Parks

There's something about a park that's really amazing.

I think it's a combination of the fresh air, the blue sky, the expanse of green grass, the wildflowers, and all the people talking and running and reading and relaxing.

Parks just make me happy.

Nothing really serious is ever going on in a park. People go to parks to relax or to have fun. And because of that, there's always this lovely feeling in a park.

I love that I can go play Frisbee or soccer or have a picnic or lie on the grass and read a book, and probably no one is going to bother me, or tell me to move, or anything.

Because people in parks are happy.

Hyde Park in London is this massive park-- just this huge area with the greenest grass ever and a lake in the center and bridges and fountains and statues. And it's incredible, because on the outside of this park, there are skyscrapers and you can see the London Eye and Parliament in the distance. But it's so rural and relaxing in the park. It feels like somewhere else completely, out of the city. But really, it's just smack dab in the middle of one of the biggest cities in the world.

But it's such an escape. It's like magic.

There are always ducks or little birds chirping, and nice paved paths to walk along. There are benches to sit on if the grass is too wet. There are a million things to do, really. Anything you want.

I think what I love most about parks is the feeling of absolute freedom. There's really nothing there except grass, and you can do whatever you want. And I don't think there are many places, other than parks, where you can do anything. A park is like this open book, where you just sit down and pick what you want to do and how you want to do it. And then it's written, for that day or that hour or that minute. How you'll spend your time.

No one goes to a park to be stressed out or angry or to yell at people. And if that's ever happened in a park, you're probably in the wrong park.

But normal parks are probably the most relaxing places on Earth.

It's spring now, and the sun is coming out, and daffodils are blooming, and the sky looks super blue. It's prime park season. And it's beautiful.

And standing in the middle of a beautiful park just makes me think about my life, and how happy I am, and how lovely it is, and how lucky I am to have a free minute to spend, just walking in the park.

 

Hyde Park in April

Theater

I've been living in London now for nearly two months, studying playwriting and screenwriting. And so I've seen a ton of professional plays in the West End.

And seeing all these plays has just cemented in me this crazy, exciting love for live theater.

It's such a bittersweet feeling, watching a great play. Because I enjoy it so much, and immediately, when it's over, I want to watch it again. But I can't. Because it isn't a movie I can just put in and rewind. I'd have to buy more tickets and go again. 

But that may just be why it's so special.

I love the fact that the actors are right on stage in front of the audience, pulling off these incredible performances. They seem so real. Because they are. It's like watching a 3D movie, but actually good. 

I'm amazed by all the sets and costumes and how the directors decide to change the sets and costumes and characters. For example, I saw a show called Port, and each new set came up from inside the stage or down from the ceiling. So, while the other set was descending or ascending, the main actress was walking from one set to the next. 

I saw a play called The 39 Steps, where there are four actors in the whole show playing tons of parts. And they'd just put on a new hat or coat right on stage and change characters.

I'm blown away by lights and sounds and endings and beginnings and even intermissions.

I just love it all.

I feel like, at most of the plays I've seen, I watch the majority of the show with my mouth hanging open in awe. Because there's always some kind of crazy, new, magical, trick. Like in this adaptation of Metamorphosis, the Gregor character climbed around on the walls the whole time, then rain came in through a window. And it was all so amazing to me. I couldn't even shut my mouth. 

I've just finished seeing a post-apocalyptic version of Macbeth, which was absolutely incredible. James McAvoy played Macbeth, and played it so, so, so well. He was so convincing and amazing, and straight-up crazy. I've never seen an actor I've seen in movies play a role on stage before, and it was just fascinating to watch. Because in a movie, they seem so fake. And on stage, they're real. And this man can really, really act.

I've seen all sorts of plays, from Wicked to Fences. And there's something about them all that I love. Even the weird ones. 

I just appreciate acting so much more when I watch a play, as opposed to a movie. I can see how hard it is for the actors, how much they're really giving in their performances. And then I realize they have to go out and do this play every single night for months, sometimes years. And always, always, always give their best.

And that's what I think makes it so amazing. It's a unique, once-in-a-lifetime performance you get to see, and it only lives in your memories. You can't pop in the DVD and rewind it to your favorite part. So you enjoy it while it's there and play it back in your head, over and over and over.

LOST

Ok, so there's seriously way too much to write about. If you could hear me talk about Lost in real life, you would see that I'm completely obsessed. In fact, when the final season was airing on TV, I dropped a night class, because it interfered with the air time. Seriously.

Anyway, I'll simply list the reasons why I love Lost, and why everyone who has ever lived should watch it:

1. It has THE most incredible character development. Ever.

2. I'm convinced it revolutionized TV and made it incredibly better.

3. Hawaii is beautiful.

4. The cliffhangers are THE BEST!

5. The writing is amazing.

6. There's action and love stories and comedy and...oh, yeah, awesome characters. Sci-fi, too. And explosions. And polar bears.

7. The music is phenomenal. 

8. It's so horribly sad sometimes.

9.  The series was planned out from episode one.

10. It's like 100+ amazing movies with the same characters.

And for all of you that have never seen Lost, I'll tell you that you need to set aside a few months of your life for it, because it's like a drug, and when you start watching it, you can't.stop.

But if there's one reason for you ever to watch the series, it's this: the season 3 finale, "Through the Looking Glass," is the best thing-- movie or TV episode-- that I have ever seen.

Olympics

There are so many reasons why I love the Olympics. I love summer Olympics and winter Olympics. I love them all equally, and each time they're going on, I decide I like the one that's on better than the other one. But the truth is, I can't decide.

But I love all of the Olympics for multiple reasons.

First, most Olympic athletes aren't making $10 million a year. They're doing this because they love it. They've dedicated their lives to training and competing for this moment, every 4 years. And that is absolutely incredible.

I love watching people do something they're passionate about and living their dreams. I love when they cry or fall down after their event because they're so incredibly excited. I just love it. Sometimes I even want to cry. Sometimes I almost do.

The second reason why I love the Olympics is because people are amazing. This year, there is a double amputee running. He raced in th semi-final for the men's 400m. There was another guy racing from the U.S. who was caught in a random shotgun crossfire a few years ago and just had the last fragments removed a year ago. The gymnast who began gymnastics as part of a free inner-city program and dreams of winning a medal to move his family out of the ghetto.

The commentators always talk about the Olympic spirit, and it's so true. These people are amazing.

Another reason the Olympics are awesome is that there are all these incredible sports that never get the attention they deserve. I, for one, think swimming and gymnastics are much more exciting than golf or basketball or baseball, but you don't see them aired on TV every week. And some things that you would never think are exciting actually are, like crew and archery.

They seem a little boring, but I find myself cheering for the athletes anyway, no matter what country.

Which brings me to another reason why the Olympics rock. Because every 4 years (actually every 2, since there's summer and winter), the world competes in sports against each other. The entire world!

The whole world works together and competes together and hugs each other and congratulates each other and gets excited together and has these awesome ceremonies together and roots for one another. 

And that, to me, is incredibly amazing.

It's a shame the world can't get along that well any other time. But that's another story.

And I can't leave this blog post without talking about one other thing that makes the Olympic Games awesome. Actually, I could go on forever, but I'll have to contain myself.

The final things I'll mention are the Visa Go World commercials.

I know they're commercials advertising a corporation and all that, but they make me cry. Seriously.

To gear up for the 2012 London Games, I sat in my room and watched Go World commercials on YouTube. And I cried.

The Michael Phelps one from Beijing when he won more golds than anyone ever!

The Derek Redmond one where his father helps him finish the race!

The Nadia Comaneci one!

They're all so inspiring and amazing. I love them. Triumph of the human spirit, indeed.

Oh, and one more thing before I go. I love that the Olympics are everywhere around the world and you get to see all these different locations and different cultures. I dream of going to the Olympic games one day. Hopefully that will happen.

Wildflowers

I'm not a big flower person.

I think they're pretty and everything, but they cost way too much money and die right away.

But wildflowers. Now those are amazing.

They're cheap, and much prettier than any rose or carnation in a flower shop. 

There's just something about hiking in the woods an coming across a patch of wild daisies or little purple flowers or unidentifiable pink ones. 

It's like a little colorful break in a sea of green grass and moss and leaves, and it's so beautiful.

They have character, wildflowers. And they're like couches for fat little bumblebees.

I went to the Smokey Mountains once, and I had never seen so many wildflowers (or bumblebees!) in my life. The flowers were beautiful, all different colors, stretching across such a huge surface.

Like I said, I'm not huge on flowers. I don't plant them and I don't buy them and I don't have a million fake ones around my house. But if I see one flower in the wild, I'm all over that. I pull out my camera and take half a  dozen pictures of this little, lone, flower. 

Because they're just there. No one planted them and no one takes care of them. They just live. 

And they're beautiful.

 

Flowers everywhere!

Sunshine

I know it sounds pretty dumb, because who doesn't like sunshine, right? 

But I never realized how much I love sunshine until this year. I've always lived in Michigan, where it's winter half the year, and I was used to it. But this year, I lived in Georgia for most of the fall, and when I came back to Michigan, it was late-November.

And late-November in my part of Michigan is gloomy. And so is December, and January, and February, and March, and even most of April.

So, I'd come from Georgia, where it was sunny all the time, back to Michigan, where it was dark every day. And it was only then that I realized how incredibly amazing sunshine is.

Because it's only sunny a few months of the year, I have to take advantage of it when I can. I have this thing where I can't possibly sit inside when it's sunny out. I have to be outside. It drives me crazy if I'm inside. 

So even when there's the slightest hint of sun, I'm outside reading or writing or walking or playing yard games. Anything to get out there.

I used to get rashes and headaches from the sun, so I had to wear this really geeky visor around to protect myself. But I still went out in the sun, because it's impossible for me not to.

Now, I've realized that if I wear sunscreen, I don't get rashes, and if I wear sunglasses I don't have to squint to see, and I don't get headaches. So I look much more fashionable in the summertime.

The other problem is that sunshine kind of sucks the life out of me. I get dehydrated really easily, and one time, after a trip to Georgia in August, I had to go to the hospital and get an I.V. to replenish my body.

But I still love sunshine!

It's a complicated relationship, mine and the sun's, but it's certainly not a love-hate one. 

Just love.

Good Movies

As a wannabe screenwriter, I have an immense appreciation for good movies.

Or, at least, I should.

And I do. Really.

There's something about a good movie-- and by "good" I mean super well-made, cool story, great acting, awesome everything-- that makes me feel so pumped when I finish watching it.

When I finish watching a good movie, I want to go out and tell the world about it. I want to stand on top of the Empire State Building with a megaphone and shout out everything that's awesome about it.

Only I'm afraid of heights.

But good movies are like endorphins. They give off the best feeling in the world. Even better than concert-high. More on that later.

The reason I'm writing this is I just finished watching Drive, which was, quite possibly, the most well-made and cleverest movie I've seen in a while. That shadow shot was incredible. INCREDIBLE! If you've seen it, you'll know what I'm talking about.

Last week at a film school interview, I was asked why I liked Taxi Driver. And all I could come up with was: "It was entertaining. And I liked the look of it."

Really? That's it?

That was it.

But then I remembered exactly why I liked it. And the reasons are many.

First, it was Robert De Niro. De Niro! Suuuuuuuuuch a good actor! That final scene, when he looks in the rear-view mirror is seriously some of the best acting I've ever seen.

Secondly, the deconstruction of that character. What a change!

Third, yes, the look of it. Of course the look of it! It's film noir! It has a dirty city and newspapers and dull colors and dimly-lit streets.

And Martin Scorsese is amazing. And it has awesome camera angles! And the fact that he survived is pretty crazy and kind of cheesy, but whatever! It's De Niro!

And all of those things, I couldn't think of when the time came.

So I had to say them now.

But it's that kind of excitement that good movies invoke.

And I don't always like well-made movies. There are a lot of well-made movies that I think are boring or depressing (Here's looking at you, Aronofsky) or just overrated.

But movies like Drive or Taxi Driver are just movie magic.

Awards Shows

Now that LOST is over, there are three things I watch on TV all year: the Emmys, the Golden Globes, and the Oscars.

That's it.

I'm not into the VMAs or the People's Choice Awards, or the Grammys. The first two, I don't consider actual awards, and the third is music, and I really couldn't care less about it. I like music, but I like movies a million times more.

When awards shows are on, I devote my whole night to watching them. Especially the grandfather of all film awards shows: the Academy Awards. On my 20th birthday, the Oscars were on, and the only thing I wanted to do on my birthday was watch them. And that's what I did. The next year, I had a party and forced everyone to dress up and fill out voting ballots. I had champagne and hors d'oeuvres and everything.

There are three things I love most about awards shows: the glitzy gowns and the red carpet, surprised acceptance speeches, and the length of the telecast

On the night of any of the three awards shows, I start my night out by watching 2 or 3 hours of red carpet coverage. I love dresses, and I love fashion, so seeing all of the beautiful gowns is like my kryptonite. I love playing the critic, too. After the telecast, I go on People.com and make my own best dressed list. Yeah, I'm into it.

My second favorite thing, the acceptance speeches, may actually be what most people hate. I know a lot of people watch awards telecasts just for the dresses, unless they're on MTV and there's bound to be some crazy antics. But I love the speeches. They're best when the winner doesn't expect to win at all. Kate Winslet had a great one when she won her Oscar for Best Actress in The Reader. And Octavia Spencer had a pretty great one this past weekend when she won the Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress and almost fell off her feet.

It's all about crying and cursing and fainting for me. Sometimes I get chills. Sometimes I even cry.

The third thing I love most is where I definitely differ from every other person on the planet. I love how long awards shows are. Seriously. Because I'm more than happy to sit through an awards show for 3 hours after 3 hours of red carpet coverage.

I love every award. I love Best Screenplay, Best Director, and Best Sound Mixing as much as all of the major acting ones. Heck, I even think they should air some of the boring technical ones that nobody cares about on TV. Honor everyone! Hollywood equality for all!

But I know that I'm alone on the whole length debate. And that's fine. Because while everyone else is complaining because they can't watch American Idol, I'll be basking in the glamor of the evening.

I feel like, since I only watch 3 things on TV all year, I can afford to spend half a dozen hours in front of the TV.

The year the writer's strike was going on was a dark one. Not because I'm a working screenwriter or producer or director or anything like that, but because the Golden Globes were announced by a boring NBC host.

And there were no actors.

And there were no dresses.

And there were no acceptance speeches.

But those dark days are over, and it's awards season again. The Emmys are done, the Golden Globes have wrapped up, and the King is coming in less than a month. And I couldn't be more excited.

Eyebrow Actors

I know, it sounds very strange. But I love actors who use their eyebrows while acting.

I'm pretty picky when it comes to actors. Some actors, like Leonardo DiCaprio, Johnny Depp, and Brad Pitt are just great in whatever they do. And I love them.

And some actors aren't.

But some actors are simply amazing because they utilize movement of their eyebrows. It inspires so much more feeling in the audience. I swear!

For example, Jeremy Davies, who played Daniel Faraday on "Lost" was incredible. And why was he so incredible? Because he moved his eyebrows like crazy.

I mean, just look at this. You can see the movement in a still shot.


And, unfortunately for him maybe, because of this, he always looked saddened or confused or mysterious. But it totally fit the character. And it was marvelous. And very endearing.

Another really great eyebrow actor is Mr. Frodo Baggins. Er...Elijah Wood. He's got some eyebrow-moving prowess!

There's this scene in "Return of the King" where he looks at Sam and kind of smiles and folds his eyebrows up and it's so touching. Watch it if you don't believe me. Another great eyebrow scene is when everyone bows to the Hobbits at the end. Watch him. Watch Frodo.

Here are a few pictures of Elijah Wood as Frodo:



The first one is his "oh no!" look. The second is his little endearing-Hobbit-friend look. And the third is actually a drawing someone did. But the artist even included his eyebrow movement!

It's strange. I know. But it really helps. People like, say, Keanu Reeves, don't have what these guys have. And, why is that? Oh, yeah. Right.



I could teach a whole acting class based solely on my love for eyebrow movement in actors. But I won't.

For one thing, I'm really not qualified to do that. At all.

And for another, Acting 101: How to Move Your Eyebrows probably wouldn't draw in many interested students.

But I love it. And I'm sure other people love it, too.

To me, acting can really make or break a movie. And if the actors have the eyebrow-moving chops, then the movie is made.

So, call me crazy all you want. But you'll be watching for this.

Lists

I love lists.

I love writing a long list, like a to-do list or a shopping list, and hanging it on my fridge or putting it right by my planner where I can see it all the time.

As a matter of fact, I always keep a pad of really cute paper on my refrigerator (like, right now, it says "When Life Gives You Lemons, Make Lemonade! and has bright green flowers and lemons in the background) so that I can write on it when I run out of something.

During my second-to-the-last semester of college, I had to make an hour-by-hour list of everything I had to do. I even wrote in free-time.

On a weirder note, I once made a list of everything I had in my freezer and labeled it "Freezer Inventory," so that I knew what I could make for dinner.

What can I say? Lists keep me organized.

And what do I like better than making lists?

Crossing things off them!

There's a certain amount of satisfaction I get from crossing something out.

Maybe it's because it means I'm getting things done. Or maybe it's just because then I can make a new list.

Snow in Movies

In real life, when it snows at night, it's absolutely beautiful. The snow sparkles as it comes down, and I like lying down in a snowbank and looking up at it. But then it gets cold and my ears begin to freeze off and I have to go inside.

But I love watching snow in movies, because it's beautiful and not cold at all, because I'm sitting on my couch or in a theater.

And any scene with snow just looks magical. It really does. Especially when it's night time and snow is falling down. I especially like it when it's in a foreboding scene, but it's good anytime.

It's few and far between, too. I can only think of a handful of movies that have scenes where it's snowing. There are plenty of scenes with snow already on the ground, but that's not impressive at all, because it usually looks brown and dirty.

I'm sure there are more than I can think of, but right now I'm thinking Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, lots of the Harry Potter films, Edward Scissorhands, and Amadeus are the only ones I've seen. I might be wrong. I have to be. So if you know of any others, let me know and I'll watch them, because I love it.

Snow adds so much to the scene. Rain is great, too, but there's something about snow-- maybe it's that you can actually see the flakes, and rain just sort of fogs up the lens-- that is just so incredible.

Anyway, that's one thing that I think should appear in more movies. Take out all the half-hour long sex scenes and put in some snow.

Universal Orlando

I went to Universal Orlando for the first time this past summer. And let me tell you, I had the time of my life!

My sister and I planned to go, because the new Wizarding World of Harry Potter park had just opened at Islands of Adventure. We're a little obsessed, and we expected to spend a ton of time at the Harry Potter part. And we did.

We spent around 5 hours in that part alone. My cousin who went with us, who had been to Universal several times, thought we were overestimating how much time we'd spend in Harry Potter World. She said we could never find that many hours worth of stuff to do. She was very wrong.

First off, we rode the incredible simulator ride in Hogwarts Castle, and stopped every two feet to take pictures. We even were told to "move along" by one of the workers. I don't think he really understood how excited we were.

Secondly, we got to drink Butterbeer and eat in the Three Broomsticks. How cool is that?

We also rode some roller coasters and other stuff. But my sister and I spent over half an hour walking up the trail to the roller coaster ride, taking pictures of (and with) all of the "Support Harry Potter" and Triwizard Tournament signs. So cool!

But the rest of Universal rocked, too! Islands of Adventure is incredible. The Jurrasic Park ride is phenomenal. We were told we wouldn't get wet at all on that ride.

Another lie.

We rode in the first row the first time, and we were so interested in this part where there's a giant T-Rex head, that we didn't even realize we were going to plummet down a waterfall! If you've ever been there you'll know the part. We thought we were going straight into T-Rex's mouth, and we got a pretty shocking, soaked surprise when we didn't.

Like I said, incredible.

The rest of Islands of Adventure is great, too, but those are just the highlights.

At Universal Studios, I loved the Mummy ride. There was also a roller coaster, called something like Rip It Rockit, where you go straight up at a 90 degree angle. The only thing that kept me from completely losing my head was the music that played out of headphones in each separate seat. I played "Hella Good" by No Doubt in my car.

I sound like I'm on a tourism commercial, promoting Universal.

But I'm not. I just really, really love it. But, if any big-wigs from the Universal Orlando park read this, I'd be happy to do some publicity for you. In exchange for free season passes.

Honestly, though. Time of my life.

Go here. It's well worth the money. And this is coming from me, who is quite a tight-wad with cash if I do say so myself...

Award Shows

In light of the Golden Globes being broadcast this Sunday, I've decided to profess my love of awards shows to the world.

Golden Globes, Emmys, OSCARS! If it has to do with movies or TV shows, heavy golden statues, and designer gowns, I'm there. In fact, I clear my schedule specifically so that I can watch them. I even took the day off work this fall so I could be sure I would be able to watch the Emmy awards.

And then I spent the entire show barking at my TV, because Lost was nominated for 11 awards and didn't get any... damn Mad Men...

Anyway, I started watching award shows with my family when I was little, and I watched them mostly for the dresses. And the sparkles. And the up-dos. And, probably, because I've always wanted to be famous.

But in the last couple years of high school, I got really into award shows, and I didn't want to miss a single one. Should I also mention that my senior year of high school, I made it my goal to win a Golden Globe for Best Original Screenplay? Not an Oscar. A Golden Globe.

I set my sights real high.

No, but really. I'd take a Golden Globe. I'd take an Oscar, too, if they were just giving them out...

But, anyway, back to the shows. The Oscars, of course, are my favorite. The Oscars are, like, the top of the food chain as far as award ceremonies are concerned. Anyone who is nominated for an Oscar is Hollywood royalty...even if they were in an indie film that kind of sucked.

I love the Oscars. I watch the entire show, from red carpet coverage to the very end. I happily sit through all of the boring speeches, too. Maybe it's just because I love film, or maybe it's because I love glamor. Or maybe it's because I love how incredibly happy these people look when they get up to accept their awards. I mean, most of them are actors, so they could possibly be faking a bit. But I like to believe they're not. I mean, Kate Winslet, for one, when she won for The Reader was most certainly not faking. Look it up. It's sweet.

On my 20th birthday, the Oscars were on, and all I wanted to do was watch them. I didn't want to go to dinner, have a party, nothing. I wanted to watch the Oscars, straight through. And I did. And it was fantastic.

And last year, I had an Oscars party. All out: formal clothes, champagne, hors d'oeuvres, the whole deal. And my guests actually dressed up. And I don't know if they had a good time, but I sure did.

I take award shows very seriously. If someone or something is nominated for the Oscars, you know they deserve it, and the acting or film was fantastic. Or directing, or screenplay...you get my drift. Therefore, I got really angry when I found out they were having 10 Best Picture nominees...but, I mean, the best one will always win, anyway, I'm sure. I just think to double the size of the category makes it a bit of a joke. What kind of honor is it when any half-way decent movie gets nominated? Oh well. It's still great.

Because I take these so seriously, I get incredibly upset when movies win that aren't...well, shall I say, award material. Last year, The Hangover won Best Comedy at the Golden Globes. And I saw it, it was a funny movie, don't get me wrong. But there was really nothing about it that was well-made. And I just feel that if you receive a Golden Globe, no matter how funny your movie is, it should also be well-made. But that's that.

Joke or not, I'm a sucker for Award Shows. And hopefully one day I'll be at one. If not as a nominee, then at least as a guest!

I'm getting ready for the Golden Globes Sunday...everyone watch! It should be great, as long as Angelina Jolie doesn't win...

Office Supplies

Post-it notes! Staplers! Pens! Tacks!

I love them all. And now, they're making office supplies, like tacks and paper clips, with these awesome designs, like swirls!

How cool is that?

I think my obsession with pens comes from waitressing for almost 6 years. I really like a good pen. I used to collect these really silly ones, like with Simba on top, or fur, like on Clueless. And the best silly pen I had had a snowman in a squishy snow globe on top. I used to use these all for waitressing. I don't know if it made anyone else happy, but it sure made me happy. It made my job a little better.

Now I'm into good pens. Smooth writing pens with jet black ink. I got a pen today that floats over the paper when you write. I swear. It's magic.

What other office supplies do I love? All of them!

Seriously. I want a desk job so bad, just so I can have all these office supplies on my desk. And so I can spend all day shredding paper and making copies.

But, anyway, office supplies. Today I saw a tape dispenser that was a red high-heeled shoe. How cool is that?

All these little things make me so happy.

So, if you are so lucky to work in an office, I hope you have some awesome stuff on your desk. Like, maybe colorful post-its or ones shaped like stars! Or a 3-hole puncher! Nothing fancy about that one; it's just good.

Or maybe you have a collection of really sharp wooden pencils. Either way, I hope that if you work in an office, you take full advantage of the cool office supplies they make. I know I will someday. If I ever get away from waitressing.

Harry Potter

I know. It's pretty much everyone else in the world's favorite, too. Except my best friend, Skye, who, in her own words, never, ever wants a ticket to a Harry Potter movie, or anything to do with the story at all. She's missing out, if you ask me.

I started reading the books when I was in fifth grade. My teacher recommended them, as they were the big thing at the time. Who knew that they would still be the big thing 11 years later?

I read the first couple then, but after that, I just gave up. To this day, I don't really know why. I watched the movies (which really aren't good as far as movies are concerned, and certainly don't stand alone), but I never read the books. My sister did, though, and I made her tell me everything that happened. Even that Dumbledore died! And then, after I watched the fifth movie, I decided to read the books again. And I'm very, very glad.

Now I'm on my third time reading the series through. I'm on Goblet of Fire, which, along with Deathly Hallows, is my favorite.

I'm a bit obsessed, to say the least.

But it's really strange for me, because I hate fantasy. But Harry Potter is so cool, because it's so real. There are these kids who are way too brave for their age, and they go to school and they have crushes on one another and they laugh and have fun and grow up. And that's what I love about it.

Well, all of that, and the fact that there are no talking animals. Give me wizards and goblins, but talking animals I can't stand. I mean, come on.

Obviously I think the Harry Potter series is the most incredible series of all time. Yes! I said it. Tell me all you want that J.K. Rowling can't write or that the story lines are stolen, but I'll back her up to the death.

And here's why: J.K. Rowling somehow changed the entire world of literature. She made kids want to read again. I know people who have never read a book outside of class, but they read Harry Potter and enjoyed it. And I have the utmost respect for her because of that.

I mean, how does a book series get that huge? Movies get huge because there are commercials and trailers, and the same with TV shows. But no one's recording a trailer for a book series, are they? It's a testament to how interesting and exciting her stories are that the books have become so legendary.

When I read them now, I think, "Oh my gosh, these are little kids! They're way too young to be fighting dragons and sounding this old!"

But the fun part is, when I was eleven and reading about Harry when he's eleven, it didn't seem like he was too old. Because when you're eleven, you feel old. And you feel like you could do all that stuff. Assuming you were a wizard, I mean.

And that's what's great about Harry Potter. No matter how young or old you are, you can relate to these kids. I do feel a little old when I think of these eleven year olds. But when I think about how I felt when I was that age, I realize that even I look at kids as being too young sometimes. When I was fourteen, I acted (besides the whole high-school-freshman-syndrome thing), pretty old. I could have totally been running around doing missions in a wizard tournament. I mean, I ran track and all.

So, what's my favorite thing about Harry Potter? Besides Harry and Ron and Hermione and Fred and George and Mrs. Weasley and Dumbldeore and Sirius Black and... well, you get the point, right?

My favorite thing about the series as a series is that it makes me feel young. It makes me feel excited. It lets me escape the world for a little while. And I really, truly believe everything that happens, one-hundred percent.

Because sometimes it's nice to believe there's a Wizarding World and a giant castle with a Room of Requirement and house elves in the basement that cook you feasts.

Glasses

Big glasses on little kids, round Harry Potter-esque glasses (just because they remind me of Harry Potter), normal-size glasses...I just love glasses.

Not on me, though. I look horrible in them. But they make everyone else look super studious. I often think I should get a fake pair of glasses, just so I can look smarter when I go for job interviews. Maybe I should try it.

But, yes, I love glasses on anyone. Enough with that "Four-eyed freak" stuff. I think they're great.

Little kids with glasses make me really sad, but my heart melts at the sight of them. They're just so darn cute! I always see these little two or three year olds with glasses in carts at Wal Mart, and I just die inside. I can't get enough of them.

And, honestly, no one wants their little tiny kid to have to get glasses. But they do look super adorable.

And another thing I love about glasses is that now they're coming with all these sweet colors and designs on the frames. My friend has glasses with squiggles on the frames. And I saw one girl with frames that were bright blue on the outside and orange on the inside!

How cool is that?

The Kindle

This may be the coolest invention ever. I just got it for Christmas (well, early Christmas), and it's SO COOL!

I was on the fence about E-readers for over a year. I wanted one, because I love books, but I didn't want one because I felt like I'd be betraying my books. But my boyfriend got one for me anyway, and knowing he was getting it for me (since he always feels the need to tell me what I'm getting), I started researching it. Anyway, it turns out there are hundreds of classics you can download for free!

So, anyway, I got the Kindle and I'm completely fascinated that the screen really, truly looks like paper. I can't get over it. Also, I was trying to turn it off and was wondering why the screen didn't go black. Duh. It doesn't do that.

And the other most incredible thing about the Kindle? When it goes to "sleep," the screen savers are famous authors!!!!!! I got Virginia Woolf. Who will I get next time? I don't know, but I'm excited as heck to find out!