So we are bringing Catching Fire back to the Valentine’s posts as well. This movie is more special for me than the first film as when it came out I had read the whole series, I saw this in theaters, and the cinematography was better as it wasn’t so shaky and all over the place. I also love how we got to see more of Peeta, and in a better light as Katniss trusts him. When the books and movies came out everyone was on the Gale train (Liam Hemsworth is pretty fantastic looking), but not me-Peeta is way better. Peeta is so adorable and sweet and loves Katniss soooo much.
Catching Fire takes place a year after Katniss and Peeta won the Hunger Games with their pretend love. Now they both have houses, money, food, etc; for them and their family. And the best thing of all, they never have to compete in the Hunger Games again.
Katniss and Gale are having issues as Katniss is trying to deal with the trauma of the Games and her confusion for what she feels for Gale and Peeta, along with trying to care for her family. She and Peeta (who wants their relationship to be real); are doing tours at each district proclaiming how happy they are to have survived, honoring the those that died, saying how grateful they are to the capital, etc; that whole spiel. President Snow is unhappy with this, as they have been sparking rebellions all over. The President Snow would like nothing better than to get rid of Katniss, but can’t outright kill her as it will cause a full on revolution. He decides that for the big anniversary of the Hunger Games they will pick from those who have won in the past, killing her in the process.
Katniss and Peeta aren’t the only ones scared and angry to have to go back, as none of the others thought they would ever have to repeat the process. They have to make alliances and try to trust each other, but which of the teams?
Most Romantic Moment #4: I’ll Do Everything I Can to Get You Out of the Games
So last time I wrote about Catching Fire, I talked about how romantic that Peeta is so in love with Katniss but decides that being her friend is enough.
This time I want to focus on how Peeta works so hard to keep Katniss out of the games. While Katniss has the survival skills, drive, and focus-Peeta has the charisma, people skills, and is a natural leader.
Katniss is not a people person, she does not do well with in that arena. She can’t charm, she can’t flatter, she can’t work a room. But Peeta can. He used this to help in the first game, and now with this one he exercises everything he has to help win the capital over to her.
I love how Peeta is so earnest in his love for her and how he thinks of everything. It is expanded more in the book, but that was top-notch planning, saying she is pregnant and giving the details on their “wedding”. Yep, he uses all his interview time to try and save Katniss, every ounce of charm, every thing he has in his arsenal to do all he can to keep her out of the games.
AWWWW, he is so sweet-but then everything Peeta does is sweet…he is a baker after all.
So yes I am a Barbie girl. I grew up with Barbie loving the message I can do whatever I want to. I liked Barbie the way she used to be, she may not have been proportionate but she looked healthy, not like the thin stick dolls they make today.
So this webisode show is available online and on Netflix. It is done in the way of The Office or Modern Family. Events with a pause for interviews, etc.
I started watching this with my niece, and really enjoy. The characters and situations are hilarious, and hands down; Ken is the perfect boyfriend.
It is Valentine’s Day and Ken is out shopping for the perfect gift for Barbie. While at the flower shop, he is seen by Ryan; a guy who is out to steal Barbie away.
Ryan watches Ken pick out a small bouquet of roses, and then decides to purchase a giant horseshoe shaped wreath.
Ken then travels to the Candy store and buys a small heart box full of candy. Ryan buys a life size Chocolate Statue of himself.
Ken then goes to the card store, but can’t find one he likes. Ryan buys a custom card that is his size and has himself inside singing a love song. Who will Barbie choose?
Most Romantic Moment: It’s the Meaning That Counts
So the most romantic moment comes after Ryan has displayed his gifts and Ken shares why he picked out his. He choose the small bouquet of roses because they were Barbie’s absolute favorites.
He bought her the box of Chocolates, because they were the same one she loved as a girl.
And then he handmade her a card saying that she’ll always be his girl.
How romantic
What a guy right? The fact that he got her everything she loved and things that actually meant something is worth more than millions. They are perfect. HE is perfect.
So I don’t know about you all but my family actually cuts down our Christmas Tree. We always go the day after Thanksgiving to the black friday sales, and then a few hours to the forest to cut down our tree.
Now some of you may wonder why we would go through so much trouble? Why not buy a fake one? Well I’ll tell you why:
1) The permit to cut down a tree only costs $10. That means you can get as big a tree you want for only ten bucks! For instance we got a 12 foot tree for 5% of the cost of buying one from a lot.
2) Cutting down your Christmas tree is very good for the environment.
I know many of you have just read that and are probably saying to yourselves this girl is stupid, but just hear me out. You see trees grow in clumps and while that is a great thing as they share resources, protect each other, pollinate each other, etc. However, at times this can be bad. Sometimes trees grow too close together that they are unable to get their share. Often times one, or all, the trees will die as there isn’t enough to go around. Cutting down your own Christmas tree from one of the clumps means that one side might be a little thinner (you just aim that side in the corner) and it helps the other trees grow big and strong. Also periodically clearing out sections of trees protects them in the summer when there are threats of forest fires. And of course, this cutting isn’t a free for all. You can only cut from certain sections, therefore protecting a wider majority of trees. You also have restrictions on the tree size. Your trunk can only have a diameter of 6 inches and there is a restriction of high the stump can be. These regulations keep older trees protected, along with making sure people are not cutting off the tops and leaving the rest of the tree.
That’s a lot!
3) Cutting your own tree means that it will last longer. You see one of the biggest problems with tree lots is that these trees are cut at the end of November, shipped over to the city they will be sold, and hanging around on pavement until they are sold. They are not getting the same TLC or water and a lot of them die really early, shedding tons of pine needles along the way. Now when you cut your own tree, it is nice and fresh and lasts much, much longer. As I said we always get our tree at the end of November and take it down at the end of January. We could keep it up longer, but usually by February we are packing up our Christmas stuff. Besides longevity, it also smells absolutely wonderful.
And with cutting down your tree there are always adventures. Three years ago I went with my parents and we brought my two nieces, my nephew, and our dog. We hiked all over the area in the snow looking for the perfect tree.
We finally found it and my dad cut it down using a manpowered saw rather than a chainsaw. I tried to help him but it was hard work and both of us were pooped. He was really tired so I had him rest and had to carry that tree on my own. Let me say, I’m never doing that again. It was sooo heavy! I don’t know how I was able to carry it even for a minute.
After my dad’s rest we finished moving the tree to the truck. After that I had to carry the three kids as the snow embankments had grown larger, and they wouldn’t be able to make it out. Yep, every time I feel like something is too hard, difficult, or heavy, I just remind myself that I carried a tree down a mountainside. I rule!
And this year wasn’t any duller. There was no snow as we’ve been suffering some strong dry spells, but we still had a lot of fun hiking up and down the mountainside for that perfect tree. When we found it we cut it down (using a chainsaw this time) and started to head down the mountainside. Now, we’ve been doing this since I was like 13, but this year something happened that had never happened before.
As we started down the hill trying to bring the tree to the truck, my dad yelled at us to turn the tree as he wanted the weaker side pointed to the ground as that side was to lay in the flatbed. As we turned the tree, BAM! SMACK!
The tree branches kept smacking me in the face. And when I mean kept, I meant it didn’t stop. I guess it was the section of the tree I was in, but I couldn’t see a thing, just branches and branches smacking me in the face.
I felt as if it was like in The Wizard of Oz when the trees come to life and start smacking Dorothy.
It was almost like it was mad at me for me cutting it down.
When we got home we got it out of the truck and was taking it into the house and had to turn the tree again. Now this time I had stood on the opposite side of the tree, hoping that would keep it from hitting me, but now once again tree slap.
Hair everywhere, I can’t see a thing, I’m afraid my glasses might get knocked off and go flying, and I am praying so hard that I do not fall in our pool.
Luckily we get it in the stand and straighten it out. And boy does it look lovely. It kind of makes up for the abuse it gave me.
Now my abuse from the tree branches doesn’t end there. Oh, no! You see after I graduated and interned this summer; I moved back home. I’ve been trying to find a job, but this is pretty much what it is like.
So to fill the time until I am hopefully hired, I am volunteering at quite a few places. One of which is my local museum. So last week I headed down there as it was my turn to work the desk. I brought with me some pine clippings from our tree as the museum was decorating for Christmas. Well it turned out that they didn’t have as many volunteers as they hoped, so they asked me to help with the decorating. I thought okay, it will be fun.
So I thought decorating meant we were going to hang ornaments on the tree.
We were making these giant wreaths.
So I was paired with one of the volunteers and let me just stop and share something with you. Most of the volunteers at the museum are older, like 60+. So the woman I had wasn’t the most helpful. You see you take branches of the tree and put them on a plastic doughnut, tying them down with string or wire as you go along. Adding more and more branches until it is filled. However, that’s not what happened here. My helper laid tons of branches down and then sat down as she couldn’t tie them on. I tried to tie the branches down, but the wreath slipped and they all went crashing to the floor.
Noooooooooo!!!!!!!
Yep, I had to do everything over, but this time I did it right. As I continued, more people came and helped out which was nice. It was a really hard process though as it had rained for the past three days, and all their tree clippings were soaked, making the already hard job of trying to tie them down even harder!
Replace Rothbart with wreath
Finally we had completed it and I was tired. It’s a lot of bending over and being pricked/stabbed by the wire and tree branches. I sat down for a bit but then had to move on to making garland.
OMG it was so hard. You have a piece of rope and have to twist tie the branch to the rope. Yep, those flimsy little twisty ties. IT TAKES FOREVER! You keep placing branches over and over each other to make it fuller and until you cover the rope. This is extremely hard. At times I was trying to use one of those flimsy things to tie three branches together! And because a lot of people had to leave, I had to do it all on my own. By one fourth of the way I wanted to burn the thing.
We had a time limit to this as at noon the county was sending over free labor and the right machine to hang this things high up on the walls. So when every team completed theirs and saw I wasn’t even at the halfway point they all descended on me to help out.
Now you think this would have been nice, and it would have if it was one or two, but there were like five trying to take over the tying or telling me what to do. It made me feel kind of surly:
But I just kept to myself, trying to be professional.
After that my shift was over and I headed home, bearing more battle wounds that those brought on by the slapping tree. My hands were covered in cuts and they hurt sooo bad, my back was aching from bending over, my feet were sore from standing, etc. But hey beauty is pain, and the place sure did look amazing!
So the other day I was doing an interview and afterwards stopped at Del Taco for a drink as I was hot and incredibly thirsty. I wasn’t ready to head home, so I sat for a while in my car reading. I was parked near the door next to a Ducati motorcycle. I just love Ducati‘s, they are just so awesome!
Now I don’t know a lot about motorcycles, but I do know about Ducatis. I read this book series as a kid, and one the characters wanted one. I decided to read more about them, to see what’s so special and I was hooked. Beautiful machines.
So anyways, as I was sitting there this gorgeous, tall, dirty blonde in a leather jacket comes out of the Del Taco.
And I’m thinking, he may not be a Dean Winchester:
But he comes pretty smack close to being perfect.
Ah, so handsome with the best smile. How you may ask? Because I talked to him.
I had parked crooked so I asked him if he could get out alright. He told me he couldn’t that it would be impossible.
Oh no! I can’t believe I did that! I told him I would get out of the way, but he said it was fine. He was just kidding. And then he laid out that snile.
Shot me right through the heart.
After that we flirted a bit and I complimented his Ducati. He was surprised that I knew bikes and impressed. He started on his way, but shot one last smile at me.
After he left I was like why hadn’t I asked for his name! Ugh!
Stupid, stupid
I then had to text my friends and gush over him. Pretty much the same thing I am doing to you all. Their responses were hilarious.
Me: I just talked to the cutest guy. Tall, dirty blonde, black leather jacket, and a Ducati. Swoon! Too bad I didn’t get his name.
Friend 1: Or number, he probably would have given it to you.
Friend 2: What! How could you not? I’m disappointed in you.
Friend 3: Well now how are you going to facebook stalk him?
Oh well. At least I had the moment. And who knows, maybe in the future we’ll meet again. Probably not, but:
But the other day I was full on The Little Mermaid. Although, truth be told it wasn’t really the Disney version, but the hardcore Hans Christian Anderson one.
You see in the original story The Little Mermaid was the youngest of six sisters. On her 15th birthday she is able to go up to the surface where she sees the prince and saves his life during a storm.
She visits him everyday at his palace at the seashore and falls in love.
So romantic!
She soons becomes heartbroken as she can’t be with him. Nothing makes her happy, all she wants is to be human.
The other mermaids tell her to be happy, she can live for over 300 years. But she won’t have it. She travels to the sea-witch who lives in a horrible area and is an awful crazy person. The sea-witch turns her into a human, for her voice. However, their are strong consequences. One, she can never, ever be a mermaid again. Two, every step will be agonizing pain. Three, if the prince marries another, the next morning she will die with no soul but turn into foam. The Little Mermaidagrees and her tongue is cut out.
She washes up on shore and the prince takes her into his house. He clothes her and cares for her, as if she was his little sister. He tells her of the girl that saved his life and that she will be the only one he will ever love.
Yay!
Well time comes when the prince has to marry. And the girl chosen is so beautiful he agrees. In fact, he asks the Little Mermaid to be in the ceremony.
She is in so much heartbreak as she is doomed to die while the man she loves is to be married to another.
Her five sisters come to see her. They have cut off all their hair and given it to the sea-witch. They give her a knife and tell her that if she kills the prince and sprinkles his blood on her feet then she will be a mermaid again. But she must do it before the sunrise. She goes into the room to kill him…but she can’t do it. She loves him too much.
So she dies.
Noooooooooo!!!!!!!
Yes she dies. But she doesn’t turn to foam. She instead is given an eternal soul because she sacrificed herself for another.
I always knew the books we read as kids strongly affect us.
But I didn’t know how much until now.
So you are probably wondering what this has to do with me? How am I like The Little Mermaid? Book or film, I’m pretty sure all of you are wanting me to get to the point.
Well for Halloween this year I decided to be Poison Ivy. She is my favorite villainess, as I think she is just amazing. I did a post on her that includes pics of the costume.
So anyways, this past summer I mentioned I was in Wyoming, and that is the land of meat + potatoes. Fruit and veggies are few and far between. So since that summer, I’ve been feeling large.
Yes I do, but I noticed I have put more weight on in the butt/thigh area, or at least that’s what it feels like. So I decided that it was time to get into shape. I started doing squats and did about 100. I was feeling pretty good about it too.
The next day I was a bit sore, but still feeling good.
The next day that was radically different. I drove to an interview, wearing my two inch boots, preparing to change into my four-inch heels when I got there. When I reached the site, I had to park a bit away. After I parked I changed into my heels.
Now I love heels. If you remember from a previous post, I’m short. I’m only 5’3, so heels are great as they finally make me closer to my dream height. They make me feel powerful and awesome. The higher the better.
So walking in 3-5 inch heels is not unusual for me. However, this time was much different. It WAS SO PAINFUL.
No no no no no
I felt just like The Little Mermaid.
“It will feel like a sword were passing through your body…each step you take will feel like sharp knives piercing your feet. “
That’s how it felt with me. Each step was utter agony as my muscles just burned and were so inexplicably sore.
I had to take so many breaks. As soon as I could I went to my car and changed my shoes. I’ve decided to rest from squats. And heels. I’ll just have to accept my bod for what it is.
janeaustenrunsmylife 