Friday, February 26, 2010

Olympics

A few weeks ago, as the world was preparing for the opening ceremony of the Olympics, I was curious as to whether I would get as hooked on these winter games as I did the summer games in 2008. I was a little worried because I remember how late I would stay up to watch different events. I, for really the first time in my life, just had to watch.

I watched the opening ceremony, though not the entire thing, and then figured that I'd watch throughout the weekend since I didn't have much going on. As it turns out, I didn't bother to turn on the games until late that Saturday night when I was getting ready to go to bed. Sunday rolled around and my parents surprised me by bringing chili to my place after church. No more than five minutes after getting to my place, my dad said "Um... I need to be watching the olympics." Excuse me!

It just so happened that there was a women's hockey game on (USA and Canada, if that sort of detail is important to you) and after a few minutes of watching, I found myself wondering when we could possibly see some beach volley ball. Now, I'm aware that beach volley ball isn't a winter sport. And I think it was at that moment that I realized that these games weren't going to be as important to me as the summer games were. I think in my heart of hearts, I'm tired of cold weather and being cold and, even though it's probably 40 degrees warmer here than in Vancouver, I don't really want to watch other people be cold.

Don't get me wrong, I haven't completely boycotted the olympics altogether. I've watched a little bit here and there and I keep up with the medal counts and read the big stories online. My dad might call me a communist (since my brother, who has done so in the past, probably wouldn't think about doing it since he's a missionary and all) if I didn't watch sometimes or at least turn it on when he calls me and says "Are you watching it?" as soon as I answer. Obviously he is completely into it. In fact, he keeps asking my mom if she thinks he's too old to compete in the next games in whatever sport happens to be on. Mostly luge, skeleton, speed and figure skating. Last weekend, after watching the men's speed skating, my dad came in from the garage wearing a helmet and sunglasses and swinging his arms like he was skating around the house. I think that was his first official work out.

If anything, what little I've seen has made me want to at least try skiing or snowboarding. Shocking, right? I'll probably break something important, like my face, but at least I could say that I made an effort. That attempt will probably have to be made at the beginning of the winter season, though. Not late February, when I'm dying to be back in shorts and a t-shirt.

Sunday, February 14, 2010

Chick Flicks

A couple of years ago, for reasons that I will never know, my brother decided to read The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks. What can I say? He may be big and tough on the outside, but he's a real softy on the inside. I remember Coley reading these books and saying outloud things like "Come on, Nick. Fix this! You're killing me here!" He wanted nothing more than for things to resolve themselves, perhaps a little more quickly than the author had in mind. (I think I also have to say that he did NOT shed a tear while reading these books.)

Shortly after he read these books, I made a New Year's Resolution to read more and he suggested that I read them. I had yet to see the movie, The Notebook, so I figured it couldn't hurt to read the book first and then I would watch the movie. I'm pretty sure that the first time I ever cried while reading a book was toward the end of The Notebook. But to say that I only cried would be an understatement. I bawled. And I bawled at the end of The Wedding, too.

I was sorely disappointed when I watched the movie. I was actually more than disappointed; I was pissed. The movie was not the sappy love story that the book was and that I wanted so badly to see played out on my television. It has taken me a long time to come to like the movie, but it isn't a favorite by any stretch. I like it a little more every time I see it, which is probably why I have to at least have it on in the background every time I see it in my on-screen guide. It's as though I'm forcing myself to like it. I feel less feminine when I have to tell someone that I don't looooove that movie and cry my eyes out (like I do during P.S. I Love You) every time I see it. I'm a little afraid someone is going to start revoking my sassy high-heel shoes one pair at a time.

Dear John is now in theaters. I wanted to see the movie, but also wanted to read the book. Before I could read the book, as I would normally do before seeing a movie made from a book, Kevin asked me if I wanted to see the movie. I decided that I'd put the cart before the horse this time, so we saw it last night. After leaving the theater, I thought that maybe this is the way to handle the whole book-to-movie situation where Nicholas is concerned. If this transition is anything like that of The Notebook, the two could be just different enough to make them both equally enjoyable. So we'll see how it goes. Now I just need to get my hands on a copy of the book. Surprisingly enough, Coley doesn't have it.

On a sort of related note, our "date" was actually a double feature. We saw Valentine's Day first. It was really good and will most likely be added to my DVD collection as soon as it is released. As we stood in line before the movie, we discussed the casting and talked about the last movie that we both remember seeing with so many big names in it. The movie that came to mind was He's Just Not That Into You. We agreed that, even with the cast, the movie was less than stellar. I'm pretty well convinced that Valentine's Day was 10 times better simply because Scarlett Johansson wasn't in it. The main reason for that being, of all the story lines going on, none called for a homewrecker.

Thursday, February 11, 2010

Roses Are Red, Jake Is A Goof

I started writing about The Bachelor last week, but ended up hating what I wrote and deleted it all. After the last episode, this is where I'm at:

- I'm shocked that Ali left, but thought her big production was a bit stupid. And anti-climactic, considering that the previews all boasted that "for the first time in Bachelor history (a actual first, not just a teaser to suck people in), there would be no rose ceremony." After her big confession about her job, one could easily conclude that she was going home. Or that he was going to pick her on the spot and send the remaining three packing. Pronto. AS IF the producers would've let that happen...

- What is Gia still doing there? I like to hope that she would've gone home had Ali decided to stay. She just gets on my nerves and I think he just likes to make out with her so that later on he can brag to his pilot friends that he made out with a model. A needy one.

- At this point, Tenley is my front-runner. And I think that they'd like you to believe that she's Jake's also, since he asked her dad if he could marry his daughter. She was the only one that he did that for during the hometown dates, that they showed us anyway. So I'm keeping my fingers crossed that all the rumors and spoilers I've heard are wrong.

- I don't even know what to say about Vienna, other than that she's a hot mess. She's just too much ground to even begin to cover and I still don't understand what he sees in her. I imagine that if Rozlyn hadn't hooked up with a staffer, she'd probably have made it to this point too. And I might have given up on the show altogether.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: I am NEVER going on that show. I'd rather be single for the rest of my life than to deal with any of that. I'm probably not interesting enough to even make it on the show, but I certainly wouldn't be able to bring myself to beg for someone's attention and I doubt the love-it-or-leave-it attitude would get me very far. I probably wouldn't even be able to be the bachelorette sifting through 25 guys to find "the one." Thanks, but no thanks.

Unfortunately, I'm hooked for now. Thank goodness there are only three more episodes. How does this happen to me every single season?! Oh, that's right. I have no self-control! ;-)