Anyway, my week hasn't just been about my failed attempts to overcome Weebly weirdness. I spent most of my weekend shooting stuff for Expect Squirrels! Things didn't go exactly as planned, since the weather was being kind of iffy, and we forgot to check and see whether one of our shooting locations would actually be open (it wasn't), but even though we had to shift some stuff around, we still got a lot done. For me, that meant sitting still while Rachael covered my face in goo and not being able to scratch my nose all day. It was really a lot of fun, though. Wearing makeup isn't that bad, particularly when you have someone as talented as Rachael to make sure it goes on just right, and I had a lot of fun costumes to wear. Plus I got to spend all that time hanging out with my friends! We also met Rachael's friend Mark, who graciously agreed to be our Rob, and I think it's going really well so far. I'm pretty sure we're on schedule to finish before everyone leaves for school, and I'm excited to see how it's gonna turn out!
In other news, county schools start back on Thursday, so today was my last day babysitting for the summer. That's one of the many nice things about college- my little sister's going to be up at 6 in a couple of days to get ready for her first day of school, while I'll still have two and a half weeks of sleeping in and hanging around the house to get out of my system before the fall semester starts :) Enough gloating, though- have some Questions!
Anna Beth:
Is there anything in real life as cute as it is in the movies, or is real life just awkward?
You know, the stuff that happens in movies has to come from somewhere. Sure, movies are fictional, so they can have all kinds of implausible, extremely opportunistic plot twists and storylines, but I feel like a lot of those kinds of things have been done to the point where we kind of expect them. Like, we see a girl and a guy in a movie who start out absolutely
loathing each other and we just expect that they're going to fall in love by the end of the movie. The advantage that real life has, then, is that it's... real. Not everything has a rhyme or reason to it, or at least not that a single person can be completely conscious of, so it's genuinely possible to come upon twists and turns in your own life that no script writer ever could have come up with in his wildest fantasies. There's also the fact that you have a personal connection
to the things that happen in your life. To some random spectator, it may not be interesting when that boy in your class strikes up a conversation with you, or when you bump into an old friend you haven't seen in years, but you know the deeper meaning that comes from these seemingly minimal interactions and can see the true cuteness of it.
The other day, Amy said something to the effect of, "I don't want to be madly in love, because that never lasts." Her point was about having a deep friendship with the guy you marry. Obviously friendship is important, but do you think romantic love just dies, like Amy implied, and all you're left with is friendship?
Uhm, no. Obviously it's important to be friends with whoever you're going to spend the rest of your life with, but people don't just pick one of their friends and decide, hey, lets get married!
There has to be romance there too. And I feel like you're not going to have a very good marriage if you just let the romance die. Sure, like anything else it'll take work, but I don't think it is at all necessary for romance just to die in a marriage. Of course, this is coming from my unmarried, lacking any kind of experience perspective. Judging from the happy marriages I've seen, though, I think Amy's just being pessimistic.
And speaking of Amy, she's been home for over a week now, AND I HAVE YET TO SEE HER! Amy, it's not fair! I misss yoououuuuuuuu!!!!!!!!!!!!
Do you really ever go "purposely looking for a good cry?"
I don't know about with books, but there are times when I voluntarily watch sad movies or listen to sad songs (I have a whole playlist on my iPod devoted to them :). Back to books, though, if I just see a random book that looks like it's going to have my heart ripped into tiny little shreds by the end of the first chapter, I am generally not all that interested. But if I'm
familiar with the characters and can really feel like a part of the story, then I feel like I'm more accepting of sad things happening, as long as they're balanced with not so sad things. Deathly Hallows, for example, was brilliant. I mean, there was a war going on, so obviously there were going to be sad things and events that I didn't want happening, but life was still going on, so the sadness and tears were balanced with moments of triumph and hilarity. That's one reason I've really liked everything I've read by John Green so far. He just has this way of perfectly balancing out his books: there are serious moments with profound realizations and heartfelt tears for the trials the characters are going through, but there are also, often within moments of the former, hilarious one-liners and descriptions that have me gasping for breath from all the laughter even before the tears have dried.
Do you prefer the sun or the moon?
Well, the sun is nice and all, but I think it's burned me one (dozen) time too many. I'm gonna have to go with the moon.
What is your least favorite type of normal weather (i.e. not including tornadoes and etc.)?
The icky muggy hot kind where you sweat buckets but it just stays there because the air around you is already saturated, so you're just stuck standing there with your clothes sticking to you and your deodorant getting less and less effective the longer you're stuck out there. Like last summer when we were filming A Moment.
Are all generalizations bad? And wouldn't that be a generalization?
Precisely :) If all generalizations are bad, then the previous statement, being itself a generalization, is also bad, so one or the other (either general generalizations or that specific generalization about general generalizations) is incorrect. While generalizations can be annoying and are, most of the time, incorrect, they can be helpful. For example, it's not very feasible to get to know the specific eating habits and preferences of every single snow leapard on the planet. Instead, it may be helpful to generalize about what most typical snow leapards like to eat, how often they eat, and so forth, so that you can use these generalizations to help you make decisions should you ever find yourself in a situation involving snow leapards (say, for example, the pros and cons of sneaking into a snow leapard's cage at the zoo, and the likelihood that you will be something it will want to eat). So, although generalizations in general are generally annoying and incorrect, they are also helpful to an extent when no better option is available to you. In general, you know, things that exist have some sort of use. It's just a matter of determining whether its usefulness is enough to make up for its annoyingness.
All the best things in life make sense: true or false?
Umm. False. Plenty of things in life don't make sense (at least, coming from the perspective of a single person in a sea of 7 billion other people, not to mention all the other life forms on the planet). That's part of the concept of Grace- getting what you don't deserve. Knowing that you are completely unqualified, imperfect, incapable of ever deserving the great thing that comes into your life, but getting it anyway. It doesn't make any kind of sense, but it's pretty great in my opinion.
You love babies. Does this include the babies from the Evil Baby Orphanage?
Of course it includes the babies from the Evil Baby Orphanage! All babies deserve to be loved and cared for, even if they are destined to grow up and significantly increase world suck levels. In fact, it is babies like those in the Evil Baby Orphanage who need that love and care even more than most babies. Because it may be that all they needed in the first place was someone to care about them and prevent the giant attention-seeking temper tantrum that is threatening to take over the rest of their lives.
What's the most absurd, unnecessary thing you've ever brought along on a trip?
Well, I brought cardboard David Tennant to Nashville when we visited Amber. To most people, that's pretty absurd.
Where does gravity come from?
Go watch scishow.
Do animals go to heaven when they die?
Maybe.
Is it possible to cry under water?
I haven't looked this up or anything, but I would assume so. You just can't really tell that the person is crying, since their tears just flow into all the other water surrounding them. Well, you can't tell from the obvious, at least. If the person's face gets all red and puffy or something like that, then you'd still be able to tell.
If money doesn't grow on trees then why do banks have branches?
Because the government is trying to cover it up to prevent mass chaos and justification of other conspiracy theories.
Does love make sense?
Yes and no.
Have you ever had a near-death experience?
Not that I recall.
What's your favorite movie?
Too many movies to pick from...
Name three reasons that those of us who haven't read the Host Club series should read it.
1. It's adorable.
2. SOOO much adorbs.
3. EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Really, though, I really like it. Sanaa got me started on it in high school, and I remember being really skeptical about whether I would enjoy it, but I don't think I need to elaborate much on how that turned out. I will say that, for me, at least, the manga format is a little difficult to follow. But that may just be because all I want to do is get through the episodes as fast as I can to see what happens. I have a hard time slowing down and actually looking at the pictures and paying attention to everything that's going on. But it's such a cute story! I mean, it's manga, so it's also completely ridiculous, but that just adds to the hilarity and adorableness of it all <3 So, seriously, go try it out. Then you can join me, Sanaa, and Amber in our SQUEE!!! fest :D
Would you, under any circumstances, agree to being cryogenically frozen
to be woken up in the future? What circumstances, if any?
If Kairan Fisher were going to be there :) Man, I can't wait for Chronicles of Syntax!
Would you rather have a wizard wand or a sonic screwdriver?
Well, I already have two wizard wands, but they don't work for me, since I'm not actually a wizard. So I'll have to go with the sonic screwdriver. At least I have a chance of figuring it out :)
What books would you like to see adapted into movies?
- Anything by John Green.
- The Young Wizard Series
- Fairies of Dreamdark (made any more progress on that Rachael? Or is it still boring you like the Young Wizard book?)
Would you ever want to be an extra in a movie?
Sure.
If you met a genie, what would your 3 wishes be?
To save the world and end world hunger and stuff.
Jill:
Are there any circumstances in which you would take a one-way ticket to be in the first group to colonize mars? If so, under what circumstance?
Circumstances would have to be pretty extreme for me to want that one-way ticket. Like, if I were being kicked off the planet for some unknown, unjustified reason, I'd rather go to Mars, where there were life support systems set up to allow me to keep living, than just be rocketed out into the vaccuum of space to die from asphyxiation/starvation/dehydration/implosion. Or was it explosion? I don't remember what we decided would happen to a human body unprotected in space.
If you had the opportunity to name a planet, what would you name it?
Ok, I feel like you guys are asking these naming questions just to get on my nerves now. How about Pluto, Mark II?
When looking at the night sky, do you prefer to look at the stars or the moon?
The stars. I don't know enough Astronomy to be able to find most constellations or anything, but it's fun to look and connect the dots on my own.
If you had to pick a sport in the Olympics to compete in, which would you pick?
Please tell me I'd have the opportunity to train for this sport and get to be somewhat acceptable at it, as opposed to just being thrown in there with a bunch of Olympic-grade athletes who actually know what they're doing? Assuming the former, my choices would probably be about the same as what I like to watch: Gymnastics or Ice Skating. I actually used to be in Gymnastics when I was little, although it's been so long since I did anything even remotely related that I wouldn't have any real advantage. I could never do the uneven bars at all :/ As far as ice skating goes, I've only actually ice skated once, so I would be really awful at it, I just think it's a really cool (lol, cause of the ice :P) sport, and I think it'd be fun to learn how to do some of the tricks.
What was your first impression of me?
I'm not very good at remembering first impressions of people. Like, the first thing I remember about you is when you wore your Green Chicken shirt to Poli-sci. And I don't even remember thinking that about you, just the random girl in my class who had a shirt related to Osborne's funny story about his wife.
What's your favorite fairytale and why?
FYI, favorite questions are almost as annoying as naming questions unless there's a limited amount of things to pick from. How am I supposed to pick my single favorite story out of the millions that exist?! Especially since I can't think of any fairytales right now... How about Beauty and the Beast? That's a fairytale-ish type thing, right?
If I were to ask you what argument/debate you've had with someone has been the most entertaining, what's the first thing to come to mind?
I don't know, my brain doesn't work. I know I've enjoyed lots of arguments, but I can't really think of any specific ones right now :/
Would you rather be accepted into Hogwarts and have magical abilities for a lifetime or travel with the Doctor for one year of your lifetime?
Umm, Hogwarts. Just think how lazy I could be if I could do magic...
Do you usually overpack or underpack?
Probably underpack. I try to pack as little as possible into as small a bag as I can manage, so there've been a lot of times that I've reached my destination and then had to make do without my hairbrush or an extra shirt because I totally overlooked it in my zeal to shrink my belongings down as small as possible.
Do you prefer your daydreams or the dreams you have while sleeping?
Daydreams. Then, at least, I'm in control, so I can make whatever I want happen. When I'm actually dreaming, though, I feel like my subconscious purposely feeds me just enough of a story or an adventure or a cool thing that I get reeled in and start enjoying myself before promptly turning lame or nonsensical, leaving me powerless to get back to whatever happy thing it is that I wanted to see more of. For example, I had a dream once that I was flying, but
once I realized this and started enjoying myself, my dream person started slowly losing altitude, and I had no way of getting back into the air again. It was really irritating. And recently I was having this cool dream about the town square (like, literally a square block of buildings and roads and things) and I was having fun with all the dream people, when all of a sudden we were all inside hiding from zombies and I was completely and utterly failing and killing them and protecting myself and everyone else. Even when my dreams don't take
annoying or scary turns, they just tend to be nonsense. Like this random scene turns into another nonsensical image turns into more randomness that makes no sense to me and is absolutely no fun.
How many books are in your 'to read' pile (of shame)?
...33 if you count my big compilation books each as one book. If I have to separate those into the individual works that comprise each of them, then you're out of luck; I'm not going to go through and count all that.
Do you work better with a deadline or without?
Unfortunately, I probably work better with a deadline. If it's just a matter of getting my work done whenever I feel like it, then most likely it's just not going to get done, because I'm not going to feel like it anytime in the next century. But as the deadline gets nearer, I get more and more motivated to work. Also unfortunately, that typically puts me up the night before an assignment is due and just starting on it. I do put the pro in procrastination, after all. That does only apply to an actual deadline, though. I can set goals for myself all I want, but if I'm the only one telling myself to finish that assignment before lunch then it's usually just not going to happen. I guess I just don't find myself authoritative enough :/
(also, going off this question, I give you a challenge. Finish reading all the books currently in the pile by the end of the year. If you're successfull you'll get a prize. Fail to complete it... and get a 'surprise.' [You'll only get the prize/surprise if you accept the challenge outright, so it's up to you])
Question: Are you including my compilation books in this? Am I going to have to read the complete works of Shakespeare by the end of December? Because that doesn't seem very feasible at all...
Is it still a good deed if you're forced into doing it?
Yeah. The living room gets vacuumed whether you volunteer to do it or your mom threatens to take away your cell phone. That being said, though, I feel like good deeds mean a lot more if they're done out of a desire to help as opposed to a desire to stay out of trouble. Back to the vacuum example, if you vacuum the living room after a week of your mom yelling at you and asking why you haven't done what she asked yet, then, yes, it is technically done, but no one's really happy about it. Your mom's feeling like the bad guy because of all the yelling and provilege revoking that was required to get the job done, and you're feeling irritated because you've spent all week getting yelled at and losing your cell phone, and you still had to vacuum the living room. Consider, though, if instead your mom comes home from a difficult day of work to see that you've cleaned the living room- and she hadn't even asked you to do it yet. Because this good gesture came as a surprise, and without any tooth-pulling or privilege-removing necessary, everyone is happy. Your mom has a nice clean living room (and we all know how moms feel about clean living rooms...), and you get that happy, fuzzy feeling inside that comes from doing something nice just for the sake of being nice. Isn't that so much better?
And the winner this week? Anna Beth again! STOP ASKING ME TO NAME THINGS!!!!!! Love you guys! Be sure to leave me Questions for next week!
Sara