2012 is almost here ( My Fun Picture Bloggy)

Most days, I hear a majority of the people saying that they can't WAIT to end 2011. This makes me have a bit of a sadness becuz I actually ENJOYED 2011.

In 2011, I had some of the best times in my life!!! And, it made me realize, that if I'm going to think back on 2011 fondly, I might as well do it out loud :)

In early 2011, I bought the FULL version of World of Warcraft and started my long and arduous journey to Level 85 which I ACCOMPLISHED recently!! Score 1 for me :)

Me and my Monkey Man (seen here) celebrated ANOTHER year (Lucky 13) of our crazy ass marriage. If you've ever been married or know any married people, you know it takes a lot of work and a bit of your sanity to make a marriage last THIS damn long :P

In May of 2011, me and my Monkey Man took the boys to Free Comic Book Day and they had a GREAT time and I got LOTS of great stuff!!! Next year, we're gonna score bigger! (We have high hopes LoL)

This summer, in preparation for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, I got my mommy (seen here in her Hufflepuff garb) to not only READ Harry Potter but fall in love with it and agree to have Harry Potter movie viewing parties with me. :) We even had a Sorting Ceremony. It was so much fun!!

This summer, me and my Monkey Man decided we'd introduce our monkey babies (shown here) to some new and enjoyable things. We introduced them to frozen yogurt, took them to the Drive-In, took them to Chuck E Cheese and didn't make them eat pizza (We learned it's cheaper and more tiresome for them if we buy only tokens and let them play until they run out), took them to the Farmer's Market, took them to the comic book store for $1 comics, and basically spent so much time with them that when me and him went on vacation withOUT them, they were glad to be rid of us! :D Mission Accomplished!!

AND THEN THERE WAS LEAKYCON 2011!!! One of the most AMAZINGLY dorky things I've ever enjoyed!! I had  a couple of really awesome things happen to me while I was in Orlando so I'll share those with you now:

#1 awesome thing:

Meeting one of my besties, Cissy (seen here) in REAL LIFE. She's as awesome and beautiful in person as she is online :) I also met my friend Daniel (not seen here) in real life and the 4 of us (including my Monkey Man) had the BEST time talking about EVERYTHING!!

#2 awesome thing:

I got to go to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter while I was in Orlando and it was so awesome!! But the BEST part was, while in Ollivander's, I got chosen to get the experience!!!!! I kinda made of fool of myself cuz when he asked me what my name was, I kinda looked around and then said "Me?" and everybody laughed. Yup. Story of my life >.<

In 2011, I attended a BUNCH of book signings cuz I love books and I love authors and I love book stores. So YAY!!

My little-ist Monkey baby, Devyn, broke his arm in October. Minus 1 for me LoL

BUT, October also marked another birthday for me and an awesome zombeh birthday party courtesy of my Monkey Man. YAY for birthdays close to Halloween!!

In November, my sissy (seen here) and her hubby came down and we went to ComicCon together!! We were dressed not as those nerds from Paul ( <-- linky) but as Hogwarts school girls which isn't nerdy AT ALL!

Then we had Happy JoJo Day and that was fun LoL

Then we had Christmas and got all kinds of great stuff and made it really awesome for the kids and had lots of food!! YAY!!

Now, I'm not saying that this year didn't have any DOWNs cuz it did but it just made the UPs that much better. I met some truly great new friends and lost some as well. But, don't we all? I just thought if I shared all of the great things that happened to me this year then, maybe, you could see the great things that happened to you this year. I am actually a bit sad to see this year go but I have many things to look forward to this coming year.

Happy New Year, my lovlies!! I hope it's BETTER than this year!!

The History of "JoJo Day"

Jeremy aka JoJo

Once upon a time (translate:yesterday), I put up a post on Facebook asking my World of Warcraft guildies to help me get this dragon mount that I REALLY REALLY want and I tagged what I THOUGHT was all of them that I'm Facebook friends in it. It turns out, I was missing one. Here's how it went down:

Scarlett

6 hours ago

Robert , Tracy , Michael , Lance , Shane , Dustan  come ON, guys!! Help me!! I want that flying dragon!!!!!

(My actual Facebook post)

There really WAS one person missing: JoJo. See, JoJo doesn't ever comment on my FB posts nor does he follow my blog. In fact, now that I think about it, he's not even my RealID friend. How freaking rude!! Anyway, I still love JoJo despite his lack of interest in my life and I would have included him but I FORGOT that he was my FB friend. Call it a brain blink or whatever you want but it happened and someone *cough* Shane *cough* called me out on it. Here's how THAT went down:

Robert : well we can get you A dragon, its kinda ugly and yellow

Scarlett: The one I have NOW is kinda ugly and stupid. I want a cool one. How do I get one of those?

Shane : how dare u leave out jojo, im not helping u now

Scarlett: ZOmg!! I sure did!!! Jeremy I'm SOOOOO sorry!!! Help me, JoJo!!!!!

 

Jeremy : I would but I'm too busy flying around on my proto-drake :)

Shane : hahaha

 

 

Scarlett: ‎>.< Ur so mean, JoJo!

 

 

Robert :I never got my protodrake either :(

Scarlett: ‎:(

Well, later I got on the game and they started giving me crap about not including JoJo on my post and they wouldn't stop. So I said FINE! You want me to include you in my FB posts? Then tomorrow (translate: Wednesday) I will tag you in ALL of my posts and see if you like it. After this, he shouldn't complain E.V.E.R! So, tell your friends and spread the word and let's try to get #HappyJoJoDay trending on Twitter.

(JoJo told me that he doesn't read my blog posts because the font is too hard to read. SO I changed it so he can read THIS! )

Happy now, JoJo?!?

Some of you might not like what I have to say....

But it HAS to be said. As some of you know, earlier this year I passed the trials and became one of the million beta testers for Pottermore, JK Rowling's new interactive website. We talked about the Sorting ceremony and we dreaded the outcome. What if we didn't get the House we thought we were in? What if we didn't get the House we KNOW we belong to? Because we sorted ourselves and WHO knows better than US what House we belong in?
Well, Pottermore. According to Queen Rowling herself, SHE made the sorting process the unbelievably scary and nauseating process that it is. SHE developed the questions. SHE is, therefore, the Sorting Hat as this is the closest thing to an actual Hogwarts sorting that there ever will be.

Well, I'm here today to say that I AM OFFICIALLY RENOUNCING MY INDUCTION INTO SLYTHERIN HOUSE.

I know it's hard to believe but, if you know me, you know that I am a Gryffindor in the true sense of the word. I believe that I possess each and EVERY quality of a true Gryffindor and I have always believed this to be true. And I REFUSE to believe that turning left or right is going to determine whether my ambition exceedes that of my bravery. And I REFUSE to believe that by being sorted on a certain day determines whether I'm in Slytherin or Hufflepuff and that Gryffindor was never an option. I believe this was set up to ensure that all of the Houses were even and that, depending on what day you were sorted, you were either going to be Slytherin/Hufflepuff or Gryffindor/Ravenclaw. On the same day that I was sorted into Slytherin, 5 or 6 of my friends were ALSO sorted into Slytherin or Hufflepuff. Coincidence? I think not.

As much fun as it's been to do naughty things in the name of Salazar Slytherin and fail Potions to piss off Snape that a Slytherin could be this inept at the subject, I am ready to go back to the loving arms of my fellow Gryffys and snuggle next to the fire in the Common Room with my Won Won.

I AM GRYFFINDOR FORVER!!

Hitting 85 is the Scariest Thing I've Ever Done....

Last night, I achieved what I thought was the impossible. I hit level 85. For those of you not in the know, so far, level 85 is the highest you can go in the game.

I started playing a little over a year ago. According to my Guildies, it takes approx. 2 weeks to hit 85. So I didn't exactly break any records except for maybe Longest Amount of Time a Toon Has Taken to Cap. Of that, I'm sure, I'm the winner. But it's not my fault. I work full time and I have 3 boys and a hubby that need my attention. I have had things in my life that I've had to deal with. And, at times, I just plain didn't feel like playing.
Ok, maybe that last one IS my fault.

The road getting here was LOOOOOONG. It was tough. It was lonely when my Guildes switched servers and I didn't. It was lonelier when most of them stopped playing for a while. And then, last night when most of them took a dinner break, I capped!!! I was SOOOOOOO excited it was all I could do to stifle a scream!!!
And then, I had a sense of "What do I do now?". Apparently, I have to finish leveling my professions and getting geared up for PvP of which I am terribly nervous. My Guildies took me in a battleground once when I first started playing and I ran around and died a lot. They only took me there cuz I was curious as to what it looked like but still. I'm nervous!! Eeek! Seriously. They yell at me sometimes. They yell at each other mostly but ZOMG! I feel like I'm gonna puke. I just know I'm gonna do the wrong thing and kill everyone or aggro EVERYTHING in the vicinity. I did that a couple times in instances. *sigh*

Maybe I'll just stand behind people and try not to aggro anything. Ya, that sounds like a plan :D

And the winner is.....

haha You thought I was gonna say it all fast. FIRST, I wanted to say Thank You to all of you for participating and for supporting my blog. I was pretty excited to come up with a prize for the giveaway and also just to have one. It was something fun and random to do.

I really wished I could have picked ALL of you but, alas, there can only be one. So without further ado, I give you the winner:

Ems aka @DarthChic!!

Congratulations, Ems!! I hope you enjoy your prize when you recieve it since I'm still NOT telling you what it is :P

Random Acts of Awesome: My VERY first giveaway :)

Guess what, blog fans?!? I am having my very FIRST giveaway!! Yay!!! Since my blog is random, so shall the prize be :) Not only is it random, it's also a SURPRISE!! Intrigued? I thought so.

In order to be eligible for this random prize, there are a few simple rules. I know, even random acts of awesome have rules. Find the one that applies to you and follow the rule.
 Here they are:

1. If you already follow my blog either by email or Blogger, leave ONE comment telling me a random act of awesome that you have done recently.

2. If you are a newbie follower and you follow me by email, that email must be VERIFIED. Then leave me ONE comment telling me a random act of awesome that you have done recently. Make sure you put your name if you leave a comment as Anonymous.

3. If you are a newbie follower and you follow me through Blogger, leave me ONE comment telling me a random act of awesome that you have done recently.

Now, don't be discouraged by the random prize and the fact that the prize is a surprise. It's not a used piece of gum or anything like that. As fun as that would be, I'm not THAT cruel :) There is another way to put your name in the drawing. That is to RT my tweet about the contest on Twitter and leave me another comment but this time add your Twitter handle. Don't have Twitter or don't follow me on Twitter? That's ok. You can also SHARE my Facebook post about the contest and leave another comment with your name.
OR: you can do ALL OF THE ABOVE to enter more times.
And just to make this even MORE fun, the theme of this random giveaway is STAR WARS. The prize is random and it involves Star Wars.

This contest ends Saturday December 3rd at 10am CST so get moving!!! :D

Mirror, Mirror on the wall, What's the scariest day of all?

BLACK FRIDAY!!! AHHHHHH!!!

I know that most of you love Black Friday (unless you work in retail) and there's plenty of reasons why. For 1, the sales are EXTREMELY beneficial for the general public. We NEED those free tote bags they hand out to the first 100 customers. We NEED those Buy 1, get 1 free packs of socks. We NEED the satisfaction that we bought 10 Blu-Rays for $2 and you didn't.

I always wonder why people would subject themselves to endless lines, pushy people, and smart ass sales people just so that they may or may not get that laptop or flat screen at a really discounted price. I mean, unless you camp out at the store, you're not going to get either of those items. They're usually the first to go.

I also wonder about these "sales". I'm the type of person that usually buys the same types of things at certain stores. Like DvD's, for instance. When a movie is coming out that I want to buy, I check the sales ads to get the best price. I know paying $30 for a Blu-Ray combo pack is too much when I know I can get it cheaper. I'm not going to buy it at one store for that much just because I'm there. This is one of the reasons I believe stores go out of business. Take Circuit City, for example. When they had a "sale", they would jack the regular price up so it would appear on sale and people would buy it because they thought they were saving money. Well, eventually, people caught on and stopped shopping there. I know stores do this for Black Friday.

And what's up with the pushing and shoving? Can't you barbarians stand in line and enter the store in an ORDERLY fashion? Is this the only day where the rules of civilization do not apply?

And don't get me started on all the bad driving and reversing!! My freaking car got hit in a parking lot on Black Friday while my hubby was in the store! Was there a note? Hell no! It's bad enough people can't drive on a regular day. The bad driving skills are amped up on the biggest shopping day of the year.

I hate Black Friday. I'll ALWAYS hate Black Friday. But if it's that important to you to get in line in the freezing cold on  Thanksgiving night, then, by all means, be my guest. If you come home with a black eye AND a free tote then you're a winner already.

Surviving your Manic Monday

EVERYONE hates Mondays. You see it all over your Facebook and Twitter where your friends are posting about their woes and saying stuff like "It's Monday again. Eww" or "I hate Mondays" or "I'm sick and it's Monday." It's a vicious cycle. It happens every week and, yet, some how, some way MILLIONS of us make it through the day. (Hey. That rhymed ^.^)

I'm not sure how you do it. Maybe you just lie low and wait for the time to pass or maybe you busy with self with *gulp* work and pray the day speeds by. Or maybe, you hold on to the thoughts of Monday Night Football and think of nothing else until it arrives. Too bad that only works during football season :(

The way I do it is just a tiniest bit different. I have certain things in my life that help me get through even the shittiest of Mondays. And, let me tell you, I've had some SHITTY Mondays. And it's not even the fact that it IS Monday, it's just the simple fact that it happens to be the day when these crazy events have occurred. But those are stories for another time...and another day.

The #1 thing that I have to get me through my Monday is French Vanilla creamer for my coffee. No matter WHAT nasty flavor it is, it always tastes better with this. See, people? Sometimes it's the LITTLE things we should enjoy the most.

The #2 thing to get me through my Monday is Blogger. I have designated every Monday as Reader's Choice so I listen to your ideas and I pick the best one to blog about. Or if one choice gets multiple votes, I blog about that. So I encourage you to jump start your brain and think of ideas to help me :) You're thinking and I'm giving you something to read. It's a win/win.

The #3 thing to get through my Monday is ice cream. It doesn't even matter what flavor it is (as long as it's not mint anything). A nice big bowl or pint of ice cream on the couch under my blankie in the winter time is my FAVE thing to do on any day really but on Mondays, it's almost like therapy. It's kinda like sex only you're not sweaty and you ALWAYS have an orgasm :P

And, last but NEVER least, the #4 thing that gets me through my Monday is hugs :) It can be a hug from my babies or my Monkey Man or even a virtual hug from my besties, I ALWAYS need a hug on a Monday. EVERYONE does. Because it's the worst day of the week. It's the beginning of a long and sometimes torturous week where we run our errands, work all day and night, clean our houses, do our laundry, feed our kids, mail our letters, and try to keep our heads above water all while pretending we're not about to snap if someone asks us ONE MORE TIME if we have a case of the Mondays!!!!! AHHHHHH!!

It's the Great Halloween blog post, Charlie Brown!

Happy Halloween, boys and ghouls!!

Today is the day we all put on our alter-ego outfits and, if you're a woman, show off our assets for cheap tricks and treats. I  always plan to be something super cool for Halloween but since my birthday is a few days before and my son's right after mine, I never put much money or effort behind it becuz I have to buy him and myself prezzies. YES! I buy myself prezzies! Who doesn't?!?!
Anyway, this year I got up off of my bootie and searched for a costume. Went to like 2 different stores and everything! just like all the other Halloween costume searchers. AND I got the most awesomest costume EVER! A ninja hood and a katana. It came in a set for like $10 and all I have to do is provide the black clothing! Which I have plenty of cuz black is very slimming if you MUST know :P

Every year, me and husband fight over who is taking the kids trick-or-treating and every year I get picked cuz the boys love me more and want me with them. But, this year, I guilted them into picking daddy. I complained about how it's so far to walk because nobody really gives out candy and I have to walk ALL OVER the neighborhood just to get them a decent haul and my feet are always aching while Daddy is sitting on his ass watching basketball (usually :( ) and handing out candy. So the boys felt so sorry for me, they picked daddy and told him it was his turn! Yay me!!

I always get annoyed because we always give out good candy and my kids come home with generic shit so I always tell my husband not to buy the good candy but he always does. Yesterday, we were out shopping and he said he needed more candy so I grabbed a box of 50 Halloween fruit snacks in the generic Target Brand and he was like "No, babe. I only buy name brand candy. That's not how I roll" and I was like "But but but there's 50 in here!" and gave him my innocent eyes and he sighed and put the box in the basket. tee hee I'm saving myself money and getting back at those little brat's parents for not buying the good candy. Shame on you if you buy cheap candy!! And shame on you MORE for not handing out candy but sending your kids out to collect! That's like accepting Christmas prezzies and not buying any for anyone! FOR SHAME!!

The boys are extremely excited for tonight and will be gallavanting around the entire neighborhood as a phantom, Harry Potter and Luigi Mario. And I don't know what daddy is going to be yet but I'm gonna be slicing and dicing little brats as a ninja! HIYAAAAA!!!

Ooh ya....and giving out generic Halloween fruit snacks. HIYAAAAAA!!!

Sometimes the hype is more than I can handle....

and sometimes the hype is more than the deliverance. Which is what happened to me last when I watched the hour and a half premiere of The Walking Dead. You guys know me. You know I love zombies and you know I love when they nom people's brains and you know I love when people fight back. So, I was SO excited for The Walking Dead to come back after almost a year hiatus. When a show is gone THAT long, they're either working on some REALLY AWESOME shit or they're cancelled and, much to our delight, we heard they were back due to the former.

So, I watched it and I was excited cuz it started off REALLY good. They found all these cars and they were salvaging things and they were all happy and then what do you know? A freaking "herd" of zombies comes through and they have to hide under the cars and watch zombie feet and then one gets in the camper and tries to eat Andrea and she stabs him in the eye all badass with a screwdriver. And then comes the cause of the boringness: Carol's freaking dumbass daughter, Sophia, gets out from under the car too early and a couple of damn stragglers see her and try to nom her brain. So she runs off into the woods and Rick chases her and then makes the zombies chase him and tells Sophia which way to run and when he comes back to get her, she's gone. So he goes back to camp and lo and behold, she isn't freaking there. So they spend the ENTIRE hour and a half looking for her little ass. Then, they hear church bells and they think it's her so they run there and there's a few more zoms and some more badass head chopping by the survivors and then....to my utter dismay....some praying.

Ok, I know for the sake of story-telling that when someone prays, they do it all hardcore and say some powerful shit but, first, Sophia's mom has to pray and ask Jesus or whoever to forgive her for putting up with her p.o.s husband blah blah blah. THEN, we have to listen to Rick ask Jesus or whoever for a sign cuz he's having a hard time being the leader wah wah wah. Let me ask you this? Is it NOT enough that we have to listen to Rick talk to himself in that freaking horrible country accent for 30 minutes at the beginning of every episode?!?!? But then to have to listen to, not one but TWO people pray in the SAME episode? I actually considered changing it. Then, some more searching...

Then at the end, we get the climax. A literal BOOM to end the episode. End credits.

I am a fan of The Walking Dead. I am a fan of zombies. I am NOT, however, a fan of creating a mountain of hype and then letting your promises flutter with every passing second and actually putting people to sleep. Don't get me wrong. The scenes for next week's episode look exciting. As do the scenes for the rest of the season but PLEASE, for the LOVE of all things zombified, no more endless searching and praying. Just leave the little brat in the damn woods and let's move on!!

On a side note: The Talking Dead was absolutely phenomenal and I love Chris Hardwick more today than I ever have before <3

My Birthday Wish List

That's right! You know the Princess rolls like this! I have to write a blog cuz my wish list is too extraordinary for mere paper. So make sure you save your pennies cuz here it is: (There's linkies so make sure you click them)

1. This extremely awesome Chewbacca purse It's so super beautiful. I want!

2. The book Sad Monsters by Frank Lesser I heart it!

3. The book My Little Geek ABC Book I got to read it to Devyn :D

4. A gift card to Austin Books and Comics

5. A gift card for my WoW account Aren't I awesome?

6.  This shirt cuz I LOVE it!! It's Real for Us, yo

7. This bracelet DFTBA

8.  Money :D

This is the best I could do on such short notice but you love meeee, right??

Dreams and Coffee....So Much Excitement!

A while back I had the craziest dream that I was Alice(Scarlett?) in Wonderland and I went to a Mad Tea Party and it was filled with the most insane bunch of beings. Sheldon from The Big Bang Theory was the Mad Hatter and he was joined by one of my coworkers, 2 of my Guildies (twins, I might add) and my bestie, Cissy. Now, some people would try to interpret this dream and analyze it and try to come up with a meaning for the future. What could this dream possibly mean? Well, let's break it down:

1. I was a tea party and was drinking tea (obviously). The interpretation of tea in a dream denotes your contentment and comfort in your life. Hmm...Score 1 for dream interpretation.

2. My coworker was there and he happens to be male and we were NOT having sex. The interpretation of a dream of a coworker represents your interaction with them or your hopes of interaction with them. Do I WANT to have tea with my coworker? No. Once I leave work, I'm done with these guys! Score 0 for dream interpretation on this one.

3. 2 of my guildies were there and they happen to be twins and there was NO sex involved. The interpretation of dreams of twins reflects opposite or contrasting feelings. Having conflicted feelings about a certain decision after weighing the pros and cons. NOPE! Wrong again, dream interpretation. I almost never weigh the pros and cons about a decision. I'm quite impulsive actually. It's my husband that does all that "thinking" stuff. So, score another 0 on this one.

4. My bestie, Cissy, was there. Again, no sex. Pervs. :p The interpretation of dreaming of a friend is mostly about you. This friend may have traits that you desire in yourself. Okay, I can buy this. She's totally awesome and amazing and creative and funny and and smart beautiful and, yes, these are ALL traits that I desire in myself. I'd like to think I have a FEW of these qualities already :) Score another 1 for dream interpretation.

5. Sheldon from The Big Bang Theory was there and no sex took place. The interpretation of a celebrity in a dream and no making out or sex is involved means that you admire the qualities this person has and that you would like to achieve this level of fame and/or acceptance.  Hmm...ya, I'd like to be famous. I'd REALLY like to be famous for being a smart person so I'll give another point to dream interpretation.

Now to let you in on a little secret. I don't believe in dream interpretation. I believe dreams are just a jumble of things that happened to you in your day. yes, that is my totally scientific answer.
Stuff + more stuff = a dream
That day, I watched The Big Bang Theory. I watch it every day. Sheldon is my favorite. :) I probably dreamed about Cissy cuz i love her and I talk to her every day. My Guildies were in my dream becuz I probably played WoW that day and we talk online. And I probably dreamed I was Alice becuz my head IS a wonderland from which there is no escape. And it probably had something to do with the coffee I drank. Full of vanilla wonderfulness.

Isn't coffee great?!? It gives ME loads of creative energy! i think of a million ideas and then I think of a million more to implement them. Sadly, not all of them come in fruition but I try.  I do little things here and there to make most of them a reality and spread them out so my frenz get the benefits. My sissy once remarked that she LOVES getting letters from me cuz they're so much fun :D <---super happy face

New formula:
stuff(awesome)+ vanilla coffee x speed of idea flow = dream

Book to Movie....Sometimes We Cringe (May Contain Spoilers)

EVERYONE who's ever had their favorite book made into a movie knows that sometimes the movie DOESN'T deliver. And we as human beings know it isn't HUMANLY possible to put EVERY element into a movie that comes from the book. (Let's face it, America. Our attention spans aren't what they used to be) And, sometimes, the filmmakers feel the need to give the movie some extra visuals that weren't in the book to make it, I don't know, more entertaining. There are so many things that could make a great book into a crappy movie. But there's always 2 sides to every story and there are times when the movie is just as good if not BETTER than the book. And I'll give you some examples of what I feel is the best and the worst.

1. ALL the Harry Potter films
Now, I am somewhat biased because I have loved Harry Potter for a long time but, let's face it. The movies were totally AWESOME!! And there's a couple reasons why. #1 When Harry Potter and the Sorceror's Stone hit theaters, we were in AWE of seeing Hogwarts, Harry, Ron, Hermoine, Dumbledore, our WORLD come to life on screen. When you read a book, it's all about using your imagination to visualize what you are reading. And when I saw the movie, I was SO happy to see the images in my head before my eyes. And #2 not only did Chris Columbus make the world of Harry Potter REAL, he stayed true to the book. Now, as the story moves forward, the books got longer and the directors could no longer keep EVERYTHING intact. So some sacrifices had to be made. And there will ALWAYS be elements of the books that we did not get to see in the movies. For ME, the biggest cut was Voldemort's memories of the Gaunts and the Riddles. HP and the Half-Blood Prince was my FAVORITE book of all of them and I was SOOOOO excited for that movie, yet was a bit disappointed at this part being cut or not even filmed. Some will say they wanted the Maurauder's back story or more of Snape and Lily's childhood but I think mine was a tragedy.

2. The Last Airbender
Ok, I know a LOT of you hated The Last Airbender movie but I liked it. I liked it because I LOVE Avatar:The Last Airbender and I liked it for the same reason I loved the Harry Potter movies. Because I saw the cartoon come to real life. Now, I was happy that M. Night Shyamalan stayed true to the storyline and that Sokka was just as dreamy in real life as he is in the cartoon. Zuko..not so much. At least for me. For one thing, he isn't even Asian which I would have preferred. And Uncle Iroh was not fat and jolly and drinking tea. Instead he was tall and thin and not as gray. Another tragedy.

3. Stand by Me
A movie version of a freaking SHORT STORY written by Stephen King and starring Will "He's our Nerd King" Wheaton, River Pheonix, and Keifer Sutherland. TOTAL WIN!! *dreamy eyes*

4. The Help
Great book. I laughed and I laughed and I guessed and I laughed some more. The movie: totally on par. It was long at over 2 hours but it was so good. I was disappointed that they left out the part where Minnie gets attacked by the naked guy. That would have made me laugh more :)

5. My Sister's Keeper
Here's what I LOVE about this book so beautifully written by Jodi Piccoult. EVERYTHING! The plot twists, the differents POVs, the tragic ending. Here's what I HATED about the movie. It stars Cameron Diaz. I don't like her. She's really annoying to me. Tragic ending, not so tragic. (Spoiler Alert)
 In the book version, Anna (played in the movie by Abigail Breslin) leaves the trial with Julia (her guardian ad litem) and Campbell (her lawyer) after winning the trial to have control of her own body so she doesn't have to undergo any more surgery to save her sister who has cancer.
(It was announced during the trial that Kate (the sister with cancer) put her up to the lawsuit so that she can die in peace.)
 In a very beautiful twist, Anna, Cambell, and Julia are in an auto accident after leaving the courthouse and Anna is killed and her kidneys are given to Kate and this puts Kate into remission. If you read the book, your jaw will have dropped at several moments during the course of your reading sessions and if you saw this movie, you will have been seriously disappointed. In the end of the movie, there was NO twist. Anna didn't even die!! Not in auto accident, not  a plane crash, nothing. Kate dies due to her cancer. Ask ANYONE who's read this book what they remember about it and they will tell you THE TWIST ENDING!!! If you're going to adapt a book into a movie, don't change the BEST part!!! Thumbs down!

Everyone has there best and worst book to movie adaptations. What are some of yours?

Survivor: Do I have what it takes to compete?

As many of my friends know, I love to watch Survivor. I like the idea of putting people on an island or somewhere deserted and giving them some rice and a few annoying people and let them go at it. I watch it religiously and this is actually one show I won't DVR unless ABSOLUTELY (read: somebody better be dying) necessary. I like to think I would know what to do to be the sole survivor but I ALSO know I'd never actually go on the show. I mean, Survivor is as much a social game as anything else. I can deal with that. I've done my share of manipulating people. Don't act like YOU haven't especially if you're a woman. But I HATE the outdoors. I HATE bugs. I HATE going without food or sleep. I HATE people telling me what to do when they're not the boss of me. I HATE being in close quarters with people I don't know or don't like. Because I do have a bit of a bitchy side when it comes to not liking people. I'm pretty honest about letting people know where they stand. But that's a story for another time. On this post, I'd like to give you an insight on to what I'D do if I were on Survivor so maybe I can help you if YOU ever decide you want to brave the elements.
#1. I'd make an alliance on Day 1 with the SECOND strongest guy on the island (the strongest is ALWAYS the biggest threat aka target)
#2. I'd deliberately not make myself look TOO good in challenges nor too weak.
#3. I'd scope out the ENTIRE group and immediately offer an alliance to the majority whether it be women, old people, martians, whatever! I'd be like Let's WOMEN/OLD PEOPLE/MARTIANS stick together and vote these MEN/WHIPPERSNAPPERS/EARTHLINGS out of here!
#4. I wouldn't go and tell everyone a sob story so they'll keep me around. Because the exact OPPOSITE happens. They won't keep you because it will pretty much guarantee you the win. They'll axe your ass at the earliest opportunity.
#5. I wouldn't brag about how much money I have either. (Not that I have ANY cuz i don't) They won't keep you if you don't need the money. 
#6. I wouldn't cry. Crying is weak. And nobody likes a crybaby
#7. I wouldn't make it obvious that I am searching for an immunity idol. Those people are so stupid. It makes you look like you don't care about the TRIBE, only yourself.
#8. I would learn how to build fire, catch fish and train BEFORE I even get there.
#9. I wouldn't go there in heels and a dress either. Dumb broads.
And if for some strange reason I DO get voted out:
#10. I wouldn't bitch about it at the final tribal council by being all rude and shit. That just makes you look stupid.
#11. I wouldn't vote for the biggest asshole. Being brutally honest about being dishonest only makes me want to NOT vote for you. (See: Richard Hatch)

So there you have it, people. You're welcome :)

Project: Getting Sorted.....into Pottermore

Last night, I posted a video on youtube. It showed me getting sorted (in a really long extended version) and freaking out because I did not want to be sorted into the WRONG house. If you know me, you know I'm in Gryffindor. That. to me, is the RIGHT house. All of the others are WRONG. The quiz took me by surprise. At LeakyCon we got a sort of preview of Pottermore with screenshots and even a short demo and Jaime (the Pottermore guy) told us that you could not cheat the system. I actually had no intention of cheating the system because I had faith that my answers would be the most Gryffindor-y (new word alert) answers there could possibly be. I mean, I'm brave, loyal, chivalrous....

I answered the questions as HONESTLY as possible. I knew The Queen (Jo Rowling) herself made up this quiz. This quiz is the CLOSEST we'll ever get to an actual Hogwarts sorting. Unless, of course, they open up Hogwarts for real and let us magic folk in but I doubt it. So I reviewed each answer. Some had only 2 choices. Some had 6 or 7. And when it was all said and done, I was sorted into

So what happens next? I did what ANY Gryffindor would do when sorted into the House of Slytherin. I say "OMG. I just got sorted into Slytherin" and IMMEDIATLY try to be okay with it. Put on a BRAVE face and say "At least I'll be with Ashley and Cissy" (my besties). Then I think "I'm freaking Muggle-born! How did this happen?". Will I be welcomed there with open arms? Will I ever feel comfortable in the glass and marble common room rather than the cozy Gryffy common room? Will my WonWon still love me? They say Gryffindor and Slytherin are 2 sides of the same coin. If this true, have I ALWAYS been in the middle?  I know ONE thing's for sure: I'll never again be the only one in the Gryffindor tie in our bestie photo :(

Cissy, me and Ash

Your nerdness > mine

This week, for Reader's Choice, the winner was Star Wars vs. Star Trek with Dave suggesting it and Ems giving me an enthusiastic "YA!". Now, this got me thinking about the parameters of my nerdness. Because, you see, I don't do EVERY nerd thing listed in the book (and there IS a book) simply because I hate to follow rules. And this includes "Nerd" rules. Like, for instance, I have never seen an episode of FireFly. I know, this news is probably breaking hearts as we speak but it's the truth. I don't watch too much a lot of tv and now that I can DVR everything, I watch even LESS. (I REALLY need to catch up) So, I thought I would make a short list of the "nerd" things that I don't, or have never, enjoyed.

1. I have not watched very many episodes of Star Trek. This is WHY this blog is NOT about Star Wars vs. Star Trek. I cannot tell you all the differences except that there was a Wookie that got the shaft on Star Wars and that, as far as I know, no incest on Star Trek.
Side note: I have seen episodes of Star Trek TNG because I love Will Wheaton and I have a crush on Patrick Stewart's voice >.<

2. I love comics but I'm not going out to watch every Superhero movie because you guys say it's "awesome". Too many times have I been fooled by this word. Too many times....
And I don't just buy superhero comics. I buy ALL KINDS of comics. Even Strawberry Shortcake with the scratch and sniff covers :)
Side note: I will be purchasing the new reboot of Justice League #1 shortly. I did not go to the midnight realease party because there was a cover and I had to work. I only go sleepless for video games and Harry Potter.

3. I love manga and anime but I don't collect Pokemon or Bakugan (or however the hell you spell this) or watch Dragonball Z Kai cuz that guys buff body and small head creeps me out.

4. I don't know sh*t about computers and I wish people would stop asking me what kind of computer I have like the model I have is some kind of super computer that you should buy cuz I'm smarter than you. NO! It's a HP. Bought it from Best Buy. Go buy whatever u want!

And finally, #5. I suck at math.

There! I said it. I confessed that I'm not as big of a nerd as you think I am. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna go pet my Gumby comics. :)

Pottermore Sorting Psychosis

When JK Rowling announced the opening of Pottermore, millions of Harry Potter fans began to speculate about what online wonders await. Many were (and are) desperate to gain early access to the site. I have to admit I was one of them. I managed to find the magic quill on day 2 of the early beta testing sign-up in early August.  When I wrote this, I was still waiting for my owl to let me into the beta site. Although the full site will open to the public from October, there’s already been a lot of excitement surrounding the site. 

Get sorted!

The books were first published in 1997 and then shot to cult-status popularity not long after, and now seven books, eight films, and one theme park later, most Harry Potter fans have a Hogwarts house they already identify with. Of course the Sorting created by JK Rowling herself trumps any of the online quizzes, but what strikes fear in most fans’ hearts is: What happens if the Sorting Hat places me in the wrong house? There has been a lot of buzz on the internet about this already  from wizard wrock songs to twitter, where Evanna Lynch, an avid Harry Potter fan who played Luna Lovegood in the films, announced she was sorted into Gryffindor (For those not in the know, Luna is a Ravenclaw). I do however, have it on good authority that the actress who played Pansy Parkinson, Scarlett Byrne, did in fact get sorted into Slytherin. There have been rumours that Tom Felton (who plays Draco Malfoy, another Slytherin) was sorted into Hufflepuff! This is of course, only a rumour and has been denied by Mr Felton, who is also still awaiting his Pottermore owl.

If like me, you’re also anxiously awaiting your Pottermore owl, and stupidly nervous about getting sorted, let’s have another look at the Hogwarts houses.  You may not end up where you thought you’d be!

  Home of the brave

Gryffindor House is always described by the Sorting Hat as for those who are brave of heart, daring, chivalrous and full of nerve. Although all these attributes are often thought of as positive, many Gryffindor haters often dote on the negative connotations of bravery, such as its’ more ostentatious nature or that to recklessly rush in without a plan is actually not always the best course of action. Gryffindors and especially Harry get teased for playing the hero without thinking of the consequences.  In fact, bravery has in the past has had more negative connotations and was associated with boasting, swaggering, bravado, and showing off. Lions are an obvious choice of a mascot, brave and fearless and known as the king of the jungle. So, if you’re brave and full of daring, then perhaps the Hat will place you in Gryffindor.

  All for one and one for all

Hufflepuff House often gets billed as the ‘other’ house, but those sorted here are known for being just,  loyal, patient and true. They are not afraid of toil and their founder Helga Hufflepuff was quoted by the Sorting Hat to have said she’d ‘teach the lot and treat them just the same’ which 1,000 years ago is pretty progressive in terms of equal rights for wizarding folk. Sounds like a pretty good house and hard to find any negative attributes. Not sure why they get teased so much, but I suspect it’s probably because their mascot is a badger and their name is reminiscent of an empty threat or a puff of air. Perhaps the origin for Hufflepuff is from huffle an obsolete usage meaning ‘a sudden gust of wind’ and puff.  Either way, if you’re all for equality, this sounds like the house for you.

  None the wiser

Ravenclaw house is the house for the clever swots. Probably most Potter fans *think* they fall into this category and maybe if you read as much as Hermione does, then you are a Ravenclaw. The house of the wise, those of wit and learning with steady minds, Ravenclaw seems the most one-dimensional of all the houses – it’s just the place for clever people. Despite the name, their mascot is not a raven, but an eagle. Ravens have been associated with death or as harbingers of bad news, while eagles are known as the king of birds with sharp sight and the ability to soar to great heights. Eagles have also been associated with various reigning powers throughout history. Perhaps if you have a sharp eye and an insatiable quest for knowledge, Ravenclaw is where you belong.

  The end justifies the means

Last, but certainly not least (I saved the best for last!) is Slytherin House. Slytherins are known for their cunning and ambitious nature and described as shrewd and power-hungry. I can understand why being sorted into Slytherin may not make many people jump for joy. Of course, the Harry Potter books are told from a Gryffindor’s point of view and there are a lot of preconceived notions and generally negative rumours surrounding the house of the snakes. It probably doesn’t help matters that He Who Shall Not Be Named was in Slytherin and many of the Death Eaters come from the same house.   There is also that obsession with pure blood ancestry that is beyond acceptable by today’s standards. Okay, so they’re a bit elite and old school, but not all Slytherins are bad – let’s not forget about Severus Snape!  Slytherin attributes aren’t that bad either. Cunning didn’t always have its negative connotation; in fact it originally referred to someone who possessed knowledge.  Ambition can be a very good thing and drive people to achieve great feats. The snake as house mascot may also hurt a positive view of Slytherin. Snakes have long been associated in the West as a symbol of temptation and evil, of course, for almost as long, snakes have been revered by many other cultures as a symbol of wisdom and magic. Perhaps if you can have a bit of perspective and are keen to achieve, you may belong in Slytherin.   

No post on Sundays

I hope that helps alleviate any potential sorting pressure that you may be feeling while you wait for your Pottermore owl to arrive. Although the sorting seems important, I’d like to end with an excerpt from the Sorting Hat’s song in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, which reminds us that although we may be split into different houses, we shouldn’t let that divide us.

 ‘I sort you into Houses

Because that is what I'm for,

But this year I'll go further,

Listen closely to my song:

Though condemned I am to split you

Still I worry that it's wrong,

Though I must fulfil my duty

And must quarter every year

Still I wonder whether sorting

May not bring the end I fear.’

Guest blog by:
Ashley Wagner who hopes the Sorting Hat places her in Slytherin, or else her father will hear about this!

Update: I did receive my Pottermore owl, and I was sorted into Slytherin without paternal intervention. Good luck to everyone still waiting!

Movies.....My Oh-so Guilty Pleasures

Once upon a time, in a galaxy far far away, my Monkey Man Participated in Reader's Choice and voted for me to blog about movies. Well, being the busy busy Jedi that I am, I told him that I owed him one because Jade needed a blog more than he did. Now, I often get an array of blog requests on this special day of the week ranging from the specific (like pre-con jitters) to the so-non specific (like movies or coffee). So this blog is from the "non-specific" category with my own twist. Instead of a blog about "movies", I've chosen to embarrass myself and make some nerd-fessions about my guilty pleasure movies.

I have many, and I'm sure you do too, but there are a specific few that hold a special place in my heart for one reason or another. The first one is Steel Magnolias. Now, I might have a country name but I'm NOT from the country. I'm not even from the South even though I live here now. I'm from freaking Cali! I'm not even sure Texas is considered a Southern state. Maybe Mid-West. I don't know. I hate geography. Moving on. This movie holds a special place in my heart because my mom and my 2 sisters and my little brother and I can quote this movie line for line. This is one movie that we'll all actually watch together and not talk during except to quote it because we'll be damned if me miss our favorite lines. And there are MANY gems in this one. Those Southern girls really could make you laugh and cry in the same scene.

The second one is Hook. Now, I like this movie for a variety of different reasons and none of them have to do with knowing all of the lines. Because, for some reason, I don't have all of the lines memorized. Only some. This movie reminds me of my younger days. I remember when Julia Roberts was cast as Tinkerbell and how she looked in that scene when she became big and was wearing that pretty dress and she kissed Peter Pan and he dissed her. That's when he started remembering where he was and remembering that he had kids and a wife and that kisses were REAL and not thimbles that we gave in lieu of them. But the thing that strikes my fancy even today is Dante Basco as Rufio. I had a crush on him even though he gave Peter Pan a hard time. And I was yelling the loudest Ru-Ru-Rufioooooooo!!

The third one HAS to be Troop Beverly Hills. Now I did not grow up rich, nor am I rich now, but for some reason, I can relate to this movie in a number of ways. For one, some of us can be considered outcasts no matter our place in life. Whether we're poor or rich, skinny or fat, beautiful or not. In this case, the rich girls were considered the outcasts amongst the other troops due to their inexperience with the outdoors.Which ANY geek can relate to since we spend the majority of our time indoors. Secondly, Shelly Long is just an awesomely cool mom that's DETERMINED to help these girls succeed even if they just sell more cookies than anyone else. And who doesn't want a mom like THAT? And, lastly, I just REALLY want to be a Wilderness Girl <3

I'll come out and give you ONE more movie. Not because I like to make a fool of myself in front of the entire interwebz (not that the entire interwebz is reading this cuz they're not) but because I like you guys. YOU. The ones reading this. Because I know you care enough to read this and beacuse I know YOU like it when I make a fool of myself. So here it is. Guilty Pleasure movie #4: Hocus Pocus. This movie is not a part of the geek mainstream but, frankly, I wish it were. In fact, I wish ALL of these movies were so I wouldn't have to sit and hide in The Burrow and watch them.....alone. However, ABC Family DOES show this movie every year around HAlloween and I always make sure to watch it. Because I love it. Because to me, it's timeless. Even though, at times, it can be a bit cheesy but to watch Penny Marshall get pissed at Gary Marshall while he's dressed as Satan cuz he's dancing with Sarah Jessica Parker and he's all "They call me Master" and she says "Wait till you see what I'm gonna call you" is SOOOOO freaking funny!! That whole scene is funny. Like when she first comes in and she's all "Aren't you broads a little old to be trick-or-treating?" I wish I could say that line JUST once in an appropriate situation. Of course, not ONE where there's a younger chick dancing with my husband but, you know.

So there's my list of movies that are guilty pleasures. I actually have more but I think you get the hint that I watch a variety of movies for different reasons. I'm sure you do too so MAYBE you could leave a comment and tell me YOUR favorite "guilty pleasure" movie. I would love that :)

Pre-Con jitters....Oh how you tease me

Hello again, everyone! I know it's been a while since I've blogged. I think I'm starting to get a bit lazy here. Not my fault. Ok, it's my fault. But, in my own defense, I'm busy doing other things like playing WoW and trying to come up with a really cool cosplay for ComicCon. "But it's over" you say. Not here in Austin, it itsn't. See, Wizard World likes to take pity on the smaller "big cities" of the world by giving us our very OWN ComicCon. Like New York, Boston, New Orleans, Austin. There's more but I don't remember them all. They go around about once a month or so and have one in a different city so by the time WE get one, it's almost time for San Diego again. Ok I'm exaggerating but still. It's in November here and, by then, most people don't care about ComicCon anymore. But I do :) I wait and wait and wait and change cosplay ideas about 50x before I find the one I like. This year, I've decided to be Project:Alice from the first Resident Evil movie. Will people recognize me as Alice? I don't know. Nor do I really care. Last year, I went as Talia from the 6th Day and had to explain it a couple of hundred times. Did that discourage me? No. I was really in love with the blue wig :)

Last year's ComicCon was my very first con experience and if you live in an area where there are smaller cons ALL the time and you've NEVER been to one, I HIGHLY recommend you go to a couple before you hit up the giant ones. Just to kinda prepare you for what's in store. I remember getting ready for the con but only slightly. I remember I was REALLY excited and after each step of putting my costume together, my excitement grew! I checked the panel list and didn't really understand the whole "Let's get in line for an hour" thing. Because I was a noob and I hate waiting. So I didn't go to any. I walked around and took pics of cosplayers and bought TONS of $1 and 50cent comics and got some of them signed :) I was soooo happy.

Then, I bought my tickets for LeakyCon. The most AWESOME con on the face of the planet. I was so excited for LeakyCon that when I bought my tickets, I took a picture and thus sent myself into a WHOLE year of pre-con jitters. This one was bigger. It was in a city in a state I'd never been to. It was ALL Harry Potter!! There were going to be cosplayers there but I made the decision not to dress up because of the heat. I know heat and humidity because I live in Texas but Orlando is a WHOLE different animal. It's awful humid there. Nasty! So I didn't want to be in costume and be sweating bullets under it. But that doesn't mean I still wasn't excited....or nervous. Orlando is MUCH bigger than Austin. There were people there from different COUNTRIES let alone different cities. I didn't know what to expect. Would I get lost? Would I be able to do all the things I wanted to do? Would I have to wait in line for 10 hours? I was nervous/excited every DAY that got closer to LeakyCon. So I turned my nervousness into writing and then into prepping. A year is a long time to be nervous so some days, I just ignored it. But then, I'd get an email from Leaky about something new at the con and it'd start right back up again!

Today, my bestie is at Dragon*Con and she had pre-con jitters for like 3 weeks. In fact, this blog is her idea. On Mondays, I have Reader's Choice on the topic and this is hers. Everything she wrote on Facebook, everything she tweeted, every picture she posted,  everything she said resonated nervousness and excitement about Dragon*con. It was so easy to get caught up in it, it almost felt like I was going to. I started to get excited. i started to get nervous. I even started planning for my ComicCon experience this year which is in 2 more months. Dragon*Con is so much bigger than any con I've ever been to and I can't IMAGINE what that's like but it seems like it would be exciting times 100!! I've been watching new season of The Guild and now i want to go to MegaGameO'RamaCon!!

Holler if you love cons!!! WEWT!

Jade's Blog

Yesterday was Reader's Choice on my blog and I always give you guys the opportunity to tell me what you want to read about and then I choose the one with the most votes. When I originally started this, I did like 5 blogs in one day and most of them were personal blogs and I vowed not to do those again. NOT because I don't love you guys but because I can't possibly keep up with demand. However, yesterday, my sister said she was feeling down and asked if I could write a blog about her to cheer her up. She's feeling stressed and upset and overwhelmed and I've been there. And I'm sure most of you have been there. So here it is. This is Jade's blog.

I can begin by telling you that Jade is not her real name. The name came from a (really bad) fanfic that I wrote. I made a play off of the colors from Gryffindor house, since this was a Harry Potter fanfic, and named myself Scarlett and my sister, being a Slytherin, Jade for the green color. I love that name. I think she IS Jade and me and my friends call her that whenever possible. I'd write that on her mail but then I'm afraid they won't deliver it to her since I'd have to add "Malfoy" as her last name.

Jade and I weren't always as close as we are now. We started off close as children but after years of my torture and abuse, we grew apart. Then, she came back into my life and we were close again as party girls and partners in crime. Then, we moved apart and grew apart. When she started reading Harry Potter at my constant insistance, we grew close again and remain close for the time being. I, for one, hope it doesn't fade away again. I love sharing these experiences with her and having something in common with her. We talk about all things books and nerd and then move on to more personal things just like sisters should. Now the only thing between us is distance. We live in different states. Boo :(

I kind of view Jade as this person that does a lot almost every minute of the day. I mean, even I have moments of laziness but I never see Jade getting lazy moments. She goes to school full-time and spends time with her 2 kids Ray and the Gavinator (who is special in more ways than 1) and her hubby and runs Malfoy Manor so everybody is happy. When I call her someone is always in the background asking for something or she doesn't answer cuz she's doing something. She's SUPER JADE!

And another thing about Jade. She never says "I love you". Whenever I talk to someone, at the end of the conversation I always say "I love you" because I don't want anyone to ever wonder if I love them or not. But Jade is different. I tell her "I love you" and she says "ok" and she never says it back. One day, I caught her slipping though.....or so I thought. She said "I love you too" after I said it and I was so SHOCKED. I immediately told my husband and then we blew it off saying she prob thought for a sec she was talking to her hubby or something in a hurry to get off of the phone. But I still say it whenever I talk to her and she STILL says "OK" and my husband asks me "Did she say it this time?" and I say "No". So I brought it up to her one day and she says to me that she said it on PURPOSE! She said she figures it was overdue since I send her lots of cool toys and prezzies (which I do cuz I'm awesome like that). I'm still in disbelief about that one. I still think maybe she was covering her tracks so she wouldn't have to say it again.

So that's kinda Jade in a nutshell cuz she's not that complicated. She's just kinda nerdy, kinda cool, and kinda slippery. But she's SUPER cuz she's my sister, yo!

I love you, Jade!! DFTBA!!