Deathly Hallows: The Trailer

Shit man.* I watched the DH trailer at 7 pm, watched the Pottercast coverage of it, watched it again, and then watched the Mugglenet coverage of it. Still not enough discussion for me. Shit why can't my friends be bigger Harry Potter nerds? Plenty of them are fans, a good number of those are big fans, but the vast majority of them do not share my complete and total geek-out over the books and movies. (I don't mean to say that they don't "truly appreciate the books" or anything pretentious like that; it's just that, let's face it, I am the nerdiest one of my close friends. And probably the most obsessed, as in full-out I-follow-Pottercast I-love-Wizard-Rock I-intend-to-go-to-Leakycon-2011 in love with Harry Potter. I apologize to them if they were vying for the title, but: you lose. Thanks for playing.**)

Jesus fucking Christ, I honestly can't articulate my emotions regarding this trailer. I teared up at the very beginning scene in the forest and it still gives me goosebumps even after I've watched it four, five times? Excluding going through it frame-by-frame, haha.

All I know is that I am going to see both films, part 1 and part 2, at their midnight releases. The first one comes out in November so the midnight release will most likely be on a Thursday night/Friday morning and I'll have school the next day, but I seriously don't care. I will willingly forfeit sleep for this movie. THANKFULLY (and I truly mean that; I was so worried), I just looked at the Drama schedule for the fall shows next year and the play closes the week before the release date (November 19th). That would have been hell, to have school and then a dress rehearsal until 10pm or so and then a midnight showing; my homework would not get done at all. Thank goodness for small miracles!

Hopefully you guys aren't the purists who are holding out for the movie and refuse to watch any of the trailers. Props to those people for having the willpower to do so, but personally, I do not want to wait at all. I draw the line at watching shit illegally (for example, I will never ever ever even attempt to watch a leaked version of the film online, especially before it's release date), but my philosophy is basically, if Warner Brothers wants me to see, I will gladly watch it. I'm the type who re-reads and re-watches everything all the time anyway, so seeing something in a trailer will not in any way make me less excited for that scene in the actual movie. If anything, it makes me more psyched.

In case my intense sobbing throughout, like, 2/3 of Deathly Hallows: The Book*** didn't alert me to the fact, I am going to quite literally cry myself an albeit very tiny river during these two films, especially the last one. I know people are already crying because it's "the end," as in "the actual end of the Harry Potter franchise," but I personally am not. Don't get me wrong, I will be devastated when there are no more movies to look forward to, but I'm just going to cry because it's a fucking moving story, dammit. I am proud to admit that I almost cried during the trailer solely because it looks so damn good and so damn sad.

If you've seen it, what do you think? Also, are you going to see it in 3-D or no? According to David Heyman, they're pulling a Pixar and using 3-D as a sort of window to give the film more depth rather than a way to pull punches on the audience. That's reassuring, but all the same, I'm not a huge fan of 3-D. I saw Toy Story 3 in 3-D and it didn't detract from the experience, but all the same I'm not sure it made the film that much better. I suppose I've got five months to think it through and I'm positive it will be a fantastic film either way.

*Every time I say/write "shit man," I pronounce it with Natalie Tran's voice in my head. Australian accents are great.
** That said, I do have friends (mostly from Drama) who are equally as nerdy, but when you get right down to it, I don't see them as often and, as such, I'm not as good friends with them. I'm sorry! They're awesome! Let's change that in the future! <3
*** Haha, sorry, Jo Rowling. I'm not mocking the books, I swear.

To read or not to read

My summer is going to be a whirlwind of socialization and writing. I think I'm actually going to get sick of my purported friends. To give you a brief idea of our social engagements here is a glance at this week:

Tomorrow (Monday) is knitting/swimming club. I am going to be knitting a Ravenclaw tie for Tuesday night.

Tuesday is Eclipse. We are going to the midnight showing dressed up as Harry Potter characters. I am alternate reality Hermione who turned out to be a Ravenclaw.

Wednesday, I will be partying with my Ranger unit at the beach.

Thursday is the birthday of this great nation and I'm volunteering at a huge event because for some reason people like to celebrate this one time when a bunch of balding men got together, signed a document and were like, "Yeah, that's right Britain. We don't want you either."

Friday, I'm hosting book club. Looking For Alaska. Needless to say I am beyond excited. Forcing my friends to read my favourite books under the guise of a book club is genius.

Saturday, I'm going to a tea party that is something of a sequel to my wildly successful murder mystery birthday party.

Should I be happy about these opportunities for socializing? Because I feel like I already need a break and I can say that because none of my friends read my blog (not that I wouldn't say that if they were reading. God, I'm such a bitch.). Moody tangent time...

My blog is the part of me that's optional, you know? If you invite me to your house, you get all of this nonsense that is my person but my blogging habits are different in that I don't force my blog on anyone. You have to want it. So lately I've been feeling a little hurt by that because not everyone wants to go that extra mile to get to know me. I'm getting over it. Hey, I'm a writer, we need to be wounded and suffering or else there's nothing to fuel our work. now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go write some super emotional poetry.

What I am trying to say is thank you for reading this. It means a whole lot to me that you care, even if I didn't say a whole lot of interest today. And I stand by what I once said about how the most romantic thing in the world, ever, would be a guy who stayed up all night reading my blog posts. *sigh*

Late (Still Wanting Pancakes)

Subject of this post: Will Grayson, Will Grayson-- because it's what cost me sleep. I suppose it's my fault for being obsessive, bingeing on a book the way I have. Good books are like crack that way ("Finished! Hey, it's 6:18 in the morning? Good morning, world! Tralalala... Nevermind that, I wantz me some pancakes! *proceeds to make toaster waffles because is behaving like a very impatient person on crack who, even when not on crack, cannot make decent pancakes*"). Which is good for the authors of books/metaphorical crack addicts such as myself, but consequences suck. Anyway...

1. ahhh second will grayson, why must you write like this. i would have liked you so, so much more if you would have typed like a normal person. i understand it's a clever visual metaphor for depression, the diminutiveness of your presence and disregard for things, but i am a nazi for grammar so i am programed to hate you. but i love you. more than i hate you. i know you exist to drive the message of the book, but i don't care that much. it's a decent message.

2. Ahhh, first Will Grayson. You sound exactly like John Green in my head. Which is to be expected, but I felt the need to point that out. Also, all the offhand remarks about the Chicago area (I get excited when books are set in/mention places I know. I think I'm special for some reason): Very much yes. Especially to Those Of The February Tan. Also also: The Bean/Cloud Gate (advice: don't shape your sculpture like a bean if that's not what you want people to call it...) is a pretty good metaphor for life and how we perceive things--the closer you get to the center the less distorted what you see is, but at the edges everything is warped. And if you move around right, there can be eight of you at once. (I'm pretty sure this was my book-crack mind getting philosophical, but the more I think about it, it makes sense. Some. Not the last bit.) Also also also: I thought you should know that there's a video fountain that makes it look like random people are spitting at you. Which is in no way relevant, but is in practically every way awesome.

3. Ummm... other things. I don't like short lists. I like that Jane is the only John Green-written love interest who is stable and does not require roadtripping/chasing. I love the cover, it is shiny. Tiny Cooper is also the best fictional lyricist in fictional existence.

4. Because I finished this book in a night and have it for 3 weeks (libraries FTW. I've done this for a reason, I will obtain a personal copy at a later date.) I'm going to put a nerdfighter note in it. For someone else to find and for me not to know what they do with it. It seems like fun.

5. If I scrape this empty waterbottle across my desk it sounds exactly like the TARDIS.

6. I am easily amused.

Embracing the Teenage Girl Stereotypes

I'm embarking on a much needed clean out of my room and as such I have come across a heap of books that I was obsessed with at a point in time. Did you ever read any of them? (I'm only listing a handful of the more recent series as they're more likely to be recognized.)

- The Clique by Lisi Harrison
You know, I could apologize for previously liking this, but I won't. In fact, I refuse. I am taking a definitive stand and proclaiming to all the internet: Yes, I was once a searching thirteen year old who believed that Hollister was the ultimate form of self-expression and The Clique was great literature. I will not hate on this poor former self who deserves better than sixteen year olds mocking her. Ultimately, you cannot justifiably hate middle schoolers; they may be somewhat annoying and seemingly shallow, but this is because they don't yet know who they are. So back the hell off and smile at the next one you see, even if they laugh at you for it. (Just don't invite them into your car for some candy because that is crossing all sorts of lines that should never be crossed.)
Basic synopsis: average unpopular seventh grader (Claire) moves in with rich popular seventh grader (Massie). Conflict ensues. Massie makes lame jokes with her rich, popular friends (Alicia, Dylan, and Kristen). Massie takes Claire under her wing; Claire becomes average popular-ish girl. Conflict ensues. Massie, whose parents inexplicably don't mind that she spends thousands of their dollars per week, buys a lot of clothes. Et cetera.

Here's a gem of an excerpt, taken from the first book in the series:

"'Heeeyyyyy,' Massie said, squeezing her friend.
Alicia took a long look at Massie.
'Ehmagod, you don't look like you were sick at all,' Alicia gushed. 'You look ah-mazing.'
'Just wait for tomorrow,' Massie said.
'Why?' Alicia asked with a sly grin.
'Because I get better looking every day!' they shouted in unison at the top of their lungs. They cracked up and high-fived each other."

You laugh now, but when I was in seventh grade, these were the bomb. So many instant messages (remember when AIM was cool?) simply read, "eh. ma. gawd. guess what???" or "omg!!!!! she is such an lbr!!!!!!" ("LBR" standing for "Loser Beyond Repair"). It got to the point where my friend and I actually made audition videos to be in the Clique movie (I never posted mine; she did). Those were the days.

- Georgia Nicolson by Louise Rennison
I think these are actually the funniest books I've ever read in my life. There's something so refreshing about reading a book that is unashamedly fun and doesn't try to force some Big Moral on you. They're a goodhearted laugh at the hilarity, frequent stupidity, and infrequent wisdom of teenage girls. I think the author explains it best: "The main character Georgia is really based on my experiences of when I was fourteen. I wrote the book to make myself laugh. I always wrote what I remembered making me laugh when I was that age. I didn't attempt to teach. I didn't attempt to do anything except I wanted Georgia to be a decent person. I wanted her to be someone who is a bit stupid and self-obsessed and difficult and funny and rude, and a bit jealous and all those other things. But I wanted her to have a good heart. " They're so British - partially real British teen culture and partially what I suspect is made up British slang - that it's hard to dislike them. They're easy to read and if you ever need something to cheer you up or make you laugh or just chase the boredom away, I highly recommend them.

- Pretty Little Liars by Sara Shepard
Recently made into a TV show that is surprisingly good. I didn't expect to like the show, but it's not your typical trash television. Alright, so maybe it caters to the teenage girl audience, but it's at least interesting and similar enough to the books that the mystery is still addictive and different enough that even having read the books it feels like a worthwhile show.
The books are also a pretty easy read, which I personally don't think is a bad thing. Not everything you read has to make groundbreaking observations about the world around you, right? Even though they have their fluffy "scandalous rich girl" bits, the mystery is gripping enough to keep you around for all eight books. I haven't read further than the fourth book, but after having taken a substantial hiatus from them, I think I'm going to have to finish the series this summer. I'm quite curious to know how they're going to end and who did what.
I'd tell you what they're about, but I don't feel like summarizing and if I tried, I'd probably spoil them. So Google it if you're interested. Just know that they're essentially mysteries (or rather one running mystery with tons of subplots) and are extremely addictive. And occasionally creepy.

As is typical for my life, I found the prettiest dress in the whole wide world which is of course sold out. I halfheartedly signed up for the build-hopes-up-and-tear-'em-down "Notify me on Restock" service, but given that Modcloth is a website compromised of independent designers, I'm not convinced the stock will ever be replenished. Luckily, there are a handful of other dresses that I would love to order, such as this one and this one and this one. Which one would you guys pick? I'm leaning towards the blue one as the second one looks like it may have a wonky fit and I'm not sure I like the embroidery on the last one. I may wait a couple more days before ordering, though, to make sure that there isn't another one I like better (they update fairly frequently and I really do like that sold out one the best) and I'm going to shopping tomorrow so I'll see if I can find one at the mall. (I'm not excited. I really hate the mall.)

As a sort of parting gift to you all, I leave you with this video, which made me smile somewhat manically for its duration. If you don't understand why the pretense is hilarious, I have no words for you. (Or just read the Youtube comments and all shall be revealed.)

Awful Sentences

There's a contest (that I learned about from mental floss) in which the worst first lines to hypothetical novels are submitted and then chosen somehow. I don't know what there is to be won, but it sounds interesting enough to blog about and it's an excuse to include a list (again). With the only added further ado of my finishing this sentence and hitting the 'enter' key twice...:

"I sat in the corner, silently breathing, and contemplating my intense desire for a rubber band."

"This is a story about the time that stuff happened to those people that did other stuff."

"There was lightning, and then everyone died-- the end."

"The tuna swam--unaware of its fate, which was to continue swimming."

"Purple is a color that looks most perilous when applied to wounds and cows."

"'Don't worry', Steve the robot-ninja-dinosaur-pirate-dragon-zombie-werewolf-unicorn-alien-ferret-hunchback-vampire-doctor cried over his shoulder, "I've opened the pickle jar for you.'"

As horrid as these are, I'd really like to see a novel based around one of them. Or incorporate one into my writing. They're great in their complete wretchedness, and now I'm thinking about whatever could come after them.

In an unrelated turn of topic, it's night. It's also raining slightly, so I'm probably going to wander around outside barefoot for a bit. "Go for a walk" implies too much purposeful activity. I just like being outside when it rains. And I like that even though it's summer by nightfall the ground is cool enough to walk on barefoot. I feel vaguely guilty whenever I do this, though, because there are millions of people in the world who have to go barefoot even WHEN it's hot and I'm going without them by choice...

In Which I Get Off My Lazy Ass and Go Running

As a kid, I was average: scrape covered skin that seemed to regenerate like Time Lords, practically unbreakable bones,* toddler chubbiness that dissolved into a child of normal proportions. It wasn't until middle school (seventh grade, really) that I evolved into something that most people refer to as "skinny."

It's funny, really, to watch people react to this physical characteristic. So many times, after I've contemplated aloud if my consumption of another food item will affect the likelihood of my stomach actually undergoing combustion, a friend will go, "Oh my god, Vita, shut up, you're so skinny." And I'm like, yeah, my metabolism likes me. Suck ittttt.

Except not really, because who gives a shit? My response is automatic: I-have-a-faster-metabolism-than-you. You-are-better-at-playing-sports-than-me. If-we-were-alpha-lions-cat-fighting-this-out-you-would-win. Why-are-you-jealous-of-me?

Fine, so I only respond with the first part. Regardless, the whole thing is true.

I'm not being facetious in saying that I would gladly trade my freakishly fast metabolism for a Polish-British-American sixteen year old girl version of Cristiano Ronaldo's freakishly fit body. (And yes, I mean "fit" in both the American way and the British slang way.) Perhaps I would tone down the huge-ass muscles a little bit, but the sentiment remains.

In a way, never having to worry about my weight is a long-term disadvantage. When you're skinny no matter what, it's easy to be lulled into a false sense of security. When everyone around you is whining about being a size six, it's easy to feel like you can eat whatever you want because you'll still be thinner than them. (Let's not even get into how idiotic it is that people convince themselves that being a size six is bad. Really? Really? Really? Do we have to delve into a conversation on how western society promotes a standard of "beauty" that no one can feasibly hope to attain?)

Allowing myself to be lazy because I have mastered the art of being skinny is terrible. Like, really legitimately prolonged suicide.

I don't want to put myself at risk for contracting Type 2 Diabetes due to poor eating habits. I don't want to morph into a thirty year old three hundred pound woman. I've joked to my Drama friends that the only reason I'm going to exercise when I'm older is because I refuse to become the stereotypical obese American. But it's more than that: when I'm an adult, I want to spend my time on a career I love, on writing, on spending time with my family, on maintaining friendships and making new ones, on taking adventurous vacations, on being in the Peace Corps, on being a volunteer EMT, on helping people, on contributing to politics, on art, on appreciating the funny side of life, on relaxing, on living. I know life throws curve balls. I know I could very well contract cancer and spend years fighting that. But I have control over some things, and I do not do not do not want to have all my dreams crushed because I couldn't find the energy to eat well and to exercise.

That's why this summer, I'm challenging myself to get healthy. If anyone who's reading this (even if I don't know you!) wants to do it with me, please do. Please write down a schedule for yourself. Please be specific. Please write out a contract and sign it. Please make note of foods that you won't eat or at least will eat less of. Please stick to it, whatever it takes. America (and Canada, and Mexico, and France, and the United Kingdom, and every other country out there) needs to get in shape.

It takes more than two months to maintain a healthy lifestyle. But it's two months of relative freedom. It's two months to start new habits. Think about it: during the summer, you have more time to be aware of what you do and what you eat. If you spend time now making sure you have healthy snacks in your house, by the time school rolls around, it'll almost be second nature. If you start exercising more frequently now, you'll see how good it feels and you'll want to squeeze it into your busy schedule.

Damn, with all this motivational speaking and flagrant italicizing, I should be writing articles for Seventeen magazine. Really though.

Do it.

* Excluding that one time that I, you know, broke a bone.