A long-awaited review

I feel it's about time to share my experience with "The Descent." Swank and I decided to catch a late night movie, and he graciously agreed to indulge me in my passion for scary movies. I got my nachos and sour patch kids (it was a late dinner that night) and we settled in for a good, old fashioned horror flick. When movie started it began with the obligatory jump-out-of-your-seat moment within the first 5 minutes. We knew we were in the right theatre at least. From then on out it was a series of endless jump-out-of-your-seat moments mixed in with unbelievable claustrophobia, gore, and general terror. About 45 minutes into the movie Swank turned to me and whispered, "I don't like movies like this." We both giggled nervously and continued to watch in awe as bizarre looking cave-people hunted down 6 women in the dark with various broken bones and completely understandable psychoses.

That's when it happened. I turned to my partner in crime and said, "do you want to go? I'll stay if you want to stay but I could go too." I couldn't believe the words coming out of my mouth! I've stayed through every movie I've ever gone to, good or bad, scary or cheesy. Not to mention, my obsession with scary movies should have had me twitterpated from the moment I sat down! Needless to say, we decided to leave and there you have it. I left my very first movie in the middle because it was actually too scary. THAT in itself is kind of scary if you ask me.

I have to qualify my statement of "too scary." It wasn't the kind of scared I get where my adrenaline pumps and my eyes water (i.e. Blair Witch Project, "look at my eyes! look at my eyes!") It was more the kind of scary akin to holy crap I'm stuck in a cave, I don't know what's up and what's down and these weird Golem-like creatures are eating my friends. It's hard to explain. Or maybe you get the idea.

HOWEVER, I have absolutely no doubt in my mind that I will be renting this movie so I can watch it at home and see what happens at the end. No doubt at all. I also have to mention that it was awesome to see a movie with all of the leads (except the stupid cave people) as strong women and no men coming to the rescue (at least within the first hour or so). It also further solidified the fact that I will never ever EVER go spelunking. I have no idea why that appeals to anyone on earth, except for maybe the stupid cave people. Stupid cave people. I hate the cave people.

'Tis the season

It's the month of insanity right now. Everyone kept telling me that August was a time to relax and recuperate. What?! That could NOT be further from the truth. This whole month has been a whirlwind from beginning to end. No rest for the wear I suppose.

For some reason unknown to me, this is the week of screaming children. Sure we get the occasional yelp or two, the random tantrum from an unhappy toddler, that's no big deal. We all just kind of smile and go about our business, kids will be kids after all. To a certain extent, we become slightly immune to it. It's no big deal! But when there's two or three screaming children a day, you can't help but notice and wonder, "is there something going on in the world that I don't know about?" At the same time, most schools around here start very soon so everyone's a little extra anxious in general. The circle of life, right? Well, something like that.

On a different note, I am planning on going to see a movie tonight and I'm hoping it's going to be that seemingly scary movie "The Descent". I'm pretty psyched because I'm OBSESSED with scary movie! I can't get enough of them! I'll post a review if I end up going.

Worst.

1. I have Rimsky-Korsakov's Flight of the Bumblebee going through my head.
2. I just created a big long posting about good things, performing, my job, music...and it was all LOST. I'm not going to re-create it because my neck hurts.
   

Recall of Highsmith toys

Our library gave out this prize to summer reading participants. We just found out yesterday they were recalled due to a potentially high amount of lead. We have put a posting on our website, put up signs at all of our branches as well as noticed several news agencies in the area. It seems like a pretty big deal (as it should). I've heard Highsmith is coming out with another official statement tomorrow. Here's a link to the original article:

http://www.thestarpress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2006608050330

Also, here is the release from the Indiana State Department of Health. However, Indiana and Kentucky are not the only ones who use the Collaborative Summer Reading Program, created by Highsmith. It is used all over the country.

http://www.in.gov/isdh/news/2006/08-04.htm

Pretty scary, right? I think so.

Back to the grind

Well I recently returned from a fun-filled vacation with the fam. It was a whirlwind and I loved every minute of it! ...well, except for the heat maybe, but many dips in the pool helped that quite a bit. It was so wonderful to see everyone and catch up. I always leave these times feeling like one of the luckiest people on earth to be a part of such an energetic, funny, phenomenal group of people EVER! Yay for us! Okay, enough of the mush. I have to say though it's one of the greatest feelings to have your neice running toward you with arms outstretched, grinning, and shrieking "Sassy! Sassy! Sassy!" So hard to beat.

There was no rest for the weary upon returning from vacation. Early Friday morning I attended a day-long workshop with some other area librarians for a chance to read some recently published picture books, discuss programming ideas and eat mediocre food. Mmmm. I have a new favorite picture book (this has a tendency to change just about every week...sometimes more frequently). The book is Emma Kate by Patricia Polacco. I have a soft spot for elephants, as well as imaginary friends. Who doesn't?

Tonight we had our first Family Sing Along and it was a blast! Lots of fun-filled times of singing, dancing, playing guitar, marching and all around craziness. I was so excited for a chance to use my guitar and do some singing in a program and it was well worth it!

Well I think my cats are plotting against me so I better go break them up before some terrible happens. Monkey and I had a difference of opinion yesterday. He thought it was a great idea to jump up onto the computer desk when I was typing up emails. I didn't agree so I nudged him off. He tried to grab hold...of my arm. I have 4 nasty scratches to prove it. I yelled some obscenities and then went back to typing. My new tactic is to use his, um, lack of intelligence next time. All I do is mimic our family cat from my childhood, Kitty. Kitty had a very specific meow right before she barfed. I find that if I start meowing like Kitty Monkey starts to freak out and runs around trying to find the new cat. Not the sharpest tool in the shed. But it gets the job done with no injuries (at least to me).