm afraid to link because it could turn around and all be a lie. Nonetheless, in case it turns out valid, it's too awesome and interesting not to post.

If you've seen The Dark Knight (which, if you haven't, we should talk) this is pretty funny. :)