Sunburns and Lemonade

Hey all! How are your respective summers going?

I'm sitting here on this pleasant day with sunburnt shoulders, contemplating a glass of lemonade. Awesome stuff it is!

In case you are wondering, I am indeed back at Wendy's. The people I'm working with this summer are fun so time goes by fast. I don't have as many hours as I'd like, but it's not bad. Helping to compensate for this is house-sitting.

I've been spending my off hours swimming, bike riding, reading, calligraphy...ing..., drawing, and generally enjoying myself. Soon I'll hopefully be starting a sewing project which shall, Lord willing, be finished and make it's grand debut up at NLand once the weather turns cool.

The dark cloud hanging over this summer is of course the possibility of not returning in the fall. Just below and a little to the left is the image of my retarded and dead lappy floating in a ghostly manner.

I wanna Mac! But that doesn't seem like it's going to happen... :o(

Oh, happiness! I got my Intro to Lit summer lude paper back and I got an 80% on it! WHEE! I was sooo happy!

Adios!

A Frank Confession

So, not 35 minutes ago I was all sulky about the realization that I shall end up at Wendy's once more. It's not that it's a bad job it's just that I really really really don't like working fast food. And for as much as I don't like that I don't like smelling like it even more.

For as much as I think it splendid that my manager holds my job for me, and for as much as I am eternally grateful for it - I dread it. I seriously dread it. I dread the thought of going back, each morning I went in I had to force myself in or turn off emotions so I apathetically went through the motions - I really dreaded the job.

And yet - and yet I find myself looking at my schedule of events for tomorrow and seeing calling Wendy's at the top of the list. I have hunted for other jobs, I have prayed and begged not to go back, I have put off the dreaded phone call as long as possible and still I am finding myself forced to.

I really want to throw myself a pity party. I really want another job. I'd really like to be able to get paid for doing things I actually like to do, but it seems I'm not allowed to just yet. Whether this is a result of a lack of a go-get'em personality or what have you, I don't know. I have a sneaking suspicion this is Divine Sovereignty at work but I cannot say for certain.

For those of you reading thinking that I am sulking and pouting - I agree with you. But mind you I'm telling you where I was... 43 minutes ago. Between then and now a certain poem I've read several times throughout the years came to mind and I fear I now owe Mr. Herbert a thank you.

THE COLLAR.
by George Herbert
I STRUCK the board, and cry’d, No more ;
I will abroad.
What ? shall I ever sigh and pine ?
My lines and life are free ; free as the rode,
Loose as the winde, as large as store.
Shall I be still in suit ?
Have I no harvest but a thorn
To let me bloud, and not restore
What I have lost with cordiall fruit ?
Sure there was wine,
Before my sighs did drie it : there was corn
Before my tears did drown it.
Is the yeare onely lost to me ?
Have I no bayes to crown it ?
No flowers, no garlands gay ? all blasted ?
All wasted ?
Not so, my heart : but there is fruit,
And thou hast hands.
Recover all thy sigh-blown age
On double pleasures : leave thy cold dispute
Of what is fit, and not forsake thy cage,
Thy rope of sands,
Which pettie thoughts have made, and made to thee
Good cable, to enforce and draw,
And be thy law,
While thou didst wink and wouldst not see.
Away ; take heed :
I will abroad.
Call in thy deaths head there : tie up thy fears.
He that forbears
To suit and serve his need,
Deserves his load.
But as I rav’d and grew more fierce and wilde,
At every word,
Methought I heard one calling, Childe :
And I reply’d, My Lord.

My Opinion Movie Review - Prince Caspian

If you are a die hard, true blue, "Prince Caspian" purist, then you won't like this movie because it strays from the book.

However, if you're like me and thought that the book dragged at the beginning and weren't exactly thrilled with it as a whole, then you'll like it. Even if you like the story as it is, judging by my sister (who claims this book as her favorite) you'll still like it.

Personally, I really liked it. They condensed a lot of the boring blah at the beginning and turned it to a quicker sequence of events with out losing much. Where it did stray from the book early on, they did manage to keep consistent within the story they were telling.

Actually, if you go in treating this movie like it's fanfiction, you will probably walk away very pleased.

I did not think there was nearly the character slaughtering in this movie as there was in the predecessor, The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe (LWW). I truly did think that movie was a very botched retelling of the magnificent book. Even on it's own merit, I didn't think it that good.
Prince Caspian however, manages to stand on it's own feet and still keep the same spirit of the book. Where as LWW managed to lose a lot of the feel of the book, Prince Caspian captured it and brought it to life in a way that the book never did for me.

Trust me, it pains me to confess that I don't care for the book as well as the movie, particularly when dealing with C. S. Lewis, but - I truly thought the movie was good.

There were things in the book they didn't put in the movie, but it was by and large funny and fluffy things that make Lewis' books so fun. I was sad to see the abscence of the school house and the naughty boys turning into pigs, and even that whole sequence but it would have been oddly placed in the movie. As would have Baccus. I do dearly miss those two scenes being cut, but like I said, it was a good movie.

As far as the acting is concerned, I thought Susan was much better portrayed this go 'round than she was in LWW. Peter, however, still lacked that noble, Arthurian quality that was ever so prevalent in the books. For some reason, Adamson decided to make Peter proud. Peter was never proud! This is a character slaughtering that is irksome, but it made for good drama. Even so, it took away severely from the thought of High King Peter, the Knight. Adamson sorta shows the contrast between Proud Peter and High King Peter towards the end, but it was almost too late in coming and was a bit subtle for my liking.

The Battle sequences in this movie were very good! I was on the edge of my seat! They were very well done and I think a bit more intense than LWW. As well, the weapons, the armor, everything was amazing! I was very impressed by the detail given to the costumes in this movie, particularly where warfare was involved. It was ornate, it was beautiful, and it was very believable.

The ordinary costumes were gorgeous too! They gave the kids a couple sets of clothes this movie, and they were stunning!

As far as the acting itself goes - I really thought the guy who plays Edmund did a fabulous job, once again. Lucy was of course portrayed quite well, having grown up appropriately in character and even taking an air of queenliness. Like I said, Peter the character was slaughtered, but the acting for him was pretty good. As well, I think the actress who played Susan did a better job this go round than she did in the first one. As far as Prince Caspian goes - very well acted. He really brought out the struggle that Caspian of the books had between being virtually a kid still, but yet one destined to be king. Caspian was played very realistically, I feel very true to the book, and I give Ben Barnes a round of applause for a job well done.

Oh, and for the record - Reepicheep's coloring was a little off, but he was amazingly done! As well, I liked Aslan a lot better this time. I really didn't like how he was done in LWW, but he was done much better this go round.

One more note - for those of you who may not know - Adamson decided that since the Telmarine's were pirates, he would make them of Spanish decent. Logical, and well with in the realms of artistic liberty. But - Adamson seems to have an unending problem with getting the right hair color on characters! Lucy is suppose to be a golden blonde, not a brunette. Same with Caspian. But, considering the poetic license he took in making them Spanish, a brunette Caspian works.

But that was just a side note.

Over all, I really liked this movie, I hope I can see it again, and I thought it was a job well done.

My Opinion Movie Review

If you like super-hero action flicks Iron Man is the movie you want to go see next.

In case you don't know who Iron Man is, then let me give you a brief summary. He started out as a self centered, rich, playboy, weapons design genius, and after being captured by a terrorist group of sorts and sees that his weapons are being used against US troops, he manages to escape and decides to take his life and work in a radically different direction.

Now for the opinions -
I thought the acting was very well done, the special effects were amazing, and the dialogue managed to escape the typical action flick transgressions of cheesy one liners and catch phrases. The one liners were really good! The conversations actually sounded normal, and... amazingly enough, you actually believe that the characters exist. The characters were crafted to be real, deep, and believable. This seems to be a pathetic rarity in most films, but I firmly feel this one managed to achieve it.

True to most of the Marvel superhero movies I have seen, there has been very limited blood and gore with out sacrificing one minute of battle or action. The fight sequences I thoroughly enjoyed, especially since I could see what was going on and not get motion sick. (There are few things I dislike more than battle sequences with odd angles that move around too much! Case and point - Transformers.)

As far as "scenes" and language go - I found myself startled at the outset by a minute or less "scene" and wondering about the rest of the movie, but pleasantly found that was the one and only time I was left coughing and looking down at the floor. I understand why it was put in, but it definitely could have been more tastefully avoided and still gotten the point across. However, I am torn about that because it really did help to contrast things later on. Either way, you'll see it coming early on, so look down then keep watching. Language was very minimal. I honestly expected a lot more than there was, and was pleasantly surprised it was missing. More or less, you'll probably hear more if you walk by some teenagers at Wal*Mart than you will in this movie.
By the end, I found myself totally engulfed and 'lost' in the movie - something which doesn't happen very often.

Good job Iron Man!

What a God I Serve!

I must be brief for time is of the essence, to put it mildly...

Anyway, I have to take 2 block classes on cultural studies and I found out Thursday night I have a paper due in it come Monday. I found out Friday afternoon that I have to have multiple chapters ready by Monday. I found out this morning that the bookstore nor the library have any available copies.

Great.

So, as I was walking back to my room I was desperately praying God would help me find the book. I tried multiple people but nobody had it that would be able to loan it to me. So, I left on a note on the door of my last hope and turned to the internet.

God is tech-savvy. Did you know that?

I believe I managed to find a complete copy of the book online, and then my last hope came into my room declaring I can borrow hers if I need.

Double blessings!

As for the paper - we have four different topics to pick from, and I am picking un-Levitical holidays. Thus, I am off to write a paper!