Every Month at the Quarter Moon There’ll be a Monsoon

So I have experienced quite a lot of terrible rainstorms.

When I was nine there was a tornado warning on my birthday. (My birthday takes place in a season where there is zero rain, so it was a really random year.) There ended up being no tornado, but it was really rainy and windy.

I don’t remember it being too bad as we didn’t have to do anything in school but hng out (away from the windows, and we all got picked up from school early. I spent the rest of the day chilling, happy birthday to me.

Then there was the time I went to Arizona right in the middle of monsoon season. The rainstorms don’t last long, but they are extremely powerful and crazy. And of course because this happens only one week out of the year, they don’t build the buildings with the capacity to handle such storms, i.e no rain gutters to catch the rain or storm drains. There was water coming from everywhere. It was like Jumanji.

At one point my sister and I were running to our hotel room (in our shorts and tank tops as it was too hot for either of us to bring a coat or sweater) and when we almost reached it, we were hit by a waterfall of water streaming off outdoor walkway. We both were totally soaked.

Then there was that time during my freshman year in school were we had crazy rainstorms up until the beginning of May. Things were so bad that one week (right before finals) they canceled classes that met in the lower floors of the buildings and were all issued a flood warning. In fact it got so bad they had to sandbag some of the buildings, as the nearby river began to overflow.

Then there was Wyoming. Now that rain is tough. It doesn’t pour down on you, but the wind moves so fast that it knocks the rain drops into your body and face, making you feel as if you are being punched by a million tiny fists.

The wind completely tore my umbrella, in fact it wasn’t until a second storm weeks later that I was able to find all the pieces of it.

I’m telling you, those Wyoming storms are crazy. I could barely find my way home, and was completely soaked from every inch.

But the worst storm happened last Sunday. I woke up, planning on getting ready for church when I looked outside to see water just pouring down from the skies. It was as if a faucet had been turned on full blast. Just gallons of water everywhere! Like you needed an ark to maneuver out of there.

There was no way I was going to drive in that!

Ahhh!

So I waited until there was a break, but then I had the worst luck ever! As I was driving, the street that goes across one of the freeways’ light was broken!

AAAAAAAAHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It was totally scary! Cars were just crossing all over the place, barely managing to dodge each other. I swear I saw like ten near accidents as I sat waiting for my turn.

I had to wait at least 20 mins, using a car making a left turn as a shield and praying that no one hit me.

Then later as I was driving, I noticed that on the one way road I was going down, there was a section completely filled with water.

Noooooooooo!!!!!!!

There was nothing I could do but go forward. Praying again, but this time that my car wouldn’t get stuck in the water.

I was somehow able to push through, and get to church.

Of course being California, two hours later the rain had stopped, the sun was out, and the only markers of the deluge were a few puddles.

Well that’s life in the golden state.

For more adventures in the rain, go to It’s Raining, It’s Pouring

For more on living in California, go to England Dreamin’ On Such a Summer’s Day

For more adventures from my everyday life, go to A Baker’s Four Dozen

Now for today’s Christmas Carol, I have chosen When Christmas Comes to Town from The Polar Express. 

I think it is a cute song and my favorite from the film. I thought it was just so beautiful; the lyrics and the very talented voices.

For more on The Polar Express, go to 25 More Films of Christmas

For more Christmas Carols, go to God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen

 

What is Immortality Without You?: The Two Towers (2002)

Romantic Moment #8

Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)

So The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, is based on the book series, The Lord of the Rings,  by J.R.R. Tolkien. I loved both the books and the films and highly recommend both (jeez I feel like I say this all the time).

Anyways so The Two Towers is the second book in the series. For those of you who have not read/watched these, to catch up on the first film click here. So in this film the fellowship has been broken up.  Frodo and Sam have separated from everyone else and are trying to reach Mordor to throw in the ring. They run into Gollum, who has been corrupted by the evil of the ring and is determined to get it back. Frodo takes pity on Gollum and has him lead them. Frodo, Sam and Gollum travel through the Dead Marshes, evading a Nazgûl. They come upon the Black Gate but find it heavily guarded by Orcs. Gollum convinces the pair that he will lead them to an unguarded entrance, but on this new path they are captured by the Rangers of Ithilien, who is lead by Faramir, who is also Boromir‘s brother. Frodo reveals Gollum’s presence to save him, but he is captured and mistreated by the Rangers. Faramir has the Hobbits taken to Osgiliath, where they are attacked by Orcs led by a Nazgûl. Faramir frees Sam and Frodo and sends them on their way, joined by Gollum. Gollum decides that he will find another way to get the ring.

Pippin and Merry have been captured by Orcs, and just barely managed to escape from them and flee into the Fangorn Forest. They meet Treebeard, one of the Ents.  Treebeard and the Ents don’t want to get involved, but when Pippin tricks him to go by Isengard, they discover that Saruman the White has cut down all the trees; completely decimating the area. They join in the war, defeat the Uruk-hai and break the river dam; drowning the surviving Orc defenders, flooding Isengard, and stranding Saruman in his tower.

Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli pursue the Uruk-hai, in their attempt to save Merry and Pippin. They run into King Théoden of Rohan’s nephew Éomer who has been banished along with all the other great warriors. They have killed all the Orcs, but the trio is determined to find them. They go into Fangorn Forest where they are confronted by Gandalf, reborn as Gandalf the White. They travel to Rohan, where King Théoden has been entranced and physically weakened by Gríma Wormtongue, who is secretly in the service of Saruman. The four of them free Théoden from Gríma’s spell, and inform the king of his son Théodred‘s death. As Saruman’s forces attack Rohan, Théoden moves his people to the stronghold Helm’s Deep for safety. Gandalf leaves to find Éomer and the other riders. Théoden’s forces travel to Helm’s Deep, and are attacked by Saruman’s Warg riders, in which Aragorn is thrown from a cliff to his apparent death in a raging river. Arwen saves him, guiding him back to safety, even though her father Elrond has been trying to convince her to leave Middle-Earth forever. Meanwhile, Éowyn, Théoden’s niece, starts falling for Aragorn. Aragorn washes up on the river bank and makes his way to Helm’s Deep. They and a battalion of Elves led by Haldir join Rohan’s troop and help them fight the Uruk-hai. Gandalf appears, accompanied by Éomer and his men. Their combined forces defeat the Orcs.

Most Romantic Moment:

So during this film we have a flashback scene between Arwen and Aragorn that is soooo romantic. So Arwen has given up her immortality for Aragorn. She loves him so much that she would rather spend a shorter life with him than an eternity without him. She gives him the Evenstar so that he will never forget how her love for him is unending.

“Arwen: I choose a mortal life.

Aragorn: You cannot give me this.

Arwen: It is mine to give to whom I will. Like my heart.”

So romantic!

And to make this an even more swoonworthy scene, Aragorn gives it back. He loves her, but because he loves her he wants more for her. He wants her to have a long life with her family and to find someone else who can live forever with her. Aw, he just loves her so much that he wants only the best for her. Even if that makes him sad, lonely, and breaks his heart into a million pieces.

But to make that even more romantic! (The romance is just piling on). Arwen refuses to take the Evenstar back. She knows that he is trying to do what’s best, but what he hasn’t realized is that, while he might not be the best choice (a mortal), he is the best one for her.

So she leaves it with him. Letting him know that no matter what she still loves him and would choose him over immortality any day.

I want a relationship like Arwen and Aragorn

For more on the Lord of the Rings go to A Horse’s Tale