Tradition

Today was the day that the Hobbit, the last of the JRR Tolkien movies directed by Peter Jackson, was released.  And just as tradition states, my dad and I were there to see it.  And just as tradition states, it was wonderful!  I have to say, it wasn't really like the book in the least.  But it was a good movie.  The 3D effects were awesome!  Some people aren't a fan of the high speed 3d motion, but I happen to think it's really cool!

But the best part was getting the chance to have a father daughter evening.  Love him!  Any chance Peter Jackson is directing any other movies anytime soon?

Friday Five

1. The Hobbit - The Desolation of Smaug: So fantastic!  I've read a few reviews that say this one is better than the last.  I don't agree with them.  I thought the first movie was perfect. This one moved a bit too quickly for me and the hobbit didn't seem to have much to do.  But it was still wonderful!  And finally seeing Smaug in all his dragony glory was definitely cool.

2. Christmas Craft projects that turn out exactly how you had hoped they would.  I will admit a few Pinterest fails this holiday season, but for the most part they're turning out perfectly and I just can't wait to give them as gifts!

3. Holiday Traditions such as attending the new Peter Jackson movie on the day it opens with my dad, just as we have with all 3 Lord of the Rings movies and the first Hobbit.  I love sharing it with him!

4. To continue on with the Lord of the Rings theme, I fell in love with this segment on Sesame Street this week.  It's got the story a little jumbled, however, Cookie Monster and Gandalf Puppet are about the cutest things ever!   

          

5. In all the news stories about sports players behaving badly, the ones that actually are stand up citizens tend to get lost in the shuffle.  It's awesome to see this player getting the good recognition he deserves.  How sweet is he!?

Friday Five

1. Finally!  It's here and it's awesome!

2. It's a little odd that BuzzFeed ran 2 posts today that would suggest they know me too well. I had to laugh seeing as they were back to back in my Reader and they seem to suit me to a tee.  The first cartoon explains my feelings each time something inane happens that could possibly be bad but is most likely not and the second, I'd like everyone to read since it's quite a serious condition that no one seems to get : )

3. In the light of this ridiculous government shutdown, it's fabulous to see others trying to help - it may be the only silver lining.  I've seen dozens of restaurants giving away free meals to customers showing government ID.  I'm sure the shutdown, as well as the free food is hurting restaurateur's bottom line, but never the less they are trying to do their part which is more than I can say for Congress.

4.  While this card may tax my quicky crafting brain, it's by the far the cutest little thing I've seen in my Christmas crafting browsing!

5. Up until about 3 weeks ago, I had no idea what commercial everyone was quoting on Wednesdays or what the heck they were talking about when they said "Hump day - Yeah!".  But then I finally saw the Geico Camel on Hump Day ad, and actually thought it was quite cute.  Now after all the ridiculousness of the week - the darn thing is even funnier!

Friday Five: There and Back Again

I've been waiting to see this movie for about 9 years, since the last Lord of the Rings opened.  It most definitely did not disappoint, contrary to luke-warm reviews.  It was fabulous and I think I will be counting down the days until December 13 2013 when the next part opens!

1. The 48 Frame thing: I was worried because I had read a few articles that said it was distracting.  I will admit it took a bit to get used to wearing the funny glasses over my regular glasses. And everything just seemed a bit too crystal clear at first.  But after a while, it was amazing how crisp and real everything looked and how normal that was. 

2.  Martin Freeman as Bilbo: I had no worries at all that he would be fantastic.  He was pitch perfect as Bilbo, and I can't imagine anyone else playing the part.

3. New Zealand: It's been on my list of dream destinations for a while now but seeing it on film was awe-inspiring. The place just screams beauty.  Aside from the creepy Gollum they've built in their airport, NZ seems to be a truly magical and truly gorgeous place that I'm just itching to visit one day (How can you not love a place that has it's own shire and Hobbiton?).

4.  The Special Effects: Between the creepy as heck but spot on Gollum, to ginormous and terrifying Smaug (that we only got a teeny-tiny glimpse of this time around) to Radagast and his home in the trees to the ridiculously slow trolls, the special effects team truly outdid themselves.  You could almost imagine them all sitting in a room dreaming up what impossible creature they could create next.

5. And my most-favorite bit of all is the fact that I carried on the tradition of an opening day viewing with my dad.  I just love our geeky tradition and getting to spend time with him is always special! 

Not Sure What to Say

I'm fairly certain that I've got some form of writer's block...blogger's block?(Is that even a thing?)   I've been literally staring at my computer screen for 45 minutes and haven't thought of one single thing to say, which added to last night's lame post, is enough to make me batty. 

I suppose I can talk about how karma let me down this morning when I woke up to find I was not a multi-millionaire.  I had plans.  I was going to give lots away to family and friends.  I was going to pay off my house and give it to someone who needed a place to live.  There was a list of charities that would be reaping the rewards.  Those darn plans should have been enough to tip the lottery scales in my direction, don't you think?  But, alas, it was not meant to be. 

Or I can talk about the highlight of my day which shouldn't really be a highlight, but because I'm a bit of a nerd, it is: I pre-ordered my Hobbit opening day tickets.  RealD 3D baby!  I even started reading the book today to prepare.  I know that as a sci-fi/fantasy fan I should have read it a long time ago, but I thought it would be as difficult to read as Lord of the Rings.  Little did I know that because it was originally a children's book, it's much easier to make it through.  So far I'm loving it!

Of course, neither of these things add up to an eventful or thought-provoking post.  You'll just have to forgive me for living such a dull life right now.  Soon, there'll be fun holiday happenings to write about.  So I promise in the coming weeks, I'll try not be such an old lady.